Aqua Sven Elverfeld

The city of Wolfsburg in Germany is almost identical with Volkswagen; after all more than half of its residents working for the company. There are VW factory and a theme park featuring museums, various pavilions of VW car brands such as Audi, Porsche etc. as well as car towers. However, what brought me to this Autostadt (car city) was a 3-star Michelin restaurant named Aqua, located on the ground floor of the Ritz Carlton hotel. Aqua has always been the 'product' of is current executive chef, the talented Sven Elverfeld. He came and opened the restaurant in 2000 and within 8 years, Chef Elverfeld managed to achieve Michelin highest accolade and Aqua became the first 3-star dining place in the Northern Germany region. Prior to Aqua, Sven Elverfeld has been working in numerous countries abroad. With such vast experience and curious approach, Sven developed his distinctive cooking style, that later with a few other chefs, known as the New German school / cuisine. He successfully integrated French + German technique and used mainly local ingredients to re-interpret traditional food and create contemporary dishes with cutting edge flavors. What were they like? I ordered the following degustation menu consisted of 8 courses. In addition to these, there were a few snacks at the beginning and extra sweets after the dessert (not written here; please refer to the photos link below)

Grand Journey menu

Gänseleber & Trauben Ziegenfrischkäse, Walnuss & Eis "Müller-Thurgau Hasennest" (Foie gras & grapes served with Goat cream cheese, walnut and ice cream) - The chilled duck liver was very velvety and luscious without being cloying. The tartness of the grapes offset the richness of the foie gras while the ice cream and cheese also balanced the creamy liver. The crunchy walnut provided some texture contrast to the soft foie gras. Hands down, the best foie gras I ate during this Euro trip and arguably one of the finest duck liver dish I've ever had

Forelle aus der Lüneburger Heide Neubokeler Spargel, Schinken-Velouté, Erbsen and Rhabarber (Trout from Luneburg Heath served with Asparagus from Neubokel, ham veloute, peas and rhubarb) - This freshwater fish was carefully cooked, resulting in a delicate texture and mild taste (somewhat nearly bland). The "stronger" flavors were derived from the salty ham & Trout 'caviar', sweet & starchy peas, and earthy asparagus - the vegetables reminded us that we're in the Spring season. A creative dish to elevate the Trout ..

Atlantik Rochen & Calamaretti Sauce Rouille, Puntarelle (Atlantic Ray and Calamaretti served with Sauce Rouille and puntarelle) - This fish was crisp and firm; the squids were chewy. The squid ink was a bit salty but not overpowering and worked relatively well with the garlicky Rouille sauce having saffron flavor and color which I liked a lot. The green puntarelle generated slight bitter flavor. A dish with interesting color and flavor variations 

Bretonische Seezunge  Pistazien-Haselnussbutter, Schwarzwurzel & schwarzer Sesam (Brittany Sole served with Pistachio-hazelnut butter, salsify and black sesame) - The Sole, whose texture was in between delicate and firm here, was of high quality and delicious due to the rather intense "green butter" sauce. The salsify, having faintly 'oystery flavor' nicely supported the fish flavor in this dish. Black sesame's role to the overall taste was minimal - my favorite fish for this dinner

Gesottene Lammzunge & Lammbries "Bolognese" Fregola, Pancetta & Radicchio (Boiled Lamb tongue and lamb Sweetbread "Bolognese" served with Fregola, pancetta and radicchio) - The presentation was gorgeous, wasn't it? The tongue was boiled to soften its texture and rich taste. Hidden inside the tongue was the tasty lamb ragu, pasta and Italian bacon. There wasn't any foul lamb odor, even the swetbread was tender and moist inside. Again, the kitchen did a magnificent job in interpreting the 'bolognese' flavor - better than I initially expected 

Rehrücken aus der Altmark Spitzkohl, Wildsalami, Senf, Holunder-Kapern & Beeren (Saddle of Venison from Altmark region served with Cabbage, game salami, mustard, elderberry-capers and berries) - Germany apparently has 'longer' hunting season than France and people could still savor wild Venison in May. The venison, slowly cooked at low temperature, was awesome: succulent, delicious and smooth with hardly any hint of musky / pungent flavor. The cabbage, berries and other side dishes worked reasonably well in enhancing the meat though for me, this red deer with its jus was sufficient to make me happy 

Rohmilchkäse vom Wagen (Cheese selection from our trolley with bread on the side) - The cheese at Aqua was solid though the variety not as impressive as the one I usually see in France. The comte was 'only' 24 months nevertheless I was pleased with what I chose - good quality. I picked (forgot the exact name) cheese from Swiss and Spain, goat cheese from Pyrenees and French cheese with herbs

Johannisbeeren mit Fenchelpollen & Burrata Sud vom Johannisbeerholz & Kartoffel (Currants with fennel pollen and Burrata served with Stock from currants wood and potato) - There were plenty of things here without any particular dominant ingredients. Yet, the pastry team work their magic to create a dessert that combined different flavors: sour currant, licorice + buttery sweet fennel pollen, and soft and delicate burrata. Additionally, it had a hint of woody and earthy taste. While it might not be mind blowing, it's still a good dessert - pleasant in my mouth 

Aqua only serves 5 dinner per week for the fortunate approximately 30 people each night. Hence, no wonder, Sven Elverfeld and his team were more than capable of regularly providing an array of high quality, beautiful and detailed dishes; Sven would optimize his ingredients to produce maximum flavors and texture variations. I am very pleased with dinner meal. The only feedback would probably be: there were too many fish dishes albeit from different water and kinds. I declined the full 10-course tasting menu because the additional items would be Mackerel (another fish) & 'merely' sorbet as a palate cleanser.

