pirate

Mr. Talbott, your credibility zoomed when I noted that you gave a 10 to Girardet (in the old days). I ate there in 1984 and 1985. 1984 was outstanding in every regard. In 1985 I was a little let down by one dish, It was lapereau roasted. It came out well-done and when I mentioned it to the waiter he snapped back "that's the way it's supposed to be done" Being American I didn't argue, I just assumed some Americans wanted it that way and so they made it that way for all Americans. Incidentally on the same trip I had lapereau (it was in fashion at that time) beautifully prepared at the Kunststube just outside Zurich and at the now closed Capeline in Paris (Chef Goya is now, to my knowledge, at Bistro 108 in the 17th). Last April I ventured over to Rochat , Girardet's successor., also 3 Michelin star. The food was quite good but the atmosphere was very formal and almost funereal. I didn't enjoy it..

My answer is of course, why not? But recall the old saw attributed to Ducasse, maybe apocryphal, "Who cooks when you're not here?" Ans: "The same guy as when I am here." ← I would be concerned to do that at a time the kitchen was busy. From my experience if you regularly eat at a restaurant of reasonable size, the staff informs the Chef of your presence and special care is taken.

I lunched with a colleague at Le Comptoir a bit more than a week ago while on a Paris visit. It didn't seem particuliarly touristy. One of the specials that day was preserved salmon which was served still in its small jar. Preserved salmon is one of my favorites from Benoit (before Ducasse). The Le Comptoir version was clearly and distinctly inferior. The main dish of cochon de lait with lentils was okay. Among the other bistros at which i ate was the Bistro Haussmann adjacent to the Jacquemart-Andre museum which was okay, and that high end bistro, the Relais-Plaza, where I had a excellent rendition of Cepes a la Bordelaise. I liked the cepes as served at L'Ambroisie better. The saddle of lamb served at the Relais-Plaza was not up to that at L'Ambroisie.

I was in Paris last week and mindful of the various posts in this thread. So I lunched at L'Ambroisie last Wednesday and Saturday. No I didn't follow my advice of consulting in advance the Maitre d'Hotel and Chef. Rather I did what Robert Brown does, I studied the menu carefully. I don't do aperitifs. On Wednesday the amuse-gueule consisted of two sauteed scallops very fresh and flavorful served with a parsley puree and a light wine/cream sauce. I had the impression that it was uniquely for me because I noticed the other tables that I could see had a different offering. I started with a dish consisting of two sole fillets sandwiching crushed nuts and enveloped with same and fried meuniere style. This was accompanied by roasted cepes (with some roasted garlic) that were absolutely superb. The Chef also sent out two lens shaped fried flat potato slices topped with bone marrow. They were delicious as was the sole. I had a half bottle of 2001 O. Leflaive Puligny La Garenne. Wine okay. I followed this with a ris de veau braised with vin jaune. This was top quality and beautifully cooked. The chestnut accompaniment was very nice but I must admit I like my ris de veau with morels or truffles. I finished with a digestif; no desert; I was too full. 276 euros. The roasted cepes were so delicious that when I returned on Saturday, I asked the Maitre d"Hotel if I could have a plate of them to start. He went to ask the Chef about it. The Chef said that he didn't have a sufficient amount of cepes to do it. The amuse-gueule this time was a special surprise - a half order of sauteed cepes (with bits of shallot and a green herb). I started with a dish of two oeufs mollet on a bed of spinach puree covered with thin slices of white truffle. This dish didn't succeed with me. I don't think that the French cooks handle white truffles anywhere near as well as the Italian cooks in Northern Italy. Wine was a half bottle of 2001 Chambolle-Musigny (Chevalier). It was just okay. It so happens my all time favorite wine is the 1964 Musigny Comte de Vogue of which I had a case , every bottle of which was superb as I drank them over the years. I discussed this with the Sommelier. He said they had one bottle of the 1976 Comte de Vogue Musigny. It made me realize that the great French restaurants can no longer afford to stock the great wines. The main dish was a saddle of lamb of top quality cooked precisely. I finished with a desert consisting of a delicious almond biscuit accompanied by roasted figs in red wine. 301 euros. It is a great pleasure to be client of L'Ambroisie. Perhaps the next time, being better known, I'll order a meal in advance. It's clear that they're amenable to that. By the way the Wednesday reservation was made a couple of hours in advance. While there on Wednesday, I inquired about Saturday. They could only put me on the waiting list and called the hotel concierge on Saturday that it was okay.

This is an interesting thread. And all the advice proffered has its rationale. Digesting it all, I thought about what I would do. I would go "all in" in the parlance of TV Poker and aim for one great meal to treasure; one meal against which all others would be measured. That requires coordination with the Maitre D'Hotel and the Chef in advance, not just a reservation and choosing from the menu when you arrive.

Lucas-Carton is now Senderens and differs considerably. Check recent posts. L'Ambroisie is always a la carte and one can eat as well at lunch as at dinner. Even when there is a prix fixe lunch, such as at Le Grand Vefour, the a la carte menu is available.

Let me digress and point out that there seems to be a variety of recipes for kougelhopf ;only the shape is constant. Our local German bakery turns out a satisfactory version, but quite different and far and away the best I've had (on a number of occasions over the years; the last a couple of weeks ago on a stopover in LA) is at the Hillcrest Country Club (always available). Since you appear to be from Los Angeles, try to enlist the cooperation of a member. (not a member myself). I will be in Paris in two weeks. One place I like is the bakery cafe of Eric Kayser at 85 Boulevard Malesherbes. I enjoy the simple healthy "California" cuisine there as a respite on occasion. From the name Kayser I suspect Alsatian origins. I don't know if they have kougelhopf but I would expect that they do.

