rmillman

High Mountain Dark Roast from Teance. Supper roasted almost barley malt mouth feel. I like it.

I have just finished one of the best dining evenings I have had this year. While this may seem funny since it is the 1st, I would extend my feelings to make this one of the best I have ever had (and I have posted comments on many places I have been including bulli, duck, arzak). Green T. House living, the one at No 318 cuige zhuang xiang hege zhuang cun chaoyang, simply knocked my socks off. Everything, from the room, the service, the food, the "value". . . it is all what a three star place can be had. We are finishing an extended trip including long stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Vietnam where we ate at all egulleted, bourdained, blogged and populated street food sites that can be imagined. Yet I find myself compelled to immediately post a note on this place. Each dish has tea, all asian based. Seven of us ate the menu sampling almost all on the menu for a total of 1400rmb (~$200US). While this may represent extreme over spend in local dining and street food spending (our hand pulled noodles for lunch were 10rmb a bowl), this was incredible value for what I consider to be three star service setting, and food quality. We love street and market food as well as fine dining. For that special night in Beijing or as a stop on a food journey, I would say you should try this place. I will post follow up pictures later but some dishes to note include the lamb and fish main dishes (although I am not sure how often the menu changes).

Clio and Uni at the Elliot hotel and Asana at the Mandarin (check out chef table).

I use a solar oven to baise outside in the summer so I do niot need to run my oven and compete with the air conditioning http://www.solarovens.org/

Luce at the Intercontinental: Deborah Cramm is a great chef and does a very good tasting menu.

We were in Barcelona for the last week. We ate dinner at Cinc Sentis, Fondo Gaig, Colibri, Dos Palillos, Routa, Inopia and Moo. I happen to look at egullet one day we were their and saw the post asking about Routa. We went to their website, were impressed and gave it a try. This is to report on Routa. Summary, two young Finns, doing very composed modern Nordic Cuisine in a small place in Barcelona. Food was very well done, some may think that some dishes need editing but all proteins were spot on. The room was simple and lacks some of the more comfort elements found at Cinc, Colibri or other similar places but was more than comfortable for us to enjoy a dynamic and thoughtfully prepared meal. I wish them success because I really like what they are trying to accomplish. It may be difficult for them to make it in such a food centric city but their flavors and pairing are unique amongst the food we have eaten on our visits to Spain and it well warrants a visit. Normally, my wife does not let me take pictures of dinner but she did tonight, too bad these are cell images. We chose the Menu Routa ® and the Degustation (D) menu. The latter had two more dishes and none of them except one dessert was the same between the two meals. Amuse: oyster croquetta, roe with egg salad and caesar salad spoon Snack: Herring with beet and horseradish foam Bread service: does not show but there was an olive oil sphere in the oil dish First course: Salad(D) and Salmon® Second: Sweet bread (D), Rabbit ®-similar plating but with different proteins and some different items as well Third: Lamb (D) and sole ® Snowball (D) Predessert: creme catalan (D and R) Dessert: Fruit Salad (two platings) Dessert 2: soft chocolate (D) There were so many elements and combinations in each plating that it is hard to comprehend this coming from such a small kitchen with little help for the two chefs. There were many flavors (like the popcorn ice cream included with the dessert fruit salad and techniques (soft chocolate) I have seen at places like Fat Duck and el Bulli, but the chefs did use some restraint on the molecular elements in order to focus on the quality of the ingredients and flavors. The only negative would be that some may find the number of elements in each dish overwhelming. However, I can appreciate that they were trying to include various textures, temperature, flavors and taste elements in every dish and are still young enough to learn restaint and editing when needed. I hope others will try soon since on a Saturday night, we were one of three tables seated.

The later is the case: I tired every day last week and failed and have from time to time just pinged the site to see if there was a lucky cancellation. Only today was there any success. Regardless: I have hoped to eat here for the food, hype tends not to have much mouth feel

went on line a few minutes ago and got tomorrow night at 6:50 for 2. They also had a slot later and one tomorrow. What a score. Looking forward to it.

I by gas so I can drive to our local farmers market (they also have good prices on pine nuts).

gin, muddled mint and lime, topped with ginger beer (called various things but mighty tasty for a warm/hot summer day).

