My personal highlight: Feeling like a “Miss Miu” enjoying Korean Food & dreaming big to conquer Zurich’s food world

Do you know the feeling when you wait longingly for your favorite cuisine to open in your city and the day X is finally here? That’s how I felt at the opening of Miss Miu, the new Korean Restaurant in Zurich!
Miss Miu is located at Europaallee and probably the largest Korean restaurant including a BBQ Grill in Zurich. With around 150 seats inside, 80 seats on the terrace and 40 seats in the burlesque bar guests can enjoy Korean specialities and homemade drinks in a modern and cool ambience on 430 m2. The space is decorated with a burlesque and avant-garde interior, with some little fancy corners, absolutely instagrammable, too! The staff welcomes you with a happy smile and if you are in a hurry, all food is available for take away, too. Register to their lunch newsletter here! In September a Speak Easy Bar is planned in one of their secret rooms!

Restaurant & Take away – supporting food waste with a very smart take away concept, where you can pre order from your office and pick up your order with your own crockery! The food is kept warm in a special shelf for you!

Signature dishes & more

Miss Miu serves around thirty Korean specialities. Korean Fried Chicken, the Korean BBQ, Bibimbap (around 25 CHF) and Gimbap (Korean Sushi) as a side 4 pcs CHF 9.50. Absolutely unique for Zurich: their Korean shaved Ice cream! All of that to share with your friends, the food comes in generous portions. Find their menu here.
To all vegans: the fried cauliflower with a the delicious sticky honey are absolutely excellent or the Asparagus in tempura dough, garnished with sesame seeds (CHF 9.50). Must try, too: The iron pot with pork & shrimps, chicken & broth, sweet potato noodles, cabbage, carrots, spinach, soybean sprouts & lotus root (31.50 CHF) perfect to share.

Korean BBQ – try the Busan Urban Beach Buzz

Every evening from 6 p.m. they serve delicious Korean BBQ plates in the stylish BBQ room. You can spice up the BBQ plates with a wide range of add-ons to suit your taste. Korean BBQ is great for sharing and is best enjoyed in groups! To recommend: Busan Urban Beach Buzz with a 80 gr beef cut, 40 gr, bacon & shrimps for CHF 44.

Opening hours: Monday – Thursday: 10.00 – 23.00, Friday Saturday: 10.00 – 24.00, Sunday: 10.00-23.00

Address: Miss Miu, Europaallee 48, 8004 Zürich, Tel. 044 260 55 22

Read the Miss Miu Story to better understand why Zurich has this place and where the design and food influences come from!

Atsuko Yamano, a talented Japanese thoroughbred cook and drummer of a punk-pop band, moved from Tokyo to neighboring South Korea in the 90s during the Asian crisis and fell in love with the tattoo artist and former bartender Park Tae-Soo during one of her jam sessions. Both didn’t have much money and tried to stay afloat with part-time jobs. Park, however, had a well-to-do aunt who was sympathetic to him – Aunt Miss Miu. The three of them spent a lot of time together and always fantasized about their own restaurant. Miss Miu was always very mysterious.

One day Miss Miu, Atsuko and Park met in front of an empty big hotel. Miss Miu typed, without hesitation, a four-digit number combination into the code lock and the door opened. Everything had already broken down a bit and you could see that it must have looked very pompous in former times, but was no longer inhabited for a long time. A former partner of Miss Miu ran this hotel some time ago and also ran a small restaurant kitchen. The business flourished, but the crisis had also hit him and he had to close his restaurant. After that he disappeared without leaving a trace and since that day the premises were yellowing.

Miss Miu asked Park and Atsuko if they could imagine opening a restaurant here together. She knew the landlord and still had some money on her side. The two looked each other briefly in the shining eyes. They were not allowed to miss such an opportunity. The three were a perfect team. Atsuko, with her many years of experience in the kitchen and her extravagant way of cooking, put together a selection of menus that were both enthusiastic and astounding. She loved her local Japanese cuisine and at the same time had enjoyed the new Korean dishes so much that she wildly combined both cuisines.

