Wageningen, Netherlands: Restaurant O Mundo, a Michelin-starred restaurant

HT couple is back!  We're still the same...foodies and still travel adventure seekers.  We've hibernated for a year and we miss sharing with you guys are food and travel oohlalala.

Logging into this blog after a year, I, HT wife, felt some excitement.  I'll be honest that I'm quite stressed out lately and I need a medium to relax myself and ta-dah, food blog it is!

This post was started from a year ago.  Just happy to be able to finish it up and share with you guys.  Enjoy!


HT couple were lucky to get a voucher from work (for job well done) for 5-course menu with wine arrangement for 2 at Hotel de Wereld - Restaurant O Mundo

Hotel de Wereld is a historical site where the capitulation of the German troops in NL and the end of German occupation during WWII (credits to wikipedia)

Restaurant O Mundo holds a star in Michelin guide and one of the best arrangements HT couple had.

 

we were welcomed by this amuse.

love their olive oil bottle

we never went hungry while waiting for our 5-course.

Soy-marinated Tuna with quinoa, avocado, piccalilly-ice, daikon cress, wasabi en spongecake van wakame.  Delicious and inventive.

Our favorite - langoustine wrapped in kataifideeg and shortly cooked.  Served with risotto, lime, vegetables, paramezan and capuccino from squid ink. (Kataifi- is a vermicelli-like pastry) 

lamb saddle - nicely cooked, flavorful and succulent

goose liver - poached in cloth with spiced cookie, fruit mustard and mango reduction.

Diverse sweets made of hazelnut

The wine arrangement was perfect and got me really drunk.  Each glass was so good and it complemented perfectly with every dish.

This is so far the most inventive, delicious, no misses arrangement we had in the Netherlands. (as of 2013) - we had better one this year 2014...just wait for the post :)

Highly recommended!  Money's worth and not expensive at all for Michelin-starred restaurant.

BUDGET: Menu O Mundo Deluxe (similar to above) 85 euros per person
                  3-course ~40 euros per person
                  4-course ~55 euros per person
                  *exclusive wijn arrangement

Restaurant O Mundo
5 Mei Plein
6703 CD Wageningen
The Netherlands


 

Netherlands, Amsterdam: High Tea

HT wife's first high tea experience...ever...

lovely, posh, delicious...a nice way to bond with girlfriends. :)

Amstel Hotel (Hotel Intercon)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Utrecht, Netherlands: An unforgettable birthday

HT hubbie always treat me as if everyday is my birthday.  (ok, i'm exaggerating, but he does treat me special each day)

We eat out even without occasion but HT hubbie still made sure that on the eve of my birthday, i will be able to do what I love the most....eating and taking pictures of my food. :)

Hotel Karel V restaurant is the only restaurant who has michelin star in Utrecht.  HT hubbie got the chef's special 4-course menu which includes wine arrangement.

for our amuse-bouche - we got a pickled piece with crystallize tamarind, a small cake with haring eggs (caviar) and a foamy cake (taste like truffle) with a south-american fruit (forgot the name) sorbet. - it amazes me how chefs can do such out-of-this-world pieces on a plate.

haring eggs

*champagne as aperitif

the freshly baked and addictive bread (i think i had 4)

another amuse-bouche pork belly with small shrimps - love the blend of the pork and shrimps.  It's not too fishy and it didn't overpower each other.

starter - iberico meat as a màbre of cheek, liver, fillet and ham with bay leaf jelly covered with solidify fats(i removed it :() and canned red cabbage.  I savored the taste of each piece of meat but eating them together was a delight.  Thumbs up to the chef!

*paired with Spatlese wine - they were not selfish with it, so i had 2 glasses :)

2nd course - Langoustine carpaccio with crispy sweet bread and shiso vinaigrette (there was also a liver pate on the side)

I love  the shiso vinaigrette!  While i was enjoying my ever-first langoustine carpaccio, my throat started itching and my lip started to tighten up.  When i was young, i was allergic to seafood except fish.  But being a foodie, i tried to overcome that allergic reaction by eating what's forbidden.   And so far so good until I had this...so no seafood carpaccio from now on.

