Some great oriental restaurants in Madrid

Madrid just used to have very little good oriental restaurants until not long ago. Apart from 3 / 4 top luxury japanese or chinese restaurants (Robata, Thai Gardens, Tse Yang (at Villa Magna)), there were very little quality around the 25/35 Eur range. However many more restaurants have appeared in the last decade and some of them are more than worth a try

Cafe Saigon, Maria de Molina 4 (corner with Castellana) - Reservations 91 563 1566
Probably the better know out of this pack (and now has some other restaurants from the Group in Madrid and other cities (San Sebastian's Maria Cristina Hotel has one) . Usually very busy in the weekends (impossible to get a table without a reservation, having 2 serving shifts), but you will get easily get a table during the week although it is always lively. The decoration is superb (which is even more surprising as there are on the bottom of a office building), high ceilings, very good service and good food. They have good combo menus but the "a la carta menu" is also good. Has one of the best noodle soups in town, called "Sopa de arroz Vietnamita" (which could also be a main), very good green salad with duck, great noodles (3-4 types nromally) and good fish and seafood plates, among other things

A recent discovery and not very well know is Asia Xang
+34 914 134 920 Paseo de los Cerezos 2. Very closed to the corner of Ramon y Cajal with Alfonso XII, on a very quite area, very easy to park on the street (a plus on a busy weekend in Madrid) and with an amazing terrace in the summer (just by the street, quiet and relaxing and always great temperature at night) but the inside of the place is also nice and well decorated. I have never had a problem finding space but could be quite busy on the weekeds. It has a number of combo menus, ranging between combining chinese and thai to a more japanose one. Decent sushi, great dim sum (probably the best I have had in Madrid), great squid and St Jacques grilled with a light soi sauce, good teppanyaki de solomillo y el "maki california". Service is always friendly and you can eat for 30 Eur a piece, even cheaper if you try,
Definetly you should give it a try

Others worth a try could be

China Crown, Calle de la Infanta Mercedes 62 28020 Madrid - 91 572 14 64
A bit more expensive than the others, around 40 Eur, but good food, and always a nice atmosphere and a bit different plates than the usual ones

Don Lay, Paseo de Extremadura 30+34 914 634 546

A wear looking restaurant (as it was an old meson castellano in which they have basically change nothing but the name), it does serve a great sunday Dim Sum. My cousin whom is Taiwanese always takes us there. That is a good recommendation for sure

Some regional wines recommendation I want to try soon

Reading Conde Nast magazine, on the Spanish edition, they make some recommendations around some new winemakers (or not so new) but in some of Spain 's new regions and called "Vinos de Autor", term that qualifies for wine developed not based on the region but on the winemakers ideas and love

I am dying to try them, as some of them are also from some of the regions that I have learnt to love in the past 3 years while living in Spain. But don't expect to go cheap :-(

Capricho, Red Wine, Author Adolfo Gonzalez, DO Cigales, 2005, Winery La Legua, Grape tempranillo, 24 months in barrels from Central Eastern europe

Selectus, Red Wine, Author Manuel Lorenzo, DO Vino de la Tierra de Castilla (from Chincilla in Albacete), 2005, Winery Los Aljibes, Grape Syrah/Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 months in french barrels

Dalmau, Red Wine, Author Vicente Cebrian, DO Rioja , 2005, Winery Marques de Murrieta, Grape Tempranillo/Graciano/Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 months in french barrels


Venus, Red Wine, Author Sara Perez, DO Montsant (Cataluna) , 2005, Winery Venus La Universal, Grape Carinana/ Sirah, 20 months in french barrels


As Sortes, White Wine, Author Rafael Palacios, DO Valdeorras (Orense, Galicia) , 2007, Winery Rafael Palacios, Grape Godello

In Rueda – Verdejo and more (2)

So after Bodegas Naia, we went to Bodegas PradoRey. I really like the concept they have put in place (about time somebody in Rueda does this. I have seen it a bit more in Rioja and Ribera although not much). An entire experience around wine, visiting the cellars, the great restaurant where to taste excellent food and their wines (or other as the selection is nice) and a very good shop with wine and products for the region. The group (which has originally wines from Ribera del Duero) invested over 9 Mio Euros on the complex.

