Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée - 1st visit

Thursday, April 20th, 2006 marked my visit to another Alain Ducasse’s top restaurant located inside the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, an art nouveau marvel. This time I brought my parents to experience a meal at 3* Michelin restaurant for the first time. Before coming there, I briefed them on what to expect and what it is like to eat at this kind of place so that they would not be overwhelmed. Actually, I am also relatively new to the world of haute cuisine, just started around November 2005 and then I find it difficult to resist this temptation. After having a marvelous meal at Alain Ducasse New York (ADNY) in the Fall 2005, I came here with a high expectation as many people told me that Ducasse’s Europe establishments – here and Le Louis XV are much better than the one at the Essex House.

After doing a window shopping along avenue Montaigne for the whole afternoon, we arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes later from our initial reservation at 8 PM. The restaurant is actually located not too far from the main entrance of the hotel. Once our reservation was confirmed, we entered the restaurant by passing through discreet engraved glass doors. Our table was at the front corner, so we had a very good view of the restaurant’s ambiance without involving ourselves in the middle of the crowds. The décor’s style is a combination of classic and modern with the most notable thing being the chandelier with 10,000 crystals pendants dangling that alters lighting into a hologram show. Everything here is designed with careful details, for instance: the pink-colored chairs had pull-out plastic trays where ladies can put her bags, and the dining tableware seems to be customized for the restaurant (some are engraved with ADPA). Perhaps the decoration itself is one of the reasons why many people are curious about visiting this place. However, no matter how good or grand the restaurant’s design is, what served on the plates matters more above anything else.

The meal started with the pre-appetizer – something like gougères containing spinach with concise saltiness, I still prefer the cheese cream puff at ADNY. Following this, a waiter came with champagne cart. I opted for a glass of 1998 Henriot Brut Rose Champagne Millesime, the Rosé offers smooth texture and firm structure – a refreshing aperitif indeed. One thing a bit surprising to me is to find the limited bread selection; this is not typical of Ducasse’s top restaurant; whereas the butter, both salted and unsalted, is soft. The menu in ADPA is very interesting where the restaurant provides a holder and thus the guests do not need to hold the menu with their hands. Alain Ducasse always offers dishes made of rare, fresh and precious ingredients. Since I rarely go to Paris, I decided to order the best that the restaurant can offer. All of us ordered the collection menu and here what I had.

Menu Collection

Langoustines rafraîchies, nage réduite, caviar osciètre - bouillon parfumée - (Brittany Langoustines with Court Bouillon Reduction and Osetra Caviar from Iran - served warmed) – The restaurant’s main signature dish. The langoustine is firm, the caviar is one of the world’s best and they are both enhanced by a cup of shellfish broth containing some subtle ginger flavors. Comparable to Passard’s Carpaccio de langoustines - personally, I slightly prefer the latter one

Coquilles Saint-Jacques snackées coco/curry (Seared Scallops served with Coconut Curry) – This dish is arguably the most delicious scallops appetizer I’ve ever tasted (the other is Esnault’s Saint-Jacques Poelees with shaved white truffles). The scallop is very fresh and juicy, with the combination of delectable fruity curry sauce. There are many colorless sago that seduces the overall experience of the dish

Homard de Bretagne, asperges vertes de Pertuis, jus de la presse (Blue lobster of Brittany served with “chez blanc” green asparagus) – A very high quality (as well as generous portion) of lobster (has some sweetness in it and cooked to the right texture) that makes Maine’s lobster pale in comparison. The asparagus is fresh, combined with the sauce make this dish extremely wonderful.

Volaille de Bresse en fricassée, morilles à peine crèmes (Fricassee of Bresse chicken served with mushrooms and crayfishes) – I’m blown away with this chicken dish (a perfect 20/20 - unbelievable to eat 2 perfect dishes within 4 days). Just when I thought that L’Arpege’s chicken is the best ever, ADPA tells me I have yet tasted the best one. The seafood, carrots and mozzarellas etc. do not actually interfere the overall harmony and balance of the succulent chicken. All of the additional ingredients in fact complement the chicken in many different positive ways. This dish has a little Chinese influence too I suppose.

Fromages affinés pour nous (Refined cheeses) – If I could recall correctly, the comte is 3 years old and it’s good, the blue cheese smell is very strong, yet tasty. The cheese, served with special knife and fork, also comes with salads and marmalade as sides. Last but not least, finally the soft olive brioche shows up - served hot from the oven.

Caillé de brebis, caramel-poivre, miel d’arbousier (A very light, fresh goat milk cheese in yogurt-like texture served with pepper caramel sweetened and Corsican honey) – I have a hard time on how to describe this exciting and adventurous dessert. The saltiness of the cheese is reduced with the sweetness from the ice cream, honey and caramel and vice versa. The dessert is accompanied by a glass of light and sweet wine – 1996 Chateau Coutet.

Our multi course meal was accompanied by a bottle of 1999 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, this almond and flower-scented white Burgundy is tight with tangy acidity. Furthermore, it has a medium-bodied with excellent density and depth to its white fruit. I find the wine to be well-balanced and harmonious; it goes well with our dishes since it does not dominate the food’s taste. The pre and post-desserts, such as chocolates and candies are not inferior compared to the Ducasse New York’s establishment. The home-made assorted chocolates is very good and macarons, both chocolate and coffee, are very crunchy (outside) and soft (inside). I did not have a chance to sip in a cup of tea here as my mother would like to go back to the hotel (it’s closed to 12:30 AM and we had to fly for Barcelona the next morning). Here, the herbal tea infusion is presented in pots on a cart.

There are two things that I do not particularly fond of the restaurant. In my humble opinion, the head sommelier – Laurent Roucayrol is a bit arrogant. It is no doubt that he’s very knowledgeable about the wines, but he’s not willing to listen to the customer’s opinions. He usually forces the diners to always follow his suggestion; this could be a problem had he encountered a short-tempered guest. Another thing, the restaurant’s restroom, located outside, is shared with lobby and tea guests, for me it is not very convenient. Moreover, it is not very clean given the level of both the hotel and the restaurant.

While many people are worried when Jean-François Piège moved to Les Ambassadeurs, the food qualities here will be dropped, I could boldly assure that this will not be the case. Christophe Moret, the former Chef at Paris’ Spoon food and wine, may not be the most creative chef, but he really understands and fully capable of executing the dish with a very high precision the way Monsieur Ducasse wants it to be. The service, lead by Denis Courtiade – the dining room manager, is very courteous and efficient. This should come to no surprise since the staffs are actually outnumber the number of diners. Despite a full dining room, they provide seamless service and there are no certain waiters assigned for particular tables (except one person who assisted us for the menu-ordering, he was very patient to accommodate our needs). Furthermore, the staffs never misstep or collide with each other. Overall, I am extremely delighted with our dinner, one of the best I’ve ever experienced (only my dinner at L’Arpege is slightly better than this). Alain Ducasse Paris could be the best place for people who would like to try the 3* experience for the 1st time at Europe. One could enjoy pretty much everything – from an elegant dining room with an extraordinary service to a wonderful French food accompanied by a wide variety of wine selection. Click the following link for the pictures, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/AlainDucasseAuPlazaAtheneeParisFrance1stVisit##

La Maison de Marc Veyrat

There were 2 restaurants that I really wish to visit: Le Louis XV and Marc Veyrat. Thankfully, I managed to visit both of them in autumn 2008. Even I dined at Le Louis XV twice, whereas for Marc Veyrat I had a meal at his last fine dining restaurant since he had sold La Ferme de Mon Père in 2006. La Maison de Marc Veyrat, located at the edge of a lake in the village of Veyrier du Lac - about a mile south of Annecy, is a world-class restaurant offering a unique dining experience. The food is fundamentally French with the focus on upscale Apline cuisine. The dining experience is unique – scrumptious, innovative and amusing; in fact it’s almost ritualistic. The focus is not on any particular dish, rather than the overall symphony of a delicious but horrendously expensive degustation menu. The dining room is stylish with ceiling frescoes located at the ground floor of his hotel in rustic pine; wood and iron materials dominated the kitchen. The atmosphere is lively in which the staffs are energetic explaining how each dish is prepared and what ingredients are used; obviously they are proud of working in one of the best establishments in France. The service is indeed impeccable. There is only one menu unfortunately, but guests are welcome to let the kitchen know if they have any food allergy. Here is the detail of Monsieur Veyrat’s symphony that he claims to be the cuisine of the 21st century.

Amuse Bouche: Begin with the hot drink from "chemical tube" that is a mixture of fennel, peas & mint; perch fish with light green sauce; onion bread with wild spinach in pizza-shape; and soda-Veyrat containing mint, sour moustard ... it's cooling in the throat, what a start! The beginning of a symphony by a genius

Yaourt virtuel, jus d’acha (Virtual yoghurt with acha juice) - The low calory of "hot foie gras" served with sour cream and fragrant myrrh, whereas the cold & light foie gras served with chutney and brioche (not buttery)

Les raviolis de l’environnement de Manigod (Ravioli from the Manigod environment) - A selection of local herbs ... carrot & fennel (top), turnip with little black truffle, and tomato & ravioli with white flowers. The parade of different level sweetness among wild plants

Asperge verte sauvage, fruit de la passion, écume romarin (Deconstructed of wild green Asparagus served with Passion fruit and Rosemary foam) - A creative skill of molecular gastronomy where the asparagus would explode in the mouth, in general it's a unique and entertaining dish but not that delicious

Soupe d’ici dite chinoise (This is the Chinese soup) - As the name suggest, this soup containing wild & chinese mushrooms as well as some deconstructed stocks. Simple and tasty without any typical Chinese "medicine" smell or flavor

Œuf à la coque, écume de maïs piqûre de carvi (Soft-cooked egg served with injection of corn foam and caraway seeds) - In addition, I could taste some pistachio, wild cumin inside the egg, served with egg-white chip flavored with Indian spices. Good, but not better than Arpege's egg

Nouilles disparaissantes (sans farine, ni œuf), sorbet cardamine (Disappearing noodles, without any flour or egg, served with cardamine sorbet) - The virtual noodle made of cheese is melted through the pouring of hot chicken stock soup, mixed with cold watercress sorbet. Excellent and entertaining!

Féra du lac à l’unilatéral, Benoîte urbaine (Fish from unilateral Fera lake served with cappuccino sauce) - A fresh local fish of good texture with the flavor of mint capuccino sauce. Furthermore, there are a mixture of cockle, red pepper, onion and zucchini below the fish

Bar au jus de sardine, emulsion d’avoine (Sea bass served with sardine juice and oat emulsion) - A beautiful combination of sour & sweet flavor while the the bar is fresh with the right texture

Langoustine pochée, bonbon de serpolet (Poached spiny lobster served with wild thyme sweet) - Incredibly tender and tasty langoustine enchanced by the thyme; simple and delicious served in Japanese style

Boudin de perche, jus de verveine (Sausage-shaped perch and lemongrass-verbena juice) - Fish sausage prepared without any butter and cream, very delicate ... just OK for me

Beignet des sous bois cuit à l’azote (Undergrowth fritter cooked with nitrogen) - Chef Veyrat applying molecular technique to form some kinds of lemon/mango and earthly wild herbs meringues, very fascinating and amusing ... oh it's also good

Filet de bœuf, sirop de cresson (Beef filet served with watercress sirop) - Medium well & tender steak is yummy, there are cheese and black truffle in between the pie/bread and the beef. Side dishes: potatoes, mix of asparagus, carrots etc. for the veggies

Tartifilette déstructurée (Deconstructed tartiflette served in a box) - One of the restaurants' signature dishes. It consists of separated cream of bacon, reblochon, potatoes and onion with white wine. Strong tastes and somewhat pungent smells

L’ercheu de notre fierté régionale (Cheese platter from the Ercheu and Savoy region) - I have Reblochon (delicate and nutty), Bleu de Termignon (fragrant and rich, my fav), Beaufort (fruity & salty), Tomme de Montagne (quite light). All of them are from Savoy & French Alps area

Les desserts de ma fille Carine (Desserts by chef’s daughter, Carine) part 1 - Blueberry, shortbread and mild mint foam. Nothing really special here

Les desserts de ma fille Carine (Desserts by chef’s daughter, Carine) part 2 - Lychee, raspberry, vanilla cream, red fruit and short + crumble bread. Creamy, cool and sweet

Les trois crèmes brûlées d’ici et dailleurs (Tree crème brulee and dailleurs) - The white one is licorice, the brown one is chicovete, it's rather bitter. Mixed them and each will tame the other's taste. There are caramel & raspberry, both taste like bubble gum

I opened my meal with a glass of champagne (in-house recipe). There are 3 kinds of house-baked bread only served that day: baguette, pistachio and olives - all of them are tasty. To accompany my long tasting menu, I had 2 additional glasses of wine. The 1st one (white) was 2004 Domaine G. Berlioz Chignin-Bergeron - it lacked in acidity with interesting aromas; another one (red) was 2004 Chateau le Puy - a dark wine with oak smell and a touch of creaminess. The kitchen here is using an open-kitchen concept in which one could see Marc Veyrat was around checking his staffs for the first 30 min after the restaurant opened. This restaurant is quite high-tech comparing to other 3-star places. The staffs used PDA-like device to monitor what dish a certain table is having or when the next dish should be sent in. I would say the meal here was spectacular, my favorite place to dine after L'Arpege. The ugly part is that Marc Veyrat re-defined what expensive really meant for both the food and wines. However, it's worth it and the restaurant was fully-booked too. This is the establishment like no other. It meant even more knowing that a few months later, chef Veyrat, followed the step of Olivier Roellinger, gave up Michelin's and Gault-Millau's highest accolade by closing the restaurant for good.

