Tag: foodie

Der Döner™ in der EU!

Ich beobachte seit einiger Zeit, dass auch LinkedIn immer verrohter, polarisierter, flacher und nutzloser wird. Also die allgemeine Abwärtsspirale von Social Media – warum sollte es hier anders sein?

Wie dem auch sei, ich will nicht nur zuschauen, sondern aktiv beitragen mit einer hoffentlich emotional polarisierenden Extremposition zum Vorstoß der Türkei, den Döner in der EU, insbesondere in Deutschland, zu regulieren.

Aktuell: Tagesschau
Ja, es ist mir schon länger wichtig: mein Blog

Bei diesem Foodie-Thema, das mir naturgemäß sehr am Herzen liegt und das mir kürzlich über die Leber gelaufen ist, bin ich bereit, von meinen üblichen Prinzipien abzuweichen, also z.B.
– individuelle Geschmacksfragen nicht zu verallgemeinern,
– mich nicht mit zwei Optionen abspeisen zu lassen,
– kulturelle Fettnäpfchen so weit es möglich ist zu meiden,
– Kontext und Perspektiven der Präsentation zu würdigen und
– emotionale Reaktionen zu vermeiden.

Los geht’s: Ich stehe an der Seite von Huriye Özener in diesem heiligen kulinarischen Streit, in dem Christen und Muslime, Türken und Deutsche gemeinsam den guten Geschmack verteidigen und für einen echten Döner kämpfen!

In meinem heiligen Zorn habe ich folgende Details verstanden:
– Dönerfleisch wie wir es kennen (laut Bild und anderer Qualitätsmedien), würde es im klassischen Döner nicht mehr geben, weil nur Rindfleisch von Tieren, die mindestens 16 Monate alt sind, oder Keulen-/Rückenfleisch von mindestens 6 Monate alten Schafen verwendet werden darf. Hallo?! Hallooo… was sonst. Gerne erhöhen auf 24/12 Monate!
– Dönerfleisch wie wir es kennen darf dann keine nicht-tierischen Eiweiße, Stärke, stärkehaltigen Stoffe, kein Soja und keine Sojaerzeugnisse enthalten. Hallooo… Das ist übelste Panscherei – natürlich nicht!.
– Dönerfleisch wie wir es kennen darf dann nicht mehr ein Hackfleischanteil von bis zu 60% haben? Hallooo… Ich will Döner, kein Ersatz-Surrogat-Extrakt.
– Dönerfleisch wie wir es kennen darf dann nicht mehr mit dem seelenlosen Fleischrasierer abgehobelt werden, sondern muss fachmännisch mit einem 55cm Dönermesser von oben nach unten geschnitten werden. Hier verweise ich auf die Spanischen Cortadores de Jamon, ja es ist Kunsthandwerk!

Es ist an der Zeit, die Klingen zu schärfen und die Flammen der Leidenschaft für ordentliche und vernünftige Döner neu entfachen!

PS: the image is a real Döner – I tried to generate one with the current AI tools and they miserably fail at this task wich makes the fight for the true Döner even more important!

2024-08-21
Discover Rioja: a blend of history, culture and exquisite wines

When you think of Rioja, you inevitably think of its world-famous wines. But Rioja, a vibrant region in northern Spain, is much more than a wine-producing area. It’s a place where culture, history and winemaking come together to create a truly unique experience. Here’s a first slice from our exploration of the wonders of Rioja, where we have been guided by our marvelous guia y professor Manuel and his wife Merce, from its breathtaking landscapes to so much more (…I will cover later). Let us start with the deep-rooted traditions of its historic wineries and its exceptional wines.

A Journey through Time and Vineyards

A center of Spanish viticulture: For over 8,000 years, wine has been cultivated. In Rioja, it must have arrived – at the latest – with the Roman empire, shaping not only the landscape but also the soul of its people. The ancient craft of winemaking has been passed down from generation to generation, making wine an inseparable part of Rioja’s identity.

