roosterchef21

Hey everyone. I've noticed in some posts that people regard some 3 stars as being of varying quality. For example, Paul Bocuse is rated by some people as being barely a 1 star place let alone 3 stars. (I understand why - respect for what was a great chef still being awarded 3 stars). Also Alain Senderens was rated by some as barely a 3 star along with Taillevent. What are in your opinion the current "great" 3 stars, the current "good" 3 Stars and the "bad" 3 stars. I'm kinda hoping this thread kicks on and keeps getting ratings from people in the future so when people come on here they can read this and go yep that's where I should go with some sort of accuracy. Save's trying to search for recommendations and starting new topics on it! Like what I did!

I'm interested to know as well. I'm thinking about going there next may. I really wish they had a website!

Skip going out for dinner in the coast then unless you are happy to drive back late at night or stay. But... Vanitas - The most romantic restaurant I've ever seen. Beautiful Mod European food in a stunning setting. Quite expensive but if you want to take that special someone somewhere..... It's in the Palazzo Versace. We've done the degustation there and it's always been a "balanced" menu. No ups and downs just consistently good food. Mostly european waitstaff with experience in michelin starred restaurants I'd say. Absynthe - Meyjitte Boughenout is the chef. 2 Michelin stars as well as 19/20 in the Gault Millau on his CV. Set in the Q1 building, it's a funny little place serving outstanding food. Not sure if it's trying to be casual of formal? Service is a bit lacklustre but the food... He is one of those deconstructed kind of chefs if that makes any sense.

Why Pier?

I'd have: Entree: Sashimi & Sushi Main: a nice fat lobe of foie gras on a piece of buttery brioche Dessert: a huge cheese platter

So.... where to begin... Salon - It's at tenerife. Tapas/sharing place. It's relatively cheap, the food comes out nicely and it's really good food. A chef's kind of place. Worth a visit for dinner with friends. Order the parfait & the zucchini frites. Isis - It's lovely. Good service and outstanding food. The degustation is good value. Fortitude Valley Bar Alto - It's at the Powerhouse Museum. Run by the same guys that run Isis. Mediterranean food. Better than Isis IMO. It's got a nice view of the river, the food is much simpler and it's just a really good place to do a relaxed lunch. Restaurant Two - Mod European food. Expensive but the food is good and service is excellent. Worth a visit for the degustation. Business crowd lunch. At one stage they were doing 3 courses for $50 for lunch. Edward St Gianni's - beautiful presentation of pretty good food. A little steep though... Near the Stamford Plaza & Edward St Urbane - without a doubt the best restaurant in brisbane atm IMO. Stunning stunning food, excellent service and atmosphere. Take someone who is into food and do the tasting menu. It's worth it. $180+ a head after wine. Critics love it. Mary St in the City Montrachet - Good place for french food. If your a bloke sit at the bar have a glass of red and a nice steak and frites. Critics love it. Paddington Baguette - the chef is Bruno Loubet. he once held 2 Michelin stars. Nice place for a reasonably casual night out. At Ascot on Racecourse Rd. e'cco - a little overrated IMO. It's bistro style dining. Quality of ingredients is outstanding but food is not as good as other places... On the corner of Adelaide st near where the dome used to be i think. They are the places worth going to IMO. Not sure if you want the gold coast or not?

Hey guys! I'm heading to Sydney with my wife on the 22nd of March for our 1 year wedding anniversary. I am having trouble picking between Quay and Pier for dinner. Which should I choose & why? We have a hotel booked on the rocks so Quay is obviously closer but Pier was named number one restaurant in Australia this year by the gourmet traveller. Out of the two, which has the most balanced/stunning degustation. What about service and romance? It's our first three star/hat experience so we want it to be good. Couldn't get into Tetsuya's because they were closed, I cancelled Rockpool because there is no tasting menu anymore and have heard it has turned more into a bistro! Also, how much for a cabride from the rocks to pier. It is at rose bay. thanks!

Teaching sounds like a good idea. You could always do it part time at first while taking a break from the kitchen to see if you like it or not. In the meantime you can sit back, figure out what/where you want to take your career and make an informed decision. What about running cookery classes for the average joe? Not professional training classes I mean!

