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  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    FOOD!

    Here you go, people! Making me all hungry with all the Babbo talk. Post your restaurant recommendations and other food relate stuff here.
    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine
  • Avantster
    ¤¤¤
    • Sep 2006
    • 1983

    #2
    Re: FOOD!

    On Wednesday I experienced a night of culinary indulgence never to be
    forgotton. Held at Galileo restaurant at the Observatory Hotel, the Iron Chef 2007 Dinner
    was the meal of my dreams. If you're a fan like myself, an interactive
    experience with these culinary gods is too good to pass up!





    Chen Kenichi (Iron Chef Chinese), Harunobu Inukai (Head Chef of Galileo), Hiroyuki Sakai (Iron Chef French).





    Welcome Cocktail - Champagne Chamborn made with Nv Pol Roger 'White
    Foil', Epernay, Champagne. Deliciously sweet and very refreshing.





    Canapes.

    Chef Sakai offers Soupe a l'Ail avec Gelee de Gazpacho, a tomato
    based soup with a thin layer of capsicum and a creamy bottom. The
    Mousse de Saumon is wonderfully rich and melts in your mouth with the
    buttery toast.

    Chef Chen offers Braised Carp with Chilli Sauce in it's own
    little spoon, the complex flavour and touch of spiciness leaves you
    wanting more. The Sesame Infused Cold Steamed Chicken is cooked to
    perfection with the tender chicken contrasting well with the nutty
    sesame sauce and textured jellyfish.

    Chef Haru offers Zucchini Flower with Calamari, lightly battered in the shape of a bird, as well a most tasty morsel of Quail Confit.

    The matching wine is NV Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Brut, 1er Cru, Vertus, Champagne.







    Chef Sakai offers Crepe D'Oursin et Fume de Thon, Sabayon au
    Curry, with a matching 2005 Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett 'Trocken',
    Rheingau, Germany.

    A firm but juicy asparagus sits pointing towards the mild sabayon
    curry. The tuna sits on an intriguing green sauce, topped off with a
    textured mixture of chopped cucumber. The sea urchin crepe with
    mushrooms brings a new meaning to 'melt in your mouth' as the
    voloptuous textures linger.





    Chef Chen offers Foie Gras Flan, King Crab Soup and Kinugasa Mushroom, matched with 2004 Vinoptima Gewurztraminer, Gisborne, NZ.

    Placed in a deceptively simple coffee cup, this soup is indescribable.
    The flavour is so complexly wonderful I can only describe as
    experiencing tippling waves of delight straight from the gods. A rich
    soup with the flavour of crab roe, the pleasing texture of the custard
    like foie gras, topped off by the legendary kinugasa mushroom.







    Chef Haru offers Papillote of Lobster with Saffron Pasta, matched with 2005 Tyrrell's 'Vat 47' Chardonnay, Hunter Valley NSW.

    The firm lobster tail contrasts well with the soft and silky rich saffron pasta, and brings a warm feeling to the body.





    Chef Sakai offers Noisettes D'Agneau en Croute Maria Callas, matched with a 'Mystery' Australian wine.

    The lamb wrapped in omentum is cooked to tender perfection, and
    combined with the rich flavours of foie gras, chicken and mushroom
    sausage. The beautiful delicate richness of this dish is almost
    overwhelming, and I can see why this could be a favourite of an opera
    singer like Maria Callas.





    Chef Chen offers Mabou Tofu a la Chen, matched with 2005 Cascabel 'Tipico' Grenache/Monastrell/Shiraz, Mclaren Vale, SA.

    We watch Chen cook this dish together with one lucky diner chosen from
    the floor. This Mabou Tofu is unlike any I have tasted. It is rich and
    so complexly flavoursome with a kick of spiciness that leaves your
    tastebuds tingling as though they are wriggling for more.









