Date Night: Irodion

....a taste of Greek Cuisine.
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Maybe its a remnant of our Santorini experience or maybe its just the constant prodding of a colleague at work which made us go and check!

This time its Greek cuisine. I'm not really a fan but the Greek dishes we had in Santorini were delectable that I  had great expectations.

Irodion is touted to be one of the best Greek restaurant in Vienna and my colleague gushes excellent recommendations on its food and the ambiance. So, tempted was thou!!

Its good that she reminded us to book a table in advance (well, she did the reservations :)). The place was packed and there's a line for table at 6PM when we got there.

Here's what we had:

Fish plate called "Portal to Hades" with trout, shrimp and calamari

The fish plate is, well, a mix of seafoods - trout, shrimps and calamari. This was probably a bad choice. I was anticipating the fresh variety I had in Greece (silly!!). Being in Austria, fresh seafood is a luxury and of course, they served frozen ones. The name is probably apt - Portals to Hades (the lord of the dead) - the seafoods tastes really, er, dead.

Grilled plate "Chef's recommendation" with lamb chops, grilled pork, gyros, souvlaki, and soutzoukakia

The grilled meat plate is quite interesting with all the nice sounding meat dishes it features - gyros (sliced meat roasted on vertical rotisserie -like kebabs), souvlaki (skewered meat) and soutzoukakia (meatballs).

The verdict?

The food was ok - nothing to be really ecstatic about. The service and the ambiance, however, totally made up for it. The waiters were very friendly and the service was fast. The place is cozy and takes a romantic atmosphere.

But hey, even if the food tastes flat, I guess its the "together moments" that counts...

Date night: Strand Cafe

.....absolutely the.best ribs in Wien!
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Friends have been recommending the spareribs of Strand Cafe for sometime now. As we used to go to another resto for ribs, the Strand Cafe was never in the 'place to go on a date' list. Ironically, its a few meters away from home.

The recommendations kept on coming, however,  that curiosity led us to the much-touted dining place. And I tell you this - it did not disappoint!

Perfectly situated along the banks of the Danube, Strand Cafe offers a great view of the calm waters and  UN skyline - it was soooo relaxing! Much needed after a stress-filled week!!

Look at those smiles!!

The gastronomic choices are fabulous but of course, the best seller is their signature spareribs! The meat is so fresh and tender and the side dishes are perfect!

Sumptuous dishes...yum, yum!!!

The service is a delight as well - just took around 5 minutes to have our orders. It was great as I was famished!!

We're definitely going back to this place!! By the way, don't forget to make reservations - the place is just teeming with hungry customers!  And bring your appetite too, the servings are deliciously insane!! :)

Date night: Ristorante Angelo

Its pizza night!!

The hubby and I craved for something Italian and off we went to Ristorante Angelo at the Donauzentrum in Wien. The place is not extraordinary with two gorgeous, not too amiable servers but surprisingly, the food is delish!

Here's what we had:

Forza Austria

Spaghetti Pescatore

 and he enjoyed both dishes with his beer while I sipped on my ever dependable glass of carbonated spirit - Coca cola (make that 2). Yeah, yeah, I know! We committed a cardinal sin by not having wine!

The Mr. with his Austrian beer

 He used to shun Italian food favoring Asian dishes but after 20 years of being together, he, eherrrmm,  acquired the taste.

Italians, I read, are much like Filipinos. For both cultures, food, practically plays an important part of family gatherings. We celebrate events and achievements by delighting the palate!

But I like the rituals in Italian dining. You start with antipasto (cold cuts, cheese and preserved meat). Next would be a pasta and/or a meat/poultry dish.  This is  followed by salad with oil and vinegar, which should cleanse the palate and help in the digestion process. Many also eat fruit and finocchio (fennel), whose anis taste is also supposed to aid digestion, at the end of the meal. There are even aperitifs made solely to help people get their food down easily.* 

In other words, its a complete cycle of dining pleasure - before, during and after. So, saluti to health! Buon appetito!!

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*Condensed from "Before your next meal: 4 things you should know about Italian food."

Date night: Ebi

The hubby and I just love Japanese food!  Even when we were just dating, our gastonomic choice on date nights would most likely be Japanese. We progressed from Tokyo Tokyo (fast food) to Saisaki (buffet style) then even tried a  Japanese fine dining experience in a 5 star hotel which we vow not to repeat after seeing the bill. :)

Anyways, he loves sashimi (yap, those thin slices of raw fish) and I can definitely eat just  sushi(s) forever!!  Tried these at the Ebi Restaurant here in Vienna…Itadakimasu!

Sushi and sashimi feast at the Ebi resto in Wien...

Then again, who would not love Japanese food?! It’s the presentation, man! Even a bento which you can buy on the streets and at any 7-11 store in Tokyo is visually enticing as well as a delight to the palate.

Typical Japanese food set - had this in Nikko, Japan

 

I had the opportunity to live in Japan sometime ago and I can absolutely claim that I had many of the best moments of my life there!! The culture, the food, the people and places – all definitely worth their own blogs!!

In my next life, if GOD wills it, I’d probably want to be a Japanese….hmmmm,  being Thai comes very, very close…but hey, don’t get me wrong, despite all the misconceptions and the (wrong) notions about my country and my people, I AM TRULY, PROUDLY a FILIPINO!