Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

 

Campesinos working the land or tending flocks in the river valleys and hills of the Sierra Norte would stop, fish for trout, or perhaps gather lobster-like langostinos after the first rains in May, and then cook their bounty in an unusual way.  They would place their catch in a half-gourd filled with river water and freshly picked aromatic herbs, heat rocks from the banks to red-hot, then place them in the bowl and watch their meal quickly poach in a boiling broth.  

 

Caldo de Piedra, located a few minutes outside of Oaxaca on the highway leading to Santa María el Tule, ceremoniously replicates the age-old custom before your eyes. The restaurant is a large, simple palapa with an open kitchen.  The menu is effectively non-existent since all that is served are generously filled quesadillas and similar appetizers, your choice of three soups (the caldos), and non-alcoholic beverages.

 

The owners boast that this traditional meal preparation dates to pre-Hispanic times, and was practiced in their home village, San Felipe Usila, in the district of Tuxtepec. 

 

Service is uncharacteristically fast.  Waitresses are eager to attend to orders, and more importantly answer all queries about your comida’s preparation, so be sure to ask to go over to the two kitchen areas to bear witness to the procedural pomp.  On the one side are women working over metate (grinding stone) and comal (large round clay “stove-top” used for cooking over an open flame), hand-making tortillas for filling with your choice of quesillo (the famed Oaxacan string cheese), mushrooms, squash blossoms and more.  On the other side unfolds the curious convention.  A substantial helping of your choice of raw, medium sized shrimp, red snapper, or a combination of the two is placed in a jícara (the half gourd) with a selection of chiles, onion and leafy herbs including requisite cilantro.  A blender off to the side is used to prepare a tomato-based liquid which is then poured into each vessel.  With the aid of a large wooden tong, a couple of baseball sized river stones are plucked from a flaming fire pit, gingerly placed in each gourd, and voilá, your meal starts to boil.  Rocks are added a second time, following which each comida-in-a-pot is brought to the table. 

 

Flavors remain distinctly discernable to the extreme, given that fresh ingredients are combined on the spot.  The chef/proprietor is in complete control of process so as to assure the proper degree of doneness (with only one cooking method and a choice of only three main dishes, it’s pretty well guaranteed). It’s low-fat protein, herbs, vegetable and tortilla,  yielding ideal fare for the diet and health conscious, in a region of the state noted for pretty well the opposite … and they even serve coca light (diet coke).  It’s all so simple, making the experience gastronomically rewarding, while at the same time awe inspiring.  

 

NOTES:

Open daily, noon to 7 pm.

Price with beverage and shared appetizers, 125 pesos pp.

 

Rodney Munch asked:


ZAPATA

If you are looking for a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, there are numerous options available to you to help  you fill your belly and have a good time in the process.

Weather your favourite taste is Italian, Mexican, English, Indian, Chinese or even Polish you are sure to find a restaurant catering to your needs. I have outlined a few options below.

For lovers of Latin American cuisine, Zapata, next to Nevada Bob’s golf superstore on the pantiles should be your first port of call. This lively restaurant is the perfect base to start a Friday or Saturday night, offering all the Mexican staples from Burritos to Tacos and everything in between and around. Why not wash down the food with a Margarita or a Mexican beer while taking in the themed decor and ambient Music all served by the very attractive and friendly staff.

Being on the Pantiles also offers the advantage of it being only a few steps from a number of great watering holes for you to christen your newly lined stomach.

If you like a bit of entertainment in the form of live music while you eat then you should take a look at the Grey Lady. Right across the pantiles from Zapata, the Grey Lady can be reached in less than a minute.

The Grey Lady is an asset to live music in Tunbridge Wells hosting regular blues and jazz nights. The atmosphere here is a lot more relaxed than at Zapata and an ideal place for a romantic night out.