The dining room was quite huge and with minimalist design. Nearly every table has each own small cupboard nearby containing cutleries; this definitely made the staffs' work more efficiently. The table was big and widely spaced with each other; diners had to speak loud enough to be heard by guests at the other tables. I was seated at the far end of the entrance with pretty landscape can be seen from the full windows featuring outdated factory spaces, water from the artificial lake and the green lawn. The "simple" dining room design allowed diners to focus on the Chef Elverfeld's avant-garde cuisine.    

The hospitality was warmed, fluid and professional led by Jimmy Ledemazel whereas the specific waiting staff for my table was a friendly young German gentleman who spoke fluent English. Despite his youth, he was confident, never late to top up my glass and always around whenever I needed something. The kitchen ensured the dishes, prepared with care and attention, to arrive at steady pace. There's hardly any dull moment waiting. Delicious food and modern cuisine, relaxing and prompt service, spacious and immaculate dining room - Aqua possesses all the important factors to be among the best restaurant in Germany, or even in Europe. The special journey I took to Wolfsburg was indeed worth it. Picture of the dishes: Aqua May '17

Food: 96 pts

Service: 95 pts

Overall: 96/100

    

Restaurant Frantzén Stockholm

If any of you have had any meals at restaurants bearing 2-star Michelin or more, except for the case of Japan, it's almost certain that the dining room would be quite large and rather opulent. I did not do thorough research about Frantzén that as my parents and I entered the restaurant, I found the dining room to be unexpectedly small (in particular, size-wise when compared to Geranium, in which we had dinner at on the previous night): including the kitchen, the total area was probably no more than 60 m2 while its capacity could cover approximately 20 diners. However given its reputation plus a word of 'encouragement' from our taxi driver that this place at Gamla stan had been the best restaurant in Stockholm, I approached this meal with confidence. Since there were 3 of us, we were seated at the dining table - the chairs were just nice and the round table was covered by crisp white linens, the usual standard of an elite restaurant. In addition to a few tables, there was a counter seated 6-7 guests directly facing the (open) kitchen where one could see chefs prepared the dishes live. Chef Björn Frantzén believes that there should be no or very minimal borders between the dining room and the kitchen. Thus, consistent to the philosophy, in Frantzen, all staffs (chefs, waiters and sommeliers) would wear the same uniforms. Some chefs would also serve and explain certain dishes to diners including doing the a la minute plating. This way, chef Frantzen and his team were able to directly monitor the progress of every group and cook the dishes accordingly at the right pace. 

Restaurant Frantzén offered one degustation menu only, so guests are not only welcome but also encouraged to share their dietary concerns when making the reservation; these would be re-confirmed before the meal started. There were options to pair the food with wine selection or juices. I chose neither and opted to drink 2 glasses of wine: a glass of fresh and crisp Sauvignon blanc from Loire valley as well as a glass of relatively young red Burgundy of Domaine de la Grand' cour. My father selected the juice pairing which the matching I thought was not as good as the one I had at Geranium. As far as the food's concerned, we had an exquisite meal taking place during the last day of the week, prior to the long Passover weekend break - in short, we're quite lucky secure the reservation. It was a full house affair; advance reservation is a must to have a meal here. Our tasting menu were ...

Deep fried potatoes served with sour cream and fish roes - A very good opening that highlighted texture contrasts. It combined crunchy and earthy fried potato with light cream and salty 'tobiko' 
Chawanmushi: Cauliflower, king crab and truffle - The egg custard was warm, tasty & silky. The sweet Norwegian crab added a new dimension, moreover, this dish was enhanced by an effective use of pungent black truffle. Nice! 
Seared live Scallop in "dashi" with finger lime and spruce tips - The Norwegian scallop, seared on one side only, was superb and perfectly cooked. It was pure, naturally tasty and sweet; accompanied by pine olive, aromatic spruce and sweet powder. Excellent! After that, we were given a small bowl of Japanese dashi: it's refreshing and made of the usual authentic ingredients such as seaweed, kelp etc. My parents really liked this dish

Deep fried Langoustine with dried rice and clarified butter mayonnaise - Another excellent food. The langoustine tail, sourced from West of Norway, was deep fried for a short time. This way, the big prawn still maintained its pleasant texture and allowed its delicious flavor to shine. Instead of regular sushi rice, Chef Frantzen used dried rice to make it 'crispier'. Since the langoustine was already flavorful, I believe it's best to apply only a small amount of butter mayo (flavored with a mixture of lemon and dried herbs) ... Unless you love this 'sauce' very much 
Oscietra Caviar "gold" with fermented yellow split peas, rendered bacon & smetana - The 'golden' caviar was from China but the quality was not inferior at all. I quite enjoyed this course though I found the fresh cream/smetana, bacon and peas were somewhat too rich and intense that they slightly dominated the caviar

Cod served with sprouted walnut, champignon de paris and whipped vin jaune - A fresh and refined piece of fish; the caramelized Cod loin was soft, light and clean in the palate. The sauce (made of fermented mushrooms, Jura wine and butter) complemented the sea creature nicely. The earthy champignon provided a contrast of the earth vs the sea. My father's favorite item of the night 
French toast "grande tradition" with black truffle and 100 year-old vinegar - It was ethereal ... A feast of all senses. The Umbria black truffles, served generously, gave the right amount of pungent smells as well as distinct flavor. Underneath the black diamonds was a french toast with onion, parmesan cream and a little bit of strong vinegar from Modena. I finished it in 2 bytes and also consumed another half of my mother's. One of my best dishes during this dinner 
Onion soup served with almonds and liquorice cream - A soft and creamy soup displaying several layers of goodness; delicious indeed and perhaps looked underrated   

