cabrales

Do members have any input on why Gagnaire chose to partner with Mazoz? I don't have any complaints against the latter, but the pairing has such an imbalance with respect to cuisine styles and the relative international reputation of the chefs. ??? Andy -- Is Gagnaire sending certain members of his team from Paris over? Were some of the advertisements to which you referred for sous-chef or chef de partie? Are there rumors as to whether Gagnaire will be cooking, at least for an initial period, if not at all afterwards?

John Whiting -- When I am close during a trip to interesting restaurants I have not tried, but for various reasons (e.g., commitments to friends, lack of reservations, feeling of having eaten too much during a period, etc.), do not eat at them, my curiosity becomes a negative aspect that diminishes my appreciation of the restaurants I do eat at. Have members experienced similar problems? ;)

lizziee -- Finally, somebody who agrees with me on the Pourcels and who is as happy with Troisgros as I am! Now, if I could only turn Steve P around on how the same problem of too many ingredients and unnecessary complexity applies to Gagnaire. ;) On Veyrat, I am becoming increasingly disenchanted with his cuisine. A post on his recent meanderings into testtubes and syringes as props at Ferme de Mon Pere should be in the A Balic thread, once its pre-crash status is restored. The presentation of the dishes was weird, and that negative aspect was not offset by equilibrium in tastes. Also, I posted notes on the menus taken in "Planning a Trip to France -- Gagnaire and Troisgros" under "France".

Margaret -- When I visited on a Thursday morning (around 11 am), there was only one other client and I was served immediately. It took me several minutes to decide among the different available goodies, and the two vendors were waiting for me. ;)

Robert -- Certain descriptions of Craig Claiborne's 1975 feast at Chez Denise confirm that the English name for sot-l'y-laisse is indeed oysters. I have not yet read Claiborne's autobiography, but it is high on my list. ;) The following appeared in the March 8, 2002 edition of The Denver Post (ironically, in connection with the Barclay bankers' Petrus dinner): "Claiborne won an item offered by American Express on the NYC PBS station's annual on-air auction. He bid $ 300 for a 'sky's-the-limit' dinner for two at any restaurant in the world that honored an Amex card. . . . 'It was grand,' Claiborne wrote in his autobiography [entitled A Feast Made for Laughter]. 'There was endless caviar and foie gras and truffles and *ortolans* (small dead birds eaten whole); a superb dish made of *hundreds* of fillets of **sots l'y laisse or the 'oysters'** that occur in chickens just above the thigh bone; a chaud-froid of *woodcock* with Chambertin wines; [real] oysters with white butter sauce; a parfait of truffled sweetbreads; charlottes and pears Alma and floating islands and a dozen other delectables.' . . . Claiborne's meal caused quite an uproar. After his report appeared in the [New York] Times [in an article entitled "Just a Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris: 31 Dishes, Nine Wines, a $ 4000 Check"], more than 1,000 letters poured in, half of them, wrote Claiborne, 'damning the vulgarity and cold-bloodedness and heartlessness of Pierre and me dining in such luxury while half the world starves.' . . ." -- To accompany the above feast, there was: Chateau Latour 1918, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1928, Romanee Conti 1929, Chateau d'Yquem 1928, Montrachet Baron Thenarde 1969, Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1947, Chateau Petrus 1961, an 1835 Madeira, an 1865 Calvados, and some cognac. -- The Independent noted in its January 26, 2000 edition: "He immediately set out with [Pierre] Franey to scout Paris. . . . [T]he pair chose the (deservedly, it turned out) little- known Chez Denis, where the chef Claude Mornay produced a five-hour, 31- course dinner that included . . . a dish made of hundreds of *chicken "oysters",* the nugget of meat on the backbone the French call sots-l'y-laisse. . . ." -- The January 24, 2000 New York Times indicated: "Later, in his autobiography, Mr. Claiborne maintained that the dinner was not perfect in all respects. The lobster in the lobster gratin was chewy and the oysters arrived lukewarm. 'The presentation of the dishes, particularly the cold dishes, such as the sweetbread parfait and the quail mousse tart, was mundane,' he wrote. . . . As testament to Mr. Claiborne's legendary stamina, when the two left the restaurant, Mr. Franey turned to his partner and asked him to sum up the experience. 'You know what was so amazing about that meal?' Mr. Claiborne replied. 'I don't really feel that stuffed.'" ;)