Marc Veyrat, the son of peasants from the French Alps, is eccentric yet genius. He always wears his large black Savoyard peasant’s hat and dark spectacles, totally the opposite of Paul Bocuse wearing the traditional white toque. In addition, unlike Bernard Pacaud who always gets the meat, fishes and vegetables from the top suppliers all over the world, chef Veyrat used ingredients, mainly herbs and plants, from his own area – the pastures and Alpine woods such as: gentian, wild garlic, green moss etc. Marc Veyrat practices distinctive style of cooking; he revolutionized the rigid temple of fine French cooking to new and creative ideas. He humbly explained that his cooking is the peasant version of nouvelle cuisine. He also wandered around the dining room to amuse primarily his French speaking guests (It's a nice development that the chef could walk again after he sufferend from the ski accident). Veyrat believes that when a client pays €300-400 per head, he/she has the right to have a handshake with the owner/head chef in addition to having an exceptional meal. It is indeed true that dining here is more than enjoying delicious food; it is also about an exceptional experience of the nature and culture of the region. I'm truly grateful to be able to savor the intelligent and creative cooking of Monsieur Veyrat, the France culinary giant. Here are the pictures, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LaMaisonDeMarcVeyratVeyrierDuLacFrance##

Food (and Wine): 98 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts

Overall: 97/100

L'Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud - 2nd visit

As one of the most expensive and arguably the best restaurants in Paris, it is usually never easy to hold a reservation at L'Ambroisie. However, this is not the case for me (at least for lunch). For this 2nd visit, I asked the hotel's concierge to book this place and everything went smoothly. It was in the last day of September 2009; the weather was a bit chill and many leaves began to fall ... beautiful! It is not easy to resist a meal at L'Ambroisie where the master of perfection - Bernard Pacaud is notably always in the kitchen. However, due to the astronomical increase of (soft) commodity prices, I had to control my spending here ... the truffle season has not arrived yet, not sure whether it's a good or bad thing. As I was about to open the door, the staff greeted me. A few steps from the entrance, I could see both monsieur Pascal, the maitre d'hotel as well as monsieur LeMoullac, the sommelier (both of them are essential to the existence of this legendary institution). Unlike my 1st visit, this time I was seated in the middle dining room (there are crystal chandeliers and gilded mirrors in between two colorful tapestries) as requested. Nothing has changed here ... really - the food, the people, the ambiance - it is like dining in a museum featuring master pieces on the plates where many loyal clients would visit over and over again.

The meal at L'Ambroisie always begins with comte gougeres, a fluffy, hollow and light "cream puff" followed by 2 choices of fresh breads: white and wholemeal accompanied by light and delicate butter. I decided to skip the champagne this time as I would like to have a half-bottle of wine. Once the dishes are set, Mr. LeMoullac recommended Chateau Kirwan Margaux Grand Cru 1998 which I obliged. This Bordeaux is well-crafted and enjoyable to drink after 2007 indeed. In addition, it's seductive with rounded palate and has black olive aromas, but no secondary development. This wine is not too strong, so it still goes well even with fish or sea food dishes. Earlier, I had a short discussion with Mr. Pascal and he agreed to serve the dishes in demi portion - all of them. The sad part, the menu is still from the summer season hence I was unable to order any game dishes. Anyway, my meal is pleasant nevertheless

Mulet de rouget (Red mullet) - It's actually special dish of the day. Served in amuse-bouche portion, the thinly crisp skin & its meat fish are very tasty. The cooked mushroom puree as well as cepe with citron and olive are overshadowed by the red mullet

Escalopines de bar a l’emince d’artichaut, caviar oscietre gold (Slices of line caught sea bass served with thin cut of artichokes and oscietra gold caviar) - The sea bass, light in taste, is pure and delicate accompanied by crunchy artichoke. For me, the best part is the creamy sauce with subtle acidity blended well with generous serving of caviar that is not soggy at all ... a harmonious dish

Homard aux pousses de legumes, nage a l’anis etoile (Brittany lobster served with many vegetables and star anise sauce) - This is the 2nd time I tasted Pacaud's lobster ... I can conclude that he likes the lobster to be firmed with more emphasize on its texture instead of suspecting that he overcooked it (I prefer Passard's & Roellinger's version though). Nevertheless, it's still a scrumptions dish. The (sweet and silky) anise sauce is incredible, balanced with fresh carrots, leeks and zucchinis

Agneau de Lozere en nougatine d’ail, barigoule d’artichauts violets et fevettes (A rack of roasted Lozere lamb served with garlic, artichokes barigoule and eggplant puree) - The "skin" is sinfully good, but the meat, cooked medium, has a bit too much fat. The smoked eggplant puree is tense, while the side dish may not be necessary. Overally, it's still nice except that I've tasted better lambs (cooked by Troisgros, Passard or Herman)

Assortiment de desserts et pâtisseries (Assortment of desserts and pastries) – They consist of great madeleines, fresh figs as well as cheese cream-puffs. The wafer is sweet; the numerous chocolate biscuits do not disappoint

I skipped the dessert because I was quite full and already exceeded my budget (also, I will have a dinner at Guy Savoy in the same evening). The restaurant was only about 60-70% full - most of the clients are foreigners, there are a couple from United States as well as a family from Spain; the front dining room was even quieter. The service is professional as expected, slightly more friendly and warmer than my 1st visit, yet it is not as impeccable as when one dines at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee or Le Meurice. It is a well-known fact that Bernard Pacaud only uses finest products and never serves anything that is out of season. All of these great features are executed with almost flawless technique focusing on the purity and quality of the raw materials. Even though one may not find any over the top cutleries or chinaware, every single dish is presented elegantly - there is hardly anything superflous. I find it a bit unusual when chef Pacaud walked around the dining room yet he did not feel very comfortable even to be present at his own "house"; kitchen is truly his real home. This being said, I left the restaurant happily after being well fed and I look forward to returning to this institution in the future, however only in the truffles or morels seasons. Please enjoy the pictures here, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LAmbroisieParisFrance2ndVisit#

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 93 pts

Overall: 96/100

L'Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud - 1st visit

L’Ambroisie, along with Le Louis XV, is the 3-star restaurant that I always really want to go. So many people talk about the perfection that the establishment could offer, from the food and wine to service and decoration. Tuesday, June 5th, 2007, in the beautiful and sunny day, I had a reservation at the restaurant for 1 PM. I came about 45 minutes earlier since I would like to take a short walk as well as enjoy the gorgeous weather along arguably Parisian’s most beautiful square – Place des Vosges in the Marais quartier. About 12:45 PM, I entered the restaurant and was greeted with smile by a middle-aged lady (I assumed she’s Madame Danielle Pacaud). As requested, they put me in the front dining room. L’Ambroisie’s interior design features a spectacular and romantic décor a la Chateau de Versailles illuminated by some candlelight. Unlike the luxurious institution of Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, L’Ambroisie, occupies one of the historic town houses, gives the feel of a private home in which the furnishings is similar to an Italian palace with crystal glasses, polished marble floors, some tapestries and oil paintings. The harmony created in the dining room is actually also reflected in the balance of Bernard Pacaud’s cooking.

Bernard Pacaud, one of the most talented chefs in France, is known to be very particular about the ingredients, he would not settle less than the best produce of every season. For him, the ingredient is the real star, not his cooking technique – even though I think he’s too humble when he stated it. The food at L’Ambroise is truly classical as if diners were brought back to the past to indulge the traditional haute cuisine a la Français served into perfection. Do not expect any extravagant degustation menu here; everything is in à la carte menu. As soon as I sat down, I was offered 3 big portions of Gougères – it’s fluffy, warm and has a high quality of gruyère cheese (it would be perfect should the cheese is melted inside). For me, eating good French food must begin with a glass of champagne. I chose a glass of Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, excellent and fragrant champagne! The taste is rich, yeasty blend and creamy, while being delicate and soft in texture. It also has a little touch of hazelnuts with clean and zesty finish. This was indeed an awesome aperitif before a meal. This was my first visit to the restaurant, and as recommended by many people, I decided to leave the show in the hand of Monsieur Pascal, the maitre d’ for the food and Monsieur Pierre LeMoullac, the sommelier for the wine. Both were very grateful when I let them guide me for this journey.

Royale de romaine (Royal of Roman) - A warm mousse of peas served with cheese and duck liver. The taste blends nicely and the foie gras is not cloying … a simple and nice amuse-bouche, even though not over the top

Feuillantine de queues de langoustines aux graines de sésame, sauce curry (Langoustines tails served on a bed of spinach with sesame wafers and a light curry sauce) - The Brittany langoustine is sweet, flavorful and quite soft perfectly paired with an Indian-style curry while the wafer as well as the low-temperature cooked spinach add another dimension of the dish. One of the best cooked langoustine dishes I’ve ever tasted

Dos de sole en croûte de moutarde, viennoise d’asperges vertes (Sole’s meatiest portion served in crust of mustard with Viennese green asparagus) - A very generous portion of sole whose structure is firm, but like other sole in general - the meat’s taste is rather weak. The light mustard sauce (not too spicy) only helps a bit while the Robert Blanc asparagus is very good

Navarin de homard et pommes de terre nouvelles au romarin (Lobster in its juice served with new potatoes and rosemary) - By nature, the blue lobster is already flavourful, the sauce is a typical wonderful French-style sauce: flavorful, light, precise and balanced. The new/baby potatoes are not as impressive as I expected, nevertheless it’s still a perfect dish for me

Tarte fine sablée au chocolat, glace à la vanilla (Delicate crust of bitter chocolate tart served with vanilla ice cream) - Arguably my favorite chocolate desserts (along with Can Fabes’ festival of chocolates) - the cake/tart is ethereal along with a sweet and soft vanilla ice cream. On the one hand, the chocolate is intense but at the same time the layer below is light and sublime. A must-try dessert for all first-time visitor of this establishment

Assortiment de desserts et pâtisseries (Assortment of desserts and pastries) – They consist of great madeleines and cheese cream-puffs, the wafer is sweet, and the numerous chocolate biscuits do not disappoint

The wine list at L’Ambroisie is fairly average, in fact relatively short, compare to the other 3-star establishments in Paris. The selection here is focus on mature and top qualities of Bordeaux and Burgundy, monsieur LeMoullac does not really fancy any aggressive wines. For the appetizers and main courses, I drank a half-bottle of 2001 Meursault les Tilles Michelot Mère et Fille, a very good white burgundy that’s producing a harmonious taste while for the desserts I had a glass of 1980 Rivesaltes Mis en Bouteille Cuvée Jean-Paul Lespinasse. The service here was formal and a bit stiff, the attitude of the waiters seemed like French nationalist. Honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed in the beginning since I don’t get used to it. But as the meal flowed, things got better. I find that besides monsieur Pascal, the rests of the staffs do not really speak fluent English. I am not sure if this was the main reason why the overall service here was not as good as the other Parisian top restaurants.