The Bodegas: Where culture meets the vine

Architectural wonders and historic estates: Rioja’s bodegas are more than just wineries; they are landmarks and repositories of history. Iconic estates like Marqués de Riscal blend contemporary design with tradition, with avant-garde structures that stand in stark contrast to the rolling vineyards. Ysios and Marqués de Murrieta echo this heritage, each telling a story of the region’s evolution through their wines and architecture, and there are so many more to explore and enjoy, as Bodega FyA.

Vivanco and Muga are synonymous with the Rioja wine tradition. Vivanco not only brought Rioja everywhere, but he spent a good amount on preserving the heritage and building an impressive wine museum that celebrates the rich history of viticulture. Muga, on the other hand, remains a testament to procedural excellence and traditional winemaking techniques, using oak barrels made in its own cooperage.

The wine itself: A symphony of flavors

Exclusive collections and everyday pleasures: Rioja wines range from high-end “vinos de pago” stored in vaults to accessible varieties that grace everyday meals. Rioja wines have something for every palate, whether it’s a robust Tempranillo or a light and crisp Viura.

Wine & Pintxos

Wine at noon – in-between

Wine & Pizza – always a good match

Wine + Lamb

Wine + Seafood

Wine with our friends and the best meal ever 😋🍷

Wine Tastings

More Wine Impressions

Living Wine Culture

Wine Superstars and Patrons: Rioja is home to celebrity winemakers and patrons who have elevated the local wine scene to global fame. Their dedication is evident in every bottle and in the thriving wine tourism industry.

Terroir and Tradition: The concept of terroir is deeply rooted in Riojan winemaking, emphasizing the geographical and climatic conditions that give Rioja wines their distinctive character.

Beyond the Vineyard

Cultural richness: Rioja’s culture goes beyond wine. The region’s festivals, such as the vibrant San Mateo, and the daily lives of its people reflect a deep appreciation for both tradition and modernity.

Historic Landmarks: From the dinosaur footprints preserved in Enciso to the medieval streets of Laguardia, history is alive in every corner of La Rioja.

A Promise to Return

Lasting impressions: At the end of any visit to Rioja, one is left with memories not only of incredible wines but also of a warm, welcoming culture. It’s a region that promises – and delivers – a reason to return.

Stay tuned for the next post on Rioja

2024-05-20

The Decadente – Guilt-Free Self-Indulgence

Our first and the last stop (we had to come back)

The Decadentes is one of the new young wild Portugees restaurants where traditional receipts based on local, high-quality products are spectacularly reborn.

It is this perfect experience when you stroll around, research planless with high expectations, and are surprised to get even more finally.

The restaurant is ideally located on the backside of the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, where you can have the best view of Lisboa at sundown. Unfortunately, we were even (un)lucky to have a street food event that we had to skip on our last stop. We knew we had still a lot on the menu card to explore.

Miguel described the food as: confusing, intriguing, but it makes sense

A perfect description, and I have to add: you have to experience it yourself!

The foodporn at Decadentes

Chargrilled Beef Heart Cabbage, Almonds Sauce, and Citrus

Iberian Black Pork, Smoked Celeriac, and Pecan Nuts

Smoked Lamb, Chargrilled Swiss Chard, Preserved Lemon

Compressed Cucumber, Black Pepper Merengue, Lime and Vanilla Granita

On our second visit we had…

Decadent’s Fried Chicken, Coriander, Piri Piri Sauce

Chargrilled Smoked Seabass, Cozido Broth, and Iberian Pork Chorizo

Caramelized Lemony Bread, Vanilla Smoked Cream, Orange Curd and Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Portuguese Pão-de-Ló, Olive Oil, Sea Salt flakes

The Team

Chef & Service (left to right) Melisa, Miguel, David (the chef)

It is a great pleasure with those guys – let them guide you through the menu and let them recommend.