The menu at the grey lady is centred around Mediterranean cuisine, featuring dishes such as Coquilles de la Casa – Fresh seared King Scallops with Prawns in Garlic, White Wine & Parsley Sauce and Grilled Chicken Brochette – Chicken Fillet with Peppers & a Greek Salad with Tzatziki. All appearing alongside the , quote-unquote, standard dishes such as Pizza and Pasta.

For a more traditional English affair, take a look at Woods. Woods is another restaurant which benefits from being situated in the Pantiles. This timeless place looks right at home, and you wouldn’t blink if you came across it a couple of hundred years ago at the inception of the pantiles.

Located just opposite the band stand, Woods is the perfect base to soak up the entertainments on a hot summers day. Pull your chair up, order a drink and take in the music. What could be better?

Not only providing good food, Woods has an extended wine list featuring wine from wineries in England, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Germany and of course France among others.

I cannot recommend enough that you go out and try some of the many restaurants in Tunbridge Wells.

Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

 

La Catrina de Alcalá ranks amongst the city’s finest restaurants, rather unsual since most other restaurants within two blocks of the Oaxaca’s zócalo manage to get by with cafeteria-style atmosphere, mariachis and marimbas, and mediocre food.  But owner / artist Rolando Rojas took the plunge, and the gamble has paid off:  both quality Oaxacan, and unique continental fare in a tasteful courtyard setting, in the heart of the Centro Histórico.  

 

The establishment is actually three businesses combined in a two-story piece of prime real estate, along Oaxaca’s famed pedestrian walkway, Macedonia Alcalá:  an upper level boutique style hotel; an art gallery featuring the works of Rojas and several other respected local artists; and the adjoining eatery, managed by chef Juan Carlos Guzmán Toledo. 

 

The experience begins with an attractive young woman clad in regional dress, smiling and welcoming at the restaurant’s entranceway, ushering you to your table. The focal point is a large, cantera stone fountain.  Otherwise the décor is minimalist, white walls adorned with sparsely placed art and a series of gilt stars.  Yet the ambiance somehow exudes comfort and warmth, perhaps facilitated by the lone strumming troubadour, half hidden behind a strategically placed cluster of plants.

 

Waiters are eager to show off their English proficiency, whether needed or not, as bowls of salsa, one smoky tomato-based, and the other with a hint of shrimp are placed alongside totopos (crispy, toasted corn-flour crackers).

 

The restaurant prides itself in its use of seasonal, locally produced ingredients, and boasts that when you patronize La Catrina you’re helping local economies. Vegetarian dishes, “slow food,” and plates from the Isthmus region of the state are noted.  However, occasionally the odd import sneaks in as a special, such as kobe beef.

 

The menu otherwise covers all the bases:  soups, salads and appetizers; meat, poultry and pasta; fish and seafood, and regional specialties such as a selection of three Oaxacan moles.  But even those dishes in the continental genre are often presented with local flare.

 

Particularly noteworthy as starters are the poblano pepper soup with mushrooms, squash blossom and bacon, and hierba santa leaves stuffed with Oaxacan string and goat cheeses in a green tomato and mecco chili sauce.  The salads range from the traditional to the unique (jícama, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, wheat quenelle, fried hibiscus flowers and fresh cheese with hibiscus dressing).  The staff is extremely accommodating in terms of sensitivity to those with dietary restrictions or a purist palate. For example, at our most recent evening out, chef Juan Carlos was happy to comply with my wife’s request for a simple small green salad.

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The seared tuna with mango and habanero sauce, alongside white beans in coconut milk is prepared to perfection, with the flavor of each ingredient easily discernable.  The sliced duck and fresh fig is served on a bed of julienne of zucchini “spaghetti,” smothered with a dark purée of honey-fig. And beef lovers are able to experiment with the non-traditional, be it a rib eye served with guacamole and creamy garlic-stuffed chili, or go for something more Oaxacan, steak marinated with mezcal, pineapple and apple, served with garlic purée stuffed chilito. 