Bernard Pacaud certainly does not like publication or any other media attention. Before coming to this place, I’ve never seen the face of the L’Ambroisie’s master. In fact I almost missed him while dining there. Fortunately, I had a chance to take a picture with chef Pacaud at the end of my meal. He only wore a plain gray shirt along with simple black trousers; people would hardly expect him to be one of the best chefs in the world. Pacaud prefers the blistering noise and smokes of the kitchen to the applause and public appreciation from the guests, media or even his fellow chefs – I could not find any of his pictures either at Paul Bocuse. Regarding his cooking style, I could say that chef Pacaud really emphasizes harmony in the dishes with flawless execution. He does not like any intensity of certain tastes and/or smells, it could be seen where the sauce of every single dish is relatively light – one can hardly taste any butter or cream. In addition, his humble characteristic is also reflected at the Sole dish where simplicity and modesty guided the creation of it. Ultimately, L’Ambroisie offers both luxury and down to earth ingredients in which the qualities are never compromised. This time I was eating all by myself, perhaps one day I could share this magnificent experience with my other-half in this beautiful Parisian grandes tables located in probably city of light’s most romantic square - Place des Vosges with its lovely green gardens. Below is the link of the pictures of my experience, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LAmbroisieParisFrance1stVisit#

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 96/100

L'Arpege Alain Passard - 3rd & 4th visit

It is widely known that Alain Passard is one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, and his baby - L'Arpege, not surprisingly, becomes one the world's top restaurants (as well as the most expensive). For me, it is an easy choice whether I should dine here everytime I come to Paris. I tasted Passard's food at the end of Spring 2 years ago and at the beginning of last summer. This time, early in the Fall 2008, I returned to my favorite dining place - not only once, but twice (one of them was during my birthday). The restaurant is as lovely as ever. The dining room is small yet modern; understated yet beautiful. There are Art Deco styles with French Lalique design windows; the lightning is low and romantic during dinner while at the lunch time, the restaurant receives generous amount of sunlight but still pleasant. I realized there is quite a significant change in the dining room team; Laurent Lapaire already left and now Helene Cousin leads the team with the help of another female maitre d'hotel, Nadia. Even though many of the staffs are still young, they are professional, efficient and vigilant. Perhaps, due to a rumour about the inconsistency service at L'Arpege that might have caused the restaurant its 3-star Michelin, Chef Passard decided to change more than half of the team. Based on my previous visits, I never experienced any short fall with the service at this place. In fact, I loved it. They made me feel at home; the service is personalized and flexible even they promised that I will always have a place here whenever I visit Paris.

Again, things here are as good as they're ever be. I began my sumptuous meal by having an aperitif - a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne. Then, come an artisan country bread made from a sourdough accompanied by salty butter from St. Malo. For hors d'oeuvre, I had a mixture of fresh vegetables on chips such as: carrot, mustard, beetroot and apple. After that, here come the real deal - for the dinner, I had a magnificent ten-course tasting menu and for the lunch a week later, I had a wonderful carte-blanche as recommended by the L'Arpege's former restaurant manager. Below are the dishes I had (A few of them are repeated, so I will not mention them twice)

Menu Cuisine Choisie

1st meal (Dinner)

Œuf à la coque quatre épices (A coddled egg yolk served in its shell and mixed with four spices - sour cream, maple syrup, clove and sherry vinegar) - Simple yet complex, and it's still delicious as usual. The egg is rich and smooth, probably this is the best amuse-bouche ever

Tomate naturelle à la moutarde d’Orléans onctueuse crème glacée (Natural tomato gazpacho served with Orleans’ mustard ice cream) - The combination of tomato puree (fresh & a bit sour) with mustard 'ice cream' (strong & a little spicy) may not be intuitive, yet they work amazingly well together

Homard de l’archipel de Chausey conjugaison (Chausey island’s lobster served cold with turnips, sherry vinegar and honey sauce) - The lobster here is prepared tender in texture and absolutely stunning. It shows the contrast of honey's sweetness and vinegar's sourness, yet they're balanced ... about as good as the legendary lobster cooked with vin jaune

Risotto (collection légumière) au parmigiano reggiano fleuri aux herbes (Creamy rice in granular parmesan cheese served with onion emulsion, vegetable and herb collections - leeks and green peas) - To create a great sensation, you should combine all the elements. The risotto is white, but delectable and rich. The flavor of the broth & parmesan are subtle, while the peas are sweet. Equal to the Calandre's saffron risotto as the best I've ever had

Robes des champs multicolores (Arlequin) carotte purple haze, chou rave bleu azur, radis sora, courgette black beauty … (Multicolor vegetables from the chef’s garden: carrots, kohlrabi, radish, zucchini and beetroot served with semolina, argon oil and sweet onion emulsion) - The vegetables are cooked in different length of time. They're all fresh, pure with deep flavor. The autumn veggies are rather hard and crunchy, also ... colorful and beautiful

Pêche côtière estampillée dorée sur écailles sole de l’Ĭle d’Yeu (Line caught Sole from Yeu Island served with yellow wine sauce) - A long strip of Sole in precise thickness. The fish itself is already delicious and firm plus the warm and fragrant wine sauce, even better than Ducasse's version. The smoked potatoes and herbs puree are also good. It's almost as good as Passard's famous Turbot or Monkfish

Ris de veau de Corrèze au bois de réglisse grillade (Grill veal Sweetbread from Correze region served with licorice, celery and leek) - Passard never stops to amaze me. The wonderfully cooked sweetbread is delicate and balance, crunchy and creamy at the same time. The buttery juice and peas extraction are also nice. Try to combine all elements together. I like this sweetbread better than Ledoyen's

Fromage de Bernard Antony affineur (Assorted cheeses of Bernard Antony) - I don't bother to try other cheese but the 48-month old comte. This the 1st time I have it shaved & it is insanely good. The comte is purely creamy and fresh. Hands down as the best cheese in the world!

Fruits rouges et noirs du jardin framboise (Red and black fruit from the garden - raspberries served with hibiscus syrup) - The raspberries are good as expected, but I do not particularly like the China rose syrup, it's a bit too intense. Serving the fruit with olive oil or mascarpone should be better ...

Tarte aux pommes Bouquet de Roses création Hiver 2008 (Apple tart prepared in the bouquet of roses shape) - An excellent dessert. It's just very right, neither too soft nor too crisp. The crust is flaky yet tender, and the apple is sweet yet sour. This is even much better when you add the yummy caramel, at the same time it never dominates the apple tart

Vanilla Souffle served with honey, chocolate and sugar powder - Not in the menu, but this bonus dessert is just perfect - not heavy and hardly eggy with correct sweetness, no element is too dominant. I could have a second helping actually ...

Sucrerie 3 macarons du jardin (Sweets and three different flavors of macaroons) - Petit four a la L'Arpege. The macaroons' flavors are tomato, basil and rhubarb. There's also a mini apple tart, sweet lemon grass biscuit and jelly in veggie flavor with sesame

2nd meal (Lunch)

Melon and mozzarella cheese served with sesame, olive oil and balsamic vinegar - A fresh mixture of melon's sweetness with semi-soft cheese plus the fragrance of the oil & sesame. It's simple yet sensational when you combine them all the elements

Sweet onion and peas served with the emulsion of peas and parmesan cheese - The peas, while, are sweet and good, they're a bit too dominant here. I could hardly taste the onion or parmesan flavor

Fines ravioles potagères (belle saison) consommé vegetal (Vegetables ravioli served in clear soup) - The tasty soup is a tomato and basil consomme. The 3 different raviolis are having onion, basilic and red onion inside

Yellow beetroot carpaccio served with walnuts, balsamic vinegar and olive oil - The beetroot is sweet and refreshing, work well with some acidity from the vinegar and oil, lastly the walnut gave some crisp taste and feeling. Another simple but thoughtful dish

Aiguillettes de homard de Chausey savagnin (A long slice of Chausey island lobster served with savagnin grape sauce from the Jura) - A succulent and slightly firm lobster with deliciously sweet and buttery sauce are simply incredible. Previously, the side dish is sour sorrel which I like better than green beans

Oignon doux de Florence au citron de Menton mesclun de Sylvain (Florence sweet onion served with lemon and green salad) - The fragrant onion is almost as sweet as honey, mixed with parmesan cheese and some black pepper. I prefer when the onion is crispier, like my 1st visit here

Volaille de Pays (Grande Tradition) à la casserole poulet du Haut-Maine (Free range of Haut-Maine chicken cooked with hay and wine in a casserole) - A juicy and scrumptious chicken ... yummy. An example of old-style and rustic preparation, the skin with thin layer of fat is not so crispy, but very tasty nevertheless. The leek does not enhance the chicken, a variation of garden vegetables should be better

Selection of fresh goat cheese at L'Arpege - My cheese: Tomme de Chevre (slightly salty), Anneau du Vic-Bilh (balance between salty and sour), Chevre de Corse (strong one). I forgot the other 2 goat cheese names

Millefeuille (caprice d’enfant) goûter croustillant (Crispy puff pastry in thousand of layers filled with sweet cream) - One of the best desserts I've ever had.The layers of pastry are extremely thin and as light as air. It is dynamic by itself: crispy, colorful and flaky in texture, at the same time the sweet cream and caramel work in harmony

The wine list is quite extensive, with emphasis on Burgundy and Bordeaux wines. However, the mark up price is, honestly, exorbitant. I always have the wine by the glass here, the choices are usually good in terms of matching with the food. The new head sommelier is Steeve Jicquel, he has similar personalities as his predecessor, Stephane Thivat - fun, easy going and friendly. For dinner, I had few glasses of wines: an aromatic dry white wine from 2001 Leon Beyer Cuvee des Comtes d'Eguisheim (yellow-gold color and austere in flavor), a rich and dry white Burgundy from 2002 Bernard Morey Saint Aubin and a sweet dessert wine with a bit of spice from 2002 Alsace Riesling SGN Vincent Sipp. Whereas, for lunch, I consumed less wines: a dry and buttery Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker Alsace as well as a refreshing Domaine de l'Hortus blanc Val de Montferrand. Not only the wine, the tea and coffee collection are not bad at all. I enjoyed my infusion of mint and sage tea as well as a cup of Ethiopian espresso.

The restaurant was full in both occassions, including the "cave" at the basement. For the dinner, I had the honor to be seated at the "chef's table" - a single table below the picture of Passard's grand mother - Louise Passard. Personally, I like the atmosphere during lunch which is very laid back, and it was a nice, cooling, and sunny day - a perfect companion for my birthday (It was a bit drizzled in the late afternoon though). The price tag for all of these? It does not come cheap of course, but there was a pleasant surprised ... they only charged me less than half of the normal degustation menu for the carte blanche meal. I am not sure whether it's due to my birthday or I was already treated as a friend of the chef; it is known that the regulars at l'Arpege usually paid a lot less than common clients. I hope I was considered as the latter one, let's see when I come back again. Nowadays, chef Passard often visits the dining room and has some conversation with the guests - either at the beginning or the end of meal. Once, he sat down, and enjoyed his own lunch - a few langoustines with some vegetables - and a glass of wine. Thus, another memorable meal at l'Arpege. The amazing thing about this place is that even when I put high expectation, they almost always deliver (A few even better than what I've imagined). My meal here in Autumn is ranked as the best meal in 2008. For the pictures, please check the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LArpegeParisFrance3rd4thVisit#

Food (and Wine): 98 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 98 pts

Overall: 98/100

Genyana Hamadaya Nihonbashi

In December 2007, Michelin - the prestigious gastronomic guidebook that some say could make or break a restaurant - released its first Asian edition, Tokyo. The most surprising news is that Tokyo officially dethroned Paris as the world’s culinary capital (191 restaurants stars were awarded compared to 65 stars at Paris). Long before the Michelin guide was released, I already had a plan to go to Tokyo for the first time in more than 20 years. So, I found that the guide is useful to assist my dining adventure during my Christmas holiday. The restaurant that caught my main attention is a Japanese ryotei (authentic and traditional) restaurant, Genyana Hamadaya. Hamadaya is a 95-year-old restaurant located in Nihonbashi Ningyo-cho (the birthplace of Edo Kabuki) where guests can be entertained by Geishas during their dining. As much as my desire to visit this place, I was a little bit intimidated at first since some told me that many Japanese (classic) restaurants do not welcome foreigners period. Fortunately, my hotel’s concierge, Ms. Ikuyo Takeuchi did a fantastic job to secure a lunch reservation at the main branch (there is another Hamadaya at Akasaka, Tokyo midtown) for me and my father.

Hamadaya, as far as I’m concerned, only offers degustation menu known as Kaiseki. Kaiseki (some call it tea ceremony) is a formal banquet cuisine served in Japanese-style and is nothing like most Japanese food that we know such as: tempura, teppanyaki or even sushi. After eating at several European fine dining restaurants, I thought I know “what and how to eat”, however, this experience taught me that there are still many things I can learn and explore about the Japanese haute cuisine. Similar to the tasting menu in the French gastronomy, a kaiseki banquet is a feast for the senses consisting of multiple elaborate small courses prepared with rare, fine and seasonal local ingredients (mostly unavailable outside Japan). As we entered Hamadaya’s main entrance, the restaurant’s staffs, dressed in traditional kimonos and sitting in seiza (the traditional Japanese sitting posture) position, politely greet us by bowing until their head touch the floor. Wow … I thought it was unnecessary, but I guess it is part of their culture to show respect towards the guests. As soon as we took off our shoes, one of the staffs escort us to the private tatami room – it is very spacious, the size is about 4×10 m2 and with such a large table, this room would be able to accommodate 8-10 people comfortably. At first, we were seated at the waiting room and served a cup of ocha (green tea) as well as warm towel. Once it’s all said and done, the adventure begins.

