I decided to switch Spring Moon for Felix, so here is L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon from earlier today.

If any of you don't know, L'atelier is the counter seating section of the restaurant. There is also Le Jardin which is traditional table seating with pretty much the same menu.

I have to say, it was refreshing to eat at a place like this. It is not a stereotypical Michelin 3* restaurant. It's pretty loud, and you get a front row seat to the action.

http://i.imgur.com/5qLA2uE.jpg?1
I was seated near the salad station

On offer today were a series of prix fixe menus, a discovery menu, a tapas menu with selections from the discovery menu, and a smattering of standard a la carte options.

I decided to try a trio of selections from the tapas-like menu, settling on the jamon iberico, quail stuffed with foie gras served with the legendary JR mashed potatoes, and lastly, the mini burgers served with foie gras, sweet peppers, and fries.

First up was the bread basket, I wasn't really listening when the waiter named them all, but the bacon bread was awe inspiring, and there was another that seemed to be a cheese bread.

http://i.imgur.com/Gx8GycU.jpg?1
Top right is the bacon bread
http://i.imgur.com/Tca46jm.jpg?1
JR butter, they were quick to let me know they have "several" other types of butter if I needed or wanted it.
http://i.imgur.com/JWO6Kbe.jpg?1
Amuse of a duck breast and foie gras soup-esque thing, served with popcorn and a truffle and cheese ball
http://i.imgur.com/WYDmBbg.jpg?1
Jamon, as good as ever. Always a treat to have
http://i.imgur.com/vqd41k0.jpg?1
Foie stuffed quail, served alongside the famous mashed potatoes. Just a word on the potatoes, I've heard the ratio of potato to butter is 2:1, and I now believe it. Not to be outdone, it is served under a dome of truffle shavings.
http://i.imgur.com/M8rprF7.jpg?1
Burger and fries
http://i.imgur.com/4jmKKoN.jpg?1
Closer look

Every part of this meal was fantastic. The service was not stalker-like as it is at so many other Michelin 3* restaurants, but they knew when to intervene. The food was also great, especially the burgers. They were cooked medium, which is extremely hard with such small patties, and the sweet peppers were a great compliment to the rich foie gras.

This has been my favorite meal of the trip, I feel kinda bad going to French restaurants while in China, but I am really glad I did, definitely one I will return to, and it's nice they have some outlets elsewhere.

One more general thought:

Michelin dining seems to be a lot more casual and relaxed here than it does in the US. At lunch there were people in t-shirts and jeans. I'm not saying it is bad, I am just used to jackets required.

I used to live in HK and Ho Lee Fook is by far my favourite place in HK.

PS Gordan Ramsay in HK is absolutely garbage.

I know I didn't even scratch the surface with this trip, it's my first time here and I already can't wait to come back. And I'll add that to my list for next time.

A long time ago I decided never to set foot into a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Even with Royal Hospital Rd being 3*, I won't go. I don't know what it is, just can't stand him.

No problems. Have quite a lot of recommendations if you need. I'll keep an eye out on your posts in here when you go back :)
Would only be fair since you gave me some great places for my upcoming visit to Chicago and NYC :)


Also, not sure if this was posted, but Michelin is going to be available in Bangkok soon.

Good reasons for it. But you always have to consider he has not much to do with the restaurants itself, he is only the owner (not 100% sure) or at least the eponym. Same with many "3 star" chefs......

Exactly. My last meals at RGR and Petrus were both fabulous, so this might be a case where you have to separate the art from the artist. In my opinion he or somebody in his org is making a concerted effort to keep those two pieces of his empire functioning at a high level. Unfortunately, they have let Maze fall completely off the map.

I finally decided to have that long awaited meal at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. Will see how it goes, provided I can get a reservation. Interesting - just tried and no dice as a party of one on any date I gave them.

Had the same problem at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. I wrote them an email and they told me, they don´t take Reservation for single-tables online. Wasn´t a problem to do it by email. Just check if tables for 2 persons are available.

That's a good idea. Will give it a shot.

And success - they responded positively to the email, so I'm in.

Beige Alain Ducasse Tokyo
 

Finished up the last of my Michelin stars for the trip, Beige by Alain Ducasse in Tokyo.

Beige is set atop the Chanel building in Ginza. The restaurant was created in collaboration with Chanel and the dining room features many of their design elements. As you can probably guess, the room is decorated with a lot of beige colors. I thought the room was very nice looking, but I'm sure some may say it's plain.