For me, contemporary American restaurants in NYC would include: Gramercy Tavern, Gotham Bar & Grill, Union Square Cafe, Judson Grill, Park Avenue Cafe and JoJo. I'm still considering why those restaurants come readily to mind. One factor I'm considering is how sauces are utilized, at least with respect to differences from a French restaurant. There is some overlap with the Zagat "Cuisine" categorization, which I looked at afterwards. Among the top 40-Food-Rating Zagat restaurants, the following are, for me, appropriately listed as American or New American: Gramercy Tavern, Gotham Bar & Grill, Union Square Cafe, 71 Clinton Fresh Food, and Aureole. Restaurants so listed that are close calls and difficult to categorize for me are: Union Pacific and Eleven Madison Park. Arguably inappropriately listed as American or New American for me are: March, Oceana, and Tabla (which is listed as American (New), Indian). I have never been to Veritas or Pearl Oyster Bar, also listed as a top-40 restaurant that is American. (Note I do not attribute much weight to Zagat, but it has the American cuisine categorization) ;)

Steve P -- Please don't berate me based on your perceptions of contribution, but . . . :p

heyjude -- Given you live in Vancouver, do you have any thoughts on (1) good hot pot places, (2) geoduck, or (3) based on recent visits, Pho Hoang? The spicy soup at Pho Hoang seems to differ in taste from period to period. Also, do you have any input on "Hong Kong style" Western food "cafes", like Gloucester on Cambie? I had the pork chop spaghetti with a nice tomato-derivative sauce, diced peas and carrots, there a long time ago. ;) Sorry for all the questions, but, finally for now, have you received word of what the oyster bar at the airport is like?

magnolia -- No particular time on Maison Blanche, except that we should leave several days for the restaurant to "resell" the table. On the Pourcels, I might be in the minority in not liking their cuisine. Input, other members? Obviously, my preferences are subjective. If you like Gagnaire and Trama and like Provence/Mediterranean-type products, you might like the Pourcels' food. On places outside of Paris for a one-nighter, there are so many possibilities. Places I like that I have visited during *same-day* journeys, based out of Paris, include: (1) Boyer Les Crayeres in Rheims (easy, less-than-2-hour direct train ride from Paris); and (2) J.M. Lorain in Joigny (another less-than-2-hour direct train ride). In each case, one would have to take a quick (< 10 minute) taxi ride to the restaurant from the train station. (Consider prebooking for Lorain, as there are fewer taxis.) For same-day journeys, lunch would presumably have to be the meal chosen. Note there are lots of less expensive places to room in Rheims, although the rooms at Boyer are magnificient. The restaurant does not effectively require a room to facilitate the receipt of a table reservation. My recommendation for a place outside of Paris is Troisgros, including for the rooms. This is a longer train ride, requiring a switch (at Lyons or another place) and entailing a stayover. ;) Many of the places in/around Lyons are accessible with an overnighter as well.

John Whiting -- L'Astrance has bistro-level prices, but, for you, could it really be considered a bistro? ;)

I don't cook, but I do add peppercorns to certain ready-made foods I buy for consumption at home (different versions of the peppercorns, and in different states of having been ground or not; I use Malaysian Sarawak quite a bit). I like adding peppercorns to a juicy purchased roast chicken, or preparing a simple sauce made from sherry vinegar and olive oil for it. Or perhaps using a store-bought sauce that I have always liked for some reason -- Maggi -- even though it lacks subtlety and is rather concentrated. ;) So, I would say, to adjust the flavoring of food -- fleur de sel, peppercorns, vinegar, Maggi sauce.

