Babushka Siem Reap

Siem Reap Babushka Restaurant 

Type: International, Russian, Ukraine

Address: The Lane 

Tel: +855(0)77981002

Opening Hours: 07:00 until midnight

What do you know, a Russian restaurant in Siem Reap? Certainly something new on the local gastronomic scene and something worth checking out. Situated just off Pub Street in The Lane, the place proved kind of heard to find as there is no obvious sign.

Location is OK, interior is not: way too much Kitsch; supposedly inspired by the Grandmother (thus Babushka). First big disappointment when we got the menus with Pub Street staples such as Spaghetti, Amok, Lok Lak, Chinese Dumplings, etc. I thought this was supposed to be a Russian Restaurant. OK, they have Borscht (Ukrainian, not Russian) and "Salo" (another Ukrainian specialty), but not a single Russian dish. Seeing a menu full of spelling mistakes does not exactly inspire confidence either (Chocolate "muss" anyone?).

Cheap, but not really Russian.

Service was a bit naff as well. Ordered two bottles of water which came 15 minutes apart and the draft beer on the menu was not available. We got two forks and two knives between the three of us. They advertise draft beer but do not actually have any and on top of it I had to get my own beer a couple of times as staff seemed to be swamped with just the three of us.

Taboule?

I had ordered the pork cutlets with fried potatoes. The cutlets turned out to be minced meat patties and the fried potatoes were basically French Fries that were swimming in oil. Both were absolutely tasteless and could have been anything. Lucy had chicken with mushrooms sauce and she too proclaimed it to be completely bland.

The cutlets were hamburgers 

and the potatoes were swimming in oil.

A shame really, the owners could have found a niche here by serving Russian food. Instead, they are competing with all the other restaurants serving bland Western food. I guess the only thing the restaurant has in its favor are the fairly low places and the fact that one is not consistently hassled by beggars as The Lane is not exactly a tourist hot-spot.

Service: *

Food: *

Ambiance: **

Value for money: **

Recommended: No

Tavan Restaurant, Sapa, Vietnam

The restaurant is in the Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa where I recently stayed for a night. Obviously a little up-market, with prices to match, but I was in serious need of some pampering.

The hotel has been built in a sort of Swiss Chalet style, a theme that is repeated inside the restaurant. As the hotel is on a hill above Sapa Town, it offers great views (weather permitting) and dining both inside and on a terrace.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a very friendly waitress who escorted me to the table and gave me the menu; shortly followed by a cold face towel and some delicious bread. The menu is not very large, with a page each of Vietnamese and European dishes; as well as a couple of set menus.

Tavan Restaurant.

I could not face a 7-course menu and I know from previous stays that the Sapa mushrooms are fantastic. I therefore ordered the Sapa Mushroom soup as a starter and the Sapa Mushroom Risotto with crispy egg yolk as a main course.

Not a very large menu, but I refer that to hundreds

of items out of the freezer.

The soup arrived piping hot; something that is surely appreciated during the cold winters (though it was bloody hot in Sapa that day). The mushrooms soup is not like the pureed and strained version often served in Western restaurants; it comes with chopped mushrooms and lots of them. As mentioned before: I think Sapa mushrooms are great and I was not disappointed here. The soup was seasoned to perfection and went down a treat.

Sapa Mushrooms rule.

The Risotto that followed was a bit small, without the soup I think I would not have had enough. However, this is the only criticism I can make. Risotto is not a difficult dish to make, but it is amazing how many restaurants can get it wrong; turning the rice into a soup or leaving it uncooked. Not here though; the grains were just the way I like them, creamy but still "al dente". I was not so amazed with the egg yolk; but I guess that is a matter taste. I am also a snob when it comes to the Parmesan usually served with Risotto. I would have preferred freshly shaved Parmesan instead of the ground version I got here but then that was maybe asking too much.

Perfect Risotto.

Menu prices range from USD 10.00 (for the Risotto) to USD 28:00 (for Black Angus Beef). There are obviously cheaper eateries all over Sapa, the town being a popular back-packer destination, but they obviously have different levels of service (from louse to non0existant) and quality of food (ditto). I think the prices are very reasonable for being treated like a king and getting outstanding food. Value for money is what it is all about in my book.

A real dining experience in Sapa.

I did take a look at the wine list, though no wine drinker myself, and here the prizes that make my eyes water; the cheapest bottle started at USD 38.00 and quickly moved well beyond that. I guess getting the booze up the mountain comes at a cost.

I think I am not going out on a limb here when I state that the bet food can be found at the Tavan restaurant and it would certainly be my choice if I ever make it up to West Tonkin.

Some candy floss for dessert.

Service: *****

Food: ****

Ambience: ****

Value for money: ****

Recommended: Yes.

