Ljubljana Food

People will know that I do enjoy my food, before I went on my holiday I researched a lot about that aspect as well. I wanted to try local specialities and enjoy my meals when away. I didn't always eat out and sometimes had a basic meal at my accommodation.

The food posts like this will show pics (and videos) of what I had and where. In most cases I knew what I was going to have before I even walked in the door of places (or even got overseas).

Once I arrived in Ljubljana I had a little time before I could check in. I decided to have a Burek from Nobel Burek. First of all ... what is Burek, from online Börek or burek is a family of pastries or pies found in Ottoman cuisine. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes.

In Ljubljana there are 2 competing companies Nobel Burek and Burek Olympia. During my stay there I tried from both. I think I prefer Nobel, it was less oily and generally was better, I did have a different option from each and at different times of the day so that could change things maybe.

Nobel Burek

Meat Burek

Burek which I sat eating in Prešeren Square

Burek

The first night dinner was maybe (a few others are high up there too) the best meal I had on my holiday, so it was a fantastic start. I went to Slovenska Hiša - Figovec. The building where they are located was being renovated so took a minute or 2 for me to figure where it was and where the entrance had moved to, from my Street View research/prep in advance.

Bograč goulash
Menu quote: There are many goulashes, but only one is called "Bograč" - the king of goulash and the richest among them! There is no feast in Prekmurje without “Bograč”, which has to be made out of at least three types of meat (venison, pork and beef meat), while the onions are roasted in lard

Table placemat

Bread with a yummy garlic & herb butter

Beer !!!!

Bograč

For lunch on my 2 day trips I had made rolls with ham, cheese and other things so that was me sorted for those days (for lunch at least)

When I got back from Bled it was a bit late to think about other food stuff (I was quite buggered from the day's walking and seeing stuff), so I went for something quick and easy, which I could plan (view the menu that I had taken a photo of) on the bus. I had the Combined Kebab. Very pleased with my choice.

Menu at Nobel Burek (different branch though)

Combined Kebab before being closed up

Check how massive it is

Had a Radler to drink as well from my fridge
Was full so kept a little for the next day.
Had a Swiss Air choccie for dessert.

After getting back from Postojna, like the day before I was pretty tired and not in the mood to look around at other food options so just went to a place called Klobasarna

Klobasarna (another day)

Klobasarna

Carniolian sausage, you also get the sauces and roll. Got a Grapefruit Radler too

Strukli dessert (were very tasty made with apple, walnuts and other nice stuff) 3 different types

Very friendly Klobasarna staff

From their website:
What is a Carniolian sausage?
Carniolian sausage - Distinctly the best since 1896 The knowledge and skill of making the Carniolian (Kranjska) sausage originates from a centuries-old tradition of “slaughtering”, our ancestors largest profane holiday. The name “Carniolian” (Kranjska) sausage originates from the early 19th century, from the times of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The name of the sausage marks the geographical origin of this special delicacy. The name of the product “Carniolian sausage” represents a typical geographical definition of the Slovene ethnic territory. Thus, this is also the reason why “a Carniolian” was actually the second name for “a Slovenian”. As a special region of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy Carniola stopped existing in 1918 and today Slovenia actually represents its direct “heir”.

A renown chef Katharina Prato is known to have written the oldest known recipe for the “Carniolian” (Kranjska) sausage. She published it in her work “Süddeutsche Küche” (Southern German cuisine) in 1896 (first issue was in 1858). In the Slovenian language the recipe was issued for the first time in the sixth issue of “Slovenska kuharica” (Slovene Cookbook), from the author Felicita Kalinšek in 1912.

The original recipe for the “Carniolian” sausage is today protected. Only eleven certified producers from Slovenia make them according to this original recipe from the second half of the 19th century. The exquisite reputation of this sausage is importantly configured also by the annual “Festival of the Carniolian sausage” in Sora near Medvode and “Days of the Carniolian sausage” which is each year hosted in a different Slovene town. Slovenia is not the only country who hosts festivals for this sausage – Cleveland, Ohio, also has an annual “Festival of the Carniolian sausage”.

The next morning, I had now finished my 2 day trips, I decided to have something nice for breakfast. Found the Patisserie called Zvezda, I planned to and have and indeed did have their Gibanica which contains poppy seed, walnut apple and cheese (ricotta I think)

Zvezda Patisserie shop

Gibanica sign

So many nice cakes and yummy treats

My Gibanica breakfast before unboxing

Gibanica. Yummy !!!

Fully energised after my breakfast I had a good morning sightseeing. Around lunch time I headed to Druga Violina, not it isn't anything to do with drugs, Druga is Second in Slovenian, so I imagine the name could be translated to be "The Second Violin". I had discovered the first evening that they only open from 10am to 4pm, which I didn't know, so wasn't able to have dinner there that day. So I was back for lunch.

Druga Violina employs special needs staff. From their menu: "Here in our restaurant, persons with special needs are working as servers. We're proud to be different and we politely ask you for your patience, because we're doing our best."
This proved to be no problem and it is a nice to see places cater for people of all capacities.

I had researched meals I'd like there but seems like has changed a bit since some of the online info I read (or it just wasn't mentioned) and they have a daily menu. This was still fantastic.

Outside Druga Violina

You mark which meal you want and write what you want to drink (from the drinks menu)

Pork Goulash, beer and bread

Pork Goulash with peppers

Dessert: Apple strudel

The next day was the Slovenia Olympic Festival, before that I went to check out a few shops. The Lidl near my accommodation was fine but wanted to just check the other shops that I had made note of where they were. The one Spar was very small but very nice. The door for starters, not seen that before. It opened on a corner.

Was nice to check out the bakery for what they had. As with most shops I went to it was self service and you print the label yourself. You just type in the number of the item eg 140 for top left in the pic and then the quantity.

Bakery self service

I know is weird to video the bakery but it's nice to show other people what sort of thing there is overseas and how it works etc.

There were only self service checkout terminals as well

Self service checkout

I then headed to Burek Olympia to get breakfast. I had the cheese burek from there. Was very tasty but as I said before, was a bit oily. I had to wait a bit while they cooked so maybe it was that it was freshly out of the oven and hadn't had time to settle, dunno.

Burek Olympia

Cheese Burek

Munching on my Cheese Burek

Seeing as I had enjoyed the previous day lunch from Druga Violina, I couldn't not go back there for a second day. It was just as good as the first.

Lunch options

Outside Druga Violina

Pork Ribs in Gravy with sautéd potatoes and salad

After all my sightseeing and sporting activities earlier in the day I just felt like a quiet evening at my accommodation. Was quiet to a point (but more about that in the accommodation post later in the blog), but nothing bad, don't worry. So went back to the Spar I had checked earlier in the day and got 3 cheese rolls for dinner.

Cheese rolls which I filled with some ham. So much cheese !!! They were really tasty.