Luxeat

The ingenuity of Le Pré Catelan

I have  a new favorite chef  in Paris and his name is Frédéric Anton. Its not that i didn't know him- he used to be a frequent Joel Robuchon's guest in Gourmet TV( i was a big fan!), which is unfortunately not airing anymore. Frédéric Anton definitely stood out from other featured chefs  on that program. He had wild imagination, was very precise (In the same way as Joel Robuchon is, who was his mentor.)and was actually able to cook something that was not only creative but delicious at the same time. How could i know if the food was tasting good as it was on TV you might ask. Well, a foodie like me can smell good foor from very far away, even through TV :)
So, to make a long story short , it was last Friday's night and as always we had no idea where to dine. You see, its on Fridays evenings when you realize that you are in Paris, one of the most busy and visited cities in the world. I had my Gault Millau book in front of me and was calling to all restaurants i wanted to go: Le Chateaubriand or Bistrot Paul Bert in 11th, La Table de Joel Robuchon in 16th , anywhere we called we got the same answer- "Désolé, complet!" . Desperate to eat something good i even called to L'Astrance, but , of course, it was full.  And then, "Eureka!" , there was still one free table in Le Pré Catelan , a three Michelin stars restaurant, well hidden in Bois de Boulogne. As they say, good things happen unexpected- i was very excited to dicover this place, especially, that it was not planned.

This is what porteños eat

Ok, if you don't find my tomato soup  (featured below) that exciting, maybe you will find this more appetizing? This is what  porteños (the Buenos Aires residents) eat - a juicy steak as seen in Cluny ( El Salvador 4618, Palermo)  restaurant.

Delicious hot tomato soup

Who could have thought that a simple tomato soup from a hotel room service can be so inspiring? Moreover, it is not the everybody's favorite gaspacho, but HOT tomato soup. And to be honest, I've always looked quite sceptically at hot tomato soups as they they often taste like ketchup. Don't they?

Eating "helado" in Palermo

Apart of the most incredible steaks, Buenos Aires has the most fantastic artisanal ice cream.  Yesterday I was  walking in the trendy Palermo area and you can see "heladeria" on almost every corner. Above is  the picture of my copious portion of "dulce de leche" and fresh melon ice cream. You could feel small pieces of melon in the melon ice cream and "dulce de leche" flavor was simply heavenly.

"Dulce de leche"  is very common  in Argentine desserts. Basically it is caramelized milk  that  tastes something like  caramel, but less intense.( The French equivalent is "confiture de lait".)

Cabaña las Lilas, Buenos Aires

Its one day I am in Buenos Aires and I absolutely love it. It is not exactly how i imagined though - Buenos Aires is very European. Of course,I knew that it is the most European city in South America, but, still, i thought it will be something like Lima where I've been one year ago. In fact, Buenos Aires reminds me a lot of Barcelona or Madrid- and with its architecture, and people and culture.
There is one thing that is definitely different from the cities where i usually spend my time though. The seasons.  Its is deep autumn here in the southern hemisphere and in the evenings can be quite chilly.(Even though during the day time the sky is stunningly blue and the sun is shining.) I should have thought of that before packing my summer dresses, bathing suit and sandals :)

Buenos dias Buenos Aires !

Just arrived to the capital of Argentina. More to come. (Can't wait to eat the famous steaks!)

Guacamole image

Freshly prepared guacamole as seen in Rosa Mexicano in New York  (at Lincoln center). So healthy and delicious- I could eat it every day.

Peter Luger Steakhouse

I think it  is perfectly normal to have very high expectations when you go to a restaurant which has 28/30 mark in Zagat (togather with some finest restaurants in NY like Per Se and Le Bernardin) and one Michelin star. You do expect a "meal of your life" . But after yesterday's lunch in Peter Luger steakhouse in Brooklyn I realized how bias and subjective guides are about this restaurant. It was not that i was disappointed, because it was my third time there and i knew the place, but i imagine that some restaurant connoisseurs ,who travel especially for this steakhouse, do feel let down.

Yes, Peter Luger is legendary,  "New York's number 1 steak house for 23 year in a row" , but, on the other hand,it is way too  overhyped and overrated for what it is. Nothing special,nothing exceptional. Nor about the place, neither about the food. The steaks were good, but i find the steaks at  Sparks or Wolfgang's in Manhattan as good if not better.(And you don't have to drive to Brooklyn and spend extra $40 for a round trip). Also, the freshness and  the quality of the rest of the products( like shrimp cocktail ) was below average.

So for me it is out of question to agree with Zagat and Michelin ratings for this restaurant.As, if to be believe in the judgement of Zagat guide, Peter Luger is in the same league as Per Se and Le Bernardin which is a complete nonsense.

Sushi Yasuda

If Paris is the capital of the French gastronomy, New York is the capital of great Japanese and sushi restaurants.When i am in Paris, i really miss authentic Japanese restaurants, because Paris simply doesn't have good ones.

I have discussed that in  my previous posts- even if Kai or Kinugawa   are quite authentic and are  considered as somehow top sushi places in the French capital, the main problem is the fish. The fish quality is quite mediocre. I mean, its is not ideal for eating it raw- very chewy and hard.

Thats why, as soon as i arrived to Manhattan, i headed to  Sushi Yasuda .It is considered one of the top Japanese restaurants in NY and you can see the reason why immediately you taste the fish. It is melting in your mouth, simply divine...