I just glanced through this thread and discovered my post 3 years ago on Lasserre. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it and that they are maintaining their tradition.

The one and only time I had a tourte of the kind initially described in this thread was when I stopped for lunch at Troisgros in 1970. Jean and Pierre were in the kitchen at that time. The tourte (labeled as such) consisted of layers of goodies which I can't recall with a shell and crust. A slice was served. It was superb but I've not come across it on other visits to Troigros nor have I found tourtes at other restaurants. I am reminded of the classic game pie dishes of Brillat-Savarin which I know only by the literature..For example the writings of Wechsberg on the travails of Alexandre Dumaine. I believe a tourte is one the Brillat-Savarin dishes. Perhaps someone could supply the correct information. The sucessful production of the three Brillat-Savarin dishes used to demonstrate the mastery of a chef

This story is on the web http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050829/kyodo/d8c95u981.html I suspect these burgers are delicious.

From another website: "At the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market, the first yubari melons of the year were snapped up at ¥600,000 a pair." What are yubari melons?

Other eating in Tokyo: I stayed at the Grand Hyatt so I ate a few times at PintoKona also in Roppongi Hills. I originally went there on a previous trip after reading Torakris' comments about it. I have not yet had the foie gras sushi . I did have on this trip on one occasion superb 0-toro. It's always good but this one time wow. Besides sushi I love the mizuna salad and the greens salad wuth mussels there. Western meals on this trip included Sandler in Roppongi Hills (new Italian) and the Mikuni restauurant in Nihombishi (new French). Wine list in Sandler exceptionally good. Prices more reasonable than Beige. Sandler has a sleek Milanese look. Unfortunately Mikuni is located in a basement with low ceilings which had a dampening effect on me. Level of service at Sandler high and very competant. Food at both very good but on the whole boring. Food comments not restaurants: One afternoon the hotel sent up a plate of grapes which I would term champagne grapes in the USA. The grapes were about the size of a pea, red, thickly clustered and seedless. They were delicious . Considering that it was May I wondered where they came from; hothouse in Japan or imported from a Southern hemisphere country. The best food experience was at a reception for the first anniversary of the F.P.Journe boutique in the Omotesando area. F.P.Journe is a "reelement haut de gamme" watch company. Wines served were Krug Grand Cuvee and a 2002 Magnien Nuits-St.Georges red. There were two sushi bars eached manned by two chefs. First rate sushi and it matched well with champage. Other food tidbits and deserts were catered by Dean and DeLuca.

I lunched at Beige, the Ducasse guided restaurant about two weeks ago while visiting Tokyo. I chose the full 6 course menu at 11000 yen. The dishes were small, nicely presented but bland and with little distinction. Very expensive for what you got. This is a scene restaurant; it was joyless for me.

Joe H. You're a connoisseur so I would earnestly look forward to your report on a visit to Le Cinq. I did try it for lunch a couple of years ago. Lunch prix fixe was 60 euros plus 12 euros for accompanying wines. The food was mediocre. The sommelier came over to discuss the selection (impressive indeed ) and when we discovered we had the same tastes, I ended up with freely refilled glasses of excellent crus. Worth at least 50 euros by itself. Only similar experiences on wine were at Cracco-Peck in Milan and Canoviano in Tokyo. Food at both of these places top notch, too I rate Legendre, based on Taillevent, as not as strong as Wohlfahrt. I stayed at the Traube-Tonbach a few years ago for a few days . Their breakfasts were superb. I ate at their several restaurants, twice in the Schwarzwaldstube. The other restaurants were several levels lower. Never tried Bareiss.

←

I've never been to Cap Vernet. A concierge told me it was a Guy Savoy operation. Is this true?

Probably for the same reason that someone like Robuchon and many other French chefs are trying to incorporate Asian techniques and flavors into their cuisine. ← I appreciate Zouave's report. It kills any thoughts of dining at Hiramatsu. There are two Ateliers de Robuchon in Tokyo. I lunched two months ago at the one in Nihonbashi. It was good but rather pricey and did not induce any inclination to return. I don't want to use the word French but there is excellent continental food in Tokyo.

Thanks for the correction. I've never dined at either place. A restaurant I'm curious about is La Table de Lancaster.

I'm very grateful to you , Poppy Quince, for taking the trouble to write. If I do dine there, I will report. Relocation might help. Bellecour relocated and the revews in the new location were much better.

I'm very grateful to you, fresh a, for supplying the lunch menu. It did not come up on their website. It all reads well, but as we know, it's the freshness and quality of the ingredients and above all, the execution, that counts. An alternative of cheese in lieu of dessert would be nice. The restaurant is rather small. I'm on a business trip and will probably lunch by myself. Actually I find this is a good test of welcome and service. By that I mean how much they make you feel at home and appreciated as a client even though you're a stranger.

Thanks for the information. I'll be in Paris about two weeks from now. I've never dined at Hiramatsu in Paris, nor at any of the several restaurants in Tokyo. I may give it a try for lunch.

More than 30 years ago, I bought some bottles of Tignanello on a friend's recommendation . Awful stuff! I've never bought any of the Antinori wines since then. So your post, Craig Camp, resonates with me.

Here's an interesting article on identifying koshihikari rice. http://www.asahi.com/english/business/TKY200406230151.html I believe there is a Japanese version.

It seems to me Marchesi received international attention but didn't succeed in Italy nor in Paris. Never having eaten his food, I can't speak to that. I'd like to read some knowledgable comments.