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![Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🎉🍾 I have not posted much this year on my main post, and now with only a few days of eating left in 2024, I think it will be a good time to share some of my favorite moments / meals / occasions of this year.
Two of my very best friends, chezcalvert and ice_supaksorn have both received 3 Michelin Stars this year!!! 🌟🌟🌟 What a year to remember 😍 I will post about their food in separate posts, but what I want to mention about them is how they are so alike. They are both so serious and obsessed with their cooking, you can feel their passion in their food. They are INCREDIBLY nice people, they don’t involve in food politics or game; they focus on staying in the kitchen and always thinking of making customers the best food they can do and make them happy. And they both love their family so much 🥰
Ice, his wife and father and I visited Sezanne together a few days ago, Video & Pic 1-3 were when Daniel surprised us with 3 🌟🌟🌟 cakes!!! 🤩🤩🤩 it was such a crazy moment 🤣. Pic 4 was the surprise from santiago.maztokyo , another great friend and surely one of the most talented chefs out there. When we arrived at Sezanne, the team already placed 3 star lights on the table 😂 (pic 7). Pic 8-9 we had the michelin cake and it was SOOOOOO DELICIOUS 😱 Video 10 was when the two having father’s talk and watching Daniel’s son Ethan’s pictures on IPad (their softest moment).
Both Daniel and Ice are two of the perfect examples on how I think chefs should be nowadays. I don’t think when they cook they think about doing this to get 3 stars. They try to cook and improve everyday for the customers, and the awards and accolades come as a result.
I still firmly believe that as chefs the time in the kitchen drives their the level of excellence, their personality translates to their cuisine style, their mentality shapes their approach to cooking, their attitude to peers and customers gain them respect, and the focus on cooking for customers rather than for stars or lists is the only long-term sustainable way to success as a chef and as a restaurant
Congratulations to these two again, they deserve every bit of the celebratory moments]()
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2024-12-26 10:50:26
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![Last year in Dec 2023 Noma released their first magazine about Noma Kyoto, and I contributed an article on “Omotenashi おもてなし“ in Kyoto and other places (you can see my post in #littlemeg_nomakyoto ). In the article there was an excerpt that I want to share with you :
“Omotenashi can be extended to things that seem trivial or even nonexistent in our eyes, but not for the Japanese. When I was dining at Ogata, a kaiseki institution in Kyoto, I asked for iced water. When I picked up the elegant glass, I saw a thin sliver of a pine needle on the antique-looking etched glass and silver coaster. I looked around and found that it was only present for my cold drink. I asked Ogata-san, about the lone pine needle on my coaster. He said: ‘This is because when ice melts, the glass turns wet and may stick to the coaster. The pine needle prevents that, so it’s more convenient for you to pick it up.’
Ogata-san said no one ever asked about it. It was a very small gesture indeed, and the pine needle was so fine it could easily have evaded attention. This happened in 2016 and I still remembered this conversation vividly. Whenever I am in other restaurants and the coaster sticks to my glass (or worse, if it falls on my lap), I recall Ogata-san and this sublime Japanese omotenashi moment.”
A few days ago I was at Ogata and this moment reappeared, and so I am sharing here. Tiniest things with biggest impact once again holds true in Japan, it can be food, but it can be so many things beyond.
(Another interesting fact that few people know: Ogata san and namaesan san were consulting on this bottle design and taste of Suntory Sparkling water! 😲👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻)]()
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2024-06-20 19:50:11
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![A recent story of a kakigori I posted made me realize that there are still a lot of people that appreciate ingredients and food that embody the beauty in simplicity. Here I share four Japanese restaurants and some dishes they serve in the last 2 months that epitomise the ultimate art of purity and simplicity in the culinary world. These masters are some of the most iconic representative(s) in their own city and region:
1. A beautifully and skilfully shaved kakigori with just ice and high quality simple syrup (this one is made with sugar beet), the highest and purest form of kakigori (which triggered this post)
2-4. 片折､金沢 Kataori, Kanazawa
• 木の芽みそ田楽 Kinome Miso Dengaku (Tofu topped with kinome miso)
• よもぎ豆腐 Yomogi (Mugwort) Tofu
• 梅干しのお茶漬け Pickled Plum Ochazuke with Okoge (crispy rice crust from rice cooked in donabe)
5-7. 明寂､東京 Myojaku, Tokyo
• トマトとそら豆の白和え Tomato & Soramame (Fava beans) Shiraae (Tofu sauce)
• とうもろこしと自家製唐墨 Corn & Homemade Karasumi (Japanese mullet roe) stuff at the center
・いろんな水煮 Mizuni of various ingredients by season, only the singular ingredient, water and salt
8. 茶禅華､東京 Sazenka, Tokyo
• 苺 (口直し) a marinated strawberry with a clove on top, as palate cleanser
• さつまいもの団子Sweet potato dango
10. 緒方、京都 Ogata, Kyoto
• 木の芽寿司 A “sushi” with vinegared rice topped with kinome. Transcending
• 賀茂茄子の焼き A simple grilled Kamonasu (Kyoto Kamo Eggplant), only salted and eaten as-is first then with sudachi. Heaven
• 蓴菜と黒蜜 Junsai (Watershield) and Brown sugar syrup
All of these dishes I posted had no meat or even seafood (except of karasumi which is from fish). These masters are about to transform simple (and often singular) ingredient into something extraordinary. I visit these restaurants regularly and have eaten all 12 seasons and repeated. But I still feel so moved, peaceful and satisfied each time I go. How many chefs can do the same with things so simple and bare-bones? Only a few legendary masters can create such powerful impact with this level of minimalism, like the ones above. I find myself derived the most happiness from minimalistic serenity, and these kind restaurants is my definition of the highest level of culinary experience]()
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2024-06-19 19:30:50
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![Continuing from the last post, I can easily another 5000 words on this topic of “Respect” alone and IG stories are not enough so I am writing here. I think the whole concept of “customers are always right” as a way of hospitality is completely wrong!
