Seeking delicious takeaway or delivery food options during the lockdown in Zurich and ideas on how to spend valuable time at home?

Find inspiration & creativity in this blog post for food, sports or love! We will be affected by this situation for several months, it is important to be well prepared!

Now that all restaurants in Zurich are closed due to the coronavirus, it is essential to support Zurich Gastronomy and order delicious meals for home. From street food to gourmet restaurants, there is a variety of options for vegan, vegetarian and meat lovers.

Discover here my lockdown food suggestions, most of them available through uber eats

• Try the website lockdown-gourmet with plenty of international food such as Asian, Italian, Local Swiss or Mexican for example. Some of the food is delivered by UberEats, some directly through the restaurant.
• My top Asian so far for Sushi: Hato Restaurant, get your order directly on UberEats or Smood.ch and for traditional Japanese dishes absolutely try Gaijin Izakaya. For super healthy fresh bowls or more sushi try: Barfuesser! Find more on the restaurant in my food guide, here!
• A light and healthy poke bowl? Kaisin was my choice for a light dinner! Get them on uber eats, too!
• Greek Food lovers, go for Oh My Greek,
• In the mood for some sweets for your romantic dinner or brunch family? Sweet pastry creations from Dolder Hotel, Star Patissier Christian Hümbs wait for you. They deliver for free if you live in Zurich Kreis 7! Otherwise, you can go for a pick up at the hotel.
• Pizza lovers know: Ristorante Luigia is one of the best addresses for Neapolitan Pizza, so don’t miss that one, too.
• Pizza al Taglio if you are around the Old City in Niederdorf! Ritù Pizza makes the best Pizza slices in town! Natural ingredients and seasonal toppings such as artichokes, salame calabrese bit spicy and much more!

Fresh Bread and chocolate croissants!

A bike ride in the fresh air will be good for your brain cells! Visit John Baker at Helvetia Platz or Stadelhofen for your fresh bread or croissant early in the morning. There are allowed only 2 people at a time in the shop, so no worries about nervous customers standing around you. Read my detailed blog post on their tasty chocolate croissant, here!

Specialty Coffee for takeaway or a Gelato to go!

• My favourite coffee shop Grande close to Central offers Coffee & Negroni’s to take away! Open Monday – Friday!
• Just Coffee is my new entry! Coffee is good, their Vegan Donuts are awesome! Try it out! Open Monday – Sunday!
• Don’t forget to stop by Gelateria di Berna for your ice cream! Be aware of the long line, so go early!

In the mood of a Negroni during lockdown made by your local Barkeeper?

The company Mikks supports Zurich bars and makes it possible to continue enjoying cocktails during the lockdown. Visit the site cheerstosupport and find the drink of your choice from your dearest Cocktail Bar in Zurich!

Among the bars that deliver from now on are, for example, the “Bar Sacchi“, which offers various Negronis, and the “Acid Bar“, which among other things mixes a Ginger Lemon Kick. The “Barista Corado” offers espresso martini and the “Kasheme” bar offers light my fire and purple haze. We love this initiative very much!

Cooking at home during quarantine or mixing your own cocktail

I’ve always been a fan of easy recipes, especially now when I don’t go out shopping every day I try to plan my shopping list as accurate as possible and go for recipes that are easy to prepare. There are plenty of recipes such as risotto or oven recipes, where few ingredients are needed. I try to vary with veggies and fruits! Bake your own bread, pancakes or nutrition bars with nuts and honey.

And if you like to mix your own very simple drink at home, absolutely recommend checking the online shop of agoimports for some artisan fruity soda drinks in from the brand Three Cents. They come in different flavours and taste supernatural! They are created with natural spring water from Rododafni (Greece). You can find also a selection of spirits such as Gin, Vermouth or Tequila. My choice is the 100% handmade pink grapefruit soda mixed with some vermouth!

Online shopping is still possible so if you love fresh juices I absolutely recommend a cold press where you can create fast and easy vitamin bombs to start your day! The drink I love most is carrots, ginger & apples!

Follow Laz uns Kochen for Mediterranean inspiration in your kitchen, anaundnina for fresh and creative recipes or my friend Alma for some yummy baking ideas!

How to emotionally survive quarantine if you are single or a family!

These apps are much more fun and allow you to interact with the people you know or B with random people around the globe!

• Houseparty
  As the name suggests, it offers a way to hang out and party with friends while couped up at home.
• Words With Friends 2
  Essentially a Scrabble clone built for phones, it comes with an interface designed for interacting online.
• comehome
  Meet new friends, participating in house events organized in your city. It’s focused on Italy, Spain & UK – Check it out 🙂
• Smule App to get your karaoke career started!

Zero cost travelling for mind and soul to Europe, Africa or Asia?

We all know, that one day we will travel again, get some virtual travel suggestions for Europe, Africa or Asia on my travel blog section!

