Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts

Restaurant Review: Junction Cafe, London Watford

0 comments
London Watford . 2013 . Nov 22

If you are staying at the Holiday Inn Express London Watford, then you’ll need some dining options around the vicinity.  Although the town centre is only about 10 mins walk away and there are plenty of dining options around town, nothing beats a convenient and cheap café at your doorstep.  We were fortunate to hit upon Junction Cafe, because this was where we had most of our meals at an affordable price.


At Junction Cafe, there are at least 8 breakfast sets in the menu, priced at about £5-6 each.  The portion that comes is huge, and enough to feed 2 very hungry people, so in that sense, it really is great value-for-money.  The owner of the café also allowed us to customize and exchange items that we didn’t want in our dish at no extra charge – great flexibility there!

All-Day Breakfast Set 1 – Eggs, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms and hashbrowns at £5.00.




Junction Café have a varied menu that goes beyond its breakfast sets.  There is also a range of salads, burgers, soups, grills and pies.  All of our meals were served quickly and were appetizing.





Creamy chicken soup with bread rolls at £2.20.



Golden battered cod fillet with peas and chips at £4.80.



Double breasted chicken steak, served with mushrooms, tomatoes, peas and chips at £5.80.


Chicken and mushroom in rich creamy sauce and served in a pot pie at £4.50.



Verdict:

With a friendly atmosphere, the Junction Café offers a great meal at affordable prices.  It is highly recommended if you need a quick meal around the Watford Junction area.
Junction Cafe 
101 St Albans Rd Watford,
Hertfordshire WD17 1RD



We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Restaurant Review: The Gourmet Corner Restaurant, Hanoi

0 comments
Hanoi . 2013 . Aug 11


This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Keen to try some Vietnamese cuisine, but worry about the standard of hygiene of street food?  Then the Gourmet Corner Restaurant is the place to go to in Hanoi.





Located on the top storey of the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel, a boutique hotel located in the heart of the Old Quarters, the Gourmet Corner Restaurant is Hanoi’s version of a fine-dining restaurant.  Their 5-star chef whips up a delightful selection of Vietnamese cuisines, exquisitely presented in a modern setting.  Those who are not used to the full array of Asian food need not fret.  The Gourmet Corner Restaurant also offers western soups and dishes and a good list of fine wines and beers.

Ambience

Occupying one of the tallest buildings in the vicinity, the Gourmet Corner Restaurant offers spectacular views of the Hoan Kiem lake and the Old Quarters and beyond in the relaxing air-conditioned confines of the restaurant.  Don’t be surprised to find air-conditioning a rarity in Hanoi.  In the sweltering heat of a summer day in Hanoi, the cool atmosphere of the Gourmet Corner Restaurant is indeed a welcome relief.
Check yourself in for an early dinner and watch the sun set and the day morph into night.  There’s an outdoor terrace bar for those who prefer to chill out with a beer before starting dinner.

Food and Service

We were rather bowled over by the immaculate service at the Gourmet Corner Restaurant. Attentive but not overly intrusive, the waiting staff were always a step away, so we retained our privacy without feeling neglected.  The serving staff speak good English, and make it their mandate to explain the menu to you in detail, something that first-time visitors to Vietnam will be grateful for.   Great thought had also gone into their food presentation and explanation of dishes, including the ingredients used, the use of rice paper and the methods of wrapping and the sauces to go with the food.  It is a most thoughtful gesture which displays the restaurant’s sensitivity to the needs of foreigners who have no understanding of local gourmet.

And here’s our dinner for the night:

Iced Sugarcane (USD $1.90) and Hanoi Sunset (USD $3.50) 

Vietnamese Crispy Spring Roll (USD $4.20) as a starter.  Vietnamese Spring Rolls are one of Vietnam’s most famous exports and naturally one of the the top must-try foods in Vietnam.  They come in two versions – steamed or fried.  Our tantalizing fried spring rolls came with a full basket of condiments, garnishes and sauces.

Cha Ca La Vong (USD $8.50) and Vietnamese Grilled Beef (USD $7.80), both are main dishes. Cha Ca La Vong consists of snakehead (a type of fish with smooth meat) fried and marinated in turmeric.  It is best eaten with fresh vermicelli (fine rice noodles), peanuts, spring onions and carrots all wrapped and rolled in Vietnam’s special rice paper.  Dip it into the specially concocted sweet and sour sauce for a more zesty flavour.


To end the day on a sweet note, we ordered desserts to share - New Zealand Ice-cream (USD $1.80) and Home-made Ice-cream (USD $1.90).

Price

For a five star service at a top restaurant, the cost of USD $29.60 for a 3-course ala carte meal for 2 persons was unbelievably low.   The Gourmet Corner Restaurant leaves such a lasting positive image in our minds and we cannot help but lament our lack of time to come back for more.




Tip:  If you intend to head to the Gourmet Corner Restaurant, remember to make a reservation with them, for seats are limited.  
Click here for the full menu of the Gourmet Corner Restaurant or visit its website for the latest promotions and how to get there.

THE GOURMET CORNER RESTAURANT
Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel
Rooftop - 32 Lo Su Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel   : (+84-4) 3935 1632   Ext. 1205
Fax  : (+84 4) 3935 1636
Email: gourmetcorner@hanoielegancehotel.com

This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.


We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Restaurant Review: City View Cafe, Hanoi

0 comments
Hanoi . 2013 . Aug 7


This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Almost everyone who comes to the City View Café came for the city view, as epitomized by its name.  Located on the fifth storey of the Aldo Building as I would like to call it, the City View Café occupies a strategic spot right in the middle of the city, offering an unobstructed view of the Old Quarters and depending on where you sit, some views of the Hoan Kiem Lake as well.

