Cooking for Mr Vineyard: switzerland

Sunday, June 1, 2008

a sunny friday afternoon in basel town, switzerland

Normally I am not too excited shopping in Basel but maybe because it was a nice sunny afternoon. Everything looked more interesting and beautiful than usual. I was most happy to have some nice discoveries: a lot of specialty which I have not noticed before. (Date: 23 May 2008)

Negishi is one of the popular sushi restaurants in Basel town. The price is reasonable. The restaurant is small, nothing really fancy but if you want something quick, this is the place to go. They also do take away. My favorite sushi there is spicy tuna roll.

negishi sushi bar
Gerbergasse 80 (nr. Barfüsserplatz), 4001 Basel

Rathaus and Open Market, in Markplatz

Is this postman bag big enough for a shopaholic like me?

These are old chairs being redone in a stylish way. Werk atelier is a charity organization which supports those people who have psychological problems, e.g. depression. Here they can learn to make all kinds of handicrafts and sell them. The money from the sold items, a fraction of it will go back to the designer as a support for their living. I have bought one of these chairs that day? Can you guess which one I have picked?

An old-fashioned shoe maker in a small street (Die Schuhmacher).

vom FASS was the highlight of that day. This shop is originated in Germany selling a large varieties of high-end vinegars, oils, wine, spirits and liqueurs.

In fact, I was given two bottles of vinegar and olive oil as christmas gift two years ago but I never got a chance to visit the shop myself. I was fascinated by the different shapes of the bottles and how the liqueurs, oils, vinegars, grappas, etc are stored. The staff was very friendly and encouraged me to sample their products.

Basically, you can choose the size and shape of the bottle you like and the staff will fill up the product you desire. The good thing is you can bring the bottle and refill to what you like when your bottle is emptied.

Strawberry limes (seasonal available)
I bought the Strawberry limes that day as it is absolutely divine. You can drink "on the rocks". It is suited best to marinade strawberries, finishing punch bowls, with ice cream or other desserts.