kiokujai

I personally disagree with this based on my own experience. I know a lot of people don't like Bo Innovation by my one lunch meal there was amazing and I'd probably put it in my top 7 meals ever (I'd put it over EMP, actually). Amber was fantastic as well and while it's hard to rate dim sum, I will say Tin Lung Heen and Sun Tung Lok are very good. The one truly disappointing Michelin (3 stars, nonetheless) meal I had in HK was T'ang Court. Overall, I find the quality to be fairly consistent across the board but price wise I do find Michelin star restaurants to be quite a bit pricier.

kiokujai

Planning to go to NYC in July for wedding anniversary. Will be there for 4 nights and tentatively thinking Marea, Peter Luger, and one of Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare or Momofuku Ko (for the night of our anni) for my dinners. I'm struggling a bit with the price of CT BF given the poor CAD:USD exchange rate, but a lot of people on forums say it's the "best" restaurant in NY currently. Ko is a lot cheaper and been on my list to go for a while now. A third choice might be Per Se, which is essentially just as expensive as CT BF but I've heard they declined in recent years. Considering it because the wife is a big fan of classic French.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

jbeans

CTBF is by far my favorite in the city. Ko is good, but I personally think the ingredients used at CTBF are more special, combined with a higher level of cooking technique. Keep in mind the price at CTBF includes service, so the difference is maybe not as big. Personally Ko was a go once and glad I tried type of place, whereas CTBF I've continuously gone back.

You're not missing out on much if you skip Per Se. If you enjoy classic French, I'd also recommend Le Coucou, Le Bernadin, and even Daniel I think is better than Per Se.

GadgetFreak

jbeans

Ah the old Robuchon was fantastic! The new one hasn't received particularly great reviews so far, but I feel compelled to try it anyway to see for myself, probably next month, will report back after.

bsb10

I probably sound like a broken record on this thread but CT BF is the best restaurant in the city right now, period. They are at their peak and prime, having gone countless times over the past 2 years.
Per Se, despite some trip ups in the past years that kept me from going for awhile, is now in a very good place in my opinion. Had my birthday dinner there a month back and it was wonderful, but not at the level of wow! as CTBF. If the wife likes classic french though, I can't think of a better place. Probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite 3 star in the city (tied with Le Bernardin in my mind but I haven't been there in over a year so I'd have to see what it's like nowadays).
Ko is interesting, a whole different beast than the other restaurants in the category. I really liked the most of it, but failed to love any dish. Love the quirky ambiance and the experimentation though. I wouldn't consider it a special occasion dinner venue though, despite the high price and 2*.
Would skip Marea honestly unless you really need pasta and need to be in the midtown area. Two expensive dinners and left with nothing but disappointment and regret both times. Not apples-to-apples in terms of cuisine, but I would suggest places like the Bar Room at the Modern for a similar (or less) price tag and much MUCH better service/ambiance in the same area as Marea.
Have a wonderful time!

Smiley90

How far out do you all recommend making reservations, specifically at places in Japan? We'd have to book through hotel concierge, but not wholly familiar with Japan. (specifically at some small-table Sushi restaurants I can imagine as early as possible? So many choices though...)

jbeans

Most of the M* sushi spots will open up res on the first of the month one month prior, for example if you want a res for Mar 15th, the res would be released on Feb 1. But you should always check the restaurant's website to confirm. General rule of thumb for a popular spot would be 1.5-2 months ahead I'd say.

DeathSlam

@Smiley90 Please report back on your experience!
I'm going again in May, so if I wanted anywhere special I guess I should be thinking about it now.
Last visit I was M* every night this time I might just go for okonomiyaki

Smiley90

I will, but I'm not going until July We have a lot of time to decide between restaurants...

DeathSlam

The only 3* I have been to in Japan are Sushi Saito and Sushi Yoshitake (both excellent).
You have cost me $$ as I'm now going to try for Kagurazaka Ishikawa

uwExcon

Two friends and I have reservations for 4 at Noma for March 21, 2019. We are looking for someone to sit with us and take the 4th spot. Let me know if you are interested. Thank you, Tina (ex-consultant)

DetailsIM

Have booked Alinea (3 star) and Oriole (2 star) during our stay in Chicago. Very excited!

zip10001

Quick report:
Our group of 4 had an amazing dinner at "Accents Tables Bourse". The chef is French, while the pastry chef is from Japan.
We had the 6-course menu for 68 euros, which is a steal and a lot of food. No menu. On top of my head:



appetizer 1: beet-infused egg, kale




appetitzer 2: scallop with radish




main course 1: monkfish, fat from ham, wine leaf




Main course 2: rack of lamb, jerusalem artichoke, pleurottes mushrooms



Dessert 1: meringue with yuzu drop, grapefruit



Dessert 2: "Mont-Blanc" with chesnut mousse ('creme de marrons')




Chiffon cake with pear ice-cream

A great experience, at a reasonable price.

zip10001

*******
Menu "Plaisir" at LA DAME DE PIC in Paris (105 euros for 1 amuse-bouche, 2 appetizer, 1 main, 1 pre-dessert, 1 dessert,):
I feel like the chef tries too "hard", or perhaps I should have ordered different courses. However the GF enjoyed her meal. Her main course "Monkfish, iodized potatoes with crispy 'rouille', safran & Combawa emulsion" was really good, and something I would try to recreate.

*******


amuse bouche: curry marshmallow, mushroom tart

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Appetizer 1: foie gras de canard (poireaux et champignons fumés, cédrat confit) *really good*

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appetizer 2: poached quail eggs (cromesquis de pied de cochon au miel, mousseline de pomme de terre, cresson, gingembre, matcha et vinaigre de Xérès) *the broth tasted weird at first sip*

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Main: Deer (mariné au poivre Wayanad, pressé de choux et de coings, jus de chevreuil iodé et clémentine Corse) * the venison was amazing but I barely ate the cabbage side.



Pre-dessert / palate cleanser: some sort of citrus ice-cream

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Girlfriend had the "white mille-feuille" for dessert (crème légère à la rose de Damas, confit au pamplemousse)

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My dessert: LE CHOCOLAT PIC (crème onctueuse et biscuit chocolat, confit au limequat du Mas Bachès, glace infusée au sobacha) * one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever had