First, I need to make a mayor disclaimer ;-) Readers of my blog can be confused because sometimes, it seems that the way I’m describing the restaurants and the actual rating I'm giving, are not “in sync”. Please, have on mind that a while ago, I've spent rambling ten days just eating in the restaurants of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe. Which means, I do have one of the world best Japanese restaurants in mind as benchmarks, and I can’t help myself making comparisons.Back to Alan Yau…I've visited a few Alan Yau restaurants; from topnotch, like for example Yauatcha, to a superb and budget, like Wagamama, and I’ve always departed fully satisfied.Enter Sake No Hana; and no doubt, the impeccable track record continues.
Noboru Ishii - the head sushi chef of Sake No Hana
Sushi chefs at workFrom outside almost impossible to spot, just a cylindrical glossy black automatic door… actually two. Inside, the restaurant looks like classical Tokyo izakaya - sake bar with tatami – footsteps seating and the sushi bar with a cedar/metal sushi counter. Of course, there are western-style tables too.The restaurant offers kaiseki menu (see other post) and it has… well overwhelmingly complex and difficult to follow a lá carte menu. Actually I’m wondering how they manage to maintain all this ingredients in fresh and perfect conditions. I haven't had time to do a kaiseki during the lunchtime. I had miso soup, sashimi selection, and futomaki. Everything was tasteful, fresh and elegantly presented. The otoro sashimi was first I ever tasted in UK, and one of the better I had in my live. It had very delicate flavors and incredibly melting texture.
Tako sashimi
FutomakiThe pricing seems reasonable, although if you try to be playful, it might end up shockingly expensive. Of course drinks list highlight sake and there is a huge selection, so if you there during the dinnertime, better ask for help as this restaurant also have a sake sommelier.Lunch about 50€ per person, including drinks.This place has a charm. Highly recommended.Rating: 8.5 (out of 10.0)Sake No Hana 23 St James's StreetSW1A 1HA London
I had light dinner at Zuma last Sunday night, and it has been excellent evening. Zuma is a hip place, and it has a cool décor with wooden walls, granite on the top of the tables…This place is a fine Japanese fusion restaurant, and in the same times an extremely popular bar, with a loud music and brilliant cocktails. Actually it has a nightclub atmosphere. By the way, I'm only aware of this restaurant (of course in Europe) that has sake sommelier.It has been late so, we went strait for mains.
Ebi no sumibiyaki yuzu-koshou fuumi - Jumbo tiger prawn with yuzu pepper; fresh and delicate.
Black Cod
Black Cod is a must at ZumaThis is definitely not the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to; anyway, no one should miss eating at Zuma.Both dishes we ordered were delicious and the food was well presented, the staff is friendly and helpful, the menu is amazing, and the whole experience is just delight.At about 60€ per person, including drinks.Highly recommended.Rating: 8.4 (out of 10.0)Zuma,5 Raphael Street,Knightsbridge,London SW7 1DL
Mysteriously, the first time I ever ate a truffle was around 18 years ago in Singapore, at the French restaurant. I had a cooked chicken with a truffle-butter sauce…As the story goes, one bite is all it takes; you ether love it or hate it. Not so, at lease not in my case anyway. A few years after, I had a foie gras with black truffles on toast. This time around, one bite and I was hooked.Since then I've been fortuned to eat black and white truffles, in different restaurants, in variety of dishes. Also cooking my favorite recipes, but always using truffle products like truffle oil, paste, butter, truffle juice and such, until recently!
I found a good supplier in Denmark and I've start to use fresh tartufo. I've tried smashed potatoes with truffle, pasta tossed in truffle oil with shaved truffles, truffle risotto…
I've even both a retro truffle shaver :-DHere's some home made dishes..jpg)
Ravioli tossed in truffle oil and shaved truffles.jpg)
Beef with truffle (unfortunately not a Kobe beef)
Ready for scrambled eggs with winter truffleBy my opinion Tartufo is a sublime ingredient, a delicate and sexy. Truffles infuse their odor and flavor to everything around them, and they work perfectly with submissive and agreeable ingredients.In short the truffle always take the center stage and work its magic!
