Degustująca Istota

Chez Nicholas

2021-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

It started with planning a schedule of restaurants to visit on our July mini fine dining tour of Krakow. Kamila and Cezary (@finediningpl) recommended @cheznicholasresto to us but as the competition was strong we couldn’t decide. When I was about to book the restaurants I had a dream about a beautiful dark blue room with a painting of a golden pheasant. When I noticed in the story on Instagram, that this is exactly what Chef Nichola’s Bistro looks like, of course, I made a reservation. Thus began our addiction to Chez Nicholas restaurant. I won’t even try to hide that we fell in love with the place and the Chef himself. As I write this we are already after three brilliant dinners at Chef Nicholas and we are about to have another one.

Chef of Chez Nicholas is really called Yinliang Zhoulezi LU, and Nicholas is his nickname. He is from China and graduated from the renowned French culinary school Ferrandi in Paris (@ferrandiparis), after which he gained experience in several restaurants in France including those with @michelinguide stars. His charming, little bistro is absolutely unique. Tables brought from France, framed old French newspapers hang on the walls, and of course, a painting of a beautiful golden pheasant which Chef Nicholas asked to be painted especially for his boutique French restaurant, as a Chinese accent. Meals here are eaten with silver cutlery from the 18th and 19th centuries on paper tablecloths.

The restaurant’s menu is mainly French, but also includes Chinese recipes. Everything here is honest and authentic from the beginning to the end. The chef himself takes care of selecting the best products from markets and suppliers so that at Chez Nicholas we can eat fresh products of the highest quality. The menu changes every day depending on the product’s availability.

The chef himself takes care of selecting the best products from markets and suppliers so that at Chez Nicholas we can eat fresh products of the highest quality. The menu changes every day depending on the produce available.

Degustation:

Steamed buns / butter / Olive Oil

Instead of the traditional bread before our meal, we got steamed buns in a variety of flavors. The Chef served them again as soon as they ran out, which we really liked, because they were perfect for finishing the sauces. The sauces at Chef Nicholas are divine, it is a sin to leave them on a plate. The homemade buns were made using alkaline water, Julienas Beaujolais village red wine (Gamay Grape), spinach, and sorrel. For the buns we got Isigny Butter AOP from Normandy with black summer truffle Tuber Aestivum from Croatia and Taggiasche olives and Espelette peppers. Also there was an excellent olive oil from AOP Les Vallées de Baux de Provence. 4 eggplants.

Tuna Belly Tartare

Tartare of tuna belly part with homemade Ponzu, grapefruit, confit lemon zest, Limoncello and lemon juice, and yuzu, ginger confit in sake, mirin and Japanese whiskey. On top, portulaca leaves as a salad. A sensational tartare that gets the Happy Eggplant Badge from us. 5 eggplants.

Beef Tartare Tokyo Style

We ate the beef tartare at Chez Nicholas in two renditions and both deserved the Order of the Happy Eggplant.

The first was a super surprise as we got a double portion of tartare (a la carte). For lovers of this dish, it’s hard to find something better. Perfect, finely chopped beef with a sabayon of light mayo with Japanese chili powder, grapefruit, yuzu, crispy shiitake mushrooms (from Mr. Grela from Lublin) with mizuna cabbage, Japanese whiskey, and red wine glaze with anise, cinnamon, and black fruit purée. 5 eggplants.

The second was also finely chopped, made with Black Angus beef and combined with green zebra tomato tartare. It came with shiitake mushrooms, grapefruit, gherkins, mustard and Cointreau liqueur. 5 eggplants.

Spider Crab from Roscoff

The Chef loves to serve this particular crab steamed and with different accompaniments. It is served in the shell of this particular crab, which looks very impressive. As with the tartare, both crabs were sensational and got orders from us. The Chef likes to serve this particular crab steamed and with different toppings.

In the first version, we got crab steamed and deboned, with black garlic mayonnaise and a collection of local bio veggies in salad including a steamed zucchini flower. 5 eggplants.

The second time, the crab was served accompanied with Ananas Noir tomatoes (literally, black pineapple), confit ginger, Japanese mustard herbs, a vinaigrette of five vinegars, and olive oil from Provence. 5 eggplants.

Fine de claire oysters

Fine de Claire oysters from Oléron, France. I’m not a fan of oysters, but these were outstanding. Steamed in the oven served with rice Vermicelli, seasoned with salty sabayon with Garlic trilogy and oyster sauce. Topped with Green Zebra tomato tartare. We award the Order of the Happy Eggplant for these wonderfully delicious oysters. 5 eggplants.

Wonton

Wonton with Black Tiger shrimp and lobster. Accompanied with a fantastic bisque. The bisque is mind-blowing. Chef Nicholas makes it with 11 different seafood and fish. This version had curry paste and coconut milk added. Steamed golden beans on the top. I cannot do otherwise like award another Order of the Happy Eggplant to the wonderful Wonton. 5 eggplants.

Gratin with forest mushrooms

Gratin with different mushrooms: chanterelles, boletus, boletus, boletus, canine, king oyster mushroom, with champagne béchamel, foie gras, anchovy paste, rum brioche and Gruyère cheese. I still remember the beautiful aroma, the creamy interior, and the harmony of mushroom and cheese flavors. The perfect autumn dish, which receives from us the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Saffron seafood risotto

The perfect risotto with prawns and scallop sautéed with chanterelle mushrooms, roasted zucchini flower, bisque (that divine bisque), herbes de Provence, white wine, light red curry, and crème fraîche from Normandy. Fabulous! Once again, top note and the Order! 5 eggplants.

Risotto with langoustine

Oven-roasted langoustine from France and the best bisque. The whole thing twisted up with curry, Espelette peppers, white wine and cognac. Delicate langoustine and a crisp, perfectly prepared risotto. The Eggplant Order for risotto flies again. 5 eggplants.

Duck breast

Duck breast marinated in Ponzu and flambéed with herb vodka. As a completion: French purée with olive oil, baked spaghetti beans, king oyster mushroom and chanterelles from Lublin, which were roasted in the oven with olive oil and duck fat. The Burek was also an interesting element of this dish. A crispy quasi-pancake with cheese in the middle. The whole dish was brought together beautifully by the Albufera sauce. This sauce was created by Marie-Antoine Carême in honor of Napoleon’s general, Louis-Gabriel Suchet, Duke of D’Albufera da Valencia. Chef Nicholas made it with chicken, duck, goose, foie gras and crème fraîche from Deux-Sèvres. The spiciness of the dish was added by Chef’s own dried Chili brought from Lecce, Italy. A perfect duck! And of course, the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Goose leg

A similar combination as in the dish above. In this version, we got a confit leg of goose with lime, kaffir, and tamarind. It is worth mentioning that for the main course we received a beautiful, original Laguiole knife. A wonderful dish and a wonderful rating and the Happy Eggplant Order. 5 eggplants.

Goose stomachs

Here the Chef presented us an original Chinese dish of very thinly sliced goose stomachs, fried on beef lard and served with chili jam. A wonderful, spicy, and flavorful dish. We are pleased to award it with another Order. 5 eggplants.

Pan-fried foie gras

The a la carte dish we were so excited to try at Chez Nicholas. Perfectly cooked foie gras of the highest quality from Toulouse, pan-fried with Cointreau liqueur. Accompanied with a sauce - cherry reduction and a salad of a variety of tomatoes with a vanilla Sichuan pepper vinaigrette. As a side dish, beautiful eggplants, zucchini, and beans, grilled in the oven. A fantastic composition, full of flavors, textures, and aromas. The Order was awarded, of course. 5 eggplants.

The Three Treasures Of The Land

This is another original Chinese dish that Chef Nicholas learned from his mother. The fresh peppers and eggplants for this dish Chef Nicholas brought by himself from a trip to Greece. The peppers, eggplant, and potatoes were fried in a light tempura sweet and sour sauce with caramelized garlic flakes and rice vinegar aged for 3 years. A perfect, spicy, and tasty dish. The eggplant was incredibly tender and full of flavor. One would like to eat this dish every day. I miss it already and naturally award the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Cherries à la Jubilée

I’m speechless. You have to taste it for yourself. Warm, ripe cherries in salted caramel, with Isigny Butter AOP from Normandy, with caramelized pistachios and cherry liqueur. This dessert was created for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee on June 20, 1887.

We ate this best dessert in the world in the aroma of rose water from Provence, with beautiful opera music and rose petals all around us. Magical! If I could I would give a hundred eggplant orders. 5 eggplants.

Crepe with fruit

Crispy French Crepe with orange blossoms. Topped with berries flambéed in Grand Marnier, salted caramel and house-made lemon cream. As usual, it was served spectacularly. 4 eggplants.

Petit four

Cannelé de Bordeaux with Vermuth wine as [Petit four]. I love Cannelé, these wonderfully buttery and soft sweets are the perfect finale to a French tasting with a Chinese twist. They were made exactly as they should be. I adore them and of course, they get the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Perfect lactose-free coffee to Cannelé.

Summary:

Each visit to Chez Nicholas restaurant has been unique and magical. It is fine dining at the highest level with luxurious products of excellent quality straight from France and beyond. Chef’s talent, skill and diligence can be seen at every step. Chef Nicholas himself served every dish and passionately told us about every detail we could think of. We literally could have talked to him like that for hours.

As you can see there was not a dish that we did not like. We have enjoyed the most: all the tartares, Bisque, Three Treasures of the Land, foie gras, gratin, duck, goose and those cherries… ah! Perfection. For these sensational dishes, for the commitment, talent and gigantic work of the Chef and his crew we wholeheartedly award the Happy Eggplant Badge and send huge thanks. See you soon.

Finally, an important note, if you want to go for this boutique French experience at Chez Nicholas take cash with you, because there is no card payment, but there is an ATM right next to the restaurant.

At the end we got a surprise from Chef Nicholas, when we visited his bistro with Jolka (@foodie_dreamka) and Kamil (@flairhousemk). It was a lovely evening with great company and brilliant food.

Link to the restaurant Chez Nicholas

Address: ul. Lwowska 1/10 Kraków

The tasting dates: July, August, September 2021

Title picture: Cherries à la Jubilée

Epoka

2021-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

Epoka, I hope, needs no introduction. Soon this one of the best restaurants of Fine Dining class in Poland will celebrate its second birthday. We’re looking forward to the birthday menu, as last year’s was delightful, which you can read about. The chef of Epoka restaurant is Marcin Przybysz (@przybyszmarcin), who presents his original tasting menu inspired by Polish cuisine in 15 or 20 recipes versions.

This evening at Epoka restaurant was special for us because we had pleasure to spend it in the company of Kamila and Cezary (@finediningpl) and Krzysztof (@taste_life_always_again). For which we would like to thank everyone once again.

Our table decided on a tasting of 20 recipes and a non-alcoholic pairing, which turned out to be an interesting proposition. We are extremely pleased that more and more restaurants pay attention to the fact that not everyone likes or can drink alcohol. Some people are simply not fond of wine, so the option of matching interesting non-alcoholic beverages to the meal seems to be a great solution. That’s why this article will feature drinks that were matched with certain dishes.

Degustation:

1926

Bread/Butter

We started with bread and butter. This time it was wholemeal wheat bread with wild garlic, and lightly salted butter. 3 eggplants.

Westphalia’s mutton ham

A very interesting and tasty [amuse-bouche]. It was an andrut with lamb ham, mayonnaise and mint. 4 eggplants.

Granita

It was, I must admit, a shocking experience. Tartalette with Granita made of wild garlic, goat curd and radish. A refreshing granita with great taste, however we were told to eat it all at once and it was a bit of a painful experience. However, I prefer granita and ice cream slowly. 3 eggplants.

Garlic braised lamb

Something between a croquette, a donut and a roast. Perfect! With a crispy crust and served still hot. It was roasted lamb shoulder with pickled lemon and wild garlic. The Order of the Happy Eggplant is most deserved for this original donut. 5 eggplants.

Spit-roasted mutton

Yakitori, which in this version is mutton from the spit, served on a pancake with young cabbage and lime juice. You had to slide the meat off the stick and wrap it in a pancake by yourself. Surprisingly I managed to do it without disaster. This kebab-style roast was absolutely fabulous. Additionally, the first non-alcoholic drink, Ayran, was brought to us. The milk is baked for a long time at a low temperature, thanks to which it obtained more creaminess and sweetness. The milk had bay leaf oil added as well as spinach, nasturtium and tarragon. For a perfect dish and a perfectly matched drink, we of course award the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

1932

Waffles the other way

Waffles with whipped cream, topped with wasabi from a Polish farm. 4 eggplants.

Beef broth

Beef broth (from oxtails) with shitake mushrooms. Very good, essential and quite fatty. Polish wagyu with pickled turnips in the middle. As a pairing, green tea kombucha from Nepal, to break up the fattiness. A great, balanced kombucha. 3 eggplants.

Green salad

A light, summery and beautiful dish in salad form. Sorrel and parmesan foam, hare and red oxalis, asparagus and radish sprouts. As a complement, rye bread with sunflower seeds. We really enjoyed this salad and for that we award it by the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Cucumber “mizerja”

The Mizeria in the form of a frozen foam. With cucumber juice, sour cream and elderflowers. We had a similar Intermezzo, just in a different flavor at Epoka’s birthday. 4 eggplants.

1910

French buns and Asparagus in butter sauce

French rolls, or in this case a croissant as company for asparagus in sauce. Pickled asparagus with some rhubarb, sea trout tartare and butter sauce. 4 eggplants.

We were offered white tea with a fusion of jasmine and pickled and candied lemon for this dish.

Stockfish with vegetables

Cod with burned cucumber powder, topped with cucumber and dill salad and a generous amount of five star Antonius caviar. Complemented by a wonderful fish stock sauce with sepia. A beautiful, slightly dark dish that tasted sensational. Naturally, the Order of the Happy Eggplant is due. 5 eggplants.

Lapsang tea from China was served with the cod. It had the addition of smoked syrup, which made it tasted a bit like Christmas tea from dried fruit.

1893

Fresh mushrooms stewed with cream

They were chanterelles with caramelized cream and a sauce based on poultry with the addition of green peas. A very tasty dish with warm buttery brioches. 4 eggplants.

An unusual drink was matched with the mushrooms. It was passion fruit juice, mango, peach and frothed milk. A bold combination, which has worked.

