Wandering the globe with Gourmet Lee

2012-01-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

Les Cocottes, a Christian Constant restaurant

15-20 years ago, Christian Constant, a two-star chef at the Hotel de Crillon, left his post to go off and do other things. He spawned many of Paris' most creative young chefs who also opened their own restaurants. Eric Frechon had a little place in the 19th arrondissement before being awarded three stars at the restaurant of the Hotel Bristol. Yves Camdeborde opened the wonderful La Regalade, where he reigned for several years before going off to open the wildly popular Comptoir du Relais d'Odeon--always booked and always crowded. And Thierry Faucher continues to have success with his two restaurants: L'Os à Moelle and La Cave de L'Os à Moelle.

So much wonderful food and pleasure have all these chefs brought to the Parisian population!

Over the past 10 years, Christian Constant has taken over the 130 block of the rue St Dominique with his two restaurants with one star: Le Violon d'Ingres and Les Fables de la Fontaine. But in addition we find Café Constant and Les Cocottes. Violon d'Ingres is a palace of refined cuisine and Les Fables devotes itself to fine preparations of fish. Cafe Constant and Les Cocottes are more casual restaurants where you will get wonderfully prepared French bistrot food.

Today I had a wonderful lunch at Les Cocottes. This is a very popular neighborhood restaurant which doesn't take reservations and is very crowded at the peak hours of lunch and dinner. One sits on stools at the bar or at tables behind the bar. The walls are decorated with shelves housing Constant's many cookbooks, bottles of wine, cocottes to purchase, jams. The menu is simple yet extensive with salads, verrines, cocottes appetizers and cocottes plats principals . The dessert list is long and full of delicious choices. The food served is beautiful to look at and tasty to eat.

I started with the appetizer of the day: a cocotte of oeufs brouillés with truffes. This was rich and flavorful and served with two long feuilletés with which to dip in the eggs and savor. Next came a perfectly prepared magret de canard smothered in chervil and served with a lovely jus, purée of patates douces and gaufrettes--beautiful house-made potato chips. I chose a light Burgundy wine to go with the eggs and the duck.

No one can resist dessert and although there was a lovely moelleux au chocolat that day, I opted for the fabulous tarte au chocolat de Christian Constant served with a bit of crème chantilly and caramel. The tarte was not fabulous: it was sensational!

No wonder this place is as popular as it is. So as to avoid the line at dinner, I would recommend skipping lunch and getting there at the beginning of the service. But don't put it off. Hurry to Les Cocottes and you will not be disappointed.

Walaku: Authentic Bento Restaurant; Kissaten (tea salon)

2012-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

I learned about Walaku from a friend and then saw a little article about it in the free magazine that we can get in the metro. It is the lunch restaurant of the 1 star Japanese Teppanyaki palace, Aida, which I must try soon. Walaku was the perfect place to go with my friend, Noriko.

We spent a lovely 90 minutes in the heart of Japan. This is an authentic fancy lunch place with wonderful service and excellent food. To start was a savoury chestnut ball sitting in a delicate vegetable broth. After that came a lovely two-tiered bento box with lobster, sea bass, sashimi of flounder clothed with silky sea urchin roe, beautifully prepared vegetables and egg. The second tier was comprised of delicious roast beef and a wonderful fresh salad.

Walaku is a tea salon for most of the day, and the teppanyaki grill is used so that the chef can create the different desserts in front of you. The specialty is dorayaki which is usually a "hamburger" of delicate cake layers filled with red bean paste. However, theirs has the delicious edition of apple pieces and marscapone cream. It reminded me of a wonderful home-made dorayaki that I had in Kurokawa Onsen in Fukuoka, Japan. In a few tastes, I was transported back there and said to myself that I must return soon. After the dorayaki came a lovely fruit gelee surrounding a bit of white bean paste. A perfect ending to an excellent lunch.

Walaku is open from Wednesday through Sunday. For the bento lunch, it is necessary to reserve but for the salon de the, no reservations are necessary.

Sot L'y Laisse

2012-01-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

A Japanese chef who worked with Paul Bocuse in Tokyo moves to Paris and opens his own little jewel of a restaurant he calls Sot L'y Laisse.

Sot L'y Laisse is a tender cut of chicken that the stupid throw out. This is what the phrase literally means and what the chef named his restaurant. The little bit of tender chicken is hidden in the wing. I remember the wife of a 3-star French chef explaining this to me as I asked her what it meant when I saw it on their menu.

Three months ago, Eiji Doihara (who worked at Paul Bocuse in Tokyo) opened his own restaurant on a quiet street in the 11th arrondissement. There was a buzz about it right away.

I went there for dinner with my friend, Eric, and we were able to sample a number of excellent dishes on the menu. Of course, I ordered the sot l'y laisse which were prepared in a cream sauce with wild mushrooms. Eric when for the ventreche (stomach) of albacore tuna, cooked rare and served with pesto.

I saw that there was Cote de veau de lait on the menu and I asked Eric if he would order that with me. Alas, he is not a big meat eater. I was very happy when the server told me that they could prepare the dish for one. It was fabulous: a thick chop of milk-fed veal served with gratin dauphinois, a potato dish slowly baked with cream until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown. This was a lovely dish. Eric had a lovely cabillaud dish with vegetables flavored with orange. Also on the menu was duck breast, a turbot dish and a tempting crépinette de pied de porc au foie gras et lentilles.

With our meal we were able to order glasses of wine and I chose two Burgundies: a white Macon for the first course and a red from the South of France for the veal. We felt sated after we ate the two courses, but decided to share a dessert as so many of them were appealing to us. We opted for a light compote de poires (actually a gelée of pears) with a coffee mousse. It sounds odd but it was very delicious.

The restaurant serves a reasonable three course lunch priced at 26 euros, and the menu changes with the season.

Best Pizza in Paris

2012-01-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Pizza Chic in the classy neighborhood of St. Germain des Près, is a classy pizzeria--not a pizza joint. It is open 7 days a week and the pizzas are terrific. The decor is lovely with jet black tables and pristine white tile walls. The pizzaoli and oven are on view and I chose a table right in front of the oven so I could watch the action.

The menu is a basic pizza menu but the pizzas are far from that. I had the sumptuous pizza prosciutto: mozzarella, cherry tomatoes that are cooked and then covered with arugala and draped with a myriad of thin slices of prosciutto. Worth its weight in gold. Prices are steep for pizza (mine was 22 euros). There are classic Italian desserts and excellent wines and coffees. I can't wait to go back.

Two Parisian Newcomers

2011-12-07T02:23:00.001-08:00

Two superb new (moderately priced) Parisian restaurants not to be missed: Septime and Néva Cuisine

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! That is what I wrote in my journal about every dish I had at Septime. In four short months, Bertrand Grébaut's addition to Parisian restaurants has become swamped with calls. He is definitely a chef with a stellar career ahead. Formerly, Grébaut worked at Arpège and then opened his own Agapé where he earned one Michelin star at the age of 27. Before opening Septime, he took a year's sabbatical in Japan in order to hone his taste buds and skills. The lunch menu is a mere 26 euros for three delicious courses (including wine or bottled water). You can accompany your meal with a choice of organic wines. At night, the menu is more elaborate and includes a five-course "chef's choice" for 55 euros. Prices are extremely reasonable for this caliber of food.

My friend, Gaby and I went there for a simple yet spectacular lunch in mid-July. Velouté de haricots verts, pêche (blanche) et sésame started off the meal. This was a lovely mousse de pêche shaped like a peach with toasted sesame seeds, white peach slices and pourpier (a succulent green) as garnish in a wonderful green bean soup. Gaby chose a lovely lentil salad with toasts, panoufle, and eggs that was light and flavorful. (Panoufle is a juicy part of the lamb belly and a favorite cut of the chef.) We were both tempted by the same main course: grilled baby duck with eggplant, caramelized endives and a purée of eggplant. The house wine was delicious. To close the meal we each had a dark chocolate mousse with a whipped coffee cream and a mint sorbet. What a superb luncheon for such a small price.

A second visit for lunch showed that the kitchen is consistently excellent, the food creative and delicious and the service friendly and efficient. The staff seems to be very happy to be working in such a well-received restaurant.

Dinner is more elaborate with more courses and costs 55 euros.

I can always count on my dentist, Dr. Marzouk, to steer me to a good place. Recently, he wrote to me about Néva Cuisine. Written up in Le Monde, it has already developed a good following.

The room is inviting and the service very friendly. On the evening I went there with my friend, Eric, I chose a very rich but delicious meal. The menu is 34 euros for three courses without beverages. I started off with Gnocchetti al verde, St. Jacques, émulsion parmesan. The parmesan cream with the baby scallops was nothing short of a miracle. The flavors married beautifully but the gnocchetti made the dish a bit too heavy.

As there were sweetbreads (ris de veau) on the menu, I unfortunately could not resist. Perhaps this sounds strange to you but I do adore the way the French prepare this dish. The sweetbreads were crisp on the outside and creamy within and served with a sauté of wild mushrooms.

Eric skipped the appetizer and went right for a dish of fresh flash-grilled scallops with grilled cèpes flavored with tonka seed--a flavorful bean that is often ground and added to chocolate. It has been used as a substitute for vanilla. The tonka added an exotic flavor to the perfectly prepared scallops.

I could not resist an incredible dessert (after watching the show at a neighboring table): La Sphère déstucturée chocolat Samana pur origine ananas confit aux épices douces. Please see my review of Alinea for a terrible version of same.

To the table came a large dark chocolate sphere but this time, it was filled with ice cream, bits of cookies, pieces of pineapple in dark chocolate and whipped cream. The waiter poured a wonderful warm dark chocolate sauce over it. The sphere fell apart into its delectable glory. It was spectacular. Eric chose the dessert of the day which was a wonderful baba au rhum with a small bowl of whipped cream on the side.

What a delight that so many creative young chefs in Paris are forging their way to become the next starred restaurants. I have a feeling that Grébaut of Septime will have a Bib Gourmand and then a star before too long.

Spring!!

2011-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, a friend from Tokyo read a review in Japanese Elle about the restaurant, Spring. She called from Japan to make a reservation and had great difficulty securing a table--so in demand was this restaurant. She had to book very far in advance but with this reservation, she asked if I wanted to join her. Always interested in tracking down new desirable places, I was happy to accompany her.

I could not have been more disappointed. The restaurant had just 16 seats and was not separate from the kitchen. There was no wait staff to speak of. There was a set menu but each dish was prepared individually so that the time between courses was excruciatingly long. That night, it was particularly hot and unbearably humid in Paris (it was mid-July) and all I could think about was air conditioning. And to top it off, the food was over-salted and difficult to eat. I said to myself that sometimes fad restaurants are just hype. This was certainly a place to avoid.

Fast forward 8 years and I noticed a rave review of Spring in a reputable travel magazine. Spring had just moved to new beautiful quarters near the Louvre. Yes, it is hard to book, but the article had nothing but praise for Spring's chef, Daniel Rose (from Chicago) whose creative and smooth touch with ingredients make magic on the plate. I said to myself that perhaps things had changed over the years and decided to try it again.

Friends were coming in from the states and I thought this would be the occasion to go there. Once I made the reservation, I was asked for my email address and was put on a very special mailing list.

Even before the dinner, I received a message about a "lobster sandwich afternoon". I have such fond memories of going to a north shore suburb of Boston to a particular crab shack on the beach where I could get the best lobster roll in the world: meaty and juicy lobster, just a hint of mayonnaise, some celery and a buttered doughy toasted hotdog roll--pure bliss!

I signed up for the Spring Lobster Sandwich Day and was not at all disappointed. Although the atmosphere was no shack on the beach, the caliber of the roll was up to par. And with it, came the most delicious frites a la graisse d'oie (fries made in duck fat). This was heaven on earth. Daniel went around the room later and offered us pieces of his delicious tarte fine aux pommes. The atmosphere was fun and friendly and the meal an A+.

Needless to say, I was very excited to go to Spring for the real deal. Again, the kitchen is in the room but the tables are well spaced. The decor is modern and sparse, the room comfortable and the atmosphere quiet and refined. Staff is ubiquitous and proud of the food they are serving. There is a set menu of five courses for 75 euros.

Our meal was beautiful, well balanced and flavorful--such a difference from my first experience which had faded far into the background as soon as the first small dishes appeared at our table. Home made rolls came with herb butter and accompanied the several petites amuse-bouches that we were immediately served.: seabream sashimi with ashes of leek; wonderful grilled rosy basque shrimp; a small dish of crab, grapefruit and slivers of rye toast; celeri rave and black truffle in truffle broth.

Our first course was raw and fried oyster (superb) in veal broth with mustard greens and crunchy radish.

Next came lightly seared scallops with watercress, turnip and fuji apple foam--a delightful combination of flavors and textures. With the fish we had a bottle of the lovely white Burgundy, Saint Romain 2010. (I was, alas, too involved with all the flavors to note the particular producer.)

This was followed by succulent agneau de lait: perfectly pink, perfectly prepared, perfectly delicious. Velvety foie gras was served with a confiture of quince and a cabbage crepe filled with foie gras. With our meat, I chose glasses of Nuits St. Georges Les Terrasses des Vallerots, Bertrand Marchand de Gramont.

For the sweets came several small dishes of fruits: pear compote with goat cheese sorbet topped with flecks of dark chocolate; clementine jelly with chestnut cream and a chestnut crisp; olive oil tartes and luscious caramel-pecan tartes. A truly splendid meal which was delightful from start to finish.

Spring hosts wine tastings either in the restaurant or in its shop across the street. At lunch during the week, there is a 12 euro peasant soup: full of chicken and vegetables in a heady broth. And then there are those spectacular specialty days when a particular dish is show-cased. I will be sure to attend those as they come up.

New York's Wonderful Per Se

2011-12-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

A few days before I went to Per Se, Sam Sifton wrote his last article as food critic for the New York Times and proclaimed that Per Se is the best restaurant in New York.

The other four-star restaurants in the city certainly deserve their stars and their renown, but I am going to have to agree with him about Per Se. I had the best meal there that I have ever had in the USA.

The restaurant has only 16 tables and they seat just 8 tables at the first seating, adding more tables 1 1/2 hours into the meal. As a result, the service is very attentive, and with so few tables, it is difficult to get a seat. It took me years to land an 11:30 am table on a Sunday morning and I was thrilled to be there. The welcome is warm, dignified and informal at the same time. The staff communicate the feeling that they are very happy to welcome you to what is bound to be a memorable experience.

The chef, Thomas Keller, worked in NY at Rakel over twenty years ago. When I went there, I "courageously" ordered rabbit and then dared to go up to him as he made his way around the diningroom. Not very successful in NY at that time, he then moved to the Napa Valley where he opened The French Laundry. This restaurant was considered the best in the country in the '90's. I went there in October, 1999 and even at that time it was a challenge to get a reservation. The meal was exquisite and delicious, and because I had come from Paris and the maître d'hôtel was French, I got to go into the kitchen and meet Keller. He opened Per Se in New York several years ago and from the very beginning has had nothing but praise and success.

Some of his signature dishes are on the menu: a small cone of smoked salmon tartare and crème fraîche to get you started, followed by the wonderful Oysters and Pearls: a sabayon of velvety pearl tapioca, filled with poached creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar. The textures and flavors make this dish a stunner.

Everything is perfect, from the variety of breads and butters to the unassuming way the wine is served. As I was alone, the sommelier showed me the "wines by the glass" list and we talked about the best choices for my meal. There was no pressure to buy a very expensive wine and those that we chose married beautifully with my dishes.

Next on the menu came the Peach Palm Salad which tasted like spring. It consisted of French breakfast radishes, baby herbs, Hawaiian hearts of palm, compressed apples and peach tendrils. Apparently peach palm is very rare: tender spears that grow out of the hearts of palm.

Long Island Striped Bass was a tasty and complex dish. The fish is wrapped in garlic sausage and served with a garlicky vinegar and creamy mashed potatoes--quintessential French food. After that, the succulent Poached Lobster garnished with honey-poached cranberries (which added some acidity), pumpkin porridge and seeds and black truffles was a total delight for the taste buds and the eyes. The dish was arrayed with a variety of colorful vegetables and herbs as garnish.

There were two meat courses: Wildflower Honey-glazed Pekin Duck with caramelized Mission fig, ravioli of toasted pistachios, and topped with a foie gras mignonette: an ode to autumn.

In fact all of the courses were so well-conceived, so perfect, that they took my attention away from the lovely flavorful wines that so harmoniously accompanied them.

The last main course before the myriad of desserts was an Herb Roasted Alysian Fields Farm's Lamb that came with navel orange confit, caramelized Belgian endive, a bit of bacon, almond and toasted cauliflower florets. Magnificent!

A small cheese course of local Kinderhook Creek's cheeses followed with garnishes such as San Marzano tomato marmelade, roasted eggplant, espelette (a spicy pepper from Southern France), and romaine spears.

Huckleberry sorbet and muffins with a red wine granité was a refreshing introduction to other sweets. Thomas Keller serves his rendition of S'mores which are not only superb but elegant, and Coffee and Donuts (irresistible cappuccino chocolate mousse with warm brioche donuts coated with coconut and sugar). There were chocolates to choose from, candies and finally, a popcorn sherbet with a white chocolate coating.

The meal, superbly paced and balanced, made me feel satisfied and happy--not overly full. Expensive as it was, it was worth every penny for the quality of the cuisine, the excellent service and the sublime food experience.

The maître d'hôtel had the chef (Keller was not in the kitchen this time) sign my menu and invited me into the kitchen to meet him and take pictures. They really did make me feel that they were as happy to have someone like me (interested enough in their art to come and appreciate a meal alone) as I was to be there.

The Chicago Diner--Meat-free since '83

2011-12-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

When I read about The Chicago Diner, I had to go there. My young friend, Gillian, accompanied me to a lovely, quiet, residential neighborhood with a main street and a very authentic-looking diner on one inviting corner. Meat-free and totally vegan, the diner serves up some of the best food I had in the city.

Brandon, the manager, was very pleased to let me keep the menu for my menu collection (destined to Harvard University's Schlesinger Library)and happy to hear my compliments. Gillian had the signature seitan corned-beef sandwich and I had a seitan beef salad. Both were excellent, flavorful and very filling. We drank organic wine and beer. Although quite happy and full, I could not resist the beautiful creamy carrot cake made without cream and cheese but with soy. It was as delicious as it looked.

This was a memorable experience and I will definitely go back there.

Alinea: Quintessential Molecular Cuisine

2011-12-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to land a reservation at Chicago's Alinea--probably one of the hardest reservations to get. It is the outpost for molecular cuisine in the US and is considered to be one of the very best restaurants in the world. The chef, Grant Achatz, famously survived tongue cancer, keeping his discerning palate. I heard him interviewed on "Fresh Air" and he said that despite the ultra modern-craziness of his dishes, first and foremost they have to be delicious.

Well, after spending three excruciating hours in the theater known as the Alinea dinner, I am not so sure. I can tell you that it is a place that you either love or your hate, and I hated it.

The staff is ultra-pretentious and behaves as though you are very very lucky to be spending the evening with them. Each dish is served with a show, which has been worked on by the various and sundry waiters and waitresses who try to charm you with their act. They go through all sorts of contortions explaining how difficult it is to make the sake that you are being served (sake that only Alinea seems to have), or the incredible use of grilled yuba (a tofu product that I had enjoyed in Japan several times-. At Alinea this yuba, entwined with over-cooked shrimp in a miso sauce, was tough, whereas I remember it has having a heavenly velours-like texture.

There is no menu because everything has to be a surprise, and of course, they know in advance the foods that "you don't want on your table", reciting them to you in the introductory act. That is when you have time to add or subtract the particular items that you don't like to eat. At the end of the meal, you are graced with a strange printed menu which has been tailored to your particular experience. It tells you the name of each of the 18 dishes you have consumed. Each dish, by the way, comes with a wine (some wines can be imbibed with more than one dish) or this "splendid" sake. I was falling asleep at the table and had to ask them to stop serving me the wine. (As a result, my menu had the names of only the 6 glasses of wine I had been served).

Here are some of the names of the dishes: Wooly Pig, fennel, orange, squid; Taylor Bay scallop, hitachino white ale, old bay; Lobster, Queen Anne's lace, huitlacoche, gooseberry; Lemongrass, dragonfruit, thai basil, finger lime; Snow yuzu.

I remember that Snow Yuzu was a thin lemony layer of frost that I was to lick off the side of a small dish. Other dishes required me to combine the different ingredients served and eat them in whatever order I chose. For one dish (inspired by Miro), the waiter placed about a dozen spoons on the table in a disorganized array. Each spoon had something in it, and I was to eat each thing. The lamb dish that was the main course, was the least creative and the best dish of the evening. There was also a bowl of white truffle oil that I liked very much. I just drank it up with a small spoon.

The last dish (the third photo) was a long and dramatic presentation. A chef in his whites came out to my table with several jars and vats. First he placed a clean cloth on the table and then spooned several blobs of different-colored fruit sauces on to the cloth. After that, he placed a large black hollow sphere next to the blobs and poured a canister of smoking carbon dioxide into the top of the sphere. He picked up the sphere, threw it on the table, and walked away. The black sphere broke into large and small pieces, creating a very artistic work. The carbon dioxide mixture produced morsels of pumpkin pie and other fall sweets, either cold or completely frozen. It was my job to spoon this bizarre and frankly awful symphony of bad flavors into my mouth. The black sphere, by the way, was made of dark chocolate.

Alinea is one of most expensive restaurants in the country--of that I am sure. When I thankfully left my table and got into the taxi, the driver asked me what I had had. My answer was that that is not the question to ask. The next time I want to go to the theater, I'll have a good dinner and then buy a ticket to a Broadway play.

Asian Restaurants in Paris

2011-08-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is a report of five different restaurants in the two Asian sections of Paris. Representative countries are Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, China. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of Asian restaurants in Paris, most of them terrible. However, if you land upon an authentic one (usually discerned by the length of the line outside), you have hit upon a jewel.

The first photo you see represents a luncheon offering of the soigné Lao Lane Xang 2 which is one of the few restaurants in the 13th arrondissement (the main Asian section of Paris) that has a pleasant decor, a Bib Gourmand, and elevated prices. It is not expensive, however. My friend; Françoise ordered the luncheon which consisted of three dishes and jasmine rice for 10,50 euros. She had a spicy Thai salad with shrimp and shredded green mango, a sausage dish in a lovely sauce full of tiny corn, an excellent dried beef salad and the rice. I ordered à la carte, and was not sorry. For a few euros more, I had a wonderful spicy angel hair noodle salad with luscious bits of chicken and whole shrimp. My main course was a Thai red curry with coconut milk and duck. Both of our dishes were truly delicious. The ingredients are fresh and of very high quality and that is reflected in the flavor of the dishes.

At this point in my life, I have been to several cosmopolitan Asian cities, and once outside the restaurant, I was struck with how much the street theater resembles the hustle and bustle of Bangkok or Hanoi or a city in China. People are milling about, selling their food wares on the street and moving in and out of the zillions of restaurants of all Asian nationalities that you can imagine. We went into Tang Frères which is the giant Asian grocery store chain to look at the food. I thought to myself that an Asian family could live in Paris and never eat French food--ever. For me, the myriad of things that we could buy was tantalizing and we made a mental note to return when we had more time for another lunch and a trip to Tang Frères.

