cabrales

robert -- What a ravishing meal. The golden egg dish sounds fascinating....

Wilfrid -- Emeril's. When you have a chance, could you consider discussing what made the meal so special?

Charles -- Thanks for your input. On Vancouver, here are a couple of Chinese seafood restaurants: Kirin, Sun Sui Wah, Forum and Imperial. Do any of these sound familiar? Also, do you remember if the restaurant was in Richmond (close to the airport), downtown (across the bridges), on Main St., or in the "old" Chinatown? I wonder if Fook Lam Moon could prepare this dish for me when I am next in Hong Kong.

The following is additional information on the Haeberlin salmon souffle, as described in Michael Buller's "French Chefs Cooking" book. -- The souffle mousse is made of white fish or yellow pike, eggs, egg yolks, egg whites, nutmeg, creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste. The other ingredients are fish stock, Riesling wine, shallots and salmon fillets. The sauce is made from creme fraiche, cold butter, lemon and salt and pepper. -- "The Alsace Riesling is Jean-Pierre's [Haeberlin] recommendation [for wine to accompany the dish]. A salmon souffle is worth the search for its ideal partner, the exquisite Trimbach family's Riseling St Hune. . . ." -- "At Christmas time in Alsace, the great treat of the Haeberlin family is to open a bottle of Chateau Yquem and enjoy this greatest of Sauternes wines with their homemade fresh Alsace foie gras, followed by Paul Haeberlin's salmon souffle."

Has any member sampled Yosses' desserts at Citarella?

Soba -- On the restaurant's ability to replicate, I wonder whether it would be inappropriate to indicate to a Japanese chef, under the omakase option, that one would like fewer, but potentially equivalent-quality, products under the lower-priced omakases as under the $100 one. I don't know if that would signal the receipt of less food that one might otherwise receive, though.

Sandra -- Thanks for the information. When you have a chance, could you provide a bit more detail? Ben -- See the thread initiated by Rail Paul on methods for fish. It's under one of the "Starter" forums.

Charles -- When you have a chance, could you describe the "live" lobster experience? Also, if you recollect, what specific restaurants are they available at in either city (Chinese pronounciations translated informally would be fine too)?

I don't know whether weekday lunch is an option for you or whether the applicable restaurants are open for lunch on weekends, but I often visit places that I have concerns about during lunch. That might reduce the cost too, assuming reasonable wine ordering. Wilfrid and I visited La Caravelle during Restaurant Week. The prix fixe lunch generally available appeared to have been under $40. However, before Labor Day, there are so many places with $20.02 lunch menus (certain restaurants continue the Restaurant Week deals) worth further exploration for me: Cello, Montrachet, Union Pacific, Chanterelle, Fleur de Sel, Nobu, Nougatine at Jean-Georges, Patria, Town and Pico. Interestingly, the inexpensive menus work well sometimes because they are served quickly.

mlpc -- You might be interested in recent Bill Yosses developments, indicated in the Citarella thread in the NY forum.

mlpc -- Hiramatsu opened in Paris, and received a star that was not possible to obtain in Japan. Note there are two Hiramtsu threads (one post-crash) in the France forum.

Equally intriguing are the desserts that Yosses has constructed for the sushi bar portion of Citarella. Below is an excerpt from the Citarella website: "SUSHI BAR DESSERTS *Macha* Green Tea Sorbet with *White Chocolate Green Tea Truffles* 9 Kyoto Kake: Bamboo-Wrapped Lotus Root Jelly 9 Sorbets in Sesame Cones Cavaillon Melon, Azuki Bean, Litchie 7 Kinutofu: Silken Bean Curd With Seeds, Molasses and Juice of Pomegranate 7 Kanten Fruits: Peach, Loquat and Strawberry 8 Wagash: Traditional Red Bean Cake 7 Black Sesame Seed Pudding 8 Pastry Chef, William Yosses" It would be potentially interesting to see how Yosses executes "Japanese" desserts.

mlpc -- If you are comfortable responding, are you a pastry chef in Detroit?

