Sprüngli is a cafe cum bakery chain operated by Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli (Schweiz) AG throughout Switzerland. I had always enjoyed afternoon coffee and cake at Sprüngli and make it a point to pop in one of them on every trip to Switzerland, and this time with XQ it was no exception. The cakes here are generally very good.

Had dinner with XQ at Swiss Chuchi (Rosengasse 10, CH-8001, Zurich, Switzerland) while in Zurich. This restaurant is situated within Hotel Adler in historic Old Town. We had cheese fondue and Zurich veal with rosti. The quality of food is average, but the service very unfriendly. We were given a small table, which clearly had problem fitting the fondue pot, the basket of bread and the Zurich veal. I asked for an empty adjoining table to be used, but was turned down in a very unfriendly manner, and the restaurant is empty! I wouldn't go back to this restaurant and wouldn't recommend it to any one. There are better restaurants in Zurich!

Had dinner with XQ at Restaurant le Soupcon (8 Place du Bourg-de-Four, CH-1204, Geneve, Switzerland) on our first night in Geneva. This restaurant is situated in the Old Town of Geneva. XQ had daurade (pan fried fish fillet) and I had filet de boeuf (filet of beef), both of which were very good. The beef, even when done to medium-well, is very tender and juicy. The setting of the restaurant is sleek. We had a table by the window, which while isolates us from the outdoor smoking crowd, still affords us scenes of the romantic Old Town.

XQ and I had dinner at Restaurant La Diligence (2 Rule Jean-Pecolat, CH-1201, Geneve, Switzerland) on our last day in Geneva, just prior to taking our train to Zermatt. La Diligence is supposedly one of the best Mexican restaurants in Geneva. XQ had grilled salmon with rice, while I had grilled pork with fries. The portions are rather large. I would rate the food here as average in terms of taste. Nothing spectacular.

Had dinner with XQ at Restaurant Ticino (Muehleplatz 3, CH-7000, Chur, Switzerland) while in Chur. The restaurant has a whitish setting that is bright and inviting. We ordered a dinner special, which is grilled red snapper, and a gnocci with wild mushrooms in zuchinni sauce. The red snapper is quite good, but what stole the show was no doubt the gnocci, which differs from the usual ones in that the gnocci is filled with tomato puree. The mushrooms and zuchinni sauce that went along with it is also fabulous. The chef even came out of the kitchen to ask us how we find our food. The only disappointment is the quality of the olive oil that was served with the bread. The olive oil is simply tasteless. On the whole, it was good quality food, at a very reasonable price (by Swiss standard), with friendly staff and amidst a nice ambience.

XQ and I had a wonderful dinner at Ristorante Pulcino (Niederdorfstrasse 7, CH-8001, Zurich, Switzerland) while in Zurich. This is a very nice Italian restaurant, with nice ambience and friendly staff. We were there early, so was able to get a very nice and private corner all to ourselves without any prior reservation. We ordered a cassuola di pesce (seafood cassarole) and a risotto vitale (mushroom risotto). The risotto turned out to be very good, but the seafood cassarole was very salty. On the whole, it was an enjoyable dinner. This restaurant is on the pricey side.

Had dinner at Grill-Restaurant Stockhorn (CH-3920, Zermatt, Switzerland) while in Zermatt with XQ. This is a rustic restaurant that is one of the two or three best dinning rooms in Zermatt, according to Frommer's. We ordered a cheese fondue and a fondue bourguignonne, both of which were very good. The price is also very reasonable compared with other restaurants in town.

Stayed at the ABC Hotel (Bahnhofplatz/Ottostrasse 8, Chur CH-7000, Graubunden, Switzerland) while in Chur. This is the only 4-star hotel in Chur, the city with the longest history of settlement in Switzerland. The hotel is situated across the Chur train station. This is a very nice hotel. The rooms are very comfortable and the bathrooms come with a bath tub. Quality of breakfast is also good.

