STAY

STAY @ Taipei 101.

my first visit to this french contemporary restaurant.

acronym for: simple table alleno yannick. the michelin starred french chef.

amuse bouche of canapes.

the amazing bread basket- obvy, because they serve bread from the MOF baker, Lalos, who has a shop downstairs. i polished off the basket.. not to mention the perfectly spreadable  butter. YUM. the mini crunchy french rolls with sea salt were my favorite

i started with a smaller serving portion of foie gras. their version has hints of passionfruit and coffee. sO good. the fruity tartness combined with the creaminess of the foie gras was a nice balance. the toasted brioche itself was tasty and crunchy/chewy.

then onto my entree of a Australian waygu beef tenderloin steak. seared rare. an order of sauteed mushrooms on the side, and a fresh green side salad. (not really pictured.)

butter sauteed mushrooms.

for dessert, we walked over to the display to pick out our choices. we were served marshmallow lollipops while we gazed upon the many minis to choose from. i saw marshmallows candied bits.. mini muffins, madelines, chocolates, cookies.. but i wished that there was something more substantial to choose from as well.. such as a souffle, or a chocolate galette… i ended up choosing the in season strawberry tart- because if you know me.. i MUST have dessert. :)

to make dessert more substantial, i requested vanilla ice cream to be served with the tart.

quite impressed. everything was well executed and portions were nicely thought out.

will definitely be back again.

 

xx

Bouchon Bistro.

merry christmas!

we had a pre holiday dinner @ Bouchon Bistro in beverly hills.

after we booked tickets back to caLi for the holidays, the very next thing i did was make dining reservations. ( yes, weeks ahead.) Bouchon Bistro in bev hills was my top choice for a relaxed yet upscale foodie dinner.  i love dining in beverly hills during the christmas season.. the shoppers, decor all around, LA palm trees with santa’s sleigh over wilshire in the cold air, really brings the holiday spirit to life.

i’m obsessed with bouchon butter. LOVE. i can eat it straight with a spoon. but their crispy baguette is a great vehicle for it. ;)

today’s special starter. escargot in herbed butter topped with puff pastry.

appetizer of bone marrow with grilled toast points. look at the roasted garlic cloves. pure decadence.

frisee salad to start. lemony dressing, with bacon bits and slightly poached egg atop. when all mixed together, the egg makes a great dressing.

i wanted something on the lighter side for dinner, ( especially after the bone marrow) so i ordered the Florentine Quiche as my entree. (an appetizer option on the menu) it was fluffy and light- great crust.

b’s entree of mussels and pomme frites. always a great choice at bouchon.

for dessert. THE “chocolate bouchon,” trio, served with gelato and poached pears.

the service is always great.. this was the first time we dined there with a child in our party, and they were very kid friendly.

bouchon bistro, as usual, great food without fail.

xx

pierre marcolini.

last week we had high tea @ the newly opened pierre marcolini in mitsukoshi a4.

my friend’s savory entree. ham and cheese millefeuille with salad. crispy pastry sheets, with runny egg yolk. the cheese melds it all together.

below is my order of their chocolate orange cake, with vanilla bean ice cream. great plating. super chocolatey. i had a latte to go with the cake. i’ve been choosing coffee over tea more and more recently.. even during teatime. something i never used to do!

entree presentation exceeded any expectations i had. it’s a cute open cafe setup, with comfortable seating- and the tables were arranged with a respectful distance so you don’t end up in other diner’s pictures.. especially the ones that take a zillion, with the entree, without, duo, poses, funny faces.. (yes, this is something that annoys me)

the cake and tea selection on the menu is small, and the prices are a bit on the expensive side.

will return again to try another savory. lunchtime maybe?

 

xx

 

PAUL boulangerie/patisserie

high tea @ PAUL.

we ordered the tea set option that consists of a drink, a choice of pastry/cake and 2 puffs.

i had the apple tartin. it had a nice pastry crust, and the apples had a good consistency- not mushy. it was okay, but i don’t think i’d order it again. the “puffs,”  on the other hand, were quite crispy and airy- a little bit chewy on the inside. surprisingly good.

my gf ordered PAUL’s infamous millefeuille. she chose the strawberry- my fave too. the crispy pasty filled with sweet vanilla cream is best with a bit of the tart strawberries.

and of course lattes all around, not pictured.

PAUL:  107, RenAi Rd, Sec. 4.

xx

W Retreat & Spa, Bali.

The new W hotel in Seminyak, Bali.

view of the open air lobby + lounge at night.

the golf carts that took us from our villas to the lobbys 10x a day. we decided to book a 1Br private villa w/ our own pool, instead of staying in the main connected hotel. after all.. bali is known for villa resorts!

sO. THIS is what i saw when we stepped in the lobby to check in. the afternoon tea CAKES. spread out on the bar + tempting. i knew this was going to be a good stay. X)

view of our huge villa pool + deck. for a 1 bR villa, the pool size was considerably larger than other bali villas that i’ve stayed at.. almost 2x bigger from what i remember, even compared to a 3Br villa @ the kayumanis.

villa interior. love the grassy decor. beanbag, sitting/tv area on the far side.. long writing desk behind the bed.  ( no mosquito net..!) btw the concierge has free dvd rentals…

villa bathroom..  their concept was ” see and be seen,” we were told upon arrival to the room. there were 2 sinks, a large open closet/luggage area to the left. HUGE bathtub. the canoe paddle on the tub demonstrates the size well.. you could fit 3 in there.

