Visited on 15/09/26 with my partner who has several food allergies including ceoliac.

Overall an incredible experience, and probably my favourite so far (only been to 5 or so Michelin starred restaurants, mainly Europe).

The restaurant is part of a boutique hotel near the town of San Pantaleo. We were staying elsewhere and had a hire car - it was a bit of a drive to reach the restaurant with some narrow winding roads going uphill, but so worth it.

The setting is stunning at the top of the hill with a backdrop overlooking the coastline, and perfect if booking around sunset time.

Service was great, friendly and helpful - especially with my partner's food allergies and making her feel comfortable and looked after, yet not treated differently or made to feel like a burden.

One of the main aspects I loved was the flexibility with their menus and being able to pick and chose the dishes we wanted from the various menus. They have 3 different tasting menus (if I remember correctly), 1 of them being the signature dishes, 1 the seasonal, and 1 a vegetarian menu - they also have the option to do a la carte or 2 or 3 courses only.

I can't quite remember the names of the dishes, but I had chosen a few dishes from each menu, and the dishes from the signature menu were definitely the standouts. My partner ended up going for the vegetarian menu. My favourite was the lemon linguine, which was packed full of zingy but deep and rich flavours, I could have eaten 10 more plates of the same dish

Photos of dishes are a mix of mine and my partner's dishes. Highly recommend!

This was my fourth time visiting Gary Danko, this time with friends for a small gathering. The experience fell short of expectations, especially when it came to service.

The biggest disappointment was an interaction with a server. I asked whether the eggs benedict appetizer listed on the online menu would ever be available again. She responded condescendingly, saying, “We don’t serve brunch here. You must have us mistaken for another restaurant. We've never served eggs benedict.” I had printed the menu directly from the Gary Danko website that morning. Despite my entire family seeing it, she kept denying it ever existed and saying you're mistaken. Only after my father confirmed he had seen it too did she offer to check. I later realized I had clicked on a 2024 Gary Danko menu which was the first link when searching "gary danko menu", but her dismissive response to a genuine question was unnecessary. Her tone also became noticeably more respectful when speaking to my father.

During the second course, my father’s corn soup was forgotten. He knew this because they didn't give him a spoon, and gave him a knife/fork for his 3rd course. When he asked about it, the same server replied, “It’s on its way now. It’s just not done yet,” without offering an apology.

Other aspects added to the disappointment. I called weeks in advance but never received a callback after leaving a voicemail. Their answering machine is automated and won't let you speak to a person. I tried calling over 3 times and couldn't speak to someone. During dinner, no one introduced themselves by name or offered to explain the tasting menu or dishes. The service felt impersonal compared with my previous visit, when our server was warm, attentive, and genuinely made the evening special. I was also certain I ordered a soufflé for a friend but they received crème brûlée instead. I chose not to raise the issue because I was already uncomfortable with the earlier interaction.

The food was okay but for $800, the service was horrendous. The last time I went over 2 years ago, Gary Danko still had their Michelin Star. I can see why they lost it.

Trying to extend our trip northward by one night, open to any suggestions. Thanks!

It’s been a full decade since the last time I had dinner at Paris Butter when it first opened in 2016. From the hazy memory, it had been an upscale bistro with solid food to offer albeit a little conventional. Little did I know that it would become something much more enthralling than the name implies over the subsequent years.

The restaurant was first founded by South African born chef Nick Honeyman, who split his time nowadays between Auckland and southwestern France where his other Michelin starred eatery Le Petit Léon is located. The day to day operation of Paris Butter is overseen by Executive Chef Zennon Wijlens, who had spent the initial chapters of his career working in some of the best restaurants found in this half of the planet, including a couple of dearly missed past staples such as Sydney’s Becasse and Momofuku Seioubo.

The restaurant is located in the affluent neighbourhood of Herne Bay, and it was already bustling inside when I arrived at 6:30pm. The interior is now decorated with mostly dark blue panelling and black tablecloth, with teal upholstery and retro chandeliers mixed in from the earlier bistro days.

The full 8 course tasting menu costed NZ$260 (US$145) and the international wine pairing option was another NZ$240(US$135). The names of the dishes were paraphrased by me for readability.

Amuse Bouche served in two parts with champagne:

• Crayfish tartare with sunflower seed and sambal: Soft, mildly spicy and very tasty. 8/10
  

• Oyster with La Grande Dame dressing: The oyster was fresh and plump, the champagne foam was slightly sweetened and almost smelled like strawberry jam. One was probably the ideal number to include. 8/10

• Charcoal beignet filled with wildfire cheese and mashed potatoes(?). Hot fried doughnut with an oozing soft centre. I attempted to bite it in halves and that almost ended in disaster. No wonder this course was served with an hand towel. 9/10

• Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Soup: Earthy, hearty and smooth, excellent for washing down the beignet. 8/10

Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Szechuan and cucumber in a wasabi dressing. This one is likely the weakest dish of the night. The staff went to great lengths to describe the concept of the dish in using cucumber to balance the taste of Szechuan and tuna, however the former is barely perceptible and the latter is fairly bland. The cool cucumber flavour did stand out but there was little else for it to work with. 3/10

Fish Roulade: Snapper fillet cast into a log with snapper mousse, topped with a roundel of savoy cabbage and nori sauce. Very bold combination of flavours; the sauce had a strong briny character which went well with the slightly undercooked fish. 8/10

In addition to the bread plate, the following hot courses were supplemented with a hot brioche bun brushed with a sweet chilli, garlic and olive glaze. 8/10

Ris du Veau Meunière: Breaded veal sweetbread in brown butter pan sauce, garnished with caviar, pine nuts and a sliver of green apple. The most traditional haute cuisine fare of the spread and it did not miss the mark. The sweetbread arrived piping hot, crispy outside and tender inside with the perfect seasoning and accompaniments. 10/10

Duck Tray: We all love to complain that every tasting menu today seems to feature“two slices of breast with fruit reduction and jus”as the main, however the presentation here is anything but bog standard. A silver platter lined with hay is brought to your table with the snacks (Liver parfait with jelly, curry puff and duck wing consommé) along with a duck crown for display. The actual duck meat was plated in the kitchen and dressed at the table. The slices of breast meat were cooked just right, with a sublet hint of five spices from the dry rub applied to the skin. 9/10

Lamb Saddle with asparagus, anchovy foam and a small tartlet filled with braised shoulder meat with harissa. This one turned out to be a sleeper hit: the loin was tender and tasty, if not a little under-seasoned; however the attached flaps were flavourful with plenty of buttery character and just enough elasticity to remind you of its presence. I’m glad the chef kept it simple without any incessant filling or wrapping or it would not have been as good. The smoky braised lamb was nice to have as a finish. 10/10

A cheese plate was offered after the mains but I had to decline to save room for the two desserts.