 

All of the after-dinner non-alcoholic hot beverages are available high-test, or decaffeinated, so extend your evening without concern, perhaps concluding with a martini glass brimming with a selection of three tropical fruit sorbets.

 

Also noteworthy:  La Catrina has developed a dedicated breakfast and lunch crowd, often comprised of predominantly local residents. Coffee or tea is suggested upon arrival, with warm, freshly baked breads and an assortment of sweet rolls for the asking.  Dishes include an assortment of eggs and omelets, traditional Oaxacan breakfast fare such as enchiladas, tamales, chilaquiles and typical Oaxacan grilled meats with garnishes, both unique and traditional salads, and sandwiches featuring spinach, goat cheese, pecan, apple, basil, mushroom and squash blossom. 

 

La Catrina de Alcalá (www.casacatrina.com.mx).  M. Alcalá 102, a couple of blocks north of the zócalo.  Oaxacan cuisine with an international flare.  Locals and tourists. 

Aditi Miscall asked:


Take one New York woman send her to London to work, make her go cold turkey to remove the last trace of Little Debbies and hot dogs. Then re-invent her as a fully certified food enthusiast and then get her to start a successful London restaurant review.

Over the last four years Londonelicious has become the quintessential light hearted guide to everything foodie in the great smogopolis. The blogs logo reads like an advertisement in the lonely hearts column of the Evening Standard “American girl, loves food, and London, but not cooking”

The about me section of the blog includes a confession that she started visiting London’s restaurants as a way to get out and explore the real London, and meet the locals, and discover the food.

She was over-powered with enthusiasm for the great and awful London restaurant’s she found on her travels around the corners of the capital. Eventually she decided to let others find out about her discoveries, she started up her own London restaurant guide to delicious London and Londonelicious was born.

The momentous task of telling the world about every last little eating place in London was obviously too much for one stomach and two typing fingers so other London Restaurant enthusiasts began to join her online world.

Before long there were many food-nuts writing their own opinionated opinions of all things eating out with a fun, clear and concise London Restaurant Guide that goes where others fear to tread.

There are page after page of wonderful London restaurant reviews that step outside of the usual way of looking at the cities eating places. Anywhere that has a table and food may be included, ok they don’t all have tables.

Reviewers have visited hundreds of establishments from the very trendiest Sunday Times must eat places to little London restaurants and café’s that other critics have never heard of.

Sometimes the intrepid bloggers wish they had never “discovered” some of these dubious food backwaters. But all the disappointment is worth the effort when real undiscovered London restaurant gold is struck.

The team are all of the same view, they like food and love searching for new food experiences. They are all amateurs, but they are accomplished amateurs, people who just like eating out and enjoying an evening of food delights.

You can join in their travels though the cobbled back alleyways and hip reception areas of the London’s most exiting and interesting foodie haunts. They leave no stone unturned or bottle of wine uncorked in their efforts to share the excitement that is London eating.

Alvin Starkman asked:

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.

Sit down in most small restaurants in Oaxaca, order the comida corrida (full meal, daily special) and as fast as the Flying Burrito Brothers your server arrives with a bowl of tepid soup with miniscule floating grease bubbles, a healthy portion of fried-in-oil-then-boiled white rice flecked with cubed carrot, a small piece of overcooked meat or poultry swimming in a scrumptiously  tangy mole, a glass of fruity water-of-the-day (agua del día), and a two-inch slab of flan to finish … on the other hand there’s La Olla.

At popular downtown bistro-style restaurant La Olla, whether patrons indeed order the daily special, or select from the menu, co-owner-chef Pilar Cabrera offers the polar opposite — a healthy yet flavorful and traditionally herbed  alternative.  She and husband Luis for years have had a faithful following of tourists and residents alike.  This welcoming oasis has managed to thrive without my business, I suppose because while living in Oaxaca I’ve learned to live with lard, pine for Pan Bimbo and bolillos (respectively, the Mexican equivalent to starch-white Wonderbread, and crusty Portuguese-style buns), and search out everything else sugary, processed and refined.  The sixties’ all-things-good-for-you mentality had been baked out of mind forever, or so I had thought.

