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Rome: La Pergola 3 stars
When I decided to visit Rome I immediately booked a table at La Pergola.
I read it´s hard to get a reservation at La Pergola and even Waldorf concierge would have problems. With some time in advance I booked via email without any problem. The restaurant is elegant with an opulent style. I didn´t take pictures but you can see it at the Internet. They offer a 7 course menu (225 €), 10 course menu (260 €) and a la carte options. They were happy to offer us an individual 7 course menu without meat which we took. For drinks I got - after denining alcoholic options - an extensive list of Mineral water which were priced in a realistic range (no 100 € water like in some bling bling restaurants). In the end I went with a recommondation (Italian water of course). First some very good Amuse Bouche https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d1b4ebbe52.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6ba61bcf66.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...70ce461f82.jpg First course: Tuna, wild asparagus and almonds https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6f8b7039f5.jpg A very good dish which made very curious for what´s comming. Second course: Squid filled with pink shrimps on Infusion of toasted shellfish with turnip tops https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...552e475701.jpg Well, simply a world-class dish. Third Course: Heart of lettuce stewed at high pressure https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...112df4a359.jpg Normally it comes with chicken but for us it were without it. To be honest this was my least favourite dish. Still good but I liked the others more. Fourth cuorse: Wholemeal "maccheroncini al ferretto" with shellfish, smoked aubergine coulis and croutons https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5b72b217d5.jpg Not a bif fan of wholemeal pasta and aubergine so I was sceptical. Nevertheless I loved it as it tasted so great. Fifth Course: Red mullet with spinach, Lemon and rasins https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e47d8865d6.jpg Also a high level dish. Sixth course: Turbot with asparagus and codium https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4f01b07adb.jpg Again a very good dish. Now the table changed for desserts https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f4786b88e5.jpg Pre-dessert https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6f787b1235.jpg First petit fours https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...51455bc513.jpg The dessert: Ricotta cream with Marzipan, soft pistacchio and sorbet of candied orange https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0e9e90c44d.jpg Delicious! But more was waiting! The magic tower, filled with pralines: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ed50973a24.jpg This was really a great dinner and La Pergola deserves its 3 stars without doubt. For me it´s a must-eat when in Rome. |
Just had an 8 days trip in Tokyo and Hong Kong, to summarize:
Tokyo Sushi Ichijo (non Michelin) - great C/P for lunch (10k JPY for 11 pieces + rolls) which included Chu-toro, Kurumaebi, Uni, akagai and hamaguri. Surprisingly the best piece was the Akami. Nothing amazing but no complaints for the price Yakiniku Jumbo Hanare (non Michelin) - delicious A5 wagyu that didn't break the bank. very enjoyable, relaxed environment. the signature pieces were all amazing. Tempura Fukamachi (1 Star) - return visit. delicious top quality ingredient that were cooked perfectly. Scallop was my fav with the uni being a second. Added an order of Awabi but didn't find it special despite it being one of their signatures Takamitsu (1 Star) - my fav meal of the trip, hands down, and might be my fav meal in Tokyo ever. amazing, top quality ingredients (hon maguro from Yamaguchi, Aji that's apparently 7x the price of normal Aji and only they are crazy enough to buy, Hadate brand Hokkaido uni, caviar, etc.) and an incredibly skilled chef. Takamitsu-san is also incredibly friendly and quite a showsman (likes to display the ingredients and courses on top of LV suitcases). Perhaps the most fun meal I've ever had along with Den. Hong Kong Lung King Heen (3 Stars) - second fav meal of the trip. best high-end dim sum I've ever had (beating my previous fav, Tin Lung Heen at the RC). Abalone tart, pork bun, and abalone and fish maw noodles were absolutely incredible. Yat Lok (1 Star) - return visit to this dive roast goose restaurant. delicious as always. Kam's Roast Goose (1 Star) - first time visit. did it to directly compare against Yat Lok. Personally, I find Yat Lok a bit better (I find they have a richer flavour) but Kam's is very good as well. Kam's is also much cleaner and comfortable to sit in so if that matters to you then this is a good choice Happy to go into more details if you want more info on any particular restaurants listed above. |
Interesting article (unfortunately in German): https://mobil.stern.de/genuss/essen/...n-8692072.html A starred restaurant in Hamburg claims it must close due to repeated vandalism and theft. Interesting enough the restaurant is located in a neighborhood which is known for vandalism by radical left riff-raff. |
Had lunch at Gramercy Tavern with a few guys after a long night out on Friday. Nothing cures a hangover like a delicious burger :)
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Gagnaire's restaurant in Shanghai. Great service, lovely room, food underwhelming. Don't get me wrong it was well cooked but just not oustanding in any way. 88/100
Ode (1*) in Tokyo. Some excellent dishes, some simply well-executed/technically capable. I like it best when the chef pushes the boundaries and when he does he really shows he can make magic happen. This is one to watch - 89/100 (On a sour note, as the only gaijin (foreigner) at the counter I noticed that I was consistently poured less wine in the pairing menu than other people. I did not get a good vibe at all from the sommelier from the moment I walked in, but this is obviously a very subjective observation, so I'll leave it at that.) |