Fried potatoes

This dish consisted of two parts. Ice cream made of caramelized bacon and onion with bay oil, and potato cake with truffle. A fresh summer truffle from Umbria was grated in front of us to top of the ice cream. 4 eggplants.

White pot-au-feu

Sensational, melt-in-the-mouth veal with a sauce based on white borscht with black garlic, potatoes and marjoram. For nibbling we were served sticks made of flour after sourdough from borscht. 5 eggplants.

A suggestion from the non-alcoholic pairing to the veal was consommé with carrots, broken up with lemon and apple, with ginger and bay leaf oil on top. Great match for the dish and very tasty.

1686

Rusks

French pastry rusks with yogurt sorbet. I love rusks, I waited a bit for the sorbet to melt, so I wouldn’t get the same shock as before. The rusks were served together with a pre dessert “cold milk”.. 4 eggplants.

Cold milk

Dessert perfect for summer. Light, fruity and not too sweet. Milk foam with elderberry flavor. In the middle a foam made of sorrel and Polish strawberries. Ideally, there would be more cutlery to the dessert than just a spoon, because I’ve been chasing that foam on my plate for a while. ;) 4 eggplants.

Lemonade and Rose “ulep”

The lemonade was prosecco with lemon juice from a siphon. Next we were served “Rose Ulep”, that is rose mousse with compressed and a pickled rhubarb and a rhubarb juice. Yet another non-alcoholic drink was served. Rooibos long brewed broken by balsamico and the addition of strawberry. 4 eggplants.

1682

Wety

At the end of the dinner, we had a little sweet treat. This time, however, it was completely different than usual. It was rhubarb and blackberry jelly in sugar, a danish pastry with blueberries, and sorrel ice cream, really great. 3 eggplants.

Summary:

The evening at the Epoka restaurant was once again a fantastic experience. We are glad that the pandemic here has not caused the lowering of standards that we see in some restaurants. The service is still at a high level and the cuisine continues to surprise and delight with taste and appearance. True Fine Dining. The Epoka was enriched by its own bakery, Chaud Pain (@piekarnia_chaudpain), which is where the baked goods served at dinner came from. Earlier that day we had been to Chaud Pain for breakfast and tested a variety of croissants, all were delicious.

Thank you to Chef Marcin Przybysz and Chef de partie Adam Lizoni and the entire Epoka team for a wonderful evening. Of course Epoka once again deserved the Order of the Happy Eggplant. We sincerely hope that soon they will be able to enjoy a more prestigious award (@michelinguide). We keep our fingers crossed.

Link to the restaurant Epoka

Address: ul. Ossolińskich 3, Warsaw

The tasting date: 17.07.2021

Title picture: White pot-au-feu

Fisherman

2021-08-11T00:00:00+00:00

During our May visit to the Tricity we visited a few new places and some of our favorite Fine Dining restaurants. From the new ones we chose the Fisherman restaurant, whose Chef Rafał Koziorzemski (@rafalchef__smakmiasta) we had the pleasure to meet at the Biały Królik restaurant in Gdynia. That’s why we had a hunch, which was almost certain, Fisherman is a restaurant worth visiting. They serve there dishes from a la carte menu, but at our request, Chef Rafał made a Tasting Menu for us, for which we are grateful.

Degustation:

Bread

Two kinds of bread and two kinds of butter to go with it. Burnt butter and butter with wild garlic. 4 eggplants.

Dried trout with fish mayonnaise

As an amuse-bouche we got a sensational trout skin crisp with mayonnaise, pork lard and chickweed. What I love about Chef Rafał’s cooking is the large amount of interesting herbs and other plants, which can be found in his author’s kitchen. For this excellent start to the tasting, we gladly award the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Queen of the forest and meadows

Here the first place belongs to cress, but not the ordinary one we all know, but forest and meadow cress. Under the green blanket hid a wonderful, delicate squid with roasted butter. The whole dish was dusted with parsley powder. Visually and tastefully, a brilliant dish. Therefore another eggplant order flies to Fisherman. 5 eggplants.

Fisherman’s card

A wonderful smoked salted trout tartare with capers, pickled onions, egg yolk, pickled mushrooms and smoked meats. The aroma of this dish was wonderful, smoky and sweet, and the tartare itself was perfectly composed. It could not be otherwise, the Order for the tartare is awarded. 5 eggplants.

May harvest of wild garlic

The wild garlic soup with sweet squid noodles. It was an absolute hit! One of the best soups ever. I love wild garlic, and I’ve never had the opportunity to eat it in soup form before. Delightful! I hope we will still be able to eat it at the Fisherman restaurant next time. Of course, it receives the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Beef with young beets

Perfectly cooked, delicate beef tongue with demi-glace sauce, served with a slightly smoky gratin of baby potatoes, with beet and apple balls in a horseradish sauce. The meat was garnished with the flowers of the Capsella bursa-pastoris. 5 eggplants.

The season is in full swing

The time had come for dessert. I had been waiting for it for a year and was very curious about how the white asparagus ice cream tasted. Well, it is delicious, and even better was the panna cotta that accompanied it. The composition was enriched by strawberries in a sauce with herbs, elderflower, and roasted malt. 5 eggplants.

Thank you

At the end we were given a forest, or more specifically, pinecones. These were absolutely amazing, authentic cones in hibiscus syrup, served with lavender ice cream, which were sprinkled with pollen. It may be boring by now, but I can’t help myself from giving these cones the Order of the Happy Eggplant! They were fabulous and worked beautifully with the delicate lavender ice cream! 5 eggplants.

Summary:

We left Fisherman overjoyed with the food, the service and the whole place. This restaurant is far from the stiff form of Fine Dining and perhaps more in line with the increasingly fashionable Casual Dining, but for us excellent products, the quality of which is taken care of by the Chef himself and his talent, is what we expect from Fine Dining restaurants.

As you can see the forest, meadows and sea were visible in every dish, these references to nature make, that this is something for which it is worth coming to Sopot, walk a few steps from Monciak and eat in Fisherman.

After the tasting we had the opportunity to talk for a while with the Chef, which we always appreciate, because then we have the opportunity to ask about the dishes and share our impressions.

Were there any downsides? No. The only one is that we live in Silesia and we have a long way to Sopot.

We award the Order of the Happy Eggplant for this beautiful seaside tasting at an excellent level.

We also want to thank Mr. Maciek, who served us that day and thanks to whom we were very happy and we felt taken care of. Thanks :)

Link to the restaurant Fisherman

Address: Villa Sentoza ul. Grunwaldzka 89, Sopot

Title picture: Beef with young beets

Pod Różą

2021-08-04T00:00:00+00:00

A few months ago we wanted to go to Krakow for a tasting menu to one of Fine Dining restaurants We chose the restaurant Pod Różą (@restaurant_podroza), where Miłosz Grabowski (@milosz_grabowski) is the Head Chef. Already then we heard a lot of good things about the Chef, so we wanted to check if it’s all true. I can already tell you that it is! But from the beginning.

Degustation:

Bread

Sourdough bread, baked in the restaurant. Accompanied by butter with paprika and with rapeseed oil, and paste made of zatorski carp with clover. 4 eggplants.

Parsley cream soup

Roasted parsley cream with curry and mint oil. Very good, the mint came through gently but did not overwhelm the whole thing. I awarded the Order of the Happy Eggplant for this dish, to my surprise, because I am not fond of parsley. 5 eggplants.

