Category: $$

Iwate-Kin: Mom-and-pop izakaya (7.5)

Nora

I saw news about Iwate Kin's opening in a Japanese magazine. It's operated by a local chef who has quite some experience as a chef in Japanese kitchens and who I suppose had just decided to venture to open a shop of his own. I tend to feel that sometimes people who do that are… Continue reading Iwate-Kin: Mom-and-pop izakaya (7.5)

Taylor Shellfish: Great All-around (8.5)

Nora

Taylor Shellfish Farms is a company that has been in the shellfish farming industry for five generations and when I found out that their focus is very specialized, I felt optimistic about giving them a shot. If you do visit, you will see that amenities and décor are fairly basic at their restaurants and that… Continue reading Taylor Shellfish: Great All-around (8.5)

Chaiwala: Good hospitality, OK food (7.2)

Nora

Chaiwala takes up the space that previously housed Zafran, a huge Spanish tapas restaurant with a nice bar and great ambience, and the area still feels more or less the same despite some décor tweaks and change in furniture. I get the sense that the mainstream view is that Chaiwala is a great, hip place… Continue reading Chaiwala: Good hospitality, OK food (7.2)

Sara: A Real Gem (9.0)

Nora

9.0 is an extremely high rating from me. But Sara deserves it. A review on the restaurant is long overdue, as we have been visiting this restaurant a dozen times since summer began. Sometimes I tend to leave out restaurants that become our canteen, not only so that we can keep the good place to… Continue reading Sara: A Real Gem (9.0)

Louise: Undertrained staff ruins it all (6.8)

Nora

Readers who follow my writings know that hospitality and professionalism are taken as seriously by me as food quality. Being hosted by someone who cares about and knows what they are doing can salvage an imperfectly prepared meal, but even the most exquisitely prepared dish could not remedy a server that upsets you whether out… Continue reading Louise: Undertrained staff ruins it all (6.8)

Tokyolima: Nikkei blends Peruvian food with Japanese techniques (7.5)

Nora

It’s prime summer right now, and despite covid and evening dining restrictions, restaurants are busy as ever during the day, especially on weekends. Another of Pirata’s restaurants, Tokyolima does Japanese-Peruvian fusion (or Nikkei cuisine) and offers a pretty big mishmash of a brunch on weekends at $395 per person. The ten dishes included in the brunch… Continue reading Tokyolima: Nikkei blends Peruvian food with Japanese techniques (7.5)

Uma Nota: São Paulo’s Street Food with an Oriental touch (7.0)

Nora

Uma Nota is more of a boteco than a restaurant, which is a kind of a pub where bohemians in Brazil would get together for drinks and cheap snacks. The menu is very compact and other than salads, it's mostly grilled meat or skewers coming in petit portions. Uma Nota didn't even use to have… Continue reading Uma Nota: São Paulo’s Street Food with an Oriental touch (7.0)

Pica Pica: Bitesize Tapas (8.0)

Nora

Pica Pica is a Spanish expression that means a little bit of a variety of foods, which is fitting enough for a restaurant inspired by Spanish tapas traditions. We came here on a Sunday noon which, in retrospect, was ill-timed. Everything on the menu seemed to be created for a night out with plenty to… Continue reading Pica Pica: Bitesize Tapas (8.0)