Restaurant of the Month - April 2013

Restaurant Samurai - Weststrasse 180, 8003 Zurich

http://www.samurai7.ch/samurai7/Samurai_I-ENG.html

For authentic Japanese cuisine in central Zurich, the Samurai restaurant in Weststrasse is a top choice. The food is fresh, the chefs and all the staff are Japanese and the service is prompt and attentive. And at lunchtime certainly you get good value for money with a choice of several different set meals priced at a reasonable CHF30. While the ZIWA Dining Around the World group met there this week, many singles and couples also dropped in, mostly having booked ahead. It's a popular venue.

We were able to choose from the sushi/sashimi meal, the tempura meal and various bento box combinations. The meal began with miso soup, followed quickly by a box or tray containing a tempting and delicious combination of dishes. Raw fish such as tuna, salmon, eel and kingfish, cooked prawns and chicken or pork were on offer as well as different selections of maki or sushi rolls. If a menu selection didn't suit you, there was also an extensive selection of individual portions to choose from. Accompaniments consisted of pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste, as well as steamed rice.


The food is prepared freshly on the premises by the two Japanese chefs, and the owner and waitresses are all Japanese too. You will also be given a choice of Japanese beers such as Kirin, wine or green tea to complement the meal. Service is quick and we didn't have to wait long to pay the bill either. Many people stop by for a quick business lunch but you can also linger for a chat in the pleasant modern surroundings. The restaurant has been doing so well, they have recently opened another branch in Kanzleistrasse.

The restaurant opens daily except on Saturday lunchtimes and Sundays. The a la carte menu is extensive if you want to try your favourite dishes or an unusual combination. And it's all beautifully served. There is plenty of choice for even the fussiest of diners. Why not book now?

New to Japanese cuisine? These descriptions might help:

Sushi Cooked rice topped with raw fish – tuna, salmon, eel, sea bream are popular. Eat dipped in soy sauce
Maki sushi Sushi rolls with various fillings wrapped in rice and nori (seaweed)
Sashimi Raw fish of high quality, served with wasabi and ginger and other condiments
Miso Soy bean paste, made into a soup
Tempura Deep fried vegetables, prawns, white fish cooked in a light batter and served with dipping sauce
Bento box A healthy meal served in a box or on a tray with compartments
Sukiyaki Beef sliced thinly and fried with a marinade of soy sauce and mirin
Teppenyaki  Food cooked on a griddle in front of the customer – meat, seafood or vegetables
Teriyaki  Food marinated in a sweet sauce and fried or baked, has a shiny appearance
Yakitori Chicken coated in a special sauce, cooked on a skewer, may be served as an appetiser
Sake Japanese fermented rice wine
Mirin Sweet rice wine used in cooking
Wasabi  Green paste made from very hot horseradish
Gari Japanese pickled ginger, served with sushi

Julia Newton, 2 May 2013

Restaurant of the Month - March 2013

Restaurant Swiss Chuchi at Hotel Adler

Rosengasse 10/Hirschenplatz, 8001 Zurich

http://www.hotel-adler.ch/en/restaurant-swiss-chuchi/

On a very snowy day at the end of March, what could be nicer than a traditional Swiss fondue at the home of Swiss traditional cooking in the heart of the Zurich old town. The menu includes a choice of at least ten different fondues as well as the menu of the day and a seasonal selection. The fondues were priced from CHF 26 to 37, and most of our group opted for one of them: the traditional Waadtlaender (from Canton Vaud) with four cheeses and kirsch, the Herren-Fondue with green pepper and mustard and the day's special fondue which was made with sparkling wine. We could also have chosen fondues with different cheeses, pear brandy, morel mushrooms or ham.


Those who were not keen on cheese chose a dish from the daily specials which included Fleischkaese (not very popular with us), roesti, lamb or beef, fish, salad and vegetarian dishes. The day's menus are priced at a very reasonable CHF17 and include soup or salad and coffee.

