AlexBernardo

The decadent and supposedly very-dangerous-to-your-health taba ng talangka (the roe of tiny shore crabs) is one of my favorite delicacies. With warm, fresh-steamed rice it is a meal in itself. Anyway, I was surfing the weekend's Philstar food column and found this interesting reference to a risotto of, you guess it, taba ng talangka. I wish the article described it in detail. Interestingly, Claude Tayag, who concocted the dish, is a well-known contemporary artist and furniture designer (I've bought some stuff at his store in Greenbelt, ABT- handwrought iron candlesticks- and I admire his creative furniture designs), but he's supposedly a talented chef as well. Well, I think that reinventing taba ng talangka in a risotto is a stylish transformation from eating it with steamed-rice. Maybe I'll experiment on it and also try to come up with some wine pairings. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if folks have seen other interesting dish creations from taba ng talangka.

Cirilo. I'd agree that the Good Earth at the Fort is better, as the one in Greenbelt is newer and smaller. At Greenbelt, next to Good Earth, my favorite is resto is probably Recipes. You would not expect it, as it looks euro-modern bistro, but it's one of the best Filipino restos. The sisig is great as well as the laing, but pretty much everything on the menu is good. It's bistro-style small plates, not the old bandehado servings. I really think the future of Filipino cuisine is along these lines. Romy Dorotan at Cendrillon in SoHo, NY, has proven for the past 10 years that Filipino cuisine can be more sophisticated and world-class. And as talented as Romy is, I think the young homegrown chefs and cooks in Manila have even more to offer. And many of them are formally trained. In Binondo, do try the ma-ki at Manosa in Ongpin. It's one-of-a-kind. I hope you can report your findings on this board when you get back as I'm also curious what you find out. I'll be back in Manila in early September.

It would be more appropriate for this list to be titled "Western World" best restos. Any global top 50 list that doesn't include restos in Tokyo and Hongkong is flawed.

John. Thanks for the post. I find any list coming from anyone almost alwayself-serving anyway. Yet I confess that I find this list, just like Zagat's, Michelin's, Gault-Millau's and especially from those who post in this forum amusing, entertaining, and even a helpful guide in exploring these different restos.

If you're a food and wine guy like me, Metro Manila is looking world class. The past 3 to 5 years have seen so many changes in restos, it seems skilled chefs and restaureteurs have arrived en masse opening up some creative spots. This kind of talent was simply lacking before. Where to begin... For Spanish, Cirkulo is great for classic cuisine, Gaudi is one of my favorites for tapas, and Segundo Piso is unbeatable for its jamon iberico and decent wine list. The house rosada is perfect for washing down the jamon. For Filipino cuisine, I never go to the Barrio Fiestas and Kamayans, instead I love the bistro Recipes in Greenbelt. The sisig there is spectacular. I even like the updated Milky Way in Pasay Road, above Cirkulo and next to Tsukiji, which may well be the best Japanese in town but very expensive. And if I'm missing Paris, I can step into Bizou where the macaroons and coco tuile are not quite Pierre Herme but very good, and the savory dishes such as the shrimp pasta is tasty. For everyday Italian, the Cibo chain is not bad, though they've been slipping a bit lately. The one at Shangri-la is my favorite. Their house Chianti is usually good. For thin crust, Neapolitan style pizza Amici don Bosco is terrific, better in quality than most of the margherita-style pizza I can get in San Francisco. For Chinese, Good Earth is very good, mura pa, and he uses good ingredients. I also go to the chain Villa Maris, especially for the taho served in the bamboo container. I seldom make it to Binondo, but when I do I love taking out loads of maki from Manosa in Ongpin. Binondo Plaza has undergone a huge facelift and I'm hoping more up to date restos would appear soon. Meanwhile, having a Starbucks there is at least a good start as you can get espresso in the area. Finally, I love the chain of Ice Monsters that have cropped up. A lighter, but equally refreshing alternative to halo-halo so I hit this after eating at a resto. My favorite is the buko pandan. Good thing they have a branch at the Shangri-la, but I also frequent the one at the Blue Wave complex, usually after eating at Kimono Ken's.

