Archive for the ‘michelin’ tag
[PARIS] Sola
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Sola
Add: 12 Rue de l’Hôtel Colbert 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 29 59 04
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 7~10pm
Website: www.restaurant-sola.com
Price: [lunch] €48 [dinner] €88
Visited on: Nov 2012
There’s a small army of Japanese chefs cooking away in Paris. Their particular way of handling food, oftentimes a creative fusion between French and Japanese traditions, has garnered some notable acclaims here in the capital of haute cuisine. A few that have been Michelin-approved include Passage 53 (2 stars), Kei (1 star), Hiramatsu (1 star), and Sola (1 star). Having had a lovely lunch at Kei, I decided to give the rest a try as well, and Sola was chosen first simply because it’s within easy reach from home.
When making the reservation, I was asked if I prefer the “French room” or the “Japanese room”. Having no idea what each entailed, I chose the Japanese room, which I later found out to be located in the basement in a cave-like setting, where guests are requested to remove their shoes before entry. The French room, on the other hand, is just typical restaurant seating.
Like at Kei, guests are offered hand towels upon arrival.
[PARIS] Kei
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Kei
Add: 5 rue Coq Héron, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 33 14 74
Hours: 12:30~2pm, 7:30~9pm (closed Sun & Mon)
Website: www.restaurant-kei.fr
Price: [lunch] €45~75 [dinner] €95~118
Visited on: Nov 2012
Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, after 7 years of experience at Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athénée restaurant, opened his eponymous restaurant (awarded with one Michelin star) on a quiet street in the 1st arrondissement. The cuisine is nouveau French with a touch of Japanese influence, presented beautifully in an elegant dining room. Warm and attentive service, perfect pacing of dishes. Love, love, love.
One more thing to like about the restaurant is that while it’s quite small, the tables are set far enough apart to ensure personal space and privacy.
A warm hand towel upon arrival, how very Asian.
Kei offers set menus of four or five courses at lunch (45/75€) and six or eight courses (95/118€) at dinner. The menu doesn’t indicate what courses are included in the sets, and guests only get to choose between two meat dishes for the main course. My lunch date and I both decided on the four-course lunch menu, which started with a trio of amuse bouches. First, an iced shot of shiso, basil, and white balsamic vinegar. Sweet and slightly sour, it was a few refreshing sips that totally woke up our palates.
[HONG KONG] Caprice
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Caprice
Address: 6F Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3196-8888
Hours: 12:00pm~2:30pm, 6:00pm~10:30pm
Website: www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/caprice/
Prices: [lunch] 460~520HKD + 10%/set, [dinner] 1000+ HKD
Visited on: 2011-12-23
Caprice barely needs an introduction. The only French restaurant in Hong Kong with three Michelin stars, Caprice is led by Chef Vincent Thierry (ex-Le Cinq of Four Seasons Hôtel George V, Paris), who orchestrates a contemporary French menu around seasonal and imported ingredients, many air-flown in from France. All these takes place in surroundings of opulent gold, custom-made Swarovski crystal chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows, a spectacular vista of the Victoria Harbour, and a chandeliered open-kitchen as the focal point. Even the air smells elegant.
Caprice
Swarovski chandelier
Open kitchen
It is also worth mentioning that the maître d’, pastry chef and sommelier all have Le Cinq on their résumés. An impressive lineup, for sure.
Plating
[HONG KONG] Cafe Gray Deluxe
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Cafe Gray Deluxe
Address: Level 49, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3968 1106
Website: www.cafegrayhk.com
Hours: [Lunch/Brunch] Mon-Sun 12:00~2:30pm, [Tea] 3:30pm~5:30pm, [Dinner] 6:00pm~10:30pm
Price*: [Lunch] 295~355 HKD/set, [Brunch] 350+ HKD/person, [Tea] 345 HKD/couple, [Dinner] 675 HKD/set
*All prices are subjected to 10% service charge. A la carte orders available.
On my first day in Hong Kong, I had the perfect light lunch at Cafe Gray Deluxe, a modern European restaurant occupying the 49th floor of the chic Upper House Hotel. With a stunning view of Victoria Harbour as the backdrop and plates of style and panache brought forth by celebrity chef Gray Kunz, Cafe Gray Deluxe easily delights.
Cafe Gray Deluxe Entrance
Interior
A commanding view of the Victoria Harbour, I can only imagine how spectacular it must look after dark.
The view
The meal started off with fluffy mixed grain bread accompanied by a plain yogurt dip. Excellent.
