2013 WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANT (leaked)
( Spoiler Alert! ) Seems like the San Pellegrino list has been leaked… El Celler de Can Roca toppling Noma off World’s 50 Best No 1 spot … (courtesy of El Pais in Spain ) The Entire World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2013 1. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, España 2. Noma Copenhague, Dinamarca … Read more
KYO-AJI (Tokyo’s Most-Revered Restaurant) , August’12
KYO-AJI Where to start? The best restaurant in tokyo … the constant chart-topper in Tabelog… the master of numerous 3-star chefs…. the chef who rejected michelin…. introduction-only … months-long waiting list even for regular diners… the ‘original’ character which the ubiquitous OISHINBO manga comic was based on, sparking the gourmet culture in Japan … +++ … Read more
DEN ** , Tokyo ( Tokyo’s Most Exciting Restaurant! )
DEN – 2 Michelin Star ‘innovative’ Kaiseki Location : Slightly outside the city center of ‘ginza’ in JIMBOCHO district (taxi recommended) … very difficult to locate too as you’d need to walk into a small lane off the main road … the best way is to locate the ’7-Eleven’ store and walk right in… Be … Read more
Azurmendi *** , Larrabetzu , Spain (2013 : 3-star Michelin receipient)
AZURMENDI – 2013 newly-awarded 3 Michelin Stars!!! Visit Date : FEB’12 Helmed by Chef Eneko Atxa , a former sous-chef of perennial 3-star Martín Berasategui, Azurmendi was a ‘lesser-known’ 2-star establishment in the countryside of Larrabetzu , not far from Bilbao airport. Setting: Must be one of the largest michelin-rated restarants in the world – … Read more
Kodama **, Tokyo
2 Michelin Star Contemporary Japanese Cuisine In an age and particularly in the city where ‘fusion’ is largely frowned upon, Kodama offers one of the most delicious meals one can expect anywhere, anytime in Tokyo. Forget about ‘cha-kaiseki’ or ‘kyo-ryori’ for a second, and just enjoy the very best cooking by self-taught Chef Kodama. Using … 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
Mugaritz – A Natural Science of Coooking
“You don’t have to like something for you to like it .. “ Not often I find a ‘cookbook’ as meaningful, provocative, enlightening as “MUGARITZ – A Natural Science of Cooking” … heck, not just for a cookbook but any ‘book’ period. Highly suggested reading.. for gourmets and non-gourmets alike. When ‘less’ is truly more… … Read more
MICHELIN “HOKKAIDO” GUIDE 2012
SPECIAL EDITION – Michelin Guide “HOKKAIDO” 4 3-Star Restaurants : SUSHI TANABE ( http://sushi-tanabe.com//?page_id=642/ ) 温味 NAKUMI (Kaiseki) Moliere (French) : Michel Bras TOYA Japon “The Michelin Guide 2012 for Hokkaido lists 699 restaurants and hotels, sampling everything from simple noodle restaurants through establishments that specialise in curry dishes, meat serves on skewers, pork “ramen” … Read more
Araki ***, Tokyo
3 Michelin Star Sushi in Ginza For tuna lovers, Araki is certainly THE BEST SUSHI IN THE WORLD. And if you aren’t , Araki is still ONE OF the best sushi in the world. Flashback: In 2010, a sushi-ya little-known to the English-speaking community shot instantly to 3 michelin star status, rubbing shoulders with legendary … Read more
よろにく Yoroi-Niku (yakiniku) , Tokyo
よろにく – Most highly-rated Yakiniku restaurant in Omotesando , Tokyo. A fixture amongst the TOP 5 on the Tabelog Japan ranking of Best Yakiniku in Tokyo as well as a ‘Hall of Fame’ status on the ultimate yakiniku bible ‘yakiniquest.com‘. Putting things in context, the tasters at yakiniquest have visited over 100 of the best … Read more
Kikunoi Akasaka **, Tokyo (Dec’10)
Kikunoi Akasaka ** – “SFREELIFE’S MOST FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD” 2nd visit – December 2010 (stay tuned for upcoming reviews of subsequent meals in November 2011, February 2012). At press time (March 2012), our tasters have visited Kikunoi 6 times , both at Kyoto Honten and most often at Tokyo branch, and each time, … Read more
Alex Atala , D.O.M.
ALEX ATALA – the most highly-rated South American chef of D.O.M. - a regular chart-topper on the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards : # 7 (2011) , #18 (2010), #24 (2009) , #40 (2008), #38 (2007), #50 (2006). Guest Chef at The Sukothai, Bangkok : “Filled with energy and creativity, Alex Atala, chef … Read more
Sushi Saito ***, Tokyo
3 Star Michelin Sushi in Akasaka. Located next to the American embassy – this is one of the weirdest locations not just for a 3-star michelin restaurant, but FOR ANY RESTAURANT! Literally inside a car-park building, the restaurant itself (if you could call it that!) has a seating area smaller than some restroom cubicle (no … Read more
El Celler de Can Roca ***, Girona
3 Michelin Star San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant : #2 (2011) , #4 (2010), #5 (2009) … (In 2009, we had the opportunity to taste the dishes of this highly-acclaimed restaurant in Girona, through the cooking of Jordi Roca who’s actually the pastry chef but representing his brothers at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. … Read more
Sant Pau ***
3 Michelin Star Back in February 2011, we set off for a journey to the world capital of gastronomy that is Spain. On a trip that we would savor the finest dishes from the greatest chefs at the most famous restaurants of the world, Sant Pau , understandably, wasn’t our most highly-anticipated meal. Somehow, even … Read more