Satio tempestas (homage Lars feddeck and Jan anderson) - A signature dish of Frantzen and probably the only one that appears all year long but the content was very seasonal (changes weekly or sometimes even daily) supplied by the local forest and the restaurant's two gardens. This time, there were 46 ingredients and some of them: Deep fried artichokes, red beet, poached pumpkin, orange/yellow carrot, pickled apple, roasted onion, raw nasturtium, pickled dill etc. For the 'dressings', I could taste a combination for fresh cream and herbs sauce. These things created magnificent interplay of color, textures, flavor and temperatures. As its name suggest, it was a dish that brought satisfaction in our palates based on seasonal vegetables served. Every byte was different and it's tasty
Grilled bread - An iconic bread of the restaurant, made from 14-year old sourdough. The bread was good, but even better was to pair it together with the smoked brown butter emulsion - stunning! The best bread during our Euro trip this year and I nearly consumed half of it. Had Frantzén served it at the beginning, I would've overeaten this bread and possibly less enjoyed the tasting menu

Duck with caramelized lemon, liver, cinnamon and dates - A well executed duck (from Loire valley); the meat was quite delicate and tasty. The liver was creamy and rich. The lemon, cinnamon and dates balance the flavorful duck. A decent one ...
Swedish beef served with fermented pumpkin, rowan berry capers and carrot "hot sauce" - This second meat dish was even better. The 5-year old local beef was perfectly cooked in medium rare resulting in a tender, juicy and scrumptious piece of meat. The sauce gave some interesting variation but not very critical to the overall enjoyment as the beef was simply delicious! 

Smoked ice cream with roasted nuts, tar syrup and salted fudge with cloves - This dessert was quite good except it was a bit too sweet/rich to my liking (especially the toffee 'sauce'). Ice cream + chocolate with something crunchy & sweet after any main course were usually enjoyable
Frozen yuzu with mandarin 'confit', green tea meringue and sea buckthorn oil - Beautiful presentation. Inside was a soft sponge cake in contrast to the crisp 'white pikes' outside. It's good to finally have a refreshing and more acidic stuff to bring down the previous dish's sweetness
Bento box with "fika" - Lots of sweets. I settled with: bitter chocolate with berry ganache, toffee with hazelnut (gold), ginger marmalade, almond chocolate, goat cheese fudge and buckwheat canele. It should be nice to savor these with a cup of (strong) coffee. There were also freshly baked sugar coated madeleines; they were warm, well executed and good

The hospitality at Restaurant Frantzén was impeccable. Staffs took pride in what they're doing and they all seemed to be happy serving the customers. As they were dressed in the same way, you're welcome to talk to everyone and they generally were very knowledgeable and professional. Our main lady maitre d' could not be friendlier and more helpful during the whole evening. She's unpretentious and able to address all of our questions and concerns as well as adapted her style to make sure we're very comfortable and had a great time. She said it's normal these days to have guests visiting Frantzen from around the globe and the establishment took enormous pride for it. That's why it was extremely important that every guest would be satisfied at the end of the meal. I wish I had remember her name to give some recognition of great service rendered.

Frantzén team delivered the most immaculate service among the top restaurants we visited during our Euro trip this year. Besides the service, ultimately, the main star had to be the food. Björn Frantzén masterfully served us an array of delicious dishes one after another. He 'easily' blended French technique with Japanese influence and used fresh & high quality ingredients, mainly sourced locally and from Scandinavia area. Freshness was not merely a cheap talk here; Chef Frantzén's open kitchen concept made it possible to prepare & cook everything closely to his guests. Therefore, the short distance and time from the chefs' hands to the guests' mouth would make the dishes be consumed optimally. It was common to observe some life seafood to be slaughtered on the spot. Another aspect of Frantzen's expertise was flavor combinations. Sometimes, the ingredients mentioned in the description might not be immediately obvious because they often generated subtle taste or gave some depth to the main ingredients' flavor. Given the head chef's adventurous nature and intelligence, it's unlikely that diners would be bored to have a meal here even for a repeated visit. I don't know when, but I really hope this will not be my only meal at Frantzén. Next time, I can expect to enjoy the tasting menu at a much better and comfortable dining room. Here are the picture of the dishes: Frantzen Mar '16

Food: 96 pts

Service: 96 pts

Overall: 96/100

L'Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud - 5th visit

L'Ambroisie is certainly one of the finest restaurants in the world, yet at the same time it's possibly one of the least publicized fine dining places - thanks to Bernard Pacaud's rather shy personality; he loves staying in the kitchen all the time and could not care less about any media attention. For Chef Pacaud to show up at his own dining room and greet guests, it would be a rare occasion. He would rather observe the situation from a distance. However, for true foodies who're fond of French cuisine, L'Ambroisie is a must-visit place. My meal at this Parisian institution last March almost failed to materialize when I learned that L'Ambroisie had undergone some renovation since early February and they could not confirm when it would be completed. They just told my hotel concierge to contact them again in early March. Since we only had 3 days in the city of light, our chance initially was quite slim. I didn't mind not going there, but I really wanted my parents to finally experience a meal at this legendary gastronomic temple. At the end, we were fortunate that the restaurant just re-opened in the same week we're in Paris. The only downside, there was a slight paint's smell but the rest of the diners did not seem to be bothered by it.

After several visits, it's an unwritten rule that "regulars" would be seated in the 2nd dining room (the room was bigger than the front one). This time they placed us there again, right in the center with a surprisingly big & comfortable dining table by L'Ambroisie's standard. As I perused the menu, the staff served us high quality of Alsace's specialty - Kougelhoph with onion & olive while my mother enjoyed her Billecart-salmon brut rose. We were in the 'transition' time; I was told that this was the last week of black truffle (not much Perigord truffle left) but the aspragus and morel were not in season yet. In addition, I expected to see Bresse chicken with black truffle butter but they only had a supreme chicken in "demi-deuil" which Monsieur Pascal, the restaurant director, somehow did not recommend me to order it. As I happened to have eaten about half of the dishes on the menu, I decided to try as many new dishes as possible this time.    