Confusing, intriguing, but it makes sense – Miguel

The Location

Conclusion

Top Rank! Epic! 🤩

🤮	Miserable big fail! Runaway as fast as possible!
🙂	Acceptable. Quite OK! There are some negative aspects, but from an overall viewpoint, outweighed.
😋	Excellent! It goes on the Foodie Happy list
🤩	Top rank! Epic, milestone and beyond exceptional

The Kydroon Ranking System in a Nutshell: jump to the lists on google maps

2022-04-20

Döner, Dürüm und Falafel

Es ist mal wieder Zeit für einen deutschsprachigen Beitrag für das Kydroon’s Foodie Bewertungssystem 🤓 und was wäre besser dazu geeignet, als eine neuentdeckte Dönerbude, quasi direkt vor der eigenen Haustür? Ja, es gibt dieses Jahr auch gute Nachrichten! 😉

Fast noch besser ist, dass man nicht ausschweifend erklären muss, um die immer hinter jeder Ecke lauernde Tücke des Missverständnis fernzuhalten. Sprache ist geläufig, aber sehr unpräzise und jeder stellt sich irgendwas anderes unter schwurbligen Begrifflichkeiten wie “Agilität” oder “Digitalisierung” vor.

Hier ist es einfach, es geht um Döner mit Knoblauch und allem und Scharf in seinen schmackhaftesten Varianten und jeder und jede versteht exakt zu 100% was ich meine! Was für ein Gefühl. Wenn ich mich täglich durch mein Berateralltag rede, bin ich froh, wenn ich gefühlt mal auf ⅓ komme.

Um es vorwegzunehmen, die Gesamtwertung ist Exzeptionell! 🤩

Also, die beiden Mädels haben die Bude im Sommer aufgemacht und bereiten mit Spaß und Liebe fantastische Dürüms, Döner und Falafel zu. Alles super frisch und alle Beilagen selbst am gleichen Morgen zubereitet.

Das ist alles, der Rest ist die Magie, die sich aus der intrinsischen Spannung zwischen dem Döner-Fleisch, dem Yufka-Fladenbrot, das liebevoll vorher am Döner-Spieß gerieben wird und dem “mit allem, Knoblauch und scharf” ergibt.

Wo ist es zu finden? Am Parkplatz unter der Donnersberger Brücke (Nordende), wo sich die ganzen Internet-Giganten wie Google, Salesforce und Check24 tummeln.

🤮	Miserable big fail! Runaway as fast as possible!
🙂	Acceptable. Quite OK! There are some negative aspects, but on an overall view, outweighed.
😋	Excellent! It goes on the Foodie Happy list
🤩	Top rank! Epic, milestone and beyond exceptional

Listen der einzelnen Wertungsklassen

2021-12-19

Sparkling Bistro

Coming from Frankfurt, everybody has to admit that there is more high-end cuisine in Frankfurt. I am still trying to distill this vague feeling into some unambiguous numbers, but!

…yes, there are hidden precious gems in Munic that would shine bright and probably even brighter amongst the mentioned ones from Mainhattan.

You just have to find them, and Hussi & Steffi found one for us that I have to share.

Sparkling Bistro, the storytelling restaurant. I could now delve into that beautiful memory, but I want to make this story short and to the point.

Big green egg
Two wizzards of product based cuisine

Embrace the pleasure of being guests and let loose any control. We went for a five-course dinner accompanied by matching wines. As a non-native, non-poet, I am far away from being able to describe the pleasure we had. Not just food and wine. Get in touch with Jürgen and unfold the storytelling. Enjoy being his guest, and you will find yourself in a well-balanced melange of olfactoric, gustatory, and dialectical experience.

Again, I am writing myself into a rage, and we had enough words. Let us apply my highly sophisticated Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System 🤓 to Sparkling Bistro.

(sorry, I have to repeat this part as most people are too lazy to click into the explanation to read it isolated)

🤮	Miserable big fail! Runaway as fast as possible!
🙂	Acceptable. Quite OK! There are some negative aspects, but on an overall view, outweighed.
😋	Excellent! It goes on the Foodie Happy list
🤩	Top rank! Epic, milestone and beyond exceptional

Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System has some cool features I have to reiterate:

There is just one level for crap. That is enough for crap, and I do not care to distinguish between totally crap or somehow crap.
The base level is acceptable, and this means good enough. That is already a lot, and we should, in general, apply more often the concept of good enough.
Excellent is good enough plus some unique features which make it shine out of the crowd.
Finally, the top rank is for the exceptional excellent ones. That is, of course, always a personal biased view.

