Tastebud : Korea House

25 October 2023

After some time, I am trying a new place. Korean food at Korea House. I was not very enthusiastic about the price though. It is SEK250 for Kimchi tofu with rice. Great to eat flavourful kimchi with the rice. I prefer the Korean food options that I had at Madame. 

Self-pick potatoes

9 September 2023

Added and checked in bucket list. I was not aware of this activity - self pick potatoes and it was a super-fun activity! It was so easy too. There was a family who runs a farm and besides growing rape seed plants, they grow potatoes and sunflows and have their own farm shop that sells their produce. Every two weekends in September, the family opens their potato field (which is as big as 5 football fields) to the public to pick the potatoes. The family uses a small tractor to pull up the potato plants. We picked 36kg potatoes. SEK13/kg for 100kg amd weights that are more than 100kg cost SEK8/kg. At that time, the price was cheaper than the potatoes sold in the supermarket. There were two kinds of potatoes that we could choose from - the hard and the soft potatoes. We chose the soft ones. 

Because the 36kg potatoes were too heavy to be carried back to the car, we waited for the tractor to pick us and our potatoes. I hope I get to do this again next year!

Djurgården boat tour

4 September 2023

Volunteer activities with Kompis Sverige!

Today, we did an hour boat trip around Djurgården. I have always wanted to participate in this boat tour to see Djurgården islet from the waters. It was a warm day and we were lucky to have a good weather. One gets a pair of earphone and connects it to the dedicated sound system to hear explanations about the places we pass. I am thankful I get to experience this, thanks to Kompis Sverige! :)

Tastebud : An Nam

11 July 2023

Dinner experience at An Nam - a Vietnamese restaurant. There were 3 of us and we shared the dishes.

Pic 1: Appetizer Fried springrolls SEK118

Pic 2: Appetizer Mango salad SEK118 and summer spring rolls (with shrimps) SEK128

Pic 3: Main dishes Vietnamese crepe (crispy rice pancakes filled with shrimps, pieces of entrecote, beansprouts) SEK255, Fried rice with fried egg SEK198 and grilled porkchop with rice SEK218

EVERYTHING WAS YUMMY! But I think the food was pricey. 

Tastebud : TAK

4 July 2023

Dinner experience at TAK. A very expensive restaurant to see a view from the rooftop. Personally, it was nothing extraordinary. I had one of the most affordable dish on the menu - donburi which is hibachi chicken with rice for SEK225. 

Tastebud : Bistro Björkvik (3rd time)

10 June 2023

I think I can call it a tradition when I have visited Bistro Björkvik annually during the summer. This year, I decided to have the fish and chips because it is the cheapest on the menu and my boyfriend is treating 5 people this year. The first time I came here in 2021, I had duck breast which costed 255kr and this year, it costs 335kr! An increase of 80kr. Gosh. The second time in 2022. I had a fish dish - grilled pikeperch for 285kr but this is not the menu this year.  Instead, they have grilled char fillet for 335kr. Unfortunately, I do not know how much the fish and chips costed then. Maybe it is a good thing I don't know, otherwise my heart will ache. 

My fish and chips costs 265kr. It was a huge portion. The chips were a lot. Beneath the two fish fillets were more chips. I finished my food slowly as the sun was shining very hard on me. I was sitting facing the sun. Gosh, I do not enjoy eating under the sun. I do not understand why Swedes love it. I know the sun is scarce during winter and one wants to enjoy every bit of sunlight but it was painful on the skin. 

Tastebud : Madame

8 June 2023

Today's dinner at Madame was SO YUMMY! It is Korean food and I eat it very seldom. It does not usually cross my mind to eat Korean food. Also, the prices discourage me. The first time I had Korean food was at Arirang and it was expensive for me then, as I was not working. Today, it costs even more and I would not go there so often either. In fact, I eat out very seldom. I am working now but I do not find it attractive enough to eat out when I know how to cook them.

There are not many food options to choose from in the menu which I think it is good. One will not be clueless on what to eat. It is a good thing too that we are three persons so that we could try more dishes. Always an advantage to come in a group when one has Asian food. 

For starters, we shared:

1. Kimchi jeon (Kimchi pancake) 140kr. I love the crispy and fried texture of this. It does not taste like the usual pancakes that I have eaten.
2. Tteokbokki (Rice pancakes) 135kr. This texture is very chewy and I feel like I cannot stop chewing. It is a very dense texture. I like the sauce. It could be gochujang. 
3. Hoe (Raw fish with chili and rice vinegar) 165kr. This is a combination of 3 fishes. One of them is tuna. The taste is very mild in this dish after trying 1 and 2. 

Tastebud : Nha Trang (2nd time)

31 May 2023

I visited Nha Trang the first time in 2019. I came back here again because I was meeting the same friend that I went with the first time. This time, there were four of us and we ordered three dishes which became affordable as we shared them.

We had salmon in curry for SEK199, beef stew for SEK259 and vietnamese rice pancake with shrimps for SEK179. Everything was really good. I even ate the green leaf. Yummy!