Even though the ultimate goal of restaurants is to make customers happy, I don’t think customers have the right to exploit their power. If you act like spoiled kid or axxhole, please don’t expect you get respect from chefs.
We can use Japan as an example again. Why can Japanese restaurants command “omakase” which means the chef gets to decide what they want to serve? You don’t really see Japanese customers object about it, or ask or suggest the chefs what to cook for them. This is because customers respect and trust the chef and that trust and respect is rewarded by the chef putting his / her heart and soul in cooking and delivering the best possible menu for these customers. Even with that, no one thinks Japan lacks hospitality. In fact they demonstrate the highest form of hospitality through omotenashi.
When you go to a restaurant and start to demand this special and that off menu item, or acting like a diva, basically you are implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) thinking you know better than the kitchen on what is the best. You want the kitchen to cook YOUR food rather than their food. How arrogant is that? And most of the time this arrogance stems from ignorance.
Customers are not always right and restaurants should not compromise when things are getting out of control. Just because you pay tax does not mean you can break the law. Just because customers are paying the bill does not mean they can abuse the system. Both restaurants and customers need to take the responsibility to stop this kind of nonsense.
If you want a restaurant and a chef to make you a great meal, first you need to trust them. If you don’t, why should you even eat there? Respect is free of charge, but you only get it when you show your respect first.]()
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2024-01-08 20:58:24
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![(SWIPE FOR ALL 5 SLIDES) There can be a lot of unexpected things in life, why not at least make your restaurant visit a positive one - not just for you but also for the people who work there or behind the scene. A lot of us forget that to create a positive dining experience is not just the responsibility of the restaurant. It should be MUTUAL, both sides are responsible for the best dining experience to happen.
Be appreciative, empathetic, kind, respectful, and humble to start off the new year ❤️]()
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2024-01-07 10:27:57
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![明けましておめでとうございます 🎋⛩A very late new year post for 2024. I actually planned something else to post on the first day but I completely scratched it after I learnt about the 7.6 scale earthquake at Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture in the afternoon.
Ishikawa prefecture is my favorite region for food trips. Over the years I have developed fondness over many restaurants and gained a lot of friendship. My heart sunk to the bottom
After I messaged chefs and friends in Ishikawa prefecture one by one to check on their status, the responses revealed an universal mentality : “I might have suffered from damages but there are others with much more. We are planning to send food and supplies to the most affected areas, it is our priority . We want to start restoration as soon as possible”.
I am so incredibly touched. Japan is a nation that when problems arise, they immediately think of others who may need help and put them in front of themselves. A few chefs in Noto area got their restaurants completely demolished, they cannot return home. But what they do is they immediately find suppliers outside of Ishikawa to get more supplies into the region; they cook up 600-700 bentos in temporary constructed sites to send to families affected. They are in tears, but they help others who are crying.
Thunderbird trains from Kyoto to Kanazawa fully restarted in less than 15 hours. When I saw the train running at Kyoto station at 6:45am, I gave a standing ovation with full admiration and respect while watching it passed by
When I told Takeda san, a Japanese chef in Taiwan, that I am very worried about the situation, he said, “Japanese will be ok. Everyone will help each other”. He is so right. I truly believe they will recover together with the support of each other. #頑張れ石川
(Descriptions of pictures in comment section)]()
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2024-01-06 20:43:19
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![If you have followed Rene’s and Noma’s IG (who does?), you would have known that they have just turned 20! Simultaneously they had just released their first magazine (more like a book) “Noma in Kyoto” to capture all the inspirations and details about their pop up event in Kyoto during spring this year. This book is a deep dive to many subjects in Japan in a very profound manner, covering topics of cultures, fermentationn, the art of table, knife, ceramics, coffee, sake, even hiking tracks, and restaurants and bars in this historic city of Japan
I am incredibly honored to be able to contribute a piece of writing in this book, on 𝙊𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞 - the core value of Japan in human interaction which extends beyond reachable level compared to the rest of the world.
What exactly is Omotenashi「おもてなし」 in Japan? After living in Japan many years I found this to be almost too hard to explain in words. Within the scope of F&B industry, I tried to share my thoughts and a few of countless experiences of omotenashi during restaurant visits in Japan throughout the years, which seems to be most prominent in traditional Japanese restaurants. How does a pine needles at restaurant “Ogata”in Kyoto related or a cartoon character from Sanrio at Kataori in Kanazawa translate to Omotenashi? They are explained in this article.
I majored in electrical engineering (we write in 0s and 1s) and I am not professional writer or trained in this field. I don’t know elaborate adjectives nor writing style. This was a very humble attempt on a topic very dear and near to my heart, because I truly admire and appreciate many of the japanese chefs I have encountered in their endless pursuit to perfect cooking as well as omotenashi. If you have a chance to read it (you should get the magnificent book, for the incredibly inspiring contents), I hope you enjoy it. It is the same as the kind of food I like the most - nothing particularly glamorous, but just coming from the heart]()
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2023-12-01 20:48:14
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![Finally have time to finish this last part the of the first dinner of HK x TW 4 hands series, mume_taiwan x Neighborhood. The meal reached climax when we were presented with a roasted baby goose which is the new signature at Mume. richie_lin dry aged these local baby geese for a week and then prepared with both Chinese and Western techniques so that the skin is like Chinese Peking duck while the meat is like Western duck in medium rare state (as compared to Chinese roast duck / goose of which is always fully cooked). Only baby geese (but already the size of an adult duck) is possible as anything bigger will be too tough to be eaten medium rare!