Some recommendation. I don't really hang around much in Dijon, but once I stayed at the Wilson and had a wondeful dinner at their Thibert restaurant. Very good wine list. In Chablis. Hostellerie des Clos presents fine restaurant dining in a relaxed atmosphere, dressy but I always see a few folks dressed casual. A good value, too, if you go for the 4-course at E38. They give you a number of extra nibblers during the meal so you'll be stuffed. Of course, the wine list features some nice Chablis selections that go back. I remember trying a 93 Blanchots La Chablisienne that was drinking really nice. To be honest, the Bistro des Grands Crus in the William Fevre domaine is more my speed. I love the atomosphere here. Very casual and also features local Chablis cuisine plus some good William Fevere on the wine list. In Beaune, Ma Cuisine is the mother of bistros that features a great wine list of Burgundy's best domaine producers. I've been going there since it opened in 1997, and though their huge success has somewhat dampened the spontaneous fun I used to feel there and some of the best older bottles on the list have been scoped out it's still a must stop. Fabienne is a wonderful cook and a very charming host (she's gotten some help now in the kitchen so she comes out more). Pierre, though, is looking more harried. I would consider three other locations in Beaune. Cave Madeleine is my top choice now. It's a wine store and bistro. Lolo is an astute wine merchant and features plenty of great producers (Dauvissat, Leflaive, Arnoux, Raveneau plus Rhone folks such as Faurie and Cuilleron). His featured Champagne is Selosse. The fun part is picking out the bottles from the shelf as you go about your meal. The price is written in chalk on the bottom of the bottle. I suggest you don't miss the herring in potato and light cream sauce. This is a devastatingly good starter. It's a tiny place so reservation is a must. Table de Vigneron next door is also terrific. Local vignerons favor this and they feature very good Burgundy classics in a friendly, quiet atmosphre. Cave des Arches is almost like a modern Parisian bistro but you'll never guess it before entering. You go down the steps and enter into a roomd designed like a cellar cave (minus the molds). The food is very good, the salmon tartare there may be the best I've ever had, and the wine list features a lot of top names including DRC. In Avignon, I've never been enamored by one-star Chrstian Etienne, but his venue is breathtaking (right at the Palais des Papes) and his famous tomato menu is unique and interesting. A discovery is Au Petit Bedon, a tiny hole-in-the-wall bistro that's nevertheless elegant and features creative takes on traditional Provencale dishes.

Fish, without doubt, has one of the best and most extensive wine lists of any bistros in Paris. The main reason is that it's co-owned by the patron of La Derniere Goute. We're not talking of expensive classed growths here but small-production, affordable wines from the Loire, Alsace, Languedoc, Corsica, Jura, and Southwest. It's also great you can purchase wines from the nearby wine store and bring it to the bistro. Fish should win an award! I'm also impressed by the short but tight selection at Mon Vieil Ami. The whites are dominated by fine Alsatians. I enjoy the Riesling from Dirler very much, a success with the house terrine. On the reds, you can't go wrong with Alphose Mellot's Anjou rouge, so heavenly with the cochon. L'Ourcine's list is somewhat pathetic (sorry Emily). The whites should be revamped. Yet, one red stands out, especially when drank with the roast pintade with foie: the '04 Saumur-Champigny from Thierry Chancelle. Don't succumb to the temptation of ordering the '03 La Vieille Julienne, a great Chateauneuf but years from being ready.

phrederic. "winelist phyloxera"! Ah, an apt description of the malady. And I totally agree with your observation that "Many people don't even see that the winelists are poor; which is in fact part of why there's a problem in the first place." I don't know about the resto going folks here, but I would go so far as to consider the wine list just as important as the menu when rating a resto or dining there again. Perhaps, many foodies are simply ignoring the wine lists that's why there are so many underachievers? I can't imagine a terrfic dining experience in Paris or anywhere without a nice wine. And the resto-owning folks should realize that diners would come because of the wine list. Why, just look at Tan Dinh.

