Bu Pun Su

Alain Passard, my favorite chef in the world, visited to Singapore (again) earlier this month to showcase his culinary flair at the Sentosa, a member of Beaufort hotel group. Whenever I got a chance to savor his cuisine, I usually do it without any 2nd thought. However, this time was a bit different as I had attended the art of dining event at Sukhothai Bangkok in April this year in which Chef Passard was cooking there. The doubt was even more when I observed the menu - 70% of the dishes looked the same. Anyway, as a huge fan of his delicious yet light & clean cuisine, I decided to still go – not for one, but two events. I will share my experiences interchangeably between the farewell dinner and Sunday brunch buffet (may include a few contrasts to my meal at the Sukhothai). The famous egg Dinner: it’s a certain thing that you will begin with this dish whenever you eat Passard’s cooking. This was the first time I ate this hot-cold egg in which the egg yolk was a bit too dominant; the reason was that they did not put enough cream & vinegar as well as maple syrup to show some contrast of sourness, sweetness and thick yolk Brunch: the same egg dish was perfectly fine and balanced – I saw the French lady cook meticulously prepared several eggs. I could clearly taste the sweet syrup and sour cream that mixed well with the yolk; seriously I ate 3 of them during the brunch Lobster Dinner: the lobster was well cooked, but there were plenty of problems at the dish. 1stly, the kitchen put too much salt & pepper on top of the turnip – very salty. 2ndly, my lobster only had minimal sweet/sour dressing that I could hardly tasted it; this was an issue since the New Zealand lobster inherently was not that flavorful. 3rdly, after asking for additional sauce, it had a rather strong olive oil flavor and only a little hint of sweet & sour Brunch: I was a bit surprised with uneveness from dinner, but again the good thing was that I had no issue on Sunday. The lobsters came from Brittany and Maine for the brunch and still alive. They put sufficient sauces which are balanced and no more salt/pepper – only a hint of rosemary, just nice. Basically, the lobster with sweet and sour sauce was great (I consumed 2 plates) Talking about homards, I was very fortunate that Alain Passard offered me a couple special dishes that he himself prepared for me. In addition to the standard buffet lobster, I ate 2 whole blue lobsters cooked by the world’s best chef J 1. Cooked with yellow wine sauce and served with smoked potatoes, fava beans and lobster's eggs – very delicious! This time chef Passard prepared the lobster with slightly stronger texture for the tail (the claw was more tender); the potato was nice though not at the level of the one from his garden. The wine sauce was just nice given it’s a rather last minute preparation – the one in L’Arpege was richer and tastier. Overall, still a very good dish and much better than any lobster dish you can get in Singapore restaurants 2. Grilled and served with lemon caviar (introducing a slight sour taste). The whole lobster was presented with its shell. Simple, but very tasty because the Brittany lobster is generally quite sweet. The key was to grill it with the right amount heat & time length to produce nice texture (not chewy) and brought out lobster’s inherent flavor Some people looked at me and perhaps were a bit ‘jealous’ at first. But then, when Passard came to my table several times and we had a few chats, then they kinda understood that I was his “special friend” (bonjour, cava mon ami – that’s how he greeted me in both Bangkok and Singapore) and “regular” at L’Arpege. Passard also gave special treatment to another table consisting of his apprentice, Gunther with wife and his other friends. Pumpkin veloute Dinner: compared to the first 2 dishes, this was the most perfecty executed this. The pumpkin soup was creamy, sweet but not cloying. But there was a slight problem; for my taste, they simply put lots of pumpkin veloute. The ratio of the pumpkin vs speck chantily was about 70:30. The ‘ham foam’ that’s supposed to reduce and provide flavor contrast was overly dominated by the pumpkin. The cashew was too few as well – I asked for extra nuts; only then it generate the desired crunchiness Bangkok: the La Scala team did a better job for this dish by putting 60:40 of pumpkin vs speck ratio. Furthermore, they also gave plenty of cashew nuts. This way, the intention of creating balanced dish with some texture & flavor contrast was achieved. Even better when you ate speck at Paris (served on top of veloute of green vegetables), it’s still like an “ice cream” and not that easily melt – some play with temperature contrast I forgot to mention that you will not see any dishes pictures for dinner – the restaurant was very dark and my camera was not good enough. After several attempts, I finally gave up Harlequin of vegetables Dinner: Arpege’s signature veggie dish. Quality wise, it’s as good as the one I had in Bangkok – fresh and they all tasted like what they’re supposed to be. The only difference was the quantity: the one in Singapore was only about 2/3 of the size of the same dish served in Bangkok and fewer varieries – not sure if it related to the Singapore’s import restriction. In Bangkok, chef Passard even could use some of vegetables planted by the Royal family – the King’s eldest daughter was also reported to attend Passard’s dinner at the Sukhothai. This dish was not available at brunch; probably because of the rigorous preparation Monkfish Dinner: the fish is perfectly grilled and served with geranium oil and lemon caviar. The texture was nice and it’s clean at our palate. Generally, it’s quite difficult to produce great Lotte dish without any sauce – hence, I find this dish it’s inferior to other Passard’s monkfish dishes such as the one served with mustard emulsion & hazelnut oil (in Paris) or served with yellow wine sauce & royal cabbage (in Bangkok) Brunch: while the preparation might not be as meticulous as the dinner’s dish, I kinda enjoyed the monkfish at brunch more. The grill fish was given some green tea seasoning on top and served with fava beans Duck Dinner: roasted duckling served with its juice, aubergine and carrot mousseline. While the duck was well seasoned, I didn’t really like it when they served it in thin slices (almost like the traditional duck pressed), moreover there was no skin at all. The duck jus was good, but again it’s only served too little that I had to ask for extra. Brunch: since they sliced in front of you, I asked the hotel’s sous chef to make it a bit thicker and make sure to include some skin. I like the purple beets served on the sides, but they’re slightly overcook hence became soft – a nice beetroot should be somewhat crunchy. Overall, it’s not bad at all. My preference still to have the duck served with hibiscus sauce and l’orange Poultry Brunch: Bresse chicken with savagnin wine was one of the dishes that ‘persuaded’ me to come for the Sunday buffet. The whole chicken looked inviting and one cook, brought from Paris, was dedicated at the poultry and monkfish station. He always cut the best part of either thigh or breast (yes, they ‘threw away’ plenty of chicken with edible wings). The verdict: the chicken was of good quality, but it lacks in seasoning especially the meat part. It’s hardly salty and had no salted buttery flavor at the meat – only the skin was good. The sauce was warm and quite fragrant, yet not that flavorful and rich. Creme brulee Dinner & brunch: Alain Passard loves making classic dessert with innovative/exotic flavors. This time was celeriac creme brulee – it was smooth with the right sweetness. I found that the black chocolate actually a bit hurt & messing up the creme brulee. At brunch, I decided to savor it again without the chocolate sauce and it was very good. Previously, I ate beetroot creme brulee in Bangkok and lemongrass flavor in Paris – both were equally tasty and interesting. Macaroons in L’Arpege also had unique taste such as with tomato and basil flavors. Red fruits and hibiscus soup Brunch: this was arguably the worst among “special dishes”. Honestly, I doubt Chef Passard guided/checked this dish. The fruits were average berries you can get in Singapore – definitely not the Japanese kind of fruits; worse was the hibiscus syrup – very sour, almost no sweetness and intense flavor. I can judge this with confidence because I had this dessert in L’Arpege previously that had been better than the one at the brunch Candied tomato Dinner & brunch: this caramelized tomato was consistent. The strong flavored tomato stuffed with 12 items was balanced with soft and not so sweet vanilla ice cream. It would be awesome if Passard someday could present his famous millefeuille during his overseas trip as guest chef During the Sunday brunch, besides Passard dishes, there were plenty other food to eat as well. For instance, I also savored the foie gras cooked a la minute but it was not good – the liver was dry; it got no rich and buttery flavor. The parma ham with rock melon was ok. I was too full to try the raw seafood items, salads, indian food section, and several different cheeses. The free flow of alcohol at 40s++ was quite a good value of money I think; I tasted all the wines except for the port. I truly enjoyed another meal and meeting with Alain Passard even though it’s probably my ‘weakest’ meals among chef Passard’s cooking outside Paris – referring to the dinner. I remembered during the Raffles food & wine event and Sukhothai art of dining, I saw plenty of managers + waiters in the dining room and chefs + cooks at the kitchen – they brought and dedicated the hotel’s best resources for the event’s success. The dinner at the Cliff, on the contrary, did not put the same effort .. it seemed that they only used that outlet’s resources. The most memorable part was of course the lobster dishes cooked by the master himself (during brunch) as well as some friendly conversations I had with him. I really wish I could return to L’Arpege, but with a married life and a baby – it could be quite challenging. I really appreciated when the chef said it was fine for me to bring my toddler to his restaurant in the future. I jokingly said probably we could sit at the “cave” downstair – quieter section, but he quickly responded: no, we are allowed to sit at the main dining room even with little kids. A great gesture by world’s best chef who almost always at the kitchen whenever you visit his one and only restaurant near Musee Rodin. Here are the pictures (from the brunch only) http://www.flickr.com/photos/7124357@N03/sets/72157632240173473/

