Best Meal of the Year 2010

[nakji]

What was the best meal you ate in 2010?

Who were you with, what did you have, and why was it so memorable?

I'll go first:

Where: Macau

When: February 2010

What: African chicken, Macanese sausage and peppers, Shrimp fried noodles.

Who: My husband and I

Why: We'd just gotten off the ferry from Hong Kong with the idea of spending the day wandering around the old streets, churches, and ruins. The weather, however, DID NOT co-operate, and when got off the bus from the ferry terminal to the downtown, the skies opened up. Early lunch? Sure. We checked our guidebook and found a place called Sol Mar right around the corner from the small patch of dried sidewalk we'd staked out under an eave, so we girded our umbrellas and ran. We were the first ones to the restaurant, and since it was the start of the Lunar New Year, the first part of the meal began with the sounds of the staff nailing up the New Year's couplets and positioning the cherry blossom and mandarin trees. This got less annoying and more amusing as we put back a half bottle of extremely dry white wine and ate soft white buns, and waited for our African Chicken.

When it came out, it was, and I'll quote myself here,

The chicken was stand-out amazing, especially with a bottle of dry white wine. Like, pick-the-bones-up-off-the-plate-and-suck-the-sauce-off-good. Look-surreptitiously-around-the-room-and-spoon-sauce-right-off-the-plate-and-into-your-mouth good.

There was something about the old-school service, the genteel atmosphere with the sense of being on holiday right before everyone else goes on holiday, no doubt heightened by the sensation of getting wine-drunk before noon, that just made this meal stick in my mind the most.

[ChrisTaylor]

Oh man, I can't possibly pick one place. I had so many good meals. I can do dishes instead, right? Like an ultimate degustation. If I could, you know, bring all this stuff together into one meal. Kind of like all that fantasy football shit.

What: duck breast, duck confit, apple, beetroot & celery; steak; salmon confit

Where: The Press Club, New Year's Eve special degustation menu

Why: Until that point, the dinner at The Press Club had just been a nice meal. Everything was good to varying degrees. The service was excellent. The best I've had, I suppose. And then out came the duck. The second to last savoury course. Holy shit. Instantly it earned a place on my 'death row degustation menu'. The breast cooked rare and sliced thick: the perfect balance of tender and chewy (I like meat to have texture). The confit rich and just awesome. The accompanying vegetables just ... perfect, perfect, perfect.

And the salmon confit? I'd love a big jar of that stuff to eat for breakfast.

What:house-cured meats; braised horse shanks with orecchiette; steak (aged on site)

Where: La Luna

Why: I have a love for good quality cured pork products. Chef Adrian Richardson makes his own and they're very good. The cured cheek and lardo were my favourite. The horse was an off-the-menu special, offered to us on the quiet, and was just wonderful. Comforting. Happy food.

What: veal; pork belly and asparagus; aligot; interesting selection of breads; medley of seasonsal vegetables; sweetbreads

Where: Embrasse

Why: I've had better individual dishes but there's something about Embrasse that I just love, love, love. The service. The atmosphere: classy and fine and romantic but still casual and comforting. The food: half way between modern and classic, rustic French fare.

What: pig tails with snails and watercress; foie gras parfait (matched with gin and tonic, of course)

Where: Cumulus Inc

Why: The pig tails were beautiful. Soft. Greasy. A crispy, but not too thick, coating of crumbs. A hint of mustard. Lovely fat snails harvested locally. Wow. And the foie gras parfait? First time I'd had foie gras. The first of the big name luxury ingredients I thought to be truly special. Eat them both at lunch, by yourself, and you'll feel awesome. Then soon you'll want to die. But after that you'll want to keep on living so you can go back for more.

What: Ox tongue and cheek with horseradish-laced mashed potato; roast venison; steamed kingfish

Where: Maze Melbourne

Why: The service and atmosphere kind of sucked but fuck it, there were a couple of standout dishes. Perhaps I can request them to go and eat them somewhere nicer.

What: braised pig ears with much chilli and grease

Where: Dainty Sichuan

Why: Never thought I'd top the pork belly and mushrooms or the classic gong bao chicken. Never. But I did. Those ears are lovely. Would be nicer to have beer that's better than Tsing Tao, tho'. I'll have to see if I can BYO something next time.

What: pork belly

Where: Bistro Guillaume

Why: Choosing perfect roast kurobuta pork belly does not need justification.

Edited January 3, 2011 by ChrisTaylor (log)

[Darienne]

What: Chiles Rellenos with the usual sides and Churros for dessert. Nothing fancy or special. Horchata to drink (first (and last probably for now until I learn if that's what it's supposed to taste like. If it is...then last) With DH, Ed, and good friend, Bob. Next time another friend had some version of Tamales. I just mostly kept eating Chiles Rellenos...we can't get them in Ontario as far as I know.

Where: Moab, Utah, on our last stay there, fall 10.

Why: To celebrate our return to Moab, to be with one of our best Moab friends again, to try this new restaurant.

I use the term restaurant loosely. It's really a 'hole-in-the-wall' with take-out and four tables. We were the only gringos in there at the time with a steady stream of laborers in a line ordering lunch. The outlet caters to the area's Hispanic workers who are currently at a number of huge projects, including a new bridge into the town on the main highway. The rest of the country may be curtailing public spending: not Moab.

The menu is incredible with many dishes and from at least 6 Mexican states. Most of the staff don't speak English. We went there often while in Moab, but I fear the restaurant won't be there by next fall. The bridge is finally finished. We took all our Moab acquaintances there and they were all favorably impressed, but this is not a place which is likely to be popular with either the regular townsfolk or the tourists. Too bad! The really good small Hispanic restaurants disappear quickly and the old regulars and chains live on.

We also had a wonderful meal at the much touted Mexican restaurant, El Bruno's, in Cuba, NM, on our way towards home.

[ScottyBoy]

Gotta be Arzak from San Sebastian trip in December. Both father and daughter were interacting with the tables and since I was all alone Elena sat with me to talk cooking a couple times throughout the meal even hooking up 2 extra savory courses and 2 deserts. Also a bottle of their house red with was fantastic. After the meal I got to sit and drink Cognac with them and talk about California produce and working in kitchens. Best meal and dining experience I've ever had! Pictures are Here.

[Makantudo]

My best and most memorable meals last year all blend into one at a 9-day period in January at the Tribute to Claudia International Gourmet festival here in Portugal at the 2* Vila Joya restaurant. The festival brings together chefs from all over the world each year a different chef (or chefs) cooking a different menu each night. I went every night last year and am doing it again this year - 3rd night tonight. I go with my wife some nights and other nights with a friend, always have a table for two.

http://www.tributetoclaudia.com/

Following the OP's suggestion I will go to Solmar in Macau next month as I go there often on business.

[Kouign Aman]

October 2010, our house.

A visiting lass from Taiwan prepared a dish she was homesick for: 3-cup chicken.

What made it especially memorable was the look on her face when she ate the first bite.

She closed her eyes and went home for a moment. It showed as pure bliss.

We also enjoyed it and understood why she misses it.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Kouign Aman (log)