With my new enthusiasm for the 13th arrondissement, I suggested to my friends, Pascale and Suzelle, that we try a place known for Dim Sum. Pascale had read about Tricotin 2 (Tricotin 1 is Vietnamese and Thai, whereas 2 is Chinese and larger), the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city and known for its steamed fare. I was game. It was a great meal. The three of us shared three types of dumplings and buns (i.e. bao and baozi), and although they were good, they don't hold a candle to the real thing that you can only get in China. We had pork buns, raviolis with shrimp and pork, and delicious duck and shrimp crepes with bamboo. The latter, with their interesting combination of ingredients were the best. Tricotin 2 is known for its soups and noodle dishes and my friends each ordered crunchy noodle dishes with various pork combinations. Later in the month, I went back and had an excellent sauté of seafood on the crunchy noodles.

The restaurant is huge and lacks for decor, but this is par for the course in most of the restaurants of this ilk. People go for the food and not to hang out in the surroundings.

I actually learned about the next restaurant on You Tube when a French chef in Paris was asked what places he really likes in the city. As soon as I heard about it, I had to try Wen Zhou which is on the rue de Belleville in the 20th arrondissement. This is an area that has a more varied ethnic population with Chinese and North Africans living side by side. After the famous morning market where one can get very cheap produce, fish and meat, we walked up the hill to look for the restaurant.

While on the quest to find THE Wen Zhou, someone told me that the word means Paris in Chinese, and several restaurants next to one another have the same name. The one we chose, Restaurant Wen Zhou at 24 rue de Belleville, seemed to be the place we were looking for. In any event, it was very good and very cheap.

I am on the quest for the perfect buns (baozi) after having fallen love with these delicious items when I was in China. The ones here, filled with spicy pork, were fantastic!! The place was a real find. People come in off the street just to pick up a baozi or two. At the tables, there is a full menu. I ordered hot and sour soup (known as soupe Pekinoise in France), and that was great. However, we were most taken with the dumpling-bun bar and so shared steamed shrimp dumplings (great) and steamed raviolis stuffed with pork, ginger and celery. Who could resist the enormous crèpe stuffed with vegetables and pork? It was folded in a triangle and big enough for three. A copious lunch for us all came to 20 euros. I can't wait to go back.

One of my friends recommended a Chinese restaurant near to Tricotin 1 and 2, called Hao Hao. This place is also very popular and serves authentic Cantonese food. That cuisine is my least favorite of the Chinese regional cuisines, but it is the most popular as it is not spicy. However, I was game to try it as I was told that real Chinese people love it.

Roland and I decided to share three dishes the night we went to Hao Hao. The menu is very long with lots of choices and when you are there you wish you were a regular and knew what the specialties are. I adored the salt and pepper fried softshell crabs. They were not at all greasy, beautifully seasoned and just delightful. Less successful was the mussel dish with a sweet and sour sauce, and Poulet Si-Chuan (Szechuan chicken) which was lightly breaded chicken served in a brown sauce. I think the thing I like least about some Chinese food is the fact that when cornstarch is added to the sauce it gets thickened in a way I find unpleasant and artificial. There are other dishes at Hao Hao which would not suffer from this phenomenon but the mussels and chicken were not those. Roland, however, liked everything.

On the way home, I walked along the main Avenue de Choisy and made mental notes of the places that had long lines at 8 in the evening. I was very curious about Pho Banh Cuon 14 which was very crowded, and asked my friend Sayaka if she would join me there. She told me that this place is truly authentic Vietnamese and has the best Pho in the country if not in Western Europe. I could not wait to try it.

I had a lot of Pho in Vietnam and it is a dangerous soup for me indeed, as usually there is a lot of cilantro in it. However, I never had a problem there, as I knew how to say "no cilantro please!" and had a card with instructions in Vietnamese. Here, I speak French and the staff was eager to help me out. The wonderful noodle soup is so authentic that I could not eat it. I can see that for a cilantro lover it is superb, but there was not just cilantro as a garnish that they could leave off (which they did), but the broth was totally flavored with that herb. I had to content myself with enjoying the other dishes we ordered, like the made-to-order egg rolls (without cilantro and safe) and the squid salad. Everything in this restaurant is of a high caliber and if you close your eyes, you are in Vietnam. I would go back there for any of the other things on the menu.

Japan is noticeably absent from this report but that is because it is the Asian cuisine I know the most about and one I have written about in this blog several times. I am always discovering new and wonderful places in Paris and will write about those at another time.

Two New Restaurants in NYC

2011-08-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

ABC Kitchen, the latest in the Vongerichten empire, is a terrific new American restaurant; and Robata ya, on a street in the East Village lined with Japanese restaurants, is an authentic Robata (grill) unlike any I have seen outside of Japan.

I can always rely on my foodie cousin, Jenny, for the best recommendations in NYC. She seems to be the first one in every new and interesting restaurant as soon as it opens. Her suggestion that we try ABC Kitchen on our last outing met with my great enthusiasm.

Unlike his other fancy French or authentic Asian restaurants, Jean Georges Vongerichten has opened a quintessential American which is supplied by local organic farmers. The menu is a simple but attractive list of the daily offerings and on its back are the names of all the different producers from where he gets his ingredients. A varied à la carte menu is easy to navigate and one can order a number of small tasty appetizers to share for a lovely lunch, or move on to the main course dishes which are more substantial. The list of wines is also representative of different regions in the USA.

Jenny and I had a delicious lunch of five appetizers and two rich all-American desserts. The stunning crab toasts with lemon aioli were spectacular. Jenny had had these at another meal and I was happy that she was up for trying them once again. We also had a dish of raw diver scallops with sea beans, serrano chile, lime and a salty succulent seaweed that I know in France: salicorne. roasted beets with home made yogurt could not have been more attractive or more delicious. Two more salads followed: Roasted carrot and avocado with crunchy seeds, sour cream and citrus (this one was a bit too sour for me), and a phenomenal sugar snap pea salad with parmesan dressing and fines herbes.

With this meal, I had a glass of a Handley Cellars Chardonnay 2009, from Anderson Valley, California.

We had been so "good" with our salads, that I suggested we splurge on desserts. I was not sorry. The all-American carrot cake with cream cheese butter cream was sensational, as was the rhubarb almond crumble tart with rhubarb whipped cream. It is no wonder that Jenny enjoys going back to this place again and again.

Several days later, I met another cousin, Becca at Robata-ya. As I am interested in all things Japanese, I was intrigued when I read that on 9th Street in the East Village, a Japanese restaurateur had opened several new places. I chose Robata-ya because I love the robata grills and they are few and far between outside of Japan.

When I reserved, I knew that it would be important to sit at the counter. So often in Japanese restaurants, sitting at tables is much less interesting and exciting than at the counter, where one can see the preparation of the food.

At Robata-ya, all the ingredients are arranged around the customer-side of the counter, and of course, the chefs are behind it. when you order, it is not unusual to see a chef jump on to the counter to reach the fish or the vegetables you have chosen. The food is then grilled, and the chef "hands" it to you when ready on a large paddle with a long handle (see photos). With our meal we had boxes of cold sake, and frankly, could not have had a more fun and delicious time.

To start, our neighbors at the counter recommended that we try the goma kanpachi which is sashimi of yellowtail (my favorite) dusted with sesame seeds. After that, we chose kaki karaage served in a lovely cool broth. This is a dish of succulent fried oysters and they are truly excellent. I suggested grilled corn on the cob, and a variety of grilled Japanese mushrooms. We had grilled el hire--dried stingray that you dip in mayonnaise. Our pièce de resistance was a whole grilled rainbow trout which was wonderful.

Ordering is made easier both because all the ingredients are in front of you and also because there are many photos in the menu itself. Informative as well as the recommendations from the other people at the counter.

As with all Japanese food, the meal was simple, beautifully prepared and practically fat free. So there was definitely room to order a light dessert: green tea ice cream with malt powder.

Robata ya is a wonderful place to go for a great meal and an amusing show. It makes dining out a lot of fun. I could have sat and watched the chefs jumping on the counter and serving the food for hours.

Boston: An Old Favorite and Two new Middle Eastern Gems

2011-08-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

The Daily Catch, a staple in the life of two old friends; Oleana and Sofra--two popular places in Cambridge, MA.

When Carol came to visit me in Paris, she told me about her favorite seafood place in Brookline, MA where for very little money, one can get perfectly cooked fish and shellfish. It is a casual hole in the wall and lots of fun. I knew it from my many years living in Boston before I moved abroad, and was eager to try it again. My next trip to Boston provided the perfect occasion.

We were all old friends that evening at the Daily Catch, and had to wait until a table large enough for all of us was liberated. (This is a "no reservations" restaurant.) Definitely "no frills", many of the dishes are made and served in the blackened bent frying pan in which they are cooked and this adds to the fun atmosphere of the place. Calamari is a specialty and we tried a cold squid salad to start. Ed and I ordered one of the specialties of the evening, written on the blackboard. This was braised monkfish with littlenecks, mussels and calamari in a spicy tomato Fra Diavolo sauce. It was served over black pasta. Susan and Carol both chose the sensational fluke which was sautéed with mushroom, fennel, sundried tomato picata and served over linquine. Eric ordered the signature calamari sautéed in a white wine, herb and garlic sauce and served in the fry pan. The wine was a simple white from Sicily and everything was very good.

There are three Daily Catch restaurants in Boston and this attests to the popularity and success of the place.

Oleana has been a big Cambridge fave for years. Middle Eastern food is served in mezze-sized portions and it is fun to order several so as to be able to taste many. Everything is fresh, beautifully presented and flavorful. The combinations are quite creative and interesting as well.

I also went to Oleana with my old friend, Richard, his daughter Sophie and a friend of theirs, Gemma. I was game to order many things, and as we were four, we were able to taste a variety of dishes from the menu. I satisfied my creative gastronomic yearning with round flat bread (lamejun) with pink crushed red pepper, grilled peaches, cubes of roasted Haloumi cheese and a beautiful green salad to start, followed by spinach felafel with tahini, yogurt, beets and crinkled watercress. Gemma and Sophie sprung for skewers of octopus and olive served with a smoked wheat salad and skordato (a garlic sauce). Richard had a dish of beautiful summer vegetable crudités and a warm Tuscan olive oil with green herbs and garlic. This was followed by spicy fideos (crushed toasted vermicelli) and chick peas with green chard and orange aioli. As the menu reads, it is truly inventive with a utilization of so many different ingredients that are not usually seen on Middle Eastern menus. We were seated in the atmospheric outdoor courtyard and had a thoroughly delicious and pleasant evening.

An off-shoot of Oleana is Sofra which recently opened next to Richard's wine store (Violette) in Cambridge. Sofra is a bakery, take-out, eat-in place where one can get a terrific lunch or afternoon coffee with pastries. The mezze there all follow suit from Oleana and there are a variety of daily offerings. The cakes and cookies are sinful and delicious.

The old friends I went with were two women I have known since I was a baby. That's the perfect definition of old friends. Janet ordered several plates of small things so that we (Carol, Janet and I) could all try everything. The seeded bread was wonderful. We had beet tzatziki (a mixture that is delicious and of a gorgeous purple color), pepper and spring onion salad; smoked eggplant with pine nuts; whipped feta with sweet and hot peppers and zucchini pancakes with yogurt. I had to have some espresso-hazelnut coffee cake (it was my vacation after all), and also an Earthquake: a chocolatey cookie with chocolate chips dipped in powdered sugar. The day this place opened, it took off. Despite the fact that there are very few tables and a small outdoor porch with a few seats, we had a very comfortable lunch.

Oya--a wonderous restaurant in downtown Boston

2011-08-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

In 2008, Frank Bruni, the then culinary critic at the New York Times, named Oya the best new restaurant in America. It has kept up its reputation. Below is my review.

Bruni said that Tim and Nancy Cushman, the couple who conceived of and run Oya, play two important roles. Tim dazzles and Nancy comforts. This description is correct. Here are two Americans who have nailed the preparation of creative "American style" Japanese food and who have created a lovely welcoming space in which to experience it.

(I say "American style" because it is only in America that you find such creative combinations for sushi and sashimi. The Japanese are 100% purists.)

For the comforting aspect, Nancy and her staff are available and reassuring to clients, going out of their way to make for a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. I won't go into the ups and downs of the complicated pilgrimage that I experienced getting to Oya. Just to say that I endured flight cancellations from NY to downtown Boston on a day when thunder was predicted on the east coast. Throughout the ordeal, the staff was attentive and helpful when I called (several times) to tell them my progress at the airport. It was unclear as to whether I would leave NY at all and I have to say that I was most upset about missing my reservation. So, when I did walk into the restaurant with my friends John and Phil, I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really there. And there was Nancy with the sake menu and her offer for us to choose our apéritif which would be on the house.

Nancy is the sake maven which is quite a title for an American woman. She has developed an extensive and beautiful list and we were able to try two excellent sakes with our apéritif and later with our meal.

Tim dazzles: there is no other way to describe it. Although there are hot dishes, this chef's menu is concentrated on the on sushi and sashimi offerings, which are totally unique and delectable creations. Each exquisitely fresh piece of fish is garnished with something miraculous. Tim conceives of the combinations, and the Japanese sushi chefs are in charge of the execution.

We were immediately served a wonderful sashimi of Kumamoto oyster with watermelon pearls and a cucumber mignonette. This was another house offering. After that, we were on our own to order to our hearts' content. Everything sounds so wonderful that we were relieved when our waiter offered to guide us to what he thought were representative and delicious choices.

We had a sushi of scarlet sea scallops with white yuzu sauce and yuzu tobiko. Tobiko are flying fish eggs and yuzu is a Japanese lemon and so its marriage with the seafood was lovely. Next came Kindai bluefin maguro (tuna) with soy braised garlic and micro greens. Another Kumamoto oyster came, this time in a tempura with yuzu aioli and squid ink bubbles. Needless to say these bubbles taste of the essence of the food they represent. Hamachi(yellowtail)-spicy banana mousse followed. Other choices were wild ivory king salmon with a spicy lemongrass curry sauce, toasted garlic and sesame; a lovely warm eel dish with exotic flavorings, and hamachi with ginger and a verjus (a special French wine) sauce and spiced chile oil. At the end, our waiter wanted us to taste the diver scallop with sage tempura, olive oil bubbles and Meyer lemon so he ordered it for us and it too was offered by the restaurant.

The Oya tasting menu is both extensive and expensive. We preferred and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the menu in depth and ordering many things with our helpful waiter.

This was a memorable meal. One would not find these dishes anywhere else--they come from Tim's heart and soul. I have been to American translation of Japanese restaurants many times, but this one WAS truly dazzling and one dish after another was surprising and wonderful.

Return to Bigarrade for a sublime gastronomic experience

2011-06-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Review of one of THE BEST restaurants in France!

When we arrived at Bigarrade, we knew we were in the right place: a warm yet dignified welcome. As I had been there several times, they knew me, but were pleased to see that I had brought friends from Los Angeles: Rusty and Joel.

I have written about Bigarrade before and could continue to wax eloquent about the creativity of the chef, the wonderful ambiance of the restaurant, the rhythm of the meal, and the delicious creations we sampled for the 3 hour meal. The chef, Chrisophe Pele, really outdid himself this time. And Philippe, the director of the restaurant and wine expert, was ready to pair wines (very reasonably priced) with the various dishes.

Everything was wonderful. The beautiful meal is comprised of small plates of both shellfish and flatfish dishes, exquisitely prepared vegetables, and finally a poultry or meat dish. Inventive techniques and combinations result in a myriad of wonders on the plate: clams that were blow-torched, paired with a fragrant olive oil and served with a knife plunged into the clam, making it easy to open; skewers of grilled mussels paired with a Japanese sweet mustard, karachi; spicy turbot broth with fresh peas and flowers; a beautiful piece of turbot with green mango and grilled peanuts; a just-picked stunning spring leek simply deep-fried like tempura; and finally a luscious piece of rack of lamb garnished with a bit of anchovy, succulent greens, tamarind jam and a paper thin leaf of squid. Desserts included a beet and wild strawberry granita; a shot of mango, mint and chlorophyll juice to drink all at once, lemon cream with a bit of kohlrabi; a delicious cherry ice cream with mushroom powder and a ginger wafer; a gorgeous dish of shaved coconut atop melted caramel; the requisite chocolate tart with sel de Guérande (a special salt from Brittany); etc. etc. and ending with luscious creamy dacquoise macarons. In all, there were over 20 small courses. The chef's creativity was not only interesting and mind boggling but also wonderful! Even the most far-out combinations were delicious.

Bigarrade is very different from many other ultra-creative restaurants I have been to. Here, things are delicious to eat first, and then amusing and interesting. One wonders where the chef gets his ideas, but one always wonders that with truly creative people. As the dinner progresses, the excitement builds and the diner is truly dazzled throughout the experience.

We were lucky to get a table right in front of the open kitchen. Joel, Rusty and I changed places so that we all had some time to view the preparation of our wonderful meal. The chefs were very focussed and quiet, and the kitchen was miraculously shiny and clean throughout the meal. After the lamb was served, the staff thoroughly scrubbed the stoves and counters and made ready for the creation of the desserts. 22 dinners of 20 courses are served in a perfect rhythm--like a gastronomic symphony.

I left Bigarrade thinking about the next special occasion for me to celebrate there. That is a sign of a great restaurant: leaving one with the desire to return.

Le Chateaubriand: The 9th Best Restaurant in the World: are they kidding?

2011-06-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Le Chateaubriand: A review of an established modern bistrot in Paris that is of world reknown.

I was amazed to read in the Herald Tribune that Le Chateaubriand, a restaurant in my neighborhood which I have always thought was a hole in the wall with a "genius" chef won a top mention on the annual San Pellegrino list of Best Restaurants of the World. Inaki Aizpitarte tops Robuchon, Gagnaire, Passard, Keller and many other brilliant chefs who create delicious dishes. His reputation over the past 10 years has soared and he is considered to be the one to watch and one of the best chefs in France.

After he received the award, I knew I had to see for myself, and the occasion of a visit from my LA friends, Joel and Rusty was just the moment to do so. Reservations are taken exactly 14 days in advance between the hours of 3 and 6. After a few busy signals, I was in. This was in contrast to the number one restaurant on the list which apparently receives 26,000 calls on the day reservations open. Destination dining is now the new trend.

We arrived at 8:30 PM which is early by Paris standards and we were surprised to walk into a fully packed house. We were rudely received and the waiter who led us to our seats reprimanded me for leaving my first instead of my last name to reserve.

A set menu consisting of three to four amuse-bouches followed by three courses, two desserts or cheese at 55 euros is offered. At least it wasn't more expensive.

The small appetizers started to arrive, and they made a special ceviche for me, without cilantro but with the fish marinated in blood orange juice. Nothing to write home about. Next came a bit of grilled rouget en tempura--not exactly tempura but rather the fish coated with crunchy puffed rice. The fish was good but the rice detracted from the dish and added an unpleasant texture and burnt flavor. Thin noodles in a parsley coulis on a bed of raw casserons (baby squid) followed. This combination didn't work although the squid was quite tender. An earthy soup followed. It was a duck broth flavored with anise and tarragon with bits of mushrooms floating on top. I liked this very much and thought it was a high point. For my friends, the anise flavor was too pronounced.

Two fish courses followed: raw mackerel marinated in white wine and then sauced with red wine and a variety of red berries (!?) and baby carrots; Bonite de St Jean de Luz (a type of tuna) barely seared with grilled fresh baby asparagus and fresh lima beans along with different types of crunchy seaweed and tiny rolls of cucumber slivers. This dish, although good to eat, was strange in its presentation with an unappetizing film of transparent seaweed on top of everything. It looked like some algae-covered detritus you might find at the beach. The mackerel, on the other hand, was both ugly and inedible. Finally, the savory part of the meal closed with a tough piece of beef that had been seared in tandoori and served with amaranthe leaves, braised Trébon onions and toasted grains. The presentation was quite unpleasant to the eye and likely so to the palate. The amaranthe leaves left a bitter aftertaste.

Desserts were very strange: first strawberries with a fresh pea purée and small fresh peas (the best of the three), and Cerise Sabayon which was a dish of beautiful macerated cherries covered with a sabayon and a few salty olives. The olives really didn't work for me and made it unbearable to eat the whole dish. It was topped with two pink wafers (they looked like pieces of ham) that I could not identify (see photo). The final "sweet" was a cube of repulsive, stringy rhubarb sprinkled with colored bits of Indian spices.

In general the food is extremely poorly presented and unpleasant to the taste. Nothing looked appetizing and it was difficult to find something that was good to eat. I was at first a victim of the hype and left thinking that the food was very interesting and not bad. In retrospect I realized that I had succumbed to the Emperor's New Clothes Syndrome. Who rates these restaurants anyway and who really can say what is the BEST restaurant in the WORLD? You would not leave Le Chateaubriand thinking, "I must get that recipe for the raw mackerel-fruit dish" and nothing was truly delicious. My friend Joel thought that the best things were the few grilled vegetables on the tuna plate. Although Le Chateaubriand is considered by some to be one of the best restaurants in the world and therefore the best restaurant in France, I heartily disagree.

Vietnam and Shanghai

2011-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Highlights of my February trip to Asia. The best restaurants were the ones that are not for tourists.

How will I abbreviate three weeks of eating all over Asia? I'll start with Vietnam where I discovered aromatic, flavorful and complex food everyday. I found that the best places to go are not the ones in the guide books. If you tell your hotel concierge that you are really looking for authentic cuisine, he will send you to simple and very cheap places where you will discover gastronomic treasures.

In both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, you can't go wrong with Nha Hang Ngon. Sitting at communal tables and perusing an endless list of wonderful dishes, you can just choose and be assured that you will be served something delicious. Of course, I have the cilantro problem but with the card I handed to the waiter written in his language, I had nothing to fear. Meals are cheap and excellent. The first night I discovered the restaurant was during the Tet holiday (Chinese New Year) which consists of 10 days of joyous celebration, dancing in the streets, riding around the city on noisy motor cycles and days off from work. I started with Banh Xeo which was a large and tender Vietnamese rice pancake filled with mung bean sprouts, shrimp and exotic lettuces, served with a spicy dipping sauce. The people who sat at the table with me lucked out with a half coconut that had whole fresh shrimps hanging off its side. I continued with Bun Cha Gio: vermicelli and fried spring rolls served with an herb and fish sauce. Next came gorgeous pork rolls that were crunchy with a sugar crust. You dip the rolls into an aromatic peanut sauce. Finally, skewered beef that also comes with its own wonderful sauce. Is it possible that with the New Year's supplement charge my bill came to $7.50 ??? I pondered this question throughout the trip.

In Hanoi, I also went to Nha Hang Ngon for lunch and had a regional dish: Bun Bo Hue. It is a flavorful beef noodle soup: the noodles are what makes the dish. With that, I chose Tom Hap Cuon Banh Trang. My waiter filled each of the paper thin shells with vegetables and steamed shrimp one by one. He was so grateful for the $1 tip I gave him that he offered me a tour of the restaurant. The atmosphere is very upbeat and fun. I could have gone to this place everyday.

The thing to get in Vietnam, of course, is Pho. It's full of cilantro but they can leave it off. A great place to go is Pho 24 which is an excellent chain where they serve Pho from morning until night. You can choose what you want to go into it and the chicken Pho is my favorite. This is the dish to have at breakfast (like croissants in France), but I could never get myself to eat it in the morning.

