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L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon Hong Kong

January 18, 2021 by Jennifer Che

Our "relationship" with Joel Robuchon (the restaurant) spans many years. We first visited the Mansion Joel Robuchon (3 Michelin stars) in Las Vegas literally a decade ago in 2010. That was our first time being introduced to the famous bread cart, mignardises cart, the copious displays of caviar, and his signature velvety mashed potatoes.

We celebrated our anniversary there a year later, splurging for the menu degustation, which blew us away. We totally understood why this was the only 3-Michelin star restaurant in Vegas.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas

The following few years, we went next door to try 1-Michelin starred L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (twice!). My impression of L'Atelier at the time was that it was "the more casual side of Joel Robuchon. The food is still made with the same precision and love. However, instead of opulent carts filled with every bread choice imaginable and waiters dressed in tuxedos to attend to your every need, you sit at a very trendy bar overlooking an open kitchen."

And then after 2014 . . . we stopped going.

Chef Joel Robuchon, the world's most decorated Michelin star holder (32 stars) passed away in 2018.

Revisiting Joel Robuchon Hong Kong in 2020

In 2020 we finally re-visited Joel Robuchon for Bryan's birthday. This time it was L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong. It had been years since we had been to any Joel Robuchon restaurant, so we were especially curious to see how it compared to the ones we had visited in the US.

Interestingly, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong has three Michelin stars, a far distance from the US one, which has one Michelin star. We later learned that Joel Robuchon specifically made it a priority to elevate the Hong Kong location to 3 Michelin stars, tapping Chef Olivier Elzer to push it beyond what any other L'Atelier had achieved worldwide. Hong Kong was the first L'Atelier to achieve three Michelin stars in 2012, which it has maintained to this day.

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L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas, MGM) plus a sneak tour of thekitchen!

March 27, 2014 by Jennifer Che

This post is part of a larger series from my trip to Las Vegas in January 2014. Other posts in this series include I'm Going to Vegas and Why I'm Excited, Whirlpool CES 2014 - I Made it to CES!, and CES Post Conference Reflections.

Meet Chef Steve Benjamin.

Chef Steve, originally from France, is the executive chef at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. He helped Joel Robuchon open up L'Atelier in France back in 2003.

According to Chef Steve, that was a super crazy time because the work hours and pressure was intense. Joel Robuchon is a perfectionist and demands a lot from his chefs. Out of the 22 chefs who started that week, only eight remained after one week.

"They couldn't handle the pressure!" says Steve.

Chef Steve stuck it through and thrived. Despite working 21 hour days (7AM to 3AM), Chef Steve looks back at that time and says "I need this pressure. It makes me perform at my best."

In 2005 Joel Robuchon invited Chef Steve to help him open up L'Atelier in Las Vegas.

I would think that it would be a hard decision to leave Paris and move to Las Vegas just like that, but Chef Steve jumped at the chance and moved his whole family over in a matter of months.

He has since stayed and it will be close to a decade that he has been at the helm of this excellent restaurant.

Bryan and I had a special opportunity to try out the Menu Decouverte de Saison, the seasonal tasting menu offered at L'Atelier, back in January when we were in Vegas for CES.

I love, love, love the bread at both Joel Robuchon restaurants. If you eat at the fancier Joel Robuchon next door, you'll get to pick from the famous Bread Cart which is rolled to your table. The counter-style seating of L'Atelier makes that a bit difficult, but it's the exact same bread that you get to taste. It's all managed under one pastry chef, who bakes for both restaurants.

The bread is incredible. Perfectly crusty on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. It's hard to just eat one.

The last time I asked, Joel Robuchon used Échiré butter from France, which is among the best tasting butter I've ever had.

Our first course, simply called L'AMUSE BOUCHE, consisted of a foie gras parfait with port wine reduction and a Parmesan foam. It was decadent - creamy with just a hint of that foie gras flavor. It paired perfectly with the Rose Champagne from Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut NV, France.

The next course, L'HAMACHI (yellowtail) was served creatively as a "ravioli" with UNI (sea urchin) in lemon vinaigrette. It was a refreshing and clean tasting dish. The tiny bits of caviar on top added just a little pop that rounded out the flavor quite nicely.

Next we had LES HUITRES, which were poached baby Kushi oysters with French salted butter and caviar. It's hard to go wrong with this combination, and these were delicious. We enjoyed the next two courses with a 2011 chablis from William Fevre "Champs Royaux" Burgundy, France.

There is always some variation of LA CEBETTES, or a white onion tart, on the menu. This particular version began with a foundation of white onions, bacon lardons, and black truffles cooked together. This 'base" was then topped with smoked bacon, confit of carrots and daikon, and a perfectly poached quail egg. It was fantastic.
Chef Steve was really having fun with the ravioli theme. This next course, called LE FOIE GRAS, included a foie gras and Espelette pepper filled ravioli served inside a soup with gingered leeks and seasonal mushrooms in a white soy based broth.

Add to that several slices of shaved black truffles to complete the picture.

The ginger and white soy made the broth taste quite Asian, though with much more sophisticated flavors than a typical Asian broth.

I was intrigued by the white soy sauce, since I'd never had it in isolation before.

"Where did you get the soy sauce?"

Chef Steve ran off and came back with a huge bottle with Japanese and Chinese characters on it. Most prominent was the Chinese character "white" plastered in front.

He then poured a little and let us all try it.

It's surprisingly clear, but very flavorful and full of umami. I fell in love with it immediately. I told myself to look for it when I went back to Boston and to try playing around with it in my soups.

The soup was complex, fragrant, and superbly season. It disappeared all too quickly.

At this point my tolerance was getting the best of me, and the wine glasses started piling up.

Nevertheless, we forged on ahead. The next course was called LE SAINT-PIERRE, and consisted of a pan seared John Dory (a white fish) served with artichokes "en barigoule", a classic French technique where artichokes are slowly cooked with lemon, herbs, mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onions), chicken broth, and white wine. I guess black truffles were in season, because a few more appeared on this dish as well.

This was paired with a 2011 St. Aubin Blanc, T&P Matrot, 1er Cru "Fleurs de Coteaux" Burgundy, France.

Finally, our last dish was a signature dish that has been on the menu at L'Atelier since day one: LA CAILLE is a caramelized foie gras stuffed free-range quail served alongside Joel Robuchon's famous velvety mashed potatoes (topped with black truffle for good measure!) and served with a truffle vinaigrette.

This dish lives up to its fame and was excellent. Of course the mashed potatoes were heavenly and I wished for a slightly larger dollop, like that time we ordered it as an extra side dish our first time ever at Joel Robuchon.

We enjoyed this with a 2012 pinot noir from Failla in the Sonoma Coast, California.

Finally, for dessert we tried LA POMME, candied compressed apple, spéculoos (spiced cookies), cranberry coulis, and a chocolate tuille.

It was almost too pretty to eat.

Just kidding. We totally polished off the whole thing.

We also enjoyed L'ORANGE, which was orange sorbet with chocolate creme brulee, sponge cake, and confit kumquat. This refreshing dessert was paired with a 2010 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria "Ben Rye" from Sicilia, Italy.

And we thought it was over.

Until the sommelier and restaurant manager, Benjamin Spicer, started telling us stories about some of the crazy wines some of their customers like to drink (we're talking about wines that are older than me that certain customers drink on a regular basis).

Before you know it, he had brought out a bottle of 1998 Chateau d'Yquem Lur Saluces Sauterne. I almost gasped. This is seriously one of my favorite dessert wines. Period.

It was phenomenal. Golden, sweet, yet complex. A perfect way to end the meal.

We concluded with LE CAFE, which for me was a lovely cappuccino.

To finish off the evening, they asked if we wanted to get a tour of the kitchen and of Joel Robuchon, (formerly called "The Mansion"), the fancier, more upscale restaurant next door.

We entered the private bar area of Joel Robuchon, which is right near the front. It's a quiet space shielded from the casino activity outside.

It also has a very nice selection of really high-end spirits.

And then I saw it. An herb cart! I knew about the famous bread cart and dessert cart, but not this.

Too cute.

They briefly showed us a private dining room, which is always open for reservations. I don't think there's a minimum charge to use it (unlike many other high end restaurants). The host told us sometimes parents of young children will use the room so their kids can run around while the parents enjoy a nice meal at Joel Robuchon without stress.

And then we entered the kitchen!

We got to watch one of the pastry chefs make hand-blown candy ornaments.

It was so cool.

Final product!

There were so many gorgeous desserts everywhere, it was mind-blowing.

I wonder if all the guests at Joel Robuchon get to take a box of these chocolates home?

It was most certainly a memorable meal and a fascinating tour at the end. Bryan and I both really think Joel Robuchon and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon are among the best restaurants in Las Vegas. We've dined there multiple times and have never had a disappointing meal. Bryan still maintains that the Menu Degustation we had at Joel Robuchon for our 10th wedding anniversary is the best meal he's ever had in his life.

It says something when one of the most famous sushi chefs in the world (who himself is lauded for his incredibly sensitive palate and sense of smell), expresses that he wishes he had Joel Robuchon's palate and sense of smell.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard
S Las Vegas, NV 89109

Disclaimer: I did not pay for this meal. All opinions are my own.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

April 11, 2012 by Jennifer Che

This is the last post (part 6) of the Winter in Vegas Series. Other posts in this series include The Wicked Spoon, Il Mulino, Table 10, and Max Brenner.

The first time I tried French food, I hated it.

I was 17 years old, visiting France as part of a three-week home-stay exchange program. Being used to rice and stir-fried vegetables, the plethora of meat and butter at every meal turned me off.

If only I had known of Joel Robuchon back then, I may have changed my mind.

Joel Robuchon is the master of French cooking, having trained the likes of Eric Ripert and Gordon Ramsey. He's won countless awards and holds more Michelin stars (26!!) than any other chef in the world. Robuchon himself shunned the richness of classic French cuisine and instead (inspired by the Japanese) sought out a more delicate style of cooking that focused on the natural flavors of ingredients.

Bryan and I absolutely love Joel Robuchon's food. He takes great, great care in designing each dish, creating flavor combinations that will delight you, surprise you, and most certainly make you wish you had more. We celebrated our tenth anniversary by enjoying the Menu Degustation at Joel Robuchon and were seriously blown away. Even our shorter course meal at the Mansion was nothing short of incredible.

This past trip, we finally had a chance to try the more casual side of Joel Robuchon. The food is still made with the same precision and love. However, instead of opulent carts filled with every bread choice imaginable and waiters dressed in tuxedos to attend to your every need, you sit at a very trendy bar overlooking an open kitchen.

We had a fantastic time. We loved the casual vibe; the service was fantastic; and the food? Still among the best meals we've had in Las Vegas.

I think it's one of the best "bangs" for your buck in this city.

Although there's no huge elaborate bread cart, the "free" bread here comes out of the same bakery (believe it or not, Joel Robuchon employs seven dedicated bakers!). We loved the fresh, crusty rolls and couldn't get enough of it. In fact, we finished off that whole basket and asked for another one! (gulp!).

Though not as artfully presented as at the Mansion, the butter here was very different from any butter we'd ever had. It was smooth, just a bit sweet, and had that really fresh, creamy taste. After inquiring the server, we found out that it was Echire butter. This butter is known to be among the best butters in France, made exclusively in a small town called Echire in the Western part of the country. Echire butter is mostly made in small batches by hand, and France only lets about 15% of it out of the country, so consider yourself lucky if you're able to get some here! (Ordering online seems to result in some ludicrous shipping costs!)

The hot themes of red and black add to the modern vibe of the place, which is so different from the royal, opulent, almost "magical" environment at the Mansion.

After looking at the menu, I noticed that several of the courses included fois gras, which I don't love. They happily accommodated my request that they substitute the fois gras courses with something else. Of course, Bryan loves fois gras, so he went along with the normal menu.

This first dish is a Fois Gras Parfait with wine and Parmesan foam. It was creamy with a definite hint of fois gras. For me, I only thought it was OK since I don't love the flavor of fois gras that much. Of course Bryan loved it.

In place of the fois gras, I got an Avocado Cream with radish, tomato jam, and basil oil. It reminded me of a simplified version of a dish I'd enjoyed at the Mansion. Still delicious with gorgeous, bold flavors, it was just a tad less complex than the one I had enjoyed before. I still loved it, and preferred it over Bryan's fois gras dish.

Famous last words.

Bryan's next course was absolutely incredible. Le Celeri – Celery mousse with wasabi, beef stew gelee and slices of foie gras. Although I don't like fois gras, I thought it worked perfectly here. We loved the combination of the creamy fois gras, crisp celery, crunchy fried pork, and strong wasabi cream.

My substitute dish: Tuna Belly Confit over tomato gelee, vegetables, black olive, and a quail egg. It was excellent, but I have to admit that Bryan's fois gras Le Celeri was significantly better.
The next course was La Huitres - a trio of Baby Kusshi Oysters (clean and sweet, sort of like Kumamoto but raised in Washington State) poached in French Echiré butter (yum, it's that butter again). These lovely oysters were sweet and worked well with the accompanying red pepper powder, which added just enough kick without overpowering the sweetness of the oysters.

The next dish was Le Homard - Maine lobster in a spicy tomato broth with wild mushrooms. The broth was mild and delicate, with subtle flavors that reminded us of a light seafood broth. It didn't blow us away, but we thought it was well executed.

La Cebette came next, a cute little onion tart with a thin, pastry-like crust topped with asparagus, bacon, Parmesan, and a perfectly poached quail egg. Although it was delicious and full of familiar (and good!) flavor combinations, we both agreed that it was more casual in design and definitely was not at the same level of complexity as some of the earlier dishes we had tried.

Next came La Lotte, monkfish cheek, baby leeks, and a buttery shellfish sauce with lime and ginger. We found that the "steak-y" fish cheeks paired nicely with the velvety mashed potatoes. Of course the shellfish sauce was delicious.

La Caille was the final main course, foie gras stuffed free range quail with mashed potatoes (highly recommended by the staff). If you didn't know before, Joel Robuchon's mashed potatoes are insane famous, we're talking really really famous. It is unreal how creamy and flavorful they are. Although the potatoes have tons of butter in them, the end product tastes fresh and creamy, not heavy and buttery at all.

According to Bryan, this dish was fantastic, with the perfectly executed juicy quail and creamy fois gras inside. Of course, we both loved the mashed potatoes. I'm so glad Bryan let me try a bit! Seriously, the next time I go, I am going to order an entire side dish of it!
Isn't that a gorgeous dessert? This reminds me more of the types of dishes we would see at the Mansion. Here we have champagne gelee topped with a frozen raspberry mousse and rose scented meringue. I loved how it wasn't too sweet and how everything actually came together quite nicely. It reminded me of my favorite macaron in the world.

We enjoyed the contrast of textures between the baked chocolate ganache (thick, dense and creamy) and the aerated devil's food cake (light, airy). Fresh mint ice cream was the perfect contrast to the deep, rich chocolate flavors.

How else would you end a meal? With espresso and a signature truffle, of course!

Thoughts
We had a really, really good time at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. We thought several of the dishes were incredible, and all of the dishes were excellent. The service was great, and the ambiance is modern, trendy, yet relaxed at the same time.

For the quality of food, this place sure beats a lot of other expensive places in Las Vegas (except, of course, the Mansion, which costs much, much more). The simplest menu starts at $59 (I think it's a three-course), and it goes up to $155 for Menu Decouverte de Saison (Seasonal Discovery Menu), which is the 9-course that we did. Meals are so over-priced on the Strip anyway, you might as well get really good food if you're going to spend the money, right?

I would highly recommend this place and I would not hesitate to return. I can totally understand why Joel Robuchon has won all these accolades. He is truly a master of this art, no matter if it's a fancy-schmancy decadent over-the-top restaurant or a modern, trendy open-kitchen bar with really, really good food.

It's all good.

And I'm so glad he came out of retirement to open these places in the US!

* * * *

Don't forget to vote for Tiny Urban Kitchen for Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blogs Award!

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
3799 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Joel Robuchon (Menu Degustation)

October 26, 2011 by Jennifer Che

"There is no such thing as the perfect meal. You can always do better."

It's this perfectionist attitude that has made Joel Robuchon the success that he is today.

Joel Robuchon makes magic happen. There's a reason why this guy has amassed more Michelin stars (26!) than any other chef in the world. He has won countless awards, winning top honors in every ranking system you can imagine (Forbes Travel Guide 5 stars, S. Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants, Gayot 19/20, just to name a few).

Inspired by the simplicity of Japanese cuisine and critical of the excess richness of classic French cuisine, Joel Robuchon sought to bring out the inherent beauty in flavors from natural ingredients.

We'd been to this restaurant once before, ordering a shorter, pre-theater meal. Even then, we were already blown away by that initial experience.

This time, in celebration of our 10th anniversary, we went for the pinnacle - the Menu Degustation, a sixteen-course tasting menu highlighting truly the best that Joel Robuchon has to offer.

Let me tell you . . . though it sounds crazy, it's worth the extra couple hundred dollars. The Menu Degustation is many, many levels better than the "normal" meal we enjoyed last time. In fact, it was one of the best meals we've had.

Ever.

But really, why am I trying to tell you in words?

"Let us eat bread . . ."
One of my favorite parts of the meal starts right at the beginning.

The famous bread cart houses dozens of intricately, beautifully made loaves, buns, and baguettes of all shapes and sizes. Do you know the restaurant employs seven pastry chefs?

The waiter rolls this cart right up to your table and you choose whatever you want to try. It's always an impossible task choosing between them all. Somehow, however, we are able to manage.
Our waiter shaves a perfect, circular sliver of butter, and hands it to us along with some extra virgin olive oil to enjoy with our delicious bread selections. Everything is done with precision, care, and elegance. The place hums along almost like an enchanted castle, where drinks magically refill, silverware appear, and plates are cleared at just the right time.

La Cerise
Cherry gazpacho with sheep ricotta and pistachios

Our first course arrives - a cheerful, vivid red, soup made with cherries! I love the sweet, tart, and bright flavors of the fruit in this unique gazpacho. It's velvety, super smooth, and intense in flavor. I slowly savor each bite, not wanting it to end.

La Coriandre
Duo of creamy avocado and coriander on spiced tomato pulp

This second dish is truly a creative combination of flavors inspired from Mexican cuisine. I like how the almonds add a definitive crunch to the otherwise smooth and creamy dish.

Le Caviar
Green asparagus with lemon balm, chilled veloute with panna cotta, maki of thin couscous

Next is a trio inspired by asparagus and caviar. Bryan doesn't really like asparagus, but even he concedes that the asparagus dishes are incredible. In fact, they turn out to be among his favorite of the evening! Every single element of each dish is thoughtfully designed, meticulously executed, and exquisitely displayed. The chilled veloute is our favorite of the bunch, infused with a pronounced yet subtle asparagus essence and topped with caviar. Seriously perfection on a plate.

La Noix de Saint Jacques
Seared scallop, heart of palm scented coconut milk

I am amazed at the intricate cutting skills involved in creating the perfect micro-cubes of carrots and celery on top of the scallop. This slightly seared scallop comes together with the coconut milk to form a beautiful melange of flavors - a perfect balance of savory umami, creamy sweetness, and herbaceous overtones.

Les Févettes
Savory scented fava bean cream with sweet onion foam

I love fava beans, so it's no surprise that I savor every spoonful of the sweet, frothy "cream" soup that comes next. It reminds me almost of an elegant cappuccino, in some ways.

Les Crustacés
Truffled langoustine ravioli, roasted lobster in broth, “chaud-froid” of sea urchin on fennel potato puree with anise orange

The next trio focuses on shellfish prepared a variety of ways. You see incorporation of elements presented earlier in the meal, such as asparagus and caviar. I always have loved the sweetness of langoustines, and this is no exception. The single bite of the truffled ravioli is absolutely delicious, as are the other two entrees. I'm typically not a huge uni fan (unless if I'm in Japan), but even I admit that this sweet puree is a nice way of preparing this delicacy.

Le Turbot
Turbot and artichoke cooked in cocotte, barigoule jus

The turbot is good, although it does not stand out to me in the same way as some of the other dishes. Perhaps it's because I'm getting a bit full?
La Courgette
Slowly cooked zucchini with fresh almonds, bacon and curry

I must be a sucker for vegetarian dishes, because I absolutely love this next dish. I've always enjoyed cooked nuts, so it's no surprise that I really like the textural crunch of the fresh almonds in the dish. The various elements in this dish are cut to roughly the same size, yet each has its own unique texture. A perfectly fried zucchini flower and a thoughtfully placed shallot ring complete the gorgeous presentation of this dish.

Le Veau
Sautéed veal chop with natural jus and pesto vegetable taglierinis

We then receive an absolutely perfectly cooked piece of veal served alongside the most interesting vegetable noodles!The meat is tender, juicy, and ever-so-flavorful. The noodles are whimsical, fun, and delicious as well.

Le Soja
Risotto of soybean sprouts, lime zest and chives

"Le Soja", this next soybean dish, really stands out in my mind because it is so unusual. Soy bean sprouts are chopped to resemble rice. This mixture is then cooked somehow so that the final produce really does rmind you of risotto. The individual "rice" grains still retain a bit of the crunch from the bean sprouts, yet the dish as a whole is creamy and rich full of umami. The pistachios on top add a nice, textural component to the dish.

La Mangue
Layered mango variations, strawberry gelee, almond cake

Desserts arrive like pieces of art, with almost every dish incorporating some elements of gold!

Le Caramel
Caramel parfait, hazelnut marjolaine, chocolate sauce

Happy Anniversary!

Because it is our anniversary, they bring over a crazy special cake!

Yum! It's a multi-layered ice cream cake!

Just in case you haven't had your complete share of sugar yet, they then roll out the mignardises cart! Yikes!

You can choose to try anything. It's totally up to you! Even though I am tempted to sample everything, I know my stomach can't handle it, so I just chose five.
And of course, Joel Robuchon always gives the ladies something to take home . . .

What could it be?

A lovely poundcake! To be honest, I liked the box of chocolates I got last time better. Nevertheless, its' always fun to be able to bring something home! There was also a typed up scroll with the menu printed on top, as well as a colored booklet with pictures of all the dishes we had just enjoyed.

Happy 10 years! Here's to many, many more decades together.

Note - if you want more details about the restaurant in general, definitely check out the first post I wrote on this restaurant back in 2010. Much of what I wrote about in that post still stands, with just the prices changing a bit since last time.

This is part 7 (the final post) of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Carnevino
Lotus of Siam
Sushi Samba
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches

Joel Robuchon
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 891-7925

Joel Robuchon (The Mansion)

January 29, 2010 by Jennifer Che

This post is part V and the conclusion of the larger series: Celebrity Chef Dining in Las Vegas. Other posts in this series include Part I: Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante and Part II: Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Part III: Rao's, and Part IV: Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco

Utter decadence. Royal Opulence. Over-the-top.

These are just a few words that come to mind when I think back to my experience dining at Joel Robuchon. Up until that point, I had never felt so much like a king while dining at a restaurant.

We're lucky to even be able to dine here, actually. Back in 1996, Joel Robuchon, one of the most acclaimed French chefs in history, felt "stifled" from cooking at the age of 51. He closed his famous restaurant in Paris (Joel Robuchon) in 1996 while "at the top of his game."

Fortunately, after six years, he got the itch again. He came "straight out of retirement" to open his first French restaurant in the US - Joel Robuchon, The Mansion, in Las Vegas.

This is the only three-star Michelin restaurant in all of Las Vegas. Having enjoyed two other three-star Michelin restaurants in NYC, I was curious what a three-star Michelin outside of NYC would be like.

The craziest thing you can order is the Menu Degustation (8-courses for $385 pp!!!). I wasn't feeling so crazy, and we had a show to catch at 7pm, so we opted for the 4-course tasting for $148 pp.

The Incredible Bread Cart
Moments after we had settled into our plush, velvet seats, this gorgeous bread cart rolled up right next to our seats.

