Luxeat

Michelin Paris 1976

I found this old Michelin guide at a hotel lounge in Rio de Janeiro. What is interesting that five out of six  3 Michelin starred restaurants in Paris in 1976 are still well and opened after 35 years. (Four of them still have Michelin stars).

Happy 2012!

Dear Readers, I wanted to thank you for visiting my blog

and wish you lots of success,joy and love in 2012!

This is my dog in  warmer times ;)

Kitchen Hero 2011 by Sternefresser.de

 

You can find the whole list here. Fantastic chefs, great food bloggers, critics..  Luxeat as well ;)

 

Beautiful food at The Ledbury

 

The food at The Ledbury was not only beautiful, but also delicious. Contemporary French,British products, 2 Michelin stars, 29/30 in Zagat, probably one of the most sought after reservations in London.  I will definitely return!

 

The images of the menu (December 2011)..

High end tempura at Kondo

 

Whether it's a sushi- ya, or tempura-ya, one of the main characteristics of Japanese restaurants is  that a  chef  cooks food in front of you.Some products, like shrimps for example, are still moving moments away from cooking. There can't be any hiding or cheating. At high end tempura restaurants  food preparation show is particularly fun to watch. Only a narrow counter separates you from the kitchen.

Kondo (2*, Sakaguchi Bldg., 9F, 5-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo;tel.03-5568-0923) was my second time at a high end tempura restaurant in Tokyo and my expectations were really high because the first time i tried tempura in Tokyo was at  7 Chome Kyoboshi two years ago. 7 Chome Kyoboshi, which now has 3 Michelin stars, is  in a totally different league from any other tempura restaurant in the world.

Opinionated About Dining Best Meals of 2011

 

Luxeat's meal of the year is on the list! ( so as some of the best chefs' in the world, writers' and fellow food bloggers')

One Michelin Star Soba

 

Soba - traditional Japanese buckwheat noodles that can be eaten cold or hot, alone or in a broth. The soba at Tajima( 1*) was delicious, but sometimes I wonder if Michelin guide makes any sense in Japan. If to be fair, all the decent restaurants in France,serving fresh,cheap and delicious French food should be Michelin strarred as well!

Sushi for Breakfast at Daiwa

 

Akagai

Eating the freshest fish possible is part of the fun when visiting  the biggest fish and seafood market in the world. Daiwa Sushi (Tsukiji Market Part6 Bldg. 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo,tel. 03-3547-6807) hides in one of the busy alleys of Tsukiji  and is definitely worth the over an hour wait- the fish is unimaginably fresh and much cheaper than at the best sushi places in the city. 

More pictures after the jump

The ultimate seafood at Sushi Saito

 

 

When you sit at  a 7 places sushi counter, you will most likely end up making conversations with your neighbours. My neighbours at  Sushi Saito ( Jidousha kaikan Bldg. F1, 1-9-15 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo,tel. 03-3589-4412 ) - a nice Japanese couple who comes to this sushi bar regularly and who also spends their summer holidays in the South of France. We spoke about sushi,fish in Japan,in France and  " why don't Europeans like their fish"  as they "overcook it and cover in sauces","so you can't even see which fish you are eating". This point of view was particularly interesting as somehow it's true.The philosophy of Japanese cuisine is the complete opposite. It is all about respecting  ingredients and instead of overcooking them, emphasising their freshness and natural texture.

Fruit shopping in Tokyo

 

It never ceases to amaze me the quality of the products  in Tokyo. Sembikiya is the oldest fruit shop in Japan selling fruits of unbelievable quality you will get nowhere in the world. The fruits at the Sembikiya shops are so expensive that usually you buy them by units and often Japanese offer these muskmelons, mangoes, apples and oranges as gifts. Muskmelons cost from around 100 to 200 euros a piece, mandarins -a little over than 2 euros each, one orange costs from 4 to 15 euros depending on the quality. No, you don't make your fresh pressed orange  juice with these!