Foodle

in modena, italy (march’24)

part 1/2
the osteria francescana ‘brand’ has now diverged into two main restaurants, the one with all its glory in modena city center serving all the experimental dishes, and the one inside the maria luigia estate, serving francescana signatures of the years like the broken lemon tart, which are no longer in the menu of the modena shop.

i visited the maria luigia restaurant, and stayed overnight (that will be in the 2nd post). personally didn’t love the setting of the dinner, long communal tables ‘for bonding’ and for someone introverted it makes it quite hard to enjoy my meal. the food was also not up my alley at all, very flamboyant with their presentation of course, but also flavours - like a trio of risotto of seafood, herbal and mushroom all in one plate, a mess of a plate of veal with sauces which did not work with the meat at all and was there for visual purposes. ended with a surprise dish which was probably my favourite of the night, a classic of the region tortellini but was still a distance away from some of the versions we had this weekend.

some may love the gimmick of it and the idea that each dish comes with a story as most diners did on our shared table. plus a lengthy speech given by chef massimo himself before and after the meal and the freedom to leisurely stroll into the kitchen whilst they’re cooking. the whole dinner experience was subpar of what i imagined as a restaurant with such accolades, can’t imagine what the experience must be like in the experimental side. had to feel it once for myself out of curiosity, but overall just one of the most overhyped and unworthwhile dinners i’ve visited this year.

dinner tasting menu: (€330)
mont saint michel
tribute to monk
riso camouflage
five ages of parmigiano reggiano
the crunchy part of the lasagne
beautiful psychedelic, spin painted veal, charcoal grilled with glorious colours as a painting
autumn in new york, winter in modena
oops! i dropped the lemon tart
surprise surprise
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would revisit: no
reservations online
price range pp: over €300
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📍FRANCESCANA AT MARIA LUIGIA
location: stradello bonaghino, 56, modena
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in modena, italy (march’24)

part 2/2
as much as i didn’t enjoy the dinner, i have to give credit to the beautiful estate and our lovely stay at the casa maria luigia. tennis courts, swimming pool, gym and art gallery aside, the house next door to the hotel is their own balsamico cellar, where tours are offered for in house guests to visit and sample the different balsamic vinegars made by massimo - from d.o.p. to his experimental blends.

the stay also includes breakfast, which was probably the highlight of the whole experience here and brightened our easter sunday. almost endless courses of sweets and savouries, from italian classics like the gnoccho fritto, parmigiano and endless foccacia, the american classics due to the soaring numbers of american tourists here - but they do bake a mean cinnamon bun. jams and spreads also which are all homemade and endless supply of chocolate chip cookies to take like a buffet.

if you do come to this side of italy, i do recommend staying overnight here to wind down in the estate and stay for the breakfast. to feed curiosity, could also attempt at their dinner, but would personally only recommend going for the stay and breakfast.
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would revisit: try once for brekkie and stay
reservations online
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📍CASA MARIA LUIGIA
location: stradello bonaghino, 56, modena
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in modena, italy (march’24)

a cozy hearty trattoria in modena city center, gave the vibe of a family run restaurant with regulars frequenting. because it was an easter sunday when we visited, the menu was limited, but what was served was still very good and reflection of the heartiness of the restaurant.

opted for a simple tortellini in brodo and lasagne, both felt like a huge hug from an italian grandma. won’t say its the most delicious, but all in all just felt so cozy and warm. ended with a mascarpone cream and ricotta chocolate cake which were average. would love to be back for their longer menu on off peak season to try more of their cooking.

tortellini in brodo (€12)
lasagne tradizionali (€12)
crema di mascarpone con tenerina (€8)
crosta di ricotta e cioccolato (€8)
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would revisit: if in modena
reservations by phone
price range pp: €10-€30
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📍OSTERIA ERMES
location: via ganaceto 89, modena
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in kanazawa, japan (may’24)

completely in awe of my meal here as i finally made it to one of my dream restaurants, located in kanazawa. so so so grateful for the invitation.

mind-blown by the simplicity yet immense depth in their dashi, using only kombu, katsuoboshi and fresh water from the mountains every morning grounds the foundation of the amazing meal i had here despite not being an ideal season for washoku.