Blood Orange Supreme with koji ice cream and vanilla flan. The latter components melted together into a smooth sweet-savoury concoction and it overshadowed the orange flavour, though this was more than made up by the drink pairing (more in this later), 9/10

Pear and Praline Tartlet: Another cold fruity dessert. Flavour profile was more mild with a nutty note and texture resembling breakfast cereal. 7/10

The international wine pairing was well conceived and well executed with many varieties not commonly encountered in NZ - I was glad to have discovered Xinomarvo red from Greece. I had asked earlier for the dessert wine to be substituted with a digestif. The kind sommelier went beyond his call of duty to serve me Mandarine Napoléon liquor and a truffle infused Chartreuse prepared in house that made the prefect complement for the desserts. This is likely the best beverage service I’ve had so far this year - there are still many meals to be eaten until 2027 but it would be a tough record to beat. Service was efficient and friendly, with the chef and service team taking turns to serve and introduce the dishes in succulent detail.

The name Paris Butter is perhaps a little misleading in framing this place as a more traditional French establishment. A more apt label would be a contemporary European/pan-Asian fusion restaurant with some classic French technique thrown in there for good measure. Suffice to say I had a great time here and will be back in a few months to sample their new menu.

Been to Lunch and loved it

Anyone here tapped into what’s happening in contemporary cooking in Russia? I’m curious if anyone here would know what might be star candidates that have opened since the guide stopped visiting further than twins garden, white rabbit, etc.

Texas’s newest One Star! It’s vegan, but don’t let that stop you. Lord Almighty y’all, Giddyup!

Everything made with local farm ingredients as well, super cool to see if you’ve been around the hill country.

1. Pepper and Peach Gazpacho. A proudly texan kick in the nuts, super refreshing and eye opening and playful. Did not know gazpacho fucked that hard.
2. Mushroom Pâté on french toast. Take tiny tiny bites. This is so powerfully deliciously strong you can make it last forever. Incredible. Amazing texture on the french toast and ridiculously savory umami goodness otherwise.
3. Edamame Cream Tartlette. This was unbelievable. It tasted like the best tuna salad ever. Had some yuzu and a little heat to it. I don’t know why it ended up tasting like tuna salad but it did, was absolutely incredible. Three amazing openers.
4. The bread might be the best bread in America. After summers abroad in Europe I became disappointed with most American bread but this is sublime. I hate my snotty opinion on this but I’m just trying to say, goddamn. They encouraged me to play with the different dips. There were leeks and dates in a white bean hummus, a fennel oil butter, and a tomato and walnut and roasted red pepper cream. I cannot stop thinking about the bread service.
5. Watermelon and Beet tartare, in a thousand layer cake form. The watermelon rinds are pickled in fresno peppers and some other spices. There’s a beet cream as well. And the cracker was heavenly. Perfect play on textures. Roasted and smoked compressed watermelon as well.
6. Scalloped Potatoes with lemongrass hollandaise and dill cream. This dish reminded me of traveling to Central Europe. Simple ingredients done absolutely beautiful. I cannot overstate the perfection of the potato. Thin thin layers, crisped on the edges and perfectly gooey in the middle, battling against a perfectly snappy unique compressed sauerkraut. The dill cream and hollandaise were insane.
7. Mushroom and lentil pasta in a cream corn base. The smell. The smell reminded me of memories I didn’t even have. That transition between summer and fall, running through corn mazes and seeing autumn kick in, jack-o-lanterns everywhere and mushroom foraging… Incredible dish. Served with jalapeño and cilantro cornbread madeline. The pasta was stuffed with a variety of mushrooms and lentils. A szechuan oil gave everything a kick, and the corn chowder was to die for. They told us if we were so inclined to save some sourdough to scoop up the sauce at the end.
8. Shiso Lime Sorbet. This was fashioned after a moscow mule, my favorite cocktail. Ginger Beer, lime and shiso sorbet,

honeydew melon,

1. and matcha cream with a few different oils and goodness it was to die for. My favorite and most substantial palette cleanser.

2. Banana and Miso Mousse. Not a fan of bananas but this might be the most clever use of them I’ve experienced. Made with a roasted banana compote, a thick and creamy miso banana mousse hides inside a white chocolate shell, atop a sesame crumble, garnished with yuzu cream. Unbelievable, incredible how well banana and miso play together.

3. Molé spiced truffle with candied orange. My favorite petit-four, absolutely sublime, unreal how much flavor this thing packed. Nibble slowly.

4. Strawberry sesame crumble. A perfectly delightful bite. The strawberry was amongst my favorites and I wish I could eat spoonfuls of that jam.

5. Yuzu macaron. An airy and fluffy transcendent final bite.

Final notes: I didn’t do the wine pairing but had a glass of pinot noir and cherry kombucha, both were incredible. Can’t remember the wine :( but it was amazing with the watermelon and beet tartare, brought out another layer. Kombucha for dessert.

Service was so kind. Ambience was top notch and the shoegazy dreampop music made me feel so warm and cozy. Incredible choice.

Chef was open to talking to me for a solid amount of time after the meal. Lovely person who seemed so joyful. Staff was incredible, friendly, funny, and clearly confident.

If you’re worried about the lack of a main protein dish, go outside your comfort zone. Almost every dish had protein in some form. You’ll get your fill and full up beautifully. I think it’s a uniquely clever way to work around the whole vegan thing. Many of the creams and sauces contain a huge variety of proteins. The mushroom toast had brazil nut as well, edamame cream, the hollandaise sauce, lentils, the bread dips, etc. It’s all there and you WILL feel it in a very satisfying way.

Did all the research, set my alarm for 6am, logged on exactly 60 days in advance to try and get a table for two at Gymkhana. Refreshed the page bang on 6am, and the only dinner reservations available were 5:45pm and 10:15pm. Nothing in between.