Stayed at Hotel Beau-Rivage (Kirchstrasse 44, CH-3920, Zermatt, Switzerland) while in Zermatt. This is a 4-star hotel within a 10-minute walk of the Zermatt train station. They have two category of rooms: Valley View and Matterhorn View. There's a CHF20 difference between the two categories. I had opted for a Valley View room but was given one with a view of the Matterhorn, at the same price. It was magnificent -- both the room and the Matterhorn! We had a room on the top floor of the hotel, which came with a sun roof and balcony. There's also electric heating element that keeps your bath towels nice and warm. This hotel is apparently owned by Olympic champion Max Julen who won the giant slalom event in Sarajevo at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Stayed at Hotel Bernina (22 Place Cornavin, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland) in Geneva. This is a 3-star Swiss Quality hotel situated right across the Geneva train station. The building is old but the room spacious, especially the bathroom! There's a pub below the hotel, so it can get rowdy late into the night. Simple hotel for travellers who are not too fussy.

Stayed at Hotel Chalet Swiss (Seestrasse 22, CH-3800, Interlaken, Switzerland) while in Interlaken. The hotel is a traditional Swiss chalet. The room is quite spacious and romantically appointed, with wooden walls, lacy curtains and pink tone bedsheets and comforters. The hotel is about a 7-minute walk from Interlaken West train station and has magnificent views of the alps!

Stayed at Hotel Kreuz (Zeughausgasse 39/41, CH-3000, Bern 7, Switzerland) while in Bern. This 3-star Swiss Quality hotel is situated right in old town within walking distance of the famous clock tower. The hotel has rather nice sleek contemporary furnishings, with white as the main theme. Not a bad hotel but I had the worst service at a Swiss hotel breakfast here. There were only one waitress serving the entire restaurant, and she had no concept of first-come-first-serve. Serving order seemed random.

Stayed at Hotel Baslertor (Pfistergasse 17, CH-6003, Luzern, Switzerland) while in Luzern. This is a 3-star hotel situated on the "other side" (the side of the train station) of the river. The location is quite good, being near the "second" covered bridge, and is within a short walk of the old town. However, the room is disappointing. It is small, and not well thought out in amenities. For example, there are no hooks for clothes in the bathroom. This hotel also charges extra for breakfast. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to travellers looking for more comfort.

XQ took me to Yamagawa Japanese Restaurant (298 Beach Road, #01-16 The Concourse, Singapore 199554) last week for dinner. We had tempura futomaki, california handroll, swordfish sashimi and grilled cod. The food is good. The california handroll contains a crispy piece of bean curd that makes the texture pleasingly unusual. This restaurant serves a mainly regular clientele.

Had dinner with XQ at Akira Japanese Restaurant (117 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore) some time last month. This restaurant has exactly the same menu as at Minoru. Story is that the respective owners were previously partners. When they parted ways, each took a branch. We had swordfish sashimi, california handroll and grilled cod. I like this restaurant for its secluded location but I find the service better at Minoru.

Had dinner with XQ at Minoru Japanese Restaurant (214/216 Hong Leong Garden Shopping Centre, West Coast Way, Singapore 127104) last night. This is a small and cosy restaurant, with the owner doubling up as sushi chef. We had tempura udon, curry katsu don (curry pork cutlet rice), and teppanyaki salmon. The food is slightly above average, but I find some items rather expensive for such an outfit. The shabu-shabu, for example, is priced the same as in Keyaki, which provides much better ambience and quality of food.

See also Akira, which has an identical menu!

Stayed at Hotel Wellenberg (Niederdorfstrasse 10, CH-8001 Zurich) for several nights. This is my top choice hotel while in Zurich. The hotel is 4-star rated and is situated in the heart of Old Town Zurich. Moreover, Zurich Hauptbanhof is only within an 8-minute walk. The rooms are nicely appointed and spacious by European standard. Every room is equipped with a bath tub. In the superior rooms, you get even a TV in the bath room!