La Olla is a thirty-seat eatery with simple wooden tables and chairs and an adobe-brick and hand-painted tile hearth as focal point, on the main floor.  A larger dining room with bar is upstairs.  The restaurant is adorned with art by Oaxacan artists who exhibit on a rotating basis.

On this visit, my wife and our daughter Sarah chose from la carta, while I, daring the kitchen to even try to reduce my cholesterol level, opted for the 70 peso complete comida.  Almost immediately upon being seated, a small loaf of fresh, hand-sliced whole grain bread, alongside tortilla chips, arrived in a basket, accompanied by butter, salsa and marinated vegetables.    Predictably, Arlene gravitated towards the un-husked while I munched on the fried masa (corn).

I hadn’t drank anything green since listening to Deep Purple, Moby Grape and the early years of Pink Floyd, so when tall soda-fountain glasses of what appeared to be murky algae arrived, I was aghast — pineapple celery juice. I had no choice.  I wasn’t even asked if I would prefer Red Bull, or anything else with first ingredient dextrose, fructose or caffeine. It was well-chilled, with just the right combination of fruit and vegetable so as to provide a refreshing naturally sweet nectar, neither ingredient masking the flavor of the other.

The psychedelia continued.  Who would ever think of combining peanuts, jícama (yam bean), orange pieces and boiled beet in its juices, and then having the nerve to call it a salad?  I was in a purple haze.  Definitely not the limp lettuce to which I’d become accustomed, drenched in a sea of joyful oil.  Crunch and munch, followed by a sunburst of citrus, then soft legume, with seemingly more flavors, textures, colors and tones than the totality of each individual component.

Thankfully my soup held no surprises, although lima beans are not normally regular restaurant fare in Oaxaca, or elsewhere in this hemisphere.  They were complemented by nopal (paddle cactus), onion, tomato with seed, and cheese, chile providing the requisite bite.  Once again, attention had been paid to ensuring different degrees of consistency.

The chicken fajitas, on the other hand, were not as expected.  But by this time I had reverted to my former self of decades long past, and willingly welcomed a main dish lacking excess grease.  The strips of chicken ****** were tender. The vegetables had been prepared separately so as to maintain their individual, appropriate degrees of doneness.  The liquid was more in the nature of light stew juices than canola á la wok.  The seasoning was Italian, yet with the pleasing essence of fresh cilantro predominating.

Sarah’s organic salad mirrored mine in terms of flavor and texture, but was sliced baked apple, watermelon chunks, flax seed and goat cheese.  Her sopa azteca was inimitably served.  Most Oaxacan restaurants serve all ingredients already combined, or the potage and some ingredients arriving already mixed together with those remaining on the side.  At La Olla the tortilla slivers, cubed queso (cheese), avocado and dried chile pasillo strips are presented in a bowl, over which is then poured the tomato-based broth.  Unfortunately the rich and distinctive flavor of the chile is not readily apparent due to the way the soup is served, so it’s best to either stir and wait, or add some salsa and fresh lime juice to achieve maximum zestiness … unless you have a cowardly palate.

Arlene ordered the guachinango (snapper), deviating from her general rule of avoiding fish and seafood while in Mexico’s interior.  This new menu item is a keeper.  Two good-size portions of properly pouched pisces, each wrapped in aromatic yierba santa leaf, were offered on a plate ringed with salsa guajillo.  Once again there was a healthy bit of heat, and different textures provided by plaintain, nopal and jícama.

Our only regret was not having had an opportunity to sample some of the other natural fruit and vegetable combination juices and one of the hale and hearty sandwiches, for which La Olla is known.  Perhaps next time … with alfalfa sprouts on the side, por favor.

