How useful is the Michelin Guide? (And to Whom?): Reflecting on recent experiences in Beaune, France and Germany

March 2016:  Do you rely on the Michelin Guide to make your restaurant choices when you visit a city that is covered by the Guide? The Michelin Guide started publishing in 1900 in France, as a guide with maps, given away free of charge to motorists so that they could locate local mechanics, hotels and petrol stations. In 1926, the Guide started awarding stars to dining establishments. In 1931, the hierarchy of one, two, and three stars was introduced and at the same time the cover of the Guide changed colour from blue to red. In 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published:

• *: "A very good restaurant in its category" (Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie)
• **: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" (Table excellente, mérite un détour)
• ***: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" (Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage)

Later, the Guide added the Bib Gourmand feature, listing restaurants offering “exceptional good food at moderate prices”.  So what prices are deemed moderate?  The menu items must be priced below a threshold determined by local economic standards.  (Wonder how often these economic standards are reviewed?) “Bib” is the company’s nickname for Bibendum, the Michelin Man, the corporate logo.

I was driven to research the above guidelines as I am increasingly confused by the standards represented by various rated restaurants. My experiences at equal-ranked restaurants in different cities have certainly been varying – for example, compare Hong Kong and London.  There seems to be a lack of global consistency. Some restaurants should be really categorized as Bib Gourmand, rather than the venerable starred restaurants.  At least for Hong Kong, the presence of a star does not mean much in terms of quality of food, and the rating rather equates to the degree of difficulty in making a reservation.  For example, ‘three stars’ means close to impossible, unless you try many months in advance or you have special connections.  (Having said this, Richard is a loyal ‘collector’ of the Guide and he buys all the European Guides and the rather unhelpful HK Guide every year.  What is more, they usually make up a reasonable percentage of luggage weight when travelling to Europe.)

During the week of Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne (21 - 25 March 2016), we had the opportunity to dine at a few restaurants in Beaune which boasts a couple of one-Michelin-starred restaurants (the city has 4 altogether, with no higher rated restaurants), as well as a number of casual places.  

Our Poulet de Bresse being prepared.

The Bistro de L’Hotel was our first dining venue.  It produced good honest bistro cuisine, with consistent quality, from potato cream soup, deep-fried artichoke, to ris de veau and a perfectly roasted Poulet de Bresse, complete with crispy skin, succulent meat and tasty garlic-flavoured jus.  One could describe it as gastro-bistro, to justify the elevated prices for a Poulet de Bresse (EUR 90 per Poulet to be shared by two or a Poularde de Bresse at EUR 110). The main course of ris de veau was EUR 42. The starters were relatively less expensive, with the Vichyssoise at EUR 16 and the deep-fried artichoke at EUR 17.  These prices matched those of the city’s one-Michelin starred restaurants, as we will see.  (I was told it was frequented by a number of serious wine collectors, from the US as well as Asia. One might draw comparison with another famous bistro in Paris: L’Ami Louis.)  And not to forget ‘les frites’ (the French fries). The wine list was extensive (especially for the Bourgogne selection) and included a number of vintages, which was a plus for their targeted clientele as most restaurants in Beaune would typically feature wines no older than 2007/2008, and even then would only be less than 5% of the selection, with the majority being 2011 – 2014.  (The Michelin Guide did comment on the impressive wine list.) Service was impeccable and Jeremy the sommelier looked after us and the bottles of 2005 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre (EUR 210) and 2002 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots (EUR 385) drank brilliantly.  Both bottles were chosen from the restaurant wine list.  The champagne by the glass was a grower blanc de blancs, perfect for the job at EUR 16 a coupe.  Approximately EUR 250 per head including the wines mentioned. The restaurant allows brought-in bottles and corkage is EUR 50 a bottle. Sounds like a fair deal.

The following evening we dined at a similar convivial set-up: La Maison du Colombier set in a building that dates to 1574 and includes a charming hexagonal turret. Chef Roland Chanliaud formerly ran the kitchen at Le Jardin des Remparts is at the helm at La Maison du Colombier producing seasonal dishes and creations of the moment. We actually returned a subsequent evening for an apero before dinner.  We were five people and were assigned a nice table upstairs.  Downstairs is a lively bar area made up of 3 vaulted cellars where people just come in for small bites/tapas, washed down with a nice selection of reds and whites by the glass.  At the time, they offered 2 crémants and 2 champagne by the glass (an Extra Brut (EUR 12 a glass) and a Bollinger).  When we were there, there were a 2013 Ladoix (Camille Giroud), a 2011 Volnay (Thomas Bouley) and a 2013 Auxey-Duresses blanc (Benjamin Leroux).  For our dinner, we shared a few tapas (excellent mackerels poached in white wine and vinegar, mini sardines on Poilâne toast, smoked salmon rillette and monkfish liver with piment d’Espelette, a plate of Bellota ham). All were about EUR 8 to EUR 16 per dish.  For main courses, I had 3 plump scallops (with coral), grilled with chorizo crumble and garlic butter (EUR 7 per scallop).  The others had a creamy gâteau de foies (like a mousse), with langoustines and a lamb stew (about EUR 15 – 17 per main course).  Portions were moderate and designed to be preceded by a few tapas.  I loved the atmosphere, the ambiance and the efficient and charming service.   For wine, we had a bottle of 2012 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin 1er Cru Clos de La Chatenière (EUR 84) and a 2010 Hubert Lignier Morey St Denis 1er Cru La Riotte (EUR 142).  Roughly EUR 85 per person.  Somewhere I definitely look forward to returning to…and they even have a few apartments/suites.

