Restaurants in Asia
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A
Lords
By far Negombo’s most creative eating experience. Martin, the British owner of this half restaurant, half art gallery, brings a larger-than-life presence to the place and is a rare thing among expat restaurant owners in that he actually works on the floor and in the kitchen making sure that everything is just spot on. The food, which is so superbly prepared and presented that the thought of a free meal was enough to get the president himself to come and open the restaurant, is a hybrid of Western and Eastern flavours. The gallery displays excellent contempory work by local artists.
reviewed
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B
Bhojan Griha
In the same vein as Bhanchha Ghar, but perhaps more ambitious, Bhojan Griha is located in a recently restored 150-year-old mansion in Dilli Bazaar, just east of the city centre. It’s worth eating here just to see the imaginative renovation of this beautiful old building, once the residence of the caste of royal priests. Most of the seating is traditional (ie on cushions on the floor), although these are actually legless chairs, which saves your back and knees. In an effort to reduce waste, plastic is not used in the restaurant and mineral water is bought in bulk and sold by the glass.
reviewed
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C
Alameda
Consistently high-class fusion cuisine with a Brazilian twist in a light and spacious environment makes this Běijīng’s finest Western restaurant. The Brazilian chef changes the menu daily, but regular dishes include filet mignon in a rosemary and red wine sauce with roasted potatoes and pan-fried whole tiger prawns. There is an à là carté menu but the two-course set lunch and dinner menus will satisfy most people’s appetites. Dessert costs extra though, while the extensive wine list is not cheap (from Y200 a bottle). Sophisticated without being snobbish, it’s a place to splash out. It’s essential to book.
reviewed
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Grandma's Kitchen
Highly popular with locals, this chain restaurant cooks up classic Hángzhōu favourites; try the hóngshāo dōngpō ròu (红烧东坡肉; braised pork). There are several other branches in town.
reviewed
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D
Manchurian Special Flavour JiǎVozi Restaurant
With its singing waitresses in their colourful qípáo (traditional Chinese dress) and a menu that proclaims, ‘We all love you’, this friendly, noisy restaurant specialises in the cuisine of northeastern China, a region of icy winds and biting cold. That means lots of hearty meat dishes such as stewed chicken (Y28) and shredded pork with wild vegetables (Y25). But the real deal here are the delicious jiǎozi. There’s a whole range to pick from, but the green pepper and pork, Chinese cabbage and pork, and pumpkin and egg are particularly addictive. Try a few bottles of Hapi, Harbin’s very own beer (Y12), to make it the perfect Dōngběi experience. English menu.
reviewed
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E
Kyūbey
If you can splurge on only one Tokyo sushi experience, make it this one. Established in 1936, Kyūbey’s quality and presentation have attracted a moneyed and celebrity clientele ever since, seeking incomparable quality and presentation. Go for broke with kaiseki (course menu, lunch/dinner from ¥10,500/15,750), or have it served on pottery by famed artisan Kitaoji Rosanjin for ¥31,500. Otherwise just peruse the Rosanjin exhibition on the restaurant’s 4th floor. Kyūbey continues to make headlines: in 2009, it bought at auction half of a single bluefin tuna that sold for a staggering ¥9.63 million (and sold single cuts of toro from it for ¥2000!).
reviewed
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F
Bookworm
A combination of a bar, cafe, restaurant and library, the Bookworm is a Běijīng institution. Perhaps it’s the 14,000-plus books you can browse while sipping your coffee, or working your way through the extensive wine list. The food maintains the bookish theme, with sandwiches (Y42) and dishes named after famous authors, even if it, and the alcohol, is overpriced. The Bookworm is much more than just an upmarket cafe, however. It’s one of the epicentres of Běijīng cultural life and hosts lectures, poetry readings, a Monday-night quiz and an annual book festival. Any author of note passing through town gives a talk here. The local listings mags will tell you what events are…
reviewed
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G
Rum Doodle Restaurant & Bar
Named after the world’s highest mountain, the 40,000½ft Mt Rum Doodle (according to WE Bowman, author of The Ascent of Rum Doodle, a spoof of serious mountaineering books), this famous bar is still milking a dusty (1983!) Time magazine accolade as ‘one of the world’s best bars’. It’s long been a favourite meeting place for mountaineering expeditions – Edmund Hillary, Reinhold Messner, Ang Rita Sherpa and Rob Hall have left their mark on the walls – and a visit here feels like a bit of a pilgrimage for mountain lovers. Trekking groups can add their own yeti footprint trek report to the dozens plastered on the walls. The restaurant serves up decent steaks, pasta and…
reviewed
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Lǜyáng Húntundiàn
Founded in 1802, Lǜyáng moved here in 1999 and continues to satisfy ever-hungry local appetites with wonton dumplings ( 馄饨, húntun, Y8 to Y15), fried rice dishes ( 炒饭, chǎofàn, Y12 to Y15) and soups ( 汤, tāng, Y8 to Y12). No English menu, but try yínyú húntun ( 银鱼馄饨, whitebait wonton soup, Y15), gālí jīdīng chǎofàn ( 咖喱鸡丁炒饭, curry-flavoured chicken fried rice, Y15) or yāxuè fěnsī tāng ( 鸭血粉丝汤, duck’s blood soup, Y8). They also do delicious steamed dumplings ( 小笼包, xiǎolóngbāo, Y8 for four dumplings). Pay first at the counter, then hand your slip to a waitress.