Hassun: Hors-d’oeuvre. The appetizer consists of: Roasted squid with sea urchin roe, deep fried prawn rolled in dried laver (edible seaweeds) and crab meat with eggyolk - The squid and crab are fine while the prawn is good. Additionally, there is a mixture of carrots, cucumbers and mushrooms served with some peanut sauce - nice and refreshing

Wanmori: Clear Soup. The soup consists of: Taro potato, spiny lobster tofu skin and daikon radish - I like the soup’s broth; the lobster is tender but rather tasteless while the tofu and potato are not too bad

Mukozuke: Sashimi. The sashimi in the winter season consists of: Maguro (Bluefin Tuna), Sayori (Halfbeak) and Hirame (Flatfish) served with wasabi Japanese horseradish - They’re all fresh with good texture, but the taste is very light. Sashimi is served early in traditional kaiseki before our palate sated with cooked foods

Yakimono: Grilled Dish. The dish consists of: Amadai Wakasa-yaki (Grilled Red Tilefish) - dense, tasty and juicy; Kaki (Oyster) in miso paste with sweet-dark sauce; Saba (Mackerel) sushi - in generous portion and chesnut dumpling. I love this dish very much

Nimono: Assorted Simmered Dish. Simmered Ohmi Kabura (giant turnip), quail and Japanese vegetables rolled with fried tofu - I like the soft texture and light taste of the tofu along with fresh spinach. The "meat ball"-like thing is OK

Aburamono: Deep Fried Plate. Deep fried prawn (with fries attached to it) and brocoli - The prawn is prepared in "tempura" style, and somehow it’s not oily at all. An excellent dish - sweet and crunchy, even better than Robuchon’s crispy langoustine

Shokuji: Rice and Soup. Steamed rice with peas, crab omelet, red miso soup (Akadashi) and Japanese pickles (Konomono) - Japanese’s rice is arguably one of the world’s best, and this one is without exception, the omelet is nice and sweet while the soup containing some "seaweeds"

Mizumono: A Seasonal Dessert. Assorted fresh fruits (Honey Dew and Strawberry) and hot sweet red bean soup - The red bean soup is pleasantly delicious - rich in taste without being cloying). In, L’Arpege I ate the best tomato and carrot in my life. Here, I never think that a honey dew could taste this good - sweet, fresh and very watery, the strawberry is also memorable

The savory menu above is accompanied by hot sake – Kiku-Masamune tokusenn from Kobe (This dry sake has mild and refined aroma with delicate and smooth taste. It is the kind of sake which would intensify the foods’ flavor) and cold sake – Aramasa tokubetuhonnzyouzou from Akita (A flavorful rice sake with gentle grain-like aroma and smooth round taste with a slight bitter finish). I don’t know much about their sake lists since I asked them to choose for me, but given the caliber of the establishment, sake-experts and lovers would not be disappointed. As we enjoyed ourselves or admired the small garden nearby, the Okami-san (female proprietor), Ms. Keiko Mita came a couple of times to keep us company during our meal. Her warmth immediately turned the formal ambiance into a more intimate one. In addition, our beautiful maitre d’hôtel which happens to be the owner’s daughter became the translator during our conversation (Ms. Keiko Mita actually speaks some English). I congratulated her for the 3-star Michelin awarded to Hamadaya. She explained that since receiving the award, the restaurant began to receive many reservations and at the same time adding her more pressure.

Essentially, the service at Hamadaya is indeed impeccable – both the owner and the staffs (all of them are female) are very courteous and cordial. In any authentic kaiseki meal, it is important for the staffs to adopt seiza position since it means not only showing courtesy and sincerity toward guests, but also having significance related to one’s field of vision and the direction of one’s eyes. Furthermore, the tea ceremony is cooperation between the host and the guest – while the host will do her best to make us feel welcome and take care of every details, we also need to perform our part by being appreciative clients. Kaiseki meal is like a symphony; while the feast would follow one particular seasonal theme, yet each course features distinct cooking techniques and above all, everything must work in harmony and be of the best quality. I could not imagine if there is a substitution for kaiseki meal outside Japan. It is true that the food here is not the best I have ever had; nevertheless the experience is unique and unforgettable especially the hospitality. After we finished our meal, Ms. Keiko Mita and her daughter gratefully accompanied and sent us out. The owner said she hoped to see us again. I would be more than happy to return here should I stop by in Tokyo again; hopefully next time will be in different season. Hamadaya is truly a temple of authentic Japanese cuisine. Please visit the website below for the pictures,

http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/GenyanaHamadayaTokyoJapan#

Food (and Wine): 94 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts

Overall: 94.5/100

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 2nd visit

Like many foodies have said, there is hardly (if any) many fine dining restaurant that could surprise, amaze and at the same time frustrate its clients other than the one and only - Pierre Gagnaire Paris. In the extreme case, some would claim that having a meal here is like a culinary gambling ... it may not be completely wrong since you will spend a few hundred Euros and there is a likelihood that you will be disappointed at the end. But hey ... millions of people still go gambling despite knowing for sure that the odd to win is really small. So, near the end of October 2008, about 2 weeks after Lehman Brothers went bust, I returned to this legendary place, but this time for dinner and no more renovation work happening at Hotel Balzac. It was a chill Sunday and there were plenty of people enjoying themselves around L'avenue des Champs Elysees. I reached the restaurant at 1930 and it was relatively quiet, this time I was seated at the mezzanine level.

As described in my previous meal here, Pierre Gagnaire's cuisine is perhaps like a roller coaster, but it is not completely random. His cooking truly reflects his personality and passion. He's really an extraordinary artist in the kitchen who execute his dishes with high precision though the result is not always perfect, but when it does ... it's simply amazing! I have always been curious about trying the a la carte menu at Gagnaire Paris, but so far have no guts to do so. However, after the 1st visit, I had the courage to do so this time. The a la carte here is unique -there is usually one main ingredient/theme and it's prepared in 4-5 different ways - no other 3-star establishments doing such things, not even Pierre's Tokyo or Hong Kong. The risk for my feast this time was even higher after learning that both Chef Proprietaire as well as Chef de Cuisine were not present in the kitchen, but if not now I was not sure when I would have another chance. In addition, Gagnaire would not simply leave his beloved restaurant in the hand of some incapable staffs. Being an adventurous person, I did not order any conventional dishes to increase the excitement and the risk. Anyway, here what I had (nothing too memorable from my Amuse-bouche).

Les Entrees

PARFUMS DE TERRE (FLAVORS OF THE EARTH)

Raviole de roquette à l’estragon, soupe de poireau grille aux baies de sureau (Arugula ravioli with tarragon served in grilled leek soup and elderberries) - A unique one and it's the best among "Parfums de Terre" dishes. There's a little taste of foie gras, the soup is also good. Overall, a very earthy dish indeed!

Quenelle Ranavalo; minestrone insoliete; bisque forestière (Thick cream soup of wild mushrooms served with puree of vegetables) - The mushroom cream is very strong and dominant; I hardly taste the vegetables

Coeurs de celtuce, sorbet d’endive au vinaigre de coquelicot (The thick part of stem lettuce served with chicory salad green sorbet and poppy vinegar) - This sorbet with sake is OK

Le veau de lait: poitrine longuement braisée, enrobée d’un caramel de framboise à l’oseille (Braised of milk-fed veal breast meat coated with caramel of raspberry and sorrel) - A small piece of tasty veal balanced with raspberries, so that it will not be cloying
Feuilles sauvages du jardin d’Annie Bertin, bouillon d’artichaut brûlant (Wild leaves from Annie Bertin’s garden served with hot broth of artichoke) - I like this herbs soup. It may taste like Chinese medicine at first, but the more you drink, the better. It's a bit hot and spicy, suitable for cold weather

La Terre

LE BŒUF D’ORIGINE FRANÇAISE (FRENCH BEEF)

Paleron de boeuf poêlé au laurier; tranché devant vous, la viande est posée sur une crème de rave au saké (Pan-fried shoulder of beef in bay leaf, sliced in front of me and placed on sake cream) - This is the best piece of beef/steak I've ever eaten - forget Morton or Ruth Christ, even slightly better than Akagegyu beef. The French beef (surprisingly is not at all inferior to Japanese Wagyu), with some layers of fat, is truly delicious and it's enhanced with cream of sake. A genius work on the palate, even though the master himself was absent

Moelle au caviar osciètre, pointe de persil fume (Beef bone marrow served with osetra caviar and tip of smoked parsley) - The bone marrow is somewhat dull, the caviar's saltiness brings out the flavor. The herbs below gave some distinct aroma ...
Carotte d’epaule en pot-au-feu; sauce daube et chantilly Hermès (Simmered beef shoulder stew served in sweetened carrot whipped cream sauce) - The beef stew is not bad at all except the mousse is a bit too sweet for my taste

Poire traitée comme un carpaccio, vinaigre liqueur (Thinly sliced raw beef served with liquor vinaigrette and pear puree) - The beef is of high quality, but the flavor is slightly overtaken by the puree
Friselli, cantal frais et oignons crus piquants (Thin potato chips prepared with fresh Auvergne cheese and spicy raw onions) - Nice and decent chips
Jus froids, museau au sesame noir (Vinegared beef muzzle served with cold aspic and black sesame) - My least favorite in the "Boeuf a la Francaise" dishes. It's normal, the gelee below is just fine

Les Desserts

LE SOUFFLÉ GINGEMBRE AUX CHOCOLATS D’ORIGINE (GINGER SOUFFLE IN CHOCOLATE)

Biscuit soufflé gingembre fraise et pur Vénézuela (Sponge cake soufflé served with fresh ginger and undiluted Venezuelan chocolate) - The intense chocolate souffle served untraditionally on the plate. The top part is a bit crispy, below it's smooth intensified with pure chocolate
Ganache onctueuse au Trinité; tranche de cassate à la pistache de Sicile et chocolat lacté (Rich mixture of chocolate and smooth cream sliced in 3 ways, Sicilian pistachio in left & right and milk chocolate in the middle) - The ganache is very smooth, while the pistachio one is particularly good. But, overall it's just too small

Eau de fraise au kirsch, glace blanche au gingembre noir du Vietnam (Water of strawberry and eau-de-vie of wild black cherries served with white ice of black ginger from Vietnam) - This "cherry water" is hardly sweet and served cold. To me, this side dish of the dessert acts more as palate cleanser to tone down the strong chocolate souffle
Mikado de chocolat au lait saupoudré de thé vert (Powder of Mikado chocolate milk sprinkled with green tea) - The powder beautifully add the presentation of the souffle, but it's swallowed by the strong chocolate taste of the souffle

The wine in Pierre Gagnaire is pretty solid, but often overshadowed by the food. I had a glass of wine for each course. Firstly, I drank 2006 Chateau Revelette Le Grand Blanc and it was alright. To accompany the beef, I had 2004 Domaine Gauby Cotes du Roussillon. The wine is simple, but good; the fruit is clean and pure. It's quite acidic with rapid finishing. Lastly, included in the dessert, I enjoyed a glass of Bodegas Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Triana. With some raisins aroma, I find it was opulently sweet yet matched well with any chocolate dessert generally. The hospitality here is professional as usual; staffs are attentive and friendly without being obstrusive. I had a little chat with one Spanish waiter regarding the first F-1 night race where his hero, Fernando Alonso won the first race this year. Unlike my first visit, I did not have to submit my Credit Card number to guarantee for my reservation. Nothing has changed in terms of the restaurant decor. The atmosphere is a bit more formal in the evening. Almost half of the diners were foreigners, so it should not be a surprise that there are already 3 Gagnaire's restaurants in Asia. Nowadays, a top restaurant should be able to consistently perform regardless when the head chef is around or not. My dinner here is a little bit short compared to my lunch a year ago, nevertheless I still had a wonderful meal. Perhaps, it would be equally as good had I chosen a more conservative approach by ordering the famous Les Langoustines or Le Turbot. For the pictures of what I ate, please click the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/PierreGagnaireParisFrance2ndVisit#

Food (and Wine): 96 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 95.5/100

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 1st visit

The 2006 Easter holiday was the time when I eventually visited and savored the 3* restaurants at its original country - France, the home of the legendary Michelin Red Guide. As the guide suggests 3-star restaurant is a place that serves exceptional cuisine and worth a special journey. Here it comes: at the end of May this year (2007), I, all by myself, flew to Europe specifically to indulge more than half dozen of three stars restaurants, one of the most memorable experiences is a lunch at Pierre Gagnaire (Π) Paris. After having a decent experience at Pierre Hong Kong, this would be the right time to enjoy the Haute Cuisine extravaganza in the Hotel Balzac where the master himself was the man behind the stove. This establishment is a must-try for any real adventurous foodies; it is one of the most fashionable haute-cuisine dining spots - don’t come here and expect to have traditional French dishes. Every meal is complex and inventive, making each dish a new experience and discovery, his cuisine is indeed intellectual and poetic, no wonder some people call the chef-owner Pierre Gagnaire – the “Picasso of the palate”. Gagnaire always pursues new ideas; nevertheless he never forgets the main objective of giving his patrons pleasure through the art of cuisine. Here it is the story of my exploration.