Le Jardin des Remparts

The following evening, dinner à deux at Le Jardin des Remparts, a one-Michelin starred restaurant, set inside a lovely 1930’s villa bourgeoise with the remparts behind. In the summer, the terrace is a lovely spot for pre-dinner cocktails.  We arrived about 8:30 pm and we finished our meal around 10 pm.  We only delayed departure so that we could finish our bottle of 2008 Marquis d’Angerville Volnay Taillepieds. The amuse-gueles arrived in a hurry, even before our white wine was served.  They showed creativity and the boudin noir and mushroom ball was rather delicious. We decided not to have an aperitif as disappointingly they only had one choice of champagne by the glass, a Veuve Clicquot yellow label, nothing wrong with the consistent quality of the Grande Marques, but one would expect a restaurant of this quality to feature a more eclectic option to excite the palate. The chef’s welcome dish also arrived rather promptly. This was not as interesting as the 4 little amuse-gueules earlier. In fact, I could describe it as a plate of two large and bland-tasting beans – we could not see the point in this welcome dish.  I ordered a small salad to start – the chef was kind to accommodate my off-menu order but my first few mouthfuls of lamb’s lettuce (mâche) were filled with grit.  Richard’s white asparagus was much more successful and up to standard, as was his sirloin beef main course was excellent, perfectly executed, tender and juicy (The dish was Pièce de Bœuf Rôtie, Pommes de Terre Fondantes et Condiment Échalote, Kumquat de Michel et Bénédicte Baches, at EUR 45).    I ordered another starter as main course and the concept behind this creation really eluded me: the over-creaminess (taste-wise) of the avocado cream rather exaggerated the blandness of the squid confit (tasted more like steamed). It definitely needed lots of black pepper!  (The dish was: Crémeux d’Avocat, Encornets à l’Huile de Genièvre Frais des Hautes Côtes de Nuits et Bergamote at EUR 35.) According to the sommelier, she only had one bottle of Bourgogne red wine from a vintage older than 2007 – it was 2006.  We asked for a 2007 bottle and it was already sold out.  The selection of Bourgogne reds spanned about 3 pages, but did not feature that many appellations, with very rare appearance from the Côte Chalonnaise or even some Côte de Beaune emerging appellations (Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny, for example).  I thought it was a slightly feeble attempt to feature a single Fixin, after the Gevrey-Chambertins, and it was from Domaine Leroy, vintage 2009, priced at almost EUR 280. They did not clean the table (clearing away the crumbs) before serving the cheese course either.  The cheese platter here was EUR 14 (compared with EUR 15 at Bistro de L’Hotel). The sommelier looked hassled and uninterested to entertain any discussions about the wines.  She didn’t look as though she was enjoying herself as all she did the whole evening was going round the tables, topping water and wine and opening bottles.  Service lacked charm and I couldn’t help feeling like being ‘processed’ in a factory.  It was about EUR 230 per person with wine included (think the 2008 Angerville Volnay Taillepieds was around EUR 150).

The evening before we left Beaune, we tried another one-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Carmin.  We heard great things.  The chef Christophe Quéant was previously at Michelin-starred Château de Pommard. Le Carmin has a great location, right on the Place Carnot and very close to L’Hôtel Dieu. I liked the modern chic and clean décor, using grey and red colours, with contemporary lighting fixtures.  I often find the amuse-gueules served with aperitif exciting and innovative creations by the chef.  However, here they seemed rather mundane and disappointing, compared to those served at Le Jardin des Remparts.  The cold and soggy gougère was particularly off-putting.  To accompany the amuse-gueles, we had a glass of Henriot champagne (EUR 12 a glass). The rest of the food was tasty but did not hit high notes.  Richard had a slow-cooked egg with morels and green asparagus (EUR 33), followed by a simply grilled pork chop, served with rich mashed potato (EUR 36).

Steamed monkfish with carrot and ginger jus

I tried the salmon, smoked with vine ‘sarments’, served with lemon cream, white toast and a small salad (EUR 21), followed by steamed monkfish with carrot jus and ginger (EUR 44). It sounded a lot more exciting than it tasted.  It was not a harmonious creation – while the carrot and ginger enhanced the endive that wrapped the monkfish, these two flavours did not make great company for the monkfish.  Richard ordered a tarte fine aux pommes (EUR 12) which strangely arrived cold – normally, it would be made à la minute, served hot with the ice cream just about to melt on top.   The service was charming and professional.  The wine selection was well-appointed, with offerings across a number of Bourgogne appellations, with price per bottle ranging from EUR 40 to 400. There were good showings from Auxey, Ladoix, Marsannay, Beaune, Savigny, Chorey, Nuits, Pommard and Volnay, just that the vintages tended to be rather young – 2013 and 2014. (Big tick from me!)  We ordered two half bottles: a 2010 Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot Clos de La Chapelle, Duc de Magenta and a really yummy 2011 Bouchard Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus (the latter EUR 67 for half bottle).  I was very impressed by the manager/sommelier’s immediate acknowledgement of the white’s prematurely oxidized state (when he poured for us to taste before serving) and prompt recommendation of a 2014 Rapet Pernand-Vergelesses Clos du Village (EUR 37 for half bottle).  When asked if it would be too young, he assured us of the accelerated development in a half bottle and that 2014 would not seem young at all.  (Sad to report) he was absolutely correct!  The red was really delicious with silky texture and harmonious mouthfeel, beautifully integrated flavours, and not too young to enjoy either!   About EUR 140 per person.  We were not convinced about its 1- star award. 

As mentioned above, 1-star means the food is very good in its category, according to the Guide.  Le Carmin is listed under Cuisine Classique and Le Jardin des Remparts Cuisine Moderne.  The differences in these category definitions are a little too subtle in this case.     

