S LEE

Cafe Brio has always held the top spot on my restaurant list. Once again, I opted for the duck breast, my tried-and-true favorite. Though it was slightly drier than usual, it remains my go-to dish at Cafe Brio. The meatball was exceptional—tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection. Fresh oysters added a delightful touch. As for the gnocchi carbonara, the gnocchi itself was soft yet chewy, perfectly complemented by the creamy sauce. While the mushroom risotto was decent in flavor, I found the rice slightly undercooked. However, the biggest disappointment was the tough, stringy sirloin—a far cry from appetizing. Even a homemade version would have fared better. Cocktails didn't quite impress, and service was a tad slow. Despite these setbacks, Cafe Brio will remain a favorite, though perhaps not holding onto the top spot anymore.

We visited here for the Dine around. The lobster grilled cheese was great! The lobster bisque and the lobster itself (tender - perfectly cooked) were amazing. The burrata salad was a bit disappointing since the dressing was too simple. I could taste salt here, vinegar there with oil. I felt it was not mixed well and didn't have much flavour.
The short rib was tender. The Lasagna was just okay. It had lots of broccoli, and the flavour was just what you would expect for a cream sauce with cheese and broccoli. Unfortunately, I didn't like the texture of the pasta either.
Dessert was okay. Tiramisu was too sweet with lots of chocolate rather than espresso. Panna cotta was not what I expected... what I know is white, gelatiney, light and puddingy. What I got was more gooey/sticky, heavy, and tasted like butterscotch jello cups.
The view was amazing. If you are going for a view and some drinks, this would be a great place to visit.

Enjoyed visiting Neue Galerie. I could've spent hours looking at Klimpt's portrait of Adele. There were portraits of Gertrud Loew as well which was mesmerizing. It was a quiet and small gallery I could enjoy without rushing (not like in front of Van Gogh's Starry Night at the MoMA). I wish they allowed photography since I loved the portrait of Adele, but I guess not allowing photography made this gallery so peaceful. I would revisit just to see a portrait of Adele. The price could be lower considering how small the gallery is compared to MoMA and Met, but it was worth it.

I was so excited to try Magnolia Bakery's famous "banana pudding". It was good but did not live up to the hype. The cupcake was nothing special than the regular grocery market's cupcake. Original banana pudding was better than red velvet.

Unfortunately, the lobster roll was very disappointing. The lobster didn't have much flavour and didn't feel like it was that fresh. The sauce was not flavorful. The warm bun with cold lobster was not my favourite. I wonder if steamed lobster and another dish would've been good, but lobster roll was, sadly, a no-no for me.