Amsterdam, Netherlands, my insights!! Part 1 - where to stay?

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Travel Amsterdam, Netherlands? My insights for you about where to stay?

Part 1 - where to stay in Amsterdam City? 

Hey guys,

I just love roadtrips! In Europe you can pretty much drive around within an hour and you are in another country. 

This time we decided to head more North, as we usually go more South because actually we enjoy much more being in the mediterranean clima. 

If you would like to travel Amsterdam for a few days its always good to stay really central in the city. I really enjoy to stay at the NH Collection Hotels, when I travel foreign European cities. I started my research and found this great 5 star located hotel in the heart of Amsterdam City: its called The NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen.

Its one of the Amsterdam’s oldest and finest five-star hotels, dating from the Golden Age. But no worries, it is completly renovated and has really nice modern designed rooms.The 81 freshly-refurbished rooms are decorated in classical tones, mixing cream, red and gold accents. From standard rooms to palatial suites, each one combines sleek design with luxurious indulgence.

Over three centuries, it has hosted royal and legendary guests including Empress Elisabeth of Austria and the Beatles. Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’ was painted to display within its walls.

You have free access W-Lan and free access to the Fitness center. You can also bring your dog along the way, as the hotel is dog friendly. You got also a breakfast option to book and a 24h room service. 

The hotel has also a nice bar and restaurant the "Bamboo kitchen" which offers modern Asian infused food. 

I would suggest you to book a room with "canal view" - the so called "Grachten" view. It was just amazing to have a view towards facing the floating boats on the river called "Amstel".I love being near water so that was really something special.

As city trips are always about location location location, you can do everything by feet or by bike. Be aware of the bikers anyway, as they seem to have the city forthemselves. If you are a biker you can take full advantage of this "bisycle" city. You get everywhere real quick. I would not suggest to come by car in the city, if you can mind it, because the pricing of parking is really expensive. We paid 55 Euro a day for the velet parking option, the hotel offers. From a dutch friend I had the information that next time I should park the car around central station up North, there should be some park & ride options.

The guest relation team from the hotel offers - besides the great service while being in the hotel - a great online personal travel guide. You will get an questionare some days before you travel to Amsterdam, if you decide to use it you will have to answer some questions and afterwards the travel guide will be send threw by e-mail. I really thought this was innovativ and really useful for our trip, it even offers you some recommendations besides the typical sight seeing spots as restaurants and where locals go to.

So what are you waiting for ! Make sure to check out the amazing city of Amsterdam, next blog will be a food guide Amsterdam City, about where to eat out and have drinks in Amsterdam! 

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

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IZAKAYA - Munich - my insights for you !

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Searching for a "culinary hotspot" in Munich?

My insights of a visit to the "IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar Munich"

Hey guys,

sorry for posting the past few weeks nothing new, but you know life can be pretty busy sometimes. I will make up for this, for now Im back with great news on the Asian hot spot to be restaurant everybody talks about in Munich right now.

The restaurant opened up in 2017 with a huge VIP guest list, it is located in the upcoming "Westend" from Munich which is about 5 min from the central station of Munich. It is located in the "roomers hotel" an amazing 5-star-hotel with 281 luxury and modern rooms, which I can recommend you to stay in for sure.

The concept of the "IZAKAYA" is from the Amsterdam Gastro-company called the "Entourage Group". You can find the "IZAKAYA" in three other European cities as well: Amsterdam, Hamburg and Ibiza.

The wonderful restaurant was created by the well known Amsterdam interior office "Concrete". You can feel the Japanese tribute of the interior, without being too much traditional in the details. It has a really cool modern vibe. 

For the perfect entree I can recommend you a glass of bubbly, which tasted really good and is a perfect starter for your evening. 

Speaking about vibes they have also a great DJ set with great taste of music. What I also loved about that place is the open show kitchen, which allows you to see what the kitchen is preparing. The traditional Robata grill is at the heart of the restaurant, giving centre stage to the chefs creating dishes like Temari Sushi, Kombujime, Corn Tempura, slow cooked Short Ribes and some Rabata specialities. Of course you can also choose Sushi or Sashimi seasoned with exotic Peruvian spices. 

