Germany: Drink and dine in Mannheim

Mannheim, probably, is not the best city that you can find the finest of food and drinks. However, Mannheim is very much international that you can enjoy this ability to try out different kind of cuisines. The most popular cuisine in town must be Turkish. Just a minute walk from Marktplatz in the direction to Block I, there are several Turkish restaurants/diners for you to choose from and they are not very expensive.

If you are in Mannheim for one or two days, here are some places you should not miss out because they are guaranteed to satisfy you and make your stay more pleasurable.

COFFEE

Lauri Kaffeerösterei

Address: Seckenheimer Str. 31
Website: http://lauri-kaffee.de
Opening time: Tue – Sat 10:00 – 18:00

Lauri is probably the only roaster with style in Mannheim. With a wide range of coffee beans from different part of the world – Guatemala, Brazil, India, Australia – and serving coffee in a café old cinema theme based, Lauri has stood out from many other cafés in town. It is not in the Quadrate but located in a very cool area which is just few minutes walk from Wasserturm.

The coffee might not be amazing but it is the best one in Mannheim. Probably giving a plus for the owner who is very friendly and open to share with you all about his coffee experience.

DRINK

Café NORD

Address: Lange Rötterstraße 66
Website: https://nord.li
Opening time: Tue – Sat 18:00 – 00:00

The location might make you lazy to come over but is it worth to go? 100%! This are is believed to be the coming youngster hang in the future in Mannheim. Café NORD has a chic interior that is designed based on the owner’s taste as well as standing for who she is. This touch makes the place more personal and being taken care of with love.

Café NORD offers several craft beers that you might be soaked in sooner than you think even if you are not a fan of beer. In fact, it is the only place that sells craft beer in Mannheim. It is definitely a MUST-VISIT place!

Speicher 7

Address: Rheinvorlandstraße 7
Website: http://www.speicher7.com/
Opening time: Mon – Thur 16:00 – 1:00, Fri 16:00 – 2:00, Sat-Sun 12:00 – midnight

It might not be in a walking distance from the city centre but it is a cool place to check out. It is part of Speicher 7 Hotel and just opened about a year ago. The design inside is LOVE and it serves drinks in style. In summer days, the terrace is open in the Hawaiian theme and has an overlook of Ludwigshafen – the city next by. It also offers tapas for those hungry ones.

You know what you might get surprised of? There is this myth that coffee in bars is most of the time terrible. Somehow, in Speicher 7, don’t be afraid of ordering a coffee because it tastes not bad at all.

DINE

Memoires d’ Indochine

Address: C2, 10A
Website: http://memoires-indochine.de
Opening time: Mon – Sat 11:30 – 22:00

Probably the finest Asian restaurant in town! Memoires d’Indochine offers the taste of Vietnamese and Laos cuisines without overwhelm the westernised taste as well as the strong flavour of Asian cuisine. Probably you would love the menu here even if you are Caucasian or Asian because they do know how to make the best out of two cultures. Any dish would satisfy you.

The plus point: very calming atmosphere! This place is filled up very quickly during both lunch and dinner. If you want to be seated during that time, you should reserve in advance.

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Food culture in The Netherlands

Is there any? – I questioned myself.

It was such a surprise to me when I came to The Netherlands. I have been always passionate about food and cultural cuisines. When it comes to The Netherlands, I asked myself if was there any. If I ask a Dutch person what a Dutch cuisine is, he would tell me about how great the Kroket  is or how Dutch people are known with how they eat their Herring or about the famous Stamppot (the traditional Dutch home-cooked dish of mashed potatoes with vegetables). Trust me, the answer is always identical.

As I have seen so far, the Dutch kitchen provides many deep-fried products. Kroket is one of them. I have tried Kroket several times but it has always been a love-hate feeling.  One fact I do not enjoy it that much because it is deep-fried and it is stuffed with whatever that I have no idea. However, it has presented the Dutch food quite well.

How do Dutch people lunch?

I have to giggle whenever talking about this topic. If you want to learn about the food culture in The Netherlands, seeing the Dutch lunching is a must. I do not criticise them but they really do love their sandwiches. Their daily lunch set includes bread, ham, cheese, hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) and Pindakaas (peanut butter). Unbelievably, they eat sandwiches every single day. I asked humbly some people how they enjoyed their lunch. Some, in fact, have never changed their lunch set. Maybe once a week Pancake is the substitute and it happens mostly in the weekend. 

I had a chance to chat about how Dutch people lunch with Jasper – the Chef of De Klub Restaurant. He was really open-minded about this topic. As a Dutch man, he acknowledged that the Dutch lunch did not have any change since centuries. Sandwiches have become so important in every Dutch person’s life. The lunch is so different in many countries in Europe. While the French is having a sip of wine next to their warm meal or the German is enjoying a big portion meal that the Dutch only has for dinner, the loyalty with sandwiches of the Dutch is admirable and they enjoy their lunch with a glass of milk.

Jasper, on the other hand, is trying to break the pattern. It is quite a hard work to make the Dutch dine for lunch. However, he is putting an effort to make De Klub an interesting lunch room. A menu with 3 options and changes every day. I believe a creative touch in food as De Klub has been offering could lead the change in the Dutch culture sooner and sooner. Jasper agreed with me on this change.

If you see the first picture, it actually represents this future change. Could you imagine a Dutch guy not eating bread and having a glass of wine beside his lunch meal? – stereotypically saying. Thanks De Klub for letting me capture this moment as well as the open-minded chat.