In the mood for some virtual Museum visits around the globe?

Are you bored of Netflix and the endless browsing on the internet? Here comes your virtual museum visit without leaving your couch!

• British Museum, London
  This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.
• Guggenheim Museum, New York
  Get ready with Google’s Street View for a tour through the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase. Discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras!
• Musée d’Orsay, Paris
  Walk virtually through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
  Are you a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter then see his works up close by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh?
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence
  This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de Medici.

To see more of Google Arts & Culture’s collection of museums, visit the collection’s website. There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture also has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites.

Single and in the mood to flirt online –  Spread  Love not Corona!

In Zurich, a group of single boys & girls launched a flirting platform called: be-my-quarantine. The website is in German but once you’re logged in you can chat in any language! Get more directly on their site!

Why not have a coffee talk with Swiss celebrities or random people living in Switzerland?

The platform that makes this possible is called “binenand“. The platform connects generations in Switzerland, makes projects visible and networks actors and interested parties. Get a better picture on Instagram. The website seems to be in maintenance right now.

Ever tried Breakletics ? Looking for some fun and creative online sports instructors?

I personally was attending some classes in the studio Balboa in Zurich before lockdown, this is where I discovered the workout “Breakletics” and Leo. Check his classes to sweat and have fun! On Instagram, he goes live daily!

Yoga & fitness go perfectly along together!
My preferred online yoga studio is called: Alo Yoga Give it a try and let me know how you like it! There is a wide mix of instructors you can choose of. They are running a 14 day free trial right now!

In the best case, we can even integrate some of these new habits into our routine and make them last also after this covid-19 pandemic.

Stay safe and healthy!

Marina

My personal highlight: Snacking & Drinking in the first Izakaya in Zurich! Discovering delicious chicken grilled on the Konro Charcoal-Grill, paired with Japanese Swiss craft beer

Welcome to the cosy Izakaya in town with modern and traditional Japanese dishes to share!

This food discovery was very special for me since I had the fun to have my friend, mixologist and photographer Kasper with me! Usually, I have to wait for every bite I take until my food pics are done, this time I could immerse myself into the culinary experience right away!

For the opening night, Chef Dan Shu and his staff created a special selection of dishes to get a complete picture of their food concept. My absolute favourite dishes were the Chicken Karaage – Cabbage Salad, Homemade Japanese Mayo, the LUMA Wagyu Beef – Grilled Cabbage, Baby Lotus, Onsen Egg and the dessert: Churros in a super special shape tender and creamy with some ginger sour cream and berries. Truly amazing the pairing with a Gaijin Draught Beer made with some delicious blooming sake. Find a selection of sake, wines and soju, too.

A simple and cosy Izakaya

The ambience at Gaijin is simple but cosy, not too much decor, the light is a bit dark and ideal for a chilled friends’ night out or a date.

The menu at Gaijin

Choose from around 30 small dishes and share them with friends. That way you can try the diversity of dishes they offer. I love the way the menu card is divided! Under “Fire” you will find everything from the Konro Charcoal-Grill, “Hot” presents warm appetizers like Chicken Karaage and “Cold” are cold dishes like the Taco California.

Do you like to be surprised by the boss: choose the option “Omakase“! This means as much as “I leave it to the chef” and has a long tradition in Japan. This choice costs 60 CHF. Single dishes start at 6 CHF up to 45 CHF depending on your choice. There is a variety of veggie options, too! I loved the Miso Shoyu roasted eggplants with garlic chips and a delicious sake sauce and the hot & cold cucumbers.

Address: Gaijin Izakaja Resaurant, Birmensdorferstrasse 5, 8004 Zürich, T: 044 482 22 00

Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 5.30 – 00.00 pm

In the mood for more Asian food inspiration? Get them on my food guide!

https://gaijin-izakaya.ch/

My personal highlight: Getting inspiration and motivation from Chef Renu Homsombat (Bangkok) reminds me that everything done with love and compassion brings more joy in life!

A culinary experience that must be on your agenda at the beginning of the year is the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival. This year a load of girl power came together in the upper Engadine from January 31st to February 8th, 2020. The top chefs from the international fine-dining scene performed together with highly awarded chefs of the partner hotels in St. Moritz to spoil curious food lovers with culinary delights.

The program consists of diverse events to choose from: a Gourmet Dinner with your favourite Chef, the legendary Kitchen Party at Badrutt’s Palace, Gourmet Safaris, a mountain Brunch or Food & Wine Pairing, the variety of food experiences is incredible!

On the one hand, this blog post shall inspire you to find your own favourite event. On the other hand, it is a great pleasure to share my experiences with you and make you part of my Festival journey! The festival is attended by local  & international food lovers and offers a unique way to spend a different evening with the same mined people.

