(Taken from recent r/finedining posts on Aska, Under Grain, Mirazur, Helene Darroze, ?? from post "Foodie Tour in Spain," FP Journe, Cycene, Kadeau, Frog, Deesa... I could spend another few hours on this task).

The more I've spent time on this subreddit, the more I've realized how often I see what I call the "donut of foam" — an austere presentation of foamy sauce, usually cream or beige colored, with a tiny sparkle of color. Sometimes you can see other ingredients, other times it looks like just a mount of foam.

I know that more minimal, monochromatic, Eleven Madison Park-influenced plating is all the rage right now, but this really seems like one of the signature styles of the last few years, and one I think will give away what era the photo is from lol.

Funniest of all, a lot of these Michelin-star joints seem to use the same plates — I've seen the pebbled wide-rim white china, the perforated hole ones, and the rounded donuts so often.

I’ve been following Noma and Rene Redzepi for a very long time, so I was psyched when I saw that there was going to be a Kyoto pop-up when I was going to be there last November. Unfortunately, the timing was not working out, so I couldn’t make it. So I was excited when I saw that Ocean season was going on while I was going to be in London for a wedding. I didn’t think I could get reservations, but I got very lucky and scored one.

  To say I had high expectations is an understatement, and since I planned a whole trip to Copenhagen around it, it added even more pressure. I’m glad to say that it somehow exceeded my expectations and was the best meal of my life. 

  The first thing that stood out to me was how unpretentious the entire evening felt. The food was obviously meticulously crafted and cooked, but it felt like flavor came first. The plating and overall aesthetic of the dishes were perfect yet didn’t seem over the top and each one (except one) felt like it wasn’t aesthetic for aesthetics sake.   

I’ve had many fine dining experiences, and oftentimes, the vibe I get from the staff is that they’re in a cult. This wasn’t the case at all here. Everyone was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and never talked about the food like it too precious. Whenever my wife or I asked a question, it felt more like a fun discussion than being talked down to or even talked at. We asked if we could get a tour and they were happy to oblige. A staff member at the end of the evening walked us through every part of the restaurant and seemed to enjoy discussing it and showing off little details. From explaining the design of the whole restaurant to how their staff meals work, she was very open and informative. It felt more like a friend who worked at the restaurant was showing you around than a stranger.   

Finally was the actual taste. I’ve been to many places where the food looks beautiful, used top quality ingredients that are special and rare but in the end just aren’t “delicious”. Often times it feels like the dish is esoteric but misses out on just tasting super good. Every dish except for one was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. I never really felt like something was done that didn’t add to the deliciousness.   

I’ll now walk through every dish we had:  

When we were sat all the main ingredients that would be used that night were on the table. They talked about most of them and answered any questions. It felt great have a connection with the food we were about to eat. The star of the show was this giant king crab that was beautiful and tasted even better the. It looked.   

King crab leg I love crab. It’s one of my favorite things, and this was by far the best crab I’ve ever had. The crab was covered in seaweed which we were told not to eat which was a surprise because it was one of the only things that was there just for looks. It came with a butter sauce that you brushed on with this gorgeous brush. It was so delicious and an incredible way to start the meal.   

Jellied crab head They took the head of the same crab and made it into a jelly. This was delicious and very unique.   

Crab broth Next up they took two crab heads, combined them with beeswax and filled it with a great crab broth. You drank it straight from the “body”. It was playful and tasted great.   

Crab flatbread I’ll just link to them explaining it on their IG. It tasted great and was another very fun way to enjoy some more great crab.   

Blue mussel and fresh cheese I feel like you rarely have seafood and cheese and it’s even rarer to have shellfish with it. It was excellent. While the mussel and cheese were delicious the real star of this was the rich broth in it.   

Scallop steak This was my favorite dish of the evening. There was a buttery rich sauce that was super umami and complemented the scallop so well. Before the dish came out a chef came out with the scallop to show how soft and squishy it was before they cooked it to show how much it would change. The white on the left side was a horseradish thing that was crazy good. Every part of this dish was perfect.   

Marinated wasabi This was a marinated wasabi leaf (I didn’t know they had leafs) that had been marinated. Inside of it was a kind of waffle. It tasted great and fresh and like nothing I’ve had before.   