I love Arzak . . . but I am afraid to say, be wary. We were the same as others in the thread until two courses into dinner, table to the left started cigars, table to the right start chain smoking (which did not stop until they left) and then later, others joined. We were the only none smokers. I twice had to get up and excuse myself for air and only at dessert, when one other table started with cigars, I insisted and was able to eat dessert at the bar table. I only reply since you said you have limited tolerance and this meal was disaterous for us and we were left with much better feeling towards Akelarre (my favorite) and Mugaritz).

We will be in Madrid the first week of May. We have gotten reservations at Sergi Arola gastro but have not heard back from Terraza or Santceloni (at least the last one is currently closed until after easter). I have not heard much about these places despite their much celebrated chefs. Any recent eaters with anything to report? Thanks

Second the Clio recommendation: we had a wonderful 7 couse new years tasting. Two other alternative for a great tasting menu are No. 9 park and TW Food.

The Tanaka that I have is not what you woukld consider thin (around 3mm) whereas the gekko is closer to 2mm. My wife uses the gekko, I like the weight of the Tanaka. I use my Tanaka almost daily and keep its edge using a ceramic rod or a 4000/6000 polishing stone weekly and a 800 or 1500 grit stone once every couple of months. The newer ceramic wet stones are quick to wet and 4 or so passes on a side and you are done. I have gained a better understanding of "sharp" by "learning" the sharpening process and with little effort you can keep your knives to the point of being insane (food will seem to part infront of its touch).

yes: and the maker of the r2 knives is also on that page but I guess they do not have one of his nakiris.

Tha nakiri is now one of my favorites to use. I first bought the Gekko from JKD (around $80) to get a feel for the shape and then sprung for a Kazuyuki Tanaka knife from them in R2 steel after it became clear that this is a good shape for me.

I cancelled my Amazon order and bought it on ebay to get it sooner and it came today. Wow, this is not a coffee table book: with legs, it is a coffee table. It was an absolute pleasure eating at Fat Duck in March and then meeting Heston at StarChefs in NY. I find reading not only a recipe but the process that went ito it both inspiring and informative, particularly when I have eaten the dish. I look forward to hopefully a snowy winter where I can now rotate through one of the most remarkable book hauls in recent times (FD, Alinea, Underpressure, A day @ bulli) with more to follow (a new Noma book(?)).

Alas: a day at elBulli will not be followed by a night there this yeat . . . was hoping the third time request and on an anniversary would be the golden ticket but not so

Newest that I would recommend is Estragon Tapas on Harrison in the South End. On Friday and Saturday you can get whole braised pig head: the other dishes are far less daughting and very good.

Must also add Ryugin Restaurant in Tokyo: Chef Seiji Yamamoto is not to be missed.

In a lab where we often use waterbatks at higher temps (and can be used when doing vegis sv), we use styrofoam packaging peanuts in the bath to keep down surface evaporation and better control temp if room temp changes a lot

you may find some info from last years NY fancy food show. I have used them in desserts, great with apple sorbet and the like. I found citrus cuts the effect and cold slows it somewhat.

My wife and I spent the weekend in Amsterdam: sorry I did not email Chufi or Markemorse who seem to be active with egulleteers going to this city. Enjoyed both the Noordermarket and Albert (sp?) enjoying a nice selection of local and imported products. First dinner was at De Kas. A very beautiful room and a kitchen that tries to focus on local and self produced/procured produce and ingredients. Food was good but not memorable, suffering in part by the fact that the room is quite large and it is hard to take dining to the next level with what looked to be around 200 seats. However, the room was stunning, a glasshouse in a green area a short distance from central Amsterdam. It was also well priced at around 48E. Second dinner was at Ciel Blue. I wish I had met the Chef before dinner because by the time we finished at 11, he had left. Food was well thought out with very developed flavor and texture profiles. Chef used a good tool kit of both old and new techniques to create a very enjoyable meal (I had the full tasting, my wihe had a small seasonal tasting, with no dishes being common to both menus).Wines were very pricy but a good selection of new and old world wine. Very deserving of two stars.

We had a very good meal last year at Abac.

The best dessert is at Clio at the Elliott Hotel in Boston. Ken Oringer, chef owner has had numerous brilliant pastry chefs including Alex Stupek (WD50), and recently Rich Billings (Joel Rubicon). Rene, the pastry chef, is young but is rockin out some of the best flavor/technique combos I have had in recent times. If you go for sushi at Uni (the best in the city) or a dinner at Clio (worth the spulrge), leave room for dessert: alternatively, sit at the bar and go for a dessert tasting.