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Chicago, Illinois, we dined at two Michelin starred restaurants over the weekend.
First. Topolobampo :star: This is Rick Bayless's flagship restaurant. His other restaurants include Frontera Grill in River North and Tortas Frontera at O'Hare airport. At Topolobambo, he serves seasonal tasting menus consisting of modern interpretations of traditional Mexican cuisine. Chef Bayless has won Top Chef Masters and seven James Beard Awards. Currently, they serve The Art Menu; it's inspired by art work from his and his wife's extensive collection. Excellent food, efficient and friendly service. With a couple of tweaks, he should earn a second :star:. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...afa66b47da.jpg The anteroom where cocktails and bites are served before heading to the dining room https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dec4613e75.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5c858ebe02.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9e3c20578a.jpg The inspiration for the Fish Face cocktail which is pictured below https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...14f2d6924a.jpg The right side of the dining room https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a70a0244b2.jpg The left side of the dining room https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3b1fc8b295.jpg Fish Face - Tso'ok Mexican rum, Cuentacuentos El Barro mezcal, passionfruit, jamaica https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...77f6afd438.jpg Primavera Paloma - Mijenta blanco tequila, Los Californias Citrico gin, Mommenpop Ruby Grapefruit citrus aperitif, fresh grapefruit & lime juice, hibiscus infused agave https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e23f5cf658.jpg Bites - empanada, rice chicharrón with squid ink, tortilla soup https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3a88779cbe.jpg Bites - ceviche topped oysters https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8d81ea18ca.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b2dfb278aa.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...238d4b585d.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b40e00ecb1.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1026943334.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...beebd35762.jpg Inspiration for the Caos de Almejas https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...467e57e70b.jpg Caos de Almejas• Baby Baja chocolate clams with a riot of flavors (finger lime, sea beans, yellow tomatoes, Mexican mint marigold, chiltepín), avocado, radish, rooftop cherry tomatoes. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ba7fabb4eb.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4368dc946b.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4d84182967.jpg Inspiration for the Luz Dorada https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9e2b516163.jpg Luz Dorada• Heirloom corn tamal (local fresh huitlacoche), mantequilla beans, yellow summer squash, charred baby corn, black truffle, squash blossom sauce (saffron, güero chile). https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...845abba41d.jpg Palate cleanser - it was not listed on the menu, all that I can remember is that it had beets and onions. It was served with the tortillas that are pictured below. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2eedaf014f.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...12d69f7e1f.jpg Inspiration for the Cuadros en Rojo https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c34da15df8.jpg Cuadros en Rojo• Slow-cooked Petuna ocean trout (ancho-cured), red peanut mole, kohlrabi three ways (comal-charred, butter-roasted, red wine-braised), chayote. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6a50ecda09.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9c350ab46b.jpg Inspiration for the Tres Piezas https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...41dc2c680b.jpg Tres Piezas • Texas acorn-fed pata negra pork (presa, belly), Bayless Garden eggplant, black bean sauce (infused with salsa negra), black kale, pickled watermelon rind. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...76a1a0f6e5.jpg My daughter's pork free, vegetarian version, of the Tres Piezas https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...da97ac2058.jpg Inspiration for the Puesta del Sol https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...30a00494d8.jpg Puesta del Sol• Almond macaron (turmeric), homemade clotted cream, apricots preserved with honey wine & anise hyssop, ground cherries. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...82c6b13e04.jpg Inspiration for the Baile con Cocodrilo https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3184176a95.jpg Baile con Cocodrilo• Chocolate mousse cake, Xoco chocolate ganache, hoja santa ice cream, jamoncillo ruffles, Bayless garden herbs & flowers. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...527d0407a4.jpg Petit fours - coconut and chocolate https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7ca7b03d1a.jpg Concha and hot chocolate mix to take home |
Looks great! Added to my M* list.