Wow.

Definitely the most amazing spread of bread options I had ever seen in my life. Typically at these nice restaurants, a waiter comes by holding a tray of various breads and allows you to choose as many as you want, which is always fun. Here, the waiter wheeled this massive cart filled with gorgeous, perfectly formed mini-baguettes, herb rolls, large crusty breads, milk bread rolls, and on and on and on. It was mind-blowingly full of options, and every single piece looked tantalizing.

I think between the two of us we almost tried every single piece of bread (heh), and they were all fantastic. If I had to pick our favorites, I think it would be the mini-wheat baguette, the basil roll, and milk bread. But really, they were all incredibly enjoyable.

And that was only the beginning of this insanely over-the-top meal.

Join me as I share with you what must be the most opulent meal I have ever experienced.

We started with the most amazing amuse I've ever had at any restaurant. At first I thought they gave me an entire can of caviar to eat, which would have been crazy. Instead, it was a beautiful taste of a simple crab salad topped with a layer of caviar. Look inside!

I made sure that every tiny bit of caviar was cleaned out of that can! The dish was simple, elegant, and of course, had wonderful flavors. I'm not sure if it was creative or innovative, but just solid, good French food made with top notch ingredients.

I LOVED my first course. I still have mixed feelings about eating gold, but I can't deny that it makes the dish feel over-the-top extravagent. I loved loved loved this dish. Salmon tartare topped with caviar and a gold leaf - how can you go wrong? Flavors were delicious, but would you even expect this combination to fail? This course was super enjoyable, and I savored each bite.

Bryan got a crab salad that was recommended by the waiter. Solidly prepared, although I liked mine better. 🙂 I just might be a bit biased, seeing my love for all types of fish raw. 😉

And then it was time for the soup. Because I don't really like liver or fois gras, I opted for the black truffle mushroom soup, which had an additional "add-on" of $40 pp (ouch). After having tried some top notch white alba Italian truffles at Daniel, I was curious what I would think of black truffles (I know I don't like the black truffle oil as much as the white truffle oil).

Although the veal broth was amazingly rich and flavorful, I only though the black truffles were OK. (Isn't that so sad??) I guess it was sort of an expensive experiment, but now I know that I vastly prefer the tasting of white truffles to black truffles. Black truffles are not bad - they are earthy and musty. However, they don't have that intensely fragrant aroma that I think comes from white truffles. Oh well, the soup was still delicious.

My main entree was a sole that was excellently prepared. Nice balanced flavors, perfectly cooked fish texture, and a nice flavorful sauce. Nowhere as good as Le Bernardin, which makes the most amazing fish I've ever had anywhere in the world, but solid.

Bryan's main entree was more of an Asian-flavored fish and octopus dish. We both liked mine better, although both were pretty good.

The mashed potatoes are a signature Joel Robuchon side dish. They are amazingly smooth - I have no idea what he does to give them this incredibly velvety smooth texture. It was delicious.

Dessert was beautifully presented. I got a layered passion fruit ice dessert that was light and refreshing. Solid, although nothing to "write home about." Similarly, Bryan got an espresso/chocolate themed dessert which was very good. Again, we were not wow-ed by either dish, but we definitely enjoyed them. And there's just something to be said about the level of detail that goes into the presentation. Absolutely mind boggling.

And then the mignardises tray. Wow. That's all I can say. I have never seen a more impress cart of mignardises in my life! The possibilities were endless, and every small cookie or cake was delicately designed, beautifully presented. I had a hard time, but I ended up choosing the French macaron, the poppyseed "lollipop," the rum custardy thing (sorry, don't remember), the mini-cheesecake, and a silver dusted rice crispy treat. These were very well made and it was the first time I got to choose, so I highly enjoyed the procss.

Just look at that spread. Gorgeous.

Oh, and as a final really nice touch, they gave “the lady” a box of chocolates to take away. It was beautifully packaged, and tasted divine. Again, several pieces of chocolate dusted with gold or silver. Crazy opulent!

Concluding Thoughts?
In some ways, it's unfair to compare one restaurant's signature 8-course tasting with another restaurant's 4-course tasting. So, instead, I'll just give my general impressions. There are many aspects of the ambiance at Joel Robuchon that are more opulent than any other restaurant I have ever visited. The room is washed in various shades of purple. Purple velvet “couches” perch regally in the corners while purple ribbons hold together white linen napkins placed gingerly on delicate dishware. It seems like the entire wait staff speaks English with a French accent, and the room is adorned with more chandeliers, mirrors, and jewels than you can imagine. Over the top. Royalty. Opulent.

In a similar way, many of the spreads are there to wow you. Both the bread cart and the mignardises cart did just that - we were tickled and amazed at the same time at the vast array of choices we had. Especially when every choice looked so amazing. I've never seen anything quite as good as Joel Robuchon in these respects.

The food?
Definitely top-notch French cooking. Although I cannot complain about anything we ate, at the end of the meal, I was not nearly as wow-ed or utterly satisfied as I was after leaving both Le Bernardin and Daniel. I think part of it comes from the fact that we were rushed in finishing our meal so that we could make our show. But it's more than just that. In the end, nothing on the Joel Robuchon menu wow-ed me. I love love love caviar, and I thought those dishes were amazing. But in the back of my mind, I also thought that it wasn't THAT hard to make something taste good if you put caviar on top.

So, I'm not sure what to think. The table next to us was enjoying the Menu Degustation, and of course I couldn't help but continue sneaking peeks over there to see what they were having. I have to say, their dishes looked phenomenal, and it's quite possible that you can't enjoy Joel Robuchon's most amazing and signature dishes unless if you order the Menu Degustation.

I guess you can think of this as a limited review of a first time experience.

The Environment?
The restaurant is definitely incredible in terms of the high-class environment that it offers. As I mentioned earlier, the space is beautiful, adorned with gorgeous chandeliers, royal purple seats, and mirrors all around. Perhaps it’s a French thing, but we were a little disappointed in the slight distance of the wait staff. I think “stuffy” might be a bit harsh, but they were not as warm and friendly, which was something we really appreciated about Daniel. I might make an exception for the bread guy, who was happy to entertain our giddy excitement in trying all the breads, and even allowed me to take pictures of the cart. In general, though, Joel Robuchon is one of those places where you feel like you should speak in hushed voices, move daintily, and smile politely.

Nevertheless, it’s totally worth trying. A great way to enjoy this restaurant “on a budget” is to try the $89 tasting. You still get to enjoy the over-the-top ambiance, the awesome bread cart and the mignardises cart, not to mention the awesome amuse and the excellent food. It really is steal.

Joel Robuchon
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 891-7925

Steirereck Vienna Austria

March 13, 2025 by Jennifer Che

If you're looking for a lovely high-end dining experience in Vienna, Steirereck is certainly the natural choice. Located inside a large park called Stadtpark, you feel a bit like you are getting away from the city (even though it's really quite centrally located).

As soon as we knew we were coming to Vienna, we prioritized booking this place. One of our friends who is a very experienced eater told us that Steirereck was his favorite restaurant in Vienna.

We came here for lunch because that's all I was able to book. During lunch, you can order a 4-course (155 EUROS) or a 5-course (175 EUROS) menu. There is also a la carte, where you can just pay per item. On the regular dinner menu, there's also a 6-course (225 EUROS) and 7-course menu (245 EUROS).

Since it was lunch, we just went for the 4-course it was plenty of food. As you can see below, there are still amuse bouches, the bread cart, and mignardises on TOP of the 4-courses. In a lot of ways, I like eating lunch better than dinner because I don't feel so crazy stuffed afterwards. (Plus, the light is better at lunch for photography!)

Steirereck received THREE Michelin stars just a couple months after we visited. I'm not surprised. Everything from the dining environment to the service and the food were excellent, and I'm so happy for them.

Amuse Bouche

Ahh, what a stunning display of small bites to start the meal!

The Bread Cart (and the Famous Black Pudding Bread)

The bread "sommelier" came by with an amazing cart of breads. Which to choose?? He told us that the Blunzenbrot, or black pudding bread (blood sausage), was by far the most popular bread.

Really? I don't like black pudding in general, but Bryan likes it so he requested a piece. I decided to pass.

Bryan was kind enough to let me try a bite of his.

OMG . . . it was insanely good. The slightly crispy brioche-like crust on the outside, the soft, slightly dense, moist inside. It's hard to describe, but I loved it.

I ended up asking for a piece myself!

The Menu Begins

For each course the server brought by a card to let us read about the ingredients in each dish. It really demonstrates their passion about showcasing so many diverse types of plants, vegetables, (even flowers!) from their own garden.

Tomato Diversity with Beef Essence & Verbena

This dish showcased different types of marinated sungold tomatoes served with a beef "essence" jelly, verjus, blossom honey & fennel pollen, dehydrated pineapple sage blossom radish, spring onions, plus herbs and flowers (verbena, cordifolia hearts, geranium blossom) from the Steirereck Garden.

Wild Broccoli with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Radish & Calamansi

Roasted wild broccoli came wrapped in radish & brown butter confit king trumpet mushrooms. On top, a green broccoli sauce, ginger oil, roasted almonds, radish preserved with ginger, and even calamansi from the imperial orangeries of Schönbrunn Palace.

Starters

Caviar & Lentils with Banana & Bacon

This is a signature dish and also has a supplemental fee. It sounds strange, but the dish actually works really, really well. I didn't opt for it because I don't like banana, although in retrospect (yes, Bryan let me try a bite), the banana flavor is not that strong, and overall the dish was brilliant.

The bottom layer is a creamy mushroom and banana puree. The middle layer is Beluga lentils cooked with mace and pine rosemary. On top is Osietra gold caviar, decorated with chive flowers. Served alongside is a flavorful broth made with caramelized pistachios, Neusetzer lardo, dried white fish, and air-dried ham, finished with banana vinegar and chive oil.

Alpine Char with Chervil Root, Golden Beet & Dill

This dish featured slices of crispy grilled alpine char. Alongside the char, we enjoyed golden beets prepared two ways - braised and glazed with suave chili and preserved with lemon. Roasted chervil root and a chervil root cream added earthy notes, while chicory, additional chervil root, and a drizzle of dill oil rounded out the plate.

Main Course

Sturgeon with Gin infused Cornel Cherries, Cauliflower, Romanesco & Pericon

The Cornel cherry glaze on this charcoal-grilled sturgeon is the most unique feature of this dish. These Cornel cherries come from the Steirereck garden, where they are are preserved in blue gin for 2-3 years before use. On the side sits roasted romanesco cauliflower tossed with diamante lemon and cashews. The plate is finished with cauliflower cream, koji beurre blanc, and pericon oil.

Pogusch Pork with Pointed Cabbage, Artichokes & Suave Chili

This main course features a grilled loin of free-range Pogusch pork accompanied by crispy grilled "piglet's tail". Braised pointed cabbage on the side is filled with a savory mixture of Madeira & thistle preserved artichoke, dried pear, and a mixture of preserved sprouted mung bean and suave chili. Finishing touches include pork jus and a lovage oil drizzle.

Cheese and Dessert

The bread cart was already impressive enough. The cheese cart was an even greater sight to behold. I'm not sure if I've seen such amazing carts since Joel Robuchon.

We have a soft spot for Cos d‘Estournel since we had found memories of visiting the winery in Bordeaux back in 2015. This wine was excellent.

A Flurry of Desserts

We ended with some refreshing granita, various "lollipops" of sweets, and other mignardises.

Normally I can't drink coffee at the end of a dinner tasting menu because I won't be able to sleep. The beauty of eating out for lunch is that I get to have my cappuccino at the end of the meal! Bryan always goes for a double espresso.

General Thoughts - Steirereck Vienna Austria

What can I say? We certainly enjoyed our lovely meal at Steirereck. I personally enjoy lunch a lot because there are more "smaller portion" options and the light (for photography) is amazing. Oftentimes you can still enjoy the same items that are on the dinner menu.

The service at Steirereck was great. It felt comfortable, elegant, yet relaxed at the same time. We took our time and just enjoyed the meal at our own pace. Afterwards, we walked around the garden and went off to do some more sightseeing. It's nice to walk around after a long meal!

All in all, I I highly recommend this place!

Official Website: Steirereck Vienna Austria
Other posts about Austria:
Mast Weinbistro
Mozart Cafe and Cafe Landtmann
Brasserie Palmenhaus

Belon Hong Kong

January 25, 2024 by Jennifer Che

I first visited Belon in Hong Kong back in 2019. The cute French bistro in Soho nailed the perfect combination of top notch food in a warm, cozy, and casual environment. At that time, I wrote in my blog post, "I can't wait to go back." Though something called a pandemic put a stop to dining out, we did enjoy delivery from Belon several times in the past few years.

This past summer (August 2023) was our first time back. Aside from the name, the Michelin star, and the signature roast chicken, it's a completely different restaurant.

Previous executive chef Dan Calvert moved to Tokyo to head up SÉZANNE at the Four Seasons. New executive chef Matthew Kirkley (formerly Coi, Amber) came in. The restaurant also left its small digs in Soho and moved into a much bigger, much fancier space in Central.

Our foodie friends were visiting from out of town, so we wanted to find a place that was special and different. We were certainly curious about Belon, so we decided to try out this new 2.0 version of this restaurant.

There's a chef's tasting menu and also an a la carte menu with "entrees" (appetizers) and "plats" (mains). We opted for the a la carte menu, choosing to each order an appetizer and then sharing the signature roast chicken along with some other "plats".

Bread

According to Chef Matthew Kirkly, the bread, signature roast chicken, and mille feuille (dessert) are remnants from the old Belon. So in some ways, it maintains its French bistro charm with these classic dishes.

Cervelas en Brioche with Truffle Gastrique

Belon's Signature Truffle Roast Chicken

We remembered the roast chicken well from our last visit in 2019, so we decided we just had to have it again.

Belon uses local "Three Yellow Chicken", which is one of our favorites.

The chicken is indeed perfectly executed, and has a huge layer of truffle-goodness right underneath the skin. The mashed potatoes were decadent, and reminded me of the Joel Robuchon's ultra creamy mashed potatoes.

Haha, Bryan loves chicken feet at Chinese restaurants, and it's no different here! He was happy they kept the chicken feet on . . .

Aside from these carryover French bistro dishes, the rest of the menu has changed. Overall Belon has morphed into more of a high end French restaurant from its former casual French bistro self.

Sweets

The desserts were beautiful and created with such precision and care. We enjoyed them all.

General Thoughts

The new Belon is lovely. The service was great, the ambiance was comfortable, and the food was very good. Near the end of the evening, our friends had to relieve their babysitter, and thus had no choice but to bring their two elementary school kids into the restaurant. The restaurant was amazing. They didn't miss a beat and immediately set up a table for the kids (right next to our table), even giving them some sparkling water. I was impressed.

Belon has kept some bits of its old personality, but has refined itself in a lot of ways. The new space certainly changes the overall feel of the restaurant, as does the menu and the service.

For us, old friends who hadn't caught up in a long time, it was perfect. It was quiet so we were able to talk, yet we weren't afraid of laughing out loud. We could really relax and enjoy each other's company while enjoying exquisite dishes.

Belon Hong Kong
1F, 1-5 ELGIN STREET, SOHO
+852 2152 2872

A Junk Boat Birthday on the Eve of a Typhoon: Lamma Island

January 23, 2024 by Jennifer Che

Bryan's birthday has had its fair share of drama in the past few years. In 2019 his birthday fell on a weekend, and thus the scheduled date of a massive protest. Despite the "danger", close friends ventured out and joined us for dinner at Tosca di Angelo at the top of the ICC. The next several years, the pandemic hit, making gathering together as a large group always an iffy thing. Despite rolling restrictions, we managed to dine out for his birthday with different sized groups starting in 2021 (Xin Rong Ji, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon), and even traveled around Hong Kong's outerlying island, geopark, and Saikung in 2020 when we were "stuck" in Hong Kong.

This past year in October, a different threat arose. The first potentially category 8 or higher typhoon was on its way, heading towards Hong Kong. Although we had booked a junk boat trip a month earlier, it turned out that this typhoon just might hit Hong Kong on Bryan's birthday.

"We'll have to wait and see" the captain said.

As his birthday got closer, the winds changed a bit, and it seemed like the typhoon wouldn't come until the evening of Bryan's birthday. It was tough and truly a test of patience for us as we waited and waited, intently watching how the storm would move. We had friends traveling in from out of town just to come celebrate on this half-day boat outing, so the weather made things particularly hard to plan.

Finally, the morning of his birthday, the captain green lit the boat trip. The typhoon wouldn't start until later that evening.

It was a GO!

After taking a leisurely boat ride around Hong Kong island, we landed at Lamma Island right in time for a seafood banquet. The sky was still blue, almost clear at this point! I even enjoyed another "first" in my lifetime. First time playing guitar (and singing hymns!) on a boat together with a professional musician from the Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestra!

Lamma Rainbow 10-Person Set Menu

We had pre-ordered the 10-person set meal and added a few additional dishes (for our non-seafood eating friend) after arriving. The restaurant was very responsive via WhatsApp, and everything went very smoothly. They sent me different menus and the wine list via WhatsApp, so we were able to put in our order early. Lamma Rainbow has a great wine prices (hardly a mark-up), so we ordered some nice bottles of champagne (always a crowd pleaser).

As an aside, I will say Lamma Rainbow was very, very accommodating and flexible with respect to our reservation due to the weather. I told them we couldn't confirm whether we could come or not until literally the morning of the meal, since we had to watch the weather. They were very kind and agreed to hold our reservation (without any deposit) until the morning of the meal (which was a lunch!).

Thankfully, we were able to set sail, and after a lovely excursion around Hong Kong island, we arrived at Lamma Rainbow around 12PM for lunch.

A Seafood Feast

There are many different levels of set menus, as you can imagine. Prices range roughly from HK$250 per person to $HK1000 per person (plus tea charge of $20 and 10% service charge). The menus change, so it's best to contact them to get the most recent menu. The below set meal for 10 people was HK$9699 total.

We had a friend who didn't eat seafood, so we did order a few non-seafood items.

We had a great table right next to the waterfront, so we could enjoy dining outside while looking at the ocean.

Time to Head Back to the Dock

Afterwards, we took a short stroll along the waterfront back to the boat, which was waiting for us at the dock.

If it wasn't this special occasion, we probably would have done what most of the other diners did, take Lamma Rainbow's free ferry for their guests. It picks up at TST, Central Pier, Cyberport, and even Aberdeen, and goes straight to Sok Kwu Wan (which is where the restaurant is). You just need to book about a day in advance. You can also just take the normal ferry, depending on which time slot works better for you. I like hiking from Sok Kwu Wan to the other end of the island (Yung Shue Wan). In that case, I'd just take the public ferry back home from Yung Shue Wan.

Originally we were thinking we might hike a bit on the island (like I did with my mom back in 2019), but the typhoon was coming, so we had to get going. Unfortunately, due to the winds, the captain said we had to go back. Our original plan to stop at Stanley had to be canceled.

The ride back was peaceful (though we kept our eye on the skies). The clouds were coming in, but there was still no rain. We hung out on the boat, chatting, taking photos, and generally just relaxing.

The boat arrived at the pier right around 5PM. Everyone made it back home with no issues, and we're very thankful for the wisdom of the captain in allowing us to have our birthday trip in a very safe manner. The category 3 typhoon warning signal came down around 6PM that evening.

Even though we didn't get to visit as many islands, we're still thankful for the sunshine in the morning, lack of rain, and the cool weather. Most importantly, it was a blessed time to spend together with friends, and we're truly thankful for the entire day.

Happy Birthday Bryan!

Lamma Rainbow
G/F, 23-27 First Street
Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island, Hong Kong
WhatsApp: +852 6407 4179

Epicure - Le Bristol Paris (3 Michelin Stars)

April 5, 2023 by Jennifer Che

We have a foodie friend who travels 330 days of the year for business. He travels well, eats ridiculously well, and has exacting standards for food and wine. He’s our go-to source for restaurant recommendations in Paris. About a year ago he sent us his personal list of favorite places in Paris, complete with his own little “soundbites” summarizing the essence of each place. We’ve been slowly working our way through the list.

Many of these top restaurants are very, very difficult to book, especially last minute. Due to the fluidity of Bryan’s business travel schedule, we often can’t predict super far in advance when we will be in Paris.

Epicure, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in Le Bristol Hotel in Paris, is one such restaurants. Chef Eric Frechon has been head chef since 1999 (!) and the restaurant has maintained its Michelin star since 2009, not an easy feat.

It’s one of our friend’s top 3 restaurants in Paris, and it’s really hard to book. However, Bryan was able to grab a lunch reservation for the day AFTER my birthday. Hee hee, I ended up having two birthday meals in Paris this year. 🥰

The Tasting Menu at Epicure Le Bristol

We began with some amuses bouches, including a delightful pea foie gras veloute, compte cheese tart, and a delicate crisp.

The bread is often one of my favorite “courses” at a French restaurant, and here was no exception. We had two types of bread: a small focaccia plus we shared an entire loaf of their house baked sourdough (SO. GOOD.).

The fantastic French butter together with their fresh baked bread was hard to resist, especially at the beginning of the meal when we were still pretty hungry!

After almost filling up on bread (haha, only half kidding), our actual tasting lunch began.

A luxurious start: uni + caviar

We began with delicate “scrambled eggs” topped with a fluffy whipped cream of uni (sea urchin) and seaweed butter, interspersed with croutons. It came with a fancy spoon shaped perfectly for scooping out every last goodness from the uni-shaped bowl, which we certainly wanted to do because it was so insanely good.

We were first introduced to the decadent butter dominant (yet oh-so-luxuriously creamy) French style whipped” potatoes at Joel Robuchon. Epicure’s version of what they call “potato mousseline” adds a level of luxury, with a beautiful layer of caviar from Sologne on top, smoked haddock inside, a slightly tart dressing.

which we ate by dipping in a buckwheat crisp (not unlike the Japanese snack Pocky) but filled with cream inside!

Seafood + Pasta

It was like a well-timed orchestra. Two plates arrived topped with a dome-shaped glass lid. In synchrony, two servers lifted our glass lids at the same time revealing the next course. We each had a langoustine tail, lightly cooked with lemon-thyme and served with an onion-mango condiment and a refreshing, foamy broth of the langoustine claws together with yuzu and coriander.

The “candele” is the French term for their huge tubular macaroni “pasta”, filled with artichoke and duck foie gras, black truffle, a lovely black truffle sauce (“jus”), and topped with mature Parmesan cheese. The final three stuffed candele are torched. The texture of the pasta was delectably chewy, and the artichoke foie gras filling was lovely.

The restaurant's own website only calls out this one dish, stating it's an "unforgettable dish that people travel to Paris to experience."

The next course was a sous vide Scottish salmon dusted with a fine layer of tandoori powder, fennel and cucumber, and flavored with a rice vinegar and a mint oil. The texture was out of this world. It was so soft, so tender, to the point where it seemed nearly raw yet was still so soft and edible. One of my favorite courses.

Epicure Paris: Signature Dish

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the Bresse Farm hen poached in a bladder. Those who specifically order it as a stand-alone dish can enjoy watching the staff cut open the bladder, revealing the chicken (together with its signature golden feet) inside.

In our case, since it was just part of a larger tasting menu, we likely shared our chicken with many other tables. However, they did bring out the expanded balloon-like bladder for us to look at before they brought it back into the kitchen to prep some more.

The final dish was a piece of the bladder-poached hen breast with yellow wine, crayfish, giblets candies and button mushrooms.

We separately enjoyed the roasted chicken leg with fresh herb salad and corn in a sherry vinaigrette.

The Cheese Cart

A majestic cheese cart rolled up to our table, filled with a variety of cheese (mostly from France) that they keep in their cheese cellar. It must have had over 20 different cheeses.

We chose about 5 different ones to enjoy, and they were lovely.

