Rozengrāls: A Candlelit Medieval Adventure in Riga’s Old Town

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According to the restaurant’s website, the scripts mentioned the premises in 1293 as the most ancient wine vault and festival place of the Riga City Council! It is a favorite tourist spot, and a lot of tourists frequent it to take photos. However, do not mistake this place as a tourist trap.

As I descended the candlelit stairs, a strong sense of suspense and anticipation came over me; this being my first experience in a medieval-themed restaurant, I was in awe by the décor and authenticity – vaulted ceiling, terracotta and wooden flooring, wall niches with decorative items and candles, banners, square and rectangular wooden tables, Savonarola style chairs and rustic chandeliers. It’s like being taken to another era. The restaurant is lit with candles, giving you a strong sense of medieval times. The waiters wore medieval time outfits.

Each dish on the menu has a short historical story to it. The prices are slightly on the high side. I ordered the sea bass stuffed with cheese and horseradish served with a side of barley and lentils (€ 15) and a pumpkin pie (€2.70).  Bread wrapped in linen was served as I waited for my food. It was quite fragrant with a hint of sweetness. The food was served on a charcoal ceramic plate. The presentation of the sea bass was simple and honestly not appealing. I would have preferred it to be a fillet instead of a whole fish. The dish’s overall flavor was bland and drab; it lacked seasoning. The pumpkin pie was decent.

My waiter was cordial, attentive, and always had a smile on his face. He would come periodically to check on me. Being in Latvia for almost two weeks, he was the friendliest and most smiley waiter I’ve encountered. He deserves a waiter-of-the-year award!

Overall, I highly recommend this place for the experience.

 

Rozengrāls

Website: http://rozengrals.lv/

Telephone: +371 67 220 356

Opening hours: Sunday to Monday (12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.)

Address: Rozena iela, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

Best French Bakery in town

Cadets de Gascogne is the first French bakery in Latvia, opened by two French men. The bakery is known for its croissants, which are made fresh every day and are said to be the best croissants in town. There are six branches in Riga, and I have been to three. The menu varies from store to store, but all three stores had croissants, canelés, and macaroons. Each store had a different décor, but the three that I have been to have had a simple and old-fashioned décor. 

I had the cheese croissant and butter croissant. The crust was flaky, and the inside was soft and chewy. The cheese they used had a lovely mild nutty flavor. The croissant wasn’t overpowered by the taste of butter like many I have had in the past. The bakery on Gertrudes Iela 30 had these delicious pizza slices. The pizza slice was served cold, but it was still really good.

This is a great place to go for quick coffee and French pastries in the morning. A coffee and a croissant would cost less than 5 euros. 

 

Cadets de Gascogne on Ģertrūdes iela 30

Ģertrūdes iela 30

 

Cadets de Gascogne on Krišjāņa Barona iela 52

Krišjāņa Barona iela 52

 

Cadets de Gascogne on Brīvības iela 73

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Cadets de Gascogne

Website:http://www.cadets.lv/#home

Telephone:+371 28 394 063

Opening hours: Sunday to Monday (7:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m.) 

Address: Ģertrūdes iela 30, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1011, Latvia

 

Opening hours: Sunday to Monday （7:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m.）

Telephone: +371 20 393 131

Address: Brīvības iela 73, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Koon Kee Wantan Mee: A Taste of Childhood Nostalgia

After renewing my IC at UTC, Pudu, I took a stroll down Petaling Street (Chinatown) to find a place for lunch. I passed by Koon Kee and saw that they serve Wantan Mee. Since I haven’t had Wantan Mee for quite some time, I thought I give this place a try. Many would find the restaurant’s exterior appalling at first sight -it looks like a decrepit dirty shed. Koon Kee has been around since 1947, which explains the state that it is in now, but it would be nice if they could do some touch-ups to make the place more pleasant. There are only ceiling fans inside the restaurant, if you are seated inside, it’s pretty cool but the outside (under the shed) can be somewhat hot.

I ordered the classic Wantan Mee, which consists of char siew (bbq pork), choy sum, a bowl of soup with wontons, and pickled green chili. The noodles were perfectly cooked and springy. The sauce (a mixture of dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce) was aromatic, and the char siew was tender. The wontons had delicate and smooth skin. My first bite instantly evoked nostalgia from my childhood. The flavors were the same as what I had when I was a child. The Wantan Mees that I have had from my past visits were disappointing as they did not have that childhood flavor.

After doing some research online to write a review about this restaurant, it is touted that Koon Kee serves one of the best Wantan Mee in town. I haven’t had enough Wantan Mees to concur with that statement, but I don’t disagree either.