Here apart from their Verdejo (PradoRey Verdejo 07) and even a cheaper version of Verdejo with a cheap Viura Grape (the wine sells for 3-4 Eur), they have worked 2 wines that I really like. One goes along the high end version of Verdejo that I mentioned on the previous Rueda post. The wine is called “PR3 Barricas”. The other one a very nice surprise “PradoRey Sauvignon Blanc”, semi dulce (semi sweet), working on similar lines of the IceWine but much much cheaper and en excellent taste

“PR3 Barricas” – so the grape is 100% verdejo, they mention they use a soaking process with CO2 (called Boreal) which gives the grape already an special treatment. Wine is then fermented on 3 types (that is why it is called PR3) of Central European Oak barrels (of 300 liters), where it stays for 9 months (once again almost triple that classic verdejo). Its alcohol degrees is actually quite high for whites on 13,5%
The bottle on its one is different as the bottom of the bottle is wider than usual. Very nice looking (don't know if you can see that on the picture). Visually the color is yellow, very shiny with some greens. On the nose intense, some toffee also. On the mouth very intense, stays on the mouth much longer that most verdejo. So great for rice or risotto, but I think it can “maridaje” with some stronger than usual cheeses. Have to try this
I bought some bottles and also a surprising present for friends to try this one. They will love you ☺

“PradoRey Sauvignon Blanc”, semi dulce (semi sweet), what a nice surprise. Excellent dessert wine, good value for money (compara with the 20+ Eur IceWine from Austria and even more expensive from Canada). Light colours, smells like pear and taste is light, semi sweet with some mature fruit at the back of your palate.

In Rueda – Verdejo and more (1)

We are talking here about the ultimate white wine in Spain. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other grapes and regions making excellent white wine (godello grapes from Valdeorras and Monterry to give you an example) but Verdejo is the best internationally known and also a great value for money, which excellent bottles on the 5-10 Eur price range

I was actually in Rueda 3 weeks ago buying some wine there. So here are some of my recommendations and a couple of very nice discoveries

Naia – This is an excellent white wine and very good winery (many thanks to Cristina to help us on a busy day. She was really helpful and fun and love sharing with her our ideas on New Zealnd wine, where she was on the harvesting in Spring this year. But please organize the winery so people can come and taste the wines!! We need to develop this in Spain). They actually doing a good job on exporting their wine to the US (I have seen their bottles in several shop sin San Francisco).
Their “classic” Verdejo now in the shops in 2007 (Naia 2007). Keep in mind that “classic” verdejo is only in the barrels for 3 months, so usually you can’t have them for more than 3-4 years after they have been bottle, and on the 2 year mark they are at their peak. This applies to all the bottle of Verdejo (Classic, see about the new version below)
Furthermore, take a look at a very good and simple review that I subscribe very much
“Excelent quality for a small price. Both nose and taste is all fruit, citrus, melon also floral notes. This is an refreshing wine that drinks so easily that my glass keeps getting empty without a blink. Great to drink on it's own, goes very well with fish, even had pizza fruity di mare with it, sushi etc. The better the weather the better this wine comes to its right. Right out of the fridge is a bit to cold but on a summer day that will take only a few minutes to be resolved, although it doesn't always gets that time :0)”
One note he does not mention is the colour. Typical verdejo, pallid gold, with touches of wheat and a light very light greens.
I keep buying this wine over and over and you should do too

In the same winery and as it seems to be now a tradition in the region they are preparing a luxury or high end wine, which basically means that the bottles stay on the barrel for usually triple the time of the “classic” verdejo, giving the wine an stronger body, much goldish color and an oak-flavour on the palete
This is the case in Bodegas Naia, which has been doing the Naiades for a number of years. The one I tried was the 2006. This wine is selling for 15-20 Eur (although I have heard that they are selling it for 35 USd in the US!!!). It is expensive but not that much if you compare that most albarinos sell for this price and I think these are much better wines in most cases.
Let me share with you a review that I like on Naiades 2006
“Very interesting. My 1st verdejo with obvious oak treatment. I really enjoyed this. Improved with air. Was nice really chilled and even approaching room temp. Paired fairly well with arugula salad, parmesan-truffle oil dressing. Excelled with quinoa, greens and a yogurt tofu all with indian styles spices. The nose was so creamy, while the palate was more metallic or river stone like. Toasty oak, green bananas (stole that from slave2thevine) and yellow apples….”