Desserts

Our first dessert was refreshing light. A chocolate shell made to look like a half coconut arrived, filled with a ‘Moiito" coconut sorbet made with coconut milk infused with fresh mint, grilled coconut, and topped with lime zest.

A deeply dark experience of “CHOCOLATE FROM EQUATOR” was next, consisting of chocolate shortbread, cocoa nib praline, hot chocolate espuma, and chicory ice cream.

Happy Birthday!

An assortment of beautiful petit fours came out at the end to round out the meal.

General Thoughts: Epicure Le Bristol Paris

What can I say? Epicure is indeed a lovely restaurant and they execute everything at an extremely high level. Highlights for me include the surprisingly refreshing pea foie gras amuse veloute at the beginning, the amazing bread + butter, uni + caviar combo (perhaps I’m a sucker for caviar), and the salmon. Though the presentation of the chicken was indeed impressive, I only found it to be OK, but still not as good as chicken in Asia.

It’s very expensive, at 420€ a head.They use the highest end ingredients at every course, and the entire meal takes an insane amount of planning and execution. If you love French food, this place does it very, very well. Personally speaking, there are equally enjoyable experiences in Paris that come at a lower price point. However, Epicure is certainly top notch, and you can't go wrong here.

Below is a short video I made of our meal. Enjoy!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Che (@tinyurbankitchen)

Epicure Paris France
Bristol Hotel

Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch - Hong Kong

April 29, 2022 by Jennifer Che

More than 10 years ago I visited Summer Palace in Beijing. Once an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty, the area is now a UNESCO heritage site.

"Summer Palace" here in Hong Kong is not a garden. Instead it is a high-end restaurant that still shares some of the former's imperial grandeur. This Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Shangri-La serves refined Cantonese fare, shares a Master Sommelier with Petrus (upstairs), and regularly holds unique and interesting wine lunches and dinners.

Our friends invited us to one such wine lunch at Summer Palace last year.

As we rode up the elevator at the Shangri-La to Summer Palace, we couldn't help but notice an awe-inspiring painting. This impressive wall mural, called The Great Motherland of China (大好河山), is the largest silk mural painting in the world. It is 16-stories high and it took 40 Chinese artists 6-months to complete it.

Summer Palace Wine Lunch

Summer Palace Hong Kong Iconic Wine Lunch — As we entered the room, we got a first look at the featured wines of the wine dinner. Wow.

Master Sommelier Yohann Jousselin oversees the wine platform for all Shangri-La restaurants in Southeast Asia, and spends over half his time in Hong Kong. The Shangri-La group of restaurants regularly holds wine lunches and dinners, both at Summer Palace and also at Petrus, upstairs.

They come at different price points, from more casual Wine Lunches at the Lobster Bar (HKD888 per person) to the flagship Iconic Wine Experiences that can cost up anywhere between HKD25,000 to HKD$58,000 per person (the latter including a super rare Petrus 1947).

The wine meals focus on different themes, and often provide opportunities to try older and rarer wines.

Iconic Lunch Series

This particular wine lunch focused on wine from 6 different regions in France, including a blind wine. It was part of the Iconic Lunch series, and costs HKD$3988 per person.

Here's a look at our meal!

We began with a special 2000 Dom Perignon P2 (short for "Plénitude 2"). This aged champagne is deep in color and complex in flavor. Even though you normally wouldn't decant a champagne, our sommelier recommended doing so for this wine.

A lovely way to start the meal.

Summer Palace is known for its refined Cantonese fare.

Blind Wine - 1960's

1970's Mouton Rothschild

We tried them side-by-side, a mystery "blind" wine from the 60's and the Mouton-Rothchild from 1970, paired with the claypot rice.

Dessert

The meal was lovely, but it was the unique wine pairings that really made this meal fun and special. Food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the overall lunch was relaxed and interesting.

I leave you with one more look at The Great Motherland of China (大好河山).

Caprice Hong Kong
Birthday at Roganic Hong Kong
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

Petrus Hong Kong

March 8, 2022 by Jennifer Che

Before this current pandemic, Hong Kong was really a special place for those who like to travel. Locals could whisk off to Japan, Mainland China, or Southeast Asia for a quick weekend trip. Travelers could just as easily fly in, do a business meeting, enjoy a nice meal, and then jet right back out. Bryan used to visit Victoria Peak just to see the view and enjoy a meal during some of his longer stopovers in Hong Kong. That seems like such another world now.

We had friends who used to live between Hong Kong and the US. They regularly flew back and forth every few months, enjoying the best of both worlds: the wide open spaces of the countryside in the U.S., and the vibrant, "sensory overload", excitement of Hong Kong. It was a great way to stay connected to family, friends, and business partners on both sides of the globe.

With Covid, it became difficult for them to go back and forth like they used to. However, they did manage to come back to Hong Kong TWICE during the pandemic, enduring multi-week quarantines each time. We were so fortunately to be able to see them in the spring of 2021, just as Hong Kong was reawakening back to life after a grueling 6-month long "4th wave" lockdown.

We decided to visit Petrus together with them to celebrate a birthday as well catch up after such a long time!

...

Happy 20th Anniversary! A look back . . .

September 1, 2021 by Jennifer Che

20 years???

In some ways it's really hard for me to believe that I have been married for 20 years (the years flew by!). Yet in another way, when I look back and think about all the different things we've gone through together -- how we've both grown, changed, and experienced so many different chapters together in so many different ways -- then it does feel like it's been a long time.

I met Bryan when he was 17 and I was 19. We were mere kids, not really knowing anything about our futures, where we would go, what we would become. We got married soon out of college, still figuring out our directions in life.

Marriage is truly a step of faith and also commitment (especially when you're really young and you still don't really know yourself!).

We got married on September 1, 2001. It was ten days before the horrific attacks on 9/11 that changed America and our lives forever. We were on our honeymoon in Italy at the time, and started out our marriage stuck in Brussels for days before finally catching a flight to Montreal and driving down the Boston.

I thought it would be fun to reflect upon how we have celebrated our anniversary over the past 20 years. Of course, our 20 years of marriage is defined by so much more than just food or annual celebrations. However, it has played an important part of how we enjoy time together as a couple, and (of course), it is the focus of this blog. 🙂 Enjoy!

2002

2002 was a different time, define by a post 9/11 world and yet pre-digital and pre-social media. Although we received our first digital camera as a wedding present, I woefully have very few photos from that era, and I can't remember for the life of me how we celebrated! All I remember is that I gave Bryan a coffee grinder and Illy espresso cups for our first Valentine's Day, which we use to this day.

2003 - 2007: Staying Put in Boston

I changed careers in 2003 and started attending law school at night and working full time during the day. Needless to say, we started out our marriage being quite busy! Although my weeknights were filled with classes and weekends full of study, we still played in our church band together, ran a Bible study group at our home, and enjoyed local trips around New England.

2003: *Outlet shopping in Freeport Maine*

2004: *Hiking, lobsters, and blueberry pie at Acadia National Park in Maine*

2005: Attending a friend's wedding and celebrating in Boston's North End at Prezza for dinner

2006: I love biking, and one of my favorite activities is to bike the minuteman trail (from Cambridge to Lexington) for ice cream at Rancatore's, and then bike back for a nice dinner in Cambridge. This time, we took a day off of work and ended the day with a French meal in Harvard Square.

2007: Tiny Urban Kitchen is Born

When I graduated from law school, I was so ready to explore a plethora of hobbies (after being "cooped up" for 4 years studying law during my freetime). I threw myself into trying new activities, such as sewing handbags, oil painting, running, capoeira, cooking, and starting a food blog.

In the early days, the blog had no photos (!). I really just wanted to keep a journal of the restaurants I ate at, and also my mom's recipes. Because of that, my write-up of our 6th anniversary meal at Craigie Street Bistrot (one of the earliest blog posts at Tiny Urban Kitchen) is shockingly photo-less.

As life would have it, as I became "freer", Bryan started traveling more and more for work. At our first anniversary apart in 2008 (due to one of Bryan's many business trips), Bryan sent me roses at work for the first time.

Tiny Urban Kitchen is Christened

In 2009 I started to blog more seriously. Bryan had bought me a lovely little camera that took really good photos of food. I changed the name of the blog, joined an ad network, and started to write more seriously about both my cooking and my dining out.

That year, we celebrated our anniversary with a lovely meal at Boston's classic No. 9 Park.

2010: 9th: Menton

2010 was a momentous year. I won Project Food Blog: The Next Food Blog Star, and I started blogging a lot more. We celebrated our 9th with a lovely meal at Barbara Lynch's flagship restaurant Menton, where we enjoyed New England inspired food elevated to the highest level Boston had ever seen.

2011: Las Vegas

For our 10th anniversary we did something crazy. Our friend, a wedding photographer in Las Vegas, offered to treat us to a photoshoot in the desert! We brought along my wedding dress and took all sorts of fun photos, the below being one of my favorite.

We also enjoyed a mind-blowing meal at 3-Michelin starred The Mansion at Joel Robuchon. Truly an unforgettable meal.

2012: 11th Uni Sashimi Bar!

2012 was a special year because Bryan's parents retired that year. Bryan had so many airline miles from his years of travel that he gifted his parents a choice of two first class tickets anywhere in the world.

They looked on a globe and picked the farthest location they could find: Australia and New Zealand. Oh, and they wanted to go together as a family. In 2012, we took a 3+ week vacation (longest we'd ever taken!) and traveled around that stunning region. I woefully have never given it a proper write-up on the blog, but there are a few food posts I was able to write.

Due to the crazy travel in November that year, we took it easy for our anniversary (and also for Christmas), not traveling at all but just resting and staying put. We celebrated 11 years of marriage with a lovely Japanese-inspired meal at Uni Sashimi Bar, back when it was just a small corner of Clio, pre-Tony Messina. How things have changed!

2013: 12th Sonoma!

I have such, such fond memories of California's wine region. I got to know the region when I used to travel there annually to cover the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competitions. For years we went back annually, savoring the beautiful scenery, amazing food, and in Sonoma and Napa. I have many, many fond memories of those trips, and am so thankful for the numerous opportunities we had to visit that amazing region.

2014: 13th Berkshires!

Boston's own backyard, the Berkshires, is a lovely place to visit in the summertime. For our 13th anniversary, we finally enjoyed a picnic while listening to a concert at Tanglewood, the quintessential New England summer experience!

2015: 14th in the Midwest and Around the World

Our friends asked us months earlier whether we wanted to make a special trip to Chicago just to dine at Alinea, one of the most famous fine-dining restaurants in the US. It had been years since I had visited Chicago, and I fell in love with the city! I guess my Midwestern roots are still strong, and perhaps a part of me felt at home there. The meal at Alinea was also really special, especially because we got to spend this anniversary with some of our best friends.

2015 was also memorable for me because that fall Bryan took me on an "Around the World" trip to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was a momentous and crazy trip. We visited wineries in Bordeaux, explored museums in Paris, sampled white truffles in Alba (even went on a truffle hunt!), learned all about the barbaresco and barolo regions, savored Tokyo's food and culture, and also stopped by Hong Kong, Bryan's favorite city in the world. At that time, we never would have ever imagined that we would move there some day.

Finally, I started a new job as head of IP at a biotech start-up in Cambridge, which was super exciting. What a year!

2016: 15th Saison San Francisco

In 2016 I got to enjoy one of my favorite meals (ever) in the US, our anniversary dinner at Saison in San Francisco. I loved how the chef incorporated so many Japanese concepts and ingredients into the tasting menu.

2017: 16th Bergamot Boston

2017 was an unique year. It was the year I moved to Hong Kong. At that time, Bryan had already moved to Hong Kong first and had returned to Boston right before our anniversary to wrap up our move. For our anniversary, we visited our favorite hangout spot Bergamot and enjoyed a boisterous meal at the bar with close friends.

2018: 17th Bergamot Boston

After moving to Hong Kong, we started to value and cherish our times at Bergamot more and more. We returned again in 2018 for yet another anniversary celebration at the same bar. Little did we know that would be our last time . . .

2019: 18th Anniversary in Amber

We couldn't make it to Boston for our 18th anniversary. Instead, we decided to book Amber in Hong Kong in the midst of an intense time of social unrest in Hong Kong. It was a crazy story of how Bryan barely made it out of the airport (which was overrun with protestors) right before the police locked down the airport. Many people were stuck in traffic for hours. I was so thankful Bryan was able to make it back in time for us to celebrate together. I am even more thankful he had the foresight to book a night at the Landmark Mandarin so we wouldn't have to worry about how to get home afterwards.

2020: COVID-19

It goes without saying that 2020 has been the most upended, unpredictable, and crazy year to date. 2020 meant we had been "locked in" working from home for close to two months. In late August, Hong Kong finally started to open up a bit. We ventured out, cautious, celebrating our first "socially distanced" dinner out at Xin Rong Ji.

2021: Our 20th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary!!! Here we are at our 20th. We are so, so thankful that the Covid situation in Hong Kong is quite good, with no local cases in months. We've been enjoying an extended week of celebrations, visiting some favorites such as Sushi Shikon, Ando, Mott32, and Din Tai Fung, just to name a few.

Sometimes it's shocking to me how little we knew ourselves and each other when we took the plunge and decided to tie the knot at such a young age. However, I truly believe it's because of God's amazing grace that we have been able to grow so much as as couple these past 20 years.

The 20th anniversary gift according to tradition is China, while the modern version is Platinum. It's fitting, considering we currently live in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, and Platinum is the material we chose for our wedding bands and my engagement ring so many years ago.

I feel very, very thankful and blessed beyond measure.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy New Year 2021! A Look Back at 2020

January 1, 2021 by Jennifer Che

Happy New Year!

Ever since this blog began I have written something on New Years Day, a reflection of sorts on the past year. Through the years my posts took on a familiar pattern, summarizing top recipes (back when I published more recipe posts) and moving into a reflection of my travels that past year.

When I look at what I wrote last year, I can't help but chuckle. So little did I know . . .

And that's a wrap! What a year. As always, nothing is predictable and you never know how your year is going to turn out. We never would have expected the crazy geopolitical events happening around us. In some ways I feel like it's been A LONG time since I've lived and worked in Boston. In other ways, I feel like time is zooming by and I can't believe I've already been here for two years.

We take each day one step at a time. You never know what surprises might come along. Here's to 2020 and all that it brings.
- Jen from Tiny Urban Kitchen . . . . . January 2020

. . . "and all that it brings." Yep, that about sums it up.

This year has been undoubtedly different. We did not step foot in the US for the first time in our entire lives. We have not seen family for over a year. We have not left Hong Kong since March.

Though we can't travel for leisure, Bryan also does not need to travel for work, which has been an unexpected blessing. We have spent a TON of time together - whether it be hanging out at home over home-cooked meals (or delivery!), or exploring lesser known parts of Hong Kong between lockdown waves.

I've also picked up classical piano again, started "painting" with the Apple pencil, and cooked more this year than I have the last two years combined. I've focused on my Mandarin studies and I can actually see progress, especially in my writing, which was so, so difficult for me.

We have re-connected with old friends through Zoom, and I've secretly enjoyed not commuting every day on the crowded Hong Kong subways. One of my favorite aspects of working from home is the ability to enjoy lunch with Bryan every day at home.

It's unclear what next year will bring, and I have no idea if it will be better, worse, or just different. I've learned not to expect anything, nor take anything for granted. I constantly remind myself to appreciate and be thankful for my current situation and what I have now.

Below are highlights of this strange year. Instead of sharing about my various travels, it will be about how we navigated ever-changing pandemic "lockdowns", "re-opens", and various day-to-day restrictions.

January - Thailand and Initial Covid Inklings

In terms of months, January was the most "normal" month of the year. As I look back at what we were doing, I feel a bit nostalgic and sad at how so many of those things came to an abrupt, unexpected stop.

We did things that seemed so normal back then, but impossible since then . . . . like visiting Dafen Village, where we sat in the alleyways of this artist village in Shenzhen and painted with the help of a teacher.

Or our annual trip to Thailand, where we caught up with old friends, tasted fantastic food, and just enjoyed being outside without a mask. Although people still weren't wearing masks regularly at that time, we were already aware of the virus and wore masks during our flight.

I will never forget the fast progression from mask-free to full-on masks. It happened within a week in late January right before Lunar New Year. I distinctly remember looking around me and seeing how many people were wearing masks on the subways. I personally began wearing a mask starting around Wednesday that week. When Bryan came back to Hong Kong on Thursday, he said "maybe I'll wear a mask today." By Friday, the whole city was covered in masks, and every other person seemed to be a disease-carrying suspect.

A few days later, Bryan left for a week long business trip in Belgium. I stayed behind, spending time with some friends from China who were seriously considering not going back, due to quickly escalating situation in Wuhan.

And then I got the call. Just like my friends from China, Bryan was also advised by his boss not to come back, but to stay in Belgium instead.

I've never done this before, but I booked an airplane ticket to leave in less than 48 hours. I hastily packed (including packing some more things for Bryan!), and off I went, not knowing when I would return.

February/March - Stuck in Europe

February was an odd month. As we watched the pandemic unfold in China (and the panic that ensued in Hong Kong), we felt a bit insulated from all that. Europe seemed relatively safe at the time, so we actually had the opportunity to be regular tourists. Not only did we explore Brussels (where we "lived"), we also visited nearly towns Ghent and Brugges, as well as took longer excursions to Paris, London, and Amsterdam. I've written about our European adventures in more details at this post.

It was a surreal time. As the situation globally got worse, our original plans (to visit Northern Italy, Spain, and the US) got canceled one by one. As mid-March rolled around, things started to look bad even in Europe.

We scoured around looking for flights and managed to book one of the last direct flights from Brussels to Hong Kong. We arrived back in Hong Kong just in time to enter Hong Kong's second lockdown.

First time coming home after close to 7 weeks away

April - 2nd Wave: A Month of "Lockdown"

Hong Kong locked down soon after we came back, entering its "second wave". It was tough coming back, and I had to figure out how to live under these new circumstances. Jetlag and general pandemic tiredness got to me, and I hardly exercised during those first several weeks at home.

Finally, near the end of the lockdown, we began to hike, and had the opportunity to visit some beautiful places in Hong Kong.

May/June - Opening Up

In May and June, the number of cases in Hong Kong hovered close to zero. People let out a sigh of relief, and life began to get back to normal.

I started physically going back into the office. Churches, movie theaters, and gyms opened for service. We tentatively began dining out again, and eventually, even sharing meals with small groups of friends. I continued to cook a lot at home, making chive dumplings, quinoa chips, Chinese pumpkin cakes, and much, much more.

There was sadness in May, however, as I found out that an old friend from college had died in a plane crash transporting coronavirus supplies to a remote village in Indonesia. It was quite a bit to process. She was a pilot, doing what she loved and serving people in one of the most remote places in the world. She knew being a missionary pilot was her calling in life, and she trained for 10+ years to prepare for this difficult and specialized job. Why did she have to go so soon?

It was therapeutic to grieve together with old friends over Zoom, and we re-connected with so many college friends during that painful time.

A stunning rainbow that appeared during a sunny rainstorm in June reminded me that God was in control and that things would be OK.

July/August: Third Wave Lockdown

In July Hong Kong cases began to rise again, and we entered our "Third Wave." During that time, I began to order organic vegetables weekly from a local Hong Kong farm.

Life in lockdown wasn't that different from our earlier lockdown, though we had gotten more experienced. We knew how to navigate and manage the plethora of take-out and delivery options, which grew and grew as the pandemic worsened and dining restrictions increased. We started to figure out which places we liked the most. Some of my regular go-to lunch delivery spots included my weekly Din Tai Fung fix, falafels from Maison Libanaise, banh mi from Le Petit Saigon, and knife shaved noodles from Shiwei.

In June we also had fun being interviewed on a podcast with my friend Joe from Saverocity Observation Deck. We had a lively conversation about Hong Kong, food, the pandemic, and much more. Here is a complete list of restaurants mentioned in the podcast.

September/October - Opening Back Up

Things finally improved in September and we had a really enjoyable couple of months where life felt like it was returning to normal again. We were thankful that this "safer" period included our anniversary and both our birthdays, allowing us to actually go out and celebrate those moments.

During this golden period, we explored many new restaurants, such as La Castanella, Ando, Roganic, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, and the Araki, just to name a few.

During the October Golden Week Holiday, we took a week of "staycation", exploring Hong Kong by hiking, biking, and visiting its small fishing islands and geoparks. It was a much needed time just to get away and enjoy nature.

November - Fourth Wave Begins

My memories of early November are warm and pleasant. Church had re-opened, and we were able to celebrate the baptisms of several friends. Bryan and I even attended our first symphony orchestra concert (masks on at all times!). We also enjoyed other lovely celebrations with smaller groups of friends, such as for Thanksgiving and also my birthday.

Two days after my birthday two things happened: I twisted my ankle and Hong Kong went into its fourth lockdown. In some ways, it sort of worked out that I couldn't walk very well just as the city was becoming less accessible to me anyway.

December - A Distanced Covid Christmas

In December we spent our first Christmas ever in Hong Kong. I ended up getting in touch with my artistic side, making my own Christmas tree out of a yoga mat and collaborating with my Chinese teacher to illustrate a book as a gift for Bryan.

On Christmas Day we Zoomed for hours at various times to connect with family all over the US. We opened presents over Zoom, chatted with some friends, and overall had a very chill day.

We took the whole week off between Christmas and New Years just to relax. This time, because of my (still) recovering ankle, we couldn't take any longer "trips" within Hong Kong. It's tough for an active person like me to sit still (!) but the lockdown does make it easier. Can't wait to get back onto the hiking trail!

And just like that, 2020 vanished into the night. I've learned not to expect anything, because you really, really have no idea what will happen next. Last year, after an unprecedented period of unrest in Hong Kong, everybody was looking forward to moving past 2019 into a new year. Little did we know what was in store for us. Similarly, we really have no idea what next year holds. Therefore, I live day to day, being thankful for each day as it comes.

Let's appreciate those around us, and try to bless others a bit each day. I personally hope to be more mindful of that this coming year.

Happy New Year!

Belon Hong Kong

February 20, 2020 by Jennifer Che

Belon Hong Kong is a small, cute French bistro located on a small street in Hong Kong's quaint Soho neighborhood. The ambiance is warm and cozy, and the food is top notch.

The restaurant is a darling of Hong Kong food enthusiasts, and has quickly won countless awards. In 2019 it climbed 25 spots to number 15 on Asia's Top 50 Restaurants (the highest climber that year) and currently holds one Michelin star.

We came here on a weekend during lunch. The place was packed, but thankfully they had a few open seats at the bar, which is where we dined.

...

Quan Alley Hong Kong 寬巷子 [Harbour City TST]

June 23, 2019 by Jennifer Che

Quan Alley Harbour City Hong Kong — Quan Alley Hong Kong

We lived in a serviced apartment attached to Harbour City for the first six months we were in Hong Kong. In some ways, it made for a comfortable transition. We lived above a western supermarket, had walking access to a number of familiar restaurants (hello Din Tai Fung!), and found plenty of other excellent restaurants within walking distance.

It wasn't until I left that I realized what a unique dining destination Harbour City really was. Imagine a single (massive) mall that houses an insanely high concentration of many of Asia's best and most popular restaurants. That's what Harbour City feels like sometimes. This massive complex megaplex houses Japanese favorites such as Tsuta (truffle ramen!) and Sushi Tokami; European big names such as Joel Robuchon and Gordon Ramsey; Singapore darling Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, and much, much more.

For me, I'm always particularly excited when a restaurant from Taiwan comes and open up a branch in Hong Kong. I love Du Hsiao Yueh (also in Harbour City), and of course Din Tai Fung is accessible via a connected indoor bridge.

So it wasn't a surprise that I was excited to try Quan Alley, a very popular hot pot restaurant from Taiwan that's famous for its gorgeous presentation of hot pot ingredients, high quality ingredients, and excellent broths.