Another reason to visit Citarella is that Bill Yosses is the patissier there Below is an indicative dessert menu: http://www.citarella.com/Rest_Product.asp?...5&Department=17 (including Toasted Lemon Pound Cake with Plum Compote and Lemon Ice Cream) In the section on the chefs, the Citarella website contains the following: "'As restaurants are becoming more chef-oriented, dessert becomes a key factor in their success. Meals are now telling an entire story – from appetizer through dessert – with the last course needing to be the most enticing – after all, very few people are actually hungry for dessert.' . . . .The menu at Citarella the Restaurant reflects their commitment to special ingredients and unique combinations with confections such as Lemon Raspberry Soufflé with Verbena Sauce and Strawberry Sorbet – a warm mousse with and exotic emerald green lemon verbena syrup and organic Tri-Star New York State strawberry sorbet (the berries are grown specifically for Citarella), Elderflower Parfait with Bing Cherry Sauce – emphasizing the honey-apricot notes of the summery and fragrant elderflower, and Fig Napoleon with Tangerine Sauce and Fig Molasses – a layered work of art uniting paper thin wafers with a fig puree, tangerines and fig molasses from Spain."

mlpc --- robert brown and I each have the Blake & Quentin book. See the below discussion of it under the "Chef of the Century" thread: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...=1&t=3118&st=60 I bought my copy used, from the web, less than two years ago.

Nina -- Out of curiosity, out long would it take you to prepare for and cook the described meal? Also, how many people are you cooking for?

The Lumiere bar had very low prices as well. Note that another factor that helps limit spending is the availability of less expensive Canadian wine, particularly Okanagan Valley. Below is a description of meals at Lumiere's bar: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...=26&t=2716&st=0 Fat Guy -- The friend who went to Vancouver with me is more up-to-date about new NY restaurants than I am. He noted the low prices at Lumiere's bar as well, and the high quality of the food at Ouest and Lumiere bar. He indicated that Lumiere bar was the most exciting new restaurant he had visited in the past year. Note I have been attempting to recruit him for the board, with no success to date.