I’m not sure where I should exactly put this review. I happened to find the info about Alain Passard visiting Bangkok in early April and the schedule fit in nicely with my overseas trip. As I tried to book for dinner, I was told it’s full but fortunately since I would dine alone, the F&B director could squeeze me in. I was actually lucky because later I learned that the event was supposed to be held in November 2011, but had been postponed due to flood. Whenever Chef Passard visits Asia, I will try my best to attend the event. Previously in 2008, I came to his lunch event at Raffles hotel Singapore. Food (and wine) – 95/100 Unlike the Raffles event in Singapore, the Sukhothai’s art of dining presented most of Alain Passard’s famous dishes. They tried hard to bring and prepare the exact same dishes that normally served at L’Arpege, the 3-star Michelin restaurant in Paris. Many of the ingredients were flown from France as well as Passard’s biodynamic garden (located in the north west of France). The dinner’s degustation menu consisted of eight dishes and for fun; I will show you also some of the dishes when they’re cooked at the Parisian kitchen 1st by now everyone should know that a meal with Chef Passard will always begin with his long-term signature dish: a poached egg served in its shell with xeres vinegar, maple syrup and a little salt as well as a layer of ‘sour’ cream. The dish displays an excellent balance of tangy vinegar and the sweet syrup; the egg was runny with velvety texture. There’s a nice ‘contrast’ of hot and cold elements from this dish – still my favorite egg dish of all time though it’s probably the 7th or 8th time I eat this 2nd Phuket lobster in sweet & sour dressing served with clear turnip and sprinkle of rosemary. I also had this dish with Maine lobster (during the Singapore lunch) and with Chausey Island homard (eating it at Paris – the best one). The turnip was crunchy and fresh; the sauce was well prepared – it had the right sweetness for my taste with a tad sour taste so not over powering. If there’s a ‘weakest’ link, I would say it’s the local lobster – somewhat very delicate (I prefer firmer texture) and not as sweet as the blue lobster type. Phuket lobster usually has thinner shell compared to its Atlantic version https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LArpegeParisFrance3rd4thVisit?noredirect=1#5294791160871784498 3rd Pumpkin veloute served with speck ham and cashew nut. I’m never a fan of anything relates to pumpkin but since it’s served by Alain Passard, I know it will not be disappointing. And true enough, I enjoyed this creamy pumpkin soup (not too thick, rather sweet and not cloying at all). The bacon foam reduced the soup’s rich flavor; the subtle addition of crunchy chopped cashew was a smart combination for the dish. 4th Monkfish in yellow wine sauce served with smoked potatoes and cabbage. The only time I ate Arpege’s Lotte was during my first meal there and instantly it became one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever eaten. The monkfish here is well prepared except the ‘side’ part was a bit burnt hence slightly bitter (you can check below when it’s cooked perfectly in Paris). Overall, the fish was meaty, juicy with firm texture. The sauce was fragrant and superb as I love high quality salted butter. The potatoes were a bit too dense (unlikely to be from his garden); the cabbage, grown via Royal project in Chiang mai, was sweet and tasty. All the elements worked nicely altogether – almost as delicious as the one below … https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LArpegeParisFrance1stVisit?noredirect=1#5270710702692861266 5th Chef’s vegetables arranged artistically served with Fine Semolina and Argan Oil. Many people visit L’Arpege these days for this dish. There are approximately 10 different vegetables (cherry tomato, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot; my favorite was the yellow beetroot) and each element tasted like how it’s supposed to taste or even better. The sauce was made of white onion, milk foam and some butter. The argan oil was nutty while the sprinkle of couscous gave contrast in texture. Among all the dishes in the tasting menu, I would say this dish resembled the most to the one prepared at L’Arpege except the portion was smaller. I was impressed with Passard’s ability to reproduce a delicious dish that’s about as good as its original version (given the vegetables would probably take a day or so to reach Bangkok from France) https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LArpegeParisFrance3rd4thVisit?noredirect=1#5294792920450021346 6th Duck from Challans served with Hibiscus sauce (cinnamon, cardamom and a special flower), yellow beet and ‘smashed orange peeled’. The duck was beautifully cut and tender; the only drawback was that it’s a bit dry. But the rich hibiscus sauce helped to moisten the delicious piece of duck breast meat. The beet root was still top notch https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LArpegeParisFrance5th6thVisit?noredirect=1#5610695395245648338 7th The end is near when the pre-dessert arrived. Another beet root dish – beetroot crème brulee to be exact. It’s very tasty and flavorful throughout, like it 8th Candied Tomatoes (pan fried I believe) stuffed with twelve flavors (some of the spices were ginger, vanilla, star anise, cinnamon, a few nuts, orange etc.) It’s accompanied by nice lemongrass ice cream with sprinkle to pistachio below. The caramelized tomato generated some sweet and sour flavor that was balanced by the smooth ice cream. I enjoy it more when the ‘tomato’ was more packed & dense https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LArpegeParisFrance1stVisit?noredirect=1#5270715381532640082 The tasting menu did a great job to show case Alain Passard’s talents and skills. There are, of course, much more delicious dishes that one should try in Rue de varenne. Overall, Chef Passard, with his 2 Arpege staffs as well as the assistance of La Scala teams, did a wonderful job for this event. It would be unrealistic to expect the meal to be at the level of Arpege Paris. I would give 95 pts for the food (2 ¾* by Michelin standard) – whereas my experiences in Paris usually comes close to ‘perfection’ I also had a wine-pairing with my meal here. The sommelier did a very good job generally. The most interesting pairing will be Arlequin of vegetables with 2005 Chateau Grand Mayne. I never expected the red wine to go along with veggie dish. The wine has classic aromas of blueberries, black currants & dried herbs; this fruit combination ‘matched well’ with many different vegetables flavors and aroma. The full-bodied and well-structured wine exhibits moderate tannin and overall harmony. Some other wines that I liked were 2007 Meursault Tillets domaine Verget and 2005 Muscat Grand cru domaine Zind Humbrecht. Service (and ambiance) – 93/100 The special event was held at La Scala, one of the most respected Italian restaurants in Bangkok. The design is innovative with open-kitchen concept in the center of the dining room. It’s very fun indeed to see many chefs work live in their stations. Chef Passard didn’t do much hands on that night; he mostly supervised and often cut the cooked duck – in fact, he was a bit busy with his I-phone =) The inside dining room was full house indeed. Bangkok is actually a good market for fine dining places. Like many other big events, there are more than enough staffs in the dining room. Sommelier, F&B director and restaurant managers were available to entertain guests. Even, a few of the waiters were Caucasians. There were all friendly, helpful, and seemed to enjoy their jobs. In Asia, it’s nearly impossible to have personalized service except if the managers or maitre d’ have worked at Europe’s 2-3 star Michelin restaurants. The napkin was not replaced even after you left for bath room twice. The dinner began at 7 PM and guests could go at their own pace. 1/3 of the diners in fact didn’t arrive until 8-830 PM. I was glad when Chef Passard greeted me, apparently he still remembered me from several visits in his Parisian restaurant some years ago. He looked slimmer and fitter nowadays. While his spoken English was rather limited (forget my French), Alain’s English understanding has improved a lot. When I got some chats with him before leaving the restaurant, the translator did not have to do his job. I was pleased to have the opportunity to savor his dishes once again and hopefully, I will be able to return to L’Arpege in the not so distant future Pictures of the dishes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7124357@N03/sets/72157630029877248/

Singapore never lacks of good Japanese restaurants such as Tetsuya, Shiraishi, or Aoki. The quality there is high, in fact better than most of HK’s Japanese places, but nothing is as spectacular as the latest and arguably the best resto to eat Japanese sushi/omakase in the island – Shinji by Kanesaka. The original branch is in the historic Raffles hotel while the 2nd branch just opened in OUE building. The meal here is not cheap and Singaporeans are usually not that friendly to restaurants that charge astronomical price – they will become more ‘demanding’ (Tokuoka and Savoy are some of the ‘victims’). To my surprised, many diners raved about Shinji’s food quality and experience; many say it’s worth the dollar. After visiting there for lunch at the other expense, I found that the sushi is nearly as good as sushi Jiro Ginza. Only then, I decided that I would like to try Shinji’s at its best – Omakase dinner. The event took place in April this year Food (and wine) - 94/100 The omakase mainly consisted of sashimi, cooked food and sushi. Here what I had, Sashimi: duo of uni was fantastic. It demonstrated the contrast of Murasaki uni (the long spikes) that is soft, moist and sweet vs Bafun uni (the short spikes) that has denser texture, but also delicious. Both uni were from Hokkaido. - I also enjoyed the “spiral” shell sashimi (called ‘chubu gai’?): it’s very crunchy, a bit sweet with sea flavor. Almost as tasty as akagai sushi. The Chutoro was smooth and melting the mouth. Additionally, I also ate: kinmedai (red snapper), quite tasty and fatty for white fish; bonito (it looks like tuna but tasted differently) with ponzu sauce; hotaru ika with its liver – ok. Cooked dishes: uni rice served with negi toro and ikura is excellent, my favorite dish at Shinji. A generous portion of uni mixed with sushi rice to produce creamy and golden 'risotto'. The salmon roe was sweet, nicely burst in my mouth; the toro with chopped spring onions & freshly grated wasabi enhanced the overall experience of this delicious dish - Another wonderful cooked item would be awabi chawanmushi: the high quality abalone is from Chiba prefecture; good texture and a bit chewy. On the contrary, the chawanmushi was warm and smooth. This dish went very well with cold sake. Furthermore, Shinji also served cooked botan ebi in 3 ways: the savory egg, the head (sweet & crispy) and the tail (tender & delightful - the best part); tofu skin with kekani was fragrant and savory, like the ‘sweet & sour’ sauce; the grilled sardine with radish ponzu was alright Sushi: Among the 3 parts, sushi time is my favorite part. I really love the uni, among the best I’ve ever had – it’s ethereal, fresh, creamy and sweet. The akagai was also delicious, pure and crunchy. And lastly the kuruma ebi was savory and with nice texture. - Both the chutoro and otoro were very good – but I rememberd that my lunch version here was better. The anago was about at the Jiro level, I got a very generous portion this time. For the rests, the chef gave me shima aji, aji, zuke, kohada, tuna roll (I’m not a fan of this, especially when I eat lots of food) and tamago. Urasawa is the only place I can think of that’s worthy of Kanesaka’s comparison. Normally, the sushi quality of a restaurant can be measured by its tamago. At shinji, the tamago is served cold, sweet and not too soft. By virtue of the tamago, Urasawa (at Beverly Hills) won – more moist and spongy as if I ate a cake. However, I had to say that Shinji served slightly better sushi than Urasawa. (Sushi: If I grade Shinji sushi A, then Urasawa will be A-). How about the non-sushi dishes? Urasawa is better in this department IMHO; Hiro-san is more creative and personally I enjoy his kaiseki better than the sushi part. Nothing wrong with Shinji Singapore, but if you’ve been to Urasawa then you will know what I’m talking about. (Non sushi: If I grade Urasawa kaiseki A, then Shinji will be B+) I also had small portion of sake served in a flask – Kokuryu Kozuryu, it’s medium dry and a bit sweet at the beginning. Though it’s more famous for its hot sake, but since it’s Singapore, I take it cold. The Shinji’s omakase is indeed very good and tasty; it deserved 2 ½* by Michelin standard – it ranks in the top 2 among the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever visit, outside Japan’s of course. The sushi served here is Edomae style aka traditional; in short forget about eating salmon, mayo, or cooked/marinated fishes Service (and ambiance) - 93/100 The staffs are friendly and helpful. Since the restaurant is small (only about 20 people in the main dining room served by 3 sushi chefs), they are ready to response to whatever need you have but they don’t know much about the food. So, the other aspect of the Shinji’s hospitality is actually coming from the chefs. In spite of some English limitation, all chefs make conscious effort to communicate with their guests whether informative, small talks or even a few jokes. It could be a new experience for some guests, but again the Urasawa comparison fits in – Hirosan also entertain his guests throghout the entire meal. By the way, both places remember repeat guests quite well Like many other Japanese sushi high end place, the dining room may look deceptively simple. The most amazing part is the main sushi counter that’s singularly carved from more than 200-year-old Japanese cypress tree. I learned that most of the restaurant’s wood and paper materials for furnishing were brought from Japan as well. Essentially, everything in this restaurant is imported from Japan (the fishes and seafood, the dining room materials as well as the sushi chefs/a few waiters). Oh, the interior designer is the talented Junzo Irikado. Thus, what’s the verdict of Shinji Singapore vs Urasawa Beverly Hills? It’s indeed a tough call, but I’m slightly more in favor of Urasawa due to the kaiseki part. Urasawa will be about S$ 50 more expensive but there you will get 8-9 kaiseki dishes, 20 pieces of sushi, and 2 desserts whereas Shinji Omakase’s shin, you will receive 9-10 sashimi/cooked dishes combined, 12 pieces of sushi and a dessert. I think Urasawa provides ‘better’ value of money as well. Anyway, will I return to Shinji? Certainy whenever I have the money and when someone treats me J Singapore is a lot closer too than US For the dishes’ pictures: Singapore never lacks of good Japanese restaurants such as Tetsuya, Shiraishi, or Aoki. The quality there is high, in fact better than most of HK’s Japanese places, but nothing is as spectacular as the latest and arguably the best resto to eat Japanese sushi/omakase in the island – Shinji by Kanesaka. The original branch is in the historic Raffles hotel while the 2nd branch just opened in OUE building. The meal here is not cheap and Singaporeans are usually not that friendly to restaurants that charge astronomical price – they will become more ‘demanding’ (Tokuoka and Savoy are some of the ‘victims’). To my surprised, many diners raved about Shinji’s food quality and experience; many say it’s worth the dollar. After visiting there for lunch at the other expense, I found that the sushi is nearly as good as sushi Jiro Ginza. Only then, I decided that I would like to try Shinji’s at its best – Omakase dinner Food (and wine) - 94/100 The omakase mainly consisted of sashimi, cooked food and sushi. Here what I had, Sashimi: duo of uni was fantastic. It demonstrated the contrast of Murasaki uni (the long spikes) that is soft, moist and sweet vs Bafun uni (the short spikes) that has denser texture, but also delicious. Both uni were from Hokkaido. - I also enjoyed the “spiral” shell sashimi (called ‘chubu gai’?): it’s very crunchy, a bit sweet with sea flavor. Almost as tasty as akagai sushi. The Chutoro was smooth and melting the mouth. Additionally, I also ate: kinmedai (red snapper), quite tasty and fatty for white fish; bonito (it looks like tuna but tasted differently) with ponzu sauce; hotaru ika with its liver – ok. Cooked dishes: uni rice served with negi toro and ikura is excellent, my favorite dish at Shinji. A generous portion of uni mixed with sushi rice to produce creamy and golden 'risotto'. The salmon roe was sweet, nicely burst in my mouth; the toro with chopped spring onions & freshly grated wasabi enhanced the overall experience of this delicious dish - Another wonderful cooked item would be awabi chawanmushi: the high quality abalone is from Chiba prefecture; good texture and a bit chewy. On the contrary, the chawanmushi was warm and smooth. This dish went very well with cold sake. Furthermore, Shinji also served cooked botan ebi in 3 ways: the savory egg, the head (sweet & crispy) and the tail (tender & delightful - the best part); tofu skin with kekani was fragrant and savory, like the ‘sweet & sour’ sauce; the grilled sardine with radish ponzu was alright Sushi: Among the 3 parts, sushi time is my favorite part. I really love the uni, among the best I’ve ever had – it’s ethereal, fresh, creamy and sweet. The akagai was also delicious, pure and crunchy. And lastly the kuruma ebi was savory and with nice texture. - Both the chutoro and otoro were very good – but I rememberd that my lunch version here was better. The anago was about at the Jiro level, I got a very generous portion this time. For the rests, the chef gave me shima aji, aji, zuke, kohada, tuna roll (I’m not a fan of this, especially when I eat lots of food) and tamago. Urasawa is the only place I can think of that’s worthy of Kanesaka’s comparison. Normally, the sushi quality of a restaurant can be measured by its tamago. At shinji, the tamago is served cold, sweet and not too soft. By virtue of the tamago, Urasawa (at Beverly Hills) won – more moist and spongy as if I ate a cake. However, I had to say that Shinji served slightly better sushi than Urasawa. (Sushi: If I grade Shinji sushi A, then Urasawa will be A-). How about the non-sushi dishes? Urasawa is better in this department IMHO; Hiro-san is more creative and personally I enjoy his kaiseki better than the sushi part. Nothing wrong with Shinji Singapore, but if you’ve been to Urasawa then you will know what I’m talking about. (Non sushi: If I grade Urasawa kaiseki A, then Shinji will be B+) I also had small portion of sake served in a flask – Kokuryu Kozuryu, it’s medium dry and a bit sweet at the beginning. Though it’s more famous for its hot sake, but since it’s Singapore, I take it cold. The Shinji’s omakase is indeed very good and tasty; it deserved 2 ½* by Michelin standard – it ranks in the top 2 among the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever visit, outside Japan’s of course. The sushi served here is Edomae style aka traditional; in short forget about eating salmon, mayo, or cooked/marinated fishes Service (and ambiance) - 93/100 The staffs are friendly and helpful. Since the restaurant is small (only about 20 people in the main dining room served by 3 sushi chefs), they are ready to response to whatever need you have but they don’t know much about the food. So, the other aspect of the Shinji’s hospitality is actually coming from the chefs. In spite of some English limitation, all chefs make conscious effort to communicate with their guests whether informative, small talks or even a few jokes. It could be a new experience for some guests, but again the Urasawa comparison fits in – Hirosan also entertain his guests throghout the entire meal. By the way, both places remember repeat guests quite well Like many other Japanese sushi high end place, the dining room may look deceptively simple. The most amazing part is the main sushi counter that’s singularly carved from more than 200-year-old Japanese cypress tree. I learned that most of the restaurant’s wood and paper materials for furnishing were brought from Japan as well. Essentially, everything in this restaurant is imported from Japan (the fishes and seafood, the dining room materials as well as the sushi chefs/a few waiters). Oh, the interior designer is the talented Junzo Irikado. Thus, what’s the verdict of Shinji Singapore vs Urasawa Beverly Hills? It’s indeed a tough call, but I’m slightly more in favor of Urasawa due to the kaiseki part. Urasawa will be about S$ 50 more expensive but there you will get 8-9 kaiseki dishes, 20 pieces of sushi, and 2 desserts whereas Shinji Omakase’s shin, you will receive 9-10 sashimi/cooked dishes combined, 12 pieces of sushi and a dessert. I think Urasawa provides ‘better’ value of money as well. Anyway, will I return to Shinji? Certainy whenever I have the money and when someone treats me J Singapore is a lot closer too than US For the dishes’ pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/ShinjiKanesakaSingapore#