Earlier in the day, we made room for lunch at Caves Madeleine. I had exactly the same dish that I had there 3 years ago. It was a warm cabbage salad with bacon.  It was simple but really tasty.  Richard said he had the best cabillaud ever, served with olive oil from the Douro, and a tasty Vichyssoise to start. (He said the cabillaud was far better than the fish course he had at a 3-Michelin starred restaurant in the Black Forest where we were 9 days ago, on this same trip.) Our guests had a lovely endive salad, a suprême de canette in a nice broth and a great vegetarian pot-au-feu.  Portions were well-measured, and prices were reasonable.  EUR 12 for my salad.  EUR 28 for the daily menu.  Caves Madeleine features a classic selection of wines, as well as paying attention to interesting new domaines, natural wines and even a biodynamic beer. We had a gorgeous bottle of 2012 Lafon Meursault Désirée and a 2008 Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chênes – a great comparison with the Angerville Taillepieds from the previous evening.  I found the Angerville more appealing at this stage while it seemed a bit precocious to enjoy the Lafarge now, given its more serious structure. Convivial ambiance, friendly service.  Definitely a place to return to. 

Both the Caves Madeleine and La Maison du Colombier are not listed in the 2016 Michelin Guide.

We would have loved to try La Dilettante (also not listed) if we only we could get in! I was also recommended Bissoh for great yakiniku and sushi, if you felt like a late supper and the chef would just prepare in front of you. It would be ‘mission impossible’ to convince Richard to go to a Japanese restaurant in Beaune though.

Just before Beaune, we spent 5 days in Germany where we tried a number of restaurants, including a couple of 3-Michelin starred restaurants within 6 km of each other within the Black Forest.  

The very charming dining room at Hotel Bareiss

The gastronomic restaurant of Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is a paragon of 3-star holder. It got its first star in 1984; a year later the restaurant was awarded one more star till 2007 when it was awarded 3 stars and has been since.  Everything is impeccable here, from service to ambiance to quality of food.  If you had to criticize something, you could argue their bread selection is rather limited.  It is a lovely dining room, not too big, with classic upholstery, a warm crimson colour, and a beautiful large chandelier as centre-piece.  The ambiance is cosy and romantic. The prestige cuvée by the glass was a Pommery Cuvée Louise 2002 (EUR 25 a glass), and a very delicious one too!  They very kindly accommodated my request for a small salad to begin, followed by what I thought was the best sole dish I have ever had in a restaurant (bravo to Chef Claus-Peter Lumpp). 

The pan-fried sole with croutons

It came in 3 ways: 1) pan-fried with croutons, served with asparagus tips and Béarnaise sauce, 2) gratinated sole cannelloni with asparagus noodles and grape seed oil vinaigrette and asparagus consommé with strips of sole and small spring vegetables.  It tasted fresh, and each way of cooking as exciting as the last, with the firm texture of the sole forming a great contrast with the soft texture of the white asparagus, and the flavours melted into one harmonious assembly. This dish was EUR 76.  Richard rated his turbot middle course equally highly: Breton turbot, semolina with sorrel lemon powder and lemon butter sauce. The lamb dish was perfectly executed (Cassolette of milk-fed lamb with raw marinated artichokes fregula sarda and wild garlic).  Dessert is a highlight here – the pastry chef does a really fine job if you still have room.  Otherwise, the petits fours are quite divine too.

The dining room at Schwarzwaldstube

6 km away in Tonbach, the Schwarzwaldstube has continuously been a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant since 1992.  We were greeted by both the proprietor and the chef Harald Wohlfahrt separately. We went for lunch – therefore it was not a direct comparison.  Perhaps it was lunch, the clientèle seemed more business-like and the décor of the dining room is an interesting mix of country wood panels and fine chandeliers.  The colour scheme here is mauve blue. They have a vegetarian menu which is every bit as exciting as the normal gourmet menu.  I actually took 2 dishes from the vegetarian menu for lunch: a salad with cereal grains and artichokes followed by the mushroom tart with truffle.  Richard had the same mushroom tart, followed by the sole.  I thought the mushroom tart was perhaps not their finest creation, as the tofu in the middle was moist and let out quite a bit of moisture into the shortcrust pastry, which was a bit too thick for our liking and absorbing the moisture from the tofu, it turned a bit soggy.  The salad of grains was really delicious though.  Richard’s sole was over-cooked and not quite a 3-Michelin star quality dish.  Another great feature about this restaurant was its wine list.  There were some great (reasonably-priced) gems here, especially from France.  Something we started noticing was that the prices of top German Spätburgunders on wine lists were very similar to some Village/Premier Cru wines from top domaines in Bourgogne. 

The Bareiss was definitely a 3-star experience, but we need to return to Tonbach to have dinner for a proper verdict.  Based on the lunch experience alone, it did not quite merit 3 stars.

In Baden-Baden, we visited 2 restaurants, one with 2 stars (Brenners-Park) and the other with just one (Le Jardin de France).  There was one really positive thing about the Park restaurant was that there was one whole page of vegetarian menu and one whole page of gluten-free and lactose-free menu, out of a 4-page menu!  

A very fine vegetarian starter

I did not feel that my dishes lived up to the Michelin star standard, in fact, my monkfish was rather unexciting.  It did not help that I had to have a long discussion with the manager/sommelier that we didn’t like the wine he recommended, that we all thought it was too ‘bretty’ and simply not enjoyable (it was a 2005 GG Spätburgunder), and I didn’t react too well when his only comment was that he had sold a few bottles of this wine and nobody had complained before. In the end, we just paid for it but also ordered another bottle of a much younger Spätburgunder.  Aside from this interlude, the service was generally friendly, but I did not feel that we had any high points. Richard was indifferent about his turbot main course.  Approximately EUR 230 per head.  I don’t particularly feel a hurry to return.   It would be hard to call this worth a detour, as it was right in the heart of Baden-Baden.  Perhaps the Guide has another definition that they internally use.

Le Jardin de France on the other hand is a small restaurant run by a couple.  The room is not particularly charming, in fact, with the conservatory-like exterior, it felt a little ‘cold’ and ‘impersonal’, compared with the warmth of the old world décor at the Brenners Park.  The food was classic French, with probably too much cream in a few dishes, but tasty and suitably salty.  It was asparagus season and 4 out of 5 of us had the stir-fried white and green asparagus in a parmesan cheese cream sauce, with morels.  I had that as my main course and started with a cappuccino of asparagus velouté above a tasty green pea mousse.  Richard’s main course of rack of lamb was perfectly executed while others enjoyed the monkfish and lobster casserole in a rich lobster sauce. We returned to a French wine selection of Condrieu followed by Pichon Baron 1999.  The patronne served us herself and she was charming and friendly.  Bread was very good here, with the potato bread being particularly recommended!

Did they live up to their Michelin star award?  I thought the Park’s 2-star award was questionable and Le Jardin de France deserved its star for tasty classic cooking that delivered consistent quality each time we visited (we have been 3 – 4 times) but lacked creativity/innovation.

A bit like wine-tasting I suppose, a lot of factors could affect our dining experience: mood, ambiance, company, freshness of ingredients, execution (often less is more!), and expectations based on food critics and guides.  From our week in Beaune, I felt that we had far better/more satisfactory experiences at places that don’t even feature in the Michelin guide and certainly without a star.  And as a consumer, my first question is always: “Would I return to it?”, recalling the Michelin Guide’s definitions of the award system.  For me, it has to be more about the food – the food is but one aspect of the entire experience.  Sometimes simple honest food, well-cooked with quality ingredients, with friendly and charming service, combined with the ambiance of the room, is well worth a return. 

A quality restaurant with a name to match!

30 Jan 2014: Another evening in London earlier this month, four of us had dinner at The Quality Chop House (92-94 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3EA, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0)20 7278 1452), co-run by Will Lander and Josie Stead. Josie was away the evening we visited, but Will made up for it – the best service any diner could have wished for! The decor tells you that food is important here, as is good sense and professional service! The restaurant has 2 parts: the main restaurant and a wine bar. Our table was in the wine bar bit so we could choose from the a la carte menu (the restaurant side serves set meals). Two of us (the men!) got there earlier and immediately tucked into a bottle of 2008 Corton Charlemagne, Domaine de Montille (from the restaurant wine list), which was absolutely delicious…..layers and layers of flavours, not at all overwhelmed by oak, with just the right amount of weight on the palate, and incredibly vibrant acidity. Very impressive and almost irresistible, especially when served with the grilled almonds.

My starter was a dish I had never had before: monkfish liver with chipotle. This was simply divine….monkfish liver was like foie gras from the sea (hopefully easier on the cholesterol level?), lightly pan-fried, caramelised at the edges, served with chipotle sauce and a slightly tangy salad. Quite sizeable as starter…perhaps I should have thought about sharing! It didn't stop me from tucking into the other starters: I especially recommend the pork pie – it came with a lovely crust, just crispy on the outside, but moist inside, and great flavours.

Main course for me was wood pigeon, complete with game chips, bread sauce and a very indulgent piece of fried bread, generously spread with well-spiced chicken liver parfait. The wood pigeon was perfectly cooked, still retaining plenty of moisture, and the wonderfully lightly gamey flavours. The fried bread was not to be missed…….even if it meant it took over the space that would have been reserved for any cheese or dessert afterwards! I think the game season will still go on for a little while…..so be sure to try the woodcock as well if you are thinking of heading to the restaurant!

The wines to go with our main courses were 1953 Pétrus and 1953 Cheval Blanc (Note: not from the restaurant wine list). The Cheval Blanc was remarkably fresher and much more vigorous than the Pétrus, intensely complex, finished very long. I rather liked the Pétrus though when it had settled down into the glass, as I thought its chocolate, plum, wet saddle and earthy flavours, and the harmonious state the wine was in, went very well with my wood pigeon dish, even if it didn't have the concentration nor lengthy finish of the Cheval Blanc!

A change of wine scene was deemed necessary for the cheese course and we enjoyed a bottle of 2007 Morey Saint Denis Cuvée des Alouettes, Domaine Ponsot (from the restaurant's wine list). This was drinking really deliciously…still showing purity of fruit, with a lovely freshness.

To finish: a plate of petits fours arrived with our coffee: chocolate-coated brownies! What decadence!

If you love great food in the no-nonsense, no-fuss way, and if you also enjoy a glass or two of good quality wine from a wide selection of regions, served in Zalto glasses!!! - this is the perfect place for you! I cannot wait to go back to try the pork chop that Richard had – it looked like a seriously good piece of pork chop, slightly caramelised at the outside and succulent inside……simple food cooked to perfection! And even better when the service is impeccable! Bravo!

