Apelsini Raudtee // Orange Railway (Vol 2)

I ended up going back to Apelsini Raudtee earlier than expected. Oops. If you missed my first review and introduction to the restaurant, click here. 

This time I visited the place for breakfast. I ordered scrambled eggs with salted salmon, mushrooms, and fresh green salad (munapuder soolalõhe, seente ja värske rohelise salatiga). I believe the eggs were prepared using the bain-marie (water bath) method, resulting in very smooth texture. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of that. It was seasoned moderately, mushrooms (champignons) and salmon were, however, quite salty. Cherry tomatoes were very well seasoned, and warm, I would even say the best part of the dish. Garnishing greens gave a peppery-bitter twist. The salad disappointed me. On closer inspection it turned out to consist of brown-spotted salad leaves. There was no dressing, either. All in all, an edible dish but nothing special. It cost 4€.

I was feeling a bit naughty so I also ordered crepes with summery fresh berries and ice cream (krepid suviselt värskete marjade ja jäätisega) to share with my brother. After being forgotten by the waitress, we finally got the platter. Disappointment again, though. The pancakes were  slightly underdone and as tasteless as the strawberries, berry sauce was watery-bland. What helped sweeten it  all up was the vanilla ice cream. I think my mother makes better pancakes. It cost 4€.

Final verdict: 5 out of 10. My question is, what happened? I was so satisfied the last time that I can't help but be sad. This time parts of the simple dishes were either under or over seasoned, and poorly executed (crepes). I was also surprised by the old lettuce in the salad. Still, I will keep my hopes high and return in the fall to order regular menu items. PS, I was surprised to see they have started charging for flavoured tap water, one jug cost 1€. Reasonable, but surprising.

Info at www.apelsiniraudtee.ee or Facebook www.facebook.com/apelsiniraudtee.

Until next time!

Snapchat's Tastemade - Cast Iron Brownies by Katie Quinn

Katie Quinn from Tastemade showed how to make brownies. In a cast iron skillet! It may be more wet than you're used to but it might get firmer by cooking longer, doubt the taste suffers, though. Best served warm with ice cream.

Don't forget to stir in the egg and flour mixture very well!

"Translation" to metric system:

• 170 g chocolate chips
• 85 g unsweetened chocolate
• 115 g butter
• 2 tsp (~10 ml) vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 115 g sugar
• 30 g flour
• 1 tsp (~5 g) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (~1 g) salt
• 2 tsp (~4 g) instant coffee granules

Hope you give it a try and

Until next time!

Little India

Little India is an Indian restaurant with two locations in Tallinn. They have Indian chefs, and a cozy atmosphere, use an authentic tandoori clay oven, and have daily specials.

From the left, clockwise - butter naan, dessert, lamb curry, lentils, vegetables, yoghurt sauce, salad, basmati rice in the centre

I visited the location in Ülemiste shopping centre. The place wasn't as busy as I'd expect from it being lunchtime. I ordered a North-Indian lamb thali (Põhja-India lamba thali) to share with my mother. I don't know how to describe much of it, other than it was very very good. The naan, Indian bread, seemed as it had been sitting out for a while and could have been better, however, the lamb was very tender and flavourful, the sauce slightly spicy, lentils were a bit spicier, vegetables (cabbage, peas, carrots) well cooked and well-seasoned, yoghurt sauce (raita) a cooling contrast to the heat, as it should be, the salad (red cabbage, carrots) giving an interesting pickled twist to this whole combo. Rice worked with everything. The dessert was a carrot rice pudding (gajar halwa), made with coconut (milk?), and added raisins. It was quite sweet, but a nice finish to the meal (might have found a similar recipe at www.saveur.com). This whole plate cost 9,50€.

Final verdict: 9 out of 10. The naan kind of ruined it for me and the meal didn't absolutely blow me away. Perhaps I've just gotten used to Indian food always being absolutely amazing, but this doesn't get a solid 10. Definitely a place I would return to.

Info at www.littleindia.ee.

Until next time!

Da Vinci Pasta ja Pizza // Da Vinci Pasta and Pizza

"Da Vinci Pasta and Pizza is an Italian restaurant in a fast casual style." They offer 100% Italian style dishes, made almost in full of Italian ingredients, and homemade gelato. They have locations in Pärnu and Tallinn.

