Bits and Pieces of Munich during Oktoberfest!

February 10, 2014Leave a comment

Oktoberfest is a pretty crazy time of the year for the Germans. I didn’t really know about this event until I was trying to plan possible trips during my exchange. I was on exchange for the winter term, and Oktoberfest was an even that screamed a must go! Honestly, I’m not a huge beer fan, so it wasn’t a super appealing event for myself, but what better time to go when I’m young. Plus, visiting Germany was on my list! Oktoberfest is the largest annual fair in the world that takes place in Munich and lasts for around 17 days. People from all over the world come to attend this festival and it is a way to celebrate the Bavarian culture. It actually occurs in the end of September and lasts til early October. At first, I imagine the place to just be for beer. However, it’s a place for the young and old. Families attend in their German traditional outfits, with the females wearing dirndls. You can totally get a gist of their culture, and if you’re not in for the beer, no worries. It’s basically an area of amusement parks with assortment of rides and games, stalls for crafts and food, and last but not least, the beer tents. For myself, I found it pretty weird that one day I would sit next to a grandma, and another, a crying baby. And they are all drinking beer! Well, not the baby, but everyone around the baby is…Definitely an event where they don’t exclude anyone!

On the first day that we arrived, we didn’t get into the city center until around noon. It’s nice that this event is quite close to the city center, so it’s easily accessible. A tip for this event is that you must arrive very early! People basically stay at one beer tent from day to night, so if you don’t arrive early, you basically cannot find a seat. There is also an option to secure a seat by reserving online ahead of time, but it is of course pricier. So by the time we arrived at the event, there was no seats left at any tent. We ended up exploring the festival grounds and grabbing some lunch. First off, I grabbed a hot dog! Something about the sausage just tasted so much better than those hot dogs back at home..I guess it’s the authentic German Wiener!

Another popular item we found at many stalls were chocolate covered fruits! They came in white, milk, or dark chocolate and you could choose from a variety of fruits. This one was a mix of bananas and strawberries covered in white chocolate. Completely satisfied my sweet craving! These are quite pricey though, and everything at the fair is basically priced up.

In the evening, we were recommended to visit the Hofbrauhaus am Platzl, which is one of Munich’s oldest beer halls, dating back to 1589! It is owned by the public Royal Brewery in Munich, which is owned by the Bavarian state government. The beer hall is crazy! It’s basically like the tents at Oktoberfest again, with lines of tables and benches and people who look to drunk to be drinking any more. I’m not sure if this is what it’s like on regular days without Oktoberfest. The place is really hectic, and there are no reservations. You basically scout around and find yourself a seat. Service is also pretty bad here, and I wouldn’t blame the servers as they have to deal with all these intoxicated, obnoxious people. First thing to note is their beer. They only come in a litre, and is referred to as a mass of beer. You would think that a mass will last these people all night, but the locals around us told us they can drink aruond 6-8 litres….Yup. That’s how the Germans do it. Anyways, I’m not a big beer fan, so I can’t really comment on the taste and such. But being someone who doesn’t drink beer often, I actually really enjoyed my beer. There’s a lot of foam on the top, but it’s actually something the Europeans prefer, and you will find most beers to be poured with the foam on top. However, something about the taste of the beer is really different from cheap beer. It’s a lot easier to drink, and doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste. I can see why German beer is so well recognized as one of the best.

Half of the diners had some dishes in front of them, while half were here really for the beer. It was dinner time for us, and we were not crazy beer drinkers, so of course we ordered some food! There were some Germans from all over Germany here in Munich, and they gave us a few suggestions on what were typical German dishes. First, in the far back was the Roasted Pork Knuckle. This was really good! The outer layer had a crispy skin, and inside, the meat was tender and flavourful. It came with a side of potato dumplings, which we all enjoyed a lot. It’s got a nice chewy, bouncy texture compared to regular mashed potatoes. To the right was an order of Half Roast Chicken. This was by far our favourite. I’ve never had a roast chicken with such tender and moist meat! The skin was also roasted so it was a little crispy. This came with a side of mashed potatoes, which were just average. Lastly, we wanted to try authentic German Wieners. We were told to try the Weisswurste, which are white sausages, but they were sold out. We ended up getting normal wieners, that didn’t taste too different from typical American wieners. It came with mustard and a side of mashed potatoes.