Lisbon: mostly where to eat and some more tips

Classic Lisbon

Restaurante Pap`Açorda
R. da Atalaia 57
1200 Encarnação, Lisboa, Portugal
213 464 811‎
This is in the barrio alto. Difficult to find. Usually great food and trying to be hip. The service has an attitude but you can fund a posh night here and the location is great to walk around after


Pastéis De Belém
R. de Belém 84
1300 Santa Maria de Belém, Lisboa, Portugal
213 637 423‎
This is the place for the pasties de belem (custard pie as the English will say). Just on the right side (in you have the sea on your back) of the monasterios dos jeronimos and across the Belem monument to the famous Portuguese explorers. The pasties are just amazing, take a whole box with 5 just baked inside, close your eyes put one on your mouth and you will be in heaven

Restaurante Porto de Santa Maria
2750 Guincho
Portugal
214 871 036‎

If you want fresh seafood and a taste of quite luxurious restaurant this is the place. However you need a car as it is easily 30 minutes from Lisbon, but actually probably 20m drive from Estoril.
It is on a almost deserted beach so a great place to take a stroll after lunch or feel really special at night looking at the stars after a great crayfish

Hotel York House – As Janelas Verdes

R. das Janelas Verdes 32
1200 Santos-o-Velho, Lisboa, Portugal
213 962 435‎

this is a small boutique hotel. It does serve food in a little terrace outdoors by the pool. The place is just fantastic for a very relaxed dinner with no noise or nothing to bother you around

As Docas

This is the area right under the 25th april bridge, which is full of restaurants (mostly old warehouses converted) and plces to go out at night

Some of the nice restaurants are:

-Restaurante Espalha Brasas
Doca de Santo Amaro, Arm. 9 - 1350-353 LISBOA
Portugal
213 962 059‎

Restaurante Doca 6
As docas, Lisboa
Portugal

The not well known tip - NOT to miss
An amazing place for fresh seafood is Cervejaria Ramiro‎ Av. Alm. Reis 1, 1150 Anjos, Lisboa, Portugal‎ - 218 851 024‎

Enjoying a good rice place in Denia (Alicante), Spain

I have had the chance to spend a good number in Denia in Alicante, about 4 hours drive from Madrid. I am not a huge beach guy but I like Denia and its sorroundings (specially the Mongo mountain, always changing always different depending on the angle and place you look at it

Apart from that, the food is excellent and there are tons of great places and not very expensive ones to enjoy the fish but specially to enjoy the regional speciality RICE!!! And not just paella which may what many people from outside Spain knows but many other ways to cook it like

- Arroz Negro (Black rice, aka rice with calamari and calamari ink)
- Arroz a banda (First you cook the broth with fish, once you have it you clear the fish and you just cook the rice on the broth with shrimp and calamari and you serve dry and with Ali Ali (let´s say like a garlic mayonaise), hmmmm
- Arroces caldosos (rice with broth, almost soupy)
- Fideuas (cooked similarly with with small noodles instead of rice)

So here you have a couple of recommendations for places, both of them already in the road "carretera de las marinas a denia", both almost by the beach in Las Marinas

Restaurante Jamse
C/ Passarell 3
03700 Denia
965 783 506

Nice and simple outdoor covered terrace, paper cloth and napkins and plastic table and chairs, but you come here for the food. Good service and in 2 years I always see the same waiters, always a good sign. when you reserve over the phone (and you must or you will never eat here and in season it is always full) they ask you for the rice you want and when you want it. So if you reserve for let´s say 15, you go there 1430, order some starters (try the tellinas, really small clams cooked with butter and lemon, or/and sepia or chopitos (different calamari/ squid) and then by 15 the rice comes in a big pan ready to be served. You will left full so take it with time and enjoy,
We love the arroz a banda here and once we try to fideua (which was different than the typical one having the noodles much thicker ones)
You will eat for 25 Eur per peson (maybe 30 if you order dessert)

Restaurant L´Estanyo
Llac Sanabria, 6A.
Tel.: 96 647 42 42 (Denia)

The setting of this restaurant is a bit more scenic as Jamse as it is by the beach and you can see the sea by some of the tables and it has a truly outdoor area. As Jamse, you wont eat here without a reservation. Tables are a bit more set up and less plastic and also good service (although sometimes the noise in the room maybe not allow you waiter to even hear you)

Apart from some of the starters already mentioned, we love here the escombro, which is actually very deep fried calamary, really amazing
Here we usually go for the arroz caldoso (the soupy one). I really like the one with crayfish. Also the arroz a banda here is really good
At night this is also a good spot for a drink and a tapa if you don´t feel like dining

Enjoy and let me know next time you are around Denia

Around Zamora and the border with Portugal (I)

We had the chance to spend a couple of days between Zamora and the border with Portugal recently and we come across different places that could make an excellent short weekend trip to do some sports, enjoy nature, relax and obviously eat and drink well, so here we are

We started stopping for lunch in Zamora. I had some other restaurant in mind (El Mirador) but it seemed it was closed. So taking a look at other choices I come across an interesting proposition called “Villa Claudia”
It is not the easiest place to find (not even with the GPS) so before you go there just check on google maps or some other map how to get there. But it is worth it