About 1230 PM, I entered the main door of the restaurant – I’d better came early since they would charge me €100 had I not shown up that day. From the outside, few people would think this would be a place that is worthy of a special trip to Paris since it looked quite rundown (Hotel Balzac underwent a big renovation, left many dusts, dirty stones and some uneven stairs near the restaurant’s entrance). Thankfully, the hotel and the restaurant are two separate entities, inside everything looks as good as the other 3-star places I’ve visited, even better as Gagnaire himself greeted his guests. Just before I sit at my table, the waiter offered me a ‘potato croquette’, what special about it was that the crisp potato along with a little cheese inside was actually melting; finally I ate an amuse-bouche that is as delicious as ADNY’s gougères. There were 3 menus here – Le menu Degustation (lunch and dinner) and A la Carte. The maitre d’ kept insisting that I should have the a la carte; to be honest it looks very tempting. At Π, the a la carte menu would usually be one main ingredient served in several different preparations, however there’s always a classic problem – money. Two orders of the a la carte (without cheese or desserts) would easily be more expensive than the tasting menu. Because of this, I opted for the degustation menu – the full course (I would not fly more than 12-hour just to get the small tasting menu). Without further delay, these are what I had.

Menu Printemps nº03 (The 3rd degustation menu for the Spring season)

Gelée d’olive noire Taggiasche, mousseline de celery rave. Coeur de cabillaud (grille-poché) dans une huile d’olive au miel du desert des Agriates (Jelly black olive Taggiasche, chiffon of celery turnip. Grill-poached Codfish/Morue heart in olive oil with honey of Agriates desert) - The fish is tasteless and slightly too soft accompanied by bitter black olives, the overall taste is rather funny. I don’t like it. This could be an example where Gagnaire’s experiment failed. Not a very good start …

Asperge du Perthuis, émincés d’oignons nouveaux au paprika, carottes multicolores, lichettes de gruyere assaisonnées. Crème d’amande au citron vert. Jus d’étrille lié d’avoine (Perthuis asparagus, thin slices of new onions with paprika, different kinds of carrots, seasoned gruyere – Swiss cheese – nibbles. Almond cream with green lemon, crab’s juice of oats) - A great vegetable dish - not inferior to Passard’s, you should mix the veggies along with the crab meat sauce, there is a harmony of taste created with different intensity level of flavors. The carrot is also good when you eat it by itself

Aubergine et rouget, tomate et betterave rouge. Gousses d’ail sablées. Jus de bouillabaisse au poivron rouge. Toast à bécasse et sardine fraîche, givré de concombre à l’amontillado (Eggplant and red mullet served with tomato and red beet. Cloves of garlic shortbread, fish soup juice with red pepper. Toast with woodcock and fresh sardine, sorbet of cucumber with a pale dry sherry) - It’s always amazing to see the complexity of Gagnaire’s cook. The combination above gave a sweet taste with slight bitterness. The cucumber is OK while the sardine is good. The egg plant is the most dominant element of the dish, to appreciate the dish, you need to combine 2-4 ingredients altogether

Bar de ligne rôti à la peau; tranche de navet kabu, jus de cresson. Beurre doux au fenouil (Seabass roasted with its skin served with slice of turnips kabu, watercress juice and soft butter with fennel) - My favorite dish and the most outstanding Seabass I’ve ever tasted. It’s really delicious and not cloying at all, the skin along with the fish’s fat is very crisp. The sauce enrich the fish’ flavor while the veggies tried to balance it out. When someone said that one great dish at Gagnaire is sufficient for the whole meal, I guess this could be one of those dishes. A masterpiece by an artist …

Gras de seiche déclinés; gnocchi de tomate. Cubes (thon rouge – foie gras de canard). Quelques coquillages d’été (Reduced-fat cuttlefishes and tomato gnocchi. Blue fin tuna and duck foie gras served with some summer shellfishes) - The squids served in 3 ways (plain, seaweed and with its ink) are average. The tuna belly is as good if not better than Japanese top sashimi, very tasty and melting in my mouth before even I had a chance to bite it. The piece of foie gras is intensely good. The rests - integrate the tomatoes’ sweet & sour taste with the cockles flavor to create a savory palate. Another excellent dish

Glace de petits pois à la menthe poivrée; marinière de legumes verts et infusion d’herbes fraîches au lait de coco. Nèfle pochée (Cold peas with peppermint, mariner’s style of green vegetables and fresh herbs infusion with coconut milk as well as poached medlar/Japanese loquat) - A very refreshing spring vegetables. It clears and takes out any after taste left from the previous dishes, a short break before the main course

Biscuit chaud de langoustine à l’épine vinette, émincé de quasi de veau de lait au persil simple. Crème de morilles fraîches au vin jaune du Jura (Warm biscuit of langoustine with highbush cranberry, and slices of milk-fed veal with parsley served in cream of fresh morels and yellow wine from Jura) - The veal is tender and juicy, combined with tasty morels. But, the essential taste of the langoustine is not really there (hidden) since its preparation rather unusual for me

Cabri ariégeois, poire au vinaigre de coquelicot. Fouchtra, croustade de pain au vieux levain; celeries dorés. Velouté de brebis à la coriandre fraîche, pressé de Valençay (Young goat cheese served with pear and poppy’s vinegar; cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne with croustade of the old leaven’s bread and browned celeries; cream of sheep’s-milk cheese served with fresh coriander) - I like the goat cheese best, while cow’s milk is sour. The bottom cheese taste and smell like mon’t d’or - quite bitter actually. A unique set of cheeses

Les desserts Pierre Gagnaire (The desserts a la Pierre Gagnaire) – The dessert is a mixture of 6 different kinds of small ones. They are lemon mousse with cucumber, light and refreshing; cream of orange and carrot with white cheese below, mild fruit sweetness. There are also coffee plus 2 kinds of cherries, bitter and a bit awkward; pistachio ice cream with summer raspberries - fresh with sweet and sour balanced. In addition, apple jelly and crispy apple "chips" - fragrant apple aroma, but the taste is more on the sour side, maybe to take out the chocolate’s sweetness. Lastly, a glass of dark chocolate cream, if you really love dark chocolate, Pierre’s is the place to go, I ate the bitterest dark chocolate at Gagnaire’s place (Paris as well as Hong Kong)

The wine list at Π is competent. I had a half-bottle of 2004 Saint-Peray, Domaine Bernard Gripa. This is probably the least expensive wine I’ve ever had in the 3* establishment (€28 – this could easily be the cost of a glass of champagne at ADPA). However, it went quite well with Gagnaire’s food. Its freshness and acidity balanced out the strong taste from some of the dishes. Additionally, I also drank a glass of sweet wine to accompany many different dessert combinations a la Pierre Gagnaire - 2001 Jurançon Moëlleux domaine Cauhape. It is fresh and rich with a blend of exotic fruits and citrus, moreover it has an aromatic finish. The dining room is elegant in modern décor accompanied by honey-colored wood and artistic blue wall paper. While the tables are well-spaced, it gives no sense of history or grandeur. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet; only about 10 people including myself ate there during lunch time. The service is refined, relaxed and professional without any sign of the French arrogance, here every guest is valued and respected whether you’re a regular customer or not. Only about half of the waiters are unfortunately capable of speaking decent English. Near the end of my meal, Monsieur Gagnaire smilingly stopped at the table and asked how things were going; all I could say was c’est magnifique!

Pierre Gagnaire is one of the most original and artistic chefs working anywhere today. His styles are contrasts in color, texture, temperature, vibrant flavors and mixture of surprising ingredients. Eating here is an adventure and the patrons should be eager to be part of his exploration though his inventions may not always work (like the first dish I had, luckily the rests of them were fine). Even Pierre admits that he takes risks with his cooking and his over-enthusiasm occasionally goes overboard. For me, it’s well worth my time. I think it’s always interesting to eat here since one would hardly eat the same dish twice, even for each season Π could serve 2-3 different savory menu. Hence, if any of you get chance to eat here, all I can say is just sit back, relax and enjoy. Let the wizard charm you with his show! If any of you would like to see pictures of what I ate, please click the following link below, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/PierreGagnaireParisFrance1stVisit#

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 96/100

L'Arpege Alain Passard - 2nd visit

Michelin 3-star establishments have always been identical with places serving excellent food and wine accompanied by outstanding hospitality set up in unique and comfortable ambiance. Being an adventurous person who loves surprises, I do not want to return to the same place twice unless that restaurant is, of course, exceptional. By that time I arrived at this place, I have been fortunate enough to eat at more than ten different 3-star restaurants in Europe. After having breathed fresh air along the sides of Hôtel des Invalides, I finally reached a deathly quiet street near Musée Rodin just before the sunset. Where was I? The title above should tell it all … yes, at the end I “betrayed” my own tradition. L’Arpege, the place serving me the meal of my life a year before, is the first and only 3-star temple so far where I’ve visited twice. At first, I prefer to try other places like: Guy Savoy or Le Meurice after receiving several excellent reviews from many foodies whom I respected. However, the cooking of L’Arpege’s chef patron – Alain Passard, a great chef who is almost certain to go down in history as one of the best ever, is very difficult to resist. Throughout the year, I could still “taste” his prawn carpaccio with osetra caviar, slowly cooked monkfish with mustard emulsion or free range chicken with garden vegetables in my dream. With such wonderful memories, I was convinced that I had to return to L’Arpege, especially after having found out from the website that it offers many dishes I’ve never tried before.

Upon entering the restaurant through the heavy door, I was escorted to my table located in the center of the restaurant. For most part, the décor at L’Arpege looked familiar to me – it is (still) relatively small and informal in which brown and earth-colored orange dominate the wall. A candle lit at each table as well as the place’s limited cove light make for an austere ambiance; at the back of the restaurant, one could see the portrait of Alain Passard’s grandmother, from whom the chef drew his inspiration. In addition, a watermelon from the chef’s farm is put at every table this time. Unlike the décor, I hardly recognized any L’Arpege’s staffs except for one – Helene; the lady who fried my all-time favorite dessert – crystallized tomato with 12 flavors. Later I found out from Laurent Lapaire, the restaurant manager that half of the L’Arpege’s front team has changed including the former chef sommelier, Stéphane Thivat who currently managed a wine cellar outside Paris. But we know that Passard’s team members usually leave because of bigger opportunities to improve their career – Pascal Barbot and L’Astrance is probably the most famous example. Not only that, even Passard gave his regular customers’ contact lists to help L’Astrance took off faster. Furthermore, the chef’s former apprentices are spread out all over the places including Singapore and Tokyo.

Anyway, let’s get back to the main theme: my 2nd experience at L’Arpege. As soon as I sat down, I was offered an aperitif - this time I had a glass of Champagne Krug Brut Grande Cuvée - balanced and full of finesse, wonderfully creamy and more importantly has a long, lingering finish. In short - simply stunning! After that, while flipping the menu, I indulge myself in Monsieur Bordier’s irresistible salted butter from Saint-Malo spread over in-house freshly baked bread. Upon reading the menu, I “happily” decide to order the degustation menu (combining the elements of earth and sea) even though it would break my bank account. The only dishes that were not changed compared to what I had before are the house specialties – the famous poached egg (Good news: it’s the restaurant official amuse bouche and you no longer need to order the tasting menu anymore in order to taste this dish) and cheese selection by Bernard Antony. Moreover, this time chef Alain Passard was in the kitchen, so it’s normal to expect that I would have a better overall dining experience compared to the first one.

