New Review of Delicatessen Majorstua

I already reviewed this restaurant here but I went there a few days ago with my family and one adult friend and thought I would write a quick update on it.

If you didn't read the previous review, let me present the restaurant in a few words: it is a tapas bar-restaurant where customers generally order a few dishes and can share them.

Here are some tapas we ordered:

Going from the nearer to the farthest, you can see:

- pan con tomate (toasted bread with tomatoes and garlic): 38 NOK

- albondigas (meatballs): 94 NOK

- asparagus beans (the long green peas): 62 NOK

- a nice mix of artichokes, tomatoes (probably other vegetables) and chevre cream cheese 82 NOK

Here is another set of tapas:

From left to right:

- Chevre salad with red beets (probably my favorite)

- croquetas (nice but I should probably have ordered 2 of them as they aren't easy to share)

- Octopus and potatoes (not for me but my friends really enjoyed it)

We ordered two more tapas that I forgot to take pictures of.

Everything we ordered tasted good and we were really happy with the overall quality of these tapas.

At the end, we were quite full and only ordered 1 dessert and shared it:

Crema Catalana, 104 NOK

It was an apple cream with a berry and lime sorbet. My wife found the sorbet a bit acid but I really enjoyed it this way (I like the lime or lemon taste). The top of the cream was thin and crispy as we like it.

The service was good despite the restaurant being full. The only delay was with the dessert at the end (which took more time than the food) but well, we didn't mind much as it gave us a small digestive break.

To sum up, we are still happy with this restaurant. It may be a bit pricey but it is worth it as each of these tapas is very good. Avoid busy hours or book a table in advance (we were lucky to get the last available table).

Olivia Hedgehaugsveien: a Cosy Place for Italian Food

I have already reviewed Olivia Tjuvholmen on this blog but thought I would write a few rods about Olivia Hedgehaugsveien too as we were there a few days ago. My son wanted a pizza and as we were in Bogstadveien, we decided to go to Olivia. The weather was really nice and we knew they had a nice terrace.

We started with a plate of cheese and ham:

Salumi e Formaggio, 155 NOK

I really liked it. It came really fast, the cheese was good, the ham was good, the toast/bread was good... Perfect while waiting for the main dishes. There were 3 types of cheese and 2 types of ham. I am not sure if this is intended for 2 or 3 persons as there were 3 slices of ham of each type but only 2 toasts. But well, it was nice for us 3 (2 adults and 1 child).

When it comes to the main dish, my wife ordered pasta with seafood:

Frutti di Mare, 179 NOK

She didn't say much about it but liked it.

I went myself for a classic:

Pasta Carbonara, 175 NOK

But actually this version was a bit original because they made their pasta carbonara with... squash! I actually liked it because it was giving a little "healthy" touch to an otherwise quite heavy dish. But well, if you don't expect it, it may surprise you.

My son wanted a pizza with corn and... sausage?! Not sure where this idea came to him (probably TV or something) but they didn't have corn and the only "sausages" they had were spicy ones (kind of salami type). So we ended up ordering a normal "barnapizza" with ham:

Barna Pizza, 100 NOK

And well, he was happy with it, so it was a good choice. The fish shape is made in other Olivia restaurants.

The service was fine and it was great to be out in the shadow (under the sun would have been too hot). All in all, as I said in the title, Olivia in Hedgehaugsveien (near Bogstadveien) is a cosy place to have Italian food.

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.

Crepes Maison: a New Creperie in Majorstuen

Crepes Maison is a cafe-restaurant which just opened last week in Majorstuen. As it name indicates, it serves French pancakes, both the sweet and the savory version ("crêpe" and "galette").

Here is an example of a galette:

You cannot tell from the picture but this one had spinach and feta cheese in it. You could also order it with ham and cheese or 4 cheese.

And here is a sweet one ("crêpe") with strawberries and Nutella (hasselnut-chocolate):

You could of course choose from many different combination (with sugar, chocolate, banana, ...).

The chef has some experience from when he lived in France and both types of pancakes tasted good.

Just two small details:
- crepes maison means "homemade pancakes"
- just in case you wonder, French pancakes don't come from Paris but from Brittany (west of France)

Price:
- sweet ones: 49 NOK
- savory ones: 69 NOK

So, just go there and enjoy some French pancakes!

Larsen: a Good Restaurant in Majorstuen

There are a couple of restaurants in Sørkedalsveien next to the Majorstuen T-bane station but somehow they are not popular. Maybe because they are a bit old-fashioned (compared to, say the ones in the Colosseum area). And yet, they may have a lot more to offer than one thinks. We have been to the Larsen restaurant twice and both times, we had a very good meal.

Last time, my wife ordered the dish of the day which was lam in wine sauce (138 NOK).

It is original to use lam meat with wine sauce. I am thinking for example of "boeuf Bourguignon" (beef)  or "coq au vin" (roster or, nowadays, chicken). But, well, it worked well as the lam was thin, and my wife liked it.