I visited their restaurant in the Rocca Al Mare shopping centre. As it was lunch time, it was almost at full capacity. I chose to have whole grain pasta with freshly made Da Vinci pesto sauce (täistera pasta värske Da Vinci pestoga) (you can choose between whole grain and white pasta with every pasta dish). I was served spaghetti with green pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and a few arugula leaves. You could also add some grated Parmesan cheese yourself. I find the last little fact very pleasing, as I am not the biggest fan of Parmesan. In addition, they bring ciabatta and soft butter to the table. The meal was very nice, simple, but had all the right flavours. In my opinion, whole grain pasta makes every pasta dish several times better, and this was the case this time, too. Toasted pine nuts gave great crunch, tomato extra freshness. It cost 5,50€.

Final verdict: 9 out of 10. I could say I was very hungry, but the food was truly very good. I could have payed even more for it. Definitely something I could crave and go back for more.

Info at www.davincifood.ee.

Until next time!

Snapchat's Food Network - You're Eating It Wrong - Nachos

How to make the best of a plate of nachos? Dan Pashman from the show You're Eating It Wrong on the Cooking Channel has answered the question with an etiquette expert - Thomas Farley.

The most useful tips I found:
1. Use a plate;
2. Use a spoon for every condiment (guacamole, sour cream, salsa);
3. There's a nacho hierarchy - on the bottom the dry chips, in the middle the soggy ones and at the top the most desirable cheesy ones. When you go in for the cheesy one, top it off with a soggy and a dry one to keep the play fair.

Here's the video:

Until next time!

Brothers Green Eats - Ooey Gooey Grilled Cheese

Love grilled cheese but have run out of inspiration to improve it? Here's a video just for that occasion as it teaches how to make bacon-onion jam and herb butter. 

Brothers Green Eats' YouTube channel is packed with amazing ideas and crazy creations, you just have to open your mind and take it all in!

Until next time!

DINER

DINER is an American style restaurant, offering burgers, salads, and desserts. Having heard rave reviews, my family and I decided to see what this eatery on Vabaduse avenue had to offer.

Firstly, you are greeted by an American style "DINER" sign and an American flag on the building. There's an option to sit outside or inside. On a chilly day like it was, sitting inside wasn't much better of a choice, because air conditioning was turned way up, to the point it got slightly uncomfortable. Blankets were available, though. The white walls were decorated with signs and posters, but that didn't make it seem less empty. The seats were obviously covered in red leather.

We started off with chips with cheese (kartulichipsid juustuga). When they came, they weren't that drained of oil, and the cheese hadn't melted. I understand it was so the chips would still be warm when they got to the table, and the cheese eventually did melt, by the time it was all gone. They tasted like homemade chips. And I didn't expect more of them. They cost 3€.

As I wanted something lighter to have for lunch/dinner, I chose the "naked" burger ("paljas" burger). You have to order at the counter. Having looked at the menu on a lit-up billboard, the food will be brought to you after calling out your name. That made my decision rushed, however, so I didn't notice what I actually ordered. I thought I would get a burger, but just without the buns. Instead, they brought a salad with a beef patty with cheese, on the side. The salad wasn't too bad. The usual bland taste of lettuce and cucumber wasn't there because of pickled onions and cucumbers. The tomato gave sweetness, bell peppers bitterness. It was covered with an oil based (pesto?) dressing. The burger had a grill taste, the cheese gave saltiness. However, the burger seemed to be a bit dry. There was an option to choose the level of doneness for the meat, but I didn't think it would be necessary. All in all, a satisfying meal with a few let-downs. Mustard, which was provided at the table, was the perfect addition to the burger. I believe it cost 6,50€.

My brother decided to have waffles (vahvlid) for dessert. I haven't had real American waffles, but I, again, expected something different. They were too crispy and bland, though I tasted a part that didn't have maple syrup on it. The waffles were served with thin pieces of mango, inca berries, chocolate sauce, and powdered sugar. They cost 3€.

Final verdict: 8 out of 10. The food was good, probably would have been better in a burger form, though. I still would like to try an actual burger, preferably one of their stuffed patty one.

Info on their Facebook: www.facebook.com/dinerfoods .

Until next time!

Restoran SEVAN // Restaurant SEVAN

SEVAN is an Armenian restaurant that after 7 years in Jõelähtme (25 km from Tallinn) moved to Tallinn city centre, near the harbour, in early 2015. It also offers flexible catering services.