Menu Pleine Terre, Pleine Mer

L’oeuf à la coque (A warm egg poached in its shell served with sherry vinegar and maple syrup) - If you just take the top without mixing it with the syrup, it’s rather acidic due to the fresh cream - but the mixture of it (bitter and sweet) is fantastic – pristine taste with silky texture. The egg itself is barely warm and runny. A good way to awaken my palate

Parfums (belle saison) crème soufflé au Speck (Veloute of vegetables served with cream of smoked ham) - This "soup" served warm; the saltiness of the ham is reduced with the vegetables - leaving out the possible cloying taste from this dish. Oh … that Krug champagne helps too

(Radisotto) printanier à la moutarde d’Orléans parmigiano reggiano (Spring radishes “Risotto” served with mustard and parmesan cheese) - My anticipation is high, but I just realized that the best ingredients for any "risotto" dish is still rice. The flavors worked just fine, but some mustard and the cheese make it a bit too sour

Jardinière Arlequin à l’huile d’argan (cuisine choisie) à la coriandre (Selection of fresh herbs from the garden – beetroots, couscous, turnips, different kind of carrots - served with Argon oil from Morocco) - Is this supposed to be the star for the night? Well, surprisingly I’m not too impressed. Most of the vegetables are freshly prepared and excellent, especially the carrots - crunchy and sweet - and the Argon oil - light and delectable, but they don’t mixed too well … I prefer to enjoy each vegetable separately as side dishes

Turbot de Bretagne (belle saison) (Slowly cooked Brittany turbot served with butter sauce and fava beans) - I expected much more in L’Arpege than simply some vegetable dishes. Here is the savior: a thin and precisely cut turbot (the whole fish is cooked in low temperature for several hours). The taste is unbelievably delicious, one can taste the tasty meat integrated with the full flavor of the fish’s skin and fat. I could not tell which one is better - this or the monk fish I ate a year before

Aiguillettes de homard des Îles Chausey côtes du Jura (Lobster from the Chausey archipelago braised in the yellow wine foam of the Jura and peppered cabbage leaf) - A perfect dish! The portion is generous; the lobster is ethereal - deliciously sweet and buttery with "tender" structure. In addition, it’s enhanced with the acidic taste from the yellow wine and sorrels. Mamma mia! Another back to back perfect dish - the last time was the monk fish followed by the chicken

Fines ravioles fleuries aux herbes consommé vegetal (Thin vegetables ravioli served in clear soup) - Somehow, it took quite some times for the kitchen to prepare the lamb. That’s why I receive this bonus dish - simple consommé where the vegetables, along with the soup’s salty essence, are right and balanced

T-bone d’agneau de Lozère aux algues et escargots de mer poivre noir Serawak (T-bone of Lozere’s lamb served with sea snails, parsley sauce, potatoes and Sarawak black pepper) - Another perfect dish? Well, almost … the sides part of the lamb’s tender meat served with its crispy skin plus the sinful layer of fat are amazing. The potatoes and parsley sauce are good. The only weakness is that the meat’s part near the T-bone is slightly overcooked hence rather hard; the flavor there was also weakened unfortunately

Fromages de chèvre de Bernard Antony affineur (Goat cheese supplied by Bernard Antony) - I was a bit sad when only goat/sheep cheeses are available for that night (aka no comte at all). However, they actually did not disappoint. I have soft La Gayrie, nearly sweet Chevrotin des Aravis, creamy Laurentine, and buche du Gers

Framboises à l’infusion de l’huile d’olive, le vinaigre et le miel (Raspberries served with olive oil, white vinegar and honey) - I requested this special dessert (the original version is with strawberries, but they’re not in season). The taste is a bit funny since they do not blend together nicely, but one can still enjoy the sweet raspberries

Citronnelle crème brûlée (Rich custard in lemon grass flavor with caramelized sugar on top) - Simple but decadent. The lemon grass custard is smooth, silky and refreshing with clean caramel flavor

Île flottante moka-mélisse caramel lacté (Mocha sorbet floating on a lemon grass sauce and caramel milk) - Another bonus dish from the restaurant - the idea is that the pastry chef try to create harmony between the sweet caramel and blend lemon grass, but the strong mocha sorbet makes the overall flavor slightly too sweet. Refreshing and the portion is big

Dessert de cuisine trios macarons du jardin (Three different vegetable flavors of macaroons) - The tasting menu’s dessert consists of (rhubarb, sorels and veggies mint) macarons; the sweet part comes from chocolate and almond biscuits

Another meal, another feast – that’s how I would describe my 2nd visit at L’Arpege which currently is my favorite restaurant in the world. The cooking of Alain Passard is shockingly simple (home style/peasant technique), but somehow he proficiently is able to transform the simple tastes and textures of the ingredients into memorable dishes. Like many other top notch chefs, Passard always pays the ultimate respect to the finest ingredients; perhaps the ultimate distinct identity of his food is that he sources the vegetables from his own gardens (around Sarthe and Normandy) where he often dirty his own hands just to pick the best available vegetables for the customers. However, I was not really moved by many of the vegetable dishes during this dinner; the only terrific one was the different kinds of carrots (really out of this world). I guess I’m more on the carnivore side. Even though Passard abandoned cooking red meat in 2001, thankfully he still does so sometimes, such as preparing the lamb’s dish for that night. His skill is still fantastic; I think he should not give up cooking red meat. Then, when I brought this issue to Laurent Lapaire, he told me that currently Passard only completely stops cooking beef with the exception of Kobe beef once in a while.

The wine-pairing that I had last year under the guidance of Stéphane Thivat was wonderful, but the cost was too much for me to repeat it again this time. Many people know that the wine’s price mark-up at this restaurant is possibly one of the highest in Paris. Therefore, I did not bother to open the list and settled on a glass white and red wine. The champagne I mentioned before was the best. Other wines I drank were: Domaine Laroche Les Vaillons Premier Cru Chablis 2004; it is fruity and full bodied with mineral structure and very good balance, a lovely choice for the turbot and the lobster. For the lamb, the sommelier suggested: Château la Gordonne Domaine Listel 2002; this still wine is fresh and light; barely sweet which is good since the lamb is palatable. There were 2 sommeliers for the night and they seem to be “equal” in position – neither was the chef sommelier yet; both of them are friendly, have good sense of humor and patiently explain the guests about their recommendations. The service here, as usual, is graceful and rather relaxed with the sole purpose to take care of the guests. Laurent Lapaire, in my humble opinion, is the best among all of the maître d’hôtel I have ever met. He is not only very good in leading his team, but also is superior in directly serving the guests. Speaking superb English and some Japanese, monsieur Lapaire is willing to excitedly go over the dishes in the menu one by one with the customers as well as answer whatever questions one may have. For instance, he took 2 lobsters from the kitchen – one is cooked and another one is still alive – and showed me how the lobster from Îles Chausey was different from the regular blue lobster. This establishment indeed has a wonderful hospitality.

Naturally, some of you may wonder how this experience compared with the first time I visited here. Well, startlingly I would say that the first one was better despite the fact that Alain Passard was not behind the stove (it was an Easter Monday holiday); the sous chef Anthony took care of the kitchen. Food-wise: in my 1st visit, I had many of L’Arpege classic dishes since the restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary. The main differences were: the appetizers - nothing I had in my 2nd visit that’s as good as Carpaccio de langoustines du Guilvinec, caviar osciètre royal d’Iran or Bavarois d’avocat et caviar osciètre royal d’Iran, huile de pistache. The main courses are about the same level - the first time I adored the monk fish and chicken while this time I loved the turbot and lobster. When it comes to the desserts - Tomato confite farcie aux douze saveurs, sucre à l’orange or Millefeuille pralin simply killed whatever sweets I had this time around. Furthermore, L’Arpege was run out of comte … I could not help but conclude that I was fed slightly better the first time I ate here. Wine-wise: the champagne (1996 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois is on a par with Champagne Krug Brut Grande Cuvée) and the Chablis are equally good. It’s just that in my first visit, I drank a terrific 1991 Porto Colheita Niepoort and 2002 Mambourg Grand Cru - Marcel Deiss. As mentioned before, there was not much different regarding the décor except I found that the restaurant “forced” to put 2 additional tables in the middle to accommodate more guests that made the small dining room even more crammed. Consequently, it affected the service a little bit as the staffs could not move as smoothly as they’d like to. Probably, because it’s Friday night and very packed – sometimes they were incapable of responding to customers’ request as fast as they want to; nevertheless the staffs still enthusiastically served the guests without any signs of tiredness. Regardless of the “flaw” above, my 2nd dining at L’Arpege still ranked very high (3rd place according to my notes), only below my 1st encounter here and Alain Ducasse Paris, and thus L’Arpege solidify its position as my numero uno dining destination in the world. Please check the link below for the pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LArpegeParisFrance2ndVisit#

Food (and Wine): 98 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts

Overall: 97.5/100

Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon

Joël Robuchon is one of the most revered Chefs in the world. When Gault Millau bestowed the highest rating of 19.5/20 to Robuchon’s legendary Jamin in 1988 (only Marc Veyrat surpassed it in 2004 by receiving a perfect 20/20), I was still in primary school and too young to understand any gastronomy world. Who expects a boy that used to eat KFC and fried eggs almost everyday would sit and savor the foods of the French living legend two decades later. After having a great lunch and experiencing the best hospitality at Genyana Hamadaya, I did not waste my time to go and dine at the famous Château Robuchon four hours later. This grand palace, located at the Ebisu garden, is truly the ultimate place for Robuchon’s fans; there is also La Table as well as Rouge Bar de Joel Robuchon inside this chateau. Outside this palace, one could also pamper himself with Robuchon’s foods by visiting Café, La Boutique or L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon; these many Robuchon’s establishments could be enjoyed together in one city - Tokyo, the new culinary capital of the world.

Originally, I secured my dinner reservation on 21st December 2007, but upon learning that they only serve the 8-course Christmas tasting menu that night whose price was closed to the L’Arpege’s set meal, I decided to dine there one day earlier and it saved me about USD 100. As I entered Château Robuchon, a lady from the reception warmly greeted and escorted me to the 3rd floor. On the way up, I passed the red-black color bar with little touch of gold that reminds guests of this castle’s luxury as well as the pre-dominantly purple-black color dining room of Robuchon’s La Table providing the chef’s modern French cuisine. Once I was seated at the extravagant dining room, dominated by the gold color, a glass of Bruno Paillard’s champagne was offered. My dining experience at the Parisian’s palaces certainly helped me to stay calm inside this castle that’s done away with the ornate of Louis XVI furniture blends with some of Tokyo’s fresh and contemporary style decoration. While zipping my champagne, I observed the menu; in addition to the a la carte, there are 12-course and 6-course degustation menu. To maximize the experience of Joël Robuchon‘s cooking, I ordered the bigger one and here what I had.

L’Avocat dans une infusion juste prise aux herbes et une caillebotte à l’huile d’olive (Avocado purée in a thin herb gelée and olive oil flavored curd cheese) - a fresh, slightly sour and creamy avocado amuse that would ignite one’s appetite

Le Caviar Osciètre petit œuf mollet et friand, flan mœlleux au fumet d’asperges, fines graines de couscous iodé (Crispy soft boiled egg, flan of asparagus, thin couscous and oscetra caviar) - the one with crunchy salmon and quail egg is divine and balance, the one with asparagus, showing contrast between land and sea creatures, needs a bit “more” caviar especially inside, and the last part with couscous is in right texture and temperature with subtle flavor. Once again, Robuchon shows his expertise in caviar dish

Accompanied by wine: Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs Reserve Privée

Les Crustacés la langoustine truffée à l’étuvée de chou vert, le homard rôti à la citronnelle avec une semoule végétale, l’oursin accompagné d’une purée de pomme de terre au café (Truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage, lemon grass roasted lobster with vegetable semolina, sea urchin, potato purée with a hint of coffee) - This is the best dish of the night - a combination of delicious and solid lightly cooked blue lobster; intense and succulent Brittany langoustine accompanied by fragrant truffle and foie gras reduction; as well as sweet and creamy Hokkaido sea urchin along with Robuchon’s famous mashed potatoes which are decadent

La Saint-Jacques la noix poêlée aux fregolas avec une émulsion coralline (Pan seared scallops with fregolas pastas and her emulsion) - The scallop is tasty and juicy, integrated with nice pastas. The emulsion’s intensity is just about right, very good

Le Gorgonzola en royale avec une vierge de poire et de tomate à la sauge (Custard of Gorgonzola with a pear vierge and sage tomatoes) - This buttery and warm Italian blue cheese is served warmed while the tomato, almond and pear neutralize the cheese's overly rich taste; very colorful and pleasing to the eye

L’Avoine veloutée aux amandes torréfiées et aux sucs de chorizo (Wild-oat velouté with roasted almonds and chorizo) - A unique and uplifting dish. The bland and sticky oat flavored by the “bacon’s” smokiness and almond’s“crunchyness”

Accompanied by wine: 2001 Chassagne-Montrachet Jean-Marc Morey

Le Saumon Sauvage d’Ecosse confit avec une nage au gingembre et une fleurette légèrement fume (Salmon with ginger marinière and lightly smoked cream) - the Scottish salmon is quite light but fresh while the rests of the elements do not mix very well. It’s just OK

Le Bar cuit sur la peau aux épices avec une sauce verjutée (Seabass cooked on its skin with spicy red wine sauce) - The Seabass’ quality is not that good (lack in freshness) and soft while the red wine sauce is too intense/sweet. I don’t really like this dish

Le Bœuf grillé, cristalline au poivre, cresson en tempura, raifort à la moutarde (Grilled Sendai beef, watercress tempura, horseradish mustard) - The “steak”, cooked perfectly (medium), is delicious and marbled (far superior than Australian wagyu) worked well with the fragrant tempura. It goes well with the mustard’s “spiciness”

Les Racines Maraîchères mitonné à l’huile d’Argan (Garden vegetables simmered in Argon oil) - Nice combination of fresh winter vegetables to clear any previous flavors before the desserts, very similar to the one I had in L’Arpege served with couscous

Accompanied by wine: 2003 Gevrey-Chambertin en Reniard Domaine Alain Burguet

Le Yuzu Vert en granite avec une gelée à la verveine et un voile au cachaça ambré (Young citrus sherbet with verbena jelly and soft goat cheese) - A combination of yuzu’s bitterness and citrus’ sourness that yield goat cheese’ slight sweetness. Not too over the top, but pleasingly fresh

La Châtaigne en soupe parfumée au rhum brun avec des billes de chocolat fondant et une glace au lait (Chesnut soup flavored with dark rum, bittersweet melting chocolate and milk ice cream) - The chocolate is fantastic with its bitterness balanced by the sweetness from the chesnut and ice cream. There's also a contrast of hot and cold

Le Café express ou le Thé et ses douceurs sucrées (Espresso or tea served with sweets and pastries) - The madeline and cannele are good, so are the chocolates (earl grey is my favorite). The best part is the macaroons especially pistachio, lemon and orange. All of these are accompanied by Darjeeling tea, it’s thin-bodied, with light floral aroma and musky spiciness

Accompanied by wine: 1998 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Grand Cru

Overall, I am very satisfied with my meal here - the most delectable feast during my winter holiday in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The cooking here is simple yet tasty and balanced with beautiful yet non-traditional presentation; don’t expect to eat intensely flavored dish or one will be disappointed. The chef de cuisine, Alain Verzeroli is very talented and successfully merging French cuisine with some Asian sensations that generates a stimulating and adventurous tasting menu. The wine collection is extensive, comparable to many great French restaurants even in France and as expected, very expensive. I enjoyed all of my wines by the glass which varied from Reims’ champagne, white and red Burgundy as well as Sauternes’ sweet wine. And if your wallet allows, Takehiro Nobukuni-san, the sommelier, could pair each course with different wines by the glass according to your taste and budget.