The food is the best when you share it, thats also the concept behind the restaurant. Sharing is caring! 

Crispy Rice with spicy peruvian Tuna & light soy 

Crispy Prawns with creamy curry sauce 

Beef Burger

Corn Tempura

The food itself is heaven, it is mix of authentic Japanese food with a twist of Peruian flavores. Dont miss out the great and special cocktails they offer you.

If you would like to only go for drinks on the bar, for sure this is also a way to enjoy the IZAKAYA in Munich. IZAKAYA translated as "Japanese pub". The word "pub" wouldnt describe this incredible designed bar that good, it is a high-end gastronomic experience. The 360 black stained bar with the onyx marble top offers a spot to sip selcected wines, first class cocktails as well as rare types of Sake. 

One last thing, I can highly recommend you to check also out the dessert IZAKAYA is offering you! Dont miss out on the Bamboo hot choclate pot with green tea ice-cream.

Bamboo hot choclate pot with green tea ice-cream sesame nougatine

So what are you waiting for ? Place a reservation for your next party, dinner or night out in Munich and experience the revolutionising high-end hospitality from IZAKAYA.

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Pasta with only 3 ingredients? recipe! 15 min ready, my insights for you!

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Pasta recipe with only 3 ingredients. Easy to make and ready to serve in 15 min!

Check out my new quick and super easy to make, yummy recipe ! 

Hey guys,

even if you are not the best one in the kitchen - this one is a cooking recipe even beginners can easy learn and can impress their loved ones. I takes only 15 minutes of your precious time and you dont need to buy a lot of stuff for this wonderful dish.

This recipe is from my lovely mother-in-law and when my husband cooked it for me the first time I was really amazed how only 3 ingredients can taste that good.

One Thing, it is not for somebody who is on a diet. This one is especially during the winter months a great dish and for sure nothing that you will loose weight from. For your guilty conscience you can do a extra mile tomorrow for it. The taste is worth the extra calories. I swear.

Ingredients (2 Persons):

250 grams Linguine (my favorite for this dish are Linguine from the Italian brand "De Cecco")

200 grams of creme fraiche

200 grams of (make sure you buy "dolce", which means sweet one!) Gorgonzola 

100 grams of cooked ham 

Directions:

1. Cook linguine. 
2. During that time cut the ham into small cubes.
3. Cut the Gorgonzola (remember it hast to be a "sweet" in Italy called "dolce" one) into small cubes.
4. Melt creme fraiche in a large skillet, reduce heat to low, stir in the cheese and keep on stirring constantly till the creme fraiche and the Gorgonzola will build a creamy Sauce. The less you heat the cheese, the better. 
5. When you reached the creamy consistence add the squared ham into the Sauce and stir it again for some minutes. 
6. When ready drain the Linguine and put the Linguine to the skillet and mix it with the Sauce.
7. Remove from heat and toss with pepper to taste.

As the Italians say: Boun Appetito! Enjoy your Pasta guys ! 

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Looking for a spa day ? Check out my insights about the brand new "Mizu Onsen Spa", Tegernsee

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Wanna treat yourself with some wellness? Check out my recent visit at the Japanese influenced "Mizu Onsen Spa"

Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. 

Hey guys,

as Im a huge enthusiast about the Japanese lifestlye I was so excited when I read that the "Bachmair Weissach Hotel", located at the wonderful Tegernsee in Bavaria (around 30 minutes drive from Munich), opened up the "Mizu Onsen Spa".

As the name is already hiding it, it is Japanese influenced. That means all the decoration in the spa and the surroundings are desinged in a really modern minimalistic Asian style. Onsen - means hot springs. Mizu is translated as an expression of astonishment, cold water.

First, when you arrive you will be friendly greeted and will get your own spa high end luxury equipments, which includes your own spa shoes and your own cozy bathrobe.