Normally the goose is cut, sliced, and served in individual plates with preserved vegetables and kumquat sauce. davidtlai transformed it into Neighborhood style sharing plate, with an assortment of Taiwense produces such as figs, chestnuts, pineapple, fern, and 晚香玉旬Polianthes tuberose , they were SO DELICIOUS. It was such a clever dish to showcase Taiwanese poultry and produce in such combinations incorporating both chefs’ own styles.
Like at Neighborhood we often end with big format paella to share, David made us a special rice inspired by Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Rice). Instead of pork, milk shark which is a delicacy in TW cuisine is used. The texture was so soft wuth thick gelatinous skin. Served with soft boiled marinated egg and homemade pickled vegetables, TW style. Such a wholesome ending with a wicked twist!
We ended the meal with some “sweet”, first was actually quite David’s style again : local persimmon with local lardo and local caviar! Mume’s granita with coffee oil (video 8, pic 10) was so refreshing and balance esp with all the Taiwanese fruits such as the special golden fruit (see pic 9) with jelly like sweet flesh, passionfruit, persimmon etc. We ended the meal with chocolate made by cacao grown in local cacao farm.
It was such as fantastic start to the series of 7 meals with 3 of them held in TW 4 weeks ago. I am so in close with both chefs’ cooking, it was a seamless collaboration. Tonight will be the start of the 4th-7th meals, held in HK! Stay tuned!]()
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2023-10-29 12:15:45
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![When Mume just started 10 years ago, they used to have a la carte menu with a barley porridge dish with mushroom and egg. It has been long gone but brought back by David & Richie together in a very “Neighborhood” fashion - chicken offals as topping like his famous salt baked chicken rice! It made so much sense as chicken & offals in Taiwan are so fresh and quality is extremely high. From chicken heart, testicle, crown, gizzard and tails (2! 😍) all cooked in chicken jus, we had a bit of everything on barley risotto cooked in chicken stock, topped with Shaoxing wine foam. It was so good and comforting at the same time.
On Mume menu one of my favorite dishes was the cuttle fish “pasta”. You may think you have squid / cuttlefish noodles so many times but you have not had this. Thin and wide slices of cuttlefish was dressed with a spicy cuttlefish ragu resembling Nduja made with the heads and legs cuttlefish, they were so tender and fluffy almost like squid meatballs for Chinese soup noodles, yet the flavor was very European. The cuttlefish pasta looked like pappardelle but was so light in texture. Together with paprika sauce and parsley oil, it was impossible to stop till tue last drop (and very importantly, approved by esteemed Italian gourmet marcobonsai 😜)
#hkxtwcollaboration2023firstseries
#littlemeg_taipei #littlemeg_mume #littlemeg_neighborhood #littlemeg_mumexneighborhood #mume_taiwan #taipei #food #cuttlefish #pasta #ragu #chicken #offals #risotto]()
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2023-10-10 20:29:22
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![Hong Kong and Taiwan are two of the first places that closed the borders and opened last due to pandemic. Chefs in HK and TW have always had very close knit and it was the time to reunite as friends for a 3-day 3 four-hand dinner series in Taiwan. The restaurants are :
Chairman, Neighborhood & Vea from HK, & Mume, Le Beaujour & JL Studio from TW.
1st collaboration meal was held at MUME in Taipei where chef Richie and David Lai cooked together for the first time. But their history started a decade ago when Richie was able to start NUR in HK, David was the first person I asked to try the trial dishes made in a tiny apt. It is quite surreal they are cooking together in Richie’s kitchen now!
David’s spontaneity and creativity and sourcing of exceptional ingredients was a great match with MUME’s sustainability practice. The two chefs went to Keelung market at midnight for fish and dishes was not known until cooking went live 😆. The meal started with amuse of chicken liver parfait stuffed on candied kumquat skin (pic 5) followed by David’s amazing umami fish soup leveled up with tender local baby octopus (pic 6), and generously portioned (very David 😆) blush prawns (local species of carabinero) with fried 🦐 heads on locally produced burrata adorned with dried shrimp roe and prawn head sauce (pic 7)
Mume’s signature Bonito dish (pic 8) is only available when good bonito appears in the market. The colorful base made with yellow aromatic oil, red chili oil and green herb oil gave an incredible luscious texture and layers of flavors. Being called a “perfect dish” by David which was the ultimate compliment to Richie’s growth.
Smoked fish at Neighborhood had a new version within Taiwan local Milkfish 虱目魚 (pic 9), with a special coffee emulsion he improvised from his media session at fikafikacafe .He got inspired by the coffee there to make a sauce to balance the fattiness of the milk fish (you can see the picture, flesh to fat ratio is 1:1, pic 10). How genius!]()
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2023-10-10 11:53:46
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![A conversation with Zaiyu san a night before gave me some light bulb moments💡 . I asked a simple question about whether he has changed his sequence of the courses which appeared different from before. He gave me such a great answer. He said it is determined by the ingredients and the flow of the customers, so every time it is different. There are a lot of regulars but also new customers at Den, they can be of different ages, some drink and some don’t. It has been 16 years since Den opened, and it is important to 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.
And suddenly I have this revelation. Not only do they change ingredients by seasonality and by day, they change the food based on each individual. You may see different dishes for each guest on the same day, come at different timing and sequence.
