A Look at Sabio By The Sea

Here is an interesting restaurant interior.

Sabio By the Sea was designed by The Stripe Collective in Singapore.

I like busy ceiling.  The mix of antler lights, pendant lighting, rope and horse heads (instead of stag heads?!) seem to work together.  Plus the view that opens onto the marina isn’t too shabby as a background for tapas.

Photo Source: 1-4

Date Night #2 Sticks ‘n’ Sushi

For Date Night #2, my husband and I decided to come out of our year and a half sushi hibernation in Prague and jump back on the bandwagon.  We went to Sticks ‘n’ Sushi.

On one of our week night walks, we noticed a busy looking sushi restaurant, so we memorized the name, and made a reservation when we got home for the following Friday. We went to dinner without reading a review or the menu.  This was a blind sushi tasting.  In most European cities, this is the same as a dining death sentence- unless you are prepared to pay for some high-end sushi!  I am sorry to say but non-high end sushi restaurants are hit and miss.

You could say we approached our date night at Sticks ‘n’ Sushi with much anticipation, curiosity and perspiration.

Wipe sweat off brow- this place was mind-blowingly good.  It came up in conversation with our waiter that we had just moved to Copenhagen two weeks ago and had not eaten sushi in almost two years.

He asked us if we had been to any other sushi restaurants in Copenhagen.  We said, he was our first.  “Good” he replied. “We are the best in the city, so you came to the right spot.”  And this is coming from a sushi chain (shudder shudder).

Photo Sources 1, 2-3 (mine), 4, 5, 6, 7

We ordered edamame that came topped with salt and a wedge of lemon and slices of raw salmon that was topped with mushrooms, shredded beets, onions and a mustard sauce. For sushi we ordered three rolls.  Each roll came creatively topped with unidentifiable glazes, sesame seeds, or crunchy bits.  Melt in your mouth fish.  The rolls had the texture, the flavour and the freshness all in one.  After a pot of freshly brewed loose leaf jasmine tea (bonus), we were tempted into trying their trio of sorbet (yuzu, hazelnut and vanilla), which also came topped with sculptural stuff (chocolate, crunchy butterscotch bits and a thin cotton candy-watermelon tasting sugar).

We left stuffed, satisfied and wanting to put sushi in our monthly rotation of date nights.  We won’t though because that will take away from visiting other restaurants.  I am still curious about other sushi restaurants in Copenhagen, so Sticks ‘n’ Sushi will not rein supreme until I test out a couple other spots.

The last thing I found interesting about this spot, was that not only was this restaurant packed, it was also lining up bag after take-away bag of sushi the entire time we were there.  People kept walking in and out to pick up their take-away sushi.

Address:   Øster Farimagsgade 16, 2100 København Ø. Telefon +45 35 38 34 63

Normann and Kale

I think I was having one of those right-place-right-time moments last Friday. I happened to be scanning my Facebook feed and noticed that Normann Copenhagen, one of my favourite Danish designers, was having a one night sale at the flagship store between 7-10pm.  I went last night.

Copenhagen’s design aficionados were out in full force.  Young, old- everyone and their mother were at the store to get their hands on some iconic “discounted” Danish design products (they were also selling Acne, Hay and a few other brands).  I arrived at quarter after 7 and there was already a line out the door.

I grabbed a bunch of items as I walked through the narrow sale corridor onto the main floor, only to put three quarters of it back.  If you’ve ever been to a sample sale of any kind, you know the drill– grab what you can get, then edit and delete.  I snapped this picture of the crazy line and posted it on Instagram while I was board of waiting.

The check-out line was the killer.  Why did I attend such a claustrophobic-yet thrilling event? I was on a mission to obtain a dining room light.  My husband and I waited close to 35 minutes in the check out line to get our large Hang Lamp in white.  We also scored a Tablo table in warm grey and a potato peeler (my husband’s wish).  Not too shabby!

I got my design fix for the week and now onto more important matters such as nutrition.  On the weekend I must have opened a dozen or so tabs on kale.  Some of the more standout recipes included the ones from here, here and here.

Nothing was really piquing my interest, so I decided to a mix and match and invent my own dish. I call it “The spicy kale, quinoa, amaranth salad with miso glazed sweet potatoes and pesto.”  If that is not the longest title for a salad, I don’t know what is.  All I know, is that when I ate it, it was really, freaking good.

Here’s what I did:

1 Find yourself a big bunch of kale.  I found a big bag of kale at my local green grocer down the street.  For some reason, I have not seen kale in the major grocery stores.

2.  Wash your big bunch of kale and remove any wilted ends.  I also removed the leaves from the thick, tough spine, because it is rather unpleasant to chew on and then I chopped all the leaves up into strips.

3.  Start making your quinoa/grain mix.  I mixed 3/4 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup amaranth to 2 cups of water.  I also added in a teaspoon of vegetable bullion and a pinch of herbs du provence.  Put your grains and water in a pot, bring the water and grains to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes, I killed the heat and let the quinoa/amaranth mix sit for another 5-7 minutes (still covered) to finish cooking.  The grains have to cool down before they become salad, so I transferred them into a big porcelain dish and let them do their thing while I got back to making my spicy kale.