Your personal belongings you can leave in the locker room, which is all fitted in wood, which pays tribiute to the region.

In the back room of the locker you find a large bath rooom, where you can get yourself after spa ready with all the luxury amities you need to have. Not to forget to mention, they have the supersonic dyson (400 Euro) as their standard hair dryer.

When you entering the spa you get out of your locker room and walk threw the reception of the spa and then downstairs, where all the amenties of the spa are taking place.

The Spa itslef is offering a silent room as well as a super silent romm, for those who are searching for silence in perfection. 

For the steamer fans, they offer a steam room with 38 Celcius and another steam room up to 90 Celcius. 

Which to me was super exciting and I was thrilled to check out was the Onsen Bath with 42 Celcius. This was my personal highlight.

For those who like it more cold, the Spa offers Ice (YES, you heard right!) and cold waterbases 2 - 10 Celcius. I tried to get into the "cold" one, it was out of my reach. No way I could ever go into the ice one to be honest.

Outside the spa also has a sole-outdoor pool, which is headedup to 32 Celcius. I would say this is someting more for a summer visit, as you need to pass the "outside" to get into the pool.

The nature pool is also really nice, but also reserved for the summer days. 

After all the wellness, you might get hungry, we checked out the Mizu Onsen Spa-Bar. I tried the Blue Detox Tea and the Sushi Box, which was fitting to the atmosphere such a nice dish to have.

The Hotel itself is offering different restaurants (mainly Bavarian, regional food), which you can also visit if you cant find something on the menue. 

So either you travel or visit Tegernsee, you are searching for a wonderful gift, this Mizu Onsen Spa is worth a visit.

The only sad thing, you cant see the lake from the spa. So make sure you plan some more time to explore the amazing region of lake Tegernsee!

Make sure to place a reservation, especially on the weekends the spa is super busy. 

You find the links as always in the words, by clicking on them you will be forwarded to the websites. 

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Orange Carpaccio, recipe, my insights for you!

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Orange Carpaccio with fresh basil and mozzarella, ready in 15 minutes to serve, vegetarian ! 

One of my favorite recipes for this time of the year, a great, easy to make and healthy appetizer.

Hey guys,

its that time of the year again, Christmas is about to come and finally time to spend some time with your loved ones. And what is better then to have dinner with family and friends?

I got this recipe from a friend of mine, which visited Stockholm recently for travel and got this dish in a restaurant while exploring the city. 

This home made recipe is just easy to prepare and you also get extra credit points as normally no one ever tried it before. Beside that recipe is easy to make and needs only really good and fresh ingredients theres nothing more really to have in mind.  Thanks to the oranges, it gives you an extra vitamin fill up for the cold winter times. 

Carpaccio - an Italian dish- was invented at "Harrys Bar" in Venice back in 1950. Normally Carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin and served mainly as an appetizer. This recipe is the vegetarian alternative for you, even if you are not a veggie (I totally love Carpaccio also with beef) it is just a great option to check out. 

For the ingredients please only buy and use really the best you can get, as this dish taste is living threw the high quality of the ingredients I would recommend you to only buy bio orange, basil and only - really ONLY - buffalo mozzarella. Once again its all about the taste. 

Ingredients Orange Carpaccio (2 persons)

1 tea spoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil 

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves only

250 g of buffalo mozzarella

2 big oranges 

Directions

1. cut of both ends of the oranges, start removing the orange peel running your knife along the sides, turn the orange upside down and remove any white membrane that is still attached to the orange. Then slice the orange into very thin slices. Prepare the slices on a large serving platter.

2. cut the buffalo mozzarella into small pieces.

3. place mozzarella slices on the orange carpaccio.

4. combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitted lid, shake well. Drizzle over oranges and mozzarella; sprinkle with the fresh basil leaves.

5. Depending on your taste you can also add some more freshly grounded black pepper over the orange carpaccio.

6. Enjoy your appetizer. I serve along Italian bread, ciabatta, and a great match is rose wine.  

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com