began with an amazing yomogi tofu, before an owan made with the same dashi which was just served, in which was a perfectly cooked ainame and yomogi men, one of my favourite dishes of the afternoon. the sashimi platter was simply the most flawlessly executed rendition i’ve had, beautiful knifework in the ika, plump botan ebi and the most naturally flavourful hirame i’ve had. first time trying local style dishes such as the pressed sushi of kuruma ebi, amadai and celery, served with beautiful broad beans. the suppon dashi with mochi and teardrop peas was also incredible, so sweet and of the perfect crunch. the shime course was one of the memorable, from nodoguro to aji and my favourite tkg i’ve had to date, need to get a big size or two next time. ended with his perfectly shaped socarrat made into ochazuke, and a ginger infused warabi mochi which was so heavenly.

kataori-san re-imagines my concept of ‘minimalism’, focusing on extracting the best flavours of the ingredients to create seemingly simple but thought-provoking dishes. its a new level of simplicity which is still so powerful and a level of a true true master of its craft. it was a true pleasure to be invited here, without doubt the best meal i’ve had this year and wouldn’t hesitate to come back any chance i can get.

五月のコース (¥40,000)
✨よもぎの豆腐
✨一番だし
✨アイナメのお椀　よもぎの麺
✨お造り:牡丹エビ、ヒラメ、アオリイカ
あゆとアスパラの天ぷら
あじ、よもぎたたき
天然虎河豚の味噌焼き
✨甘鯛、芹、車海老の寿司
✨すっぽんのだし　すバップエンドウと餅
蕗の信田巻き、牡蠣ポン酢
スズキの千草巻き
〆: 白ごはんと牡丹エビの味噌汁、のどぐろ丼、あじ丼、✨卵たけごはん
✨お焦げと梅干しのお茶漬け
✨生姜蕨餅　抹茶
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would revisit: yes
reservations: intro-only
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍片折
location: 3-36 namikimachi, kanazawa, ichikawa
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in tokyo, japan (may’24)

most probably tokyo’s most famous unagi shop, one not for the faint of heart with the full nose-to-tail preparation and dining through the lengthy experience here.

as i came with someone who has visited not so long ago, we were allowed the option to sample a side by side of natural and farmed unagi through the meal. the late lunch began with a series of skewers, from liver to fin and tails. quite a unique experience to get such fresh innards and the whole top to bottom experience of unagi. with some from farmed and some natural, as well as some prepped in kanto style (only grilled) vs kansai style (steam then grilled). these skewers indeed had a rich smokey flavour from the grill but was overall enjoyable.

through the servings of skewers, taisho butchers the fresh and very much alive unagis in front of you, in which he takes the live, beating hearts of each to be served and eaten (or shall i say swallowed) within 10mins of their butchering, to demonstrate the freshness of the unagi when served.

we then got a selection of farmed and fresh unagi shiroyaki (no sauce), then followed by a side by side of the 2 types in kabayaki (with tare) and rice. in which, i found the flavours in the farmed stronger, but enjoyed the soft texture of the natural one more. he also serves the tare pre-grilled to sample the difference the natural ‘oiliness’ brings to the tare.

a truly memorable experience that was worthwhile for all unagi lovers, also a good learning experience on the whole process as well as understanding the difference of farmed/natural, kanto vs kansai.
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うなぎコース (¥18,000)
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would revisit: try once
reservations on omakase
price range pp: ¥10,000-¥30,000
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📍うなぎかぶと
location: 2-53-2 ikebukero, tokyo
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in tokyo, japan (june’24)

one which has been on my list to visit since before exploring japan, the 6 seater italian temple which has been extremely highly regarded and also extremely pricey.

his menu is divided into two segments, first the main cooked dishes and followed his infamous ham segment before desserts. as a somewhat pioneer of italian japanese cuisine, his delicate flavours in his cooking was indeed eye-opening, such as pairing akami and burnt eggplants with balsamico, awabi with basil. one of my favourites of the night was his lightly poached shima ebi and asparagus shoots in a light shima-ebi broth, and of course his pasta made a-la-minute, kind of wish he had more pasta courses. since it was summer, his rendition of uni pasta with fruit tomatoes was one of the best uni pastas i’ve had. as such an overused ingredient, he balanced the sweetness of tomatoes with the brininess well with a perfect al-dente on the pasta as well.

his ham segment was also a true highlight and wow moment for me. there was only 3 forms of ham served, a beef braesola, served on its own then also served with fennel and ricotta, a classic prosucitto cotto, also served on the most amazing homemade 2 year aged potato focaccia. and lastly his most famous proscuitto, wrapped in risotto rice, shako and served on gnoccho fritto which were all sublime. ended with a deconstructed tiramisu with a mascarpone ice cream, meringue and espresso powder which was also so so good. a memorable meal, with a very solid italian wine pairing - back vintages and reputable producers, somewhat justifying coming once.