La Olla

Calle Reforma No. 402

Centro Histórico, Oaxaca

Hours:  Mon – Sat, 8 am – 10 pm

Live music Fri and Sat night, 8 – 10

T:  (951) 516-6668

W: www.laolla.com.mx ; www.mexonline.com/sabores.htm

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Haley Champion asked:

Of all the Oahu restaurants, there is none more renowned yet unassuming as Ono Hawaiian Restaurant.  It is know for its down home Hawaiian comfort food at a great price.  That is what has made Ono Hawaiian one of the best restaurants on Oahu for the past 40 years.  Now, don’t confuse this Ko’olina restaurant with the mainland fast-food chain Ono Hawaiian BBQ.  But what makes Ono Hawaiian different from other restaurants on Oahu is its fabulous, authentic, traditional Hawaiian food.

Ono Hawaiian Restaurant

This quirky, homespun restaurant has a modest dining room with a few cramped wooden booths and baseball caps lining the walls as decoration. Cramped and always busy, there are often people standing in line down the sidewalk, many with six-packs of beer, as Ono Hawaiian has no liquor license.

This gem of a restaurant at 726 Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu (Phone:  808-737-2275 ) gets lots of tourist business, but has a strong and loyal local following as well.  You will know that it has authentic Hawaiian food because the combo plates come with a small cup of raw onion and alaea salt.  Jump right in and sample such regional delicacies as Kalua pig, butterfish or squid luau, salt meat watercress, lomi salmon, poi, beef stew, tripe stew, and more. Their combo plates, that include a nice mix of specialties, are a great value and allow you to sample a few different things.

More Great Oahu Restaurants

It seems that Oahu has more restaurants than all of the other Hawaiian Islands combined.  Honolulu alone has over a thousand restaurants.  Lets just say that you won’t lack choices with just about every type of ethnic fare represented.  There are so many restaurants to choose from, that there are websites to help you find the restaurant for you.  HawaiiRestaurants.com allows you to preview the diverse, exotic and unique offerings of Oahu’s restaurants.  It also lets you search for restaurants by island or type of cuisine.  HawaiiDiner.com offers helpful restaurant reviews and also lets you search by cuisine, neighborhood and restaurant format.

uniqwebmaster asked:

Eager to explore the great restaurants?

If you start asking your friends to share their restaurant reviews, everyone has their own opinions/reviews on what made a great place to eat.

Giving your food reviews on holidaymunch.com is just like suggesting restaurant to your friends, in that way you are helping others to find good restaurants around the globe

Write reviews: Adding your food review is very simple, just add them on the basis of restaurant type, i.e. Fast Food Restaurant, Seafood, Fine Dining, Indian, Thai, Iranian, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese Restaurant, Korean Restaurant, Vegetarian Restaurant and many more.

Good restaurant is a place where you can get good food and a place to relax and enjoy with your friends and family, Restaurant ranks or restaurant ranking is the most easiest way of searching for a good restaurant,

Upload your menu if you are a restaurant owner on www.holidaymunch.com

Along with restaurant reviews you can get some details on restaurant as well, which can help you to select best restaurant that you were searching for.

About Holiday Munch

Started in 2008, the inspiration for the website came whilst on holiday. It became apparent that it was difficult to find a decent munch without going through recommendations.

One of the most important parts of the holiday experience is the food and without decent food the holiday is never the same.

Now you have recommendations from your fellow travellers so you can pre plan where you are going to munch, whilst avoiding the bad and eating at the good and the tasty!!

Ashish Verma asked:

The Manor one of the top Hotels in Delhi, in Friends colony West is buzzing nowadays. Deservedly so, for after a long time it has acquired F&B that is worthy of its classy interiors. India Accent may be new to the city, but it is the country cousin of Delhi’s Oriental Octopus and Chor Bizarre as well as Tamarai, the best restaurant in London. It is path-breaking restaurant because it is a taste of Indian food fifty years from now.

