Peter Verey

Kicking off a week long food odyssey in Tokyo , most of the week will be piloted by @jtfoodcation , but for the next day or so I had the opportunity to add to the itinerary.
Beginning with @restauranthommage , open for 23 years and holder of 2 Michelin stars , it is one of the leaders of modern French - Japanese dining .

The menu weaves around both French and Japanese characteristics, and is absolutely rock solid with nary a false note and plenty of crescendos .

Oyster - Hokkaido oyster is served very cold , blanketed by champagne jelly , a smooth oyster cream and a punchy oyster sorbet .

Vichyssoise- 2 cold soups ( leek and potato ) interplay with a tower of Sturgeon rillette , beetroot tartare and caviar . Each layer of flavour is pronounced yet together they are a symphony .

Sea urchin/Foie gras/ Yuba
Tohu cream/ Yellow tail tart - despite a previous wave of amuse bouche ( not pictured ) , the third course brings us snacks , straight forward flavours and textures but all interesting and certainly enjoyed the unusual placement of this in the menu .

ShirakawaAmadai- Crispy scaled tilefish is faultless and married with turnips , rice and a light cream sauce .
Abalone- is served with a liver sauce which is lightened with lemon juice and white wine , the abalone is absurdly tender .

Roasted beef from Miyagi- not sure I have ever had Wagyu beef roasted in the oven as opposed to grilled , it’s a familiar roast beef flavour accentuated with a great chicken jus .

Rice puff flavored ice cream
Chocolate sorbet - 2 ice cream desserts , the rice is intensely savoury, the chocolate punctuated with chilli powder and paprika sauce
Jerusalem artichoke- a lovely light finish , Candied Sunchoke with a Sudaichi chiboust and a lemon syrup . Less

Somehow 6 months have flown by since my last Neighbourhood visit , so popping in for a quick bite before boarding an evening flight was the very least I could do . This visit just cemented that I have to return ASAP.

Sizzling and tender baby squid with a trinity of garlic , herbs and chilli pepper , all balanced and evoking strong Mediterranean vibes .

One of the better tartares that I have had ( and I essentially love them all ) , beef and Sicilian red shrimp is combined , the shrimp both chopped and left in pieces is a delightful sweet note , the herbaceous sauce which lies somewhere between an oil and a pesto is a great accompaniment. Absolute harmony

Revisited with an old fav , a hockey puck of black sausage , a perfect fried egg and a scattering of mushrooms .

Finally a Sichuan accented pigeon with terrific figs , very satisfying. Less

There is always something new to discover at Five foot road .
Like an intriguing Wok fried abalone with wheat (pasta?) that seemed to me to be essentially identical to fregola , paired with a sauce of minced pork and a variety of peppers . The chewiness of the fregola was extremely satisfying .

Cubed Australian Wagyu and porcini in mushroom sauce is a dish I have had a few times , the beef was terrifically juicy on this occasion.

Speaking of juicy the pan fried pork and water chestnut were certainly that , good robust flavour as well.

Chilled noodles were served with pickled chilli sauce , some Sichuan pepper, celery and shredded chicken . This would be a great summer lunch dish .

The final discovery was a glutinous rice and pork belly dish that is a traditional Sichuan CnY dish and can be served as the rice course or as dessert . The rice and pork were mixed with red bean, brown sugar and pistachios and was a very moorish finale.

Great meal as always and great to meet @alena.cym who has recently joined the FFR team ! Less

It’s only been 6 weeks since last eating @ta_vie_hk but it was certainly exciting to revisit . Quality of care and execution always meets all expectations!

Winter snow crab and artichoke gratin - a very homely dish , sweet crab and cheese gratin and then you are left with lovely artichoke petals to scrape your teeth into , it’s been a long time since I have had that opportunity as Artichoke is not seen often in the region .

Japanese winter turnip, 36 months aged Parma ham, and grilled Hokki clam - First bite was actually this trio which was served whole and also turned into a sauce and a consommé ( inspired by Chinese double boiled soups ) , a terrific winter welcome .

Poached Oyster, celeriac, spinach, Oscietra caviar sauce - the sauce did the heavy lifting here , decidedly salty it actually made the Hokkaido oyster taste sweet . A terrific balance .

House-made fresh pasta with “Aonori” sauce topped with premium Hokkaido uni- Aonori is a Japanese seaweed and it’s delightfully herbaceous, it stole the show more so than the uni .

Pan-seared fresh Brittany blue-lobster
with pied blue mushroom, “Tubu clam” Japanese whelk, and “Gobo” burdock- had this dish in December and was glad to see it again , the sauce which is a blend of the four key ingredients is a tour de force .

Charcoal grilled pigeon from Breese, France (medium rare) with leek, black truffle, horseradish, lemon confit

Gorgeous meaty pigeon , with simple garnish , a very satisfying course .

Japanese white strawberry with pistachio cream pistachio sable, white meringue- Simple and satisfying pre dessert served with Ruinart Rose , the dish and the champagnw both tasted incredibly similar .

Chocolate crêpe soufflé, with Tasmania cherry jam,
Tonka beans flavored ice cream- this is a terrific dessert , none of the elements over power each other , an always striking finale. Less

Feng Wei Ju doesn’t get the hype of its fellow Michelin 2 and 3 star venues in Macau . It’s infinitely more rustic and you can drop in for a very casual meal that will barely scrape your wallet . But the skill and execution of the “basics “ is peerless .

