Riipinen

Forgotten order and sub par food.
I went to check out La Famiglia for lunch a few weeks ago and had one of the worst experiences in a long time.

It was the busiest hour of lunch and the place was full of people. To my misfortune I still managed to get a table and started eying the menu. I decided to go with a gorgonzola chicken pasta. The dish cost an euro or so more than few of the other options but it sounded nice and you can't go wrong with a pasta in a place like this, right?

So I manage to get a hold of a waitress and make the order. Or so I thought anyway. After waiting for half an hour I started to suspect that something was wrong with the order but I wasn't in the mood for bickering with the waitress so I decided to wait a little longer. Finally after about 45 minutes a different waitress comes to the table and asks "Did you have some problem with your order?". I told her the problem was that I never even got my food to begin with. The waitress then confessed that they had totally forgotten my order and will get on it right away.

After waiting for about 20 more minutes I finally got my food which was an utter disappointment: Badly cooked pasta in a completely tasteless tomato sauce which tasted exactly like it had came straight out of a can. On top of the mush was a thin slice of chicken that was overcooked and had not been seasoned at all and therefore also didn't have any taste to it whatsoever.

Nothing good seems to come out of this place and I suggest you find another restaurant to have lunch at.

Delicious food in danger of overpricing.
Mountain offers solid Nepalese cuisine and has gotten a fair share of praise from satisfied customers. I'm glad to say that I'm one of those customers but at the same time afraid that I might have to reconsider my take on the restaurant sooner or later.

Mountain has always had excellent food; no doubt about it. The portions are big with plenty of quality ingredients and the seasoning is spot on. Most of the dishes are accompanied by Dal bean stew and Raita sauce which both have perfect texture. Delicious Naan bread is also included.

The interior of the restaurant is nothing too special but not too bad either. There isn't too much empty space and the tables are pretty close-set. The level of service depends quite a lot on who happens to be your waiter/waitress that night but I have never received bad or rude service in any way.

The only problem with Mountain is that it's popularity is really starting to show in the prices. I remember a time when almost all of the dishes cost 10-12 €. At that time there was no question what was the best Nepalese in town and Mountain was worth a travel even from a medium distance. However the prices have been on a fast rise and have already reached a point where Mountain is now on the same line as any other restaurant of same or better attributes. This is a problem because Mountain doesn't enjoy a great location downtown but is rather far away from everything. Despite the great food, I don't see myseIf taking the trip very often if the prices continue to rise.

Phat pasta and youthful ambience!
I visited Blanko due to a friends recommendation and was very happy with the result. The place has a youthful and relaxed feeling to it which suited me very well. It also shows in the service so if you're looking for a fancy restaurant with subtle waiting Blanko may not be the place for you.

I had the lamb pasta which the waitress strongly recommended. I admit that the cost of the dish was pretty high up but it was worth it. The taste and texture of the whole dish was as good as the price promised. However the size of the portion could have been considerably bigger; now it left me only half full.

I recommend having a pasta and a cold one at Blanko's terrace on a warm summer nigh.

I can't really recommend this place to anyone.
I've had lunch in Himshikhar quite a few times due to the lack of restaurants in the area but won't be going back any time soon.

When Himshikhar first opened it's doors the food was actually pretty decent for a while. Sadly it soon became clear that they had significantly lowered their standards after establishing a base of regular lunch customers. The quality of the food is simply quite bad: the salad buffet is disgraceful, the main courses are average at best and the Raita sauce and Dal bean stew are watery and tasteless.

The service is very quiet and many times it has been hard to know what language the waiter understands and if he understood the order at all. For some strange reason they also don't have menus availible at every table but instead have two plastic covered menus that the waiter hauls around from table to table. The only good thing is that the second floor of the place has lots of space and big windows with a view to the street.

A tasty and reliable Thai lunch.
I've had the lunch buffet in Tamarin more times than I can remember and I have to say that it has never been a let down.

There are lots of different dishes to choose from: soup, noodles, rice, chicken, pork, fish, vegetables and beef in different sauces, fried goods such as spring rolls and meat accompanied by sweet&sour sauce. All of the dishes usually taste relatively nice and fresh (considering it's a buffet). Coffee and biscuits are also included.

The interior of the restaurant is very nice and the service is fast and friendly. Even though the restaurant is medium sized and has lots of tables you should be prepared to wait a few minutes because the lunch buffet is really popular and the place is packed during the worst rush hour.

The buffet is the way to go!
Ani is a small, atmospheric, Turkish restaurant with a loyal following of certain customers. I have eaten the famous buffet at Ani a dozen times and have always been satisfied with my choice. I haven't ordered any dishes from the menu so my comments regarding the food only apply to the buffet.

First of all: Although the buffet has a bit of a reputation, don't expect it to blow your mind. Instead you can expect it to taste good, have lots of different side dishes and most certainly fill you up.

Warm dishes include kebab meat, rice, potato wedges, bean mush and a red kebab dressing. The meat itself is average-tasting, the dressing quite good, the bean mush is ok but not one of my favourites, the potatoes are actually pretty lousy and the rice is...well it's rice. While the warm dishes as a whole are an OK set, it's the numerous side dishes that really make the buffet worth your time and money. They include green salads, pasta salad, olives, garlic cloves, hummus, marinated vegetables and also the most delicious bulgur I have tasted. You can build a really nice meal of your preference from all these ingredients.

The restaurant itself is a small place with dimmed lighting, traditional Turkish decor and music, and friendly service.

The bottom line is that the buffet has a really great price-quality ratio and it is quaranteed to fill you up and taste at least pretty good. The great thing is that it's not only availible at lunch but also in the evening, which makes it a very affordable way to go out for dinner if you're not looking for something too fancy.