I’d gladly close my eyes and order the tasting menu (Rs. 1,800 veg/ Rs. 1900 non-veg) or light lunch (Rs.700/800) with  Rs. 1,000 for 5 half glasses of wine paired by no less than Charles Metcalfe. However, the menu is one-of-its-kind which make it Best restaurant in Delhi, so here are the best things on it:

Puchkas (Rs. 225) are taken to the next level altogether, whether you use presentation as your yardstick or sheer ingenuity (there’s watermelon and cinnamon pani or pineapple juice). Why has nobody ever thought of these combinations before? Foie gras stuffed galawat with strawberry green chilli chutney (Rs. 650) is a mind-boggling combination. Chilli brings out the essence of strawberry and galawat kebabs are the Indian answer to foie gras, in that both of them have been teased out of their natural form into something to be put on show Chef Manish Mehrotra has excelled himself in this menu.

My favorite combination, however, has to be smoked salmon with thayar satham and tomato thukku (Rs. 625). Conceived as a maki sushi real Scottish smoked salmon takes the place of nori and in place of Koshihikari rice, there’s the Tamil vegetarian favourite curd rice, thair satham. Salmon roe garnishes the sushi, sprinkle over with a dot of tomato pickle. It is no short of brilliant and it’s a marriage made in heaven.

What is so special about the never-seen-before combinations at Indian Accent is that all of them work because of the tightly controlled portions of flavor accents. There’s no clash of civilizations on your palate. Other dishes are more or less straight interpretations of classics with premium ingredients used.

James Cox asked:

Tikkas, tandoories, mouth-watering curries and delicious rotis make Indian cuisine the sought after food worldwide. Indian cooking comprises a unique blend of ingredients, exotic herbs and spices that have given Indian food a significant place in world cuisine. It’s easy to find local restaurants that serve Indian cuisine with the generic search engines, a local search in search engines, or easier in a restaurant search engine.

Unlike the times of the past where review sites were the ultimate option to base your choice of a restaurant, the growing search engine technology has made available vertical search engines, and more specifically – a restaurant guide. The restaurant recommendations bring together all the restaurant information from 15 metros in the US in one neat site. Users can check reviews, ratings, addresses, timings, menus, discount coupons, home delivery services, online reservations from just one site.

The choice of an Indian restaurant largely depends on with whom you are dining. If you are dining with your date, check out the restaurants that offer a romantic evening meal. If you are taking kids and family out for dinner then your choice of ambiance has to be appropriate for a family.

Above all, you are there to taste authentic Indian food. And as a diner if you are familiar with good Indian food, then you’ll have certain expectations about the food. So it’s best to base your choice on restaurant reviews and recommendations from friends, family and colleagues. And for a larger canvas of choices refer to local restaurant reviews online and restaurant ratings on food, service and ambiance from the citizens around the globe.

Great food is always available and of course for a price. Choose restaurants based on the recommendations in the restaurants directory. It’s equally important to choose a restaurant that does not burn a hole in your pocket. Indian restaurants are available for all wallet sizes. There are Indian buffets that offer tasty food for a little cost, plenty of medium range restaurants, and there are also several other high-end restaurants to choose from.

Even the location of the restaurant is a deciding factor, which too some extent narrows down your choice of a restaurant. The reviews for a restaurant might be just too great to try it, but if you are in San Francisco and the restaurant is in Palo Alto, you’ll just have to mark the restaurant for some other time.

Many foodies would prefer Indian food prepared by an Indian (they believe it’ll be more authentic). Another major factor when it comes to trying Indian food is the spice factor. Nowadays most restaurants cater to the lesser spice needs of westerners. And restaurant guides give an insight into all these factors.

The perfect dining experience comprises of delicious food, cheerful service and a great ambiance. Go ahead and try your hand at exploring the San Francisco restaurant guide, New York restaurant list, Los Angeles restaurants or restaurants in Chicago.