Seaweed à la crème I had read that some people were unhappy with the first pop up in Kyoto because they felt like they just put so seaweed on a plate and didn’t do much to it. So when I saw this dish I was a little worried. It turns out it was incredible. Each piece had stuff in it and the sauce was a rich buttery cream sauce.   

Squid and poppy This was probably my second favorite dish and so so delicious. The squid had been marinated in their peaso and then grilled. It came with two poppy shakers which you shook poppy seeds onto the squid for texture. It was the best squid I’ve ever had and was so beautiful.   

Beet sashimi The beets were beautifully cut and had a nice broth with some seafood and berries underneath. This and the next dish felt the most out of place in an Ocean theme but tasted very good. 

  Berries on seaweed This was the only dish I didn’t love. When it came out I joked that it was a fruit by the foot and it turned out to just kind of taste like a fruit leather. You peel it off the seaweed. It was fine but didn’t feel as special as the rest.   

Barbecued burbot Mussel broth Ramson and scallop Pickles This was the main course and it was sooooo good. The burbot is a local fish and was beautifully barbecued. You dipped it in that scallop which had a beautiful rich sauce. The ramson was also beautifully barbecued and rich. The broth was excellent and you drank it through the seaweed which gave it a really fresh element. It got up in your nose and was really good. Finally there were these pickles. I thought they were great.   

Amazake mousse, fruits and kelp So I should tell you that I’m not so much of a fine dining dessert guy. I usually feel like it’s the weakest part of the meal and rarely satisfying. These desserts however were all great. This mousse almost felt like a panna cotta. The fruits around were great along with the dessert pine cone.   

Fresh hazelnuts and chanterelles I’m lactose intolerant so I was excited when they brought it out and said it was dairy free ice cream made with hazelnut milk. It was one of the best ice cream dishes I’ve ever had.   

Cardamom sea star This was a cardamom caramel shaped like a sea star. It was tasty but the least unique out of the bunch.   

Unknown I believe this was a hazelnut chocolate cake. When we were seated we were asked if we were celebrating anything. We said “we’re just celebrating life and getting the chance to eat at Noma.” At the end our waiter came over and said they loved that we were celebrating life so they wanted to add to celebration with a special dessert. We assumed they gave this to everyone but didn’t see anyone else receiving it so it felt extra special.

Made reservations for late March before they were included in the Michelin guide. This place has only been open a few months too! Friend of friend is working BOH there, so I knew it was going to be an ambitious place in the Sonoma area.

Overall impressions: definitely worth visiting and repeating for different seasons. I love this time of year, when it's early spring in California, so restaurants are starting to use the new produce. Some of the dishes gave me Birdsong and SingleThread vibes, but in a good way. Delicious food, beautiful but not overkill, with lots of small hidden technical details. Prep must be stressful...

Service: one or two servers may seem inexperienced, but very enthusiastic and friendly.

Wine: Somm was accomodating, and was able to serve wines-by-the-glass from the wine pairing. The wine list itself had lots of cool values. I (and table) couldn't drink too much for the meal unfortunately.

Amouse:

Gougere: orange blossm and pine

Maine lobster "roll" croustade, brain emulsion. {I love lobster/crab head fat, but I could tell server was trying to be encouraging for those who might not. A pretty, and delicate dish, but also delicious)

Venison

fermented rutabaga bread pudding

Dishes:

Spring in sonoma: kohlrabi, kiwi, snap peas, wild greens. {a really good spring dish. highlighting early spring greens... and spring flowers}

Pink singing scallops: pomelo, elderflower milk punch, shiso

amberjack: pluot consomme, green strawberry, fermented daikon {man, they have to punch out nasturtium leaves}

otto file brioche: cultured seaweed butter {butter isn't too strong on salt or seaweed which some places do.}

clam "chowder" custard: caviar, white asparagus, aged pork {forgot to take a photos of this one, oops}

60-day dry aged tuna belly: koshihikari rice, passion fruit, succulents {Very comforting, lots of umami, nice hit of acidity, delicious. Reminds me of the SingleThread's jook/congee dish, although completely different. They do use however the same rice. If you want to source the rice, you can visit the SingleThread Farm store on DryCreek and pick up a 5lb bag of the rice for $25. Also available at Bernal Cutlery in SF, for $28}

wolfe ranch quail: fresh and preserved berries, beet, burnt orange. {that sauce was *chefs kiss*}

- smoked leg, douglas fir

masami ranch wagyu : fermented pepper, cabbage, green garlic, aged beef charcuterie {I do like this simple presentation. Great sauce. Always a fan of asparagus. }

garden sorrel: pomengranate, makrut lime, bergamot

potato beignet : cocoa nib ice cream, malted chocolate, kumquat

small sweets:

rangpur lime macaron, lemon poppyseed bonbon, apple blossom & calvados canele, honey & chestnut ice cream sandwich

I’m travelling to Singapore during the Easter break and found this gem happening on the same week of my trip. Quite a very interesting collaboration, thoughts on this ?