The service throughout the evening was friendly and comforting despite the fact that a few of them did not speak English that well. However, they never missed to replenish my water and change my napkins. By 10:30 PM, I was the only diner left (Japanese had dinner quite early), but they never rushed me at all when I still enjoyed my desserts followed by tea and petit four. The restaurant’s decoration built in harmony with the architectural traditions of the 18th century is arguably one of the most elegant places in Tokyo. My sofa is spacious and comfortable, but one can still hear when the guests in the next table talk (one table spoke a bit too laud for fine dining restaurant standard). A year earlier, I ate at Robuchon a Galera in Macau and did not really like it. This Château Robuchon has changed my opinion about the cuisine of Joël Robuchon; he indeed is capable of producing exceptional dishes even though he is hardly in the kitchen himself - only once every quarter. Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas would probably do the justice whether his cooking suits my palate and taste. Please click this link for the pictures of the dishes http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/ChateauJoelRobuchon#

Food (and Wine): 95 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 95/100

L'Arpege Alain Passard - 1st visit

Almost a year ago I had my first taste of 3-star Michelin restaurant at Alain Ducasse New York (ADNY) and it was excellent. However, I’m still curious what it would be like to dine at the one in Europe especially in France – the home of the Michelin guide book I suppose. More than 4 months ago, on Easter Monday in 2006 I, all by myself, had a dinner at the French 3* restaurant called L’Arpège, the home of one of the world’s best and most talented chefs – Alain Passard. Honestly, L’Arpège was not my first choice in the beginning simply because I’m quite scared with its prices. I tried to book either Pierre Gagnaire or Le Grand Véfour, but alas both were closed that day since it was still an Easter holiday in Paris. Then L’Arpège came next on my list and it’s available. I guess I was quite lucky as well to secure one place right there as the restaurant is small and full on the day I ate there. This year Easter Monday was actually very special for me. It could be said that day I had my best meals in my life. Earlier, I had a 3-hour lunch at Le Bristol and it was awesome as well. Hence, there was only 3 hour break in between my lunch and dinner. Personally, I was quite full and wondering if I would fully enjoy the meal at L’Arpège. How was it actually? Well, I was blown away. It’s the best dining I’ve ever had in my life, not only the meals but also the experience.

L’Arpège, located in the corner of Rue de Bourgogne and Rue de Varenne at 7th Arrondissement near the Rodin Museum, is set in a modern, contemporary setting in which the large gilt frame could be the only touch of classicism. The size is relatively small (I believe the place could at most allow 40 people to dine at the same time), yet the guests will not feel cramped inside. The decoration is sparse, perhaps only an old violin and a black-and-white portrait of a lady (the grand mother of the chef – Louise Passard) are the only distinguished furniture here, yet impressive. In addition, it is nice, clean and comfortable. About 7:35 pm I got off at the Varenne metro station. It was not too difficult to find the restaurant since I’ve been to Rodin Museum before. If one is not carefully observe the place, he could easily miss this wonderful place to eat. From the outside it looks very simple, nothing special about the entrance-door or the wall outside. It was a quiet evening but the sun was not yet set. I was a bit doubtful to enter the place, maybe it’s not opened yet so I was just walking around. 20 minutes later, I decided to open the door and a lady quickly greeted me and checked if my name was there. After that, Helène (one of the leading waitresses) accompanied me to my table. There had been 10 people seating inside when I took my seat.

The fun began with the (chef) sommelier, Stéphane Thivat, came and offered me a glass of champagne to start my unforgettable journey of eating that night. I accepted the offer and let him choose whatever best for that night and considering the one which would match well with the restaurant’s amuse-bouche and/or appetizers. The dishes inside L’Arpège’s menu are not that many – only 11 appetizers and main courses combined plus 5 desserts; whereas only one choice available for the dégustation menu. This year L’Arpège celebrated its 20th anniversary, so in the savoring menu we could see the dish’s name plus the year it was invented there. At first, I was tempted to let the chef to give me a surprise and cook me whatever he wanted according to the best ingredients offered. Then, Helène told me that Alain Passard was actually not present that day, because of this I decided to play safe and choose the tasting menu. Another reason is that it’s the first time I dine here so it should be best to be conservative. Here it goes; I ordered the grand classic menu as well as wine-tasting to come along with the food. The bread, butter and pre-appetizer here are good, in particular the vegetables. It should come to no surprise because the master of the stove here is the world’s top for vegetable-oriented Haute Cuisine. However, when the real dishes arrived, and then I just realized why and how the food here is considered by many food critics to be extremely exceptional.

Menu Grands Classiques

L’oeuf, fermier de la Bigottière (Poached egg served with maple syrup and sherry vinegar) - This is very impressive, the best egg dish I’ve ever had - easily top the egg from JG’s NY and even Calandre’s. It’s rich yet smooth; I could taste the balance flavor of sweetness, acidity and a little salt. As I “fish” further, I found the depth and precision of this coddled egg yolk

Carpaccio de langoustines du Guilvinec, caviar osciètre royal d’Iran (Prawn carpaccio served with osetra caviar) - An excellent and classic dish from L’Arpege. The pristine caviar, with cream of light emulsion, is served generously. They matched well with the fresh langoustine. It is about as good as the famous langoustine caviar with bouillon served at Alain Ducasse Paris

Bavarois d’avocat et caviar osciètre royal d’Iran, huile de pistache (Avocado mousse served with osetra caviar, oils of pistachio, tarama, and prawns and osetra) - This dish is not in the degustation menu’s list, but they kindly gave me as a surprised one. How’s it? This is one of the best dishes for the night, and truly the best caviar dish ever for me. The mixtures of the mousse (soft with high quality of an avocado) and caviar are excellent!

The first 3 dishes were accompanied by wine: 1996 Billecart Salmon - Cuvee Nicolas Francois, Brut Champagne

Fines ravioles fleuries aux herbes, consommé vegetal (Thin raviolis served with vegetable soup) - A simple dish with strong Asian influence, but as usual - it’s good where the fresh vegetables are wrapped in thin pasta. The slightly dark yet clear consommé is simply the purest essence of the vegetable

Gratin d’oignon doux au citron, parmigiano reggiano (Sweet & soft onion gratin served with parmigiano reggiano cheese) - It’s actually possible to create tasty food in haute cuisine without using too expensive ingredients. The onion is truly fragrance and sweetly appetizing, it’s prepared to my likeness – a bit crispy

These 2 appetizers were accompanied by wine: 2002 Verre de Chablis - Rene et Vincent Dauvissat

Homard des Îles Chausey en aigre-doux, miel d’acacia (Blue lobster served with acacia honey and turnip petals) - One of Chef Passard’s signature dishes. It combines the sweet and sour taste of the turnips and honey sauce. The lobster itself has a nice texture. The only bad thing I would say the size is too small … really

Lotte de Bretagne à la moutarde d’Orlèans, huile de noisette (Monkfish served with mustard emulsion and oils hazelnut) - Honestly, this is the first time I eat monkfish and it’s really delicious. The sides, such as the slowly-cooked at low temperature spinach and roasted beets with aged balsamic vinegar, truly enhanced the dense and meaty fish, grilled gradually for more than 2 hours. Wow … even better than the lobster!

Antique poulet du Haut-Maine au foin, jardinière (Free range of antique chicken served with garden vegetables) - I thought I could not eat a better poultry than Esnault’s white truffle blue foot chicken (ADNY), well L’Arpege proved me wrong. This is indeed the best one and also the highlight of the night along with avocado caviar and the tomato dessert. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy and succulent (even the breast meat) combined with wonderful raw and cooked vegetables - here it goes a 20/20 dish

The 3 main courses were accompanied by wine: 2000 Saumur Blanc - Chateau Yvonne

Fromages de Bernard Antony, affineur (Assorted cheeses of Bernard Antony) – What more could you expect rather than an amazing cheese selection when a master like Bernard Antony prepare them for you? The captain kindly gave me 6 different kinds of cheeses. Mixtures of cow, goat and the age varied from 3-month to 4-year old. Since I’m not a cheese expert, I do not really know their names exactly. Only remember one, comte … They are all good, in particular when combining with Passard’s fresh tomatoes (my new friend asked for the tomato and it actually matched well with the cheese - a pleasant surprised!)

Accompanied by wine: 1991 Porto Colheita Niepoort

Tomato confite farcie aux douze saveurs, sucre à l’orange (Crystallized tomato stuffed with 12 secret flavors, sweetens with orange and vanilla ice cream) - I thought all desserts are the same, something sweet could not go further than chocolates, fruits or cakes. However, this one is very unique and special. The combination of 12 stuffs in the caramelized tomato was awesome – perfect with the soft and not so sweet vanilla ice cream; the presentation is pretty good as well

Accompanied by wine: 2002 Mambourg Grand Cru - Marcel Deiss

Unlike many other 3* restaurants, L’Arpège does not serve any chocolates or candies following the desserts. Fortunately, this time I got a chance to taste another of L’Arpège’s desserts: Avocat soufflé à la pistache (Avacado soufflé with pistachio) and Millefeuille pralin (a kind of Napoleon with cream and sugar). How could it possible? For the avocado soufflé, my new friend let me try hers. First of all, there were 2 American ladies (it turned out they’re from Philadelphia) dined there on my left side. Probably, they were bored and heard me keep talking English with the waiter, Monsieur Jean-Christophe and Helène, and then through Jean they invited me to seat at their table. Since I was all alone, thus I accepted their kind invitations. Wasn’t it nice to make new friends while dining alone? The older lady is one of the restaurant’s regular customers. She’s very familiar with the food even when they’re nowhere seen in the menu. Furthermore, she has many experiences with gastronomy food, to name a few she has been to many exclusive restaurants such as: Le Louis XV, ADPA, Guy Savoy Paris, and almost all of the New York’s top dining places etc. In the end she offered me to taste her dessert (soufflé – came close to the one I had at Le Bristol for lunch). For the Napoleon pralin (thin and airy), on the other hand, the restaurant prepared a large portion of it to the Japanese guests, but there were some left over usually served to other guests ordering the same dessert. Apparently, nobody asked for it, so I boldly asked if it’s fine for me to taste the Napoleon pralin and they’re happily gave the rest to me. It was big and I could not finish it.

The wine lists at L’Arpège may be a bit inferior compared to its competitors. However, Stéphane Thivat really made the different. Not only is he an expert in picking wines in a relatively young age, but he’s also a very friendly person to talk with. He rarely told me directly what wine I was having; instead he quizzed me to find out the year and the vintage of the wine. As I’m still a beginner, I often failed to guess it correctly. Nevertheless he gave 5 glasses of excellent wines, particularly the champagne and the port – the best I’ve ever had. Clearly, the qualities count more here than the quantities. My advice is that when you come here, let the sommelier picked the wines for you and you will not regret. I was just relaxed and truly enjoy excellent food and wine here. Only wine-pairing in ADNY could top my experience here. The atmosphere is calm and comfy. The day I ate there, more than half of the guests were foreigners – some came from Japan and USA, only few French people as far as I was concerned. There were a few families (even with the small kids – what lucky ones to be able to eat here in such young ages) as well, and it’s fully booked by the way. The service in L’Arpège is extraordinary and the staffs are superb. There are not many waiters/waitresses here (only about 10 people including the ones bring the dishes from the kitchen), nonetheless they’re never shorthanded. I could not recall the time when I had to wait when I need something. They sincerely explained whatever questions I had and the ways we’re discussing or talking something, it’s as though we already knew each other for quite a long time. Last but not least, I must give two high-way thumbs up to the chef-de-cuisine, Anthony for his ability to execute Passard’s cooking tastes close to perfection. I could cry joyfully for eating such outstanding dishes here. I would be more than happy to come back here and hopefully next time Alain Passard would be around in the kitchen (I possibly would give a perfect score then).