After ten days in Vietnam with the wonderful cuisine and variety of ingredients used creatively, I vowed to find some good places in Paris. Thusfar, I have come up with zilch.

Off to Shanghai where I have friends and also was lucky enough to find the Pei Mansion Hotel--a boutique Art Deco hotel in a lovely area. As I was only going to be in Shanghai for three days, I requested that the hotel organize a tour for me. Martin and Jimmy spent a day with me, during which we drove to the highlights and took lovely walks. It was unseasonably freezing and so it was hard to stay outside for very long, but I got enough of a taste of the city to promise myself that I would return during a future spring season.

For lunch, Martin chose to take me to a 5-star hotel (The Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel) where we had a veritable Cantonese banquet. The Chinese tend to order more than anyone can eat as this is the way they express hospitality. I am sure we had 20 dishes and of course, could not finish the lunch. There were spring rolls stuffed with shredded chicken, a baked turnip cake, savory and sweet dumplings. barbecued pork with a honey spicy sauce, fish congee (a rice porridge) with garlic, seafood soup, egg custard tart, pork dumplings, rice flour roll with shredded chicken and black mushrooms etc. etc. Martin explained that some of the dishes were excellent examples of the Cantonese style and ordered them precisely because he wanted me to try them. Foodie that I am, I tasted everything. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

My friends, Robert and Maria took me to the most famous dumpling place in China with branches all over the country. This is a very popular place and even with a reservation, we had to wait, but it was worth it. The name of the place is Din Tai Fung. Basically you order different types of bao (dumplings) and baozi (larger buns) that are filled with wonderful things like pork and vegetables, black truffle with chicken, just pork, just chicken, sauteed cantonese vegetables. You dip each into a vinegary sauce. It is hard not to eat them all. They are served in bamboo steamers and for the bao, you get about 9 per order. The larger baozi come in threes. It is not an expensive way to dine and is truly excellent.

During my travels, I met a Canadian resident of the city. She knew where to go and directed me to Di Shui Dong on Maoming Road. Speaking not a word of Chinese and going alone, I had no trouble finding the place and ordering as the servers were kind and patient and because the menus are a collection of photos of the dishes. This is Hunan style cooking which means very spicy. It was terrific and very cheap. I had Stir Fried Smoked Tofu with Hunan Beans and cayenne pepper--very hot and spicy. With this, I chose stir-fried roasted green beans, egg plant and smokey bacon. Rice cut the fire and I also chose Singha Beer with my meal and green tea afterwards. Two large dishes and drinks came to the equivalent of $14.

I can't resist publishing a photo of the stunning Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish that Robert, Maria, and I ordered at Song Helou on the Bund. For Valentine's Day we treated ourselves to a wonderful Mandarin dinner in this restaurant with a beautiful view. Other highlights were Stew-Fred River Eel, Four Oil Stewed Vegetables and of course, Steamed Bao with Mushrooms. And we couldn't resist the crunchy Pan Fried Bao filled with Pork. It was a beautiful and lovely way to mark my last night in Shanghai (for now).

My trips to Asia have always been very successful. I find that the people are kind and helpful and I enjoy experiencing the culture and discovering the culinary treasures. As I flew away from Shanghai back to Paris, I made a pact with myself that it would not be long before I took another trip to Vietnam and China (Shanghai).

Frenchie!!

2011-06-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

A wonderful new French restaurant that is greatly in demand. The limited menu is the brain child of a young and very creative chef.

I had seen Frenchie in the Guide Michelin and was interested because it had the "Bib Gourmand" designation which is awarded to restaurants where you can expect to get an inexpensive meal of excellent quality. I wanted to go there, but when I called and listened to the "reservations rules" I knew that getting a table would be a challenging endeavor.

Frenchie is open for dinner during the week and takes reservations during the week only from 3 to 5. I called, got through eventually, and just asked for the first table they had available. I was eager try Frenchie and thought of going alone, but when I told my friend, Adriana, that I had nailed a table in a competitive restaurant, she was game to join me. We had a delectable experience.

It is a small unassuming place with about 20 seats on a side street near the lively rue de Montorgueil: a shopping street bar none. The small youthful staff is completely bilingual and the chef, Grégory Marchand, worked with Jamie Oliver in London and in NY. He is creative and enthusiastic and creates marvelous dishes in his tiny kitchen with a window into the restaurant.

The menu, comprised of two choices of three dishes (plus a special foie gras torchon, agrumes) as a pre-appetizer, changes daily. They suggest that a duo order every dish so that everything can be tasted and tested.

The meal was thoroughly delicious and we had a wonderful time. First came fresh crab salad with preserved lemon and spring onions; sweetbreads with mushrooms and a wild greens salad. Both dishes were excellent, complex and beautifully presented. Our main courses were a beautiful rosy trout with lemon oil, wild asparagus and smoked baby potatoes and a thick piece of beef with carrots, ginger and beans from the South of France. It was best to start with the trout and have the beef afterwards--moving from light to heavier fare.

The cheese dish is optional and our night we skipped the wonderful blue cheese from Causses--in the south of France, served with lemon zests and amarena cherries. We wanted to go directly to the passion fruit tart garnished with caramel au beurre salé (made with salt butter) and the luscious and light panna cotta with an avocado purée and bits of chocolate pearls. Such a satisfying and exciting dinner.

The prices are very reasonable for food of this caliber (38 euros for three courses) as promised by the Guide Michelin and frankly, I can't wait to go back.

A Hidden Jewel in Bohemian Paris: Caffe dei Cioppi

2011-04-02T03:47:00.000-07:00

Just four months after Federica Mancioppi and Fabrizio Ferrara opened their tiny Italian lunch restaurant, it received the coveted Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. Fast forward two years and the restaurant is always filled at lunch and is going to start serving dinner as well.

I was thrilled to get one of the 17 seats in this tiny place with an open kitchen and a relaxed atmosphere. That day, Federica was at the stove and paused to talk to me and, yes, to have me taste some of her wonderful creations.

This is an authentic Italian trattoria with creative takes on old faithfuls, like the wonderful sausage and zucchini-filled lasagna. The artichoke risotto was spectacular: perfect consistency to the rice that had been stirred in an extremely flavorful broth.

The menu changes daily and there are several appetizers including interesting bruschetta, soups, salad plates; several main courses such as risotto, a few pasta dishes, and meat or fish offerings. The day I was there, Federica was serving a delectable Penne à la Norma with slowly cooked eggplant and tomatoes and garnished with ricotta salata--which is ricotta in its hard form. I had the perfect seat at the counter, and was able to see each dish as it passed from the open kitchen to the server's hands. The thick piece of tuna served on a beautiful bed of spring vegetables was greatly appreciated by the two men who sat at the counter with me.

There is a nice Italian wine list with whites and reds coming from all over Italy. You can also order wine by the glass.

I couldn't decide among the four wonderful desserts: a gorgeous strawberry tart, panna cotta with pistachio and blueberries, a bitter chocolate fondant that I know I would have loved, and the house specialty: Sbrisolana with a marscapone cream. I went for the house dessert and was transported to seventh heaven. The Sbrisolana is a large pie-shaped cookie made of almonds, sugar, flour and corn meal and after it comes out of the oven, it is broken into pieces. The "cookies" are crunchy, rustic and not too sweet. Served with the luscious marscapone cream, this makes for a wonderful end to the meal.

Come spring, they set up tables throughout the Passage de Saint-Bernard (where the restaurant sits--just off the rue du Faubourg St. Antoine) so it is easier to get a reservation. I was told that in the evening, Maurizio is the chef.

Three Japanese Restaurants: Sous les Cerisiers, Lai Lai Ken, Taeko's Restaurant

2011-03-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

Very different restaurants in conception and cooking style, Sous les Cerisiers, Lai Lai Ken, and Taeko's Restaurant are three of my favorites. In order, you can expect fusion cuisine, Japanese "Chinese" cuisine and home-cooking or katei ryouri.

Sous les Cerisiers means "under the cherry trees" and the name of the chef/owner, Sakura, means cherry blossom in Japanese. For about two years, she has successfully run this lovely restaurant that has all the touches of a small Japanese inn. The tableware is stunning and of the type you would see in some of the best kaiseki establishments. The room is beautiful and spare with a second room decked out with chairs that are decorated with costumes from the Opera! In addition, there is a cooking school.

For lunch, there are two menus. I went with my friend, Noriko, and we immediately found ourselves back in Japan. I had a lovely noodle salad with wasabi and wakame (a delicious seaweed) with fresh fèves (lima beans) and arugala. So delicate and well-balanced. Next came a steamed piece of succulent bass on a bamboo leaf with cherry-blossom salt. I don't know what that is, but it is good! It was garnished with musubi au gingembre or rice patties flavored with fresh ginger.

Noriko had shrimp tempura with arugala salad and tamari (soy)-sesame sauce: light and lovely.

We chose different desserts. Noriko had the Fromage blanc, sucre à la crème de marron et au thé vert and I had Sorbet orange et passion: that is, creamy fresh cheese mixture with chestnut and green tea cream; orange-passion fruit sorbet.

The atmosphere is refined and the prices are reasonable. At dinner, the menu is more complex and they have delicious sushi au foie gras as a specialty.

I love Lai Lai Ken. It is the first restaurant you come to when you leave either metro Pyramides or metro Palais Royale on the rue St. Anne. Unlike other popular restaurants on the street, this one is large enough to accomodate many people and there is rarely a waiting line. The restaurant serves Japanese "Chinese" food: gyoza, ramen, soba, curry dishes, etc. The menu is very long with many wonderful choices. The staff is efficient and pleasant.

There are so many possible ramen choices and my current favorite is 13b: miso ramen shisei--noodles in a miso broth flavored with ground pork in an extremely spicy sauce. It is red and gorgeous and if you like spicy food, is the thing to order. In the summer, they have hiyashi ramen shisei which is a dish of cold spicy ramen with assorted vegetables. They also have curry ramen and even curry yakisoba (sautéed soba noodles with curry and vegetables). Before I discovered the spicy ramen dish, I went for ebi yakisoba--sautéed noodles with vegetables and succulent shrimp. Other restaurants on the street serve this dish but theirs is the best: not greasy, full of shrimp, sprouts and vegetables. Sublime.

They have fresh crab in a salad and cha han (Chinese fried rice) with vegetables and shrimp or crab. And there are many sorts of donburi--hot dishes served on a bed of rice. But as I said, the menu is long and you are sure to find something that will tempt you. Most of the dishes are not spicy--I am just particularly fond of spicy food.

Lai Lai Ken is open for both lunch and dinner and closes between 2:45 pm and 6 everyday.

After years of hearing about Taeko's restaurant, and walking by it, I finally had lunch there last week--wonderful. This was a stand in the Marche aux Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement off la rue de Bretagne. In the early days it was quite small, and you could get katei ryouri (family style cooking) and look for a place to sit. Now you will find that it has expanded with both indoor and outdoor tables. There are many choices and all are lovingly prepared by Taeko-san and her staff daily. The restaurant is open from 12-6 everyday except Monday.

You can choose your own main dish for the bento (box lunch) which comes with rice and a variety of fresh and salads and beautifully prepared vegetables such as eggplant with chopped pork, glass noodles with tofu, spinach with sesame seeds (ohitashi). There is a sashimi plate and maki with either fish or vegetables. Moving down the menu choices, you will find about 8 donburi listed. Donburi are cooked dishes traditionally served on top of a bowl of rice. Taeko-san offers the savory grilled mackerel, sardines in a light spicy sauce, wonderful sautéed tofu in a tempura sauce, for example. All the donburi come with small portions of the day's vegetables. For desserts there are a variety of Japanese-flavored ice creams and green tea cake.

I chose boulettes de tofu aux crevettes in a bento and it was excellent. These were two fat tofu patties filled with fresh shrimp served along with the variety of vegetables I described and rice. I also ordered hijiki salad (a type of seaweed that I particularly enjoy) and had that as another side dish. Next time I will get a different bento or a donburi. (Can't wait!)

If you want to eat in the restaurant, Taeko-san will seat you and take your order. Everything is simple and authentic. For basic delicious Japanese food served in a picturesque locale, run, don't walk to Taeko's restaurant.

Some new bistrots in Paris: Philou and Le Petit Pontoise Aussi

2011-03-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

After a prolonged voyage to SE Asia and Shanghai, I settled in to my life in Paris with a bang: the discovery two new bistrots--one in my neighborhood and the other a new annex of an old favorite in the 5th arrondissement.

I read about Philou in Télérama, the Parisian weekly culture magazine and then saw that my favorite food critic, Gilles Pudlowski, named it "best bargain" of the year. It was precisely that and more. I took my cousin, Alyssa there for dinner and she said that it was one of the best meals that she had had in a long time.

The bistrot is very plain, cozy and full of activity, as it fills up quickly with an enthusiastic crowd. The service is friendly and the food just fine. We both chose the same menu, so it was truly like we were dining as guests in someone's home. We had Saint Jacques marinés au citron et pomme, Magret de canard, aubergine confite au miel, and shared a fondant au chocolat, granité au thé. The first dish, cold scallops that had been marinated in lemon were served with a lovely apple purée. Next came the duck breast, cooked to your liking and served with slow-cooked eggplant flavored with a bit of honey. Both of these dishes were prepared in inventively classic ways by which I mean they were not so far out as to be more complex than good, but also not prepared in the old-fashioned way.

Philou (the name of the owner and chef) recommended a wonderful Gamay Coteaux d'Ancenis 2009 and this went well with both our dishes. One can order wine by the 1/2 carafe or by the bottle.

Coming from the same family of die-hard chocolate lovers, Alyssa and I had no choice but to order the dessert I mentioned: the molten dark chocolate cake. Nothing fancy but it was served with a dish of tea flavored ices.

The three-course menu at Philou is 30 euros and it is a steal!

Every year, Eric and I celebrate each other's birthday by with one of us treating the other (birthday person) to dinner. It was Eric's birthday and he was in the mood for a nice atmosphere and a French bistrot that was open on a Monday. That is not the easiest thing to find so I decided to go back to Le Petit Pontoise which is open everyday. I wrote about this restaurant last fall.

"Lucky" for us, they got mixed up about the reservation so there was no table for us when we arrived. I say that we were lucky because we got to try their new annex, Le Petit Pontoise Aussi: same direction, different menu--the best of all worlds for me as I am always on the lookout for a new place.

We were seated in no time, and to make up for their gaffe, they offered us a lovely apérif and then we settled in to reading the menu. The Salade Océane was spectacular: lightly cooked scallops, grilled and de-shelled shrimp, smoked salmon and gravlax on a bed of mesclun. It was quite a copious appetizer.

I chose Filet of Sole Meunière for my main course and that is a wonderful and simple dish that never disappoints. Eric had Tournedos--the best cut of beef--classically served with a sauce aux trois poivres--a sauce made of three different types of peppercorns. The meat was excellent, but oddly enough for France, a bit overcooked and not rare enough for Eric. It was, nevertheless, delicious.

The Tiramisu au framboise (raspberry) was creamy, not too sweet, and lovely: a wonderful finish to an excellent meal. Both Le Petit Pontoise and Le Petit Pontoise Aussi have a la carte menus and are both authentic and classic bistrots that I highly recommend.

New Addition to the Kunitoraya Family: Kunitoraya 2

2011-01-23T07:29:00.001-08:00

Revisiting a favorite udon haunt and being introduced to the newest addition to its empire

I have already waxed eloquent about the wonderful udon restaurant, Kunitoraya (the first photo on this post) about a year ago. Recently, Kunitoraya opened another restaurant (the second photo on the post) that is quite fancy, serves wonderful food, and is about twice the price.

In both restaurants, you will get a wonderful meal and smiling service, but the first one is definitely a lot more casual and is in-and-out dining. The new Kunitoraya is, in general, a total dining experience with a lovely decor and the expectation that you will pass an agreeable moment at your table. And it is best to reserve.

For dinner, you can expect to see a variety of tapas as appetizers: Japanese salads, tofu in many different forms, raw fish with lovely sauces, etc. They even serve foie gras maison and also grilled Iberian sliced pork. In addition to the à la carte menu, there are a variety of prix-fixe menus that are served at both lunch and dinner--many of which are designed around the restaurants' own home-made udon. Here, you can choose among kakiage (sliced vegetables, meat, or fish that are lightly battered and deep fried); dishes served in hot or cold bouillon and dishes made to be dipped in a lovely cold broth. At the end of the meal comes the udon.

This Kunitoraya offers donburi at lunch. This is a bowl of rice topped with fish or meat in sauce. They also make their own very chic onigiri. These are usually triangular-shaped rice patties enveloped in seaweed and featuring fish, vegetables or preserved plums that are sold in 24-hour stores. The version here is quite beautiful: two large cubes of rice are served with the fillings in mounds on top. The seaweed comes as two leaves standing between the filled cubes. To add even more variety, two nabe are served (for a minimum of two people). These are Japanese stews and there is a choice of either pork and udon or duck and udon. The omakase (chef's choice menu) is quite elaborate and creative.

Don't forget to taste some of the delicious desserts: French desserts, I might add. I had a smooth crème brulée flavored with Ho Ji Cha (a grilled tea that I particularly like).

Kunitoraya 2 is a Japanese experience at Japanese prices. But if you go there, you can count on a delicious, memorable and very pleasant afternoon or evening.

Thoumieux and L'Ecailler--two classic restaurants

2011-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

I recently dined in two old faithfuls. Thoumieux has been totally reconceived by a multi-starred chef, and L'Ecailler will never disappoint.

Thoumieux is a classic restaurant with a solid reputation but I have always found classic French cuisine heavy and boring. The big news is that a Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège left his prestigious post at the Crillon (where he had two stars) to revamp Thoumieux. Working with the famous Thierry Costes (a terrific architect), he had the restaurant entirely renovated and he also thoroughly reworked the menu. Now they feature wonderful salads, modern fish and meat dishes and thoroughly delicious desserts. I went there with my oldest high school friend, Judy and her son, Noah and we had a ball. I started with a very classic French salad, le frisée aux lardons, but this time the lardons were ground into a paste that covered the bottom of the dish so every bite of the salad had a hint of smokey bacon flavor. Judy ordered a wonderful souffléed pizza (a big round hollow ball of pizza dough garnished with creamy burrata, olive paste, arugala and just-cooked tuna. Noah had a wonderful entrecôte served with creamy mashed potatoes. I opted for the scallops (this is the height of the season) atop a mound of truffled macaroni lightly baked in a cream sauce. We each ordered our own excellent glass of wine. Judy and Noah chose a red Bordeaux and I had a flavorful white Burgundy. For dessert was a just-churned vanilla ice cream topped with caramelized hazelnuts. A great meal for not too much money. The room is beautiful (one expects perfection from Costes) with beautiful art-nouveau light fixtures and a lot of atmosphere.

A few days later, I joined another childhood friend and her family to go to L'Ecailler du Bistrot. If you remember my post on Le Bistrot du Paul Bert, you will know what bistrot they are talking about. L'Ecailler is under the same direction as Le Paul Bert but specializes in fish and oysters and shellfish. I have been there many times. We started with the enormous Belons 000 (the lower the number, the larger the oyster) and they were a combination of succulent, meaty and delicate oysters with a wonderful briny flavor. After that, I had the tasty Coquilles St. Jacques d'Erquy coming straight from Brittany and served in their shells. We also had beautiful plates of smoked salmon with dill cream and interesting crab nems (spring rolls). Janet chose the simply grilled calamari served on a bed of delicious tomato-flavored rice. With the meal, we had a Puligny Montrachet from the reknowned Leflaive Vineyard which was amazingly delicious and reasonably priced. I feel lucky to have this place so close to my house. It is always a wonderful restaurant choice.

Some Great Lunch spots

2011-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

Some terrific lunch places, especially Laduree and Le Loir dans la Théière

I think that my favorite lunch place in the Marais is Le Loir dans la Théière (the Dormouse in the Teapot). The big specialty here is the enormous and light lemon meringue pie--served in a portion which can easily be shared by three. But there are also wonderful quiches (honey, gruyère and pine nuts; zucchini and goat cheese; cheddar and spinach). Excellent too are the omelettes (mint and fresh zucchini for example) and the club sandwiches. There are large and interesting salads and they also serve hot dishes which change daily. A favorite is the copious couscous which I have yet to try. This place is open everyday and always crowded so you can know that the quality of the food is superb as French people don't stand on line unless it is worth it.

A more elegant and expensive (well worth it) place is Ladurée which is truly a classic Parisian address. They have expanded to other countries and even have a stand at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Supposedly known for the macarons, I think that they have the best breakfast pastries in the world as well as superb cakes and chocolates. At Ladurée you can have beautiful, delicious salads, designer omelettes with truffles or morel mushrooms and elegant prepared dishes. Everything on the plate is superb and the prices are comparable to the quality: very high. I don't go there often, but every time I do, I am happy.

Go to Ladurée for breakfast and you will have your choice of freshly squeezed juices, viennoiseries (such as croissants, brioches and the flakey bretzels that are among the specialties) and a luscious café au lait, and like me, you will be transported to seventh heaven.

Two Delectable Restaurants with Good Friends

2010-12-21T04:50:00.001-08:00

Two restaurant reviews: Le 122 and Amici Miei. Both are terrific places and worth checking out.

When my cousin, Sarah, and her companion, Chris, came to Paris, the three of us went to two excellent restaurants. I searched in my favorite book: Le Pudlo and found a "heart throb" (one of his favorite critic categories) in the 7th arrondissement: Le 122 on rue de Grenelle. This is a lovely French restaurant designed by Philip Starck. There are three intimate rooms so although the restaurant feels small, in fact, it is quite large. We had a table in a nook in the rear which enabled us to watch other diners and servers and participate in the rhythm of the restaurant. The food is fine, and the three of us tasted many of the selections from the interesting menu.

The puree of celeri-rave, radis noir amuse-bouche was excellent. Black radishes are long and thin with a black coating that is removed when eaten. I love celery root and the combination was delicious.

I started with a magnificent feuilleté d'escargot aux champignons et beurre d'ail. This is a puff pastry with mushrooms and chewy delectable snails in a garlic butter. Garlic butter with snails is a classic combination but the addition of mushrooms modernizes the dish. Sarah had a royale de foie gras et velouté de topinambour: a duck liver custard with jerusalem artichokes--sumptuous. Chris had six beautiful fresh oysters--a perfect seasonal dish.

For our main courses, there was sirloin steak with a potato-parsnip gratin garnish. The parsnip added sweetness to the luscious potato dish. We also had a wonderful pigeon with cabbage and lardons and a potato cake with foie gras on top of some filo pastry. Thirdly was the very seasonal dish of scallops (the season runs from October to May and at this time of year, the scallops are meaty and flavorful) garnished with a creamy celery root with black truffles. Such elegant and fancy dishes in a restaurant where one doesn't have to take out a second mortgage to dine well is truly a wonderful treat.

After such a rich and lovely dinner, there was really no room for dessert but we did share the Moelleux au Chocolat, sorbet chocolat-passion which is one of my favorites. We were lucky that there was a 15-minute wait during which the moelleux was prepared. In that way, we could digest a bit and feel like eating dessert.

It was a sweet ending to an excellent dinner in a lovely atmosphere.