The Chefs of the 2020 Edition at a glance

• Cristina Bowerman, „Best Female Italian Chef in Europe 2018“ from the Restaurant Glass Hostaria in Rome guest cooking at Carlton Hotel St. Moritz with home Chef Heros de Agostinis
• Indian star chef Asma Khan from the Darjeeling Express restaurant in London guest cooking with home Chef Mauro Taufer at Kulm Hotel
•  Judy Joo from London, Soul Bird, guest cooking with Valmiro Pasini at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
• „Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2016“ Kamilla Seidler from Denmark, Restaurant Lola – cooking with home Chef Gero Porstein at Hotel Waldhaus Sils
• Lanshu Chen from Taiwan, 2014 as „Asia’s Best Female Chef“, (at LE MOÛT until the End of 2018) cooking with Home Chef Fabrizio Zanetti at Suvretta House
• Haute Cuisine Chef Renu Homsombat from Gourmet temple Saffron in Bangkok guest cooking with Chef Rolf Fliegauf at Hotel Giardino Mountain
• Chef Bee Tatongun, Asia’s Best Female Chef 2018“ Bangkok, Restaurant Paste Bangkok guest cooking with Home Chef Dariusz Durdyn at Hotel Nira Alpina
• From New York the Swedish 2 Michelin Stars Chef Emma Bengtsson, Restaurant Aquavit guest cooking with home Chef Matthias Schmidberger at Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski
• Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2019“ Carolina Bazán from Chile, Restaurant Ambrosía, guest cooking with home Chef Giovanni Caruso at Hotel Saratz
• Cook Bel Coelho from Brazil, Restauran Clandestino is guest cooking with home Chef Fabrizio Piantanida at Grand Hotel Kronenhof 

Gourmet Dinner Experience with Chef Renu Homsombat from Bangkok at Hotel Giardino Mountain -Restaurant Ecco

I attended the Gourmet Dinner of Chef Renu Homsombat with the curiosity to explore Thai Cuisine on a Gourmet level I never had before. Chef Renu manages 11 Suffron Gourmet Restaurants of the 5-star Hotels Banyan Tree in 8 countries. Besides coaching all the Chefs around the world she is a mother and a wife and lives in a house with a beautiful garden in Bangkok. My culinary highlight included a 6-course menu. A complete seduction of pure, fresh and spicy Thai flavours never experienced before. The green Thai curry is light and perfectly balanced in its sweetness and spiciness. Yes, it was spicy but to balance it out you get rice noodles and a tiny egg in a separate bowl and little veggie surprises such as the pickled cauliflower or fried eggplants! The dinner starts at 185 CHF (4 courses, excl. drinks) to 240 CHF (6 courses, excl. drinks) per person.

The menu of the Gourmet Dinner at Ecco Restaurant:

• Kratong-Thong – Fried chicken, cashew nuts, golden cup saffron
• Ma Hor – Pineapple, minced pork beef, shrimps, peanut paste
• Por Pia Puu Sauce Mamuang – Summer spring roll with crab meat, Thai mango sauce, chilli peanut dip
• Pla Muek Laab Thod – Spicy fried baby octopus, Thai chilli sauce, crunchy popped young rice
• Tom Yum Goong – spicy Thai shrimps, mushrooms, Thai ginger, lemongrass
• Kiew Waan Pla Yang – grilled fish filet, rice noodles, green Thai curry sauce, fried eggplants, pickled cauliflower
• Nua Toon Lumyai – slow-cooked beef ribs, spiced, cucumber salat
• Khao Niew Mamuang / Ice Cream Bai Toey – Thai Mango sticky rice, Sago Saffron litchi, Pandan coconut ice cream

The menu was paired with wines from France, Italy and Spain.

This culinary safari through Thailand was presented in its most aesthetic way. The combination of ingredients was delicate and at the same time very typical in the taste. The dishes Chef Renu prepares often include peanuts, mint, coriander or galangal combining European and Thai methods she got from different working experiences in Germany and Switzerland.
Chef Renu shared a precious hour with me in a personal interview where I got the opportunity to talk about her life and cooking philosophy.

The energy of this person is pure and beautiful and I felt right away, that this is the first ingredient for the magic, she puts in the preparation of every dish. She explained me, that no matter which request comes from a customer, her wish is to make everyone happy. So for example customers with allergies or special food requests give her the extra challenge to experiment in the kitchen and serve the ideal dish.

Learn from an organic Chef!

Chef Renu describes herself as the “Organic Chef” What exactly do you think this means? Nowadays Chefs strive for organic and healthy cuisine, and the selection of the products is of high quality and as fresh as possible. This is why for example in a city like Bangkok Chef Renu has a little garden where she lives and she can grow her own flowers to integrate them into the dishes.
But more than that, an organic Chef according to Chef Renu should bring along a sane ego, understand the need and potential of the staff and bring them to perform with perfection but especially happiness and love in everything they do. The staff is like a family!
This is exactly what I experienced during the interview and the dinner. She also shares with me, that the inner motor that keeps her happy is the love around her she gets from her husband and her family.

