Pano, Munich International Airport, Germany

Originally we planned to go to Kaefer's Bistro again at  Munich International Airport Terminal 2 on our way back from Dubai to Dublin. Unfortunately our gate was a different one, so we didn't have the chance, but we found Pano instead.

The design was contemporary and rustic.

It was self-service. There was a wide range of soups, sandwiches, fruit salads and cakes available.

The setting was restaurant style or a large communal table. Since it was busy we took the communal table.

We had one kiwi juice, one natural yogurt topped with fruits and one large slice of plum cake. All was very delicious, fresh and high quality.

The price was high, but fair, at 18.40 Euro (ca. 23.85 USD).

If we had to connect/depart again from the area H and we don't encounter Kaefer's Bistro, we will have here a meal.

 ©2014

Costa Coffee Dubai International Airport Terminal 1, United Arab Emirates

Before our return flight to Munich International Airport and on to Dublin, we made a stop at Costa Coffee at Dubai International Airport Terminal 1, Concourse 1.

It was already busy and I had to wait a bit to order our drinks. Earlier we received a take away breakfast from the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District, so we weren't hungry and needed a pick me up, since we had a very early start at 3 a.m.

Normally we don't frequent Costa very often, because of previous experiences and the coffee being not to our taste.

This time around we weren't disappointed.

After ordering one bottle of Voss water and two cappuccinos, we were given a number and the waiter brought the drinks to our table when they were ready.
The coffee was strong and smooth, just as we like it. It just gave the jolt we needed.

The cost was 44 AED (ca. 9.30 Euro or 12.00 USD).

When we are in Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport we will visit Costa again.

 ©2014

Kaefer Bistro Munich International Airport Terminal 2

I have been introduced to Kaefer thanks to my fiancé many, many years ago when we still lived in Germany. We are both fans and go to Kaefer whenever possible on our travels.

While we were waiting for our flight from Munich International Airport to Dubai International Airport we felt a bit peckish and made a stop at Kaefer's Bistro at Terminal 2.

The design is French bistro style with a few Bavarian touches. This time around the Oktoberfest was near, so ginger bread heart decorations reminded patrons about it.

The restaurant was full and we nearly didn't find a table.

We received our menus after waiting a bit. The Rhubarb Schorle caught our eyes, so we had two of those and a Frozen Caramel dessert to share, plus we had a hot chocolate each, served in a Kafer "hafferl" mug.

The schorle was very good and the dessert interesting. It was like Crème Caramel, but frozen and delicious and creative.

Even if the staff was extremely busy, they were very friendly and always there when needed.

Our bill came in at 22.10 Euro (ca. 28.60 USD).

We will return to this outlet, if we are at Munich International Airport Terminal 2 again in the future.


 ©2014

COA - Cuisine of Asia, Frankfurt International Airport Terminal 1

While we were connecting in Frankfurt for our flight to Munich and from there to Dubai, we had late lunch at Cuisine of Asia, short COA.

The restaurant offers pan Asian cuisine and is decorated in contemporary Asian design. We felt immediately attracted to it.

There was also an open kitchen, where Asian chefs prepared the dishes.

Floor to Ceiling Window tables gave views over the runway. They were already occupied, so we took a seat at the communal table.

The attentive staff brought the menu. They spoke fluently English.

We chose an Apple meets Carrot and one Thai Art Mocktail, Gado Gado chicken and Vietnamese stir fried noodles. The portions were big, tasty and fulfilling, so there was no room for dessert.

The meal cost 37.60 Euro (ca. 48.70 USD).

We would return any time, when we fly from Terminal 1 in Frankfurt.

 ©2014

Lufthansa flight Dublin - Frankfurt - Munich - Dubai - Dubai - Munich - Dublin

Originally we found a very good rate with Emirates to fly to Dubai, but then Lufthansa released lower rates. We thought it was better to pay less and fly more, so we booked Lufthansa.

Our first leg was from Dublin to Frankfurt International Airport, taking off shortly after midday. We had already checked in online the day before to choose our seats and print out the boarding passes.

The person at bag drop was friendly and our suitcase checked in quickly.

Security in Dublin was as always a breeze.

We had time for a quick stop at Starbucks before going to our gate.

During the flight we were offered non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee. There was also a vegetarian sandwich on offer, which I liked, but he not so much. The juices and water were very good.

The seat of the Airbus A321 took a while to get used to for me, but was comfortable then.

He was happy with the leg room. Even when the person reclined in front of him he had still enough space.

