Day: September 14, 2019

Kinų Bambukas – authentic Chinese cuisine

Kinų Bambukas is a Chinese restaurant across the street from Lietuvininkai Square. The owner and chefs are Chinese. When you enter the restaurant, you can tell straight away that it is a Chinese restaurant with red wallpaper and Chinese lanterns. I had taken pictures of the restaurant but may have accidentally deleted them. The image below is taken from the restaurant’s website.

There are both indoor and outdoor seating available. I opted to sit inside. The inside of the restaurant was ventilated well. It was a little stuffy, and it smelled of oil.  The waitress who served me was a local. She was friendly and always had a smile on her face.

http://kinubambukas.lt/kontaktai/h.-manto-43.html
http://kinubambukas.lt/kontaktai/h.-manto-43.html

 

I got the Chinese homemade salad  (€ 7), rice with eggs (€ 1.30), and crispy chicken with sweet and sour spicy sauce (half portion for € 7.50). The portions are big! I was only able to finish half of each dish.

I was blown away by the flavors. I was not expecting the dishes to taste as authentic as they did. I am currently working in Beijing, China, and have been here for more than 10 years. So, believe me when I say this is excellent Chinese food, almost like what you get in China.

The Chinese homemade salad consists of carrots, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, soy sprouts, vermicelli noodles, black fungus, and seaweed. The salad had a well-balanced flavor of sweetness, saltiness, and acidity. I love the crunch of the different vegetables.

The crispy chicken was divine! The chicken was tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The sauce was not spicy, but it went really well with the crispy chicken.

I highly recommend this restaurant for authentic Chinese food.

 

Kinų Bambukas

Website: http://kinubambukas.lt

Opening hours:

Telephone: +370 46 412117

Address: H. Manto 43, Klaipėda

Tabula Rasa

I came to this restaurant by chance. My initial plan was to have pancakes at Kompressor, just down the street from Tabula Rasa. The place was packed, and as I was tired, I did not want to wait. I just wanted to rest and have dessert. I walked up the street, scanning at all the restaurants available, and Tabula Rasa caught my attention.

Tabula Rasa is located in the heart of Old Town Tallinn, tucked away in the St.Petersburg hotel. The restaurant has an exclusive vintage bar feel with a chic setting. There are interesting art pieces on the wall. It was around 4:40 p.m. when I arrived at the restaurant. There were only two customers, so it was quiet. There is a big window at one corner of the room, overlooking Rataskaevu street (one of the oldest streets in Tallinn) and cat’s well (a historical landmark).

 

I ordered orange juice and the traditional Estonian “Kama” Pavlova (€5). For those who are not familiar with kama, kama is one of Estonia’s national food. It is a flour mixture of roasted barley, rye, oat, and pea flour. It is usually added to yogurt or milk.

The waitress informed me that the kama Pavlova is not the traditional meringue pavlova but a kama-based pavlova. She went on to describe what the dessert consists of.  It was nice of her to tell me, or I would be expecting a meringue pavlova.

I like the presentation of the dish, especially the colors. The red stood out and was stimulating. The kama pavlova was sweet and nutty; it reminded me of graham crackers. I love the different layers of texture and flavors of the dish. You have the nuttiness from the kama, acidity from the berry sauce, sweetness from the fresh fruits, and the occasional crunch from the meringue cookies.

I was only here for dessert, but it may be worth visiting for lunch or dinner.

 

Tabula Rasa

Website: http://tabularasa.ee/en/

Opening hours: Opened daily from 12:00p.m. till 00:00 a.m.

Telephone: +372 628 6560

Address: Rataskaevu 7, Tallinn Old Town