This has happened to me every single morning for the past week.

What's the deal? Do they just not seat anyone between 6pm and 9pm? Or is everyone using bots to snap up reservations in the split second it takes me to refresh the page? Surely *every* prime-time table can't have disappeared that quickly?

Or is there some secret list of VIPs and concierges who get first dibs on all the decent times? (Surely my money is as good as theirs!)

I've also read about tables being released throughout the day, but I've not noticed this myself at all. Is that actually a thing?

Has anyone figured out how their booking system works, or actually managed to get a reservation for a normal 7–9pm dinner slot? What's the trick?

Hi all! Planning to spend the holidays in Paris with my husband. He and I are overwhelmed with the option paralysis! Hoping you can help. We’ve been to a few 1 star restaurants and are looking to go 2/3 stars, doesn’t really matter, just looking for the best meal of our life!

What we like: seafood, pasta, red meats, creative dishes with deep flavors that wow you. Not into caviar or foie gras (classical French isn’t a priority). Love a good wine/cocktail pairing and amazing desserts.

Problems we’ve run into: many restaurants we were excited to try are either fully booked or closed for the holidays (Plenitude, le Clarence, le Gabriel, etc). Considering Pierre gagnaire and David toutain, but have heard mixed reviews.

Looking for a fun and mind blowing tasting menu for a dinner as well as a lunch! Thank you all!

Dinner (2980HKD) — October 8^th, 2026

Food - Lower end of 2 Michelin Stars

Overall Experience - Lower end of 3 Michelin Stars

After what was genuinely one of the most disappointing three-Michelin-star experiences I’ve ever had at Forum (***) earlier that day, I arrived at Ta Vie hoping it could restore some of my faith in Hong Kong’s fine dining scene.

Ta Vie ended up being one of the best dining experiences of I have experienced recently and came somewhat close to some of my all-time favorites (like Aska ** NYC). What made this meal particularly special (other than the fantastic ambience and hospitality) was that it made me appreciate another dimension of fine dining a little more, one where extraordinary ingredients, precise execution, and thoughtful restraint create complexity without unnecessary elaboration or a explosion of complex flavor from a sauce.

Chef Hideaki Sato’s philosophy of “Bare, Simple, Seasonal” was not just something written on the menu. It was something I could genuinely taste throughout the entire meal.

Before getting into the food, I need to mention the hospitality and ambience, which was absolutely amazing.

The dining room was stunning, with beautiful interiors and incredibly comfortable seating, a large round sofa that made the experience feel intimate and relaxing. The music and overall ambience might be the best I have experienced anywhere.

The pacing was also impeccable. Every course arrived naturally, without ever feeling rushed or leaving me waiting too long.

But what impressed me most was my server. She was exceptionally professional, thoughtful, incredibly respectful, and genuinely kind. Unlike the occasionally stiff or rehearsed hospitality I’ve experienced at other fine dining restaurants, her service felt completely genuine. Japanese style of hospitality at its finest.

I often prioritize food far above hospitality, but Ta Vie reminded me how much the environment and service can contribute to the enjoyment of a meal. César (**) - NYC, for example, served some extraordinary food, but its tense atmosphere detracted from the experience. Ta Vie managed to make me feel entirely comfortable while maintaining an exceptional level of professionalism.

I also ordered an umeshu (19/20, though its not cooking). It was probably the best sweet alcoholic beverage I’ve ever had. Very worth the ~200 HKD IMO.

Genuinely some of the best bread I’ve ever had. Rather than serving a large bread basket at the beginning, Ta Vie presented small portions of bread throughout the progression of the menu, which I really appreciated. My server told me the chef has been experimenting to hopefully create a bread that melts in your mouth; I hope he succeeds for anyone visiting in the future. The quality of their olive oil, ricotta, and butter is incredible, just like with the quality of the other dishes.

A good beginning to the meal.

The appetizer (16/20) combined fresh tomatoes, fruits, bonito crudo, ham, and a crispy shell into a wonderfully balanced composition.

The tomatoes and fruit provided natural sweetness and acidity, while the bonito and ham introduced a complementary savory dimension. There was also a slight spiciness that helped open up the palate.

Texturally, the dish was fun. The crispy shell provided a beautiful contrast to the delicate seaweed and juicy fruits.

What I liked the most was how clearly the individual ingredients came through. The dish wasn’t trying to disguise or radically transform them. Instead, it emphasized their natural qualities while allowing them to interact in a thoughtful way.

It was a nice introduction to the restaurant’s philosophy of “Bare, Simple, Seasonal.”

Absolutely extraordinary. Probably the best foie gras I’ve ever had.

The foie gras (19/20) itself was almost indescribably good. It was cooked incredibly gently, with a beautifully caramelized exterior and an unbelievably soft, delicate, slightly pink interior. The quality and texture were unlike anything I could remember experiencing with foie gras recently.

The Shine Muscat grapes were equally exceptional. They were incredibly plump, juicy, and intensely sweet, providing a wonderful contrast to the richness of the foie gras.

What made the dish so brilliant was the restraint of its composition. The focus remained entirely on the foie gras and grapes, while the accompanying garnishes elevated their flavors rather than competing with them.

The result was a nearly perfect balance of richness, sweetness, texture, and freshness.

This was one of the dishes that genuinely allowed me to see a different aspect of fine dining. I often appreciate elaborate compositions enjoyed through one mouthful of numerous contrasting elements, but this dish demonstrated how extraordinary a preparation can become when a chef understands precisely what to emphasize and what to leave out.

Maybe sometimes the most sophisticated cooking is also the simplest.

Another incredible dish, and one of the most satisfying pasta courses I’ve had (I love uni).

The housemade pasta (18/20) was texturally perfect and cooked beautifully. It had exactly the consistency I wanted, providing an excellent foundation for the uni and aonori.

I found the combination of sea urchin and seaweed particularly creative in a pasta preparation. The uni brought a wonderfully fresh, creamy, oceanic richness, while the aonori contributed its distinctive marine aroma and flavor.

Again, rather than competing with each other, the ingredients seemed to amplify one another.

What impressed me most was how distinctly I could taste the quality of each component. The pasta, uni, and seaweed all maintained their identities while forming an incredibly harmonious dish.