My visit this time was for yet another casual lunch. I wanted to have something "healthier" after eating sweets in the cinema, so I ordered a warm grill salad (soe grillsalat), believing it would be just some grilled vegetables thrown together. I was wrong. Instead, I got a "salad", or more of a stew you would find served with shashlyk. It reminded me of a jarred salad that was just warmed up. The baby food like consistency, though, was perfect to devour with free lavash, which unfortunately was cold, and a piece of fine rye bread that I didn't find very Armenian. The salad cost 4,50€.

Final verdict: 5 out of 10. Not too shabby, but nothing special either. Maybe it'd be a good idea to ask what the dishes consist of if you're set on something specific.

Info at www.sevan.ee.

Until next time!

Kohvik Moon // Café Poppy

Moon is a cafe, crowned as one of the top 50 restaurants in Estonia for several years. Opened in the harbour area in 2009, it offers a variety of homey dishes, many inspired by the Russian cuisine, and some what you may call fancier foods.

I went there for another casual and quick lunch. However, it should be kept in mind they won't open before 12, and as I didn't know it, I had to wait. Not having much time, I ordered the daily special, chicken patties with almond potatoes and chanterelle-cream sauce (kanakotletid mandlikartulite ja kukeseene-kreemikastmega). Having heard rave reviews about the "granny style" hand pies they offer there, I started off with those, the fillings were carrot-duck and salmon-cabbage. I was also given complimentary poppy seed white ciabatta, rye bread baked in a mini muffin tin, and butter. I couldn't decide which was best.

The yeast dough pastry of the hand pies was soft and beautifully golden brown. The salmon-cabbage one was greasy, but I'm blaming it on the fatty fish. The combination was rather odd, as both ingredients are quite strong-flavoured on their own, together they overpowered each other a little bit. Nevertheless, it was a joy to eat. With the carrot-duck pie I didn't notice the meat before I bit into what I could only describe as a dry, something you've left out on the counter overnight, piece. The filling also had some heat from pepper. However, it wasn't too bad and I would probably have both of them again as they were very soft and juicy (if you could describe a pie like that). Each pie costs 2€.

The daily special was different from what I expected. "Almond potatoes" sounded like almond crusted potatoes or something similar, but they were instead shaped like the seed and had the peel on too. The chicken patties were dense and lacked seasoning, so did the cream sauce. That made me find myself cracking some salt on. Chanterelles had their lovely mushroom flavour and made things good for a while. There were also sugar snap peas and a pea shoot on the plate to give crunch and colour to the dish. Overall, filling and satisfying food, but not that awe worthy. The price of their daily specials is 6€.

Final verdict: 7 out of 10, again. My expectations were very high going in, but then again, daily specials aren't as polished as regular menu items. I will definitely go back and try something from their interesting menu.

Info at www.kohvikmoon.ee, Facebook www.facebook.com/kohvikmoon.

Until next time!

Restoran Margarita // Modern Tex-Mex Margarita

Located in Pärnu city centre, this "modern tex-mex" restaurant offers Mexican-American dishes, seafood, and it also offers the biggest selection of tequilas in Estonia. I visited the place for an early dinner/late lunch. 

I started off with a non-alcoholic cocktail, the "icy mango (jäine mango)". That's literally all it was, blitzed up ice and mango. There was a wedge of lime on the side, and drowning it at the bottom of the glass and letting it sit for a while seemed to help the flavour a lot. Not really impressed with that. It cost 2,50€.

Accidentally ate the ceviché before taking the picture

For starters, I chose the perfect platter of seafood and fish (täiuslik kala ja mereandide valik). It was meant to have pike-perch ceviché (koha ceviché), salmon sashimi (lõhe sashimi), soot-salmon (tahma-lõhe), tijuana deep-fried Baltic herring (friteeritud räimed), shrimp cocktail (krevetikokteil), and a grilled scallop with guacamole mousse (grillitud kammkarp guacamolevahuga) which I couldn't find from the plate. The pieces of seafood and fish were nice individually, the taste of them shone through the seasoning and they were well- cooked. However, together they didn't make much sense. I was also sad for the fact there was no guacamole with the scallop, as it didn't have much taste to it. Overall, a good way to start off a meal and quench my initial hunger. Also, it only cost 10€.