Had a few impressive meals while on our anniversary trip up the California coast these past 2 weeks: Dinner at 2* Baumé, Palo Alto. Truly impressive food and wine pairings, but the prices are exorbitant at $398 per person for the tasting menu and at least $300 per person for the wine pairings. We did the $400 per person wine pairing and our total bill came to almost $1900 for the two of us. That being said, it was the best squab I’ve ever tasted. Worth doing once...but the exorbitant pricing makes it unlikely we’d return. Lunch at 1* Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford. A staple lunch for whenever we come to Napa Valley, this was again a delight and with a wonderful view of the Valley. Did the 3 course tasting menu with wine pairings and really enjoyed it. The roasted chicken main was a bit over cooked, but otherwise everything was delicious. The champagne pairing was a bit strong for us on dessert, but the whole meal was delicious and a bargain. Dinner at 3* Restaurant at Meadowood, St Helena. Our first return in almost 5 years to our favorite in Napa Valley. Whole resort and restaurant has undergone more contemporary and modern transformation in aesthetic that we enjoyed. The service and ambience were spectacular. The team here really is amazing, always willing to relax and go with the flow if you show you are—and we always are! The wine pairings were phenomenal (two of us did the super wine pairing while my husband did the regular pairing). The food was absolutely delicious, highlighted incredibly by a creamy course with caviar that blew us completely away. That being said, that was the only course that really was mind blowing so it felt a bit 2* meal more than 3* extravaganza. But overall, we were extremely pleased and would return again in a heartbeat. Dinner at 1* Kin Khao, San Francisco. My first visit and I liked it...but I wasn’t wowed. The food was good. Some of our entrees were a bit on the dull side. Others were better. Nothing really blew me away. |
Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 31079840)
...highlighted incredibly by a creamy course with caviar that blew us completely away. |
Originally Posted by jbeans
(Post 31080140)
Was it caviar with melty beef tendons? That was my favorite course as well when we visited last month.
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I had the Amuse Bouche menu at the Dolder Grand (2*, Zurich) today and it was fantastic. Expertly prepared food, very nice tastes, and interesting flavors. Best of all it was a fantastic value. There were 26 distinct items in total for only 112 CHF. The head chef was kind enough to speak with us after and was very courteous. Even the bread was fresh, tasty, and the dipping pastes/sauces were fantastic.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f1c3f34d1d.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4d5cd8db08.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...18cd646ecb.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a8c607edb1.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b40fdd4f08.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...04a84979e8.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d910dff59.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7c715e2ae7.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c7b52eb0ec.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...568d2414af.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e8c07bf463.jpg |
Rome: Moma 1 star
Moma Rome I reserved as it was awarded a Michelin star shortly before our visit. With 69,00 € their tasting menu was a real bargain.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ecf8352238.jpg The arrival was not so great. After we entered we were asked for our reservation and they weren´t able to find it. In the end I had to show the confirmation e-mail which I fortunately still had. We had to wait a few minutes till our table was ready. This was all not very welcoming and really wired as during the whole evening some tables remained empty. We took the tasting menu but first got good bread and amuse bouche. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...956fd88258.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b99aa08642.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...740c64687e.jpg The menu started with a seasonal garden. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...eea2db2810.jpg Next came Spaghetti with Bottarga. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1141e6f57b.jpg Grilled octopus https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...618f7a0c30.jpg Pre-dessert https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3a9df2a584.jpg Hazelnut https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1bb428e125.jpg Petit fours https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ec12d0f3cb.jpg The quality of the food was very good, service friendly but not as polished as at other starred restaurants. Especially considering the price I absolutely recommend it. |
Had to cancel my reservation at Bar Crenn tonight thanks to UA hitting me up with a 3.5 hour delay on EWR-SFO :( Decided to book dinner at Birdsong for tomorrow night to make up for it, though :) I was very surprised to see availability for Benu and Quince the night before as well! I was also contemplating Eight Tables, but I think it might be a tad too adventurous for my wife’s palate given her current state. |
Originally Posted by PsiFighter37
(Post 31108908)
Had to cancel my reservation at Bar Crenn tonight thanks to UA hitting me up with a 3.5 hour delay on EWR-SFO :( Decided to book dinner at Birdsong for tomorrow night to make up for it, though :) I was very surprised to see availability for Benu and Quince the night before as well! I was also contemplating Eight Tables, but I think it might be a tad too adventurous for my wife’s palate given her current state. I'm curious about Eight Tables, too, but I've heard so many mixed reviews I've never quite pulled the trigger. Benu is my favorite in SF. |
Originally Posted by bhrubin
(Post 31108929)
Midweek openings in SF happen infrequently but do happen, actually.
I'm curious about Eight Tables, too, but I've heard so many mixed reviews I've never quite pulled the trigger. Benu is my favorite in SF. |
How do you all go about research restaurants in cities that specifically DON'T have a michelin guide for them? I've had some extremely good food in cities that I've had no guidance for, but I always feel like it's a bit more of a luck-thing... (and I really don't trust google/yelp/you name it)
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