Here's the first Julefrokost aka Christmas Lunch/Dinner I had this year.
I'm tempted by a traditional Danish Julefrokost dinner once in while, so last Friday night, we went to M-Bar in Copenhagen for a nice Christmas dinner.
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About 10 guys from the office ready to dine
However, we got chef's 7-course tasting menu instead, and it was marvelous! Everything was delicious, imaginative and a great experience about taste and the texture.
Paul, the M-bar chef, spread joy with these dishes
This is what we had:
Prawn cracker with smoked duck and hoisin
Cauliflower soup with truffle foam
Langustine and bisque
Inside-out rolle, tuna sashimi and tuna maki
Rack of lamb with potato rösti and jus
Sambuca infused baby pineapple and sharon fruit
Tallegio, Tomme De Savoie and Danablue cheese plate with olives and truffle Oil
Majority readers of my blog knows I have a close ties with M-Bar, therefore I’m not going to rate it. Anyway, I will highly recommend to visit this cozy restaurant.
M-Bar
Rosenørns Alle 32
1970 Frederiksberg C
I had two great summer trips to Balkan; one to Hvar, Croatia, and one to Skopje, Macedonia. By the way, Skopje is my home town.I went to Hvar with my family from Skopje, a full house! We meet in Split and continue together on a ferryboat. The first impression has been strange, mainly because I've already been there... some 20 years ago... so things have changed... a lot...Hvar is gourmet place, so they have a fantastic range of vine, extra-virgin olive oils, sundried tomatoes, pickled vegetables, prsuto, etc. Of course they also have a fantastic sea food! In center of Hvar, one can find lovely local farmers and fisherman market which is packed with goodies. So much nicer and more fun than shopping at the supermarket!I've sampled lots of different seasonal food and vine and everything is infused with lovely flavors. So, I'll focus on grilling at home as it is beautiful and simple summer food and requires a small effort on the part of the cook.
Home made wine...
Sea Bream, Snapper and Bass
Mussels with rice and white wine
Rock Lobster
Rock Lobster
Oysters
Final result
Wild strawberriesAll in all, fantastic trip. Been together with my family on holiday has invoked some beautiful memories from my childhood, and we had couple of fun grill parties.Looking forward for more - next year!
I'll start bit dis-focused this time :-/ Congratulations Hamilton! I'm Massa fan, but that doesn't matter. You have more points, meaning you deserve to win it, although, you are champion because of an unexplainable slow lap by Timo Glock... Back to Umami :-)I've been a couple of time in this restaurant, and as always, I had a perfect experience. Nice and trendy atmosphere, nice people and delicious food. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, so, although we wait for 20 minutes to be seated at our reserved table, it's been fun.It was a Saturday night, with a DJ spinning some lounge and chill out tunes behind the bar. I had Umami's Ginger passion as starter. Lychee liqueur - a flavor often noted in Gewurztraminer, passion fruit juice, ginger syrup, fresh lime... Nice!Of course we went for the Omakase-style dinner and Wine pairing. We expected the chef to be surprising in the selection of dishes. Actually, this is the best way to check the gourmet cooking, fine dining, and artistic performance by the chef.Among the other stuff we had poached king crab mixed with wasabi and shiso dressing, fried toro, grilled veal (tenderloin) with wasabi, etc.. in total 5 course menu accompanied with 3 glass of white wine, one glass of fine sake and one glass of red wine.
I had amazing experience; especially the unique twist between Japanese and French cooking and wonderful service. Ingredients are fresh, flavors are unique, with superb texture. In addition, this is quite fashionable place.
At about 220€ per person, including wine pairing, it doesn't come cheap.Highly recommended.Rating: 8.5 (out of 10.0)Umami Store Kongensgade 591264 København K
