When people think of Seefeld, Iroquois is one of the restaurants that will come to mind. It is an ideal place for lunch, dinner or a relaxed after work drink. Designed in the style of an American country-house, Iroquois has become prominent through its Californian inspired Tex-Mex cuisine as well as the classic burgers. Offering a wide selection, patrons can order Zurich’s largest burger here – either to share or… not. Seating 66 inside and 110 outside, this place is hiving year round – though especially during summer. Its proximity to Lake Zurich makes it popular for weekend chillers enjoying a cocktail outside. Indoor seating – especially in winter – can get a bit scarce; so make sure to book a table ahead of time. The booking made for a table on a weekday lunch was easy. It all happened online by filling out the necessary details and entering a code, which Iroquois sent to my mobile number. Following that a booking confirmation was sent out stating all the details. I could have just called of course…. Upon arrival the restaurant is almost full. Quickly I am seated at the booked table and asked whether I’d like a drink. I decide to check out the menu first and end up ordering a house special Ginger Apple Yootea (5 dl CHF 5.50) – the Jasmine Green Yootea is out. My friend makes do with a Coke (2.5 dl CHF 4.20). While some patrons are settling up, more enter the establishment and at the same time our food order is taken – a pretty casual and friendly affair. The lunch menus smoked salmon wrap or couscous (both at around CHF 20.-) sound interesting but I opt for the Galloway Beef Burger with Chips (CHF 26.00) nevertheless. My friend orders the Goat Cheese Burger with Chips (CHF 28.50). Both burgers are available with a choice of three different buns, the meat cooked to specification. Despite the restaurant being fairly busy, the food arrives within 20 minutes – this is great as it makes popping out for a quick lunch possible. So… The food looks good, served on a rustic wooden board and the chips neatly kept in a metal bucket. The fresh mince paddy is cooked medium as specified and the garnishes – lettuce, onions and tomato – are served on the side. The sesame bun deserves a special mention! Toasted perfectly and definitely not spongy – just the way a burger bun should be. The chips – chunky with a bit of skin left on the sides – taste good although we decide to add some more salt. A selection of homemade Bohemia sauces – including tomato ketchup and BBQ – are available on the table. By the time we’re done with our meal and hour has passed. It’s about 13:30 and the restaurant is clearing out a bit. Settling up the bill totals to CHF 64.20 for both – not too bad for a hearty lunch in the centre of Zurich.
Tag Archives: zurich
KL Teppanyaki – For Those Who Eat With All Their Senses
A friendly welcome upon entering the establishment always makes a difference. We take a seat at one of the front cooking areas right by the Teppan grill. The restaurant is fairly quiet on a Wednesday evening. Located in the heart of Zurich’s financial district, this place seems to be one that attracts crowds for lunch and directly after work. Looking around, the whisk-shaped lamps and minimalistic furniture creates a modern and urban atmosphere – at the same time preserving the Asian atmosphere. The gigantic Kuala Lumpur MRT (public transport) map quickly catches my attention. In the background a movie about the city is playing on repeat. Memories of my time in Kuala Lumpur…With a fairly wide selection of Asian brews, I opt for the Tiger Beer (3 dl CHF 7.00) while my friend orders a Weizen (3 dl CHF 7.00). There is a misunderstanding with the drinks order, which however was handled very well by the front-of-house staff. The correct drinks were served following a friendly apology. That’s how to do it! Skimming through the dinner menu the choice is an obvious one. All-you-can-eat Teppanyaki (CHF 49.90 per person) it is! We start with a hearty Miso Soup, which is included in the all-you-can-eat arrangement. The first set of grilled dishes is a mix of different specialties offered. These include chicken, beef, pork, prawns and salmon. Allowing flexibility, patrons can select and omit from the platters as desired. Steamed rice and egg-fried-rice is served as a side dish. The smell of what’s on the grill slowly diffuses in the room around us. The dishes arrive – a feast for all senses. A variety of sauces – including some spicy ones – as well as ginger and fried garlic are available to indulge in. If you overdo it with the chilli, it’s good to know that tap water is available free of charge. While the chicken has been grilled well, I added more seasoning to them. My personal favourite has to be the beef and salmon, whose taste suggests good quality cuts. The tofu on the grill is also a combination that works very well.The total bill amounts to CHF 113.80 and so we leave the KL Teppanyaki satisfied and very full indeed. The friendly downtown casual Asian grill restaurant that blends Japan’s Teppanyaki dishes with KL style grill culture is not only a place for a quick lunch.