4. Mince some scallions, garlic or onions.  Heat up a frying pan with olive oil, put your scallion, onion or garlic in first until it starts to brown.  Then throw in your big bowl of cut up kale into the frying pan and start to stir the leaves around right away.  The kale will start to turn bright green quite quickly.  Note-you are not trying to wilt the kale in the pan.  You are simply trying to bring out its bright green colour and lightly cook the leaves.  As the kale cooks, I throw in a big pinch of chili pepper flakes and mix it all together. Take the kale off the burner and let it cool.

Next- I mixed the cooled grains and cooled kale together in a big bowl.  I topped the salad with cut up miso glazed sweet potatoes that I made over the weekend (I used this recipe and substituted squash for sweet potatoes and it was good!) followed by two big spoonfuls of almond-basil pesto.

Mix it all together and you get a salad that is sweet, spicy, crunchy, garlicky, pesto-ey, and full of protein and calcium.  This salad is now going to be a staple in my house.

I have made my declaration on the Internet!

The flavour combination was to die for and you can switch it up with whatever you have on hand.  Want more protein, throw in some chickpeas.  Want more crunch, throw in some raw cauliflower, or snap peas.  The options are endless-

Let me know if you try it!

(Goodbye) Prague Bucket List

What do you do if you only have a couple days left in a city?  Better yet, what do you do with your last eight hours in a city?  If you could only visit or eat one thing, where would you go?  Last week my husband and I packed up our cosy flat in Prague and moved to Copenhagen.

For an entire week, I debated what would I do on my last day in Prague. Would I hike up Petrin hill for one last glance at the castle?  Would I walk across Charles Bridge and wave goodbye to the statues? Would I venture to Staromeske Namesti (Old Town Square) to watch the Astronomical clock?  The answer is No.  I was done with the touristy side of the city.

My bucket list revolves around food (plus a Thai massage session at Som’s Thai).  Who are we kidding?

My Prague Bucket List:

1. Breakfast at Cafe Savoy– Vítězná 5, Praha 5 (Mala Strana) Cafe Savoy is a restaurant owned by the Ambiante group, which owns several other fine establishments in the city.  Housed in a restored Art Nouveau building, this restaurant is known around town for putting out a spectacular breakfast that is served on silver platters.  During my year and a half in Prague, I had yet to test out this rumoured “spectacular” breakfast, so I woke up early, before heading to work, and treated myself (and my husband) to breakfast at Cafe Savoy. I ordered the Continental breakfast that 2. Jasmine Tea at Mama Coffee .  Vodičkova 674/6, Prague 1 Tea and coffee comes served in Mama Coffee’s own adorable little porcelain tea pots, and cups (available for sale).  You don’t have to ask me twice to order their vegetarian mixed plate for lunch. It comes with hummus, a few salads, a second unidentifiable yet tasty dip and bread.  (Vegan options are also available). 3. A duck sandwich at Cafe Lounge Plaská 615/8, Prague 5 Mala Strana Nothing says satisfying lunch like an open faced duck sandwich on sourdough bread with stewed apples and onions.  Mmm mmm. Cafe Lounge has a great vibe, with its art deco interiors.  It’s non-smoking, serves filter coffee and offers options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Plus, lots of books and magazines to flip through if you are dining solo or waiting for your friends to arrive. 4. Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion sandwich at Muj Salek Kavy Křižíkova 105, Praha 8 (Karlin) Sadly, I don’t have a picture of this sandwich but I will do my best to describe its awesomeness.  Firstly the goat cheese is tangy and slightly warmed. It is wedged between two pieces of sunflower seed bread and topped with sweet caramelized onions and some lettuce.  It has crunch, it has creaminess, it has tang and sweet all rolled into one mouthful.  I will miss you sandwich.  You are up there on my all time top five sandwiches.  🙂 5. Pho Men from Bily Jerab Štefánikova 51, Praha 5 Mala Strana  Bily Jerab is a refreshing change if your palate is craving Japanese.  The tea house’s small, all vegetarian menu is a terrific complement to its extensive tea list.  This soup is by far, my favourite.   6. A Pilsner Urquel + a plate of meat from Kolkovna Vítězná 7, Praha 1, 110 00 This was not my meal, but my husband was obsessing over having his last Czech meal.  I did not even accompany him on this outing as the restaurant’s non-smoking section has as much smoke as the smoking section.  He enjoyed his plate-o-meat and beer solo.  Oh, Czech food.  My husband will miss you. 🙂

I am sure there are a few more places I could add to the list such as Red Hot Chili (Vietnamese in Karlin), Veltlin (wine bar), Kaaba Cafe’s cheese plate or salads but that is it for now.  Onward and upward to exploring my new city that I will learn to call home, Copenhagen.

zukr btq

What a whirlwind of a month and the month is not even over yet.  It is not like me to disappear from my blog but a mountain of challenges and changes were thrown my way that I had to address.  No sweat. I”m back!