...

Rech by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong

June 13, 2019 by Jennifer Che

Reche by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong — Rech by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong

If you want to experience world class chefs in Asia, Hong Kong is certainly a top destination. We are blessed with top talent from all around the world, with significant representation from France, the UK, Italy, and Japan, just to name a few.

Alain Ducasse is arguably one of the most famous chefs in the world. Bryan and I are no strangers to his cuisine, having tried his flagship, 3-Michelin star eponymous restaurant in London as well as his more casual Las Vegas outpost, Rivea.

The French-born Monaco-naturalized chef received his first three-Michelin star award when he was just 33 for Le Louis XV in Monaco. He made waves back in 1998 when, at the young age of 41, he became the first chef in 60 years to hold six Michelin stars at once (three apiece). He's the only chef to ever have 3 Michelin stars for three different restaurants at once (Paris, Monaco, and New York in 2005 and once again Paris, Monaco, and London in 2010). He currently holds the second most Michelin stars of any chef in the world, second only to Joel Robuchon.

Ducasse has since built an empire, including two cooking schools in Paris (one for the general public, one for chefs), multiple books, and dozens of restaurants around the world, including Paris, Monaco, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Italy, and, yes, Hong Kong.

...

Xihe Ya Yuan Hong Kong 羲和雅苑 - famous Peking duck chain from China

November 25, 2018 by Jennifer Che

Xihe Ya Yuan Hong Kong

Bryan and I lived in a serviced apartment right above Harbour City, a HUGE shopping megaplex in Tsim Sha Tsui, for several months before moving to Wan Chai. At the time, I don't think I fully realized or appreciated how much of a mecca Harbour City (together with Ocean Terminal and Ocean Centre) is for its concentration of world famous restaurants. It is almost mind-boggling how many globally renowned chefs have a presence in this one shopping complex . . . Joel Robuchon, Gordon Ramsey, Michael White, just to name a few.

On top of that, you also have lots of famous restaurant imports from all over the world, especially from Asia, such as Crystal Jade from Singapore, Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodle from Tokyo, Du Hsiao Yueh from Taiwan, and on and on. It's sort of like the Strip in Vegas, but condensed into one walkable set of buildings.

Xihe Yayuan falls into the second category. It is a very famous Peking duck restaurant from Beijing, China. The location in Hong Kong is right at Ocean Terminal and has gorgeous views of Victoria Harbour. The restaurant mostly focuses on traditional Chinese dishes but adds a slight, creative touch of modernity to certain dishes.

Bryan loves Peking duck, so he was quite curious to try this new place that was located so close to his workplace.

...

22 Ships Wan Chai - Spanish Tapas {HONG KONG}

February 6, 2018 by Jennifer Che

22 Ships Wan Chai

This is post #16, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

One of the joys and benefits of living (and eating!) in Hong Kong is that you don't really have to travel to enjoy food from the world's top chefs and restaurants. They come to you.

Hong Kong has outposts of many of Asia's well-known restaurants, from Taiwan's famous Din Tai Fung and Singapore's well-loved Crystal Jade to high end Japanese places in Japan like Sushi Yoshitake (re-branded as Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong to avoid confusion) and Ryugin.

Many of the world's top chefs have opened restaurants here, like Joel Robuchon, Gordon Ramsey, and Alaine Ducasse (just to name a handful).

Chef Jason Atheron, Michelin-starred chef from the very popular Pollen Street Social in London was thrilled to open his first restaurant in Hong Kong. He saw Hong Kong as a melting pot of diverse cultures that really made the city come alive.

His first endeavor, a casual Spanish tapas bar called 22 Ships, has been tremendously successful. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the vibe is fun. This place is super popular, and lines can get long, so we stopped by one evening around 7PM (considered early in Hong Kong!), and grabbed one of the few remaining open seats for a nice, casual Spanish dinner....

ABaC Barcelona

December 16, 2016 by Jennifer Che

ABaC Barcelona

This is the third post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena.

Dining out on Barcelona on a Sunday or Monday evening is brutal. Most nice restaurants - virtually every single one on my list of places I wanted to try - were not open on Sundays and Mondays.

Alas, my trip was short – arriving on Sunday and leaving on Wednesday afternoon. Worse yet, Bryan had a business dinner on Tuesday, which meant the only two days we had together were days when all the restaurants were closed.

Thankfully, there are a handful that are open. Most notably, ABaC, one of only four restaurants in Barcelona with two Michelin stars (there are no 3-Michelin starred restaurants in Barcelona), was open on Sunday evening. They are linked to a hotel, which might be part of the reason.

Park Guell

ABaC is not terribly far from Park Guell, one of the top tourist attractions that’s located a bit further north compared to many of the other sites which are closer to the center of the city.

ABaC only offer tasting menus, and there are two: a 12-course for €140 and a 16-course for €170. After looking at the tasting selections (which have a few overlapping dishes but are more different than similar), we both decided that the dishes on the 16-course side looked interesting, so we went wit that. Bryan also ordered the pairing (€85), while I just ordered a couple wines by the glass....

Florilege Tokyo

October 4, 2016 by Jennifer Che

This is the twenty-fifth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Typically when I travel, I stick to exploring food from the local region. For example, I eat dumplings, noodles, and Peking duck when I'm in Beijing, not pasta. When we were in the Piedmont region, on the other hand, we ate handmade pasta with white truffles every single day!

However, I make an exception for Japan. When the Japanese execute food from another region, they often incorporate so much of their own culture, ingredients, and values, it really becomes its own separate cuisine.

A perfect example would be the Japanese hamburger ("hamburg" in Japanese). Although it's considered a foreign-influenced dish in Japan, we now have Japanese restaurants in America dedicated to this unique Japanese-American fusion cuisine.

Another example is French food in Japan. Many Japanese chefs train in French culinary methods and techniques. However, they are also influenced by Japan's strong identity with kaiseki, a centuries-old, ingredients-driven, hyper-seasonal food philosophy that arose from a mix of imperial court cuisine, Buddhist temple cuisine, and traditional tea ceremonies. the result is a beautiful blend of France's sophisticated culinary techniques (arguably the best in the world) combined with one of the most obsessively ingredients-driven food philosophies in the world.

Florilege is one such restaurant....

Rivea Alain Ducasse Delano Las Vegas

April 29, 2016 by Jennifer Che

This is the fifth and final post in the Winter in Vegas series. Other posts in this series include B&B Burger and Beer, Harvest by Roy Ellamar, Lago by Julian Serrano, and Chada Thai and Wine.

Alain Ducasse.

That name alone, associated with any restaurant, instantly brings respect and credibility. Chef Alain Ducasse is the second most decorated Michelin starred chef in the world with his 21 Michelin stars (only Joel Robuchon has more - 25 stars). I can personally attest to the quality of his art. We had an exquisite dinner at Alain Ducasse in London back in June 2015. It was beautiful, memorable, and all around flawless.

Alain Ducasse only has two restaurants in the U.S.: Benoit in New York City and the newly opened (in 2015) Rivea and Skyfall Lounge at the top floor of the Delano (formerly THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay) in Las Vegas.

We decided to treat a friend for dinner here, after she graciously offered to let us stay at her house for the weekend in Vegas (thanks Emily!)....

Harvest by Roy Ellamar Bellagio Las Vegas

March 23, 2016 by Jennifer Che

This is the second post in the Winter in Vegas series. Other posts in this series include B&B Burger and Beer.

It's always exciting to try a new restaurant, especially when it's from a chef that I've known and respected for quite some time.

I first met Chef Roy Ellamar at the Saveur Food Blog Awards ceremony in New York. I had traveled to the Big Apple to celebrate winning Saveur's Best Food Blog Award in the Restaurant and Dining category. It was a whirlwind experience of meeting well-known bloggers, celebrating such an unexpected win, and chowing down on delicious bites prepared by Chef Ellamar and his staff.

A few months ago (Christmas Eve, 2015, to be exact), The Bellagio unveiled its newest restaurant: Harvest by Roy Ellamar. They had poured over $800 million into a stunning renovation of the old Sensi space. Better yet, they gave Chef Ellamar free reign to make this his restaurant.

Harvest is a restaurant firmly guided by farm-to-table principles with an eclectic mix of food that reflects influences from all around the world. Chef Ellamar is very dedicated to sourcing sustainable and seasonal ingredients, relying on relationships that he has formed with various farms throughout his years both at Sensi and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

Chef Ellamar injects many aspects of his unique background into the menu, everything from his Hawaiian roots (hello ahi poke!) and Asian culinary bent to his command of classic French techniques.

The menu consists mostly of small plates, divided up by category: Garden (salads, grilled or roasted vegetables); Ocean (raw bar and cooked seafood); Ranch (anything focused on meat); Boards (a variety of charcuterie and flatbread); Grilled (classic cuts of steak); Stone Oven (oven-cooked meat dishes); Rotisserie (porchetta and chicken); Vegetarian/Vegan (various rotating options); and Sides (potato, beans, kale, and the like).

Definitely try one of their cocktails! We tried the Bellagio Harvest Beets Cocktail ($17), which was fantastic! I typically don't order cocktails because I almost always find them too sweet for my tastes. This cocktail, however, hit the perfect balance of just a touch of sweetness and just enough tartness to balance it out. It even came with a tiny dried beet cone filled with goat cheese. All in all, it was really, really good.

The bread is elegant, a mix of a cheesy cracker-like flatbread and Italian breadsticks. I loved the light-as-air flatbread, which had a nice, savory, Parmesan flavor.

We ordered a bottle of 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Pere de Famille from Betz Family Winery ($138).

One really, really fun aspect of the restaurant is the Snack Wagon. Similar to the Asian dim sum concept, servers walk around pushing a cart filled with small bites. Snack Wagon "delights" are $8 each and are great for curbing your appetite when you first sit down and begin perusing the menu.

I was immediately drawn to this beautiful plate of ahi poke.

"Yes please. We'll have all of them. One of each kind."

I guess we were hungry!

Hawaiian Ahi Poke (source: Kona, Hawaii) came tossed with red chili, cilantro, and yuzu. Chef Ellamar is from Hawaii, so I was not surprised at all that he included this classic Hawaiian dish on his menu. Bryan and I became nostalgic as we ate this: it totally brought us back to our phenomenal trip to Hawaii and the excellent poke we enjoyed there. It's quite good here, and Chef Ellamar uses the real-deal Ahi tuna straight from Kona, the same place where we enjoyed so many poke bowls.

Kalbi Filet Mignon (source: Painted Hills, Oregon) came served in skewer form. The marinade was classic kalbi, and the meat was unusually tender. The flavors were excellent. The skewer is served cold, which is fine, though you might be disappointment if you were expecting something warm.

Spicy Steak Tartare (source: Painted Hills, Oregon) came topped with mustard seeds, oyster aioli, and toast. It had a bit of a kick, was slightly tart, and was overall quite creamy due to the mayonnaise.

The Eggplant Caviar (source: Life's a Choke, California) was one of my favorites. The creamy dip made from eggplant, tahini, and garlic blended together was phenomenally flavorful. The caponata was delicious and I just loved the light, crispy flatbread, which reminded me of Indian pappadam.

We were extremely impressed with the Charcuterie B0ard, which comes with foie gras torchon, housemade pâté de campagne, head cheese, rillette, and Broadbent ham. The pâté de campagne, or "country terrine", was excellent and reminded me of a recent one I had enjoyed at Daniel Boulud's restaurant in Boston. The pork rillette was also very flavorful. All in all, it was on par in quality with charcuterie boards that I've had at high end French restaurants.

Next was a small plate of Ahi Tuna with Green Tea Ponzu ($17). The fish was very, very soft and overall the dish was solid. "I liked the jalapeño on it" said Bryan.

The Charred Brussels Sprouts ($13 - source: Rutiz Farm, California) came highly recommended and they did not disappoint! Tossed in a mixture of maple syrup, mustard seeds, bourbon, and soy sauce, the Brussels sprouts had a lovely crispy edge and an intense yet balanced flavor from the sweet maple glaze and the savory umami.

Another excellent dish from the Vegetarian section of the menu was the Farro Porridge ($22), which consisted of farro cooked with foraged wild mushrooms, a slow cooked farm egg, and black truffle. Since it had not been too long since white truffle season, white truffles were still on the menu, and Chef Ellamar generously gave us white truffles on this dish instead of black truffles.

It was awesome.

We had the choice to top our 6 oz Hangar Steak ($38 - source: Angus Painted Hills, grass fed and finished) with white Alba truffles (additional $60), which Bryan really wanted to do (heh, I guess he was feeling nostalgic for the white truffles ever since we left Alba!). The steak was very good, just the right size, and pretty amazingly decadent with the white truffles.

The Braised and Grilled Pork Cheek ($14 - Source: Becker Lane, IA) were marinated in a way that reminded me of Korean bulgogi. The rich, savory, and super soft, pork cheeks were nicely balanced by the roasted apple puree, apple kimchi, and Brussels sprouts "chips". All in all, it was a very good dish and a nice way to end the meal.

But first, we mustn't forget the Dessert Wagon! Similar to the Snack Wagon, there are other servers who walk around pushing a cart full of sweets. You get three different items for $8.

If you don't feel like getting a full dessert, this is a great option.

I believe this was some sort of yuzu cream filled dessert, but I honestly can't remember!

And yes, we also ordered a proper dessert (!).

Sticky Toffee Pudding (with maple bacon!) ($12) is one of the most popular desserts on the menu, and it's not hard to see why.

The toffee "pudding" (it's more like a dense cake), is doused with a maple bacon caramel sauce and is wonderfully decadent, crazy rich, and not for the faint hearted! It's quite good (the crispy bacon adds a nicely, salty counterpoint), but it's super dense and heavy. Share with several people if possible!

Overall Thoughts
We really enjoyed our first meal at Harvest by Roy Ellamar. Considering that it had only been about two weeks since the restaurant opened, we were extremely impressed with how well the kitchen was executing everything for such a busy crowd (all those CES conference goers!).

Chef Roy Ellamar is very talented and he has created a great menu with influences from all over. My personal favorites include the Brussels sprouts, farro porridge, the charcuterie, and the eggplant caviar from the Snack Cart. Bryan really enjoyed the steak, but honestly, everything was good.

I think it's great that Chef Ellamar is really prioritizing sustainability and putting the farm-to-table concept front and center on the Strip (a place where steakhouses, burger joints, and buffets reign). He sources excellent ingredients, and it shows in the food.

Prices can add up, and they start high (typical "Strip prices"). Most small plates run between $15-$20 each, and larger dishes go even higher (our small 6 oz Hangar steak was $38). Add on some snacks and desserts, side dishes, plus a cocktail and some wine, you can easily spend well over $100 per person.

Still, it's a great place for groups to visit to sample many different types of dishes. If I came back to Vegas, I would definitely return.

Harvest by Roy Ellamar
Spa Towers, Bellagio
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Disclaimer: I did not pay for this meal. All opinions are my own.

Alain Ducasse London

June 25, 2015 by Jennifer Che

This is the fourth post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and Exploring London by Foot.

Alain Ducasse collects stars. Michelin stars.

Ducasse has since built an empire, including two cooking schools in Paris (one for the general public, one for chefs), multiple books, and dozens of restaurants around the world (Paris, Monaco, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Italy, just to name some).

Alain Ducasse's London restaurant resides inside The Dorchester, an upscale, luxurious, and super prestigious hotel overlooking Hyde Park in London's Mayfair neighborhood. It is one of four 3-Michelin starred restaurants in the UK, and the only one inside of a hotel.

The restaurant space itself is beautiful. In the middle of the restaurant, there is a HUGE "waterfall" of glittery fiber optic strands forming a "luminescent oval curtain" surrounding one special dining table called "Table Lumiere" This very special table fits 2-6 people and costs £200 to reserve (plus the price of the special tasting menus that come with this table).

We didn't sit at the special table.

To me, we got an even better seat - one next to the window! I love daylight, and there are only 5-6 tables in this semi-separate lit part of the dining room. All the other seats (including Table Lumiere), are in the inner part, where it is much darker.

There is no a la carte menu at Alain Ducasse. Instead, you choose between one of several tasting menus: a three course (appetizer, fish or meat, and dessert) for £95; A four course (appetizer, fish, meat, and dessert) for £115; the tasting menu (7 courses taken from the regular menu) for £135; and a 7-course Seasonal Menu (items not on the regular menu) for £180.

Additional cheese courses can be added for £15, and certain choices on the menu have an extra supplemental charge.

We had just enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal earlier that day (I know, we're a little crazy), so I wasn't as hungry as I might have been had I eaten a smaller lunch. As a result, I did not feel like getting a huge tasting menu. Bryan's main concern was that we would be sacrificing the quality of the meal. After all, oftentimes chefs only put out their best stuff in the tasting menu.

Once we learned that the normal 7-course tasting menu essentially consists of items on the regular menu, Bryan was agreeable to the idea of having each of us order a three or a four-course, and then we could share. We would essentially be getting the variety of a 7 or 8-course meal, but we would have more control over which courses we wanted to try....

Bazaar Meat Las Vegas by José Andrés

April 14, 2015 by Jennifer Che

This is the fourth and final post in the Winter in Las Vegas Series detailing my trip to Las Vegas in January to attend CES. Other posts in this series: Yusho Las Vegas, Spago, and CUT Steakhouse.

It's hard not to gasp in amazement when you first enter Bazaar Meat, José Andrés's newest restaurant inside his brand new casino/resort, north of the Strip, the SLS Las Vegas.

José Andrés went all out with this restaurant's concept, what he calls a "celebration of the carnivorous in all its forms."

There are the impressive displays of meat in huge glass counters around the open kitchen.

Every piece is tagged.

Like this beautiful Washugyu skirt loin from Oregon.

Or this A5 (the highest possible rating) Wagyu tenderloin from Japan.

They even display certificates of authenticity showing background information about the specific animal.

And then there are the super hot charcoal grills. They are so hot that you can feel a wave of heat coming towards you as you walk by the front part of the open kitchen where you can see all the grilling being done.

Kudos to the staff who get even closer to those flames all day.

Keep walking, and the impressive displays do not cease. Next to the grilling area is a huge charcuterie area, where you can see dozens of jamon hanging from above.

Even the vegetable locker is gorgeous, full of farm fresh produce. Another meat locker stores whole suckling pig, house made sausages, and other larger pieces of dry aged steak.

The dining space is huge (over 13,000 square feet!), and there are several different rooms in which you can dine.

The menu borrows a few classics from José Andrés's other restaurants. We recognized some dishes we've had at his other restaurants (e.g., Jaleo, Samm, e by Jose Andres, or minibar), such as Ferran Adrià Olives and Croquetas de Pollo Chicken from Jaleo.

However, the majority of the menu is brand new, with a focus on meat and seafood. There's a raw bar, caviar flights, cured meats, tartares, carpaccios, and a dizzying array of steak and seafood from all around the world.

Prices are all over the map, from a $3 gazpacho shot to a $350 caviar flight. Most of the seafood and steaks range between $50 and $75, though there are plenty of opportunities to upgrade. Vegetables sides run $10-12, and there are lots of small bites that are available to try as well.

Finally, if you just want to sample a bunch of stuff, you can choose between a few tasting menus at various prices points (around $150 - $200). They are willing to help you customize it too, if you'd like.

We decided to go with the $200 tasting menu, but substituting or eliminating some of the courses that I'd had before at other José Andrés establishments. We replaced the first three courses with an upgraded caviar flight. We also replaced two of the meat courses (beef and sausage) with a portion of the Suckling Pig, something Bryan really wanted to try.

Join me as I show you, course by course, this crazy meal!...

CUT Steakhouse Las Vegas (Cut Wolfgang Puck)

April 10, 2015 by Jennifer Che

This is the third post in the Winter in Las Vegas Series detailing my trip to Las Vegas in January to attend CES. Other posts in this series: Yusho Las Vegas and Spago.

Bryan's been wanting to try CUT for years.

Every year we go to Las Vegas for CES, the Consumer Electronics Show. Every year Bryan suggests CUT, Wolfgang Puck's high-end steak house inside the Palazzo. Usually, we already have a reservation at Carnevino (Bryan's favorite steak house). Frankly, when I'm only in Vegas for 3-4 days, the last thing I want to do is eat steak multiple days in a row.

So year after year, I resist.

There was one year where we actually made a reservation, only to cancel it when we had to reschedule a dinner with friends. Bryan was slightly disappointed, though that meal still turned out to be excellent.

So this year I finally relented.

Full surrender, in fact.

It was a crazy Vegas trip, complete with three steak house visits in four days. Our first was Carnevino for lunch. Sadly, they had run out of Bryan's favorite steak, the 9-month aged Riserva (you can read about these special steaks here). Still, it was an excellent lunch.

Our second was dinner at CUT....

Yusho Las Vegas (Monte Carlo)

March 18, 2015 by Jennifer Che

This is the first post in the Winter in Las Vegas Series detailing my trip to Las Vegas in January to attend CES.

If you wanted to live in a place where famous chefs all over the world came to YOU versus the other way around, Las Vegas might not be a bad bet. In the past decade, so many excellent restaurants have opened up in this city. You've got everything from the most Michelin-decorated chef Joel Robuchon coming out of retirement to open his flagship restaurant in Vegas to popular burger joints like In & Out or New York's Shake Shack, a burger stand with a cult-like following that just opened its first location in (where else?) the casino New York, New York.

Then there are the celebrity chefs, like Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, and Jose Andres, just to name a few. All in all, the Strip has a wealth of excellent French, Italian, Spanish, and American restaurants. There are tons of steakhouses. Buffets are everywhere.

However, there are very few Asian imports. Sure, Nobu has been at the Hard Rock for awhile (and more recently at Caeasar's Palace), and BarMasa opened in Aria not too long ago. However, aside from really expensive Japanese cuisine, there is a noticeable lack of hot Asian inspired restaurants (like Momofuku, for example), on the Strip. The closest might be the Mexican-Chinese fusion brainchild of Jose Andres, China Poblano.

And then Yusho, a really, really popular restaurant in Chicago, arrived at the Monte Carlo in April of 2014. Yusho is the brainchild of Matthias Merges, a chef who worked at Charlie Trotter's for fifteen years before opening Yusho in Chicago. Its modern style of fusion Asian "street" food includes innovative takes on comfort dishes like ramen, Asian-style buns, house made pickles, and grilled skewers plus a creative cocktail program all under one roof. Yusho has received tons of recognition in Chicago. It has a three star (out of four) review from the Chicago Tribune. In 2012, it won Eater's Restaurant of the Year award, and in 2013, it made The Saveur 100 List.

"We don't want to fit in" says Matthias Merges when asked about adjusting his restaurant to the Vegas culture. He wants to bring Yusho to Las Vegas but wishes to maintain the restaurant's own identify. Similar to Yusho in Chicago which caters to industry folks because it opens so late, Yusho Las Vegas also features late night noodles and a menu that changes frequently.

Chef Brian Lhee, formerly a chef at Yusho Chicago, moved to Las Vegas to help open and helm this new location. Chef Lhee is hot in Vegas right now, having just won Eater Vegas's "Chef of the Year" Award for 2014, beating out Giada’s Giada DeLaurentiis, Carson Kitchen’s Kerry Simon, DB Brasserie’s David Middleton and Omae’s Takeshi Omae.

Bryan and I sampled a bunch of Yusho's menu items our second night in Vegas. Here's a look at all the cool things that are coming out of this new Asian spot right now....

Happy New Year - A Look Back at 2014 (Part I) - Travel

January 5, 2015 by Jennifer Che

Celebrating New Years at home with our homemade Ginger Lime Jalapeno Beers!

Happy (Belated) New Year!

Another year has already gone by and we're in 2015 now. Sometimes I look at that number and it still looks foreign to me . . . like it's far far in the future (like in the movie Back to the Future 2!).

