Consolidated "Michelin Restaurants" thread
#2176
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Chicago, Illinois, we dined at two Michelin starred restaurants over the weekend.
First.
Topolobampo
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 .
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
Fish Face - Tso'ok Mexican rum, Cuentacuentos El Barro mezcal, passionfruit, jamaica
Primavera Paloma - Mijenta blanco tequila, Los Californias Citrico gin, Mommenpop Ruby Grapefruit citrus aperitif, fresh grapefruit & lime juice, hibiscus infused agave
Bites - empanada, rice chicharrón with squid ink, tortilla soup
Bites - ceviche topped oysters
Inspiration for the Caos de Almejas
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.
Inspiration for the Luz Dorada
Luz Dorada• Heirloom corn tamal (local fresh huitlacoche), mantequilla beans, yellow summer squash, charred baby corn, black truffle, squash blossom sauce (saffron, güero chile).
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.
Inspiration for the Cuadros en Rojo
Cuadros en Rojo• Slow-cooked Petuna ocean trout (ancho-cured), red peanut mole, kohlrabi three ways (comal-charred, butter-roasted, red wine-braised), chayote.
Inspiration for the Tres Piezas
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.
My daughter's pork free, vegetarian version, of the Tres Piezas
Inspiration for the Puesta del Sol
Puesta del Sol• Almond macaron (turmeric), homemade clotted cream, apricots preserved with honey wine & anise hyssop, ground cherries.
Inspiration for the Baile con Cocodrilo
Baile con Cocodrilo• Chocolate mousse cake, Xoco chocolate ganache, hoja santa ice cream, jamoncillo ruffles, Bayless garden herbs & flowers.
Petit fours - coconut and chocolate
Concha and hot chocolate mix to take home
First.
Topolobampo
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 .
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
Fish Face - Tso'ok Mexican rum, Cuentacuentos El Barro mezcal, passionfruit, jamaica
Primavera Paloma - Mijenta blanco tequila, Los Californias Citrico gin, Mommenpop Ruby Grapefruit citrus aperitif, fresh grapefruit & lime juice, hibiscus infused agave
Bites - empanada, rice chicharrón with squid ink, tortilla soup
Bites - ceviche topped oysters
Inspiration for the Caos de Almejas
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.
Inspiration for the Luz Dorada
Luz Dorada• Heirloom corn tamal (local fresh huitlacoche), mantequilla beans, yellow summer squash, charred baby corn, black truffle, squash blossom sauce (saffron, güero chile).
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.
Inspiration for the Cuadros en Rojo
Cuadros en Rojo• Slow-cooked Petuna ocean trout (ancho-cured), red peanut mole, kohlrabi three ways (comal-charred, butter-roasted, red wine-braised), chayote.
Inspiration for the Tres Piezas
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.
My daughter's pork free, vegetarian version, of the Tres Piezas
Inspiration for the Puesta del Sol
Puesta del Sol• Almond macaron (turmeric), homemade clotted cream, apricots preserved with honey wine & anise hyssop, ground cherries.
Inspiration for the Baile con Cocodrilo
Baile con Cocodrilo• Chocolate mousse cake, Xoco chocolate ganache, hoja santa ice cream, jamoncillo ruffles, Bayless garden herbs & flowers.
Petit fours - coconut and chocolate
Concha and hot chocolate mix to take home
#2177
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,232
Looks great! Added to my M* list.
And Tortas Frontera is still the only reason I almost look forward to connecting through ORD.
And Tortas Frontera is still the only reason I almost look forward to connecting through ORD.
#2178
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Kasama
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.
kinilaw - golden kaluga caviar, kampachi, and coconut
pulutan - lumpia, talaba, and chicharrón (salmon skin)
nilaga - cabbage, bone marrow, and short grain rice
adobo - maitake, scallop, and mussel emulsion
sinigang - sablefish, tamarind, and leeks
inasal - squab, coconut sap, and foie gras
pancit en su tinta - conserva, bottarga, and sumac
kare-kare - lamb belly, peanut and bagoong XO
bistek - A5 Wagyu, calamansi, and caramelized onion (chef Genie Kwon came out of the kitchen to spoon the sauce over the beef)
truffle croissant - Délice de Bourgogne cheese and honey
banana-cue - caramelized Saba, genmai and mochi donut
halo halo - strawberry, black citron tea, and olive oil
mignardises - silvana, guava, and black currant
Chef Tim Flores
huckleberry tarta de Santiago to take home
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.