The lunch menu includes two different prix fixe menus featuring a small selection of appetizers, mains and desserts. There is also an a la carte menu and there was a special truffle menu as well.

I went "light" today and had the 3 course prix fixe (app, main, dessert). I selected the guinea foul for my appetizer, and let the table captain select the main and dessert. He chose the belly of veal with foie gras, and the pear mont blanc for dessert.

But first up was a small soup amuse featuring extremely small whole shrimps. Definitely the first I've ever seen them. I was even a tad apprehensive before eating it. But it was nice.

http://i.imgur.com/EYsTyXH.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/jNfA6Nn.jpg?1
closer look

The appetizer of guinea foul was served in its cooking jus and had a small salad on the side. The meat was very tender and flavorful, with the skin being nice and crispy.

http://i.imgur.com/SV1eC8F.jpg?1

The main of veal belly with foie gras was my least favorite, the meat was tough and a little dry. But the foie gras was seared nicely an tasted as good as usual.

http://i.imgur.com/EvN9ael.jpg?1

At this point, my table captain brought the cheese cart around. I cannot say no to cheese so had a serving of Roquefort and a wash-rind cheese I do not remember the name of.

http://i.imgur.com/Cwsjtef.jpg?1

Lastly was the pear and ginger mont blanc. My table captain was quick to note that it was just a hint of ginger and not overpowering. It tasted lovely and was capped with two meringues and served with pear ice cream.

http://i.imgur.com/WER0XhR.jpg?1

They also served some mignardises of chocolate and macarons.

http://i.imgur.com/TGGRV71.jpg?1

The service was spectacular. The gentleman serving me during the meal bent over backwards for everything. I even saw him actually run around the restaurant several times, it is always funny to see someone in a suit run around!

We chatted a lot during the meal as well, about everything from cheese to the Cote d'Azur. I did not find out until the end of the meal, but he was the GM of the restaurant. He was a very nice guy and gave me his card for next time.

I'd say service 3*, food 1*. It seems Michelin got this right at 2*.

Curious, is the roast goose at a Michelin starred restaurant in HK, that much better than the "on the street" roast goose? (not looking at service differences, strictly inquiring as to quality/taste of goose)

Not in the least. Sun Wah is just as good. And it kinda pains me to say that. Lesson learned

One of my favorites is Kam's Roast Goose, I believe that is/was a 1 Michelin star, but it is a hole in the wall.
I personally didn't taste a difference between fine dining and a very good hole in the wall/street vendor.

Hope you have a good trip in HK! As a local and a foodie, I can tell you that Lung King Heen is only good for dim sum and it is very good at that. Wouldn't go there for dinner though. If you are into fancy Cantonese food, try the Chairman next time. There are others that would be better for specific dishes but overall, Chairman is a good bet

I did have a good trip. I'm done with the idea of fancy Chinese. IMO, Michelin restaurants do one or two things well consistently. French and "new American" or whatever it's called.

Guinea foul, eh? Sounds....awful (or should that be 'offal') ;-) (I suppose you mean 'fowl')

Tried 3 different Michelin-starred restaurants in HKG this past week:

1. Akrame, 1 star, French, dinner. I felt overall that the value for price paid wasn't bad; I did the 8 course tasting menu + 8 wine accompaniment. The wines were good, mostly French (as it is after all a French restaurant), but probably a tad bit pricier than they should have been. The dishes were well-executed and plated very nicely, if the dishes themselves weren't something that just shouted innovation. Service was good, definitely 1-star level, but IMHO they took too long between courses--took 3 hours to finish the dinner, and not because I was a slow eater.

2. T'ang Court, 3 star, Cantonese, lunch. Probably best overall value; I chose the bigger tasting menu (6 courses, roughly $130 US IIRC). Every dish was very well executed, and the service was absolutely impeccable. Wines by the glass were affordable and good. Service fantastic and definitely at what I expect of the 3-star level. Only issue I had was that the folks at a nearby table were wearing shorts and sandals. Seriously?! The restaurant asks for appropriate dress; they ought to enforce it. (No, it didn't detract from the food; I just found it shocking that people would go to a 3-star place in vacation wear.)