Refreshing post, phrederic. We take the good with the bad. But what I really object to are the bad wine lists in so many Paris restos. Why? There's no excuse for this. France has so many good wines in all price ranges. And I can't see how tourists can be blamed for this.

I'm off to France this weekend and I intend to order some of my favorite bistro birds like roast pintade and canard aux olives. But I was reading the Sunday paper yesterday and didn't realize until then that bird flu has become a cause celebre in France. The report said that poultry sales are down, including foie gras. Politicians are trying to allay fears by eating as much chicken as they possibly can. I'm wondering now if that sidewalk rotisserie in front of the butcher shop across from the hotel I usually stay in might still be there. Thankfully, restos are keeping poultry in the menu. The report said that Tour d'Argent has the same demand as before for its famous duck. And I remember in another report that Bocuse is not worried. Anyway, I plan to dine at some of my usual haunts. Allard, Chez Gramond, L'Ourcine, Mon Vieille Ami in Paris. Ma Cuisine and Cave des Arches in Beaune. Winstub Sommelier in Colmar. I will report when I get back, unless, of course, I get very unlucky from all that fowl I'd be eating!

Have you considered Niman Ranch? Here's the link to their pig offerings: http://www.nimanranch.com/c/Pork

lesanglierrouge. Carlsbad listed some of the finest wine shops in Paris. In addition, there are the Nicolas shops/winebars all over Paris--the one at Place Madeleine, not far from Lavinia, is particularly good. Personally, I don't frequent these shops to buy, mainly just to look and see what they have. I'm drawn more to the small shops run by the proprietor himself. My favorite is Bacchus & Ariane (4, rue Lobineau) in the Marche Saint-Germain, just off Boulevard Saint-Germain. They're open Tues-Sat for sure, sometimes Sunday, too. The offering is not comprehensive, but well-chosen and fairly priced. Good gems of off-vintages from top Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Rhone as well as good small producers in minor villages. One of my best purchases there recently was a juicy red Rully.

My best guess is that I feel this reflects the preference of the dining crowd. SF folks may be adventurous and love to try new things every now and then, but on a regular basis they prefer the familiar and the validated. I have lots of friends in town who peak at cassoulet and roast chicken, seared ahi and steamed mussels, tuna tartare and wood-fired thin pizza. Doesn't matter what style of resto it is, regional Italian, French, Cal-Ital, Greek. They expect to find most of these in the menu. It's almost death for a resto not to feature any of these dishes on the menu.

In a few weeks I'll be hosting a wine dinner at a favorite Indian restaurant. For sure we'll be having vegetable pakoras and tandoori lamb with various naan for starters and continue on with a few curries with kashmiri biryani. For the starters I plan to go with whites, probably an Alsatian Gewurztraminer and a demi-sec Vouvray. But for the curry, I'd like to switch to some reds. Would Burgundy work? Cru Beaujolais? Amarone? Anyone tried a successful red wine matching with curry?

liv4fud. I think you're right. A friend who also love Indian cuisine said the same thing. I underestimate the potency of these delicious dishes. I have to just enjoy them more moderately and endure the aftereffects until hopefully I win out. No way I'm going to avoid biryani! Thanks to everyone.

I love eating Indian food, especially curries, tandoori meats, and of course the breads. And I do love the taste of biryani dishes, both meats and Kashmiri style. Unfortunately, with eating biryani I get some kind of stomach allergy. I still eat it every now and then, though, sometimes mixing it with plain rice to make it milder but I still end up with the stomach upset. I wonder what's causing it? Anyone have the same experience or venture a guess? Thanks.