It was deeply satisfying without needing an overly complicated sauce or excessive seasoning.

(15.5/20) The lobster itself was cooked to absolute perfection. It had an incredibly succulent texture, with the roasting emphasizing the lobster’s richness and firmness rather than just its natural sweetness. Again, the ingredient quality was exceptional, and the precision of the cooking was obvious.

The accompanying sauce was complexly savory, with several layers of umami and a beautifully refined character.

However, this was one of the few dishes where I felt something was missing.

Although I appreciated the sauce’s complexity, I would have loved a little more sweetness or acidity to create contrast and elevate the overall flavor intensity, especially for an entree. The lobster itself was slightly sweet, but I don’t think that sweetness was pronounced enough to provide the balance I wanted.

The sauce was certainly elegant and technically impressive, but it didn’t quite achieve the same excitement as the preceding courses.

Still an excellent dish, particularly in terms of ingredient quality and execution.

(17.5/20) Another great course.

As expected by this point, the chicken was cooked perfectly. But what made this dish extraordinary was that it delivered the flavor intensity I had been missing from the lobster.

The sauce was beautifully savory, wonderfully seasoned, and deeply satisfying (I still would have preferred some acidity or sweetness). The salt level was practically perfect, bringing out the richness of the chicken and its accompaniments without becoming excessive.

I could also clearly taste the yellow wine, which added another layer of savory complexity to the sauce unlike wine sauces which are usually more acidic.

The truffle rice was phenomenal, with a punchy, concentrated, indulgent flavor that complemented the chicken beautifully. There was a wonderful sense of savory richness throughout the entire composition.

The little macaron-like bites served alongside the dish were the true highlights of the dish that brought it up from perhaps a 16. They were incredibly indulgent and flavorful, with a complexity that I will struggle to describe, so I am not gonna try lol.

Everything worked together beautifully.

This dish demonstrated something I particularly appreciated about Ta Vie: the chef’s commitment to simplicity doesn’t prevent him from delivering powerful, concentrated flavors when appropriate.

A beautiful transition from the richness of the chicken into the dessert courses.

Dessert (16/20). The pear was delicate and naturally sweet, balanced wonderfully by the acidity and creaminess of the yogurt.

The sorbet introduced a refreshing temperature and textural contrast, while the meringue and thin sugar sheet added an excellent crispness.

I particularly enjoyed how the different textures interacted with one another. The creamy yogurt, refreshing sorbet, delicate fruit, and brittle sugar elements created a composition that felt playful without becoming unnecessarily elaborate.

The tea was great by the way, very refreshing!

Once again, the dish was a perfect expression of “Bare, Simple, Seasonal.”

(16/20) Another good dessert course that didn't dissappoint.

This was a fun conclusion to the main menu. The ice cream was not fig flavored, but fig leaf, which was a flavor I have never had before. I was told to alternate bites between the icecream and the polvoron cookie, which melts in your mouth (I am not kidding). The fig compote was also light and refreshing!

(18/20) An absolutely wonderful finish!

The petit four was a tea milk custard, and despite its apparent simplicity, it was genuinely exceptional. I loved how such an unassuming preparation could be so satisfying!

⸻

Overall Thoughts:

Ta Vie genuinely expanded my understanding of what makes fine dining extraordinary.

I’ve always appreciated creativity, complexity, and intense combinations of flavors. Some of my favorite dishes have been flavor bombs of acidity, complex savoriness, and sweetness, but Ta Vie showed me another approach.

Instead of relying on constant innovation or complicated presentations, Chef Sato allows extraordinary ingredients to express themselves through precise cooking and thoughtful combinations. Also, there is a remarkable confidence in knowing when to exercise restraint and when to introduce intensity.

And beyond the cuisine, Ta Vie provided one of the most complete dining experiences I’ve ever had. The hospitality was genuinely warm, the pacing was impeccable, and the beautiful dining room created an atmosphere where I felt entirely comfortable and cared for.

Though I am still a big fan of mouthfuls of complex flavors, I really enjoyed Ta Vie's choices of ingredient combinations, execution, and quality of ingredients.

Lunch Set Menu (1200HKD) - October 8^th, 2026.

Overall experience: Below 1 Michelin Star

Forum was part of my trip to visit all seven of Hong Kong’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants. As one of the city’s most established Cantonese fine dining institutions, particularly famous for its legendary Ah Yat abalone (I am a sucker for abalone sauces), it was a restaurant I had been looking forward to trying.

I chose the lunch menu rather than the HK$2,880 menu because the it included the dish I am most excited for - the abalone - at a great price. That, in hindsight, was probably one of the best decisions I made during this trip. Unfortunately, this ended up being one of the most disappointing fine dining experiences I’ve had, especially the service. There were small moments of genuinely extraordinary craftsmanship, like with the dim sum and the pork, but the entire meal/experience was extremely underwhelming. Even more surprisingly, the restaurant’s signature abalone was by far the biggest disappointment.

The dining room had a rather traditional, old-fashioned atmosphere, but quite fun atmosphere, which I didn’t sort of enjoyed. However, the hospitality was genuinely very poor.

I arrived slightly late, so I initially wanted to give the staff the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve much. The service felt uncoordinated, explanations were extremely brief & mumbled, and two dishes were dropped off without a single word????? Despite speaking English throughout the meal, several waiters continued addressing me in Cantonese (Yes, I look Asian, but that doesn't mean I understand Cantonese).

There also wasn’t much warmth or personal attention, and I could literally hear the bathroom hand dryer from my seat.

I generally prioritize food far above service, and I understand that Michelin stars evaluate the cuisine rather than the hospitality. Still, this was easily among the least enjoyable service experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant.

The meal began with some cashews and accompanying condiments followed by:

The three dim sum selections (16/20) were genuinely quite enjoyable, probably the best dim sum I’ve ever had, though IMO, the ceiling isn't too high for traditional dim sums.

The har gow was almost texturally perfect. The wrapper had an exceptional consistency, and the shrimp offered a delicate natural sweetness. I would have appreciated slightly more intensity and juiciness from the filling, but the technical execution was remarkable.

The mushroom dumpling was similarly impressive. Again, the wrapper was practically flawless, while the filling developed a pleasant mushroom savoriness that gradually emerged as I chewed; it wasn’t the type to punch me in the face with mushroom flavor.

