Foodle

2nd Visit to Furumachi Gojo in Niigata City.

An intimate Kaiseki experience at a beautiful 7-seat counter, giving the chance to witness the craft of Gojo's young chef up close. Just like the winter course I tried during my first visit, Gojo's summer course oozes with character and makes for an outstanding dining experience all around.
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The chef is trained in soba, having learned from his parents. This pops up in different ways throughout the course, as the opener dish of soba groats & wild mushrooms in a refreshing cold dashi makes an immediate statement on the chef's skill to bring out the best of Niigata's local ingredients. Eventually, the soba theme culminates in two unforgettable closing dishes: a juwari soba served simply with a touch of salt&sudachi, and a hot soba dish with pieces of junsai shining in each bite.
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Of course, there's a lot more in between. Niigata's prized early summer fish 'Ara' makes an appearance in the best way possible, with its torched skin leading the way to ultra-soft and tasty meat. The perfectly cooked sea bass in the gentle yet impactful fish bone dashi leaves an indelible mark on the palate, while the amadai impresses as its crunchy texture is juxtaposed beautifully with the soft soba crepe wrapped around it. The chef's level of execution is unparalleled: each dish has enough impact to hold its own, while there's an overarching sense of elegance and subtlety. This is next-level Kaiseki.
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A good amount of the well established chefs, bar masters, and other craftsmen of Japan are close to retirement age. Sometimes, it's hard not to have a sense of worry if their craft could ever be carried into the next generations, and lament what may be forever lost. However, places like Furumachi Gojo show what the future of mastery in one's craft can look like for Japan: not merely a less able reproduction of what used to be, but a thoughtful interpretation standing solidly in traditional roots while taking confident steps forward towards what ought to be. Less

La selección del sumiller.

Probablemente Boho Club es el mejor sinónimo del verano - gastronómicamente hablando - en Marbella. Y no sólo por ese espacio, a pie de la Milla de Oro y rodeado de jardines tranquilos, sino por la propuesta especialmente atractiva y estacional que Diego del Río ha venido mantenido a lo largo de su trayectoria.

En un panorama en el que cada vez es más difícil trazar la línea entre la cocina tradicional, la creativa, la de producto o el adjetivo que prefiramos elegir, Diego del Río se mantiene firme en una culinaria original y personal pero de fundamentos clásicos sólidos. Sin excesivos riesgos, ni experimentos innecesarios que incomoden a una clientela que sólo busca comer bien, sin mayores sobresaltos. Muy pocos cocineros se manejan tan bien en este terreno y ofrecen una cocina tan sólida y satisfactoria como él.

Añadamos un emplazamiento ideal - que ha ido moderando un tanto la hiperactividad de su propuesta - pero con buen ambiente y una sala que funciona bien a pesar de los cambios y una carta de vinos, interesante aunque más discreta que antes. Gran cena y, como se suele decir en estos casos, mejor compañía. Un fijo en las noches estivales de Marbella. @bohoclubrestaurant @bohoclubrestaurant @diegodel75 @apardo59 @pilarcandil @limacomunicacionyeventos Less

(Part 1/3) I’ve always been someone who enjoys a glass of Champagne as an aperitif, but sitting through an entire tasting menu paired exclusively with Champagne? I wasn’t convinced it would be for me.

Back in May, @kitchentable1 Kitchen Table hosted a truly special one-off dinner in collaboration with YouTube restaurant reviewer Sándor Varga aka @alexandertheguest Alexander The Guest, with James Knappett and Sandia @watermelonchang curating a menu where every course was paired with a different Champagne. It completely changed my perspective.

From iconic names like Krug to outstanding smaller grower-producers including Eric Rodez, Georges Laval, J.L. Vergnon and Olivier Horiot, every pour had been carefully selected to complement the food rather than dominate it. The pairings were thoughtful, precise and, more often than not, genuinely surprising. By the end of the evening I realised just how versatile great Champagne can be when it’s in the right hands.

The menu itself was classic James Knappett: deceptively simple on paper but packed with refinement and flavour. One course in particular stood out. Instead of the expected beef or lamb centrepiece, the main protein was chicken—an inspired decision that felt refreshing in a fine dining setting. James explained it was his tribute to a memorable meal of chicken and chips served during a visit to one of Champagne’s most famous houses, proving that inspiration doesn’t always come from luxury ingredients but from unforgettable experiences.