Despite the dirty surrounding, this Wantan Mee is the best I have had in a long while. If I’m in the area, I will definitely go back for more.

 

Koon Kee

Telephone: +60 3-2078 6554

Opening hours: Sunday – Monday (10:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m.)

Address: 95, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Lavo

The day I went to Lavo was a big night for Manchester United football fans. It was the English premier league, and Manchester United was up against Manchester City. My friend, a Manchester United fan, tried persuading me to go watch the game with him. As I was quite tired and seeing that the match was at midnight, I insisted that I would rather go back to the hotel and rest.  My friend said that he had already made reservations at the lounge, so I would go for one drink.

I can see why my friend brought me to this lounge. With a 200-inch full-HD display, it was the ideal place to watch the game. In addition, the lounge has a big outdoor and indoor dining area.

Lavo is a modern avant-garde resto-lounge located in the hip and upscale Tropicana. The place is very well-ventilated. People were smoking inside, but there was no cigarette smoke smell. It was quite packed when I was there, but the noise level was not too loud.

One thing sort of put me off. I was seated at the bar, and I noticed two bartenders drinking from the glass used for customers, then rinsing it with water and putting it back.

Other than that, this is a good place to hang out with friends.

 

Lavo

Website: https://www.lavomy.com/

Telephone: +60 3-7803 7333

Opening hours: Sunday to Monday (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.)

Address: Lien Hoe Tower Sdn. Bhd., Menara Lien Hoe, Lien Hoe Tower Sdn. Bhd., G.,, Jalan Tropicana 1/1, Tropicana, 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Kafejnīca Vendene (permanently closed)

This Latvian-style tavern is located at the roundabout by the Cesis Victory Monument. The interior’s dim and did not feel inviting. There was only one waitress behind the counter. As I was not greeted by anyone, and there was a customer at the counter inquiring, holding a menu, I thought maybe I have to order at the counter first.  Only after I inquired I was told that orders will be taken at the table. Seeing it was a beautiful day, I sat out on the terrace. The menu was printed on plain white A4 paper placed in a leather-like folder, not appealing.  It also took a while for the waitress to take my order.


I had the Sauerkraut soup (granny style) and Chicken Schnitzel with cheese topping. I thought the soup would be sour but it wasn’t. It was mildly sour and savory. The soup was satisfyingly appetizing, it had barley and different types of sausages. The dill gave it a lovely herb fragrance.
I did not like the Chicken Schnitzel. It was bland and the crust was soggy and had a weird texture (like a soggy fried beaten egg).

Unfortunately for me, the soup was the only thing satisfying about this restaurant.

Kafejnīca Vendene

Opening hours: Sunday – Thursday (12:00 – 21:00), Friday and Saturday (12:00 – 23:00)

Address: Vaļņu iela 1, Cēsis, Cēsu pilsēta, LV-4101, Latvia

Telephone: +371 64 161 361

Stockpot: A Simple Spot for Fresh, Affordable Food in Riga

Stockpot is a cozy little establishment offering affordable, quick, and healthy meals. The restaurant is owned by a British man and his Latvian wife. This is a great place to have a cheap meal that is not fast food. The seating is mostly communal. Inside are two big communal tables and two small tables by the window, along with two tables outside (6 per table). In the beginning, it was awkward for me to eat in the presence of strangers. However, seeing that everyone was comfortable with it, the awkwardness did not linger for long.

The menu changes daily, serving mostly Asian / Eastern dishes. There is a detailed menu on their website, which is really helpful to decide if you want to have the food offered for that day. They also have lactose-free, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. There are two portions available – full or half. For me, the half portion with a bowl of soup was sufficient.

The restaurant gets very busy during lunchtime, so either go early or after the lunch rush.

I had dinner at Stockpot for two consecutive days. Both times I went, I really enjoyed the food. It tasted like home-cooked food. Both meals cost me less than € 5, which was really cheap, considering that this was not a fast-food restaurant.

 

**Update
Stockpot has moved to a new location

Stockpot
Website: https://www.stockpot.lv/en

Opening hours:

Wednesday
  • 11 am–7 pm
Thursday
  • 11 am–7 pm
Friday
  • 11 am–7 pm
Saturday
  • Closed
Sunday
  • Closed
Monday
  • 11 am–7 pm
Tuesday
  • 11 am–7 pm

Telephone: +37127832165
Address:  Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 36, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Cesu Maize

Cesu Maize is a small bakery located next to the St. John’s church in the Cesis old town selling handmade traditional bread. The bread is baked from Latvian organic whole grain wheat and spelt wheat whole grain flour. Made with natural leaven (sourdough), without the addition of bread yeast (turisms.cesis.lv, 2018).