“Be every day positive in life, learn from your mistakes and move on – Interview with Chef Renu”

Thank you Renu Homsombat for the unique culinary experience and the precious time shared!

Gourmet Event “Top of Piemonte” by Chef Lanshu Chen from Taiwan & Fabrizio Zanetti at Suvretta House, St. Moritz in cooperation with Poderi Aldo Conterno Wines

What happens at a Gourmet night with the title “Top of Piemonte“?
A Taiwanese female Chef prepares dishes that pair well with Barolo wines from Piemonte and on top, you have a chat to connect with same minded foodies.

The surrounding at Suvretta House was the most perfect setup to enjoy a wonderful 4-course dinner. This is what we had:

• Amuse Bouche: Egg custard with fermented radish and 7 years old aged radish oil
• Eel: lily bulb, Sichuan peppercorns and scallion
• Veal sweetbread Angelica
• Sunchoke, smoked pork lard, wild lime
• Pigeonneau: gyaura, onion, molle with Taiwnanese Chocolate
• Dessert Nympheas: 12 different ingredients of sweet, sour and flower magic prepared in a clear soup

The Wine Pairing 

Bussiador Chardonnay Langhe DOC/b, Piemonte 2016

Barolo Bussia Colonnello DocG/b, Piemonte 2015 and Barolo Bussia Cicala DOCG/b, Piemonte 2015

Barolo Bussia Romirasco DOCG/b, Piemonte 2015

Grappa di Barolo Cigna Cicala, Piemonte

The cuisine prepared by Chef Lashu is contemporary French, delicate and savoury. She conjured a tasteful balance between her Taiwanese culinary roots and classic French cuisine onto the plates. The novelty for me at this dinner: the pigeon! It was cooked with a pink finish, perfectly tender and the taste was mild and delicate.

About Poderi Aldo Conterno Wines

The Poderi Aldo Conterno have cult status among wine connoisseurs. The selected wines belong to the greatest of the Piedmont region. Franco Conterno, co-owner of the family business presented his winery in collaboration with Ueli Schiess of Caratello Weine, St. Gallen.

Curious to know more about the wine region of Piedmont? Explore it on my blog post here!

I am very happy about the experience made at this year’s St. Moritz Gourmet Festival edition and hope you’ll have the chance in 2021 to experience one of their culinary events, too! A warm thank you to all of the staff for the excellent work and hospitality during my press trip.

My personal highlight: Discovering the most charming and sustainable Hotel in Switzerland in Arosa

Welcome to the hidden gem Arosa is located in the region of Graubünden in Switzerland about 2 h train ride from Zurich. This blog story shares with you a travel experience suitable for a weekend trip or week holiday in the Swiss Alps. No matter if you choose to travel in summer, autumn or winter, Arosa offers outdoor activities and the best culture or wellness all year round. Get more on the destination here.
I had my friend Annasole with me for the weekend and guess what, it’s the perfect spot to just relax your soul and have fun together in the snow!

Why choose 4* Valsana Hotel & Appartements for your trip

The interior design is characterised by the eccentric designer Carlo Rampazzi and makes it easy for every guest to feel at home either in the “living room” area, at the restaurant, on the beautiful outdoor terrace and especially in the hotel room. The warm colours of the furniture and materials used with their partly natural shapes create a mix of alpine and oriental home atmosphere. In the decoration, nostalgic elements catch the eye: absolutely play a song on the vintage turntable with some vinyl of Frank Sinatra!

Every room has different interiors: My favorite one is the sofa a colorful vibrant flower imprint.

The 115-year-old hotel was completely demolished in 2015 and reopened in December 2017 as a new three-part, modern hotel with 40 spacious rooms and junior suites and 9 apartments. The hotel belongs to the Tschuggen Hotel Group and has been renovated with a budget of ca. 50 Mio. Why so much you think? Because the owner’s approach was to create innovative and avant-garde surroundings was to support a clear conscience for every visitor!

Guests are given the opportunity to offset the emissions generated by their journeys! Several sustainable projects in cooperation with myclimate are available, check them out!

The food concept at Valsana is clean, healthy and where ever possible regional and local, this is why for example you find only European wines on the menu and meat from free-range animals or certified fishing operations. The SPA features different fair cosmetic brands, just to name some of their environment-friendly projects!

Accommodation

Find 40 double rooms and junior suites between 33 and 52 m2 and 9 apartments with hotel service between 79 and 86 m2. In Winter double rooms are available from CHF 357 incl. breakfast buffet per day, in summer from CHF 227 incl. breakfast buffet per day. Appartements start at CHF 557 for 2 person /day (winter) and in summer at CHF 427 for 2 person /day. Book your room here.