McD and KFC are arguably the most popular fast-food chain in the world consistently delivering their food that tastes pretty much the same wherever you are. Is it possible to do the same in the high-end dining? In the mid-level, we may know Cheesecake Factory. Joel Robuchon, the most decorated chef, has shown that it’s do-able to open fine dining franchise with his L’Atelier. Even more amazing is that Chef Robuchon doing that with his gastronomy place – Joel Robuchon restaurant (there are currently 4 of them world wide – the latest just opened last year in Singapore). His step has been followed by Pierre Gagnaire whereas Alain Ducasse only does the same with his chic Spoon and bistro Benoit Food (and wine) – 95/100 Having been to all Robuchon’s fine dining places, it’s known that all of these places serving > 50% of exactly the same dishes. His latest restaurant, located in Resort world sentosa, is lead by a Japanese chef called Tomonori Danzaki. His resume includes working with Robuchon for nearly 20 years as well as becoming Chef de cuisine at Robuchon mansion in Vegas. With this, I know I will be in good hand when having my meal here. I was a bit picky with the tasting menu since I would like to try as many new dishes as possible. The staffs were helpful and the chef was flexible to accommodate my request in advance. If you often read my review, you can expect that I will order the long degustation menu (14-course), don’t worry most dishes were quite small actually, Below is the short summary on what I ate, The top dishes for my meals were (Crispy soft boiled egg served with smoked salmon and oscetra caviar) - One of Robuchon's signature dishes. The warm and runny egg-yolk was 'absorbed & balanced' by the salty salmon and briny caviar (served in generous portion). The crunchy pastry also soaked up the soft egg and the cauliflower cream below. (Homemade spaghetti served with soft poached eggs and shaved Alba white truffle) - An excellent dish. It seemed straightforward yet impressive. The al dente spaghetti was around the poached egg. To make the most out of it: break the egg yolk and mixed it together with the pasta, cream sauce and the white truffle. Then enjoy this delicious dish and its texture and temperature contrast. The stronger the truffle, the better the dish The other dishes with caviar and Alba truffle were alright, but not as spectacular as above. I referred to sweet and chilled corn veloute with sour cream and caviar (Robuchon has done much better caviar-based dish). Also, I quite enjoyed the combination of earthy potato, rich foie gras carpaccio and shaved truffle. In addition, I also had ‘repeated’ dishes (I had them at other Robuchon before) such as scallop with fregola in coral emulsion – the ‘sauce’ is consistently good, but the US scallop was not that sweet and inferior to Hokkaido/Brittany version. The chef also prepared sole with lemongrass and citrus. Normally, this dish will be prepared with sea bass (more flavorful and better texture) and indeed Le Bar > Le Sole for this kind of preparation. For the main course, I had a perfectly cook Wagyu beef cooked on rock salt. The beef was delicious except the skin part a bit too salty – I was told that the rib-eye was cook on top of bacon. The desserts a Robuchon are generally very good; these were not exceptions. I had Smooth passion fruit served with dark rum granite and light coconut foam - A great tropical dessert showcasing different flavors: sour passion fruit cream, sweet coconut and bitter rum granite. Overall, it's very refreshing AND Chuao chocolate served with sesame seeds biscuit and Sicilia pistachio - The chuao cocoa (from Venezuela) was awesome combined well with the biscuit below. Eat the pistachio ice cream before it quickly melted. I had a few glasses of wine for the pairing, but the Sommelier was kind enough to give me one extra glass free of charge. Eating lots of courses can be quite tricky at times. The more dishes you have, the more ‘mistakes’ the kitchen is likely to make. Well, there wasn’t any disaster dish I ate but not many of them were that fantastic – they’re consistently good and tasty. Although chef Danzaki could be the least experience chef compared to chef Verzeroli, Semblat and Le Tohic, I confidently say that the meal at Robuchon Singapore is every bit as good as at other Robuchon establishments. However, I don’t yet experience my meals at Robuchon reaching the level of Ledoyen or Le Meurice, let alone compared to Gagnaire Paris/L’Arpege … Nevertheless, I gave this place 95 pts (equivalent of 2 ½* by Michelin guide) Service (and ambiance) – 95/100 If there’s one thing that Robuchon Singapore is more superior than the other Robuchon’s places I’ve visited, it will be its hospitality. The staffs are professional, friendly and enthusiastic – they never forget to replace my napkin or refill my water. The Filipino maitre d’ that attended my table was excellent; unlike other Filipinos I’ve encountered in Singapore, this young gentleman is passionate, informative and sincere. He used to work at hotel’s F&B (Raffles Singapore and Burj Al Arab) prior to coming here, too bad that I didn’t ask his name. Since the restaurant was rather empty, I was often served by the manager and the sommelier themselves – both are from France. I wasn’t really sure why, but in terms of restaurant service, French-style hospitality is the best. Possibly they’re not only professional, but also loved fine cuisine themselves. Moreover, they’ve dined at many top Michelin places in France and Europe and thus know how to deliver top notch service themselves. The restaurant’s ambiance is greatly influenced by Robuchon Vegas except it’s much more spacious. You will find the black and white marble checkerboard at its foyer, rest rooms as well as kitchen. There’s also a more private section called “winter garden” with a giant tree in the middle, but don’t worry it’s not an open space. The attention to details extends to its meticulous décor of the guest’s tables. The best part was that everything was brand new. Overall, it’s a satisfying 4-hour dinner experience. By using Michelin lenient standard in Asia ex Japan/Europe, this place should easily get 3-star accolade should the red guide decide to come to Singapore in the future. More detailed reviews: Robuchon Sgpr winter '11 review Pictures of the dishes: Robuchon winter pictures

Thanks for reading Luckily, I didn't pay Sgd 700+ for this meal I was waiting until the price reduced since I was pessimistic the restaurant could charge such exorbitant price and survive. True enough, they reduce the price into Sgd 400+ (still expensive though ...) They had lunch special at Sgd 100+ if not mistaken, but alas before I had a chance to try it the restaurant was closed - possibly for good unfortunately