I always like taking time during this week of the New Year to reflect back on what my year was really like. It's helpful to remind myself that even though it feels like it's flying by, there's actually A LOT of stuff that has happened: new experiences, new lessons learned, and lots and lots of memories. It's nice to have this solid block of time to sit down, reflect, appreciate, and be thankful.

It's also a good time to re-evaluate and plan for how I want things to be different (or the same!) for 2015.

This roundup of the year serves as a rough guide to most of the blog posts I've written this past year. Perhaps you'll find a post or two (or even a whole series!) you had missed that you find interesting. Because of the sheer length of content summarized in this post, I've divided it into two posts. Today's part will focus on travel. Tomorrow's will focus on recipes and Boston restaurants from the past year!...

TRAVEL - US

CALIFORNIA

Bay Area, California

**Coi (Californian)

A&J's Restaurant (Taiwanese)

*Hong Fu (Chinese)

**Szechuan Era (Sichuan Chinese)

Luce (Californian)

Blue Bottle Coffee

Napa Valley

Check out the Napa Valley Guide

**Redd

**Terra

Sonoma Valley

*Basque Boulangerie

El Dorado Kitchen

**Sonoma County Wine Weekend

**The Girl & the Fig

**Kamen Estate Winery

*Pride Mountain Vineyards

A Cycling Wine Tour through Sonoma Valley

Los Angeles and Orange County

**Ten Ren Tea Station

**Din Tai Fung

**Sushi Gen

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Restaurant

**Melisse

**Peking Restaurant

Scoops Westside

Sushi Zo

Bouchon Beverly Hills

SAMM (Bazaar)

LAS VEGAS

Check out the Las Vegas Eating Guide

BELLAGIO

Picasso (Julian Serrano)

**Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie

CEASARS PALACE

*Beijing Noodle No. 9 (Hand pulled noodles)

**Il Mulino (Italian)

Max Brenner (desserts)

**Mesa Grill (Updated!) (Bobby Flay)

**Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay)

**Raos

Spago Cafe (Wolfgang Puck)

Serendipity 3 (Sweet)

VENETIAN/PALAZZO

*Bouchon Bakery (Thomas Keller)

Bouchon Bistro (lunch) (Thomas Keller)

Bouchon Bistro (dinner) (Thomas Keller)

**B&B Ristorante (Mario Batali)

*Enoteca San Marco - now closed (Mario Batali)

**Carnevino (Steak)

**Carnevino Riserva Steaks (Steak)

Sushi Samba (Japanese Peruvian)

Table Ten

COSMOPOLITAN

*China Poblano (Jose Andres)

The Wicked Spoon (Buffet)

MGM GRAND

**Joel Robuchon (The Mansion)

**Joel Robuchon - Menu Degustation (The Mansion)

**L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

MANDALAY BAY

Aureole (Charlie Palmer)

RM Seafood (Rick Moonen)

OFF STRIP

*Lotus of Siam (Thai)

Lee's Sandwiches (Vietnamese)

NEW YORK CITY

HARLEM

Sylvia's Restaurant

UPPER WEST SIDE

Salumeria Rossi Pannacotto

**H&H Bagels (update)

MIDTOWN

*Ma Peche (Momofuku Midtown)

EAST VILLAGE

NOHO

NOLITA

*Torrisi Italian Specialties

CHELSEA

Morimoto

CHINATOWN

Tasty Hand Pulled Noodle

FLATIRON

BROOKLYN

*Peter Luger Steak House

SEATTLE

How to Cook a Wolf

Portage Bay Cafe

Din Tai Fung (Bellevue)

WASHINGTON D.C.

**Jaleo (Jose Andres)

The Federalist

Peregrine Espresso

*Rasika West End (Indian)

Happy Birthday Julia Child!

Ben's Chili Bowl (tourist perspective)

Ben's Chili Bowl (insider perspective)

**The Source (Wolfgang Puck)

Special Eating Series

** for super favorites

* for favorites

Michelin Stars OLD

THREE MICHELIN STARS ***Sukiyabashi Jiro (sushi)

Sushi Sawada (sushi)

Ryugin (modern kaiseki)

Taian (grill)

Nakamura (traditional kaiseki)


Daniel	Per Se

Le Bernardin	The French Laundry

Joel Robuchon	Gastronomy Fiesta (Basque Region 3-Star Michelin Chef Tasting Menu)

Eleven Madison Park Sushi Mizutani

TWO MICHELIN STARS **


Melisse	Picasso


Sushi Kanesaka	Marea


Momofuku Ko	Tempura Kondo

Coi Kajitsu

ONE MICHELIN STAR*

Redd

Din Tai Fung

*links to Din Tai Fung in China. The star has been awarded to the Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong


Kyubey (*2008 - lost it in 2009)	Tapas Molecular Bar


Mesa Grill (*2008 - lost it in 2009)	Peter Luger

Aureole (Las Vegas)

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas)

Kitchen W8 (London)

L'Autre Pied (London)

Etoile (Napa Valley, California)

Terra (Napa Valley, California)

Luce (San Francisco, California)

Il Convivio (Rome, Italy)

Torrisi Italian Specialties (New York)

Mikawa Zezankyo (Tokyo)

Kikunoi Akasaka (Tokyo)

Sushi Iwa (Tokyo)

Sushi Yoshitake (Tokyo, Michelin 3 Stars) - best dish I've ever had

July 18, 2014 by Jennifer Che

Sushi Yoshitake

This the second addendum post to the Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka series. Other posts in this series include the intro post: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, Matsugen (soba), Sushi Iwa, Ramen Honda (Tokyo Ramen Street), Ryugin, Omen (udon), Shouraian (tofu), Dotonbori in Osaka (street food), Taian (3-star Michelin), and Sushi Sho/Shou (Chef Keiji Nakazawa), Nakamura (3 star Michelin kaiseki), and Sushi Taku (2 star Michelin)

Bring bring . . .

It was close to noon and I was in my office typing furiously away at the computer. The caller ID said it was Bryan.

It's not unusual for us to chat during this odd time when he's away on a business trip in Asia. Tokyo is exactly 12 hours apart from Boston, which means he was probably about to go to bed. It's lunchtime here, so the timing actually works out pretty well.

Bryan had just gotten back from his dinner at Sushi Yoshitake, a newly-ish minted (as of 2012) three Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo. He couldn't stop raving about it.

"I just got back from dinner. It was really good. I think you'd like it. It wasn't just sushi. They had creative preparations - like what you'd see in a high-end French restaurant - for several of the dishes. They had this abalone liver dish that was amazing. It's the best dish I've ever had in my life."

Let's pause a moment here.

Did he just say the best dish in his life?!

This is the same person who's dined at some of the finest restaurants in the world, like Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo, The French Laundry in Napa Valley, and Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, not to mention countless other award-winning restaurants through his business trips and travels.

He couldn't stop talking about this abalone dish (and trust me, he usually doesn't talk a lot). It was like other-worldly, or what my friend Peter would call "transcendent." Perfection in so many different ways.

best dish ever . . .

"We really have to go back to Japan so I can take you there."

awwwww . . .

Anyway, enough about my conversation with Bryan. Let's learn more about this incredible meal of a lifetime.

Thankfully, Bryan brought his trusty little Sony point and shoot camera to this meal, so we will all be able to enjoy (at least with our eyes) this life-changing meal. To Bryan's surprise, two other diners had the exact same camera. Keep in mind this sushi restaurant only has seven seats total. I guess high end sushi eaters really like this camera for food photos?!

As he sat down he noticed that one of the couples sitting at the sushi bar was speaking English.

"Where are you guys from?" he asked.

"We are from Singapore."

"Cool. I'm from Boston."

"We know."

"You do?!"

"We recognize you from your wife's blog."

Bryan was floored and couldn't wait to share that on the phone with me. I still can't believe that - halfway around the world - somebody actually recognized Bryan from this little blog (hello kpbaby!). How crazy is that??! It was totally mind-blowing to me.

Sushi chef Masahiro Yoshitake is really friendly with foreigners, which is definitely not something you can say about everyone. He has a reasonable command of English and introduced every course in English. He made all sorts of conversation with the guests. For example, he told Bryan that the chef from Nahm in Thailand was coming to eat here the following week.

Let's start the meal! Please note that since I did not dine there, the descriptions for the dishes will be a bit sparser than general. Enjoy Bryan's photos!

The meal began with a braised turnip appetizer.

Next was tender octopus (left) and red snapper (right).

The "best dish", Steamed abalone with abalone liver sauce, came early in the tasting. It looks simple from the outside, but it's the beautiful flavors of the abalone liver sauce that elevate this dish beyond . . . well, any other dish in the entire world.

You start with a few pieces of steamed abalone and this verdant, creamy liver sauce. After you've enjoyed those two together, you are given some rice, which you use to sop up every last golden drop of this phenomenal, deeply flavorful, sauce.

To this day, Bryan still thinks about (and talks about!) this unforgettable dish.

Seared bonito came topped with freshly grated wasabi root in a scallion ginger soy sauce (left). Slow cooked oyster came topped with a flavorful gel.
Yoshitake uses two kinds of red vinegar in his sushi rice, which gives it a brown color. On the left is squid (ika) and on the right is golden eye snapper (kinmedai) nigiri.

Soy marinated bonito (skipjack tuna) sushi

Different levels of fatty tuna: Chutoro sushi at left (medium fatty tuna) and Otoro sushi at right (fatty tuna).

Four types of sushi - from left to right, top to bottom: sardine nigiri, barracuda maki, mackerel nigiri, and giant clam nigiri.

Uni from Hokkaido

Isn't that gorgeous?

Uni from Hokkaido, cooked shrimp nigiri, Sea eel (anago) nigiri, and finally for dessert, tamago (sweet egg omelet), which Bryan said had a very creamy texture, almost like a cake.

The meal ended with a simple, clean miso soup.

There's not too much else to say about this restaurant except that it's excellent and you should go if you have a chance. One thing Bryan really enjoyed about Yoshitake was how he doesn't just serve straight up plain sushi. For a few of the dishes, he incorporated interesting gels and phenomenal sauces (ahem, abalone liver anyone?).

Typically it's pretty hard to get a reservation here, but since Bryan was a solo diner, he was able to nab the seventh seat without much advance notice (maybe a week?). He made the reservation through the hotel concierge. Similar to many restaurants of this caliber, he had to fax to them a credit card number to guarantee his reservation.

Yoshitake is really friendly and can speak quite a bit of English. As I've said before, so much of the omakase experience is your interactions with the sushi chef. Many sushi chefs in Japan hardly speak a word of English, and will only take reservations in Japanese. Even if the food is amazing, you miss out on half the value of an omakase if you can't talk to the chef at all about the food you are eating.

At Yoshitake, you don't sacrifice the food or the experience.

I do hope to be able to visit some day. [update! I was able to go! Here's the post about my meal!]

If you can't make it to Japan, there's a second location in Hong Kong, renamed Sushi Shikon, which just recently got three Michelin stars.

Sushi Yoshitake (link to Japanese language site)

A Voce Columbus (New York)

July 15, 2014 by Jennifer Che

This is the third post in the Quick Spring Weekend to New York series. Other posts in this series include Le Bernardin, Lunch Tasting Menu and Boulud Sud.

It's been years since I've had a proper dinner in the Time Warner Building in New York.

It's not as if I don't visit. I go to the Time Warner Building almost every time I'm in New York. How can I resist not stopping by - even if it involves riding that escalator up three floors to Bouchon Bakery where I can pick up my favorite cookies and get some treats to take home for friends?

But a proper dinner? That's a bit challenging.

After all, there aren't that many restaurants in the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle. The few that are there are not the types of places you visit that frequently.

Take Thomas Keller's three Michelin starred Per Se, for example, where the chef's tasting will run you $310 per person (and that's not including wine, tip, or tax). Or Masa, another three Michelin starred restaurant where the price for dinner is $450, the most expensive tasting menu in the country.

A Voce Columbus New York

In recent years, several more accessible places have opened up inside this shopping center, including a steakhouse, a brasserie, and A Voce Columbus, the second location of a popular Italian restaurant that originally opened in Madison Square Garden.

A Voce Columbus opened in 2009 with executive chef Missy Robbins from Spiagga in Chicago at the helm. In October 2013, Filippo Gozolli, the Italian chef that opened Sirio, took over as executive chef. The restaurant boasts one Michelin Star and is located on the third floor of the Time Warner Building.

Some have compared A Voce with the likes of Babbo, Marea, and Del Posto, which are some of our favorite Italian restaurants in New York.

Because our dinners this particular New York trip were already tied up with work or family events, we were in the unusual situation where we only had lunchtime free to try new restaurants in New York.

Our first lunch was at an old favorite, Le Bernardin, which was (as always) phenomenal. Boulud Sud was a delicious lunch we had with friends. We chose A Voce Columbus for our third (and final) lunch of the trip.

The menu is available a la carte or prix fixe. Under the prix fixe option, you choose between two courses for $31 or three courses for $38. Under the a la carte option, you have all different types of choices: everything from pancakes ($13) and individual pastries ($4 each) to "Primo" pastas costing between $24-$27 and main "Secondi" dishes costing between $33 and $41.

Our meal began with a complimentary serving of focaccia and ricotta which they brought at the start of the meal. The ricotta spread came with a little olive oil, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs. It was delicious and curbed any immediate hunger pangs I might have had.

We started with a lovely Insalata di Cavolfiore ($18), a Mediterranean salad which consisted of cauliflower, romanesco (the cauliflower cousin that looks like a fractal!), black olives, capers, whole anchovies, capers, and red pepper. The dish was well seasoned, full of a variety of flavors from the different fresh ingredients. The portion size was pretty generous.

The Uova Poche, or Truffle Poached Egg ($18), epitomized perfection on a plate and was definitely one of our favorite courses. Two barely poached eggs sat ever-so-delicately on top of crispy grilled bread. Each egg was decorated with a generous shaving of black truffles and sprinkling of baby celery leaves. At the base was a beautiful, velvety, oh-so-decadent truffle mashed potato made with fontina fonduta (an Italian cheese). It totally reminded me of the world famous mashed potatoes from Joel Robuchon.

Since this was an Italian restaurant, we had to at least get some pasta. From the Primo part of the menu, we ordered the Paccheri ($25), thick, ziti-like tubes served in a rich Matriciana sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, Tropea red onions, and Pecorino.

Although we thought the sauce had a nice guanciale flavor, we were a little disappointed because the pasta was just a tad underdone and the sauce was too salty for my tastes. I wished for either a deeper, richer tomato flavor or something to cut the saltiness.

We ordered Tuna Paillard ($28) from the "Secondi" portion of the menu. Paillard is a style of preparation that involves thinly slicing (and possibly pounding?) tuna steaks and searing them on just one side. With this preparation, part of the tuna stays nicely rare even though it's pretty thin.

This flattened tuna served as a base for a bright green pesto as well as refreshing toppings like fresh arugula, celery, orange, and capers. The dish felt healthy and light, which is what I wanted after a weekend of eating more than normal. I thought the dish was nice, but it did not really blow me away in terms of taste.

Dessert was a chocolate covered Tiramisu ($10) served with espresso mascarpone cream and almond gelato.

All in all, it was a nice and pleasant meal on the third floor of the Time Warner Building. The expansive views of Columbus Circle were really nice, and I loved the large windows which brought in tons of light.

As for the food, overall it was an enjoyable brunch. Although our entrees were a bit underwhelming, we really liked the rest of the meal, especially that truffle poached egg.

I think I need to return for a proper dinner in order to really experience the best that this restaurant has to offer. Thankfully, dinner prices here are a little less stratospheric than those of their upstairs neighbors.

A Voce Columbus
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019

Jaleo (Las Vegas, Cosmopolitan)

May 25, 2014 by Jennifer Che

Even though I've never been to Spain, I love the Spanish concept of tapas, or small plates. It's super fun sharing a bunch of little bites with a group of friends. You get to try a much larger variety of dishes, and you don't have to commit to eating the same thing for an entire meal.

Jaleo is a Spanish tapas restaurant by well-known Spanish chef José Andrés. It started in Washington DC. over twenty years ago and has since grown to many locations around the country. I visited the original DC location for cocktails and snacks a couple years ago, and loved it. Also, I've been a huge fan of José Andrés' other restaurants, such as é by José Andrés (also in Las Vegas), Samm in Los Angeles, and minibar in DC.

So it seemed natural that I would someday want to try having a full meal at Jaleo. A perfect opportunity arrived while we were in Vegas during CES back in January.

That's right, there's a new Vegas location conveniently located right on the Strip inside the Cosmopolitan.

Cocktails are a big part of Jaleo.

José Andrés loves gin & tonics and has a classic version he calls Jose's Favorite which I tried and loved in DC. When I tried to order it here, the server convinced us to try the Cítrico instead, which was made with Oxley gin, Mediterranean tonic, grapefruit, lemon, coriander, and mint. It was different, but also quite nice.

Here's Bryan adding the tonic to the gin filled drink. Love that huge ice sphere!

We (as a table) ordered several other cool cocktails. Unfortunately, I regret I did not get the names of these cocktails, so please just enjoy the photos!

Of course, we weren't just here for the drinks, but to actually taste the food. The first thing we couldn't help but notice was the paella.

Paella is a huge part of Spanish culture and it's featured front and center at Jaleo. Right in the middle of the restaurant is a GIGANTIC charcoal grill where you can watch chefs making monstrous-sized pans of this Spanish rice based dish.

It's luck of the draw which paella will be available when you are ready to order, and they rotate between several of them. Every 20 minutes a new one is available. A party of six or more can custom order an entire paella. Otherwise, you order a la carte depending on what is being made at the time.

We had wanted the lobster paella, but it was going to take a long time (we had just missed the last rotation). So instead we ordered what was available: Paella De Pollo Y Setas Silvestres, a traditional paella of chicken and chef-selected mushrooms.

It was fantastic! It also came with tons of garlic aioli, which was awesome. The rice was slight crunchy, slightly chewy, and I loved the flavors from the mushrooms. It turned out to be one of my favorite dishes.

Pan De Cristal Con Tomate Fresco (literally "crystal bread" with fresh tomatoes) is an extremely light, airy, and crispy bread from Spain. It's a ton of work to make the bread. In Spain, they have these special machines that stretch the dough like bubble gum over and over again. The constant stretching causes the dough to incorporate tons of air pockets, which really gives it a unique texture.

At Jaleo, they ship the bread directly from Spain because they could not find anyone in the U.S. who could make this incredible bread.

I first tried this bread in DC and loved it. I especially liked how the unique, crispy bread absorbed all the tasty flavors from both the cheese and the fresh tomatoes. The airy, crispy, yet elastic texture is something that's quite unique and definitely worth trying.

Jamon Iberico is cured Spanish ham made from a particular breed of black footed pigs called Iberian pigs. The highest end and most expensive type of jamon Iberico is the jamon Iberico de Bellota, which are made from free-range Iberian pigs served only acorns during the last part of their lives. The ham is aged for 36 months and has a deep, rich flavor resulting from the acorn diet as well as the long aging time.

Jaleo's jamon Iberico de Bellota comes from a company called Fermin, and you can order it at the restaurant for $35/oz. It's very good, though it's no different than if you had purchased it at a specialty market. Jaleo pretty much serves it straight up, sliced.

Another decadent dish we got was the Coca Con Erizos De Mar ($26), a wam crusty cristal bread topped with butter, sea urchin, and jamon iberico lardon.

Setas Al Ajillo Con La Serena included sautéed wild mushrooms with La Serena (a region in Chile) potato purée ($14). It was tasty, but did not blow us away.

Similarly, these cute little Endive cups topped with orange slices, goat cheese, and sliced Marcona almonds were refreshing and beautiful, but didn't necessarily wow us in terms of flavors.

This next dish, Aceitunas Rellenas Y Aceitunas "Ferrán Adrià" ($14) is a tribute to Ferrán Adrià, one of the fathers of modernist "molecular" cuisine and one of José Andrés' mentors. This dish was a play on the concept of olives. In the bowl was a pile of real olives stuffed with anchovies and piquillo. In the fancy spoons were spherified balls that looked like olives but were actually a salty, spherified olive-flavored balls that burst open with olive liquid inside.

Though the concept was fun, the dishes were a bit too salty with strong anchovy flavors.

The Huevo Frito Con Caviar ($18) was a fried organic egg topped with caviar.

Finally for dessert, we had Pan Con Chocolate, a chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil and brioche ice cream.

All in all, our experience at Jaleo was mixed. We thought the cocktails were excellent and the paella was a definite winner. It was my personal favorite dish of the night. I also loved the pan de cristal con tomate fresco (crystal bread with tomatoes), and could eat tons of that.

The rest of the tapas varied. Most were reasonably tasty, but none were truly amazing nor did they blow us away. Everything was OK, but we came away a bit disappointed, perhaps because of overly high expectations. If I were to come back, I would get a nice cocktail, a nice pile of cristal bread (with tomato!), and share a bunch of paellas. I think it's what they do best.

Jaleo Cosmopolitan
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Scarpetta (Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas)

May 7, 2014 by Jennifer Che

It's easy to get suspicious of a restaurant's food quality when it's situated in the middle of a happening area with breathtaking views. These types of places attract people because of the views they offer, not necessarily because of the food. More often than not, these restaurants are overpriced, have mediocre food, and are aimed towards tourists and those that don't know any better.

After suffering through my share of the touristy-type restaurants mentioned above (especially in Italy!), I've learned to be immediately suspicious of any restaurant with a breathtaking view.

I've also learned to do tons of food research before traveling to a destination so that every single meal is worth my time, stomach space, and money.

In Las Vegas, one of the most breathtaking "views" in the city is of the fountains at Bellagio. I love the fountains and could spend hours just watching them.*

There are only a few, select restaurants that have the privilege of facing the fountains. Diners at these places can enjoy their meals while soaking in the phenomenal show outside.

Knowing that a good view often equals mediocre food, it's no surprise that I was suspicious of these restaurants along the fountains.

I'm so happy to report that so far, my experience in Las Vegas has far exceeded my expectations. Our dinner at 2 Michelin-starred Picasso (which faces the fountains) was lovely, and I loved every moment of the fountain experience.

Similarly, my dinner at Scarpetta, a relatively new Italian restaurant in Vegas (one of five worldwide), was excellent, with fantastic Italian favorites in a beautiful space.

Scarpetta is located inside the Cosmopolitan, a relatively new but extremely popular (and hip) casino, opened up in 2010 right next to the Bellagio. The Cosmopolitan has a gorgeous bar (complete with a 3-story tall chandelier!), a collection of excellent restaurants, and a buzzing energy inside the place.

Bryan and I met up with some local friends here because they had heard great things about the restaurant. Furthermore, they knew Bryan loves Italian, and we were looking for something non-steak since my friend would be eating steak again in a few days (and we had just enjoyed another 9-month dry aged Riserva steak just a few days prior at Carnevino).

We started with a beautiful shaved salad of zucchini, summer squash, and radicchio served with shaved Parmesan cheese and toasted hazelnuts. It was light, well balanced (loved the crunch of the hazelnuts!), and had a good level of umami from the salty cheese.

All of their pasta is homemade and is beautifully al dente. The tagliatelle came with winter vegetables, truffle zabagalione & guanciale. It was rich, creamy, and very satisfying.
One of the restaurant's most famous dishes is the simple Spaghetti Tomato & Basil ($24). Frank Bruni from the New York Times was so blown away by Chef Conant's command of the tomato flavor in this dish that he calls it "tomato sorcery" and asserts this dish stacks up again any dish he's had in Italy.

That's a pretty crazy claim.

All the pasta dishes were delicious, but this one was definitely my favorite. The homemade spaghetti is thick and chewy, and the tomato sauce is vibrant, sweet, and oh-so-tomatoey. It's fresh without being too acidic. It's really, really good.

We loved the Short Rib Agnolotti, ($25), which was simply served with brown butter, horseradish and toasted breadcrumb. These are tiny little pockets filled with a rich and savory burst of ultra tender short ribs. We were surprised at the reasonably generous portion size, especially at a nicer restaurant like this. Again, we loved the pasta texture as well as the flavorful filling.