Faiveley Mercurey Blanc and an under-appreciated Roumier

The simplified label of Faiveley Mercurey

28 Dec 2011: Dinner at Spring Moon Restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel, HK - there was an urgent need to use up a soon-to-expire cash voucher!  We had brought a half bottle of 2005 Roumier Morey Saint Denis Clos de La Bussière with us.  So we ordered a half bottle of 2008 Mercurey Blanc by Domaine Faiveley on the wine list.  The wine list described the wine as Mercurey Blanc Domaine de La Croix Jacquelet, Domaine Faiveley but when the bottle arrived, it just says "Mercurey". There followed a long deliberation between Richard and the restaurant sommelier about the wine.  After enquiring at the domaine, I was told that before the 2008 vintage, the domaine had used the name "Domaine de La Croix Jacquelet" which was a lieu-dit next to where the wine was vinified.  From the 2008 vintage, this lieu-dit name was dropped from the label, leaving it just "Mercurey" - it's effectively the same wine!  Perhaps the restaurant would like to update the wine list to avoid further confusion!

Mercurey is a commune from the Côte Chalonnaise.  Better known for its reds, but there is also a decent quantity of white being produced.  The whites tend to have spicy, nutty and floral character, with a hint of flint.  The 2008 from Faiveley definitely showed some flinty and grassy character, with some stylistic similarity to a Sauvignon Blanc, but it remains a simple wine, better as aperitif than served with food!  Amongst all the white wine from the Côte Chalonnaise, my favourite is perhaps the Rully for floral, minerality and flinty character, wihth lemony and peach notes.  while Montagny is great for pairing with food with creamy sauce - I love that honeyed and nutty character and fat mouthfeel, which in the right hands should be balanced by some refreshing minerality and acidity!

The half bottle of 2005 Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière was simply not ready, but we waited ever so patiently for it to open up in the glass!  By the end of the dinner, it showed a lovely red fruit and mineral-laced nose, with some nuances of earth and tea leaves. Palate packed with ripe fruit and an integrated structure of ripe tannin and fine acidity.  Gorgeous finish.  A very classy wine offering qualities of a top premier cru, still retaining a touch of its typical rustic charm.  If I may quote Allen Meadows: ".....And in terms of value, I have noticed a real improvement in the Clos de la Bussière over the last few vintages and if there is a value play in the Roumier portfolio other than the Les Cras, the Bussière is it."  Try this 2005 again in 3 - 4 years time, and I am sure it will deliver some very gratifying results!  16.5+/20

Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière (around 2.59 ha) is a monopoly of the Domaine Georges Roumier.  It was once upon a time donated to the Abbaye de la Bussière.  Today, a boutique hotel takes the place of the once holy buildings.  Red clay soils dominate here, lending a rustic style to the wine.  This premier cru is literally next door to Chambolle Musigny (below the level of Les Sentiers). 

Service at dinner was excellent, but we were both a little disappointed by the food - we came to the conclusion that we didn't know which dishes to order.  The deep-fried garoupa in soya sauce and scallion was a little on the soggy side.  The crab claw in egg white was ok, but at this price, did not quite compare with same dish at Tim's Kitchen or Man Wah. The Szechuan prawns in chilli sauce were rather indifferent, after having been warned about the degree of spiciness. I had to pile on extra chilli sauce to remind myself that it was meant to be a spicy dish. The version at the China Club was much better.  The only dish which was quite tasty was the Wuxi style spare ribs, which came piping hot, served in a claypot, with plenty of sauce.  The sauce was tasty, but the texture was quite thin.  A similar dish at Lung King Heen, at the Four Seasons, which came individually served in mini pots, seemed to me the superior version, with a slightly thicker sauce.  Finally, we should have gone for stir fried green vegetable rather than the rather bland stir fried mixed vegetable in a bird's nest!  Not the most appetising looking dish!

We kept admiring our next door neighbour's dishes - they seemed to know what to order.....and brought their own magnum bottle of Clos des Papes.  Next time, I think we will just take a quick look around us and say to our waiter, "We'll have exactly the same dishes as the other table!"

The Shangri-La Hotel in Paris

June 2011: We took a (very) short break in Paris recently and tried out the new Shangri-La Hotel in Paris.  Snuggled in the Avenue d'Iena, it took up a demure existence between the Iranian Embassy and the offices of Nomura.  Once inside the reception, we were welcomed into this haven of serenity by the familiar fragrance of the Shangri-La hotels and very friendly staff (even at 6 in the morning!).  For us, it was a very nice touch to see some Asian faces amongst the staff.  It became apparent that the hotel was very thoughtfully designed, down to the minutest detail.....Nespresso machine, stationery tray, fruit basket, free internet acess, note pads/pencils everywhere.  The hotel has nonetheless retained a few French touches...a copious plate of ham at breakfast was one third the price of a plate of artistically arranged berries, for example!  Dinner at the hotel restaurant, L'Abeille was another experience to be repeated!  The lighting in the dining room was augmented by summer twilight filtering through the windows that opened out to the garden. (I love dining rooms with a view - an aspect quite often omitted in fine Michelin-starred establishments!) 


Morels and gnocchi

Richard had for starter a gorgeous plate of morels and gnocchi - they looked so succulent and moreish! Then we both had a fish dish - Richard had the turbot and I had a most delicious piece of wild salmon that literally melted in my mouth with every bite! As we were both a little jet-lagged, we left without sampling the comprehensive cheese trolley nor the desserts. The souvenir of a bee-shaped jar of honey from Corsica safely made it back to Hong Kong!  Highly recommended!  A quick word on the wine list. There is a very decent selection of Coche-Dury wines on the list but perhaps a little weak on the reds, mostly young wines.Nevertheless, I hope we'll see a well-deserved mention/star-rating for this restaurant in the 2012 Michelin guide! 



The melt-in-your-mouth salmon!