The next morning, we got up early to find a seat in the tents at Oktoberfest. However, we made a pit stop for breakfast. It was some sort of fast food bar with salads, buns, and typical German snacks. We didn’t really know what to order since everything was in German, but most of the items were some sort of meat. Totally fine with me! We saw some locals order a bread roll with some sort of meat in it, so we asked for it as well. It’s called Leberkase which is a type of sausage that is baked in a mould and cut into slice. It reminded me of spam basically. It was put inside a bread roll, and had some sweet mustard inside. It was actually really good, and cheap, filling breakfast!

After grabbing breakfast, we headed over to Oktoberfest. We found a tent called Ochsenbraterei, which I later found out is famous for offering ox dishes, as the tent is named. The first picture up top, is what the tent looked like inside. Each tent is decorated differently, and apparently specialize in different aspects. You’re also supposed to find different types of crowds in each tent. We found our tent to be quite family-friendly, with ages of young to old. At Ochsenbraterei, they serve beer from the brewery Spaten. Many other tents also serve this beer, so it is quite popular. Again, it was very easy to drink. It felt sort of weird to be drinking a litre of beer when it wasn’t even noon yet though…

K had the Munchner Leberknodelsuppe mit Schnittlauch, which is a liver dumpling soup with chives. It was actually really tasty and the liver dumplings just reminded me of sausages. Next, we shared 2 orders of 1/2 frisches Wiesen-Hendl, which is the Roast Chicken we had the other night. We found this one to be a little more salty compared to the one at Hofbrauhaus. Still, it was moist and tender! Lastly, we had an order of Kartoffelknodel 2 Stuck, which are German potato dumplings. These were our favourite! Extremely chewy and sticky and the sauce was so delicious! Keep in mind that the food inside the tents will be much more expensive than outside. A mass of beer will also cost almost 10 euros.

Lastly, during our time in Munich, we actually didn’t do too much exploring, since Oktoberfest took up most of our time. The other reason was because Munich was freezing cold! Okay, well maybe Vancouver is currently colder than Munich during the time I went, but a 1 degree weather in Munich with no car and long walks out in the cold wasn’t the most surreal experience. Hence, we ended up spending our time in a coffee shop most of the time. The other problem was we had a day in Munich, which was their holiday and everything was closed! San Francisco Coffee Company was our hiding spot most of the trip. It was basically a Starbucks for us, and it was interesting that it was named San Francisco… Not sure if this is actually an American company. It was perfect for us to warm up and the fact that there was free wi-fi and plenty of comfy seats made it perfect to catch up since we were social media deprived. Here, I have a basic Jasmine Green Tea.

On another day, I tried their Matcha Latte, which I found a little too sweet. Not bad though!

And lastly, a picture of some of the stalls at Oktoberfest. These heart shaped gingerbread cookies were everywhere. Girls would wear them around their necks. They’re called Lebkuchenherz, and they are decorated with icing and have love messages written on them.

And that is all for Munich! I wish I had explored the city more, but it was definitely a wild few days.

Bits and Pieces of Milan

January 22, 2014January 22, 2014Leave a comment

Blogging while traveling proved to be a huge challenge. It’s even harder to remember what the name of the restaurant was 4 months later. I didn’t do my work as a food blogger to take down the names of the places I ate at, but there’s some worthy meals I had that I think should be recognized! I hope anyone reading this and planning to travel to Milan can hopefully find the places! So here are some of the random meals I had while in Milan:

Mignon! Yes I believe this is what these cute mini pizzas are called. I call them pizzas since they are really a squished down bun filled with ingredients on the top. This one was ham and cheese, except sometimes they surprise you with an olive right in the middle. This place was near my hotel, which is near the Lambrate metro station. It’s called Pizzeria Mundial and after doing a quick search, I realized that it’s actually quite popular! They are known for their warm and soft dough and they offer a variety of other products, including pizzas. This place is very busy most of the day, especially in the mornings, so you need to be quick before what you see is sold out!

