Les Dix Vins

I had been hearing about Les Dix Vins for a number of years. And even though I'm often in the Carouge area, I never actually got around to going there, not until sometime last month that is. The reviews I had heard were overwhelmingly positive and the meal I had certainly lived up to any expectations I might have had.

We kicked things off with this octopus starter. It was delicious, I would definitely want to go back to Les Dix Vins just for this.



I then moved on to my main course. a slow roasted beef dish that comes in a rich, hearty wine sauce with carrots and a couple of other vegetables. Again it was excellent. But the star here was definitely the amazing house mashed potatoes -- comfort food taken to unprecedented levels of perfection! And just for that, I'm definitely going to try to make another trip to Les Dix Vins



My friend had boeuf tartare which she said was one of the best she'd ever had. I don't usually have boeuf tartare so I can't really give a first-hand account. But I do trust her tastes.



Then came the dessert, a mille-feuilles the chef makes from scratch. Again another winner at Les Dix Vins! See when it come to dessert, I have two basic criteria, first how it tastes -- that's fairly standard I would think -- and second, nothing adds more to the experience of a great tasting dessert than a mixture of textures, and this mille-feuilles definitely delivered on both counts. It was simply delicious, maybe even the best mille-feuilles I've ever had, and the creaminess combined with the crunch just made for an amazing experience. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mille-feuilles!

Globus Food Court

It's 3 pm and you're looking for a place to grab a quick bite in Geneva -- where can you go? The truth of the matter is there aren't that many places serving food at that time of the day around these parts. Globus' food court is a sure bet though. Whether you're craving a burger, Italian antipasti or a crepe, the various eateries located in Geneva's flagship store will come to the rescue. Now is that to say the food provided is good value for money or even particularly good? I wouldn't go quite so far, but in a city like Geneva, you take what you can get at 3 pm.

Giolito Mango Ice Cream

I don't typically review store bought items on this blog just because I don't have very much interest in writing about products one can purchase at the supermarket -- be it a high-end and some might say overpriced supermarket -- but I thought I'd make an exception just this one time for Giolito's product line of ice cream. I had the mango sorbet the other day, and I have to say for a store bought sorbet, it was kind of delicious! Rich and creamy in a way I just didn't expect.

Do you like Giolito ice cream?

Indian Food Festival at Hotel d'Angleterre's Windows Restaurant

This week I was fortunate enough to be invited to a tasting of Hotel d'Angleterre's highly prestigious annual Indian Food Festival. However, as I was unable to make the event due to a prior engagement, one of my fellow foodies kindly attended in my stead. And judging by what she told me and the pictures she took, I am seriously starting to regret not being there in person.

In fact, had I not planned a vacation during the very dates the festival is being held, I would have definitely made it a point to find a suitable date between July 30 and August 16 to go and enjoy what is clearly a unique selection of Indian fusion dishes currently offered at Hotel d'Angleterre's Windows restaurant. I definitely hope I'll get an opportunity to do so the next time the festival is held.

For those of you who would like to enjoy an Indian fusion meal at Hotel d'Angleterre, the annual 2014 Indian Food Festival is being held from July 30 to August 16. For more information on Hotel d'Angleterre, you can visit their website.

So exceptionally this review is by my friend and fellow Genevan foodie, but before we get to her description of the evening, I just want to add that she happens to have visited India numerous times over the years and is therefore particularly familiar with Indian cuisine. Furthermore, I often take restaurant recommendations from her because I trust her judgement, and somehow, she always seems to know where to go -- in fact, stay tuned for an upcoming review based on one of her recommendations!

For the purpose of this post, each photo will be accompanied by my friend's comments.

Mango Lassi

A lassi is a traditional, yogurt-based drink served in India and its surrounding countries. Unlike some of the disappointing lassis served at other establishments in the city, the mango lassi served at the Indian Food Festival was as fresh as it was delicious. Definitely a winner!

Selection of starters

The evening's guests were then treated to the following assortment of starters: 

Prawn Kalimiri, a crispy fried shrimp flavored with white, green and pink peppercorns. Not for the faint of heart -- it is quite spicy.

Pudhina Tala Murgh, grilled chicken served with lemon, ginger, chili pepper and dried mint and other Indian spices.

Channa Chaat, a spicy chickpea salad with mint and tamarind chutney, sweetened yoghurt and pomegranates. 