This beautiful duck breast was cooked a perfect medium rare, and it was delicious. It came with roasted baby carrots, purple cauliflower, butternut squash puree, and a savory duck jus.
The Fennel Dusted Black Cod was also excellent, and was served with mantecato (a creamy whipped salt cod mousse), intensely concentrated tomatoes, and roasted fennel.

We ordered two sides dishes. The Mushrooms came with a mix of trumpet royale, beech, and Shitake mushrooms topped with shaved Pecorino and tossed in Trucioleto vinegar.

We also got a side of Brussels sprouts, which came with pancetta, breadcrumbs, and pecorino. It was solid though nothing particularly groundbreaking.
Our first dessert was the Coconut Panna Cotta, which came with caramelized pineapple and a bright guava “soup”. It was refreshing and a perfect way to cleanse the palate.

The Chocolate Souffle, served with gianduja crumble, cookie dough and a side of spiced hot chocolate, was fantastic. I loved the deep, rich chocolate flavor as well as the warm - almost creamy yet spongy - texture of the souffle. Totally worth the wait.

The meal finally ended with simple Italian cookies as our mignardises.

All throughout dinner, we tried our best to peer out the window to enjoy the fountain show. We weren't sitting at one of the coveted window seats, so it was admittedly a bit harder to enjoy the show. Nevertheless, the food was excellent; the conversation with our friends was good; and overall we had a wonderful time at Scarpetta.

I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a place on the Strip with nice views and very good Italian food. It's worth the trip alone just for the fantastic Spaghetti Tomato & Basil.

*In fact, that is just what I did several years ago when we scored a great price on fountain-facing rooms at the Bellagio in dead heat of the desert summer (many discounts abound during this time in Vegas). All night long, I just listened to the music (which is piped into all the rooms via the TV) and watched the shows outside my window.

Ryugin

December 16, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the fifth post in the Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka series. Other posts in this series include the intro post: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, Matsugen (soba), Sushi Iwa, and Ramen Honda (Tokyo Ramen Street).

There are some restaurants that are so universally well-known, so full of accolades, so full of respect from other people that I already respect - they are bound to make it onto the "bucket list."

I believe Ryugin falls into that category.

This restaurant is bursting at the seams with top awards. It holds the number two spot on S. Pellegrino's "Fifty Best Restaurants in Asia" list and number 22 on the "50 Best Restaurants in the World" list. The restaurant boasts three Michelin stars - the highest honor - and the chef, Seiji Yamamoto, is well respected by some of the most famous chefs in the world.

Chef Yamamoto is trained in the traditional art of Japanese kaiseki yet possesses a fervent passion and skill for modern "molecular" techniques. He wowed the likes of Ferran Adrià, Joel Robuchon, and Wylie Dufresne in 2012 at Madrid Fusion, an annual chefs' conference showcasing the newest technology in food, where he silkscreened QRC codes onto plates using squid ink and demonstrated how he made "liquid ice."

Ferran Adrià calls Yamamoto "one of the most important chefs in Japan", an extreme honor coming from someone who himself experiments at the far edge of innovative food technology.
I sometimes wonder at the timing of this meal for me. You see, up to this point I had never tried a real traditional Japanese kaiseki meal. I had most certainly had my fair share of meals that made use of modern technology, such as at Tapas Molecular Bar and at the various Jose Andres restaurants. However, I'd never experienced it in the form of a kaiseki.

Nevertheless, this was our first serious meal in Japan after our soba adventure straight off the plane and our first sushi lunch. I was definitely intrigued and curious to see what a meal at such a well respected place would be like.

The restaurant has just one tasting menu, called the "Autumn Gastronomy Menu" while I was there. There are about 10-12 seasonally-inspired courses as well as a few signature favorites. They have recently added an a la carte option (a great way to sample the food without getting the entire tasting menu!). You can only make same day reservations, and reservations runs between 9PM and 10:30PM.

Service was pleasant and the space is warm and cozy. The theme of the decor is clearly dragons (and almost feels a bit Chinese). The name "Ryugin" is inspired by a Zen poem that describes a powerful dragon. There were dragon paintings on the wall and dragon designs on the plates and coasters. Our server was (surprise!) a woman who had just moved from France about two years ago. Her husband was a pastry chef in Japan (there are phenomenal bakeries in Japan), and she spoke fluent Japanese and English.

The food is meant to evoke and touch multiple senses, not just the tongue. The menu titles reflect this philosophy, with language that is whimsical and dream-like, evoking a general sense of fantasy.

Beginning with a variety of Sensations - Seasonality, Aroma, Temperature, Texture, and Assemblage

We started with a salad made from a variety of very local seasonal vegetables. All ingredients are first cooked separately and then mixed together to ensure a good mix of textures and flavors. This salad consisted of water chestnuts, Shitake mushrooms, blanched greens, bean sprouts, spongy bamboo hearts, vegetables pickled in red wine vinegar, and crispy chips all tossed together in a beautifully fragrant pine nut dressing.

I loved the unusual ingredients, textural contrast, and fantastic flavors. It was a great way to begin the meal.

We then move onto Swimming Crab and Steamed Abalone, a delicate stack of extremely fresh crab meat and abalone topped with an apple vinegar jelly and finely grated ginger. This "stack" was presented dramatically inside of a huge shell. All the ingredients were top notch - sweet, tender crab meat and fresh, chewy abalone, though I found the flavor combination to be a bit underwhelming. It just didn't quite work for me.

The final course in this series was called Egg Custard with Savory Fried Milt. It was a piece of warm, creamy fish roe deep fried and served in a delicate egg custard. The flavors and texture were excellent, though they did not necessarily blow me away.

~ Philosophy on the Ichiban Dashi ~ Taste of the Wind that Captures a Moment.

The next course consisted of a charboiled Kinki Fish (also known as thornyhead rockfish) and grilled eggplant in a clear broth. I loved the deep, smoky flavors from the grilled eggplant and the fish, and the crisp, fresh, young Japanese ginger shaved on top offered the perfect contrast to the rich umami of the rest of the dish.

~ A Message From the Coast of Japan ~ Richness of the Sea, Tidal Current

We gasped when the next course came - it was so artfully and meticulously plated. This is a signature dish at Ryugin and varies each day depending on that day's available fresh ingredients from the ocean. Here they are in detail:

A perfect slice of fresh hirame (flounder) came topped with yuzu paste and thinly sliced green onions.

Kinmadai (Golden Eye Snapper) came with daikon and wasabi while the Ika (squid) was cut into thin slivers and served with a yuzu sauce. The squid was chewy and almost crunchy in texture.

Ebodai (butterfish) came topped with a delicately flavored soy jelly which worked together beautifully. A generous piece of Ankimo (monkfish liver) was topped with chrysanthamum flowers.

One of my favorite fish, Bonito (skipjack tuna) was gorgeously smoked and richly full of flavor. Finally, a small little cup in the middle was filled with abalone cream and topped with Ikura (salmon roe).

~ Binchotan ~ A Power Scent of Charcoal Grill

I love the smoky fragrance that comes from food that has been cooked on a nice, hot charcoal grill. This excellent dish consisted of charcoal grilled sea perch topped with a roasted rice and black vinegar layer. It's meant to be a playful variation on sushi, where the rice is usually underneath the fish. Here the rice is crispy and laid on top. Off to the side, an avocado slice is topped with some pickled vegetables. A grilled Matsutake mushroom slice (an autumn seasonal specialty) and chestnut "snow" plus a gingko nut complete the autumn-inspired dish.

I'm a huge fan of Matsutake mushrooms so it was easy for me to love this dish. I also really enjoyed the crispy rice and the textural "crunch" it offered to counter the soft perch.

~ A Sealed Dedication under the Lid ~ Exquisiteness, Sincerity of Japan

I loved this next dish: a single dumpling made out of Kuruma ebi (Japanese imperial prawn) sat in a daikon and yuzu flavored broth. Although the flavors were subtle, they were beautifully rich, complex, and balanced at the same time. It was one of my favorites.

~ Diverse History of Wagyu ~ Grassfed Free-Range Akage Beef from Tosa

The next several dishes were served at the same time: the season's "new rice", red miso soup made with shrimp stock, and house made pickles which were subtly flavored - not at all tart or too salty.

The grass-fed free range Akage, one of the four breeds of Wagyu known as Japanese Brown, was cooked "Charcoal Sukiyaki style" and took center spotlight. "Sukiyaki" is typically cooked as a hot pot in a soup flavored with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Here, I'm guessing the beef was marinated in those flavors before being chargrilled.

On top was a crispy poached egg . . .

. . . which broke open to reveal runny yolk that you could mix together with the rest of the dish.

After we finished the decadent beef, our server stopped by and asked us "are you still hungry? Would you like extra courses?"

Frankly, I was stuffed, but my friend agreed to add on another course. A few moments later, the most vivid and colorful fried rice I've ever seen came out. Purple cabbage, seasonal greens, sancho peppers (Sichuan peppers), and small bits of some sort of meat (it reminded me of Chinese pork sung, actually) were the main ingredients in this fancy fried rice.

We all tasted a bit. We agreed it was pretty good, though nothing particularly special. Compared to the previous dishes, it was rather simple in both flavor and preparation.

~ Lusciousness ~ Coolness, Warmth, Playful Spirits, Nostalgia, and Temptation

This dessert is one of Ryugin's signature dishes, and it's not hard to see why. A tiny "candy pear"- which looks like a delicate ornament or piece of art - is placed right in front of you.

The server than places a spoonful of compressed pear and watermelon cubes.

I tap at the pear a few times with my spoon, and it breaks open, exploding pear powder all around. It's a fascinating (and delicious) dessert to experience - everything from the intense pear flavored cubes to the cold crunchy candied shell and the dry powder - it's really unusual and probably unlike any dessert you've ever had before.

The second dessert was equally delicious, though perhaps not as dramatic. A study of the flavors of sake both hot and cold, we enjoyed two different interpretations of Japanese sake.

On the left we had Sake Ice Cream. It's hard to describe it except to say that it really tasted like sake without being at all "boozy" or alcoholic. It captured the wheat flavors of sake perfectly. I loved it.

On the right we had a Sake Souffle with mochi and red bean at the bottom of the box-like container.

The souffle itself was fantastic - it was warm, super soft (almost creamy!) and had a lovely sake flavor as well. I enjoyed both immensely.

Sincerely for you . . .

Finally, at the end of the meal, we all had a bowl of matcha made the traditional way. This involves using a special match whisk to blend matcha powder together with hot water to make the creamy, foamy matcha you see pictured above.

A final finishing "popcorn" ginseng oolong tea from Taiwan was a perfect, clean finish to an excellent meal.

The Details
The restaurant is open daily from 6PM to 1AM, and you can only make reservations within the same month as the date on which you want to dine (e.g., book on October 1st if you want to eat in the month of October). For foreigners, they request that you make reservations through your hotel concierge. There is a steep cancellation fee of 20,000 yen ($200 USD!) per person if you don't show up.

There is only one menu, the tasting menu, which costs 23,000 yen per person (about $230). A nice way to access just a taste of Ryugin's dishes without breaking the bank is to try to reserve dinner after 9PM. At this time, the a la carte menu is available, which means you don't have to order the entire tasting menu. A la carte reservations can only be made same-day, or you can try walking in as well.
Overall Thoughts
This was our first nice meal (and first ever kaiseki) in Japan, so in some ways we weren't sure what expect. Ryugin does incorporate many aspects of a traditional kaiseki meal, such as the inclusion of sashimi and hot dishes as well as the meticulous focus on artistry, seasonality, and locality of ingredients. However, Ryugin veers quite a bit from a traditional kaiseki in its use of modern cooking techniques (liquid nitrogen, "snow" made from chestnuts) as well is its other European style influences (runny egg yolks, European-style desserts, and wine pairings).

Our server was actually a woman from France, and the overall ambiance and experience felt more Western than Japanese. We sat at regular tables (no tatami mats!), spoke English, and found ourselves surrounded mostly by foreigners.

Overall the food was very good, though there were several restaurants that we liked better than this one from this trip. My favorite dishes here were the Seasonal Vegetable Salad (at the beginning), the Kuruma Ebi soup, the Chargrilled Perch & Matsutake Mushroom, and the Sake Desserts (though the Candy Pear dessert comes a close second!). I'd consider returning again during A La Carte hours to have a dessert or maybe sample one or two of the dishes. It may be a long time before I come back for another full-fledged tasting, however.

Sources: Food and Wine and Food Sake Tokyo

The Ledbury

August 8, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the third post in the Work Week in London series. Other posts in this series include Hibiscus and Pied a Terre.

It's very unusual that a meal turns out to be perfect in almost every single way. More often than not a tasting menu has a mix of truly incredible courses and "OK but forgettable" courses. For me, the problem is further compounded by the fact that I have a pretty small stomach. I often start becoming full about halfway through the meal, which makes it even harder for me to fully appreciate those final "heavier" courses.

Rare is the meal where every single course truly delights and impresses the palate.

So when I walk out of a meal feeling like I really enjoyed every single point of the evening (especially all the way to the end), you know I've stumbled upon something really special.

And that, my friends, was The Ledbury - by far our favorite restaurant from this London trip.

Open since 2005, the Ledbury has received endless amounts of awards, accolades, and top spots on well-respected lists around the world. For example, The Ledbury is number 13 on the S. Pellegrino list of the world's 50 top restaurants for 2013 (way above The Fat Duck, which clocked in at number 33 this year). It has kept its two Michelin stars since earning them in 2010. It's been named the best restaurant in London by numerous entities, such as Zagat, The Sunday Times, and Restaurant Magazine. Clearly Chef Brett Graham is doing something right.

Our meal started out with a tiny amuse bouche: Squid Ink Crespelle topped with turbot roe and dill. We both absolutely loved the contrast of the delicate, salty "crisp" with the creamy dollops on top.

We nibbled on these long, flat crisps that I believe were sitting in tea-smoked black rice. It reminded me of a potato chip, but obviously much more refined.

Then a server arrived holding a tray full of beautiful bread. It was hard to choose which ones to try. Between the two of us, we managed to try most of them: the crispy malt bread, the bacon brioche, and the sour dough wheat. Though all were fantastic, we were surprised that both of us liked the crispy malt bread the best (pictured on right). It had a nice, warm, "malty" flavor and we loved the crispy topping (was it seeds?) on top.

I know you're not supposed to fill up on bread so early in the meal, but this bread was really, really good.

Next we had the Crispy Quail Egg. This single egg was somehow delicately wrapped, deep fried, adn served with crispy bacon on top of a pea purée. This is best enjoyed as one bite, since the egg pops and out bursts an explosion of warm, flavorful liquid (the yolk!) inside.

Served in a cold martini glass, the next course was the Chantilly and Tartare of Oysters with Frozen Horseradish and Dill. This unusual dish included raw oysters tossed with cucumbers, dill, and roasted seaweed powder and then topped with frozen horseradish. It was cool, refreshing, and quite good.

The next course, Flame Grilled Mackerel came with pickled cucumber, Celtic mustard, and shiso. The server told us it was the most popular dish at the restaurant. The fish has a ton of umami and Bryan loved the cream sauce. Overall, we both thought the dish was excellent - perfectly balanced in both flavors and textures.

This next course was one of my favorites. Creamed Jersey Royals (a type of potato) were served with morels mushrooms cooked in Earl Grey tea. The creamed potatoes were incredibly smooth - they reminded me of the famous Joel Robuchon mashed potatoes. The morels gave the dish a rich and deep mushroom flavor. I can't even tell you what the mashed green sauce was, but it was incredibly flavorful and very, very good.

Living in the US, we are so used to getting fresh salmon from Alaska. In England, it's all about Scottish salmon. Here we enjoyed the season's freshest salmon from Scotland. This was a simple, farm fresh preparation with Mousseron mushrooms, asasparus, sugar snap peas, and a mushroom cream sauce.

At this point the server came out holding a large plate. On it was a pork jowl with a gorgeously crispy skin topped with copious amounts of star anise, along with many other herbs. The smell was intoxicating, it was so good.

The server began explaining.

"This pork jowl has been cooked for eight hours at eighty-five degrees with anise and various other herbs. We then cook it under high heat to crisp the skin."

It looked fabulous.

The server then whisked it away. They were going to cut it up for us.

When plated, we each got a slice of the pork jowel along with a parsnip emulsion, parsnip chips, and walnut crisps. The reddish sauce had a really nice intense kick to it. The dish most certainly had elements of Asian chili flavors - we just couldn't quite place which ones.

The dish was very memorable. The pork itself was very soft, juicy, and incredibly tender. We loved the combination of the tender meat, crispy skin, and accompanying components. It made for a lovely dish.

The waiter had strongly recommended that we try the Fillet of Belted Galloway, a 35 day dry aged beef from Galloway (a region in Scotland). He said that the beef was rare and hard-to-get. The restaurant only gets a small amount, and therefore can only offer it occasionally on the menu. Apparently it was our lucky day since this was the first day it was back on the menu.

The perfectly cooked piece of filet was topped with bone marrow, which Bryan loved. This was served with potato crisps and celeriac baked in juniper and wild hops.

Cheese is an optional course (only £10 extra!) and definitely fun to share. The server rolls a cheese cart out and you get to choose whichever ones you want to try.

We ended up getting an assortment, including a Gruyere, a goat cheese, a blue cheese, and one other. We enjoyed these with honey malted crisps, walnuts, biscuits, grapes, and a pear apple apricot chutney.

For "pre-dessert", we enjoyed a mix of lemon verbena ice cream, orange granita, and pieces of meringue. I loved the fragrant flavors, and the contrast between the cold, icy granita and the creamy ice cream worked surprisingly well. It was definitely refreshing and cleansed the palate perfectly in preparation for our next dessert.

Our final dessert was a Brown Sugar Tart with Poached Grapes and Stem Ginger Ice Cream. The tart was creamy and dense, sort of like an egg custard. The ginger ice cream had a lovely, intense ginger flavor, and I really liked it (even though I typically don't like ginger!).

Finally, they sent some mignardises as a final small bite: Mandarin jelly, dark chocolate, and juniper cookies.

I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The servers are attentive, friendly, and not the least bit stuffy. The ambiance is spacious, bright, and relaxed.

The food is excellent. I was delighted and surprised by several courses, and I honestly can say there was not a single course I did not really enjoy. There's a reason why this restaurant is so consistently praised by everyone. It truly stands out.

Bryan and I both have really fond memories of our entire experience at the restaurant. For some reason, the combination of the excellent service, fantastic food, and beautiful space made it nearly the perfect night out.

The Details
The Ledbury is on Ledbury Street in a beautiful part of London called Notting Hall (yes, made much more famous by the movie!). I actually took one of those double decker red buses there. I think Bryan took a cab. You can take the tube as well, but the double decker buses are fun!

You can either eat a la carte (£80.00 for three courses) or you can do the tasting menu (£105.00 (£175.00 with wine)). The set lunch seems like a nice way to try the restaurant without spending too much: £30.00 for two courses £35.00 for three courses. We only booked about a week before dining there and it was not too hard to get a 7PM reservation. For some reason, I've found that it's not as hard to get a reservation in London at a really good place compared to in other cities. I used TopTable (UK's version of Opentable), which worked out beautifully.

The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Road
Notting Hill, UK W11

Good-by Radius

June 28, 2013 by Jennifer Che

Tomorrow, June 29, 2013, is a sad, bittersweet day.

It is the last day for Radius, Michael Schlow's flagship restaurant in Boston. Radius announced in early May that it would not be renewing its lease of the large space it has in the financial district. We don't know too many details yet, but the word is that Chef Schlow plans on opening another restaurant (with a different name) not too far away, retaining pretty much the same team but with a new more casual and communal concept.

Chef Michael Schlow opened Radius in 1999 and soon won a plethora of awards, including the highly regarded James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast, Best of Boston, and Best New Restaurant from Food and Wine Magazine - just to name a few.

It's known for having one of the best (and most expensive!) burgers in Boston, a gorgeous specimen piled high with fried onion strings, horseradish sauce, and Vermont cheddar cheese. Bryan and I first tried it in 2011 and loved it.

Radius has always been on Bryan's short list of places to try in Boston. Sure, we'd dined at the bar before and Bryan's had their burger for lunch numerous times. However, we'd never really had a full-on dinner there.

So imagine our surprise and excitement when Radius invited us to try dinner at the restaurant before it closed. Of course we immediately said yes.

Here's a look at the fabulous "Chef's Tasting Meal" we had.

The first course, a larger "amuse" of sorts, was a Chilled Carrot Soup made with ginger, curried brioche croutons, and Thumbelinas (a variety of carrot) decorated with a French parsley leaf. We both absolutely loved the soup. It was bright, sweet, and had very intense and pure carrot flavors ("carrot-y" as Bryan called it). We savored it slowly, not wanting our little bowl to end.

The next course was gorgeously plated and pleasing to the palate as well. Ahi Tuna (topped with just a tiny splash of sea salt) was served with hamachi tartare (delicious!), speck (a type of cured meat), Muscat grapes, and a huge red sorrel leaf. On the side, pepitas and a tiny bit of balsamic reduction sauce rounded out the plate.

The tuna was decent, though not nearly as flavorful as the tuna that you might get at a high-end sushi place. The overall dish, however, worked surprisingly well.

We gasped when the next course was served, partly because of the vivid black colors of the dish. This was Squid Ink Tagliatelle which was served with Brussels Sprouts and topped with a ginger foam.
On the side there were black crumbles of flavor, which added a nice, charcoal-like smokiness to the dish, though I'm not exactly sure what these crumbles were.

The pasta had good texture and overall the dish was well executed. Though it was quite rich (maybe a butter sauce of sorts?), the crunchy Brussels sprouts balanced out the richness nicely. Frankly, the foam didn't taste too much like ginger, and we questioned whether it was supposed to be something else.

The next course, the Seared Scallops, came with red quinoa, citrus pieces (orange, I believe), morel mushrooms, artichokes, and pea shoots. Overall, this dish was one of the more underwhelming dishes of the evening. The sauce for the quinoa was very buttery and rich - almost too buttery for my tastes. Thankfully, the scallop was still perfectly cooked (almost raw on the inside, just the way I like it!).

The Slow Roasted Halibut was served with an intensely green salsa verde, pickled fiddleheads, grilled white asparagus, and ruby streaks. The "ruby" streaks turned out to be this surprisingly spicy and flavorful sauce. It almost reminded me of a fragrant Chinese hot sauce in some ways. We both loved it. The salsa verde was herbaceous and also intensely fragrant. We didn't expect this dish to be so flavorful, but it was actually really good.

I'm not a huge fan of foie gras, so I did not really partake in this next course, which is an optional supplement to the Chef's Tasting Menu. The Trio of Foie Gras includes foie gras served three ways: foie terrine (left), seared foie gras (middle), and foie gras ice cream (right).

The terrine is made with a pancetta cap and served with walnut crumble, plumped raisins, and sassafras. The seared foie gras is served over a delicious toasted brioche (even I thought it was pretty awesome). The foie gras ice cream is served as part of a root beer "float".

Bryan's favorite course of the evening was the Smoked Collote of Beef, which was served with "pommes" Robuchon (yes, those famous velvety mashed potatoes from Joel Robuchon), morels, duck confit, ramps, and red wine jus.

The beef was gorgeously flavored with this intense smoky flavor that resulted from being cooked with hickory chips. Bryan even said, "this is the best beef dish I have ever had in a tasting menu."

Ever? Seriously? That's really saying a lot considering where we've even (though to be honest, I have to agree that typically I'm not crazy impressed with the beef course at most tasting menus).

The "famous" velvety mashed potatoes were just a tiny spread on the bottom of the plate, not nearly enough to really appreciate just how amazing these potatoes are. I guess you'll have to go to Las Vegas to enjoy that.

