Taverna Elia (Kempten, GERMANY) ★★★★☆

Taverna Elia Kempten is a cozy Greek-Mediterranean cuisine restaurant operating in the traditional premises of the boutique hotel Bayerischer Hof in Kempten. During the summer, the restaurant extends its service to the outdoor patio, which also serves as a beer garden.

Since we’re staying at the boutique hotel (and we’re too lazy to go out), we decided to stay close for dinner tonight.

Although the hotel and restaurant operate under different ownership, we had to go out to the main road and enter through a separate entrance from the patio, where we were shown our table immediately.

It was a little cool for a summer night, but the setting and weather were perfect for outdoor dining. At least it wasn’t so hot 🥵 that we needed to turn on our mini fans.

Popcorn chicken (€11.6) — Pretty tasty and addictive. The spicy mayo, made with what I thought was paprika, was a nice touch.

Caesar salad (€15.5) — We didn’t have much appetite tonight, thanks to a full day of outdoor activities in the heat this afternoon. So, the plan was to share a small salad among the three of us.

When it arrived, we realized it wasn’t small at all! The dish was filled with lettuce and a mix of fruits (raspberry among others), tomatoes, chicken fillet, and finished with a fairly strong balsamic dressing and olive oil. Pretty appetizing and exactly what the doctor ordered to whet our appetite and stay healthy.

Grilled baby calamari (€23.5) — The baby squid marinated with lemon olive oil, was grilled to a slightly charred crust, and served with some sort of fermented spinach and tzatziki. Yum~

This was a pretty simple yet satisfying dinner. The staff was friendly and most importantly, the waiting time (for table and food alike) was short.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: €€€

Address: Füssener Straße 96, 87437 Kempten (Allgäu), Germany

Tel: +49 831 571-8150

Website: https://elia-taverna.de/

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:30pm (Wed - Sun), 5:00pm - 11:00pm (Tue - Sun)

Salisterra at The Upper House (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It was sad to see the closure of Cafe Gray Deluxe at The Upper House earlier this year. The once-iconic modern European restaurant on top of the skyscraper boutique hotel in Admiralty used to be a favorite of mine but like many other landmark eateries in the city, it failed to stand the test of time (during the pandemic). In comes Salisterra, a Mediterranean restaurant in collaboration with celebrity Chef Jun Tanaka of one-Michelin-starred French-Mediterranean restaurant The Ninth London.

After the three month-long renovation, we finally heard whispers about Salisterra soft-opening this weekend. So, we decided to book ourselves a table for a late brunch on a lazy Sunday.

Other than a few touch-ups, Salisterra looks every bit the same as its predecessor. The incredible and for the most part, unobstructed harbour view remains intact from some of the tables by the window.

Our brunch started off brightly with some homemade bread. 

Burrata, Green Gazpacho ($185) - We wanted something refreshing (and healthy) to start off the meal and this was the perfect choice. 

The thick slab of burrata served on a crispy sourdough toast was topped with sorrel and baby spinach. The dish was finished off with our server pouring the green gazpacho (watercress?) all over it.

I have to admit, I didn't like the dish at first glance. It lacks the sharp and attractive color but this proved to be just a perception. There was nothing but a symphony of interesting flavors. Really clean, fresh and aromatic with a lovely hint of mint. 

Crab Eggs Benedict ($175) - A brunch isn't complete without an egg benedict in play.

These were topped with loads of crab meat (almost like a crab cake!) but unfortunately, a little heavy handed with the seasoning.   

Grilled Urgasa Poussin ($285) - The two main dishes were both better than the benedict. 

The young French chicken, roasted to perfection, was matched with some lovely acidity from  the preserved lemon and radish salad.

Pan-fried Sea Bream ($265) - The beautifully cooked sea bream was served on a bed of 

pesto minestrone with clams, cherry tomatoes and watercress. Interestingly, it was finished off with a broth similar to the one served with the burrata earlier.

As expected, service was a little spotty in their opening week. The brunch menu was a short one that reminded me a little of the lunch menu from Cafe Gray Deluxe's good old days thanks to the organic and healthy dishes but without the Asian twist. But if you're looking for a fine-dining experience, this won't be your cup of tea (tables too close, place too noisy...).

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 49/F, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Admiralty

Tel: +852 3968-1106

Opening Hours: 6:30am - 10:00pm daily

Tasting Room 테이스팅룸 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Tasting Room (테이스팅룸) in Itaewon and Cheongdam (near Dosan Park) have long been on my radar screen as restaurants to check out in Seoul but what I didn't expect was the fact that I would end up visiting their branch at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil first.



This is a concept (currently with 6 branches) launched by a husband-wife team who's in the design business (architect and lighting designer) so of course, I was expecting a very well-designed dining room. 



The high ceiling (along with ceiling-to-floor windows), wooden furniture and black sofa seats combined to create a very inviting atmosphere. But perhaps they could do something with the closing time? It's scheduled to close at 7:30pm tonight we were told (but website said midnight!) so we knew we would be rushed to get to the finish line (45 minutes enough time for our little nugget? That's the big question).



Cherry tomato pesto flat bread (24,600 won) - Their website said Mediterranean influenced soul food so why not some flat bread? This was pretty decent. The cherry tomato and pesto provided the dough with some clean and earthy flavors to work with.



Risotto with octopus and shrimps (25,400 won) - It was a lot spicier than I thought it would be. The risotto was less creamy than most risottos I've seen in my life but the diced octopus and garlic both provided some nice bite to the dish. (I didn't get any shrimps with my share).