kinilaw - golden kaluga caviar, kampachi, and coconut
pulutan - lumpia, talaba, and chicharrón (salmon skin)
nilaga - cabbage, bone marrow, and short grain rice
adobo - maitake, scallop, and mussel emulsion
sinigang - sablefish, tamarind, and leeks
inasal - squab, coconut sap, and foie gras
pancit en su tinta - conserva, bottarga, and sumac
kare-kare - lamb belly, peanut and bagoong XO
bistek - A5 Wagyu, calamansi, and caramelized onion (chef Genie Kwon came out of the kitchen to spoon the sauce over the beef)
truffle croissant - Délice de Bourgogne cheese and honey
banana-cue - caramelized Saba, genmai and mochi donut
halo halo - strawberry, black citron tea, and olive oil
mignardises - silvana, guava, and black currant
Chef Tim Flores
huckleberry tarta de Santiago to take home
#2179
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,642
Chicago, Illinois, we dined at two Michelin starred restaurants over the weekend.
First.
Topolobampo
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 .
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
First.
Topolobampo
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 .
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
Last edited by cblaisd; Aug 31, 2023 at 9:46 am Reason: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/diningbuzz/2056737-request-your-moderators-concerning-pictures.html
#2180
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
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.
#2182
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Mélisse, the restaurant within a restaurant, is Josiah Citrin's flagship restaurant.
#2184
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Rick Bayless has an extensive art collection. The Topolobampo Art Menu is offered only once a year for six weeks. Different themed menus are offered at other times.
#2185
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: LAX
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,534
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.
Daigo (2): Excellent. I suppose Buddhist cuisine is not so glamorous compared to some other parts of the Tokyo food scene, but stunning nonetheless.
Birdland Ginza (1): It was good. There are better places to go for yakitori.
Ristorante Honda (1): Excellent. The best way to describe it would be an Italian kaiseki experience. You can order the dinner courses for lunch, which is what I did.
Also, a note: Usuki Fugu Yamadaya has a number of locations. The Nishi Azabu location is the 2 star one. When you go to make reservations, depending on the site, some will have the option to accept reservations at other locations as well.
Est (1): Excellent. Where else to go for French food other than Tokyo? Located in the Four Seasons at Otemachi.
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#2186
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 111
Valle, Oceanside California 1 Star
Ceviche
Fish Taco Bite
Onion Tart, Kaluga Hybrid Caviar
Chayote, crab
gem lettuce salad
Chancla with Wagyu
Tamal, mole
halibut, fennel pollen beurre blanc
bread, truffle butter
braised lamb, birria sauce
lemon curd, yogurt flower
petit four
Ceviche
Fish Taco Bite
Onion Tart, Kaluga Hybrid Caviar
Chayote, crab
gem lettuce salad
Chancla with Wagyu
Tamal, mole
halibut, fennel pollen beurre blanc
bread, truffle butter
braised lamb, birria sauce
lemon curd, yogurt flower
petit four
#2187
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
SingleThread
Healdsburg, California
Healdsburg, California
Originally Posted by MICHELIN Guides 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 couples time in Japan informs the restaurants 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 meals 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.
#2188
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Redondo Beach, Ca
Posts: 30,768
#2190
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: LAX
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,534
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.
Candlenut (1): I really enjoyed this meal. The Peranakan ah-ma-kase was definitely not something that you normally find, and I really appreciated how normal the restaurant felt. Will be back in the future, hopefully with more people.
Thevar (2): This meal was good. I was seated at the counter and it was nice chatting to the chefs as well. If you ask, they also have their own curated list of Singapore restaurant recommendations, covering the full range from high concept to hawker stands. The non-alcoholic beverage pairing here was also really interesting.
Nouri (1): I will not be coming back here. The food was fine, good even, and the concept was interesting as well. However, the kitchen and dining area blend together and from where I was seated, I could hear the head chef verbally abusing other staff members. Unacceptable.
Cloudstreet (2): Probably the highlight of my trip. The food here was all excellent, the non-alcoholic beverage pairing was great, and the staff were an absolute delight to talk with. You aren't presented with a menu when you arrive, but you do have the option to request a printed menu at the end, and they do email you the menu after as well. Will be back.
Zén (3): An outpost of Frantzén. Honestly, a bit meh. The beverage pairings here were quite interesting though.
Seroja (1): Super interesting. Focused on Malay cuisine. I definitely expect them to keep moving up, they just have some small things to iron out. Will be back.
If people have questions about any of the restaurants, I am happy to discuss any of them in greater detail.
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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