The cheese plate was another optional supplement you could add to the tasting menu. Bryan loves cheese so he's always happy to enjoy this added course. We had cheese from Mt. Alice, Blue Ledge Farm, and Pardou Ardi Gasna. The accompaniments were lovely, and the all of the cheese was pretty good.

For our palate cleanser, we enjoyed a first "dessert" of cherries in a chocolate shell topped with a light, lavender sorbet. The chocolate was nice and dark - not too sweet - and overall the dessert was nice, though a bit heavy as a palate cleanser.

We tried two different desserts. The Goat Cheese and Huckleberry Cheesecake was pretty mild. Though you could tell it was made with goat cheese, the goat cheese flavor did not overpower the dessert. This came topped with a small buckwheat "crust", huckleberry ice cream, a huckleberry glace, and tart lemon syrup.
We had the Pilon once before when we ate at the bar at Radius years ago. This classic dessert is one that easily pleases many palates. The bittersweet chocolate cone has a nice deep chocolate flavor, and is contrasted nicely by the rum raisins, maple fenugreek ice cream, and crushed peanuts. The combination of flavors works surprisingly well, and I enjoyed the textural contrasts between the ice cream, chocolate, and crunchy nuts.

Though we were stuffed, they came by with some final bites: strawberry cream over shortbread, chocolate cake, and a blood orange pate de fruits.

All in all, we had a fabulous time at Radius. The dishes we tried really reflect Chef Michael Schlow's talent in designing and executing dishes.

Though it's sad that Radius is closing, I'm sure Chef Schlow will continue to express his talent in whatever new venture he cooks up.

As for Radius's last day, diners who show up tomorrow on this final, special day for the restaurant after 9PM can enjoy free late night snacks and drink specials, part of what they are calling "last call."

For those who are dreading the disappearance of his famous burger, do not fear. Chef Shlow has promised "it will pop up somewhere soon." The burger will be doing a pop-up tour around Boston. I'll definitely keep you posted once I find out more details regarding where and when.

Best of luck to Chef Schlow and the Radius crew. We look forward to your next endeavor!

Radius
8 High St
Boston, MA 02110

Disclaimer: Radius paid for our meal and drink. All opinions are my own.

é by José Andrés

March 18, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the last post in the Winter in Las Vegas series. Other posts in this series include Le Cirque and Julian Serrano.

Deep inside Jaleo, José Andrés's well-known and popular Spanish tapas restaurant, lies another almost hidden, restaurant-within-a-restaurant called simply "é." é is one of José Andrés's gastronomical "playgrounds" where he delights diners with various tastes, smells, and sights through the use of molecular gastronomy, among many other techniques.

é joins the ranks of José Andrés's other two "flagship" restaurants that serve related exploratory-type tasting meals: minibar in DC and Saam in Los Angeles. Unlike minibar, which draws from numerous different cuisines and pushes the envelope on using new, modern techniques, é is decidedly more Spanish, applying new cooking techniques to age-old Spanish ingredients and dishes.

With only eight seats and two seatings a night, reservations at this tiny little bar are infamously difficult to get. There's no online book system or phone number to call. Instead, all reservations are simply done via email.

If you're lucky enough to get a confirmed reservation, you actually get an email that begins with "Congratulations, you've made it!" To make it feel extra special, "golden tickets" for the "show" arrive in the mail a few days later.

They urge you to arrive early. After all, it's a tightly orchestrated "performance" that aims to bring you through a journey of 23 individual tastes in a little over two hours. There are two seatings a night - one at 5:30 and one at 8:30. There's no room for error. They must finish the first show by around 8:15PM.

Because we arrive early (as they requested), they bring us to the bar at Jaleo to relax for a few minutes while they finish setting up.

A little after 5:30, we are whisked away to the deep interior of the restaurant, where we find another glass door.

Welcome to the show. Your journey is about to begin.

The seating at é is quite intimate. Eights seats wrap around a semi-circular bar, where every single diner gets up-front and personal front row seats facing the kitchen. Rows of old-school card catalogs line a wall, and whimsical art and odd knick knacks decorate the walls and shelves.

Sous chef Cody Jeffs kicks off the show with a dramatic flair, pouring liquid nitrogen into a flask full of orange blossom water. A pool of smoke arises, spilling all over the table.

This liquid nitrogen-chilled water is mixed with Mazanilla sherry to create our first "course", a Rebujito Cocktail which is absolutely refreshing and delicious.
Chef Cody and another sous chef soon lay out eight molds in the shape of José Andrés's hands.
They gently lay out whimsical balls of Truffle Cotton Candy, our second course, each topped with edible gold flakes. This is paired alongside Idiazabal "Macaron", an tense, cheesy cookie that pairs beautifully with the cottom candy.

It's as if José Andrés is personally serving us all cotton candy.

I sincerely love both. The truffle cotton candy is intoxicating with strong truffle flavor, and the salty, intensely cheesy "macarons" are a perfect match.

Next, the chefs begin laying out perfectly formed hemispheres that look just like egg shells, have the consistency of chocolate, and taste like almonds.

These cold shells, presumably made with the use of liquid nitrogen (?) are called Nitro Almond Cups, and are filled with various almond flavored elements (such as foam) as well as a generous portion of caviar. The champagne with which this course is paired nicely bring out the nuttiness of the almonds.

The next course, called Apple "Brazo de Gitano", reminds me of a similar course I had at Samm in Los Angeles. Airy, almost like styrofoam, this savory bite beautifully pairs together the flavors of apple and a strong blue cheese.

Next we enjoy another bite that looks like it should be sweet, but is actually savory. Barquillo is a traditional Spanish rolled wafer cookie.

Here, the barquillos contain a rich and savory truffle and anchovy filling that has the consistency of whipped cream. The flavors are absolutely fantastic, and our one little bite leaves me wishing for more.
The playful name "Almejas al Natural" literally means "natural clams", though in fact it's anything but. These unassuming "clams" are actually filled with spherified balls of reconstituted clam juice. The resulting bite is gorgeously flavorful with intense clam flavors, and pairs well with the sherry with which it is paired.

The next course, Bocata de Bacalao, again reminds me of Chef Andres's "Bahn Mi" that I had at Samm. Although the fried bread is similar from both places, this é version is more Spanish, made from salt cod, aioli, and caramelize onions. It's deeply savory and quite rich.

Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche consists of a paper thin, flattened crispy chicken skin topped with chicken oysters and a foam inspired by "Escabeche" flavors, an acidic marinade traditionally used in Mediterranean cuisine. I find this dish to be tasty, though I am not particularly blown away by the flavors like I was for previous courses.

As a palate cleanser of sorts, we take a break from savory bites to enjoy a huge spherified ball of Cava Sangria. This is fun, and I am surprised at how much it really taste like cava. Knowing from experience, sometimes it's not that trivial to make your spherified liquid taste the same as it is in its liquid form, especially when it comes to complex wines.
I've lost count at this point, but I can tell the dishes are getting more substantial and less like little "bites."

Our next course is Artichoke "Puree" with Vanilla. Three perfectly formed artichoke hearts sit at the center of this dish, served with a rich, artichoke flavored sauce and vanilla foam. It's wonderfully flavorful, though I don't find any groundbreaking new flavors.
It's hard to take notes for this meal, as things happen so quickly you might miss something if you're head is buried in your notebook or phone. For example, during the preparation of the next course, Lobster with Citrus & Jasmine, the chefs draw a little "é" into the sauce of each plate (see middle picture above).

It is only there for a fleeting second, and soon a succulent piece of lobster tail is laid over the pretty letter that was just carefully drawn moments before.

This juicy piece of lobster tail is served with jasmine foam and tiny bits of fruit. The dish is paired with either a Spanish beer or a sparkling white wine (depending on whether guests opt for the normal pairing or grand pairing).

The next dish is one of my favorites of the entire meal. Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham may sound simple, but the actual preparation that goes into this soup is astounding. Jamon iberico fat is first clarified and then emulsified together with three different stocks made with different types of bones. The "chickpeas" that you see in the photo are actually spherified balls with an intense, creamy essence that is much more than just chick pea. Finally, little bits of actual jamon iberico "bacon" dot the plate, rounding out the wonderful tastes and textures of this complex soup.

We were scraping the bottom of the bowl, trying to get every last drop of this flavorful elixir into our mouths.

Bryan loves bone marrow, and therefore loves the next course, Turbot with Bone Marrow. The simply prepared turbot (probably prepared sous vide) is topped with its skin fried and served with deep fried capers. Bryan loves the breaded and deep fried bone marrow "tater tots" served on the side. I personally find it to be way to rich and fatty, but Bryan loves it.

Chef Cody then brings out an entire lobe of foie gras covered in salt and herbs, appropriately named Whole Lobe of Foie Gras Baked in Salt.

It is served with tiny cubes of confit grapefruit, a paint-stroke of chocolate, and a light, clementine soup. The balance of the slightly salty foie gras and the sweetness from the other components works quite well.

Chef Cody explains to us the meaning behind the next dish, Secreto of Iberico Pork with Squid. The "secreto" is a particular "secret" part of the pig that butchers used to love keeping for themselves because it was so tasty.
This lovely piece of jamon iberico shoulder secreto is served with a squid jus sauce, made from squid a la plancha (on the grill).

Finally, it's time for dessert. We are quite stuffed at this point, and hardly realize there is still so much more to come . . . .
Orange Pith Puree La Serena is almost like a transitional cheese course, savory and sweet at the same time. La Serena is a 60-day aged Spanish raw sheep's milk cheese, strong, creamy and salty. It is topped with a fun, flat foamy sheet and whimsical flowers.

Flan is a traditional Spanish custard. Here, we enjoy tiny little cups of flan alongside crushed fruity ice.

The dramatic show continues as Chef Cody begins to cook "pirate-spiced" rum (lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon) and coffee together with this electrifying blue flame.

It's almost hypnotizing to watch the blue flame as Chef Cody repeatedly raises and lowers his spoon.

The resultant coffee rum drink is served in a tiny espresso glass alongside Pan Con Chocolate, literally "bread with chocolate". Here, bread baked in simple syrup is covered with a chocolate powder which tastes like shaved frozen chocolate mousse served with saffron olive oil. The flavor combination works surprisingly well.

"Arroz Con Leche", a traditional Spanish tapioca pudding, comes inside a tiny candied cone as a single, delicious bite.

And the desserts keep coming!

Chef Cody begins to make "25 second Bizcocho", an almond cone-shaped cake that is "baked" in the microwave for 25 seconds.

The cake is moist, not too sweet, and filled with a light cream. This is served with "Air" Chocolate, a fantastic bite of salt-topped chocolate with air holes all throughout the inside. It sort of reminds me of the British chocolate called "Aero."

And finally, a delightfully fun final dessert that is visually huge, but takes up virtually no stomach space. The Cocoa Paper with Dried Strawberry is extremely delicate. I believe it's made mainly from sugar, but this paper-thin sculpture crumbles and quickly disintegrates in your mouth as you eat it.

I love it, and finish my entire piece.

We finish this off with José Andrés's signature drink - his awesome gin and tonic. I first had this drink at Jaleo in Washington DC. It's there that I realized that I love gin & tonic. Andrés's version uses Hendrick's gin, Fever Tree tonic, kaffir lime, lemon, and juniper.

It's a perfect, refreshing way to end the evening.

As you would expect at the end of any show, the "characters" come out for a bow as we applaud their hard work.

It is only about 8:05PM, plenty of time before the next show. Most guests leave, but we hang around a bit, savoring the space, chatting with the staff.

I've got a huge smile on my face, because I've had so much fun the entire evening.

The food was absolutely phenomenal. I loved José Andrés's creative intepretations of traditional Spanish classics. Even though he does some similar dishes at Samm in Los Angeles, I much prefer this meal over that one, possibly because I didn't like the French-inspired dishes as much at Samm.

This could very well become one of my favorite meals I've ever had in Las Vegas.

Seriously, it's up there with Joel Robuchon and L'Atelier.

I like it when I'm surprised by new and innovative flavor combinations, and é does not disappoint. Even though José Andrés says it's more Spanish and more conservative, I still find it to be refreshingly different from the traditional French-inspired tasting menus that you typically find. Plus, his use and command of molecular gastronomy still sets his food apart from most high-end meals around.

Of course, it's also possible I just like the bold flavors of Spanish cuisine more.

Whatever the reason, I had a wonderfully memorable time at é and I would highly recommend trying to get a reservation if you can. It's become one of my favorite meals in Vegas, and I can't wait to try it again when I return. I know they change the menu quarterly, so you can go back and (hopefully) try a range of a totally new set of surprising flavors.

The Details
Reservations are only done by emailing [email protected] up to three months before your date of dining. If they indicate availability, you must fill out and sign a form (more like a contract, really) where you give them your credit card number and agree to a few terms. Any cancellation made less than 14 days before dining date results in a 50% cancellation fee. A no-show results in a 100% cancellation fee.

The tasting menu is $195 and does not include alcohol or gratuity. There are two pairings: the standard pairing costs $130 and the premium pairing costs $300 (see below for both full lists). You can also order off of the extensive wine list (given to you in the form of a tablet!), which is shared with Jaleo.

Definitely put your name on the waiting list, as cancellations do happen. I called less than two weeks before my dinner and was able to secure seats for four due to a cancellation that happened a few days later.

Cheers!

Want to read more Vegas posts? Check out the Las Vegas Eating Guide which includes links to all Las Vegas area restaurant posts I've written.

WINE PAIRINGS
Standard Pairing
2008 Agusti Torello Mata Reserva Cava
La Gitana “En Rama” Jerez; Hidalgo, Manzanilla (Sherry)
Alvear “Carlos VII” Amontillado; Montilla-Morales (Sherry)
Estrella Damm Inedit (Beer)
2002 R. Lopez De Heredia “Vina Gravonia”; Rioja (Crianza Blanco)
East India Solera Jerez NV; E. Lustau (Sherry)
2000 Alejandro Fernandez “Dehesa La Granja”; Zamora (Tempranillo)
2008 Jorge Ordonez & Co. “Victoria”; Malaga (Moscatel)
2004 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Trockenbeerenauslese; (Riesling)
Ron Cremant (Warm rum and coffee cocktail)
Jose’s Gin & Tonic

Premium Pairing
Krug Grand Cuvee Brut NV; Reims
Pasada Pastrana Jerez; Hidalgo, Manzanilla (Sherry)
Bodegas Tradicion V.O.R.S. Jerez; Oloroso (Sherry)
2009 Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli; Getariao Txakolina
2000 R. Lopez De Heredia “Vina Tondonia” Gran Reserva; Rioja (Rosé)
East India Solera Jerez NV; E. Lustau (Sherry)
2003 Vega-Sicilia Valbuena 5° Año; Ribera del Duero
2004 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Trockenbeerenauslese; (Riesling)
Ron Cremant (Warm rum and coffee cocktail)
Jose’s Gin & Tonic

e by Jose Andres
The Cosmopolitan (inside Jaleo)
3708 Las Vegas Blvd
S Las Vegas, NV 89109

Le Cirque (Bellagio)

February 27, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the first post in the Winter in Las Vegas series.

Out of all the lavish and extravagant things to be had in Las Vegas, my absolute favorite thing is actually completely free.

I'll never lose my fascination with the magical fountains in front of the Bellagio. This dramatic 5-minute long show - where water dances in perfect time to the ever-changing music - never ceases to capture me. I can sit all night and stare at the fountains - song after song after song.

In fact, the one time Bryan and I got to stay in a fountain-facing room at the Bellagio (in the dead heat of the desert summer when rates were actually very reasonable), I just sat in our room and stared out the window for several hours, entranced by this captivating show.

There are just a few restaurants that are lucky enough to have that coveted fountain-facing real estate. I had visited one previously (and absolutely fell in love with sitting on the terrace there). This past trip, I got the chance to visit another fountain facing restaurant: the whimsical and playful Le Cirque.

This is the second "flagship" location of Le Cirque. The original restaurant resides in New York, where it's been there for almost forty years. It boasts its own share of famous past chefs, including Daniel Boulud as executive chef from 1986-1992.

The Las Vegas location has been awarded one Michelin Star (interesting the New York one doesn't have one). Gregory Putin is the executive chef at Le Cirque in Las Vegas. Previously, Chef Putin helped Joel Robuchon open up eight new restaurants worldwide, staying on as executive sous chef at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in New York for 2 years.

He joined Le Cirque in 2011 after earning a Michelin star as executive chef at Veritas in New York.

The Menu
The menu has many options. There's a Degustation tasting menu for $135 per person (6-7 courses). You can also opt for the pre-theatre menu (available 5:15-6:30), which includes an amuse, two courses + dessert for $72 (+$30 for wine pairing). Finally, there's an a la carte menu, where appetizers cost $31 and entrees $52 (yes, dining on the Las Vegas Strip is just expensive!).

The folks at the Bellagio were kind enough to treat us to a lovely Degustation tasting menu showcasing some of their best stuff.
We started with the Santa Barbara Sea Urchin “Ice Cream”, which is served with ginger-lemongrass gelée, fennel purée and topped with Osetra caviar and an edible gold leaf. It's creamy, decadent, and clearly meant to impress. How often do you see edible gold in your food?Bering Sea Snow Crab came next with a gorgeous assortment of colorfully plated vegetables, including turnips, avocadoes, granny Smith apples, and pomegranate seeds tossed together in a rosemary vinaigrette. This was paired with a lovely champagne called Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Reims, MV
We could smell the next course well before it arrived at our table.

The Nantucket Bay Scallops were covered with gorgeously fragrant shaved white truffles. We seriously couldn't stop inhaling the aromas of our dish before actually tasting it. The scallops sat over a butternut squash purée, thinly sliced jamón Ibérico (my favorite), potato gnocchi, and chestnut espuma. This was paired with Puligny-Montrachet, Jean Chartron, Burgundy, 2010.New Zealand Langoustine and Foie Gras Royale came wrapped in a thin later of cabbage with black truffles. The soup, a potato and leek velouté (a velvety, creamy soup), was poured table-side. We ate this while sipping on Tokaji, 5 Puttonyos, Royal Tokaji, Hungary, 2008 Alaskan Black Cod was served with crushed fingerling potatoes, grapefruit and “citrus caviar”. A creamy shellfish and coconut nage (a flavorful broth made from shellfish, vegetables, and herbs) was again poured table-side. This came with Condrieu, E. Guigal, Rhone, 2009.New Zealand Cervena Venison was cooked rare and served with a few sticks of spiced squash, quince, and a tiny little cake topped with huckleberry compote. The venison was appropriately served with "Grand Veneur" sauce, a "huntsman's sauce" based on the classic pepper or poivre sauce but made from game meat. This paired with Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vieille Vignes, Patrice Rion, Burgundy, 2009 Japanese A5 Kobe Beef Tenderloin was served with pommes boulangère (French gratin potatoes), cardons gratinés (a cheesy version of a celery-like vegetable), and a croquette filled with Béarnaise sauce. The server told us we were supposed to "crack" the croquette over the A5 beef, thus allowing the creamy and rich Béarnaise sauce to envelop the small piece of beef. This beef was also served with a bordelaise sauce and the entire meal was served with Margaux, Château Giscours, Bordeaux, 2006. Bryan loved this dish and ended up eating half of mine (not the first time this has happened with rich, Japanese steak).

A brief aside about steak in Japan
Just so you can appreciate how incredibly rare A5 steak is, here's a brief aside about Japanese Kobe beef. Unlike in the US, where we just have four grades of beef ("prime", "choice", "select", and "standard"), Japanese beef is rated on multiple different scales. First you have "yield grade" (A, B, or C), which indicates what percentage of good, usable beef you can cut out.

Then you "Total Meat Quality", which takes into account a number of factors, such as meat color and brightness, firmness and texture, fat color, and beef marbling. Most of these are rated from 1-5, except for beef marbling (one of the most important ones!) which is rated on a 12-point scale.

source of chart: J.R. Busboom and J.J. Reeves Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164

The final score is a combination of the average overall meat quality grade and the yield score. The highest score a piece of meat can achieve is A5: a yield score of A plus a quality grade of 5.

Between 2010 and 2012, it was illegal to import any beef from Japan due to fears about foot and mouth disease. It wasn't until late 2012 that this ban was lifted. Now, if you're lucky, you may be able to find Japanese A5 Kobe beef in a few select places in the US (like here!).

Back to our French meal . . . .

For the cheese course, we enjoyed a few slices of warm Epoisses, a pungeant, creamy, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese with a washed rind. It comes from the French village called Epoisses in Eastern France. This was topped with shaved black truffles and served with bread.For our "Dessert Fantasy", the sommelier brought over one of my favorite styles of dessert wine: Sauternes. This one is Le Tertre du Lys d’Or, Bordeaux from 2005.
Each of us received a different dessert, and each one was extravagant and beautiful in its own way. The Boule de Sucre (literally "sugar sphere") comes with chocolate mousse, cranberry gelée, and Oreo dust. Doesn't that just look like a piece of art?
Another delicate dessert came with finely spun sugar threads, ice cream, tiny little batons, and yet another gold leaf.

The Petite Boule de Chocolat has its own dramatic presentation. A perfectly formed chocolate ball, topped with a tiny gold leaf, undergoes transformation when the server pours chocolate sauce over it. As you can see from the photos, the ball dissolves to reveal its insides: a praline mousse, white chocolate ice cream, and a hazelnut caramel crunch.
We thought it was over, but the presentation of Les Mignardises is what really made us gasp. Our little after dinner "bites" came with the most gorgeous sugar swans. It's like hand-blown glass, but with sugar instead. We were floored with the elegance and beauty of the desserts.

And finally, every diner got to take away a small little gift: chocolate truffles are hidden inside those whimsical drawers.

We had a lovely evening at Le Cirque. I would say that the style of dining is pretty traditional upscale French, complete with all your typical "fancy" French ingredients (foie gras, caviar, velouté, Béarnaise sauce, etc.). There are glimpses of international influences, such as the use of jamón Ibérico (very Spanish), sea urchin (Japanese?), and gnocchi with white truffles (so Italian!). The coconut nage in the fish almost made me think Southeast Asian. In general, however, I still think that the flavors lean towards being more traditional, conservative, and "safe." You won't find anything too crazy here, which is good for events like business dinners and situations where you need to please a wide range of palates.

Well, I guess there is one very unique, very special aspect.

We sat right next to the window, and therefore had a perfect view of the lovely fountain show outside. That combined with those breathtaking desserts, how much more romantic can you get?

Le Cirque at The Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd
S Las Vegas, NV
89109

Disclaimer: I did not pay for this meal. All opinions are my own.

Sukiyabashi Jiro

February 5, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the eleventh and final post in the series titled Tasting Tour of Tokyo detailing my recent trip to Japan. Other posts include Kikunoi Akasaka, Rokurinsha, Mikawa Zezankyo, Kaoriya, Sushi Sawada, Sushi Aoki, Street Food in Tokyo, Omotesando Koffee,Ukai-tei, and Japan's Underground "Depachika" Markets

Dreaming of Sushi
How often does one get to personally taste the handiwork of a man who has been obsessively honing his craft for over seventy-five years?

Meet Jiro Ono, one of the most famous sushi masters in the world. The Japanese government considers him a "national treasure." The Michelin Guide has awarded him its highest honor, three Michelin stars. Many world famous chefs, such as Eric Ripert and Joel Robuchon, consider him one of the best sushi chefs in the world. Anyone who has seen the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi understands the devotion, dedication, and near-obsession this eighty-six year old man has for the art of creating perfect sushi.His perfectionism is evident in the way he runs his restaurant. Apprentices begin by learning how to wring out hot towels for guests. For months, all they do is wash dishes and clean, only saying "yes, yes" and never talking back. Eventually, they are "promoted" to other tasks, such as making rice and massaging octopus (for up to 45 minutes to make it soft!). Somewhere in the middle of all this, they finally get the chance to touch fish, make tamago, and eventually - the holy grail - work the front counter with Jiro.

