Charlotte Bar and Cafe (Guangzhou)

located right at the lagoon

romantic trees outside

I have been in Guangzhou for quite some time and yet, I have only known this quaint bar and restaurant a few weeks back.  It was introduced to me by one of my team members who suggested to have our team's baby shower in this place.

It is located right at the heart of Zhejiang Central Park, right in the middle of the lagoon which I did not even know exist.  It is a quaint log cabin with a balcony extending towards the water; thereby giving it a romantic ambiance.  We already called in for a reservation so table was not a problem.  However, we had to sit inside because the balcony cannot accommodate a long table for 13 people.

Service had been a problem but was compensated by the manager and chef attending personally to our needs.  Most of the staff are pretty new which explains the inefficiency.  I had to ask for my dessert 5 times before it was finally served.  The good food is also something that I will gladly go back to in spite of the non-exceptional service.

As for the price, it is not as pricey as the ambiance of the place looks like.  The price is reasonable and you will actually be getting exquisite food for a good price.  I had the lamb and I am not even fond of lamb.  However, I like the lamb in this restaurant and the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Their appetisers, especially the salmon with melon and avocado, are to die for.

the lamb

French cheese and shrimp pastries; squid cutlets with wasabi sauce

opera chocolate cake and mango cheese cake

mint punch

I will come back gladly into this place and bring my family here for some good food and atmosphere for sure.

PRICE RANGE:
steaks start at 160-200 plus RMB (around 30 dollars)
appetisers range from 40rmb up (6 dollars and up)





                       

LA TAVERNA (CLIFFORD ESTATES)

A whole row of new restos appeared in our village and they are like just walking distance from our house.  Being a family that seems to be greatly fascinated by food, we have resolved to try out each and everyone of them.  La Taverna is the first of them that we tried out and boy, aren't we delighted by this Italian pizzeria and ristorante.

I have been eyeing it for quite a while because of the elegant facade and cool interiors.  The front door is reminiscent of a Gatsby ambiance; a mixture of Italian and art deco lines.  These lines are further carried out into the dining room as brick wall accents and shelves' design.  The interior is decorated in rich warm hues with rough brick cladding for walls thereby exuding a more Italian feel.

The Gatsby inspired entrance

chandeliers and brick walls

comfy couch

the fireplace

The food that we have ordered are also great.  We have actually ordered a lot for ourselves causing us to take home most of it.  The cuisine is actually fusion; not just an Italian menu.  They do have signature Italian dishes like pastas and pizzas but they also have steaks and even fried rice and the likes.

I started out with a Caesar's salad and I must say that their salad is sumptous and appetising. I am not a big fan of Caesar's salad but I am really fond of this one.   The cheese and bacons bits gave it that zesty taste that makes you crave for more.

Casesar's salad

I also had a bit of their tenderloin steak.  I like my steak medium rare and I must say that they cooked it the way I wanted it.  I am not a big fan of their sauce though because it seems like it is the same as all the other black pepper sauce I had here in China.

tenderloin steak

I also had the chef recommended pasta with salted prawns.  The pasta tasted delicious.  The noodles were done al dente which is quite rare to find here in Mainland.  As for the prawns, I was a little disappointed because I don't really like it when the shells of the prawns stick to the prawn meat.  It was so hard to get them out and could have been plated better.

pasta with salted prawn

My husband had the fettuccine with lamb in red wine and his verdict was simply delectable!  Coming from someone who knows his pasta well and cooks them deliciously too, this comment is one of a kind.  You see, it is quite difficult to find a nice pasta place here; a lot of times the noodles end up soggy and the sauce is usually bland.  According to him, this one is just right so if you will be heading to this rest, order this pasta pronto!

fettuccine with lamb

Mini-me,on the other hand, had the beef lasagna  and mozzarella sticks which she really loves.  She is a cheese person like me.  We also had pizza but we took most of the pizza home because our stomachs were so already so full.

All in all, La Taverna fed us well and I am pretty sure we will still be coming back for more in the months to come.

price range: AROUND 450 RMB (AROUND 70 USD) for all the food here

beef lasagna

prosciutto pizza

mozzarella sticks

passion fruit green tea

ELEMENT FRESH (TAIKOO HUI)

One of my favourite restaurants here in Guangzhou primarily because of their Mediterranean
 platter.  I am very fond of prosciutto and they have a great tasting one.  I like the location because it is on a rooftop garden in Taikoo Hui.  The ambiance is light and airy, actually true to its name "Element Fresh."  I recommend their pastas and appetizers.  Go for the Med platter if you can, you won't regret it.  The portobello mushrooms, sun- dried tomatoes and cheese are just mouthwatering.

seafood pasta

carbonara

fresh summer spring rolls

Mediterranean platter

creamy pasta

me with Angel

me with mini-me during our elements fresh date

enjoying her mango smoothie

happy me while waiting for our food

Oggi Trattoria and Pizzeria (Guangzhou)

A few days before Chinese year, my good friends and I had dinner at one of the Italian restaurants in town.  I didn't know about the place primarily because I live in the suburbs.

with my friends

Oggi has a very nice ambiance, in fact, very Italian.  The stone walls, the music and the paintings are reminiscent of European style.

Most of the food that we ordered were great; both the appetizers and the main courses were spectacular.  The prosciutto on one of the appetizers could have been better though.

The desserts were luscious! We had two kinds, one was pannacotta while the other one was a gelato lava cake which was heavenly.

appetizers

a very good wine

vongole pasta

mozzarella

bruschetta

eggless pannacotta

WINDY CITY FOOD

My family and I love food so much.  We love to cook, bake and of course, eat!  I have actually researched about Chi-town's local food before we actually set foot there.  I know that we just had to have the deep dish pizza and the famous Polish hotdogs.  Chicago did not disappoint when it comes to food.  There are lots of options and for me, everything tasted awesome or at least everything we have eaten.

The Nachos at Gino's East Pizza

Mozzarella sticks at Gino's East Pizza

Calamari at Gino's East Pizza

with my college friend Joe at Gino's East Pizza

we haven't seen each other for almost 10 years

eating the left over deep dish pizza from Gino's east at my hotel

Portillo's

interior is classic Italian eatery 

Mini-me's burger

my first try on the Maxwell street Polish hotdog and I fell in love with it.

the philly cheese steak sandwich at house of wings, North Clark

burger and chicken wings at house of wings, north clark

the celery sticks reminded me how much I love this snack.

my second polish hotdog sandwich at house of wings, north clark

the grilled beef set at Del Seoul, North clark

bibimbap at Del Seoul, North Clark

my family loves to eat late at night and Bockwinkel's deli was our saviour because it was opened 24 hours and just a few steps away from Hyatt Regency. 

a whole lot of selection

but we love their roasted chicken best!