Polenta

Together we were served three appetizers: Frog legs, shrimp and polenta. We started with the polenta fries with gorgonzola sauce, which were insanely good. Of course we got burned while eating, but it was worth it. A well-deserved Order of Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Shrimps

Another we tried was the Argentine shrimp with coriander and chili glaze and shashlik and soy sauce. Grilled in a coal-fired Big Green Egg. Tasted sensational. Some of the best shrimps we’ve ever had and we’ve eaten a lot of them. Again the eggplant order goes to the fantastic appetizer. 5 eggplants.

Frog legs

At the end of the appetizer set, we left ourselves the frogs’ legs, rightly assuming we’d get dirty with them. It was a difficult “finger food” to eat but tasty. The frog legs were topped with paprika mayonnaise. 3 eggplants.

Beef tartare / pickled mustard / Bursztyn cheese

Excellent beef tartare. This was the first time we had tartare with cheese and surprisingly it tasted very good. The tartare was made from seasoned striploin from Lesser Poland. It was complemented with pickles and the aforementioned Bursztyn cheese aged six months. We are happy to give the Happy Eggplant Badge to this tartare. 5 eggplants.

Beef tripe

Beef tripe with fresh marjoram served with croutons. Let me put it this way… A friend who was with us said that these are the best tripe he ever ate. We ate them for the first time and we would prefer to stop there. The broth and croutons were great, but the consistency of the tripe is hard for us to swallow. And this is not the fault of the preparation or the quality of the ingredients, but our limitations. 2 eggplants.

Sea bass / shiitake mushrooms / asian Consommé

A very interesting way to serve fish, in broth. It was dashi broth combined with mushroom stock, finished with mushroom gel and mushroom pieces. Delicate, tasty and full of umami. And so another eggplant order flies for the Sea Bass. 5 eggplants.

Intermezzo

Mirabelle sorbet with chervil oil, crunchy amaranth and mirabelle gel. A perfect intermezzo, interesting, tasty, and cleansing to the taste buds. 5 eggplants.

Local beef / kohlrabi / Bone marrow sauce

The main course could be considered simple as it was meat with potatoes and vegetables, but it wasn’t. It was a brilliantly prepared beef striploin (intentionally with cartilage, fat, and membranes) with a Bordelaise sauce with marrow, tarragon, parsley, and chervil. It came with roasted potatoes with onions and buttermilk along with grilled wild broccoli with burrata and olive oil. The whole dish was complemented by cold pickled kohlrabi. An absolute revelation! As if all this was not enough, the dish was served to us by the Chef himself, Mr. Miłosz, which was very nice for us. Of course, the order for the main course was awarded. 5 eggplants.

Pre-dessert

Coffee amaretto cream with grain wafer and meringue. 3 eggplants.

Canelé

Canelé with sour cream sorbet and fermented lime. 3 eggplants.

Petit Fours

As farewell sweets we were brought a whole set of different sweets. Not for sharing, everyone could taste what they wanted, just the way we like it. These included: Strawberry parfait, nougat with nuts, jelly, white chocolate chocolates with lemon, Rum balls. 4 eggplants.

Summary:

You can tell by the number of the Happy Eggplant Orders awarded that we were very pleased with this Fine Dining tasting menu. There was everything there should be and more. The dishes looked great and tasted even better. The chef turned out to be a fascinating person. He willingly and passionately told us the secrets of his cuisine.

The service was flawless and the interior of the restaurant was beautiful and spacious. It is hard to ask for more. The Pod Różą Restaurant with this degustation lunch is on the list of our favorite restaurants and Chef Miłosz Grabowski on the list of our favorite Chefs. Thank you very much and we can not wait for another visit.

The Order of the Happy Eggplant was naturally awarded for the beautiful tasting and welcoming atmosphere.

Link to the restaurant Pod Różą

Address: Floriańska 14, 31-021 Kraków

Title picture: Parsley cream soup

Omakase at Noriko Sushi

2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

It took us a long time to start our sushi adventure in a serious way. We had ordered sushi sets for work or home, but it was never fine dining. Following Kamila and Cezary’s (@finediningpl) recommendation we decided to go to the Omakase show at Noriko Sushi restaurant in Wroclaw. And it was a great choice.

The Chef and Sushi Master at Noriko Sushi restaurant (@sushinoriko) is Marcin Jasiura (@marcinjasiura), Chef serves so-called Tokyo style sushi, which is: opposite each other.

Degustation:

Marinated daikon radish

To cleanse our taste buds between courses we got daikon, which was perfect for me because I’m not a fan of pickled ginger. Or at least the kind you get traditionally at most sushi restaurants.

Sashimi with ponzu

Sashimi from cefal fish topped with freshly grated wasabi and ponzu. The wasabi came from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. 4 eggplants.

Eggplant

A perfect, melt-in-your-mouth appetizer made from eggplant, yuzu, miso, soy sauce, spring onions and lemon zest. I am happy to award this appetizer the Happy Eggplant Badge. 5 eggplants.

Sashimi from leek

Baked salmon on a brilliant, melt-in-your-mouth leek topped with wasabi. Another well-deserved Order for this leek appetizer. 5 eggplants.

* Grilled Skrei Cod*

Great crispy crust and tender fish. Topped with Okinawa salt, fresh wasabi and lime. 4 eggplants.

Risotto

Sensational risotto with Ikura (salmon roe marinated for 5 days in a special marinade of sweet sake and soy sauce) and fatty part of tuna. All seasoned with soy sauce and chives. This delicious risotto, of course, receives the Happy Eggplant Badge from us. 5 eggplants.

Wakame and greater amberjack

Slices of greater amberjack with wasabi accompanied by salad. 3 eggplants.

Cucumber and wakame algae salad, seasoned with Furikake spice blend.

Nigiri

The time has come for nigiri. The Sushi Master prepared portions of fish and seafood and served them to us with rice and the appropriate sauce. This excellent rice was from Niigata Prefecture and was cooked sensationally. We never had the opportunity to eat such delicious rice in our lives.

Specialties prepared for serving.

For starters, there was probably greater amberjack. I’m writing “probably”, because we sometimes talked so much with the Chef and the Chef’s wife, that we forgot to write down what we ate and, unfortunately, memory is fleeting. I only remember that it was delicious. 4 eggplants.

Tenderloin of bluefin tuna. 4 eggplants.

Steamed squid. This was a difficult dish for us. The calamari was as tender as we had ever experienced. Perhaps we even associated its texture more with pudding than meat. However, it had a strange, soapy, sweet flavor. Total taste shock, I guess we still need to grow into it. 2 eggplants.

Semi-fat tuna part with soy sauce. 4 eggplants.

Mackerel with a mixture of ginger and spring onions on top. 3 eggplants.

Shimofuri, which is the fatty part of the tuna without any veins, aged for a week, seasoned with Arashio salt from Okinawa. Sensational! This nigiri melted in the mouth and tasted great. Of course, the Order of the Happy Eggplant is deserved. 5 eggplants.

Scottish salmon with sauce, also had great flavor. The Happy Eggplant Order is well deserved! 5 eggplants.

The aforementioned Ikura and Canadian salmon. It can’t be another way around - another Happy Eggplant Badge! 5 eggplants.

