kai-m

I love lists of all kinds...they are fun...and this one shows quite well that we shouldn't take them too seriously...I mean: no Jean Georges Klein, not a single german restaurant...but "Le Bernardin"?, "Dal Pescatore"??, "River Cafe"?????? Funny Best kai

Thank you YKL. I see what you mean and I will certainly give Noma a try. But I think that as a customer in such a restaurant I should not be in the position to need to "prove" to my waiter that Iam "worth" his friendlyness. The fact that I visit the place should be signal enough of my interest in the food - no need to "work" for a "marvellous" service. Quite the other way round: That should be standard in such arestaurant, and service should only switch to "reserved/arrogant/ whatever" if the customer behaves accordingly... Hmm, maybe I should give the reservation a second thought... Best kai

One more thing regarding Noma: a colleague of mine was there recently and was enthusiastic about the food - but less so about the service, which he described as "formally polite" but extremely, well, "reserved", to put it mildly...for him and his wife that diminshed the whole experience a little bit. (They blamed it, half jokingly, on the 2nd *...) Other experiences? (personally, for me, nice and friendly service is an important part of a good dinner experience...) Best kai

Alright, thanks Shirley. Can you tell me: whats the difference between the 3 floors they show on the website? (There aren't really many pictures to give an impression). Thanks

I think what sucio describes here is a frequent problem with restaurants that try to go "molecular/experimental" - but mostly with restaurants that don't really understand what the whole thing is about (that is not to say that WD-50 is one of those places!!).

Thank you very much Jakob! So you mean that it is no problem to avoid the carnival frenzy (especially when lodging in Christianshavn)? That would be great news... Ans it is not that all the shops and stores are closed friday and saturday for the occasion? I thought the whole town and every club/bar participates since the carneval.dk website proudly speaks of 25.000 participants and 100.000 visitors in the past years... Anyway: we have a reservation for Noma during the week. MR looks rather formal in style (as opposed the colorful and bright Paustian), while the menu sounds pretty experimtal - is that so? Best kai

I have two questions, the first being more like a request for travel advice: We wanted to spend 4 days in copenhagen at the end of may - but now I have read that our last 2 days (Fr/Sat. - sunday morning we would leave) fall right into the copenhagen carnival...! So, can anybody (maybe some copenhagen residents) tell me if this might be a reason to skip he trip for a later travel date? What I mean is: is the carnival in copenhagen like carnival in other european countries, especially germany!, where the whole thing is mainly an excuse to close all shops, dress up in really stupid costumes, crack unfunny jokes, pretend to be in "oh so good humour" (mainly fueled by alcohol), get hopelessly drunk all day and shout in the streets at night? Or are the danish as tasteful and stylish about this, as they are in other respects? But no matter if we go in may or later, my second question is: We want to have dinner at Noma in any case. But we are unsure about our second "fine dining" night out: Paustian and MR are on the shortlist, but Paustian seems to be quite a way from downton (we would stay in Christianshavn). In any case we are looking for innovative food in a rather relaxed atmosphere. Thanks alot Best kai PS: since Noma is fully booked on the weekends for the coming months already: does anybody know if they have a "waiting list" or something...?

I think so, too. But from a creative viewpoint this is simply embarrassing...

Yeah, but to change one or two dishes from a large tasting menu is standard. I just can't understand how a world class chef like Blumenthal just won't (or can't???) come up with something new after years and years with the same stuff on the list...

Hmm, okay, you really think I can walk in there and say: "Sorry, but I had this tasting menu twice now - so could you please put together a completely different tasting menu for us from the a la carte menu? (for fixed tasting-menu-price of course)" I don't think so. Apart from that I still find it strange not to change a menu within 3 or so years... best kai

Since some people who work at the "fat duck" seem to participate in this forum: why is it that the tasting menu has been basically the same for the past 2, 3 (or more??) years? I mean: take a look at colleagues in france, germany, the US and -above all- spain... Don't get me wrong, Iam honestly curious. But with all due respect: something like "diners still love it" or "there are 'nough potential customers who still have to try it for the first time" should not be an answer for a chef who calls himself "creative". And a 3 year old menu can hardly be called "avant garde" anymore... But of course, I stand corrected... Thanks alot Best kai