In keeping with the fusion theme, starters also include perch fillets marinated in traditional Indian spices.

Raita

An Indian classic. Can you really have an Indian meal without a traditional side of raita? This dish really hit the spot and was the perfect complement to the spicier dishes served.

Chicken Pepper Masala

A spicy chicken dish served in a traditional Indian Masala sauce. 

Biryani and Saffron Pulao

In addition to many other side and main dishes, two types of rice were served, you can enjoy a dish of Biryani, an aromatic rice that can come with your choice of vegetables, prawns, chicken or lamb. Alternatively, you can also order the Saffron Pulao, a rice cooked in cumin and -- as you may have guessed -- saffron. 

Sorse Maacch

The sea bream cooked in a special yoghurt sauce was  one of the highlights of the meal. It was cooked to perfection and a genuine delight for the taste buds! Highly recommended!



Various menu items including fish, two types of rice, lamb and potatoes were served at the media dinner.

Tandoor 

Attendees were also invited to visit the restaurant's kitchen, which is equipped with a tandoor, a special oven used extensively in India and its neighboring countries. Naan is traditionally made in a tandoor.

Chocolate Naan

Again, to honor the fusion aspect of the festival, special items are included on the menu such as this naan topped with chocolate-hazelnut and slivered almonds.

 Mango Panna

The dessert menu also includes a delicious financier cake topped with a scoop of lime and vanilla sherbet served in a special mango soup.



Overall, the Indian Food Festival is definitely worth a visit. The food is delicious, the menu manages to be both original and traditional and the service at Hotel d'Angleterre is top-notch. It is therefore no mystery this establishment is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

Gopal, the chef at the Indian Food Festival who came especially from London for the event, also deserves a special mention for preparing the exquisite dishes we savored with such delight.

Patara Fine Thai Cuisine

I had been wanting to have a meal at Patara's for a long time. Le Patara is located in Geneva's Beau-Rivage hotel by the lake and it is probably the most upscale Thai restaurant in the city. I had been hearing mixed reviews for years. For the most part, I find Thai restaurants in this city to be a complete disappointment, all the more reason to see if Patara was any different and decide for myself if it was worth paying upwards of CHF 100 per person. A friend's recent birthday celebration was the perfect opportunity to spend an evening at the ritzy establishment.

Turns out the food is actually very good, it is certainly a notch above all the other Thai restaurants I've been to in the area. The service, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. We had to wait a little too long for our starters and main courses and communicating with some of the restaurants's wait staff proved rather challenging. At one point we asked one of the waiters for an extra couple of minutes, but our request was either repeatedly misunderstood or ignored. Either way, I wasn't overly impressed with that aspect of my dining experience.

I should also add that while I thoroughly enjoyed my meal that evening, Patara seems to serve more of a fusion cuisine than the kind of authentic Thai food people often crave when they go to such restaurants.

So would I go back? Yes, but I'd expect better service - otherwise, I doubt there would be a third visit.

Pictured below: shrimp tacos, Tom kha kai (a Thai chicken and coconut soup),  Pad Thai and Khao Niaow Ma Muang - a delicious mango and sticky rice dessert.

Sushtime in Plan-les-Ouates

I think I may just have found my go-to take-out sushi place! Of course I tend to say these things only to realize the service and/or food is going downhill at lightning speed shortly thereafter, but I've been to Sushtime a few times now and I do have hope it will keep making quality fare consistently.  Sushtime is located in Plan-les-Ouates, and they have a restaurant area as well as a take-out area. Their menu is huge and as far as I'm concerned, their seared salmon sushi definitely gets  an extra mention.

Pictured below: an assortment of sushi, seared salmon and shrimp tempura maki rolls - did I ever mention how much I love cooked seafood in my sushi? Because I really do!

Nero's Pizza

Is the food truck movement starting to take off in Geneva? After the highly successful Hamburger Foundation food truck, Genevans can now treat themselves to fresh slices of pizza in various parts of town thanks to Nero's Pizza truck. I was recently able to test Nero's Pizza because, as serendipity would have it, they happened to be parked right opposite me when I walked out of a building a few days ago. Their pizza is definitely worth checking out -- though the final product feels more like a focaccia to me -- they offer a large variety of toppings, and all of their ingredients are clearly fresh. I look forward to trying more of their food in the near future!

Pictured below: a ricotta and spinach pizza followed by a shot of their bufala and no-cheese marinara pizzas.