New Restaurant in Majorstuen: Azuma (Korean and Japanese Cuisine)

I am always excited when I hear a new restaurant is opening, especially if it is a cuisine which is under represented. So when I heard that a new Korean (and Japanese) restaurant was opening in Majorstuen, I had to try it. It is located in Kirkeveien, where Bambus was in the past.

We like Korean BBQ (bulgogi) so we had to try their 2-person BBQ set. It included a few pieces of salmon sashimi and Korean-style meat (with mushrooms and garlic)

Here is the meat and mushrooms (to be grilled)

And here is our tray, with sashimi and a few Korean snacks

The meat was really good: juicy, tasteful... and my wife and I were really happy about it. As it is grilled in front of us we can choose ourselves when we considered it done. Also, the spicy miso present on our tray fit very well with the BBQ meat.

For our son, we ordered sushi:

It was well presented and my son liked it. My wife (Japanese) on the other hand tried it and wasn't convinced by the rice (maybe too sweet or something). Not bad but not as particularly good as our dish.

About the price: 325 NOK per person for the BBQ set and the sushi was at 165 NOK  for 12 pieces. The service was good and the restaurant was beautiful. Also, it was quite nice to see that there were many Korean customers. If they go there themselves to get Korean food, I don't think we should doubt the restaurant quality/authenticity.

Next, I will go there, I will probably try the Bibimbap which is my other favorite Korean dish.

For an alternative Korean/Japanese restaurant have a look at my review of the Miso Cafe.

Thai Orchid: a Nice Place for Thai Food in Oslo

My wife has a friend who has lived in Thailand so when this friend recommended the Thai Orchid to us, we were quite excited to try it. The restaurant is in the Oslo S area, not far from Storgata. This is a nice place for Asian food, both in terms of restaurants and food stores.

Here is a photo of the restaurant:

Typical Thai design

My wife when for a "Pad Pak Ruam Mith Moo Krob", which is pork fried with vegetables in oyster sauce.

It tasted good. The sauce was a bit sweet and the pork had a small BBQ-flavor (not sure how they did it).

I went for a recommendation from my wife's friend: papaya salad with fried chicken and sweet rice. When i ordered it I was asked how many chili I wanted and I said one.

This dish was really good too. I liked the salad (quite original thanks to the papaya), I liked the fried chicken and I liked the rice (wasn't really sweet). The dip sauce was nice too. Be careful though when choosing the number of chilis you want. It was quite spicy with just one!

Our son got something a bit less original: fried rice with chicken.

It was quite good too.

So all in all, we were really satisfied with the meal and we will probably go there again in the future.

Website of the restaurant: http://www.thaiorchid.no/hovedretter/

Address: Calmeyersgt. 11, 0183 Oslo

Disappointed with Nodee

I like Nodee and I stated why when I reviewed it last time. Since that time, we have been there a couple of times without any particular problems but yesterday, we were disappointed with it.

We started with a "Snacks De Luxe" which was spinach, shrimp chips and cashew nuts. An interesting combination and the presentation was quite nice but the spinach was sweet! I didn't like it (didn't think the taste fit with the spinach and didn't feel it was going well as a snack).

After that we had ordered the sushi combination "tokujo" (which in Japanese means "extra good", "first class", ...).

On a presentation perspective, the dish was stunning. However there was a few problems with it.
First, we had specified we wanted the dish to be without wasabi to be able to share it with our son. They did exclude wasabi on the plate but unfortunately they used it when making the sushi. So there was wasabi between the rice and the fish and my son couldn't eat it.
The second thing was for example for the egg/omelette sushi. The "dashi" taste was missing and there was too much garlic in it.

For me, I had asked for the Cantonese Wagyu beef ("Wagyuu" means "Japanese beef"). The presentation was once again good and the taste was nice but I don't think the dish was so exceptional it justified its price (340 nok for 100g beef).

Så all in all, we were a bit disappointed. The good points were the service which was still good, the presentation of the dishes which we like and the fact that food came quickly, especially knowing the restaurant was quite full. On the minus side, we were not impressed with the taste of the food and the price was a bit high for what we ordered.

Lille Saigon 1: A Good Restaurant But...

