Copenhagen Canal Tours - Nyhavn, Amalienborg, Dannebrog, Opera House, Church of Our Saviour @ Denmark

There is no better way to see Copenhagen than to hop onto a canal tour, where a bilingual tour guide will tell you about Copenhagen's most beautiful churches, castles, old listed houses and new buildings.

We started our tour at the famous Nyhavn, a beautiful canal surrounded by colorful houses and sail ships. The famous fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen used to lived in house No.67 for a good 17 years. Some of his famous books include, The Little Mermaid, The Flying Truck, The Swineherd, The Ugly Duckling and The Shepherdess and Chimney Sweep. 

Amalienborg is currently the winter home of the Danish royal family. The castle was originally built for four noble families, but when the Christiansborg Palace got burned down in 1794, the royal family decided to buy this beautiful palace and moved in. 

If there is a winter castle, there will be a summer yacht. Meet Her Danish Majesty's Yacht - Dannebrog (named after the Denmark flag). This ship also function as a hospital ship in times of emergency. 

A lovely smile from a cheerful little girl 

Copenhagen Opera House - This is one of the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive, costing more than US$500 million! 

Vor Frelsers Kirke or commonly known as the Church of Our Saviour is a baroque church, famous for its external spiral staircase. 

Passing through the tiny canal bridge

Colorful small boats mingling at the canal, waiting to be operated by their respective owners

Kids taking a break near the canal. Life is good in Copenhagen. 

Conditori La Glace @ Copenhagen, Denmark

When Master Confectioner Nicolaus Henningsen opened his doors at Skoubogade 3 in 1870, he never thought that the confectionery would stay at the same location for more than 5 generations. 

Guests have come and go in steady stream over the past decades - all overwhelmed by the extensive assortment of cakes, cookies, chocolates and ice creams. 

With furnitures dating back to the 1920s, the ambiance was pleasant, making it a wonderful place to indulge oneself with sweets and caffeine. 

Sportskage (DKK 52) - If you could only order one thing here ( which is not recommended ) make it the Sportskage. This house specialty was created back in the 1891 for a theater play called "Sports Man". The treat was amply riched by crushed nougat, whipped cream and macaroon bottom.

Fragilite (DKK 31) - Also not to be overlooked is the Fragilite, which literally means fragile in French. This lovely pastry was made of almond bottom, mocha butter cream and decorated with powdered sugar. 

Efterarskage (DKK 52) - Another name to drop is The Autumn Cake, an art piece filled with chocolate truffle, chocolate bottom and smothered with butter chocolate! 

Conditori La Glace is not just a go-to place for desserts, they also rule when it comes to hot chocolate.  

VERDICT: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Conditori La Glace

Address: Skoubogade 3, 1158 Kobenhavn K, Denmark

Telephone: 3314 4646

Operating Hours: Mon - Thu 8.30-5.30pm, Fri 8.30-6pm, Sat, 9-5pm, Closed on Sunday

Website

Gudhjem Rogeri @ Bornholm, Denmark (Smoked Herring)

Bornholm is a tiny fishing port located 200km east of Copenhagen. It is officially the sunniest part of Denmark, blessed with picturesque streets, sandy beaches and glorious food. 

After our visit to the Baltic Sea Glass and Round Church, we travelled back to the town center where we were treated to a sampling of smoked mackerel before returning to our ship.

Built in 1910, Gudhjem Rogeri is the oldest smokery in Bornholm. Here you will find herrings hanging over an open alder wood fire, smoked for a good three to four hours. 

 The golden smoked herring was served with rye bread, chopped radish, onions and chives, along with some coarse salt and butter. The texture of the herring was firm and crisp, packed with smokey and delicate flavors.

We concluded that the herrings were well worth sinking our teeth into, despite all the tiny fish bones that occasionally find its way into our mouth. 

VERDICT: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Gudhjem Rogeri

Address: Ejnar Mikkelsensvej 9, Gudhjem, Bornholm 3760, Denmark. 

Phone: +45 56485708

Website

Fem Sma Hus @ Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden

The restaurant name which literally means "five small houses" has been in business since 1969, serving classic Swedish food with a French twist. 

The 5 basement houses are connected via exposed bricks passageways, with decors that reminiscent the 17th century.  

Assorted Herrings and Fish: Vendace bleak roe, herring, Baltic herring, marinated salmon, smoked salmon, mackerel and marinated elk (SEK 270). Each items were meticulously handcrafted, making it hard not to scoop everything up in one bite!