 By the way, do stop by at the bar before dinner - it has a very decent list of champagne!  We tried a bottle of 2002 Pierre Péters Les Chétillons - it was absolutely classy and delicious, if perhaps a little young to drink now (probably best to wait another 4 - 5 years)! The lieu-dit of Les Chétillons is found in Le Mesnil.  A lovely complex nose of green fruit, grapefruit, honey, jasmine, enriched by nuances of biscuit and staggering minerality.  A little spicy on the palate, perked up by racy acidity, which was what I needed given the jetlag!  Finishes long.  Very refined, expressive, elegant, pure and precise.  A very fine champagne!



Richard's Turbot dish



A culinary atelier - Liberty Private Works

11 May 2011: Paul and Julie invited us to dinner at Liberty Private Works where I had previously tried to book on a number of occasions without any luck. The dinner service got under way as soon as all the diners (nearly all) had arrived and settled in with their aperitif. Liberty Private Works consists of a long bar table around which all the diners perch on high stools throughout the dinner service. All the dishes are written out in chalk on the blackboard at the centre of the restaurant. Most of the preparations are done in the larger kitchen of Liberty Exchange, vacuum packed or packed in containers, before being transported to this atelier-like place, when Viki and his team of assistants/assemblers put on the final touches for the dishes and assemble the various parts together. It reminded me of the way the Krug Room presents the dishes, but perhaps a little less elaborate in the presentation and a lot more intimate in the setting, encouraging interactive dialogue with the chef, without feeling like being trapped inside a glass cell.

The Greatness of Salon

4 May 2011: I decided to treat myself to a rather extravagant (for me anyway!) champagne tasting dinner! And luck would have it that Paul came to my rescue and signed up as my date for the dinner, as Julie (wife) was busy, to save me from looking like a miserable geek, sitting by myself! I wanted to come to this tasing because my only experience of Salon was a rather oxidised bottle of 1982 and I wanted to gain some perspective on the greatness of Salon......what made it deserve its reputation and prestige, etc. The dinner organised by Altaya Wines took place at Spoon at the Intercontinental Hotel in HK. Richard's a big fan of Spoon's but I had yet to be converted. The chef's cooking this evening succeeded - a lot of thought had gone into matching every dish with each of the champagnes of the evening, and the result was spectacular, or pretty close! Every dish was presented with such taste and harmony. The marriage with the champagne was immaculate.

The evening began with an aperitif of Delamotte Brut Non-Vintage, which provided a refreshing start to the evening, albeit rather simple and unexciting. After a few amuse-bouches of spinach pastries, mushroom tarts and foie-gras toast, the tasting began and following is the sequence of the champagne that was served (and the culinary creations too!):

2002 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs - Chilled Lobster-Caviar Consummé
Predominantly citrus and grapefruit, with some ripe pear notes coming through. Good minerality, with some smokey and toasty character. Showing more precision, finesse and purity than the 1999. Great mid palate and lovely finish. 17/20

1999 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs - Frog's legs "Meunière" style, gnocchis, watercres sauce
The bubbles were rather aggressive initially. An altogether different style to the 2002. The 1999 seemed more rounded, richer in style and much more upfront in character. Slightly weightier than the 2002. Nutty, smokey and earthier. Perfect with the frog's legs! 16/20

1999 Salon - Filet of Seabass, green asparagus tips and crayfish
Vibrant and fresh, full of energy, harmony and precision. Floral, apple, acacia, slowly revealing the smokey, stony minerality and slightly savoury, mushroomy character, underlined with just a hint of brioche. A gorgeous wine, perfectly balanced, creamy mousse and totally harmonious! 18.5/20

1997 Salon - Chicken breast, braised morel mushrooms, Arbois yellow wine sauce
This wine came across as having taken on a lot more years than the apparent 2, tasting this immediately after the 1999. A warm vintage for champagne and the character of the wine shows that.  This wine seemed to me much more evolved, showing character of earthy, truffle, enriched by crème caramel character (this reminded me of the truffled crème brûlée at Bistronomique, which seemed rather disturbing at the time!). The acidity seemed more taut and distinct than in the 1999, rather less well integrated. More flamboyant and opulent. Good match with the vin jaune sauce, which was quite rich and intense! (Not a favourite of mine this evening.....) Drinking well now, but will most certainly benefit from further bottle age to continue its integration. 17.5+/20 (I think this dish would be very well-matched with one of the older vintages of Salon......perhaps I'll try that at home!)

1996 Salon - 24 month aged Comté cheese, black cereal bread crostinis, spicy cherry marmalade
Heaps and heaps of minerality here. Still in its infancy, rather shy, nervy and backward. With some time in the glass, the wine blossomed to reveal some complexity of floral, nutty, toasty and smokey notes. Showing the promise to be a great wine, but in a rather awkward place where not everything seemed fully integrated. Lingering finish. A thought-provoking wine. 19+/20


Mango, passion fruit granité (which I skipped - I am not a big fan of granité or sorbet as a palate-cleanser in the middle of a meal.)


Delamotte Rosé Non-Vintage - Rhubarb-Wild Strawberries sablé
Salmon pink colour. Fresh redfruit and savoury, but after the Salon, this lacked depth, complexity and character. Made by saignée method, predominantly Chardonnay with some Pinot Noir. A criticism (and probably my only one about the food this evening) was that the "fraises des bois" didn't quite burst with those lovely flavours that I would remember from my experience of this delightful fruit in France and the tart rhubard rather dominated!


