by Cedric | Jun 9, 2019 | General
One does not often have the opportunity to return to places of great culinary joy when abroad. Because the gang and I planned to go to Hvar Island, we had to pass through Split once more. As was our custom on our first visit, we stopped by D16 Coffee.
As you can see from the image above, their cappuccinos are masterfully crafted. What you cannot see, however, is my concealed enjoyment of the beverage in question. Once you have retrieved your minds from the gutter, you will understand I was alluding to the manifold flavours enclosed in this delightful cup of Joe.
Their biscuits are not to be turned away either. The chocolate chip cookie was deliciously soft and chewy. Clearly made either there, or somewhere nearby.
Overall, there is not much one can say about a coffee house. They often serve good coffee and have a pleasant demeanour towards the customers. But there is something special about D16. It is situated in the heart of Diocletian’s Palace, nestled away in a side street by a fountain with some interesting graffiti. The locale is quaint and, in a way, hard to find. Google maps has not quite adapted Split’s numerous nooks and crannies.
D16 is the place you want to go if Split’s burgeoning tourism becomes too overwhelming. The seafront promenade is beautiful, no doubt, but you will seldom find a bench unoccupied. D16 gives one peace and seclusion as well as excellent coffee and service. It is for this reason that it has made the grade and attained the lofty heights of Cedric Suggests. Do go here if you have the time.
The Chow-Chow (sometimes simply Chow is a dog breed originally from northern China, where it is referred to as Songshi-Quan (Pinyin: sōng-shī quǎn 鬆獅犬), which means “puffy-lion dog”. Wikipedia
It should be noted that the delightful dog in the featured image was not in any way attached to D16 Coffee, much to my chagrin.
by Cedric | Jun 6, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
I’ve been saving this review for a day where I felt particularly irked. Louise tells me I do my best writing while in a state of suffused fury. Well, readers, here I am. Konaba Marinaio was the beginning of the only day of our trip which I would consider a culinary failure. A combination of inept waiting, ghastly food and slow service made for a dreadful meal. Le Routard has never failed me before. I used this wonderful French guidebook throughout my trips in Europe and beyond. Yet, why they recommended this restaurant is quite beyond me. I shall detail our experiences now.
The first sign that our dining experience was going to be questionable came from the waiter, whom I shall dub ‘Clod’. Clod asked us where we were from and we said Birmingham. The counter to this amiable pleasantry came in the form of Clod ejaculating ‘Aston Villa’ and showing us a picture of him in what I can only presume is a football stadium. After this exchange, we asked Clod for some coffee. He then proceeded to say ‘best coffee in Birmingham’ as though he’d forgotten we were in fact in Montenegro. The only conclusion I can make is that his sense of humour extended to replacing ‘Kotor’ with wherever his diners are from.
The alarm bells rung less loudly with the first course. We shared a taglio misto, as is my wont, which was all right. The ensemble wasn’t quite delicious enough to be home made or even locally sourced. I need hardly comment on the freshness of the meat, one n only has to look at the edges of the smoked pork on the left and make their own conclusions. The cheese was fine, the lettuce was shop-bought. This starter was all right, but nothing special. Take care to look at the chorizo on the right.
I ordered the chorizo sandwich, expecting something wonderful. Alack, This was just the starter on a piece of bread. The bread, again clearly shop bought, had a spattering of mustard on the bottom and was topped with the same ingredients we were served on our starter. Some vegetables adorned this sorry looking sandwich.
Best Coffee in Birmingham. Clod
We ordered a bottle of wine, not knowing how much we would need it, before we ordered the coffee. At first, Clod did not understand that we wanted a full bottle. Perhaps it was the extent of his English or that nobody had ordered a full bottle in his limited memory span. 20 minutes after we ordered the wine, it arrived and is pictured below. You might be able to spot a bit of red material above the cord. Clod has ripped up a red paper napkin and tied it around the neck of the bottle. Clod presumably left the cord to prove to us this was a quality wine. He failed.
