Tantris (Munich, GERMANY) ★★★★★

We are saving the best for last by arranging the 2-star Michelin Tantris on the second last day of our 10-day journey. This is a classic French restaurant with a lot of history (open in 1971) and reputation. The kitchen has been led by Austria-borned chef Hans Haas since 1991. Haas has a very extensive resume highlighted by winning the "Chef of the Year" award by Gault Millau in 1995.

While their classical French cuisine had made Tantris a household name in the culinary world, it is also widely known for its creative decor including the giant oriental-style sculptures in the entrance garden and the orange dominant interior design in the dining area.  




The amuse bouche was a satisfyingly rich tuna mousse which was also silky smooth (7/10).  

  
Smoked pigeon broth with poached goose liver, butter dumpling, vegetables & chanterelles, 6/10
Our starter began with a smoked pigeon broth. The soup itself had an extremely intense flavor that went quite well with the rich texture of nicely poached goose liver.



Salad of quail and drumstick with duck liver parfait, artichokes & truffle marinade, 9/10
The salad of quail drumstick and duck liver parfait was our second starter. The drumstick roasted to perfection, was nicely complemented by slices of duck liver parfait. The rich liquor taste in the parfait really worked well with the artichoke and truffle marinade. This was an absolutely brilliant dish.



European lobster with spinach, rouille ravioli & bouillabaisse fond, 10/10
I had the European lobster as my main course. It was served in a refined bouillabaisse fond and I had to say this was as flawless as it could get. 



We skipped dessert and went straight to the petit four. Instead of the usual macarons and delicate French pastry, Tantris added a bit of German flavor to their petit four.




This was a solid 2-star Michelin experience right from the start. Some of the dishes were absolutely stunning but I better watch out for my cholesterol level after this wonderful meal.

Food Rating: 8.9/10
Price: €€€

Address: Johann-Fichte-Straße 7, 80805 Munich, Germany
Closest Metro Station: Dietlindenstraße
Tel: +49 89 3619590
Website: www.tantris.de
S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 62nd (2010)

Café Rottenhofer (Munich, GERMANY) ☆☆☆☆☆

Following our ill fated dinner at Restaurant Red late last night, we thought our luck probably won't get any worse but this was really testing our limits now.



We walked past Café Rottenhofer and couldn't help to notice that attractive tea salon vibe so we decided to go in. But after we sat down for nearly 15-20 minutes, nobody came up to serve us regardless of how hard we tried to get the servers' attention. There were quite a number of times when we did make eye contacts with the waiters and waitresses but still they chose not to come up and serve us. That was horrendous!




But just when we were about to storm out, someone dressed like a senior staff finally came to take our orders although her voice was far from apologetic. So after a coffee and tiramisu, we put down the exact change on the table, not a penny more, and left.



I've always enjoyed visiting Munich as it is such a lovely city with a great deal of history. It's a shame that places like these were putting a dent on our travel experience.

Food Rating: 3.5/10
Price: €€€

Address: Residenzstrasse 25-26, 80333 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)89 222915

Restaurant Red (Munich, GERMANY) ☆☆☆☆☆

By the time we arrived at Munich from Zurich, it was already 7pm. After checking into the Eurostars Grand Central Hotel, we realized that it was getting a bit late to go into the city centre for dinner. Perhaps it would be better to simply grab a quick bite nearby.

Walking by the hotel lobby, we saw this hotel restaurant by the name of Restaurant Red. Nice contemporary design and cozy atmosphere, decision was made.



After being seated at a quiet corner of the restaurant, we quickly picked our courses from the menu and quietly prayed that our food came fast. There were only 3 tables (including us) occupied in this relatively big restaurant so things would come fast, right!? Wrong.

We waited and waited.....more than half an hour had passed but still no sign of food coming out of the kitchen. We got our server to look into it but another 45 minutes had elapsed without reporting back to us with the progress.



This was totally unacceptable. Just when we finally lost our patience and started leaving, and our food finally came.

First up was a codfish served in strawberry and red wine sauce. The "udon noodles" shown in the photo were actually slices of squid.

I gave them an "A" for creativity but "F" for taste. The strawberry and red wine sauce was really blant. It was sort of marinating the cod fish with water.



The other main course, baby lamb chops with assorted nuts, was also disappointing. And look at the portion there. Could have been a bit more generous with the lamb chops, don't you think?

It's amazing how a hotel restaurant like this couldn't handle 3 small groups of customers. More sad was the fact that the servers here failed to report back that things had gone wrong in the kitchen and chose to hide it till the very end. That was totally unacceptable.

Food Rating: 2.5/10

Price: €€€
Address: Eurostars Grand Central Hotel, Arnulfstrasse 35, Munich, Germany
Closest Metro Station: München Hackerbrücke

Website: www.eurostarsgrandcentral.com/EN/restaurants.html

Cafe Sauerwein (Schwangau, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

We were looking for a quick bite before starting our adventure at Neuschwanstein Castle. However for a moment, we thought we would never find a place to eat in Schwangau (after circling around the area for half an hour without success!). Luckily, we finally ran into Cafe Sauerwein next to Hotel Pension Neuschwunstein.



Cafe Sauerwein is a homey bakery cafe about four minutes' drive from Neuschwanstein Castle.



There's a reasonably good selection of bread and cookies offered here.



And a separate section of homemade pastries! 



I don't think I can survive the afternoon with a couple of croissants so I'm getting myself a small pizza.