I continued with a beef fillet burger (veisefileeburger), and before you think anything like, "how can you order a burger at a Mexican place??!!", hear me out. Or read this description from the menu: "Grilled boeuf à la tartar (pick your own cooking level) rubbed with dijon mustard. Great bread, obviously. Served with cumin-seasoned beets, honey-glazed goat cheese, guacamole mousse, tomato-basil marmalade, horseradish Caesar dressing, lettuce, pickled red onions". I was sold. When I got the plate, the visuals weren't as impressive. There was a choice of ordering fries on the side, so maybe that's why it looked this mismatched, but I decided to enjoy it nevertheless. Thinking it would be smart, I ate the top bun with half the beet, marmalade, onions, and goat cheese, and the rest of the burger as it was, with the remaining sides. The cheese had occasional hits of sweet honey and I couldn't figure out whether the whole flavour combination of the burger was the stupidest or the most brilliant thing ever, even though goat cheese, beetroot, and honey together are a classic. The beetroot didn't taste much of cumin. The bottom bun was practically soaked. The beef patty was on the edge of underseasoned and displaying authentic beef flavour. Together it all worked out miraculously. This burger came in at 9€.

Final verdict: 7 out of 10. My expectations seem to be getting higher, but there could be some improvements to an overall tasty and satisfying selection of dishes. Burger was nice, seafood okay, smoothie way below my expectations. I would love to go back to try some of their Mexican dishes.

Info at www.margarita.ee.

Until next time!

FoodTube 1 Minute Tips - How To Prepare Fennel

Want to know how to prepare this anise-flavoured vegetable (including making a salad, braising it, and making a stock)? Then this video is just what you need:

Until next time!

Al Mare Grill

Al Mare Grill is a grill restaurant in the Rocca Al Mare area in Tallinn. What stood out to me in the menu were Asian inspired dishes and twists on rather regular menu items.

Salmon, wokked vegetables with shrimp, and butterfish, dressing on the side

Croquets and side salad, unsqueezable slice of lemon

I chose to share a Fish grill mix for two (Kala grill-mix kahele) that had a grilled salmon skewer, butterfish, wokked vegetables with shrimp, and a dressing on the side. I also ordered croquets (kroketid) as a side dish. That came with a fresh salad.

The fish was very well seasoned and had a lovely smoky flavour, the dressing had pickles, and worked very well with both the fish and the croquets, which were nice and crispy. The salad on the side had an interesting herb dressing, but the salad itself wasn't that intriguing with a few leaves, half a cherry tomato, and three olives. The wokked vegetables, however, were a disappointment. The vegetables used didn't seem wok-worthy and looked like a cold salad, the shrimp were probably frozen and didn't give much to the vegetables. The fish platter cost 17,50€, which in my opinion was overpriced, the croquets were 1,90€.

Final verdict: 7 out of 10. They seem to know their grilling and dressings, but it seems to be better to steer clear from vegetables and salads. At first it took a while to be handed menus (it was not that busy, but I was also hungry and impatient), overall service was good and quick. Prices may be too high for some dishes.

Info at www.almarefood.ee/grill/

(My photographing still sucks)

Until next time!

Snapchat's Food Network - Jeff Fries Up A Classic Patty Melt

"If a beef burger is king, the turkey patty melt is its queen." Another mouth-watering summertime recipe from the Food Network (I'm not sponsored by them either!). 

What you'll need:

8 medium sized slices of bread

8 slices of Swiss cheese

caramelised onions, enough for 4 slices

butter for spreading

Burger:

½ cup (125 g) of ricotta cheese 

a little bit of mustard

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsp fresh chopped sage

salt and pepper

1 1⁄4 lbs (560 g) fresh ground turkey

Method:

1. Prepare your burger mixture. For that, mix together the ricotta, mustard, soy and Worcestershire sauce, sage, salt and pepper. Add the turkey. Do not overwork the meat to keep the burger juicy. 

Cook the patties

2. To cook the burger, give it one press-down on a hot grill or pan and cook 4-5 minutes on both sides, or until the internal temperature has reached 165 °F (74 °C). You will get 4 burgers.

3. To assemble, put cheese on each slice of bread, on top of that caramelised onions (only half the slices). Put the cooked burger patty on the slice with only cheese. 

Butter the outside of the bread slice

Cover the sandwiches while they cook

4. Butter the outside of a bread slice and place it on the grill or pan, butter side down. Cover the sandwiches up with an upside-down bowl or a pan cover so the cheese can melt, for a minute or two. Then flip, cover, and cook for a few more minutes.

It's that simple! Enjoy!

Until next time

9 Simple Ways To Keep Your Food Fresh

A great video with a few tips to help keep your coffee, celery, avocado, bananas, bread, onions, tomatoes and cucumber at their best, and how not to store raw meat.

Hope this helps and

Until next time!