Kunio Tokuoka is arguably one of the most respected chefs in Japan, in particular in the field of traditional kaiseki. This should be no wonder as he’s the 3rd generation chef of a legendary Kyoto kaiseki restaurant called Kitcho. When he decided to open his first ever restaurant outside Japan a couple years ago, it created a stir among many Japanese food lovers in Singapore. It went both ways: it’s exciting to know that a legendary chef opening gastronomy place in this small island. On the contrary, it makes many people frown upon knowing the price tag of SGD 750++ for 7-course (about JPY 45-50K) - almost the equivalent of chef Tokuoka’s flagship restaurant in Kyoto. Deep breath … Food (and wine) - 92/100 Well, the review has been mixed, but slanted towards more negative reviews. With such astronomical price, of course I would not go. Several months passed by, the restaurant’s business happened to be not that good … until to the point they reduced the price by 40+%. At that point, there was still a little doubt, but I was not sure when I would fly to Japan. Anyway, I went here – the reservation is easy by the way, no CC guarantee whatsoever. After adjusting a couple dishes, I went for a kaiseki course. Here some of my dishes: The dishes that I love are, - Wagyu beef served on lava stone - The tender Kagoshima beef was prepared 2 ways: left one was with teriyaki sauce (deliciously burst in my mouth) while the right one was seasoned with salt & pepper - marbled and oily. The side dishes were shiitake, pumpkin and pepper. Be careful not too overcook the beef - simple yet excellent, hard to go wrong with any A5 wagyu - Green bean rice topped with Abalone, sea urchin and caviar - The best part was the sliced of succulent abalone in perfect texture with its delicious liver sauce. The Hokkaido uni (again) easily matched the briny caviar. However, the rice grains were surprisingly terrible - sticky and tasteless, I always thought that Japanese rice is the best. But the abalone managed to compensate it - Matcha shaved ice - The pyramid-like shaved ice was carefully prepared and it generates excellent taste and texture. I love the rich and bitter green tea on soft ice ... there's also red pearl with sweet bean jam - very good, deserved to be one of Kunio’s signature desserts. And this makes any shaved ice in Singapore paled in comparison 3 great dishes in 7 courses can be considered very well already The rests of the dishes were not bad, but perhaps I expected more – to be wowed perhaps. The chawanmushi was smooth and silky with generous portion of uni; the sashimi served several portions of excellent toro (the salmon was ordinary, thus unnecessary). There’s an ‘innovative’ dish for my appetizer - Lightly blackened Ise lobster served with wasabi-soy sauce flavor with grated yam - The premium lobster (the portion was too small) was charcoal-seared to give a slight 'burnt' taste and flavor - good. The 'porridge' was like a thick rice grain, light in taste and had no smell. Interesting, but not really like it To accompany my meal, I ordered a small portion of sake served in tokkuri – Hokusetsu (located in Sado and is known for its harsh winters) Daiginjo YK35. The (cold) sake was a bit sweet and wonderfully smooth, even enjoyable to consume it on its own. The food quality was high, but not yet worth a trip to Singapore for the sole purpose of dining here. The kitchen created and executed dishes based on a mixture of traditional and innovative technique. Some worked great, but a few not so. The chefs need to be more consistent. I gave my kaiseki meal here - 92/100 (low 2 ¼* by Michelin standard). Does it worth the price tag? I would rather spend this amount at Waku Ghin … Service (and ambiance) - 93/100 Red and black dominated the color of the zen-like dining room. The décor is modern minimalist, a bit dark with generous spaces between tables. The restaurant was quiet on the day I ate there – about 5 of us if not mistaken. The manager, Suzuki-san, rendered the service well; he’s kind, knowledgeable and always tried to accommodate the diners’ needs. He used to work at Nobu NY before going through about 6 months apprenticeship at Kitcho Kyoto. It’s unfortunate that the restaurant was closed at the 3rd quarter of 2011 – they claimed to undergo renovation. I believe it’s due to poor business. I was surprised to know that it did not belong to the casino. I think currently the RWS would take over and support this place … I’m not sure when they will re-open For the dishes’ pictures: Tokuoka '11

In the past few years, I’ve been amazed by the development of culinary experiences in Singapore. The Merlion island is always behind Hong Kong pretty much in lots of different aspects. However, it may not be the case anymore, in particular talking about the non-Chinese gastronomy food. The big names such as Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Kunio Tokuoka etc. decided to open their ‘serious’ restaurants here. Some of you may have known that the latest invasion of famous chefs also includes Tetsuya Wakuda – arguably the best chef in Australia. He opened a restaurant called Waku Ghin. Unlike Robuchon or Savoy, Tetsuya chose to open one that’s not a copy cat of his Sydney restaurant. I haven’t been to his Sydney’s establishment, hence cannot compare between the two Food (and wine) – 94/100 There’s only one menu available (Japanese ‘omakase’ style) – 10 courses degustation menu. I would say the cuisine is inspired by Japanese and with some influence of French technique. The food is generally light and clean, but still delicious. For 1st visitor, they will usually serve a series of their signature dishes with a few seasonal items. Some of the memorable dishes I ate are (based on 2 separate visits), - Botan ebi, uni and caviar: the restaurant’s signature dish is a must have one. The uni was velvety sweet that enhanced the shrimp’s sweetness and texture; the caviar’s brininess showed some contrast. This was a decadent and rich dish without any bad after taste. Excellent! - Alaskan king crab: a simple dish, focusing on the crab’s tender texture and inherent taste. The crab was cooked under a copper pan, with some lemon scented olive oil. It’s hard to find any fault on this dish, a fine example of tasty and clean dish - Ohmi wagyu beef: great Japanese food identical with fresh seafood and top quality beef. The beef was marbled, rich and delicious. A freshly grated wasabi and the ‘ponzu’ sauce give another dimension of an already wonderful stuff. Again, another simple but delicious dish - Don’t expect elaborate dessert preparation like in many European 3-star restaurants. Both the cheesecake (light with some mild lemon curd) and chocolate mousse (rich with exceptional chocolate quality) demanded your full attention. I will show some ‘contrast’ of my abalone and lobster dishes – the basic cooking are the same except the side dishes and sauces were not - Abalones Tasmanian Abalone served with Polenta, Tomato and Garlic cream - The 'greenlip' abalone was still alive. It had beautiful texture with right chewiness. The side dishes represented the summer spirit with fresh cherry tomato and cream's sourness. VS Australian Abalone served with Fregola and Tomato - Italian-influence dish. The charred 3-year old abalone was firm yet not rubbery, with subtle sweetness. The basil-laced fregola was delicate and worked well with tomato's acidity. Love the refreshing 'soup' - this dish was better than the abalone with polenta version - Lobsters Braised Canadian Lobster with Tarragon - The lobster was lightly cooked to produce right texture. The 'sauce', generating deep flavor, was not too rich but very tasty; the broth consisted of lobster bisque, olive oil, tarragon and butter. Great dish in generous portion VS Braised Canadian Lobster served with Couscous and Tagine spice - This dish has Moroccan's flavor. Lobster's claw was a bit too soft while its tail was perfectly cooked. The couscous was good, but the 'stock' (lobster's juice, long pepper and paprika cream) was somewhat very tense. It's hard to go wrong with lobster, but I prefer the one with Tarragon I truly enjoy both of my meals here. The restaurant usually remembers you after the first visit – I suspected that’s why they re-assigned Chef Yagawa to cook for me again on my 2nd visit. It’s a bit unusual that in one Teppan room, there are 2 chefs. I suppose they want to make it more personal for me. I usually give grade to my meals, and this ones were 94/100 (solid 2 ½* by Michelin standard) – seriously, this score was about the equivalent of my meal at Alinea Chicago, Le Bristol Paris and La Pergola Rome Service (and ambiance) – 93/100 The service is typical Asian – friendly, courteous but hardly personal. The service staffs are dominated by Filipinos (who are usually kind and helpful) and a few Japanese who used to work at Tetsuya’s Sydney. The décor is simplistic with some wooden panel and cold steel. The interesting part will be the dining concept itself. Diners may begin their aperitifs at “the caviar lounge”, then they will enjoy their appetizers and main courses at the Teppan room (there are 3 of them, and each seated about 6 guests). Lastly, to wind down and enjoying desserts, diners are seated at the high-ceiling main dining room that has a beautiful view of Singapore sky-line in the evening. I think it’s already time for Michelin to finally come to Singapore. There’re many good restaurants here, and this place may put serious challenge to HK’s dining scene (especially at 2-3 star levels). I’m confident Waku Ghin deserved at least a 2-star award (with a slight chance to push it to 3 as Michelin’s non-Europe edition tends to be lenient) More detailed reviews: Waku Ghin '11 Pictures of the dishes: Waku Ghin dishes

In terms of individual awards the chefs could receive, I could not recall someone is more successful than Ritz Paris’ executive chef – Michel Roth (the recipients of Bocuse d’or, Meilleur ouvrier de France and Chevalier de la legion d’honneur). Actually, he missed one thing – the most popular honor: 3-star Michelin. I’ve been wondering how come a chef like Michel Roth failed to win Michelin’s highest honor. I had a chance to savor his cuisine in Dec ‘10 Food (and wine) - 92/100 Michel Roth, along with chef de cuisine Arnaud Faye, delivers classic French cuisine based on seasonal fine products at Ritz’s signature restaurant – L’Espadon. My fiancée and I ordered discovery menu; we had different main course and dessert. Here are the short comments of the dishes, - The langoustine carpaccio and chilled crab happen to be average and a bit cloying; I like the prawn crust and vegetable consommé better - I like Roth’s version of lobster thermidor. The lobster was firm and slightly sweet, integrated well with the sauce (a mixture of lobster's juice, tarragon and mustard) and supported by tasty mushroom fricassee. A classic dish with extensive preparation indeed - Roasted scallops with potato gnocchis. The plum scallop with truffle mousse was actually delicious, but it's just a tad overcooked. I find the gnocchi was too rich Main course - Mine: Beef fillet in Rossini style. A traditional French dish with heavy flavor. It's rather disappointing since the beef, cooked medium, was a bit tough and not juicy - the flavor was not there either. The 'cappuccino' mashed potato was fragrant and quite good, but not too 'smooth - My fiancee’s: Lamb saddle glazed. She said the lamb, with thin layers of fat, was tender and scrumptious. I tried and confirmed it's indeed very flavorful. The egg plant and onions were not too bad. This is worth at least 2.5* - I have not had selection of French matured cheese for quite sometimes prior to this meal … I had Tomme crayeuse d'Annecy (cow - nutty cheese), Abondance (firm with distinct flavor), Camembert au Calvados (relatively fragrant), Boulette d'Avesnes (strong taste with spicy texture) served with walnut & raisin bread, fig and apricot Desserts - Mine: Millefeuille a la Ritz. The puff pastry went along with light creme Chibouste (normal cream lighted with meringue). The salt, thankfully, turned down the caramel's sweetness. Not on the L'Arpege's level yet, but slightly better than Cote St. Jacques' version - My fiancee’s: Imperial tangerines with almonds and citrus. After eating many dishes with intense flavor, this would be the perfect way to close the meal. Light, a bit sweet and easy to digest L’espadon, as expected, has many exceptional vintages in its wine cellar. I went simple for the wines – 2 glasses only: ’08 Chassagne-Montrachet and ’06 Clos de l’Oratoire (lovely and tasty). After this meal, I can understand why it’s not 3-star. The dishes are not really outstanding and somewhat inconsistent. Even for the classical dish (with rustic preparation) is not perfectly executed (L’Ambroisie and Ledoyen are the best in classical preparation and execution). While there are many good dishes, none of them was really memorable that I want to return and have those dishes. In my notes, the food here is 92 pts (2 ¼*); Michelin got it right. The kitchen team is more likely to work hard to keep the 2-star than chasing for the 3rd one. Service (and ambiance) - 95/100 L’Espadon is one of a few restaurants I’ve visited in which the service is more spectacular than the food itself (the other one I could recall clearly will be Genyana Hamadaya Tokyo). The dining room staffs successfully deliver impeccable service; they are very friendly and informative. Despite working for one of the most luxurious restaurants in town, they’re professional without being arrogant – they always smile and look excited to serve their guests. The atmosphere here is exquisite with opulent décor. One can be dazzled by the trompe l’oeil ceilings; there are also luxurious mirrors, gilts and drapes. During our dinner, the most outstanding piece will be a giant Christmas tree located in the center of the dining room (please see the picture below). Overall, it’s still a pleasant meal if you’re not too picky about the dishes. I give 93/100 for our dining experience here (2 ¼* equivalent to Michelin standard) For the dishes’ pictures: l'Espadon early winter