In Frankfurt we had a remote stand. There was a shower pouring down when we had to leave the plane. There was one bus in front and one in the back. The first was very full, so the driver didn't let anyone in. The second one wasn't willing to open the door, so we had to wait until the first bus left and the second moved into the correct position. A few of us were fuming. I think this should be a bit better planned and passengers allowed earlier on the bus if the weather is bad.

We had three hours to connect in Frankfurt, which was comfortable to have late lunch and browse the shops a bit.

Our plane, an Airbus A321 - upgraded due to demand from an A320 - between Frankfurt and Munich International Airport was also located at a remote stand.

We were served free drinks on the short flight to Munich.

In Munich we had another remote stand and also three hours connecting time before our overnight flight to Dubai.

Our plane to Dubai was an Airbus A330-300. It was a newer model, very comfortable and the inflight entertainment system easy to handle. It had a good choice, but I prefer Malaysia Airlines’ or Emirates' ICE. They have an even wider selection of movies and TV series and also a lot of World Cinema and Bollywood movies.

Dinner - chicken in our case - was served shortly after reaching cruising altitude and was tasty and healthy.

Afterwards liqueurs, coffee and tea made the rounds.

We both managed to catch around four hours sleep, which wasn't too bad.

No breakfast, but a snack was served with coffee or tea. It was a hard Florentine type biscuit and a bit meagre. We would have preferred at least a continental breakfast.

A day before our departure we checked in online again for our flight from Dubai to Munich and Munich to Dublin.

At the baggage drop off, which was very quiet, we were offered to change the seats on the leg between Munich and Dublin, but we had consciously chosen a seat at the back, because we wanted to avoid stress.

The aircraft, also an Airbus A330-300, but this time around was an older model on the flight between Dubai and Munich. The inflight entertainment system was hard to use and some passengers complained it didn't function at all. The flight wasn't fully booked, so a few could change seats.

The meal choice was pasta with mushrooms or chicken in paprika sauce, roasted vegetables and rice. We had the chicken, which we thought was okay. There was also a shrimp salad and a raisin cake, which he couldn't eat due to allergies.

There was a snack served with cream cheese, crackers and a muffin. Interesting enough there wasn't any cutlery offered, so seeing a neighbor's messy affair, I was more careful and found a solution to avoid that, by keeping the wrapper partly on. A knife would have been appreciated.

In Munich we had around two hours’ time to connect and had a remote stand again.

We slept partly on the Airbus A321 flight to Dublin and missed the food - it looked like the same sandwich we had had between Dublin and Frankfurt, but woke up in time for the drinks.

We liked the spotless toilets, the friendly service on all legs, ease of connections at the airports and the generous portions of Baileys and other drinks.

We think there is room for improvement in regards to head sets (Customers have to put on the soft part themselves and the headsets aren't keeping out the aircraft noise.), plus how a remote stand embarkment/disembarkment during bad weather is handled, a bigger breakfast "snack" when arriving in Dubai and offering cutlery for cream cheese.

Overall Lufthansa offers a good product, the food quality is good, the staff friendly and the inflight entertainment system is adequate, so we would use Lufthansa again on medium and long-haul routes, if the timings and value are right.

 ©2014

Clodagh's Kitchen @ Arnotts Department Store, Dublin, Ireland

On the day before our trip to Dubai we were organizing a few things for our travels in the city center and were hungry, so we decided to test Clodagh's Kitchen at Arnotts department store in Dublin, Ireland.

Clodagh McKenna is responsible for running the restaurant. She is also working together with Aer Lingus and created some in-flight meals, which we already tried. The quality was good, so we hoped the restaurant would be the same.

Clodagh's Kitchen is located on the top floor of Arnotts. There was no menu outside, which we think should be changed.

We were welcomed warmly and could choose any table we liked.

Unfortunately the cleanliness wasn't up to the standard we expected, so we couldn't take the first table, because the floor was dirty. Someone had dropped food, but it hadn't been brushed up.

There wasn't much of an atmosphere.

We were nearly alone, beside some much older couples and ladies.

The interior was contemporary and the chairs comfortable.

In our opinion the tables were too close together and too small.


When our order arrived we had barely space for it.

The emphasis is on Irish produce and staples like egg dishes.

The coffee/tea set was a good deal. You can order any coffee or tea and have a slice of cake. It costs together 5 Euro (ca. 6.50 USD).

We had brought appetite with us, so we wanted something more substantial. We had two orange juice, two hot chocolates, one omelette with chorizo and cheese and one smoked haddock chowder.