And Tortas Frontera is still the only reason I almost look forward to connecting through ORD. |
Kasama :star:
Chicago Kasama is the world’s first, and so far, only Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant. Husband and wife chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon won the 2023 James Beard Award for best chef: Great Lakes. In addition, the restaurant was a finalist for the James Beard Award for best restaurant in the US in 2022. Genie Kwon is a gifted baker, whose resume includes stints at Michelin starred NYC's Eleven Madison Park and Oriole in Chicago. Tim Flores had also worked at Oriole and later helped to open Michelin starred Mako. During the day, Kasama is a bakery/cafe, which serves an a la carte brunch, for which no reservations are taken; the line to get in can be as long as three hours. We were fortunate to have eaten there before they received all the awards and accolades and the wait to get in was considerably shorter. At dinner, Kasama morphs into a fine dining restaurant that serves a 13-course tasting menu. Dinner reservations are released at midnight forty-five days in advance and are gone in minutes. I didn't have that long a notice for this trip, so my daughter and I both set alerts on Resy. I received one for Friday night, when we got back from dinner at Topolobampo, for a table later that night. Playing with the calendar, there was an opening for two for eight o'clock on Sunday. Fortunately, my daughter was not scheduled to work at the hospital that night or Monday morning, so I grabbed it and cancelled another dinner reservation which we had for Sunday evening. It was an exquisite meal. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a6b89a0400.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2991b1dd2d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2c540fb5a8.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dc75abd72b.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6624673706.jpg kinilaw - golden kaluga caviar, kampachi, and coconut https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4476df411a.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c597d55590.jpg pulutan - lumpia, talaba, and chicharrón (salmon skin) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f2c92f6a5b.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c2db062911.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6b3d2be16c.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a048ad6411.jpg nilaga - cabbage, bone marrow, and short grain rice https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...eb75daf30c.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4e80d9cbd9.jpg adobo - maitake, scallop, and mussel emulsion https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e905361f38.jpg sinigang - sablefish, tamarind, and leeks https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f2e40c4614.jpg inasal - squab, coconut sap, and foie gras https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9f150476fe.jpg pancit en su tinta - conserva, bottarga, and sumac https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6f5d6de532.jpg kare-kare - lamb belly, peanut and bagoong XO https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b95ff3373a.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7b1a17eb7f.jpg bistek - A5 Wagyu, calamansi, and caramelized onion (chef Genie Kwon came out of the kitchen to spoon the sauce over the beef) https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0e7dfa4ec2.jpg truffle croissant - Délice de Bourgogne cheese and honey https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0d87504121.jpg banana-cue - caramelized Saba, genmai and mochi donut https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9ef14926ae.jpg halo halo - strawberry, black citron tea, and olive oil https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...14c83fecf5.jpg mignardises - silvana, guava, and black currant https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...396285b2e6.jpg Chef Tim Flores https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...715781de68.jpg huckleberry tarta de Santiago to take home |
Originally Posted by TWA884
(Post 35540051)
Chicago, Illinois, we dined at two Michelin starred restaurants over the weekend.
First. Topolobampo :star: This is Rick Bayless's flagship restaurant. His other restaurants include Frontera Grill in River North and Tortas Frontera at O'Hare airport. At Topolobambo, he serves seasonal tasting menus consisting of modern interpretations of traditional Mexican cuisine. Chef Bayless has won Top Chef Masters and seven James Beard Awards. Currently, they serve The Art Menu; it's inspired by art work from his and his wife's extensive collection. Excellent food, efficient and friendly service. With a couple of tweaks, he should earn a second :star:. The anteroom where cocktails and bites are served before heading to the dining room The inspiration for the Fish Face cocktail which is pictured below The right side of the dining room The left side of the dining room |
Originally Posted by xooz
(Post 35542415)
Did you have a particularly early reservation? I was surprised there were no other guests.
Reservation times are staggered; they are available every 30 minutes; however, we made ours only about ten days in advance and our choices were limited to 5:30 and 9:00 pm. The latter was too late considering that my daughter was on duty at the hospital beginning at 7:00 am the next morning. The dining room was almost full at 7:30 pm. By the time that we were done eating and left at 8:15 pm, only one table (for 2) had been unoccupied all evening. I have photos showing the dining room full; however, I did not care to go through the trouble of blurring faces out of the pictures. |
Anyone have experience/advice re Citrin, in LA? Lots of availability for the September date I'm looking at. What gives?
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Originally Posted by 747FC
(Post 35542946)
Anyone have experience/advice re Citrin, in LA? Lots of availability for the September date I'm looking at. What gives?
Mélisse, the restaurant within a restaurant, is Josiah Citrin's flagship restaurant. |
Looks great, tho I am wondering whether they have to buy a new painting every time they need inspiration for a new dish :)
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Originally Posted by arkellvspressdram
(Post 35548172)
Looks great, tho I am wondering whether they have to buy a new painting every time they need inspiration for a new dish :)
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Some recent Tokyo Michelin star experiences:
Est (1): Excellent. Where else to go for French food other than Tokyo? Located in the Four Seasons at Otemachi.
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SingleThread
Healdsburg, California :star::star::star:
Originally Posted by MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View
Here, in the bucolic loveliness at the heart of Sonoma Wine Country, sense of place combines exquisitely with the deeply personal vision of owners Chef Kyle Connaughton and head farmer Katina Connaughton. The nearby 24-acre farm provides much of the bounty prepared in the kitchen, and the couple’s time in Japan informs the restaurant’s ethos, from the kaiseki-influenced cuisine to the practice of omotenashi, a spirit of wholehearted hospitality. The menu begins, unforgettably, with a botanical landscape interspersed with impeccable first bites, serving to introduce the meal’s central themes: impeccable ingredients, precise, artistic presentation and pure, harmonious flavors. The expert use of the donabe (Japanese claypot) is a signature, transforming seafood and vegetables alike.
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Also went to SingleThread last month. A lot of the inspiration came from the chefs' time in Hokkaido, where I'm visiting next month.
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12 stars in 4 days
I recently spent 4 days in Singapore and had a total of 12 Michelin stars. Photos in the spoilers.
Waku Ghin (2): This meal was really not that special. I would not go back in the future, any reasonable kaiseki in Japan will be better.
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