Melinda Joe

It’s been a big year for Team @restaurant_moko_kyoto. Their first Michelin star, followed in quick succession by their first pop-up in Tokyo! As part of the new Secret Kitchen series at @andaztokyo, @alexismoko and co took over the restaurant-within-a-restaurant inside @thetaverntokyo. No shabby digs.

Moko has a winning way with seafood, and I loved the amberjack with charred spring onion dressing and canola flowers, the smoked hotaru ika with white asparagus and parsley sauce. But the runaway star was the meaty scallop, drizzled in an irresistible koji butter with clams and daikon. So good!

The Secret Kitchen is such a fun idea. The next edition will feature pastry queen @joannayuenhk of @oterahk from Jun 14-16 and 20-23. Less

Lovely lunch at Hu Jing inside the recently opened @janutokyo, the first in a new line of hotels by the @aman group. It’s sleek and serene, urbane and very Tokyo.

The food at Hu Jing is flavorful without a trace of heaviness. I especially liked the steamed minced pork with shiitake mushrooms - a childhood favorite executed with refinement. The vegetarian XO sauce added a hit of umami. Less

Lovely lunch at Hu Jing inside the recently opened @janutokyo, the first in a new line of hotels by the @aman group. It’s sleek and serene, urbane and very Tokyo.

The food at Hu Jing is flavorful without a trace of heaviness. I especially liked the steamed minced pork with shiitake mushrooms - a childhood favorite executed with refinement. The vegetarian XO sauce added a hit of umami. Less

Despite the limited space, @ryogotahara_logy and his team turn out startlingly creative dishes with a maximalist bent at @logy.tw. Here’s an example: sliced red tuna and chives rolled in a thin layer of medium-fatty tuna sit atop a bed of umi budo in a golden pool of saffron-grapefruit dashi. The composition is veiled in a transparent jelly of (memory fails a bit here but perhaps) hibiscus sprinkled with shiso flowers. What makes this dish shine is the clever pairing, a rare white Crozes-Hermitage by Jeannine Boutin.

Award-winning somm @lu__kevin made great choices for every course. I especially liked the orange Lunar from (wild and crazy guy) @moviawines with the sweet-and-savory unagi, fried and then finished with mushroom broth and scallions. Ryogo’s cuisine shows a clear lineage to his mentor, @hiroyasu_kawate, veering principally in the embrace of bitter flavors at Logy.

One of the most captivating courses was also the most subtle: homemade tofu filled with a touch of cream, afloat in a broth of tomato water and whey, crowned with caviar and a pine-oil-scented pine nut. Paired with Las Mercedes de Callajuela non-fortified Palomino, this is food that makes you pay attention. Like an almost-familiar tune playing softly in the background. Less

For their first-ever collaboration as @maz.tokyo, @santiago.maztokyo and @taka_sakamoto1028 headed to Taipei to work alongside Argentinian chef @elizondo_joaquin. At @zea.tpe, Joaquin and Di, his partner in life and business, are introducing Taiwanese audiences to Latin American fine dining. Like Maz, Zea celebrates locally sourced products like chayote, avocado, cassava and corn. Though commonly eaten in Asia, these ingredients have roots in Latin America, reflecting centuries of migration and trade: the “flying seeds” upon which both restaurants were founded.

The event’s theme, Elevation, pays tribute to the altitude-inspired menus at Maz - as well as both chefs’ mission to elevate the status of Latin cuisine around the world - infused with the flavors and traditions of Taiwan and Japan. A delicious and meaningful collaboration!