Jiro's restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, has been called one of the most difficult reservations to get in the world. This tiny sushi bar is hidden in the basement of a subway station and only has ten seats. Rumor has it that they only speak Japanese and thus won't even talk to foreigners who try to reserve in English. You may need to book up to a year in advance. Forget modern conveniences like email or credit cards at this old establishment.I'd heard about this place years ago when I started researching restaurants to try in Tokyo. However, it wasn't until recently that I more deeply appreciated the back story of this little place."Jen, you have to watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I think you'll love it."My friends had purchased the Blu-ray disc after seeing the movie because they loved it so much. Soon after we watched it, Bryan declared that he wanted to go to Jiro. Unfortunately, it was just about a month before our Tokyo trip. The likelihood of booking anything so late into the game looked extremely grim. Nevertheless, Bryan's pretty relentless when he really wants something, and will pursue as hard as he can until he gets what he wants.

First Attempt

"Ring . . . . Ring . . ."

"Moshi moshi?"

[in my broken Japanese] "May I make a reservation for dinner?"

[still in Japanese - this is a paraphrase since I'm really not sure I understood everything he said]
"We are sorry. We cannot take the reservation. Please call your hotel concierge and have them make the reservation for you."

I turned to Bryan.

"I'm really sorry, but I tried. They said we need to have the hotel concierge call."

Minor problem: we didn't have a hotel booked yet, which meant there was no concierge.

Second Attempt
Did I mentioned Bryan was motivated? Within a day Bryan informed me, "OK, I've booked a hotel for the trip. Can you email the concierge?"

Soon after, yet another disheartening email:

"Sukiyabashi Jiro is very specific traditional sushi restaurant, having very strict reservation policy. They only take reservation for foreigner who has Japanese friend or who live in Japan. Do you have any Japanese friends or colleague who live in Japan?"

Defeated, yet again.

Third Attempt
Relentless, Bryan contacted his Japanese colleague in Tokyo. The Japanese colleague asked his assistant to call Sukiyabashi Jiro to make the reservation. The restaurant sent an email which included the price of a meal, the cancellation policy, along with other slightly unusual requests, such as "please refrain from wearing a lot of perfume." To confirm the reservation, the assistant hand delivered 20,000 yen cash to Jiro, which Bryan's colleague graciously lent us.

Wow. Crazy.

We couldn't believe it, but we finally had a real, solid - ahem financially backed - reservation to the most sought after sushi restaurant in the world.

Finding Jiro

I know I keep saying this, but it's absolutely true. Restaurants are really hard to find in Tokyo. Even though we are holding really detailed instructions from Bryan's Japanese colleague's assistant (who is truly sweet in trying her hardest to take care of us), we still get lost.

Pictured above is the corridor at the Ginza Subway Station into which you need to turn (C6).

We blindly walk past these glass doors the first few times, heading instead straight up the steps out into the street.

Finally, after asking a store clerk (who chuckles and says, "actually, Jiro is right underneath this store"), we head back down the stairs and notice (for the first time) a set of bright gleaming doors.

If you don't read kanji, it's easy to miss the sign that says "Sukiyabashi Jiro." One easy way is to note that Jiro is right next to Birdland (a very well known yakitori place), whose sign is written in English.

Once you enter the doors, you'll see Birdland on your left and the humble sliding doors of Jiro straight ahead. It is surreal seeing the restaurant for real after seeing it so many times in the movie.

As we enter, we see both Jiro and his elder son, Yoshikazu, who is also a key character in the movie. It is so weirdly familiar, even though we've never stepped foot into this place.

Bryan starts with cold beer, and then we also order a bottle of sake to go with the meal. I am tickled by the cute little gold flower that lazily drifts to the bottom of my cup.

We sit right at the end of the bar. This is good and bad, I guess. Bad because we are sort of far away from Jiro, which means we can't really see his magical sushi-making skills up close. Good, because we feel a bit removed from his serious probing stare, which often makes diners nervous because they feel pressured to eat quickly. Sitting a bit "away" from the rest of the diners gives me a chance to relax, take my photos, and enjoy my bites at my own pace.

The Sushi
Jiro's restaurant only serves sushi. No sashimi, no appetizers, no side dishes. They ask you your drink order, present you with the list of sushi being served that day, and then ask if you have any allergies. The menu is translated into English, which makes things a lot easier.

It's been widely reported that a meal at Jiro flies by, with sushi being thrown at you almost a piece per minute. Diners lament about feeling "rushed", pressured to finish a meal in 20 minutes under the watchful eye of Jiro. One article sums it up quite bluntly, calculating that a meal at Jiro will cost you about $20/minute. Our experience is not quite so rushed; however for fun, I wrote down the times so you could get a sense of the pace of our meal.

I will confess that photographing probably slowed me down a tad, though I pretty much kept up the pace. There was one point where Bryan started beating me and Jiro began giving pieces to Bryan only (!!!). I quickly fixed that, and I believe at the end we both received equal amounts of sushi.
7:01
karei (sole fish)

We start with a gorgeous piece of karei. Immediately, the fantastic rice texture jumps out at me. This is among the best sushi rice I've ever had. Eric Ripert has called Jiro's rice "a cloud that just explodes in your mouth". Jiro sources his rice from a very particular rice purveyor, a person who saves his best rice for Jiro and refuses to sell to anyone who cannot give the rice its proper glory (including the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo!).

Jiro's rice is slightly warm (like body temperature) and soft, yet you can still taste each individual grain. I haven't had such good rice since my meal at Mizutani, whose chef is one of Jiro's proteges.
7:03 Sumi-ika (Squid)
In the movie, we learn that Jiro's apprentices massage octopus for 45-50 minutes in the morning before cooking it. Jiro has learned that octopus needs to be massaged this long, not the 30 minutes he was taught. I regret that the octopus does not appear on our menu. However, the sumi-ika (squid) is one of the best I've ever had. It is insanely soft (not a tad bit of rubbery-ness), yet has a distinct "bite" to it. It's hard to explain, but it goes perfectly with the special rice. It makes me seriously wonder whether he massages his squid too.
7:05 Inada (Yellowtail)

At Sukiyabashi Jiro, as it is with many other high-end sushi restaurants, you don't dip the sushi into any soy sauce or wasabi. Jiro tailors the flavor exactly as it should taste, and you just eat it. For many pieces, including the one pictured above, Jiro brushes just the right amount of soy sauce on top. The wasabi is already inside, so the bite is already perfect as is.

Bryan quickly notices that Jiro's wasabi is a lot stronger than ones he's tasted at other sushi establishments in Japan. Up to this point, I had pretty much conceded that freshly made wasabi in Japan is sweeter and more flavorful, but definitely packs less of a punch. Jiro shows us otherwise.
7:06 Akami (tuna)
We move onto a mini-tasting of tuna, beginning with a simple akami (red tuna) and ending with a couple pieces of chutoro (tuna belly).

Tuna in Japan is completely different from most tuna in America. Before I tried tuna in Japan, I used to dislike tuna sushi because I thought it was bland and flavorless. There is nothing further from the truth. Tuna in Japan has beautifully complex flavors. In fact, it is probably one of my favorite sushi fish in Japan.
7:08 Chutoro (semi-fatty tuna)

Jiro sources his tuna from one very particular tuna dealer at Tsukiji Fish Market who possesses similar levels of obsession about tuna quality. Jiro ages his tuna for ten days, which results in a much more flavorful piece of tuna. The resultant fish stands up well to the strongly vinegared rice, another very signature (and polarizing) aspect of Jiro's sushi.

A lot of Japanese cuisine is defined by subtle flavors. Jiro's sushi definitely pushes the bolder edge of the envelope with its stronger flavors. The rice is more strongly vinegared and the wasabi has a bigger punch. Not everyone prefers his strongly vinegared rice, but it definitely holds up well to many of the stronger flavored sushi pieces. Bryan has always loved strong flavors, and thus prefers Jiro's sushi to most others he's ever had.
7:09 Chutoro (semi-fatty tuna)
I can't get over the intricate "veins" of fat distributed throughout this piece of fish. Jiro has truly procured some of the best tuna belly from the fish market. I find it interesting that there is no otoro (the fattiest tuna belly) on the menu. I can only conclude that there wasn't a piece that was good enough for Jiro's standards that morning.

It's quite alright, actually. I am quite content enjoying my pieces of akami and chutoro.
7:11 kohada (gizzard shad)
Jiro makes sushi in the Edomae tradition. Edomae (often just called "Edo" style sushi) refers to a style of sushi that emerged in the late 1800's in Japan. Edomae literally means "in front of Edo", and the style uses only fish and seafood available during the Edo period when Tokyo was a shogun capital.
7:14 Mushi-awabi (abalone)
Those that stay true to the style only use seafood from Tokyo Bay. Typically, they cure or marinate the fish, using techniques that were common back in the Edo days prior to the invention of refrigeration. This means that some pieces may taste saltier or more preserved. Even Jiro's strongly vinegared rice is sort of a nod to the Edomae tradition.
7:15 Aji (Jack Mackerel)
Aji, another one of my favorite fish, is fabulous. I am loving the perfection of his rice along with the insanely high quality of the fish. Yes, I've only been here for 15 minutes, but it already feels like I've been here for quite some time.
7:17 Hamaguri (Clam shell)
Typically I'm less of a shellfish type of person and prefer raw fish sushi over most types of shellfish. For some reason I don't notice this while I'm at Jiro, even though over half the menu is not fish. He's somehow crafted the tasting menu in a way that keeps me interested.
7:19 Iwashi (Sardine)
One way in which he does this is to intersperse pieces of fish between every few pieces of shellfish.
7:21 Kurumaebi (Prawn)
The fresh prawn is served in two pieces. Though it is juicy and sweet, I actually think that it's still not as good as the "super fresh" one I've had Kyubey, which, admittedly, was killed in front of my eyes just minutes before I ate it.
7:26 Akagi (Ark Shell)
Though most pieces have been coming out every 1-2 minutes, there is a five minute gap between the previous piece and this next piece of akagai (ark shell). It turns out Jiro has left the sushi bar temporarily in order to take a photo with a guest who is leaving. We take a mental note to remember to ask him for a photo at the end.

We do love the akagai, which has a unique, almost crunchy, texture that sort of "pops" as you bite into it. It is surprisingly good, and becomes one of our favorite shellfish pieces.
7:28 Katsuo (Bonito)
Katsuo, or skipjack tuna, has always been one of my favorites. Here's it is just slightly cured (or salted?) and tastes phenomenal.
7:31 Shako (Squilla)
The shako is probably the only one I don't really like. The texture is unlike any sushi I've ever had. It sort of reminds me of dried shrimp - mealy and a bit crumbly. Bryan enjoys it, saying that the deep umami flavors remind him of unagi (freshwater eel). I can sort of see where he gets that, although the texture is so different from unagi that I can't seem to quite agree 100%.
7:32 - Uni (Sea Urchin)
The uni is fantastic, just like most of the uni I've tried in Japan. It's sweet, creamy, and has absolutely no hint of the funky "stinkiness" that I associate with most of the uni I've tried in the US.

I'm hesitant that it will fit in my mouth in one bite, but Bryan insists it's the only way to truly enjoy it. He's right. I love how the uni just dissolves and incorporates itself all around the perfect rice. Quite a heavenly bite, I must say.
7:37 - Kobashira (Baby Scallops)
Kobashira (baby scallops) are piled on top of a gunkan (warship) roll, a style first invented at Kyubey. These scallops are super sweet and also very oishii (delicious).
7:40 Ikura (Salmon roe)
Ikura (salmon roe) is bursting with its fragrant, flavorful, briny juices. Again, underlying all of these pieces, it's the perfect temperature of every component plus the texture of the special rice that creates each ethereal mouthwatering bite.
7:42 Anago (Sea Eel)
The anago is melt-in-your-mouth soft. This is the type of bite that makes me close my eyes and just revel in its perfection. I love the slightly sweet sauce that's brushed on top.
7:46

And then - the signal that things are about to end - the perfect tamago.

Getting the tamago (egg omelet) right appears to be a near-impossible goal for young apprentices at Sukiyabashi Jiro. In the movie, one of the senior apprentices, Daisuke Nakazawa, describes how he made over 200 tamago - all rejected by Jiro - before finally achieving spongy, custard-like perfection. When Jiro finally indicated his approval, Nakazawa wept like a baby.

The tamago here is awesome. Blended somehow with fish paste and sugar (among other ingredients), the tamago is sweet yet definitely has underlying tones of subtle umami. The razor-thin edge is gorgeously browned, and the entire piece is luxuriously spongy, moist, and soft. It almost tastes more like a delicate sponge cake than a traditional omelet.

We slowly take small bites out of it, savoring each small piece.

It has been exactly 45 minutes since we tasted our first bite.

At the end of the meal, Jiro comes and asks whether we want any extra pieces. I am seriously stuffed at this point, and I tell Bryan I can't do it.

Bryan's rationale?

We may never, ever get the chance to try this man's sushi again. If there are ones we want to try again, we should do it.

Bryan orders three extra: akami, chutoro, and tamago. That's right - the egg omelet was that good.

When we finally finish all the sushi, we are whisked off to a side table for "dessert".

8:04 melon
One of the apprentices hands us each a simple slice of melon accompanied by hot tea. The melon is ripe, super juicy and sweet. It's actually a refreshing end to a clean meal, and I feel energized.

We take our time here. There's less pressure to eat quickly since we are at the end of the meal.

8:30
At this point, Jiro seems much more relaxed as well. The restaurant has virtually cleared out at this point, and he seems to be chatting up a storm with one of his Japanese customers - perhaps a regular?
I'm surprised that there are no more customers. Soon afterwards, Jiro retires from the sushi bar and sits down near the front, taking a nice, deserved break after a marathon of sushi making (which probably started early in the wee hours of the morning).

As we pay our bill, the apprentice asks us if we want a photo with Jiro.

"Yes, of course, please."

Jiro dutifully stops what he's doing and walks out with us. We don't really know what to say. All my dumbfounded brain can think of at the moment is, "oishii desu, oishii . ." (that was really delicious). I feel stupid that I can't express more than that, considering the life-altering meal we've just experienced.

We take a few photos, and then Jiro walks back into the restaurant as the assistant escorts us outside.

Epilogue
It's interesting to me to see that the restaurant actually was not completely full the night we dined there. Some think that, because Jiro hands out sushi at a rate of a piece a minute, he can really rake in the dough in a night. Just imagine - $400 USD per person, every 20 minutes. You could make a killing each night.

But Jiro doesn't seem to do that. He seems to be quite selective about his customers. My guess is that he tries to leave open some seats for loyal regulars or (perhaps?) even walk-ins? I'm not sure. I was just really surprised that the place wasn't packed. It's nice to think he isn't in it just for the money but instead wants to offer the best, most personalized experience for his diners. That just may mean making only a certain number of pieces of sushi a night.

The night we went, virtually every diner was a foreigner. Most of the diners were snapping photos of the sushi, and I most definitely heard several languages being spoken around the table. It was clear that the fame from the movie had driven even more tourists to seek out his sushi. In some ways, it was weird being one of those tourists in the dining room that night.

Does it live up to its hype?
I think so. Jiro's sushi is incredible and definitely ranks up there as one of the best sushi meals I've ever had. Several things really stand out: the top notch quality of the fish; the incredible sushi rice; and that delicious tamago.

In my mind, Jiro and Mizutani have provided the two best sushi experiences I've ever had in my life. My dinner at Sushi Mizutani felt a bit more personal partly because I was there with mostly local Japanese people (it was right after the earthquake when foreigners were avoiding Japan) and because I had extended heartfelt conversation with Mizutani (though to be fair, he was pretty shy in the beginning of the meal too).

The atmosphere at Jiro felt a bit more serious. There was definitely an air of reverence by all for the grand sushi master. I didn't exchange a single word with Jiro aside from my half-hearted "oishii" at the end of the meal. All the apprentices were courteous and respectful, but they were also quiet and possibly a bit nervous under the great Jiro?

Jiro believes the key to success is to devote one's life to mastering a skill. Interestingly, despite his accolades, he still says, “even at my age in my work …. I haven’t reached perfection.” Jiro continues to strive to improve this craft he started learning at the age of nine.

"I will continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is."

It's hard to imagine that sushi can get better than this, but I'm certainly happy to come back again (if I ever get the opportunity), to find out.

Additional Facts
The restaurant is located right inside Ginza subway station at C6. Look for the Birdland sign. The two restaurants are right next to each other.

Sukiyabashi Jiro
Tsukamoto Sogyo Building Basement 1st Floor 2-15, Ginza 4-chome Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03-3535-3600 (+81-3-3535-3600 from abroad)

Reservations: According to their website, you can either call their international phone number or arrange for a reservation through your hotel concierge. However, as you know from my post above, those two avenues don't always work. From what I can tell, foreigners need to have a local Japanese person hand-deliver a 20,000 yen deposit before the reservation is confirmed.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations can be made up to 1 day before your reservation. If you cancel the same-day, you will be charged 15,000 yen per person.

Cost: There is only one menu (Chef's Tasting), and it costs ~30,000 yen per person. Payment is CASH ONLY. UPDATE! Their website now says they accept most major credit cards. Our meal came out to a total cost of 74,550 yen (71,000 + 3550 tax). We did order a beer, a bottle of sake, and three additional pieces.

Ukai-tei (teppanyaki)

January 31, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the ninth post in the series titled Tasting Tour of Tokyo detailing my recent trip to Japan. Other posts include Kikunoi Akasaka, Rokurinsha, Mikawa Zezankyo, Kaoriya, Sushi Sawada, Sushi Aoki, Street Food in Tokyo, and Omotesando Koffee.

I originally was really, really tempted not to write a single word for this post.

There's something beautiful and surreal about going to Ukai-tei, a Michelin starred teppanyaki place in Omotesando in Tokyo. Pictures speak a thousand words, and you almost don't need text to complete the story. A huge part of the experience is the private "show" from the chefs preparing each course in front of you. Yes, it's teppanyaki, but it's not what you might imagine. There's no silly tricks where the chef throws food into people's mouths. Gone are the dramatic flames and other flashy displays done purely for entertainment.

This is refined, classy teppanyaki. It's all about the food and how to best prepare it with limited tools - namely, just a huge flat grill and two metal spatulas. The ritual is intriguing, almost mesmerizing to watch.

So I wanted to try to recreate some of that magic for you here.

However, Bryan convinced me that my readers would walk away from this post knowing absolutely nothing about the restaurant, which - in the long run - is not that helpful.

So I'm willing to compromise. There will be less words than normal so you can soak up the experience visually as much as possible. This will be a photo-driven post. However, I'll try to insert a few words here and there so you know what's going on.

Enjoy the show.

Take the elevator to the top floor of the "Chanel" building in Omotesando.

Enter what feels like a cross between an imperial Japanese home and a European museum.

And emerge into to a bright sunlit room.

Every diner enjoys front-row seats to the action.
We start with the Marinated Red Sea Bream, (3150 yen) which is refreshing and light, but just cannot compare to the highest grade sashimi we have been enjoying at sushi places earlier in the week.

The Steamed Abalone (for two) (9450 yen) is a signature dish. However, we opt to order the famous steak instead ("Best Quality" black beef). I've read that the preparation of the abalone is half the excitement, and some say the taste is a bit underwhelming, so we choose taste over presentation.

We still get to see the fascinating presentation. To our right, our "neighbors" have ordered the steamed abalone. The chef whips out a pair of live abalone, dumps salt all over them, and then steams everything for quite awhile under that copper dome before serving it, shell and all, to the surprised guests.

We continue with this gorgeous Consomme Soup (2100 yen), clear yet packed with deep, intense beef flavor. We learn that it is made from the bones of the premium black cows (also the source of the super expensive steaks here).

Matsutake Mushroom is in season during the fall, and it's one of my favorite mushrooms.

The preparation is simple, though mesmerizing to watch nonetheless.

Served simply with salt and lime, it is divine.

I am fascinated just watching the teppanyaki chef in action, especially the deft way in which he is able to do so much with just two simple tools.

Garlic chips paired with steak is a revelation. I need to try this at home someday.

And then, the moment. Our chef brings out the Ukai "Best Quality" beef, the highest grade beef they sell in the entire restaurant. This small piece of steak - believe it or not - costs 34,650 yen.

Check out that marbling.

There are four breeds of Wagyu in Japan: black, brown, polled, and shorthorn. 90% of "fattened" cows are black cows, which typically comes from one of three regions, Kagoshima, Matsuzaka or Kobe. Even though Kobe is the most famous, all three regions produce premium quality beef and it's hard to say which one is the best. The restaurant usually chooses its cuts based on the quality of the meat on a particular day, not based on which of three regions it originates.

They recommend "medium rare" so that some of the fat would render.

This steak is pure decadence - buttery, luxuriously soft, and full of flavor.

Bryan immediately proclaims it's the best steak he's ever had (sorry previous front runner).

I can see why they recommend not ordering a huge steak. Frankly, it's quite rich and you very well may not be able to finish.

Bryan disagrees. He is ecstatic I only have room for 2-3 pieces. He happily savors the remaining 8-9 pieces, slowly piece by piece.

Each set menu ends with what they call "meal", which is some form of starch served at the end.

We loved the fragrant Garlic Fried Rice (1580 yen), which takes on the lovely char ("wok hei") from the heat of the teppanyaki grill. It is fantastic.

I think we are too full, but Bryan convinces me to try at least one dessert "for the sake of the blog" .

We soon find out, we have only experienced half the fun.

Anyone who opts for dessert is whisked away into another gorgeously appointed room. It sort of reminds me of a traditional European tea room.

A dessert cart, probably the most decadent one I've seen since Joel Robuchon, graces the center of the room.
Next to it, a larger table holds additional sweets that don't fit the cart.

As long as you order one dessert, you have your endless choice of "petit fours" off of the carts. We decide to share the Caramel Pudding (I have a weakness for this velvety dessert), which happens to be the least expensive item on the menu (840 yen). Most other desserts cost either 1260 yen or 1580 yen. The coffee drinks are all 1050 yen, and Bryan opts for a coffee.

It's really hard to decide which small bites to try.

I settle on a few macarons, a sesame cake of sorts, and a madeleine.

Bryan chooses pound cake (maybe lemon flavored?), homemade caramels, and a homemade marshmallow.

You can sit here at your leisure for as long as you want. If you don't feel like steak, you can come straight to this room and enjoy "afternoon tea". One dessert plus unlimited petit fours and coffee or tea costs 3680 yen.

Service is exceptional here. The hostess escorts us all the way out to the elevator, bowing as the doors slide shut.

Thanks Ukai-tei for a perfectly executed, magical meal.

The Facts
For dinner, courses range from 24,150 (Special Course which includes crazy luxurious ingredients like Beluga caviar, fois gras, matsutake mushrooms, the special abalone, and Ukai "Top Quality" sirloin) to 12,600 (appetizer, soup, sole, beef, "meal", and dessert & coffee). Lunch is even cheaper, with set menus ranging between 6,830 and 12,600.

All of the set menus come with "Top Quality" beef, which is not the highest grade. If you want the "Best Quality" beef, you will have to order a la carte, like we did.

Every single set meals comes with dessert, tea, and coffee, which means you get to enjoy that magical sweet experience at the end no matter what.

This restaurant is not too hard to find. It is on the main road in Omotesando on the 5th floor of the Chanel building, which is pretty easy to spot. If you still have room afterwards, you can head to Omotesando Koffee, which is what we did. It's not a far walk at all.

There are also other branches of Ukai-tei in Ginza, Yokohama, and several other locations. They also have restaurants devoted to tofu, charcoal grilled chicken, and seasonal Japanese cuisine. I think their steak is the most famous, though.

Ukai-tei Omotesando
5-10-1 OMOTESANDO-GYRE 5F
Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03(5467)5252