About 5 days. But we are in Europe for around 3-4 weeks. Land at Rome and stay there for 3-4 days, up to Florence and then Venice (2days each), train from Venice through switzerland (1/2 day for lunch if only 3 weeks otherwise 2 days if 4 weeks) then onto Lyon (3days). Pick up a car there and drive down to Nice/Monaco(overnight) (Louis XV... very excited!), along the south coast of france (3 days) and then either: a) get to Toulouse and head back to Paris slowly taking it all in or b) whirlwind tour through bordeaux region and up to Paris. Once in Paris, 1 day at Reims, 1 Day at EuroDisney (the wife would like to go and we don't want to go to the US yet) and the rest all in Paris. So we are saving most of our big restaurants for France. I am going to find a nice place in Italy somewhere though.

michel guerard is far superior to either Trama or the Pourcel brothers. as for scenery, I'm not sure where you've been looking but Gascony and Aquitaine contain some beautiful rolling countryside and lovely historic towns and villages ← I thought about Guerard but can't seem to find a lunch menu price and I actually thought they only did dinner? I would like to go to an old school place like that though...

Thanks for your advice! We fly into Rome and we are hoping to go to La Pergola for lunch. Hoping they do it for a good price! LOL! Staying for about 3 days. Going up to Florence (2 days) then Venice (2 days) via train. Overnight train to Lyon via Switzerland (1/2 - 1 day there). Nicholas Le Bec for lunch in Lyon at some stage. Down to Nice for the first big event. Louis XV for Dinner! Very excited! Now here is a problem.. Heading back along the south coast of france towards bordeaux and am struggling for ideas along there. Les Jardins des Sens and Michel Trama are options. Jardins seems to have a really good value Lunch menu and it's menu seems quite modern but mixed reviews. Trama is interesting but read mixed reviews. Should we just skip both? I am looking for "cheap" lunches as I think it's a good budget conscieous way to experience 2 and 3 star places. Also, is there much to see scenery and food wise in that corner of france (divide france into four quarters)compared to the rest? Can't seem to find much. We will be running short of time I'd say by that stage so should we just skip Bordeaux altogether and get to either Montpellier or Toulouse and head towards Paris a little more leisurely? What starred restaurants are worth seeing on the way? If we do have time is it worth going to Arzak or Mugaritz for lunch? Are they good value? Do they do lunch? Once we get to Paris we hope to go to Pierre Gagnaire and Les Ambassadeurs. At least that's the plan... Then we unfortuantely fly home

Hi everyone! Heading to France in Spetember next year and have being looking at 3-4 major restaurants to eat at. Going to two 3 stars and two 2 stars. I need help making a choice about the restaurants. What I am looking for is romantic and more food focused than service although it is important. I want a balance between out there food (el bulliesque) to more traditional (hence Louis XV). One from each category in each star rating would be preferable (e.g louis xv and el bulli). Also in the 2 stars, chef's who are really pushing boundaries and is a 3 star waiting to happen. I am going to Louis XV as one of my 3 stars. These are the other options: Pierre Gagnaire L'Astrance Mugaritz Michel Bras Arzak Le Pre Catalan Guy Savoy I know that there is two in there that are in Spain but they interest me and I want opinions. As for 2 stars, Nicholas le Bec is my first choice. Not sure of many other places to try. The options I have found interesting so far are: Les Ambassadeurs Le Bristol Le Meurice Mirazur Thanks for your help guys!

rejected....

Looks like they aren't taking anymore reservations.... will Santa show?

IMO, the first course should be something simple and light and every course thereafter should build in intensity and complexity until cheese/dessert course. E.g Amuse: Parmesan Mousse with fresh Truffle - a little bit salty to get the palate started Soup: Watercress Soup with Slow Poached Quail Egg Vegetable: Assiette of Vegetables - Carrot Puree, Cauliflower Veloute, Confit Tomatoes Fish/Seafood: Poached Oysters with a Champagne Foam Cleanser: Sorbet Poultry/Game: Terrine of Pork & Quail, Spiced Apple Chutney, Walnut Bread Meat: Seared Loin of Venison, Truffled Polenta, Horseradish Beurre Blanc Each course above builds on the intensity of it's predecessor whether it be more complex using more spices e.g the terrine or more components to a dish - assiette.