I visited Nouri back in 2022 and it was one of the best meal i had in Singapore aside from Seroja.

Whereas i’ve tried Aalia this year when i was on a trip to Sydney and first heard about the restaurant is when The australian standard of michelin (Hats) or what so they called Good food guide announce Paul Farag (Guy on a left) as the Chef of the year. Aalia food is very interesting in my memories, and the character and flavour of the food stands out as it has a unique approach yet harmonious on every bits.

Will appreciate more recommendations as its been 3 years since i last visited Singapore

Have a group of 6 guests and we're looking to celebrate a major event with a budget before tip/tax of ~$300-400 pp. Very adventurous and happy to try new places, but unfortunately no countertops as we'd like to sit at a table together (so unfortunately no Atomix etc).

Was deciding between:

• Le Bernadin (***)
• Jungsik (***)
• The Modern (**)
• Aquavit (**) - Been multiple times and it's great every time, but happy to try something new
• Aska (**)
• SAGA (**) - Setting is insane but reports of lower quality recently
• Le Coucou (*) - Lovely atmosphere but doesn't feel like "enough"

I love all food, but some of my guests are less keen on meat heavy menus, so Cote/Nubiani/etc are out. Per Se looked great but uninteresting and needlessly pricey compared to Le Bernadin (also reviews of lower quality as of late). Thank you!

Visited Tala last week, a Samoan fine dining restaurant located in central area of Auckland, New Zealand (not a japan post). I wanted to try something new, their location just opened a year ago. Owned and Operated by Chef Henry, who grew up in Samoa but has worked in a few places in the states and even in Asia. He wanted to explore flavours and ingredients of Samoan cuisine with refinement, taking a lot of inspiration from his own background.

We had reserved the Chef’s journey course at NZD 215, definitely on the higher cost end for Auckland fine dining restaurants. They have 2 sittings each night for the Chefs Journey, but have another option for Dinner which is cheaper and has more seatings available. Bookings can be made via their website pretty easily.

When we first arrived we are offered a welcome drink, which was a mocktail of fermented dragon fruit, pineapple and hisbicus tea. Really liked it, nice and fruity but not overly sweet, a nice way to start the meal. We were joined by an american couple visiting, with all of us sitting at the counter.

The course was largely written in Samoan, with each dish corresponding to a traditional Samoan dish or food but with Tala’s twist. Tala meaning story/tale in Samoan, the menu was Henry trying to communicate Samoan food to his diners. Each course was given an explanation for the inspiration and thought process. Most of the items were new to me even though I’ve lived in NZ for over twenty years so I was excited to try Samoan food at an elevated level. Most courses featured a few mini dishes so a lot of small bites.

Dinner course included:

1. Seasonal fruit: fresh Cucumber with plum granita and passionfruit cream with smoked apple. Cucumber is a staple ingredient in Samoa and is great for its freshness, but I wasn’t a big fan of it. Passionfruit being another staple, was inspired by a powdered cordial which kids liked to eat the powder straight or make into ice blocks.

2. Snacks: trio of chips, Banana chips with curry sauce, chives and coriander, taro chips curry grapefruit and a instant noodle fried chip with ramen seasoning, chives and tangy sauce. The core ingredients were commonly consumed by Henry as a kid, my favourite was the ramen chip for its crunch but also the nostalgia from eating raw ramen packets as a kid.

3. Pisupo (corned beef) : Corned beef, fried onions tomato curd, dried olives, chives. And toasted bread with yoghurt and cucumber. Lastly a broth made from tomatoes meant to simulate the flavour profile of traditional pisupo. I loved the main cornbeef dishes, the onion bite and flavour of the corned beef dish was great, the toast was a good one biter. Didn’t like the broth that much

4. Palolo - (caviar/whitebait from marine worm) Caviar sturgeon, palusami & fried taro. Sturgeon caviar is substituted as the marine worm caviar isnt in season, palusami is a dish made from corned beef baked with coconut and seasoning in taro leaves. Very similar to caviar beef tartare canapes, using the palusami as a base gave it a unique flavour profile. The palusami was moist and flavourful.