Miss Miu turned out to be a true design genius. The young and extraverted service staff flashed around between the tables with Miss Miu’s freaked out dresses, tattoos from Park and cheeky sayings and left a unique impression on the guests with their personality, which echoed weeks after the visit and made them laugh. The bartender past of Park turned out to be the icing on the cake. He developed completely in the art of cocktails and created drinks in flower vases, with shaved ice and with flavours that enraptured when tasting.

www.miss-miu.ch

My personal highlight: The cross-cultural mix reflects best in food: trying the first time ever a dynamite spring roll Philippine Style!

“Stay hungry and foolish” is doubtless my motto of live! Foodblogging is made 100%  for me. My curious mind brought me to discover Pinatubo Restaurant – a Philippine Restaurant located at Klingenstrasse 33 close to Limmatplatz in Zurich. My travels did not make it to this magic country, yet, this is going to be my first experience of Philippine Food.

Julius Pozon the manager, introduces me to their culture and food. The Philippine Cuisine is influenced by a tremendous number of countries. China is one of the influencers, this explains spring rolls on the menu. America seems to have an other impact, too. I find buffalo wings and banana ketchup used in the preparation. Even similarities to Indonesian and Spanish food! The most famous Philippine dish is called Lechon (roasted pig). Ingredients that catch my attention are toyo (soy sauce) and patis (fish sauce), as well as the method of stir frying and making savory soup bases. Due to the countries’ vast coastlines there is of course an abundance of excellent seafood, too.

All that said, lets discover their menu! For all Indonesia lover, check my travel section here. Get inspired about the beauty of South East Asia. Traveling to the Philippine Islands is on my bucket list!

Signature dishes: Roasted crispy deep-fried pork, beef stew or milkfish?

Are you planning a big group dinner, absolutely go for the Boddle fight! Sounds weird? A Boddle fight originates from the Philippine Military. A big pile of food served in the middle of a long table. It’s originally eaten by hand. It used to symbolize brotherhood and equality in the military. The word fight refers to the act of grabbing and eating as much food as possible before it runs out.

The Buddle fight menu is the best choice to get an introduction into the Philippine Cuisine!

As starters find chicken buffalo wings Philippine Style, dynamite spring rolls that come in a long green pepper (not spicy) filled with minced beef and cheddar cheese.

Try main dishes as the Tapsilog: Beef stripes with a fried egg on top, cucumber, tomato and fried rice. The dish called Caldreta is a good option for a beef stew with veggies and rice. Must try: The Philippine Pilsener Beer San Miguel (obviously a Spanish influence) and for dessert: fried banana roll with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Lunch Menu are available for 11– 15.50 CHF, take away. The boddle fight for 78 CHF (2 P), main dishes starting with 18.50 CHF

Opening hours: Lunch buffet (no à la carte) Monday – Friday 11:30-14:00,
À la Carte Monday – Sunday 18:00-22:00

Address: Pinatubo Restaurant Klingenstrasse 33, 8005 Zürich, TEL: +41 44 273 76 70

https://www.pinatubo.ch

My personal highlight: Eating warm ricotta cheese liquid and fresh coming directly from the pot – a foodie’s once in a lifetime experience

Planning a trip with a friend bringing you to his hometown means: be ready for plenty surprises. It’s the best way to discover a place. Who loves the feeling of getting lost and feel welcomed from locals. Read more about what happened to me during the trip in Sicily this may.

My friend asked me what I would love to do and see in Palermo. My reply was simple: it has to do with food! That is why the city welcomed me with a traditional brioche gelato! Have you ever tried a soft sweet bread filled up to the top with artisan ice cream? Well, than that is the first thing to do in Palermo! Ice Cream Sandwich! Get the best one at Brioscià. What you get here is absolutely outstanding. Don’t forget to ask for a special topping! That is what makes this brioche gelato unique.

Streetfood & morning stroll at the food market ballarò

Welcome to Palermo! Here the duty is to go for snaking through the city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni. I guess it’s Palermo’s busiest street market. The mix of noises, smells and street life is fascinating. It’s the cheapest place for fresh prepared food, souvenirs, Chinese padded bras. Get regional and national food products as olives, salami or cheese. The absolute must try and healthy snack is a long pumpkin with lemon juice on top.

