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 

Golden View Bar and Restaurant Florence, Italy

On our first day in Florence we went exploring a bit and found by good luck the Golden View Open Bar & Restaurant for lunch.

It is just off the Ponte Vecchio and overlooks the Arno. We choose it, because it was in a classic building, but the interior was modern with clean cut lines and had reasonable prices, plus that glorious views over the river, opening up the classical architecture of Florence before our eyes.

We were surprised how much space there was, when the waiter brought us to the back, walking along the stylish Bar area, where we found a large dining room.

We were offered a seat with a view over the river, which we gladly took. All glass doors leading to the terrace were open, allowing a breeze to come in. The table was on the smaller side, covered with white table cloth. The dining room looked elegant with contemporary artwork on the walls and was kept in white and silver. Pretty soon the menu arrived.

We had a wonderful and refreshing Aperol Spritz, a bottle of still San Benedetto water, Insalata Ponte Vecchio and a Fuego Pizza. The salad was made with green leaves, local ham, olives, parmesan shavings, courgette and crusty bread. Regional extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper were provided, so that I could make my own dressing. The pizza was topped with spicy pepperoni, tomato sauce, cheese, peppers and a lot of red onions. Everything was delicious and fresh.
 
The staff was attentive, not intrusive, which is always a plus and made us feel very welcome.

Cost were 56.50 Euro (ca. 78 USD) including cover charge.

We are going to return definitely when we are in town again.


 

©2013