Wellness, Gym, Yoga & SPA

Enjoy your Yoga lesson in the morning held by Instructor Julian or a guided snowshoe hiking adventure or just some relaxation in the 800 square meters of their wellness oasis. There is a pool facing the majestic alps, a steam bath, and saunas. I absolutely recommend also their massages after a fun afternoon in the snow! If time permits, book a personal training from the program R1: The “Athlete of Life” offer, conceived in cooperation with the Munich R1 Sports Club, not only builds on strength training, but also pursues a holistic approach to work-life and energy balance, mindfulness, nutrition, and exercise! Get a full picture of all of their Sports & Spa services here.

Restaurant & Drinks

The hotel restaurant TWIST is a casual way to enjoy healthy food. The cuisine designed by Chef Marco Campanella is particularly versatile and offers something for gourmets, fans of vegetarian and vegan cuisine as well as conscious gourmets. Find mostly regional products for example the salmon Lostallo from the company Swiss Lachs. I absolutely recommend sharing plates, as this is the best way to taste a bit of everything from their menu. My absolute favourite dish was the barley risotto with mushrooms, dried tomatoes, leek, and basil.
Enjoy a drink at the bar where you can find a variety of Swiss spirits including extraordinary Gins!

Why does using the latest technological innovations minimize the hotel’s impact on the environment!

What happens in the cellar of the hotel is something I’ve never seen before! The entire Valsana complex is heated using geothermal probes and by capturing and reusing waste heat from other appliances that are ordinarily lost to the surroundings. This waste heat is stored in a large tank or ice battery, essentially a large water tank housing a 400m pipe register of 1.5 m high pipes.  Hotel Valsana is probably the greenest hotel in Switzerland.

Thanks to its energy concept, it uses virtually no fossil fuels.

Want to know more about this fantastic concept: get it here!

A warm thank you goes to all of the Valsana Staff that is incredibly hearty and always helpful; and to Stephanie and Michael Lehnort and Rahel Rohner, the PR Manager that made this press trip possible.

www.valsana.ch

Address: Valsana Hotel & Appartements, Oberseepromenade 2, 7050 Arosa, Phone: +41 81 378 63 63, info@valsana.ch

In the mood to discover more lovefoodish travel stories? Get them here!

My personal highlight: Learning 1:1 from a truffle connoisseur about how to recognize a quality white truffle!

The aim of my piedmont travel this year was all in the light of the International Alba White Truffle Fair – Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba. It takes place from always beginning of October until the end of November and attracts people from all over the world. At the fair local truffle, sellers gather to have their Tartufo officially evaluated for quality before they are ready to be sold. Besides truffles, you can try and buy pasta (with and without truffles), olive oil, wines and delicious roasted hazelnuts. During the fair, there is the chance to attend a variety of workshops or tasting classes, too.

White Alba truffle can be found only from late September to January

What I found special at this fair is the chance to talk to the truffle hunters also called “trifulau” and get all the insights about this unique product. They are legendary characters who live in secrets and observation wandering around forests in search of truffles for resale at restaurants, markets, and fairs. To see with one’s eyes the relationship between man and dog is another added value.

What exactly is a truffle?

The term truffle comes from the vulgar Latin “tufera” which had in the Middle Ages negative resonances, even poisoned fruit, of plant tumour. Truffles are the fruiting body of mushrooms. They are born and live under the ground. For this reason, they are called hypogea and belong to the family of Tuberaceae, a class of Ascomiceti.

Truffles exist due to symbiosis with the roots of plants from which minerals and other nutrients are exchanged. This is why the type of plant affects the characteristics of truffles: for white, the main responsible plants are wild poplar, oak, lime and wild willow.

How to recognize if a truffle is of high quality?

With a sensorial analysis of touching, smelling and sight you understand its quality. The price of truffles increases when the aesthetic appearance is impeccable. Truffles with slight cuts or holes, maintaining a flavour can cost much less. An excessive amount of ammonia is a sign of a truffle to be discarded, as well as a bad consistency. That is why these evaluations are important and helpful to understand if the price you pay is good. At the fair, you can get every truffle you buy checked by an official jury.

Planning your Piedmont trip – including one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage sites: the wine yards as Langhe, Monferrato and Roero and several foods stops along the way!

First stop on your route: Alba

Alba is a territory that offers an excellent food choice (the region counts as one of Italy’s highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants) and some of the globe’s most beloved powerhouse wine regions such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti.

One of my personal highlights was the walk through Alba centre where I got seduced by the unmistakable smell of roasted hazelnuts coming from the company Ferrero

Another fun fact: the Slow Food movement was born in Piedmont. Here every year different culinary events such as the fair “cheese” take place where people from all over the world join to try and explore different delicacies.

This area is stamped with grand cathedrals, five-star hotels, and meandering cobblestone-lined streets. In the mood to know more about cultural sites to visit, check this site!

Visiting Asti!