Didier Depond, the President of Salon and Delamotte, was at the dinner and he came round to our table a couple of times to talk to us, which added a more personal touch to the evening. I think Didier did answer my question of why Salon should be treated with such respect and admiration. Salon only declared 37 vintages in the last century, with the 1999 vintage the 37th and last vintage they declared. All the vines come from one Grand Cru vineyard, Le Mesnil- sur-Oger. Fermentation in tank - no oak. Ageing on the lees would invariably exceed the minimum requirement of 10 years for Salon (6 years for Delamotte). (Paul sent me a link that pointed an earlier discussion between a champagne collector and Didier on a different occasion and he had learnt that ever since Didier took over, he had put in place the custom of successive disgorgements for each vintage, that there would be 7 disgorgements per vintage, at intervals of 6 months. I guess only Didier would know that secret code as to the disgorgement for each bottle!) Production of Salon is very small - only 50,000 bottles would be produced for every declared vintage. (Delamotte is something like 10 times bigger.) When the grapes are deemed not good enough for a Salon vintage, then they would be sent to Delamotte, for the making of the Blanc de Blancs. So one could say for example the 2000 vintage of Delamotte could be a super Delamotte, as there's no Salon declared for that vintage! He spoke of Salon almost as an atelier, the "loft" of a "grand maître, rather than a champagne house. Every bottle is a masterpiece, a work of art that epitomises the love, passion and respect of the men and women behind it. As to the style of Salon, can one say there is a unique style? Perhaps it is one defined by exceptional finesse, purity, precision and timeless elegance? Salon is to be enjoyed at different times of its life, once it's had its full 10 years of ageing. It is a wine (more than a champagne) that ages gracefully and it is with age that one identifies with the timeless harmony and elegance with Salon. 

I think the 82 bottle I had previously was definitely one of those variations as mentioned in the link that Paul sent me. It talked about Salon bottles showing rather a bit of variability in the 80's and earlier (pre 1990), but it was certainly reassuring to hear about those great bottles of Salon ever enjoyed, including 76,79,82 (when you get a good bottle) and 1990.

As a reflection on the dinner at Spoon, it certainly enlightened me and prepared me for the great things to come and I remain waiting for my SALON moment!

Shanghainese fare and some deliciously matching wines!

23 Oct 2010: Last night we tried a new Shanghainese restaurant in Causeway Bay called "Zhi Wei House".  The chef apparently used to cook at the Shanghai Fraternity Club. The food was very tasty in a traditional style, as the restaurant name suggested.  We started with 3 small starter dishes: smoked egg, crispy eel and chopped spinach and tofu skin.  For main dishes, we had stir fried prawns Shanghainese style, hairy crab roe with glass noodles, smoked chicken, sweet and sour Mandarin fish with pine nuts, braised pork with gluten, Shanghainese ham sandwich (served with fluffy plain flour roll and crispy tofu cracker), chilli pepper and eggplant, and stir fried green veggie. We then finished the meal with the traditional red bean pancake and the pan-fried eight-treasure rice, a favourite of mine! 

I thought all the dishes were well presented, perfectly flavoured and cooked.  I highly recommend the ham sandwich, the chilli pepper and eggplant stirfry and the eight treasure rice!  What I also appreciated was the very friendly and personal service, despite the impression that they were a little understaffed, by normal restaurant standard.  We did not feel pressured to leave, even when we had settled the bill and we were the last table hanging around at close to midnight.  We opened a few bottles this evening and it was perhaps helpful that we presented a small glass to the manager to try (I was told that she enjoyed a sip or two!)!  I also quite liked the decor of the dining room, lighting not too bright, and quite simply designed but in a tasteful way.  So I definitely will be returning.....now that I have discovered how well Shanghainese food married with certain wine styles!

The Diverse Styles of Château Margaux



Array of Margaux Wines

 13 Oct 2010:  Dinner at Restaurant Petrus at the Island Shangri-La Hotel where we were served wines from Château Margaux - this probably would have raised a few eyebrows in France but not in Hong Kong.  The neon lighting across the urban landscape transformed into fairy lights sprinkled over a sea of darkness from the height of the restaurant, adding an extra dimension to the romantic renaissance décor of the dining room.  We were delighted that Thibault Pontallier (Paul's son) was able to join us to represent the Château.  Thibault spoke about the Château where he grew up, with much affection and then about the wines with even more passion.  Conscious of his young age, he nevertheless impressed us with his energy, enthusiasm, confidence and knowledge - the Château couldn't possibly have found a better brand ambassador for Asia!

We started the evening with some gougères and a glass (or two) of 2004 Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron 1er Cru. Pierre Gimonnet is a grower champagne house based in the Côtes des Blancs.  The family has been making champagne since 1750 and has been described by Michael Edwards in his book "The Finest Wines of Champagne", as the producer of the "bluest of blue-chip Chardonnay champagnes, famous for their finesse".  The family has grand cru holdings in Cramant and Chouilly as well as vineyards in premier cru Cuis, known for its characteristic piercing acidity.  The Fleuron is the family's traditional vintage cuvée, only released in the finest years.  It is a blended champagne with wine from selected vineyards.  The wine is aged on fine lees in bottle for at least 4 years, and released after an additional 3 months of resting. Tasting note for the 2004 Fleuron: "Beautifully balanced champagne of poise and elegance, still a little tight and restrained in its youth, demonstrating a character of green fruit and mineral, layered with some floral and toasty notes, and a delicately creamy texture, with fine mousse, unrelenting acidity and a refreshing finish."    A great value-qualit ratio for wine of such quality. 17/20