For dinner one of the nights, we were tired and strolled around the luxury shopping area to look for food. Of course that’s a bad idea because everything is expensive in that area! We wandered into this mini square which had a few cafes and bars that looked more affordable. We saw the sign saying Free Wi-Fi and we immediately fell for it since we were desperate for some Internet. Not sure what the place is called, but it is a cafe. We sat outside and ordered a few dishes to share. This is the Caprese Salad which is very typical in Italy. However, this one came on bread! It is essentially fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese with tomatoes, basil and olive oil. The cheese isn’t strong and it has a rubbery texture to it which I really like. I’m not a fan of tomatoes, but this whole dish really goes well if you eat everything together!

We also got a Ravioli with Ham. When in Italy, you eat pasta. But honestly, I don’t think this place was great for pasta. Their pastas are not handmade nor fresh, so it was quite a disappointment. Price-wise, yes – they are definitely cheaper, hence what we get.

We also shared a Carbonara, which again was just alright. If you have the chance, be sure to try some good carbonara though, as it is famous in Italy, especially in Rome. It is an egg based pasta dish and can be quite filling.

Pretty much when we have nothing to do and are thirsty, we end up going to a gelato shop. They are everywhere and these were mostly around the Duomo area. On our first day, we literally went to three gelato shops in the day. One time, it was one after another. Literally gelato shop hopping… Anyways, I think the coolest thing about some of the shops I saw in Milan were that their gelato are filled with fruits or the actual product of the flavour itself. For instance, I was addicted to their melon gelato, because you would actually get bits of melon in it and it was a thirst quencher on a hot day. If you really prefer creamier gelatos, then those will also have ingredients in it such as the bueno chocolate wafers.

I got the Melon and Tiramisu I believe. If the shop has banana, you should also give it a try! It’s pretty good! I became addicted to trying a bunch of fruit gelatos as they are much more light.

One morning, we wanted to go to Luini again, but it was unfortunately closed. We settled at a cafe where we saw Italians taking espresso shots in their tiny Illy cups! They would literally stand at the bar, take their coffee and head off to work. My sister wanted to try that, so we headed in, but after looking around to figure out how the system really worked, the server told us to just take a seat. I guess we looked too touristy to know what we were doing. I guess standing to take an espresso in Italy remains on her checklist now. Anyways, we tried to figure out the menu, and they had some sort of special about a coffee and croissant for a set price. Keep in mind this is all in Italian and we don’t know any other than “cafe”. So we each got a cafe with a croissant. I chose a cappuccino, and I don’t normally even drink any type of coffee. The closest thing is a Starbucks white chocolate mocha, but that’s about it. But heck, I was in Italy, so why not. Illy is known for their high quality of coffee, and seriously, after this coffee, I have begun to enjoy my cappuccinos. Not sure if that’s a good thing since I’m afraid of being caffeine-addicted, but that was seriously some good cafe! As for the croissant, it was more than a typical plain croissant. They had a sticky jam in the middle which made it ten times better. It was so flaky! Absolutely one of my favourite croissants I’ve had in Europe. Sad news was our Italian had failed on us. Our bill ended up being twice what we had imagined. We didn’t bother questioning since we didn’t want to cause a fuss and we probably wouldn’t have understood what they said. However, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure the deal was for people who stand at the bar only. It’s kind of a weird system in Europe, but most places charge you less if you take your coffee standing at a bar. If you require a seat, then the item becomes double the price. Kind of silly, but I guess Europeans who usually sit down will literally just order a coffee and sit there for half a day. Turnover is then very low and hence they charge you more. I guess it only makes sense in Europe!