A few days later, we had to continue to celebrate, so went to my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant: Amici Miei. Such a terrific place! Sarah wanted me to order for everyone as I had been there many times before, but I had to consult with my friends. Here is our wonderful menu: Bresaola Pizza with arugala, slivers of parmiggiano, mozzarella (delectable); insalata (salad) of arugala and grana cheese; a wonderful spaghetti al pesto with mozzarella di bufala, fresh tomato and basil; Linguine alle vongole; Culurgiones al scampi, asparagi et granchio (handmade ravioli from Sardinia stuffed with spinach and ricotta and garnished with large shrimp, asparagus and crabmeat).

Everything was perfect (as usual). We ordered a wonderful mid-priced Perdera Argiolas Moria di Sardegna (rosso). We are definitely eating sports so we decided to share the ultimate chocolate dessert: il tartufo which is chocolate gelato topped with a dark chocolate sauce.

Anyone who comes to Paris would be thrilled and lucky to eat in this restaurant. Need I say more?

Nobu at the Ritz

2010-12-10T01:29:00.000-08:00

About one of the first fusion chefs: Matsuhisa Nobu.

Matsuhisa Nobu is a famous, creative Japanese chef who has made a name for himself all over the world. Opening his first restaurant in L.A., he went on to open others in NY, London, China and Japan and other locations. He studied in Peru and is one of the first chefs to create what we know as "fusion"--a style of cooking that melds the cuisines of two extremely different regions in the world--such as Peruvian with Japanese. He may have even invented the spicy tuna handroll as he often uses hot spices in his Japanese dishes.

The Ritz was hosting Nobu as a guest chef for two months and I had to go to re-experience the master once more. I had dined at his restaurant in New York and loved it. In fact, a Nobu opened in Paris for about 2 years (which I went to several times) but due to problems with management, it was forced to close. Nobu is less successful in Japan as the Japanese prefer pristine classical preparations of their cuisine. Not so in other countries. Of the two London Nobus, one has a Michelin star.

At the Ritz, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that the extensive menu did have the requisite "omakase"--chef's choice of his specialties to create a menu, or that guests could order à la carte.

I went for the omakase and was pleased to taste among the specialties that I remember so well. To start was a salmon tartare with caviar, and a small yamamomo (small mountain peach) as a garnish. It was a lovely dish. Next came very thinly sliced bass that had been quickly seared and served with olive and sesame oils. Nobu calls this preparation sushi new style as the fish is not completely raw and the dish has been modernized.

There was a wonderful sashimi salad with tuna, scallops and shizo leaf--a leaf which is very aromatic and pleasant to the taste. No Nobu menu can go without the famous signature black cod in miso which has been marinated in miso for 24 hours, lightly grilled and napped with some soy sauce. The fish is extremely flavorful and moist.

The main course was Wagyu beef in a balsamic teriyaki--both sweet and tart. The beef was lightly seared and served with a variety of fresh vegetables: an excellent preparation.

After that came a wonderful sushi selection and miso soup. I also ordered off the omakase menu a spicy tuna handroll which, as I said, I believe Nobu invented.

To go with the meal, I chose a Chablis as the prices for the sakes were extremely steep. It was a Domaine de Vauroux 2008 and at a reasonable price, went beautifully with the entire meal.

Dessert was light and wonderful: a Whisky Cappuccino served in a small demi tasse cup. Starting at the bottom were layers of crunchy speculoos, coffee mousse, vanilla ice cream and a whisky cream. It was light and flavorful and very creative. I have a feeling that the Ritz pastry chef conceived of this course.

L'Epigramme

2010-12-01T11:53:00.001-08:00

A wonderful bistrot hidden in the Odeon area

On a sidestreet right near the Place de L'Odéon is a lovely bistrot, L'Epigramme. A popular place with few tables, it is a good idea to reserve. The dishes are beautifully composed and have modern touches. I went there with my friend, Noriko, and she was pleased as well.

I started with a cappuccino of potiron aux crevettes--a thick pumpkin soup with a healthy portion of nicely grilled shrimps in the middle, garnished with a lovely purple pansy. We both ordered the same main course: selle d'agneau à la lavande--a pink slice of lamb infused with lavendar and served with a sweet turnip and caramelized new potatoes. It was as good as it sounds. With the meal, I ordered a their Merlot by the glass and this married well with the dish.

For dessert, I had a wonderful, creamy panna cotta with fresh mango--an excellent way to finish such a lovely meal.

While I was at the restaurant, I thought of other people I would like to take there. It is truly a wonderful place: an authentic bistrot that French people like where the meals are not expensive and the atmosphere warm and welcoming.

Passage 53: a Japanese-French star

2010-11-29T04:49:00.001-08:00

A new one-star French restaurant entirely run by Japanese

A friend of mine told me of a new one-star restaurant run by Japanese people. It is called Passage 53 and is just two years old. Since the Japanese are very creative and interested in fine cooking, I couldn't wait to go.

This is another of the small places (22 seats) where there is no menu but a surprise tasting for everyone. There are both a French and a Japanese maitre d'hotel--both of whom are knowledgeable and helpful.

The meal consisted of a parade of small plates, each lovingly prepared and delicious. The first two seemed to be riffs on color. I started with an all-white dish: lightly grilled squid resting on a purée of cauliflower and topped with cauliflower shavings. The purée was made with a very flavorful olive oil and the dish (which sounds bland) was quite stunning. Next came the orange dish which was a sea urchin foam, a piece of sea urchin and a carrot flan: also wonderful.

After that, what came on the plates was more colorful and complex. There was a marlin with a variety of seasonal vegetables beautifully placed on the dish; an amazing sautéed foie gras with salty shellfish juice flavored with yuzu: such a strange combination that worked very well. After that came a baked Cévennes onion which had been taken apart and layered with spicy chorizo and then put back together. Superb! The meat dishes were a very tender roast veal and a wonderful poularde with lots of white truffles and a puree potatoes. This was spectacular!!

The dessert course should have been called "everything you dreamed of ordering but were too afraid to ask". There was a terrific lemon mousse with meringue and crunchy lemon caviar, a wonderful tiramisu, chestnut cake with banana ice cream, mont blanc, a clementine sorbet flavored with green tea and the best chocolate tart I have tasted in many years. I saved that to have with my coffee .

The wine list here is quite extensive but if you just want glasses of wine you can have a Meursault (an reknowned producer of Meursault) with the first courses and an excellet Vosne-Romanée from Arnoux-Lachaux.

Like Le Bigarrade and Sa Qua Na, this restaurant is not cheap but would be a wonderful place for a special occasion.

Two bistrots

2010-11-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Two unassuming Parisian bistrots where the food is terrific: La Marmotte and Le Baratin

A few weeks ago, my cousins Jenny and Andy came to Paris to celebrate their 25th anniversary. You'll have to speak to them about the palaces of gastronomy they visited, but this is a post about a small bistrot that Jenny took me to her last night in Paris. (She stayed an extra day.) It was not easy to find a place both good and open on a Sunday night, but I looked in my trusty "Pudlo" Guide and found a coup de coeur in the 6th arrondissment: La Marlotte, which is open 7 days a week. (Coup de coeur is a "love at first sight" designation that Pudlo awards to his favorite restaurants in each of the 20 districts of Paris.)

La Marlotte was not crowded on a rainy Sunday but those who were there, appeared to be enjoying themselves. We relaxed in our banquette and studied the menu which was quite appealing. Jenny and I always share everything. As this is oyster season, we decided to try a few as a pre-appetizer. We chose the Speciales Prat ar Coum and found that they were very salty. This is probably a characteristic of this particular type of oyster which are very much in demand.

For appetizers, we had a delicious lentil salad with shallots and a lovely bib lettuce salad with fresh, thinly sliced artichokes and parmesan cheese. The main courses were both excellent: roast cod with a delicious red pepper sauce and a wonderful duck with honey and spices. We each chose a side order: frites wrapped in newspaper and served cone-shaped in a glass, and a purée of fresh peas.

The wine that the server recommended was excellent and the least expensive on the menu. It was a Côtes du Rousillon and went well with both the duck and the fish.

The best part were the profiteroles au chocolat. You could tell that they had been freshly made perhaps a few hours before we ordered them. This is one of my favorite desserts and I know how to judge a great one. La Marlotte's version was flawless.

Le Baratin in the 20th arrondissement is a place that is very popular with French people and is a typical small neighborhood bistrot. However, what is special about this place is that the very creative chef is an Argentine woman. She works in a tiny kitchen in the back of the bar and from this little room great dishes emerge. The restaurant also showcases different wines and if you are not happy with your choice, they will be happy to bring you others to try.

I went there with my friend Gaby and we had a terrific meal. We shared a dish of veal brains that were served in a chive, garlic, butter sauce--perfect as a dipping sauce with the excellent crusty baguette. There were also ravioli filled with a spicy pigeon mixture. The ravioli were served floating in a flavorful bouillon with turnips as a garnish.

Gaby and I both opted for the duck dish: cooked in two ways with fresh ginger and crunchy cabbage. Although it was quite good, I preferred the duck I had at Le Marlotte which, in its sweet sauce, was made in a more traditional way. And the flavor of Le Baratin's ginger didn't come through in this preparation.

As we didn't want a whole bottle of wine, we were able to order from the list in a size made to our wishes. Instead of a full bottle of 75 cl, we had them open the bottle and serve us 50 cl and this is acceptable and done quite frequently. Our Chinon was full and fruity and went well with the duck.

I was very happy with end of my meal: a perfect smooth luxurious mousse au chocolat. When it comes right down to it, I so prefer delicious and simple desserts that are perfectly made than the many creative concoctions that are offered both in restaurants and in the best bakeries.

One of the best things about Le Baratin is the price. You can get a wonderful meal for about 50 euros with wine and coffee. With the chef's talent, notoriety and popularity, the owners could definitely move their restaurant into fancier and more attractive quarters, but they seem to enjoy what they do so well: running a simple neighborhood bistrot that is always full and always noisy with happy customers.

Three Days in Honfleur

2010-11-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

Two wonderful restaurants recommended by the Michelin Guide in the charming town of Honfleur: Le Breard and Sa Qua Na

After reading an article in the New York Times travel section about Honfleur, and receiving a promotion for a cheap train fare, I could not help but make the necessary arrangements to go for a few days in November. I chose to stay in the wonderful La Maison de Lucie that the article mentioned. I always double check with the Guide Michelin, however, because where France is concerned, this is absolutely the best guidebook to use.

La Maison de Lucie is a small inn with stunning rooms and suites. Breakfast is served in one of a half-dozen sitting rooms, each one more charming than the last. At that season, a warm fire was burning in the fireplace day and night. The staff is friendly and helpful and they have a gorgeous and atmospheric hot tub/spa room that is a lovely place to pass a relaxing hour.

When I arrived at the Deauville train station, I waited at the bus station for the next bus to Honfleur. There, I had the most unbelievable experience: I ran into my friend from Tokyo, Kyoko!! I had last seen her in April when I was in her country. She had decided to come to France for a week, but it would make more sense for me to run into her in Paris or any place in Japan and not in a tiny town in Normandy. We took advantage of the small world experience and once we both arrived in Honfleur, met in a café for one of the strong apple drinks: either Pommeau or Calvados.

I have spoken about the Bib Gourmands in an earlier post (noteworthy restaurants where one can get excellent meals at reasonable prices), and chose one for my first meal: Le Bréard. There I had a wonderful meal for 48 euros without wine. Starting with the interesting huîtres pochées; bouillon de pomme glacée, algues et cèpes (poached oysters in a warm apple bouillon with cèpes and seaweed). I moved on to the excellent noix de St-Jacques nacrées, bouillon de châtaignes, potimarron aux cinq épices et citron vert (golden scallops in a chestnut broth with 5-spiced pumpkin and lime). This dish was generously garnished with chestnut pieces and was, in a word, spectacular.

For dessert, I could not resist the passion fruit soufflé served with a coconut biscuit and fresh fruit salad. At the bottom of the soufflé was another layer of soft biscuit that had been soaked in passion fruit liqueur making the dish quite bold and flavorful.

Not only was the food great, but the price was right. The chef, Fabrice Sébire, is one to watch.

For my second evening in Honfleur, I chose the new two-star restaurant, Sa Qua Na. This stands for santé, qualité, nature (health, quality, nature) but is also a play on the word sakana which means "fish" in Japanese. The youthful staff and the way the meal was presented reminded me of another favorite two-star restaurant in Paris: Le Bigarrade.

I chose the more copious menu and was served a parade of inventive and delicious dishes. Some of the standouts were the Pascade Aveyronnaise which is a sweet/savory pancake filled with chives and napped with truffle oil. It is from the Aveyron, the chef's native region. To continue with some of the high points: un daurade juste cuite, boulette de canard poêlé, romaine, semoule, jus moussé à l'huile d'olive. In other words, a lightly cooked piece of a firm white fish with a small ball of duck meat served with semolina, romaine, and an emulsion of olive oil. There was a wonderful poached salmon with sesame, fennel, clams and an oyster cream; a curly julienne of raw beef, celeri-rave, seaweed served as a pasta dish with a spicy seafood sauce; agneau de pré salé rôti, pâte de coing, jeunes poireaux; jus de persil (roast lamb with quince, young leeks, parsley jus). This winning dish consists of lamb that has been raised in the salt marshes of Brittany so that its meat is naturally salted because of the salty grasses the lambs graze on.

After an excellent assortment of cheeses, desserts continued in the same vein. I especially liked the succulent pear cake with beaten cream and caramel dribbled with walnut oil.

As the menu is long and complex, a nice touch is that they hand you a small printed copy so that you can follow along as you are served and as you taste.

On my last day, I explored Honfleur and also took the bus back to Deauville and Trouville--two beach towns that are separated by a bridge. Deauville is chic and fancy and Trouville is a blue collar town which I find more interesting. I wandered by the port and through the fish market and wished I could buy the shellfish I was admiring. To quench my desire, I sat down at the famous brasserie Les Vapeurs and ordered a sea food plate with langoustines, jumbo shrimp, periwinkles, whelks and clams: wonderful. A specialty is steamed mussels that they serve with whatever you like, but most people choose frites. It is a great place to watch the day go by while you are enjoying your meal.

Italian in New York

2010-11-19T02:26:00.001-08:00

Stellar Italian Dining in NYC: Da Umberto, Marea, Motorino, Basta Pasta, Centolire

Coming from France, I don't want to have French food when I travel unless I am travelling in France! During this trip to NY, I reserved or asked friends to reserve in Italian restaurants, as the NY restaurants do extremely well in this department. I also went to Mario Batali and Lydia Bastianich's latest creation: Eataly--an enormous Italian food store which is full of restaurants as well.

My cousins, Larry and Boots took me to Da Umberto and we were pleasantly surprised. We had been there more than 20 years ago when it was full of tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and lots of noise. After the owner died, his son had the restaurant redesigned, making a quieter more dignified atmosphere. We had a pleasant evening dining on wonderful food and enjoying the conversation. I had a lovely and delicious pasta dish: cavatelli with wild mushrooms and marscapone, followed by a copious and flavorful fish soup (caciucco) of just-caught fish in a tomato broth. Larry and Boots shared a salad with thinly sliced fresh artichokes and followed this with a baked orata for two. For dessert we shared the wonderful ricotta cheese cake and a terrific tiramisu. With dinner, Larry ordered a 2006 Santa Cristina Chianti Classico Superiore of the Antinori family. Although we were having fish and this is a red wine, it married quite well with the wonderful meal.

A few days later, I went out with my foodie friend/cousin, Jenny, to Marea--a reknowned and much-appreciated restaurant. In fact, I had read a review of the place earlier that morning in which the critic highly recommended throwing pocketbook caution to the wind and going there. True to its reputation, we had a spectacular lunch. Some of the outstanding dishes were granchio: lump jumbo crab with figs, duck prosciutto and white cheese in a salad; a mixture of slow-cooked calamari with lobster and shrimp in a tomato sauce; roasted sea scallops with grilled peach garnished with tomatoes and eggplant; and a wonderful semolina spaghetti tossed in crab and sea urchin. I just love sea urchin when it becomes a sauce on spaghetti. Jenny and I shared everything so that we could taste many of the very appealing dishes. For dessert, we had the rosemary panna cotta with figs, pignoli, and a wine reduction and an array of home-made sorbets. This was truly a memorable meal.

Marea's chef, Michael White, is not Italian but spent many years there and has opened a number of great Italian restaurants in NYC. I can't wait to go to another one the next time I am in NY.

High school friends met me outside of Union Square at Basta Pasta. It is an Italian restaurant owned and operated by Japanese people and is modelled after the original restaurant in Ebisu, Japan. Thank goodness that Mickey was there, as he pointed out that the specialty of the house is a parmigiano reggiano pasta dish with prosciutto. To make it, they take a huge parmigiano wheel and cut it in half, then scoop out the inside of the wheel to make a large cavity. Next, they chip away at the cheese. The warm tagliatelle are then tossed inside the wheel and the warmth of the pasta melts some of the cheese so that it clings to the tagliatelle. The pasta is then served garnished with velvety prosciutto. This is a spectacular dish. There are also other wonderful pasta dishes on the menu, and so as to take advantage of the best of all worlds, I had a 1/2 portion of two. My second pasta dish was Linguine alla Pescatore with clams, mussels, sea scallops, shrimp and squid.

That sounds like enough, but I went on to order a roasted Canadian turbot with clams, parsley, snow peas and crab-infused foam. A magnificent dish. For dessert, we shared a melting dark chocolate cake called the Vulcano,
named after the Greek God.

The restaurant is very popular and noisy but it just started to serve lunch. I don't know if it would be any quieter at that time, but it sure is good!

My dear friend, Freda, took me to Centolire--the Upper West Side haven of Pino Luongo. This chef has owned and operated many successful Italian restaurants in Manhattan. We had a terrific meal, catching up and savoring the excellent cuisine. We shared interesting salads and a brilled branzino for two. I had a small portion of pasta after the salad: Rigatoni Buttera with sweet and hot sausage, peas and cream. I loved it.

Although Freda refrained, I could not resist choosing the tangerine soufflé. It was beautiful and perfectly cooked.

At lunch one day, I went to Eataly which is the new huge bright space for everything Italian including products and restaurants. It is the latest brainchild of Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich. You can buy anything Italian there (both imported cans and jars of food and fresh food). Inside the space are several restaurant areas including the pizza-pasta area, the roast vegetable area, the panini area and a fresh roasted meat sandwich area. There is also a "real" restaurant hidden away in a corner called Manzo. True to its name, it showcases beef dishes. The gelato and cappuccino bars should not be missed. This is a very large and fun place to go at lunch. Be prepared to wait on line if you want to snag a table.

Before I close, I just want to put in a plug for Motorino in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The pizza there is definitely spectacular and ties with Two Amys in Washington, D.C. Now that some of my favorite pizzerias in NY have gone by the wayside, I have to say that this one is my favorite and the best. Although it is in Brooklyn, it is an easy subway ride from Union Square on the L train.

Dining in Washington, D.C.

2010-11-19T01:40:00.001-08:00

Several Great Restaurants in Washington, D.C.: Nora, Central Michel Richard, Two Amys, Zaytina and Jaleo

I spent ten glorious days in Washington, D.C., dining out with different friends and members of my family. The first evening I was there, I went to Zaytina which is a wonderful mezze bar (Mediterranean appetizers) with my friend, Ann, from college days. Unfortunately it was extremely noisy and hard to converse. That always puts a damper on my experience as you find that you can only appreciate the food and not your companion.

We did have some great "tapas" though: Havuc Koftesi which are wonderful carrot-apricot fritters; Octopus Santorini (marinated grilled octopus), Kotopoulo Youvetsi (a chicken, orzo, cheese and tomato dish), and a delicious dish of veal cheeks with preserved lemon. The food was fine but I would recommend this restaurant at lunch or with a very loud talker!

The same chef has a Spanish tapas restaurant on the other side of town called Jaleo. I had the traditional ajo blanco (chilled garlic-almond soup) this time it was garnished with fresh crab, a tortilla with potatoes and onions, and sautéed gambas (jumbo shrimp) in garlic. This was a delicious and very filling lunch.

My brother, David, took me and his companion, Kapri, to Nora. This restaurant is known for the fact that it uses organic, seasonal ingredients in its dishes. I started with a roasted chanterelle and creamy goat cheese tart which was garnished with a red pepper emulsion: sublime. Kapri had a red and gold beet salad which had feta cheese, orange and grapefruit segments, bitter greens and a pomegranate dressing. That was great too and very inventive. David also chose a salad. This one contained local baby lettuces, Medjool dates, almonds, gorgonzola, and a honey vinaigrette. The dinner was off to a running start.

As I adore corn and can really only get it in the USA, I had the salmon garnished with corn, herb pesto, and an oven dried tomato pea-tendril and radish salad. Kapri chose the wild Alaskan halibut with pepper piperade, heirloom tomatoes, green beans and roasted eggplant. David went for the succulent gnocchi with broccoli rabe and a variety of wild mushrooms swathed in a rosemary-almond pesto.

We shared a caramelized pear with Amaretto, served with a chocolate ganache and also the luscious pineapple upside down cake. With our dinner, we had a lovely South African chardonnay.

Another great place is Central Michel Richard. M. Richard is French and moved to D.C. from LA many years ago. He has a number of restaurants in the city, and this the newest edition to his "empire". It is billed as a place for wonderfully prepared comfort food. I went to Central with my cousins, Ben and Becca and we had a terrific time. Becca ordered a salad frisée with lardons and a poached egg followed by a beautiful scallop dish garnished with corn and wild mushrooms. She was not happy with her scallops. I had a flavorful yellow tomato gaspacho with lump crab meat and then enjoyed the short ribs with pappardelle and syrah sauce. Ben chose creamy burrata (a mozzarella) with tomatoes. For his main course, he chose the bucatini with meatballs. That was a true winner and definitely fits into the gourmet comfort food category. Desserts were the weakest course: Michel's chocolate bar (like a kit kat bar); apple pan dowdy with vanilla ice cream; chocolate lava cake à la mode. They were all too sweet and mediocre.

Saving the VERY BEST for last, I happily went to Two Amys twice: once alone, just for pizza, and once with my good friend, Howard. According to me and to other friends who have been there, Two Amys serves some of the best pizza in the states, perhaps in the world (!) and is matched by a favorite place of mine in NYC. Just by looking at the photo, you can see how luscious and beautiful the pizza is. At dinner time, TA serves a variety of Italian appetizers. We had suppli al telephono: rice balls filled with meat and cheese and then lightly fried golden; a beautiful and tasty shrimp and beet salad; sheep ricotta and heirloom tomato plate and pizza!! Unfortunately no room for dessert. The pizzas have thin crusts just thick enough to be chewy. For me the flavor of the tomato sauce (excellent) and a chewy crust are primordial. This is truly a wonderful place.

Le Bar à Huitres

2010-09-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

My brother David surprised me with a morning call saying he was coming to Paris on business with a colleague. We decided meet for dinner and left it to me to find a fish restaurant near his hotel. I chose Le Bar à Huitres where I always buy oysters when I have guests.

When we hopped out of the cab in front of the restaurant, David's friend, Jon, could not hide his enthusiasm. He decided then and there that I had chosen the best restaurant for us. I reserved judgment until we actually ate the meal.

