american house

american house

〒231-0801 横浜市中区新山下1-2-8 港山下ナナイロビル1F (〒231-0801 Yokohama City Naka Ward 1-2-8 Shinyamashita Minato Yamashita Nanairo Building 1F)
tel: 045-228-9760

what was consumed: fajita skillet, fried chicken

on a rare weekday where nanny-san was watching bebe, bjl and i head out for a little lunch date. we opted for the nearby nanairo building to check out some of the newly opened restaurants in the building. always craving american food (especially now that we're not stateside), we gave american house a try. friends had gone and said they were pleasantly surprised with their dishes. we wanted to go and see/experience for ourselves.

american house has a pretty typical "family restaurant" menu, akin to friday's or bennigan's (are there still bennigan'ses in america?), from the menu to the seats to the decor ... and even the food. and so, american house hit the spot.

one of the reviews on yelp described american house as "a cross between applebee's and a burger joint you might stop in while on a road trip back in the states" (note: same restaurant, different location). i wouldn't necessarily disagree, but when you're not in the states, sometimes what you want is somewhere that's a cross between applebee's and a road trip burger joint.

online: https://www.americanhouse.co.jp/

hasamu grand

hasamu grand
神奈川県 横浜市中区 本牧原 12-1 ベイタウン本牧5番街 2F (12-1 Honmokuhara Naka-ku Yokohama-shi Kanagawa-ken)
tel: 045-228-9846

what was consumed: burgers!

sometimes, it's when you're away from home that you are most wanting comforts of home. and so, when overseas, i often want to eat typical american things. hamburgers it is!

bjl and i had an hour for lunch (our first lunch out, together, sans bebe!) as we were waiting to pick up my bike. so, we walked across the street from the aeon bike shop to the baytown mall? shopping center? strip mall? to grab a bite to eat. while bjl had had sushi there before, there was something about the burger place that called our name.

we were excited to enjoy our burgers and were not disappointed (for the most part). the burgers were cooked well and the toppings were quite a treat (avocados are super popular here! and who doesn't want an egg on one's burger?). and thick fries! made from fresh potatoes or not, there's something about fried potatoes that i will always welcome. we only regret not being able to relax, sit, and enjoy our burger; we had to race out of there soon after our food arrived.

online: https://hasamu.com/

kaoris

kaoris
〒231-0861 Kanagawa, Yokohama, Naka Ward, Motomachi, 3 Chome−141-8 エイシャント元町
tel: 045-306-9576

what was consumed: casual lunch set (main dish from the menu (we chose the pasta and the hamburger steak as our main dishes. yeah, hamburger steak is a thing) + bread + tea)

when you live right off the posh motomachi shopping street, you have quite a few cafe options at your fingertips (this was told to me). so, when i head out to meet a new friend, kaoris was a good option.

kaoris is part bakery, part cafe. so if you're looking for a cute place to grab a bit to eat or just wanting something to take on the road (aka to eat once you get to your destination. apparently, it's rude to eat en route here), put kaoris on your list!

kaoris doesn't have a large menu, but the dishes they were serving all looked delicious. fresh ingredients for yummy dishes, comfortable environment ... a great experience!

while i went solo this time. that said, there was a table with a couple of moms and their kids who looked like they were having a good time! it's on my list of places to bring the kiddo <3 span="">

online: http://www.kaoris.com/

english tea house

english tea house
Street 16, F-7/2 next to Rana Market, Islamabad, Pakistan
tel: 051-2609361 / 051-2609362

what was consumed: brunch! mexican omelet and breakfast panini sandwich. coffee. and chocolate banana waffles with nutella for dessert/sharing.

the ladies who dine decided to take an american holiday to visit english tea house (for me, this was a few days after i tried yum!, a delicious way to spend the days). 

many of the ladies who dine were in town, so we were quite a large group. lucky for us, the english tea house was happy to accommodate. they were also good about accommodating our requests for a/c (initially, it was SO HOT inside). so once we were seated and comfortable, we were ready to eat.

english tea house has a pretty extensive continental menu, stretching from breakfast all the way to dinner as well as high tea (like their name) which is one thing i would have liked to try (next time!) we enjoyed what we ordered and were pleasantly surprised to see actual smoked salmon being served. oh, and their hash browns are delish (hash browns are just french fries for the morning. more hash browns, please!)

friends have also commented on their delicious lattes. i will confirm; the coffee does not disappoint. so go on over, order up a latte, and enjoy!

online: https://www.facebook.com/ETHIslamabad/ or http://ethpakistan.pk/

meraki

meraki

jinnah super, F-7, islamabad, pakistan

tel: 051) 8487576

what was consumed: appetizer platter (for sharing), greek salad, chicken tarragon, pepper steak (with a side of tarragon cream sauce), molten chocolate cake

if you're looking for a fine dining option (that is, i think they're going for fine dining, or as fine as dining in isloo can get?), definitely check out meraki. we sort of stumbled upon it and ended up enjoying their wares during their soft opening and then again after their official opening. located in the same building as meat one (the entrance(s) are "behind" meat one. once you go, you'll see what i mean), this restaurant is, imo, a nice addition to the isloo eating scene.

per facebook recommendations, i ordered the chicken tarragon. three grilled chicken breasts smothered in a creamy, and slightly spicy, tarragon and cream sauce. the dish comes with a side of your choice (french fries for me, obvi). meraki also took to hear facebook followers' recommendations and increased the portions (3 chicken breasts, especially when it comes with a side, is a pretty substantial amount of food. just the way i like it!). 

and if you're looking for a decadent dessert, be sure to order the molten chocolate cake. once you slice into it, it starts oozing delicious chocolate. different from "chocolate" desserts i've had elsewhere, this one really is chocolatey. YUM.

meraki also has a special "black" menu, for all you fancy folk. you can get some premium stuff (e.g. filet mignon flown in from the US) and those who opted for this part of the menu, at least the steak, said it was up to par and that they would order it again (the best of all food compliments!). 

online: https://www.facebook.com/meraki.islamabad/

mere picon

mere picon
서울특별시 마포구 독막로14길 31; aka 서울특별시 마포구 상수동 324-10 1층tel: 02) 3144-7096

what was consumed: squid ink paella, fish 'n chips, vegetable medley

i have some cool cousins. like really cool ones. so, when one suggested we have dinner near his place in the sangsoo station area, i was happy to oblige. he took us to mere picon, one of his current go-tos for good food and good drink.

mere picon has a pretty large menu, with a variety of tasty treats that are european-esque (they categorize themselves as a gastropub, fittingly). large or small, your party will find things that suit their fancy. we decided on squid ink paella (squid ink is so popular these days! my unsophisticated and not sensitive palette doesn't seem to appreciate it beyond the color ... black!) and what my cousin claimed was the best fish and chips in seoul (i don't know how much fish and chips he'd eaten. either way, the was pretty flake-y and the batter was seasoned so well (and not too thick or oily). delish!). 

if you don't look carefully, you might miss mere picon. in the midst of the neon lights that light up seoul's night life, mere picon seems tucked away from a lot of the hustle and bustle. this, however, was a plus for us as it provided a bit of peace that allowed us to chat while enjoying the tasty treats that were presented before us. so, be sure to keep an eye out for it! i can see how mere picon is a little bit of an oasis, comfortable and delicious, away from what can become the craziness of the metropolis.

online: https://www.facebook.com/merepicon/