Veal in bernàise with steak tartar, kohlrabi and truffle

*paired with bourgogne (burgundy) - we had a light one which complemented the dish

yoghurt with strawberry and tomato confit

When this dessert was being explained, I thought of : "how could a dessert be this healthy?" And when it's healthy, there's a chance that it might not be good.    Surprisingly, it gave me that "kilig" (thrill) factor in every bite.  2 thumps up chef!

*paired with a not so sweet dessert wine - i forgot from where

THE YUMMY eclairs and small bites created by the chef that went along with our coffee (which was pretty good too!)

And the best part of the night?

who needs a limo if you have a bike?

Thanks HT Hubbie for making my bday extra SPECIAL!

*about 100 euros per person ( not too bad for a Michelin-starred restaurant)

Netherlands, Apeldoorn: Pizzeria Sardegna

HT wife is fortunate that she can work from home at her own discretion.  She tries to go to the office at least twice or thrice a week.

You might ask the question, why would she bother going to the office if she can work from home the whole week?  Aside from saying 'hallo' or 'hoi' to my colleagues, there is a very important reason to go...(definitely not the canteen)

That is...a good pizzeria situated near our office!  For foodies, i'm sure your would agree this is worth the travel and giving up few hours of sleep. :)

HT wife and HT hubbie are pizza monsters!  We've been eating here for months now and finally, we're sharing our happiness with you.

check out the 2 angels behind the brick oven look-a-like kitchen

Pizzeria Sardegna is the only pizzeria we've been more than once for almost 1 1/2 years living in the Netherlands.  We've tried a few places in Utrecht but so far nowhere has touched our hearts as much as this place did. 

The place is very casual but they made sure that it still exudes that dining charm that the dutchies love!

Now, i'm featuring the star of all our pizza nights. 

Pizza tarantina - Looks can be deceiving.  The bolognese sauce with minced meat and the tasteful parmesan are the only ingredients on it.  But once we sink our teeth on a slice, we were brought to paradise.  There's something with the bolognese sauce that we can't explain.  It was heaven! 

now, how can you resist such pizza...(*drooling*)

Pizza Grandiosa - ironically from our first pizza, this has EVERYTHING on it!  From bell pepper slices, mushrooms, asparagus, artichokes...this pizza sounded healthy...until we read the meat selection...ham, salami and bacon!!  Every carnivore like me will have a big grin reading this.  This pizza had been accompanying us for our several pizza nights and it never failed me.  This time, I asked for zonder uien (no onions) and i'm loving it even more!

check out the abundant meat, meat, meat!!! (*happy*)

HT couple might not be actively sharing our hobby lately but we're still the same old HT couple who still loves to eat, eat and eat.

Ta ta!  Now heating up the left over pizza from last night!

HT Couple will be back in the travel scene.  Watch out for our food journey...only here...The Hungry-trotting Couple goes...Anywhere!

Tot zo!  (See you!)

Pizzeria Sardegna

Van Kinsbergenstraat 7 7311 BL

Apeldoorn Nederland

60+ pizza selection

10 euro - 12 euro for a big plate

Bambini (small sizes) are available

Netherlands, Utrecht: De Goedheyd

Who would say no to save a few euros or dollars for a degustation?  Not us!  Restaurant week have been in the scene for quite sometime and for 27,50 euros for a 3-course meal, HT couple decided to try out for the first time the restaurant week here in the Netherlands.

After choosing from a number of restaurants, we decided to go to De Goedheyd.

When we arrived, we were informed that their restaurant week menu is a surprise menu unless we have dietary requirements.  Sínce we eat basically almost anything...here's the standard menu we got:

Starters/Voorgerecht: roasted beef on a bed of quinoa with truffle sauce

Main Course/Hoofdgerecht: Seabass in saffron sauce

Desserts/Nagerecht: (from left to right) Mango cheesecake, fruits(pineapple, strawberries and grapes) and mango sorbet

Overall, it was a good 3-course meal.  They provided a few pieces of fries on the side (excluded from the set menu) to fill you up. 