And a tall glass of milkshake. That will give me all the glucose I need.



Jelloman just wanted a piece of cake since she's on a diet.



There's a small wooden patio facing the main road. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon but too bad we have a castle to conquer!





Food Rating: 4/10
Price: €€
Address: Füssener Str. 15, 87645 Schwangau, Germany
Tel: +49 83-628220

Le Dézaley (Zürich, SWITZERLAND) ★★★☆☆

Located near the Grossmünster in a 13th century historic building, Le Dézaley is considered by many as the best fondue restaurant in Zurich. Originally opened in 1903, it serves specialist Swiss dishes like fondue and homemade sausages.



We elect to check this place out at 6pm and looks like that nobody comes earlier than us.



The all-wooden design (almost all word) gives it a very cozy vibe. Very inviting.



Turns out they are not a one-trick pony. Apart from different kinds of fondue, Le Dézaley also offers snails, sliced meat, perch fillet as well as seasonal dishes like venison.



We kicked things off snails in herb butter which weren't bad at all.



Cheese fondue is a must-do here without question. This is based on Le Dézaley's traditional recipe and it goes so well with the baguette.



Burgundian beef fondue with various sauces (out of the picture on the left) and French fries. This is seriously time consuming affair but well worth the effort. 



Next stop, we head over to Fussen.....

Food Rating: 5/10
Price: €€€

Address: Römergasse 7, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 251-6129
Website: www.le-dezaley.ch

Restaurant Opera (Zürich, SWITZERLAND) ★★★☆☆

Zurich won't come to mind when you think about fine dining. So when we failed to find any enticing dining options in the Michelin Guide, we decided to go with our own. Ironically we didn't exactly pick this one for its cuisine. It's a painting inside that caught our eyes.

Located very closely to the Opera House, the Restaurant Opera is best known for its quiet ambiance and a very lovely wall painting. Yes, you heard it right - it's a painting. In fact, it's a baroque style painting that extends from the restaurant's walls to its ceiling. From what we have heard from the restaurant staff, it was drawn by a young Swiss artist based on his memories of the Opera.

Not to be mistaken as a fine dining restaurant, Restaurant Opera is a casual dining place that serves up mostly comfort food in a presumptious environment.





Chef's salad, 4/10
Mixed greens with crispy bacon in a lettuce wrap. Unfortunately not a particularly attractive dish. 



Lobster bisque with cognac, 5/10
A little light for a lobster bisque, yet creamy and smooth. Not bad.



Spaghetti with tiger prawns and cherry tomato, 5/10
I had a little too much meat in the last few days so this was exactly what the doctor ordered. The spaghetti was nicely done and if they could serve it with a creamy tomato sauce, this would be heaven!



Veal with spaghetti, 3/10
Let's just say I've enjoyed the presentation much more than it tasted. 



Panna cotta with mixed berries, 5/10
I have always enjoyed the partnership between a nice panna cotta and mixed berries.



Unlike most meals where food was always the key, this one was all about ambiance and service. And we have enjoyed both tremendously. I would like to come back some day.



Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: €€€
Address: Hotel Ambassador à l'Opéra, Falkenstrasse 6, Zurich, CH  Tel:  +41 44 2589898
Website: www.ambassadorhotel.ch/en/restaurantbar-2/

L'Entupada (Zurich, SWITZERLAND) ★☆☆☆☆

We had a long day in Grindelwald today so after arriving late in Zurich in the evening, we thought our legs probably won't hold up much longer if we decided to head out for dinner. The plan was then to simply grab a quick bite at our hotel and crash early.

Located on the first floor of Hotel Continental Zurich, L'Entupada is a cozy little bar and restaurant offering simple dishes and snacks with an urban Swiss theme. The ambiance was very pleasant and homey so it was everything that we were hoping for.



Hamburger with French fries - Didn't like the buns at all and the fries looked like they've just come out of the microwave. Not good.



Pasta with pesto and pine nuts - Like the burger ahead of it, it took a long time to arrive. I know it's getting a little late and probably most of the kitchen staff should be off by now but this is still inexcusable. And does this look like a dish coming out of a professional kitchen?



Love the atmosphere here but the slow service and very poor quality of food have both ruined the experience.




Food Rating: 2.5/10
Price: €€€

Address: 1/F Hotel Continental Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 60, Zürich, Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 360-6060
Website: Link

Boulevard Terrace @ Central Hotel Wolter (Grindelwald, SWITZERLAND) ★★☆☆☆

After missing out on the chance to check out the Swiss Alps at the Jungfrau region yesterday, we took a leisure day off in Lucerne before coming back to Grindelwald again the next day. Finally, we got ourselves a pair of train tickets and while we got another hour to burn before our train departs, we headed over to Central Hotel Wolter for lunch.



Well, it's supposed to be holiday season so we were caught a bit off guard when we saw an empty restaurant inside the hotel. Are we missing something here?



We just had enough time for something quick and I went with this grilled salmon fillet, which was a bit dry and had way too much black pepper on it.



We were under constant attack from a group of flies so we had to cut our lunch short. While the lunch itself was a bit disappointing, our Jungfrau tour was something we would be remembering for a long time.



There were many picturesque spots up on the mountains and I took the time to photograph each and every one of the valleys and peaks despite a bleeding nose. 

Food Rating: 3/10

Price: €€€

Address: Central Hotel Wolter, Dorfstrasse 93, Grindelwald, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)33 854 3333