Amuse-bouche: Velouté de butternut, Royale de foie gras (Soup of butternut squash served with duck liver and black truffle) - A creamy and velvety layered of butternut soup enriched by buttery & fatty foie gras; the black truffle intensified the overall flavor of this rich dish - a typical 'rather heavy' winter dish nevertheless very good

Appetizers:

Feuillantine de langoustines aux graines de sésame, sauce au curry (Large langoustine, sandwiched in between sesame wafers, served with spinach and curry sauce) - Both of my parents had this as their appetizers and they loved it.
I ate this signature dish of L'Ambroisie during my first visit 9-10 years ago, so it's been a while. I got a couple of bytes from my mother and it was still amazing. The Dublin bay prawn was tender, sweet with excellent texture. The curry sauce was refined and delicate yet really smooth, complemented the langoustine perfectly. The spinach as well as crisp tuiles were nice additional elements

Huitres "spéciales" chaudes au caviar, sabayon au cresson (Cooked warm oysters served with caviar and watercress sabayon) - The poached oyster was plump, tender and still maintained its natural flavor. It was enhanced by rather strong watercress 'sauce' and plenty of salty & luxurious caviar. These three ingredients ideally complimented each other. Another awesome dish but given how much I ate that night, 4 pieces of this appetizer should be more suitable for me

Etuvée de noix de Saint-Jacques en parisienne de légumes à la truffe fraîche ("Smothered" Scallops served with Paris vegetables and fresh black truffle) - My 2nd appetizer. The thick and high quality scallops were barely heated, thus they retained their sweet & delicious taste and the pleasant texture. The silky sea creatures was contrasted and/or combined with grainy and earthy veloute consisting of leeks and potatoes (I ate similar dish before but served with sabayon veloute).
I truly enjoyed the concentrated Perigord truffle's fragrance and flavor here - from the shaved raw truffle and its heated form in the veloute. Each byte of scallop, vegetable 'soup' and truffle was a joy since their ethereal flavors would linger in my palate

Main courses:

Noix de ris de veau à la “financière”, ravioles de ricotta à la sauge (Braised veal sweetbread served with ricotta ravioli and sage) - The "financiere" sauce was a mixture of Madeira wine, tomato, onion, olive and ginger. I was a bit pessimist with its presentation and taste at first, but the doubt was quickly gone after my first byte. It was really delicious; succulent sweetbread mixed with flavorful sauce that's rich but not heavy. A small bowl of ricotta ravioli (creamy and mild cheese) balanced the overall taste. I hardly ordered ris de veau, but I was glad I followed Pascal's recommendation (the maitre d'hotel). I struggled a bit to finish up the last 10-15% of the dish because of what I ate earlier. However, I managed to clean up the plate eventually but the last few bytes had 'diminishing' enjoyment given how large the portion of this dish. 

Dos de sole braisé au vin jaune, effeuillée de choux de Bruxelles et truffe fraîche (The back part of a Sole braised in yellow wine sauce and served with Brussels sprouts & black truffle) - It was my father's main course.
He shared a bit of this Sole filet with me. The meat was thick and juicy with fantastic wine sauce; the sprout was also tasty. The pungent black truffle was 'useful' as I consumed the fish but not quite in harmony with the sole itself when I chewed them together. Probably, if somehow the sauce had a little cooked truffle in it, the transition would've been smoother. My dad had no issue eating the fish with the divine sauce as well as the sprout but didn't finish the truffle (he generally was not a fan of western luxurious ingredients such as caviar and truffle) and the sole flan

Fricassée de homard sauce civet, purée de pois Saint-Germain (Lobster fricassee in stew sauce served with Saint-Germain-style mashed peas) - It was my mother's main course.
I ate this dish before and had plenty of calf sweetbread on my plate, so I didn't try it this time. She told me it was delicious, a bit firm and sweet but she didn't really enjoy the peas or at least did not finish them. It was the most popular dish of the night, I observed no fewer than 5 of these dishes served to L'Ambroisie's diners

Desserts:

Tarte fine sablée au chocolat, crème glacée à la vanille bourbon (Chocolate 'crumble' tart served with bourbon vanilla ice cream) - My parents shared this legendary dessert and the restaurant gave me a half portion as well. The most frequent dish I ate at this restaurant and it's consistently fantastic. The tart was astonishingly light/airy with rich & intense chocolate flavor; it was in harmony with the immaculate vanilla ice cream. My parents liked it a lot

Arlettes caramélisées, crème de citron foisonnée et cristallines d'agrumes (Caramelized crispy "puff-pastry" served with lemon cream and crystallized citrus) - This dessert displayed some contrast in textures (dry fruit, smooth cream and crisp arlette) and in flavors (bitter, sour and a bit sweet). It was not my best dessert here, but I selected it anyway as it's the only one from the menu that I have not tried before

Assortiment de desserts et pâtisseries: Small desserts and pastries. I enjoyed all of them: canele, fruit tart and dark chocolate

After the renovation, not much has changed. The dining room was still elegant and luxurious in traditional design. The baroque chandeliers as well as opulent tapestries were still there including the feeling of visiting an old friend's luxurious private home. The cozy home part was even more real as I've been here more often in which staffs became more familiar with me. It was possible because L'Ambroisie's front of the house team hardly changed in the past 5-6 years: maitre d' Pascal, the sommelier Joseph, staff Laurent and a few others with whom I had some interactions were still with the restaurant. Even, madame Daniele Pacaud stopped by in our table for 5-10 minutes to have some talk with me - an unprecedented event, in the past we just exchanged some smiles and bonjour/mercy. Referring to my first visit where the service was rather rigid and formal, I've never imagined I would one day love the service here almost as much as its food. After 10 PM, the renowned Bernard Pacaud showed up and hanged around near the entrance in his light-colored sweater. He would only talk to his old friends or response to some guests who recognized him as the chef-owner. Thanks to Mathieu Pacaud now running full time as the chef-patron of Hexagone + Histoires, Bernard was back to lead L'Ambroisie again. In fact, I'm confident that in all my visits here, Chef Pacaud senior was always in the kitchen.