The orange juice came with ice cubes - both of us don't like that - without being asked. The Aine (an Irish company) hot chocolate was slightly too sweet, but the omelette and the chowder were very good. They were flavorful and moreish.

We paid 32.90 Euro, ca. 42.60 USD. We thought it was a bit too high, comparing it to Cafe Novo at the Westbury, where omelettes start at around 8 Euro (ca. 10.35 USD). Clodagh's Kitchen’s were 12.95 Euro or ca. 16.90 USD.

Unfortunately it is unlikely that we return to this establishment.

 ©2014

The Jim Thompson House Museum Bangkok, Thailand

We heard the first time about Jim Thompson during our second visit to Thailand.

We were intrigued from the beginning about his mysterious vanishing and have read a few books about it.

Finally we found the time to visit the Jim Thompson House Museum.

We took a taxi from our hotel, the Four Seasons (Please see also review.) to the museum.

Entrance was 100 THB per person or ca. 2.35 Euro (ca. 3.15 USD).

The house and garden were an oasis of peace and quiet in the heart of Bangkok.

Near the entrance were the cashier, the restaurant and the shop.

There were also ponds with two turtles and kois. The gardens were surprisingly large and can be explored alone, but there is a compulsory guided tour, if you want to see the inside of the house.

Meeting point for the tours was the central square. There are different languages on offer including English and French.

Before our tour started we went through the garden. It was peaceful and romantic, until one of the groups disturbed us and we were in the way.

Jim Thompson was more Thai than the Thai themselves, so he was fascinated with everything the country had to offer. Besides single handed saving the Thai silk industry, he also amassed a large collection of Thai Buddhist art, but after a run in with the government, he gave it up and started instead to collect Buddha statues from Cambodia and Burma - according to the author William Warren. There are some of the oldest and rarest in the collection.

The house is made up of six traditional Thai buildings - they are from the 19th century -, which interconnect. There are some differences though, for example the external walls and decorations are inside as is the stair case. In a classic Thai house it would be the opposite.

Upstairs are the infamous dining room, the living room and two bed rooms. One was Jim Thompson's. Even the mattress, where he slept on, is still there. Touching is not allowed, though.

There was security as well, so there is no chance to wander off and search the house for clues what really happened.

We enjoyed our visit and indulged in some retail therapy after the tour.

©2014

Madame Tussauds Bangkok, Thailand

After having considered going to a Madame Tussauds for a longer time we decided to visit our first one at Siam Discovery in Bangkok.

We booked online. There are different options. We had the one with an open ticket, but still getting a discount for booking online. We paid 1280 THB (ca. 30 Euro or 40.20 USD) for two.

In front of Siam Discovery are already hand prints of Jackie Chan and others, indicating you're heading in the right direction. 

There is an express elevator. 

Exchanging our booking with tickets was easy. 

The first room was dedicated to the Thai Royal family. 

The next was about local, regional and international politicians.

Some rooms exhibited wax figures of famous scientists, philosophers and writers.

The next section was about sport and entertainment. 

We liked it because it was interactive and hands on, so we could play basketball with a real ball and hoop for example or tennis with a WII.

Coffee with George Clooney anyone? Or a quick chat with Oprah Winfrey? It's all possible at Madame Tussauds Bangkok.

We had fun and of course there was the obligatory photo session with my favorites, like Dr. Mahathir, Shahrukh Khan and others.

Some of the exhibits were not there, for example Madonna, because they needed restoration.

The last part was about the history of the company and how wax figures are made. There are going many hours into it and it's quite expensive. 

At the very end was the gift shop.

We enjoyed the visit much more than we thought we would and are going to expand our Madame Tussauds experiences around the world in the future.

©2014

Baiyoke Sky Tower, Bangkok, Thailand

Since we like skyscrapers and viewing platforms we went to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel during our stay in Bangkok.

There are three floors open to the public.

Tickets can be bought on the ground floor and cost 600 THB (ca. 15 Euro or ca. 19 USD) for two.

Downstairs photographs are taken of the visitors before an express lift whisks up guests to the 77th floor.

Beside stunning panorama views over Bangkok and sometimes even to the Gulf of Siam there is also an exhibition of the "old" Thailand.

Another set of lifts goes up to the 83rd floor, where a bar is located and steps lead up to the 84th floor.

The observation deck is rotating. It's interesting to see the skyline from an even higher vantage point, but wouldn't recommend it to people with walking difficulties or who have balance problems.

We will be definitely back next time round when in Bangkok. A very memorable experience and views.