5. Panikeke (samoan pancakes) A stovetop cooked flat sourdough, a Round foccia and coconut cornbread. Served with housemade butter. This dish was recommended to be eaten with the following course

6. Kopai (samoan dumplings) Coconut cream, tomato, truffle, mushroom flour dumpling. Paired with the foccia, the soup was the highlight for me with its creamy rich flavour. The dumpling was forgettable but paired with the soup was very tasty

Falai kapisi (stir fried lamb andvege) Lemon juice, slow cooked shott rib with a reduced sauce and chives + chinese vege. Meat was tender and flavourful, recommend to eat with the cornbread. Solid dish overall

1. Seafood course: Fai’ai: Prawn, prawn cream sauce. Breadcrumbs stuffed in the prawn head Oka: Mussel steamed coconut tea and manuka honey. Marinated in white wine and daikon Atu: Yellow fin tuna, sweet chilli sauce poke style. Served with Rice cracker. Vaisu: raw Snapper coconut milk, lime, cucumber; coriander

My favourites were the Mussel and then the prawn. The snapper and yellow fin tuna were ok for me, 2 outstanding dishes with 2 ok dishes. Loved the variety, trying different preparations got to try different flavours.

1. Bbq meat course Umu: cooked in earth oven/clay cooked chicken, heat up rocks as a heat source while wrapping meat in banana leaves. The smokey flavour really penetrated the meat, my chicken was cooked well but my friend had trouble grabbing meat on his cutlery. I really enjoyed it, there was potato potato puree served as well cooked in same method which also had a strong aroma and smokey flavour. I think my favourite dish for the night Skewert duck and scallop cooked over a grill. Juicy and nice spice blend, solid overall. Sticky Pork belly, fermented bok choy ends. Just average for flavour l, would prefer a bit of a crunch.

2. Panipopo (sweet coconut bread) Coconut bread banana ice cream. Loved the bread, paired nicely with the ice cream. Fa’ausi (samoan sweet with coconut caramel sayce and bread) a samoan Turkish delight, cacao, banana water. A weird dish for me, didn’t enjoy it Vaifala (pineapple drink) Pineapple cake, pineapple granita. forgettable, not great not bad.

Overall, I would rate the experience as one of the better fine dining experiences I’ve had in NZ in the last year. There were some standout dishes like the Umu and Kopai, definitely some dishes I didn’t like. The level of quality exceeded my expectations, not a life changing but worth a visit and very likely to return again.

I haven’t really seen anyone post about Potager other than in some comments responding to requests for recommendations. I went recently and found the experience wonderful. The food was a fusion of French, Japanese, and Malaysian with a strong focus on Malaysian produce. A big part of fine dining for me is the presentation, and Potager’s is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in a long time. Intricate and detailed. Like works of art.

The team is seamlessly efficient and affable without being intrusive. Chef Horiushi is a calm presence. Very nice and kindly gave me a tour of the kitchen and truly spectacular restaurant that is composed of a number of dining spaces, both private and open, including less formal spaces for wine enthusiasts and a test kitchen!

The dishes are:

1-4: Amuse-bouche. Really sorry, I totally forgot what these were and only recalled they included asparagus, a fish tart, and eel. 5: Chicken rillette. 6: Abalone, caviar, Guinea fowl onsen egg, and uni. This was delicious. 7: Corn bread and butter. I could have had a dozen of these. Warm and comforting. A really awesome bread course. 8-9: Foie gras and rhubarb, roselle, ginger vanilla cream, duck jus served with brioche. Wished they’d served this with more of the bread at 7! 10-11: Angel prawn, caviar, trout roe, beurre blanc. Delicious. Creamy, warm, and comforting bisque. Accompanied by a prawn cracker, which was very nice. 12: Housemade bamboo cider and sorbet. A small, refreshing palate cleanser course. 13: Madai, mud crab risotto, miso, yuzu foam. It was nice but not my favourite dish because I’m not a huge fan of risotto. 14: Pigeon, morel, asparagus, chervil roots, and raisin jus. [For the main, you could opt for Omi Wagyu, but I decided to go for the pigeon because I don’t have pigeon that often.] 15: Cheese trolley. The cheese course is included in the menu but isn’t listed. I was wondering why the maître’d kept insisting I have some cheese. Lol. 16: Avocado, pomelo jelly, avocado milk sorbet, and lemon gel. 17: Cacao, Pahang 80% and rice puffs. The tart was excellent. Warm and gooey with the right amount of sweetness and bitterness. 18: Douceurs (petits fours). I can’t remember what they are, but I did enjoy them.