As one of the major cities in the States, I find it surprising that San Francisco does not really have any “best” restaurants. The restaurants that many foodies love in the Bay area happen to be located off SF, such as French Laundry, Manresa, and Ubuntu. Gary Danko or Fleur de Lys does not really make the ‘cut’. During my SF trip in 2010, my friend and I made a last minute decision to try something fancy and Coi, located on financial district, was possibly the best choice available (Benu by Corey Lee may have improved SF dining scenes) Food (and wine) – 90/100 Coi does not leave you with any choice on what to eat – only 11-course tasting menu was available. Price wise, it’s not too bad but we knew that each dish will be quite small. The meal here focused on a combination of local aromatic ingredients, inventive flavors and beautiful to gaze upon. Obviously, the kitchen labored very hard to produce the dish. However, what matters is always the palate which is usually very subtle and relatively clean/light here. We did not have any dish that’s outstanding, however there’re a few that we thought nice. - the geoduck clam has firm texture, combined with crunchy almond in the background and refreshing cucumber - ‘Spring’ dish has beautiful plating, inside we would taste fresh pea soup along with decent butter milk mousse - my favorite dish was butter-roasted morels (from Oregon). The morels are flavorful, integrated by tarragon. The fava beans showed some nice contrast - it’s hard to go really wrong with slow-cooked farm egg (with runny yolk). The star happened to be the ‘buckwheat soup’ and shiitake, not the egg itself The main course (beef tartare) was rather disappointing. The beef, while containing some fat, was rather sour. When I saw roasted young carrots with radish powder and sprouts, they looked beautiful and interesting. However, the carrots were too soft and not that flavorful (I had imagined tasting similar carrots served by Passard, perhaps it’s an unfair comparison as Arpege probably served the best carrots in the world). The dessert was quite pleasant; we got smooth & sweet white chocolate pudding contrast with sour and ‘crunchy’ blueberries and lemon verbena. The food served by Chef Daniel Patterson is clearly not for everyone. You need to be able to appreciate the unique ingredients as well as the preparation’s complexity. The chef is probably still fine tuning his cooking and can definitely improve further. The food is in the level of 2-star (90 pts) and I know chef Patterson would work hard to keep these stars. I don’t see him to gain the 3rd one yet in the near future. Service (and ambiance) – 91/100 The décor at Coi, an intimate restaurant with 30 seats, is minimal and modern. It has no window and not-so-high ceiling, generating calm atmosphere (as the name of “Coi” suggests - tranquil). The service is professional with staffs that are competent and diligent, the napkins were always replaced and the water was filled all the time. But they don’t really ‘connect’ to the diners, just doing their jobs – hardly any meaningful conversation. The overall experience here is 90.5/100 and Michelin got it right with the 2-star Pictures of the dishes: Coi spring

I’ve never really expected that after a few US visits, my best restaurant will actually be Japanese. It’s located in the heart of 90210 shopping complex and it’s none other than Urasawa. Besides per se, Urasawa is the only ‘serious’ restaurant that I’ve visited more than once in the States. While the kitchen team in per se may often change and Thomas Keller doesn’t always be there, Urasawa is a lot ‘safer’ since the chef-owner will always be around – hence the quality and consistency is more guaranteed. And indeed, they never disappoint after my 3 visits in ’09-11 Food (and wine) - 96/100 Some of the memorable ‘kaiseki’ course I ate there are - The seared toro with ankimo, turnip, caviar and yuzu dressing. Along with the shabu2, it’s probably the most popular dishes at Urasawa. The dish is balanced in which fatty tuna mixed well with creamy liver and caviar's brininess, the sauce is light enough not to dominate the dish I will not claim I’m very knowledgeable in Japanese food, but I think I know enough. Yet, I’ve never eaten any sesame ‘tofu’ and houba yaki dishes except here. - The goma dofu, a traditional Kyoto dish, integrates the light sesame flavor and uni’s creaminess. The dashi and wasabi will add more depth to this interesting dish - Houba yaki is none other than dishes prepared on magnolia leaf that are served with Tama miso (grilled sesame paste with sake & sugar) sauce. Mine consists of Santa Barbara shrimp, Hokkaido scallop and Kobe beef The rich and delectable beef goes perfectly with the miso's flavor, the prawn is juicy and crisp, the scallop is delicate. The sauce is pleasantly sweet, but not cloying - Matsuzaka Beef Tartar served with Russian Caviar, Pickled radish and Red bell pepper. It produces one of the best single bite in my life. The beef is sweet and decadent supported by generous portion of caviar's saltiness, the pepper is enjoyably tangy. - The chawan mushi is also creatively prepared by Hiro-san. This time the egg custard is erved with Ikura (Salmon roes), shrimp, mushroom, Ginko, squash, gold leaf and Italian summer truffles. This dish is not only beautifully presented, but also very tasty - the texture is smooth and silky, complex with some tang and briny elements while the truffle is not too bad - Dessert is not usually the strong aspect at Urasawa, but somehow I quite enjoyed the sesame ice cream served with Summer truffle and gold flake. The ice cream is rich and creamy, worked well with the earthy truffles I will not go into much detail about the nigiri sushi I had (please take a look at the pictures on the link below). You will get about 20 pieces here and the order of serving may not always be the same. However, I notice some pattern is that Urasawa-san will serve the fish having the “softest” texture first with ‘warmest’ rice (usually 170-180 grains). As guest enjoy the meal, the fish’s texture will become firmer and firmer, then come the seafood-part. The sushi-omakase part at Urasawa is also the best sushi I’ve ever tasted in the US overall (even better than Yasuda, Gari, Azabo and Oya). After 3 wonderful meals at Urasawa, I’m thinking perhaps it’s the right time to try dining at Urasawa’s mentor – Masa at Time Warner in the future. It’s not yet reaching the high of Gagnaire or Passard in my note, but I’m gladly give 96 pts (high 2 ¾*) to Urasawa. If by US Michelin standard, mediocre restaurants such as le bernardin and eleven Madison park can get the highest accolade, without doubt Urasawa got to be a 3-star establishment as well. Service (and ambiance) - 94/100 As far as the service is concerned, actually Hiro Urasawa himself is the ultimate host. He's always friendly, gracious and accommodating to all guests, whether you are a regular or first timer. I considered myself blessed that I've always been seated in front of Urasawa-san including the last visit with my wife even though we're about an hour late (we reached there almost 8 PM). When I ate alone, he would happily initiate a conversation. Additionally, he would not let any guest go to the restroom or leave the restaurant without having someone open the door for him/her. It may seem like a small gesture, but this kind of thoughtfulness (besides the delicious food) is the very thing that creates a memorable dining experience. The rest of the staffs are alright, but do not expect to engage/having many conversations with them. The overall experience is very pleasant and satisfying (95.5/100 – 2 ¾* by Michelin standard). You will spend at least 3 hours in this temple of Japanese haute cuisine and leave happy & satiating =) For more detailed reviews: Urasawa review For the dishes’ pictures: Urasawa summer '10 & '11

For the Sunday options ... there is no better option than Pierre Gagnaire to splurge Keep your mind opens and let them know in advance about your husband's birthday party I'm sure they will make something special for you Not forgetting that it will be black truffle season and they might have some "Game stuffs" left All the best for the Paris experience in January About Pre Catelan, I've never been there But the general perception is that it's not the best among the 3-star in Paris The dishes are very pleasing to the eyes, but not so much in the palate

I always make a habit that whenever I visit Paris, in addition to 3-star restaurants, I will visit one 2-star place. In the winter of last year, we visited Michel Rostang – a restaurant which is full of tradition and history. It’s hardly on my radar except some people said I should give it a chance during the black truffle season Food (and wine) - 90/100 The truffle menu was indeed quite extensive – there are almost as many dishes as the regular ones. I opened my meal by sharing the restaurant’s famous toasted sandwich with truffle and butter. What we had thought to be the highlight, it’s rather short of our expectation. While the bread is crusty, we thought the buttery flavor was weak. Even worse, the black truffle only filled in 50% of the bread surface area – no wonder it didn’t give much impact (I saw in other’s blog that the truffle was almost covered the whole sandwich) My next dish turned out to be better: tasty purple artichoke soup with some truffles and foie gras. The flavor also came from the duck liver that went along with the rich and smooth soup – almost comparable to Savoy’s famous artichoke soup. My main dish did not disappoint, but nothing memorable. I consumed rather-crispy sweet bread with mushroom and spinach; the taste was quite heavy – a typical of classic French dish. The desserts were quite interesting; we shared a delicate “cigar” filled with cream-contained alcohol and marsala ice cream. The other dessert was a bitter chocolate tart (the portion was quite big) with some coffee sauce and chocolate ice cream – rather intense, probably great for chocolate lover. Once Michel Rostang shared that he came from a few generations of chefs and thus he never thought of becoming anybody else but a chef also. His father, Jo Rostang held Michelin’s top accolade – Michel himself was possibly expected to achieve that as well. Within a few years of opening his own resto in Paris, Michel managed to earn the 2nd star. After tasting what he offered in this occasion, we kinda understood why the third star never came. It was not that delicious and the execution was good, but not like the other place that came into near perfection. My parents shared the lobster salad for appetizers; they said the blue lobster rather lacked in sweetness, the texture and the sauce were decent but they expected more delicious stuffs. The roasted sea bass looked better on the plate than on the palate. It’s rather bland and boring, fell short of the fish they ate at L’Arpege/Le Bristol. I suppose if you come here expecting to eat some traditional and familiar classical French cuisine (rich sauce with some slow cooking), you will be happy. Even in the truffle season, I don’t find the dishes to be that great – I’m not sure if I will be bothered to dine here during the non-truffle season. We agreed that Rostang’s food was worth 90/100 (2* - Michelin got it right with virtually no chance to get the 3rd one in the future). Service (and ambiance) - 92/100 The service was led by two very senior managers with the help of madame Rostang and her daughter. It’s professional without being obtrusive; also frank and tried their best to accommodate diners’ needs. The restaurant was quite full as it was the eve of Valentine’s day. The dining room has 2 part: the smaller one gives you access to the kitchen while the bigger one is more comfortable and decorated with several contemporary art items (paintings and statues). Rostang is a nice place to see a piece of Paris or even the French classic fine dining place. Unfortunately, they have to compete with Passard, Gagnaire, Alleno etc. Had they been located in NY or other part of US, this place might have gotten its 3rd star. Overall experience, I gave 91 pts (two-star standard) For the dishes’ pictures: Rostang '10

Five years prior to this meal was the first official Europe gastronomy I’ve ever had. I truly enjoyed the full tasting menu; overall it’s a good experience though nothing particularly spectacular. Fast forward to late winter ’10, I brought my family here to enjoy both the food as well as the restaurant’s wonderful dining room. Le Bristol is President Sarkozy’s favorite place to eat in Paris Food (and wine) – 94/100 My parents were not to keen on spending more than 2 hours on a meal during lunch, thus I complied. My main purpose of coming here is to taste Eric Frechon’s famous braised Bresse hen cooked inside the pig’s bladder. I believe it’s inspired from the similar dish prepared by Lyon’s Brazier mother and the legendary Fernand Point. The bladder was put in flavorful chicken stock and cooked at 59 C; the chicken is braised at low temperature for a few hours. I shared this dish with my mom. The first part is the breast meat. A very fine piece of nicely salted breast meat (though not as tender as I had expected) put on top of offal/duck liver in the bed of rich albufera cream. The prawn and pungent smell of the truffle enhanced this rustic dish. It may not be my best chicken dish, nevertheless really wonderful! Though I ate better chicken somewhere else (at l’Arpege and ADPA to be exact), this is worth a 3-star The second part, on the other hand, is not as good as the 1st one. The leg part was cooked in truffle stock with leeks and potatoes. The bouillon was complex, inspired by Chinese cuisine and tasted a bit like 'medicine', but somehow it's not cloying. Some diners may not like this part ... My dad ordered fried wild turbot served with onion tempura.He liked the fish flesh with tasty sauce and puree. But later in the evening, this Turbot was eclipsed by Passard's grill version. Nothing memorable from the amuse bouche and the palate cleanser part. We had a decent light red-burgundy by the glass to accompany our dishes. While the food was delicious (especially the chicken’s 1st serving), I don’t see this place as a strong 3-star place even after having their signature dishes (Chef Frechon is really good at preparing rustic dish) such as stuffed macaroni with artichoke & foie gras; sweetbread with dried fennel; or soufflé with vintage grand marnier. I gave 94 pts (equivalent to 2 ½*) for the food this time. Service (and ambiance) – 92/100 There are many beautiful dining rooms among Paris 2-3 stars and Le Bristol oval shaped room for late autumn and winter season was one of them. It features 18th century décor of Lille tapestries, Baccarat crystal chandeliers and Hungarian oak paneling – not yet counting the fine china, table linen and silverwares. Despite all these impressive attributes, my mom preferred the Ducasse Paris’ dining room. I think this one is more historical, but talking about the wow effect, probably nothing beat Le Meurice’s belle époque style dining room with (very) high ceiling. I remembered the staffs were working seriously 5 years ago, but this time they seemed to be more relaxed (still efficient). Some were talking and smiling among themselves, possibly the manager was already satisfied with the attained goal of 3-star status here. The basic of refill water, refold napkin or change flatware was executed nicely. But, I find it difficult to relate/connect with them the way I felt at Le Meurice/Hof van Cleve for examples. It was quite full during our lunch. The overall score will be 93, a convenient 2 ½* - I’m not very sure it’s a 3-star level by Parisian fine dining standards. Had Bristol been in New York or Chicago, it probably would have been an undisputed recipient of Michelin accolade IMHO. Pictures of the dishes: Le bristol winter '10

In recent years, Pierre Gagnaire and Guy Savoy have followed the steps of their fellow Frenchmen – Ducasse and Robuchon - to open many restaurants bearing their names. Similar to Ducasse, Gagnaire prefers to do it in such a way that different establishments would serve different dishes (not simply a copy cat like l’Atelier Robuchon chains). Many doubt if Ramsay’s RHR deserves its current 3-star. With his intensive travels, I was curious whether Gagnaire’s flagship restaurant in Paris is still one of the best places to eat … Food (and wine) - 97/100 I visited Gagnaire Paris with my fiancée this time. We’re supposed to share an appetizer & dessert as well as ordered one main course each. We began our meal with entrée whose topic is “Marine Garden”. I enjoyed some of the unexpected dishes such as: fragrant Cod kokotchas with sea cucumber and fresh vegetables; tasty soft mascarpone pancake with urchin. The other dishes that I thought I would like happened to be alright, but nothing memorable such as Sea bass corolla in sashimi style or grey shrimps with cepe powder soup. Based on my previous visits, the highlight of my meals here has always been the main course. This time was no exception. - For the sea dish: the turbot steak was fantastic; the white flesh was firm and tasty. It’s enhanced by a smooth green broth (fresh and somewhat sweet) of mushrooms chervil and rocket. Easily stacked among the top 3Turbot I’ve ever had. A nice side dish from this a la carte was the “red tart’ consisting of sweet red peppers, onion and chili pepper gelee. This combines some sweet and a bit sour taste, good balanced from the turbot’s rich flavor. - For the land dish: the Lozere lamb’s saddle was unbelievably delicious; cooked with perfect execution, the lamb was pink, tender and juicy. The brown butter sauce was there if one prefers stronger flavor. Again, this ranked among the top 3 lamb’s dishes I’ve eaten. As a matter of fact, Gagnaire’s skill of roasting/pan-fried meat is really amazing (I had a memorable French beef shoulder from the previous visit). The extra item from this dish that I loved was a giant prawn cooked a la plancha – sweet and fresh, but the lamb outshines the rest of the side dishes. We failed to order “Le grand dessert” at the end. Why? My fiancée happened to still be in jet lag. After eating the appetizer, she’s pretty much dozed off – even she only ate a quarter of her turbot’s dish and sample a bit of my lamb. Yes, it meant I ate nearly the entire main courses by myself. Thus, I was very full at the end. I was pleased to declare that despite Chef Gagnaire’s frequent travel, the quality of the food here was still as good as l’Ambroise and Ledoyen (though the style was not the same). Gagnaire was not available that night, but Michel Nave, his right-hand man, was very capable of interpreting and executing Gagnaire’s imaginative dishes with such high precision. Not many places got 97 (a very convincing 3-star) or better in my note, and Gagnaire Paris was one of those view. Kudos! Service (and ambiance) - 94/100 During this visit, we were seated at the side of mezzanine level. The good part, we will have nice views of the main dining room; the con was that our table was quite small for sharing. Even sometimes the waiters experienced difficulties to pass, send dishes or clear tables. The lower level was nicer in my opinion. The ambiance here was a bit unique – serious yet clam, formal yet stylist. There were some abstract arts hung on the wall. The service was professional but not cold, charming but not too personal. They responded quickly in anticipating any guests’ needs. The hospitality was certainly great, but I doubt it would ever reach Mr. Courtiade’s (ADPA) or Mr. Hubert’s (Guy Savoy) level. The overall experience is wonderful and I gladly bestow 96/100 for my meal (high 2 ¾* level), a kind of place that should still be Michelin’s 3-star even a decade later For detailed reviews: Gagnaire dec winter '10 For the dishes’ pictures: Gagnaire winter dishes

When Lung King Heen (LKH got its 3-star Michelin, many people not only in HK but also across the globe began to discuss and question the restaurant’s credibility as well as Chef’s capability whether they deserve the red book’s highest accolade. While the debate was still going on, many were surprised when Sun Tung Lok (STL), out of nowhere, became the 2nd restaurant serving Chinese cuisine to receive the world’s most prestigious award for a restaurant. Does STL deserve its merit? Food (and wine) – 92/100 Since I visited alone to STL this time (early 2011), I supposed the most efficient way to dine here would be trying its degustation menu. There were several different tasting menus, varied from about HKD 1000 to more than HKD 5000. Generally, Chinese restaurants would serve more than 100 items daily on the menu. It will be impossible to expect any dish we pick to be of 3-star level unfortunately. It’s been a while that I have not savored Chinese delicacies, and since STL is very famous for abalone, bird’s nest etc. plus it’s in HK, I believe this should be the right place to do so. Among the standard/classic preparations of Chinese luxury ingredients, here is what I had = - Braised shark's fin in superior soup (let’s put aside the ‘shark’s finning’ controversy for a moment) - The tasty 'soup' consisted of chicken broth and Yunnan ham. I liked my 'stock' not too intense. The shark's fin was kept whole and served in generous portion with nice texture. It's never about being delicious here - Crown brand Yoshihama dried abalone served with shark's skin - The abalone was fresh and firm, the sauce around it was quite good. The tasteless shark's skin has a jelly-like texture (contrast to the abalone). Actually, outside the abalone, the rests were unnecessary - Double boiled bird's nest with almond and coconut crème (dessert) - Really delicious. The almond cream was of high quality, the coconut added fragrant smell, the bird's nest was soft in texture ... The soup had a nice hint of sweetness, my favorite dish! Some other dishes that were quite good are: braised prime rib (tender and the meat fell of the bone easily, but the sauce was too sweet) and sauteed live prawns (it would be nicer if the prawn was ‘firmer’ and the spicy sauce was not spicy enough). The cold dish appetizer and baked spaghetti were pretty much forgettable. The tea selection was not as wide as the one at LKH. I had tie guan yin and didn’t usually drink wine eating at Chinese restaurants. Based on this visit alone, I like STL slightly better than LKH. I gave 92/100 (low 2 ¼*) for the food rating – no comments for its dim sum. I might do LKH some injustice since I did not order shark’s fin, abalone or live sea food when eating there (meaning I may have not tried LKH’s best items) Service (and ambiance) – 93/100 I experienced a slightly better service at STL compared to LKH. The staffs were courteous, professional and attentive though rather impersonal. The wet towel was replaced regularly; my tea cup was always filled. At least one waiter was always nearby my seating booth. Sometimes, I felt that I was being watched  The dining room was nicely decorated with big tables and comfortable chairs. It’s also very spacious (may not be very common in Chinese restaurants). However, it lacked any beautiful views of HK’s harbor. When I came, it’s rather quiet. After 1 hour plus, the restaurant was about 80% full. I noticed that 10% or fewer of the guests were tourists (there were a few Caucasians and African Americans, but they’re accompanied by locals), mostly the patronage was locals. As a whole, I think Chef Joe Chan was doing a decent job. STL’s shark’s fin soup and abalone will always follow its 30 plus years of experience and preparation – safe choice, one will either like it or hate it. I think the chef also needs to be bolder to try more contemporary Cantonese cuisine with some twists. It’s shown a few in it’s a la carte menu. Overall, I was satisfied with my meal here, but it’s not a 3-star meal in my notes – 92 pts, still worth 2 ¼*. Pictures of the dishes: STL dishes

A Chinese restaurant receiving the highest award is unheard of before until Michelin gave Lung King Heen (LKH) 3-star a few years ago. Sure, a restaurant can receive any top honors by zagat, local newspapers or event restaurant magazine, but for any chefs nothing seems to beat the joy upon hearing the red-guide top rating. Is it truly a 3-star in the sense that LKH deserves to stands tall together many European institutions? Food (and wine) - 90/100 Chinese restaurants are generally better for sharing though recently many places also serve the dishes on individual plates. We visited LKH for lunch as we want to try its dim sum too, especially if you’re in HK – “dian xin” is a must-have. Some of my favorite dim sum dishes would be = baked abalone with diced chicken: fresh and big chunk of abalone with brown sauce serve on warm puffs; baked bbq pork: the bun mixed well of soft and crispy part with tasty pork inside. This was even better than the regular “cha shao bao” Many people crave for the steamed lobster and scallop dumplings, it’s quite good and luxurious but not wow. The “xiao long bao” was above average, while the baked seafood tartlets are alright and not cloying. For the normal items, we had bbq suckling pick (crispy and sweet) … I like it better with thin layers of fat actually instead of a thin bun. If you’re serious about suckling pig, my favorite will be at Kimberly Chinese restaurant – my wife and I ordered the whole pig only for the two of us  A mixture of roast & baked chicken with sesame was a nice traditional Cantonese food – possibly the best I’ve tasted (Tim’s kitchen come close 2nd). The pan-fried scallops and sea food fried rice were nice to have, but not extraordinary. Again for the desserts, we went safe – chilled mango & sago cream + chilled tofu custard. They’re, again, above average but you can get similar dishes in many other Chinese restaurants. We didn’t try LKH’s famous peking duck since we got the idea that it’s better to eat peking duck at Peking restaurants, Sha Tin 18 or Spring Deer. Like many other Chinese places, the items in the LKH’s menus are abundant but mostly are familiar and the same with many other Chinese restaurants. While in general, they’re good and above average, I was not convinced that it deserves a 3-star. Will the shark’s fin or abalone justify the highest accolade? I’m not sure since I’ve tasted the usual double-boiled shark’s fin & abalone with special brown sauce anywhere (e.g. Hua Ting Singapore, Sun Tung Lok) – chances are that they would not taste much different here. A positive aspect was that during my lunch, chef Chan Yantak was not in the kitchen, but the dishes served were generally good. In conclusion, I gave my food here 90/100 (2*). I like this place better than Tang’s court, Lei garden or Xiyan, but still it lacks 3-star wow effects (consistent dishes that are delicious and perfectly prepared as well as unique). Service (and ambiance) - 91/100 I couldn’t remember something special about the service here. It’s a standard and professional service like in many other high-end Chinese restaurants: polite, they will re-fill your tea (they missed 1-2 times), friendly but not much in terms of personality/character and product knowledge (they memorize the dishes ingredients, but did not seem to be excited when explaining them). Again, you will receive different kind of hospitality when you dined at the neighbor Caprice, especially if Jeremy Evrard often coming to your table. Again, nothing wrong in the service, but it’s pretty inferior compared to other 3-star restaurants I’ve visited. He décor here was quite pleasant with silver-leaf ceilings, dark hard woods and some floral arrangements. As expected in many HK fine dining places, you will see HK impressive harbour views. Chinese restaurant table setting and chairs are usually not as convenient as the western restaurants. I enjoyed the views better when sitting at Caprice’s sofa-like chairs or Spoon/Pierre. By and large, LKH is a nice restaurant serving authentic contemporary Cantonese cuisine. If you don’t order any Chinese luxurious ingredients, the pricing is very reasonable compared to other 3-star places. Will I return? Of course. Is a 3-star place? Not for my standard Pictures: LKH dishes

Everybody knows Milan is a fashion city and the home of my beloved AC Milan. One will easily find many locals and Asian nouveau riche shopping and carrying many luxury boutique bags. After tired shopping around via della spiga and corso venezia etc., then where will you eat? The same place in which you shop, such as many restaurants inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele? Apparently many people do and I was trapped there as well on my first visit here. It was not easy to find a finest restaurant sincerely caring about cooking – the closest I could think of will be a few hours drive to Del Pescatore or Al Sorriso. Travelling my parents would not allow me to do that, the best of what’s available, I decided to try Cracco in the early 2010 Food (and wine) – 92/100 For fine dining standards, I suppose Cracco has plenty of dishes to offer. Even though these days, he’s known to be an innovative chef cooking contemporary Italian cuisine, I was more interested in ordering his classic menu serving many Milanese dishes (probably a safer choice too). The dishes that shone were risotto alla Milanese (creamy, delicious and rich in flavor due to the addition of bone marrow; at the same time it’s firm since prepared al dente) and breaded veal Milanese (simple, juicy and crispy). Another good dish was braised pork (soft and tasty) with grilled langoustine (a bit firm) showing contrast in texture, color and taste. The rests were so-so. For instance, Cracco’s interpretation of ‘busecca’ with rabbit and salmon roes was alright. It would be interesting if the chef would also prepare ossobuco or ‘cassoeula’ in the menu. The cheese selection was not bad, especially the gorgonzola. The pre-dessert (amaretto and muscato) and the dessert (nutty ‘cloud’ of mascarpone cheese) were quite good. My parents chose to order a la carte. They shared risotto with anchovy, oil and cocoa on top – though it looked like porridge, surprisingly good – salty and sour. They liked it even better than my risotto Milanese, well that’s good because I like mine better for the main courses … I observed that they looked interesting and beautifully plating. Chef Cracco dared to put monkfish with squid ink and blue lobster with coconut milk. However, my parents were not too impressed. Both the fish and the lobster lack the inherent flavors of the main ingredients; the flavors were ‘pushed’ from the external elements aka the sauce and side dishes. Chef Cracco was humble, intelligent and daring. He likes exploring some unique ingredients and combining them. As of now, it’s still far from being perfect, but at least the foodies should be excited with what he can do in the future (hopefully he’s moving in the right direction). He shared that he had no cooking background, even among his family members. He also said that he would never copy others. It’s quite amazing on what he has accomplished Though not exactly the same, I will say Chef Achatz and Veyrat were those chefs who managed to be playful and successfully create creative and delicious dishes. (I’ve never been to El Bulli and Fat Duck though, but they will definitely great as well). It’s a low 2 ½* on the food Service (and ambiance) – 92/100 Ristorante Cracco is strategically located a few blocks from the Piazza Duomo. Apparently the dining room is in the ‘basement’. It has contemporary decor of cherry wood walls and cool earth tone with high ceiling; truly well-spaced, will be very difficult what the other table was discussing. With minimalist design, perhaps the chef wants the diners to focus more on the food. The service was good and rather formal in my opinion (quite the opposite of the decor). All staffs were professional, but it’s not easy to feel connected or befriend. I noticed that the table was served by different team beginning on the cheese course onwards. I was not sure whether they’re leaving or switched to the other side of dining room. The restaurant was about 75% filled. Overall, it has lots of potentials to be better. I would be more than happy to try the modern degustation menu showcasing chef Cracco’s creativity in the future. As of now, I gave 92 pts and Michelin got it right. The 3rd star may not come until a few years later Pictures of the dishes: cracco early winter

I was informed that the link for the pictures might have been broken This is the link ... https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/LaPergolaRomeItaly# Apologize for any inconveniences

Italian food is possibly the most famous western food in the world. Wherever you go outside Europe, it’s more likely to find Italian restaurants than French’s or American’s. However, in terms its place among the world’s finest places to eat, Italian cuisine is surpassed by its French counterpart. Where to find a great one? Normally, the easiest place to start will be going to the capital where generally the best of the best will be there. When I got the chance to visit Roma early last year, it’s pretty much unanimous that La Pergola (LP) is the top place serving Italian dishes. Food (and wine) - 94/100 As it has been discussed, is it possible that the best Italian cuisine is prepared by a German? We’ll see soon. At the beginning, I was actually interested in tasting LP’s full degustation menu, but my parents did not seem to be excited to spend 4+ hours in the restaurants. Hence, we went for the a la carte. Here what I ate - "Tete de veau" with artichoke and black truffle vinaigrette - Only a versatile chef with his well-trained brigades will be able to prepare this 'calf's head' correctly. It's not really delicious, but intense and rustic; adventurous yet full of culinary tradition - Fagottelli "La Pergola" - 'Ravioli' of egg and pecorino custard served with carbonara sauce, cheese and Serawak pepper. Arguably the best dish for this meal, each byte will reveal a flavor of tasty cream and slight 'spices'. The portion is too small for an ala carte menu … Probably, my best pasta ever - Veal cheeks with black truffle, apple puree and topinambur - The best part of cheeks is cooked and resulted in a strong and refined flavor, intensified with black truffle. They're balanced by the soft puree and artichoke, personally I would've preferred mashed potato or polenta as my side dishes - Coffee souffle served with ice cream - The ultimate dessert for coffee lover? The souffle is soft, fragrant and airy, the taste is rather strong but not cloying all surprisingly. My mom and dad have sea bass with olive oil and black cod with on chickpea puree. While they enjoy the fish’s fresh meat, flavor wise … they thought the fishes were not that delicious. They told me they would rather have HK style steam fish. They enjoyed their spaghetti cooked al dente with sweet shrimp earlier. It has an impressive wine collection – the best comprehensive I’ve ever seen in Italy. I only have a glass of red Tuscany wine. Based on this meal, I find that chef Beck has an outstanding culinary skill; his dishes were like a work of art with delicate touch, it’s unlikely you’ll see any aggressive nature on his cooking. Hence, being delicious may not always be the priority – kinda like chef Alleno’s dishes at Le Meurice. The best in Rome? Definitely. The best in Italy? I like Le Calandre better. It’s 94/100 (high 2 ½* star in my notes) Service (and ambiance) - 92/100 La Pergola possibly tries to imitate or has many similarities to Le Louis XV. Firstly, it’s located in the city’s top hotels (Hilton Cavalieri) with breathtaking city views – nearly everything luxurious will not be spared: Riedel glassware, wood paneling, and painted ceilings. As you wind down the meal, they will change the whole table arrangements – flickering candles and different flowers. In addition to the usual napkins (I heard they will put the regular guests’ initials on their napkins), they put extra facial tissue – whenever you leave the table, the napkin would be replaced. It also has water menu, a few of them cost as much as EUR 100. Despite all these, I feel something a bit lacking in the atmosphere … then I realized the tables are not as spacious as Ducasse Monaco, also the ceiling was not that high either (compared to Le Louis XV). The service staffs were lead by signore Umberto Giraudo who used to work at Le Louis XV, maybe this explained the situation above. The restaurant was about 70% full and only at the beginning Mr. Giraudo served our table. Most staffs worked very hard to impress the guests, but the flow was not as liquid as the service at Ducasse Monaco. Generally, the service was really good except our captain. Somehow, whenever we asked for something, he seemed to be in rush and we noticed the smile was not that sincere. Towards the end of the meal, I asked if I could see the kitchen and meet chef Beck – he’s hesitant and rejected my request because the restaurant was busy without checking with the kitchen. I didn’t really believe him … on the way out, I was talking to the lady host who always smiles and gracious – she immediately escorted me to the kitchen without any issue. That’s the only service issue we face that ruined a bit of the good hospitality rendered by La Pergola team. Chef Beck was kind and nice. The kitchen is almost as big as a tennis court … again, only Le Louis XV has bigger kitchen based on the 3-star restaurants I’ve visited. I bestowed 93/100 (a solid 2 ½*) for my overall dining experience here – nice dining places, but not yet quite the level of L’Arpege or Ledoyen. For the dishes’ pictures: La Pergola '10

After closing the extravagant Essex house restaurant, Alain Ducasse finally returned to New York. This time, he returned with simpler concept and food – here comes the first Adour. My meal was when Joel Dennis acted as the Executive chef. Food (and wine) – 91/100 Similar to other Ducasse restaurants, the resources are quite plenty. There are several choices for each section, this time with friendlier price compared to his previous NY restaurant. I decided to go for the tasting menu and overall I was happy with the food. I thought some of the dishes certainly worth 2 stars such as: the sweetbread dish – rich and tender meat combined with tasty runny yolk, earthy wild mushrooms and carrots/celery, honestly the brioche was unnecessary (lack of butter fragrance). Another top dish and also my favorite was the piece of perfectly cook Elysian lamb (delicious and juicy) – a scrumptious dish, the lamb was about as good as the one I had at per se. The rests of the dishes were alright: the marinated hamachi was fresh; the lobster raviolis – while quite tasty, I could not really taste the lobster’s meat texture. The zucchini was also a bit more dominant for my taste … unless you can do lobster/langoustine ravioli as good as Robuchon/Ramsay, then it’s kind of a ‘waste’ to prepare lobster this way. When the dessert came, they looked ‘bulky’ but surprisingly it’s delicious and it’s ‘original’ among Duccase desserts. By the way, I ordered dark chocolate sorbet (wonderful cocoa flavor) that’s mixed well with caramelized croutons. My friend also ordered a degustation menu and was happy with the sautéed duck foie gras, but found the duck breast was OK only. Her pistachio soufflé was nice, but not too airy. I suppose my dessert was better. The meal was closed with the best macaroons (raspberry and passion fruit/chocolate flavors) I’ve ever had in the US. Sandro Micheli is probably one of the most solid pastry chef in NY, or even in the nation. Adour put emphasized on the wine pairing for every dish created. I did not quite follow it somehow. For this meal, I only had a class of Duccase NV brut champagne and a glass of 2006 Parr selection chardonnay of Santa Rita hills (bright gold with smoky pear aromas, rather sweet with dusty minerals finishing). Almost in every Ducasse restaurant, the wine selection was solid. The price? Expensive as expected from a fine dining place. I think Adour is capable to cook delicious dishes; they simply need to be more consistent. I don’t believe this place will get Michelin highest accolade, but with the potential it has, Adour should strive for 2-star (I grant this in my notes). With the arrival of Didier Elena, I believe Adour will be capable of doing so. Service (and ambiance) – 92/100 The restaurant was full house when I dined there a couple of years ago. It seems to be doing good business. The main dining, a mixed of modern and traditional decor, is quite relaxing but as always the hardware are top notches from the plush burgundy chairs, a few modern ‘paintings’ and some wine vaults that served as walls. The service was courteous and professional. My captain was kind and flexible when we changed the menu; he tried his best to make guests happy – but don’t expect a smooth and flawless service a la Ducasse top places in Europe. The napkins were sometimes changed. Overall, this place was on par with the experience I had at EMP (91.5 pts aka low 2-star) Pictures of the dishes: Adour summer