In Asti I absolutely recommend seeing the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, it is one of the most important Gothic cathedrals in Piedmont. Want to add a culinary experience to your cultural site visit? Buy one of the best handmade 100% hazelnut cakes at the shop: Daniella! This laboratory creates artisan biscuits, tarts and cakes that you won’t find anywhere else!

Rumor say, that Dagobert Duck used to live in one of the tower located in the medieval heart of Asti: the tower of the Palazzo Gazzelli di Rossana, in the city centre

Explore Barbaresco and the home of one of the most famous Italian wine producers called Gaia

My favourite village on the trip was the city of Barbaresco. This is the home of one of the most famous Italian wine producers called Gaia, a family business founded in 1859 when Giovanni Gaja turned his tavern into a winery. Thanks to this genius, Barbaresco was lifted from the shadows of neighbouring Barolo! Gaja produces four great Italian red wines as Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri (the region of the Tuscany) and even Barolo.

Once in Barbaresco make sure to make it all the way up to the Barbaresco tower. The view from the 3d level is breathtaking. At the top, the view goes beyond the Tanaro river, situated roughly 200 meters below, towards the Langhe, the Roero, the Astigiano and Monferrato and as far as the Alpine mountain chain. This is where you get a complete picture of this area.

Driving through Piedmont you can admire landscapes of kiwi fields and hazelnuts trees!

Are you in the mood to experience some local food producers and taste homemade raw veal salsiccia in Bra?

In the city of Bra, you see mostly small, family-run shops. A must-try is the raw “Salsiccia di Bra”. The sausage is made of lean cattle meat mixed with belly pork (20-30%), water and a secret mix of spices. Buy it at the shop Macelleria Tibaldi Davide.

Put this on your list, too: the oldest pastry in town “Caffe Pasticceria Converso“. Since 1838 here 100% handmade pastry made of pure hazelnuts and other genuine local ingredients are created with pure passion.

How to find wineries for your Piedmont wine tour

In a previous blog story, I introduced the region of Langhe. Get all travel information on how to best organize your wine tour here!
A new wine producer I discovered during this year’s trip is the winery Coppo. Coppo is one of the oldest family-run wineries in all of Italy. The origins of the winery date back to 1892. The major part of the winery’s production centres on Barbera, Metodo Classico sparkling wines.

My absolute favourite white sparkling wine I found here: The Riserva Coppo sparkling wine brut metodo classico. Its perlage is very fine and the taste elegant and not too dry!

Where to eat on your Piedmont trip

• La libera, Alba – To recommend for dinner in the city centre of Alba. Exquisite dishes as Carne cruda battuta al coltello (raw meat), Vitello tonnato, Ravioli di gallina nel suo brodo or Agnolotti del Plin with truffle in an ambience that takes care about design.
• Ristorante Piazza Duomo, Alba – 3 Michelin Star absolutely worth making this experience and try Chef Enrico Crippa’s uninventive, artistic Italian dishes matched with superb wines from the region.
• Osteria dei Meravigliati , Canelli  – A place to enjoy a traditional lunch with starters as Gobbo Di Nizza with a fontina cheese sauce and an egg (with or without truffle) and some homemade Tajarin pasta (typical local pasta) with truffle.
• Restaurant Campamac, Barbaresco – a 1 Michelin Star restaurant with one of the most beautiful wine cellars in Italy! Chef Maurilio Garola
• Il Cascinale Nuovo, Isola D’asti, 1 Michelin Star, Chef Walter Ferretto, find traditional and innovative cuisine using great Piedmontese ingredients with the scents and flavours from every corner of the world.
• Restaurant Fre – Monforte D’Alba, 1 Michelin Star, Chef Paolo Meneguz, a top-notch gastronomic experience that’s rooted in the region but holds an international, modern appeal.

Where to sleep on your Piedmont trip

• • • • Villa D’Amelia, Benevello – 4 Stars,  Rooms as of 255 Euro
      • Relais & Chateau Castello Di Guarene (18th-century ) Guarene – 5 Stars, Rooms as of 350 Euro
      • Relais & Chateau San Maurizio, Santo Stefano Belbo – 5 Stars, Rooms as of 290 Euro
      • Arborina Relais, Boutique hotel, La Morra – perfectly integrated into the surrounding nature and landscape, a marvellous belvedere looking onto the rolling Barolo hills – Rooms as of 260 Euro
      • Cà Vittoria Hotel & 1 Michelin Star Restaurant, Tigliole d’Asti  – Rooms as of 160 Euro
      • LA Madernassa Resort, Guareene – Rooms as of 100 Euro ca.
      • Villa Tiboldi, Canale, 4 Star Hotel, Rooms as of 120 Eeuro

A warm thank you to the tourism office of Langhe Monferrato and Roero and especially to our guide Gaia that made this press trip very precious and memorable.

Get more Lovefoodish Travel Stories here!