The restaurant has its own menu of Plateau de Fruits de Mer--assorted oysters and seafood on a dramatically presented platter, but I decided that we should choose for ourselves. The two men deferred to me, and I told the waiter that I would be ordering for the table. For our starter, we had three sorts of oysters: the flat belons which are redolent of the sea, the succulent speciales, which are my favorite as they are the most meaty, and the delicate fine de claires which have a green hue from the seaweed that grows among them. We also ordered a portion of wonderful pink prawns.

After that, we chose our main course and each came with its choice of garnish. Jon and I shared that magnificent fish, turbot which was simply grilled. With that we had sautéed potatoes and piperade--a Basque assortment of peppers of various colors enhanced with a bit of Espelette hot pepper. With David's wonderful lotte à la provençale came lovely French haricots verts.

Since fish is relatively light, we felt like sharing some of the tempting offerings on the dessert menu. For the table, we ordered a melting chocolate cake with dark chocolate ice cream and a wonderful sablé (buttery pastry) with fresh raspberries, whipped cream and spun sugar.

After the dinner, I could agree with Jon and say that I had chosen a great place.

Bigarrade

2010-09-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

A spectacular gastronomic discovery of a new two-star restaurant.

My friend, Carol, came to visit me for five days from Boston. Although we have been friends since the age of 3-4, we crossed several hiatuses of not being in touch during our lives and this time, had not seen each other for 20 years. So it was a great reunion.

I had heard of a new restaurant, Bigarrade, that had received two Michelin stars in just two years. Of course, I wanted to go there and called as soon as I read about it. I had to ask them when they had free tables as there are only 20 seats in this jewel-box of a space. Luckily, one of the available dates fell when Carol was here.

The restaurant is very attractive and the staff casual and friendly. The tables are nicely spaced and one can view the activities in the kitchen, as it is in the same room. There is no menu but they do ask if there are things that you don't eat. Of course, I had called ahead about the cilantro issue.

One's only choice is between the 45 euro and the 65 euro menu--a bargain for a restaurant of this caliber. We chose the smaller menu for our lunch. I started the meal with a coupe de champagne from a small producer: Fleury Blanc de Blanc 2004. After a fresh fried anchovy amuse-bouche, we were served our first course. It knocked our socks off--simply a fried softshell crab. The French do not know about this species of shellfish and the man at the table next to us had never seen one. It was crunchy and delectable: to be eaten with your fingers.

After that came a parade of fish and seafood dishes prepared in very creative and delicious ways: squid with porcini mushrooms, green tomato and onion flowers; a succulent piece of rouget with black radish, red onion and seaweed; cabillaud (cod) with bacon attached to its topside, red Japanese shizo leaf and lime-infused oil. This was garnished with grilled spinach and salmon eggs.

With our meal, we opted for wines by the glass so that we both could choose. I had a lovely Anjou and later, a glass of Riesling which had a deep golden hue. Carol chose a Chenin Blanc.

After all the fish courses came a lovely plate of cheese: conté, fromage de chèvre with an orange confit and cumin seeds. This was wonderful.

Then came a trilogy of excellent desserts. Outstanding was the lemon cream with cauliflower. The cauliflower has a very mild taste and just adds some crunchiness to the dish. There was a small cup of pear juice with a peanut and mint in the cup; fabulous hazelnut ice cream garnished with tiny bits of sweet beet, raisins, caramelized hazelnut, and orange zests. Finally, they brought the ganache au chocolat with a small brownie garnished with a fresh raspberry and fromage blanc. I am not a fan of ultra-creative strange desserts but all of these played up the individual flavors of each part of the dish and were thoroughly enjoyable.

The restaurant is in a small space in the 17th arrondissement near metro Brochant. That is to say, it is not in the center of town. But like most Michelin 2-star restaurants, it is definitely worth the trip.

Le Bistrot du Paul Bert

2010-09-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

A spectacular French meal with an old friend at one of my favorite neighborhood haunts.

On the day of the big strike, my old friend, Randy, and his wife Marilyn ventured to my neighborhood for a dinner date we had been planning for weeks. I had not seen Randy since 1969 but we picked up where we left off and spent a wonderful evening together. Randy asked me to choose a typically French bistrot for us. I knew that it would have to be within walking distance because there was no public transportation in Paris that night, but it was no problem to choose the marvelous Bistrot du Paul Bert which is just 20 minutes from my house.

At 8:30, the restaurant was filled with happy eaters. The atmosphere is very jovial and the service upbeat and fun. We eagerly checked out the chalkboard menu and ordered.

I started with the Feuilletée d'escargots "petits gris" aux champignons des bois and Marilyn and Randy chose the beefsteak tomato salad with red onions, red basil and Sicilian salt. Everyone was pleased with the appetizers.

For the main courses, Marilyn chose the Barbue de Guilvenec au beurre blanc et petits poireaux. (Guilvenec is on the coast of Brittany.) This is a firm white fish with a butter sauce, garnished with roasted leeks. I tried to say the same thing with my New York-style French accent, but the waitress heard me say the pavée de veau. When I thought about it, I thought that that dish sounded good, so I went for it. It was a wonderful thick slice of veal with a creamy sauce full of chanterelles, garnished with the inimitable French purée (unbeatable mashed potatoes as thick and silky as whipped cream). Randy ordered the most authentic French meal that one can in Paris: le steak-frites which this time was the excellent cut of beef known as entrecôte.

Desserts continued along the same excellent vein with the soufflé au chocolat being the stand-out: crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and very very chocolatey. Marilyn and I were conservative in our choice of the pêches pochées au cerdon (a sparkling red wine).

The three-course menu at Bistrot du Paul Bert is a mere 32 euros but the wines are another story. The list, albeit extensive and excellent, tends towards the expensive wines. Randy asked me to choose and I found a reasonably priced Marsannay "En Montchevenoy" Charlopin Parizot 2007 from the Burgundy region.

What an excellent dinner and what a lovely evening we all spent together. We promised not to wait so long before the next time we get together!

Rome: four days in the eternal city

2010-09-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

A review of some of the best restaurants in and around Rome.

I spent four glorious days in Rome, and thanks to my culinary critic friend, had four excellent meals. My friends, Maureen and Franco, took me to some of the best and one night, Maureen made a wonderful meal for us.

The first evening, we went to Il Pagliaccio which has two Michelin stars. Although everything was delicious, it was a little too creative for me. For example, I chose a gnocchi dish that was presented in such a way as to mask the real taste of the gnocchi. They were stuffed with sea urchin and were crispy rather than the soft succulent gnocchi I know and love. For my main course, I had guinea hen which came as a cylindrical construction filled with corn, tamarillo and earl grey-flavored grapefruit. Franco ordered a truly wonderful wine for our meal: Le Vigne de Zamo, Il Re Fosco 2008 and that was marvelous. My dessert was fine: two "cigarettes" filled with warm melted chocolate garnishing a poached pear with lemon thyme.

Maureen and I had a girls' night out the second night on the Gianiculum Hill at Antico Arco. I had been to this creative trattoria before, and couldn't wait to return. It was wonderful. Everything was well-prepared and recognizable. I started with spaghetti coated in a spicy cacio (cheese) sauce that was absolutely delicious. The restaurant serves small portions of what your companion orders so that you can taste everything. Maureen's Fettucine al Farro (a grain) with porcini mushrooms and grated sausage was also excellent.

For my main course, I ordered a gallinella (a firm white fish) with asparagus in a light cream sauce. It was a winner.

Throwing caution to the winds, I ordered dessert: a very rich and wonderful tortino al cioccolato with rum ice cream. This was a warm chocolate cake with a soft interior and one of my favorite sweets. I love this restaurant and will happily return.

The next night, Maureen decided to make us a simple dinner at home: trofie al pesto and a wonderful insalata alla Caprese. Two beautiful and delicious dishes. Trofie are braided short pasta from the region around Parma. The dish includes potatoes and green beans. I first learned about it from an American vegetarian cookbook! The insalata was simply gorgeous.

On my last day, we took a drive to Fiumicino (that is the town where the airport sits). It is also a village on the Mediterranean with a lovely port. The main draw for us is the wonderful Ristorante Pascucci al Porticciolo.--a spectacular seafood restaurant. We all ordered the superb tasting menu.

After the stuzzichino (amuse-bouche) of raw marinated mackerel, we had the first course: crudo di mare: a panoply of raw fish including scampi, caviar, rouget and a tartare of swordfish. This was an elegant and tasty dish.

Next came the signature calamari fritti al composta di arancia e cipolla: fried calamari to dip in an onion-orange garnish. The calamari were tender and not at all greasy and the sauce introduced a tangy and sweet flavor to the dish. Wonderful!

Next was an beautiful pasta dish: Maltagliati di grano Saraceno alla paranzella con vongole zucchine e bottarga (see photo). This is a postage stamp-shaped grain pasta with clams, zucchini and a pressed fish egg concoction that was shaved on the plate. Maureen suggested we mix in the bottarga to get the full flavor of the sea. This was an interesting and savory dish.

The main course was Arrosto di mazzancelle con finocchi al limone polvare di zenzera et liquirizia: huge roasted scampi in the shell with fennel, pulverized lemon, ginger and anise (licorice). Such an elegant and flavorful dish. There were four large scampi garnished in a very creative and pleasing way.

We all chose the Fichi rossi caramellati in forno al rosmarino, sorbetti di fichi e marsala de Batoli for our final course. This is roasted caramelized red figs with rosemary, fig sorbet and Marsala wine. Franco thought that the dish would have been better with a sweet wine and I must agree. However, it was very good even with the spicy Marsala.

After such a big meal, we took a short walk along the port and then slowly made it back to Rome.

Arpège

2010-08-30T09:59:00.001-07:00

A truly memorable experience at a three-star restaurant which has been a temple of creative cuisine for many years.

For restaurants in France, the Guide Michelin is my bible. Every restaurant in it is one that the inspectors (who always dine in cognito) have approved. In other words, they refrain from listing a place that is not acceptable. The coveted stars ensure a restaurant's future and the Bib Gourmands are also tried and true indicators of places to seek out.

About a month before visiting Paris from Tokyo, my friend, Noriko contacts me so that we can make a plan to go to a grand restaurant--meaning one with stars and/or a great reputation. We have been to many together but today's experience was particularly memorable. It sparkled in the way I want a restaurant of this caliber to sparkle.

Alain Passard was the main chef for Alain Senderens for many years in the latter's restaurant L'Archestrate. Senderens had three stars for many many years and finally decided to move to bigger quarters. When this happened, Passard took over L'Archestrate, had it totally redesigned and opened it as Arpège. He was immediately rewarded stars, and 10-15 years ago, received his third.

Passard is an extremely creative and innovative chef and has developed a passion for vegetables. For our lunch at Arpège today, we chose the vegetable tasting that is representative of his art. Also on that menu is a choice of either fish (today's choice was poached lotte) or fowl (pigeon today). Noriko and I both chose the lotte but, in fact, when the restaurant began its parade of gâteries (treats) we were able to taste the pigeon as well.

The vegetable menu was fresh, original and delicious. During the meal, I remarked to Noriko that this really was a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience. I never would have thought that vegetables could be so lovingly prepared and that new combinations of them could be so remarkable and so tasty.

With our aperitif came a bit of beet that had been roasted in a salt crust and served with a caviar of blackberries. The sweetness of the beet and the berries contrasted exquisitely with the salt. A simple mesclun salad came with a bit of sweet praline sauce and slivers of parmesan and that too made for a superb combination of salt, sweet and savory.

There was a wonderful green tomato gazpacho that had a scoop of celeri-rave/mustard ice cream: splendid. Light vegetable ravioli were each stuffed with something different and equally textured and wonderful. There was a gratin of red onions that was enhanced with lemon zest and black peppercorns. The onions became caramelized and so added a bit of sweetness whereas the pepper corns added savoriness and the lemon tartness.

Passard's signature vegetable dish was a medley of fresh vegetables (baby carrots, white asparagus, tiny grape tomatoes, cabbage, turnip, etc. etc.) each of which had been cooked separately and upon which was strewn semolina. The semolina added a bit of depth and consistency to what would have otherwise been a more pedestrian plate of vegetables. This dish was truly spectacular.

Passard has so much respect for vegetables and with his creative hand, transforms them so that they are definitely the stars of the show.

As time went on, we were regaled with other vegetable dishes that were not on our menu but were equally lovely. It seemed that we had gone to heaven!

For the main courses, we had both the lotte, which came in a light vin jaune cream sauce with smoked potatoes and crunchy fresh cabbage and the pigeon which was roasted in herbs and served with a smoked eggplant caviar. Although we didn't order both dishes, the staff wanted us to taste them both. And they were sublime.

We chose wisely when it came to the cheese cart as we were already quite full and had our dessert to anticipate. I had a three-year-old conté and a chèvre and tried something wonderful called the Tommette de Lorraine. The delicious bread also came with an irresistible butter that definitely held its own.

I don't know how to describe the three wonders that were our desserts. First was the tarte aux pommes "Bouquet" de roses with a caramel sauce made of salt butter. The "roses" that comprised the tart were basically apple ribbons that had been made into the shape of roses. The picture explains it better than I do. I thought that our meal was over, but then, one of the servers came out with a table to prepare our next dessert: the tomate confite aux 12 saveurs servie avec une glace mélisse.. This is a candied tomato in a very flavorful sauce served with a sublime herbal ice cream. The tomato is actually a ball of diced pieces of vegetables and tomato covered with the candied tomato skin.

Before our coffee, the server asked if we wanted to taste le millefeuille--an offer we could not refuse. This was layers of flakey pastry and in between the layers were plums and blackberries--no heavy crème patissière (the part of the millefeuille that I particularly don't like).

Noriko and I spent 3 1/2 memorable hours at our table tasting dish after dish of edible jewels. It truly was a luncheon I will never forget.

Le Bib Gourmand

2010-08-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

A review of Le Troquet--a Basque restaurant in Paris that has the coveted Bib Gourmand in the Guide Michelin.

What exactly is Le Bib Gourmand? It is a notation much like the Michelin star that identifies a bistrot of outstanding quality where you will get a terrific meal at a reasonable price. I always look out for the little smiley Michelin man's head that is that symbol. I am rarely disappointed.

Eric took me to Le Troquet (a Bib Gourmand restaurant) in the 15th arrondissement to belatedly celebrate my birthday. Arriving on one of the first days after les grandes vacances (summer vacation), we were surprised to find a full and bustling restaurant at the early hour of 8:30. I thought to myself that many people had found the secret of this little hole in the wall and I was even more excited to check out the menu.

Le Troquet has a menu dégustation for 40 euros and a three course meal for 32 euros. Le menu dégustation consists of six small dishes representative of the chef's talents: 2 appetizers, a fish dish, a meat dish, cheese and dessert--all chosen from the à la carte menu. Everyone at the table must agree to choose this formula.

We decided to go for three courses and ordered many of the same things. First was a luscious dish of marinated salmon with red cabbage and fresh pistachios garnished with crème fraîche. Following this wonderful beginning, we each ordered a poached fish with sauce vierge--a sauce of capers and diced vegetables. Eric's dorade royale came with a purée of celeri rave (celery root) and my filet de bar was delicious without an accompaniment.

To end our wonderful meal, we each chose the panna cotta with a marmelade de pêches et d'abricots. This was a sensational ending to a perfect meal.

Many of the restaurant's offerings reflect the Basque roots of the chef. Charcuterie is well-represented as are regional aperitifs and wines and the delicious gateau Basque. What seems to be missing are the Basque peppers which you will find on every menu in the south.

We happily munched on our bit of Basque cake as we enjoyed our coffee at the end of the meal.

Once again, the Guide Michelin came through.

La cuisine est mon violon d'Ingres

2010-08-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

A visit to a Parisian classic, Le Violon d'Ingres, that has evolved over the years and proves itself again and again.

The story has it that the painter, Ingres was enthralled with the violin. So when French people talk about their hobby or passion, they say that it is their violin d'Ingres. Such a lovely way to characterize a rather mondaine concept. My passion is definitely cooking, food and restaurants and the chef, Christian Constant was thinking the same thing when he opened his restaurant, Le Violon d'Ingres on the rue St. Dominique.

I decided to take two friends who had just arrived from Japan to lunch at this lovely restaurant. Their luggage in the cloak room, we sat and ate and talked. Le Violon offers a 30-euro 3-course lunch during the week but if you don't like the choices, you will find many on the à la carte menu.

After our celebratory Taittinger coupes de champagne, we studied the menu and decided to go for the à la carte main course offerings and dessert if we had room.

Toshio chose the grilled Acquitaine beef that was garnished with a wonderful macaroni and cheese (gratin de macaronis). Yuko chose the grilled selle d'agneau with provençale vegetables and I had a wonderful open raviolo that was filled with Breton lobster, girolles and fevettes (chanterelles and fresh lima beans). Every dish was a winner.

With my dish, I wisely chose a glass of Chablis, but as my friends were completely jet-lagged, they decided to stick with their glass of champagne.

Desserts were wonderful but after a copious main course, we chose from the more light offerings. I had a pêche melba of pêches de vigne (do we have them in the US?) They are purpley-red peaches. This melba was served with a lovely violet ice cream. Toshio had some home made raspberry sorbet.

The service in this fine restaurant was excellent and our server was very helpful with my friends' luggage as well as making sure that they got into their taxi headed for their next next stop (La Gare du Nord for the train to Brussels).

Constant is an historic contemporary chef. Those he has trained have gone off to start a young chef revolution in Paris and he himself has two one-star restaurants and two excellent bistrots on the rue St. Dominique.
He has devoted his life to changing the face of French cuisine into a continually evolving phenomenon with an attention to fresh ingredients and low-cost preparations.

Something's Gotta Give

2010-08-12T10:17:00.001-07:00

Lunch with a friend at a wonderful brasserie in the center of Paris

Do you remember the film with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson: Something's Gotta Give? Diane raved about the restaurant, Le Grand Colbert, and after that it became a destination for America tourists. But it is French through and through.

As it was August, and very few good restaurants are open during that month, I thought it would be fun for me to go there with my friend, Noriko.

The restaurant is very proud of its notoriety since the film was released and they even show the entire film in the back hall. There is a review of the film at the entrance.

This is a beautiful authentic French brasserie with classically prepared dishes such as grilled salmon with tagliatelles, lamb chops with gratin dauphinois, grilled rognons with a sauce béarnaise. Light eaters can choose one of the copious salads.

Noriko had the Salade Le Grand Colbert with hard boiled eggs, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes and thinly sliced parmesan. I had the avocado salad with shrimp and grapefruit. Both were excellent. Since we had room for dessert, I chose the baba au rhum with chantilly with its tiny pitcher of sweet rum syrup, and Noriko had a beautiful raspberry and blackberry tart. I think that this is a place to bring friends from other countries who want to take part in a truly French experience. The service is attentive and friendly and the price is right. The restaurant is truly a classic.

Marseille: Gastronomic Dining

2010-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Dining in three hallowed restaurants in Marseille with excellent experiences all around.

Three days in Marseille--what a pleasure. The most important dish to get is bouillabaisse and I chose the best of the best: Chez Michel des Calanques. (Les Calanques is one of the many neighborhoods of the city.) Although there is no outdoor dining, the room is airy and the view is of the sea. Michel agreed to prepare a bouillabaisse for one and I was completely thrilled with his rendition. The broth--redolent with tomato, orange and saffron was spectacular. This was not a fancy Parisien bouillabaisse with langoustines and gambas. Rather, Michel prepares a traditional bouillabaisse and the evening I was there, he used St. Pierre and Vive. With potatoes and home-made croutons spread with aioli, it made for a satisfying and filling repast: two servings of bouillon into which one can't help dipping the fish and potatoes which are served on a separate plate. I slurped and swallowed and was in 7th heaven. This was the best meal I had in the seaside town of Marseille.

The next day, I had a reservation at Le Petit Nice. Gerald Passedat obtained his third Michelin star here in 2008 and this was the reason for my trip. I reserved for lunch, and had my champagne aperitif with amuse-bouches on the terrace with a stunning view of the sea. Moving inside the restaurant for the serious dining, I was also privy to a spectacular view.

I chose the Menu Evolution, billed as light and featuring the best fish and seafood imaginable. For starters was the Sea Anemone in three different preparations: in a foam with caviar of Aquitaine, in a fritter simply fried and delicate, in its shell with a parsley coulis, a mussel and some clams. This was a lovely starter. Next was a wonderful line-caught bass with a lemon sauce, eggplant, fennel and a rice cake. This dish was also very light and flavorful. Passedat serves a raw fish dish in this menu--flavored with bergamote (citrus oil) and a yuzu vinaigrette and garnished with zucchini in tempura: very Asian and very delicious. This dish was garnished with a julienne of baby vegetables that were marinated in a lovely fresh tomato sauce.

La pièce de resistance was the lobster. It was prepared with vegetables and a mango salad alongside a granny smith purée. It was called Homard dans un Jus Mauve and that is the color of the light jus that embellished the preparation.

The desserts were very light: strawberries with a frozen cheese from Corsica, garnished with fraises des bois. This dish was pretty but disappointing--it had no soul.

I chose wines from the region for the meal and treated myself to a fancy glass of Puligny Montrachet Emile Sauzet 2005 to have with the lobster.

My first criticism of this meal was that it was ultra-light. Although I don't want to leave the dinner table feeling totally stuffed, I do want to experience the pleasure of the meal for several hours afterwards. In the case of Passedat, the meal was so light that I was ready to eat a pizza dinner a few hours later.

Most of all, when I go to a three star restaurant, I expect to have a truly spectacular meal. This was a good meal but nothing more than that. It didn't sparkle and shine for me. Nor did it make me want to return to try more of the chef's creations.

For my last evening in Marseille, I chose a 1-star restaurant down the street from Passedat's place: L'Epuisette. The menu looked extremely promising. I arrived at sunset and saw a stunning one from my seaside table. The apéritif was my favorite champagne: Billecart Salmon Rosé. This came with a lovely assortment of appetizers including a puff pastry of cod, a tempura of St. Pierre and a lovely fresh pea soup.

The real amuse-bouche (to put you in the mood for the meal) was a luscious crème brulée de foie gras. Although smooth and sensual, it was much too salty.

For my appetizer, I had a very inventive and beautiful saute of jumbo shrimp on a provençale pizza with tomatoes, zucchini and olives, and garnished with a purée of avocado. All of this was topped with a perfectly poached egg.

Rouget is the thing to get in Provence, so I steered away from my favorite turbot in favor of the rouget dish. The tiny fish were garnished with a flavorful mushroom risotto, slivers of parmesan and a reduction of morel mushrooms. The risotto was full of succulent cèpes. This was a spectacular dish.

Unfortunately, the maître d'hotel misunderstood my dessert order and the kitchen sent out something I didn't want. By that time in the evening, there was no more of the wonderful chocolate dessert I craved. As a result, I chose the sablé Breton with berries and a bit of chocolate garnished with berry sorbet. It was light and lovely but not what I had wanted. If this had happened in the states, the dessert would have been offered but here in France, the best I could do was with an "I am sorry" on the part of the maître d'hotel.

Despite that little disappointment, I had a very nice meal at this restaurant.

In fact, I liked every restaurant I went to in Marseille. It is a truly foodie town for fish lovers like me.

Searching for Pizza in Marseille

2010-08-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

A fruitful search for pizza including an expensive taxi ride and the names of the best pizzerias in Marseille.

