Peter Verey

After over a dozen visits to @ottoemezzobombana_macau , I was still surprised by a very different experience last night . A moment of undecidedness on my behalf propelled chef @riccardolaperna to offer to cook a tailored degustation menu . Over 10 courses , a kitchen tour ( which included tasting a ton of various sauces/ infusions ) , I developed a new found understanding of the backbone of the kitchen philosophy here . Flavour , lightness , respecting tradition , precision .

The menu started with Spanish tuna Akami and chutoro crudo with calamari, kaluga caviar and a Mediterranean inspired dashi. The seafood was delicate but it’s the “dashi “ that really took my attention . Smoked eggplant and dried seafood paste is used as the katsuobushi style ingredient and the balance of umami , smoke and acidity is spot on .

My questions then prompted the kitchen tour where I learned that all stocks and sauces are made here on the basis of infusion , usually from dehydrated ingredients . No stock is boiled and reduced . This was a definitive answer as to why the food here can be light yet still pack plenty of flavour .

Brittany lobster with puntarelle ,lobster consommé infusion and lobster bisque foam continued the menu . The lobster was soft and tender and the consommé very well rounded .

My favourite dish of the night followed. Deceptively simple, undeniably delicious. Fassone beef tenderloin “Milanese” style , the protein is not fried hard and is a perfectly set rare. The white truffle complimented the meat beautifully and then it turned out the green salad with herb dressing was so perfectly balanced and seasoned, that it somehow stole the show.

A liquified foie gras and Parmesan ravioli had amazing mouthfeel with the Parmesan luxuriously coating the palate , the accompanying beef and chicken infusion again had plenty of body .

The simplest dish followed , egg Taglioni with a touch of Parmesan cream and a generous amount of very fragrant white truffle . This simple dish was all about aroma .

Continued in the comments …. Less

Founded in 1902 as a companion establishment to the permanent Circus venue next door , @leclownbar rose to prominence in the last decade , on the back of the skills of 2 terrific Asian chefs . Initially Sota Atsumi generated a ton of buzz and 4 years ago the baton was passed to Korean chef Jung Yonghoon and it remains an essential place to visit in Paris.

Bistronomie and natural wine is a great duo, the wine list is diverse with around 340 options. The food is ultra satisfying and the vibe is terrific in a small space with a blend of tourists and locals with plenty of character.

Started off with juicy white asparagus , cress and caviar - simple preparation but having asparagus served near the source rather than being transported to Asia really shone through here .

The Veal Sweetbreads is a Clown bar signature , served with a smoked eel sauce and morels , this is a beautiful dish . This did however confirm my suspicion that Yunnan morels are superior to their French relatives which was pretty interesting.

A lovely cheese plate to round out the wine and the meal , a great start to a fortnight in Paris . Less

A very pleasant seasonal menu at Pearl Dragon which touched on the main Cantonese ingredients, techniques and condiments without reinventing the wheel .

Dish of the day was Steamed yellow croaker with a fragrant scallion and ginger paste , morels stuffed with shrimp and brown rice sheets . All perfectly balanced .

Meal kicked off with the ubiquitous trio of appetisers , favourite of which was the drunken Botan ebi in Hua Diao wine , this dish really popped .

A lovely double boiled quail soup had excellent seasoning and depth of flavour .

Wagyu beef with onion and black garlic is on most fine dining menus in town and this was fine , it’s just not a dish that really excites .
This was served in tandem with steamed chicken on steamed spinach and chicken broth , very simple and this dish was faultless and satisfying.

Carbs entered the arena with spinach noodles served alongside Boston lobster in black bean sauce , the stir fry was very good but not sure if it really complimented the noodles .

Dessert ended things on a very high note , a carved organic pumpkin was the best for an excellent milk pudding with black truffle . Carving out some of the pumpkin with each spoonful of pudding made for a terrific pairing . Less

There’s this narrative around Michelin ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ that once they reach the top , they stop taking risks and stagnate . That is certainly not true with @guillaumegalliot @capricehongkong . Offering 4 seperate degustation menus along with the newly introduced power lunch , there is a wide and diverse amount of dishes for his kitchen team to nail down, which is truly admirable .

Today I opted for the Carte Blanche , a 5 course surprise menu purely at the discretion of the kitchen .

I was very pleased that the menu began with one of the signature dishes , Australian Wagyu tartare , gillardeau oysters, kaviari Kristal caviar , garnished with parsley dots , the finest snow pea julienne and a bold amount of gold leaf .

This is one of my fav dishes at the restaurant , the balance of acidity and salinity is spot on .

Norwegian langoustine with a forest of mushrooms followed (Paris , cepes, white truffle ) , alongside a Jura wine sauce , this was textbook .

A nod to Cantonese steamed fish followed , a fillet of Rouget ( I think ) was glued upon a prawn and mussel mousse beside a moat of ginger consommé. This dish is a role model for healthy and clean fine dining .