Jabara, fatty part of tuna with veins, aged a week plus Umeboshi sauce. I’m already repeating myself, but it was brilliant! There was so much umami in this one piece that you could go crazy. Everything was perfect, the sauce, the texture, the flavors… Of course the next Order for this compelling nigiri! 5 eggplants.

Nigiri with shrimp cooked for one minute. 3 eggplants.

Unadon

After the delicious pieces of nigiri, it was the eel’s turn. When I heard about the grilled eel, I had been waiting for it all evening. The eel was previously cooked in tare sauce, which matures for a second year and “works” just like sourdough. The eel was obviously quite fatty but also phenomenally delicious! The aroma of this dish was also wonderful. It was worth the wait. The Happy Eggplant Badge flies to the delightful eel. 5 eggplants.

Miso

A light soup cooked on langoustine heads and shrimps with bonito, egg, and wakame. 3 eggplants.

Dessert

Last but not least, something sweet. A shrimp omelet that resembles a sponge cake. 3 eggplants.

Summary:

It was a beautiful evening in Wroclaw. We laughed a lot, relaxed and ate delicious Japanese dishes. The recommendation was very good and we also encourage you to go for an Omakase to Noriko, because it is an unforgettable experience.
The word Sushi takes on a whole new dimension.

Naturally we award Noriko Sushi, Order of the Happy Eggplant, for this fantastic presentation of Omakase.

We are certain that this was not our last Omakase and not our last visit to Noriko Sushi. Rather, this is just the beginning of our love affair with fine sushi. Link to the restaurant Noriko Sushi

Address: Pl. Wolności 7 Kamienica „Pod Złotym Dębem” 54 -540 Wrocław

Title picture: Jabara nigiri

Hotel Sacher

2021-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Enjoying our vacation, we took the train to Vienna for a few days. Despite our busy schedule, we couldn’t refuse a visit to the famous Hotel Sacher and its appreciated by @michelinguide, Restaurant Rote Bar.

The interior of Restaurant Rote Bar impresses with its elegance and splendor.

We were able to freely take a few photos since we were fortunate enough to be the two of us in the entire restaurant room.

We had plans to go to the three-star Amador restaurant after lunch at Sacher’s (which you can read about here) so we had to exercise restraint, which was extremely difficult because the menu looked great.

The Chef of the Restaurant Rote Bar is Dominik Stolzer (@dominikstolzer).

Degustation:

Bread

First, we were given a nice treat of sourdough bread with two kinds of butter. 3 eggplants.

Amuse-bouche

Cool, perfect for a hot August day gazpacho with melon. 3 eggplants.

Original Sacher goose liver tarte

Goose liver tart served with hazelnut brioche. A great creamy liver whose fattiness was broken up by apricot jelly and elderflower jam. We enjoyed it so much that we awarded it the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Steak Tatar with grape mustard ice cream

Tasty tartare, well seasoned. This was the first time we tried the combination of tartare with grapes and it was extremely successful. 4 eggplants.

Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel - Vienna veal escalopes with parsley potatoes and salad mix. The Happy Eggplant badge is definitely well deserved for this brilliant Schnitzel and tasty potatoes. The set of salads would probably be better if each of them were served separately, because unfortunately, their flavors mixed with each other. On the other hand, we were delighted with the lemon, which was ingeniously and beautifully packaged in a mesh protecting the seeds from falling off. 4 eggplants.

Here are the schnitzels with the salad sets. As you can see it was basically two huge schnitzels, placed one on top of the other. This is something we were totally not expecting, but we managed to eat them. They were too delicious to be left.

Original Sacher-Torte with whipped cream

After the incredibly hearty main course, it was time for dessert. Original Sacher-Torte with whipped cream. Luckily we only ordered one serving of the classic chocolate cake because although it was excellent we wouldn’t have been able to eat more. Of course we awarded it our badge and 4 eggplants.

The Sacher-Torte tastes best on the premises, but you can also buy it to take away or even order it straight from Vienna, which I feel like testing soon.

Pralines

At the very end we got a petit four. We were sad to say that we could not eat them anymore. The waiter was prepared for that and quickly packed them for us to take away. It was very nice. 3 eggplants.

Summary:

Sacher Restaurant Rote Bar is a place where we can travel back in time to elegant interiors and classic service with silver cutlery and white tablecloths. However, the dishes, apart from Viennese classics like Wiener Schnitzel and Sacher Torte, are served in a modern way and do not diverge from modern fine dining trends.

The staff was extremely courteous and refined. For the atmosphere, impeccable service, and delicious food, I am happy to award Restaurant Rote Bar the Order of the Happy Eggplant.

Lunch cost us about 120 euros total. Service was not included in the bill.

A few months before lunch at Restaurant Rote Bar, we visited the Sacher Café at breakfast time. It was before the beginning of the pandemic and the rooms were full of people. In front of the entrance, despite the cold, there was a long queue of people waiting. We made a reservation in advance which turned out to be a brilliant idea.

Sacher Hotel on a January morning.

Beautiful christmas snow globe adorned the entrance to the hotel.

I decided on “SACHER FRÜHSTÜCKSBROT,” which is toasted bread with a poached egg, green asparagus, ham and hollandaise sauce. 2 eggplants.

The second Degustująca Istota ordered the “ANNA SACHER FRÜHSTÜCK” set, which is a roll with ham, scrambled eggs with pumpkin seeds, the Original Sacher Punch Dessert and coffee. 3 eggplants.

Na deser skusiłam się na strudel jabłkowy. 3 eggplants.

I oczywiście nie zapomnieliśmy o Sacher Torte. 4 eggplants.

After having visited many fine dining restaurants it was nice to stop by Hotel Sacher and feel the atmosphere of luxurious Vienna in the imperial times. Maybe we will manage to visit next time Restaurant Grüne Bar in which Dominik Stolzer is also a Chef.

Link to the restaurant Restaurant Rote Bar Link to the restaurant Sacher Café

Address: Philharmoniker Str. 4, 1010 Wien, Austria

Title picture: Goose liver tart

Celebration in Isto

2021-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

Fine Dining is the best way for us to spend birthdays. After all, when if not on your birthday, you can allow yourself a little luxury. This October evening was very special to us as we celebrated Mom’s birthday. So we opted for one of our favorite fine dining restaurants in Silesia, the Isto restaurant (@restauracjaisto) with Chef Patryk Dusza (@chefpatrykdusza) in the lead.

The view from the Isto restaurant to the Spodek.

Degustation:

Bread

First we were offered a variety of breads. These included slices of sourdough bread and flatbreads. The breads were served with delicious butter with salt and sensational truffle espuma. 4 eggplants.

Tomato consommé

Tomato consommé of red tomatoes with olive oil. Beautifully served and very good. Perfect for the autumn mood. 3 eggplants.

Mackerel/fennel/smoked cheese

Another amuse-bouche. A piece of mackerel with fennel and cheese, garnished with flower petals. 4 eggplants.

Beef/goat cheese/buttermilk

Great tartare with goat cheese granita. It was so good that we came for it again a few days after the tasting dinner. Of course I award it the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Sunflower/sheep cheese/black chanterelle

Crunchy sunflower seeds, soft mushrooms and intense sheep cheese. A perfectly composed risotto, which also delighted me with its beautiful, dark colors, garnished with yarrow and wood sorrel. By all means, a Happy Eggplant badge is due for this offbeat dish. 5 eggplants.