I had heard that Marseille pizza is on the top ten list of the greats so of course, I had to venture out to the best place. Everyone talked about Chez Vincent so I asked my taxi driver to take me there. It was quite a long ride from my hotel, and on the way, I discovered that we were talking about two different Chez Vincents. However, both his (the best in the city, he said) and mine (number one on the list in my guide book) were closed for the summer vacation. From there, I chose Chez Etienne, not far from the second Chez Vincent and in what is called the Five Avenues neighborhood. No luck there so we proceeded to Chez Sauveur.

On the way, I had a tour of many of the neighborhoods in Marseille. Although the city is organized into "arrondissements" or districts, the Marseillais refer to the different neighborhoods by name--such as Le Panier, Les Cinq Avenues, Le Vieux Port, Les Calanques, etc. I must say that the city itself is not very attractive but the views are spectacular.

We went to two more pizzerias (closed) and then close to the next one our combined lists, we ran into a big traffic jam. I was watching the counter mount up, so I told the driver I was ready to walk. He directed me to Chez Noel. After about 15 minutes, I began to lose hope, but when I turned a corner, there it was: open!!!!! The taxi ride had cost me 40 euros (about $55) for a very inexpensive meal.

Ordering the pizza was interesting. They had a menu of set ones and I chose the anchovy pizza--remaining true to the region. However, I had to order the mozzarella as well! The basic pizza comes with dough and tomato sauce and that's it. The pizza was as good as the best pizza I could get in Paris--that is not very terrific at all. The bill came to about 15 euros for pizza, wine and coffee. I thought of the experience as a private tour of the city ending with a pizza dinner.

Second Trip to Berlin

2010-07-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

A brief report on two Berlin discoveries: Indonesian and German.

Two years ago, I went to Berlin and had several wonderful meals. This time, I went back to the same places but also tried some new ones.

The first restaurant is a hangout for the friends with whom I was staying. Mary and Alex go to Good Time several times a week. I mistakenly thought that Indonesian food is riijstaffel, but in fact, that is just a Dutch adaptation of what is truly Indonesian fare. One thing they told me to watch out for: hot food!!

I was not daunted, having had the experience of ordering hot food in Thailand and more recently in L.A. We started with a wonderful spring roll Weisse Roll( Roll in German) stuffed with prawns, pork, herbs and salad. And we also shared Yam Mun Yang which is spicy grilled pork with onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and Thai celery salad. This dish came with only one "pepper" (indicating level of hotness) on the menu. My favorite of the appetizers was the Gold and Silberbeutel--fried dumplings with finely ground pork, water chestnuts to dip in a lime-chili sauce dressing.

We shared the main courses as well. Ped Kiemao (three peppers) which is a crispy duck on a bed of chilis, thai basil and mixed eggplants; Api Sapi (five peppers!!!!!)--an extra spicy and hot fried beef filet with chilies, peppercorns and peppers; Nasi Goreng which is the Indonesian version of fried rice, served with grilled chicken on skewers and a nicely marinated salad.

All the food we had was completely new to me and for that reason, quite exciting. It was also very delicious and not at all expensive. Can't wait to go to Java or Bali to try this food up close.

For our German meal, we went to Kayzer Soze--named after the sinister character in The Usual Suspects (great movie in which Kevin Spacey plays Kayzer). I had Bavarian sausages with German potato salad. The sausages are white and made from either veal or pork and herbs. The potato salad is served warm and is dressed with a vinaigrette that is long on vinegar. It is not my favorite food, but I know that I was served a good example.

Mary and I also went to Kadewe which is one of the biggest department stores in Europe. We basically went there for the air conditioning, as Berlin was sweltering when I was there. But we took advantage of the food floor which is vast, having not only restaurants and wine bars, but also many different stands with a variety of foods, most notably sausage. Foreign foods appear as well, and I bought microwave popcorn and Graham Crackers which I have never seen in Paris. I watched the many people who were eating at the different restaurant stands and noted for myself that this would be a great place to get authentic German food at reasonable prices. Next time...

This year's birthday celebration

2010-07-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Arôme is the place I chose for my birthday dinner. Newly renovated with a very accomplished chef, it was a memorable experience.

This year for my birthday dinner, Françoise and I went to Arôme--a favorite restaurant of mine that has one Michelin star. My friend, Eric Martens is the owner/director of the place. He is a perfectionist and quite passionate about his work. Last summer, the restaurant underwent major renovations. Now the room is beautiful and warm, with touches of Japanese-style decorations. Behind the glass wall at back, one can see everything that goes on in the kitchen.

They serve my favorite champagne, so of course we ordered that: the Billecart Salmon Rosé. Such a flavorful wine that lends itself to special occasions. We chose one of the several menus they offer and started with the Emietté de tourteau (fresh crab), tartare de tomate et sorbet basilic. This was attractively presented in a sleek martini glass.

For the next course, we had Homard d'Amérique du Nord en gelée (probably Canadian lobster in a salad), crème d'avocat, concombre, granny smith et emulsion de betterave (beet). Because of the beet sauce, it sounds strange, but the dish was both beautiful and delicious. It too was served in a martini glass.

For our main course, we had the pièce de veau aux herbes de Garrigues, girolles, ail, amandes fraiches, haricots beurre, émulsion d'herbes. What a wonderful combination and how well the fresh almonds contrasted with the rest of the dish.

With each dish, the sommelier prepared a glass of wine to bring out the flavors of both wine and food. More and more, this has become the custom in France: wines served by the glass to enhance the flavors in the dish.
We had the wondrous soufflé au Citron de Menton, sorbet au fromage blanc et au citron. A spectacular ending to an unforgettable meal.

Afterwards, Eric brought us into the kitchen to meet the friendly Thomas Boullault, who is Arôme's very talented chef. All in all, an experience to record as one of my best food memories.

Dining in Venice Beach

2010-07-21T11:11:00.001-07:00

Two fine restaurants in the Venice Beach Area of L.A.

I met Tracy and her husband, Franck, in Paris and was very pleased when Tracy told me she wanted to learn about food and cooking. After that, we went to many lovely restaurants in Paris and she was my companion for all my birthdays. We had the opportunity to try many of the wonderful 3-star restaurants that Paris has to offer.

About five years ago, Tracy and her family (now with two wonderful children) moved to L.A. I visited them then and then again this year. They live in Venice Beach. We went to Mao's Kitchen which is a reasonably-priced Asian place, where we ordered enough dishes for an army so that I could have something to take with me on the plane back to Paris. We had one of my favorites: Mabo Tofu with vegetables and a spicy brown sauce; Mao's Hometown: a dish with smoked tofu, onions, wood ear mushrooms and shrimp; Sichuan Eggplant with Mushrooms; and Kung Pao Beef. Everything was served with brown rice and it was a wonderful feast.

That evening, after a day wandering on the beach and then shopping in a small Japanese area with inexpensive and fun shops, Tracy and I went to the best restaurant in Venice: Gjelina.

This is a place to order a variety of courses and dishes that everyone shares. However, the roasted salmon with corn appealed to me, so we decided to order that as our maincourse. The appetizers we chose were the delicious wood-roasted cauliflower with chili, garlic, parsley and vinegar; hen of the woods mushroom toast with creme fraiche and truffle oil (sensational), marinated artichokes with creamy burrata, pistachio pesto and crispy shallot.

After all that (and the salmon) we were really sated, but had to order two desserts to taste. We chose the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Crème Fraîche and Hazelnut and the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel and Crème Fraîche. Both were spectacular.

I rolled home the next morning. But had no problem eating my leftovers from Mao's Kitchen on the plane!

LA restaurants revisited: focus on Ethnic Fare

2010-07-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

This visit to L.A. focusses on Asian cuisine, with a wonderful experience at a hot new Italian with an established Italian chef, and a few wonderful American places thrown in.

Friends say that L.A. has recently come into its own as a gastronomic destination in the U.S. During my ten day stay at the home of different friends, I dined at some greats and must concur with the latest report that L.A. is a haven for restaurants.

Before my trip, my friend Joel said he wanted to spend a whole weekend eating but we did much more than that. Joel is an accomplished cook and with all the cooking classes he has done with his husband, Rusty, they really do impressive work in their own beautifully designed and equipped kitchen. Joel announced that he wanted to make a meal for me and he made TWO. One consisted of a fantastic zucchini flower pasta dish from the fresh zucchini flowers that we found at a local farmer's market. And on my last day at their home, Joel and Rusty created a multi-course luncheon complete with Jim Lahey's delicious bread that Joel made from scratch, a fresh summer pea soup and a wonderful layered tomato salad.

Now, on to the restaurants. First of all: an American star is Joan's on Third where I took part in a small reunion of old high school friends. This is a place with magnificent salads, hot dishes, sandwiches and array of gorgeous and delicious desserts. My friend, Jill, told me that Joan's is famous for its cupcakes, and after the delicious salads and sandwiches, we chose a wonderful strawberry short cake with freshly made whipped cream and an excellent little golden cupcake.

Nancy Silverton has built up quite the gastronomic portfolio in L.A. She and her husband, Mark Peel opened the very successful Campanile, which has kept its great reputation over the years. Branching out on her own, she opened the fabulous La Brea Bakery, and more recently has wowed L.A. with the Mozza pair: Pizzeria Mozza and Trattoria Mozza.

We were four the night we went to Pizzeria Mozza. All the better to sample many of the wonderful appetizers and pizzas.
For the appetizers, we chose Corn al forno with herb butter, Pork ribs al forno with apple cider vinegar, honey and fennel (spectacular!),arancini alla Bolognese (not very good), Fried Squash Blossoms with Ricotta (also excellent). For our pizzas, we ordered a Funghi Misti with fontina, taleggio and thyme, Fennel sausage pizza with pecorino, red onions and scallions, and a Squash blossom pizza with tomato and burrata. The crust is crusty on the outside and chewy within. We definitely had a feast.

After all this, who could order dessert? Us!! Four people shared the sorbetto al cioccolato and the Butterscotch Budino (a house specialty) with Maldon sea salt and rosemary pine-nut cookies. A sensational meal.

For our big bash event, we went to Drago Centro--a new restaurant in the empire of the famous chef, Sr. Drago. Anyone there would be treated like royalty but we were especially pampered because Joel knows the wife of the manager: Matteo. We were immediately ushered to the "Mayor's Table" in the corner and from which one can watch everything that is going on in the sleek, modern, diningroom.

After our celebratory glasses of sparkling Franciacorta (which I prefer to Prosecco), we got down to business. We had two half-orders of risotto: one with morels di Orvieto and black summer truffles (that Matteo generously shaved over our rice), and a risotto di piselli (this is the season for fresh peas): consisting of peashoots, English peas, cherry tomatoes and garlic cream. Both transported the three of us to heaven.

For our next course, we shared a whole portion of Gli Spaghetti allo Soglio which came full of langoustines, mussels clams, squid in a herb-tomato ragout. Sensational.

For our main courses, we chose to share two: Il Branzino in cioppino broth with potato and bits of small seafood; and L'Anatra which was duck confit with potatoes, frisée and raspberries. The raspberries added a magical sweetness and tartness to the dish.

With each dish, we were served an accompanying Italian wine that married well with the dish.

Who had room for dessert after this wonderful meal? We decided that we had to try I Bomboloni--small home-made donuts sauteed with bing cherries, crystallized pistachios, a hint of chocolate sauce and pistachio gelato: sublime.

This was a truly impressive meal. Yes, it was expensive but for the quality of what we were served, the beauty of the presentation of each dish, as well as the friendly attentive service, I think it was well worth it.

Joel has done a lot of reading of Jonathan Gold, who is a Pulitzer Prize winning food critic and who writes mostly about ethnic hideaways. Joel, Rusty and my NY friend, Chris and I went to Jitlada--a favorite authentic Thai restaurant of his. We convinced the waiter that coriander was a no-no and were served delicious and very hot Thai dishes like you would get in Thailand. The trick is to eat the hot food in small bites and to punctuate each bite with a piece of cold, raw vegetable such as carrot or cucumber. I loved the dishes so much that I ate them quickly and suffered the burning lips and throat syndrome, but my friend, Chris, complied with the instructions and had a fine time with everything.

In the evening, we were still in the Asia mood so we invited Regina to join us at Izakaya by Katsu-ya. Katsu-ya is the home of many a wonderful sushi restaurant in L.A. but recently opened this Izakaya (casual eating with a lot of beer and sake--order a lot of foods cooked in different ways) in West Hollywood. Again, with four people, we could sample a variety of their wonderful dishes in a noisy and very fun atmosphere. We had Cod Popcorn in sauces and the izakaya fish tacos. Very flavorful. The serious ordering began when we were seated: Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna--a specialty of the house and fabulous. It is served as a rectangular maki with the tuna on top and the crispy rice as base. Yellowtail Sashimi with spicy Jalapeno, Renkon (Lotus Root) in a sweet sauce, Baked Eggplant with edamame and fried julienne of onion, Ebi Yakisoba (a vegetable-noodle stir fry full of shrimp), seared linme snapper (a white fish) in carpaccio, and finally, a succulent and delicious blue crab roll. We paired our dishes with cold sake and were very happy and satisfied when we left the restaurant.

With my foodie friends, Megan and Rafi, I went to a fantastic Mexican restaurant in the heart of Hollywood: Loteria!

I met Rafi and Megan on the honeymoon in Paris. They were touring France for its beauty as well as for its wonderful restaurants. They always take me to the best spots in L.A. Loteria! was a lot of fun. The specialties are burritos and quesadillas stuffed with a variety of delicious foods as well as their excellent Margaritas.

We started our meal with the compulsory Margaritas and then decided to share some Quesadillas de Plaza con Flor de Calabaza--i.e. corn tortillas filled with either squash blossoms and cheese or roasted poblano peppers and cheese and topped with a spicy tomatillo sauce.

For the main course, two of us ate Burrito of Tinga de Pollo filled with chipotle peppers and a red salsa, and Carne Deshebrada with shredded beef, guacamole, salsa and chipotle. In each burrito was a good portion of rice and refried beans. True to Mexican form, the food was very flavorful, sensuous and filling. This place is on my "must return" list.

But Joel has other ideas for my next trip including a counter where one gets fantastic Cuban food. Can't wait until I can go back to L.A. for some terrific dining with good friends.

New York, June 2010

2010-07-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

A fantastic sushi restaurant discovery, cocktails above the clouds, a four-star restaurant, great Chinese, and I finally find the pizza place I have been looking for.

I had wonderful weather in NY as I made my way eating up a storm during my semi-annual trip. The first wonder of the trip was Sushi of Gari--an authentic sushi bar up to a point. The sushis are all lovingly created and delicate, but each one is topped with something very interesting like a warm tomato provençale mixture, fried julienne of leeks, bitter greens, pine nuts and fried lotus root, jalapeno, tofu cream, etc. You will never find anything like this in Japan. My friend, Chris and I sat at the sushi bar and ordered the "compulsory" omakase or chef's choice. In a place like this, you want to be sure to get the specialties. So the sushis kept coming and coming until we said "stop"! This was a great discovery and although I always like to try new places, I will definitely come back here.

A few days later, I met my sister-in-law and nephew on the 55th floor of the Peninsula Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Nothing spectacular in the drinks but the setting is not to be missed. We were there on a clear sunny day and the view was breathtaking.

The four-star restaurant I went to this time was Jean-Georges. Vongerichten is the surname of this Alsatian chef and he has opened many a fine restaurant in NY. His visits to Asia have resulted in some of the trendy Asian places in lower Manhattan; however, with this one he is loyal to his French roots. I don't usually like to go to French restaurants when I am travelling (I can get the best French food in France, after all), but for four stars, I would make a concession. And anyway, French food in the states does have an American flare in terms of technique and choice of ingredients.

I met two old friends for a special meal and we shared several dishes. First and foremost was the crispy soft-shell crab served with shiso-yuzu mayonnaise (now that really doesn't sound very French at all), and a crispy sweetbread dish garnished with Alsatian potato salad, radish and jalapeno. There was a warm green asparagus salad, served with hollandaise, as well as a watercress and sugar snap pea salad that came with shiitakes, cristallized mustard and served with a lemon-soy vinaigrette. No, that isn't French at all. The desserts were spectacular and included variations on lemon for one, chocolate for the second, and caramel for the third. The room is bright and airy, the wine list excellent, the service attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The lunch menu is also very reasonably priced.

After reading the new New York Times food critic's review of Chin Chin, my friends Pat and Tim and I decided that we had to try it. What a great place. The restaurant is near the U.N. and is large, attractively decorated and with a very polite and helpful staff. We ordered too much food but everything was terrific: pork dumplings, mu shu vegetables, barbecued ribs, the house specialty of Grand Marnier shrimp (not on the menu), a soft shell crab dish (it was the season in June) and Tung chicken. They even have excellent American desserts and we shared a not-very-Chinese flourless chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. I love plain delicious desserts and this one did not disappoint.

I mentioned in an earlier post that New York magazine had done the "definitive" article on the best 25 new NY pizzerias. At that time, I was unable to go to one of those on their list but this time I make the trek to Williamsburg, Brooklyn (not difficult to get to on the L train) where I had the pleasure to discover MOTORINO. Motorino bought my former favorite Anthony's Una Pizza Napoletana on East 12 street, but their original restaurant is in Brooklyn. It is definitely worth a detour if you love pizza as I do. My friend couldn't join me, and I decided to go alone. Often, dining alone in a pizza place is a bit uncomfortable, but the service was so friendly and the ambiance so casual that I felt right at home. They have designer pizzas but the crust is spectacular so you know the Margherita will be completely authentic. I started with a fennel salad with orange segments and capers and then went on to the best part: the Pizza Pugliese: topped with Burrata (a creamy fresh cheese), broccolini, sausage, chilies and garlic. Delectable! This place, along with Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge is on the top of my favorites list and I am sure to go back there many times over. The crust, chewy and crisp at the same time, is what makes this pizza great.

Chez Les Anges

2010-07-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

A classic French bastion of gastronomy gets a new chef and a new look

Chez Les Anges: this restaurant was a bastion of classic cuisine for many years and when its owner retired, it changed hands several times. The savvy restaurateur, Jacques Lacipierre whose Au Bon Accueil has been so successful in the 7th arrondissement, finally took it over and renamed it after itself. The decor is modernized, the atmosphere warm, and the menu reflects the changes that French cuisine has undergone since classic haute cuisine days.

I thought that this place with its long history would be the perfect one to take my old high school friend, Janet and her husband David. We all enjoyed a spectacular meal and splurged on a wonderful 2002 Meursault from the Domaine de St. Evan.

We each had different appetizers. Janet took advantage of spring and ordered asperges de la Marne pochées, with a tomato émulsion. The tender white asparagus were extremely flavorful. David opted for an Escalope de foie gras de canard sautéed with white radishes in a raspberry vinaigrette. I suggested a glass of Sauternes with this, and it made for an excellent combination. I chose the Galette de Langoustines that was actually a mound of the langoustines in a galette shape served with a French green bean salad and a sauce of fresh tomatoes.

We all chose the Sole de Ligne St. Gilles Croix de Vie served meunière and it did not disappoint. It was a succulent piece of ultra-fresh line-caught fish delicately cooked and sauced.

With coffee came the wonderful mignardises and knowing that, we decided against dessert. Once again, in this restaurant, M. Lacipierre has created a winner. A restaurant to remember.

Kunitoraya

2010-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

My all time favorite Japanese restaurant in Paris: it is very simple but the food is spectacular.

Japanese people living in Paris don't go to Kunitoraya because they feel that compared to the prices for udon in Japan, this restaurant is very expensive. However, the calibre of the food is so good that I think it is worth the extra few euros. The decor leaves a lot to be desired but it is a typical Japanese udon place like those you would find in Japan: simple. The udon is made on the premises and is wonderful. I go there once a week and mostly get tenzaru udon which comes as a wooden screen covered with a swirl of udon that is topped with nori strips; on the side are wonderful just-made tempura, and a terrific dipping sauce for the udon and the tempura. You add ginger, sesame seeds and scallions to the dipping sauce and enjoy. It is a gourmet's delight and I can't get enough of it. Once you have eated everything, you can drink the dipping sauce. I give this dish an A+. The staff is wonderful and since I go very often, they know me and always welcome me with a konnichiha and smiles. At lunch time, there is a long line but it goes pretty quickly as people just go there to eat and leave. I have seen lines there in the freezing cold, so good is the udon and so worth the price of 16 euros for tenzaru udon and about 10 or 12 euros for the other soups. I also get a wonderful miso soup that is full of udon, leeks and pork and the next time I go, I want to get the curry udon.

After 7, the restaurant becomes an izakaya and they serve small tapas-type dishes such as maki with plum paste and agedashi dofu. Of course, you can always get the udon.This place is an authentic breath of Japan in central Paris.

Dinner at Yam'Tcha

2010-06-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

A tiny jewel of a restaurant in the heart of Paris where a tea master creates pairings with the different foods that are served

I was very lucky to get a reservation at this very hot restaurant. In about a year, it went from newly opened to newly starred by Michelin. And it is a star! There are only 22 seats and one seating per night. The day reservations open for the next month, they close. Well, I made it at the cutoff!
The chef at Yam' Tcha studied in Asia, especially in Hong Kong and parts of China, where I assume, she met her husband. The restaurant is a collaboration between the two: she an expert in the kitchen, and he a master in the art of tea serving.

Eric and I went and were very impressed with the cooking, the service and rhythm of the meal. Yam 'Tcha means foods that are accompanied with tea.The menu dégustation changes daily and with each course comes a tea or, if you like, glass of wine. You can choose to have all tea, three teas and three wines or all wine with your meal.

Although a copious meal, the dishes are so light that one never feels stuffed. We started with a lovely cold coco bean salad garnished with Japanese greens, sesame and soy. The next light salad (this is almost summer, after all) was of mussels, red and green tomatoes, smokey tofu and a lovely sauce. What followed was sautéed foie gras garnished with red currants and onion flowers. The fish dish was superb--a firm carrelet on black rice, and the lamb that followed was sensational. One can only get this type of young lamb in France and it is delicious. Everyone is not served the same thing so we got to see other dishes coming from the kitchen. There is a cheese course. We had a goat cheese that was garnished with honey and soy sauce and a touch of olive oil. Dessert was lovely and refreshing: fresh strawberries and raspberries topped with a sweet fromage blanc and a crispy tuile made of brown sugar.

Wines were excellent: A Bourgogne Aligoté for the mussel salad, a Vouvray sec with the foie gras, and a Crozes Hermitage for the lamb. We had an interesting oolong, a green tea from China. and a wonderful thé au jasmin with dessert.

As the evening progressed, we watched the activity in the kitchen: the chef and her assistants. And in the diningroom, the tea expert tended his teapots and cups. We were surprised when we looked at our watches and saw that three hours had passed! The calm and friendly atmosphere and wonderful food contributed to a relaxing and fun dinner conversation. The space is lovely as is and I think that the staff handles the size of the room perfectly. It would be a shame to expand. This is definitely a place to watch.

Diner a Quatre Mains at Senderens

2010-06-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

French chef Jerome of Senderens and Japanese chef Nakahigashi of Kyoto share talents and knowledge to create a meal showcasing the talents of each.