New York is blessed with so many restaurants to choose from. I usually will visit all kinds, from the like of per se/Jean Georges to as simple as shake-shack/a K-town restaurants. In those visits a couple of years ago, I also had a chance to visit Eleven Madison Park (EMP) – my friends and I would like to visit a creative place and we decided to come to EMP over WD-50 since we thought that EMP is more ‘stable and consistent’ Food (and wine) – 91/100 The food was indeed creative and many dishes were prepared in creative plating. But the problem was that a few of the dishes are good such as the smooth smoked sturgeon sabayon with chives was nicely seasoned; the poached lobster was tasty, I especially liked the strong citrus sabayon and the crunchy granola. However, the rests were only so-so. For instance, the slow cooked turbot was quite tasteless (even the ‘soup’ did not help that much); I was excited with my suckling pig knowing that Chef Humm is a master of pig cooker, alas it did not live up to expectation. The pork, possibly cooked sous-vide, hardly generate any flavor – it all depended on a little sauce on the side, the Oregon morels did not help either. The pre-dessert of strawberry-cheesecake in liquid form was not bad, while the main dessert (chocolate tart) itself was mediocre, but the several flavors of macaroons as mignardises were flavorful. I was considered myself lucky to order the “Taste of Spring” with many variations; whereas my friend who ordered “Four Story Pork” degustation menu was rather disappointed because most dishes were somewhat similar in preparation and taste, only the sides were different. How’s it? Not so much different from my pork main course generally. Chef Humm certainly has great potential and was willing to push himself to the limit; hence foodies will not get bored when dining there. Unfortunately, it’s been consistent yet especially in the main courses. To me, I prefer if he simplifies his cooking and focus more on creating delicious food. I enjoyed my red Burgundy – 2006 Savigny-les-Beaune, it’s firm yet smooth with a vivid raspberry and minerality. Despite some inconsistency, I would say the food is worth 91 pts (2*) Service (and ambiance) – 93/100 The service was friendly and pleasant. The staffs worked hard to please their customers, sometimes it didn’t look too natural, and the effort was still appreciated though. United States is blessed with plenty of lands and the dining room at EMP showed that. The ceiling was ‘skyscraper-high’, it has lofty flowers and topiary (the flowers were as big as the ones I saw at Le Louis XV, but not as beautiful). I don’t usually disagree with Michelin ratings very often, in particular for the top 2 categories. But this time, I think EMP deserves more than 1-star, at least 1.5* - perhaps when Chef Humm produced delicious dishes more consistently, the 2nd star should come in 1-2 years time. My overall experience score was 91.5 (a low 2*) Here are the pictures: EMP spring

Shmily, thanks for reading Could you describe or share your story about the decline of per se? What 'ingredients' are lowered? Did you eat the same or similar dishes with 'worse' raw materials? I assumed this did not happen under Benno Keller was very smart when he penetrated NY - a market known to be very critical to new comer especially if it's very expensive. per se entered "cheap" with $150 tasting menu and within 1-2 years, the price was increased by more than 50%. Ducasse would have fared better had he applied the same tactics with the Essex House ... not counting that French (who's trying to do smth over the top) usually was not that welcome in the States

Long before I indulged myself in fine cuisine, I once read that Thomas Keller and his French Laundry (FL) were arguably the world’s best chef and restaurant respectively. Then, I didn’t follow much culinary news until several years ago I heard that per se was New York’s most formidable restaurant and no wonder since it’s Keller’s beloved restaurant after FL. It was not until summer 2009 that I had the opportunity to savor the dishes of US’ most respected chef. Food (and wine) - 93/100 This will be a combine summary of my 2 meals at per se: summer 2009 and 2010. While the season was about the same, the experiences happened to be quite the opposite. The first time I visited here, I focused more on Keller’s classics and surely they did not disappoint. The oysters and pearls lived up to its name, delicious with different layer of texture and temperature. I enjoyed the oyster’s freshness, tapioca’s creaminess as well as caviar’s brininess. Some other memorable dishes were: the purity of white asparagus with smooth almond butter ‘sauce’, simple and sweet poached lobster, and lastly the perfectly cook and delicious roasted Elysian’s lamb. The ‘coffee and doughnuts’; hot and airy cinnamon doughnut served with creamy semifreddo – nice too though not among my top 10 desserts. I was very happy by the end of my meal and it certainly ranked among my best meal in the States. Based on this great experience, I asked some of my foodie friends to have a meal here when I had a chance a year later. Somehow among New York’s top restaurants, they’ve never been here due to the difficulties to reserve they explained. Anyway, they made it finally. I told my captain what I had before and ensured that I would not repeat anything which she obliged. Unlike my first meal, this time was rather disappointing. My avocado mousse with caviar was alright though not as memorable as the oysters and pearls. The dover sole was overwhelmed by the vegetables ‘cream’ and sides. 4/5 of us opted for the foie gras supplement and we agreed that it’s weak in flavor (not rich), not really creamy and smooth. I had another lamb dish for my main: lamb loin cooked medium rare; while it’s tender, it’s not that tasty. The only great thing was a pair of langoustines a la plancha – sweet, with good texture, even better than my lobster a year ago. We’re busy talking about many things in the table, hence since the food is not that bad, we didn’t bother making any noise. Personally, I was kinda shocked (perhaps expecting too much) and this one certainly not a meal to remember. Chef Keller and Benno were never in the kitchen in both occasions. I was not sure whether Chef Kaimeh still fine-tuning his kitchen which should not be the case (you have no room for mistake if you’re a 3-star place). Based on these two meals I concluded that per se still had an issue with consistency. However, I admire Keller’s capability and courage to change more than half of the menu nearly daily. I would give 2 ½* for the food here. I would not mind eating here again in the future, but not yet for any extended menu. Service (and ambiance) - 95/100 The better thing about per se was its warm hospitality. It’s pretty much flawless on both occasions. When you eat alone, the maitre d’ would be more than happy to chat with you about many things. He/she also tried to maximize your experience – ask something, more likely than not they will make it happen for you (such as extra or off-the-menu dishes). When you eat in a group, the waiters would not be obtrusive, yet whenever any need arise, they will attend to it quickly. In short, the service is always professional, gracious and efficient. Furthermore, everyone is friendly and well-informed. The only negative aspect was that a new napkin will not be brought whenever you left the table – not that big of a deal. Besides the service, I thought the atmosphere (contemporary interior design) was wonderful here: High ceiling, well-spaced big table and comfortable chairs with a view of Central Park – isn’t it nice? It serves well for business occasions and leisure. The beauty about Thomas Keller’s restaurants is that on the one hand, both per se and FL have the same philosophy/roots (and still serving Keller’s classics any time) … on the other hand, they don’t provide the same menu and both evolve to be two ‘different’ restaurants (not only because of different ingredients outsourcing). I like Keller’s method better than Joel Robuchon’s idea to make his l’atelier and fine dining places to serve the same dishes (> 80% of them) whether they’re in Vegas, Singapore or London. Even better if Keller can do what Ducasse does with Le Louis XV and Plaza Athenee – both serve completely different things except for the Rum Baba. Overall experience, I gave 94/100 (a high 2 1/2*) For more detailed reviews: per se 1&2 For the dishes’ pictures: per se pictures

As far as I’m concerned, L’Arpege is the best restaurant in the world, period (as a corollary, Alain Passard is the world’s best chef of course). Sure, I have not been to El Bulli or Noma, but a few visits to the like of per se, 3 Robuchon fine dinings, Calandre or Ledoyen may justify my statement. Anyway, feel free to disagree  Food (and wine) - 98/100 The food at Arpege is often deceptively simple, but very palatable. All elements in any dishes are well prepared, including the vegetables whether they act as main ingredients or simply as complimentary. This is especially true, when (as most of you already knew) Passard decided to focus cooking fresh vegetables from his “garden of eden” in Normandy and town of Fille in ’01. Known as a master of roasting and preparing seafood/fish for about 30 years, I would say his “art of fire” technique is pretty much nearly perfect. Well, it’s not a non-sense since I’ve tasted 6 times and each passed with flying colors. These are the report of my last 2 visits last year - The earlier meal, I ordered the a la carte. After the famous egg, then comes the multicolor display of winter vegetables. - The real thing began with plum and well-flavored scallop from the emerald coast mixed with subtle green tea powder. Winter is a haven for scallop indeed. - After that, I had a half-portion of Passard’s legendary duck from Challans with hibiscus sauce. Excellent meat – moist and succulent. The sweet and sour hibiscus glaze is sophisticated without being overpower plus the top notch vegetables on the sides make it a wonderful dish. - Another Arpege’s classic: pigeon served with sugar-coated almond. The juicy meat, along with crispy skin and thin layer of fat, is perfectly cooked and deliciously tender. The sauce is ethereal ... it's rich and complex with a sense of little sweetness from the fermented honey, yet still very balance. My favorite of the night - As always, the 4-year old exceptional Comte served with black truffle was excellent. - The memorable dessert was a ‘giant’ macaron (in artichoke flavor) with heavenly chocolate sauce. I thought it’s perfectly done – right texture, chewiness and frosting. Another dessert was a simple and fresh pineapple with olive oil and turnip The later meal was more like the tasting of the kitchen’s several small dishes (about 12 of them including the desserts). Some of the highlights: fresh and crunchy celerisotto with green emulsion (Passard loves this kind of ‘play’ – last time I had the radisotto). But, there’s also the real risotto with white truffle emulsion – smooth and creamy – an excellent platform for truffle dish. I loved the magical flavor of smoked potatoes dish served with sour cabbage and slices of white truffles. For the heavier side, there were light and tasty monkfish cooked in salt except I was not too keen on to the cabbage mousseline as the side dish. No matter what, get the meat main course here – seriously. This time, I tasted slowly cook veal – it’s juicy and clean in your palate, the skin is the best part, did not really care about the side dishes when your main was very good The interesting dessert will be Arpege’s interpretation of “Mont-Blanc” dessert - The sweet chestnuts topped with whipped cream is served with dark chocolate sauce and house radish. There's chocolate cake inside. It's an intense dessert having rich flavor. I was really full … oh before this; they also served their famous and scrumptious Millefeuille with vanilla cream/hazelnut. For the wines, I will let you read my longer review below. A short note, L’Arpege did offer $15-20 wine by the glass these days. I suppose I can be considered the restaurant’s “regulars”. I often challenge them to cook me something that I have not tried. While it’s very difficult to entirely prepare new dishes, so far 70% of them are something I haven’t eaten before. Again, these are other great meals to remember – they consistently provide superior feasts. I rated 98/100 – an absolute 3-star meal, it should not come as a surprised since 5 out of 6 visits, Chef Passard was behind the stove. Service (and ambiance) - 97/100 L’Arpege not only prepares great food consistently, but also delivers impeccable service regularly. The current manager, Ms. Helene has been there ever since my first visit 5 years ago (when Mr. Laurent was still the main manager). In all my 6 visits, she’s always there and ready to give diners courteous and attentive service – nowadays, she got the assistance from another female maitre d’ – Nadia, who is equally as good. I suppose I’m very comfortable with the service here or Guy Savoy/Hof van Cleve because they’re both warm and professional. Nothing wrong with the professional but serious and ‘colder’ hospitality type at L’Ambroisie/L’Hotel de Ville – I guess it’s just my personal preference/unconscious perceptions about how service is supposed to be at 3-star institutions Nothing is really changed as far as the décor is concerned here. Wood-paneled walls in minimalist interior design. The lights were dimmer during dinner with a candle to create more romantic feelings while the day, it will be best to get the outside natural lights. One thing that some of you may probably have noticed is the restaurant’s innovative VIB plate in stark white and deep red. The designer, Mr. Colucci said that to imagine the plate’s supple and wavy lines, he drew inspiration from the chef’s recipes, and even helping Passard out in the kitchen. Just a nice little detail. Without a doubt, this is my favorite place to eat and as expected, the overall experience is simply stunning and worth considered as one of the world’s best – 97.5/100 For more detailed reviews: L'Arpege 2010 reviews For the dishes’ pictures: Some L'Arpege dishes 2010

Correct - the meal was two years ago I was not too excited to write this actually, but I think it may help other readers about the state of the restaurant