Although it might not rank as the best meal I've ever had here, the standard was nevertheless very high (a convincing 3-star level in my notes since the food scored was 97 points or better). The ingredients were, as always, luxurious and of high quality, the execution was flawless and very difficult to improve upon, and the variation of produce used on the plate was nearly perfect. Dishes were simple and excellent but almost impossible to imitate. Similar to my last visit, during dinner the restaurant was fully booked and busy. Despite that, the service was impeccable and discreet with great attention to details. Monsieur Pascal, in particular, was very aware of the situation; he anticipated the guests' needs, acted fast yet calm. The dishes that I really wanted to eat here, I already fulfilled most of them in the past. I may not have any urgent needs to come here again in the future. However, I probably do come here again simply because I feel comfortable at this fine French establishment in the same way I love L'Arpege. Lastly, who knows how much longer Bernard Pacaud would keep on working. It would be a privilege if Chef Pacaud would continue his passion until Paul Bocuse's age. For the dishes' pictures, please visit this link: L'Ambroisie Mar '16

Food: 97 pts

Service: 96 pts

Overall: 96.5/100

L'Arpège Alain Passard - 7th & 8th visit

Alain Passard, an enthusiastic and charismatic chef, became the main talking point in the gastronomy industry when in early 2001 revealed his intention to "give up" cooking (red) meat and focused much more on preparing dishes using vegetables. L'Arpège popularity jumped to the roof while many people, including his regulars, had mixed feelings whether they would be willing to patronize a 3-star Michelin restaurant which would serve plenty of beets, tomatoes and carrots instead of caviar and foie gras. However, Passard was not the kind of chef who made meaningless statement. He successfully created many incredible new dishes using out-of-this-world quality vegetables delivered daily by high-speed train from his 3 biodynamic/organic gardens (Fillé-sur-Sarthe near Le Mans, Bois Girault near Buis-sur-Damville and the Manche). In the process, he actually won the heart of many old and new guests as well as changed the course of fine dining world by influencing & inspiring lots of chefs to respect & pay more attention towards (seasonal) vegetables and the natural environment around them. The rest was history now. After having done this for more than a decade, this famous and gifted Chef was still at the top of his game. In spite of his stature, Alain Passard loved to be at the kitchen and cooked for his guests as often as he could. My wife and I were fortunate to savor numerous remarkable dishes at L'Arpège with Passard around in both occasions. The Chef told me that the following week, he had to fly out to (Park Hyatt) Shanghai to attend the Masters of Food & Wine 2014 Passion Week event.

I love this restaurant so much that during my recent Europe foodie trip I decided to have 2 meals here. Prior to this visit, my meal at L'Arpège took place in the last month of 2010. In between, I had a couple of chances to enjoy Alain Passard's cooking when he became a guest chef at separate events in Bangkok and Singapore. But nothing beats the experience to eat at Passard's "home", tucked away in a narrow street not to far from the Invalides and the Rodin Museum. It's still the only Michelin 3-star restaurant on the left bank. I really felt comfortable at this place and have had fabulous meals since 2006. The dining room was elegant, unpretentious and understated. It was simply adorned with wood paneling along the walls with some Lalique glass inside. The dining tables, placed quite close to one another, were decorated with chestnuts during our dinner. The simple decor was good in a way that diners could really focus on the food, made of impeccable produce and put together with perfect technical skill by Chef Passard's brigades. For the 1st meal, both of us had dégustation dîner whereas for lunch, we opted for menu carte blanche. Given the restaurant's focus on seasonality, it was often unavoidable to have the same or similar dishes when one has two meals in less than a week apart. Any dish(es) below written without any additional info meant it was served at both of our meals. Before the famous egg arrived, the kitchen gave us Puff pastry, served warm, with red/purple cabbage inside (flaky, fragrant and buttery) and the usual Tartelettes of Autumn vegetables (crisp and delicate tarts). 

Terre & Mer en Novembre menu (Tasting menu from the Earth and the Sea)

Chaud froid d'oeuf au sirop d'érable 4 épices et vinaigre de Xérès (The 'hot & cold' egg served with spices, maple syrup and sherry vinegar) - Arguably the most well-known egg dish in the world. A top quality egg was used for the warm egg yolk with layers of light cooling cream on top to produce a well-balanced dish. In such a small shell, you can savor distinctly the syrup sweetness, sharp vinegar, as well as the 'spicy' and richness of the spices (nutmeg, cloves, ginger & white pepper)

Sushi légumier au parfum de feuilles de figuier betterave de pleine terre (Beetroot sushi flavored with fig leaves, soy sauce, and radish) - The rice was moist and well-seasoned to support the combination of beetroot and radish. This fresh and clean item was easy to eat; I wish the rice portion were smaller. My wife loved this tasty sushi very much