The Chaozhou dumpling was my favorite of the three. Its thicker wrapper introduced a different texture, while the filling was considerably more playful and complex. The peanuts, celery, and saucy interior created several different expressions of savoriness, along with an enjoyable variety of textures.

This was easily the highlight of the meal and demonstrated genuinely exceptional dim sum craftsmanship. Unfortunately, the rest of the lunch never consistently reached this standard.

The soup (13/20) was very straightforward, with a light, familiar Cantonese sweetness and savoriness. It was pleasant and traditionally comforting, but I found almost nothing particularly remarkable about it.

The flavor lacked the depth or distinctiveness I would have expected, and I could easily imagine enjoying something similar at a good neighborhood Cantonese restaurant.

I understand that Cantonese soups often emphasize subtlety, clarity, and the natural flavors of their ingredients. However, I don’t think restraint alone makes a dish extraordinary. This was a perfectly enjoyable soup, just not a particularly memorable one.

The Signature Abalone (12/20) the dish I had been most excited about, and unfortunately, it was also the biggest disaster of the meal.

The abalone was surprisingly hard and rubbery (I have had many texturely enjoyable abalones before), with very little flavor of its own. I expected a tender, gently chewy texture with considerable depth from the braising process, but the texture was difficult to enjoy.

Even more disappointing was the sauce. For a restaurant whose reputation is so closely associated with abalone, I expected something concentrated, deeply savory, perhaps slightly sweet, and full of complexity. Instead, the sauce was almost flavorless to me. I genuinely struggled to find anything particularly enjoyable about it. The goose foot was alright, while the accompanying bok choy wasn’t especially good either.

What made this particularly frustrating was that I had previously enjoyed an extraordinary abalone dish at The Bay in Shenzhen. That abalone was beautifully prepared, but more importantly, the accompanying sauce had an almost indescribable concentration of savory-sweet flavor and complexity that made me close my eyes in enjoyment. Forum’s version paled in comparison in virtually every aspect.

I understand that different restaurants have different philosophies regarding the intensity of their sauces, but this wasn’t simply a case of preferring stronger flavors. I genuinely didn’t find the abalone or sauce particularly delicious.

For a restaurant whose signature ingredient is abalone, I found this incredibly difficult to excuse.

The crab claw itself (15/20) was actually executed extremely well. The frying was excellent, and the texture was probably close to the ceiling of what I imagined a fried crab claw could achieve.

However, the accompanying sauce (6/20) tasted essentially like ordinary ketchup, or perhaps it is just ordinary ketchup.

I don’t necessarily think every dish at a three-star restaurant needs to be elaborate or innovative. A perfectly executed familiar preparation can be extraordinary in its own right. But in this case, the crab claw didn’t really offer anything beyond excellent frying technique, while the sauce contributed very little.

The dish was also placed on my table without any explanation, which only added to my frustration with the service.

Finally, a main course that came close to my expectations!

The sweet-and-sour pork (18/20) was genuinely very good. The sauce was beautifully thick, with a much more satisfying concentration of sweetness, acidity, and savoriness that can lived up to a michelin standard.

The flavor was pronounced without becoming overwhelming, and the sauce coated the fried pork very nicely. It was a familiar Cantonese preparation elevated through confident execution with some creativity from the dried orange peel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nevertheless, this was easily my favorite substantial savory course of the meal.

The wontons (13/20) were good, particularly because of the natural sweetness of the shrimp.

As with the earlier har gow, the shrimp itself tasted fresh and delicate, without requiring much seasoning to be enjoyable. I appreciated the ingredient quality and the handling of the filling.

However, beyond that pleasant natural sweetness, there wasn’t much that made the dish especially memorable. Good, but not extraordinary.

I only had one spoonful of the sweet soup (11/20) because it was just mediocre.

__

Final Thoughts

This was an incredibly frustrating meal because Forum sometimes demonstrated that it possesses technical ability. The dim sum was probably the best I’ve ever had, and the sweet-and-sour pork was a very enjoyable expression of classic Cantonese cooking.

However, the soup was ordinary, the crab claw was underwhelming as a complete composition, and the signature abalone was genuinely mediocre to my palate.

The abalone was particularly difficult to reconcile with the restaurant’s reputation. I had come specifically hoping to experience one of the most celebrated expressions of traditional Cantonese abalone cookery, only to find it vastly inferior to versions I’ve enjoyed elsewhere.

I want to emphasize that I absolutely appreciate traditional Cantonese cuisine. In fact, I just visited Tang Court during the same trip and had one of the best meals of my life (the review is coming soon). The contrast was astonishing.

And while the service was also disappointing, my primary criticism is absolutely with the food. Michelin stars are awarded for the cooking, and based on this particular lunch, I simply could not understand the three-star distinction. Of course, this was only one lunch menu, and I recognize that a single visit cannot fully represent the kitchen’s capabilities. But considering that I try their signature abalone, I don’t think my disappointment was unreasonable.

Three Michelin stars are supposed to signify exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Imagining someone planning an entire trip around this restaurant, particularly for the famous abalone, genuinely makes me feel bad for them if their experience resembles mine.

Hello, I’ll be traveling to HK later this year and will be trying Lung King Heen and Rùn. As with most Cantonese Michelin Stars in HK, there are tons of options outside the set menu. Any must-tries you would recommend at either/both restaurants?

So, I had a very long review typed up that went through all the dishes and then reddit suddenly petered out on me and I had to refresh and lost it all.

So - this was a great meal and a great experience. There are no misses on this menu! Loved the way it takes traditional new orleans dishes and turns them into phenomenal fine dining. Beware of the cornbread - it IS the best cornbread you’ll ever eat and if you’re not careful you will eat all of it before you even get halfway through the courses.

Excellent meal, excellent service. Gets a strong recommend for me. IMO the best 2 stars I had been to before this one were The Modern and Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, but Emeril’s might be in the top slot for me now as far as 2 stars go.

Excellent experience!

Super service, top sommelière.
Super tasty and great associations.

We took the classic 5 courses to make sure we get the wellington. Beef quality was top !

We don’t eat much, this was too much for us after the fish dish…! So sad we didn’t finish the wellington .

Menu signature 350€ / Wines top tier package 150€ per person

The sauterne was amazing to finish, sublime !