I also want to have stuff in all buckets, so in doubt, I will always favor the more extreme ones.

The overall ranking for the Sparkling Bistro in Munic is: 🤩 Exceptional!

If you want to read more, I would recommend this article from urban-pioneer.

Another good review from the the Süddeutsche.

Herb butter out of thin air and fairy dust
Tuna carpacchio with caviar
Dove breast and leg

As you see: perfect presentation. As I can tell, exceptional excellent taste.

Fish on a salad soup
Main course
Chocolate cake and mango sorbet (with no sugar)

As I can also only tell, each dish comes with a story from Jürgen. Go and get your very own 😇.

it was a long dinner 😋

2019-10-06

Young, wild, regional cuisine
Go to the Pure Wine Food and go for the chefs choice. Claudia has a magic hand driven by Mediterranean temperament and local, high-quality products. For me, this is the classical young wild cooking class. The highlight was, without disrespecting the main course, which was also exceptional, the Rote Beete Soup! The magic process for this, at least this is what I could get out from Claudia: Boil the beetroot to the very end; Add almond milk; Add Verjus; Add grapeseed oil. The result is insanely good!

Overall rating: 😋 (Excellent!)
2019-09-11
Pescheria: Homeport for fish lovers in Munich

One drawback on Munich is its distance from fresh fish, and here I am talking about fresh fish from everywhere, not just the local coast. This lifts Frankfurt beyond Hamburg or even Barcelona. The good stuff from there is in a few hours in Frankfurt, along with good stuff from the rest of the world.

However, the friendly, nice, and crazy guys from Pescheria seem to be well connected in the fish world.

When you step inside, you can not miss the vitrine with fresh fish that you will also see on the daily menu.

It has a vibrant ambiance with an earned own patina that can not be copied. It is full of people in a good mood, offering the right amount of background sound for your privacy without being too loud.

…OK, first, I have to reiterate the fantastic highly sophisticated Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System 🤓

🤮 Miserable big fail! Runaway as fast as possible! There is just one level for crap. That is enough for crap, and I do not care to distinguish between totally crap or somehow crap. Crap is crap, and it goes on this list with all the other crap.
🙂 Acceptable. Quite OK! There are some negative aspects, but on an overall view, outweighed. The base level is acceptable, and this means good enough. This is already a lot, and we should, in general, apply more often the concept of good enough.
😋 Excellent! It goes on the Foodie Happy list. Excellent is good enough plus some unique features which makes it shine out of the crowd.
🤩 Top rank! Epic, milestone, and beyond exceptional. The top rank is for the exceptional excellent ones.

And now…
The overall ranking for the Pescheria is: 😋 (Excellent!)

It feels good

Sword Mussel – It is something I know from my very first book on sea life, I have to admit, it was the first time I could eat them: delicious!

pulpo á la gallega

…the salt covers, fosters, protects and unveils the:

Royal gilt-head Bream, or Orata or Dorade

Tasty perfect al dente side dish

We had the Benito Ferrara, Greco di Tufo, which was a perfect fit

Cardenal Mendoza is OK, Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real is from Fhloston Paradise

we kept them busy until the very end…

Looking forward to the next visit

2019-08-17
Nobu: Peruvian Japanese Fusion in Munich
I think most people who have ever visited a Nobu restaurant remember this for the rest of their life. It is excellent foodie stuff made of creativity, presentation, and ambiance. When those dimensions are well balanced, meaning maxed out, it is OK to excuse the high price tag.

The last time I was in a Nobu was ten years ago in Gotham. I think at that time the restaurant was in Tribeca and we could only get in without reservation because of a blizzard, as most canceled their booking.

The Nobu in Munich is on the first floor of the Mandarin Oriental, which is the building below our favorite rooftop sundowner enjoyment place. The summer dinner was a perfect excuse to try it out finally.