Bohemia – American Brasserie Style Meat Done Properly
Passing the restaurant on a regular basis I have come to notice that there is always a humble crowd of people gathered outside Bohemia – in summer even more so of course. Walking through the bar section upon entering we were soon greeted by a friendly member of staff who showed us to our table in the restaurant area. Despite the restaurant’s occupancy level of approximately 75% the menu cards were brought to us in good time and the service didn’t seem rushed at any stage of the evening. The interior of the restaurant has been designed and decorated tastefully to suit the American brasserie concept. The background music as well as the hustling and bustling sounds coming from the bar give the place a certain vibrancy – yet they aren’t intrusive. The open view towards the grill station – where the chefs work their magic – provides a joyous forecast, making you hungry while waiting for your meal. After a brief intermission the main course is served. The Irish Rack of Lamb (300 g at CHF 48.00) was tender on the inside and slightly crusty on the edges – just how I like it. The side-order chips were portioned generously. Following the waitress’ recommendation I opted for the red wine sauce to accompany the lamb. This complemented the meat well, although I believe there would have been more exciting options on the menu to select from. The Argentinian Black Angus Filet Mignon beef (220 g at CHF 62.00) with roasted seasonal vegetables as a side was ordered medium-rare and was very tender indeed. The waitress recommended the Chimichurri sauce – which is really more of an oil – to go with the filet. The balanced mix of fresh herbs and garlic tasted delicious but at the same time did not overpower the meat. Our evening is rounded off with a coffee (CHF 4.50), which was served elegantly on a tray accompanied with water and a sweet treat. Our total bill for the two of us including two coke beverages (CHF 4.50 each) – which by the way were served with lemon and ice – totaled to CHF 156.50. So… if you like your meat done properly and appreciate friendly and professional service as well as a good atmosphere to accompany your meal you should nip into Bohemia one night – or for lunch of course – and order what takes your fancy. Bohemia also offers an à la carte brunch at weekends.
Gourmet Burgers For Lunch And Dinner
Korner Burger, located in the financial district of Zurich, has gained a reputation for its Swiss Highland Beef that makes up its legendary gourmet burgers. Korner prides itself on its high quality and locally sourced ingredients. Offering a change of scene during a business lunch, Korner Burger seems to be a popular choice for dinner as well (the restaurant is open every day except Sundays). Easily accessible by public transport (Stockerstrasse), the restaurant does not have private parking spaces. Public parking spaces however, can be found in the area (although… it is the city of Zurich, so maybe just hop on public transport). There is not much that gives away what is going on inside Korner Burger. “Life’s too short for bad coffee” are the only giveaways on the board outside the restaurant. While it may cause some people to mistake the restaurant for a coffeehouse, it definitely sparks curiosity as to what the fuss inside is all about… To the left of the entrance an outdoor patio area with two despondent tables serve as a reminder that those sunny summer days will at one point be back to bless the city. Waiting for my friend outside the restaurant it struck me that this place is well-maintained. Then I noticed the kitchen, which is located