Pick up each knife that is the right size. Hold it. Feel it. Feel the weight. Does it feel right? How about in the hand? Is it comfortable? Do you feel comfortable? Put them all down. Leave the store and come back in 1/2 an hour and do it all again. Then pick the right one. Who cares about price. Treat it right and it will last a lifetime! Like a women really!

I agree with this one. This is a beautiful progression of courses, just as long as the flavors progress just as nicely. ← Thanks! LOL!

I find that if FOH fucks up I let it pass for the moment. I deal with it internally and then get on with punching the food out. I have a reputation for not having lost my temper in months and they love it. The good thing about that though is that when I do lose my temper its panic stations for FOH. They crap themselves.... I end up getting lots of drink offers, lots of compliments some FOH's tips etc etc. It's great. Pick and choose your times to get angry and it works like charm. If I'm angry. I'm not doing my best work, I'm not as relaxed and definitely not as focused on the food!

I'd be going: Amuse* Soup Vegetable Fish (cleanser/sorbet)* Poultry Meat (cleanser/sorbet)* Cheese Dessert Petit Fours* * - Not a course as such Also, the poultry course and meat course could be combined into a single meat course.

Sent... Does anyone else feel like El Bulli is kind of like Santa? I feel like a kid at their first christmas after hearing so much about Santa. I'm wondering if he is going to come, wondering if everything they say about him is real and wondering if he really is going to bring me that joy that I have heard so much about!

Do all 3 stars give separate menus to the male and female diner (one with no prices and one with the prices)?

You can certainly ask them to choose, but in an effort to serve you better, they'd probably like to know your tastes in cheese - even if it's the case that you want to stick to the kinds you like, or to try others. So you can tell them "I want to try all the stinky cheeses you have", or "I don't like soft cheese, but would you suggest three hard ones", or any permutation. And if you defer and suggest "could you serve me the three you think are most interesting from your cart?", you'll get an explanation of the cheeses, and probably a good variety. But you shouldn't be afraid to ask. I have met with snooty and condescending answers in three-star places, even speaking French and giving away enough clues that I know which end is up when it comes to fancy food and fine dining, but let's assume that the OP has chosen wisely and that this is not gong to happen. But very sadly, it is a part of the three-star experience sometimes. Can we ask roosterchef21 where he's planning to lose his 3-star virginity? ← It depends. If we get into El Bulli, we will probably start there and work our way around otherwise Louis XV. I wouldn't mind getting into L'Astrance, Pierre Gagnaire, Mugaritz or Le Pre Catelan for dinner and any of the above plus Guy Savoy for lunch. I am definetely going to try Nicholas Le Bec as a 2 star place. Love the look of his menu!

Just playing around on the net picking a fantasy team and anyhow thought I might start a topic on a fantasy restaurant team. The teams will be made up of 1. Manager/Maitre'D 2. Executive Chef 3. Sous Chef 4. Somellier 5. Pastry Chef First team will consist of the best restaurant team you can think of. Who is in your opinion the best person to fill each role. Second team will consist of a team of the most angriest/psychopathic people in the business. Here goes! The Best. 1. Jean-Claude Vrinat 2. Alain Ducasse 3. Thomas Keller 4. ? 5. Pierre Herme The Angriest 1. Edsel Ford Fong 2. Joel Robuchon 3. Marco Pierre White 4. ? 5. ? Have a go guys!

At work, we poach 5kg of chicken maryland's 5 times a week in a stock. The thing is we reuse this stock over and over again like a chinese masterstock. It's gone from a pale chicken stock to this incredibly intense, deep dark brown stock. It has so much flavour. It's like having 10 chickens in your mouth at once! It's at the point now where it's actually making the chicken sweeter once it's cooked. And it's solid when cold. We could cut it like a terrine! About 15 litres of stock. It's 6 months old...

That's interesting.... If I was someone working at the restaurant I would feel very privileged/honoured to have photos taken.