Cheese pink sauce gnocchi with shrimp (23,900 won) - The pink sauce reminded me of Papermoon's signature homemade pappardelle but this was primarily tomato sauce. There were also cherry tomatoes, basil leaves and parmesan cheese in there to go with the sticky gnocchi.



None of the three dishes really stood out but they were all reasonably well-cooked so I'm still trying to decide whether to give them passing grade for this meal. But one thing was certain - I likely won't be back anytime soon because to me, food should be more than just well-cooked. They have to at least taste great to bring customers back. 



Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: ₩₩₩
Address: 5/F Lotte World Mall, 29 Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Closest Metro Station: Jamsil
Tel: +82 02-3213-4550
Website: www.tastingroom.co.kr

Restaurant Peron (Marseille, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

It's our last day in Marseilles. After a full day of action around the city highlighted by a tour to the amazing Fort Saint Jean and MuCEM, we took a slow drive towards Vallon des Auffes to wrap up the day. 



Vallon des Auffes is a traditional fishing port in Marseille just off the Corniche Kennedy along Marseille's southern coastline with small but beautiful creeks.



The area is also known as home to a number of popular eateries including Michelin starred L'Épuisette which is unfortunately closed today.



With L'Épuisette not open today, we were left with our second choice which was Restaurant Peron, a seaside restaurant famous for its seafood and spectacular view.



Perched on the rocks on the sidewalk of Corniche Président John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Restaurant Peron offers an exciting, colorful and refined local cuisine inspired by Mediterranean flavors.

          (Photo Credit: Restaurant Peron official website)

Diners can also enjoy the magnificent views over the water to the Îles du Frioul right from the window.

               (Photo Credit: Restaurant Peron Facebook)

Too bad we were unable to work Restaurant Peron into our lunch schedule (lunch would almost certainly provide a much better experience because of the view) so we ended up coming here on our final night in Marseille. Thankfully, we just caught a glimpse of the breathtaking view before sunset.



Simply amazing! Now, it's time to focus our attention to the Mediterranean inspired cuisine which has made Restaurant Peron hugely famous in the city.



An amuse bouche of vegetable gazpacho with pickled cucumber and mozzarella cream arrived to start off the meal. This was pretty thick almost like a puree, with a fair amount of acidity.



I love a simple seafood dish done right and this was a perfect example with octopus carpaccio matching well with dabs of olive oil and yogurt-lemon-herb dressing.



It was served with a small salad in the middle with chopped clams, tomato and red pepper that brought the dish some extra heat.



Next up was an open raviolo with clams, spinach and espelette peppers, finished off with a sea water emulsion. Not bad but a little heavy-handed with the seasoning.



Our first main dish was beautifully roasted squab served with leeks, chick peas and a tangy spicy juice. Like the previous dish, it was an excellent offering but perhaps overshadowed a bit by the extra kick from the seasoning.



Apart from the view, this was one of the main reasons I chose to come here - Peron's bouillabaisse. Some restaurants already turned this classic dish from Marseilles into more contemporary forms (milkshake and ice-cream) but the chefs behind Restaurant Peron still remain faithful to its original recipe. 



The famous fish soup came with rock fish fillets (lots of them!), potatoes, rouille (provencal garlicky sauce) and croutons. I'm so full now!



Both desserts were pretty good tonight. Mine with three colors of chocolate, coffee and cardamom was a chocolate lover's dream.



Jelloman had the lemon-bergamot meringue pie with citrus sorbet which was both refreshing and palate cleansing at the same time.



I had two big regrets from tonight's meal. First and foremost, I was kicking myself for missing out on the sunset by the window. Parking was a huge problem in this neighborhood and I blamed it on the fact that I wasted so much time looking for a parking space (or parking lot) that resulted in my delayed arrival. Secondly, we didn't get to enjoy the food as much as we would like coz we were so damn tired. We had a very early start to our morning so by the time we were still working on our starters, I was almost ready for bed (almost).

Food Rating: 6/10
Price: €€€€
Address: 56 Corniche Président John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 13007 Marseille, France
Tel: +33 (0)4 9152-1522
Website: www.restaurant-peron.com

Restaurant Mantel (Cannes, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

Like our stay in Nice, we are on a fairly tight schedule in Cannes and after stopping by a few attractions before noon, it was almost time to leave. With Le Suquet (The Old Town) remaining as the only spot left on our agenda, looks like a quick lunch near Cannes' Old Town would be the perfect plan for us.



Located at the foot of the picturesque Old Town, Restaurant Mantel offers a Mediterranean inspired cuisine based on the freshest ingredients from the market.



We decided to sit on the small terrace for some fresh air following a long walk under the heat.



Amuse bouche was onion bread topped with a piece of date. Some Mediterranean colors to start the meal.



Our first course was cured Scottish salmon with dill, lemon cream and served with crispy zucchini. This was a pretty refreshing start.



And I like the way they deep fried the thinly sliced zucchini like a tempura.



For main course, I went with their pan seared cod fish with bouillabaisse foam and vegetables. This was surprisingly good. A much much better result in comparison with the cod fish I had the night before.



Another main dish was Italian risotto with veal juice and artichokes. The veal juice provided just enough richness and flavors for the creamy risotto. Pretty nice.



Dessert was a simple vanilla creme brulee with a classic caramel glaze.



The portion was real generous and as delicious as it was, I almost had trouble finishing it off (which rare happens for me when it comes to dessert.).

Restaurant Mantel is not the easiest of all places to find at the foot of Le Suquet. If you're coming from the direction of Marché Forville like us, look for these stairs up and simply turn left when you finish your way up the stairs.



Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: €€€
Address: 22 Rue Saint-Antoine-Le-Suquet, 06400 Cannes, France
Tel: +33 (0)4 9339-1310
Website: www.restaurantmantel.com