[SHANGHAI] Lei Garden 利苑
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Lei Garden 利苑
Address: IFC Pudong, 3/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao, near Lujiazui Huan Lu / 世纪大道8号，国金IFC商场3楼，近陆家嘴环路
Tel: 5106 1688
Hours: 11:30pm-2:30pm, 5:30-9:30pm
Price: [Lunch] 150~200 RMB/person, [Dinner] 200~300 RMB/person
Website: www.leigarden.hk
Not in a mood to write much, but I finally had lunch at the famed Lei Garden and food was delicious as expected. Tips: make reservations at least a few days in advance and make sure you also reserve the 老火湯 (slow-stewed soup) when you call. Now on with the pictures.
Lei Garden
Interior
Dessert menu
Roasted Crispy Pork 冰燒三層肉，55RMB
Roasted Crispy Pork 冰燒三層肉，55RMB
[TOKYO] Ryugin 龍吟
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Ryugin 龍吟
Address: Side Roppongi Bldg, 1st Floor, 7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-0032
. 東京都港区六本木7-17-24 サイド六本木ビル 1F
Tel: 03-3423-8006
Hours: 6:00pm-1:00am
Price: ¥23,100 ($280) +10% service charge/set, drinks extra
Website: www.nihonryori-ryugin.com
Ryugin is definitely on the hot list. This kaiseki restaurant has been awarded 2 Michelin stars for four years in a row, has recently been ranked 48 in S. Pellegrino’s World Top 50 Restaurants, has garnered unanimously positive reviews on Chowhound and food blogs, and was recommended to me by two very serious food fanatics. I made a reservation almost 2 months prior to my visit, knowing how difficult it is to snatch a table at this highly regarded restaurant. I couldn’t possibly be disappointed, could I?
Update: Ryugin received its 3rd Michelin star in 2011.
Ryugin interior
Menu
Chef Seiji Yamamoto puts together a seasonal menu that changes daily. As far as I could tell, most tables were served the same set, though there was one table occupied by a frequent patron that had customized dishes.
Table setting
Table cloth, very nice texture
Dish #1: 100% Turnip Hot Soup with “Turnip and Fish” Ball. The soup was as clear as crystal but very expressive. The turnip and fish ball was delicate and fell apart easily at the spoon, and thin strends of yuzu peel added a refreshing touch to the dish.
Small Appetizer: 100% Turnip Hot Soup with “Turnip and Fish” Ball
Dish #2: Premium Monkfish Liver” from Hokkaido with Special Miso Sauce. This was absolutely mesmerizing. The voluptuous flavor from the monkfish liver was rich and decadent, while the accompanying vegetables dressed in apple vinegar delivered a gentle shock.
[TOKYO] Quintessence
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Quintessence レストラン カンテサンス
Address: 1F “Barbizon 25″ building, 5-4-7 Shirokanedai, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-0071
. 〒108-0071 東京都港区白金台5-4-7 バルビゾン25 1F
Tel: [Reservation] 03-5791-3715, [Information] 03-5791-3711
Hours: [Lunch] 12:00-15:00, [Dinner] 18:30-23:00
Price*: [Lunch] ¥7,875+10%/person, [Dinner] ¥16,800+10%/person
Website: www.quintessence.jp
Did you know that Tokyo has more Michelin stars than Paris? With so many fine restaurants in the city, choosing a few for a short visit becomes an almost impossible affair. Luckily, a foodie friend who spent her college years in Tokyo dropped me some names, and Quintessence, a Michelin three star restaurant serving modern French cuisine, was on top of her list. Why choose a French restaurant when in Japan, you may ask? The Japanese are known to have an obsessed admiration and appreciation for French cuisine not found in any other country except for France itself. The chef at Quintessence himself has worked as the sous chef at L’Astrance in Paris, and brought back with him all that he has acquired at the Michelin three star establishment.
Restaurant Quintessence
Quintessence is tucked away like a boutique on a beautiful little residential street in Shirokanedai, an area where rich ladies often gather for fancy afternoon tea. Apparently you should call at least 2 months in advance for dinner reservations, but lunch spots are much easier to get. Also, don’t be surprised if the line never gets through, as there is a large number of callers everyday.
A rather unobtrusive store front
The interior of the restaurant is sleek, simple, and sophisticated. My only complaint is that there are no windows in this restaurant, allowing no natural light even during lunch time. We were seated in the private room which was extremely fortunate, as they don’t seem to permit photography in the main dining room.
Table setting
Different types of marble stones for each guest
Quintessence offers no prefix menus. The dishes change everyday based on seasonal products that are available on the market, and never does the restaurant use yesterday’s materials for today’s meal. Having read about this from other restaurant reviews, I was taken by surprise when the waiter asked whether we wanted Japanese or English menus. Wait…you actually have menus for me to read?
The menu
Upon closer inspection, the menu actually only describes the concept of the restaurant but doesn’t tell you exactly what you will be served.
