michelin star | Sugared & Spiced

2014/03/172015/08/05

[Paris] JIN 仁

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JIN

Add: 6 Rue de la Sourdière, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 61 60 71
Hours: [Mon-Tue] 7~9:30pm [Wed-Sat] 12:30~2pm, 7~9:30pm
Price: [lunch/sushi only] €65 [tasting menu/omakase] €135
Tasted on: Nov 2013

Opened in early 2013 and already awarded one Michelin star, JIN is a very special place that, as far as I know, occupies a niche shared by no others here in Paris. This sleek sushi bar, tucked away on a quiet street just off rue Saint-Honoré, focuses all attention on chef Takuya Watanabe and the exquisite little bites that emerge from his work station, in plain view of all guests seated at the bar.

The omakase tasting menu (available for lunch and dinner) is priced at €135, while the sushi-only menu (available for lunch only) is €65. I have always loved the concept of omakase, leaving the chef to select the best from his repertoire according to the freshest available ingredients.

But first, a bubbly flute of 大吟醸スパークリング ARROZ (Daiginjo Sparkling Arroz) from sake manufacturer Bunraku of Saitama, Japan.

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2014/03/152015/08/05

[Paris] Le Sergent Recruteur

paris

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Le Sergent Recruteur

Add: 41 Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 43 54 75 42
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 12:30~13:45pm, 7:30~9:45pm (closed Sun & Mon)
Website: www.lesergentrecruteur.fr
Price: [lunch] €75 [dinner] €95 or €145
Tasted on: Mar 2014

We were looking for a casual dinner place near Île Saint-Louis, and as a half-hearted last-minute decision, I made a reservation at Le Sergent Recruteur, vaguely remembering good reviews about this restaurant. Upon entering, we quickly realized that this wasn’t going to be a simple evening – the decor, the service, and the ambience were all a bit too posh to be called casual. As dishes began appearing on our table before we even set eyes on a menu, we found out that the whole affair was going to be “carte blanche”, and what’s more, the restaurant has recently been awarded one Michelin star in the newest 2014 guide. Well then…

For those who aren’t already familiar with “carte blanche”, the idea is that the chef will design a no-choice tasting menu that best showcases his cooking. Handling the kitchen at Le Sergent Recruteur is chef Antonin Bonnet, who previously trained under the famed Michel Bras. As we were to discover throughout the evening, his cooking style is light and fresh, focusing on coaxing the best out of his carefully sourced ingredients.

Price-wise, the carte blanche lunch is set at €75, and dinner €95 or €145 depending on the number of dishes. Our €145 menu, which turned out to be an elaborate meal filled with many pleasantly surprises, commenced with crème de panais et radis de la ferme, pétales de Paquerettes – parsnip cream with farm radish and daisy petals.

Jus de pamplemousse, pomme, carotte, orange, citron et gingembre – juice of grapefruit, apple, carrot, orange, lemon, and ginger.

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2013/05/312015/08/05

[Paris] Cobéa

paris

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Cobéa

Add: 11 Rue Raymond Losserand, 75014 Paris
Tel: +33 1 43 20 21 39
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 12:15~1:30pm, 7:15~9:30pm
Website: cobea.fr
Price: [lunch] €44~105 [dinner] €70~105
Tasted on: May 2013

Opened near the end of 2011 and soon awarded a Michelin star, Cobéa is a collaboration between two friends – Jérôme Cobou the host and Philippe Béllissent the chef. The cuisine is contemporary French fine dining, with a style that’s delicate and light-hearted like a breath of fresh air. Served with passion and pride, sans any haughty attitude.

Dinner menu choices include 4 courses (€70), 6 courses (€85), or 8 courses (€105), while lunch starts at €40 for 4 courses. The menu is fixed and changes about every 6 weeks.

For the hands.

Amuse bouche #1: fried shrimps with coriander and Iberico ham.

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2010/10/012015/09/01

[Shanghai] Yi Long Court 逸龍閣

restaurant

Yi Long Court 逸龍閣

Add: 2/F, The Peninsula, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu / 中山東一路32號半島酒店2樓
Tel: 2327 6742
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 6~10:30pm [dim sum brunch] 11:30am~2:30pm (Sat & Sun)
Website: http://www.peninsula.com/Shanghai/
Price: [lunch] 250 RMB [dinner] 400 RMB
Visited: Oct 2010

Restaurant Week stop #6: Yi Long Court at The Peninsula. After a wonderful Restaurant Week lunch at Sir Elly’s, I was under the impression that quality at The Peninsula is not compromised by the 118 RMB price tag and decided to give Yi Long Court a try. The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine by China’s Michelin Star winner Tang Chi Keung, who was until recently with The Peninsula Tokyo and also served as Chinese Executive of The Peninsula Hong Kong in earlier times.

Lunch here started with dim sum combination (逸龍閣點心拼盤), which includes a shumai, a shrimp dumpling, and a vegetable dumpling. The shumai was excellent in both taste and texture, it’s apparent that the ground pork was of good quality. The shrimp dumpling, on the other hand, had a soft and mushy skin, and the vegetable dumpling on the bland side.

Soup dumpling with shark fin (古法魚翅灌湯餃). Again, lackluster in flavor.

Braised eggplants with minced pork and conpoy (瑤柱肉嵌茄子), a dish worth acclaiming. The eggplants were perfectly braised – not too soft, not too firm, with mouthwatering flavors from minced pork and conpoy.

Braised seasonal vegetables in chicken broth (上湯時令蔬), well executed and presented as nicely as braised vegetables can be presented. The light but flavorful chicken broth was slightly thickened with cornstarch so it adheres to the perfectly cooked leaves.

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