My personal highlight: 14 Gault Millau points and a majestic view over the Zurich Lake

When it comes to restaurants overlooking Zurich lake and the alps the choice is limited, this is why I highly recommend this secret gem! Visit Belvoir Restaurant & Grill where head Chef Pascal Kleber and the absolute warm and friendly staff spoil their guests in a wonderfully relaxed ambience only about 10 min. from Zurich. Its cuisine focuses on local products from the surrounding areas as well as international dishes. The menu is healthy and creative and represents an absolutely high-quality fine dining concept. Be prepared to enjoy colourful plates with pleasure for the eyes and palate.

Our menu at a glance

Starters: St. Pierre Ceviche – Mirabelle – Jasmin rice – Lemon balm & Chicken terrine potatoes – Mango – fresh herbs

First courses: Oranges – Rosmarin tortellini, Cima di Rapa – onions – Parmesan &  roasted scallops, carrots – coconut – cauliflower

Second Courses: Mey Selections – Rib Eye from the grill & Black Angus Beef filet from the grill paired with Truffle risotto – mushrooms – Chimichurri

Dessert: Pina Colada 2.0,  spiced pineapple – iced coconut mousse – mint sponge & Fig with berries, fig mousse – oatmeal cookie – raspberry sorbet

Our wine: an excellent red drop from Portugal-Alicante: Carlos Reynolds, Bousschet, Aragonez, Alfrocheiro, Tricadeira

Address:

Hotel Belvoir, Säumerstrasse 37, 8803 Zurich/Rüschlikon – Phone: +41 44 723 83 83, INFO@HOTEL-BELVOIR.CH – www.hotel-belvoir.ch

A special thank you goes to Matej that joined my dinner and created the fantastic pictures to best present you with an idea of the experience!
Get in touch with Matej Serer @matejerer@gmail.com, if you like to know more about his photography projects!

Find more Lovefoodish recommendations here.

My personal highlight: L O V E at first sight – architecture meats a modern alpine lifestyle

Welcome to Flims and to The Hide Hotel, a destination in Graubünden that will touch your heart! The hotel is located in the midst of nature, adjacent to the valley cablecar station, only a few metres away from the slopes, bus station and malls in the recently created apartment area “Stenna“.

The alpine pearl has been designed by the renowned Gothenburg-based and multi-award winning designer team from Stylt Trampoli.
All materials and fabrics are chosen to match perfectly together, this makes the ambience contemporary in unison with the natural surrounding of the beautiful alpine way of life. This can be experienced from the lobby to the rooms, in the SPA area and in their restaurants.

The cozy sofa around the fire place in the lobby lounge is the perfect spot where to sip an aperol spritz!

Accommodation

Find 42 double rooms and 5 suites located on the top floor of the Stenna building. Experience a penthouse lifestyle! All rooms are spacious and functional. The Furniture is timeless and very warm. The terraces are super large and invite you to relax! Choose from a double room or Junior Suite. Find more about special packages and rates here.

Forgot to pack your backpack? No problem, use the practical backpacker you’ll find in the room!

SPA & Relax

Take your SPA bag and find out where to relax best! Finnish Panorama Sauna with direct mountain view, a steam room, sauna, rain showers, relaxation room, as well as a private SPA area for two people spread over 1000 m2.

For the sporty ones, enjoy their state-of-the-art Fitness room!

Restaurant & Drinks

The Deli offers cuisine from Lebanon, Israel and the Arabic region combined with regional specialities. The relaxed atmosphere is expressed through a warm alpine interior style. Perfect for lunch or dinner. I love the open kitchen that allows looking over the shoulders of the Chefs.

My personal highlight: Roasted chicken breast in a Tagine perfectly aromatized and tender, mixed with fried eggplant squares and mozzarella because oriental meets local!

The Hide Dinner is the restaurant of the renewed Chef Adrian Tschanz you should absolutely try.

Choose vegetarian or vegan dishes made with regional ingredients. The menu includes traditional plates combined with a cuisine Adrian Tschanz experiences all around the world.

Once the accommodation has been chosen, it’s time to discover all activities around Flims such as hiking, climbing, biking or skiing! Explore the most beautiful Alpine Lake with unique turquoise waters called Caumasee. I put together some suggestions for you in this blog post here.

The Hide Hotel – Address: Via Nova 80, Flims 7017, Switzerland – www.thehidehotelflims.com/

My personal highlight: A secret dinner capturing all senses with passion through a 5-course menu in a coffee roastery!

Welcome to a Secret Dinner! Last month I had the opportunity to experience a 5-course menu in a secret location! The concept of Secret Dinner is very simple: you get a time and a meeting point via email, you meet there with other participants and you follow a path until you get in front of an extraordinary venue! As a coffee lover, the coincidence brought me to a coffee roastery in Zurich!