    Chef Haru offers Spicy Pineapple and White Chocolate Ginger Ice
    Cream with Tropical Pannacotta, matched with 2004 Jurancaon 'Uroulat'
    Petit Manseng, Charles Hours, South-West France.

    Uniquely presented, the pannacotta is fruity and the sweetness is not
    overpowering, and the crisp biscuit snaps with authority. The spicy
    pineapple is juicy and is cleansing while the ginger ice cream strikes
    a perfect balance.





    Getting watch the chefs in action, and to meet them afterwards was
    truly an experience. It was a delight to see the chefs in their element
    and how infectiously cheeky Chen was in the relaxed atmosphere. All in
    all, a night to remember!
    let us raise a toast to ancient cotton, rotten voile, gloomy silk, slick carf, decayed goat, inflamed ram, sooty nelton, stifling silk, lazy sheep, bone-dry broad & skinny baffalo.

    Comment

    • Chinorlz
      Senior Member
      • Sep 2006
      • 6422

      #3
      Re: FOOD!



      Oh. My. God.</P>


      That was a meal of a lifetime. I'd kill and maim to have a dinner cooked by the other original iron chefs!</P>
      www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

      Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

      Comment

      • ddohnggo
        Senior Member
        • Oct 2006
        • 4477

        #4
        Re: FOOD!

        [Y]
        Did you get and like the larger dick?

        Comment

        • nycd
          Senior Member
          • Oct 2006
          • 286

          #5
          Re: FOOD!

          Oh man. Thanks for posting the photos. That must have really been the meal of a lifetime.

          Comment

          • ddohnggo
            Senior Member
            • Oct 2006
            • 4477

            #6
            Re: FOOD!



            great NY times article on "chefs as chemists"</p>

            http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/sc...mp;oref=slogin</p>
            Did you get and like the larger dick?

            Comment

            • bakla
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2006
              • 902

              #7
              Re: FOOD!

              [quote user="ddohnggo"]

              great NY times article on "chefs as chemists"</p>

              http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/sc...mp;oref=slogin</p>

              [/quote]</p>

              New York magazine disparaged them for being so late to the game, writing about molecular gastronomy. It's a near decade-old trend, just gaining more popularity because of grant Achaz et al in Chicago, with Wylie the Lone Gunman here in NYC (at least when it comes to savory - haven't tried sam tailor's resto yet). Has anyone been to WD-50 lately? I've heard nothing but the decline in quality for the past few years, and I really don't want to believe it, but after my last mediocre meal there, I haven't been back for a couple of years. Might have to go see for myself again.

              Here's a question for everyone: I know many SZ will pay through the nose for clothing, but do you consider food and fine dining a necessary luxury? I know I certainly do. Especially in NYC, there's nothing like the range of restaurants and dining experiences one can experience. Besides, it's also a great place to show off all those leather jackets we've been amassing! ;)
              </p>

              Comment

              • Faust
                kitsch killer
                • Sep 2006
                • 37852

                #8
                Re: FOOD!



                I think of food as extreme luxury because of its transiency. After all, the taste and the memory of it lingers only for so long (unless you are Marcel Proust). A leather jacket on the other hand is almost like diamonds ;-). I don't think I've ever paid more than $100 a person, and that would be an extreme occasion. I think New York is fairly unique in restaurant experience, because, unlike in Europe, chances are you have to pay through the nose to get a great meal. The best meal I've had was in Glasgow anyway - a haute restaurant experience that would probably have cost me 4 times more in NYC. So, yea, I guess I don't qualify - the highest I've been to was Nobu (next door) in its hey day. It was good.
                </p>

                On the WD-50 note - I hear nothing but criticism on Chowhound, and they are usually on the ball.</p>

                So, what are people's favorites in your city? This should propel this thread further.</p>

                Mine are;</p>

                Jean-Claude (small French place off the radar of most people, just the way I like it)</p>

                Blue Ribbon Bakery (self-explanatory)
                </p>

                Aquagrill (a real winner for seafood)</p>

                Tartine (coolest place for brunch)</p>

                Le Gamin (good crepes)</p>

                Cafe Gitane (good for a quick bite and lamenting the changing demographic; remains of the fashion crowd edged out by the guys in untucked dress shirts over jeans and kenneth cole shoes)</p>

                Oh, shoot me, I'm a francophile.
                </p>
                Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

                StyleZeitgeist Magazine

                Comment

                • dontbecruel
                  Senior Member
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 494

                  #9
                  Re: FOOD!