 

Spain: Food corner @ Málaga

Málaga offers you a variety of seafood. Espeto de Sardinas is the specialty. It’s a typical dish of Malaga cuisine consisting of broach, ie nailing, a number of Sardines to be grilled with some vegetables. Some other kinds of fish are also used for Espeto. Otherwise, all the deep fried seafood dishes you can go for when you’re in Málaga. When you’re in Málaga, you should give a try:
Bonquerones fritos – Fried anchovies
Almejas a la marinera – Clams
Tortilla de camarones – pancake with shrimps
Pulpo ala gallega – Octopus

I’m sure some of you wouldn’t dare to try some of those dishes. But it’s a challenge for you – eating fish with the head on, shrimps when their eyes staring at you… If you’re into food like me, you would very much enjoy food in Málaga. It’ not that scary and it tastes amazing.

Drop a visit to one of those restaurants when you’re in Málaga:

Dos por 1

Address: Calle Salinas
Price range: €4-7/person
Website: www.dospor1.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re travelling on budget, this tapas bar is perfect for you. Eating in Málaga is not so expensive, or I must say it’s relatively cheap. But Dospor1 is very affordable. With a price of €1/tapa and less than €3/mojito, you can fill your stomach easily with only €7. The food might not be super amazing but some dishes are really good. You should ask the waiter for some references or ask for the restaurant’s specialty. Dospor1 is located in a quiet alley and quite cooling area so that you can escape from the sun for awhile. From Dospor1 you have a part of the view to the Cathedral

Las Merchanas

Address: Mosquera 5
Price range: €10-15/person

It’s located in a small alley close to Iglesia Santos Mártires. In the evening, the place is likely packed so that if you would like to have a table, you should come a bit earlier to wait to be seated. But it’s worth it because the food is delicious. You should come with 3 to 4 peple so you can share raciones. It will be cheaper as well if you come with a group and you can try more dishes at a time.

El Rincón del Queso

Address: Calle Atarazanas 19
Price range: €5-10/person

After my visit at Mercado Atarazanas, I found this small restaurant just across the street from the other exit of the market. It’s a small shop selling Jamón and Queso but it has a small area that people can be seated and enjoy some glasses of wine. It seems like only local people come here.

The owner Javier is a very friendly and pleasant man. He welcomed me with some cheese and a small glass of wine. It really made the atmosphere of the restaurant cozier – good food, good wine and good people around.

 

 

 

 

El Tintero

Address: Calle Playa del Chanquete, 99
Price range: €10-15/person

One of the thing you should never miss is to visit a Chiringuito. It’s how they call fish bars. El Tintero is a special fish bar because it’s different from other places. I call it a shout-out buffet. Basically, there are many waiters carrying food around and shouting out the name of the dish they are carrying. You just have to call them and get the dish. I find it so much fun and exciting. Each dish costs around €6 but some could get a bit more expensive. Therefore, it’s best to come with a group of at least 4 people so that you can try out many dishes and lower the cost.

Since the place is a bit far from the centre, you could reach to the place from the bus stand Paseo del Parque, take number 11 towards El Palo and go to the last stop. And the bar is very local so you might need some help from local people or any friend of yours could speak Spanish must be fine as well.

El Jardín

Address: Calle Cañon 1
Price range: €12-17/person

I saw the recommendation of this restaurant from Lonely Planet and I gave a try. If you’re here for food, I will not recommend. However, if you would like to have a view of the Cathedral, this is a good choice. It’s located just right next to the cathedral. You can sit outside and enjoy a Tinto de Verano fashionably. I only had a Paella here and I was not impressed. However, since I haven’t tried any other dishes so I cannot give a review on it.

Notice: Málaga is not the place to order Paella so I think you might be disappointed if you want to have Paella here. 

 

 

Cookie Dough Smoothie Breakfast

I haven’t stopped creating new recipes for my breakfast and I ended up with an amazing taste of Cookie Dough ice-cream but healthier version. I enjoyed creating this and I was so happy that it turned out great. I”m sharing this with you and I hope you like it!

Blueberries Oatmeal Breakfast

I am not a fan of breakfast at all. I know it’s the most important meal of the day but I used to skip breakfast. Since I started having oatmeal for breakfast, I have tried creating different flavours to make myself love breakfast. And I have managed it 🙂

Here is the recipe for your delicious Oatmeals with Blueberries! It’s super easy, super tasty and very healthy.

What’s For Dinner? – Chorizo Rice

I am not a housewife but I might have to consider to be one. Do you have it? Everyday considering ‘What to eat tonight’? That’s why cooking shows are always helpful. Here is Chorizo rice which is inspired by Spicy Sausage Rice from Gordon Ramsay.

The Taste Of A Black Forrest Cake

I have been diving in my kitchen to make new dishes and cakes. And lately, i was inspired by Stephanie Jawosski’s cake recipes. She has a Youtube channel named Joy of Baking. If you are a fan of sweet treats, it is so easy to follow her recipes that you can make your own candies and cakes.

A black forrest cake is a chocolate cake filled with cherries soaked in Kirsch and whipped cream. The chocolate cake should be light and airy texture so that it can absorb the   Kirsch flavoured cherry syrup better.

The Perfect Chocolate Cake

It was a rainy day in the Netherlands. But I cheered myself up with a chocolate cake. Simple and delicious.

Get yourself the recipe below.