Pike-perch/red pine mushroom/Parmesan

Delicate pike-perch with baked crust accompanied by ravioli with truffle and fried red pine mushrooms. The whole dish was complemented by a cheese sauce. Of course, the Order of the Happy Eggplant is well deserved for this wonderful composition and perfect preparation.. 5 eggplants.

Duck/Kaszanka/apple

Our friend, who does not like fish, got duck instead of pike-perch for the first main course. It was duck with Kaszanka in panco with the addition of ash. Topped with a thinly sliced apple and also a cheese sauce. 3 eggplants.

Mizeria

A great intermezzo in the form of Mizeria ice cream served on crumbled meringue. 4 eggplants.

Bacon/potato/onion

For the second main course, we were served a classic combination that did not disappoint. Sensational bacon! Served with potato pudding, demi-glace sauce, onion and pickled cucumber. The next Order of the Happy Eggplant for a brilliant dish goes to Isto. 5 eggplants.

Chocolate/raspberry/lime

Pre-dessert. Chocolate ice cream with dried chocolate and raspberries. 3 eggplants.

Blueberry/juniper/red cabbage

Excellent puff. This was the second time we had the pleasure of eating choux au craquelin at Isto and I’m slowly getting addicted to them because they are just delicious. This one was served with red cabbage ice cream, which I have to say, was one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had. They enter the pantheon of the best ice creams along with the rose ice cream from Prologue restaurant which you can read about here. Of course, both the puff and the ice cream deserve the Order. 5 eggplants.

A shortcrust pastry with a not-too-sweet juniper cream filling.

Divine red cabbage and apple ice cream served over crumbled meringue.

Summary:

Dinner was at an excellent level and there were no shortage of surprising items, such as ice cream with Mizeria and cabbage. It was also our first time eating black chanterelle, which turned out to be very tasty.

The restaurant staff brought Mom a birthday candle in a puff at the end of dinner, which was very nice.

The evening was completed by a beautiful fountain, which can be admired by the building of NOSPR.

Naturally, Isto Restaurant and Chef Patryk Dusza received the Happy Eggplant Badge from us for a beautiful dinner and a pleasant evening.

Currently, Isto restaurant remains closed due to Covid pandemic restrictions, but you can order Easter specials there until 31.03.2021, which I have already done and I recommend.

Link to the restaurant Isto

Address: Aleja Roździeńskiego 1A, 40-202 Katowice

Title picture: Sike-perch with ravioli

Copernicus

2021-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

On a summer day in August we went for a romantic dinner in Cracow. It was so beautiful. Sunshine, warmth and open restaurants.

Below is a picture of the Wawel Cathedral.

For the tasting menu we went to Copernicus restaurant ( @copernicusrestauracjakrakow), where the Chef is Marcin Filipkiewicz (@mfilipkiewicz). This restaurant has a recommendation (Plate) from Michelin Guide (@michelinguide), and Gault & Millau (@gaultmillaupolska) recommendation.

We decided on the Chef’s 9 course tasting menu. There was also a choice of 5 and 7 course menus.

Degustation:

Young beetroot consommé/ yoghurt and lemon ice cream/ salmon

The dinner began traditionally with an amuse-bouche. 3 eggplants.

Bread

Next we were brought baked goods. There were small obwarzanek krakowski, focaccia, bread and matzo. To this we were given various additions: white bean lard with seeds, dried tomato and dried plum jam, and butter with parsley oil. 4 eggplants.

Salad with green and red tomatoes and wholemeal crunchy

Tomato bavarese served with tomato chunks and lettuce. Wholemeal crust made an appearance here as a crunchy accompaniment. 4 eggplants.

Baked cauliflower with lemon hummus

The perfect, slightly nutty taste of roasted cauliflower went beautifully with the lemon hummus. The pine nuts emphasized this nuttiness even more. I gladly award this appetizer the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Jurassic salmon with Łąckie apple and wasabi

Tender salmon accompanied by creme fraiche, wasabi, celery and compressed egg caviar. A tasty combination that definitely deserves the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 5 eggplants.

Foie gras with strawberry chutney

The plate included both foie gras pate and fried foie gras. To contrast the heaviness, strawberry slices and strawberry chutney were added. A very interesting combination. It is a pity that there was so little foie gras. 3 eggplants.

Young onion consommé with Sechna prunes (Suska Sechlońska) and dumplings

Tasty, essential broth with one large dumpling also stuffed with an intense plum filling. 4 eggplants.

Trout from Ojców with green vegetables and mead.

Delicious trout with crispy skin with spinach and honey mousse and grilled spring onions. A great dish to which I also awarded the Order of the Happy Eggplant. 4 eggplants.

Intermezzo

A pleasant intermezzo of Mirabelle with mint syrup, chili and lemon sorbet. 3 eggplants.

Lamb in mint sauce with mustard jam and pickled aubergine

Lamb was served for the main course. The meat was tender, falling apart and the side dishes were well composed. 4 eggplants.

Pre-dessert

Bread ice cream with bread crunch. 3 eggplants.

Vanilla cheesecake with chocolate ice cream and blackcurrant

First dessert. It was cheesecake, served with chocolate ice cream, currant granita and currant sauce. 3 eggplants.

Creamy parfait with raspberries in elderberry flowers consommé

A sensational, light dessert. Sweet, but not too much. With a delicate meringue and fruity notes. Rarely, but nevertheless it happens that a dessert gets the Order of the Happy Eggplant from me and this is exactly the case. 5 eggplants.

Goodbye sweets

That is, the so-called Petit Four which consisted of various pralines and cookies, including cantucci. 3 eggplants.

Summary:

Before leaving, we had a chance to visit the roof terrace of the restaurant building. The view was gorgeous. We could admire the illuminated Wawel Castle and see how the restaurant room looks from above.

View of the dining room from the terrace.

View of Wawel Castle from the restaurant terrace.

The dinner was wonderful. It suited our taste perfectly. The only thing we could possibly wish for more would be larger portions, but the value for money was still very good.

The service was very good. The gentleman who served us was keen to talk about the details of each dish and created a very friendly atmosphere.

We’re honestly surprised that the restaurant only has a Plate from the Michelin Guide, because we’d happily give it a star for such great food. We can’t give a star, but we can and we give a Happy Eggplant Badge for a great evening and excellent food.

Link to the restaurant Copernicus

Address: Kanonicza 16, Cracow

Title picture: Jurassic salmon

Amador - 3 star experience

2021-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Finally I got the opportunity to describe another Fine Dining dinner at the @michelinguide starred restaurant that we visited over the last summer. We chose Chef Juan Amador’s (@juanamadorofficial) three-star restaurant in Vienna. The restaurant is also a member of the luxurious Les Grandes Tables du Monde.

The Amador is an avant-garde restaurant located outside of Vienna’s historic center. You have to make an effort to get here, as the entrance is a bit hidden and quite modest. The Amador Restaurant is basically in a cellar lined with rows of red bricks.

We received our menu in the form of a sealed letter with the Chef’s handwritten signature. The menu was divided into three sections. The first: “Tapas and snacks”, the second: “Mar Y Muntanya” and the third: “Childhood Memories”.