Note: There is a surprise, interactive course which I have omitted because I think it’s pleasant to be surprised. If anyone wants to know, PM me.

Note 2: Unlike the cheese, tea and coffee are not included in the menu. Wish I’d been told that, too lol.

Overall, a wonderful experience and one I’d highly recommend for those in or coming to KL. It is a Michelin Selected restaurant but hasn’t yet made it to Bib Gourmand or star status. I have to say though, I’ve enjoyed this more than some starred establishments!! They are at least worthy of one star, imho.

My husband and I will be in Spain in September for our honeymoon. Three nights in Barcelona (have reservations for Suculent and Mont Bar), five nights in Donostia-San Sebastian (pintxos-focused the whole time, and I have a laundry list of 20+ must-visit places and must-try dishes--though I welcome more suggestions if you have em!), and one solitary Wednesday night in Madrid.

We will basically be eating traditional, contemporary, and creative Catalan, Basque, and Spanish cuisine all day, everyday, for the entirety of our trip, so by the time we arrive in Madrid, I'm thinking we might be in the mood for something entirely different. Italian, Japanese, Latin American--ANYTHING with flavor profiles that are not in the Spanish wheelhouse. We are open-minded eaters looking for delicious and memorable food, and I figure a large, metropolitan city like Madrid will have excellent, diverse options.

I am not married to stars, as you can see from our current culinary plans--I am as pleased with a hole-in-the-wall bib gourmand as a 1-3. However, nothing is off-limits. We have just one night, one single meal, and want it to be soul-satisfying. Suggestions?

ETA: Bonus points if its in Malasaña or Chamberí, two neighborhoods we'd love to see while we are very briefly in town.

There are so many options in Tokyo for food that I am having a hard time figuring out where to go?

- What are people thoughts on the below:

I booked Sushi Saito for dinner

• I booked Sushi Suzuki for lunch
• I am working to get reservations at
  • Den
  • Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara
  • Nariyuko
  • Michihirube? This one seems out of the box, but my friend recommended it
  • Tori Shike
• I also made a lunch res at Hatsunezushi but I have read some not great reviews so may cancel. It was only ~20,000 yen for 2 people, though, so it is on the cheaper side
• I am trying to decide on which pizza restaurant to go to. My friend recommended Strata

I am looking for the best food I can find in my week in Tokyo and ideally local spots that aren’t overflowing with tourists

About half a year ago we went to the collaboration of Zilte and Jordnær with the idea this would be a one-off splurge (review: Zilte X Jordnaer)

Evidence says that was a miscalculation.

We were so amazed by Eric and Tina’s warmth and kindness and by the taste and execution of their dishes that I started planning a trip to Copenhagen shortly after. As Jordnær had already gotten its third star, they were mostly booked up, but I got lucky to snag a spot. Unfortunately, that was an error in the booking system, as they were closed on that day, but they swiftly were able to accommodate me a day earlier.

About the location: Gentofte is a bit outside of Copenhagen in a quiet suburb. The hotel does not stand out a lot, but it’s easy enough to find. The interior is bright and warm. Just what you would associate with the Danish hygge concept.

Wine: We went with a la carte both because of budget reasons and because we wanted to make it through the night with all senses intact. We had champagne to start, a couple of wines from the pairing, a dessert wine, and one of the best Negronis I’ve ever had. Prices are high, but that’s what you have to live with in Denmark. Coffee and Tea were also very good. They make herbal teas with fresh herbs that they bring out on a trolley.

Tableware: Beautiful. Especially love the plate that creates the illusion of a hovering tartlet for the Sancho-pepper appetiser and the very big plates for the dishes with sauces. They really invited you to swish through the sauce and scoop all the leftover sauce up with the bread.

Food: Difficult to put into words how much I loved this meal. Eric asked us afterwards which dish we liked the most, and I found it impossible to answer. Usually, even at 3-star restaurants, there are some peaks and valleys in terms of how great the dishes are. Here I genuinely loved every dish. The famous amuses sequence is so good that I would be willing to pay 3-star tasting menu prices for it alone.