When I finished the last sip of my sparkling water, my watch already showed 30 minutes past midnight. I was the 2nd from the last guests to leave the restaurant. It would be nice to end it with a cup of hot tea, but I realized that it’s already very late. The staffs still nicely allow me to stay for the tea; they earnestly would wait for me and I really appreciated that. However, I had to pick up my parents at the Roissy airport in the morning and at the same I was quite drunk honestly after drinking 8 glasses of wines (3 from Bristol and 5 from here) in less than 12 hours period. Therefore, I decided to go back to my hotel with the taxi. All in all, dinner at L’Arpège in fact exceeded all my expectations. The food, wine, service, and experience are all first-class. I’ve never had a better dining experience anywhere else (only Alain Ducasse Paris would come very close) as of now. If any of you would like to see pictures of what I ate, please click the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LArpegeParisFrance1stVisit#

Food (and Wine): 99 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 97 pts

Overall: 98.5/100

Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse

Alain Ducasse at the Essex House? Check ... Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee? Check ... Le Louis XV? (Finally) check and here is my story. In the beginning of Autumn 2008, at last I managed to dine at a palace in which many consider as the most perfect restaurant in the world - Le Louis XV. It was all started here, 21 years ago, when Alain Ducasse decided to accept the challenge from Societe des Bains de Mer that he would obtain three stars from the Red Guide within four years. He kept his promised and the rest is history. As of now, Alain Ducasse has opened and/or advised more than 20 restaurants globally, stretching from Tokyo to Mauritius. Even after having many restaurants/bistros, various gourmands still proclaim that none of these places can top the one where Ducasse's empires all started.

Le Louis XV is located in the very heart of the Hotel de Paris; its dining room (the terrace) is facing the crowded Place du Casino in which the rich and famous often show off his sports car or her expensive jewellery. I arrived about half-hour earlier since I'd like to walk around Jardins du Casino and Galeries du Metropole. By 730 PM, I entered Hotel de Paris and the legendary restaurant is situated at the right side of the entrance. As expected, they found my name and I was escorted to the most opulent and elegant dining room on this earth. My dream to savor the 3-star Mediterranean cuisine of Alain Ducasse was just about to become a reality in a few minutes. Like any other fine dining place, an aperitif is offered before the journey began. A glass of Champagne Paul Drouet (Cuvee Speciale Alain Ducasee) is a perfect companion while opening the extensive menu of Le Louis XV. The choices here are abundant, they are varied from the vegetable garden, sea, woodland, farm and pasture land (cheese) ... the sad part is that the game season has not started yet. In addition, there are 2 degustation menu: Les Jardins de Provence and Pour les Gourmets. However, since I have not been here before, most of them look very appealing to me. I already anticipate this, so I reserved this place for 2 days (back to back dinner and lunch the next day).

The bread selection at Le Louis XV is so impressive that you are as if in the bakery shop (in my opinion, it's even better than Chateau Robuchon's Tokyo and Guy Savoy's Paris in both qualities and quantities). The bread came in a wooden chariot and for 2 days I had tasted: baguette, tomato, olive, organic, country, fig, wheat, semolina, bacon, rye and raisin bread. The bread is accompanied by both salted and unsalted butter supplied by Jean-Yves Bordier. If any of you have followed my review, it is correct if you guessed that I would order the tasting menu (aka Pour les Gourmets for both days, but with completely different dishes). Also, it's due to the fact that the price of a la carte dishes is staggering (€80-90 for each dish). Here what I had,

Day 1 (Dinner)

Amuse Bouche: Crudites dipped in mushroom dressing mixed with olive oil. The crudites include carrot, radish, courgette, celery etc. By the way, these vegetables are one notch above our normal ones ... the Riviera products indeed impressive

Fumet de homard lié d’une purée de châtaignes, paysanne de légumes mijotés (Lobster stock with chestnut purée, simmered vegetables) - The soup is tasty in particular the chesnut whereas the seafood are fine, but not that many of them. I wish it were hotter when it came to my table

Riso aux cèpes de montagne : étuvés, dorés, en copeaux, marjolaine (Riso with cepe mushrooms: braised, roasted, chips, marjoram) - Franck Cerutti is capable of making good Italian cuisine. The rice has nice texture, the serving of mushroom is quite generous and the marjoram contributes to pine & citrus flavors.

Loup de Méditerranée piqué d’olives de Nice, garniture et bouillon d’un minestrone, basilic pilé au mortier (Mediterranean sea bass spiked with olives, Minestrone vegetables and bouillon, ground basil) - The flesh of Mediterranean sea bass has more taste than the one from Atlantic. The crispy skin generates more flavor to the sea bass while the colorful vegetables gave different "colors" to the overall taste. And they're all in harmony (including the rather thick minestrone) - the best fish I've ever had at Ducasse's restaurants. Accompanied by: a glass of Meursault 1999 (Les Tessons) M. Roulot

Veau du Limousin élevé sous la mère en cocotte au jus, petits farcis niçois (Farm veal from Limousin region “en cocotte”, small stuffed vegetables) - The highlight of the night. The veal is tender with light taste (only intensified by its juice), the tomato is quite nice. What makes this is slightly better than the veal prepared by Passard in Singapore is simply the stunning quality of Limousin's veal, not much of the chef's skill. Accompanied by: a glass of Chateau Lestage Simon 2000 Haut-Medoc

Sélection de fromages affinés pour nous (A selection of cheeses perfectly matured) - They're abundant and bought from several different affineurs in France. I had an aging Comte (from Philippe Alleosse) - not bad at all, Abbaye de Citeaux is rich (quite good), Ossau Iraty, Roqueforts - crumbly and moist and the goat cheese - Bondon Cendre. The rasberry jam condiment is nice to neutralize some of the cheese intense's flavor and odor

Le Louis XV au croustillant de pralin (Le Louis XV with a crispy praline) - Arguably one of the best chocolate desserts ... sophisticated, rich yet not cloying. The smooth dark chocolate is refined with a little pastry dough at the bottom supported by the hazelnut's crispiness. Simply stunning!

For the mineral water, I had a bottle of Orezza sparkling water from Corsica France and I closed the meal with a cup of Jamaican blue mountain coffee

Day 2 (Lunch)

Amuse Guele: Fried ravioles with ricotta cheese and mix of herbs (mesclun) - fragrant, crunchy and appetizing

Gamberoni de San Remo saucés de leurs sucs, mille-feuille d’artichauts, tomates et courgettes, jus des têtes acidulé (Gamberoni from San Remo sautéed, artichokes, tomatoes and zucchini, tangy sauce) - the gamberi's taste is complex but more on the sweet side, its texture is firm yet tender in your mouth. The "millefeuille" of vegetable is crisp, good to neutralize the sweet taste from the tangy sauce

Géométrie de pâtes aux herbes mêlées de champignons sylvestres, les dernières amandes (Fresh pasta with herbs and mushrooms, the last almonds) - One of my favorite dishes here. The green (watercress) pasta is fresh with light taste complemented by cepe and sauteed chantrelle mushrooms. Not only that, the addition of almond cream makes this dish simply fabulous! Accompanied by (for the 1st 2 dishes): Champagne Lanson Rose

Sole côtière braisée au vin d’Arbois et petites câpres, artichauts violets, côtes de salade, champignons trompettes (Sole braised with Arbois wine and capers, artichokes, salad and trompette mushrooms) - This sole served in generous portion has firm texture and is more flavorful than the one I had at L'Ambroisie. The salad gives a mixture of some sweet and sour

Agneau de la race des Préalpes piqué de sarriette au feu de bois, laitue braisée, quelques feuilles rôties, tendres gnocchi et girolles (Baby lamb spiked with summer savory and cooked over a log fire, braised and roasted lettuce, gnocchi and chanterrelle mushrooms) - The lambs are actually delectable except they're too much fat attached and the meat is not tender enough to my likeness. The lettuce is very thick, the mushrooms are tasty as always and the "milky" gnocchi could lighten the intense lamb's flavor

Fraises des bois de l’arrière-pays dans leur jus tiède, sorbet au mascarpone (Local “fraises des bois” in their natural juice, Mascarpone sorbet) - An ordinary dessert with extraordinary impact. The wild strawberries and its warm sauce are very refreshing combined with the sweet and cold sorbet creates some wonderful feeling in the afternoon. Accompanied by: Klein Constancia 2002 Vin de Constance

Baba imbibé du rhum de votre choix, accompagné de crème peu fouettée (Rum baba served with your choice of rum, whipped cream) - There is no better place to eat Ducasse's famous rum baba than here - the authentic Monte Carlo Style. The sponge is very tender nicely soaked in strong and spicy rhum (see below). If the rum is somewhat bitter, add the delicious 'sweet' cream which is light and not cloying at all. Accompanied by: Vieux Rhum Agricole Les heritiers Crassous de Medeuil

For the mineral water, I had a bottle of Ty Nant Red and I closed the meal with a cup of Infusion - rosemary and mint tea plus lavender honey

At the end of each meal, the restaurant offers mignardises: coffee macarons (pistachio at the next day), short bread with figs, lemon tart and chocolates (praline, coffee, dark & bitter). They also served some caramel, nougatine, marshmallow and sorbet (I like the pineapple sage flavor) as well as madeleines (good but a bit cold already)

The cooking here is all about the fresh and high quality produce of the Mediterranean area. Alain Ducasse's cooking philosophy is simple: do not manipulate the ingredients, but simply reveal and bring out the products' optimal taste and texture - 60% ingredients and 40% technique. There is no better person to implement this than Franck Cerutti, the (former) chef de cuisine. As a native of Nice, Cerutti is very familiar with the best produce in its surroundings, arguably the finest and most abundant in the world. He only needs 2-3 ingredients for each dish to reveal the food's subtle and aromatic flavor; all of this is executed with great technique and high precision by his team consisting for more than 15 chefs and cooks altogether. Along with Olivier Berger (head chef for pastry), Cerutti was appointed as the executive chef of Hotel de Paris, consequently both of them will no longer be in the Le Louis XV kitchen regularly. Since a few months ago, Pascal Bardet and Damien Cassart were promoted as chef de cuisine and chef patissier of Le Louis XV respectively. I could not comment about the difference since I've never dined here when Cerutti was the man behind the stove. However, after dining here twice this Fall 2008, I can say that the food here is (still) delicious indeed.

The wine cellar at Le Louis XV (combined with Hotel de Paris) is incredible; there are more than 400000 bottles and almost 1000 different wines. Many of the prestigious and rare vintages, however, are for display only. Perhaps only La Tour d'Argent Paris has a better wine collection than Le Louis XV and it's confirmed by the Chef Sommelier, Noel Bajor. For me, I just managed to drink a few glasses of wines (see above) due to limited budget; nevertheless they're all satisfying. In addition to impressive wine cellar, the restaurant also provides more than dozens of different kinds of bottled water, coffees, teas and infusions. You name it, they got it.

The decoration of Le Louis XV is very Versailles. The grand dining room is wrapped in gold with many glasses and big mirrors to reflect light and every detail of its dining room. The high ceiling is beautifully painted; the thick carpet has floral-patterned; and there are portraits of some famous Marquise and Comtesse whom I did not remember their names. At the heart of the room, one can find a huge bouquet of flowers in burgundy color. Every detail counts for Alain Ducasse. During each meal, I believed to use almost sixty pieces of cutlery (mostly in gold), china and glassware - they are the best that money can buy. The distance between one table and another is relatively far; it is the most spacious dining room I've ever been. This place should be able to accomodate more than 70 people at any one time, but they prefer to utilize it for 45-50 diners at most and it's full house for dinner. A cosy ambiance matters as much as the pleasure of our palate here.

The dining room at Le Louis XV could be intimidating to many diners who have never been to palace-like restaurants such as: Le Meurice or Le Bristol. However, thanks to the professional staffs here, led by Michel Lang who is friendly and helpful. The Maitre d'Hotel and his team make sure that every diner would feel comfortable despite the formal dining room. The service is truly impeccable and seemed effortless. There are about 30 staffs who are ready to help, yet they're never obstrusive and very efficient. The only weak point is perhaps that a few of them did not really speak english, but they're always sincere to assist every guest. Similar to my meal at New York and Paris, the culinary experience at Alain Ducasse's top establishment is indeed unforgetable. For the pictures, please check the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LeLouisXVMonteCarloMonaco#

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts

Overall: 96.5/100