A few days ago, we were doing some Asian food shopping in the Storgata area (Oslo S) and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go to Lille Saigon 1, one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in Oslo.

My wife had already been there before but I hadn't. For the starter, I decided to trust the recommendations from the menu and went for some pork rolls called "nems" (picture below).

It was really good. A bit similar to the fresh spring rolls you find here and there but with warm pork inside. I was a bit afraid about the sauce because the menu precised it contained chili. But it wasn't very hot and we had no problems with it.

As my main, I ordered a "bun bo xao" which is a dish with rice noodles and beef. It looked really gorgeous and did taste good but I would have liked the meat to have even more taste (maybe more spices, or more lime or something). Still a good dish, and I understand why it is a very popular one.

My wife went for a Vietnamese soup called "pho". She liked it except the soup itself which was maybe too tasty (great thing when you eat the meat and the noodles but she couldn't drink the soup itself).

For our son, we ordered some noodles with chicken. Not a very exciting dish but he liked it and it probably fits well with children's taste (no vegetables...).

Otherwise, I saw several customers complaining about the service when they write about this place on the internet but we found the staff to be friendly and helpful (they helped us with the stroller, etc...) so it probably depends on who your waiter/waitress is.

On the other hand, something which isn't often mentioned is that the restaurant itself could be better with a bit of renovation and it wasn't the most immaculately clean place I have seen (with such a busy service, it is understandable though).

About the price: for the starter, the 2 main dishes, the 1 child dish, I paid a total of 360 nok which I think is very resonable in Oslo.

To sum up: Lille Saigon 1 is a good Vietnamese restaurant but there are a few things here and there which could be improved. We will surely go there again in the future.

Eating Vietnamese at Far East (Oslo)

Far East is a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant located in Oslo city center (close to Oslo S). It took me some time to try it because I wasn't so convinced about the combination Thai/Vietnamese (I had tried a Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant in the past without finding anything Vietnamese) but I let me convinced by the fact that the restaurant is often quite full. I don't regret it.

About the menu, the restaurant really proposes Vietnamese dishes: Pho, Bun Bo, Bun Cha Gio etc... It also has some Thai dishes (Pad Thai, some Thai soups, ...). We generally have Vietnamese food when we go there.

Their springrolls are really nice:

Cha Gio (springrolls) 78 NOK (or 54 NOK for 3)

The only thing is that I find the sauce a bit spicy which I don't find necessary for springrolls.

Here is a Bun Bo (sorry for the lack of focus, I am a terrible photograph). It is a dish composed of rice noodles and beef with a lemon taste.

Bun Bo 98 NOK

My wife generally order the Pho Bo (noodle soup with beef) but last time we went there, she went for some skewers with shrimps and beef.

It is an original combination in my opinion but it worked nicely and she really enjoyed it. 

We ordered some fried rice for our son. The kingprawn was ordered in addition to the normal dish.

All in all, we really enjoy the food there. We will have to try some dishes from their Thai menu too.

Otherwise, the restaurant itself is quite modest, maybe a bit outdated. Beware that the restaurant can get quite full during popular hours (Friday evening, Saturday evening, ...). 

Miso Cafe: a Place to Enjoy Korean Food in Oslo!

Miso Cafe is a cafe but it also serves very nice Korean food.

It is located in Røa, not far from the subway station (line 5). I generally try to feature restaurants near city center in this blog but this place deserves the effort to go a bit farther.

The choice isn't big, especially if you want to try Korean food but everything this cafe serves tastes good.

Here, for example, is a picture of a Dolsot Bibimbap we had last time we went there:

Dolsot Bibimbap (a bit spicy), 149 NOK

You may not see it in the picture but the pan is very hot. They basically heat it, put the ingredients in it and bring it to you. You season it if you want to and mix it. The dish is a bit spicy.

Something else we like there is there Bulgogi bento which mixes different Asian styles (Korea for the Bulgogi, Vietnam for hte springrolls and Japan for the presentation).

Bulgogi Bento, 179 NOK

One thing to note is that every tastes good and I believe the springrolls to be hand made. And by the way, Bulgogi is the beef dish on the lower left side of the picture. Sauteed beef in a Korean style.