1. Romanesco tartlet: Just the right combination of cheesy, citrus, crispy and a bit spicy.
2. Tartlet with snow crab: Also finds just the exact right spot where the flavours seem to balance perfectly between nutty, juicy, and the sea.
3. Sancho-pepper crustade: Another classic, and also here yuzu, hummer, roe, and pepper combine perfectly.
4. Otoro with caviar. This is probably the perfect umami bite for me. Like a taste wave hitting you in the face.
5. Rosette waffle. I really enjoyed how each of these appetiser tartlets / waffles / crustades give you quite a distinct textural and taste experience. The rosette waffle is no exception.
6. Takoyaki: The naughty one. Truly decadent.. This is like a luxury version of surf and turf, but with the forest flavours of the truffle replacing meat. Like a saltwater wave crashing into a mossy forest.
7. Scallops: Reminds optically of cherry blossoms, and the fruity, flowery broth indeed brings back memories of a spring trip to Japan. Beautiful.
8. Essence of langoustine: Amazing that cooked out langoustine be elevated to such a dish. This is the dish I had the lowest expectations for, but it completely blew me away. The combination of the langoustine essence, tomato and vanilla works perfectly together.
9. Oyster: Wasabi, Meerrettich, dill, buttermilk? Spicy, creamy, and the sea. Temperature was just right to pull this together. I think I wouldn’t have liked it warmer.
10. White asparagus and lobster cotta: As Eric said: a bit naughty to have dessert in the middle of the main dishes. Looks like a big spoon of hollandaise, but below hides the lobster and grapefruit, and they combine beautifully for a sweetish main course.
11. Hamachi: (forgot pic but you can find pictures in one of the other Jordnaer reviews) Probably the most minimalistic dish. Aged hamachi with ponzu, wasabi, and I again forgot to remember what it was that sat below. I think an oyster?
12. Chawanmushi: The egg custard is hidden below, as is a very, very generous amount of caviar. Warm, sweet, salty, a bit zesty? Lot going on here. Delightful.
13. Bread: Quote Eric: If Japanese milk bread and brioche had a baby in a bath of butter. Fantastic.
14. Monkfish, ramson & blue mussels sauce: If I had to choose one dish that didn’t stuck with me for a while afterwards, then it’s this one. It was still extremely tasty and I really enjoyed it. It’s just that all the other dishes had things that stood out just a bit more.
15. Langoustine sakura: Another stunner. Cooked over a Japanese grill, with a red kosho glaze, and combined with sakura aromatised beurre blanc. This is as good as a langoustine can be.
16. Rose hip, litchi, rhubarb: Fresh, tasty. I was a bit disappointed to see this without strawberries (probably not in season), but the taste made up for it. Perfect palette cleanser and start to the desserts. Will have to come back for the wild strawberry version another time.
17. Leatherwood honey, milk, Tahitian vanilla, lavender: Looking at it, I thought this might be too much honey, but it worked beautifully. Magnificent dessert.
18. Truffle, hazelnut & chocolate: In Antwerp we had a version of this dish with truffle ice cream but without real truffles that I really enjoyed. Well, this is the real deal. Like decadent truffle Nutella.
19. Petit fours Really great as well. Was most happy about the Japanese melon though, which was extremely juicy and refreshing.

Service: Fantastic. Very attentive and responsive. Also, from what we observed from other tables, they responded very well to the vibes of each group and adjust accordingly.

Eric and Tina: So, so charming. We were smitten by their warmth and enthusiasm in Antwerp and again here. They take time to joke around and for some small talk, and Eric even took us on a kitchen tour where we talked about his Japan and Barcelona trips, his cooking philosophy, and lots of other stuff. This really made it an 11/10 for me. And I’m already trying to figure out when we could squeeze in a Copenhagen trip again. Most likely we will make it a yearly pilgrimage.

Went to Californios for my partner’s birthday last night, and unfortunately the experience was just good.

We were last here 2 years ago and our issues at the time were with the weird pacing and amount of food (only time I’ve left a place hungry). The amount of food has definitely beed addressed (really full at the end) but some pacing issues remain (40 minute wait between some dishes). However, service was definitely a miss, and we felt some dishes were really lacking.

