Caffè Mezzaparte and Attractions in Verona (Italy, Verona)

At Verona (Italy), we visited the Arena, Juliet's Balcony and Piazza delle Erbe (used to be a gathering point in the past during the Rome period). 

Arena

Arena

The Arena was a Roman Amphitheater, which is now being used for concerts and events. As you may notice from the photo, there was a Christmas Market (tents in white) next to the Arena. 

At the centre of Piazza delle Erbe, there was a Chrismas market too! There seemed to be a Christmas market everywhere in Europe. Having seen so many different Christmas markets and they all basically sells all kinds of products (including Christmas products) and local food. Its a good chance to savour their local food at relatively cheap prices.

Lamberti's Tower

The Lamberti's Tower, a 14th century tower is the tallest tower in verona built at the Piazza delle Erbe. 

There were many restaurants around the area and the price were on the high end. After looking around for sometime, we decided to patronise the restaurant called Caffè Mezzaparte which was located next to the Christmas market. 

Main entrance 

Caffè Mezzaparte had a cozy environment with a nice quiet ambience. There were lots of seating capacity  with indoors and alfresco area. There were no one at the alfresco area as it was freezing cold. In Caffè Mezzaparte, there was even a unisex toilet in the basement! 

Menu cover

Although the menu is in Italian, the good news is that there are English, German and French translations in the menu too!  

Minestrone di verdure 8 € (S$12.54)

Minestrone di verdure 8 € (S$12.54)

We ordered a bowl of Minestrone di verdure (Vegetable soup) which cost 8€ (S$12.54) to share. During winter, its always ideal to start off with a bowl of hot soup, especially since we are not used to the cold weather. 

The Vegetable Soup was heart warming. Although we were in an Italian restaurant, the soup reminded me of home - Chinese Soup. It tasted like a Chinese cuisine too (perfect cure if you are sick of european food)! Clear, tasty soup that was full of cubes of potatoe, carrot, cucumber, onion and leek. Simple yet delicious! 

Tortellini panna e prosciutto 8.50 € (S$13.32)

For our main course, we ordered a plate of Tortellini panna e prosciutto (Tortellini with ham and cream) for 8.50€ (S$13.32). Tortellini are navel shaped or ring shaped pasta filled with a mixture of meat and cheese in it. (you can imagine it as our local wantons, with meat in it.) Most freshly made tortellini without artificial preservatives have a shell life of a few weeks.

The Tortellini with ham and cream was served with shredded ham. The pasta was on the outside was firm and the inside was filled with meat.  It was cheesy and tasty. 

Risotto con funghi porcini 9 € (S$14.1)

We also ordered the Risotto con funghi porcini (Risotto with procini mushrooms) which cost 9€ (S$14.1). I thought that this was well executed. The al dente Risotto rice (firm but not hard) was evenly cooked and had the right creaminess - slightly creamy. It was slightly sticky (which is a norm) due to its ability to adsorb water and release starch. The Risotto was incredibly tasty and flavourful, with each mouthful, a rich, strong and distinct fragrance of mushroom would burst out. Mushroom lovers will definitely like this dish. The only issue I have is the lack of ingredients considering the price!

The food that we had was decent but pricey. Please note that the drinks here seemed to be even more expensive. We did not order any drinks and instead drank from our own bottled water. Oh yes, the pizzas are quite good too and can be shared among 2 persons.

We also visited the Juliet's Balcony (Museum).

As you walked into Juliet's House, you will notice this wall filled with love notes and graffiti. There were even chewing gums stuck on the wall. As a result, this wall has been proclaimed as the dirtiest wall in the world. Many visitors believed that writing love notes on the wall would make their love everlasting. 

Left to right: Bronze statue of Juliet, Juliet's Balcony

Juliet's House and Balcony, located in Verona just off Piazza delle Erbe is one of the most visited place in this town. It has been claimed that this is the property of the Dal Cappello family since the 1200s. From this, derives the name Capuleti, the house of Juliet. Hence, since the 1800s, this location has been a tourist attraction  Even Charles Dickens has recorded his impression the this residence in written word. 