Coquilles Saint Jacques d'Erquy aux pétales de radis géranium & curry de Madras (Raw scallop from Erquy served with thinly sliced red radish, geranium oil and Madras curry powder) - Stunning scallop with inherently sweet flavor was in contrast to the aromatic & slightly bitter oil. The radish added a little zing to the dish while the curry powder put subtle spicy taste. Excellent and complex yet in harmony - dinner only

Crisp & dry waffle covered with tasty Scottish smoked salmon and the mousse of salty smoked ham - good. It could be better if the waffle had been warmer and softer; lunch only

Fines ravioles potagères automnales consomme ambre à l'héliantis (Assortment of Autumn vegetable raviolis inside clear soup) - The 'dumplings', having silky & pleasant texture, were well made with impressive quality of vegetables. We had a mixture of celery, turnip, beetroot, parsnip etc. The flavors of the raviolis and clear soup (served hot) were profound and pure. A timeless dish at L'Arpege and always available in every season

Gratin d'oignon sturon au parmigiano reggiano mesclun de Sylvain (A mixture of multi-shaded golden onion gratin with parmesan cheese) - A simple and humble ingredients generated incredible and top notch flavor. The (caramelized) onion's natural & mild sweetness was enhanced by some sorrel's acidity and the cheese's nutty & versatile flavor. Ask for it if the kitchen did not provide any when you dine here

Bouquet de homard de Chausey acidulé au miel de notre rucher transparence de navet globe (Lobster from Chausey island in 'bouquet' shaped served with its eggs, tangy honey and transparent turnips) - The dressing (a mixture of sherry vinegar, honey, lime and nut oil) was simply perfect; the pretty clear turnip was earthy and crunchy. This was the opposite of the tender and delicious lobster. Light, fresh and easy to savor; it seems like a course for the Summer season - dinner only 

'Minestrone' mixing fresh seasonal vegetables (radish, turnip, potato and celery) and small dices of bacon - Refreshing and pleasant especially the different textures & flavors of the garden vegetables; lunch only

Celerisotto crémeux à la truffe blanche d'Alba ail nouveau (Creamy celerisotto served with Alba truffle and garlic) - Fresh and crunchy risotto based on diced celery combined with aromatic butter, mascarpone/parmesan cheese and pungent white truffle. It might not be better than regular risotto, but very well done especially the celery texture and the foamy sauce were satisfying - dinner only

Risotto served with radish, white truffle and vegetable broth - It was creamy and a bit sweet; the aromatic truffle went well with both the nicely cooked Arborio rice and the broth. It was a clean and light dish - suitable for lunch; there was not any strong flavor of parmesan cheese this time; lunch only

Pêche côtière du Golfe du Morbihan au chanterelles du domaine de Lisle-en-Barrois (Turbot from the Coastal fishing of Morbihan gulf served with girolle wild mushroom) - Turbot, grilled on the bone, was rather silky and not too firm yet still tasty. The fragrant skin was a bit bitter; the yellow wine sauce was, as always, refined. It was also enhanced by the earthy mushroom and fresh Fall vegetables. A really good fish dish, but not the best one I've ever had at this restaurant - dinner only   

White & pristine Codfish was quite soft but rather bland. It was helped by the delicious & creamy wine sauce. The chanterelle mushrooms were fleshy and moist while the leek was delicate. It was a good dish, but not extraordinary - lunch only

Velouté de potiron aux noix de La Guerche-de-Bretagne crème soufflée au speck de la Forêt-Noire (Pumpkin "thick" soup served with nuts, smoked ham chantily from Black forest) - Initially, I had this during Passard's visit as guest chef in Bangkok and Singapore. Little did I know that the one served at his restaurant was so much better. The pumpkin veloute was simply smooth, rich but light/not intense. The salty speck-infused cream nicely balanced the pumpkin's sweetness. A clever variation producing decadent dish; simple but memorable

Jardinière Arlequin & merguez végétale à l'harissa crosne, radis noir, betterave de pleine terre (Colorful vegetable variations from the garden such as radish, artichoke, beet, leek, onion etc. served with small spicy 'sausage' + couscous + argan oil) - Impressive selection of high quality and tasty vegetables. A signature dish of the house. Regardless of the season, this pretty and refreshing stuffs on the plate always delivered. Having eaten several times, I could not deny that the wow factor has slowly declined but still I did not want to take this awesome dish for granted

Partridge (with its jus) served with walnut, chestnut, leeks and several herbs - Among wild game animals, partridge can be considered having subtle gamey taste and aroma. The meat was fragrant (thanks to the spices variation), tender with grassy notes but a bit dry for my preference. The onion & chestnut provided good combination and contrast to the tasty bird. Overall, it has a nice complexity; simply savor every element slowly along with the mildly-flavored meat. My first wild game dish at L'Arpege and it did not disappoint; dinner only

Moelleux du Revard affine pommes de terre fumées (Good cheese from the foot of Mont Revard with smoked potato) - The well-made piece of cow cheese; it was soft and creamy with rather strong taste. In addition, I also asked for slices of 4-year old Comte made especially for Chef Passard and it was superb as expected

Millefeuille chocolat crème glacée à l’anis étoile (All chocolate millefeuille served with star anise ice cream) - The chocolate was strong, dark and slightly bitter; it was excellent and pure in taste with flaky & light layers. The exotic star anise (not shown) ice cream gave a nice and light sweetness to this intense dessert. A good dessert during cold weather even  though I slightly prefer the thicker version with rich creme chantilly - dinner only

Île flottante moka-mélisse cardamome verte ('Floating island' with mocha, salted caramel and cardamom) - A tremendous improvement from the last time I ate this. It was not really sweet surprisingly; a harmony of strong coffee flavor, lemongrass' smell & taste as well as caramel's sweet & salty flavor. I enjoyed it and the portion was right - dinner only