3. RyuGin, 2 star, Japanese, dinner. The food was impeccable. Many ingredients flown in from Japan every day. Pricey--the most expensive of the three (with the set menu running around $250 US). Part of that price is the location, on the 101st floor of the ICC building with spectacular views of Hong Kong (unfortunately, the day I was there, it was so cloudy that the windows looked like lampshades, with nothing at all visible). Service was very good, attentive but not distracting. My complaints are the beverages: the wine list is good, but incredibly expensive (stuff like 1970 Penfold's Grange for around $1300 US); there are a few decent half-bottle wines, but still over $125 US. Cheapest sake was $100 US or so (and for a half bottle IIRC). Beers were Suntory Premium Malts and Kirin. Seriously? At least they didn't charge $50 US for a $1 beer. I can only imagine the Tokyo 3-star location is just insanely fantastic.

Is that too surprising? Even at the nice restaurants I've been to in Japan (and especially in Kyoto), all they have are the big Japanese macro brews. I agree that they should get with the times and offer Hitachino, Echigo, etc...but tradition is hard to break.

True, which is sad given the fantastic craft brew scene in Japan. Every trip to Tokyo I stop at least once at Ant 'n Bee in Roppongi and give 5 or 10 beers a try. :)

At least Hong Kong has a decent beer scene of its own these days (vs. Southeast Asia and boring generic watery lagers everywhere). But fodder for another thread...

3 hours for 8 courses? Absolutely standard IMHO. Always shocked by Speed in American restaurants. Many Europeans don´t like it and see it as a breach of culture;) I can live with both but prefer a slow meal:cool:

I don't mind 3 hours for many meals, but based on the portion sizes, the wine pours, etc., I felt that I was often left waiting with no food or drink for too long several times during the meal.

If I'm out with friends and having a big meal, yes, longer is better. If I'm dining solo and eating small plate sized courses, 3 hours is too long IMHO.

It's really a matter of pacing. It's not Michelin-starred, but we had a 3+ hour dinner at Quay (in Sydney), and that was absolutely killer on us - especially the dessert section, where dinner was mercilessly dragged out for no reason at all. And yet when we had a 3-hour dinner at Chef's Table, that was perfect timing.

As for the topic of the thread...next Michelin-starred experience I have in my calendar is Bord'Ear (2 stars) in Amsterdam. If anyone else has other suggestions, happy to hear them out - pictures here looked fantastic, and it doesn't seem overly expensive. We're only planning on one high-end dinner in town, with the rest focused on local cuisine (although there seems to be a very hopping scene in town - so not too concerned about finding good eats!).

That was my experience at Hedone. The pacing was way too slow for the portion sizes presented.

Given the richness of the food, I thought the pacing there quite good, especially if you have the wine pairings. As a comparison, portion sizes at Quince in SFO recently were comparable and the meal was about as long. Besides, who is in a rush?

+1
We tell most restaurants with tasting menus that we are not in a rush as a matter of course now.

I'm rarely in a rush when dining, but to me, if I am waiting 15-20 minutes with no wine or food (particularly in between earlier courses in a meal), that's poor pacing and leads to too long an experience.

IMHO, good service manages pacing properly. They don't rush you; they don't descend like vultures to clear the table and immediately bring out the next dish... but they also don't leave you twiddling thumbs for long periods.

T'ang Court did that when I was in Hong Kong. They were what I expect of 3* service. Akrame was what I would expect of 1*; they weren't as polished, and didn't have the pacing down right and thus dragged out a meal that should have been 45 minutes shorter based on portions, drinks, and the fact I was dining solo and clearly left "waiting" several times during the meal.

I think that captures it nicely. The balance between attentive, but not fawning and the ability to the pace at which each cover likes to dine. Seamless service - that's one important aspect of that third Michelin star for me.

Well put. I expect a Michelin-starred restaurant to be attentive to the pace the diner sets. If the diner wants a slow, leisurely meal, the server should notice this by the diner's behavior and adjust. If I finish my plate quickly and am looking around the room bored, they should adjust to that as well. Also, if I'm in a hurry, I tell the waiter at the beginning -- "We would like to be finished by 8:00 as we have theater tickets this evening" for example.

I think you've nailed it. If they sense that you are finishing your courses quickly and twiddling your thumbs for twenty minutes, they should adjust accordingly. I believe more often than not they will. And, I did exactly as you suggest when I ate at the Typing Room - told them I needed to be out in two hours or less and they were happy to accommodate me.

I don't see much mention of the Typing Room, but I would have to say it was one of my best meals in London.