It is a tiny bakery tucked inside a building. There is a big sign outside the main entrance, you can’t miss it. When I entered the bakery, the smell of freshly baked bread had enveloped the whole place. The owner/ baker was friendly; he spoke some English. There is a poster on the wall at the entrance with information on the different bread available. There are also bread samples. The price is based on weight. I bought the spelt wholegrain wheat sweet bread with nuts, raisins, and dried apricots for €2.40. It had a dark hard crust, and the inside was dense and semi-soft.

When I had my first bite, I did not think much of the bread. Then, I started to taste the fragrant flavors of the bread on my third bite, and I was like, “Wow, this bread is delicious”! After that, I could not stop eating it. It was mildly sour, sweet with a nutty flavor.

I highly recommend this bakery if you are traveling to Cesis. It is one of the best bread I have tasted, and I am certain you will not be disappointed.

Cesu Maize

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cesu.maize/

Opening hours: 10:00 – 18:00

Telephone: +371 26 412 803

Restaurant Memories ( permanently closed)

Restaurant Memories is located in LEGEND, a residential quarter in Bulduri, in a beautiful white villa. When I entered the restaurant, it felt like I was in a classy summer residence. There is a display of Bakeberry desserts showcased in the lobby (Bakeberry is a popular dessert restaurant in Riga). I love the coastal color palette used for interior decorations. The interior is bright and cozy. There is also an outside terrace.

The waiters were polite and professional. The menu had a good variety. Their breakfast menu is surprisingly available till 16:30! I ordered the baked chicken with mashed potatoes which were €13.50. The chicken was tender and juicy, lightly flavored. Unfortunately for me, the dish was not exciting.

Nonetheless, I really love the atmosphere of the restaurant. I would go back again to give the other dishes a try.

Restaurant Memories

Website: http://memories-restorans.lv/en/memories-restaurant-in-bulduri-jurmala/

Telephone: +371 67 869 711

Opening hours: 10:00–23:00

Address: Bulduru prospekts 17, Jūrmala, LV-2010, Latvia

 

Famous Amos cookies!

Famous Amos Midvalley

Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies are my all-time favorite. Their stores can be found in most major malls in Kuala Lumpur, such as Suria KLCC, Pavilion, and Sunway Pyramid. The pictures shown here were taken in Midvalley. The store is located on the lower ground floor.

Whenever I am back in Kuala Lumpur, I always try to buy a few bags of cookies. These melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies are packed with sweet, buttery, chocolaty, and nutty flavors. There is an assortment of cookies. My favorite flavors are double chocolate chip pecan, chocolate chip pecan, and chocolate chip macadamia. Other than cookies, they also sell chocolates and sweets.

The cookies are packed into a plastic cookie bag and can be sealed upon request for later consumption. If I remember correctly, it keeps for about 3 weeks. The cookies can also be purchased online on the Malaysia Famous Amos website.

 

Famous Amos

Website: https://www.famousamos.com.my/

 

 

Cheap breakfast the Malaysian way

Staying at the Hilton Sentral, I had a variety of Indian restaurants to choose from in Brickfields (also known as Little Indian), which is just walking distance. But out of convenience, I chose to go to Devi’s corner in Bangsar as I wanted to go shopping at the Bangsar village mall which is just across from the establishment.

One cannot come to Malaysia and not try the Malaysian-style Indian breakfast. It is cheap and good!

The food at Devi’s corner is good but not the best. As I was traveling alone, as long as I got my favorite roti boom (roti with loads of margarine and sugar) and Teh Tarik ice, I am satisfied!

What I liked about Devi’s corner was that it was clean and not overly crowded.

 

 

For me, a cup of cold Teh Tarik (ice pulled tea) with roti boom is the perfect combination. There are many varieties of roti. If it’s your first time trying it, go for the basic roti Canai first as all other variations are based on this quintessential flatbread. All rotis are served with dhal curry and either fish or chicken curry.

Teh Tarik is considered Malaysia’s national drink. It is made from black tea and condensed milk.  Teh Tarik got its name from the “pulling” process as the tea is poured from one mug to another. This process gives the tea its smooth texture and thick frothy top.

The dishes that I have mentioned above can be found in almost all similar Indian establishments (or known as Mamak stalls locally).

 

Devi’s corner

Opening hours: open 24 hours

Telephone number: +60 12-267 6714