view of our private villa pool + casita lit up at night. so serene.

view of the beachfront restaurant, Starfish Bloo. the W’s finer dining establishment. i also need to mention.. that the breakfast spread @ Fire, the W’s restaurant.. was my favorite. i looked forward to breakfast every day! it was buffet/serving station style + table ordering. good selection. fresh seasonal local fruits, yogurts, baked pastries + croissants, selection of balinese + western entrees.. carving + omelet stations.. and there was carrot cake one morning! so happy.

the pool. where i spent many hours lounging in the sun, ordering snacks + drinks from the wet bar.

view of the beach + ocean from the top of WooBar.

the beach in front of the W hotel..it was about to rain. the waves there are usually too intense, so swimming in the ocean is not allowed. the loud crashing of the waves was a perfect soundtrack to my balinese resort escape.

would def rec to any friends looking for a hipper and more contemporary resort.  stay in a villa!

W Retreat & Spa Bali

xx

kitcho sushi.

japanese cuisine at kitcho last weekend.

our table ordered the Nt2500/person course: omakase style, by the chef’s preperation of the day.

starter of seaweed and caviar.

sashimi course.

 

sashimi combination course. the toro was melt in your mouth amazing. served with a mini kumquat for acidity.

fresh oyster. since b doesn’t eat raw oysters.. i got to have 2.. >)

seared scallop on shiso, and uni on seaweed. the scallop was a bit dry, but the uni was excellent. very fresh.

this course i wasn’t crazy about, but it was very well made.  fish wrapped around mushrooms + seafood in a seaweed broth.

this i also didn’t like. nagaimo yam and something pureed, potato like but sticky, in a thickened starchy clear broth, topped with some uni that was partially cooked because of the heat from the yam.. and saffron? but note that i’m not a fan of these flavors to begin with, so it wasn’t the preparation or cooking that was to my distaste. great presentation though!

sushi course. now this, i can appreciate. the tamago (egg) at the end was so fine + sweetened, it was like eating pound cake! yum.

soup: clams in clear broth, with “hair” seaweed.

the sashimi and sushi at kitcho were excellent.. so next time, i think i’ll ask for non-cooked items to be prepared for me only.. i can skip the two dishes in the middle… and subsitute for more uni!!

 

 

 

xx

8 1/2 otto e mezzo BOMBANA

rustic, authentic italian at the alexandria house, hong kong.

fine dining by Chef Umberto Bombana, the “king of white truffle.” really great balsamic vinegar, delicious pastas, truffle galore… just look.

the bread.. the cripsy one is my fave.

thin sliced jamon. transparent, fragrant. so good.

amuse bouche of the night. a foie gras covered with chocolate truffle. new and interesting for me, i really enjoyed it.

black truffles were featured on the  menu this visit. shaved table side when ordered: my order was truffle on egg confit.

entree: lobster taglierini. chewy, perfectly cooked pasta with light fresh lobster chunks and tomatoes.

b’s entree, from the seasonal truffle menu: roast chicken, covered in black truffles.

and… their desserts!! great presentation. lemon tarte with raspberry sorbet. tart was smooth and creamy, more on the sweet side.. i would have liked it a bit more tart in flavor.

triple chocolate dessert. chocolate cream tart, gelato and a pudding/mousse/cream pot.

happy.

 

xx

 

xmas eve at forchetta.

xmas eve pre fixe dinner @ forchetta.

cherry tomato mozarella, toast with pate.

salad, abalone, baby octopus, scallop.

truffle soup with a really soft poached egg + tuffle oil.. and i think monkfish liver.. this was my favorite dish of the meal.

prawn, with curried gnocchi and bamboo.

a palette cleanser of floral ice with foam.. for some reason i tasted egg white. did not particularly enjoy.. i like it better when he sticks with yuzu.

my entree choice of new zealand beef rib. tender + juicy. the mushrooms and sticky taro on the plate did not particularly complement the meat…

chocolate lava cake with raspberry puree. cute reindeer.

i have to say the flavors were all over the place this meal, and not necessarily harmonious..  i usually really enjoy forchetta, so this was a first.

royal tea @ the peninsula.

the peninsula beverly hills.

i lOve having hotel high teas during the holidays, with the fires lit, decor + trees up.

makes me smile.

hand painted settings.

champagne, strawberries and cream to start. hotel teas are usually a little on the pricier side, the peninsula starting at $45/person for royal tea is no exception.

for two. scones, savories and sweets. i enjoyed the sweets here more than i did the savories.. which is not an unusual experience for me at high tea.  all in all, the savories were just okay, but ambiance, service, sweets, all excellent.

xx

inakaya, roppongi.

Inakaya in Roppongi, tokyo.

robata grilled cuisine. all fresh, made in front of you as you order.

dining here is an experience in itself. the process is part of the tradition. and the food, is delicious.

we ordered alot, so i’ll post pictures of the dishes: all items were raw on the bar in front of us, then grilled to order.

the restaurant is one big bar/counter, with two chefs in the center, sitting on their knees, grilling.

sashimi.

mini crabs.

shiitake mushrooms.

shisamo.

kobe beef.

prawn.

kinki fish. fatty, amazing, so delicious. one of the best items there.

conch.

onion.

garlic.

red bean + mochi dessert.

xx