reviewed
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H
Pho 2000
Near Ben Thanh Market, Pho 2000 is where former US president Bill Clinton stopped by for a bowl.
reviewed
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I
Romdeng
Also under the Mith Samlanh Friends NGO umbrella, the elegant Romdeng specialises in traditional food from the provinces and offers a staggering choice of traditional Khmer fare.
reviewed
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Taste of India
This tiny place has just five tables and is often full with diners savouring North Indian veg and nonveg curries and tandoori chicken.
reviewed
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J
Summer Harvest
Top-notch Indian and Chinese food, cold beers and international sports on the TV attract travellers to this warm and inviting restaurant.
reviewed
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K
Bar-B-Q
Three interconnected dining rooms offer different but similar menus in this enduring family favourite. Decor is comfortably unpretentious.
reviewed
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L
Shree Ganesh Indian Restaurant
Formerly known as Omar Khayyam’s, this is the place for authentic Indian food. Fill up on your masala dishes and curries, with lots of vegetarian choices too.
reviewed
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Viking Steakhouse
Offering a fine line in pizzas, pastas and Nordic meat feasts, this is a longstanding favourite. The cosy, open-fronted interior features all sorts of welcome trimmings.
reviewed
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M
Little India Restaurant
The oldest Indian in town - that's the restaurant, not the owner - the food here is consistently good, with its fair share of vegetarian options and some delicious curries. It's good value for money too.
reviewed
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N
El Coyote
Spice up your life with some authentic Tex-Mex flavours at the Coyote. The fajitas, burritos and tacos are all designed to sate the appetite. The owner is even more fusion than the food: a mixture of French, Vietnamese, Lao and Cheyenne Indian.
reviewed
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O
Běijīng Dàdǒng Roast Duck Restaurant
A long-term favourite of the Peking duck scene, the hallmark fowl here is a crispy, lean bird without the usual high fat content (trimmed down from 42.38% to 15.22% for its 'Superneat' roast duck, the brochure says), plus plum (or garlic) sauce, scallions and pancakes. Also carved up is the skin of the duck with sugar, an imperial predilection.
reviewed
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Café Café
Tucked down the street in the shadow of the towering pagoda, this local hotspot puts a modern spin on the traditional kedai kopi. Excellent local fare (and a smattering of designer coffee beverages) is served up amid bodacious decor and flickering candles.
reviewed
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P
Zam Zam
These guys have been here since 1908, so we figure they know what they’re doing. Tenure hasn’t bred complacency – the touts try to herd passers-by through the door as frenetic chefs whip up murtabaks (flaky, flat bread filled with mutton, chicken or vegetables).
reviewed
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Q
Lotus Lounge
A great place to chill, this laid-back, half–open-air restaurant, with broken-tile mosaic flooring and wicker chairs, has a terrace that juts out over Mansarowar Ghat. The menu’s a mixed bag, with fresh coffee, salads, pasta, curry and even Tibetan momos (dumplings).
reviewed
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R
Karim’s
Down a lane across from the Jama Masjid’s south gate (No 1), legendary Karim’s has been delighting Delhiites with divine Mughlai cuisine since 1913. The chefs prepare brutally good (predominantly nonveg) fare: try the burrah (marinated mutton) kebab . During Ramadan it only opens after sunset.
reviewed
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S
Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant
The duck here is so prized that you have to call a day ahead to reserve both a bird and a table (otherwise, turn up at off-peak times and be prepared to wait an hour). Buried down a crumbling hutong, the restaurant itself has seen better days, but the duck is delicious and comes with all the trimmings.
reviewed
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T
Shree Lal House of Vegetarian Restaurant
Vegetarians and vegans love this bright and modern family-run place for its vegetarian Indian dishes, South Indian dosa s (fried lentil-flour pancakes) and open kitchen. The food is tasty and good value for a light meal. The lababdar roll comes with nuts, onion, pepper, carrot and paneer (cottage cheese).
reviewed