I agree about Five Fields, I was lucky enough to find it during their first year and have been back a few times. But Angler is not somewhere I have been - worth checking out. Thanks!

DC 2018 guide is out.

No real shake-ups. Still no 3 stars, though Michael Ellis, the international director of the guides, said in an interview that each of the three 2 stars in DC are on their way.

Only changes are two additional 1-star restaurants, Komi and Metier. Both are expensive tasting menu spots.

I personally am not really familiar with DC and haven't been to any of the starred places there. I'm excited for Chicago's guide Friday, however, as I know that scene decently well. I am anticipating Oriole to be bumped up to 3 stars and for Smyth to be bumped up to 2 stars. I wouldn't mind if Topolobampo gained a star, but I doubt it will.

Any favorites for Kyoto and Nara? We will be there for a week in May 2018...and want to hit a few of the top/favorite spots.

I'd recommend Kikunoi honten (3 stars) in Kyoto. It's a very short and scenic walk from Gion. The restaurant is beautiful, and very spacious with only private rooms (from what I saw) looking into a garden. And of course the food is top notch with fresh ingredients. Another point to add is that they have English speaking servers who can explain to you the cultural significance behind certain dishes, specially sourced ingredients, and cooking methods, which are all factors that make kaiseki interesting to me.

I would recommend Kichisen (3 stars). Absolutely phenomenal meal. That said, let them know ahead of time if you speak English...otherwise you will be receiving a lot of reading material about the food and the culture and nothing spoken.

When we were in Kyoto we stayed at the Tawaraya Ryokan. It is several hundred years old and at least when we were there about 12 or 13 years ago it had been in the same family that long. Guests are served a keiseki meal on the floor of their room by their attendant. It was one of the most spectacular food experiences I’ve had and the most spectacular lodging experience I’ve had.

Chicago guide now out. I was right about Smyth being promoted to 2 stars, but wrong about Oriole getting promoted to 3--it stayed at 2 (as did Acadia and Sixteen). Grace and Alinea kept their 3 stars. Other changes were Longman & Eagle was demoted from 1 star to Bib Gourmand, and there are two new star entries: Elske, and Entente.

Has anyone been to Sixteen for dinner under the new executive chef, Nick Dostal? As I posted in this thread, I had the 5-course lunch tasting menu there in July and it was simply mediocre; the dessert was actively bad, even--dry and bland. Yet in reviews I've read many believe the new chef is an improvement, and the restaurant kept its 2 stars. I'm wondering if dinner there is a wholly different experience?

Next up is NYC, my hometown, on October 30. I will predict that this year we will finally see some additions at the 3-star level. Aska and Atera have been doing amazing things, and I would not be surprised to see one or both of them promoted from 2 to 3. Also, I would love to see Gabriel Kreuther promoted to 2 stars. Not sure about the 1 star level--maybe Sushi Nakazawa will finally earn a star?

It'd be nice to see Aska get 3 stars, since Brooklyn's erstwhile 3-star restaurant (Chef's Table) now resides in Manhattan. GK is a great restaurant but not sure it quite deserves 2. As for Nakazawa - he has always been overrated and overhyped...if they hadn't gotten it before, I highly doubt he gets it now.

I'd like to see Shuko get a star (I think it's always been deserving), and Omakase Room by Tatsu deserves one as well (although it might be too new). Sushi Ginza Onodera should be at 2 stars, IMO. I also think it'd be nice if Hakkasan got its star back - the food here is consistently excellent (along with a cocktail menu that is top-notch for a high-end restaurant). Given all the hype Cosme has gotten by landing in the Top 50, I wonder if it gets consideration at all...I don't think it should, but will be interesting to see.

Personally I think Nakazawa is way better than Shuko. My meal at Shuko was one of the worst "high end" Japanese meals I've had. I got the "kaiseki" set, which first of all is not kaiseki at all. Every cooked dish was over sauced, oily and salty; I couldn't finish half of them. The sushi courses were mediocre, some fish slices were ice cold. Maybe it was an off night, but I did not enjoy Shuko at all. :(

La Table du Connétable *
 

I had dinner at La Table du Connétable. When I first had a look on it it had 2 stars, but it was „downgraded“ to 1 star in the last Michelin. The reason ist hat the former chef moved to Eze and it seems Michelin didn´t trust the new chef Cément Leroy to hold the level. Otherwise Gault Millau praised him highly. In the internet I read „formal dress“ would be required, whatever this means….
We were greated friendly and brought to our table. The dinner started with some truffle-bread which was to die for:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4482/...2e1d8590_b.jpg

They offered a la carte dining or 3 menues with 3 (95 €), 4 (125 €) or 7 (175 €) courses. For our taste only the 3 course menu was interesting with 2 choices for each course.