They also serve everything cafes serve (coffee, sandwiches, rolls,...).

All in all, I really like this place.

To sum up advantages and inconveniences of this place, here are the advantages:
- serving Korean food that tastes great
- the price is quite nice
- it is opened on Sunday

What is less good:
- a bit farther from the city center than other restaurants I am reviewing in this blog
- tables and chairs are more of a cafe than of a restaurant (logical since this is a cafe)
- it closes quite early (18 normally, 21 on Thursdays)

Nam Fah: a Nice Little Thai Restaurant in Oslo Sentrum

There are many Thai restaurants and take-aways in Oslo and we decided to go to one called Nam Fah last Thursday. It is located in the city center, not far from the Stortinget station and very close to Steen&Strøm building.

We went for a dish called "Pad Se Eew moo" for our son.

Pad Se Eew moo: fried noodles with pork, 158 NOK

It wasn't spicy at all. On the contrary it was quite sweet. So a good choice for a child but I would have found it too sweet for me.

My wife went for "Pad Poong Karrii gai", a curry-based dish.

Poong Karrii gai, 168 NOK

Surprisingly, this wasn't really spicy either. A good thing for my wife who cannot eat too spicy food but if it was for me, I would have expected a curry based dish to be a bit more spicy.

When it comes to me, I had "Ratnah gai":

Ratnah Gai, 178 NOK

It is also fried noodles but has much more sauce than the "Pad Se Eew" we had for my son. I liked it but this is more for people who like sauces in general.

All in all, Nam Fah is a nice little restaurant in city center and a good choice if you like Thai food.

Xich Lo, a Vietnamese Restaurant in Oslo City Center

My wife and I are big fans of the Vietnamese cuisine. We have never been to Vietnam but we have tasted Vietnamese food in both France and Japan and had some nice experiences with it in both countries.

This is why we decided to try Xich Lo as soon as we heard positive comments about it. The restaurant is in Karl Johans gate (so you cannot do more central than this) and is on the 4th floor of a building with Nespresso on the first floor (just some help if you look for it).

Otherwise the restaurant is pretty and quite "classy". We were received at once and followed to the table. Before we even order anything, we get some water (flavored with lemon, orange and some herbs) and when we ordered, to make us wait, we got the following appetizer:

Vietnamese style beef stew - complimentary

It tasted really nice. The Vietnamese taste was rendered by the spices and despite the chili at the top, it wasn't hot. My wife removed the small chili part and had no problems eating it.

As a starter, we shared a "springroll"

Vietnamese Springrolls, 87 NOK

It was actually a combination of 2 fried springrolls (the usual ones) and 1 "fresh" springroll (cut in 2). Both type of rolls tasted good and at least the fresh one was hand made.

My wife ordered a lamb tenderloin with red wine sauce as a main:

Lamb tenderloin with red wine sauce, 257 NOK

It was good but it did not seem traditional Vietnamese to us (we may be wrong though, we are not Vietnamese). As for me, I went for the duck breast a la Xich Lo:

Duck breast a la Xich Lo, 257 NOK

The duck meat was really nice: soft, tasty but not too strong and I really appreciated it. I liked the sauce too but it was spicy and after a while, I couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't particularly impressed by the mushrooms but I may be too demanding about it.

Both dishes came with flavored rice::

Flavored rice, incl in the dish

Overall, we had a nice meal and we are satisfied with it. The prices are a bit high, but this has something to do with the restaurant being right in the heart of Oslo

Mahayana: a Very Good Asian Restaurant in Nationaltheatret

*** Update 14 Nov 2013: new photos at the end of this article ***

There are many Asian restaurants in Nationaltheatret and I have already reviewed two of them: Dinner and Tabibito. My wife wanted to try Mahayana for a long time but as we knew two nice restaurants in the same area already, it took us some time to actually do it. But we don't regret it as this is a nice place.

The decoration is classy, the restaurant is clean, the food tastes good, with the option to eat Japanese or Chinese (maybe even Thai, I don't remember). We actually ordered both Japanese and Chinese food. 

Everything tasted good but I must warn you that Chinese food may be spicy, even if the menu does not mention it. The Japanese dishes should be fine.