underground. I interpreted the untinted windows as a good sign. A sign that there is nothing to hide! A sign that the hosts take pride in what goes on in the kitchen! A showcase! As more and more burgers are being prepared alongside fries and other goodness, I begin feeling the February wind. I’m getting hungrier by the minute and am looking forward to a good burger. My friend arrives and we scout for a table for two. After about a minute’s wait at the little reception table designed to welcome the patrons, we are greeted by a friendly waiter who escorts us to a table. The ‘reserved’ sign disappears as he takes it away (we thought we’d try our luck and thus chose not to book a table). The menu sits at the sleekly arranged wooded table ready to be explored. The atmosphere is cheerful, dappa… yet casual. Reading the menu I feel that the lights could be turned up a notch if it were for me… but my friend felt that it was almost too bright – so let’s just say, it’s difficult to please everyone… We placed our order for the starters and main course. The waitress ensured that we were aware that the rhubarb-schorle (3 dl CHF 5.50) is served with fresh mint and ice. Very thoughtful. Personally, I decided to stick to a more conventional brew – the wheat beer Turbinenbräu Start (5 dl CHF 8.00). It is clear that the staff at this place know the menu well, as advice and answers to our curious questions were given on numerous occasions. However, I did expect to be asked how I would like the meat to be cooked – but this did not happen. The starter arrives – we decided to share a plate of nachos (CHF 9.50). This was definitely the right choice – as opposed to a traditional mountain full of nachos, these were portioned perfectly. A nice sour cream addition leaves you wanting more. Not burnt, no clumps of cheese, not over-salted – they seem to have gotten this just right. The waitress asked us whether we were ready for the burgers – and sure thing we were! We decided to order The Kraut (handmade beef burger, Korner Sauce, organic bacon, coleslaw, fried egg, roasted onions and salad leaf) (CHF 24.50) and the Cheese Please (handmade beef burger, Korner Sauce, swiss cheese and salad leaf) (CHF 22.00). The burgers were cooked well and the buns were a perfect match. The rest of the garnishing is left on the side of the plate, allowing you to add as you please. The accompanied sauces are all homemade. Having particularly enjoyed the Garlic Mayo (CHF 2.50), the BBQ Sauce (CHF 2.50) at Korner seems to have a strong tomato base. The Korner Fries (CHF 5.50) and Onion Rings (CHF 5.50) were not necessarily the highlight of the meal (some chips were overcooked and others slightly undercooked, the onion rings were fairly greasy).After a little pause we decided that we would satisfy our sweet tooth. The monthly special Toblerone Mousse (CHF 7.50) – that’s what it was going to be… Attentively served, decorated with an eye for detail, tasty and yet not too rich… The Espresso (CHF 4.00) at Korner Burger is served with a complimentary mini-brownie. Sometimes it’s the little things in life…As the restaurant is slowly emptying, the upbeat instrumental music is becoming more noticeable. The bill arrives promptly after asking for it. Our dinner for the two of us totals to CHF 105.00. While there are cheaper places to eat burgers in Zurich, the carefully selected menu and the high-quality ingredients are obviously appreciated by burger lovers. The attentive staff are friendly, helpful and professional and the atmosphere fits the concept of this urban burger eatery. A great place to be, no matter whether for lunch or dinner.
