Harutaka * ( Chef’s Choice Sushi by ex-Jiro Chef) , Tokyo
HARUTAKA * , Ginza, Tokyo. Pedigree : 1 michelin star. (2 stars in 2011) Harutaka is very well known as chef’s favorite sushi ( Ryugin’s Seiji Yamamoto and even fellow sushi-master 3-star Yoshitake-san) , possibly because this sushi-ya opens till late in time for chef’s supper after work! The chef here is also a former … Read more
Tokyo Trip 21-25/8 (essentials)
For the first time, think we are ready to proclaim the ‘best of best’ in Sushi and Kaiseki in Tokyo. This, after at least 3 visits to each of the other biggest names in Sushi. “Best sushi in the world” : Sushi Saito We could write a whole lot on Saito but in short, this … Read more
Albert Tse , China Blue * , Tokyo
1 Michelin Star Modern Chinese Cuisine – CHINA BLUE @ Conrad Tokyo Head chef Albert Tse has also received one of the highest gastronomic accolades: Escoffier’s Culinary Art Master. Guest Chef at LIU, Conrad Bangkok. Nice western presentation of quasi-traditional Cantonese cuisine. No fireworks- 1 Michelin star sounds just about right.
Fukamachi* (Tempura), Tokyo
1 Michelin Star Tempura in Ginza (Kyobashi) , Tokyo Consistently superlative quality of tempura shrines through the whole meal. Yes, there are several more high-profile (2 and even 3 stars) michelin-rated Tempura in Tokyo but unless you are one tempura-connoisseur , most of us would not find Fukamachi inferior by any means. The location is … Read more
Din Tai Fung , Taiwan / Hong Kong *
World-renowned ‘Xiao Long Bao’ (steamed soup dumplings) specialist , originating from Taiwan. Shot to fame when New York Times named it one of ‘top 10 restaurants in the world’ in 1993. Today, this main branch is on every ‘must visit’ attraction for tourists in Taipei – yes, not just a restaurant, but an attraction in … Read more
La Tour D’Argent *
Tour D’Argent in Bangkok (2008)! You’ve heard it right but, no, this is not a new branch of the 430-year-old Tour D Argent , which could only be found in Tokyo. Nevertheless, this was the real Tour D’Argent ON TOUR to Le Normandie, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok , led by then-executive chef Stéphane Haissant. Tour D’Argent … Read more
Takeyabu* , Tokyo
Takeyabu Michelin-star SOBA since 2009 , at Roppongi Hills Many rate this the best Soba (uber-healthy buckwheat noodle) in Tokyo but we found nothing exciting with the 3 main components of Soba-ya ( soba place) : soba, choyu and the soba-yu ( respectively, the noodle, the dipping sauce and the residual water in which the … Read more
Nicholas Isnard , L’Auberge de la Charme*
Nicolas Isnard 1 michelin star guest chef of L’Auberge de la Charme , France @ Brio, Marriott Bangkok , 26/2/11 Gault Millau Young Talent “With an extensive array of experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants including the three-starred L’Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse, Chef Isnard opened his own restaurant in June 2008 in Prenois, L’Auberge … Read more
Locanda Locatelli* , London
1 star michelin Italian restaurant in London by celebrity Italian chef – Giorgio Locatelli : “One of the best-known Italian chefs in London, Giorgio Locatelli has enjoyed a hugely successful career in the capital since his first stint in Anton Edelmann’s kitchen at the Savoy 23 years ago. After a spell in Paris in the … Read more
Nobu , London
1 Michelin Star contemporary Japanese restaurant @ Hotel Metropolitan , London by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa , the acclaimed and highly influential chef proprietor of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants all over the globe.
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s
ex-1 Michelin Star by Gordon Ramsay , at the Claridge’s Hotel , London deservedly lost the star since 2009. enough said!
Omae XEX
Omax XEX 1 Star Michelin High-end Contemporary Teppanyaki Member of the Y’s Table family of restaurants. Formerly called Morimoto XEX (and actually listed as such in the Michelin guide), the restaurant started as a joint venture between the iron chef and Y’s Table. Morimoto left this year, and Takeshi Omae has taken over as executive … Read more
Masayasu Yonemura , Restaurant Yonemura , Kyoto & Ginza
Masayasu Yonemura 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Yonemura , Kyoto 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Yonemura , Ginza Guest Chef at World Gourmet Summit 2009, Singapore Chef-Owner Masayasu Yonemura of Kyoto’s most respected in-vogue restaurant is a masterful storyteller. His sequences of creative French dishes with Japanese touches tell a culinary tale which unfolds course by course. … Read more
Kazumi Sawada, Banrekiryukodo*, Tokyo
Kazumi Sawada, Banrekiryukodo, Tokyo – 1 Michelin Star 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Guest Chef at World Gourmet Festival 2009, Four Seasons Bangkok. *A very disappointing meal with too few courses and too small portions. How on earth could a Michelin-starred chef think that this amount of food is adequate to even call it ‘a meal’ … Read more
Graham Elliot Bowles , Graham Elliot* , Chicago
Graham Elliot Bowles Graham Elliot ,Chicago – 1 Michelin Star in inaugural 2010 edition Guest Chef @ World Gourmet Festival 2009, Four Seasons Bangkok “Graham Elliot, Chicago’s first “bistronomic” restaurant juxtaposes four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility, as the old world of dress codes, white table cloths, elaborate floral displays, and tuxedoed waiters has been replaced … Read more