Villa Claudia
Ctra. Almaraz,
Carretera Almaraz, Km 1. 49027 Zamora.
Teléfonos 980 52 99 96 / 658 99 31 38
http://www.villaclaudia.org/

The building is al old farm, quite large although the dining room seems small and a bit dark; probably quite cozy in the winter. Very nice prepared tables, simple but elegant. Nice and attentive service

Menu is not too large, but it can cater to all gastronomical moods. More oriented towards salads and sharing entrees in the summer and lots and interesting looking spoon plates (”Pucheros y Cazuelas”) for the winter (Cocido (garbanzo pie stew with pork and beef), fabes con almejas (been with clams) and different rice types))

The salads we shared were nice, fresh and interesting combination of flavours, although we went for the classic ventresca (tuna) salad with peppers and lettuce (Ensalada de ventresca con cogollos de Tudela y pimientos
Asados). We also tried a very nice and compensated carpaccio de pulpo (octopus carpaccio). Even if most of the spoon plates are the winter there was still a small but still yummy summer election. I went for the Morcillitos de Ibérico con setas y hongos (pork leg with mushrooms), really good, the meet was very soft and it was almost melt in your mouth and very smooth flavor with the mushroom taste. Having said that, hope you are hungry when ordering the plate ☺

Don´t know why we did not feel like wine so we went for Sangria (it was not in the menu but they did one for us. Really strong and nice taste), but the selection of Toro region wine was really large and it is worth to mention it as this region is producing great wines in the last years

Will think about repeating the visit next time in Zamora although this time we should good in the winter and try the stew

A great restaurant in Avila: El Almacen

On my way up to Oviedo (Asturias) with a couple of friends from the US, I wanted to stop in one of our favourite historical cities within one hour of Madrid (Toledo, Alcala de Henares, Segovia, Avila) for lunch and enjoy some nice food and views. At the end I decided to stop in Avlila and I did look for restaurant choosing at the end to stop at El Almacen

El Almacen
Carretera Salamanca 6
05002 Avila
920 211 026

To start with the location is great, just at in front of the Muralla de Avila (the medieval wall from the XIII century), right after the “Cuatro Postes” (Four postes) monument in the old cross roads in Avila and the roads to Salamanca and the Barco de Avila (N110 Avila – Toledo)
The restaurant just went under a large renovation recently and the result is excellent. One of the sides of the main room the restaurant is all windows which allows you to eat while enjoying the amazing view of the walls and the latest addition of the new festivals building of Avila
The style of the room is modern and tries to avoid a bit the typical castillian meson style while still providing you with a very cozy and although the entire restaurant does allow smoking (which is usually a NO NO for us) at least the distance between the tables is very large and allows you to enjoy your meal with no thinking of the smoke bothering you. However I have read that as they also allow to smoke cigars sometimes you may not be able to really enjoy your meal. Being such a nice restaurant and having 2 very different rooms in the restaurant it is difficult to imagine we they have not taken care of this
The menu is large and offer different ways to add modernity to traditional plates. We love the nidos de morcilla (pig blood nests with small rice noodles), see how he plays with the idea of the “morcilla de arroz” but combining the rice outside the morcilla and with a red pepper souce (although I may admit I have read some other blogs and people did not enjoy them as much as we did) to cold soups for the summer (tomato cold soup) and great spoon plates in the winter. Very well presented all of them and ideal both for sharing a couple of them or enjoy one of them yourself
For the main we did focus mostly on the meet and choose different combinations of Solomillos de ternera or Lomos de Cerdo (beef or pork), apart from the typical but always great ways to cook the lamb and small pig that is done so well in Avila and Segovia, like the cordero and the cochinillo. The Solomillo is offered perfectly cook, with great meet quality and very well done sauces as a blue cheese (excellent!!) one or a sauce of uvas y vino blanco (Grapes and white wine). The lomo was done with a suca eof foie and hongos (mushrooms), equally good. If you don´t fancy meat, there is always a choice of at least 5-7 fresh fish plates. We did try the Atun Rojo (Red Tuna fish) and it was really excellent
The selection of desserts is also really good but please note that you have to choose them at the beginning, as some of them take some time to be prepared. While the chocolate fondue was OK, the emborrachado de almendra (Almond Drunk cake), was an amazing way to combine almost paste (marzapan style more or less) with cold and hot. Really superb
We did choose the wine house, price at 10 Eur. Artazuri, 2005 Navarra. Great wine, with the right level of complexity, smooth, a bit of red berries and apple, and it did complement the excellent meal (both meat and tuna). Overall the wine menu was very good and well priced
For a price of 40-50 eur each, I believe it is really a great culinary experience that combines with the amazing s