How To Find A Shared Apartment In Zurich
So recently I have noticed that there are more and more young people arriving to live and work in Zurich. With attractive salaries, good job opportunities and a lively international atmosphere it is very understandable. If you already have the benefit of a job the next step to actually living here is accommodation, but in case you were not aware, being a foreigner and depending on your permit and income, apartments can be hard to find. If you are a family, couple or someone who is looking to live alone then things can be very tough as dealing with agencies and multiple websites that are only in German can be difficult, also the landlords are notoriously fickle and may look at many applicants before choosing the one with the best credentials. However if you are someone (maybe a young professional or student) that would like to share an apartment then there are many easier options that don’t require mountains of paperwork, are relatively fast and cheaper. Shared apartments are quite popular here as this results in lower rent for larger apartments and you get to meet new people or live with friends. Also some people can be eager to live with English speakers as this allows them to practice their English. Firstly a shared apartment here in Zurich is called a “WG” which stands for Wohngemeinschaften or Residential Communities. Also WG is never pronounced in English, even expats all pronounce the phrase “vay-gay”. Websites So now that you have established that you would like to live in a WG, here are some helpful websites. There are literally hundreds of accommodation websites out there but this shorter list I have compiled are websites I have had personal experience with. They are all free and are popular with the WG community here in Zurich. WG zimmerThis is possibly the most popular website for WGs in Switzerland with hundreds of ads and the website is available in English which is great. It deals almost exclusively with rooms in shared apartments, but there are some studios available. While you can just spend you time browsing the ads I would recommend actually posting your own ad, as this allows you receive offers from people looking to rent a room, as well as alerting you when a new room that matches your criteria is posted. The only downside about this is that you will end up receiving a lot of email notifications. There can be a lot of competition for popular apartments though, so make sure to write a good email application (see below). Ron Orp English This is one of my favorite websites for Zurich and I would recommend signing up for their newsletter when you arrive. There are 2 parts of the site one for Zurich in English and one in German. The site is very good and tends to be used by local people, especially students and young professionals. This means that you can sometimes find much cheaper apartments in great locations. The English site is obviously all in English which is great for some one who has just arrived and can’t speak any German, however there are far more ads in the German part of the site. See below. Ron Orp German As mentioned above this is a great site used by local people. Also it is not as frequented as WG zimmer so you have less competition. The main trouble here is that you will have to navigate in German, however don’t be put off and use this as an opportunity to start trying to learn some new vocabulary. The accommodation listings are included in the “Dach über dem Kopf” section, which directly translates as “a roof over your head”. I would also try to include you application email in German, if you can’t do it yourself simply google translate it, and paste it in along with the same one in English. This will make a better impression. tutti.ch This is another good website for accommodation, it is a small classified website and has ads for every type of thing. While not as popular as some of the above it means you have less competition. Also worth noting is that the website is not available in English, only French, German and Italian. Select your Canton and then accommodation section will be called “Immobilien” then further narrow the field by selecting “mieten” which means rental and then you should be able to narrow the fields further by filling in the location cost and size. English Forum This forum is a wealth of Information about renting in Zurich. Since the forum is exclusively in English it is easy to understand and navigate for non German speakers. If you go to the bottom there is a Market Place section with an accommodation listing. Here you can search the ads, also If you are a member you can even post a wanted ad. However the draw back here is the amount and quality of posts. While there is a certain camaraderie among the Expat community, not many will be directly offering a room in their apartment but will announcing that they are vacating it and you might still have to deal with an agency for a studio as there are not a lot of WG adverts. Gratis Inserate Another classified website with all kinds of small ads. As above with www.tutti.ch narrow down your search. There is not a huge amount of ads but it is used by locals and competition will be less intense.Furnished? Furnished apartments are not standard in Zurich and the great thing about moving into a WG is that the apartment will already be lived in which will save you spending thousands on basic kitchenware, couches, tables and chairs etc. Often though your room will not be furnished but I have previously written an article about how to get free and cheap furniture here in Zurich. So don’t be worried if your room is empty. Writing an email application When you are applying for a WG make sure to send a more information than “I’m interested, when can I view”. Reasonably priced accommodation is at a premium here and cheaper apartments will have hundreds of applicants.This is why you should write an email describing yourself in as much detail as you feel comfortable, the important points to include are
- age
- nationality
- spoken languages
- what you are doing here in Zurich
- what your expected income is if you are working (they want to know you will be able to pay the rent after all)
- when you are available to move in and when you are leaving
- make sure you include your likes/dislikes
- mention if you have shared apartments before and why you really enjoyed it and want to do it again.