In another bizarre turn, Clod was mid conversation with Louise about something (probably Keats) when he shot off to the other end of the restaurant. A couple had arrived and sat down, which Clod must have thought merited dropping Louise mid Keatsian sentence. He scuttled back past our table to tend to their needs and apologised mumbling “sorry very busy”. there were a total of seven diners in the entire restaurant.
The final nail in Clod’s incompetent coffin was when the bill arrived. He had written 10% in blue pen on the bottom and charged us a surplus. I suspect now, in retrospect, that this was a service charge, which is perfectly fine. But when we asked him about it, he said it was a tip. “Everybody tips”, Clod protested. Given his completely dreadful behaviour and unthinkably awful waiting skills, we were not prepared to give him any more money than we owed. Then Clod did some awful maths and took what I calculated to be 3% off of the bill, not the 10% he had brutishly added. Thankfully, this was a cheap lunch.
Peculiarly, when I walked past the restaurant the next day, on my way back to the car with the gang, Clod pointed at my jacket from across the street and said, loudly “Goooood”. I think mortified doesn’t cover how I felt.
Needless to say, I left this restaurant frustrated, hungry and vexed. I could not leave drunk as I was driving shortly afterwards, though I suspect this sensible measure is not observed by many Montenegrin drivers. The amalgam of incompetence highlighted everything a restaurant should not do. Customers at any dining establishment are to be treated with respect and courtesy. This is a mutual duty which the diner must impose on himself when addressing the staff. Catering is a difficult job and waiters ought to be respected and espouse respect. What I witnessed at Marinaio was nothing short of a travesty. Do not eat here if you value your opinion of casual dining.
by Cedric | Jun 3, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
Having been ‘studying’ here in the Jewellery Quarter for almost a full academic year, I thought I’d seen every eatery available. However, this was not the case. As recently as three weeks ago, I found myself with some free time. I spent it in the best way I could imagine, going out for lunch.
Having scoured the area, I happened upon Soda Bread Cafe. St Nick, who is used to dining at fine, lavish establishments in Bosnia and other former communist countries, initially turned his nose up at this humble eatery. Thankfully my powers of persuasion were enough to overwhelm any counter-argument. We stepped in. the first thing I noticed was the amount of light streaming in from the huge arched windows. The second thing which I noticed was the warmth of the welcome we received. Elizabeth, the half German and half Irish owner is a vision of loveliness. I have seldom received such good customer service since my trip to Dubrovnik.
I felt like a jacket potato on the day, a rare occurrence. Soda Bread make a roast every day, this time it was roast beef. The beef was soft and beautifully cooked. The gravy was made fresh and paired wonderfully with the homemade stuffing. This was a winning potato. I also sampled their delicious pork pies, which I recommend heartily. Watch out with the mustard that Elizabeth will offer you, I felt it far too deeply in my nostrils, and I have an impressive conk, as St Nick keeps reminding me.
We have our own local milkman, local butcher, local wine merchant and a local baker, so all our food is fresh and locally sourced. Soda Bread Cafe
In addition to making all food to order using fresh ingredients, Soda Bread Cafe is home to many locally sourced wines, beers and ciders. I sampled one of these, the Dunkerton’s Organic cider. Interestingly, Dunkertons was founded by Ivor and Susie, the parents of Julian Dunkerton, who went on to co-found fashion brand Superdry.
…we use Breakwells Seedling apples for their fresh and aromatic flavour, the Knotted Kernel because of its sweetness, the Court Royal because of its delicate fragrance, and, Yarlington Mill for its full-bodied juice. Dunkertons
I must say, Soda Bread Cafe is an impressive eatery. The modest shop front conceals a cafe of fine quality with excellent customer service and delicious food. I was delighted on my first visit and shall doubtless go again for my lunch.
by Cedric | May 28, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
I think it would be criminal to omit a review of Glam Cafe. If we lived in Dubrovnik, this would be our local haunt. We went here several times daily while in Dubrovnik. Simply put, it was tucked away, locally run and excellent quality food.