I had a meal at Ledoyen recently. How could I resist visiting Paris' newest three-star? (I had visited the other newly annointed restaurant, Guy Savoy, several times) L’Araignee de Mer – Araignee decortiquee en carapace a l’ecume de mer (Spider crab removed from its shell, placed inside the shell, with foam of the sea) ½ Les Crustaces – Craquelin de crustaces, morilles et suc d’asperges (Shellfish with a cracker-type item, morels and asparagus-based sauce) Les Abattis de Volaille – Timbale de macaroni, fricassee de cretes, sot l’y laisse et quenelles de volaille de Bresse (The Inner Organs of Chicken – Macaronis and a fricassee of crest, “oyster” sections –see La Mere Brazier thread for this chicken part -- and quenelles of Bresse chicken meat) Les Fraises des Bois – Tapioca et fraises des bois au zeste de citron vert, feuilles de basilic en sorbet (Tapioca and wild strawberries with green lemon skin, basil leaves in a sorbet) Glass of Gosset (?) Grand Reserve ½ Laville Haut-Brion, 1994 (90 euros) -- happy, happy Glass of Puligny-Montrachet (between 15 and 20) A radiant, warm day for this time of the year was the backdrop of my visit to this beautiful restaurant located in a woody area adjacent to the Champs Elysees. The main dining room is on the first floor, after one ascends a wide central staircase, and looks onto significant greenery. A nice environment for a spring or summer lunch, in particular. The decor is a bit old-fashioned, but not in an ugly way. I was comfortably positioned; most tables had a view of the greenery. The selection of champagnes is presented on a trolley featuring several buckets. The champagne selection is average by the glass, and also by the bottle. However, the selection of white Burgundies was strong. The Laville Haut Brion I selected was rather developed (unusual for its kind on the nose), and a very good choice on my part in hindsight. The color was more developed than I had expected. (I will order this wine again when the occasion arises.) The sommelier appeared genuinely enthusiastic about my selection of this wine, and of the alternative proposal on my part of a Chassagne Montrachet. The white Burgundies were generally reasonably priced for certain bottles, at least. The amuses were nice : (1) foie gras on a small piece of toast, (2) a freshly deep fried mini spring roll with certain vegetables inside, (3) a small reddish raddish with a green (possibly horseradish) puree inside, and (4) a little pastry item that was so-so. Then, a gelee of red pepper (on top) and cucumber (the bulk of the item), with a grainy sauce of parmesan on top. The sauce was developed, but the gelee was nothing special. In particular, the cucumber gelee lacked refinement. The spider crab appetizer was good. Presented inside the hollowed shell of the crab, there were (1) a significant amount, at the bottom, of puree of feves or green peas, which was wonderful in texture (smooth, but with some “vegetable” sensations and a certain refreshing quality), (2) a nicely dark-tasting gelee with strands of spider crab, tiny bits of zucchini and red pepper and individual suspended grains of caviar, and (3) a white nage that did not offer much taste on a standalone basis. I liked this dish; the gelee had sensations of the ocean, and the caviar bits were utilized in an unusual manner just as a small side player in the dish. The zucchini and red pepper bits were a bit too crunchy for me. Note I do not generally like red pepper. The next appetizer was an excellent size for a half order. I liked this dish considerably. Three fat lengths of langoustines were well-prepared and attractively paired with a pigeon-stock-based, medium consistency sauce that had depth and tonality. An accomplished dish, although the langoustines were ever-so-slightly softer than that I would have subjectively preferred. There was a circular sesame wafer, which I considered unnecessary and which reminded me slightly of Pacaud’s langoustines with curry and sesame wafer appetizer (there, the wafer is not circular, if memories serves me correctly). Christian Le Squer is from Brittany, like Pacaud and others. Ledoyen is known for, among other things, seafood. By this time in the meal, I was already rather happy. The wine was drinking wonderfully. The arrival of my Bresse chicken inner organs entree continued this positive trend. The dish’s macaroni component was average, formed in the shape of a column. There were many parts of Bresse chicken included, all draped in a dark, intense, truffle sauce: (1) two crests, which were smaller than I have had before and which had a relatively soft texture that resembled that of the crests taken at La Mere Brazier in Lyons, (2) a small piece of sausage made with inner parts, which was appealing, (3) two little kidney-bean like items that must have been the kidneys of the Bresse chicken – not particularly strong in flavor, (4) various other inner parts, (5) two small quenelles of a mousse of white meat from Bresse chicken, which were nice and different from usual preparations, and (6) many sot-d’y-laisse or oyster pieces. The sot-d’y laisse were smaller than I had expected, but had a nice dark meat flavor and strong textural components. Another well-conceptualized and -executed dish. Very subjectively appealing in concept and in outcoe. The only weakness was the dominance of the truffle sauce, which is a comment I have on many dishes with sauces containing black truffle. The maitre d’ indicated that the dish is rarely ordered by diners, an observation that was interesting in view of the obvious appeal of the dish to me. The dessert was average to good, although beautifully presented. A large pool of tapioca, in a white sauce that augmented its vanilla flavor components, formed the bottom part of the dish. Delicious fraises des bois (one of my favorite fruits) had been studded into the tapioca at regular intervals, to form a pattern. On top of this was a thin, translucent, beautiful disc of sugary substance. Then, a wonderfully flavored basil sorbet that was a lovely greenish, graphite greyish color. Finally, a smaller translucent sugar disc sat on top of the basil sorbet. The tapioca was unnecessary in the dish, and its texture was too starchy for my liking (recognizing the tendencies for that sensation inhering in tapioca, which I do not generally like). The mignardises were nice. Overall, based on only one visit (and therefore premature), a good to very good showing, bordering on very good. This is among the better three-star restaurants in Paris cuisine-wine, although the service (with respect to food, although not for wine) was average for a three-star. One of the appealing aspects about Le Squer’s cuisine is its creative aspects within a framework of a traditional French cuisine. In this way, it (like the cuisine of Guy Savoy, to a much more limited extent) straddles the intellectual divide between the Guy Martin/Taillevent/Lucas Carton/L’Ambroisie-type more traditional cuisine and the other three stars in Paris. Ledoyen deserved its 2002 promotion by Michelin.