It is always nice to customise each email and try to write why that apartment appeals to you in particular, for example “your apartment seems affordable and I really like that area” or “you seem like a cool group of people and I would really like to live with people I could be friends with”.As previously mentioned rooms in cheap and good locations will have many applications and they will often only invite a selection of people to view it, so the more information you give the better your chances.Viewings, So once you have managed to sell yourself and have a viewing be prepared to be very friendly and chatty as viewings take more the form of an interview rather than first come first serve. Also something that can be a shock to some accommodation seekers is the “casting” this is a viewing/interview but in a group situation, yes you will literally meet some or all of your rivals. This is a tricky situation but can be all to common in Zurich, especially for popular locations with a cheap price. It can be difficult to stand out in a group but make sure you don’t stand out for the wrong reasons and avoid rude or aggressive comments with the other candidates as you will be judged on how you engage with the other people.Questions to ask:
- is everything included (internet, heating ect)
- what is your relationship with your neighbours and landlord
- how does cleaning the apartment work (often there will be a schedule)
- will you have a contract (important if you are declaring your address to get your permit)
Don’t be afraid to ask some questions as it will show that you are interested, these are just a guide so make sure to add your own. Rental costsZurich rents seem quite high compared to other cities but if you are working it should balance out as the salary’s are also quite high. For a WG you should expect to pay in the region of 700 – 1100 CHF. Yes this is high for a room, but when you consider the quality of the communal spaces for example you will often get a proper kitchen with a dishwasher, oven, dining table, and a sitting room with a couch and TV, then the costs is much cheaper than what you would get alone in a small studio.The social aspects of living with people who are already established in the city can be very beneficial for new arrivals, and personally I can say that living in a WG is a great experience. Remember that while the castings and meetings might be a bit of a put off, the concept that you only want to live with people you will get along with is perfectly understandable.Best of luck with your search.
Don’t Get Ripped Off For “Materials” At German Classes
Recently I started a Language class at the Alemania Deutchschule. While the course is quite reasonably priced at 580CHF for 4 weeks of intensive beginners classes, I was not prepared for the additional charge of 70CHF for the “materials”. Assuming the materials were books I decided to do some of my own research and try and source some cheap or second hand books from the internet before the class started.
My search was not too fruitful, especially as the schools secretary had not been very forthcoming with details as to what constituted 70CHF of materials and had not provided me with the exact name of the book we would be using. But there was the suggestion that any German course book would be available in the Orell Fussli bookshop here in Zurich, but unfortunately I had left it too late to go shopping as it was Sunday and I did not even specifically know what books I should be buying.
As a result I ended up attending the first day of class empty handed and was given a book, cheap ugly school bag with “alemania” written on it and a pencil. Since I then knew exactly what book I needed I later that day went to the Orell Fussli on Fusslistrasse 4, this is the biggest bookshop in Zurich and has 4 floors of books. Armed with a photograph the cover of the book I found it for 21.90CHF there. A massive saving of 48.10 CHF.
Then when I went to pay on day 2 I said I had bought my own book and returned the brand new one I had just bought along with the other “materials”, the receptionist really didn’t give me any problems about this, and I only paid 580CHF for the classes.
The “materials” cost quoted on my invoice was 70CHF, which I find ridiculous considering that the book is 21.90 CHF and the only other materials I received during 3 weeks are a pencil, a really ugly cheap school bag (which I returned) and 10 photo copied pages. This book (A1/1) is used until half way through the second month of classes, when at this point the school will once again try to charge 60CHF for the next level book (A1/2) which is also just 21.90CHF .
I would recommend that anybody doing any German classes at any school here in Zurich purchase their own books, especially if they are not included in the price of the classes. Make sure to tell the person that you book the class with that you intend to buy your own book and would like to know the exact name of the book you will be using. Zurich is already so over priced that you should not let yourself be massively over charged because you were to lazy to buy your own books.
Pets and the holidays
So after a prolonged stretch of time in Zurich many people will inevitably have picked up a pet along the way, or sometimes even arrived with one.\r\n\r\nPets like children are sometimes an unexpected but much loved part of the household.\r\n\r\nUnlike children though pets can be difficult to travel with and will result in you jumping loops though a series of complicated and expensive procedures and requirements for transport or holiday care
Holiday care –
petsitting
professional
neighbours
EF petsitting
network Kennels
travelling with the pet
moving your pet flights
car train boat