I went for the bruschetta for breakfast. I needed something rejuvenating after a long night of drinking grappa. I jest, of course I don’t drink that much grappa, I weigh 3kg and a little drop makes me fall off of my chair. What can I say about this marvellous bruschetta? The tomatoes were superbly fresh, the capers paired beautifully. The quality of the olive oil and the crispness of the bread just send me somewhere. I highly recommend this for breakfast.
Being a heretical sinner, Louise decided to devour defenceless animal flesh on a Lenten Friday. I jest I joke, the Glam Toast, which I was able to sample the following morning, was an exercise in beautiful panini making. Every ingredient at Glam is fresh and it comes through in the food. This panini was light and yet filling. A perfect treat for breakfast, which gave me the energy necessary to scale the battlements of this wonderful ancient city.
Now, the coffee. Oh boy the coffee. Totally excellent coffee. The portions, flavour and dreamy cream all added up to make a truly sensational beverage. A picture tells a thousand words, look below and feast your eyes on St Nick and I having a great time drinking Glam Cafe coffee.
Pure joy. Glam Cafe is the place to go for an economic excellent snack and coffee. they also have an astonishing selection of micro brewed beer if you like that sort of thing. In addition, it is right in the middle of Dubrovnik and yet feels isolated. This has all the ingredients of a terrific hidden gem and I am honoured to be able to recommend it to you.
by Cedric | May 25, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
At last, Kopun. The restaurant I feel I’ve been waiting for my entire life. What a sensational amalgam of refined dining, beautiful location and exquisite waiting. I’ll admit it has taken me a long time to muster the courage to write this review. But needs must, and one is bound to press on in this life.
Boskovic Square or “Field” as it is popularly known amongst the locals is but a few minutes walk from the main street Stradun. Waiting for you on this, one of the most magical squares in Dubrovnik are 90 seating places, shaded during the warm days of summer, protected from light and medium percipitation, with heating for colder days or evenings, all this with a beatuifull view of Dubrovnik’s classical gymansium building and the Jezuit Church of St. Ignatius. Kopun
Again, this was on a Lenten Friday so I was not able to sample any of the meat, but Anna (the boss) and the staff were very accommodating to me, making some of my dishes specially to cater to my badly timed sacrifice. One such dish was my starter.
My ratatouille was made specially and completely blew me away. Growing up in France, I have an immoveable idea of how ratatouille should taste and this conformed to it precisely. I was taken aback by how accurate it was to my ideal ratatouille. The peppers were finely sliced and soft. The aubergines and onions were fried and stewed to a remarkable standard and don’t get me started on the quality of the tomato jus. A stunning dish.
Louise went for the prawn salad. As those of you close enough to me when I see fish will know, it’s not my thing. However I did brave the shock and tried some prawns. To my surprise they were quite amazing. beautiful consistency and bursting with flavour. Wonderfully balanced salad.
St Nick, as is his wont, opted for the cheese and ham board. all locally sourced produce. Wonderfully fresh and a fine combination. I’m not sure why the focus of this photo isn’t on the cheese. Maybe St Nick’s hands were shaking in anticipation.
We nurture the old school of hearty and healthy meals made with quality, fresh ingredients. We prepare our food like a music composer creates music – each ingredient (instrument) has a role to play, and each is distinguishable in the end melody, and yet ,they all make up one whole. Great portion of the food in the country is still being produced organically and without genetically modified crops which make it possible to get some of the tastiest ingredients and use them in our dishes.
Kopun is famed for the the dish that Louise and Nick ordered. I wish I could have done so as well but alas Lent prevented me. A small sacrifice when contextualised, and one which I made gladly. Capon is a cockerel (rooster) which has been castrated to improve the quality of its flesh for food. The cockerel is usually red on a rich diet of milk or porridge. Interestingly, the process of cockerel castration is called ‘caponization’. Not to be confused with canonisation. Kopun use a 16th century recipe and it shows. This capon was marinated in figs and apricots and accompanied by a barley risotto. From what they tell me, this dish is worthy of being the restaurant’s namesake. I will be coming back to Dubrovnik to try it.