Did you notice that certain parts of the bronze statue of Juliet seemed to shine? It was the most touched (worn out) part of the statue. This maybe because there is a legend that if a person strokes the right breast of the statue, that person will have good fortune. Now the question would be how come even the left side seems to shine?

Caffè Mezzaparte (Italy, Verona)

Piazza dell'Erbe, 8/a, 37121 

Verona, Italy

Tel:  +39 045 590590 ‎

Location

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La Bonne Cave and Landmarks in Lucerne (Switzerland, Lucerne)

After touring the old Chapel Bridge and the Old Town of Lucerne (also known as Luzern), Switzerland, we went about looking for a place for dinner. There did not seemed to be many places around that offered food, more for shopping. Part of the reason could be because it was Winter; some of the shops may have closed early. As the weather was freezing cold for us (slightly below 0 Degree Celsius), we were in a rush to look for a place for a quick dinner - in fact anyplace will do.

So long as it fitted the 3 criteria;
- quick (as we were hungry)
- indoors (to escape from the cold)
- serves food 

As such, we found ourselves in La Bonne Cave which is a restaurant located directly besides River Reuss. There were two other reasons why we came here. It was because the menu had English translation and it was less pricey compared to the other restaurants. 

As you may have noticed from the decoration and environment, La Bonne Cave looks more like a wine place. In fact it is. The name of this place is actually called Weinwirtschaft Weinladen La Bonne Cave. The word 'Weinwirtschaft Weinladen' means 'Wine Shop' in English. Nevertheless, we went ahead and ordered our dinner.

Hausgemachte Tagessuppe (Klein) 6.50 CHF (S$8.50)

We ordered the Hausgemachte Tagessuppe (Klein) 6.50 CHF (S$8.50) which when translated to English means Homemade Soup of the Day (Small). The soup of the day was Tomato Soup! It was quite a small bowl of soup and was very sour. 

Bread

Bread which was served together with the soup. Nothing great about the bread, it was average. 

Gambas 'All' Aglio E Peperoncini (Klein) 17.50 CHF (S$22.87)

The partner ordered the Gambas 'All' Aglio E Peperoncini (Klein) which cost 17.50 CHF (S$22.87). It was essentially an Aglio Olio style spaghetti served with roasted black tiger shrimps with garlic and hot pepper. This Aglio Olio style spaghetti was decently executed. Many tiger shrimp was given and they were fresh and succulent.

Feuerspaghetti 17.50 CHF  (S$22.87)

I ordered the Feuerspaghetti (Klein) 17.50 CHF (S$22.87); Spaghetti with hot curry, sliced chicken and china vegetable. This was a unique dish and unlike any curry I have tried before. The curry was not spicy, similar to a thick, starchy peanut sauce with a slight hint of curry.  The china vegetable in this case consisted of mainly slices of carrots and cabbage. To be frank, I did not like the taste of this dish and wished that I had ordered something else.

Overall, the ambience at La Bonne Cave was quiet, cozy and homely. It looked like the perfect place for a quiet date and chill out. In fact to me, it seemed more of a place for wine rather than food. Food wise, it was not impressive.

There are several landmarks to visit in Lucerne.

Old Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

The Old Chapel Bridge also known as Kapellbrücke built in 1333 to protect Lucerne is the oldest wooden covered wooden bridge in Europe. The Watch Tower (Wasserturm) which you see in the photo is an eight sided citadel made of bricks. It was used as a watch tower, torture chamber, and prison. Both the bridge and Watch Tower are a key tourist attraction of Switzerland. The Old Chapel Bridge is just outside La Bonne Cave.

Old Town of Lucerne

The Old Town with its well preserved 14th century town walls, cobbled squares and buildings. There were murals on most of the buildings walls.

Lion Monument (Lion of Lucerne)

Since were were at Lucerne, we visited the Lion Monument (Lion of Lucerne) which was nearby. The Lion Monument carved out of stone depicts a dying lion in memory of the Swiss mercenaries who lost their lives during the French Revolution at the Tuileries Palace in Paris. The lake at the bottom of the monument was frozen.

Postillon Hotel Lucerne

Postillon Hotel, our Hotel for the night. ~Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!~ 

 The view from our room.

Lake Lucerne

Postillon Hotel is located next to Lake Lucerne.

That's all for this post. Stay tuned for more.

