Foodle

Top 10 of 2025, at number 6!

Potong’s Duck, Reimagined

At Potong, the duck arrives like a quiet revelation — not showy, but impossible to forget.

Fourteen days of careful dry-aging coax out deeper aromas, tightening the skin until it crackles at the lightest touch. The first bite is all contrast: glass-thin crispness giving way to tender, rosy meat, perfumed with gentle five-spice and the soft sweetness of rendered fat.

In true whole-duck spirit, different parts of the bird appear throughout the course — each treated with care — and the dish is rounded out with bright pickles, seasonal vegetables, eggplant, and small condiments that lift and balance the richness.

What makes it special isn’t only technique. It’s the sense of memory layered into every element — a respectful nod to tradition, refined with modern precision.

Potong’s duck isn’t just eaten.
It lingers long after the plate is cleared.

.⁣ Michelin Guide : ⭐️
. W50Best : 13 and World’s female chef of the year
.⁣ OAD top 100 : 33 Less

Top 10 of 2025, at number 5!

Iced Amalfi & Caviar

This elegant creation by Konstantin Filippou begins with Iced Amalfi lemon, a bright, chilled expression of Italy’s famed citrus that immediately sets a tone of freshness and acidity on the plate. Balanced against this is rich caviar, its salty, oceanic pop adding luxurious depth and umami that cuts beautifully through the citrus spark.

A layer of fermented rice offers subtle sourness and creamy texture, bridging the gap between sharp citrus and sea-driven notes while providing a textural counterpoint. Complementing these is a hint of brown butter, lending its nutty, caramel-like warmth to round out the flavors without overpowering the dish’s delicate balance.

What truly elevates the experience is the foam — an airy, aromatic element built from a base of flatfish combined with rice vinegar and a thoughtfully curated spice blend of mustard seeds, tarragon, bay leaf, and coriander seeds.
Finally, cornflower is used as a delicate garnish

A complete dish in forms of layers, balance and identity! Truly beautiful and worth the trip to Vienna!

.⁣ Michelin Guide : ⭐️⭐️
. G&M : 19/20
.⁣ OAD top 100 : 52 Less

Top 10 of 2025, at number 3!

Dry-aged beet - North Sea crab - Imperial Heritage caviar and pistachio.

One of the most surprising — and truly memorable — discoveries of 2025 was Brut 172, where I experienced one of the meals of the year. Absolutely stunning.

The standout dish: the 70/30 dry-aged beet with North Sea crab, Imperial Heritage caviar, and pistachio.

A dish on the edge of the unbelievable.

It begins with paper-thin beet slices, shining with a deep vinaigrette. Above them rests a fragile, crackling beet shell, gently holding a tartare of dry-aged beet — concentrated, intense, almost “meaty” in its depth. Then comes the crown: a light salad of North Sea crab and apple, finished with shimmering Oscietra caviar, pistachio cream, and glistening halves of pistachio.

What fascinates me most is how the beet appears in so many forms — raw, crisp, aged, transformed. The dry-aged beet, with its rich, raisin-like complexity, meets the sweet generosity of the crab, while the caviar adds a briny, nut-tinged whisper. The pistachio — both whole and in cream — deepens and echoes that nutty warmth.

Everything is in harmony. Perfect balance, perfect flavor — a composition as captivating as it is unforgettable.

Michelin Guide : ⭐️⭐️
. G&M : 18,5/20
.⁣ OAD top 100 : 483 Less

Top 10 of 2025! At number 2!

The Carapace of Lobster

I spent a long time wavering over which dish deserved first place this year — yet one certainty kept resurfacing: the dish I found myself returning to most in 2025 was the Carapace de Homard at Arborescence. Visit after visit — and even a deliberate return just to relive it — I had the privilege of tasting Félix Robert’s creation more than once.

The Carapace of Lobster.

Blue lobster, gently cooked, meeting the brightness of blood orange and the herbal whisper of rau-ram, served alongside a deep, concentrated orange reduction, emulsified with butter drawn from roasted lobster heads.

The shell is imagined all over again — reconstructed with crystallized lobster jus and set back upon the lobster like a glistening suit of armor.