My own dish was the truffle risotto. Perfectly cooked (which is difficult with risotto), and so wonderfully tasty. Waves of flavour washed over me and I was transported to my youth then back again. Beautifully balanced light dish which left me with plenty of room for dessert, which is precisely what I’m about to tell you about.
Now, what you can’t see in this picture is Nick’s fast travelling knife. I caught this photograph just before St Nick revealed the oozing chocolate delights hidden behind the turgid sweet exterior of this dessert. This dish is beautiful, there’s no doubt about that. Possibly the best dessert of the night. Soft and sweet, delightful texture and homemade ice cream. What more can one ask for?
This blurry dessert was the almond semifreddo. a sort of cold almond nougat-esque concoction which blew me away. Seldom has a flavour been so deep. Almost overwhelming almond flavour actually. I was taken aback and so too shall you be. Louise opted for the cheesecake which tasted phenomenal. very fine fondant light flavours meshing together. Local recipe beautifully executed.
Overall I would say Kopun isn’t only a restaurant, it is a restorative experience the likes of which I’ve rarely seen. The kindness and efficiency of the wait staff was not lost on me. the quality of the food is unquestionable. The location is stunning and quite unique in a bustling city. But above all Anna, the owner, was flawless in her hosting. She made me feel as though I was the only diner in Dubrovnik and that takes some doing. I so look forward to seeing her and being able to dine in this fine establishment on my next trip to Croatia. Please try Kopun, you will not regret it.
by Cedric | May 19, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
Let’s talk about Azur. We were in Dubrovnik one Friday lunchtime and were driven inside by torrential rain. We hoped and prayed that once we were out from lunch, the sun would emerge. Thus, we descended into the depths of Azur, which was recommended to us by a startling young artist we’d met among a throng of stray cats.
First Azur was opened in 2010 in Zhuhai, China by Chef Vedran Perojevic. Two years later, Vedran decided to come back to his hometown and brings flavors of Asia into Dubrovnik, and the whole concept of “Mediterranean cuisine with an Asian twist” was born. Azur Vision
Louise opened with pork belly as well as chicken and chorizo tacos. Sadly, this was a Lenten Friday and in order to make up for an array of other sins, I tried to be a good Catholic. No meat for me, alas. But I can tell by the look on Louise’s face and the slow deliberate way in which she chomped on this masterful dish, that it was to die for. She didn’t die, in case you were wondering.
St Nick went for the salmon. Now as I don’t care for fish, I couldn’t tell you how it tasted. But I did try the vegetables which were a revalation. It was as though they were cooked just for me, and that is what I aim for in my cooking. St Nick kept muttering his signature phrase “superb” under his breath, so I could see he was enjoying the salmon.
Suberb
St Nicholas Jenkins
Now here comes my dish. The famed amaranth and zucchini balls in coconut curry sauce. There is a notice on the menus asking you not to add anything to the dishes because the chef aims to make them as balanced as possible. They succeeded flawlessly with the zucchini balls. Observe how finely the chilli is shredded. The consistency of the zucchini balls themselves was soft as anything. I felt as though I was biting into a dream, the concluding euphoria of which was found when dipping it in some of the coconut sauce. What a treat indeed! I cannot recommend this enough.
Dessert was another achievement. Azur’s Baklava is something to watch out for. Wonderfully moist and seeping cinnamon. The layers of chopped nuts were held together by the most sensational syrup. A dish not to be missed.
Conversely, a dish which would be missed is the coconut tapioca. There wasn’t much flavour there and the consistency was a tad sickly for me. I would say in its defence that I had not had one before and am unlikely to ever have it again. So it might well have been divine for tapioca lovers, but not for me.
Overall, Azur is a restaurant of undeniable and overwhelming quality. The prowess of the chefs and the attentiveness of the waiters go a long way. They made a strong impression on this blogger. It is rare to be treated this well in a restaurant. If you’re in Dubrovnik and find yourself craving something a little more high brow, Azur is the place for you.