La Bonne Cave (Switzerland, Lucerne) 
Rathausquai 1
6004 Luzern
Lucerne, Switzerland
Tel: +41 41 410 45 16
Website
Location

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Croque Saveur (France, Paris)

As mentioned in an earlier post, this is the start of a series of overseas posts covering meals consumed in Europe (France, Switzerland and Italy) and United Arab Emirates (Dubai). These posts are 5 months overdue as it took place in December 2012. In some of the posts, I might side track to mention some of the must visits. 

The Galeries Lafayette is a popular upmarket French department store located on the Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

We were in Galeries Lafayette looking for a place for lunch. There were restaurants with serving, French, Western, Italian, Chinese and Japanese Cuisines), fast food (Mcdonalds) and a food court. We decided to venture out of Galeries Lafayette and see if we could get good local and maybe more authentic food.

After walking for some time, we saw this little restaurant called Croque Saveur. We decided to give this a try.

Croque Saveur is a local French restaurant located in the heart of the Opera District a stone throw away (5 mins walk) from Galeries Lafayette.

Croque Saveur was a small restaurant (can fit around 20 people), nicely decorated with no frills. A local restaurant indeed.

Menu

Part of the menu

Selection of food

Selection of food

We were spoilt for choice as there was a wide selection of food. We had a hard time deciding what to eat. In addition, we resorted to using hand signs and English to converse what we wanted to order as the owner were more comfortable with French. Come to think of it, we are quite fortunate. The owner was so friendly and patient trying his best explaining the set menus and also what is nice.

Ordered the Set Menu - Menu Lasagnes. Which comes with Choice of Salad, Lasagne and Choice of Dessert.

Bread

The bread was as hard as a rock! How come Europeans like their bread hard? Back home in Singapore, we are so used to softer bread.

Vegetable Soup

For one of the salads, we chose Vegetable Soup. Instead of a bowl, it was served in a cup. Brownish-green in colour, it did not look exactly appetising. But well, do not judge a book by its cover. This was a bowl of hearty Vegetable Soup, full of flavours with a ting of sweetness. Delectable!

Bulgar Wheat Salad

The Bulgar Wheat Salad was recommended by the owner. We decided to order this as we have not tried this before. The Bulgar Wheat is a type of cereal food made from different types of wheat with high protein and nutritional values. It had a chewy texture and a nutty flavour. Complemented well with the salad. A refreshing and healthy start to the meal

Meal Lagsagnes 

While there are several theories on the origins of Lagsagne, there is no doubt that Lagsagne is one of the most famous baked dishes in Italy. So much so that, it is also widely known as an Italian cuisine worldwide that is available in Europe (French), United States and even Asia (Singapore). 

Lagsagne

Do not underestimate this plate of Lagsagne. It was well-executed. Layer upon layer of soft wide flat pasta with grated cheese, spices, tomato, bolognese sauce and minced beef and pork. Covered with a thin layer of cheese crust, intense flavour burst out with each mouthful. So savoury and so perfect! Delish! A classic Italian Lagsagne. 

Creme Caramel

For dessert, we chose the Creme Caramel; a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. Unlike the Creme Brule we ate at Tao's restaurant which comes with a layer of hard caramel top (charred/burnt).

Creme Caramel

The Creme Caramel was light and soft with a smooth and silky texture. It did not taste overly sweet nor eggy.

Pommes Au Four  (Baked Apple)

Pommes Au Four (Baked Apple) is a typical dessert in Normandy, France. This was recommended by the owner too. It was a pity the sweetness of the apple was not brought out. Instead, it tasted sour. Is this how it should taste? Anyway, this did not suit our taste bud.

Overall, I would say Croque Saveur was a great experience. The food was cheap, great and fast! In addition, the owner was so friendly. With the ambience and environment, it gave us a warm homely feeling. If you are at Galeries Lafayette, Croque Saveur could be one of your options. After lunch, we headed back to Galeries Lafayette to continue exploring the department store.