As members may know, sot-l'y-laisse is a special part of every (?) chicken. Literally translated into English, it means "the foolish leave it behind". It's not so tasty as to justify its name in my assessment, but it's interesting nonetheless. While I have never extracted or prepared one, the following websites purport to describe where this part of the chicken is located: http://trans.voila.fr/ano?ano....sot.htm (this site refers to sot-l'y-laisse as "oysters" of chicken; I only know the French term; Press "No" if any messages regarding debugging appear) http://www.normandieweb.com/decoupe.htm (see the area pointed to by the knife in the bottom right-hand-side picture)

If you're interested in a reservation for two at La Maison Blanche, the Pourcels' restaurant in Paris, on Saturday, April 13, at 8 pm, let me know. I am changing my plans and am going to cancel shortly, and can substitute your name. Note I dislike the Pourcels' food, but had contemplated a visit to see what the place is like. The view is supposed to be fairly good. ;)

Below are certain of my experiences with respect to "touring of the dining room" by chefs in France. Obviously, they do not necessarily indicate what a particular chef's regular practices might be: No -- B. Pacaud at L'Ambroisie, Paris; M. del Burgo at Taillevent, Paris (it's Vrinat who's always present in the dining room anyhow); D. Bouchet at Les Ambassadeurs, Paris; J. Lameloise at Lameloise, Chagny; P. Jousse at Alain Chapel, Mionnay (sic); E. Frechon at Bristol, Paris; the relatively new chef at L'Espadon, Paris; J. & L. Pourcel at Jardin des Sens, Montpellier (diners staying at the hotel will see the chefs around, and Jacques is sometimes found near the hotel reception before/during a meal); A. Ducasse at Plaza Athenee, Paris (note limited visits, as I dislike this, among other, restaurants); M. Guerard at Pres d'Eugenie (sic), Eugenie-Les-Bains (one can see him entering and exiting the kitchen several times); B. Witz at L'Hostellerie de L'Abbaye de la Celle (sic), La Celle (aka Ducasse farmhouse II); Hiramatsu, Paris. (Certain chefs who do not visit the room may nonetheless offer kitchen tours for diners whom they perceive to be interested.) Yes -- M. Troisgros at Troisgros, Roanne; G. Boyer at Boyer Les Crayeres, Rheims (this guy works the tables); P. Bocuse (when he is in attendance, he visits the room; that's a big "when", though); P. Barbot at L'Astrance, Paris; B. Loiseau at La Cote d'Or, Saulieu (very diligent with respect to greeting clients, often in entryway to dining rooms or to the hotel's general entrance); J.M. Lorain at La Cote Saint-Jacques, Joigny (visited salon on ground floor, instead of dining rooms on lower ground floor); G. Blanc at Vonnas (often visits both dining room and the aperatif area where there are sofas/seats); M. Meneau at L'Esperance, Vezelay/Saint-Pere (greeted me upon exit from the restaurant); M. Veyrat at L'Auberge de L'Eridan, near Annecy, and Ferme de Mon Pere, near Megeve (he seems even more active at Ferme); E. Loubet at Moulin de Lourmarin, Lourmarin; A.S. Pic at Pic, Valence; P. Henrioux at La Pyramide, Vienne (missed his tour, but was told he regularly visits tables); A. Dutournier at Carre des Feuillants, Paris (greets selected clients); R. Sammut at Auberge de la Feniere (sic), Lourmarin (greeted me upon exit; husband very present in dining room); Bruno at Chez Bruno, Lorgues (sic); P. Gagnaire, Paris (visits tables selectively, depending on guests); J. Brazier at La Mere Brazier, Lyons. ;)

Patrice -- I have defended Pacaud's diligence in many a thread during the "curry period" on the board. When the pre-crash data is restored, please see Bux's and my arguments that Pacaud does not just "sprinkle" curry and does not just utilize curry in an attempt to modernize his cuisine. It's a bit challenging to parse all the curry/fusion threads, as they were in various forums. The threads included: "Fusion Food -- Profoundly Dishonest? Discuss" under "India"; and various threads in UK and General (?). ajay -- There is brief mention of touring towards the end of the "Scarcity Factor" thread under "General", which you might find interesting. Note also reactions towards Blanc's touring (I thnk it's in there? For some reason, the posts in the thread are currently not available.)