Two Kinds of Salmon (SEK 210) - They say good things come in pairs, and this is certainly the case at Fem Sma Hus. Each salmon were paired with compatible other half, be it the velvety smooth tartar or the shrimp with horseradish mix. 

Seared Halibut with Shrimps (SEK 310) - The seared halibut pale against its peers, as it was a tad overcooked and a little too plain. Shrimps, horseradish, melted butter and spinach were served alongside. 

Vegetable Tagliatelle (SEK 180) - The towering homemade tagliatelle were infused with hearty greens, accompanied by some rocket salad and walnuts. This may be a simple affair, but the flavors were rich and dense. 

Roast Lamb Rumps (SEK 320) - The succulent lamb rumps were perfectly cooked, drizzled with rosemary sauce and sided by some vegetables and a potato cake. 

Fillet of Reindeer with Port Wine Sauce (SEK 325) - The lingonberries were as red as rubies, while the reindeer fillets were as tender as midnight moon. Reindeer is a very popular meat amongst Scandinavians, especially during the winter months. Its flavors are best retained when served rare or medium rare.

Raspberry Soup with Lime Parfait (SEK 110) - The all natural raspberry was assertive, creamy and most importantly, not too sweet. 

Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie (SEK 125) - If you are not in the mood for soup, the restaurant also doubles as a good place to enjoy quality pies. To top it off, a scoop of maple syrup ice cream was added - helping to deliver another big smile on my face.

VERDICT: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Smitten Dishes:

Assorted herrings and marinated fish

Fillet of reindeer with port wine sauce

Raspberry soup with lime parfait

Rhubarb and Strawberry pie 

Fem Sma Hus

Address: Nygrand 10, 113 30 Stockholm

Telephone: +46 8 108 775

Opening Hours: Open from 5pm everyday

Den Gyldene Freden @ Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden

A continuous stroll at Gamla Stan will ultimately lead you to one of the oldest restaurant in Sweden - Den Glydene Freden. 

The restaurant name which means "Golden Peace" refers to the famous Treaty of Nystad in 1721, that helped ended the Great Northern War by making peace between Sweden and Russia. 

This traditional rustic Swedish home cooking restaurant has been in business since 1722. 

Its cozy interior, dim lighting and antique furnitures helped to recreate the 18th century dining ambiance.

The rustic open air kitchen was bright and graceful, filled with modern cookwares.

We were offered three types of bread - Swedish flat bread (top) Limpa bread (center) and Baguette (bottom). The limpa bread was extremely memorable given its unique caraway and anise flavors. It also had a subtle sweet tone, which made it rather interesting. 

House Made Selection of Herrings and Baltic Herrings - As we waltzed through the herrings from sweet (honey herring) to savory (capers herrings and goat cheese herring). We were presented with some boiled potatoes.

These delicate and lightweight potatoes paired well with the heavily cured herrings. 

Swedish Meatballs with Cucumber, Lingonberries and Cream Sauce -You can't leave the restaurant without trying the meatballs with lingonberries. The meatballs were bursting with fresh minced meat and was further punctuated with some lingonberries and cream sauce. If only we can find such delicious meatballs back in Malaysia.

Lingonberries also known as mountain cranberries, is a staple food in Scandinavia. It is a popular relish for meatball, beef stew and liver dishes. 

Marinated and Butter-fried Cod with Crayfish Sauce and Spinach (SEK 325) - The pairs were marinated and slightly butter-fried before it was topped with a slew of crayfish sauce. The final flourish of spinach and potatoes were ideal for spooning over the creamy sauce. 

Beef with Chanterelles, Bacon and Mashed Potatoes (SEK 355) - Lastly, the steak found its way from the vintage cookbook to the dining room's table. The perfectly cooked steak was hard to go wrong with any sauce, but the chanterelles sauce with bacon was a marvel. 

VERDICT: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Den Gyldene Freden

Address: Osterlanggatan 51, Box 2269, 103 17 Stockholm. 

Phone: 46 (8) -249760

Catching A Glimpse of Stockholm

School Children Crossing.

Colorful Letter Box.

One of the many narrow, cobblestone alleys in Gamla Stan.

Stortorget - a smal public square in Gamla Stan.

Stockholm Street Music - Musicians playing in Gamla Stan. Great music!

Saturday Hay Market - A modest size outdoor food market that happens every Saturday at the heart of the city.

Cycling in Stockholm is a breeze

With Love from Stockholm...