Posted on

Mr Taka Ramen

I’m always a seeker of good pizza, good espresso and good ramen, although I am not nearly as experienced or picky about the latter as I am about the former two.

Opened a little over a year ago by a Japanese owner, Mr Taka (admittedly not a great name) is the NY outpost of a Tokyo establishment of the same owner(s) which bears a different name, thankfully. The NY location is sunny, bright, open and feels pretty spacious even though it only has 4-6 tables and two counters (whole restaurant probably seats 25-30 people max). 

Ever since discovering Mr Taka, in NYC’s Lower EastSide, I’ve been taking all my japanese friends and clients there to see and hear their reactions and everyone seems to love it, which makes me feel good about my approval and love for this place.
Today I took a Tokyo rock band of 6 native japanese musicians here, so it was a great opportunity to take pictures of a few different bowls as well as hear their opinions, which were all very positive (although one of them said “special”, which sounds a bit like a lost-in-translation translation of when Americans say “interesting”… hmm).

Posted on

Rafael

As I’ve stated before in other posts, one of the many great things about travelling to foreign countries with weak currencies is that you can have amazing meals at a fraction of what they would cost in the US or Europe.

In Bogotá Colombia one such meal was at Rafael, a Peruvian restaurant with Lima-inspired meat and fish dishes as well as pasta and desserts. The bill came in at little under $50/person, but that’s including cocktails, wine, coffees and digestives, so really without drinking this could have easily been an incredible $30 meal!

Of course we started with pisco sours for the table, quickly followed by maracuya and lulo juices for me (the designated driver) and Argentinian Malbec wine for my friends and co-workers.


And for food of course we started with two different ceviche appetizers (of which the traditional version ruled over the other warm type), some pulpo alla gallega and fish cakes (which the waiter brought two orders of without us having asked for that).

For my main course I had a fluffy white fish  (the menu was only in Spanish so I wasn’t sure of the name) prepared in a typical Peruvian way (although the bed of rice in a green sauce didn’t convince me, but the baby scallops made up for). 

Unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of the main courses of my fellow diners but I can assure you the presentations were impeccable and the food was delicious according to everyone’s account (and I should mention that on this night two of my fellow diners were accomplished french chefs).

For dessert we ordered the typical Peruvian dessert called Sospiro, which came in an amazing spring-looking mousse/sauce over slices of the squishy-textured local guanabana fruit and a bed of dulche de leche emulsion. The second dessert are caramelized pears with a caramel praline slice and a vanilla-based fruity sauce. Both desserts came with small leaves of basil and berries.

Stay away from the coffee! Colombia has unfortunately never had good espresso (even though they produce great beans) but this place is definitely the proof of that. We ordered espressos and got what in Italy would have been a below par bad, bitter, way too watery and way too long coffee so we sent them back and asked for espresso ristretto and got the right amount of coffee but still way below par bad, bitter, watery coffee without the foam that comes from the right water pressure. Avoid coffee here at all costs if your standards are as high as mine for espresso.

Other than a couple of small hiccups with the service (like bringing two appetizers and charging us for it, charging us for a drink we didn’t order etc) this was a great meal at an affordable price that’s definitely worth a visit. 

Posted on

Sauvage

On the south side of the river, Sauvage is a great spot where for less than €50/person you can have a meal in a casual setting that would cost twice that in a more formal setting. Great wine list too!

If you go to the bathroom in this place you have to walk through the kitchen and you’ll be left wondering how they can make this amazing food in what is possibly the smallest kitchen I’ve ever seen (smaller than an East Village apartment kitchen!!!)

The menu changes daily but I highly recommend the fois gras appetizer and the bonito appetizer. The place is famous for its sweet bread entre but the lamb is very good too!

One of the most generous portions of Fois Gras I’ve ever been served.

Bonito is basically a japanese tuna tartare. And this is as good as they come. Served in onions, coriander and in a sweet sauce made with some kind of black currant berries. Amazing!

Cochon (Pork) was very hearthy and well cooked.

Sweet bread, the place’s specialty, is cooked to perfection. Simple but better than anywhere else I’ve ever had sweet bread.

Their Faisselle cheese dessert is also very good. Strained raw milk cheese with citrus slices and sauce.

Menu changes daily.

The tiny tiny kitchen, unbelievable!

Posted on

Saturne

Possibly one of the best 9-course dinners I’ve had in Paris.
Reservations are a must and expect to be there for 3 hours.
Carte Blanche menu (you don’t need to pick anything, just tell them if you have any dietary restrictions) and set price of €85 without wine and €150 with wine (cheese and water are extra). If you are into wine they have a wine menu to die for with some of the best (hardest to find and most expensive bottles). You can do the wine pairing menu where every course comes with a pairing or you can get a bottle from their menu.