                  Your implication that eating good food out is cheaper in Europe really surprises me Faust. Whenever I've eaten in the States (even New York) I've been bowled over by how good value it is compared to London or Paris, where there really isn't such a thing as cheap, edible restaurant food. Maybe we're talking different ends of the spectrum though. I'm not really a gastronome. The places I enjoy best are usually dim sum, tapas, izakaya, diners etc etc. I like fun food rather than fancy food and you can great cheap fun food in NYC. Are the snazzy restaurants really more expensive over there than here? I always thought London had the reputation of being the most expensive place to eat out on earth.
                  </p>

                  Comment

                  • Faust
                    kitsch killer
                    • Sep 2006
                    • 37852

                    #10
                    Re: FOOD!

                    [quote user="dontbecruel"]

                    Your implication that eating good food out is cheaper in Europe really surprises me Faust. Whenever I've eaten in the States (even New York) I've been bowled over by how good value it is compared to London or Paris, where there really isn't such a thing as cheap, edible restaurant food. Maybe we're talking different ends of the spectrum though. I'm not really a gastronome. The places I enjoy best are usually dim sum, tapas, izakaya, diners etc etc. I like fun food rather than fancy food and you can great cheap fun food in NYC. Are the snazzy restaurants really more expensive over there than here? I always thought London had the reputation of being the most expensive place to eat out on earth.
                    </p>

                    [/quote]</p>

                    Well, Londoners are disqualified from talking about food altogether! [74] But even there, the Tesco croissants are better and twice as cheap as any "French" bakery in NYC can offer - and I have one of the best ones across the street from my office. Anyway, it is exactly the non-haute food that I find infinitely better in Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Milan, Tuscany, etc - baked goods, coffee, shwarmas, sandwiches, steaks, etc. It's really not about how the food is made, it's the raw ingridients that are chemical-ridden in the US. And the exports are not safe from it - the FDA requires them to pump their products full of preservatives, because, you know, god forbid we get a virus in the food from some uncivilized country like France.</p>

                    But, yea, snazzy restaurants in London are more expensive then here.
                    </p>
                    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

                    StyleZeitgeist Magazine

                    Comment

                    • lowrey
                      ventiundici
                      • Dec 2006
                      • 8383

                      #11
                      Re: FOOD!

                      <P mce_keep="true"></P>


                      I love Hakkasan in London, one of my all time favorite places. I think I've been there about 5-6 times and everytime it has been perfect, except ones when their gas supply went out. but we ended up getting £150 worth of wines for free and a good restaurant suggestion a block away, so cant complain[73]</P>


                      an interesting experience was when I went to Lupa in nyc,I was really underwhelmed. I think its the same owner as Babbo, right? food was mediocre at best and service not too good. I had pasta that was a bit too al dente and somewhat tasteless, my girlfriend had apork filet for main course that looked like it had been boiled instead of grilled, and also tasted that way. I don't remember what else we had since this was over a year ago, but they were nothing to brag about either. I'm sure we just had bad luck as the place has gotten a lot of appraisal, but still quite odd.</P>
                      "AVANT GUARDE HIGHEST FASHION. NOW NOW this is it people, these are the brands no one fucking knows and people are like WTF. they do everything by hand in their freaking secret basement and shit."

                      STYLEZEITGEIST MAGAZINE | BLOG

                      Comment

                      • Chinorlz
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 6422

                        #12
                        Re: FOOD!



