[Shanghai 上海] Tai’an Table 2.0 泰安門 2.0

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Tai’an Table

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Website: www.taian-table.com
Hours: Tue-Sat 6pm-12am
Price: 1088/10 courses, 1388RMB/14 courses
Visited: Feb 2017

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

I’ve written about Stefan Stiller’s Tai’an Table last April when this hidden restaurant first opened (click here to read), and it wasn’t long before it was awarded a Michelin star. To everyone’s surprise, however, Tai’an Table got shut down the very next day due to license issues, officially making it the shortest-lived Michelin restaurant in history. Talk about being dramatic.

去年四月泰安門剛開時,我曾寫過這家地址和電話都不公開的隱藏餐廳(沒看過這篇的人可以點擊這裏閱讀)。由德國名廚 Stefan Stiller 親自把關的創意料理在開業不久後獲得了米其林一星,整個團隊開心地喝香槟慶祝,卻沒想到得獎第二天就因爲證照不全而被迫停業,成爲史上壽命最短的米其林餐廳。

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But the incident turned out to be positive after all, as Tai’an Table got unprecedented media attention from both in and outside of China, including majors ones like the BBC. They quickly got reorganized and opened Tai’an Table 2.0 last December, at a new location near the intersection of Zhenning Lu and Xinzha Lu. Let’s take a look.

不過塞翁失馬焉知非福,泰安門因此上了不少國內外的大小媒體(包括英國 BBC),反倒打響了餐廳的名氣。去年 12 月他們整裝重啓,將泰安門 2.0 開在了鎮寧路新閘路口附近的巷弄裏。

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Keeping the design from version 1, Tai’an Table 2.0 is an open kitchen surrounded by 22 bar seats, with two tables of four on the side.

沿襲一店的設計,這裏有環繞著開放式廚房的 22 個座位以及兩個 4 人卡座,坐滿也只有30個位子,走的是精致路線。

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On the second floor, there is a bar in collaboration with Leroy Champagne – a nice place to have an aperitif while taking a sneak peek at the kitchen below through the slender windows.

二樓還有個和 Leroy 香槟合作的酒吧,可以餐前來這裏喝一杯,也可以透過窗戶看到樓下廚房的動靜。

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[Kyoto 京都] かね井 Kanei

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かね井蕎麦 Kanei

Add: 11-1 Murasakino Higashifujinomoricho, Kita Ward, Kyoto
Tel: 075-441-8283
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-7pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 1,500-2,000 yen
Visited: Aug 2016

I didn’t plan to go to any Michelin restaurants this time in Kyoto, but as I was sorting out the itinerary, I noticed that there’s a one Michelin star soba restaurant near Daitokuji Temple which we planned to visit, so I decided to drop by for a taste. After getting off the bus in the nearest station, we walked for another 7-10 minutes in the scorching sun, eventually arriving at this humble-looking restaurant with a tiny sign that says “かね井” (Kanei), so small that it’s definitely missed unless by those specifically looking for it.

這次京都之行沒有特別安排豪華的米其林餐廳,不過在規劃行程時發現想要造訪的大德寺旁有一家米其林一星的蕎麥麵,決定順道去嚐一嚐。從公車站下來後冒著大太陽走了10分鍾左右,來到這間樸素的餐廳,外面挂著一塊不特別留意的話絕對看不到的小小招牌,上面寫著かね井(發音:kanei)。

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Upon entering the shop, I noticed that there are only about 16 seats inside, and even though it wasn’t even noon time yet, every seat has been taken. The owner lady quietly came over and said rather apologetically – I’m afraid you will have to wait for about 1 hour or so for a table. Well then, we shall wait.

推門入內,發現店裏只有16個左右的位子,所有人盤腿而坐在榻榻米上安靜地吃著麵。我抵達時才12點不到一些,不過店裏已經完全客滿了,前面還有兩位客人在等位。老板娘略帶歉意的說,可能要等一個小時哦。哎呀,那就等吧。

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In this small Japanese building of over 80 years old, the husband Toshio Kanei is busy manning the kitchen, while the wife takes care of the customers out in the front. There’s no air-conditioning even in the summer heat, only a small fan quietly doing its job; There is a small backyard garden, simply and elegantly decorated with a goldfish bowl, and a traditional Japanese wind bell making beautiful sounds with each breeze. The air is quiet, so quiet that everyone automatically lowers their voice as they enter the space.

80多年的日式建築裡,老板在廚房裏忙碌著,老板娘內外走動招呼客人。沒有空調,只有電風扇輕輕轉動著,小小的後院簡單精致,擺了一個很有禅意的金魚缸,挂了一串聲音清脆的風鈴。靜谧的氣氛讓所有人都也不自覺的輕聲細語。

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We didn’t actually wait for one hour, though it was pretty close to it. Upon being seated, we were served some cold brew tea, and started browsing though the hand-written menu. Though the restaurant is one Michelin star, it is not significantly more expensive than a regular soba joint, with the price for each a la carte item to be around 950-1,700 yen.

其實並沒有等到一個小時(不過大概也45分鍾了)。老板娘爲我們倒上了冷泡茶、遞上一份手寫的菜單。雖然說是米其林一星餐廳,不過かね井的價格跟其他蕎麥麵屋的價格似乎差不多,單點的價格950-1700日幣不等。

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[Shanghai 上海] Tai’an Table 泰安門

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Tai’an Table

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Website: www.taian-table.com
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 6pm-12am (closed on Mon & Sun)
Visited on: Apr 2016

Rumor has it that Stefan Stiller’s dream has always been to have a small restaurant with an open kitchen cooking seasonal cuisine, and it seems like the recently-opened Tai’an Table is exactly that – a completely open kitchen, 20 bar seats, and one seasonal menu that changes monthly. No address, no phone number, just a reservation website. You go?

Stefan Stiller在德國曾擁有自己的米其林一星餐廳,也在上海開過精致的 fine dining 和閃亮亮的廚藝教室。不過,聽說大廚一直以來的夢想,其實是經營一家有開放式廚房的季節料理小餐廳。兩周前悄悄開幕的 “泰安門 Tai’an Table” 似乎是這樣的一個地方 - 完全開放式的廚房、20個吧台座位、一個每月更換的套餐;沒有地址,沒有電話,只有一個訂位網站。你,去嗎?

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Stiller is cooking in the kitchen himself, but has also hired Jeno Racz from Hungary to be his chef de cuisine. Racz used to work at Noma in Copenhagen, Robuchon in Singapore, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London, and more recently at a molecular gastronomy catering company called Bubble Food.

Stefan Stiller 除了親自掌管廚房之外,也請了來自匈牙利的 Jeno Racz 擔任 chef de cuisine。Racz 曾任職于哥本哈根Noma、新加坡 Robuchon、倫敦 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal、以及分子料理外燴公司 Bubble Food,履曆相當漂亮的他,一個多月前來到了上海。

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[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.

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.

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[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.

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[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

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