Palermo: A splendor of an Arab-Norman-Byzantine Culture

Strolling through the city makes you understand how many different cultures have influenced the city. 2 1/2 centuries of Arab rule (from 827 BC at the end of the Eleventh century) gave to the city of Palermo magnificent palaces, mosques, minarets and gardens. After the Normans took possession of this splendor. Today, the heritages of these two cultures are intertwined and indistinguishable. Creating the so-called Arab-Norman style. The influence is reflected also in the food. This makes all my discoveries vey precious!

Palermo has a unique flair, there is no lovelier experience than sitting on a square in front of one of the beautiful churches, be surrounded by live musicians making you forget time.

Where to have artisan & local made Sicilian dishes

Osteria Mangia & Bevi – La cucina che parla siciliano (The kitchen that talks in Sicilian)

Get a diversity of typical dishes as the Pasta fritta (fried pasta served in a pan) or the Bucatini con sarde alla Palermitana, this is dedicated to sardine lover!

If you like to stay with a starters plate choose out of their veggie, fish or meat appetizers and order different plates to share!

Antica Focacceria San Francesco – Panino con la milza (Sandwich with veal spleen)

The street food of Antica Focacceria San Francesco is suitable for any time of the day: Here is where you need to try the Palermitan Speciality made following a tradition from 1834 called Focaccia Maritata (married focaccia) It’s a soft bread filled with veal spleen, fresh ricotta and caciocavallo cheese. The spleen is prepared in a big pot, slow cooked for hours until it gets super tender. It was my first spleen ever eaten in my life! Absolutely recommend this dish! If you love to go for a classical snack, take the Arancina with ragù  (fried, rice stuffed with meat ragout and peas).

Travel suggestions – how we did it

Fly from Zurich to Palermo or take to train to Milan, enjoy a half day in the city and fly to Palermo from there. You will spend max 150 Euro depending on the time of booking. I always love to use skyscanner to check my flights in advance by the way! For the accommodation I recommend to use airbnb, there are really lovely apartments

More discoveries in Sicily: the village of Castelbuono

When traveling big cities there is always the desire to see small authentic villages. Having the privilege that my best friend Annasole is from Castelbuono gave me perfect excuse discover this spot on my Sicily journey, too.

Castelbuono is a 10’000 hab medieval village in the Park of Madonie. It’s about 90 km from Palermo and very close to the Thyrrhenian City of  Cefalù. The old town is still well preserved and captivates you from the very first moment. The town develops around the castle of Ventimiglia, near a Byzantine hamlet called Ypsigro. The village is a paradise for foodies. Beside excellent Michelin Star restaurants as Nangalarruni or Palazzaccio you can find the well-known pastry producer Fiasconaro. They’re famous for excellent nougat, creams and  panettone filled with delicious creams made of the mana ash-tree or pistachio.

Visiting Castelbuono with a local friend made my wish come true. I got introduced to the production of ricotta cheese. Standing in the small cheese dairy San Nicola with the father and son of the company was my personal highlight. Yes, the smell is intense, but the taste of this still hot and liquid creamy cheese reaching my mouth, indispensable.

An other adventure on the private food tour was the visit of the biscuit manufacture Tumminiello.

Italian have a typical way to make breakfast, a coffee and some biscotti! This is how I grew up.

Tumminiello uses all local ingredients, less sugar and aromatize mostly of their biscuits with Sicilian products oranges or lemons. Find all of their selection here.

A funny fact about Castelbuono you should know

The village is the only one in the world that uses a very unique way to clean-up their waste. It’s a Zero Waste project by the help of donkeys! They have managed to develop an innovative system to marry sustainability, social work and economics. A traditional donkey-breed from Sicily called Ragusa collects waste in narrow streets!A funny fact about Castelbuono

In the mood for a cost trip – Choose Cefalù

Cefalù is notable for beautiful sunsets and unpretentious charming restaurants located in beautiful alleys. One of Cefalù’s magnets for tourists is the duomo. An imposing two-towered Norman cathedral. This building mighty dominates the historical centre. The piazza with restaurants and coffee’s invites to have a stop and enjoy the vibes of the city. Find plenty artisan shops, too around the village to buy your favorite souvenir.

In the mood to read about my travels and get inspired? Find more stories here!