That must be crazy hectic for a kitchen. Even if you want to embrace this practice, you need to have the knowledge of ingredients, the skills to improvise and execute , the organization inside the kitchen and with FOH, but Den nails it.
This was my 35th times to Den, despite coming less frequently than before, every time it was a blast. Because they keep changing, I always felt so excited and never bored. The miso marinated Foie Gras Monaka was still a hit, this time with Satsumaimo 🍠 and iburigakko (smoked pickled radish); the fragrant fresh 🥜 tofu, smokey 🍆 with uni & ikura, tDFC 🐔with fermented 🌶, aged 松鯛 🐟with nori sauce, the kinmedai owan with wintermelon and awesome dashi. Zaiyu San’s beef is still so incredibly delicious, misuji (oyster blade) marinated in dashi for a week, served with 鶴紫tsurumurasaki and rocket piment.
The rice with 8 kinds of 🍄 from Mt Fuji was out of the world! These mushrooms were confit in soy bean oil then butter sautéed at the end before added to the dashi cooked rice. Sooooooooooo good. Our dessert came with an adorable “My Heart” grape in the shape of 💜. So cute. My meal was so spectacular and I learnt so many new things.
Only your family will put all these efforts to make everything the best for you. That’s why eating at Den always feel like home. What Den is doing for their customers is truly the ultimate form of hospitality.]()
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2023-09-28 21:03:57
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![(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) Another item that I LOVE in Malaysia is Chendol, which obviously is driven by my love of shaved ice 😝
I tried many shops in Kuala Lumpur (and SG), and the one that truly stood out, was at Makan Time!
This place was recommended to me by several people after I posted about other Chendol in town.
Essential ingredients in Chendol are ice, coconut milk, gula melaka (palm sugar) and the green short noodle-like chendol strands.
Good Gula Melaka easily makes or breaks a Chendol. It is a type of palm sugar made from the sap of flower buds from coconut palm. The one at Makan Time has a fragrant aroma and a rich caramelised molasses-like flavor balanced with a mild saltiness which goes immensely well with coconut milk. The sweet and savory taste is unbelievably refreshing when the ice starts to melt and turns into ice slushie. I gasped when I ate it. It was SO daxn good.
But the thing that makes Makan Time the best among all is their homemade pandan Chendol strands. Most places I tried had pretty flavorless narrow and chewy strands. The ones here were soft, slippery and lightly bouncy, softer than normal jelly or tapioca balls. The texture was amazing and it actually had good pandan taste, super super delicious, the best I ever tasted!
I wanted to have a second bowl, a larger one 😝, but was told that they cannot change the size because the balance with the palm sugar and flavor will be off. I had never felt so happy for being turned down before 😂. I knew this is a chef who is not willing to compromise on details and his products (just like sushi chef not willing to change this shari) . I like this chef already ❤️🔥
When the chef Daniel came out to talk to us, he immediately mentioned this pandan chendol is really difficult to make, he must pay full attention or the chlorophyll will sink and texture will not be perfect etc etc. He is so serious and passionate, I can understand why his Chendol beats everyone else, it is not about what kind of food but the attitude towards it.
I also shared savory food with Chef darrenteohmg and his family there such as Siamese Laksa, Nasi Kerabu Biasa. Highly Recommend this place for all Chendol Lovers!]()
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2023-08-11 13:04:38
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![Everyone has their own favorite place for Hokkien Mee 福建炒麵 in KL or SG, here is why I like the signature Hokkien Mee at Lao Ping (pic 1) :
1. “Wok Hei” - the immense heat and “air” imparted in between the noodles due to vigorous tossing and turning the ingredients in the wok during stir-frying, is unmatched by other restaurants. It shows the strength of stir-fry actions
2. All noodle strands were evenly coated with sweet soy and lard. The noodles had a soft chew (how it should be) but not broken, which is an indication of skillful power control while stir frying. It is a sign of being about to balance “soft” and “hard” power.
3. Flavor was phenomenal! The thick dark soy had so much more flavors than most places I’ve tried, there was a great balance of sweet and savory notes. The lard aroma was noticeable and taste “fresh”. The flavor stays with you when your slurp the smooth and slippery noodles.
4. All the toppings were well cooked and not dry or chewy, from the meat to pig’s livers and shrimps. Not the case elsewhere.
5. In particular, the fried lard cubes (pic 2) were exceptional. There was not a single hard bite which is extremely rare in other restaurants. They were very “so-fah”, addictive!
Hokkien Mee is my favorite among all 3 noodles I ordered, it was the strongest and richest in flavor. The second noodle is Kuey Teow or Yuet Kong Hor (月光河) Moonlight Hor Fun (pic 3-4), flat rice noodles with slightly lighter sweet soy flavor (you can see the color is less dark, pic 5). The raw egg topping gave it an extra smoothness.
The last noodles was one I never tried before, 鴛鴦廣東麵 Ying Yang Cantonese Noodles. It has crispy fried vermicelli at the bottom, then flat rice noodles above, topped with a gravy sauce with egg, meat, shrimp etc. This has a very nostalgic Chinese noodle flavor, I also enjoyed!
3 noodles with extra toppings of fried lard cubes cost 39 RM, about $66 HKD or $8.5 USD😱😱😱.
There are other stalls in the food center that sell different types of food . I ordered extra charcoal grilled otak otak (min 7 pieces for 7 RM 🤯) and they were also delicious 😍]()
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2023-08-10 12:03:43
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![This year I have the opportunities to travel to Kuala Lumpur several times, and with that I tried to explore a little of local cuisines every time. Two dishes that are particularly of my focal interests are Hokkien Mee and Chendol.