HK :
- 40 mns for a 3 courses lunch menu at Pierre (it was 1.45 pm when I started the meal)

- 2.5 hours for a 8 / 9 courses menu at Amber (it feel long).
BTW The room is a little dark and they also use dark color plates. Food is good, service is very good. (food is not as tasty as Pierre or the MO grill or 8 1/2 or...).

Steirereck im Stadtpark, Vienna, Austria [REVIEW]
 

July 2016, our landmark birthday lunch experiences

To make my landmark birthday in July 2016 even more special, my fiancé and I booked a table for two at the two Michelin stared restaurant the Steirereck im Stadtpark in Vienna, Austria which we knew for about ten to fifteen years and wanted always to try. The restaurant is also ranked 9th on the 50 best Restaurants in the World list.

The architecture of the restaurant is futuristic and there is an organic herb garden on the roof.

When we entered we saw to the right the open kitchen and slightly more to the right Steirereck produce to buy. Straight ahead was the reception, where we were greeted warmly by a very young maître d', confirming our reservation we were brought to our table. It overlooked the Stadtpark and the interior of the Steirereck.

Even so the restaurant was large, it was private. There were walls dividing the space into pods. Two to four tables were sharing one area.

The interior was postmodern as well and we enjoyed the design tremendously.

My birthday was acknowledged by an imprint "Happy Birthday" on the table cloth. There was also a little stand where you could put your handbag which we found a thoughtful addition to our table.

The staff was very attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. For example we could take the brochure of "Le Grandes Tables Du Monde", where the Steirereck is a member, after asking nicely. The guests at the neighbor's table wanted their mobile phone charged, so that they could take photographs of their meal. Their wish was immediately fulfilled too.

We also liked the uniforms of the female staff, which fitted perfectly with the postmodern design, looked on the one side simple, but was elegant and free flowing on the other.

As drinks we had a bottle of still Voeslauer water, one of our favorites when in Austria, and a mocktail made with mandarin and lime juice. It was delicious, so he had a second one, but there were at least five others available to choose from. They were made right in front of us and the ingredients came on a trolley.

The bread selection was fantastic. There were at least twenty to thirty to choose from. The bread was shown to us and named and had been too many to remember. We both had olive ciabatta. My fiancé took another slice, but couldn't eat them all due to having "bigger eyes than his stomach was" as they say.

Next arrived the greetings from the kitchen, which was four different dishes, that showed by which other nations Austria has been influenced and included chips with potato cheese, falafel with sumac yogurt dip, semolina, roasted corn pudding and cucumber and tomato salad with yogurt dressing. The roasted corn pudding was an acquired taste. We both liked it, but it was the least favorite in terms of taste compared to the other offerings.

We chose a four course meal and started with "Schwarzauer" Mountain Trout with melon, cucumber and etiolated pea shoots and artichoke & veal kidney with radicchio and sweet clover.

Both dishes were delicious and melt in the mouth.

Next were the Viennese soft gulash from Alpine beef with leek -bread roulade and pickled vegetables and Jerusalem Artichoke with Pak Choi, pea shoots and Viennese snails.

The gulash was light-red brown and mildly spicy, while the other dish was the right combination between being soft and crunchy.

Our main courses were Wiener Schnitzel and barbecued sturgeon with kohlrabi, quinoa and elderberry.

Both were very good. The schnitzel was very thin and melt in the mouth. While the barbecue flavor of the sturgeon was strong. The kohlrabi, quinoa and elderberry were a nice counter balance.

Our desserts were cherries with shiso, rice and soured cream and Java coffee with yellow dates, plums and cinnamon flowers. We loved both.

Before we received the bill there was another sweet greeting from the kitchen with a typical Austrian pastry called a kicherl served from a traditional trolley, We had the choice of toppings including nuts, strawberries, dried figs, apricot and cherry jam.

We enjoyed each a beautiful hot chocolate to round up our memorable lunch at this modern gourmet temple in the heart of Vienna, the capital of Austria. The Stierereck has been consitently voted by several guides incl. Falstaff [100/100 points] as the best restaurant in Austria and it shows in our opinion.

Please view our Flickr uploads/memories:



We enjoyed our lunch tremendously, which cost 270.60 Euro (ca. 288.30 USD), and would love to return for another special occasion in our future when visiting beautiful Vienna.

Would we recommend this restaurant to a friend? YES! ^
Would we want to enjoy this restaurant for lunch/dinner in our future again? YES! ^

Thank you and safe travels. :)

Thanks uggboy. I often thought about this restaurant and always decided against it. The menu is very special with many things on it which are not my favourites. Since I don´t eat meat any more it seems to be even more difficult. This restaurant seems to be one of the more controversial. It is named as a three star candidate by many people but provoces also constant critical voices.