Hi all! Well, the topic title & description say it all: Can anyone report about Rome's 3* La Pergola? Atmosphere? Price-range? Thanks alot greetings kai

Yes I meant the little tarts - when we were there, only the customers who ordered a "dessert menu" seemed to get those...but maybe we were just unlucky... In any case (maybe due to the "big chef" being present that night) you had more courses than usual for the price (just take a look at your picture of the printed tasting menu) - without even ordering it...very lucky man!! best kai

Thanks, molto e. But I'm a bit confused now - you mean you had the *regular" tasting menu? Not a tasting menu that was put together especially for you? Because the dishes on your pics are not the ones listed on the menu-picture...and furthermore you had 12 courses all in all, if I counted correctly, usually it is 9...and some of your portions were way larger (2 foie-burgers!) than anything I have seen so far from the Atelier-tasting-menus (no matter what city...)...and you had petits fours, which one usually doesn't get... So you are sure you didn't get some special treatment? (Thats why I was curious about the price - because if you paid 125,- for all that it is quite a "bargain"...) best kai

Great report and pictures molto e - makes me want to fly to Las Vegas *right now*! Even though I was a tad disappointed when we went 1 year ago, 2-3 dishes were among the bery best I have ever had (so far...). Anyway: since you obviously had a "personalized" tasting menu, would you mind telling us how much it was (food only). Would they do this for every customer? Or are you some sort of "VIP"? (no kidding). How long did the dining-experience take? Because one of the letdowns for us was how incredibly quick everybody was in'n'out: well under 2 hours, which, at this price range, I find very strange... Thanks. Greetings from germany kai

What I would like to know is how long the dining actually takes (for the whole 7-course-menu, inlcuding amuses and petits fours). Because I've heard that you're in'n'out rather quickly at Noma (around 2 hours) - which (if true) is not what I would expect at such place (and with so many courses). Thanks best kai

Interesting report. Especially in comparison to what many locals think about the frankfurt places you have visited (iam from frankfurt, too). Iam glad that you had such great meals there, but I have to admit that I find ERNOS to be the most overpriced restaurant I have ever been to. They charge 40,- euros for a main course, just like a 3*-place (which they are not, by no means!) and 25,- for simple starters like "salad with pancetta". The food itself is well executed, granted. But for that kinda money I except much more in terms of creativity and sheer "finesse". I would much prefer the TIGER RESTAURANT or the RESTAURANT FRANCAIS which are almost as pricey but have a lot more style and class. Outside of Frankfurt, in the small town of Langen, 2* RESTAURANT AMADOR is not to be missed. It is expensive (130,- for the large tasting menu) but worth every penny. Cooking is on the experimental side, atmosphere is nicely relaxed. I have never been to GARGANTUA since many people decry it's lack of quality in the past years. BRICK, by the way, is closed since 2004. For a nice and not so pricey 1*-place the LEIB UND SEELE in Friedberg (20 min. from frankfurt) is always a good bet: very relaxed atmophere and the 6-course-menu costs 70-80 euros (109,- including wine-pairing). OSTERIA ENOTECA is good but not great, in my opinion. Greetings kai

Just as a sidenote (sort of): I can't understand why some here seem to be disappointed about there being "not so many" starred restaurants in SF...because: apart from paris, nyc and london I can't think of any other city in the world with as many 1*-restaurants (not even rome has as many, has it?!). And even in france you will be hard pressed to find a city with as many 2*-places...Lyon? don't think so. Marseille? Nope. So all in all this a pretty damn impressive result... Can't wait to get back! greetings from frankfurt with it's five 1*-restaurants... kai

