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 Thank Goodness For Eddie The Baker,  Saturday, 31 March 2007 Eddie the Baker is amazing. His baked goods are delicious and he delivers!

I asked him if he could make a New York cheesecake - a real one - like the kind you get in the States, and he did. It was delicious.

I've also enjoyed his bagels, tortillas, muffins and bread. Yum!

 Best Western Meal In Dalian,  Saturday, 17 March 2007 Last night my husband and I enjoyed, what can only be described as the best Western meal we’ve had in Dalian.

We started our evening with a cocktail. My husband sampled (and quite enjoyed) an experimental drink called the Fat Sailor (very potent), while I enjoyed my all time favorite, a Manhattan (I haven’t had a good one in ages – and this one was excellent).

Within minutes of being seated, a small plate with bruschetta was placed on the table, which was followed by steaming hot sun dried tomato bread, which was accompanied by a delightful cream spread (and while I’m not sure exactly what was in it, it reminded me of fromage frais).

We ordered two starters (a melt-in-your-mouth pan seared foie gras on gingerbread with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a tasty shrimp remoulade), a shrimp pasta with a light cream sauce, and two mains (an outstanding rib eye and rib eye tails, which were too fatty for my liking). We finished our meal with The Riviera’s Full Monty (an impressive selection of their five best desserts), as well as an orange and cardamom crème brulee.

The Riviera’s sommelier paired our meal with a gorgeous, velvety 2002 Medoc.

And while we thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the thing I liked most about The Riviera restaurant is that it has class without being too pretentious. The décor is simple, yet elegant. I would feel comfortable dining there in jeans, or dressed to the nines.

Designed to make fine food fun, The Riviera had a great menu. One can comfortably dine there for 150 RMB/per person – and get away spending even less if they chose. On the other hand, if you are looking to splurge on a big night out or host an important corporate dinner, this is the place to do it.

Other things of note: The service was great (although I would have liked to have each course served a little faster). We found the wait staff was very attentive to special requests. The restaurant was child friendly, which is a huge plus in my book. And, they have the best restrooms in Dalian.

Hours:
M-Sat (11:30-2:30 p.m./6:30-10:00 p.m.)
Sun (11:00-2:30 p.m.)
*I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation*

Disclaimer: The Riviera knew we were coming to review the restaurant on behalf of Dalian Expat. The food described above came directly from the menu. Although the President, Jennifer, spent a fair amount of time at our table, she also visited with each of her other guests to ensure they were enjoying their dining experience.

 Good Imported Food Selection,  Friday, 16 March 2007 Metro is just one of those places we go every week. They have a good selection of imported dry goods, fruit, veg, herbs and spices - and Dalian's best selection of cheese (although one must be careful to check the expiration date).

The only down side, they recently decided not to allow children.

 Very Enjoyable,  Wednesday, 14 March 2007 Great food, great beer, great atmosphere. Need I say more?
An excellent place to go for a change of scene.

 Anything but French,  Wednesday, 14 March 2007 Hoping to find some good French food but were sadly dissapointed.

The restaurant had a decent buffet - it ranged from noodles to fish to sushi - but no real French food in sight.

We ended up ordering a fish dish (with a salty, tasteless white sauce) and a pizza, which was okay, but nothing special.

The wine was expensive, but I guess it is expensive anywhere you go here...

The room was big, crowded, loud and smokey.

On the positive side, the staff were super helpful and very nice.