One of the importers of Japanese products proposed to a reknowned Japanese chef from Kyoto and to Alain Senderens that the Kyoto chef come to Paris and share the stove and culinary genius with the executive chef here. As a result, Nakahigashi-san from the restaurant Miyamasou outside of Kyoto and Jerome Banktel of Restaurant Senderens created a "dinner with four hands" for three consecutive evenings at the end of May. Along with six delicious dishes were wines and sakes that married well with what was served.

There was marinated mackerel sashimi and sake, a wonderful warm lobster salad served with a lovely Saumur, a terrific Rouget Barbet in a Sakura (cherry blossom) broth served with a delicious Vin de Pays des Alpilles, a spectacular canard de Challans roast in old sake and served with a dashi redolent of wild mushroom flavors. With this dish came an aged Madeira. Two light desserts followed along with an excellent Riesling. In one of the desserts were cherry blossoms and the other was a play on the baba au rhum, this time with yuzu.

The chef speaks very good French and I also had the honor of conversing with his elegant wife in Japanese. She was surprised at how well I spoke, and I was quite proud.

Inviting guest chefs is a wonderful idea. The cuisine of the main restaurant is taken to a new direction and the guest chef lets us know yet another wonderful place to try. I promised that the next time I go to Kyoto, I will go to Miyamasou--known for the fresh herbs that are picked daily and used in the dishes.

Il Vino d'Enrico Bernardo

2010-05-07T01:31:00.000-07:00

A new one-star restaurant in Paris where the menu has no mention of food! Wine reigns supreme.

What a wonderful concept!! Linda visited me from Nashville and I reserved a table at the new one-star restaurant, Il Vino for us. Enrico Bernardo is the Meilleur Sommelier du Monde of 2008 and has opened his own restaurant in Paris.

We were eager to see the menu and when it was presented to us, we were confused. No mention of food on the entire menu!! Just a list of wonderful wines by the glass. When the maître d'hotel comes to take your order, you tell him which wine tempts you and then you learn what dish will be prepared to go with that.

Linda and I both chose the Nuits St George which was served chilled. It married with a lovely dish of fresh cheese-stuffed ravioli. For the main courses, I had duck with a wonderful Barbera D'Asti, and Linda had a dish of St. Pierre and fresh green asparagus, married with a glass of the best Condrieu I have ever tasted: so flowery, complex and full.

If you do not want any wine, that is ok too and they will tell you about the dishes. There are two dégustations: one à l'aveugle (blind tasting), and the other featuring wines from all over the world in four courses with their appropriate foods.

Linda rarely drinks but joined the party and had two glasses of wine. By the time we got to dessert, we were sufficiently high as to opt out of a wine with (my) chocolate-caramel gateau and Linda's orange crèpe dessert.

Trip to Japan

2010-05-07T00:58:00.001-07:00

Fantastic dining experiences in a variety of cities in Japan, including those on Fukuoka and Honshu

I just returned from almost a month in Japan. The dining experiences were fantastic, thanks to my friend Kyoko. In several cities, she made reservations for me and I tried one of the best sushi restaurants in the world in Kanazawa, a two-star restaurant in Osaka (nouvel kaiseki style) and a three-star restaurant in Tokyo.

In all three, the ordering was done over the phone before I stepped foot into any restaurant. In the sushi place (in Kanazawa, a real capital for fresh fish), I was reminded of a zen temple--so quiet were the people at the counter. After a fantastic omakase (chef's choice), the customers could choose the types of sushi they were interested in. I was lucky to sit next to an afficionado who knew what the chef's specialties are and so I had a luscious sushi with tuna and leeks. The chef even created a tsukemono (pickle) sushi. His name and the name of the restaurant is Komatsu Yasuke and I will definitely go back there.

Also in Kanazawa, is the animated fantastic market that is open every day except for Wednesday. I enjoy wandering around the stalls and viewing the stunning array of fish and shellfish. There are many delicious sushi places there and I had one of the best chirashi plates of my experience--and I have had a lot of them. On this one, there were fresh oysters which is a rarity on chirashi.

In Osaka, I want to Honkogetsu. It is a little hideaway in the center of a very animated night area. I had to literally ask 10 people to help me find it, and by the time I got to the last person, I was standing in front of the restaurant entrance! There too, I sat at the counter so as to watch the chefs preparing our small dishes. This was kaiseki nouveau. We had grilled bamboo (takenoko) which is in season in April and just delicious; sashimi to dip in natto (not bad!!),vinegar or shoyu; skewers with a variety of fish; grilled tofu steaks with a delicious sauce; a nabe of yuba and vegetables (yuba is tofu skin and I love it); etc. The counter is also conducive to socializing and I met a lovely couple who were celebrating their anniversary. True to kaiseki tradition, the dishes that the food in beautiful porcelain bowls and everyone got a different shape, size, and design. I even took pictures of those.

The top of the top was a three star restaurant in Tokyo: Koju. It is a tiny restaurant. We had a tatami room and were served by our lovely attendant. We chose the least expensive menu of the three proposed (prior to arriving at the restaurant), and were regaled with both fish and vegetable dishes. One of the most memorable was a salad of spring vegetables. Each one had been prepared separately so that the cooking of each was perfect. The sashimi dish was magnificent as was the main fish dish. In the fancy restaurants, it seems that they also beautify and "deliciousify" the rice. This was done in Honkogetsu and here, at Koju, we had rice with succulent seaweed and vegetables mixed in. For dessert were strawberries prepared in four ways all in one bowl. I have a lovely memory of this meal and would not hesitate to return. Kyoko invited another friend to experience this wonderful meal with us: Tomoko. She has a blog about food in English: www.aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp

Stranded by the volcano, I was stuck in Tokyo for five extra days. That was no hardship gastronomically. One night, Tomoko invited me to go with her friends to a "sumo" bistrot where they serve the heavy nabe (stew) that Sumo Wrestlers live on. It is full of heavy meats, shrimps, and vegetables and of course, is very filling. We took a train to the suburbs and met her friends. In addition to the nabe, we had some dishes that I had never had: a cream-filled chicken croquette that was deep-fried, various sashimi dishes, a wonderful summer salad, etc. With this we had many bottles of cold sake. It was a memorable experience not only for all the different foods but also to spend an evening with such friendly people.

Sous les Cerisiers

2010-03-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

A new Parisian fusion restaurant recommended by my Tokyo friend

My friend Kyoko (actually, she is my counterpart in Tokyo) told me that a friend of hers opened a fusion restaurant in Paris. So before my trip to Japan (I leave next week), I thought I would try out the restaurant, meet Sakura (Kyoko's friend) and then report to Kyoko when I see her.

Sakura Franck is a lovely Japanese chef who is very proud of her Japanese tradition and interested in giving its products a French twist. The restaurant is beautifully designed--a long, light grey room with pink geometrical creations peeking out from the ceiling. The look is pristine and the atmosphere quite calm. The back room has two beautiful tables and every chair is dressed in a costume out of the Opera. It is quite surprising to see the chairs so elegantly dressed. The dishes in that room are also very elegant.

Sakura means cherry tree in Japanese and the French name of the restaurant means "Under the Cherry Trees". My first visit was at lunch where you may choose from three appetizers, three main courses and three desserts for a total of less than 20 euros. I started with a lovely and creamy mousse de tofu, sauce au wasabi. This was spectacular! The mousse was smooth and flavorful and the wasabi added the right amount of oomph. My main course was Supions Grillées--the fat bodies of squid simply grilled and served with a light provençale-type sauce. That was served with rice. To accompany my meal, I chose a glass of white Burgundy which was quite rich and contrasted with my food very well.

Sakura does serve tuna but she has written in her menu that the tuna she serves is not the endangered type. It is actually quite small and is very different from the red tuna that is such a controversial food item at this time.

At dinner, there are a number of menus ranging from 40 euros to about 70 euros. And there is an à la carte menu as well. A specialty is foie gras sushi. (I can't wait to go back and try that.) She also serves a variety of fish dishes creatively conceived and reflecting the two cultures. There is meat on the menu as well.

The restaurant has already had a lot of press in French and in Japanese journals, and in 5 short months, it is doing very well. I look forward to going back again soon.

Restaurant Senderens

2010-03-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Alain Senderens makes history by giving up his stars so as to make his art more affordable, only to be awarded with lots of new stars! See my latest review of his restaurant.

The last time I wrote about this restaurant was January 15, 2008. He is my all time favorite French chef, and I have been going to Alain Senderens' restaurants for over 30 years. I first met the great chef at his restaurant, L'Archestrate in the '70s. From there, he moved to the Place de la Madeleine, and opened the regal Lucas Carton. There I met the maître de fromage, Loic Morvan. Loic is now a good friend and also the restaurant's director. I am also friends with the chef and his wife, and know many of the wait staff and of course, the head sommelier and the maîtres d'hotel. It is funny to think of this restaurant as a little piece of home, as it is so chic and has such a long gastronomic history.

Senderens gave up his three stars several years ago. They say he wanted to work in sardines and not in truffles or foie gras. That is not entirely true as there are still luxury items on the menu, but the prices reflect a movement towards an affordable cuisine. As a result, more people can know what this chef is made of. No more 400 euro dinners, thank you. As a result, I come here for festive occasions and sometimes, just for a delicious lunch.

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a delicious lunch, and delicious it was. With my champagne, the amuse-bouche was a lovely consommé de langoustine topped with a watercress cream. After that, Loic treated me too one of the crunchy langoustines (crunchy with toasted almonds) that one dips in a special sauce. This was fabulous and next time I will order it as my appetizer.

I regret that I left my camera at home because my first dish was so beautifully presented (and so very delicious): Gnocchi d'Agria aux Truffes. And truffes there were!! 13 or more lamelles (paper-thin rounds) and truffle pieces sprinkled throughout the dish. On top was a beautiful lattice-work of crispy potato. So delicate. The sauce was lightly creamy and there were also i as a garnish. In a word, the essence of truffle for a very reasonable price. Senderens prides himself in his wine-pairings and with this dish I had a glass of Saint-Aubin "Sur Gamay" 1996 of the Domaine Louise Jadot. Not as buttery as a chardonnay and therefore contrasting well with the rich dish.

(The photos you see are actually from a dinner I had at this restaurant a year ago.)

I have had so many of Alain Senderens' main courses and today Loic suggested that I try the Cochon de Lait. The filet of pork rested atop a bed of leeks, sweet red peppers and savory peppercorns. There was a ravioli filled with the same mixture (rougail), and the dish was garnished with mango and leek. It was served with an Alsatian wine which was rather sweet and married beautifully with the dish.

For the predessert, I was served a lovely pannacotta of mango and vanilla. And for dessert, I couldn't resist the classic Mille Feuille à la Vanille. I am not a fan of creme patissière, but at this restaurant. the crème in the mille feuille is silky and delectable.

With coffee comes small chocolate tarts and cannelés bordelais. I do miss the crunchy tuiles that had big chunks of chocolate and almond in the dough, but hopefully those will come back in the future. With champagne, the meal came to about 125 euros which, for a beautiful meal from a three-star chef, is very reasonable indeed.

Grand Opening of the Carrefour Supermarket

2010-02-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

A cocktail party to mark a neighborhood supermarket opening: a new concept in advertising with champagne and hors d'oeuvres!

Leave it to the French to throw a party. Our neighborhood supermarket shut down a couple of weeks ago to make way for a brand new Carrefour. And to inaugurate the affair, they had an invitation-only grand opening this evening. There were beautiful hors d'oeuvres of many types, but all were either fish or vegetable creations so as to be friendly to the Halal Arabs, Kosher Jews and Vegetarians in the neighborhood. The best part was the Nicholas Feuillate champagne!! After partaking, I wandered through the aisles and was pleased to notice the many brands of packaged goods, the deli cases, the caliber of the fresh foods, and Jacob's Cream Crackers which I have never seen in a French market. The prices were quite reasonable too and there was a nice selection of offerings from international cuisines. Can't wait to go tomorrow for some real shopping.

David's Visit

2010-02-13T02:27:00.000-08:00

Three more Paris restaurants, one of which is a keeper

My brother David had business in Europe and made a short trip to Paris between meetings. Unfortunately, I could not control the weather because it was snowy and freezing everyday, but that did not stop us from dining at three disparate-level restaurants. The first is a favorite that was highly recommended by my dentist and the second were mediocre at best.

Le Bistrot de L'Alycastre was by far the best choice. I have already written about this place. The welcome is warm and the crowded restaurant is cosy. I started with simply grilled razor clams that were topped with a spicy tomato-lemon garnish and David had a carpaccio of bass that was quite delicious. Both of us had fish for our main courses. I had a dramatically presented flambée of St. Pierre subtly flavored with orange that was surprisingly delicious, and David had flaked cod served over roughly mashed potatoes with truffle oil. Both were superb. The wines by the glass were excellent as were the desserts: a fantastic dark chocolate soup (served at room temperature)garnished with whipped cream, and a lovely apricot-pistachio tart.

From there, it was downhill all the way. Our second dinner was at the much hyped highly successful Les Itineraires. I have been to this restaurant five times and have never really enjoyed my meal. You ask, why did I go back yet again? That is a good question. Everyone raves about it so much, I continue to want to give it a chance but after the recent fiasco, I will never go back. No need to write about the overly precious ultra creative dishes that we had from a quite unappealing list of choices (risotto of oysters and passion fruit??). Suffice it to say that this restaurant is wholeheartedly not recommended.

For our third dinner, we went to the Jacques Cagna La Rotisserie d'en Face. We started with delicious mache salads. I had a wonderfully-prepared grilled salmon topped with a variety of peppercorns that added zing, and David had roast chicken with mashed potatoes. The food was very good, but nothing that you could not make at home in 30 minutes. It seemed a shame to spend all that money on grandma's cuisine. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was relaxing. Next time I will be more adventuresome in my choices at this place. The desserts are wonderful.

Amici Miei

2010-02-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

Excellent Italian restaurant just around (my) corner

It is quite amazing that I had not been to this restaurant before, as it is literally two minutes from my house and has been recommended by friends. Pizza, Pasta, Salads, Mains are all beautifully prepared and delicious. In fact, I have been twice in two weeks and am going back for dinner. The overall cuisine harkens from Sardinia with its characteristic flavorful red sauces. The pizzas remind me of the thin cracker-crusted pizzas of Rome and come with a variety of delicious toppings. I had an authentic Sardinian dish: tiny balls of semolina tossed in a seafood tomato sauce with succulent langoustines and plump sauteed mushrooms. The service is efficient and friendly. To top it off, prices are quite reasonable. This is going to be a hangout of mine from now on.

Portugal!!

2010-02-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

A short getaway to Portugal (Lisbon and Madeira) where the food can be very good; restaurants in both destinations including regional specialties

I had a lovely week in Lisbon and Madeira. I actually went to Madeira to meet my mother who escaped to the island to get away from a New York winter. Madeira is a Portuguese island on the same latitude as Morocco and has a temperate climate all year round. However, although warm, this season was very strange and we had more rain and clouds than usual. Lisbon, usually warm, was sunny but cold. It is a charming city with beautiful castles and museums. I also visited Sintra, which is a couple of hours outside of Lisbon. Sintra is a stunner of a village and has a magnificent ancient castle with different colored stone walls.

In Lisbon, I was very disappointed with the food I had. I went to one of the only Michelin Guide one-star restaurants in town; (Eleven) and found the meal to be stilted and over-priced. One thing to beware of is the fact that anything that they put on the table is charged to your bill (including bread and the amuse-bouches that are complimentary in every other restaurant I have ever been to). When I ordered one glass of champagne, I welcomed the unsolicited refill that in Paris would have been offered. Bad news for me at the end of the meal, when I was charged for two and not one glass of champagne.

At Eleven, I started with a beautiful lobster salad garnished with mango. However, it was much too salty and therefore inedible. The main course was a very good sea bass covered with wild mushrooms and served with an herb pudding.

Belem is a small town right near Lisbon and they have the famous pasteis à la Belem. The fun part is to go to the bakery where they are sold. It is very picturesque and there are many different attractive cakes for sale. The pasteis are small tarts filled with flan that you garnish with a vanilla powdered sugar and cinnamon.

I stayed at an ultra-luxury hotel (The Lapa Palace) where I got a promotion of three nights' stay for the price of two nights. At the hotel restaurant, I did have a lovely Portuguese rosé sparkling wine called Murganheira Rosé Bruto. Although my meal was simple, it was quite good. I had a interesting codfish concoction garnished with spiced pears, followed by a beautiful Atlantic Seafood Stew full of shellfish. The coffee soufflé was excellent but too much after such a copious meal.

My third dinner in Lisbon was at a restaurant recommended by the Guide Michelin for authentic inexpensive food. Ordering the local specialty of Bacalahou a Lagareiro, I was very disappointed. It is salt cod that they forgot to wash, garnished with potatoes and onions. The fish was so salty that I could hardly eat the dish. It was covered with cilantro even though I warned against that. When I pointed it out to the waiter, he smiled and just spooned off most of the cilantro to the side of the plate!! What elegant service!

My best meal was a lunch I took at the seashore (Guincho Beach) at a restaurant called Meste Zé. I had grilled turbot, ordering precisely the number of grams I wanted. Otherwise they would have made a kilo for me and charged me over 50 euros. I admired all the lobsters and jumbo shrimp that passed me by on waiters' trays being carried to other diners. Everyone was having a good time and the food was just fine.

The town of Funchal in Madeira is tourist-oriented and has outstanding restaurants hotels.The gardens are spectacular even in the beginning of January. My mother, her assistant and friend, Marian, and I went to a French place, an Italian place, and two some Portuguese restaurants and had excellent meals. At the Cliff Bay Hotel, we dined in the restaurant: Il Gallo d'Oro. (The fancy restaurants in Madeira do not charge for amuse-bouches or bread, I am happy to say.) After some lovely amuse-bouches, I started with a Savarin of Fresh Crab garnished with smoked salmon. The dish was delicate and full of crab. My main course was turbot stuffed with fresh jumbo scallops, a sauce of Sevruga caviar and a large piece of juicy lobster tail. It was elegant, beautifully presented and just wonderful. We didn't order dessert but they did bring out the pre-dessert which was a lovely chocolate cake with chocolate leaves. This is a restaurant I would definitely go back to.

Next door to this hotel is the famous Reid's Palace. It is one of the most elegant and renowned hotels in the world. We were treated to a tour of the hotel and a visit of the Presidential Suite named after one of its inhabitants: Winston Churchill. There is also a George Bernard Shaw Presidential Suite. I could live for a few weeks in the bathroom alone, decorated with the beautiful hand-painted blue and white tiles that are so omnipresent in Portugal. We had lunch at the Poolside Restaurant and ordered the reasonably priced buffet that had a large choice of cold and hot appetizers and main courses, and beautiful desserts. They served my favorite Portuguese bread (Bolo do Kako) which is a round doughy loaf. Next door is their main restaurant, The Villa Cipriani. This restaurant was the best of the entire vacation. The pasta choices and preparations were all spectacular as were the main courses and desserts. And unlike so many restaurants of its kind in Europe and in NY, the atmosphere is very quiet, allowing for animated conversation. For a restaurant of this caliber, the prices are quite reasonable.We paid 60 euros per person for a full meals and a few glasses of wine and drinks.

The two specialties of Madeira are the Grilled Espada served with Grilled Banana, and the Espetadà Regional, which is a skewer of juicy prime beef grilled and served on a stand. You push off one piece of beef at a time. We had the beef dish at Los Combatentes in the center of Funchal, and the fish at a restaurant called O Regional. The prices were quite low in these places and service was extremely friendly.

One morning we went to a very animated market. We saw the usual vegetables, fruits, and flowers, but in the basement are all the fish displays. I love fish, but these looked really monstrous and I took a photo of the ugliest of all. Sitting on the ice, they looked pretty scary, but I am sure they are part of a wonderful regional dish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and hope my mother chooses Madeira next winter!

Chic AND delicious!!

2009-12-20T04:32:00.000-08:00

If you have a sweet tooth, this destination in central Paris should not be missed! It is a well kept secret that Pain de Sucre is one of the best boulangerie-patisseries in Paris.

I am really surprised that I am just now writing about this superb boulangerie-patisserie. It is a "Must Try" destination--and I mean right away! The two wonderful patissiers (Didier Mathray and Nathalie Robert) who opened this jewelbox of a shop about three or four years ago, (Pain de Sucre, 14 rue Rambuteau in the 3rd arrondissement) used to create the desserts at my favorite haute luxury restaurant: Pierre Gagnaire. I always looked forward to the end of the meal at Gagnaire, so as to taste these chefs' newest additions to the menu (mainly exotic chocolate soufflés were my choice but there was also a splendid dégustation of desserts). Now these geniuses of the sweet course are dazzling tout Paris with their wonderful concoctions that are not only inventive and chic but also delicious. I looked at a tarte today that looked like a classic chocolate tarte but in fact, was filled with lime custard and topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate. At Pain de Sucre, I am always curious to taste everything, and even I will dare to be inventive in my dessert choices. I have tried every different gateau that they create (changing the "collection" every season).

My favorite is Etat de Choc which is chocolate: several thin layers of smooth, dark, crunchy and lovely. They have a baba au rhum which comes with its own vial of rum syrup. The chefs also do marvelous things with herbs. I know that Romarin (rosemary) is my favorite little cake in this family. They also make verrines--little glasses layered with all sorts of lovely flavors and textures. They do use cilantro and I just stay away from those. These geniuses dare to contrast a variety flavors and herbs and the results are always stunning.

Not only are the cakes and I wonderful but all the breads are out of this world, including the buttery breakfast bread, pain de Venise. The baguettes and the pain aux cereales are also knockouts. For me, the test of a truly excellent bakery is in the baguette and these artists do not disappoint. For lunch there are a variety of rustic folded rolls filled with delicious combinations of delights such as sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cheeses, lardons and the like.

They have also done amazing things with guimauve (which Americans turn into marshmallow) and even make different flavored guimauve lollipops coated in that dark chocolate. Please see my beautiful photos of their stellar creations and run don't walk to rue Rambuteau where you can choose among these wonderful and delicious works of art.

Chocolate!!

2009-11-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

About chocolate: French candies and cakes--from an expert chocolate lover

I love chocolate. As far as I am concerned, no meal is complete without a taste. There are many excellent French chocolatiers in Paris but my favorite for gateaux bar none is Jean Paul Hevin. His cakes are stunning and delicious. I think I have tried ten of them. There are three retail shops, and a salon de thé on the rue du Faubourg St. Honoré, near the Place Vendôme. Upstairs, the menu is Japanese style with beautiful photos of each of the offerings to help you decide. My favorites are Caracas, Choco-Passion, Tarte au chocolat, the heavenly and rich Macaron à L'Ancienne and the Raspberry-chocolate cake. No trip to Paris is complete without a stop at this very important locale. His macarons are all variations on the chocolate theme, flavored with lemon, passion fruit, coffee, etc.

For bars of chocolate, however, I prefer Christian Constant on rue d'Assas in the 6th arrondissement. This chocolatier takes great pride in his work and his product shows it. His dark chocolate bars are all distinguished and delicious with beans coming from South America, Africa, Asia, and other hot climates. He knows which are the finest beans and will only use those in his chocolates. The little candies are sensational and are flavored with herbs and flowers. No candies with sweet and cloying centers, these are dark chocolate through and through with hints of flavor such as rose hips, jasmin tea, ginger, to name a few. They are hand made and expensive but worth it as they are the best in the world.