Some tips on MiIano

I am very far from being considered a connoisseur of Milano, but I have been in the city several times in the past years (my first trips there were when I was working at Vodafone and I have among others the opportunity to go to watch the F1 Monza) and I have several places that it may be useful if you are just looking for a good restaurant, a chill out place, a decently price but good value for money hotel (this is rare in Italy!!!!) or some more

First at all let me recommend the Sheraton Diana Majestic. The hotel is just fantastic overall but you don't even need to stay there (as prices are Sheraton prices in Italy, so easily 300 Eur a night so unless your company pays for it probably not your option) to enjoy the best of the hotel which is its outdoors bar. A cool and large garden, dressed up as a night club where it is just great to spend time listening to music, talking to friends and enjoying your drink

For a great place to eat on a sunny day and hot day, something like an oasis either for food or a drink I really recommend 10 Corso Como Cafe, in the trendy (although almost at the outskirts of the city) and full of restaurants Via Corso Como. The place is located in the inner courtyard of a traditional milanese palazzo and it surprises you as you enter the courtyard because for a moment you think you got the wrong place (as you are thinking about a trendy place). But once you get into the courtyard the place is just great. There is a gallery and a bookshop; there is a design store and a restaurantand a café and an amazing courtyard garden (it seems there is also a 3 rooms hotel). I did not have the chance to taste many things but the cold mango soup (or gazpacho de mango) was just great.
www.10corsocomo.com

Milano is full of restaurants and many of them I am sure are great. In fact when we come here with Vodafone, the company organized an amazing weekend and we have 2 just memorable dinners. However it was almost 4 years ago and I don't remember the names of the restaurants. But I can recommend a small place, probably a place that you may not even take notice on a normal day and even I felt a bit expensive for what it was but I had such an amazing plate there (my mouth is still watering just to think about it) that I need to mention this restaurant. I also did like the service and the look of the place. Also as it is near station centrale and somehow near some nice hotels in the area. And I have read that it opens 365 days a year, from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. The name of the place is Hosteria Tipica La Cadrega
Via Generale Gustavo Fara, 1 - 20124 Milano (MI), Italy +39 02 6738 2931
www.hosterialacadrega.it

I started with some octopus on a wine like souce. It was really nice and got me ready for what it was coming. I was obviously looking at the homemade pasta and I decided to try the Macheroncini with ragout beef souce. What a choice. The pasta was just perfect, the sauce was kind of a curry sauce with small pieces of beef, each time it reached my mouth I was just shaking. Great great great :-)

Last but not least I had a last recommendation. Hotel Windsor Milano, Galileo Galilei 2
www.hotelwindsormilan.com
I did pick up a hotel that was near the train stations in order to get to the Malpensa Express quickly. I was type of afraid of the choice by looking at the website. It looked like the typical hotel, overpriced, old and in bad shape. The hotel from the outside did nothing to convince me otherwise. But I had a positive surprise. The corridors were nice and spacious, clean and shiny. The room was big, in great condition, good bed, great bathroom, free internet in the room (and fairly fast). And it was a 100 Eur a night hotel. A good recommendation if you are just passing by and will just have to do some work and to sleep in the room.

The forgotten pleasure of staying at a real 5 star hotel

I used to spend lots of time in 5 star hotels when I was working as a consultant and having engagements in Brazil, India, Portugal, etc.. I remember having stayed in amazing hotels as the Marriott at Copacabana, Oberoi in Delhi, Janelas Verdes in Lisbon, to name a few. But obviously after being a consultant and then a Telecom Executive I did become an entrepreneur. Even if I travel lots and lots and I do stay at nice hotels but not usually at really nice hotels.
Last week as we did travel together with a mission from the Spanish Foreign trade institute and we were put in the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo. WOW I have forgotten the pleasure of staying at such hotels. It is not about the room or the location, as this may sometimes be as good as the places I do stay these days. It was about the little details. It was about the packaging of the shirt they bring you from the dry cleaning, about then bringing you pineapple slices on the pool, about the team at the entrance getting you a taxi, explaining them were to go precisely, taking their license plate and making sure the air con was working, etc... I would never try to make the value equation work if those extra touches make up for the huge price you would normally pay but I can say that while you are there you are transported to a different world and that world is an oasis on its own and when we live at the speed we do, that oasis is sometimes all you need at that particular moment

If you are in Cairo and you have the chance to be at the Four Seasons The First Residence please do stay (BTW their Thai restaurant is excellent and really good value for money, I truly recommend it)