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Sudanese goodies in the dark side of Tel Aviv

A new Sudanese restaurant opened near the Central Bus Station - the area of immigrants and the 'underworld' in Tel Aviv, the place which locals avoid, but which always entertains the eye of an adventurous explorer. On the way there, you might have to kick a syringe or two on the street, and observe a pathetic interaction between a prostitute and a man in a car. Yet there's about enough light in the area to make you feel safe, and the curious locals are a good alternative when you need to balance out the experiences with the stuck-up majority of young people in Tel Aviv :)

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Wednesday, December 16 2009 By Daiva - Israel

Off-topic on food: Lithuanian consumers don't have to know this?

The company called "Palink" (as far as I know, it belongs to the IKI supermarket chain) seems to be, consciously or unconsciously, hiding the existence of a harmful chemical in one of its imported products, namely, canned shrimp. I noticed it myself as I was going to use the product.

The Lithuanian ingredient list is the following: "Sudėtis: lukštentos krevetės (180 vnt. ir daugiau), vanduo, druska, cukrus, rūgštingumą reguliuojanti medžiaga E330, antioksidantai: E223, E685 (natrio disulfitas)." It lists the shrimp, of course, salt, sugar, and three ingredients marked with E, which people often view with caution.

The producer's French version of the ingredient list, stamped on the can, is the following: "Ingredients: 180 crevettes et plus, eau, sel, sucre, exhausteurs de gout: E621 (glutamate monosodique), acidifiant: E330, antioxygennes: E223, E685".

I don't know if the importer is concsiously hiding the fact that the product contains harmful monosodium glutamate (E621), which causes light forms of addiction, distorts the sense of taste, may cause obesity and is thus not recommended for children. Most people usually don't know what side-effects E621 produces. However, a few months ago there was an article about it on Delfi, the most popular news portal, so quite some people must have read it.

I can never memorise the codes for all of the harmful chemicals, but I try to avoid those that I know. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to avoid E621 if you like herring or chilli nuts.

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Monday, June 1 2009 By Daiva - Off-topic

For those who can't get enough of tofu

My friend Y. discovered a really cool restaurant in Shibuya. It's called "Sora no niwa" (here's one review with a map) and is about 10 min walk from Shibuya station. It specialises in tofu, and thus is a paradise for vegetarians and vegans, or those who aren't yet convinced that the seemingly tasteless Japanese invention can turn into a broad variety of unforgettably delicious miracles, or anyone. Tofu, made from soybeans, is really low in fat, so those with restricted diet would also rejoice at the possibility to fill their stomach without the feeling of guilt. We had some creatively made tofu snacks, tofu soup, tofu which gets cooked right on the table, tofu tempura, tofu with rice, tofu tiramisu and tofu cocktail... Tofu-avocado and tofu-cheese snacks were heavenly! Also, the atmosphere is really pleasant. Good choice in all aspects! Maybe a bit expensive though.

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Thursday, March 26 2009 By Daiva - Japan

Eating out in Tokyo

¥500 (EUR 4) will keep you full. This is a price of decent salad in Vilnius...

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Monday, March 9 2009 By Daiva - Japan

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