Will we go to this place again for another restaurant week offering?  Hmm, maybe.  I think it was not enough (maybe i was just hungry :D).  I also can't help but compare what was offered here and that in Singapore.(check out:Brasserie Wolf).  I just think Singapore takes restaurant week more seriously(I maybe biased :D) but I guess it's a factor as well of how the residents take part in the event.

PS: HT wife is (finally) busy with work.  So, i'm apologizing for having no updates for a long time.  Nevertheless, I am still around to share with you HT couple's love for food and the wonders of their travel with their hungry tummies.

Enjoy eating (Eet smakkelijk!) 

Utrecht: Theehuis Rhijnauwen Pannenkoeken

When the weather cooperates during the weekend, "de Nederlanders" including HT couple would take advantage of the sun's big smile.  We decided to shed off a few calories by cycling into the forest.  And this is one of the things I love in my 3rd home...being close to nature. 

It's been awhile since we've done this so we got lost.  It was like unending path.  We just kept on following the light which was visible at the end...and little did we know that our so-called shedding off a few calories activity will help us gain...

MORE...:D

We didn't let the opportunity passed by, so we immediately parked our bikes and started walking towards this theehuis (teahouse) at Fort Rhijnauwen.

This pannenkoeken (pancakes) place is pretty popular here in Utrecht.  They don't only occupy the house but if you walk further, you can get tables outdoor.  It was a very busy day, but with the wide area, it's quite easy to secure a place.  Over the weekend, it's popular to families with small kids.  Pancakes and kids...what can be the best combination? 

I love these chill-out chairs when you just want to have a drink and small bite overlooking the river and just letting the time passes by.

And after getting our table, it's eating time...guess what we got? :)

Pancakes of course!  Dutch are proud of their pancakes.  They used their creativeness to make a simple dish into something exquisite.  Both sweet and savory pancakes are available.

I went Dutch-Italian and ordered their Pancake Fortissimo.  This plate was pretty healthy as the pancake was not oily at all.  The generous amount of salad, tomatoes, pastrami and goat cheese with honey made this as full meal.  I love the dressing but it ain't a pancake without the pancake syrup so I used quite a good amount of it (besides, the syrup here in the Netherlands has this natural taste...I can't explain it in words, so you have to try it :D)

HT hubbie's choice was Reus van Rhijnauwen.  I knew that this would be his meal as this is what he likes in his pizza...numerous ham and bacon with cheese and lots of onions. :)  They were very generous with their meat.

I got half of each pancakes and they were both lip-smacking.  It was heavy as well in the tummy. 

Both full and lazy,  it was nice seeing animals around and watching them instead of snoozing into our seats.  These donkeys were not scared from people at all. 

Goats and pigs are on the other side.  HT hubbie gave his hand to the goat and he got a very welcoming lick.

And it's time to hit the forest again and get back to our purpose of shedding calories.  I guess, next time we have to take a long detour as this kind of place is difficult to resist. 

Price Summary

Pancakes vary between 9-15 euro.

Gluten free are available upon request :)

Theehuis Rhijnauwen

Rhijnauwenselaan 16

Bunnik

(they're open 7x a week)

TIME-OUT: HT wife...little did she know

Life is really full or surprises.  HT wife moved to this side of the world only knowing she'll be with HT husband freezing together in the land of milk and cheese...and windmills and clogs.

She had complaints.  She was almost at the point she wanted to go back to Asia.  Until, she slowly accepted that she is where she is now. 

Little did she know that it's also a full turn of her life.

She wanted to learn to drive.  She wanted to be independent.  Fate answered her prayers.  Little did she know that she learned how to drive but only with 2 wheels.  And for sure, she can handle 2 more wheels soon.