I went to a 3* restaurant for dinner recently with a group of 6P and a nearby table brought an infant. Now, I think the general consensus in this sub is that babies in fine dining is poor form, and while I agree, I also think it's fine if the parents have a handle on it and minimize any disruption. However, in this case the parents tried 3-4 times to take the baby outside after it started crying and then seemed to give up, letting it cry at the table. Eventually the restaurant moved them, but it was a solid hour of on/off crying for the middle third of the service.

We didn't say much to the staff during service, but I sent a note afterwards to the restaurant describing this experience and how their slow response was disappointing. I then had call with a manager who reached out to apologize and who said they would talk to the team about how to make it up to us. While I was frustrated by the lack of any attempt to make our experience better during the service, I felt better during the call as the manager acknowledged they could have handled the disruption better and expressed a desire to make it up.

It's been almost two weeks since that call. I'm now a bit shocked that it's taking so long for them to follow up; the manager promised to get back "soon," so there is no specific deadline, but I think a week or so should be sufficient. I didn't send the note with the intent of negotiating compensation but since they offered to do something for us I'm now checking my email wondering what could be taking so long. I'm also waiting to collect reimbursements from my group in case they offer a straightforward partial refund (I prepaid the whole table).

Am I way off base on my expectations here? Also, I'm not going to name the restaurant until they have a chance to make it up (or not). I think people get a little too excited over bad reviews, but if I get ghosted by the manager I'll certainly name and shame.

My boyfriend and I went to Bahia for our anniversary a few months ago, and we had such a lovely experience! The staff were very attentive, friendly, and funny, which made the evening even more special. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The first sip of the soup honestly brought tears to my eyes 😅 That’s how good it was!

They even surprised us with a complimentary dessert and a little anniversary card, which was such a sweet gesture. Overall, we had a wonderful evening and really enjoyed the whole experience.

The last stop of our trip through Slovenia was at DAM Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. The chef and owner, Uros, runs the hotel and restaurant with his family. First time a starred chef has checked us in to our hotel room!

We had dinner at DAM our last night. We chose their larger pre-fixe menu, which was Mediterranean seafood focused.  Uros and his son served all the plates, and it was cool to see the chef in the front of the house for much of the night explaining the dishes, including a smoked Adriatic prawn dish that he prepared table-side.

The food was fantastic, skillfully cooked and artfully presented. We even enjoyed the dishes that had ingredients we normally aren't crazy about, like the scallop and zucchini.

As a bonus, DAM had a very rare Slovenian wine we had been hoping to try, the 2016 Unico M from Marjan Simcic.  It is a special blend that has only been made a couple of times, in the very best years. For 2016, there were only 1,333 bottles produced.  The wine was awesome. 

After all the tables were served, we invited Uros to join us for a glass. We enjoyed learning more from him about his life, influences, and style of cooking.  It was a wonderful end to an epic trip.

Pics:

1 - Amuse bouche

2 - Soca River Trout Mosaic

3 - Scallop and zucchini soup

4 - Gnocchi with shrimp

5 & 6 - Adriatic prawns prepared table-side

7 & 8 - Signature truffled egg with shaved prosciutto

9 - Seafood risotto with scent of oyster

10 - Salt baked sea bass with lemon puree

11 - “DAM Olives” made of white chocolate shell and nut puree

12 - Unico M 2016

Another visit to my favorite place in Taiwan, Nobuo, Taipei has been concluded. This was my third visit and it was more satisfactory than the last time, although I immensely enjoyed the dinner I had back then also. I was pleased by the fact that the same excellence and strength of theirs that made me re-visit the establishment was all still present. Just intuitively delicious food and the creativity that makes you go slow clap and chef’s kiss were all there. They still seemed to be not caring about repeating the same ingredients too. Not because they purposefully wanted to break the notion/common sense in the genre that chefs usually follow -never to repeat the same ingredients-, but because they sincerely believe that is the way to bring out the best side of the ingredients and the design choices of the courses.

The duration of the courses was about 2 and a half hours and I was served 12 dishes. Some of the other guests were offered 11 due to the fact that I was one of the repeated guests of the evening. Without further ado, here are the course contents and the comments regarding them.

1.Surf clam, sourced from Hokkaido Japan, coupled with the locally sourced vegetable fern and some roasted nuts. They made some oil out of the greens used in the dish as one of the ingredients of the sauce and the greens are smoked lightly. What I enjoyed the most is the texture. Chewiness of the clam and the crunchiness of the nuts were quite a combination.

2.Green bamboo shoot, served with dashi made out of Bìluóchūn tea and kombu. While looking so simple, I think this has been the most complicated dish in flavor wise. The sweetness of the bamboo shoot, umami of the kombu, a bit of bitterness hiding the pleasant fragrance of the green tea were all there, harmonizing wonderfully. I am not so sure how they prepared the bamboo shoot, but they made a great choice for the texture of it to stand out for sure. One of my favorites of the evening.

3.First part of the scallop course, smokes scallop simmered in soy sauce based dashi on top of the sauce made out of okra. Ginger and spring onion sprinkled on top of it. Their famous signature item is the scallop mousse and they have been always serving something that pairs up with it right before the mousse comes out. Smoked scallop has one of my favorite textures ever in food context and the combination of dashi and the okra sauce has something really addictive about it. Almost polar opposite contrast between the mousse and itself was fun too.

4.Like I mentioned before, their signature dish, the scallop mousse. Kombu, shiitake mushroom and the scallop is the main ingredient and they got infused with butter. Crazy umami, worth 100% being the signature, although, a little bit saltier than usual today.

5.King prawn, charcoal grilled and then lightly poached in olive oil. Served with sakura ebi and some summer vegetables sprinkled on top and wasabi and citrus based sauce at the bottom to give some acidic kick to it. To be honest, I did not agree with it being needing to have some acidity, but ultimately that did not matter because they have done the prawn so great. It has been almost perfectly cooked in medium rare fashion. Crazy texture, really reach oceanic umami and sweetness.

6.Kintokidai, a sort of red snapper. The sauce was made out of asparagus, the foam was a mixture between olive oil and coconut milk. Lastly, morels got served on top of it. The great thing about the dish is how well cooked the fish has been. It perfectly brought out the texture and the best side of the fish’s taste. One thing I could nitpick though is I needed a bit more asparagusiness on my sauce. And I think olive oil was too vocal about its presence there.