                        My experience at WD-50 about a year ago was nothing short of top notch. Even though my brother and were there for the last seating, we had flawless service. On top of the full-on chef's tasting menu, we had added tasting portions of 3 other dishes on the menu and they added them to the courses at perfect times and intervals. </P>


                        The servers were really enthusiastic (and rocking raw denim levi's as is their uniform) and the bartender was really cool too. The drinks rock there for those that just want a stopoff, I would say I love the drinks at WD-50 and PDT (the secret bar behind the phone booth at Crif Dogs) the most out of any place I've been to in the city. At WD-50, the bartender makes drinks that complement the food and the style/concept behind Wylie's dishes the best.</P>


                        After our meal, my brother and I were given a tour of the kitchen and we chatted with Wylie and Sam (Mason) for a while before we left. Awesome guys.</P>


                        I haven't tried Mason's new solo restaurant since he left WD-50 and the pastry guy from Alinea was recruited over.</P>


                        I have photos of our meal at WD-50 which I'll post up here post-exam (read: wednesday evening hahahaha). I also have photos from MiniBar at Cafe Atlantico in Washington DC that was truly lifechanging. I've been dying for 3 dinners in the US: Moto, Alinea, and Masa. I'm thinking about taking a weekend trip to Chicago purely for two dinners at Moto and Alinea as they're not just meals, but absolutely true experiences as Minibar was.</P>


                        If you are ever within 50 miles of DC, get a reservation at Minibar. I'll post those photos as well, but if you know El Bulli, then you'll know what one would expect at Minibar. I was there for 3+ hours and ate something like 30 dishes. </P>


                        What I love about NYC is how there is such a HUGE range of delicious places. Everything from Per Se, Masa, Daniel etc. down to Pomme Frites on St. Marks and the oh-so-lovely Grays papaya and of course chicken and rice. You don't have to go expensive for a good meal, but if you want to spend the money, you can have a really amazing one. Nobu next door is a great middle of the road place both because of its ease of access to get a seat and because the dishes are reasonably priced.</P>


                        I categorize food and clothing the same... if anything, a great meal tops any article of clothing because it's better than a material good. It's a memory that you won't forget if it was truly great enough. My brother and I still talk about all the great restaurants that we've gone to, and some of the best times with my girlfriend are at restaurants (some dirt-ass-cheap, some quite $$$) and we reminisce often about both the search for these hidden away gems and laugh about how bad other places are. To me, that beats any jacket (leather or otherwise [74]).</P>


                        In Boston, quality and price often did not go hand in hand with a lot of the restaurants (the turnover in Boston is pretty high... places open and close regularly), but there were a few that are tried and true (as I'm sure LanceP and Joey know on here... Hollaaaa back beantown!). From cheap eats in Chinatown (Mmmm Taiwan Cafe) to top of the line L'Espalier and everything in between (french bistros, all you can eat indian buffets, greek restaurants, etc. etc. etc.) you had your pick and most wouldn't break the bank. </P>


                        In a sense Faust, you're right. There isn't much of a need to spend over $100 per person per meal most of the time, but there are those handful of places and meals that man... are so absolutely worth it.</P>
                        www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                        Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                        Comment

                        • Avantster
                          ¤¤¤
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 1983

                          #13
                          Re: FOOD!



                          If clothing is to fashion as food is to gastronomy, and fashion stands at unique crossroads of artistic and individual expression, utility and commerce, does not gastronomy also stand at at unique crossroads of utility, commerce, and expression? With food as its central tenet, gastronomy is inextricably linked to culture, anthropology, and sociology. "Tell me what kind of food you eat, and I will tell you what kind of man you are."</p>

                          To answer bakla's question, I don't think fine dining in itself is a necessary luxury. To me It is, as Faust says, an extreme luxury. But IMHO the experience of good food, in all senses of the word, is a necessity.
                          To me the transience of food you mentioned Faust, is much like any other human experience in the arts, such as music, dance or drama. It is a unique human experience to the senses that impacts upon and says something about our imagination, mind, perceptions and morals. But you're right because food does not have to be expensive in the slightest to be a fantastic experience.