五／六月のコース: (¥110,000)
イサキ、サルサヴェルデ
✨縞海老、アスパラソヴァージュ
石鯛、ジロール茸
黒鮪の腹身 藁烧 、賀茂茄子、25年熱成モデナ産バルサミコ
鮑、肝のピュレア、バジリコ
✨手打ち”タリオリーニ”、熊本天草紫うに、フルーツトマト
和牛フィレ肉、赤万願寺唐辛子の”ペペロナーダ”
✨ティラミス

izaki salsa verde
✨shima ebi, asparagus shoots
ishidai, girolle mushrooms
grilled tuna harami, burnt eggplants, 25 yo balsamico
abalone, liver puree, basil
✨tagliolini with uni and fruit tomato
wagyu fillet steak, manganji peoper peperonata
✨tiramisu
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would revisit: try once
reservations on omakase
price range pp: over ¥100,000
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📍ペレグリーノ
location: 2-3-4 ebisu, shibuya, tokyo
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in tokyo, japan (june’24)

newly opened from okayama to tokyo, they retain their title of the highly rated pizza shop of japan. and indeed it is till now my favourite dough from all the shops i tried.

really love their light dough and extremely puffy crust, slightly burnt in my opinion but doesn’t takeaway its texture. in terms of flavour, sampled the margherita, signature blue cheese and honey (fnt), and a seasonal one with corn egg and bacon. all were good, but the one which stood out was their signature, was a bit difficult to eat as the cheese sauce was extremely liquidy but along with the squeeze packs of honey it was one of their best flavours.

a very nice spot for lunch i recommend, a bit tough to book on tablecheck 2 days before but definitely worth the hassle. may visit the main shop if i’m ever in okayama, but otherwise would love to be back to sample more seasonal pizzas and walk around the lovely neighbourhood.

マルゲリータmargherita: (¥2200)
トマト, モッツァレラ, バジル
tomato, mozzarella, basil

FNT: (¥3300)
オリジナルブルーチーズソース, マスカルポーネ, 蜂蜜
original blue cheese sauce, mascarpone, honey

マイスー: (¥2500)
コーンとピューレ, イタリアのベーコン, ポロネギ, 燻製モッツァレラ
corn and puree, italian bacon, leek, smoked mozzarella
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would revisit: yes
reservations on tablecheck
price range pp: under ¥5000
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📍400°C PIZZA 神楽坂
location: kif annex, 102 13-1 wakamiyacho, shinjuku
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in tokyo, japan (june’24)

working in the kaiseki industry before training under yoshitake san, murayama is one of the more interesting sushiyas which incorperate kaiseki as its tsumami before the nigiri segment.

with a range of fried, raw and even showcasing an owan, each element was done extremely well. particularly loved the katsuo of the day, the konowata and karasumi chawanmushi, as well as the fried ayu were also very nice. highlight for sure was his awabi, perfect texture but most importantly its kimo sauce was incredible.

the nigiri here follows yoshitake style very much, extremely similar in knife-work and preparations, similar to shikon in hong kong as well. like the tamagoyaki, and the double uni of murasaki on top and bafun below. the shari is definitely stronger in acidity which i prefer personally, balances well with the neta. everything was solid, and comfortable to eat but there wasn’t a piece that stood out. overall a really nice sushiya, taisho and team were also super friendly and speaks good english. very good price but crazy difficult to book with next rounds being one year later, which i can’t seem to justify.