Last week I visited a casual food stall Lao Ping Hokkien Mee 老泙福建麵 inside a food center, a restaurant famous for Hokkien Mee recommended by my friend blueskiescottonclouds . Before that I have been visiting other Hokkien Mee places here and there in order to try a variety and get a benchmark. When I witnessed how the old chef at Lao Ping making Hokkien Mee and other noodles non-stop with his fierce stir-frying skill, I was🤯🤯🤯. Besides of his very noticeable superior skill in making the noodles, what touched me the most was the fact that this kind of unsound heroes representing shokunin spirit exist in many places outside of glamorous or famous restaurants.
If you watch the video from the beginning, you can see the noodles were light brown in color with lots of liquid in the wok. The oldest chef had to cook over 5 minutes constantly stir frying with the spatula in crazy fast motions and throwing the noodles in the wok up and down in order to get every strand of the noodle coated with even amount of sweet soy and lard, till all the liquid is reduced to almost no residue sauce left. It took 7-8 minutes minimum to finish one batch. This restaurant opens from 8am to 12am and every plate of noodles is done by this chef. Imagine how many plates of noodles he makes and how much energy and strength it requires to go through a day like this.
Intrigued and filled with so much admiration, I ordered 3 different types of noodles. Hokkien Mee, Hor Fun with Egg, and “Cantonese Ying Yang”. They are all so good I couldn’t stop eating! I will post more on the noodles in my next posts.
I have so much respect to chefs like this, where they perform their craft for their whole life and perfect the skills like no others. It really does not need to be a restaurant on a list or with Michelin star. In everyday life we can find these masters in the most humble places. They are just as legendary as all the famous chefs we put on the cover pages.]()
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2023-08-09 21:42:59
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![So much has been written about Etxebarri, I felt anything I write is probably redundant. But for a personal record I still want to post about this meal, which was undoubtedly one of the best meals I had in my life.
Each dish appeared to be simple in appearance showing the ultimate skills of grilling with fire, delivering the optimal level of these pristine ingredients. But when I looked back there was a genius planning in the menu, the flow of the dishes is masterfully orchestrated: the change in level of doneness, the sequence of the flavors by oceanic salinity, sweetness and minerals. The variation of textures was the most extensive I have had here or elsewhere, I realized there was no repetitive textures among the dishes, not even for the 4 types of fish we had.
Bittor is not just talented and skilled in grilling, he made things happen by inventing all different gadgets, like the sieves in different sizes and shapes for grilling caviar, eels, peas and eggs etc. Nowadays people try to do the same but no one cooks it better than Bittor himself.
The service level has gotten much better over the years, wine pairing is phenomenal these days. Even Bittor himself seems more cheerful lately. I met him three times in this trip in different occasions, and he was talking to everyone with big smiles. His face glowed with joy, much more so than before covid.
Without the need to lobby for supports, without committing any time on social media, without any attempt to change themselves for public approval, all Etxebarri does is to keep elevating themselves, and they succeed. The food is the most concrete evidence, everyone there can taste and can tell.
And this is my best type of restaurants, my favorite kind.
When I finished this meal, I feel so “small”, founding myself knowing so little. When I thought I have had the best of different things (even after many tries), here came yet another place & time that showed me I have not seen and eaten enough. There seems to have no boundaries to the level Etxebarri can reach. I am so eager to return, because I know the only person who can beat this meal is Bittor himself.
I ❤️ Etxebarri & I ❤️ Spain 🫶🏻]()
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![You notice that a lot of asadors (and steakhouses around the world) often serve incredibly delicious desserts? In Spain your (best) choices are mostly around tarte de queso, torrija, leche frita, crema catalan or flan, and tocino de cielo.
But Etxeberri made their own versions of different desserts that are so good I did not crave for the original at all. The now iconic smoked ice cream (pic 2) made by smoking the milk with charcoal then wood create the most sensual flavor and aroma that is unparalleled with other restaurants attempting to do the same. The smoky aroma and the smoothness, plus the cold beet juice that comes along with the ice cream - the level of balance is so perfect I still have goosebumps every time I eat it.
The original hot chocolate soufflé (pic 3) tasted as impactful as its entry, you know it is going to be good when it comes out with that melting lava texture. Hot and runny, you taste the egg, cream, chocolate, sugar all so sinful but you just can’t stop reaching for another bite.
Then came the cold cheese flan (pic 4-5) with a creaminess completely different from the soufflé. Almost like a cheesecake that is so smooth and velvety. 😌
Here were the last 3 courses of the 22 course meal which lasted 5 1/2 hours. The most unforgettable time 😇
One thing I think everyone who had been to Etxebarri will agree, that is the superb wine pairing done by mohamed_sommelier , one of my favorite (if not the most favorite) sommeliers in the world. i think marc_gsa puts it very well, Mohammad has the ability to match wine with the people, not just the dishes, and with the food that great the awesome wine brought it to yet another level. You can see the wine we had in this meal in video 6 and pic 7-8.
#littlemeg_best2023
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#littlemeg_spain #littlemeg_bilbao #girona #littlemeg_europe2023jun #bilbao #littlemeg_sansebastian #sansebastian #littlemeg_asadoretxebarri #asadoretxebarri #littlemeg_steak #etxebarri #food #fire #smoke #icecream #sweet #souffle #wine]()
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2023-08-04 20:54:58
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![Eating at Etxebarri is like watching a great thriller, there is not a dull moment even between transitions of climax.