©2014

The Sky Lobby Bar @ The Mercure Bangkok Siam, Thailand

After visiting the Jim Thompson House we were thirsty and made a stop at the Mercure Hotel Siam. The building is shared with the Ibis Hotel Siam. While the Ibis is on the lower floors the Mercure occupies the higher floors of the new tower.

The Sky Lobby Bar is located on the 9th floor. The interiors are cool, understated and contemporary. There are floor to ceiling windows and a fully furnished balcony. The views over the National Stadium, the surrounding area and Bangkok are stunning.

We had a look at the menu and when we were ready to order nobody was behind the bar counter.


I went to the reception to tell the staff there we would like to have some drinks. They were a bit surprised, but said somebody would be with us soon.

A couple of minutes later the bar tender was with us. At the time the Sky Lobby Bar offered a North Thailand special. There was for example a sausage dish, but since we weren't hungry, we went for the coconut smoothies, which were also on the North Thailand section, and a water. The menu had a coconut theme for the season.

We could watch how the smoothies were made from scratch. It included opening a fresh coconut.

The drinks were generous and good value.

Our bill came in at 290 THB (ca. 6.80 Euro or 9.10 USD).

Should we be in the area we definitely stop for a drink and maybe even a snack.

©2014

McCafe @ Amarin Plaza, Bangkok, Thailand

Normally we aren't big McDonald's fans, seeming to have it out grown. We heard from an acquaintance, that the Thai branches are really good, so we went to the McCafe at the Amarin Plaza, which has open 24 hours a day.

The interior of the McDonald's was colorful and contemporary. It was quite late into the evening when we arrived, but the business was brisk.

The staff was friendly and spoke very well English. We ordered two hot chocolates, one green apple juice and one fruit parfait.

The drinks were fresh and nice. The parfait was colorful and very tasty. The fruits and jelly was very refreshing too.

When we are next time in Bangkok we will go back to this outlet and would love to have experience the same flavors again.

©2014

The Riverside Cafe @ The Peninsula Bangkok, Thailand

During our visit to Bangkok we once went to the Riverside Cafe and Terrace at the Peninsula Hotel.

We were greeted warmly and our reservation confirmation taken from us. We could decide if we wanted to sit outside or inside. Since it was in the sweltering heat of the afternoon we asked for a table inside.

One waiter was designated to us. He brought our menus, took our orders and served the meal. The service was great and attentive as we expected it to be.

We had two mocktails (Yummy for me and Be Cool), one handmade penne with salmon and lemon sauce and Khao Soi (Chiang Mai coconut chicken curry).

Because I had heard Northern Thai cuisine can be hot (spicy) I asked how spicy the curry was. The waiter advised it was mild.

I was happy when different condiments arrived with my curry and I could regulate how hot I wanted it.

The penne were nicely creamy and lemony.

We paid 1742 THB (ca.41 Euro or ca. 54.70 USD).

We enjoyed the cool and understated interior, the floor to ceiling windows, the attentive staff and the great meal.

©2014

The Mandarin Oriental Cafe @ The Gaysorn, Bangkok, Thailand

On one July afternoon in Bangkok we went to the Mandarin Oriental Shop & Cafe at Gaysorn.

The interior was a mix of classic and contemporary.

The staff greeted us warmly and left us the choice where to sit.

Soon the smiley staff delivered the menu and took our order when we were ready. We had two mocktails (a yoga blend and a red rose), two hot chocolates, a turkey bagel sandwich and an Oriental chicken salad with yogurt curry dressing. All was very good. The mustard added a nice zing to the turkey sandwich.

We also had macaroons as dessert. The Elvis Presley (named after the singer and was filled with the King's favorite food: peanut butter and jelly) and the squid ink were the most unusal. We liked the intense flavor and how delicate the meringue of all of the macaroons were.

Our bill came in at 1702 THB (ca. 39.85 Euro or ca. 53.40 USD).

When in Bangkok we always try to go either to the Mandarin Oriental and The Terrace directly or visit one of the cafes, so next time around there won't be an exception.

©2014

Enemies

Everything was planned meticulous and then this!

Normally Aurelio Stansfield would have had the night shift. He was sick and didn't work.

Carmine de Anda - not his real name - had chosen the night specifically, because he knew Aurelio Stansfield pretty well and thought when all the electricity, CCTV and telephone lines were cut, Aurelio would call the police by cell phone, but stay put in the security office, giving him and a friend enough time to plunder the warehouse.

Carmine was about to join his accomplice, when he noticed a shadowy figure heading towards the storage units of the warehouse. It was Carmine's arch enemy Coldham Fintan Noose III, the new head of security.