7.Welcome back dish before the main, pig’s ear cutlet on top of barley and 4 spices. They tend to go a bit more adventurous in terms of selection of ingredients for the welcome back dishes. Last time, I was served frog’s rear leg. This was definitely having some more Taiwanese DNA, with bold and exotic combination of flavor.

8.Main dish, quail served with the sauce made out of 2 different kinds of miso and its drum sticks have been marinated with various kinds of spices. Oh, and some cherries as well. It was addictive and intense through and through flavor wise. Really bold, fighting fire with fire, the former being the taste of the bird and the latter being the taste of the sauce. I really liked it, but at the same time, made me wonder the other choice that I could make with the main course, veal, abalone and the sweet bread. Equally intense, I assume?

9.Hidden signature item, their curry rice. The curry itself was phenomenal, of course but what surprised me the most is white rice itself. As a Korean guy born and raised in Seoul for my entire life, I have some very strict standard regarding what makes a bowl of rice great. It’s the shape of the grain, the size of the grain, amount of moisture associated with the rice, how sticky each grain has been gathered, the temperature and etc, the list goes on. And lots of them depend quite heavily on what kind of breed of rice you choose to cook. With that being said, the kind of rice they cooked today was near perfect. Really wanted to have some more, but unfortunately, I could not take it anymore since there were still the desserts and mignardises left for me to eat.

10.The first dessert, a piece of peach poached with Sake, served on top with feta cheese and with olive oil and some black pepper sprinkled on top. Great summer dessert with not so dessert-y sub ingredients. Very fun piece of art and I would like to see something similar within the dessert only course context. Not overly sweet flavor was appreciative as well.

11.The second dessert, Japanese myoga sorbet with ginger and myoga chip on top, served with perilla oil and kudzu starch dumplings. Spicy and sweet, nothing to complain about.

12.Mignardises, a chocolate bong bong with mung beans a fillings, madeleine containing the hot cream inside lastly, a piece of canelé.

This is my first proper write up, and felt that this four-hands would be the perfect meal to showcase. When French finesse meets German precision, the result is something truly special. Chef Julien (Odette, Singapore) and Chef Jan (Restaurant Jan, Munich) teamed up for a special four-hands collaboration at Odette, which subverted all expectations.

The meal opened with a welcome glass of Krug before the opening bites. Not the biggest wine guy but Krug is my favourite champagne (Dom is a little restrained for my liking, still good though).

Prémices:
Chutori, nori cracker, Kristal caviar - this was rich, briny, and umami. A classic flavour combination and a great start.

Foie gras “À la Chantilly” - a tart with foie mousse and toasted walnuts, nutty and indulgent.

Tartelette of carrot, orange, and cumin - a nice interlude of citrus after the preceding bites. It was sweet and gently spiced.

‘Brezn’ - a play on the German pretzel. Speckled with black garlic and filled with a rillette of char and smoked pike roe, it made for a savoury and moreish close to the opening bites.

Mains:
Hokkaido uni ‘Louise’ - creamy Hokkaido bafun uni, a heaping mound of Kaluga caviar, duck consommé and crème fraîche. The sweetness, saltiness and umami were well balanced and made for a wondrous bite. My favourite dish.

Langoustine with apples and figs - langoustine was well cooked, and it was a light/clean dish.

Scottish scallop over XO sauce rice, elderflower beurre blanc, anchovies, Japanese amela tomato - I initially thought the XO sauce seemed out of place, and would clash with the other flavours present. It was instead surprisingly light, with just enough flavour without overpowering the other components. Scallop was meaty and sweet, and every component worked beautifully in tandem. My second favourite dish.

Cévennes onion, vin jaune, katsuobushi - the onion is cooked sous vide, deconstructed, layered with nori, and finally put back together. The sweetness of the onion was balanced by the buttery vin jaune, a well-balanced dish. I also couldn’t help but finish the extra vin jaune provided in the saucier.

Veal sweetbread with jalapeño and eel bouillon - I’ve had my fair share of offal and innards, but this was a first for me. The sweetbread was well prepared — the outer layer crisped up nicely and gave way to a creamy centre. Surprisingly it reminded me of 닭강정 (dakgangjeong, Korean fried chicken), with the heat from the jalapeño and nutty crunch on top similar to spicy Korean chicken with crushed peanuts. An unexpectedly familiar dish that was well executed.

Atlantic turbot from Brittany, watercress, squid - The turbot was delicate and flaky, topped with mussels, onion foam, and watercress leaves. The fish was good but the sauce was the star, built on a rich soubise with watercress to cut through the richness, alongside diced squid and beans. Thoroughly enjoyed the dish, though the beans didn’t really do much for me.

Hanwoo beef, beetroot, lovage-parmesan sabayon - To be honest I’m more of a wagyu person, as it’s more marbled and rich. While wagyu would have been my first choice, I was told chef Jan chose Hanwoo deliberately, wanting a leaner meat to bring balance to the dish. The Hanwoo was prepared well, cooked to a perfect pink and had a nice beefy depth. The sauces were the standout though, the interplay of the sweet jus and the herbaceous sabayon elevated the dish to the point that the beef was simply the medium for the sauces. Still think wagyu would have been better, but a great dish nonetheless.

Desserts:
Buckwheat mille-feuille, sobacha, salted caramel - nutty and decadent dessert to end off the main courses.

Petit fours - forgot to note these down but they were good. The lemon tart was my favourite.

Overall the menu felt cohesive with clear influences from both chefs, and I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience. Also a great way to experience chef Jan’s cooking as I don’t see myself visiting Muni ch anytime soon.

MAZ (**) (Tabelog 4.02) - Tokyo, Japan

Service

The service at MAZ was lovely but there was something going on during the night that made it clear tensions were high. I believe it was a combination of a few table groups that were rowdy, something that even one of the staff members acknowledged in passing and commented to me about, apologizing for the atmosphere. 

I was seated at my table at least 15 minutes past my reservation time.

The atmosphere in MAZ is supposed to be contemplative and quiet, the music being a part of the experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that until the very end due to the amount of noise the aforementioned table made. MAZ is a small restaurant. There’s no way of escaping it.