Reply from ulterior epicure: The setting, the food, and the service all were amazing. The food was from nose to tail creative - it may look/sound strange, but believe me, it's quite astounding - both in concept and taste!! Tell me about it - I was really confounded by this dish at first. The chives!! It turned out to be quite a combination - it was sweet and heavily vanilla-infused - but the chives added a hint of grassy herby garlicky flavor that surprisingly worked (for me). I found DM to be formal in service, but not in setting. L'Arnsbourg is like eating in a very nice home (well, actually, you are in a house). The service is very formal, and can be fun if you engage the servers - do you speak French, German or Japanese? Those are the only languages they're proficient in. (The sommeliar in training was from Japan). I got along in French, but most spoke German. I wouldn't say anything about L'Arnsbourg is stiff - except it's a very calm dining experience - I don't remember hearing anyone, despite the fact that a number of the tables were full. Do try to get a window table along the back wall - the view is just wonderful - especially in the winter. Nope. I just went for the full tasting and was very pleased. I didn't ask, but I don't see why not. The chef came out to greet me and talk to me in the lounge right before I was about to leave. He's a very kind man and I was flattered he specifically wanted to meet me. Hope this helps. Please do let me know how your experience goes. Tell Chef Klein hello for me - and his sister, Kathy, too!! u.e.

Oh, and one other thing: would you describe it as a rather formal or even "stiff" restaurant (in comparison, say, to Dieter Müllers place, which I found pretty formal)? Did you make any advance requests and did they allow you to visit the kitchen? Thanks alot! greetings from germany! kai

Since Iam thinking about travelling to visit L'Arnsbourg within the next weeks, I would be very interested to read what Ulterior Epicure thought about the experience. U.E.: I have seen that you ranked it as your nr. 1 meal of 2005, could you elaborate on that? Because I have seen your pictures at flickr - great pictures and Iam very much into "experimental cuisine", but honestly those dishes didn't look that interesting (or "daring") to me, if not downright unappealing (the "vanilla-scrambled-egg" for example rather looked like a creme brulee gone bad...). Thanks alot! kai

In europe there are the exact same discussions about the michelin ratings: "how can you put elegant restaurant X in the same categorie as casual bistro Y?" But as someone pointed out: it's the knifes and forks that mark the difference - and michelin states very clearly that one should not expect the same dining experience in a restauarnt with 1 knife&fork and 2 stars and a restaurant with 4 knifes&forks and 2 stars. Problem in europe (especially in germany) is: the prices in michelin-starred restaurants are the same, no matter the number of knifes&forks. Or in other words: you should maybe not expect the same dining standard in a 1knife&fork-place - but you can very well expect the same prices as in restaurant with 4 or 5... One other thing, since it was mentioned here as reason for less stars for some places: I can not understand -and Iam not willing to accept- the multiple seating-policies of many american fine-dining places. I mean: if I spend 300-400$ on a dinner for two, I can damn well expect not to be thrown out after 2 1/2 hours... In europe this is totally unthinkable (even in a casual bistro) and the restaurant-owners do very well nevertheless - even though they pay for the service-crew themselves...which could lead us to the questionable US-tipping-politics (which might be a reason for the multiple seatings as well...). So, if michelin decides not to award such restaurants multiple stars (with execptions to the rule), they are very right, in my opinion. But maybe someone can explain to me, why american gourmets accept multiple seating so readily. Thanks alot! greetings kai

@monkfish: I don't understand the sense and/or the relevance of your message. @Ronnie: Same goes for me. And that's where we come full circle: I might eat such meat in a friends house and I might like it - but at the same time I know it would be better if there was some sort of "ban" or stricter "regulations" for conventional meat production, since I know that the circumstances under wich the animal was brought up, have been pretty cruel Same goes for foie gras: I eat it and I love it, but I can't honestly mind if there are people who think it should be banned or that there should be stricter regulations. As I said, it is kind of a paradox.

First, let me say again, that I adore foie gras. Thats for sure. On the other hand you can start *somewhere*. But I don't really know anything about the Illinois (or US) food-politics. In germany the production of foie gras is illegal. But not the import/possession/selling/preparing... Sad but true... With all due respect, but that is just a silly statement about a complex subject... Well, as I implied in my above post (actually, that was the point of my above post), I don't eat pork or poultry from "convential production" either. Do you?!? greetings kai

Actually, I don't understand why everybody is so angry around here. Iam from europe, and I truly madly deeply love foie gras! But Iam well aware of the fact that it is produced in a pretty damn cruel way. So Iam honest enough to say that I would be sad about a ban (for selfish reasons, of course), but that the people who are for such a ban are essentially right. I mean: it is kinda paradox of us to go and buy the best organic food and the healthiest free range chickens on the one hand - and on the other hand eat an organ that is produced in anything but an "organic" way...