The industrial ambience gave a special touch to the long Travolta in the middle of the production hall.

The menu was designed to touch all of our senses with every course. And guess what, it really happened!

The secret dinner is the perfect gift for your best friend, a special date or a company event. The location and the motto of the event change regularly. It’s a nice way to chat with other guests, too, since everybody sits at one long table.
Get all of the information about the dinner package on their website. Every dinner starts with delicious cocktails or selected wines.

The secret sensual rapture menu at a glance

Course 1: The sense “vision”

Tomato – Mozzarella – Basil
This course was pure deception, the ingredients were prepared in a surprising way! The white slice was not mozzarella but a crispy crunchy cheese basil cracker!

Course 2: The sense “smell”

Salmon – peperoni – mint
The salmon came in an aluminium can that was smoked just ad hoc. Super rough and intense in the taste!

Course 3: The sense “Touch”

Apple – Fennel – ice steam
A light clear fennel soup served with fancy iced steam floating in my glass.

Course 4: The sense of “Hearing”

Flank steak – coffee – sweet potato – jackfruit
I found this course the highlight of my dinner! The coffee was perfectly balanced in the sauce. The sound of a common coffee roasting day accompanied our dinner!

Course 5: The sense of “inebriety”

Espresso – Lime – Pistachio – Chocolate
Only the picture describes best why this course gifted all of us with the final sensory “high”. Guess what the white powder is!?

A wine pairing with every course is available. The dinner price starts at 100 CHF/person excl. drinks and wine pairing.

www.secretdinner.ch

My personal highlight: Choose by your own the piece of meat that comes on the charcoal grill and join Manager Dominik in the wine cellar to get the wine of your choice!

What if you get access to the kitchen and have the unique opportunity to taste the menu with the staff before it is officially available for the guests? I said yes and joined the team at Restaurant Coco Grill & Bar on a rainy Monday in Zurich close to Paradeplatz!
What makes this place special is the direct interaction between the staff and the Chef. You choose directly the wine and piece of meat you’d like to have prepared!

The menu changes ever week at Coco’s and is rich of fresh seasonal ingredients and stays a surprise until it is served on your plate!

The ambience at Coco’s reminds me of an ancient idyllic boat, decorated with lovely maritime items all over the restaurant.

Dominik the manager welcomes me to the restaurant with fresh homemade apple aperitivo and introduces me to the staff that is hungry waiting to taste the menu of the week. Chef Patrick Frischknecht (before at Eleven Madison Park, New York) explains to me the week’s menu consisting of 5 courses including a Swiss Fish (Belper Quellwasser) or juicy cuts of beef or veal, some seasonal vegetables such as for example beetroot or celery hand made “Schupfnudeln” and waffles as a dessert. Coco Grill is famous for its charcoal grill, so watch out for their meat or fish!

The garden outside invites you to have a gorgeous tasty plate and a glass of wine for example with homemade spreads such as hummus or grilled veggies and meat!

Say yes if Dominik invites you to discover their wine cellar!

Find different wines from Switzerland, Spain, Italy or France for example that pair well with your menu! Choose it by yourself in the cellar located in the sous-soul of the restaurant. The cellar can be rented for private small events! Get more here.

Visit Coco for your lunch break, business dinner or a friend’s night! The food is the Mediterranean with a personal touch from Chef Patrick!

Address: Coco Grill & Bar, Bleicherweg 1A, am Paradeplatz, 8001 Zürich, Telefon: +41 44 211 98 98

Opening hours: Monday – Friday 11.00 – 15.00 and 17.00 – 24.00 Uhr
Saturday 17.30 – 00.30

In the mood for more food inspiration? Get them on my food guide!

http://www.restaurant-coco.ch

My personal highlight: Make new friends while exploring the full spectrum of specialty coffee

A place that was really missing in Zurich! Located at 2 minutes from Bahnhof Enge in a spaceful and bright spot where sitting outside is possible, too: Welcome to Coworking Lounge at Tessinerplatz 7 !

What makes this spot one of my new favorite working spaces?

Nikos is a skilled and experienced barista that explains me all details about the world of specialty coffee. How much do you know about the complexity of preparing a coffee ? How does it get that perfect temperature and the milk and coffee balance is at the point your palate is getting the pleasure he wants?

Being able to pick up on the flavour profile of a coffee doesn’t just look impressive, it also heightens your enjoyment!

At Tessiner co-working lounge I have my spot to work, enjoy a delicious coffee or fresh brewed tea and home made vegan cakes. Get more on the co-working facilities here.

Opening hours Coffee Bar‍: Monday – Friday 07:00 – 19:00
Coworking Hosted Hours: Monday – Friday 08:00 – 17:00

Address: Coworking Lounge Tessinerplatz, Tessinerplatz 7, 8002 Zürich

In the mood to discover other coffee places in Zurich? Check my guide!

www.tessinerplatz.ch