Perfectly yielding pork belly on a bed of preserved vegetables and dried chilli which constantly has you reaching for more .

Pan fried pork dumplings in Beijing style , the dumpling dough is hearty , the filling juicy but keeps its shape and delivers texture .

Steamed spotted grouper rests above an egg white and tofu custard , with pickled mustard greens . The custard is edible velvet .

Had to finish with a guilty pleasure , deep fried banana with toffee glaze . Impossible not to order . Less

Protein forward dishes with few garnishes , focusing on quality of product and excellence of execution . Nowhere to hide with the winter menu from @uweo at @restaurant_petrus !

Black Truffle / Frog Leg / Snail - A lovely starter that looks richer than it is on the palate with the celeriac and cauliflower puree providing a nice blank canvas for the pond of snails and frog .

Maison Kaviari / Initial Egg / Cauliflower - Egg and eggs , fine dining comfort food .

King Crab Norway / Thermidor / Croissant - Crab encased in croissant dough , do feel the crab gets a little lost in there ..

Langoustine Norway / Swiss Chard / Crustacean just - disarmingly straight forward , beautifully cooked .

King Crab Norway / Crab Leg / Seaweed butter - the butter melts in front of your eyes , the crab leg is saline sweet perfection .

Sika Deer Rhug Estate / Loin / Juniper Berry- the venison loin is as prescribed , but the cabbage garnish may steal the show .

Duck/ Plum / Lavender Sauce - best dish of the night , the duck breast is cooked brilliantly , the duck legs are stuffed and rolled in cabbage and the plum and sauce provide a luxurious contrast

Chestnut Tart / Mandarin / Meringue - love chestnut flavours and the brown butter tart shell was outstanding. Less

Visiting @alainducasseatmorpheusmacau in winter is very rewarding . Refined winter dishes here are spectacular and the experience continues to improve on every visit . All credit to @cedricsatabin and his team who continue to push for excellence, the wealth of work from the kitchen team has never been more evident .

Case in point the signature Mediterranean Gamberoni dish, I have had this dish 6 times now and this was the best example . The rich umami of the gelee , the sweetness of the shrimp , the creamy salty @kaviari_paris , the winter citrus all absolutely sang . Perhaps it was the touch of magic from @zhhhhana who put the dish together on this occasion .

Ravioli of root vegetables may not sound like the most exciting dish on a menu , but this was superb, chick pea dough printed with watercress , roasted root vegetables which develop a lovely sweet note and a refreshing duck consommé.

John Dory from Brittany faces quite a journey to get to Macau but the fish is simply confit in oil and left to shine . Paired with multiple variations of chicory , this was well balanced and delicious .

Young pigeon from Merial was cooked over wood fire , noticeably gamier than his Chinese cousins , it was matched with a tumble of mushrooms and chestnut and a pumpkin puree . Great winter vibes .

A trio of desserts had me waddling out the door - Comte Reserve ( mousse and au natural ) , then a symposium of grapes with a terrific Roast Tea ice cream that I particularly enjoyed.
Finally the Ducasse Rum baba which was super light yet packed a rum punch .

Great wine pairing as well, highlighted by a 1982 Pomerol , superb evening !! Less

If you happen to have been silly enough to make a new year resolution and are looking to eat healthier , then for healthy fine dining , you can’t go past @zuicho.macau !
Protein rich , clean flavours and most certainly delicious .

A bright bring start to the meal in the form of Ankimo and monkfish eggs pressed with konbu .

The signature dish followed ( the only dish that remains on the monthly changing menu ) A5 Wagyu tenderloin katsu , the beef gets an hour of sous vide treatment before being deep fried , end result is disarmingly soft yet crispy .

A sashimi duo of Baby tuna ( Meiji ) and Yellowtail ( buri) preceded the highlight dish .. a gorgeous Tempura of Shirako which dissolved on the palate , paired with shirako rice on a stone grill . Rich textures, crispy rice .. loved it

The A5 Wagyu returned , this time the sirloin was given a sukiyaki hot pot treatment . Sweet dashi , soy cured egg yolk , matsutake . All that you could desire

Sea urchin and toro handroll was excellent , loved that the sea urchin was not only generously atop the hand roll but a little lobe was also right at the bottom which left a delicious sweet creamy last bite .

Final savoury dish was crab rice with mullet roe. Sweet female snow crab meat balanced the saltiness of the roe with aplomb

Dessert was a Monaka sandwich with brown sugar ice cream and strawberry. Less

It is my impression that the HK dining public seem to desert restaurants when a chef change occurs . I hope that this doesn’t occur with Hansik Goo as excellence will remain very much in its pedigree .

The lunch menu here is very similar to dinner with the portion sizes just minimised a little , it is well balanced , nutritious and there is no need for an afternoon food nap .

Kicking things off is Pine nut juk with crab - creamy and fresh , it’s a lovely balanced start .

A duo of raw fish follows , Amberjack is paired with caviar whilst Mackerel and kimchi form a great duo .

A crystal clear beef and radish soup with Mantou dumpling is warming and wholesome .

The gochujang glazed silver pomfret is perfectly cooked , a side of garlic chives and surf clam adds some freshness to the piquancy.

Scallion Pajeon is superbly crisp and the umami from the dried seafood carries the course .

Hanwoo meatball is Kofta - like and terrifically juicy , pork neck is fatty in the best way and there is plenty of kimchi and rice to round out the flavours.

A great take on Crème brûlée to end the meal , with vanilla ice cream encrusted with pecans . Less