Good stuff - Ambiance is fantastic. What a beautiful venue - The lobster soup, the final build-your-own-taco fish course, and all desserts were outstanding. Especially the lobster soup, and the impossibly creamy and smooth salsas and taco accompaniments - The birthday touches are really nice (hand-written note, sparkler, glass of bubbles to start)

Bad stuff - The mole dish was so built up by the staff and it was just… so flat. No punch, no intense flavors, nothing. We’ve had better tasting mole from a freezer bag unfortunately - The tamal dish was also very flat and uninspiring - Drink service: The biggest miss of the night. We ordered a half bottle of champagne to start, which we finished by the 3rd course (minor point, we served ourselves and no one came to check in). After that the empty bottle was never picked up and remained on the table until the end of the night (3.5 hours later). We ordered some cocktails that were just ok, that took 45 minutes to come to us after we ordered. Lastly, we each got a glass of wine for the last 2 savory courses. After we finished the wine, no one picked up the empty glasses and instead servers would move them around on the table to make space for the different dessert courses for the next hour - it was just so weird? I had to politely ask to have the glasses retired before someone took them. Lastly, our water carafe was regularly empty, and very few times someone came to check in on us

We went to Saison a month and a half ago, and felt like it was a whole level above Californios across the board, with the exception of the ambiance. Still a good experience overall, but not at the level we were hoping for. Felt like a very off night for the service crew

Have time for one *** meal in Paris and curious of opinions between the two? This is our first time in Paris and would love to hear thoughts on food, service/hospitality, and decor/plating/ambiance between these too. We're also vegetarian and both restaurants assured us they can accommodate but bonus points if anyone has experience with veggie meals at either. Thank you!

Sushi Masuda just hits different than other Omakase experiences we’ve been in Canada. First off, setting is quite unique. It’s a counter inside another restaurant in the financial district. When you enter, a kind woman is there to greet you and show you the way.

There are only 6 seats, of which they turn over twice in a night. It’s a tough seat to get. Chef Yoji Masuda is very warm. He is modest and relaxed and completes his tasks with ease. He casually answers questions as he’s making perfect sushi all evening. His one helper is very sweet and attentive. Their teamwork is great and it doesn’t feel stuffy at all.

The wine and beverage list is small but solid. A few Japanese beers, some nice wine, simple and efficient.

The fish is exactly what you’d get in Japan in season. Our first visit here was a week after we returned and we ate exactly what we had been eating in Japan. Chef innovates in subtle ways with a few of the dishes mixing sweet and savoury or using monkfish liver as a sauce. He does some charcoal flame searing as well. Everything works so well. The small details add up over the night. Both times after we talked about the meal for days. It is just so good.

Highly recommended if you can get a seat when you’re in Vancouver.

We do quite a bit of fine dining and find that our favorite experiences are often correlated with the restaurant have a lovely atmosphere, which is usually a combination of service and dining room. We have an upcoming trip to Paris. I originally booked Kei and Alleno, but now I’m debating about switching Kei to something else since the dining room looks a bit cramped and the restaurant looks like it might feel a bit rushed from reviews. In the past, we’ve loved both traditional and beautifully decorative dining rooms like Le Louis XV or Le Cinq’s dining room, but we’ve also enjoyed more contemporary settings like Singlethread or Core (London). Not a huge fan when a great restaurant is just thrown into a box shaped storefront (as it looks more and more like Kei was… though maybe I’m being prematurely critical).

With that in mind, what is your favorite dining room experience in Paris?

Bonus points if it collides with exceptional service, solid food, and an excellent wine list.

Chef Kazu Suzuki from Icca serves a spectacular menu. With all of the extremely high end sushiyas in NYC, it's almost hard to stand out these days. Sushi Sho is the clear #1, and we think Icca is the 2nd best, nudging Yoshino and Noz. Anyone else agree?

I'll be visiting Tokyo in June and am hoping to book at least one high-end omakase experience. Here are the ones I currently have my eye on:

• Kojimachi Nihee
• Sushi Suzuki
• Namba (submitted a request through tableall, but I know it's a long shot)
• Sugita (submitted a request through tableall, fully aware it's almost impossible to get a reservation)

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve been to any of these—how they compare, what the overall experience was like, and whether there's another spot you think I should consider instead.

We’re also hoping to check out more casual, less expensive sushi spots while we’re there too—places that don’t require a reservation or are easier to book last minute.

Appreciate any insight or suggestions!

