New York, June 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.