Summer Fruits

Sunday, September 27, 2015 0 Comments A+ a-

Summer fruits
Who could resist the great Summer in Europe? Sunshine in the Summer always shed away all the depression mainly causes by the often rainy and gloomy autumn plus winter. I can safely bet that 9 out of 10 Europeans will tell you they LOVE summer to bits.

No doubt Summer is the best time to enjoy the sunshine and embrace tons of outdoor activities. One should also not miss relishing some great summer fruits too such as berries, melons, peaches etc.

My weekly shopping cart were full of summer fruits and I even pluck some from the garden. Check out the pic above - a handful of wonderfully delicious homegrown berries i.e. raspberries, red current and strawberries. Lovely color ... (p/s: Sorry about the half-ripe strawberries as the ripe ones have been eaten by birds or insects.)

The small round shape, smooth skin red currents were surprisingly sweet. I enjoy the the sourness of the bright-red raspberries. These fresh berries are powerful natural antioxidant and are an excellent source of vitamin C, plus there are low in calories especially for raspberries.

With Autumn quickly being usher in, perhaps I will need to wait till the next Summer for some homegrown "berries power". The song Wake Me Up When September Ends from Green Day starts to play:

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
......
......
Hope everyone had a great Summer. See you in the next Summer!

Garoeda Indonesisch Restaurant @ The Hague

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 0 Comments A+ a-

Tea with Dutch butter cookie
For almost a year, I have always mistaken Garoeda Indonesian restaurant as a western restaurant although it is indeed an Indonesian restaurant. Neither the exterior nor the interior correspond to the typical Asian restaurant feel (maybe a little giveaway by the wood carving). Perhaps you will have the same thought too if you happen to pass by the restaurant at the corner of a busy shopping street.

The restaurant serves a wide array of tasty yet affordable Indonesian cuisine, nasi rames, bami, rijsttafel etc. However, what sets this restaurant apart from other Indonesian restaurant in town is its unique ambiance.
Garoeda Indonesisch Restaurant


Garoeda Indonesisch Restaurant

Garoeda Indonesisch Restaurant
The whole restaurant is brilliantly illuminated by natural sunlight, thanks to the wide window panels around the restaurant. Wooden yet not too bulky furniture, complete but not too elaborate table settings make the restaurant extra cosy and comfortable. Even if I am not here for food, I could spend a relaxing afternoon here, sipping through a cup of tea while enjoying a novel.

The afternoon when we popped by for lunch, there was a TV shooting going on in the restaurant by local TV production company. I was pretty sure it was the great decor that brought them here.

It is indeed worthwhile to check out the restaurant even if you are not keen to try out the food. A pint of Bintang beer or a glass of wine at the bar corner will surely light up your evening.
Address: Kneuterdijk 18 A, 2514 EN Den Haag, Netherlands 
Phone: +31 70 346 5319

Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, SET Genki Tei

Saturday, September 05, 2015 0 Comments A+ a-

Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
A colleague from home country happened to be in town for a conference plus workshop. Being a good host, I offered to bring her for a food hunt around The Hague. Perhaps gotten tired with sandwiches, cold cuts, cheeses, croquettes, pancakes etc for the past few days from the workshop, she specifically requested for Asian food. Plus an additional request for something light but can fill the stomach at the same time.

I know exactly where to bring her for a good treat, it is non other than my favorite SET Genki Tei Japanese Restaurant! Instead of ordering the usual bento lunch sets, we went for the Ala-carte sushi and assorted Japanese side dishes, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) and Gyoza (meat dumpling).

We enjoyed the tamago roll (egg roll) wrapped in seaweed as the complimentary appetizer. The green edamame provided a contrasting texture in the egg roll. They were indeed beautifully wrapped and just looked like a sushi ... but without the rice.
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Tamago wrapped in seaweed
The sushi platter we ordered consists of 3 types of sushi - the scallop sushi, shrimp sushi and Unagi eel sushi. Oh boy, the scallop was fresh and instantly melt in my mouth. I do believe the scallop had been lightly torched instead of being grilled since it was moist and juicy. Kudos to the chef for a well executed dish. The scallop went well with the Ikura (salmon roe) too. Salty roe paired with sweet scallop is simply perfection!
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Scallop sushi
The shrimp sushi was equally good as well. Instead of Ikura, the shrimp sushi was topped with Tobiko (flying fish roe) which are smaller in size. It has different texture as compare to Ikura which are slightly more fishy in taste. I especially like the sushi rice as there were avocado cubes in it. Thumbs up!
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Shrimp sushi
Being a big fan of Unagi (grilled eel), this Unagi sushi really made my day. Usually the Unagi bento sets are quite expensive, so I was pleased to at least get a bite of the Unagi I craved. How I wish the unagi slice could be a bit thicker. I do appreciate the small details by the Chef, check out the the sesame seed sprinkled on top of the eel. I do not recall having something like this back home as the Unagi usually served plain, just with the teriyaki sauce smear on top.
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Unagi (eel) sushi
Chicken karaage is also my all time favorite. Perfect side dish for ramen. Don't they look appetizing?
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Chicken karaage
Fried fish cake was one of the dish from the fried dish platter. This was my least favorite as it was merely the processed/frozen fishcake you can get from the Asian grocers, which were coated in batter and deep-fried.
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Fried fish cake
These fried shrimps were good. Well coated breadcrumb batter and well controlled frying temperature helped to "lock down" the freshness and juiciness of the shrimps.Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei

Crispy fried shrimps
The Okonomiyaki is another highly recommended dish. I have tried it for several times but still not bored with it. Check out my earlier post. Perhaps it is the tasty bonito flakes that tempted me to keep coming back for the okonomiyaki. Check out how generous the bonite flakes on it, simply irresistible.
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Okonomiyaki
We ended the hearty meal with pan fried gyoza (meat dumpling). Yes, they tasted as good as they looked, crispy on the outside and juicy inside.
Best Japanese Treat in The Hague, Genki Tei
Gyoza
Some quick burps and big smile after the meal signified how satisfied my colleague was with today's Japanese' treat in Genki Tei. I know I scored ... opps, it should be Genki Tei scored!  
Address: Schoolstraat 4, 2511 AX Den Haag, Netherlands
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