Stella Restaurant

The quest for halfway decent food in the Pham Ngu Lao area in HCMC continued yesterday. The town was heaving with the up-coming "Liberation Day" (North Vietnam "liberated" South Vietnam on this day in 1975) on the 30th of April; followed by May Day. All I wanted was a quick bite to eat so the first stop was at a "Subway" on Pham Ngu Lao proper. The conversation went something like this:

Young male sales person that would rather have been somewhere else (YMSPTWRHBSE): Good evening.

Yours truly (YT): Good evening.

YMSPTWRHBSE: What do you want?

YT: (looking around a branch of Subway): a sandwich I guess.

YMSPTWRHBSE: What bread?

YT: Rye?

YMSPTWRHBSE: Finished.

YT: Wheat?

YMSPTWRHBSE: Finished.

YT: Right, what do you actually have?

YMSPTWRHBSE: White bread (which I do not like).

YT: No choice, I guess.

YMSPTWRHBSE: (pointing at the displays behind him) Which sandwich?

YT: I'd like to build my own.

YMSPTWRHBSE: Cannot.

YT: The sign here says I can?

YMSPTWRHBSE: If you insist (unhappily).

YT: Bye-bye.

This little chat set the tone for the evening. Next stop was the Boston Pizza and Sports Bar on 175/6 on Pham Ngu Lao. I was getting hungry now but the visit here was short-lived too. What appeared to be the owner/manager was sitting at the bar working very hard to dislodge something from his teeth. This one I could have ignored, but I was not so happy with the waitress doing the "what do you want" bit. How about parting with my hard-earned cash to get some food and less questions? Whilst waiting for my Strawberry smoothie I took a couple of picture. Now the waitress got really rude; giving me the 3rd degree as to why I was taking pictures. So up I got and continued looking for food (yes, I did pay for the smoothie even though I did not actually have it.

Next stop a branch of Wayne's Texas BarBQ on Bui Vien. I hear the steaks are pretty good here, but I never got that far. Asked for an OJ: finished. Asked for fresh coconut juice: finished (in Vietnam, a country with more coconut palms than motorbikes).

Menu has a good selection without being worryingly large.

I was ready to go to bed and cry myself to sleep when I walked past the Stella on 121 Bui Vien. I had walked past this place a few times before, noting that they are not exactly bashful, with a big sign proclaiming they have the "Best coffeein town" and also thinking they should find someone to correct their sign.

The interior is not much to write home about, but I was greeted by a couple of very friendly waitresses. A clean and fairly extensive menu was presented in no time at all and once again the waitress was on the ball, quickly taking the order.

The interior does not exactly scream "Italian".

I ordered a Beef Carpaccio which at USD 5.00 was not the cheapest starter available. However, the Chef was not miserly with the beef, there was heaps of it. The color was a little strange, a bright pink, but the quality was very good. The lettuce the beef was on was fresh and the Parmesan was better than what many Italian restaurants serve. I would change the vinegar used in the dressing though. It was obviously a cheaper vinegar which was sour in a not so nice way.

Plenty of meat and yes, the color did look a tad strange.

I ordered Saltimbocca as a main dish, like most dishes it was around USD 5.00. Beers go from just over USD 2.00 with milk shakes and juices from USD 1.50 to USD 2.00. As this came with either vegetables or mashed potatoes, I ordered the potatoes and a "Insalata Stella". The Saltimbocca arrived after about 20 minutes and both meat and mashed potatoes were piping hot, the way it should be. The meat was excellent, though obviously not veal which is hard to get in Vietnam (and the menu did say that the meat was pork loin); well grilled without being dry. The sauce was great as well, though I did miss the sage. Not sure what the herbs were but they had little taste.

Excellent meat.

The salad was pretty good with decent Olives and Feta cheese; once again many Italian restaurants use awful Olives and plastic cheese; I'd go back for the salads alone. I will also have to go back for a coffee and verify their "best coffee in town" claim. Whilst I was having dinner a number of patrons came in just for the coffee, so maybe the owners are not exaggerating.

Massive salad and not stingy with the cheese.

The restaurant has an air-conditioned area; not common on Pham Ngu Lao but a welcome relief as it was stinking hot yesterday. Inside and air-conned also means some respite from the ever-present touts and trinket sellers that prowl the back-packer ghetto.

I saw some comments on the web that the Stella is too expensive. It might be a little bit more expensive than some of the dives in the Pham Ngu Lao area, but both service and quality of food are also considerably better. My total bill was less that USD 20.00 and I was close to bursting as the portions are certainly not small.

Update 18/05/2011:

The "best coffee in town" could not stand unchallenged so I went back for lunch today.

The Mozzarella salad was OK; the tomatoes were fresh and tasty but the Mozzarella was a little "blah".

The Tagliatelle al Funghi on the other hand were excellent. The sauce was expertly seasoned with the taste of the mushrooms really coming through. I'll go back for that one.

The coffee: couldn't order one last time as I went for dinner; if I have a coffee after 16:00 I'll be dancing the jitterbug all night. Today all I had to look forward to was a tedious meeting in the afternoon; perfect to try a coffee. I ordered a Cappuccino but I am still not sure if it is the best in town; haven't had enough coffee in HCMC yet.