Last but not least, another gelato! This was lemon and mango. Extremely refreshing! We literally ate gelato everyday in Milan! Now off to the next city…”city of water”… can you guess where?

McCafe – Milan

January 21, 2014December 10, 2014Leave a comment

As students on a budget, we often end up eating on a budget. Milan definitely dug a hole in our wallet as we could not resist the shopping. What ends up happening is we either don’t eat or we eat cheap. Since I don’t like to sacrifice my stomach, I choose to find alternatives for food. And yes, we end up at McCafe. I mean, McCafe isn’t exactly cheap as well, because compared to Canada, McDonalds in Europe is actually quite pricey. But it is probably one of the cheaper options in Milan. We chose to get the dessert combo deal, where you can get a small drink with a dessert for a set price. I ended up getting a Cappuccino with a Tiramisu, while my sister got the Strawberry Cake. The tiramisu was actually really good! It was moist and had a strong coffee flavour. The cake was also not bad, and for the price we paid, we were quite satisfied. It’s always interesting to check out the McCafes in Europe because each city has a different menu!

Farrgi

January 3, 2014December 10, 2014Leave a comment

Farrgi is basically around every district in Barcelona and throughout Spain. It is a chain shop, similar to Haagen Dazs pricing and offerings. Shops all sell gelato, but they also have other desserts. S and I were wondering around at the Glories mall and we decided to grab some cake. We chose the Strawberry Cheesecake. It was a pure disappointment. The cake was still frozen in the middle, although they had heated the outside. Their cakes are basically from the freezer and not freshly made. Quite disappointed for the poor quality even though it was quite expensive.

McCafe Macarons – Valencia

November 2, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

Before coming to Spain, I was told that the McCafes in Barcelona sold macarons! Pretty cool since macarons are seen as more of a luxury dessert, and who would think of McDonald’s when it comes to something like that! However, we quickly found that Valencia was also selling them! S and I decided we needed to try these out. They are around .75 euros each and come in flavours such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry, lemon, pistachio, and vanilla.

We gave the Pistachio and Chocolate a try. I would say that it is a bit more chewy than usual, but they still have the edges done nicely. The cream inside is also not as luxurious as the ones you usually find, but it is decent for the price of them! Worth trying once, but I would probably stick to paying a little more for some good quality ones. I love how the McCafes all have different items depending on which city you are in. I wish they had them in Canada since our McCafe does not have all these amazing desserts like tiramisu and such. Usually just the boring old muffins and coffee.

Anyways, we also went to Paris and saw these macarons, but they were around 1 euro each! So prices actually vary depending on which city you’re in. I guess Spain has them cheapest!

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

August 23, 2013Leave a comment

J always craves shaved ice, but doing a quick Google search of shaved ice locations in Richmond, I found that most of the best ones seemed to be at food courts. And others, of course being at typical bubble tea shops, which we’ve probably all been to by now. Since most malls close by 9:00pm, the food court wasn’t really an option for me, so I ventured out to look outside of Richmond. I found Tealips, which had pretty good ratings, and although it was a 30 minute drive to Burnaby, I gave it a shot.

The place actually seems to be Korean-owned, and they offer not only shaved ice, but waffles, coffee, tea, and other bubble tea drinks. The place also has wi-fi so you will see many customers with their laptops. The environment actually reminds me of Blenz, except they serve drinks and food other than coffee. It was quite busy the Friday night we went, but we luckily still found a two-seater table.

After placing your order and paying at the cash register, you are given a buzzer, much like the one at the Cheesecake Factory down in the States. I love how Korean restaurants always know how to utilize technology to their fullest. Super convenient and efficient way and customers don’t need to stand around waiting for their orders to be called.