Thanks offerendum for your compliments, indeed the menu of the Steirereck im Stadtpark is special and our lunch was tasty and memorable, plus the setting was extremely modern and the service received was overall "spot on". Meat and fish play a big role of course, it's Austria nevertheless and one of us had the snails which had been tasty/pretty good, plus the sturgeon which was different/beautiful too.

For vegetarians or simply something different without meat we would recommend Tian in Vienna, while we haven't had lunch/dinner there, because on our dates in July 2016 they had been fully booked, but there remains the interest and the wish in both of us to eat there eventually in our future. Equally when you've the chance in the future to try it, book it and please report here in this thread about your experiences.

Please see:

http://www.tian-restaurant.com/wien/en/

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

Tian is definitively on the list:)

Steirereck has been on my bucket list for a while. One of these days!

Looks my schedule is firming up for the rest of the spring and I'll be at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester ***, Ente in Wiesbaden **, Imago in Rome *, The Ritz in London, and possibly La Pergola in Rome and La Sponda in Positano, just waiting on confirmations.

Will report back any outstanding experiences

That is an impressive lineup. I am kicking myself for not following through with my La Pergola reservation even though we were staying at Rome Cavalieri.

Not only reports about outstanding experiences are helpful;) Nevertheless the lineup should bring you some nice meals:cool:

La Pergola is great. I ate there a couple of years ago and also at Apsley's (another Heinz Beck restaurant) in London before it closed. His signature dish, Fagottelli Carbonara, is really transcendent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/dr...carbonara.html

Of the other restaurants, we'll see how it goes. I'm leaning on postponing the trip to Positano (dinner at La Sponda) until I have more time.

It's not very often that I have a disappointing meal in a Michelin rated restaurant but it does happen. Only really five in the last couple of years that come to mind - Il Pagliaccio (Rome), Dabbous (London), Maze (London), Seven Park Place (London), and L'Etranger (London). I guess that last one has dropped off the Michelin radar, so maybe it doesn't count. Okay, Clove Club (London) I was disappointed with, but only because of the casual, hipster service. The food was fine.

Same with me. Normally it doesn´t mislead

La Pergola in Rome was one of those times for me. As was my first visit to Ledbury. I guess anyone can have a bad night.

Meierei im Stadtpark, Vienna, Austria [REVIEW]
 

July 2016, our lunch experiences

The day after visiting for lunch the Steirereck im Stadtpark [2 Michelin stars] in July 2016 we went to have lunch on the next day at their sister restaurant the Meierei im Stadtpark. The restaurant is the winner of a Bib Gourmand by Michelin.

We had already cake and fresh strawberries enjoyed there when we visited Vienna for our first time a few years ago.

The Meierei im Stadtpark has kept the classic villa exterior. The interior is modern and the colors are neutral, mostly white.

We liked that the whole front was made of glass and could be opened completely. It overlooked the canal and the park.

The Meierei is a place to see and be seen, so if you are looking for a more private venue, this isn’t the right one.

We had booked a table and were glad. The restaurant was already humming. The Meierei does accept walk ins, but it is very favored, so in order to avoid disappointment it’s better to reserve.

The staff was businesslike, friendly and efficient.

We had two Donnerwetter Apple and pear juices, one apricot juice, cucumber elderflower cocktail, one large bottle of still Voeslauer water, a mozzarella tomato salad, watercress soup, stuffed courgette flowers, venison goulash, and shared a portion of the banana snow as dessert.

The quality was very high and we enjoyed the time we spent there in July 2016.

The bill was ca. 100 Euro (ca. 106.60 USD).

We would return again when in Vienna, as this gave us the chance to enjoy typical Austrian produce in a modern bistro setting overlooking the Stadtpark by the canal.

Of note, the Meierei im Stadtpark does also serve breakfast and wouldn’t say no to try this one in our future when visiting Vienna hopefully again.

Please see our uploads/memories on Flickr:



Would we recommend this restaurant to a friend? YES! ^
Would we want to have lunch/dinner again in our future at this restaurant? YES! ^

Thank you and safe travels. :)

Recent experience at Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas would indicate that this may be at best a 2 star. Among other reasons the wine was opened out of your sight, they said it was opened in an other room, never decanted, did not produce the cork, and when asked why not they got "huffy."