One thing is for sure though, it has to be one of the friendliest coffees in town; first time a Cappuccino wished me a "Happy Day":

Service: **** Friendly and attentive.
Food: ****
Ambiance: ***
Value for money: ****

Recommended: Yes.

The Nest

This restaurant has been around for over a year but I must admit that I was reluctant to go in there at first as it appeared a little too "design" for me. Nothing wrong with design of course, but experience has shown me that often the more design, the lousier the food.

There are exceptions to every rule and I am glad to be able to report that The Nest certainly is one of those exceptions. Situated right in the middle of Sivath Boulevard, it starts with a great location; perfect place to duck into after having done the shopping at the nearby Angor Market.

The good impression starts on arrival where we were greeted by friendly staff and let to a table every time we have been there; certainly something many restaurants in Siem Reap should take note of. In more than one restaurant I have been to, not only was there nobody to greet and meet, I had to find and/or wake up the staff.

Restaurant interior.

One can choose to sit at tables or lounge in huge couch thingies. I tried the latter but find that, whilst they might be OK for a drink, they are not very comfortable to eat on; at least not for stiff old me. The whole design of the restaurant is very open, which I like. It does obviously pose a problem though when it is either very hot (they use fans with water spray, but even that is not enough when it is really boiling) or when the rain really hammers down and comes in sideways. However, minor inconveniences for a real al Fresco experience.

You can choose to dine here.

The menu is heavy on steaks and I suggest that this should be the main reason for any potential diner to come. Whilst the Khmer food is not bad, there are plenty of Khmer restaurants around. It is also a sort of Khmer fusion which just does not convince me. But the Steaks, oh my God the Steaks!!! They certainly must be amongst the best in town. Therefore, do not waste your time and head straight for the steak menu.

Beef Tenderloin, very yummy.

Service is friendly and very attentive throughout. Cold face towels and pretty good warm bread come straight away. The one time we had to wait a little longer, the staff came, apologized, and explained that a group of about 30 people had just ordered. I have no problem with waiting, especially in a restaurant that has German Erdinger Weissbier on promotion (Newsflash: that promotion is currently no longer available, darn).

Al Fresco dining, not advisable during the rainy season.

Prizes are around USD 4.00 for starters, USD 5.00 - 8.00 for noodle dishes, USD 12.00 - 22.00 for mains, and Steaks are from USD 15.00 - 18.00. The drinks menu is extensive with soft drinks and beers starting at USD 2.50 and going all the way to USD 40.00 for some very decent bottles of wine. There is also a large cocktail menu; probably just the thing for those lounge chairs. Go for a Champagne Cup at USD 250.00 a pop; it serves 45 drinks and I am sure that by the time you are done, the bill becomes but a minor nuisance.

Caprese with Buffalo Mozzarella.

If you do order a starter, and keep in mind that the steaks are quite big, try the Caprese of ripe plum tomatoes and Buffalo Mozarella. Unlike in many places in Siem Reap (including Italian restaurants) the salad comes with real Mozarella and not the plastic-like cheap Ersatz cheese so many restaurants prefer. I also liked the Pork Gyoza though they could have been a tad warmer.

Pork Gyoza.

We inevitably order Steaks each time we are there. They are all good and they are all decent chunks of meat at 300 grams each. Side dishes come extra (USD 1.90), I can recommend the Pumpkin and Risotto Croquettes. There are 6 different sauces to choose from, the Pink Peppercorn and Passion Fruit Sauce is very good, as is the wild Mushroom sauce (though the latter could have used more mushrooms last time I was there). Hard to say which steak is the best, but if I had to choose a single one, it would probably be the Australian Beef Tenderloin. I suggest you order the meat one stage less cooked than you usually do (i.e. if you normally order medium, order medium-rare here). Not only will you do justice to the quality of the meat, but as the steaks come in pretty solid chunks you risk that the outside of the meat is overcooked otherwise.

The Missus did try the Mackerel for a change last time we were there, whilst the Couscous was very good, the fish was a tad dry; as I said earlier: stick to the meat.

Pan-fried Mackerel.

Not a big fan of desserts personally, and the selection is pretty small, but the Mango with Sticky Rice is sinfully good. Probably worth a few hundred calories, but if you have made it until here, than you just know it will be salad and gym for the next couple of weeks anyway.

Tempura ice-cream, 412 points at WeightWatchers.

Overall, a great dining experience. If there was one thing I could change, it would be the uniforms. Both waiters and waitresses were these baggy, past-the-knee shorts that might look OK on back-packers on Khao San road but which are totally out of place in this restaurant.


Rating (out of 5):

Service: *****
Food: *****
Ambiance: *****
Value for money: ****

Recommended: Oh yes! Whenever the carnivore in me awakens, it is inevitably The Nest I head for to sink my teeth into a bloody piece of cow.