Kassandra and Ribafish at Hotel Turist: Chef Marin Pozder really knows his way around meat!
Kasandra and Ribafish at the Turist Hotel: A great gastronomic story in the longest-standing hotel in the city!
Just before Valentine’s weekend, we had the opportunity to host Kasandra Draganić, author of the popular food blog Vilicom kroz Hrvatska, as well as the famous food and wine blogger Domagoj Jakopović, better known as Ribafish, at the Turist Hotel.
Ribafish wrote a wonderful review of their stay at our hotel on their blog, and as expected, they mostly commented on the cuisine of the Nobel restaurant , which, judging by the comments, delighted them.
“After a superb dinner, we openly invite you to the Nobel of young Chef Marin Pozder, so that you too can enjoy the dishes of his team, which really pleasantly surprised us. The menu at Nobel is not large, but it is concentrated on the season and firmly stands behind each of the listed dishes.
After we rejected the aperitifs from Aura’s portfolio and chose the sparkling wine Borealis from the Međimurje winery St. Jerome (with a hibiscus flower in the glass!), we tried two pâtés to start, one made of chicken and one made of goose liver – wrote Ribafish .
Praise for St. Jerome wines
“They make their own bread and most of their pasta, the toasties were crispy and warm, the foie gras was classically more powerful and heavier, and the chicken was surprisingly light, but enhanced with thin slices of pickled vegetables that they prepare in the kitchen. Both choices were very good, with the Chardonnay and Sauvignon St. Jerome pairings nicely.
“So after the extraordinary pumpkin soups with the addition of homemade pumpkin oil and seeds and Grana Padana, and the beef soup with beef-filled ravioli and firm carrot julienne noodles, which I particularly enjoyed, we were greeted with the next pairing in the form of seafood risotto with a very interesting St. Jerome smoked salmon,” Ribafish wrote.
Top-notch duck breast and cakes
They were particularly delighted with the sous-vide duck breast with millet fritters, and the only thing they missed was sauerkraut.
“If there had been just a hint of acid on the plate, like homemade sauerkraut with a drop of pumpkin seed oil, it would have been top notch, but still, the tender and juicy breast and the interesting mlinci – it was a hit. Or rather, pogoDuck!” they commented.
The final assessment was that the duck breast is on par with those from the famous Zagreb restaurants Balon and Beštija, and that our chef Marin Pozder “really knows his way around meat”.
When they thought nothing could surprise them anymore, Kasandra and Ribafish were served top-notch desserts by our pastry chef Vedrana Hrastovec Sedlar and got back to work.
“Sincere admiration for the fruit fillings of the chocolate cake, especially the lime sorbet and yuzu cream, which are on par with my beloved Biljana Milina from Konoba Mate on Korčula. A masterpiece, and also well paired with two pearls from St. Jerome, Muscat Otonel and Traminer.
“Two sweets, one fluffy, the other serious, ideal for the end of a big dinner.” is a wonderful comment for our desserts.
“We’re going back to Turist and Nobel!”
After their stay with us, Kasandra and Ribafish unanimously decided that they are coming back.
“Hotel Turist is here, renovated and armed with great chefs, and a big shout-out goes to the wonderful staff and the young lady who seriously defragmented me with a sports massage – at the Hedona Spa Center within the hotel. Namely, my old and worn-out body really benefits from any type of massage, and they do it here truly professionally.
Also, the spacious sauna rooms (Finnish, infrared, herbal and steam saunas) are ideal for removing toxins and excess bad energy, and afterwards you can indulge in complete enjoyment in the luxurious relaxation zone with a unique wall of Himalayan salt. Worries – so what!
“In general, instead of concluding, take a break in Varaždin, come at least for dessert and you will definitely return to Turist and Nobel. We will definitely return, clips to the Parliament, massage to the textbooks!”, says this charming duo.
Read the full article on the Ribafish blog: Hotel Turist Varaždin: A great gastronomic story in the longest-standing hotel in the city!
