Chuck, I hate you.

But on a more serious note, have you been to GR at Claridge's yet? I've only been to GR in Glasgow and it was meh.

__________________
"It's like being at Thunderhill, only without a helmet" -- Itzkirb riding shotgun with me.

Turbo - that dish is to die for, no questions. the first time i had "soil" was at Can Roca (1 hr north of Barcelona) 2 years ago, but it's certainly a small trend these days. i'm sure, in some way, it goes back to Adria.

if you want to see how complex a Fat Duck recipe is, read this one for a hamburger: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/...the-world.html


Ack - i haven't been to a GR restaurant for fear of your reaction.

- chuck

__________________
01 996tt - GT700
forged pistons, forged rods, clubsport intercoolers, upgraded fuel system, gen 1 fabspeed loud exhaust, sachs stg 3 clutch, 964 light-weight flywheel, b&m short shifter, motons, oz superleggera III wheels, strosek rear spoiler, lots of carbon fiber inside, custom lamborghini titanium metallic paint

Hahaha that hamburger recipe is one of the craziest things I have ever seen, especially the segments where it instructs to get XXX amount of a particular ingredient, use X and scrap XX. Hahaha WTF?

__________________
Boost Is Better

Ledoyen (Paris, France) is one of those *grand* restaurants - think, russian oil tycoons, swiss diplomats, and all of the power-brokers of Europe. The food is highly polished, near-perfect conceptually, and very very expensive.

It is hidden in a park at the end of the Champ Elysses, across from the Place de la Concorde. The room is full of windows, overlooking the trees and park. The style of the room is not my preference - highly ornamental, a glimmer into the height of French decadence. But it is grand - it *feels* as impressive as the bill, where many of the great Parisian restaurants are tucked into much smaller, and less extravagent, rooms.

This meal for two below was 1400 euros w/ a cheap (200 euro) bottle of wine. My first Ledoyen meal was sensational, one of my all-time best, but this one suffered mostly from ordering too much. The perfect langoustine dish from my last meal was not so perfect this time; but I was too full to complain (when one complains legitimately in these types of restaurants, you will usually get 1-2 extra dishes and 1-2 extra desserts, all comped. I couldn't eat them so I didn't complain.)

If you want one of the last few remaining grand dining experiences, this is it.


Langoustine & Seaweed Lollipop


Quail egg encased with truffle, Beet & Smoked eel macaroon, Mozzerella "egg"


Saveurs “terre et riviere” - Land and river - smoked eel, eel tartar, and textures of beet



Foie Gras w/ Passionfruit




Grosses langoustines Bretonnes, croustillantes, emulsion d’agrumes a l’ huile d’olive - Langoustines, fried & a la plancha, with citrus & olive emulsion

When this is on, it is one of the top-5 dishes of all time and it, alone, is worth the price of admission.


Ris de veau en brochette de bois de citronelle, jus d’herbes










You can read about this particular meal here:
ChuckEats blog Ledoyen (Paris, France) - Regality is not without Faults

Highly recommended if you follow my ordering tips in the link above, and you have a taste for things like langoustines, uni, eel, etc.

My first spectacular meal:
ChuckEats blog Ledoyen (Paris) - The Harmony of Modernism

- chuck

__________________
01 996tt - GT700
forged pistons, forged rods, clubsport intercoolers, upgraded fuel system, gen 1 fabspeed loud exhaust, sachs stg 3 clutch, 964 light-weight flywheel, b&m short shifter, motons, oz superleggera III wheels, strosek rear spoiler, lots of carbon fiber inside, custom lamborghini titanium metallic paint

So cost in USD is somewhere north of $2,000?! Wow, that lobster must be outrageously good. I bet the emulsion is delicious with the sweetness of the meat.

__________________
Boost Is Better

Sa Qua Na (Honfleur, France) was the best meal of my trip. It was also the cheapest - it's nice when that happens - 80 euros/head.

It's not as ambitious as Ledoyen but it was pretty solid. The flavors and tastes are definitely on the subtle side, the whole thing coming off very light and pure. I think this is why I liked it so much - definitely fits into the 'things that do it for me' category.

It's a great one-day side trip from Paris, especially in the late summer. Honfleur is beautiful - no question about that.









Daurade poche au citron vert, feuilles de liveche & coriandre, un bouillon clair a la noix de coco et huile de Combava

A piece of sea bream was placed in a stone bowl and it was (barely) cooked by a broth of coconut and lime oil. Fresh leaves of lovage and coriander were added. This is a signature quality dish - a tantalizing blend of careful flavors, none overpowering, all masterfully balanced. A blend of east and west that would be difficult to improve.



Petis-pois / Huile d'olive / Citron confit

Light, pure, and balanced - is it nouvelle cuisine, italian, or japanese? The citrus gave it that right amount of brightness, as the peas, while intense, were not completely forward. This is the sort of dish I fall for these days, particularly when peas are involved.





The Full Review (with many more courses): ChuckEats blog Sa Qua Na (Honfleur, France) - Light & Crisp

- chuck

__________________
01 996tt - GT700
forged pistons, forged rods, clubsport intercoolers, upgraded fuel system, gen 1 fabspeed loud exhaust, sachs stg 3 clutch, 964 light-weight flywheel, b&m short shifter, motons, oz superleggera III wheels, strosek rear spoiler, lots of carbon fiber inside, custom lamborghini titanium metallic paint

Starving now . . .

Chuck, what do you recommend along the Riviera? I gather by the fact that you left it out in your round-trip that you don't consider anything there particularly worthy of a detour

Mirazur, in Menton (i believe that qualifies), is supposed to be one of the best up & coming restaurants in France. I would like to go but, as you say, it's the only reason to go

- chuck

__________________
01 996tt - GT700
forged pistons, forged rods, clubsport intercoolers, upgraded fuel system, gen 1 fabspeed loud exhaust, sachs stg 3 clutch, 964 light-weight flywheel, b&m short shifter, motons, oz superleggera III wheels, strosek rear spoiler, lots of carbon fiber inside, custom lamborghini titanium metallic paint

You're kidding, my parents live in Menton. Hell, I grew up there sort of.

Never been to Mirazur though! Now I have to go . . .

Sa Qua Na (above) and Mirazur are usually mentioned in the same breath as being two of France's best & brightest young up & comers. i know they focus on vegetables, but, since it's France, there should be plenty of meat options too.

Go and let us know what you think.

- chuck

__________________
01 996tt - GT700
forged pistons, forged rods, clubsport intercoolers, upgraded fuel system, gen 1 fabspeed loud exhaust, sachs stg 3 clutch, 964 light-weight flywheel, b&m short shifter, motons, oz superleggera III wheels, strosek rear spoiler, lots of carbon fiber inside, custom lamborghini titanium metallic paint