It's been a while since I last visited an Asian grocery store, but I think Jinmyo is referring to the brand. The applicable can (larger than the smallest Carnation cans, and kind of fat in shape) has a white label with the picture of an old man with a long, white beard, bearing a long Chinese-style cane. This is an interesting condensed, sweetened milk for possible utilization, depending on one's preferences, in coffee and certain other drinks. Many Vietnamese places use this milk in their drip-style coffees. :D It's much denser (in a good way) and aromatic than Carnation, for example. Separately, I have not been to the President. I like Kirin on Cambie Street (in the large mall; note there may be two with a similar name) for dim sum and other Chinese food as much as I like Sun Sui Wah. SSW sometimes offers geoduck (the subject of another thread in this forum), which I like quite a bit. The best preparations are simple -- sliced geoduck is brought to the table raw, immersed by the diner in some bouillon momentarily, and then dipped into a sauce (e.g., wasabi-based; alternatively, soya sauce with spring onion). Speaking of geoduck, in the wintertime, certain hotpot places around Richmond are a good venue for sampling the item. Offal is also available, along with a generous sampling of meats, seafood, etc. One frequently has a choice as to the bouillon/other base used in the hotpot (e.g., spicy; bouillon; curry), and a range of sauces for dipping. Some places offer split hot pot cooking equipment, whereby diners can sample two bases for the hotpot. One of the hot pot places I have received recommendations about is "Chun Chow" Hotpot (that's not the English name) on Cambie, likely in the 40s. If you are interested in hot pots, I can inquire as to the precise name. ;)

mamster -- There are some pretty nice rice cooker models around (esp. the Japanese brand with an elephant as its logo and with the name beginning with "Z"). I am not a big fan of bubble tea, but taro and almond (separately) are probably among the better varieties. Note one interesting phenomenon at these stalls is the ability to have a cup of tea mixed with coffee -- this tastes better than it sounds, particularly with the type of milk utilized. Some bubble tea places have sweet egg-based items that look like little cylinders connected to one another (often made on a waffle-making-type contraption). This is a special type of egg dessert that is very cheap and potentially worth trying (if just-off-the-stove). On the herbal jelly, most types are indeed herbal. However, certain malls have jellies that contain essence of (i.e., not necessarily full-fledged) Asian turtle. If you are interested (it is legal) in this special type of jelly/drink-like substance, I can inquire and give you an address. Other dishes to consider at these food malls: (1) braised beef belly, Chinese style, either on its own or with soup noodles (usually available at noodle stalls), (2) Singapore style scented chicken rice, with extra spring onions, (3) tripe or other offal (be very careful which stall), (4) marinated, soya flavored cuttlefish (this is often found at the stalls for roast duck and pork), and (5) salty egg (not the same as thousand/hundred year egg). ;)

Patrice -- Yes, in French interviews, Pacaud sometimes analogizes Brazier and Claude Peyrot (Vivarois) to his culinary parents.

mamster -- Bo Kong is so strict about adhering to vegetarian principles that certain Buddhist organizations have their gatherings there. Another attractive set of dishes involve large mushrooms that mimic different forms of meat, based on the dish. This place also has a family-type atmosphere. One slight drawback is the undue use of green in the decor. (But green decor is a pet peeve.) Other interesting things one finds in many of Richmond's Asian malls are food courts with predominantly Asian stalls. Quick congee with thousand/hundred year egg and with Chinese donuts; chicken curry or fish balls in curry (there is a particularly strong stall at Yaohan's mall); the standard Chinese barbecued duck and pork; nice Asian-style coffee or Taiwanese style flavored "bubble tea" (referring to tapioca balls plentifully added -- can also be added to most coffees); stir-fried or soup noodles. The great thing is that a diner can buy an item from each of many stalls. The prices are extremely inexpensive.