The service was excellent and friendly, the fondues could be served in individual dishes or in pairs and the atmosphere was very warm - we could smell the cheese from the road outside. Wines were available by the glass for anyone who felt the desire for more alcohol. The Swiss Chuchi at the Adler is a Zurich landmark in the centre of the Niederdorf area, and as we paid and left, another group of cold, hungry people was heading through the door.


The a la carte menu also includes that other Swiss staple, raclette served in a dozen different ways, or you could also try a Fondue Bourguignonne or a Fondue Chinois as well as a selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.

It's great value in a warm and cosy atmosphere. En guete!

Restaurant of the Month - February 2013

Restaurant Kunming

Gotthardstrasse 50, 8800 Thalwil

http://www.kunming-thalwil.ch/restaurant.html

To celebrate the Year of the Snake, the ZIWA Dining Around the World group chose to visit the Kunming Chinese restaurant in Thalwil's main street, only 10 minutes by train from Zurich. This favourite of mine has a great business lunch menu with a choice of around 7 dishes all priced between CHF15 and CHF22. On Tuesday we had a choice of chicken, beef, scampi or tofu dishes with different tasty sauces, accompanied by boiled or fried rice. The meal started with an inclusive green salad; other optional extras included soup and spring rolls.

We were seated at a round table for 12, and the chef delivered our choices quickly. All the selections were hot and very tasty. If the lunch menu doesn't include your favourite dish, which is very unlikely, you can choose from the extensive a la carte menu. Evening prices are more expensive but it's also good to share several dishes between a group. Hot and sour soup, dumplings and wontons also provide tasty starters. Fish and vegetarian main dishes can also be good options. There's also a choice of teas, wines and Tsingdao or Singha beers to complement the meal.

The restaurant opens daily except Wednesdays, and the recent extension allows more light and space for the diners. It's a good idea to reserve. They also do takeaways. There is parking in the street outside as well as easy train access from Zurich HB or Enge. This is the best Chinese restaurant I have tried in Zurich, and the staff are always friendly and happy to help with your Chinese vocabulary too!

Hao che! (Good food!).

Restaurant of the Month January 2013

Restaurant Pizzeria Ostia

Zaehringerstrasse 28, near Central, Zurich

http://www.restaurant-ostia.ch/sys/index.php/en

A cheap and cheerful restaurant just round the corner from the Central tram stop and Polybahn station, this Italian restaurant offers a selection of three or four lunchtime menus as well as an extensive a la carte. In the last week of January we could choose from pasta with artichoke, papardella with salmon and cream sauce, kalbshaxe with vegetables and gravy or pizza of the day. The menu came with tomato soup or salad and the CHF35 inclusive price included coffee.

This place is a quiet haven for businessmen, couples or groups of ladies. Service was quite quick, although the soup could have been hotter, and there was ample space for our large group as well as the lunchtime business trade. The menu also features some tempting desserts. The pizza oven was in constant use and the smell delicious. The wine menu offered house wines by the glass as well as a good choice of European wines and sparkling wines.

For a quick and easy place to eat in the centre of Zurich's Altstadt, the Ostia could be a good place to try.

Recipe of the month - November

Ceviche and Pisco Sour

Last month I was travelling in South and Central America and we ate this Peruvian fish dish on several occasions. It's delicious. Susy Jean-Mairet from the ZIWA Latin American and Spanish group gave me this recipe. Enjoy it!

Ceviche and pisco sour in Buenos Aires

Ceviche:

Ingredients:
- 800 g. sea bass fillet (corvina)
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 red aji limo (hot chilli), chopped finely
- 1/2 yellow aji limo, chopped finely
- Juice of 16 limes
- Salt
(You can reduce the quantities in proportion to the fish)

To serve:
- 1 boiled ear of corn, cut into rounds
- Boiled sweet potato
- Lettuce leaves

Method:
Cut the fish into bit size pieces and mix together with the onion in a large bowl. Wash the onion and fish and drain well. Season with salt and aji limo (chillies).
Toss the fish mixture quickly in lime juice. Refresh by adding a couple of ice cubes, mix well and remove immediately. Serve the ceviche immediately in a deep dish, with boiled sweet potato, fresh cooked corn and lettuce leaves. You could also serve it in individual glasses.