Matcha Shaved Ice

There were only three types of shaved ice to choose from: red bean, match, and cocoa. As usual, I suggested we get the Matcha. They say that their shaved ice is an “Authentic Korean Dessert called Bing Soo”. And they also claim that there is 100% pure Japanese green tea. And it definitely was. Because even the Ice Cream on the top was just vanilla ice cream, but covered with match powder. and the shaved ice was also mixed with matcha powder. You could definitely taste the flavour of the tea and its hint of bitterness. However, it was fine because it was balanced out with the condensed milk and sweetness of the other ingredients. There were red bean, thinly sliced almonds, mochi, and an abundant of fruits. The fruit included chopped up strawberries, bananas, and my pineapples. I really enjoyed the pineapples and it was really sweet. The mochi was green tea mochi that were orginally a big ball and they were cut up into little pieces. They also sold these mochis separately. I wish that they had more mochi in the shaved ice though.

All in all, the shaved ice was quite delicious and refreshing. It is a very large bowl, hence priced at around $9, but is perfect to share with a friend. I hear that their bubble tea is also pretty good, so I would love to come back to try some.

Bon Crepe

August 19, 2013Leave a comment

After a bike ride at the Stanley Park seawall, K and I trekked down towards the Robson area and went to take a look at Bon Crepe. It is a Japanese owned convenience store with crepes, and other desserts. Inside, you will find all kinds of Japanese snacks, candies, drinks, but even some frozen foods and rice. They also have an assortment of household products and even hair dye. Then in a corner is the fast food area. They had parfaits, crepes, and soft serve ice cream. We went for the Matcha Soft Serve Ice Cream. I’m not sure if it’s because it is real matcha powder, but I found the ice cream to be quite flavourless. The cone itself was also a typical McDonald’s cone. It was okay on a sunny day, but I probably wouldn’t get that again. The ice cream was extremely smooth and for under $3, it doesn’t break your wallet. Their parfaits or crepes may be better since they have other ingredients in it as well.

Qoola Plus (Richmond Centre)

August 14, 2013Leave a comment

Qoola opened not long ago at Richmond Centre and took over the old Carlton Cards location right next to McDonalds. The Qoola here is huge compared to the rest in Greater Vancouver, and it is actually called Qoola Plus. I think it’s because they offer more than just frozen yogurt here. Anyways, first you choose your flavour of frozen yorgurt and this is self serve, unlike Pinkberry. However, the downside is they don’t have little cups for you to taste test them, like at Menchies. You can still taste test the flavours, but you need to ask one of the employees, which becomes a hassle.

They have a large variety of toppings you can add, and it ranges from cookie crumbles, mochi, nuts, cheesecake, candies to fruits. They also have various sauces you can drizzle on.

And here is M since he wanted to get on the blog post…

Seating is also abundant here, with many couches further in the back. It makes a great place for groups to hangout, but also dates wit hseating areas for just two people. They close at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10pm on the other days. You can enter from the outdoor entrance if the mall is closed.

So I’m guessing what makes this location a Qoola Plus is the food that they offer. So other than frozen yogurt, you can purchase sandwiches and pasta! That’s pretty cool. Their display was not shown, since I guess they were sold out by the time we went. I wonder if they’re any good.

And here is mine creation! I have some Original Yogurt, Watermelon Sorbet and Mango Tango Sorbet. It is then topped with Mochi, and Green Tea Mochi. Not a huge fan of frozen yogurt, since I’m an ice cream person, but I thought it was decent. It’s not too sweet so I like that. The mochis were definitely my favourite part though. Especially the green tea mochi. It was a huge piece, and of course weighed more, but was extremely chewy. So good!

And here’s a snapshot of all our Qoola. My friends said that the original yogurt is by far the best, and the cheesecake topping is really good. The plus side of Qoola is that no Qoola is ever the same. You can customize it however you like, whereas Pinkberry employees make it for you. I’m guessing the Pinkberry upstairs in the food court is going to have some competition!