Jon -- On the extent of the truffle flavor, I wouldn't say that it was pronounced or spread throughout the chicken in half mourning dish I had at La Mere Brazier, Ambroisie or Boyer. In each case, there were about 1-2 slices, so that the "bruising" appearance of the skin was quite limited. I would say that the relative thickness of the truffle slices at La Mere Brazier (even though there were only 1-2) allowed the diner to sample the "crunchy" texture of the truffle and the taste of the truffle for the specific portion of the skin underneath which the truffle had been lodged. For the remainder of the chicken at La Mere Brazier, the truffle effects could not be detected. However, I didn't mind that because the chicken was so flavorful, and the use of the cooking jus with it so wonderfully simple. I added a little fleur de sel, but that was all that I considered appropriate. The softened leek accompanying the chicken deserves another mention. The foie/artichoke salad (le fond d'artichaut au foie gras) you chose was an alternative to the pike quenelle appetizer on the 55 euro menu. It too is a signature dish of La Mere Brazier. The artichoke hearts that were being served to adjacent tables seemed about the size of a woman's palm. For interested members, here's an article on women French chefs. This is a topic on which I hope to (one day) begin an interesting dialogue (after sampling more of their cuisine), and the article is not particularly well-written in my assessment. Nonetheless, the article notes that Eugenie Brazier's dishes included "artichoke hearts topped with foie gras, gratin of quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings [not descriptive word]) and poulard demi-deuil (chicken in half wine, rice and noodles cooked in bouillon)." http://frenchfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa021801a.htm

On a related issue for restaurant write-ups, if more than one diner in a party would otherwise choose the same a la carte dish, would members seek to have as many different dishes as possible represented and dissuade that diner from adhering to his/her original choice? If such dissuasion is successful, how generous is the diner who secures the sought-after dish in sharing it with the "dissauded" diner? Also, do diners within a reviewing party seek to order from different categories of menu items (e.g., meat, fish, shellfish) when practicable? ;) To what extent is this affected by the wines desired? ;)

Steve Klc -- Unfortunately, the coverage of the award appears very limited. A quick skim of the Wedgewood site did not yield leads (there should be some information on there, I would imagine.) http://www.wedgwood.com/wedgwoo....ation=U (Wedgewood site) R Blanc's website likewise has no description of the procedural aspects of judging, etc., although the chef does note his receipt of the award ("2001 Winner Wedgwood World Master of Culinary Arts award, representing Great Britain. The Grand Final on the 16th May will determine which of the 7 national award winners will become the first ever 'World Master of Culinary Arts'.") http://www.manoir.com/ (Select "Raymond", then "Raymond's Awards") Blanc told The Times: "I am very proud to be representing Britain. Some people may ask why a Frenchman has been chosen, but I have been living and working in England for 30 years and have spent my entire career as a chef here." The Times also notes that four chefs of French origin are among the ten nominees for the US representative (I assume the four includes Boulud and Vongerichten). ;)

Robert -- The thought of a tape recorder has crossed my mind in the past. However, I decided not to proceed with that possibility because: -- When one is dining with others, the companions would be uncomfortable having conversations taped and it could be burdensome to have to keep on switching on and off the recorder as dishes were available to be described (I wonder if voice activitated models are now available). -- When dining alone, speaking into the recorder would not be feasible. -- If discovered, a tape recorder might seem somehow more "shady" to restaurants than photographs or notes taken from time to time (even with discretion). ;) Do any members utilize tape recorders at restaurants?

The Australian chef representative is Neil Perry of Rockpool at The Rocks and the Asian noodle bar/restaurant "XO" (yes, named after the sauce) at Potts Point. In connection with John Whiting’s point re: commercialization, note Perry is a consultant for Qantas (not in any way suggesting relevance there). Nominees may have included Tetsuya, Luke Mangan of Salt in Sydney, Liam Tomlin of Banc in Sdyney, Janni Kyritsis of MG Garage in Sydney, Tim Pak Poy of Claudes at Woolahra (?), and Greg Doyle of Pier in Sydney. ;)

The Lindsay House bill can be moderated when one chooses pre-theater dinners, which offered certain decent dishes the two times I visited. The service can be quite rapid, and the location of the restaurant close to Shaftsbury Avenue makes it fairly easy to access certain theater venue afterwards. ;)