The highlights were the raw tuna with oven-dried blood oranges (one of the best raw tuna renditions ever!) and a dessert consisting of mandarin sorbet sitting atop some meringue crumbles, a cloud of a frozen solid mousse made with the inside of a squash seeds, some sugar glazed squash seeds underneath and a bed of squash mousse at the very bottom: something of a superior originality and taste!

Mini brioche with cheese mousse (sorry about the lines in the picture, some weird artifact of the lighting of this restaurant).

Asparagus in a leaf.

A clam and an an oyster hide underneath a mouse of vegetables.

The superior raw tuna with blood oranges that had to be desiccated in the oven.

Cod with clams and white asparagus.

Masterfully cooked juicy duck on a bed of spinach, peas and avocado mousse.

Unexpectedly hard goat cheese and a salad.

That’s the mandarin sorbet sitting atop some meringue crumbles, a cloud of a frozen solid mousse made with the inside of a squash seeds, some sugar glazed squash seeds underneath (that’s the dark/black stuff you see in the picture) and a bed of squash mousse at the very bottom: something of a superior originality and taste!

Warm chocolate mousse and cold hazelnut ice cream under a layer of crumbled oven roasted berries and chocolate.

Posted on

Le Galopin

Relatively new restaurant on the Parisian food scene. Not a lot of tables so a reservation is required. But it can accomodate shall groups of 4-6 people. At €54 for a 7 course fixed menu dinner (plus wine of course), this place is priced very honestly for the quality of the food. The no frill service and the friendly and courteous staff make it a great unpretentious but delicious spot in the heart of Paris.

Mushroom soup with the texture of a miso soup and a surprise of salmon roe at the bottom.

White asparagus with compote gelatine cubes, slices of kiwi, mint and feta cheese.

Perfectly cooked juicy chicken with a great assortment of fresh vegetables.


Rather than coffee (which in France pretty much sucks everywhere) this is a delicious coffee ice cream with kumquat and crunchy sweets.

This place is definitely worth another visit!

Posted on

Bord 13

I’ve been to Malmö only once and I squeezed in a visit at Bastard restaurant and one at Bord 13. The latter was the clear winner and I would go back in a second! I didnt take a picture of the menu but this was one of the most creative northern cusine restaurants I’ve ever been to and everything was delicious.

They know how to use their fresh and local ingredients and they use whatever is available to them (hence that turd-looking dish which is really a chicken neck!).

Highly recommended!

Posted on

Sushi Inoue

I started hearing about Inoue from my japanese friends in New York. Everyone was raving about it and nobody could explain why it was in Harlem! Since I love sushi and I live in Harlem took my partner there for her birthday.

This place is incredible! Pure culinary art!

Omakase is clearly the way to go. Let the chef decide everything and just enjoy!

Like most high end sushi places, it’s more expensive at the bar than at the table, but it is worth it for the added spectacle of seeing the preparation of your food happen in front of your eyes.

July 2017 UPDATE:
I haven’t been to this place for over a year and since Inuoue got a Michelin star. This means that unfortunately the price has gone up to $250/person for Omakase at the bar. You can however still have your sushi experience at the table for $90/person which, considering it’s the same fish and same quality, is definitely worth it. I’ve updated this post to $$$$/$$$$$!

Posted on

Pujol

Pujol is THE Mexican restaurant in Mexico City for classy Mexican haute cuisine. You might not find any tacos here but all the ingredients are locally-sourced by Chef Enrique Olvera and everything on the menu has Mexican tradition in mind. You’ll find a lot of dishes made with corn, mole, tostadas, tamal, Mexcal appetizers and drinks and the freshest local produce cooked in delicious and creative ways.

This is one of those places that would be $250/person in NY but because it’s Mexico and the local Peso currency is weak you can enjoy a 6 course meal for $80/person without wine.

Pujol was named by Wall Street Journal as the best in Mexico City and ranked 17th best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2013. In 2015 Olvera opened “Cosme” in New York and shortly after closed Pujol for renovation, but it is due to reopen soon, or so I’ve read.

The candle lit room was not ideal for iPhone pictures but you can tell from the pictures that this is a special place. You get to pick between about four options for every course. As I was there with other people I took pictures of my choices and my dining companions’ choices as well. That’s why there are more than 6 pictures. My memory is too blurry to remember what was what but Pujol was a great experience and I plan to go back and also try Cosme in NY.

At Pujol reservations are a must, and hard to come by, but sometimes a phone call will open doors that the website doesn’t, if you know what I mean 😉

You can actually take the menu home in a wax-sealed envelope as a souvenir of your experience.

Mole verde (green mole).

This is their Mole Madre (the Mother of the Mole) on top of the new batch of Mole made with the starter (the mother). The mother is 830 days old mole!!!

That prickly pear sorbet dessert brought me back to my childhood in Southern Italy. Delicious!