Our menu:

MARINE REEF
Okra, avocado, squid churro
Aiwen mango, bluefin, salsa macha
Uni, spirulina, rocoto
Flower clam, tiger’s milk

DESERTIC COAST
Red shrimp, squash, algae

EXTREME ALTITUDE
Choclo, wagyu, panca, beef heart

INTERTIDAL ZONE
Crab, Taiwanese rice, torrontes, mate tea

RISING AND FALLING MOUNTAINS
Angelica, radish, macadamia, Ceylon spinach

DEEP SEA WATER
Octopus, ink

TROPICAL MONSOON REGION
Pigeon, rhum, hay, huatia, uchucuta

WEST TAIWAN JEWEL
Tomatillo, stracciatella, marigold

HIGH JUNGLE THEOBROMBA
Copoazu, cacao, macambo Less

Chef @mariocastrellon is one of the chefs behind the movement to champion contemporary Panamanian cuisine. The menu highlights the county’s diverse cultures in a thoughtful fusion of Asian and Afro-Caribbean flavors.

Stepping into the stylish yet relaxed space at @maitopanama, you feel instantly at ease. And the food - so delicious! Technically on point without a trace of pretentiousness. The meal opens with a velvety bowl of smoky sancocho soup, a traditional staple infused with the earthy bitterness of culantro (cilantro’s more muscular cousin). There’s a vegan version of saus (those messy, delectable pickled pig’s feet) made with aloe plant; pork and shrimp siu mai in a sweet-and-savory, barbecue-like sauce accented with coconut; noodles in broth topped with octopus; and wok-fried coconut rice with curried fish. The meal ends with beautiful desserts by @jennvernicepucc and Panamá geisha coffee (of course). Less

Was delighted to revisit Tapas Molecular Bar on the 38F of @mo_tokyo, the eight-seat counter run by culinary impresario @ushikuk. This time Chef Kento was joined by the talent behind @spicelabtokyo, @chef_tejas_sovani. It was fun and interactive, a true collaboration. Great to see these two completely different personalities - Tejas, the unfailingly polite gentleman from Mumbai with a penchant for historical research, and Kento, the fast-talking showman who studied art in university - join forces to create a really delicious meal.

DONUT
Oscietra caviar, Sakura leaf, sour cream

PANCHAMRIT
Amanatsu, kiwi, yogurt

CHAAT
Raj kachori, king crab, green mango

MOILEE
Rockfish, moilee, sansai

ANDA MASALA
Ghee roast masala, egg, chicken oyster

BIRIYANI
Hokkaido abalone, onion achar, black rice

DOSA
Blue lobster, bouillabaisse, sansho

DRUNKEN LAMB
Sake lees, smoke and cigarette (aka fancy mashed potato and butter - a fun touch)

NIHARI
Wagyu tenderloin, oxtail, truffle

CURRY PAN
Hokkaido venison, cheese

DAULAT KI CHAAT
Shaved ice, crunchy nibs, green cardamom

BLACK FOREST
Domori chocolate, cherry, kirsch

GHEVAR
Bee’s nest, condensed milk, honey

MASALA CHAI
Spice, black tea Less

Frankly speaking, collaborations can be hit or miss. But when they work, they really work.

I sensed a culinary kinship between @luca.fantin and @amaurybouhours of @lemeuricealainducasse, two chefs whose styles synch so well yet maintain their distinctiveness. Amaury’s punchy, bold dishes provided a deft counterpoint to the subtle finesse of Luca’s cuisine. A bright dish of raw scallops, broccoletti, and vegetable mole with citrus had muscle and verve, followed by diced tuna and beetroot in a scarlet sauce ringed with smoky pimenton oil.

Ravioli filled with fava beans in pecorino broth with housemade lard was a show stopper, while the asparagus-topped risotto flavored with sansai mountain vegetables and hamaguri clams displayed the green exuberance of spring.

There was lightly smoked akamutsu with saffron potato cream and a deeply flavorful pescatora sauce, then Amaury’s brilliant grilled veal, marinated in spices and white miso for two days and served with charred baby gem and green olives in mint sauce. The beautiful dessert of rhubarb and licorice with ginger crumble by @ariitea_rossigno provided a bracingly refreshing finish.

Pairings with @domperignonofficial 2013, Rose, 2008, and P2 2004 made this event extra special.

3 amazing chefs, 4 incredible wines, 1 unforgettable afternoon at @bulgarilucafantintokyo. Less