Here are a few photos:

Sweet-sour Pork

Chinese style beef in the foreground and sushi in the background ("natural born salmon")

Japanese style beef

Green tea tiramisu

A special mention for the sweet sour pork which is not the common dish we are used to but something particular which was very good. The Japanese-style beef was really good too. I didn't try it but my wife enjoyed her green tea tiramisu a lot.

All in all, a really nice restaurant and probably one of our favorite.

*** update ***

I took some new photos last time we went there. I still like this place very much. However, I now believe that they use the word "mild" in the menu to signify that the dish is spicy (if nothing is written, the dish is not, if the mention "only available mild" or something, it means the dish is a bit spicy). Kind of the opposite of the intent, in my opinion.

Anyway, here are the photos:

"Gu Lou Yuk", sweet sour pork, a bit spicy

"Gyuniku Teriyaki", Japanese style beef

Mini Sushi in Majorstuen: Better than Expected

Mini sushi i Majorstuen is a new take away and I must admit it is better than what I was expecting.

First, the restaurant is nice looking and with a nice interior design. Here is a review based on when we ate there (we generally opt for the take away option).

Here are the starters we chose:

Thai Beef Salad 80 NOK (take away price)

I went for the Thai beef salad. It has a strong lemony taste that I like. Please note that the meat is half cooked which is normal for this dish but may surprise you if you aren't expecting it.

Futomaki 1 (tofu, egg, asparagus, cucumber, avocado) 65 NOK (take away price)

We ordered sushi for our child and it wasn't bad at all.

Summer Springrolls 40 NOK (take away price)

My wife went for summer springrolls. They are good, fresh, and a healthier alternative to normal fried springrolls.

As a main, we shared a crispy duck, which is like the famous Peking duck.

Crispy Duck (for 2) 269 NOK (take away price)

It was really good and the skin of the duck was indeed crispy. My only regret is that the sauce was a bit spicy and I did not find it necessary to have a spicy sauce for this dish. Maybe the sauce used for the sommer springrolls would have been better.

Overall, mini sushi is a good place, especially at this price level at Majorstuen. Recommended.

Tabibito: Another Chinese Restaurant near Nationaltheatret

There are many Asian restaurants near Nationaltheatret and I already reviewed Dinner here. The name Tabibito is Japanese but the restaurant serves Chinese food.

The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor, facing Brasserie 45 and I don't think it is available to wheel chairs. It is a beautiful restaurant with a great entrance and an overall nice design.

My wife went for the Dim Sum menu for 2 and shared it with our son

Dim Sum Deluxe: 199 NOK per person, min 2 p.

The Dim Sum were really nice but be careful that some of them were a bit spicy. It should not be a problem for an adult but some children may not like them (not all of them were spicy).

I went for the Foo Wok hot pot:

Foo Wok Hot Pot, 248 NOK

It was quite spicy but I like spicy food and the menu said so. Otherwise, it was quite good, especially the sauce/spices.

All in all, the prices are a bit high but the service is excellent, the restaurant is beautiful and the food is quite good.

Nodee: Nice Dining Place in Majorstuen

For many, Asian food is the equivalent of cheap take away. I am therefore happy when a restaurant takes it to the next level and proposes a real dining experience and this is what Nodee does.

"Tempura", starter: tempura shrimp vegetables and scallop 148 NOK

Located in the Colosseum area in Majorstuen (exact address: Middelthuns gate 25), this restaurant offers refined Asian cuisine, combining Japanese, Chinese and Thai elements.

Kam Kon Pot: hot pot with beef, king prawn, ... (a bit spicy) 235 NOK

We have been there several times with my wife and my son and we have never been disappointed.

Benton Box (bento or bentō in Japanese): lunch box 178 NOK

A small note about the Benton box: the content vary with time as it is made with available fresh products. It is a good choice for people who like to taste different things. The tofu dish was especially good when we ordered it.

Lunch of Champions: a nice steak with lemon-grass taste 155 NOK

Both the service and the food are very good and the restaurant is beautiful. Prices are high but understandable for the quality and the restaurant offers a lunch menu with moderate prices.

Have a look at their website: http://nodee.no/