                          On a more personal note, I am an avid cook myself and much more of a foodie than a gourmet. In reference to my earlier post, the food I experienced that night I can only describe as magical. On the Iron Chef TV show, I've noticed guest judges making nonsensical comments such as "The food is so complexly pleasing to my palate, I feel I have experienced a profound moment." I thought it was just a poor translation job.
                          But having experienced the food, this was exactly how I felt. I remember vividly sitting there in silence, the complex tastes gently sweeping my mouth in waves, thoughts, images and memories flashing through my head. And in that moment the chef's intimate knowledge, and love of food rang as true as a bell. I think it's an experience that will never leave me, and was well worth it!</p>
                          let us raise a toast to ancient cotton, rotten voile, gloomy silk, slick carf, decayed goat, inflamed ram, sooty nelton, stifling silk, lazy sheep, bone-dry broad & skinny baffalo.

                          Comment

                          • bakla
                            Senior Member
                            • Oct 2006
                            • 902

                            #14
                            Re: FOOD!



                            You and I are on such the same page, Albert. I've been planning a trip to Chicago for dinner alone, with Alinea, Moto and Avenues on the list. Question is, do I just go for a night, or make it a triple play? But if one does a15 course tour, it seems overmuch to do something again the very next night. Plus fine dining requires company, however, and the people I would enjoy those trips with haven't been able to wrangle either the time or money. But I'm working on it. Maybe you and I should meet for dinner![B]</p>

                            And Minibar sounds great - I have to visit a friend who just moved to DC. Now I have a restaurant destination - sweet!</p>

                            And to answer my own question, I classify food as one of the great pleasures of life - when done well, it's transcendent. It appeals to one of our basic senses, but like going to a concert or looking at a painting, it can be an art form that affects you no matter how transitory it may seem. And in that is it worth the money for a great dining experience.</p>

                            Comment

                            • Faust
                              kitsch killer
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 37852

                              #15
                              Re: FOOD!

                              [quote user="Avantster"]

                              If clothing is to fashion as food is to gastronomy, and fashion stands at unique crossroads of artistic and individual expression, utility and commerce, does not gastronomy also stand at at unique crossroads of utility, commerce, and expression? With food as its central tenet, gastronomy is inextricably linked to culture, anthropology, and sociology. "Tell me what kind of food you eat, and I will tell you what kind of man you are."</p>

                              To answer bakla's question, I don't think fine dining in itself is a necessary luxury. To me It is, as Faust says, an extreme luxury. But IMHO the experience of good food, in all senses of the word, is a necessity.
                              To me the transience of food you mentioned Faust, is much like any other human experience in the arts, such as music, dance or drama. It is a unique human experience to the senses that impacts upon and says something about our imagination, mind, perceptions and morals. But you're right because food does not have to be expensive in the slightest to be a fantastic experience.

                              On a more personal note, I am an avid cook myself and much more of a foodie than a gourmet. In reference to my earlier post, the food I experienced that night I can only describe as magical. On the Iron Chef TV show, I've noticed guest judges making nonsensical comments such as "The food is so complexly pleasing to my palate, I feel I have experienced a profound moment." I thought it was just a poor translation job.
                              But having experienced the food, this was exactly how I felt. I remember vividly sitting there in silence, the complex tastes gently sweeping my mouth in waves, thoughts, images and memories flashing through my head. And in that moment the chef's intimate knowledge, and love of food rang as true as a bell. I think it's an experience that will never leave me, and was well worth it!</p>

                              [/quote]</p>

                              I like the way you think. You should read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.[8-|]</p>
                              Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

                              StyleZeitgeist Magazine

                              Comment

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