Degustation:

Tapas and snacks

Free Range Beef Tatar/mustard/chives

Tartare ball on a tapioca chip. 3 eggplants.

Beetroot/horseradish/pumpkin seed oil

Sphere with beet essence seasoned with horseradish. 4 eggplants.

Black-Federed Chicken/lettuce/Cecina de Leon

Beautiful mini sandwiches with the Amador restaurant logo. They were a deluxe version of a Caesar salad, topped with Spanish “Cecina de Leon” beef ham. The Happy Eggplant Badge for a delightful appetizer. 5 eggplants.

Eggplant/tomato/egg yolk

Small tartelettes with tomato macaroni and eggplant mousse. Served on extraordinary ceramics. 4 eggplants.

Gazpacho/Red Royal Prawn/Basil

The gazpacho in chip form was surprising. There was tomato espuma with shrimp waiting for us underneath. A basil granita added contrast. 3 eggplants.

Dungeness crab/Bell pepper/Pimenton

We had a lot of fun with this dish. Clouds of liquid nitrogen always impress me. Aside from the visual appeal, these crab cakes were also incredibly tasty and intriguing. Crispy on the outside with a porous texture and tender on the inside. They were pleasantly spicy and papery. Sensational! In the vegetarian version mushrooms were used instead of crab. These delicacies get the Happy Eggplant Badge, of course. 5 eggplants.

Mar Y Muntanya

Bread

After the appetizers, baked goods were served while waiting for the main courses. There were two types of sourdough bread and wheat fingers. As accompaniments we had Maldon flake salt from England, two kinds of Spanish olive oil and a French butter. 3 eggplants.

Iced Beurre Blanc/Royal Oyster/Hazelnut milk/Imperial Caviar

Hazelnut milk foam, butter ice cream, excellent sturgeon caviar, and boiled oysters. This is the Chef’s signature dish. Harmonious and delicate. The flavors were composed perfectly. The well-deserved Happy Eggplant Badge! 5 eggplants.

Saint-Pierre/foie gras/turnip cabbage/poppyseed

The fish was coated in poppy seeds, which brought a bitter taste. There were also chanterelles and cream of fermented garlic. 3 eggplants.

Sole “Bolognese”/Carabinero/tomato/Manni olive oil

It was one of the main courses to choose from. So we ordered two different ones to try both. The fish was garnished with fried pasta, as a reference to the original Bolognese. There was also bacon, which dominated the flavor. The whole thing was drizzled with olive oil from Tuscany. 4 eggplants.

Norway lobster “Nice”/beans/tuna/anchovy

The second main course of our choice. A lobster with tomato espuma surrounded by green bean sauce. There was also tuna tartare in the form of a ball surrounded by tomato gel. The whole dish was dressed with Italian olive oil. 3 eggplants.

Beef/blueberry/mango

Since one of the Tasting Beings does not eat fish and seafood, another main course was suggested off the menu. Which was very much to the liking of this Being. It was beef with mango gelatin and a blueberry crumble. 5 eggplants.

Mieral pigeon/coffee/leek/boletus

A preview of the main course. The leek foam hid porcini cream and sliced pigeon meat. It was dusted with coffee powder and sprinkled with coffee oil. I liked this combination incredibly much, even though I don’t actually like pigeons. Surprising myself, I awarded it with the Happy Eggplant Badge. 5 eggplants.

Mieral pigeon/Vineyard peach/mushroom/coffee curry

This time already larger pieces of pigeon breast with the addition of savoy cabbage, boletus, Jerusalem artichoke and coffee curry. 3 eggplants.

Heart cherry/cherry blossom/sake/cocoa

Pre dessert. Cherry blossom mousse with cherry sorbet and chocolate granita. Decorated with a chocolate snake. Opinions were divided at our table, because some prefer sweeter desserts. I prefer the opposite, and I enjoyed the pre-dessert more than the dessert. Although both were great. Another big plus was the fact that this dish was dairy free. For me, the dessert was perfect and for that I awarded it the Happy Eggplant Badge! 5 eggplants.

”Walk through the Wachau”

It was time for dessert and an apricot assiette, or apricot in several forms. The apricot ice cream, apricot sauce, apricot slices, apricot chips and apricot filling in a block of cheese. Complete with the addition of yuzu and a crunchy variation on the strudel. 5 eggplants.

Childhood Memories

”Purple rain”

Chocolates with Cassis liqueur and elderberry. 3 eggplants.

”Nimm 2”

Orange and lemon sphere. Sweet and refreshing. 4 eggplants.

”Bounty”

Beautiful coconut and chocolate ice lollipops with Amador restaurant logo. 5 eggplants.

“Ice sandwich”

An ice cream sandwich consisting of a waffle with tonka bean and raspberry ice cream. 3 eggplants.

“Golden kiss”

The so-called warm ice cream. Sweet passion fruit foam, covered in chocolate and decorated with a gold flake. 4 eggplants.

“Nightcap”

At the end, we got a little shot for goodnight. Blue gin, tonic, and sloe. The intense and perfect ending to the dinner. 5 eggplants.

Summary:

The time spent at the Amador restaurant was extraordinary. Everything was perfect, no imperfections. The service was excellent, probably the best we have experienced so far. Ideally balanced in terms of courtesy and humor. It was elegant and professional, but not stiff.

The multitude of techniques to prepare elements of each dish and how complex they were was impressive. It was impossible to forget that we were in a three-star restaurant.

Someone who thinks that it is impossible to eat one’s fill in such Fine Dining class restaurants, certainly has not been to Amador. Portions, as you can see, were solid and the number of dishes was also large.

Although I’m still getting used to Spanish cuisine, this dinner was very tasty and beautiful. The composition of the ingredients in the dishes was often surprising and innovative.

We regret not being able to see the Chef, but on our way out we were able to admire the awards he received.

Link to the restaurant Amador

The tasting date: 29.08.2020

Address: Grinzinger Str. 86, 1190 Vienna, Austria

Title picture: Sole Bolognese

The best restaurants of 2020

2021-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

It is not easy to write a summary for a year that was so cruel for the world’s gastronomy and especially for Fine Dining restaurants as last year 2020. Despite notorious lockdowns, we managed to eat in several excellent restaurants in Poland and in Vienna, including the five that are awarded with the @michelinguide stars. There were some great plans to visit Germany and Sweden, but unfortunately they have to wait for better times.

Below are two lists of restaurants that charmed us in 2020. The first list includes restaurants where we were for the tasting menu and the second one where we tried a la carte courses.

The awarded restaurant’s description also contains the dishes that delighted us and links to articles (if I managed to write them, some are still waiting for their turn). The restaurants on the lists are placed alphabetically.

Amador (Vienna)

Three Michelin stars

Chef: Juan Amador

Three Michelin stars oblige and the dinner at the Amador restaurant was at an excellent level both in terms of tasting and service.

More about visit in Amador restaurant.

The best course: Dungeness crab/Bell pepper/Pimenton with tarragon aroma.

Arco by Paco Pérez (Gdańsk)

Chef: Antonio Arcieri

Chef Patron: Paco Pérez

The tasting dinner at Arco was very original. We have never had the opportunity to taste Catalan flavors before.