They said you learned a lot of words when you read books.  Carl Hiaasen and Stephen Clarke make her laugh.  Those chick lits( literature) brings out the woman in her.  Little did she know that at this side of the world, she wouldn't be spending any dime for more books, as she haven't finished her favorite book for a while.

HT wife has difficulty in saying NO.  Little did she know that this would be her most frequently used word.  With the dutch "no"....Nee (ney), it became more subtle and rejection suddenly is a song to one's ears. And at this side of the world, you can even say 'Nee' several times with up and down tone...just like singing.

Little did she know that she would still be in Holland...after a year.

But one thing she knows, she would be with HT hubbie...freezing again together for another year.

Yes!  It's been a year...sinced I moved myself to Holland.  I survived! 

HT couple in their first night of moving to this side of the world (thanks Poepels)

Utrecht, Netherlands: LE:EN

HT Couple is still looking out for unique restaurants in Utrecht.  If you have read our post about BADHUIS, then you can see the similarities of this place but focusing on different cuisine.  And I came to know later on, that Badhuis and LE:EN, are sisters. :)

How did we stumble into LE:EN?  They said couples get along if they enjoy simple leisure TOGETHER.  And if we're not underwater or outside the Netherlands, we love cycling or walking around Utrecht over and over again.  Even with the same routes, Utrecht never failed to amaze me with hidden eating places that as soon as I get the sight of it, I know that I would be back there soon...sometimes too soon.

This was the scene that we stumbled just cycling around.  They have a small terrace in front where you can enjoy their unique cocktails and drinks. 

the place has the same unique character as badhuis.  But this place is more laid back and has that oriental feel.

And they stick to being oriental/asiatic by serving plum wine and lychee wine which HT couple didn't think twice of ordering. :)   The lychee wine was nice but we preferred the plum wine.

The menu kaart, same as badhuis, you're given enough choices where you can tick off and order what you fancy.  In Asia, this way of ordering is famous in HK food places.  I love the concept.  It saves time for the waiter and saves energy for the diners of saying 'no, i'm not ready to order yet'.  Neat, he?

And...what have we ticked off in the list?

The only item in the breads and dips.  This is a combination of Indian naan, which was a disappointment as naan but good as bread, Surinamese papadum and cassava chips but to me the latter tasted like prawn crackers which went well with th Pakistan bengan raita dip and Indian coriander chutney, which HT hubbie is addicted to.  (He's a coriander monster!  Shh...)

Ever since i've decided that I would be in Europe for good, I always fancy for peking duck.  and I don't think I've eaten much duck back in Asia as much as i've eaten here.  I guess, it's true that absence made your heart grow fonder...and mine is for the duck.  This peking duck roll was pretty good with hoisin sauce on the side.  The minced duck filling was tasteful enough but i guess i am missing the duck skin and the oozing oil running through my mouth.  For a little over 5 euro, i'm not complaining.

We ordered this Japanese Takaki Sashimi, when it made me mouth-watered when I saw it on another table.  I haven't eaten beef this raw before but the dip played an important factor in this dish that gave the beef slices it's ooh...la...la!

we loved this fish roe dip!  We enjoyed popping the roe in our mouth.

For something warm, we had Japanese Kare Udon - Curry with sake, calf meat, veggies and maybe 5 pieces of udon streaks!  (yes, I counted it!  but it's under soup section, so it's understandable)

We also didn't want to miss anything on the sticks, so we got ourselves this Indian vindaloo which was a delight as well.

This was the last dish that came but it was worth the wait.  This goat rendang was tender and smackingly delicious.  We were not planning to eat much carbs, but with this dish, we forgot about that plan.

And this place ddidn't burn our pockets as most items were priced around 3-7 euros. 

After a nice dinner here, HT couple went back home and continue with their other simple leisure together...watching TV while they're cuddled up on the couch.

Have a great week allemaal! 

LE:EN

Westerkade 37

Utrecht

http://www.leen-restaurant.nl/

(check out their website as they're moving soon!)