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The French Laundry

10/22/2013

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This is the restaurant based on which Chef Keller has built his empire. Located in a beautiful two story building in the town of Yountville, in Napa Valley. A lot of classic tastes, in a menu of perfectly cooked courses! The freshest ingredients are assembled mainly from California to contribute to the amazing creations of Chef Keller. This time, we were lucky to visit during white truffle season, and experienced a really exceptional dish of tagliatelle with shaved white truffle from Italy. This course was simple yet so powerful to become the highlight of our night. Keller classics, like oysters and pearls (a sabayon of pearl tapioca with malpque oysters and caviar) were phenomenal as always. However, similar to most other restaurants in the area, and unlike its brother restaurant (Per Se) in NYC, service was generally slow and overall subpar.


3 Michelin stars

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Salmon cornet
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Oysters and pearls; a French Laundry classic
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Truffled egg custard
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Kokkari Estiatorio

10/20/2013

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One of the best Greek restaurants in the US. Kokkari is faithful to greek tradition and offers classical courses cooked to perfection. Fresh ingredients are key, however very few restaurants in the US are able to achieve tastes so close to the ones in Greece. The highlights include lamb on the spit, souvlaki, tzatziki, paidakia, dolmades, spanakopita and other mouthwatering traditional Greek dishes. Service is welcoming and attentive to detail, and although most servers are not Greek, they are very well trained to accurately pronounce the names of the courses. 

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Traditional way of making Greek coffee
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Coi

10/19/2013

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Coi is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco. Not only due to the food, but especially because amazing cooking is combined with exceptional hospitality, and a fast-paced but not rushed service! Contrary to most restaurants in the area, chef Patterson guarantees a balance between the savory and the sweet parts of the menu, with very creative dessert options. Local fresh ingredients are the protagonists of the night, and the chef follows a minimalistic approach to create an amazing succession of tastes, smells, and textures.


2 Michelin stars

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California sturgeon caviar; egg yolk poached in smoked oil, creme fraiche and chive
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Inverted tart with goat cheese: beet, rye and dill
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Salmon...
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Local lamb
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Whipped coconut, olive oil, rhubarb, blood orange
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Saison

10/18/2013

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Saison is a unique restaurant in the Bay area. Only the freshest ingredients find a place in the menu, which changes seasonally. The space is very earthy, with a lot of wood and metal. An open concept kitchen allows guests to observe the activities inside. Some courses are served and presented by the chefs working in the kitchen. The menu flows seamlessly and is mainly based on fish, starting with sashimi, and followed by several cooked dishes. Every course of the savory portion of the menu is amazing! However, this is another San Francisco restaurant where desserts left a lot to be desired. A negative aspect of the experience is that the menu starts with burning hot tea, and concludes with tea of similar temperature, making it very possible that you will burn your tongue and lose appreciation of the rest of the courses. Service was generally slow.


2 Michelin stars

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Caviar creation...
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Sashimi...Mouthwatering!
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Risotto with white truffle. Amazing!
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Sorbet
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Salted brioche. One of the best breads offered in a restaurant...
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Benu

10/17/2013

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Benu is an exceptional restaurant! Chef Lee was born in Korea and is the former chef-de-cuisine of the French Laundry. He has managed to achieve a perfect marriage of Asian and American cooking. Minimalistic ambience, and low-key service set the tone for the experience. Several bite-sized courses are followed by larger dishes. Chef Lee employs modernistic methods of cooking, and demonstrates his genius in all his creations. One of the highlights was his "beggar's purse" dish, which was made of acorn flour, with a filling from Iberico ham from pigs fed with acorns and truffles, under the shade of oak trees. The savory part of the menu was simply breathtaking! However, the sweet part is significantly lagging behind in explosiveness and creativity, and left a lot to be desired. 


2 Michelin stars

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Oyster, pork, and kimchi dumpling. Amazing taste and texture!
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Thousand year old quail egg
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Beggar's purse of treasures from the oak. Incredible!
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Beef...
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Salt-and-pepper-squid... Squid ink rice ship dotted with a confit of squid, garlic puree, pickled chiles, and cilantro shoots
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​All pictures have been taken by us during our culinary travels. They are mere representations of the amazing inspirations of chefs around the world


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