More about visit in Arco restaurant

The best course: “All Y Pebre” eel

Biały królik (Gdynia)

Chef: Rafał Koziorzemski

Chef Patron: Marcin Popielarz

This is our second visit to the Biały Królik restaurant and we are still enchanted by this wonderful and beautiful cuisine, which every time takes us into a fairytale world. More about visit in Biały królik restaurant

The best course: Cured Kashubian duck breast with smoked pork cracklings and fried yolk

Bottiglieria1881 (Cracow)

One Michelin star

Chef: Przemysław Klima

Although the restaurant is famous for its excellent selection of wines, We decided on only a tasting menu and it was very pleasant.

More about visit in Bottiglieria1881 restaurant

The best course: Trout/beetroot/kefir

Copernicus (Cracow)

Michelin Guide Plate

Chef: Marcin Filipkiewicz

Since we’ve been trying to go to Copernicus restaurant for years, the happier we are that we managed to do it in this crazy, last year. More about visit in Copernicus restaurant.

The best course: Baked cauliflower with lemon hummus

Edvard (Vienna)

One Michelin star

Chef: Thomas Pedevilla

Full of elegance and sophistication cuisine, and a nice service. We visited Edvard restaurant in January 2020 and I still vividly recall these specialties and relaxed atmosphere.

More about visit in Edvard restaurant

The best course: Loup de Mer/Razor Shell/Mignonette

Epoka (Warsaw)

Chef: Marcin Przybysz

The Degustująca Istota has managed to be at the Epoka restaurant twice this year. In our opinion it is definitely one of the best restaurants in Poland. Excellent service and original, creative cuisine is addictive. If circumstances allow us we would be in Warsaw every month to try the new Epoka menu.

More about visit in Epoka restaurant in June

The best course: Eel in pasties with chopped meat

Fiorentina (Cracow)

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand

Chef: Robert Koczwara

We decided to spend Valentine’s Day in Fiorentina restaurant. It was exactly as it should be, romantic mood and delicious food.

More about visit in Fiorentina restaurant

The best course: Foie gras/vanilla/figs/Chałka/hazelnut

Isto (Katowice)

Chef: Patryk Dusza

This restaurant is very special for us, because, in a way, our Fine Dining adventure began with it. The year 2020 was not easy and at one point the Isto without the Chef Patryk lost its shine, but fortunately, it regained it. We can’t wait to sit in the Isto again and try the tasting menu.

More about visit in Isto restaurant

The best course: Sunflower seeds risotto with sheep cheese and a black chanterelle

La Rotisserie (Warsaw)

Michelin Guide Plate

Chef: Artur Grajber

We were encouraged by the festive menu to enter the La Rotisserie restaurant. And it was a great choice. Friendly Chef and excellent meals. We hope to return to La Rotisserie quickly.

More about visit in La Rotisserie restaurant

The best course: Wagyu (Urugwaj)/roasted leek/scorzonera/truffle potatoes

Silvio Nickol Gourmet Restaurant (Vienna)

Two Michelin stars

Chef: Silvio Nickol

It was a fabulous dinner which we will not forget for a long time. It was difficult to pick the best dish here because there were so many great dishes we ate in this restaurant. We also had the pleasure to meet the Chef personally while he was working in the kitchen, which was a fantastic experience.

More about visit in Silvio Nickol restaurant

The best course: Duck liver/mushroom/spruce/chocolate

Tian (Vienna)

One Michelin star

Chef: Paul Ivić

It was a beautiful adventure. Vegetarian Fine Dining at the Michelin star level is something we have long been looking for, and we are hoping that there will be more such places in the future.

More about visit in Tian restaurant

The best course: Truffle pasta

Villa Gardena (Chorzów/Katowice)

Chef: Dominik Duraj

Unfortunately, Villa Gardena is now closed. We managed to have the long-awaited tasting dinner on the last day that restaurant was open. We are very sad that such a fantastic place is no longer available in Silesia.

More about visit in Villa Gardena restaurant

The best course: Octopus/sepia/parsley oil/parsley root

The Best Restaurants - a la Carte

Mercato (Gdańsk)

Chef: Paweł Stawicki

We visited Mercato twice in 2020, once at lunchtime and a second time for breakfast. Both visits were very satisfying.

The best course: Homemade linguini pasta with sous vide and fried turbot. Sauce from champagne and shrimps.

Plado and Umami (Gliwice and Pyskowice)

The chefs in the sister restaurants are: Mateusz Bieniek and Robert Biniasz

We managed to visit the Plado and Umami restaurants several times last year, but we used their take-out offer much more often, and in both forms, they did not disappoint us. Although the Fine Dining in delivery is an almost impossible thing, it was nice to eat something from the “top shelf” when there was no opportunity to visit the restaurant.

The best course: Ostrich tartar / pickled asparagus / creamy yolk / green onion

Prologue (Gdańsk)

Chef: Wojciech Korfel

The one such place. The prologue is unique not only because of the stunningly good steaks from Wagyu, but also splendid desserts. We already miss these specialties. More about visit in Prologue restaurant

The best course: Wagyu steak

Sacher Restaurant Rote Bar (Vienna)

Michelin Guide Plate

Chef: Dominik Stolzer

In 2020 we visited the famous Sacher hotel twice. The first time was in January at breakfast, which naturally ended the Sacher Torte and the second time in August, when we decided to visit the Restaurant Rote Bar and it was an excellent idea. More about visit in Restaurant Rote Bar restaurant

The best course: Original Sacher goose liver tarte with elderberry, apricot and hazelnut brioche.

Signature (Warsaw)

Michelin Guide Plate

Chef: Wojtek Kilian

We try to visit Signature at least once a year because we like this restaurant very much. Peace of mind, delicious food and great service with Mr. David in the lead.

The best course: Octopus/potato/tomato/avocado/lemon mayonnaise

Śląska prohibicja (Katowice)

Chef: Magdalena Nowaczewska

It took some time before we decided to visit the Śląska Prohibicja. I must admit that the delay was caused by very difficult parking in Nikiszowiec. Indeed it can be difficult to find a parking spot there, but it is worth it. In the menu there is something for the lovers of Silesian traditional dishes, but there are also other interesting menu positions.

The best course: Guinea fowl breast / mashed potatoes / asparagus / brown champignon/ roasted chicken sauce

Villa Vienna (Bytom)

Chef: Roman Miś

In Villa Vienna the Wiener Schnitzel is worth a sin (especially with potatoes with vinegar and onions). Also the goose feast was wonderful, the sensational goose legs, fillet and liver made our November gloomy days more pleasant. All of these courses we got delivered to our home due to the national lockdown. However, the best dish was a great halibut, which we managed to eat on the spot in the restaurant during a short break between lockdowns.

The best course: Halibut with sweet potato fries.

Summary:

I admire Chefs, restaurateurs and the whole restaurant service for fighting, for not giving up even though the year was extremely hard and the next one does not look any brighter. I can only wish you courage and determination, and thank you for this effort.

I wish you, dear guest, so you can have opportunity to enter your favorite restaurants as soon as possible and enjoy delicious food and great company. In the meantime, support the local gastronomy, order take-away and delivery food, publish positive comments and be good to yourselves so that we all survive somehow this strange, anxious time.

Huge thanks to the brilliant and tireless technical support of the blog, to the author of Writeonly.pl, for PL correction to Róża Majsterkiewicz and for EN correction to Krzysztof Biliński.