The most exciting challenge of them all had to be prepping and finalizing the launch of Countlan Magazine Issue Two due out this week.  The other challenge/change is an impending move from Prague but more on that later.

Looking ahead, there are some exciting travel plans coming up which I look forward to sharing with you, my lovely readers.  The first stop is to Rome where I plan to eat a lot of pasta and gelato while checking out the sights and architecture of the city.  Next, I will be in Paris to visit family and make my second “pilgrimage” to Rose Bakery.  Finally, I will be spending New Years in London with two good friends, which I can’t wait for!  London is a city I can’t get enough of. There is so much to do, so much going on and of course, the dining is phenomenal.  The city won my heart over with Borough market, Ottolenghi and an Indian restaurant that is so spicy that I was coughing up a storm simply upon entering the restaurant and inhaling the spices in the air.

With the holidays coming up, I thought I would profile this neat online-only Edenburgh, Scotland based, sweet shop and bakery called Zukr BTQ (boutique).

Photo Source: 1

Zukr makes divine sweets such as handmade lollipops (their signature), artisan marshmallows (hibiscus, espresso, passion fruit, matcha tea), pate de fruit in raspberry and apricot (fruit jelly), dense royal brownies and macarons.  And get this- they ship internationally- You can order from Zukr and they will ship anywhere in the world!

Raspberry Marshmallows

Pate de Fruit

Salted Caramels

Violet Lollipops

Dark Chocolate and Bee Pollen Lollipop

Cherry Brownies

Baked Goods Product Photos Via Zukr Boutique Gallery

Zukr Boutique was started by a husband and wife team in 2010 who brought together the best of both worlds, pastry chef skills and design and photography skills.  (That is why their website looks so awesome!!).  If you are craving a behind the scenes look like I was, you can head on over to their YouTube feed and check out their four videos which show their macarons, lollipops, fruit pate and marshmallows.

If you prefer shopping on Etsy, Zukr also has an Etsy shop where you can browse and order their treats.

As one of my best friends suggested to me last week, I should compile a list of all the cool “order-online” bakeries where you can send people gifts.  I think she was just talking about in Toronto, but why not extend it to the whole world, if places like Zukr ship.  I will put it on my extensive and growing list of things to do.

Has anyone ordered from Zukr Boutique?  Does anyone have any recommendations of good “online-order friendly bakeries” that they would like to share in the comment section or on Facebook?  Send me your thoughts. I would love to hear your experiences.

Torvehallerne Market: Inside and Out

I blogged about Torvehallerne market a while back (see: Torvehallerne Market) and FINALLY got the opportunity to go take a tour myself when I was in Copenhagen earlier this month.  Running back and forth between the two market buildings was a treat.  There were so many stalls to check out and sample, it could have kept me busy for weeks.  For that reason, I found myself returning daily during my weekend trip.

The market is centrally located in the city and spread out over two modern, industrial looking buildings.   There is a large uncovered paved section, in between the two market buildings, that seemed to resemble an outdoor extension of the indoor market which had several stalls selling beautiful fresh produce and some guys playing live music.

I tried to capture a couple of my favourite market stalls as I walked around but it was really busy inside and out and there were always people in my shots!  Oh well…

We taste tested a pizza from Gorm’s– and WOW!  Their pizza is incredible. The crust is paper thin, almost like a cracker.  They use fresh ingredient and create your pie like true chefs, as opposed to treating your pizza like fast food (simply reheating a slice).  When we received our pizza it was drizzled with a basil-pesto oil that kicked the flavour up to new heights.

I thought these were funny shaped radishes, so I took a picture.  They reminded me of a pill in a capsule.  When I picture a radish, I think of it having a round shape, not cylindrical.  Maybe these are special Danish radishes!

More cupcakes from Agnes.

Delicious baked goods from

My favourite stalls: Agnes Cupcakes (which I blogged about here “Birthday Cupcakes from Agnes”), Gorm’s (thin crust pizza), Laura Bakery (Bakery identity by Johannes Trope), The Coffee Collective, Nordic (cheese + dairy), A Xoco (premium crafted quality chocolate by Anthon Berg) and whoever is doing the flowers.

I was thinking about this….the thing about visiting markets (anywhere in the world) is that unless you live in the city, you’re relegated to samples and simple take away items, which can sometimes be frustrating and unsatisfying if you are really into food.  The fun of such a beautiful market like this is getting to buy ingredients to cook a meal.  I guess you can always imagine what that would be like and stick to the samples.

The meat, fish, produce, cheese, sauces and spices also looked excellent here.  Torvehallerne is a great, bustling hub in the city that is certainly worth a visit if you are in town.

OTHER PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT TORVEHALLERNE

1. New York Times Travel: An open invitation to eat in Copenhagen

2. Food Republic: Copenhagen: At Torvehallerne Market, Impeccable Taste, Design and Smoked Scallops

3. Conde Nast The Daily Traveler: Photos from the Road: Copenhagen’s Torvehallerne Market