The traditional accompaniment or to enjoy on its own:
Pisco Sour:
3 parts Peruvian Pisco (grape brandy)
1 part key lime juice
1 part sugar syrup
1 egg white
Angosturo bitter

Pour the Pisco, lime juice and syrup into a blender or cocktail shaker with enough ice to double the volume. Blend on high or shake rapidly. Add one egg white and blend again. Serve with a drop of Angosturo bitter in each glass.

Tip: you can buy Chilean Pisco at this link:
http://www.rahngmbh.ch/deutsch/042b579ce80bc5b01/index.php

Julia Newton, December 2012

Restaurant of the Month - October 2012

Restaurant Belcanto, Zurich Opera House, Bellevue

http://www.belcanto.ch/

For an ideal lunch location overlooking the lake, reserve a table at Belcanto, the restaurant at Zurich Opera House. This iconic venue offers an extensive terrace location in summer as well as ample indoor space, all tastefully decorated. The daily lunch menu offers a choice of meat, fish, vegetarian or special dishes, with soup or salad selection, for between CHF 20 and 30. Great value!

The salads are fresh and the dressings delicious, the soup selection interesting and the main courses are simply and beautifully prepared. Of course, you can still choose from the a la carte menu and finish off with a tempting dessert. When the ZIWA Dining Around the World group visited last week, we could choose from beef hunter's steak with polenta, claresse filet - a fish from the North Sea - with minted bulgur wheat and courgettes, alpler macaroni Belcanto style, or French style duck with orange sauce, all for under CHF30 including starter. They all looked and tasted delicious!


In the evening you can dine before the opera, and the friendly staff will ensure you finish in good time. There's a full range of seasonal meat, fish and vegi dishes to choose from, accompanied by a good selection of house wines. Friends of the opera can also book a regular table, and reserve a glass of champagne ready and waiting in the interval.

For a classic meal served in a modern style, in an iconic setting, why not give the Belcanto a try? It's music to your tastebuds.

Restaurant of the Month - September 2012

Restaurant La Fuente, Hauptplatz 9, Rapperswil

http://www.restaurante-lafuente.ch/
If one needed another reason to visit the beautiful lakeside town of Rapperswil with its picturesque harbour, imposing castle and quaint old town, then it might be to visit the authentic Spanish restaurant La Fuente. Located in the top corner of the main square fronting the steps up to the old castle, this restaurant offers al fresco dining as well as a cosy, traditionally decorated interior. And the food selection certainly lives up to the idyllic location.

Every weekday there's a huge and tempting array of tapas to try, and for around CHF 26 you can return to the buffet a discretion to select from the platters of roasted vegetables, fragrant seafood and spicy meat and egg dishes. Or pick a dish from the daily menu of reasonably priced main courses costing from 20 to 30 francs, and sit back to enjoy the friendly waiter service. There's also a monthly menu featuring seasonal dishes such as truffles, mushrooms and topical meats and fish.

At weekends there's still a choice of small and large tapas platters from a selection of around 12 dishes, as well as the menu of the day. And in the evenings, the world of Spanish cuisine is your oyster! Choose from the following specialities: parrillada de pescados (mixed grilled fish), pincho de gambas (prawn kebab), filete de buey con pepe (beef in a pepper cream sauce) or pechuga de pollo a la paprica (spicy chicken with rice). Or push the boat out and order the paella valenciana for two at a cost of CHF62.50.



The wine card will not disappoint either, with a selection of open and bottled wines from Spain, Portugal and Italy. The Baron de Ley white Rioja is particularly refreshing on a warm day. You can start your meal with a chilled glass of cava to get in the Spanish mood. And if you have room for one dessert, then it has to be the crema catalana. Delicious!


On sunny days and in the evening it's best to book ahead. Que aproveche!