After the lobster (course 15) which literally put me out of control, I was able to reorient myself with a delightful vegetable dish - guisante lágrima aka teardrop peas with pickled onions and chanterelles, with a little kick from cayenne pepper (pic 2).
We had two fish courses, a thick cut, succulent bacalao (cod) with sherry wine sauce (pic 3), and the grilled whole Red Sea bream (pic 4). It seemed that everyone knows about how much I like fish head, even my friends from next table saved the fish head for me so I had two 😂😂😂 (pic 5). But the flesh from the body was also fantastic, it needed nothing - no need for extra salt or sauce. Just unadorned and it was already amazing.
Finally came our chuleta, not 1 but 2 for our table (pic 6-7)! In this trip I had 14 chuleta at different restaurants and they vary in source and type of cattle, aging time, the cut, the way of cutting, etc. It is hard to say which is the best as it ultimately comes down to personal preference. In a broad sense, as opposed to the more traditional asadors which serve very macho thick cut with leaner meat that gives you a good meat chew, the one at Etxebarri was more well marbled beef chops (ours that day were female Galician, 8-9 years old). The thinner chops and slanted cut give the beef a softer texture so you don’t have to wrestle with the beef in your mouth😝.
Anyway, this beef was so phenomenal without thinking any technicality, the intense beef flavor (without being to mineral or grassy), the texture that was tender without losing all the chew, was soooo perfect for me. Scroll from pic 8-10 and you could see the different areas of the steak and the texture. It was one of my top 3 favorite chuleta in this trip!
#littlemeg_best2023
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#littlemeg_spain #littlemeg_bilbao #girona #littlemeg_europe2023jun #bilbao #littlemeg_sansebastian #sansebastian #littlemeg_asadoretxebarri #asadoretxebarri #littlemeg_steak #etxebarri #food #fire #smoke #chuleta #mushroom #sweet #peas #bacalao]()
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2023-08-03 21:15:15
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![It is hard to summarize the meal with a few highlights when everything was so good, but there was one dish that really stood out at Etxebarri that day - this lobster that beats all lobster!
We got one lobster with lobster eggs and one without (pic 2), and both were ridiculously delicious! I don’t know how Bittor did it but the entire heads had this uniform custardy texture (pic 3-6), spoon after spoon it had a creamy texture without any hard bits. It was covered with a sauce of the emulsified tomalley, so everything came from the lobster itself. I really couldn’t stop myself from have another bite, and another bite. I was mind blown! How did he make it like this????
I took one meat from the each of the lobster (pic 7, left and right) and they were both done to perfection as well (pic 8) - succulent, juicy, you taste an intense lobster flavor with an additonal crustacean tomalley umami from the sauce. How can it be so good when it was just the lobster itself?
We would not give up and spoon to the last drop of the head (pic 9-10). And when we finished, I told myself, my benchmark for lobster has reached new height. It was not just the best lobster I ever had, I think it is one of the best dish I have ever had in my life (so far).
I want to take my hat off and salute Bittor for that 🫡
#littlemeg_best2023
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#littlemeg_spain #littlemeg_bilbao #girona #littlemeg_europe2023jun #bilbao #littlemeg_sansebastian #sansebastian #littlemeg_asadoretxebarri #asadoretxebarri #littlemeg_steak #etxebarri #food #fire #smoke #lobster #thebest #benchmark #bogavante #mindblown]()
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2023-08-02 21:11:22
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![This meal at Etxebarri in June kept getting better with various seafood coming one after another. Plates of humongous sized percebes landed at our table (pic 2) with the smell of the sea from the steam immediately caught my sense. The execution was the most perfect compared to the percebes I had here before (pic 3), and the flesh was had so much oceanic salinity and mineral flavor from the innards, every bite was like a wave of sea umami hit straight to my brain. I drank all the orange percebe juice left on the plate while I extracted the meat (pic 4), it was like drinking the sea.
The duo of Gambas de Palamós (pic 5) need no introduction. Mine had these purple roes inside 😍 (pic 6). When you peel shell and suck the heads, you have the gentle smokiness from grilling the shrimp that adheres to not just the shrimp flesh but to your fingers - always lick your fingers instead of cleaning fingers with a towel 😝 (and I put the shells back to shrimp form, I guarantee you there is nothing left inside 😂)
The razor clams were the best I ever had, so tender with a semi cooked center (pic 7). The sauce made from the broth of razor clams and olive oil gave me perfect excuse to practise scarpetta l (in video). 3 in total I had! 😝.
Here came a special after the shellfish : cod tripe (pic 8)! It is like the Spanish cousin of Chinese fish maw, full of gelatinous texture and ridiculously delicious with the red Salsa Vizcaina. I cleaned the bowl with more bread 🥰
I was already half way into food heaven, but there was more. Espardenas, the inner muscle (not innards) of sea cucumber, also another of my favorite Spanish ingredients (pic 9). They were grilled to yield a light char outside, and inside was juicy with a soft chew. I can’t imagine a better texture for it and so delicious! The fresh (!) ganbazo beans were probably grilled on the sieve like teardrop peas, which gave them the smoky aroma with a bouncy texture that was new to me.
The baby cuttlefish (pic 10) looked so innocent but they were so lethally good with caramelised onion confit stuffed inside the delicate tender body. Out of the world deliciousness. A dish I couldn’t forget at all.]()
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2023-08-01 21:42:55
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![Etxebarri is one of those rare restaurants that seems to have no limit to the highest level they can reach. I had a 5 hr 22 course meal in June 2023, one of the most transcending experiences I ever had there.
We began with a very clean flavored broth of clear tomato water and zucchini, followed by possibly the best chorizo in the world (pic 4) and a lusciously smooth and clean tasting cold smoked salmon with tartare sauce (pic 5).