Croque Saveur (Paris)
7 Rue Joubert
75009 Paris 9
Île-de-France, France
Tel: +33 1 42 82 15 21
Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 4pm
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Location

The locations are as follows:

A - Pierre Herme in Galeries Lafayette

B - Croque Saveur & Galerie Kebab

Blue area shows Galeries Lafayette

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Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

Bliss Restaurant used to be located at Punggol Park. One and a half years ago, they relocated to Chengsan Community Centre which is just a stone throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Less than 10 minutes walk away from the station, most of which was through a sheltered walk way.

Air-conditioned  - indoor (left), Alfresco area - outdoor  (right) 

Bliss Restaurant offers customers with both indoor - air conditioned and outdoor - alfresco dining areas with a seating capacity of 300! On the day of visit, I noticed that more than half of the customers were seated at the alfresco dining area. Maybe it was because it was a cold day as it was raining an hour earlier.

Customers will be spoil for choice as Bliss Restaurant offers an extensive choice of dishes ranging from Starters, Appetizers, Sides, Pasta, Meat, Ocean,  Dessert, Waffle, Sundae and Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Hot & Cold Beverages, Float, Cocktail, Beer, Liquor).  As I had a hard time deciding what to order, I decided to seek recommendations from the staff. Click here to view their menu.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

The Ham & Cheese Stick has been a Bliss Specialty Since 2001. It consisted of breaded chicken ham rolled with cheddar cheese. It was topped with fried curry leaves.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

I was quite impressed with the Ham & Cheese Stick. Cutting it into half and stuffing a piece of curry leaf into it heightened the aroma to a whole new different level. The only issue I have is that the cheese seems to 'solidify' pretty fast. Maybe we took too long taking photos of it.

Mussel In White Wine (1 Dozen) $13.90

The Mussel In White Wine, a dozen of half shell mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and parsley. The mussels were big, fat, juicy and fresh.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

The Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck was strongly recommended by the staff. I decided to order that but decided to order another type of pasta, which was the Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

Duck meat is normally tough. However, in this case, Bliss Restaurant's Smoked Pepper Duck was soft and tender (I wonder how they cooked it). As a whole, I thought that this dish was well-executed. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise the squid ink pasta did not taste have a very strong squid ink taste which could have overwhelmed the flavours from the Aglio Olio!

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90

The Gratin RibEye Steak accompanied by baby potatoes and greens, was served with mushroom sauce  on sizzling a sotplate. Normally, it is served with cheddar cheese, however, we decided to switch it to mushroom sauce as the starter we had earlier already had cheddar cheese in it.

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - Baby Potatoes

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - greens

Was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the ingredients given. Lots of greens, baby potatoes, onions (at the bottom of the steak) and a big piece of steak!

The mushroom sauce was heavenly. It had the right blend of sweetness, fragrant and seems to be accompanied by a slight herbal taste. A perfect complement for the steak, potatoes and onions. I polished off this whole plate!  The only 'glitch' was that the carrots were a tad too hard; could have been cooked a little longer.

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

The Traditional Italian Tiramisu, another Bliss Specialty Since 2001 was decent. Soft, moist and creamy with the right balance in taste.

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

The Sea Salt Caramel Banana consisted of sliced banana tossed with salty caramel sauce topped over freshly made waffle. Unlike most waffles I have eaten so far, Bliss Restaurant's version was was thick and fluffy. The whole waffle was topped with slices of bananas and sea salt caramel sauce. How I wish I could add a scope of ice cream over it!

Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark (Alcoholic Sundae) $7.90

Leaving the best for the last, the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark; an alcoholic sundae was essentially dark chocolate ice cream swimming in kahlua bath accompanied with wholesome chunky rich brownies cubes and drizzled with chocolate fudge. I have never try / seen / hear of something like this before (mountain tortoise) and I am not a fan of alcoholic stuff. But yet the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark stole the show! The more you dig into it, the more you will love it. Outstanding!

Overall, I was impressed with the dining experience at Bliss Restaurant. The food was good and the prices are reasonable too. Good news for those staying in the North., there's another place to visit! I am so glad that they have relocated to Ang Mo Kio!

Thanks Pamela for invite and hosting us. 

Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

6 Ang Mo Kio Street 53 

#01-01 Chengsan Community Centre 

Tel: 6280 3389

Opening Hours: Sun to Thur 3pm -12am
                         Fri to Sat 3pm - 2am                     

Website
Location

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