Restaurant of the Month November 2013

Restaurant Singapore, Badenerstrasse 530, 8048 Zurich
044 401 15 10

This restaurant has been a feature of Zurich Altstetten for many years, but no longer has a website and can therefore be tricky to track down. But take tram 2 to Freihofstrasse, just past Letzigrund, and you'll find this popular Asian eatery on the right hand side. There's a self-service place on the left but for our Dining Around the World November venue we booked a table in the waitress service room on the right.

The menu offers several tempting Singaporean-style dishes such as chicken and beef satay and a four-dish Reistafel, and we had our own Singaporean expert Penny to advise on a choice of food. Many of the dishes were marked as spicy, but there were also less spicy Malaysian and Chinese options, and all priced at a reasonable CHF23.50. I enjoyed the satays with peanut sauce, fruit and rice, a substantial dish with 6 skewers. Those in the know opted for a Poh Pien starter - a type of steamed spring roll - and shared a bowl of Laksa for the main course. This consisted of a pot of prawns, chicken pieces and tofu with rice noodles in a moderately spicy soup of coconut milk, cardamom and spices. Penny says that this is really a street dish in her native country.

Some of the other diners shared a selection for four people - Chicken Kung Po, Beef with Black Bean Sauce, a Malaysian Reistafel which comprised four different veggie dishes, and a wonderful lamb curry. There were also less spicy options available. Others opted for the dumplings as a starter. Everyone seemed happy with their adventurous choices.

The restaurant gets very busy at lunchtimes so it's good to reserve and it was quite crowded when we were there. You can also choose from a selection of cooling Asian beers to go perfectly with the spicy meal.

For an interesting lunch with attentive service and a varied menu, try the Singapore. Don't let the poor online access put you off - give them a call.

Restaurant of the Month October 2013

James Joyce Irish Pub - Pelikanstrasse 8, 8001 Zurich

http://www.jamesjoyce.ch/
An informal lunch in an Irish pub was enjoyed by 12 members of ZIWA's Dining Around the World group on the last Tuesday of October. The bar staff welcomed us warmly and had set aside a whole bay where we could chat and enjoy some typical pub grub. As well as two daily specials and a dessert choice, we could select from some of the classic dishes including Fish and Chips, the James Joyce complete hamburger and the Club Sandwich. All washed down with a glass or two of Irish draught Guinness.

The bar, located just off Zurich's famous Bahnhofstrasse, has a fascinating history. James Joyce, the renowned Dublin writer, spent many years in Zurich and indeed also died and was buried here. As the pub website tells us,


'The interior furnishing originates from the Jury's hotel in Dublin and was run there as the Antique Bar.

'At the beginning of the 1970s,  the hotel had to give way to urban development measures. At an auction a businessman from Zuerich purchased the interior furnishing and sold it to the SBG (now UBS) at that time. They had the far-sightedness and honoured a guest of many years' standing and friend of the Zuerich city (James Joyce) in this special way.

'The 19th century Art Nouveau bar is considered worldwide as one of the most beautiful bars, as it has been protected and preserved entirely.

'An Irish bar situated in Zuerich may therefore very well be called the James Joyce Bar.'  

The bar is a popular lunchtime venue for local bankers and businessmen, and it is usually advisable to book. Unlike most English pubs, at Zurich's James Joyce there is waiter service and an attractive menu which in October contained a nice selection of autumn specials as well as typical British and some Swiss dishes. The beer selection includes the famous black gold, the Guinness being served in small or large glasses. Having tasted the real stuff in Dublin only a week ago, I found the Swiss ale rather weak compared to the Irish brew. But still tasty. There is a wide choice of beers on draught and bottled as well as whiskies, and unlike most Irish bars, an extensive wine list.

The pub also opens in the evenings but food isn't served until 6pm and the atmosphere is a little more subdued then. However whatever the time of day or evening, you can be sure of a warm welcome with an enticing selection of Irish, British and international food and beverages. Cheers!