Lightly grilled red tuna belly from Barbate landed on season-first tomato. But it was the tomato kissed with warm tuna belly oil that really spoke loud of the beginning of summer season. The Smokey aroma was borderline sexy (pic 6)
I remember fondly about the smoked caviar sitting on a bed of melted pork fat from the same pig used to make those chorizo (pic 8).
My sensei marc_gsa and I had this discussion about how it was grilled. Caviar a la brasa (grilled caviar) should be understood that the “smoked” term is the result he wants rather than the technique (or what conventional smoking (food) means). Using two nets, Bittor puts wet wakame on the bottom net and caviar on the top net, with applewood around 50°C to grill the caviar gently. Bittor wants 1) flavor of the smoke and 2) reducing a bit of fat from the caviar. The seaweed releases vapor that helps to keep the caviar moist and not to dry out quickly. You don’t need to know any of these to fall in love with this dish but I fall in love with Bittor more after I know how genius he is.
The goat’s butter is another thing that I couldn’t stop myself from eating at Etxebarri (pic 7). When this combines with the smoked caviar and lard on a piece of bread, I just want to say: leave me alone 😂 (pic 9)
Seasonal white asparagus was served with shaved mushroom (in video) on white asparagus sauce made from a broth using the rest of the asparagus and tasted so fresh and intense. Do they ever use all these taglines about zero wastage or sustainability? They just do it.
Last but not least, the fatty house cured anchovies on pan con tomate, the perfect level of vinegar reminds of eating a real good piece of kohada sushi (in terms of balance) (pic 10)]()
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2023-07-31 21:19:28
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![Another place in Spain that truly deserve to be mentioned is Ganbara in the old town of San Sebastián. After 3 times to SS post-covid doing the pintxos crawls, I found Ganbara to be by far the best with its pristine quality of ingredients, execution, and warm hospitality.
This time I decided to let Amaiur, the owner and the son of the female chef Amaia (pic 1) to bring me whatever they think was great, basically omakase style. They sent out a lot of things not on menu. It was one of the best meals I ever had in San Sebastián.
We started with a few pintxos such as the signature chicken and ham croqueta and txangurro, both came piping hot, crispy outside yet creamy inside (pic 2). Monkfish and prawn brochette and jamon with shaved mushroom on toast were deliciously done, even the monkfish was perfectly cooked (pic 2). White asparagus frito was the must-have of this season, so tender and juicy (pic 3).
The most genius dish of mushroom (pic 4), using just the caps of wild porcini and yellow boletus mushroom, one sautéed with olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt, and another topped with egg yolk, so simple, so so incredibly good!
Seafood were so spectacular there, The line-caught hake kokotxa with such uncommon fresh taste, baby squid with creamy innards topped caramelized onion, and ventresca de atun (red tuna belly) that melt in the mouth, all perfectly balanced with right level of acidity (pic 5)
The juice from the Galician percebes was so rich in sea umami, unforgettably good. I drank all the juice on the plate. (Pic 6)
Then came the classic assorted mushroom with egg (pic 7), fried hake 💯(pic 8), even the pigeon (pic 9) was 👍🏻 with buttery mashed potato. Outstanding torrija (pic 10) to finish.
Having great ingredients is important, but there were all these fine details, like accurate seasoning and doneness, temperature; even the pacing was great. I have been here numerous time and they are performing at peak. Mom Amaia came out to say hi and I felt so heart warmed. There are a lot of old places that couldn’t keep up with quality, and when you see places that run in generation and keep elevating, you really appreciate what they do and feel blessed]()
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2023-06-12 10:30:00
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![My 2nd trip in Spain in a month started with eating in Basque countries. Visiting Casa Julian, one of the most important temples of steak, made me feel so blessed, because of the food and more.
I am not going to dive into the food too much as it has been written extensively. We all know the beef is phenomenal (you can also check #littlemeg_casajulian ). We had a Chuleta that was chosen so we could enjoy different flavors and textures, and incredible arrays of vegetables from tender leeks, uncious mushroom, and juicy white asparagus (with white asparagus sauce and onion oil). Piquillo pepper confit came sizzling hot and oh so delicious together with our steaks. I asked for the beef fat which usually got thrown away after grilling, and it was an evil indulgence just like the amazing egg yolk concentrated flan and top notched cheesecake.
What I found most touching was the fact that you see the son Xabi was still continuing the legacy of his father, legendary master Matias Gorrotxategi, helping him to run the business side by side. Even though Matias does not do grilling anymore, he is still in the restaurant every day, and the grandson was also there the day we visited, it was 3 generations together, a heart warming scene.
Do not take this for granted. In fact several local friends have told me about iconic Spanish restaurants closed / closing due to lack of successors. My favorite paella place, Paco Gandia (check #littlemeg_pacogandia ) had closed recently as the female master could not find someone to take over the place. Zuberoa closed in Oct 2022 when the old master chef Hilario Arbelaitz retired. Who knows what will happen to Etxebarri when Bittor decides to take time off. This is also a serious issue in Chinese cuisine, perhaps even a global problem in the culinary world.
When Aitor of Elkano saw the pictures of Matias and Xabi together, he said “this is a gift”, to be able to continue the succession of tradition. When you have the chance to visit these restaurants or shops that last for generations, remember to enjoy the food, appreciate the craftsmanship, treasure the experience. Because their presence is truly a present 🎁]()
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2023-06-09 20:58:49
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My 2nd trip in Spa..