Tastebud : Hong Sushi (2nd time)

30 May 2023

I have eaten at Hong Sushi before but today, I decided to take a photo of my food. I ordered Mama Sushi which has 10 pieces of sushi for SEK105. Since it was a dinner meal, there were no prawn crackers. Miso soup only. There was nothing extraordinary in the dish. I thought it was a bit dry, though. I probably do not find it exciting to eat sushi anymore. Plus, I know how to make sushi too.

I wonder how do they price the sushi. For this plate, one piece of sushi costs SEK10.50. Last year, I had 12 pieces for SEK115 and one piece costed SEK9.59 and there were salmon pieces too. Maybe avocado in today's sushi is expensive? Or because everything is expensive now.

Tastebud : Kattholmen

28 May 2023

Mother's Day in Sweden falls on the last Sunday of May which is different from the rest of the world where it falls on the second Sunday of May. For Mother's Day this year, we treated my boyfriend's mum to a restaurant, Kattholmen, that she has heard good reviews. Unfortunately, I could not share the same sentiments. My main dish of corn-fed chicken was hard and dry.

We were served hard bread with pesto paste as complimentary. For me, this is never complimentary and it is definitely included in the food pricing. So, for appetizer, I had chevre chaud for SEK135 (chaud = hot in French) which is a French dish where chevre cheese is served hot on a slice of bread and served with green salad. This dish is yummy but you cannot go wrong with this dish. It is very easy to make.

For the main dish, I had grilled corn-fed chicken with Madeira (a type of wine) sauce, mushrooms and smashed potatoes for SEK255. When the waiter asked how the meal was, I said that the chicken was dry and hard. He said that he will let the kitchen know. I don't know if they will do anything about it. The sauce was very little and it does not make the chicken easier to chew and swallow. Only the mushrooms were tasty. Presentation-wise, it is very welcoming but never be fooled by the presentation.

Mini golf - Siggesta Gård

27 May 2023

My weekends are usually spend in the countryside where I am tending the garden - pulling the weeds, trimming the shrubs, raking leaves, collecting twigs. So, I am very happy when I get some time off to do something else. Like playing mini golf! Mini golf is a fun activity to do during the summer, and many million people think so too. Therefore, you can expect a small crowd during the summer. I have never heard of mini golf until I came to Sweden. I thought anything to do with golf is expensive but this is quite affordable.

We went to Siggesta Gård where it has the most creative mini golf course I have ever seen. I have been to two mini golf places in Stockholm and they are similar. The first experience at Golf Baren which is closely located to Kristineberg train station and the second experience is also Golf Baren but located at Aspudden. At Siggesta Gård, the mini golf course has structures designed after significant landmarks in Gustavsberg. It costs SEK110 per person to play 18 holes and has no time limit. We played 1 round only. 

We had coffee and shared a slice of cake after the game. SEK38 for a mug of coffee and SEK48 for the carrot cake which has coffee glaze. The mug is not too small so I am happy that my coffee is not very expensive. Each time I buy coffee, I will always compare with the expensive SEK45 coffee I had in Ulriksdal Slottsträdgården.

Tastebud : Österlånggatan 17

25 April 2023

Colleague's treat again! Yay! This time, we went to Österlånggatan 17. Yes, that is the address and place's name. I think that is very smart although it confused me in the beginning. Plus, the name is quite long for  a non-Swede speaker to remember. 

As I have not been eating fish recently because it is expensive, I had fish for dinner in this restaurant. This is Charred Arctic char with lemon sauce and smoked salmon brandade for SEK289. Brandade, according to Wikipedia, is an emulsion of salt cod, olive oil, and usually potatoes. Well, for my dish, it is with salmon instead of potatoes. 

For dessert, I had espresso creme brulee with raspberries for SEK115. I love the espresso taste inside it. This dessert is very small so do not be fooled by the photo. Check out the photo below for the size of the dessert in comparison to me. 

Tastebud : Austin Food Works

15 April 2023

New grill place to try! Austin Food Works. I am starting to like grilled food and can appreciate the flavour. So far, I have been to AG (this is my first experience in tasting grilled meat and it has been my benchmark ever since) twice, Grill (I had grilled lamb) and GUTE (this was almost as good as the one in AG. Almost). Grilled meat in burgers do not count here.

For my boyfriend's birthday, I treated him to this restaurant as he likes grilled meat. We got a BBQ plate for 2 persons for SEK699. It is not as good as my previous grilled meat experience. We were very full and took some back where we had it the next day which tasted better. I could enjoy the taste when I am not very stuffed. To enjoy this meal, you need to be really hungry and have done heavy work for the day.

The food on the BBQ plate as plucked from their website - Smoked brisket, Austin ribs, jalapeno & cheese sausage. Served with butter seared corn cob, dill pickles, mac N´ cheese, coleslaw, Austin style black beans, chipotle hot sauce, BBQ sauce, corn bread with whipped butter. 

The mac and cheese was too much for me. Also, I am not a fan of macaroni and cheese to start with. I enjoyed the sausages and austin ribs. 