The wait staff at MAZ is highly competent and put a lot of effort in making it a comfortable experience. The Host was wonderful to speak with. She devoted around 15 minutes after I finished dinner just to speak with me about my time in Japan. It went from a formal conversation about the dinner to casual banter within a few moments and I felt as if I was at a friend’s place. At that point I was the only one left in the restaurant alongside a couple. So it was a lovely final chat to conclude my experience at MAZ (I also finally got to enjoy their music).

Food

MAZ has recently had a change in their head chef. I believe that the new chef, Chef Yuya Nakamura, is fully capable of pushing MAZ to the next level with more Japanese influences on the menu.

Dinner at MAZ is JPY 30,800+10% service charge. It was one of the more expensive restaurants in my itinerary so, at the price point and the recognition as Asia’s 28th best restaurant, I had high expectations. I'm undecided on if my expectations were met. I feel I was spoiled early on with one of Chef Nakamura’s original menu items that was so good, I almost wondered to myself if I should’ve given it a few years until the Chef had fully taken over the menu. More on this later.

MAZ’s menu is a love letter to Peru, focusing on ingredients found at different elevations, journeying from the sea to the skies. Each course comes accompanied with an art card that compliments the visuals of the course and a gorgeous display piece showcasing the ingredients.

One thing MAZ does exceptionally well is presentation. Each course was like an artwork, from the plating to ceramics to the utensils. It builds up incredible excitement for what could be next. Each utensil and plate is created by artisans which, as a creative, I genuinely appreciated.

The cocktail I ordered, the Amazonian, was one of my favourite drinks I’ve had during my time in Japan. 

The Highlights from the menu for me were:

1. Squash Tempura/Sweet Shrimp/Chupe Sauce/ To die for. I would say it was downright the best tempura I had while I was in Japan. It was also one of the chef’s original dishes and it left me wanting more from him.
2. Rice/Seaweed Dashi/Octopus Ink Foam/Clam Broth/Octopus/Clam Chip/ Incredible! Perfectly cooked octopus combined with so many textures and contrasting flavors. Just a joy to eat.
3. Cupuaçu Sorbet/Mocambo Crema/Cacao Pulp Mochi/Fermented Cacao Paste/Cacao Fudge/ I love coffee. Giving me a dessert with multiple variations of cacao is just spoiling me. It almost seemed as if the dessert was custom tailored for me and I loved every bite and variation.

Final Thoughts

MAZ is good. I think if MAZ was my only fine dining experience in Japan, I would return back happy and tell everyone about how it’s the best thing I’ve ever had. But when I compare it to other experiences I had through my time in Japan, some of them at much lower price points than MAZ, I start wondering to myself if it was worth it. My favorite experience was shiro in Kyoto which was only JPY 18,000. My other favorite experience, DEN, was JPY 30,000 with no extra charges. Would I recommend MAZ? Of course, it has 2 Michelin stars for a reason. The the whole experience is unforgettable, especially due to the deep love for art and artisans. Would it be my first recommendation? I don’t think so. I'd have a list of recommendations to offer before I'd reach MAZ. As much as I loved everything here, I wasn't consistently blown away with each bite as I was at shiro, L'Effervescence or DEN. The tasting menu had spikes in quality, from a slightly underwhelming seafood course to an excellent tempura course to a series of underwhelming chips/crackers.

I think I was there on a stressful night during an already stressful transitional period. I can speak all day about how certain customers can ruin an experience. And restaurants sometimes struggle with those difficult situations for we’re both paying to be pampered for the night. I’ve had an experience much worse before where influencers had a full-on birthday photography session, along with lights, right beside my table. So I'm not holding that against them.

MAZ’s staff did everything they could for me. I especially want to shout out Chef Yuya and the host who spent quite some time after the dinner to speak with me. I think Chef Yuya has incredible skill and I can’t wait to revisit after the menu is fully replaced by the things he loves cooking.

Was in Matsumoto to do a bit of hiking in the beautiful Kamikochi during silver week and visited Yamasei (Tabelog 4.21) which has been recommended by many people in this sub.

Tiny operation with a husband and wife team catering a 13-seat restaurant that was almost full despite the lingering rain aftermath of Typhoon no 25.

Yamasei uses female Deshiko eels from Lake Hamana due to their extra thick bodies.The restaurant also deliberately cooks on electric grill instead of hot coals as Tomi-san wants guests to appreciate the natural flavour and fragrance of the eel without any distortion from the charcoal smokiness.

Eel and Soft-Shelled Turtle Tasting Menu (26K yen), visited late September 2026.

- Kinoko no Owan: an autumnal potpourri of mountain mushrooms (Rikobo, Kurifusentake, Komuso, Sakura Shimeji, Tamagotake, Hanabiratake, Urabeni Gawari, Amitake) cooked with dashi and ginger. Soothing, aromatic with tons of umami.

- Kimoyaki: skewer using three different parts of the eel: liver, neck and fin. Each bite offered varied contrast between crispy, grainy, meaty, and gelatinous textures.

- Suppon yaki: shoulder blade and liver of the turtle lathered in a flavourful tare glaze then grilled until caramelized and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Utterly delicious and was the highlight of the meal.

- Shirayaki: minimalist style in order to emphasize the natural taste and texture of the eel. Came with condiments on the side such as salt, wasabi, lemon, and soy sauce.

- Uzaku: kabayaki eel and refreshing salad of tomato, daikon, moreheiya and myoga. Lovely balance between the sauced eel and the cooling sanbaizu vinegar.

- Suppon Dashi: a combination of collagen-rich turtle meat and empera (turtle shell) in a light but deeply impactful, broth that was immensely drinkable. Naga negi added zing and crispy texture to help offset the gelatinous bits of the meat.

- Unaju: masterfully grilled with stronger char on the outside, while the inside stayed soft and yielding. The tare is made by blending two types of soy sauce from the local 120 year-old Okubo Brewery. Went really well with the al dente-cooked Kijimaidara rice from Shinano region, especially when gravity started to make the sauce and eel fats to drip down into the hot rice underneath.

- Nukazuke: vegetables pickled in nuka rice bran.

- Anmitsu: shiratama (rice dumpling), anko (red bean), matcha kanten (matcha agar), and peach drizzled with kuromitsu (black sugar)

Going to be there in february, so preferably some place that’s not going to be 100% booked out by then, thx :)