Second to Constant in my book is Patrick Roger with a shop on bd St Germain des Près near Odéon and one on avenue Victor Hugo in the 16th. His chocolate candies are also dark and lovely although some are filled with praline centers which I don't like. His bars, with beans that come from Africa and South America, are all very good. These are extremely expensive candies. The boxed chocolates are lined with a faux paper layer made of chocolate so when you get to the bottom, there is still something wonderful to eat.

Another creator of chocolate bars is the Maison Bonnat near Grenoble. I find these bars at Galéries Lafayette.They are much less expensive than the others I have been talking about. My favorite is Chuao (South America), but others I have tried have been very good as well.

London in October

2009-11-09T09:51:00.001-08:00

More delicious dining in London, including a terrific Japanese robata-sushi bar, a favorite Italian, a hallowed hall of gastronomy and where to go for simply prepared fish

Another trip to London and that means great eating. My favorite new discovery was Zuma at Knightsbridge on Raphael Street. It is a sushi bar, a robata bar and a large, noisy, and very attractive modern restaurant. If not for the sushi bar, you would say that this is modelled after the Japanese izakaya--or brasserie. The menu boasts long lists of very interesting salads and hot dishes, and I was able to try a number of them, along with robata (grilled food). To start with I had Hamachi usuzukuri pirikara ninnikugake. Another way of saying it is thinly sliced raw yellowtail with a green chili relish and ponzu sauce. I also had a beautiful chilled langoustine and clear noodle salad with a yuzu granité (Akazebi to shirataki no reisei salada yuzu fumi). It was served in a round glass and was very pretty. From the robata grill, I ordered grilled scallops with umeboshi (tangy Japanese plum), shiso and mentaki as well as grilled sweet corn with hojiso butter. The corn was spectacular and my favorite part of the meal although everything was sensational. What is fun in this restaurant is to sit at one of the bars and watch what other people order and the chefs in action. Everything looks fantastic and judging by the number of enthusiastic people there, it has reasons for its popularity.

At lunch the next day, I met my friend Peggy and we went to Marcus Waering at the Berkeley Hotel. We each ordered a menu dégustation. Peggy had the vegetarian one while I ordered from the regular menu. With our champagne was served a baby foie gras sandwich with quince and raspberry, olive toast and smoked tomato dip with a black olive compote.

Before the meal, we were served a small cup of mushroom soup with truffle foam. A lovely way to begin. My menu was a salade of scallops and cod with cauliflower, macadamia nuts and shallot dressing. This was followed by poached and roasted Dover Sole with beetroot, fresh walnuts, walnut ricotta and gnocchi--wonderful. I also had a small dish of roasted sweetcorn with braised leeks, mushrooms and a thyme salad topped with a coddled quail egg. Very delicate and delicious. Peggy and I shared a half bottle of an excellent Pouilly Fuissé.

The desserts were a pleasant ending to a very special lunch: the pre-dessert with an opera and vanilla cream on an apricot crisp, and a passion fruit jelly with lime sorbet and lemon cream. The dessert was a warm chocolate and salt caramel moelleux with banana cacao ice cream and a banana caramel jelly. None of the desserts are among my favorites (I don't like chocolate with banana) but they were fine nevertheless.

J. Sheekey is a gentleman's clubby restaurant that specializes is preparations of unadulterated fresh fish. I had Dublin prawns and learned then that they are what the French call langoustines. My main course was a succulent grilled West Bay Brill--a firm white fish--with an excellent herb and watercress salad. I chose Cookies and Brownies for dessert. This was a simple delicious meal and is a place that I would return to again and again.

I never miss the River Cafe when I go to London. It is my favorite Italian restaurant outside of Italy and Waltham (see the post about dining outside of Boston). The "calamari ai ferri" is a specialty and is tender chargrilled squid with fresh red chili and rocket. I also had an Insalata di Porcini with rocket, parmesan and lemon--very fresh and full of flavor. For my main course, I didn't order a meat or fish. This time I chose Gnocchi di Patate with chestnuts, sausage, tomato, Chianti and sage. Does that sound good? It was SPECTACULAR and I was very happy with my choice. For dessert I had their famous caramel ice cream with has a pleasant burnt sugar tang that comes from the way the caramel is melted. With the meal, I chose two very good wines and I was in 7th heaven as usual. I always buy one of their books and wish that I could duplicate their cooking expertise. Who would ever imagine that two British women would be such experts at creating authentic Italian food? And their cookbooks are also noteworthy.

Dining outside of Boston

2009-11-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Fine dining in the towns that border Boston, MA including a wonderful Italian, a Middle East treasure, a tiny hideaway with a stellar chef

Over the past ten years, Boston has seen a rebirth. The South End, where no one dared tread is now a chic area full of beautiful shops and terrific restaurants. And there are also several good places to try in Cambridge across the river. I lived in Cambridge for 22 years before moving to Paris and as I still have many friends there, I visit every other year.

The most popular restaurant according to the Zagat Guide is Oleana. It is on an unassuming street in East Cambridge. I have never been to place like this. The cuisine is Mediterranean and one dish is more creative and interesting than the next. I went with my hosts: John and Phil, and we were able to sample many dishes. We shared several starters: Deviled Eggs and Tuna with Black Olives, Armenian Bean and Walnut Pate with Homemade String Cheese, Fried Mussels with a Hot Pepper and Turkish Tarator Sauce, Zucchini Pancakes with a Green Tomato-Nectarine Salad and Haloumi Cheese (what is that?), and Ricotta and Bread Dumplings with red wine, Porcini, and Black Kale. I must say I am a novice at this type of food and never ate as well in Turkey. I didn't know many of the ingredients but the food was terrific.

Our main courses were Swordfish with a Salsa Verde, Kohlrabi Fritters and Maine Yellow Eye Beans; Dayboat Cod with Chanterelles, Chorizo, Chick Peas and Romesco Sauce; and Venison with Pomegranate served with a Celeri Root Purée, Swiss Chard infused with Black Tea, and a Wild Mushroom Garnish. We had an excellent Pinot Noir with the meal. John and Phil told me that the dessert specialty is Baked Alaska so that is what we ordered. I also chose coconut ice cream with a passion fruit caramel. I was so pleased to come to this place as it was thoroughly unusual, fun and delicious.

Out in Waltham, I am always very happy to visit my cousins, Caroline and Andy. Down the street from their home is one of my favorite Italian restaurants: Campania. We go there together every time I am in Boston. Usually, we are a large group but, as Andy and Caroline's children no longer live at home, it was just the three of us. The menu featured many delectable choices and we chose wisely: Pan-seared Foie Gras, Roasted Peaches, Duck Leg Confit with a Gorgonzola Crema and a Port Wine and Orange reduction was the first appetizer we shared. That was followed by a Risotto with Pan-Seared Shrimp and Scallops, Fresh Corn and Chanterelle Mushrooms. I adore corn and get it whenever I see it on a menu. And September is a great time to order it.

Our main courses were Salt-Encrusted Whole Branzino stuffed with Herb Gremolata and accompanied with a "teeny" greens and French pear salad with whole roasted garlic; Osso-Buco with a creamy Parmiggiano Polenta, Sauteed Asparagus and a veal reduction; Duck Leg Confit and Pan Seared Breast with Sautéed Escarole "affogato", poached pear with Gorgonzola "Dulce", and an Apricot and Pear Brandy Sauce. The owner sent over a little present for us: Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Cauliflower Caprino Purée and a saffron vinaigrette. Our fantastic wine was a 2006 Barbara d'Asti from Ca di Pian' Spinetta. We always get both desserts which must be ordered in advance: The chocolate soufflé and the crostata à la pêche served with ice cream and drizzled with caramel. What a great meal and how stuffed we all were!

My friend, Richard Kzirian, is a wine connoisseur and has a shop in Cambridge. He supplies many restaurants in the area with wines from the store. It is always a great treat to go out with him as he invariably knows and likes the chefs of the restaurants he chooses. This time we went to Ten Tables. Ten Tables is a small place in Jamaica Plain that has been very successful. Recently the owner and chef opened a second larger place (17 tables) on a quiet residential street in Cambridge. Richard and I had a lovely meal there. He chose the wines of course. The restaurant features Iggy's bread and that means fantastic. My starter was a wonderful Beet Salad with green apple, grilled pistachios and Fourme d'Ambert--a tangy blue cheese that I like. For my main course, I ordered Uchikiri ravioli with butter, sage and parmesan. Uchikiri is a very sweet Japanese squash and the dish was absolutely delicious. The chef made Richard a special dinner using no milk products and that meant a fish stew which was excellent. We were treated to a baked polenta ribbolita, with Tuscan beans and kale. Ribollita is a delicious soup made with stale bread and lots of beans and vegetables. In an earlier post, I wrote about the one I had in Florence at Da Ruggero. This one was different but also memorable.

My last night in Massachusetts, I went out with friends Tim and Jim to Rialto, another restaurant in the Charles Hotel. One more delicious meal and vows to diet once I got back to Paris! There were three of us and that enabled us to take a little trip through the menu. Some examples: Potato Gnocchi with a Rabbit Bolognese sauce with wild mushrooms; perfect Grilled Littlenecks with qndouille sausage and toasted garlic bread to start. After that, there was Local Grilled Bluefish (which is a specialty in Massachusetts and a favorite of mine) with corn relish, heirloom tomatoes and pickled peppers; Julia Child's Lobster à L'Americaine cognac and clams. We ordered a side of creamed corn to satisfy my craving. Jim always get the Tuscan Beef and that evening was no exception.

After that huge meal, they took me to Christine's in Inman Square for pistachio ice cream: their favorite and a big specialty. It was a lovely way to end the evening.

I ate in a few restaurants in Boston and one of them, Oishii is a big favorite. I wrote about it in a blog two years ago and stand by everything I said then. On this trip, I was most impressed by the "outside of" Boston restaurants I went to.

Pizza wars in NYC

2009-11-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

New York magazine came out with an article and review of the "25 Best New Pizzerias in NY" and I tried three of them. Although these were good, they don't depose Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge.

The biggest culinary news in New York is the renaissance of the authentic pizzeria. New York Magazine and the New York Times devoted many an article on this fact. Frank Bruni developed an interactive critic's article with taped reviews accompanying the photos. Many truly excellent pizza restaurants of all shapes and sizes have opened over the past year and are stiff competition for each other and for the strongholds like Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, John's and Lombardi's. The sad news is that Una Pizza Napoletana closed. Anthony, the lone pizzaiola who worked hard and created every single pizza over the past several years, had enough of pizza rolling and sold the shop in order to move to San Francisco. I hope he gets a surge of energy out west as his was my very favorite pizza place.

During my trip this past fall, I went to three excellent and very different pizzerias. Lucali's in Carroll Gardens has gotten a great deal of press. The pizza is lovingly prepared but I didn't like the crust--more like a cracker-type Roman crust and not chewy at all. However, Lucali's does have its following, as evidenced by long lines. Service is youthful and Brooklyn and friendly. They don't serve beer or wine but you can bring your own. And the corner store sells some basic wines just for this purpose.

My favorite of the new pizzerias that I tried is Co., bar none. It is in Chelsea on 9th Avenue and 20th Street. The chef is a bread maven and his talent shows in the chewy crust. The restaurant is an upscale Chelsea place with butcher block tables and a subdued decor. There are appetizers, drinks, and desserts. Chris started with a fabulous radicchio salad with taleggio cheese and a great balsamic vinaigrette. We had the Popeye--a true winner of a pizza with spinach, garlic and a variety of Italian cheeses. And next was the Fennel and Sausage pizza with crushed tomato, mozzarella,roasted fresh fennel, sweet sausage and chili. The desserts are modern Italian and look great, but I didn't have room to try one. However, the people around us raved about the chocolate torta and the gelato.

Across town in the East Village is Veloce on 1st Avenue at 6th Street. It is the third place I tried on this trip. They serve their take on Sicilian pizzas and these are large, square and chewy. One pizza is enough for two. We opted for a superb tomato salad (when tomatoes are in season as they were, there is nothing like them) and a Porchetta Sausage Sicilian pizza. It had rosemary, sage, fennel, tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh Porchetta sausage. This was quite tasty and with the house wine, went down very easily. This restaurant is not as upscale as Co.

Now that Una Pizza Napoletana has left New York, I will have to say that until I find another favorite, Co. and Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge (written about in an early blog) are my favorites.

Newest Japanese restaurants

2009-11-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Three new Japanese restaurants

On rue St. Anne, an authentic "combi" (like a 7-11 in America) opened in place of a travel agency. It is called Kmart and is a combi (convenience supermarket) with a canteen next door. For the inexpensive price of 7 euros, you can get three types of delicious bibim bap (rice with vegetables and seaweed or more vegetables or beef), bento with either salmon or grilled tuna, sushi combos. The room is bright and clean and it is a lot of fun to eat there. There are Korean and Japanese specialties to buy in the "combi" section of the store.

Across the street is Lai Lai Ken. I was just introduced to this place by a Japanese friend who swears by their ramen and she is right. The noodles are al dente and the various broths are very delicious. For example, the shrimp ramen has 5-6 succulent shrimp along with Chinese cabbage. Lai Lai Ken also serves other Japanese canteen specialities such as yakisoba and (my favorite) ebi yaki soba, cha han with lots of vegetables and shrimp, and a kani cha han which features crab flakes. After 6pm, there are other more inventive dishes such as sautéed asparagus and mushrooms, agedashi dofu, and a variety of other Japanese specialities. Lai Lai Ken is a large restaurant and there is rarely a line so you can count on going there and being served right away.

Just four months old, Kiku (which means to listen or hear) at 56 rue Richer is a winner. It is already popular and as it only seats 25, reservations are necessary. At lunch, there are a variety of interesting donburi (fish or meats on rice) with vegetables. The menu states that they do not use tuna as it is endangered, and in its place, I was happy to find yellowtail (hamachi) which is rare on French Japanese restaurant menus. With the donburi come an interesting salad with sesame oil, and a good miso soup. Kiku also serves hardy one-dish meals which come on a small tray with three tsukedashi (amuse-bouches) such as salmon sushi, pumpkin mousse and a small salad. With the little appetizers come either a roast tofu dish on a bed of various winter vegetables, sukiyaki for one in a small oven dish with lots of vegetables, and an interesting chicken dish with a miso-sesame sauce. I want to try that the next time. At dinner, there is a menu dégustation for 35 euros. For that price you get to choose three different dishes out of 12, and the usual Japanese staples are featured. However, they are prepared in creative and delicious ways.

Trip to NY: two four-star restaurants

2009-10-17T09:22:00.001-07:00

Two New York Times four-star restaurants in New York: Bernardin and 11 Madison Park

The New York Times rating system is closely followed by foodies and the rare four-star restaurant is a much pursued destination. During this wonderful trip to NY, I had the fortunate opportunity to sample two of these temples of cuisine: Eleven Madison Park (newly elevated to four stars) and Le Bernardin which has had four stars since its inception over 20 years ago. The lunch at Le Bernardin, for 68 dollars is well worth it. There are numerous choices in every category and everything is beautifully and deliciously prepared. I went with my cousin, Jenny, who loves delicious inventive cuisine as much as I.

At the table was rillettes de saumon (smoked salmon) served with toasted country bread. The bread server then made the rounds with several choices of wonderful bread including brioche bread which is my favorite.

For starters, Jenny had tuna that was pounded flat and layered with foie gras, and I chose soft shell crabs served with a lime sauce. We shared everything. For our main courses, there was codfish stuffed with sweet peppers and octopus and topped with a red wine reduction, and crispy black bass served with a braised celery and parsnip custard. The final touch was Iberico ham topped with a green peppercorn sauce.

Desserts were very light and interesting: Pear with cinnamon and caramel, Pistachio mousse with a caramelized white chocolate cream. Neither of us felt like drinking too much at lunch so we ordered wines by the glass. With coffee came a basket of warm financiers.

Le Bernardin is an exquisite New York institution that I discovered in Paris years ago before the Le Coze brother and sister moved west. I recommend the lunch as it is quite reasonable considering the calibre of the cuisine.

The other four-star restaurant I was lucky to experience is Eleven Madison Park. My cousins, Larry and Boots took me there and we had a splendid meal. The amuse-bouches alone were worth the trip: cornet of crisp sweetbreads, warm gougères, radish with butter and sea salt, tortellini of manila clams, quince gelée with foie gras on a savory butter cookie--all lovely and delicious.

I had an extremely superb and interesting appetizer: slow poached egg with farro, sweet corn, frogs legs and summer truffles--like a thin risotto (the farro) garnished with many textures and flavors. Boots had a gorgeous roulade of avocado, Hawaiian prawns, avocado, lime and yogurt. All my favorite things in one dish. Larry chose a lovely salad with jamon Iberico, melons, basil and heirloom tomatoes.

For the main courses, Boots and I shared the best duck I have ever had. It was rare, juicy and crusty at the same time, glazed with lavendar honey and served with butternut squash, figs and other spices. The duck legs came confits with fresh figs and herbs. Larry had a beautiful roast suckling pig with stunning vegetable garnishes. The wine we chose was spectacular: Edna Valley Topanga Syrah 2005. It was really a remarkable wine.

For dessert we had a chocolate-caramel tart, an ice cream sandwich with mint chocolate ice cream and a vanilla soufflé. Throughout the meal we were surprised at how consistently superb and splendid everything was. This is a great discovery and I just hope that chef is happy in his kitchen and stays there for many years.

A place 'pour toutes les poches'

2009-10-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

This literally means a place 'for every pocket' (or every pocketbook). What follows are three Parisian restaurants at three levels of expense which are all noteworthy.

First: Chiberta which has one Michelin star (quite an honor) and which will run you around 100 euros per person if not a bit more depending on the wine you choose, of course. I went there right before a big trip to the states with a friend I had met at the wedding in Puerto Vallerta.

The amuse-bouche was a delicious and beautiful cold creamy pea soup with a dollop of whipped cream garnished with toasts slathered with fresh peas.

We started with gambas à la plancha (grilled large shrimp) flavored with grapefruit and served with a millefeuille (layers) of white and green radish and avocado. Very light and delicate but flavorful. Gail had marinated sardines with sweet Espelette peppers from the South of France, tomatoes, and a gazpacho sorbet. Both appetizers were lovely and light and a nice opening to an excellent meal.

For main courses, I chose duck sautéed with foie gras and stuffed zucchini. Gail had saddle of lamb roasted with thyme and eggplant served three ways. For dessert, I had a hot apricot soufflé and that was heavenly. It came with a verbena sorbet which goes very well with either peach or apricot.

Our wines were well chosen by me counselled by the sommelier--a not too expensive but very flavorful Monthélie by Pierre Morey. I know this name from long ago when I sat at the same table as Morey's father in law and then learned that his is a prestigious house in Burgundy.

Before she moved back to Japan, I treated Yuko (a wonderful Japanese friend with whom I have been doing a language exchange for about a year and a half) to a delicious meal in a place suggested by my dentist. His recommendations are always superb. This place is called Le Bistrot de L'Alycastre and is open everyday. It is in the center of St. Germain des Près. To fête this event, we had wonderful glasses of Laurent Perrier champagne. This bistrot, although in the moderate price range, has an excellent wine list.

For starters, I had a sauté of chanterelles (girolles in French) and Yuko had wild gambas (large shrimps) served in a carpaccio with lime and lemon-flavored oil. Lovely. I adore turbot and had it as a filet served with a wonderful risotto with cèpes. Yuko had something she will not get in Japan: succulent sweetbreads served with cèpes and small potatoes. We shared a dark and creamy chocolate soup and left the table sad to say goodbye but very pleased and satisfied with the meal. I will see Yuko the next time I go to Tokyo which should be very soon (for the cherry blossoms in early spring).

Finally, I tried Cucina Napoletana with my friend, Alex. This is a very small restaurant in the Marais which specializes in Italian food served family style. They have a marvelous antipasto plate for whatever number of people are at the table. We chose a superb linguine with a whole lobster in fresh tomatoes and were in heaven. Wines are served by the glass or by the bottle and the list is well representative of Italian wines.

There are several pasta dishes as well as daily fish and meat specials. Rare is it to get well-prepared pasta in France, but this place does the real thing. Depending on what type of main course you choose (lobster is on the expensive side), you can get away with paying very little at this lovely place. The owner of the restaurant is rather cold, but the level of the cuisine is well worth the frosty welcome. Reservations are necessary as there are just a few tables in the restaurant.

Paris Thai and day in Lyon

2009-09-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

A new Thai restaurant in Paris and an excursion to Lyon for some fine dining

Eric and I went to Reuen Thai restaurant in Belleville. Recommended by a Japanese friend, this restaurant serves very authentic Thai preparations with the beautiful presentations that are so ubiquitous in nice restaurants in Thailand. I had a delicious soft shell crab with crispy garlic starter. I love spicy food and so ordered a green bean concoction with squid that was served in a hot pepper sauce with sweet red peppers. To counter the heat of the dish,I chose a lovely plate of sautéed noodles and vegetables which was also very good. Eric chose a whole bass baked with ginger and vegetables. I find that the whole fish preparations are usually extremely dependable choices in the Thai restaurants.

About a week later, I took a day and went to Lyon, the city known as the Stomach of France. There are so many wonderful restaurants there, but most serve extremely heavy lyonnais food: quenelles de brochet in a cream sauce, or sausages in brioche crusts. However, there are also more contemporary restaurants which serve upscale dishes. I chose a one-star restaurant known as Les Terrasses de Lyon. It is in the old part of the city atop one of the hills. The diningroom has a gorgeous view of the city.

I decided to opt for the menu dégustation, as I had come to Lyon to eat. However, the restaurant does serve a lovely 3-course menu for lunch that costs 48 euros without beverages.

My menu dégustation began with four petites amuses bouches. There was an egg shell filled with a bit of egg, tomato gelée and baby vegetables, topped with cream; salmon sushi with raifort; an oyster on a toast topped with a balsamic vinegar gelée and a cube of foie gras with a compote of figs. A very nice opening to the meal.

My first course was a dish of two large roasted gambas served with small vegetables and squid ribbons. The squid sat atop a little toast and was very nice. Next was a whole lobster tail served with a spring roll of vegetables: a very luxurious dish. It was sauced with citronelle and galanga--straight from Asia. The main course was a delicious pigeon with a tartine of confit of onions and a little sausage made of the offal of the pigeon. I love offal and ate this part up right away. The pigeon was braised in a little clay pot and flavored with verbena and white peaches. Delicious!!

To go with each course, the restaurant proposed some excellent wines including a Puligny Montrachet with the lobster. This selection could be chosen at the beginning of the meal and was well worth it.

Unfortunately, I had no room for cheese and so went on to the dessert courses. To introduce the main dessert was an ice cream bar of passion fruit sorbet wrapped in chocolate and accompanied with a tiny cup of chocolate mousse. I chose the soufflé au chocolat for dessert. Although it was beautiful, it was the only disappointing part of the meal as no one can make a soufflé as well as I or my mother can! I am usually not happy with restaurant chocolate soufflés but since I love them, I make the mistake of ordering them. With coffee came a lavish assortment of petit fours and chocolates.
The lunch was extremely expensive but I did order the menu dégustation which is usually served at dinner. I was happy with the menu and all in all, it was a successful journey. I am sorry I forgot to bring my camera as the view was lovely and the meal was beautifully presented.