Although the City View Café has lots of indoor seats, it is clear that the seats by the veranda are most popular.  If you are there, make sure you snag a good veranda seat as well.  It is the best spot for people watching and to sit back and relax while observing motorist navigate the ever-chaotic Hanoi traffic below.  

At the City View Café, do not expect first class service or gourmet style food.  They offer a good mix of western and local dishes, pho, burgers, milk shakes and such, but most customers settle for a cup of Vietnamese coffee or beer, or some finger food which are pretty cheap here.

Our dinner of chicken with lemongrass and stir fried chicken with snow mushrooms, costing 95,000VND (SGD $5.70) and 90,000VND (SGD $5.40) respectively.  The price is pretty decent, given that it is a full service restaurant with good city views.   Add in a glass of coke and another glass of sprite at 35,000 VND (SGD $2.10) each, the total bill for two works out to be SGD $16.80 including 10% VAT. All in all, we get great views, casual service, average food, and a cheap deal.




Verdict

With great views and a nice atmosphere, the City View Café is a fantastic place for casual dining and to chill out at the Old Quarters of Hanoi.

City View Cafe
5 - 6 Floor ,
No 7, Dinh Tien Hoang street,
Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi city
Vietnam
Opening Hours: From 7 A.M to 11 P.M
Website: http://en.cityviewcafe.com.vn/cityview

This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.


We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Joma Bakery Cafe – A Coffee Lover's Paradise in Hanoi!

0 comments
Hanoi . 2013 . Aug 10


The edited version of this post first appeared as a featured article in the Dec 2013 Issue of Asean Tripper Magazine. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, AseanTripper combines news, opinions, fictions, documentaries about newly discovered and lesser-known travel destinations, travel related activities, and cultural movements in the 10 South East Asia countries. 

This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Step into Joma Bakery Cafe and expect to be tantalized by the rich and flavourful aroma of coffee all around you. It is a delightful haven for coffee lovers, and a great retreat from the hustle of downtown Hanoi. What sets Joma apart from the others is its chic and modern shop front amid the local flavours of other shops. Add on the unique fact that it serves North American coffee instead of the ubiquitous Vietnamese coffee all around Hanoi and you have a winner in hand.

First set up as Healthy and Fresh Bakery in 1996 in Vientiane Laos, the cafe has since been renamed as Joma Bakery Cafe in 2004, an acronym of its owners' names Jonathan & Jocelyn Blair (JO) and Michael & Areerat Harder (MA). Jonathan, Jocelyn, and Michael are from British Columbia, Canada. Areerat is from Bangkok, Thailand. Today, Joma Bakery Cafe has six cafes across Asia, including two in Hanoi, Vietnam and is still looking to expand within Asia. Its outlet at the Old Quarters of Hanoi was established in 2011 and is located at 22 Ly Quoc Su in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem District, a short walk away from St Joseph Cathedral.

For java addicts who find themselves in need of a caffeine fix, Joma Bakery Cafe is no doubt the place to seek out. Travellers who need a quiet sanctuary to relax will find solace in the cosy environment of Joma Bakery Cafe. In fact, it is one of those few cafes in the Old Quarters which offers air-conditioning in their shop, a welcome respite especially in the summer months of Hanoi.

Sun-lovers, fret not! Joma Bakery Cafe also offers outdoor sittings in their sprawling premises – a perfect place to sit back and unwind with that great novel in hand.




Joma Bakery Cafe brews up a storm in a cup. The owners of Joma Bakery Cafe take great pride in brewing a good cup of coffee, choosing the best organic Arabica coffee beans grown in the lush forests of southern Laos and freshly roasted by a skillful roastmaster. Coupled with the expertise of their carefully trained baristas, the result is a full-bodied and flavourful cup of coffee, which miraculously leaves no strong aftertaste. Each cup of coffee is unique and gives its drinker an extraordinary experience. It is thus not a surprise that many satisfied customers, including ourselves, return back for more.


Joma Bakery Cafe offers so much more than coffee. Non-coffee drinkers can find a fine selection of tea, fruit juice and milk shakes here. Other than its excellent range of breakfast sets, cakes and pastries, the cafe also whips up a remarkable assortment of delicious sandwiches, salads, quiche, pizzas, and for dessert, their own home-made ice-cream.



True to its mandate of using the best and freshest ingredients, the food at Joma Bakery Cafe is simply delectable. Most note-worthy is their banana cake, a simple yet delightful concoction, and an item not to be missed. In fact, as a testimony to its popularity with customers, it is usually sold out every day. Equally wonderful are their freshly made soups made with the freshest ingredients, either sourced from abroad or purchased locally. For those with a sweet tooth, top off your meal with Joma's home-made gourmet ice-cream. They feature exotic flavours such as peanut butter and almond latte, and even include flavours with a local touch such as coconut.



For coffee lovers who find themselves at the Old Quarters of Hanoi, a trip to Joma Bakery Cafe is not to be missed. Its popularity with travellers and locals is testament to the exceptional quality of coffee and food served.


Contact Details


Joma Bakery Cafe
#22 Ly Quoc Su,
(Near the St. Joseph Cathedral)
Hoan Kiem District
Tel: (+84-4) 3747 3388
Open Daily from 7AM-7PM

The edited version of this post first appeared as a featured Spa article in the Dec 2013 Issue of Asean Tripper Magazine


Based in Bangkok, Thailand, AseanTripper combines news, opinions, fictions, documentaries about newly discovered and lesser-known travel destinations, travel related activities, and cultural movements in the 10 South East Asia countries. 


This post is part of our Hanoi 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.


We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!