While perusing the Ouest website, I noted a "bar menu" featuring dishes generally in the C$9-12 (roughly US$6-8) range. I had not noticed this type of menu before. I wonder if it is new, and in partial reaction to the success of Lumiere's bar area? http://www.ouestrestaurant.com/ouest/menus.../menu.asp?ID=75

Below is an update from Lady T regarding Trotter in London.

PaulaJ -- From your description of the old bar (which I never visited), the Plaza Athenee bar has changed markedly. The new bar is a trendy place currently in Paris. Its decor is designer (P Stark pupil, I believe) and modern. There is sofa-type seating on the left as one enters the bar, but not in the comfy sense you are seeking. There was no piano music, and I doubt the clientele would have been impressed with piano music the way you or I would have been. Speaking of bars, have members visited the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz? It apparently may have a truffles-based drink. Also, have members visited Bubbles, the champagne-specialist restaurant in Paris? I have not.

Yes, sunny side up perhaps?

Roberto -- Welcome to the board I do not cook and have no Egyptian recipes. However, note that Emile Jung of Le Crocodile in Strasbourg had an Egyptian theme to his celebration of the 30th anniversary of the restaurant. I believe the menu consisted of French cuisine dishes; however, there were subtitles and other Egyptian aspects to that evening. Jung and his wife also travelled to Egypt. Sadly, shortly following the celebration, Jung lost his third Michein star. Below is a link to certain photos: http://www.au-crocodile.com/F/index/index_..._rencontre.html

Mao -- You and Soba both had the $100 omakase. Are there other levels of omakase, or is the alternative to the $100 omakase a la carte? For example, if one wants to eat less, is there a lower priced omakase? You compare JB to Gari, Yasuda, etc. Did you visit Sushi Hatsu before it closed, and, if not, were you tempted to sample it?

As another member might have reported, Pudlowski provided a very favorable review of BON (not BON 2) in French Saveurs (June 2002). Here is a rough translation: "The Sory of a Resurrection This beautiful restaurant used to have mediocre cuisine in the recent past. It is gained real honor due to the talent of Jean-Marie Amat. A devine metamorphosis! The decor by Philippe Stark is always amusing, cosy, superb, though "noisy". The service has gained in professionalism. As for the cuisine, from now on it has proven itself, like a divine surprise. The worker of the miracle is Jean-Marie Amat, its "advisor". It is enough to understand that mediocrity does not fit well with gastronomy and the beautiful [in terms of food] was not necessarily synonymous with the good. Jean-Marie Amat has come up with a menu that is amusing, malignant [in a good sense] and light and that plays on marvellous spices, the fusion of flavors, fashion and a sense of the times Add to that impeccable food products, an unparallelled technique and South-West accents, and one undertsands the seduction of this new-styled enchanter. The salmon tartare with a crunchy salad of haricot beans, tuna with a sauce of peanuts and coffee, aubergine ravioli with mozarella, cauliflower cream, but also sea bream and the roasted chicken with garlic and large fries, are simply superb. The sole vestige of the old ideas [at BON] is the desserts from Ladure . . . . This is what one sees as a resurrection. And because happiness rarely arrives solo, the same team has opened a second restaurant close to the Place de la Bourse." Do members have input on the cuisine at BON or BON 2?