I like this fusion because it is more than the sum of two exceptional philosophies:
- Japanese: the pinnacle of product or ingredient excellence. What European cuisine puts into preparation, Japanese puts into the ingredients.
- Peruvian: The best Latin American cuisine. Closely chased by Mexican Food but more elaborated – my point of view.
  Both are a little stuck in their philosophy and highly benefit from this perfect mix!
So, enough words. Let us now apply my highly sophisticated Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System 🤓 to Nobu Matsuhisa in Munich!

🤮 Miserable big fail! Runaway as fast as possible!
🙂 Acceptable. Quite OK! There are some negative aspects, but on an overall view, outweighed.
😋 Excellent! It goes on the Foodie Happy list
🤩 Top rank! Epic, milestone and beyond exceptional

Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System has some cool features I have to explain:
- There is just one level for crap. That is enough for crap, and I do not care to distinguish between totally crap or somehow crap. Crap is crap, and it goes on this list with all the other crap.
- The base level is acceptable, and this means good enough. This is already a lot, and we should, in general, apply more often the concept of good enough.
- Excellent is good enough plus some unique features which makes it shine out of the crowd.
- Finally, the top rank is for the exceptional excellent ones. This is, of course, always a personal biased view that may be linked to special occasions, locations, and my personal history.
I also want to have stuff in all buckets, so in doubt, I will always favor the more extreme ones.

The overall ranking for the Nobu in Munic is: 🤩

Crispy Shrimps with three sauces

The obligatory Pisco Sour (I always wonder why this cocktail is not more popular)

Seafood Ceviche

Peruvian Gazpacho

Sushi+

Grilled Monkfish with solid Chimichurri – here we are now in high orbit!

Braised (48h) Short Rib – here we are activating the FTL engine! 🤩

Please take a look on the feature picture of this post which which is a zoom into this dish. It is an absolute highlight and you have to enjoy it yourself. Explosion of taste and total surprise of texture. Enjoying food is one of the four main reasons of existence, I am in heaven and right now can not recall the other three! 😋😇
Kydroon, the foodie

Deconstructed lemon grass cheese cake – otherworldish good

The evaluation breakdown is: there is no breakdown 🤓

…because it doesn’t matter. That is the last important part of the highly sophisticated Kydroon’s Foodie Evaluation System. As a big fan of KPIs, measuring, counting, evaluation, and assessing, I know that this leads to a useless overanalysis. We tend to often come up with sophisticated models to hide our personal, biased, subjective opinion behind formulas.

It is the result of a current mix of dopamine, serotonin, testosterone, and estrogen. There is no rationality in this complex soup of hormones in our brain.
2019-08-15
New static Page on Foodie aspects

I have added a new static page to link to various recommendations on the foodie topic.

This is more to kick-off filling it with content and a note to myself…

https://atomic-temporary-2234923.wpcomstaging.com/foodie/

2019-07-07
Cevicheria Pez
At the end of a hot day, when the soft tar regains some of its former stability but still radiates warmth. When you are starving, but also look for something refreshing and saturating. When you had enough pizza from one of the 1600 restaurants in Munich, when you want to try something new, when you stroll during a hot summer night through Münchner Freiheit district, then you should go for Ceviche, at one of the only 3 Peruvian restaurants here in Munich.

Cevicheria Pez

For me, it is the best way to enjoy raw fish. Sashimi is delicate too, but the Japanese philosophy is so sharply focused on the product quality itself, that it misses the possibilities of mixing and refining.

Ceviche is the perfect mix when you want raw fresh fish and some extra flavors at the same time.

The classical Ceviche itself is when you use the right products in the right quality a guaranteed success. It looks back on thousands of years of success, and it offers a stable, robust platform for some innovative extensions or fusion.

Here is where the guys from Cevicheria Pez excel.

Pulpo Anticuchero
Trio de Ceviches – Clasico, Thai, and Nikkei

Ceviche Afrodisiaco – with an incredible delicious chili sauce

Accompanying wine – Bicicletas y Peces Sauvignon Blanc 2017

This is the cool team that will mezmerize you with ceviche

…and if you can engage the chef in a talk about the best spots in Peru and the best way to cook and eat Cuy, you will probably be luck to taste some of those nice ones 😋
2019-06-08