Paris-Brest au pralin de noix de La Guerche-de-Bretagne caramel au beurre sale de Saint-Malo (Choux pastry filled with praline butter cream from Saint Malo, walnut and salted caramel) - Small but powerful. Both of us enjoyed Passard's interpretation of French classic dessert. The cream's sweetness was contrasted by the salty caramel and nutty & crunchy walnut. It was flavorful without feeling heavy - dinner only  

Apple crumble pie served with star anise ice cream and salted caramel sauce - It was cooked until brown/golden; the taste was buttery and sweet with a nice hint of apple's acidity. The caramel sauce & the ice cream were "right" - sweet but not too rich. A decent dessert; I've never had it before - lunch only

Petit pot de crème au foin de nos prairies caramel lacté (Small creme brulee with hay 'meadow' and 'milk' caramel) - A light small dessert to accompany the petit fours. The hay cream had a lovely smell and light taste; easy to enjoy especially at the end of the meal; dinner only

Sucreries macaron, nougat, bouquet de roses, pop-corn (Mignardises) - Solid sweets towards the end: good quality hazelnut nougat and chocolate, light macaron and chou pastry. I think I always finished L'Arpege's petit fours without much difficulties  

Some notes on the wines: During the dinner, my spouse had a glass of Rose champagne while I drank a half bottle of 2010 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Louis Jadot: an elegant white wine with a very good balance and complexity. It's drinkable, however it could be better in a couple of years. Nevertheless, I liked it a lot - possible the best white I had during this trip. For the dessert, I followed the sommeliere's suggestion to zip a glass of 2012 Maury Vendange Domaine Pouderoux: generous and intense flavors of black berry and cherry; an excellent pairing with our chocolate 'Napoleon'. For the lunch, I had 2 glasses of whites. Firstly, a Riesling from Alsace - 2011 Domaine l'Agape Gewurztraminer (aromatic & easy to drink); secondly, a Chardonnay from South Burgundy - 2012 Pouilly-Fuisse (fruity & balanced). The wine list at L'Arpège was mainly of French origin; it's quite extensive and the restaurant also opened plenty of bottles for those who want to drink by the glass. The mark-up was rather reasonable considering it's a Michelin 3-star establishment.

The food, particularly from our 1st dinner meal, was magnificent. Alain Passard was still at the top of his game; he has high quality produce exclusively for his restaurant, flawless technique and execution, as well as artistic and unique style that has inspired many (young) chefs. It's been a while that I did not have a full tasting menu at L'Arpège (the last one was probably in 2008) and they're simply sublime from start to finish - the whole degustation menu experience was even greater than the sum of its parts. Many dishes might be minimalistic but they were dynamic, clean and some even had intense flavors yet very natural. Not many chef truly mastered the style or had the ability to lift up humble/ordinary produce and turn it into an extraordinary dish; Chef Passard seemed to do it with ease. Not everything was perfect though. I had to admit that there was a slight drop in our 2nd meal during lunch. Perhaps, partly because sometimes I was more impressed with Passard's seafood and poultry as they did not show up very often these days unless you're ordering these items from the a-la carte. Another reason was half of the dishes we ate was repeats from our dinner a few days earlier even though I had requested to have different dishes.

The service was attentive, friendly and relaxed. The restaurants were always full house; in fact I could testify that I've never been here when it's not packed, including the downstairs. Four years was a long period in the restaurant industry. I was not too familiar with all the staffs anymore except one gentleman and Ms. Fleur, the hostess. Nadia Socheleau, one of the finest maîtresse d'hôtel to ever run L'Arpège FOH, has (sadly) left the house and Hélène Cousin, the restaurant director, only worked during lunch now. The main star of the restaurant's hospitality happened to be Alain Passard himself now. He warmly greeted every table at the beginning. For dinner, Chef Passard would also serve one dish himself to every table - for our case, he brought in our Partridge course; Passard even did not hesitate to clear dishes on the way back to the kitchen. Overall, the staffs were still doing great but it's just that I had experienced better hospitality at this place. From '06 to '10, I've never been to L'Arpège in which 2 of these fine people (Nadia, Helene and Laurent Lapaire, still my favorite manager here) were not around in the dining room. There was a small mistake during our lunch. I asked the sommelier if there would be a meat course for us at lunch and he said yes; it would be a squab, so I requested a glass of red. Not sure how, it suddenly changed several minutes later and there was no meat thus I politely declined the wine. The kitchen could generously serve us more other dishes liked in the past, but I already promised my wife this lunch should last at most 3 hours as she wanted to enjoy Paris, La Ville Lumière. I was a bit surprised that the service during lunch was more intense and busier than during our dinner; some staffs (even the same people who did well during dinner) looked quite stressed. I also noticed that Ms. Hélène was a bit 'tired' and pale; probably her twin boys had taken much of her energy.

Despite a few set backs, I was very happy to return here to have memorable dinner (again) at my favorite eating place in which the talented Chef-Owner Alain Passard was still in the kitchen. L'Arpège was certainly a fantastic restaurant and it has proven to have served delicious foods consistently throughout the years. At its best, the meal here was unbeatable. Among elite restaurants in the world, I have never visited a single place as often as I patronize this establishment in spite of the fact that I live in Asia. And this fact shall remain, at least in the next few years. For the dishes' pictures, you're welcome to click the following link: L'Arpege in Nov '14
    
Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts

Overall: 97/100      

Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée - 2nd visit

My meal at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (ADPA) in the early Spring 2006 ranked among the best I’ve ever had, easily at the top 3 or 5. It was not a difficult choice when I decided to return here in the Fall 2008. I arrived closed to 8:00 PM and was seated in the middle side of the spacious dining room. The restaurant was more than half-filled by the time I got there. The décor and interiors are nothing less than best: Jaune de Chrome/Bernardaud’s China, Andrew Hartley’s Carpets, Christofle and Béard’s Flatware just to name a few. In short, the dining room designed by Patrick Jouin is indeed magical, perhaps only the magnificent décor at Le Meurice’s elegant dining room can top this.