It was one of those evenings where the food, wine and stories all came together seamlessly, helped enormously by the warmth and knowledge of James and Sandia throughout the dinner. I arrived expecting to admire the cooking; I left with an entirely new appreciation for Champagne as a dining companion.
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Michelin - ⭐️⭐️
La Liste - 82.50
OAD - 64
Worlds 50 Best - ‘Discovery’
Best Chef Awards - 🔪🔪
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#KitchenTable #JamesKnappett #Champagne #FineDining #LondonRestaurants Less

@plenitude.paris is one of those rare restaurants where everything feels exactly where it should be.

Inside @chevalblancparis , overlooking the Seine, the room already tells you this will not be an ordinary dinner. We were six, seated in the private room for a late 9 p.m. reservation, the kind of table that reminds you why this is one of the hardest reservations not just in Paris, but in the world.

The evening started with Krug, beautiful canapés, oysters, potato, truffle, warm bread, perfect butter, and the kind of porcelain, service, and attention to detail that makes luxury feel effortless.

But Plénitude’s real signature is the sauce.

Every dish feels built around depth, precision, and balance: blue fish with fennel and marigold, lifted by acidity; a tomato tart in puff pastry, presented whole and carved tableside; blue lobster with nasturtium and raspberry, rich, creamy, and unforgettable; turbot with caviar and a bouillon served alongside; red mullet with crab and saffron; and pigeon with herbs, almond, and every part treated with purpose.

Then came the cheese cave, one of the most generous and impressive I’ve seen, followed by desserts that could easily be their own reason to visit. The rose with candied grapefruit was light, aromatic, and beautiful. But the cocoa pod flower may be my favorite dessert of the year: layered, creamy, textural, and made for chocolate lovers.

Plénitude is not just a three-Michelin-star restaurant. It is the full expression of what a great restaurant can be when food, service, space, emotion, and execution all meet at the highest level.

A truly perfect restaurant. Less

Second visit to @ryebunnydc last month. The DMV is lucky to have this restaurant 🤗

1) ANCHOVY TOASTS – milk bread, blood orange confit, fennel pollen 👏

2) BEETS AND BERRIES – strawberry + fresno agrodolce, pistachios

3) GRILLED GAI LAN – pickled rhubarb, roasted garlic + tofu

4) ENGLISH PEA RAVIOLI – calabrian chili, mint, breadcrumbs

5) ROSEDA FARMS BEEF FLANKEN RIBS – chili glaze, crispy shallots, cilantro 🤤😋

6) Chocolate angel food cake 🫡
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#hungryglomad_washingtondc #ryebunny #adamsmorgandc #neighborhoodrestaurant Less

The Vernal menu. Always a joy to dine here regardless of the season, or the reason 💚

1) WELCOMING BROTH

2a) OYSTER - CELERY LEAF, HORSERADISH, CHERVIL

2b) CARROTS - CARROT CRACKER, BERBERE, FENNEL, DILL

2c) CRISPY CELERY ROOT - SMOKED CELERY ROOT PURÉE, DRIED ALLIUMS

3) PEAS! - FERMENTED PEANUT, KOSHO, XO, HERBS

4) ASPARAGUS - MORELS, NEW POTATO, RAMPS, DASHI

5) NEW BREAD OLD BREAD | MARIGOLD BUTTER

6) LION’S MANE MUSHROOM - NETTLES, SPELT, CHARD, BROWN BUTTER-YOGURT SAUCE

7) PUMPKIN SEED SORBET

8) LATE SPRING BERRIES - STRAWBERRY CAKE, PECANS, LEMON VERBENA

9) SPICEBUSH PORCINI SHORTBREAD
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@michelinguide for 2025: 🌟

#hungryglomad_washingtondc #plantbased #sustainability #eatyourveggies Less

First time visiting @minettataverndc. The burger did not disappoint 🤤👏😋

1) Black Label burger 🍔

2) Bread service 🥖

3) Vanilla ice cream 🍨

4) Apple tart 🍎

5) Fresh berries with Chantilly cream and lemon sorbet🍓🍋
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#hungryglomad_washingtondc #frenchcuisine #frenchinspired #burger #pommesfrites Less