Naples, Italy: Ristorante Mimi

It was actually not easy finding a decent restaurant in the vicinity of our hotel, but thanks to a recommendation by the front desk we found ourselves at Ristorante Mimi located not too far away. Surprisingly there were quite a number of Japanese diners that evening, though most of them looked like seasoned expatriates given the way they were conversing in fluent Italian with the waiters.

Bread Basket


The travel buddy would always let me have a first bite of the bread before he makes for it. Most of the time, I would end up giving a very tired and resigned look because of how hard or tough the bread is, and it would normally end up with a small round of amused laughter. It was no different this time round. I'm thinking Italian elders must have very good teeth, or dentures.

Cotoletta alla Milanese


The Cotoletta alla Milanese was a splendid breaded veal cutlet that was sautéed in butter and cooked to a pleasant golden brown. It may not be the most filling dish but at least it was satisfying.

Pasta alla Bolognese


James was still trying to find a better Bolognese Pasta, but alas it wasn't to be found here in Naples. This one was decent but not impressive for sure.

Chocolate Lava Cake


I picked this off the dessert bar and was glad I did. They would reheat the cake so that the chocolate lava in it would be nicely hot and flowing. It's very thick chocolate mind you, so it didn't flow as quickly, but it's good quality chocolate that set me on a chocolate high for the night.

Service
Good, friendly and prompt.

Price
€8 for the cotoletta alla milanese
€7 for the pasta alla bolognese
€3 for the chocolate lava cake

Place
Ristorante Mimi, 19-21 via a. D'aragona,
Naples, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Naples, Italy: Hotel Palazzo Caracciolo

The Palazzo Caracciolo Hotel is one of the best hotels that Naples has to offer, and if you need a bit more persuasion, well, it's a refurbished palace that was not only home to the ancient Caracciolo dynasty, but also to Gioacchino Murat, a King of Naples. Of course, don't expect gold furnitures all around, since the new hotel prides itself on its contemporary and elegant touch.


Still, you must be wondering why I'm introducing this hotel, since this is after all a food blog. And a food blog it still is, because I'm going to talk about the only time that we ordered room service during our entire trip in Italy. My travel buddy was still trying to overcome his jetlag from his long-haul flight and I had suggested that we stay-in for a little while longer. Thinking about it now, it was a good decision because I got to taste Palazzo Caracciolo's awesome burger ;)

Cheeseburger


For just €5, this was really quite a steal. The Cheeseburger is simple but one of the best that I've tasted. I can't decide if the patty was minced or hand-pounded (or even, both) but I what I do know is that it was really fresh, tender and delicious. The buns were well-toasted and the fries arrived piping hot. Ah, yummy.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich


My friend thought his Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Caracciolo-style, was just about alright without being anything impressive. I think he prefers his American-style Ham and Cheese, even if it looks more boring aesthetically.

Price
€5 each, but a room surcharge of €5 is imposed. Make the most of it and order drinks.

Place
Hotel Palazzo Caracciolo, via Carbonara,
Naples, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Naples, Italy: Il Pizzaiolo Del Presidente

If you're eager to try out the street food in Naples, but don't know where and how, here's a good place to start. Il Pizzaiolo Del Presidente, just a minute walk away from the Duomo di Napoli, is a favourite amongst locals. If you're curious, its current name is actually a proud celebration of a golden moment in 1994, when owner Ernesto Cacialli earnestly pulled then US President Bill Clinton into his shop for some pizzas!

Il Pizzaiolo Del Presidente is not only known for its crisp and piping hot pizzas fresh from its wood-fired oven, but also for its fried snacks like the zeppole (deep-fried dough balls with fillings like custard) and mozzarella croquettes. A friggitoria is actually a shop selling fried food, so Del Presidente is a nice mix of a pizzeria and a friggitoria, great for any brunch or teatime indulgence.

Price
€1 - 3.

Place
Il Pizzaiolo Del Presidente, 120-121 via Dei Tribunali,
Naples, Italy.

Picture taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Naples, Italy: Ciao Pizza

When many of us are travelling overseas we often have this curiosity in us on how the street food will taste like, knowing that that's really where the "real deal" would probably be, not those more uptight eateries we call restaurants. Travelling in Naples was like that as well, especially since it's so well-known for pizza that you'd expect it to taste good anywhere and everywhere, much like the gelato in Florence. Still, always be prepared for hits and misses when it comes to food, no matter where you are.


Ciao Pizza is a small chain of pizzeria stalls dotted around Naples and should not be confused with restaurants of similar names in Australia or the US. Looking at the nice variety of pizzas on display, you can't help but want to try one even if you're on your way to dinner just 100m away. When on holiday, throw that diet out of the window.


My travel buddy was bewildered with my appetite, but the least I could do was to stick to something more simple (and thus less filling), and settled for the plain Margharita pizza. The verdict? While the pizza crust and dough was thin and crisp (they will reheat the pizza for you), the tomato puree didn't taste fresh enough, tasted very much like it was out of a can. It's a huge slice, almost one third that of my pizza from Da Donato, but not as satisfying as you would expect. Well, always good to try :)

Price
€3 for a slice of the margharita pizza

Place
Around Piazza Garibaldi.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Naples, Italy: Ristorante Pizzeria Da Donato

Naples is undisputedly the birthplace of the pizza, and if you're in Naples and you don't get a slice or two of its famed food you're better off just shooting yourself. For first-time visitors to Naples me and my friend had really little idea of where to go for a good pizza, and so we consulted Tripadvisor.com and decided on Restaurant #1: Ristorante Pizzeria Da Donato.


When I say Pizzeria Da Donato is a humble eatery, it really is, not only because of the simple and slightly old furniture and interior but also the fact that there's only two menus in the house. Famished as we were, we waited impatiently as a Chinese couple poured leisurely through their menus, and then ordered as fast as we could once we knew what was on offer.

Bread


In most restaurants in Italy, bread does not come complimentary. Here, these few pieces of cold and very tough bread came up to €2 and was something we didn't quite touch after a couple of tired bites.

Margharita Pizza



Hands-down one of the best and most authentic pizzas we had in Italy. We actually ordered this as an appetiser to share, and I suggested we test the pizza out at its most basic. Authentic wood-fired pizza at its best, thin on most parts and fluffy where necessary. Worth the price too since it's slightly over 10inches. Delicious.

Ragu Neapolitan


My Ragu Neapolitan pasta tasted better than it looked, and had a good measure of al dente cooking that kept it firm to the bite. The ragu was a very good and hearty meat sauce, though I wished there was more!

Carbonara


James, the Italy travel buddy, wasn't all too impressed with his Carbonara pasta though, but he reminded me to add in this post that he has never been much of a fan of carbonara anyway! He was forced to choose this because there weren't that much meat options available for the day. He made his pasta more bearable by stealing some of my ragu sauce, which I was happy to share since it was quite good.

Service
Warm and friendly, but there was quite a bit of a language barrier. We tried our best and it came out alright.

Price
€2 for the serving of bread
€3 for the margharita pizza
€4.50 for the ragu neapolitan pasta
€4.50 for the carbonara pasta
€1.50 for a bottle of coke

Place
Ristorante Pizzeria Da Donato, 26/28 via San Cosmo fuori Porta Nolana,
Naples, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.