Tastebud : La Neta - Bar

15 April 2023

Mexian food! 2nd time at La Neta but this time at a different branch - Bar. The first experience I had was in Söder (South) in 2019. We had grandes tacos for SEK70 each. Since there were only 4 different types of grandes, we ordered all flavours and shared between the two of us. Grandes = big in Spanish. 

The four flavours in their website:

1. Alambre - Shredded chicken fillet with onion, paprika and bacon

2. Gringa - Marinated pork with pineapple

3. Campechana - Marinated pork and beef with guacamole

4. Pirata - Roast beef with guacamole

I like no. 2 best because the taste of the pineapple was sharp and gives a contrast to the pork. Two was sufficient for me and I am glad we shared the meal so we could try each flavour!

I realised that I do not know what is a taco and here is the definition of it, according to Wikipedia - A taco is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. To understand what is tortilla - round, thin, flat bread of Mexico made from unleavened cornmeal or, less commonly, wheat flour. The difference between tortilla and the bread that we eat on an almost daily basis is that tortilla has no yeast added inside the flour so the dough does not rise. 

Tastebud : Choco Mania

11 April 2023

After the meal at Mama, we headed to have dessert at Choco Mania which is in Mall of Scandinavia too. We shared a waffle that was drizzled with milk chocolate (OMG, SO SWEET! but it is dessert, so it has to be sweet) and white chocolate, topped with banana and strawberry slices, a scoop of ice cream and whipped cream. SEK105 shared between 3 of us. 

I walked back home after this meal, so I did not have any guilt. Haha! 

Tastebud : Mama at S2

11 April 2023

Next try at Mall of Scandinavia's food court - Mama that sells grill and deep-fried chicken. I had Crispy Chicken bun as advertised on their counter. I took a photo of the real thing next to its advertisement just to compare if they are similar, and they are! SEK135 for the chicken bun and SEK25 to have sweet potato fries. The crispy chicken was so delicious and crunchy! 

Description of the crispy chicken bun - Harissa marinated & cornmeal breaded fried chicken thigh fillet in a brioche bun with aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, dijonaise & pickled cucumber. Served with fries and sour ceam.

Tastebud : Maiz Mexican

5 April 2023

Mexican food for dinner at Maiz Mexican. This place got pretty crowded fast and it was very noisy as the restaurant is small. It was difficult to hear one another if there is a large group nearby which happened to us.

I had the nachos plate for SEK159 and we shared (the 3 of us) Mexican hotwings (chicken wings) for SEK95, sweet potato fries (camote in the menu) SEK79. The sweet potato fries were very addictive. I think sweet potato fries, in general, are very tasty and yummier than the usual potato fries. Boyfriend had tortillas - 2 for SEK165 and 1 for SEK85. There are different fillings and his had the slow-cooked pork shoulder and chicken. 

I was very stuffed from the nacho plate. I think it is due to the melted cheddar cheese. It is minced beef.

Pottery

18 March 2023

I tried my hands in pottery! It has been in my 'to-do' list to try pottery and when the opportunity arose for an English-speaking pottery course at Medborgarskolan, I signed up for it. The course was split into 3 different times - a weekend (10am to 4pm) and a half-day on a Saturday (10am to 1pm). I paid SEK2995 for it. It was a bit expensive for me but I have been waiting for this for too long. In this course, myself and another lady were total beginners while the others are experienced. It felt quite demotivating for me when the person beside me was making a kettle and plate while I was struggling to make a 'pot-like' shape that does not fall. 

On the first day, the instructor gave a brief introduction on pottery and informed that we will be using the 'wheel' where the wheel spins while we form a shape on it. The spinning is controlled by our foot which steps on a pedal. I learnt that there are different types of clay and today, we used black clay. The clay used is not part of the course fees that I paid. It costs SEK85/kg and I used in total, 3kg for the course. One slices the clay chunk with a wire and weighs the clay prior to using it.

Then, one massages and kneads the clay to remove the bubbles. It reminds me of kneading a bread dough. I could not take many photos while I was working with the clay. on the first day. I made several weird shapes. After a while, I got the hang of using the wheel and could make a small pot. There are two pots that I am proud of while the others are weird. The instructor said that I added too much water (one has to add water gradually while forming the shape so the clay glides from your fingers as the wheel spins) and the clay was 'tired' and the form falls. To fix that, one has to leave the clay to dry and that takes about a day but one can use a heat gun to dry the clay. At the end of the first day, we leave our creations to dry and will paint and trim as well as clean it up it on the second day.

Second day. My dried creations.

The instructor showed us how to make a pretty bottom but mine was hideous as I could not control the tool on the clay while spinning the wheel. So, I did on one pot only (look how ugly it is) and the rest of my creations had a flat bottom. 

Tastebud : Sen Kitchen Street at S2

29 March 2023

I am on a mission to try all the stalls in the food court in Mall of Scandinavia. The first one I tried was Raamen Noodles and Rice. Today, I tried South East Asian food - 9 River Salad at Sen Kitchen Street for SEK159 and it comes with a complimentary packet drink. I like the fish sauce. 

In the salad - Lemongrass marinated beef with mixed salad, fresh herbs, sour carrot and radish, rice noodles, roasted onion and peanuts. I copied the description from Foodora.