Lamb and mint sauce is a classic old school combination , the lamb saddle and shoulder along with a punchy mint condiment and a terrific glossy jus were a terrific savoury finale .

A very generous selection from the cheese board followed, I asked for the strongest cheeses and this was well paired with a funky swiss orange wine that dealt with every flavour note .

To finish , a terrific almond soufflé rocking with marzipan notes , a creamy vanilla ice cream and a 1991 Chateau d’Yquem. Less

Weekend brunch at Louise is a fun and fairly festive affair .
The free range NT Roast chicken is the star of the show , juicy with tasty yellow fat and very tasty skin , it also carries the hallmark rotisserie flavour profile ( there should be a name for this like there is for wok hei ).
It’s served with a green salad and Japanese rice claypot enriched with chicken skin and chives .

Prior to this the meal starts with a generous quintet of starters . A fresh pea and avocado soup with horseradish cream, Croque Louise - a decadent take on the Croque Monsieur , an excellent pork terrine punctured with foie gras , thick slices of smoked trout on blini , the only letdown was a lobster roll where the lobster was barely visible to the eye or the tastebuds with spiked mayo being the only discernible flavour .

The middle course is one the house signatures, cold angel hair pasta with seaweed , black truffle and caviar . The caviar adds saltiness to offset the umami but I would have liked an additional note of acid .

Dessert on this occasion is a family style serving of Ile Flottante with a choice of custard and toppings , perfectly fine , just happens to be my least preferred traditional French dessert . Less

Dinner menu at Palace Garden is a good representation of Cantonese fine dining while still highlighting the kitchen’s unique style . A variety of cooking styles and textures is showcased and the service is terrific .

Favourite dish was the braised fish maw with king crab in pumpkin cream . The pumpkin cream which sits somewhere between a sauce and a soup is a lovely sweet vessel for flavour and texture . The fish maw was super tender and tasty while the crab was not only served up in sizeable chunks but also scattered throughout the cream delivering variety throughout the dish .

Other highlights included the textbook wok fried lobster cuisson , am always amazed at the accuracy of outstanding wok cooking when dealing with fragile ingredients such as lobster and this was perfectly judged .

The partridge bisque was comforting and despite being free of rice certainly gave congee vibes .

Pigeon with lemongrass is a great pairing and this was well scented , crisp and juicy

Full menu below

Roasted Goose served with Kristal Caviar
Iberico Pork Loin barbecued with Honey Sauce

Wok fried blue lobster with alliums

Premium Partridge Bisque with Bird’s Nest

Fish Maw braised with Alaska King Crabmeat in Pumpkin Cream

Baby Pigeon crispy with Lemongrass Scent

Seasonal Vegetables poached with Fresh Lily Bulb and Wolfberry in Supreme Broth

Minced Beef Fried Rice with Black Truffle Sauce

Sweetened Gorgon Fruit and Fresh Lily Bulb double boiled with Osmanthus Less

French inspired food in beautiful room in the old Melbourne Stock Exchange . Not reinventing the wheel but every dish hit the spot .

Saucisson and radish with a great crusty baguette

A two bite beef tartare enriched with bone marrow and chives

Excellent cured mackerel with fermented pear sauce and salmon caviar which actually works really well with the dish .

Tender as possible Corner Inlet Calamari , with a curried cafe de Paris butter .

O’Connell strip loin with bearnaise and absolutely stellar pommes frites . Less

Needed a quintessential well executed Mod-Oz lunch when visiting Melbourne and @atria.dining @theritzcarltonmelbourne delivered .

Beautiful property with a great view across Melbourne from the 80th floor . Terrific expansive wine list and the cooking was assured and aesthetic.

Pork jowl, puffed buckwheat , organic apple , lovage

Victorian seafood Crudo with white soy dressing , torched Alfonsino , snapper, sea bream.

Macedon ranges duck, cherry, radicchio.

Murray cod , nasturtium pil pil , zucchini , almond .

Pommes dauphinoise. Less

A short and delicious kappo lunch menu at Michelin ⭐️ ⭐️ Odo.
Definitely feels a little different to similar concepts in Japan as many ingredients here were local and serving size was certainly maximised . But every dish delivered on exactly what you would expect.

Chawanmushi with Hokkaido Uni , Oscietra caviar , Dashi thickened with kudzu , ginkgo nuts

Fish and Sakyo miso broth , madai , myoka ginger , gluten puff , yuzu

Smoked and chargrilled Hudson Valley duck with a sancho pepper and soy jus alongside a salad of shiitake , fig , cucumber , lotus root and peanut

Mini chirashi with chutoro, kampachi and ikura

Katsuoboshi dashi with soba noodles, Kumamoto A5 Wagyu with micro Shiso and radish

Green apple soft serve , pears , lemon meringue , toasted flakes Less