If I'm gonna be a waiter I now know what city to work in. Alex

That's a great tip, Mrs. B, because the last time I checked with Air France it was more like $300-plus roundtrip from CDG. I'm going in early September so I hope the deals are still happening at that time. Another alternative I'm thinking is to just check in at a hotel near Beauvais airport the day before to avoid the hassle of trying to catch the one shuttle from central Paris to make a 6am Ryanair flight. But I wonder how far Beauvais is from CDG? On another note, John, I haven't heard of that place but I'd certainly want to try some El Bulli-type food when I get there since I don't think I could get reservations or even afford it at El Bulli. But a restaurant we'll definitely try, within Girona itself, is El Celler. It's got 2 Michelin stars and I heard it's really good and very reasonably priced. Alex

Bux, John, Raisab, Thanks for the very helpful information. I will post a report after I get back from my trip. The Ryanair flight to Girona is cheap and enticing (about $130 roundrip), but the flight schedules are very few. I may just end up taking TGV to Perpignan, then drive to Girona. Alex

Wondering if anyone passed through Beauvais airport recently? Heard it's a zoo over there and may not even be worth the discount fare on Ryanair to catch a flight from there. Also, what's cab fare from central Paris to get there? I'm thinking of taking a flight from there to Girona soon. Thanks Alex

To digress a little, from my experience half bottles age fine. I've had countless half-bottle Bordeaux and Burgundies, both reds and whites with 5-15 years from vintage date and they're drinking well. Just a few weeks ago, I was in Beaune and ordered two magnificent half bottles from the list: a 1967 Beaune Bressandes from Chanson and a 1994 Gevrey Aux Combottes from Dujac (both wines, incidentally, from overall weak vintages). Anyway, I do hope that US restaurants would stock more half-bottles as I think there is a good demand for these. Alex

Also just speculation, but I think it's plain ignorance. I think US restaurants can sell more half-bottles if they have more available, especially if they bring in high quality stuff that may be too pricey in 750ml, but more affordable in a split. In France, not just singles order half bottles, I see tables of 2-4 people ordering a mix of 750ml and half bottles so they can try a variety of wines from the list to match each course and also have some fun tasting, too. I've done this myself and really enjoy it, as I'm able to try different wines with my dinner companions and not get plastered. Alex

Hi John, Sounds like a juicy read so I hope an English version comes out soon. It seems to me that Bibendum is in hot water because of this expose. Alex

About 20 years ago while living in Cambridge, Mass, I used to go regularly to Coffee Connection in Harvard Square (before it unfortunately soldout to Starbucks). There I first discovered good, strong French-press-brewed coffee. They called it Melior back then, after the French-press coffee-maker brand. Well, I've rediscovered making coffee like this again, quite accidentally, after I shattered my Krups drip-coffee-maker glass carafe. Craving for my morning jolt, the only alternative was to reach for my Bodum French-press which has been sitting in the cupboard for years. My first few tries were not great, kinda thin or too bitter. I sought advice and found out from Sweet Maria a few tweaks that changed the quality altogether. The critical one is to swirl the carafe after about a minute of pouring the hot water for better and quicker extraction. I swear the French press is a much better way of enjoying coffee than drip and though I always enjoy espresso it doesn't allow me to enjoy the tastes of different types of coffee out there. Alex

Hi Slacker, Prices for these kinds of wines vary so much, especially depending on where you are and which store you shop. Plus stores, especially if they're really desperate, could also price these kinds of wines at or near cost or even below cost. Having said that, the price you quote is definitely on the low side, thus quite attractive. I've seen most going prices these days at well over $400 a bottle (222P approx) whether here in the US or Europe. Of course, as I said above, some stores could be selling at signficantly less than $400 or significantly more. For example, in Paris, if I remember correctly I saw this at Hediard a few weeks ago at a ridiculous price of over 600 euros, while Lavinia a few blocks away, had it at less than 400 euros. Here in the US, between $400-$450 seems like the norm now, but as I said above there could be stores willing to go much lower. I've had this wine at tastings and wine dinners about six times now in the past two years. My reaction, as well as the reaction of my fellow drinkers, have always been the same. It's a most delicious wine even in its youth. Alex