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![(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) The other day I went to a popular sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Hatou, headed by young chef Daichi Kumagiri. A sense of warmth got to me when I saw this happening : when the four young chefs worked together to peel the shells of kuruma ebi with big smiles, so motivated and enjoying the moment. I was so touched.
bernard.lin sent me an excerpt from the late Ryuichi Sakamoto in the book by legendary chef Ogata in Kyoto:
“I care about the well-being of the staff because I love the restaurant itself. And in turn, I can see that the employees respect the chef. I can look at their faces and see whether they are motivated by money, or if they are truly invested in the work they do. Another important element for determining restaurant greatness is the customer himself. Someone who is only interested in earning bragging rights that he has eaten at a famous restaurant actually ruins
the atmosphere. Just as with the staff, I can sense whether customers adore the restaurant and cuisine. And if that's the case, I'm happy to spend several hours dining there. Chefs must need a tremendous spirit and virtue to be able to reel in both quality staff and customers.”
I cannot agree more. When I was at Hatou, I could completely feel the respect from Kuma san to his team and to customers, he is so courteous and always smiling.
That day a gentleman came with his 80+ year old mother, and she ate everything and loved drinking wine and whisky. Kuma san was so caring and kept asking if everything was ok, if she was full or not, and if she had enough to drink. Other chefs helped to change our tea to make sure it was never cold. The continuous flow of “thank you” “please” was so genuine and real. This kind of heartwarming hospitality immediately makes me fall in love with the team and want to support their devotion to their career.
And of course customers in the restaurant make a huge difference. I have had meals where the food was excellent but the customers ruined the whole experience. Luckily here I enjoyed every moment. With the hardworking attitude and continuous improvement in nigiri skills of Kuma san, I am sure he will go far.]()
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2023-04-20 12:05:47
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![I was really excited to go home a few weeks ago to pick up jeremychanikoyi ‘s new book • IKOYI • a book that he started writing during covid time. Through his writings I can understand his philosophical thinkings behind his cooking and inspirations behind the dishes:
“When I apply my creative process to ingredients, I deliberately remove them from their cultural context and traditional usage.”
“In forgetting everything I know with respect to food, I relate to ingredients purely through their potential for flavour and their untapped dimensions for aesthetic expression.”
It becomes so clear why Ikoyi has never been and should never be categorized as African cuisine.
Many childhood memories that inspired Jeremy’s cooking resonated with me due to our shared Cantonese background, such as “Wok Hei” introduced by his dad when cooking Hainanese chicken rice. “One thing that has stayed with me is the centrality of texture in Chinese cooking, particularly with respect to green vegetables.” No wonder the textural aspects in his dishes were so strong.
“I love the way Cantonese-style duck drips fat into your steamed rice, creating the perfect meat marinade with its hints of cassia bark, anise and ginger”. I had the visuals of myself indulging in the same moments while eating with my parents when I was a kid.
His intense obsession to details and perfection - the Shokunin’s mindset, is also obvious :
“I like to think of the great sushi masters when slicing this fruit - why should we not take the same care with our melon as Saito San does with aged tuna? I find that respect and precision in preparing the melon greatly enhances the aesthetic; the smallest motions and decisive angles can transform its presence from humble fruit to an incandescent
form of architecture.”
Besides being a great chef, original thinker, an artist and a perfectionist, Jeremy is an exceptional writer. The way he described textures and flavors were so captivating. If he ever becomes a blogger (please don’t 😝) he will beat everyone.
Thank you Jeremy for the book and the message. You have increased my understanding and appreciation to Ikoyi infinitely.]()
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2023-04-14 11:31:05
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![I was very honored to preview Il Ristorante Niko Romito Tokyo in March before the official opening inside the brand new Bulgari Hotel with stunning interior designs. For this opening Chef Niko worked with Chef Mauro, ex head chef of same shop in Shanghai, now in charge of the new space.
Il Ristorante Niko Romito in Bulgari Hotels around the world all carry the same DNAs of Chef Niko Romito, with their style belonging to contemporary Italian fine dining, different from flagship restaurant Reale. Dishes come in more approachable fashion but the fundamental techniques are innovative like at Reale.
The opening dish was a clear soup made from extractions of onion, carrot and celery, made just olive oil, sage, salt and a bit of Champagne (pic 2). No water was added so every drop in the bowl was the pure essence of the vegetables, astonishingly deep and rich with such elegant purity. Such a powerful statement to start the meal.
The array of antipasto was Chef Niko’s elevated versions of traditional or classic bread & snacks (pic 3-5). Sfoglia all'uovo con asparagi, piselli, spinaci e salsa di Parmigiano Reggiano” (pic 6) is a modern interpretation of lasagna with assorted vegetables macerated in asparagus water, boosting their optimal flavors.
“Majalino croccante con salsa all'arancia” (pic7), suckling pig that reminded me of Chinese version. But it was steamed first and rested in the fridge for a few days before roasted on pan. The sauce made from pig jus, caramel and orange juice had a lightness to it from the citrus.
Every dish emphasized full flavors and captivating textures (pic8).
The bomba that came after the ricotta gelato, amarene cherries & balsamic vinegar was Chef Niko’s improved recipe passed down his father (pic9) . The airy texture only filled you with happiness and not heaviness.
The meal was prepared with innovative techniques or elevations upon histories and memories but did not demand deep thinking like the food at Reale. It is definitely a place I can come often with friends for a taste of Italy that is elevated by Japanese ingredients without compromising the underlying philosophy.
Congratulations again for the magnificent opening!!]()
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2023-04-13 21:01:31
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On average, Margaret Lam gets 1.5K likes and 37 comments per post. (Historical)