Carmine had to stop Coldham at all costs. Coldham had proofed to be a worthy enemy and crossed some of Carmine's schemes. Besides Coldham would be able to identify his accomplice and Carmine couldn't afford that. It would be only a question of time before his friend was talking and Carmine's own identity would be known.

Carmine held an iron bar already in his hands. He was originally planning to use it to help lift a few items they wanted to steal. It was the perfect weapon. Carmine edged silently closer to Coldham. He went unnoticed and managed to crash the bar over Coldham's head, who crumpled immediately to the floor like a felled tree. Carmine thought that wasn't enough. He wanted to do as much damage as possible, fuelled by his thirst for revenge and to keep Coldham as long as possible away from his job. Carmine smashed the iron bar down on Coldham's left leg. It made a crunching sound. A kick to the Chief Security Officer was even more satisfying. Carmine heard police car sirens, so he stopped, otherwise he would have had a bit more fun. He stepped over Coldham's prone body and helped Leander Miller, the Sourcing Manager of the company, grab a few designer pieces. The two retreated in the nick of time through the back, while the police force entered the building through the main entrance.

Carmine de Anda visited Coldham in hospital. It would have been odd, if he hadn't done so in his capacity at the company. Of course he pretended to be concerned about a valuable employee of Foreman Scandinavia Import and outraged what had happened to Mr. Noose. Inwardly he was gloating, but not for long. Coldham might had a concussion, a broken leg and ribs, but his spirit was undiminished. The attack seemed to have no negative psychological impact. Even though the CSO was kept in hospital for a week and the broken bones kept him at home for a month, he wasn't deterred to work and manage his security team, who rallied around him, from his sick bed. Carmine had hoped with Coldham incaptivated he could break in and steal the more valuable furniture they couldn't take during the failed attempt. Unfortunately security had been beefed up and Carmine didn't dare to repeat the feat.
He was glad Coldham didn't suspect him and trailed another innocent guy, whom Carmine's lover and he had set up.
Carmine decided to wait another few months before he was leaving the company and start his new life with his lover in the Caribbean.

©2014

Mao at home, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland

Knowing Mao for years now as a sit down restaurant in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, we found Mao at home, a take away, at The Square Shopping Mall in Tallaght, Dublin 24.

It had also a seating area in front of the counter, so you could also eat there, which we did.

The interior is Asian understated and contemporary.

We arrived just in the nick of time to get the Lunch Bowl Special. It's available every day from noon to 17.00 hours.

At the counter I ordered two green tea, a honey sesame chicken with Jasmin Rice and a Nasi Goreng. We were asked to take a seat and the meal would be delivered to our table.

The tea arrived first. It was steaming hot and the tea bag left in the cup. We could decide ourselves how strong we wanted it.

Our dishes were freshly prepared by Asian chefs in the open kitchen.

Business was brisk with customers taking away or to eat in.

Our dishes arrived after a little bit of more waiting. They were also hot, delicious and huge. We definitely weren't hungry when we left.

The cost for all four items was 18.90 Euro (ca. 25.35 USD). We enjoyed our meal and it reminded us very much about holidays we spent in Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.

The staff was friendly and the service quick.

When we are back in Tallaght, South Dublin and we crave Thai or some other Asian cuisine we are going to be back at Mao.

©2014 

On the Table, Tokyo Cafe @ The Siam Center, Bangkok, Thailand

After visiting Madame Tussauds at Siam Discovery we went to the food court at the Siam Center, because we were hungry and considering our options.

We were drawn to On the Table, Tokyo Cafe, because of its industrial design and interesting Japanese meets Western cuisine.

It was also full and patronized by mostly locals with a few Australians there too.

The staff greeted us warmly and brought us to our table.
The menu was large and offered a wide choice from appetizers to desserts.

We choose apple lychee iced tea, Hamburger Japanese Rice Gratin and a strawberry avocado salad.  The dishes invited to share, so we had half of each other’s meal and all was very delicious.

Waiting times for our dinner was minimal and when asked for the bill it always arrived fast too.

Because it was so nice we went another evening as well and the experience was similar.

The staff recognized us, which was a pleasant surprise, considering the high footfall.

This time around we had a rose and lemon iced tea, an apple lychee tea, the Hamburger Japanese Rice Gratin appeared again as well as a seared tuna salad.

For the first dinner we paid 682 THB (ca. 16 Euro or ca. 21.40 USD), the second came in slightly under 800 THB (ca. 18.75 Euro / ca. 25.10 USD).

If we are at the Siam Center again, we will go back without question.


©2014