Ochowie

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone has been to Fleur De Lys recently and if it's still worth going to. I've always seen Keller on Top Chef and they did the first episode of the show there so I've always wanted to check it out but I don't want to waste a night on it.

I have debated posting anything about this restaurant. I enjoyed the meal, but I think it was a bit one note. I felt that every dish had a heavy citrus component that got really repetitive. That and the endless desserts made the meal not up to my memory of Alinea, but still very good.

You can get an idea of what to expect from my review of e' here from last year when I was at Vegas Uncork'd. It's truly a unique experience and I felt it was worth the time and cost. Due to the intimacy of the setting, I chose not to take any photos. David, thanks for pointing me to your review. I will report back here as well when I come back and can only hope it is a fraction as interesting to read as your review is.

I haven't seen a thread about this on here so I thought I'd start one. I've managed to score a reservation for next Sunday and I was wondering what to expect. Has anyone been yet? I will be sure to post details when I get back.

Honestly, I only booked a reservation at Arbutus and figured I would be able to get into Les Deux Salon based on the availability on the web site. Reading my post it certainly did seem that I made reservations at both places and I apologize for the miscommunication. Anyway, ended up at Arbutus. Man, that Eel...!!!

So this is a really short notice post but I thought I'd give it a shot. I have reservations at both Arbutus and Les Deux Salons tonight and I am wondering which one to hit tonight. I'm thinking that whichever one I don't go to I will go to the other one on Sunday (provided I like tonight's meal). So any thoughts, which one should be first? Thanks.

Just a quick question. Should I hit the St. John's Hotel near Leicester or the original? Both are available and I am wondering if one is better than the other?

Thanks for the advice. Also, maybe I should spell the man's name correctly. So between Petrus and Claridges is it a toss-up or does one stand out?

I'm going to be in London in a week and I have already booked The Wolseley and Quo Vadis based on reading these forums and the recently posted trip reports. I was hoping to do one night at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Currently RHR isn't showing any availability online but both Claridges and Maze are available. I was hoping to get an outside opinion on which is better between the two. They seem pretty different but does either restaurant operate at a consistently higher quality than the other? Thanks.

Personally, I would cancel EMP for lunch and see if I could get in there for dinner.

Richard had immunity from winning the quickfire didn't he? That could explain why it didn't really matter whether his dish went out on time. Am I the only person that finds Fabio incredibly annoying this season? He was funny and refreshing during the terrible blandness that was season 5 but really his whole schtick is growing old. His comments about the mustard gelato during the quickfire especially annoyed me. And while maybe Bourdain crossed the line, Fabio has gotten into similar arguments in that past (Scott Conant) and needs to get it through his head that his dishes aren't perfect all the time.

It was nice, but I feel he could have really spent less time talking about how difficult the place was to get to and spent more time talking about the food. Almost the full first page of the internet version of the review was spent on coming up with witty ways to describe how difficult it was to get there (eg. "If you haven’t been in the area since your child had ear surgery or after your aunt had that episode on the bus, Riverpark is a fine adventure to take."). It just seems like he's trying too hard.

If you don't have the time to play with the Momofuku Ko reservation system, I highly recommend Ma Peche (one of the other David Chang restaurants). I go there very often (I also go to Ko very often too). The food at Ma Peche is very creative and delicious. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, with the dinner menu being more expansive. I would second the Ma Peche recommendation. I've had some great stuff on their lunch menu. I particularly remember the fried chicken they had as being really good. Also, for dinner the pork chop for two was terrific with a great side of peas (when I had it).

Alas, I don't have 5 other friends in NYC who are all available on the same night when I visiting in a week and a half. I think I will try to plan ahead for another time when their schedules are not as blocked up. Thanks for the comments and suggestions all! Jake For a nominal fee, I will supply you enough hungry friends to fill the remaining spaces. This is giving me an idea, except with the noodle bar fried chicken.

I'm curious about the guy that mentioned that Sushi Yasuda lacked excitement? Not everything should be "exciting" fusion sushi rolls and the simplicity and quality of the fish can be exciting in its own right. I can't think of many sushi restaurants anywhere I have enjoyed more than Sushi Yasuda.