I only started the meal with still water, yup that simple. As I browsed the menu, several fabulous small appetizers were already served such as the airy and crunchy spinach feuilletes, Colonnata lard and even the famous Lucien Tendret-crushed pate served in small portion. Generally, I ordered the best that the restaurant could offer to its patrons, but this time was different. ADPA’s collection menu was very similar to my meal before (e.g. the coconut curry sauce was served for Breton lobster instead of seared scallops); hence I opted for the ‘cheaper’ degustation menu this time - Plaisirs de Table. While many perceive Ducasse’s food to be superficial and boring, I actually love his cuisine. His cooking, usually involving only two or three seasonal elements, is comfortable and easy-to-read, yet authentic. Equally important is that such meal was only made possible under the leadership of the Head Chef – Christophe Moret, a highly skillful chef who consistently delivers and interprets Ducasse’s imagination. I believe Moret rightfully deserves more credit and attention than what he has received right up to now.

Menu Pleasures of the Table

Caviar Osciètre d’Iran, langoustines rafraîchies, nage réduite, bouillon perfumé (Brittany langoustines served with court-bouillon reduction and Osetra caviar from Iran) - One of the restaurant's classics; both the langoustines' (firm texture) and bouillon's (fragrant) flavor were light and balance. The only 'explosion' taste came from the fine caviar - a bonus dish as I did not order Menu Collection

Araignée de mer décortiquée en chaud et froid, émulsion coraillée (Spider crab served hot and cold in coral emulsion) - An interesting dish: great technique and beautiful presentation, focusing on the temperature contrast and crab's versatility. The hot part served with tomato cream and a coat of foam while the cold one is more like salad served with avocado and vegetable jellies.

Sole de petit bateau, marinière de coquillages, suc de persil (Dover sole served with clams/cockles and prawns in parsley sauce) - The sole as the main ingredient has good texture; the supporting elements such as: the exotic goose barnacles and prawns also shine. Combined with delicate parsley sauce, the mixture of these sea creatures produces satisfying savor to the palate.
Accompanied by wine: 2006 SANTENAY Champs Claude Domaine Lucien Muzard

Foie gras de canard des Landes, en fins ravioli, consommé aromatique (The ravioli of Landes duck liver served in aromatic clear soup with cepe mushrooms) - Another generous gift from the kitchen: the luscious foie gras served in strong truffle consomme; the fine cepe mushrooms balance the dish. The white truffle was weak as it's a bit too early for the season

Veau fermier clouté et rillons confits à la florentine (Free-range veal studded with lard and caramel in its juice and creamed spinach) - Veal prepared in 2 ways: the one with colonnata was a bit too firm to my taste; the other one (caramelized), on the contrary, is sweet and tender. The onions and carrots on sides are also tasty - an excellent dish, my favorite for this meal
Accompanied by wine: 1990 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Château Mont-Redon

Fromages affinés pour vous (Cheeses refined for you) - I had Fourme d'Ambert, strong cow's milk blue cheese; 4-year old Comte, good texture with a hint of sweetness; Abbaye de Citeaux (I forgot the last one). In ADPA, the cheese is also served with divine Olive brioche and salad (with cepes this time)

Barre choco/framboise, soufflé fort en chocolat (Chocolate raspberry ganache served with chocolate souffle) - The chocolate souffle is rather dense and thick, the sour sorbet is refreshing after a heavy meal. Above all, the chocolate 'bar' is delicious and rich, yet not overwhelmed
Accompanied by wine: 2006 ROSTEAU Délices Château de la Gardine

As expected, the dessert will be accompanied with a variety of confectioneries and candies. I had chocolate and coffee macarons, bugnes and other pastries followed by different kind of chocolates, marshmallow and nougat as I ended my meal with an infusion of Verveine and Mélisse tea served with Australian honey. I was really full and literally struggling to enjoy these mignardises towards the end. Previously, except for champagne and dessert wine, the restaurant does not provide any wine by the glass. I guess ADPA tried to adapt to the customer's demand with not so deep pocket, such as myself. The sommelier's choices were not bad at all. For instance, my white Burgundy's richness and complexity worked quite well with both the crab and sole. The full-bodied red from Southern Rhone Valley I had was fully mature and it complemented my veal nicely.

A great meal here is more than good food; the overall experience matters. In the industry, Alain Ducasse would describe himself as “A merchant of happiness and pleasure”. I could not agree more with such claim based on my experience here, at the Essex House as well as at Le Louis XV. In addition to chairs made of Corian and Bresse poultry, the attentive and impeccable service lead by Denis Courtiade, possibly the best Dining Room Manager among 3-star establishments, link everything so smoothly that it actually possible to create a ‘perfect’ dining experience. My maitre d’ was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. In fact, nearly all staffs were warm and convivial; there’s no such thing as only Mr. A took care of my table, even Denis himself served and stopped by to my and other guest tables in several occasions. Inside the couture uniform designed by George Geghaly lays a brigade who put their souls into hospitality - the team executed the service effortlessly and ensured guest to be at ease all the time. I know that I will have a good time dining here and it did not disappoint. The food I ate this time was tasty, though it was not as delicious as the one I had 2 years earlier. The service, nevertheless, was as good as it gets. Follow the link below for the dishes' pictures, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/AlainDucasseAuPlazaAtheneeParisFrance2ndVisit#

Food (and Wine): 96 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 97 pts

Overall: 96.5/100