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Yesterday we announced the Hostel of Choice winners. Today we announce the winners of the 2021 Restaurant of Choice Award. There were a few great, many good, and several horrible restaurants that we had the chance to try this past year. Of all the restaurants we tried there were only a few that we felt deserved to be among the 2021 Restaurant of Choice winners.
In no specific order the winners of the 2021 Restaurant of Choice Award are:
Funky George
Split, Croatia
Split is very much a party town. That can be seen if even one night is spent here. What comes with partying? Hangovers!
Well, whether you are partying or nursing your hangover Funky George has got you covered. You’ll have evenings full of cheap shots and drinks for your enjoyment. Yet that’s not where we think Funky George truly shines. If you head around to the side they have a full menu beside the window to the kitchen.
Every sandwich we tried was amazing. Great sober, drunk, and hungover, Funky George was originally introduced to us by a young woman we met while there. The way she described it was, “I normally hate these types of sandwiches, but I would honestly kill for a Big George!” A review we can stand by.
Funky George also has one of the best locations in Split. Just around the corner from the palace entrance and less than 5 minutes from the boardwalk, it’s in the heart of everything.
All these things and more make Funky George, a delectable street food vendor, our first-ever winner of the Restaurant of Choice Award. They’ve more than earned it.
Konoba Belin
Korcula, Croatia
Konoba Belin made it in our top three restaurants in Korcula this year. Although a little out of the way we found Belin to be a fantastic getaway from your getaway. Belin boasts a breathtaking view of the rolling hills, portion sizes to feed a king or just a fat guy like me, and meat dishes that melt in your mouth. All at shockingly low prices.
Spend the evening in this open-air restaurant and you will see why they find themselves on our list of 2021 Restaurant of Choice winners.
Konoba Adio Mare
Korcula, Croatia
Konoba Adio Mare is the place for seafood in Korcula. It’s hard to go wrong with seafood around here since it’s mostly all fresh from the Adriatic. Yet Adio Mare brings something different. As it’s located right in the middle of stunning, historic Old Town Korcula it can be a bit hard to find. With the small thin streets, one could easily miss it if it weren’t for the mouthwatering scent of grilled seafood, lamb, and beef. These scents hang in the air as you walk through the streets.
This family-owned restaurant is definitely our restaurant of choice for seafood in Korcula.
Skver
Korcula, Croatia
Skver is exemplary of Croatian cuisine. When we asked locals where they would go to eat most of them recommended Skver. Finding the place is a challenge as it’s hidden in a courtyard just outside the walls of Old Town Korcula. Once found it’s worth the effort. As not only does Skver have delicious Croatian food, it also is in its own pocket of the world. Cut off from all the outside noise. They are amongst our top restaurants in Korcula.
Makarski Jadran
Makarska, Croatia
Definitely one of the cooler experiences we’ve had. Makarski Jadran is a seafood restaurant on a boat! During the winter it’s used as a normal fishing boat. Yet during the summer, the boat acts as a restaurant in the harbour of Makarska.
You go in and tell them what you want from their options. They then give you an option of sides. They give you a huge portion, especially for what you pay. Then you sit somewhere on this boat looking out at the sea or down at the fish below.
When we ordered we expected North American portions of seafood. You know where they give you 5 mussels or 2 squids. Squids? Weird looking plural, but ok. Yet they give you a heaping plate of seafood. It’s beyond amazing and it’s all super fresh. Caught that day or the day before fresh! So when they run out they run out.
If we could we would eat there at least once a week. Alas, we can not, but we can make give them the Restaurant of Choice Award.
Ton Katsu
Mödling, Austria
Ton Katsu is now the only place we get Chinese food in Mödling. We never thought we would find authentic Chinese food in such a small town, but here we are. Sure they have some westernized Chinese food as well, but there are so many authentic options.
They even have this option where if you order a few days ahead of time they will make your group a fully authentic Chinese meal. You just need to give them the number of people in your party and when you’ll be there. They need this forewarning to get all the proper ingredients.
We don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that they don’t deliver. Since if they did we would probably be eating there way too much. It is a Nomadic Inscriptions Restaurant of Choice after all.
Mama Liu and Son’s
Vienna, Austria
Our second of three restaurants that serve authentic Chinese cuisine. Mama Liu and Son’s brings the joy of hot pot to the west. It’s not just a meal, it’s a party. The group orders one or two types of soup in a pot that is set over a burner that is brought to the table. As the soup boils people add different raw vegetables and meat, letting them cook as they talk.
Mama Lui and Son’s dimly lit restaurant has an atmosphere, and meal, that promotes socializing with the people you came with. We felt that it was so cozy and comfortable despite the fact that you might be sitting at a large table with strangers. You don’t even notice there are others there.
We highly recommend giving this 2021 Restaurant of Choice winner a try the next time you’re in Vienna.
CHINA KITCHEN 川菜香
Vienna, Austria
We were shocked by the amount of authentic Chinese food we have found in Austria. Yet here is another one! China Kitchen is a must-visit if you are wanting some authentic Szechuan food. Honestly, our experience shows that is a hard find outside of China. Yet China Kitchen brings a Szechuan dining experience that we have not had outside of Asia.
So if you like things spicier than Valentine’s Day with that special someone then China Kitchen is the place to go. Located next to Naschmarkt and boasting both a great atmosphere and mouthwatering food that tingles the tastebuds; China Kitchen easily snagged its spot on the list of 2021 Restaurant of Choice winners.
Dampha Kitchen
Vienna, Austria
Dampha Kitchen was a surprise to us. We had never before had “Afrofusion” food and had no idea what to expect. Yet we don’t believe we can hype up Dampha Kitchen enough.
This restaurant takes Spanish and Gambian food and brings them together in an amazing sweet and savoury mixture. Giving you a pleasant surprise as you may expect one thing, but get something completely different and so much better. The owner and main chef, Khalifa Dampha, checks in personally to see how people are feeling about the food. You can feel the love this man has for his craft from both the quality of the food and his active presence in the restaurant.
Dampha Kitchen has more than earned its spot among the 2021 Restaurant of Choice winners. We expect great things as the restaurant flourished post-covid.
Final Words
Determining the 2021 Restaurant of Choice winners wasn’t easy. There were so many different restaurants that we enjoyed, but we wanted to limit the choice awards to the ones we believed were the best. At least the best of the many that we tried.
We felt these nine places most deserved to win the first annual Nomadic Inscriptions Restaurant of Choice Award. Congratulations to each and every one of them. Give them a shot next time you are in that area!
Tomorrow we will be announcing the winners of the Tattoo Studio of Choice Award.
Stay authentic. Stay nomadic. Let the world inscribe itself on you as you inscribe yourself on it. We’ll see you next year!.