六月のコース (¥36,000)
いちじく、あん肝、味噌 ankimo, fig, miso sauce
マゴチ、ポン酢 magochi, ponzu
女性／男性シャコー girl/boy shako
✨カツオ katsuo
このわた、カラスミの茶碗蒸し sea cucumber innard & karasumi chawanmushi
あゆと万願寺唐辛子の揚げ fried ayu and pepper
✨鮑と肝ソース abalone and liver sauce
はもとなすのお椀 hamo and eggplant owan

イカ ika
のどぐろ nodoguro
✨春子鯛 kasugodai
小肌 kohada
赤身 akami
中トロ chutoro
大トロ otoro
✨あじ aji
馬糞、紫ウニ bafun/purple uni
✨車海老 kuruma ebi
穴子 anago
✨卵焼き egg
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would revisit: try once
reservations on omakase
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍鮨むらやま
location: 7/f 7-6-2 ginza, tokyo
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in nagano, japan (june’24)

so happy i finally got to try yukimoto, one of the highlights this trip. it was one of those places where i thought their gold award was truly deserving with no faulty dish and a breathe of meat and cooking served in our course today.

began with a marinated veggie platter, with an ayu senbei and a mutton soushi. followed by an onion dashi, made with kombu, kabu which was so simple, but so sweet. really loved the local nagano style ohaki meat pocket, stuffed with veggies and pulled pork, before panfried so outside was crispy.

ayu harumaki was also surprisingly good, they fried the head on its own, before stuffing it into the spring roll with the body which removed all the bitter taste. suppon was a bit tough, maybe as its still too early on in the season. but extremely happy to have gotten a spring bear nabe, with burdock, chives, egg and takenoko, as well as a homemade chilli sauce on the side. this unique spring bear feeds off kinome and strawberries, so the meat itself is soft and sweet, as opposed to the winter bears which focus on the high levels of fat. off-menu shime is highly recommended if they offer it, their mutton curry and the mutton miso ramen, wish i had the stomach for a second bowl cuz it was so so good.

really really love this place, except for its extremely hard to get to and suburban location. would definitely be back for matsutake and gibier soon.

六月スペシャルコース (~¥30,000)
✨前菜 starters
✨新玉葱、蕪と昆布だし onion in dashi
羊肉のたたき lamb tataki
✨豚、山菜のおはき pulled pork pocket
ザリがにの茶碗蒸し crawfish chawanmushi
✨あゆの春巻き ayu springroll
豆とじゃがいもの揚げ出し peas & potato fried tofu in dashi
焼きすっぽん、紫バジル grilled suppon, basil
✨小熊の鍋: ごうぼう、たけのこ、卵、チャイブ spring bear hotpot with burdock, takenoko, egg, chives
✨マトンと野菜カレー mutton veg curry rice
✨マトンの味噌らーめん mutton miso ramen
✨梅とミルクの最中 ume and milk monaka
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would revisit: yes
reservations online
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍柚木元 YUKIMOTO
location: 2-21 towacho, iida, nagano
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in shiga, japan (june’24)

following yukimoto, we drove towards lake biwa to this beautiful estate for a dinner and stay. the restaurant is very focused on sourcing from its surroundings, from ingredients, plates and even some of the wines from its pairing.

started with lightly grilled spring peas with amago roe and pickled sakura from the previous season, a simple sea bream sashimi salad plate with a light touch of ume dressing which i loved. as its ayu season, one of them gems of the summer season in lake biwa, was really looking forward to sampling how they’d creatively prepare this widely available summer ingredient. it was fried in a fritter along with bitter herbs, balancing the bitterness of the fish well, so good. one of my favourites of the night was the barbecued zucchini in a hona leaf, with a sabayon dip from zucchini seeds and a homemade furikake. main dish of a local wild deer, served with a deer heart and deer sausage was excellent before ending the savouries with a gohan, which was burdock and heshiko (dried and salted masu).

a long and very substantial menu, with everything unique to its terroir applied with a innovative twist, as well as a super welcoming team and the most beautiful stay, all-in-all making it an extremely worthwhile journey. its also only an hour-ish drive from kyoto, so definitely a place i’d recommend for families or as a quick getaway, especially during the beautiful spring and summer months.
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dinner course: (¥20,000)
✨snap peas, amago roe, sakura
shiitake, dried duck ham, lemon
sea bream salad
✨crispy ayu and bitter herbs
✨bbq zucchini, hoba, biwako furikake
amadai, wakame, watercress
✨wild deer and young alliums
✨burdock and heshiko rice
✨amazake, hassaku, dill
mint, sansho, adoberry
last bites
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would revisit: yes
reservations online
price range pp: ¥10,000-¥30,000
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📍RESTAURANT SOWER
location: 2064 nishiazaicho oura, nagahama, shiga
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