First some little greating from the kitchen:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4462/...3a3e2fe3_b.jpg
All tasty……

Now some good salmon:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4469/...fb84a643_b.jpg

Delicious bread:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4499/...53215a3a_b.jpg

Time fort he first course:
My company had „The „perfect“ egg, textures of sweetcorn and onions“:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4492/...76beefd0_b.jpg
I found it good but not outstanding as my company did.
I took „Flame grilled mackarel, pink radish“:
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4467/37887429801_77a61abf52_b.jpg[/img
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4485/...e1c656cb_b.jpg
The dish came in 2 parts. I can´t say bad things about it but like the other appetizer it missed the wow-effect. Yes, on 1 star level, but not more.

For the main-course we both took „Roasted monkfish, rock fish juice“:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4479/...5d115b8d_b.jpg
The fish was simply outstanding, a dish clearly on 2 star level. Alernative would have been a roasted hen, of course no option for us.

Now they showed me the cheese-trolly. Against better knowledge (tob e honest I had already enough) I gave it a try (24 €). I forgot to take picture of the trolly, but here my selection:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4445/...2575b4c3_b.jpg
A good offering of cheese, good homemade marmelade.

Now a little sorbet:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4496/...78919baa_b.jpg

For dessert we both choosed „Chocolate Medley“ (alternative „Plum like a baba“):
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/...4a044867_b.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4502/...8bf2cd94_b.jpg
A nice dessert!

For the finish some petit fours including „original“ creme de Chantilly:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4463/...8c915491_b.jpg

Bottom line: The restaurant hase surely potential and I would it rate in the higher 1 star level. I wouldn´t be surprised if Leroy is able to win the second star back. Service etc. are still on this level, prices for the food are reasonable in my eyes. I wouldn´t hestitate to eat here again.

P.S. I now read at Gault Millau that Cément Leroy left the Restaurant end of August 2017 while he was near a 4th head. My menu I got at the end of the dinner still states Leroy as Executive Chef. Also the homepage still says nothing about a change - wired.

After a further Research it seems he tooks over Square in London which shall open in October 2017 buth didn´t yet. Perhaps that´s the reason he is still in Chantilly......

Yes, their refurbishments are supposed to be done by the end of the month but I suspect it could be later.

Interesting. I don't think Shuko has the best sushi out of anywhere, but meal is incredibly well-rounded, I love the ambiance, and they do a very mean apple pie :)

I have eaten at Nakazawa twice. The first time was in the dining room - okay, not spectacular (the tamago is the most memorable thing, not surprisingly). Last time was at the kitchen counter. Again - good, not the best I ever had. It also gave me food poisoning for a few days, so that colored my opinion a bit as well (never had that at any other sushi restaurant, even the divey non-traditional shops).

Yikes! Food poisoning would surely turn me off any place too.

I went to Cagen last weekend, and had a nice experience. Very good rice, and every piece of fish had great taste and texture. The tamago was particularly interesting; he dusted it with powder sugar and then torched it to create a crispy layer, almost like a creme brulee. I hope they get to retain their 1 star this year.

Cagen is excellent - and the chef there is a very nice gentleman. He once shared with us the manifest of fresh fish inbound for NYC from Japan...it was cool to get a glimpse of the workings of high-end sushi-grade fish allocation :D

Separately, just got back from a dining-table meal at Azabu. So good...they had a foie gras chawanmushi with caviar and shaved gold flakes - decadent in both look and flavor. Sushi a little below the quality of the counter, but the scallop, sweet shrimp, and uni were on point. The tamago was much better than I remember it being...eliminates the last reason I would have the urge to go back to Nakazawa. :)

Ahh I live within walking distance of Azabu and somehow still haven't been! This will need to be changed, very soon.