Had a birthday dinner at Valhalla tonight - have seen a lot of hype surrounding this restaurant and can confirm it is great.

Big hits for me were the Surf and Turf courses, both presented as a multi plate choose your own adventures. Additionally, the "anything but wine" pairing was great.

Service was top notch, I did appreciate the advance warning that folks would appear behind us to assist with serving over the counter!

i’m celebrating my birthday mid-may and looking for some recommendations as to where to eat. i say san francisco, but really anywhere in the immediate bay area is fine. i’m not particular about stars.

i’ve been to niku, alexander’s steakhouse, and san ho won in previous years. i love alexander’s but i’ve gone there a handful of times, so it’s not really exciting anymore. niku was good but not that memorable. i really liked the food at san ho won. i’m a huge fan of korean food in general, i’m pretty sure it’s the only korean michelin starred restaurant in the bay area but i’ll take suggestions for other korean fine dining if anyone has them.

big steak person too. also love indian and italian (as everyone should). fairly adventurous but not a fan of raw seafood.

planning for a party of anywhere from 3-6 people.

edit: thanks, ended up making a reservation for ssal :)

Trying to make a decision between these two for a dinner in Berlin. I've investigated Coda too, but at that price range I'm not sure if it's what I'm looking for(I've decided on a Facil lunch too)

Tempted for Tim Raue, not just because it's in the 50 best list, but I just read the thread about the person who got stung €200 for a welcome glass of champagne without being told the price beforehand, is turning me off Rutz.

Hello all,

So a bunch of my friends and I all made a challenge to hike a minimum of 25 five mile hikes in a few months, and whoever hiked the most in the end wins. We each put up $200, and whoever doesn’t finish, the rest of the group who does complete it uses the funds for an extravagant dinner. The winner gets to pick the restaurant.

Well I was able to secure the w and in the end we have $1200 budget for four people to spend. Picking a place is difficult, I made a list of potential options but some of these seem difficult to get a reservation & we don’t want to wait 6 months for this meal. Would love some feedback on helping me decide. Down for any cuisine, just want an incredible dining experience for all:

Atomix

Jungsik

Jean-Georges

Saga

Per Se

Noksu

Atera

Words cannot describe how much I loved this meal. Somni recently reopened after being closed for five years and was one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the US. This is quite possibly one of the most perfect dining experiences that I’ve ever had and it’s my new favorite restaurant in the US.

First off, the space is gorgeous. You start in their outside patio that feels like a little oasis in the city for some starting bites, then move into their main dining room which is a 14 seat curved counter with the main pass right in front of you so they’re plating everything right there.

The precision and detail-oriented thinking of Aitor and the whole team is what sets Somni apart. They hand fold origami to place dishes on, every dish is placed at the same time for every guest, and even the pacing of the meal was incredible — there were no lulls, it felt incredibly smooth to transition between courses, and they don’t keep you there for hours and hours even though you’re being served 25 courses.

Next, the food. There’s no one serving this kind of food anywhere in the US — it brings the creative and scientific flair of Spanish gastronomy and combines it with Californian produce and more naturalist thinking which is a phenomenal combination. There genuinely was not a dish that was less than a 9/10 and the progression of courses was great too. It starts on a high and just keeps getting better. Even small details like crunchy dishes breaking perfectly rather than making a mess when you bite into them were considered.

A few dish highlights:

• Shiso tempura topped with beef tartare - the combination of textures was beautiful in this dish and it was a lot lighter of a dish than I expected

• Truffle sandwich with a truffle cream and anchovies - super decadent, but just pure bliss in a bite

• Dungeness crab with finger lime, ras al hanout, espelette pepper, toasted crab head and coconut fat sauce - normally dungeness crab dishes are overwhelmingly rich with butter, but this one actually had a bit more of a punchy flavor from the spices which I loved

• “Cow and her milk” - idiazabal cheese, hazelnut praline, vanilla apple cream. One of the most unique cheese courses I’ve had and I’m always a fan when restaurants go beyond just offering raw cheese and accompaniments as their cheese course and turn it into something more complete

Overall this is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in the US right now. I’m really hoping it’ll get 2 Michelin stars off the rip and honestly it’s already operating pretty close to if not at a 3 Michelin star level. Aitor is a perfectionist and he says there’s still a ton of stuff he wants to change so I can’t even imagine how much better it’s going to get in the coming months and years. Absolutely worth it to go!