What arrives at the table feels almost poetic: layered, confident, and overflowing with flavor and imagination.

To me, this is a chef standing at the edge of a remarkable future. Precision, identity, and creativity shine through — and together with his wonderful wife, Nidta, they seem to have everything required to shape Arborescence into a true world destination! For now, I quietly enjoy the beauty of their relative anonymity. 😉

📷 : @florian_dmrg

.⁣Michelin Guide : ⭐️
.⁣ GaultMillau : 16/20
.⁣ OAD top 100 : soon!!!! Less

Top 10 of 2025! At number 1!

‘LOUISE’ by Jan Hartwig

At Restaurant JAN in Munich, Chef Jan Hartwig has a way of turning stories into culinary moments — and none moved me more than his dish “Louise.”

The name carries meaning: it’s called Louise because it was the first dish he created after the birth of his daughter. That sense of new life, tenderness and emotion somehow finds its way onto the plate.

The composition is deceptively simple:
oxtail reduction, crème cru, sea urchin, and N25 caviar (Special Jan Collection).

It’s not the most elaborate dish — but for me, it’s the one that defined 2025. The flavors hit like a total flavor bomb: deep, savory intensity from the oxtail, the silkiness of crème cru, the oceanic sweetness of the sea urchin, and the pristine salinity of the caviar.

All incredibly powerful ingredients — yet blended with such delicacy that they form a beautiful symbiosis rather than competing with one another.

And then there’s the story. Knowing it was created at such a meaningful moment in Hartwig’s life made it even more special — and the fact that it kicked off my best meal of the year sealed it as my clear number one.

A dish that’s not only delicious, but deeply human!

📷 : @steffensinzinger

Michelin Guide : ⭐️⭐️⭐️
. G&M : 19/20
.⁣ OAD top 100 : 3 Less

London 🇬🇧 there’s a new bar in town, tucked inside the iconic Spanish spot @arrosqd , perfect for a cosy yet elegant evening.

Bar Fuego leans into smoky Latin flavours, from a rich bourbon cocktail smoked with apple-wood chips to a red vermouth blend sweetened with smoked paprika syrup. Pair it all with a vibey DJ booth, moody interiors, and a laid-back bar for the ideal pre- or post-dinner hangout.

We even got to meet Executive Chef Eduardo Idrobo earlier this month for a paella workshop, where we learned the essentials of open-fire cooking: from choosing the right rice and controlling the heat to perfecting the broth (flown in from Spain for that authentic depth of flavour).

We then got to taste some of their menu’s impressive dishes including the Presa Ibérica 100% Bellota (pork shoulder loin by Pais de Quercus from Extremadura) with leek ashes, Jerusalem artichoke purée and crisps, and the Txangurro paella (Brown and white crab meat, kimchi foam, seafood stock).

Even the kale salad was divine. Finishing off with a mind blowing Gorgonzola Basque cheese cake 🤯

ArrosQd remains a Fitzrovia staple and a perfect hideaway just behind the Oxford Street bustle, the ideal rest stop during the hectic festive-season shopping.

#invite

#spanishfood #spanishfoodlondon #fitzrovia #finedininglondon #paella #fuego #barlondon Less

London 🇬🇧 if you’re looking for a cosy Sunday in South London, we’ve got the spot for you.

@marcelladeptford ‘s perfect Sunday menu (at only £29) showcases the best seasonal ingredients through delicious comfort dishes. Located in Deptford and run by the team behind Artusi- the restaurant is a bright and vibrant celebration of great Italian food with no fuss.

We opted for tbe 3 course Sunday menu - with starter, main and desert - which included:
- Mackerel, horseradish gremolata and fennel
- Iberiko tomatoes, herb crème fraiche and almonds
- Casarecce alla bolognese 🍝

Each dish was so flavourful. So fresh. And perfect for the colder winter days!

Post lunch, you have to drop by @the_dog_and_bell pub, followed by jumping on a uber boat for a gorgeous sunset cruise along the Thames 🌊

#invite

#deptford #southlondon #londonfoodblog Less