I went for a pasta dish (142 NOK) which was also quite original with a combination of beef, pesto and chili.

There too, it worked better than expected. The meat wasn't tasteless (as it generally is when cooked with pasta), the chili wasn't making the dish too spicy (just a bit) and overall I also liked my dish.

We had a guest with us this time who had the chicken burger (138 NOK). The chicken was tasteful with some spices and mayonnaise. It was served with tortilla chips and salsa sauce.

Our friend was also satisfied with it.

Finally, our son had some grilled chicken breast with french fries. The dish was well prepared and not "just-for-children".

So, to sum up, we were all happy with our dinner. I also checked some reviews at Google+ (in Norwegian) and other customers were also positive about this place. It is a nice place with good food and correct price.

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.

Not the best day for Jacob All

Yesterday, it was the 17th of May (big day for Norway!) and we decided to have lunch at Jacob All in Majorstuen, a place we like. Unfortunately, it wasn't their best service.

They had a special menu (which I understand) and I went for their special Jacob All burger. The burger itself was good. Quite a lot of pepper on the meat but that's the way I like it. The sauce was good too.

Unfortunately the French fries were not good. Lukewarm (probably prepared in advance), overcooked on the outside, not cooked enough on the inside, they simply didn't taste great.

My wife didn't have a bigger success with her Caesar salad. Too much pepper on her chicken and otherwise nothing special about it.

For our son, we thought about ordering something simple sausage/fries but he wasn't that hungry and we found the price a bit bigh (109 nok). We asked if we could get the fries only but the answer was no.

All in all a bit disappointed. I understand that the 17th May (or other events) can be a bit chaotic but I still think the overall experience could have been better (after all, we only ordered simple things). We like this place so I hope this was just a one time problem.

Delicatessen: Popular Tapas Restaurant in Majorstuen

Tonight we went to a popular Tapas restaurant in Majorstuen. This place is actually the victim of its success as it is often full and it may take some time to get a table or to get served.

Fortunately, tonight was a Monday night (restaurants are generally less busy early in the week) and we are during the summer holiday period which is also a factor for quiet evenings.

Worth noting: Delicatessen can be found in both Grünerløkka and Majorstuen. I am reviewing here the one in Majorstuen.

Chicken skewers and home-made sausages

It wouldn't be smart to review in details each dish as the principle of tapas is to order quite a lot of them and as they may vary depending on the season (available fresh products). 

Grilled asparagus, Pan con tomate and Mini-burger

What we can say is that on the whole, the tapas we ordered were good, that the restaurant had a nice choice of dish (going from Spanish ham to scampi, not forgetting potato-omelet, grilled asparagus, and many other dishes) and that most of it was homemade. Also, I am not an expert of Spanish cuisine but I have been several times to Spain and can say that this restaurant definitively had a Spanish touch.

Warm Chevre salad, croquetas Iberias and Serrano ham

About the service and restaurant: we had a little incident at the beginning. The staff told us we couldn't go in because of the stroller (which is understandable) but they were of little help trying to find a solution to it. Basically, sorry you cannot come in. That's it. After that, the service was fine, though and we enjoyed the meal.

Sitronterte  med bringebær

Otherwise, the restaurant is nice, especially when it comes to its location. Central enough (Majorstuen) to be easy to go to while not too noisy as it is a bit away from the main street.

When it comes to the price, we paid about 1000 NOK, knowing that we were two adults and one 3-yo child. We didn't have drinks but ate a lot and had desserts. So all-in-all a bit expensive but not exaggerated pricing.  Advice: avoid rush hours or be ready to have some waiting time.

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.

Casa del Maggiore: an Underrated Italian Restaurant in Majorstuen

*** Update July 2013: this restaurant has unfortunately closed. A new place will open 1st August ***

Some restaurants deserve more customers and Casa Del Maggiore is one of them. A good Italian place with an Italian chef and a very sweet waitress but very few customers.

Casa Del Maggiore has maybe the disadvantage of being on the quiet side of Majorstuen (Sørkedalsveien 3) where people are not used to go for dinner.

Costolette d'Agnello: lamb ribs with vegetables 267 NOK

When we went there, we were the only customers so I cannot say how efficient the service is but the waitress was really warm and welcoming.

Calzone Paradiso: closed pizza with ham and mushrooms 149 NOK

My lamb ribs were really good and the pizza of my wife (calzone) was also pretty good. It was nice to hear some Italian in the background (when the chef was speaking with the waitress for example).

Tiramisu, 89 NOK

I ordered a Tiramisu for dessert and it was quite nice but I found it a bit expensive.

All in all, as said in the introduction, Casa del Maggiore deserves more customers as the food is good the service is nice and the prices are correct (just the dessert may be a bit expensive). 

Trivia: do you know what Casa del Maggiore means? Actually, it is quite funny because literally it could be translated by "House of the Major" which is also the meaning of Majorstuen. A kind of Italian Majorstuen at Majorstuen.

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/