Bolstered by the mouth-watering acidity, we were primed for a gourmand dinner prepared by the chef.  First course was seared scallop in a creamy nage with shaved tonka bean.  This was accompanied by the Pavillon Blanc 1998.  This could just be the finest Pavillon Blanc I had ever tasted. (Pavillon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.)  It is simply amazing to taste this 12-year-old wine - such a revelation.  A light golden colour.  A wine of immense complexity, depth and lengthy, exuding notes of gooseberry preserve, lemon peel, honey, lanolin, grilled hazelnuts, smoke, and white chocolate spiciness.  The smokey and nutty nuances were even more enhanced on the palate.  Great balance, with a sensuous texture and still plenty of acidity, and a long finish.  Drinking well now and will continue to do so over next 10 - 15 years.  I thought the wine was perhaps a little too characterful (in the positive sense) for the delicate scallop.   I could imagine matching the wine with something like a smokey oyster bisque or a hot smoked salmon dish, or the Chinese smoked chicken dish!  18/20



Fregola sarda pasta

 Next course was the fregola sarda pasta with black pudding, chesnut, apple and warm truffled oxtail jelly.  It actually was really tasty with a very interesting mélange of textures from the ingredients, and a really perfect accompaniment to the second wine of the evening: Pavillon Rouge 2000.  Nose of red fruit, red cherries, blueberries, cedar and mint.  Perfumed, elegant and well-made.  Still a little young, despite it being the second wine of the Château.  The wine opened up further in the glass and gained some more complexity and length.  Drinking well now and will continue to evolve over next 4 - 5 years.  16/20

The third course was veal chop, with wild mushroom and young spinach fricassée, which was extremely well executed by the chef.  The veal delivered such a concentration of flavours and such tenderness.  This was paired with the 1990 Margaux, rated 100 points by Robert Parker.  1990 was a warm vintage and the style of this wine truly reflects the terroir of Margaux and the vintage.  An endearing wine, sensual and alluring.  A complex perfume layered with blackcurrant jelly, blueberry, prune, fig, date, tobacco, balsamic and caramel.  The wine, already decanted for 2.5 hours by now, still tasted very fresh and youthful, with velvety tannin and firm acidity.  Perfect in every way, balance, weight, concentration, depth, and length. Drinking well now (with the right amount of decanting) and will continue to evolve over the next 20+ years.  18.5/20 (It was  a little unfortunate that we had a couple of corked bottles - so we were all rationed to a very small amount, but we made sure to make up for this deficiency with more of the 1986!)



Roast pigeon with foie gras
and giblet sauce

The roast Challans squab, with foie gras and potatoes, and served with giblet sauce, was beautifully cooked, if a little on the rich side.  The meaty, gamey character of the pigeon and giblet sauce married very well with the 1986 Margaux (RP96), an antithesis to the 1990.  The latter so charming, graceful and feminine and the former austere, powerful and masculine.  I was very impressed by the style of the 1986.  It has a nose reminiscent of blueberry, black cherry, blackberry, fig, date, cedar, smoke and a hint of earthy mineral character.  More tannic than the 1990, and displaying a strong backbone of acidity.  This is a wine that will continue to evolve over 20+ years, with a potentially very interesting ageing profile.  18/20

For the cheese course, I returned to the Pavillon Blanc which was really the best wine to go with the cheese selection.  I was very happy that the restaurant managed to source the Abbaye de Citeaux, one of my favourite cheeses (and it's from Burgundy!)......

A beautiful presentation of petits fours graced our table towards the end of this rather indulgent meal.   By this time, we had all been well "nourished" that we hardly made an attempt at these delightful delicacies. 

Congratulations to David and his team and chef Frédéric, who did an amazing job with the food and the service to complement this impressive array of wines - the evening could not have been better!

Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons

Veggie garden salad

24 Sep 2010: We love staying at Le Manoir in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, UK. It’s one of these unique places that combines quintessential English charm and French excellence. It has this most meticulously tended vegetable and herb garden that produces the most delicately flavoured vegetables! We took the suite called Lavande which has a fireplace in the sitting area. Naturally, we took advantage of this and with a glass of Madeira in hand, it felt almost surreal!





Hen's egg ravioli



My first course was a vegetable garden salad – just a most delicious salad, beautifully dressed, surrounded by a medley of steamed garden vegetables, including carrots, beetroot, turnips, green beans, as well as baby tomatoes of different colours and artichokes. Really delicious! Richard had the hen’s egg ravioli, filled with spinach and mushrooms, with pan-fried girolles and a parsley sauce. While the filling of spinach and mushrooms was quite delicious, the ravioli itself was far from delicate and it was dry around the edges. (In fact, I had the same 2 evenings later and the result was the same and mine wasn’t even lukewarm – it was barely above room temperature.) For this course, we had a half bottle of 2007 Meursault Les Luchets, Roulot. Fabulous nose of citrus, lime, mineral, smoke, vanilla, spicy oak. Delicately creamy texture, with refreshing acidity. The wine needed aeration to round out. Would recommend decanting. 17.5/20



Delicious grouse

Piglet dish

For main course, I had the grouse, which was probably the best grouse dish I’d ever had! The meat was so moist, tender and full of flavours. The bread sauce with cabbage and bacon was a great accompaniment, as were the bruised berries. An “incontournable” dish! Richard had the piglet, which was tasty but did not have the “wow” factor!

Petrus 1970
in excellent condition

Our red wine was a 1970 Château Petrus, which had been quietly waiting in the same cellar since 1973, when it was first bought. The level was remarkable. A medium ruby core. Complex and perfumed nose of violet, rose, blueberry, cigar box, mocha, with a hint of sweet burnt cream. Fully integrated oak character, still showing some fine-grained but much mellowed tannins. Balanced and poised. Initially a hint of madeirisation was detected and the wine tasted a little dry on the finish. After 2 hours of opening, the wine completely transformed. All we could say was one harmoniously aged wine of real class, with a lingering sweet finish. Drinking at peak now and will continue to do so for another 10+ years. 19/20

We had a small platter of cheese, including some maroilles, fouget, an English cheese that tasted like Ossau Iraty and munster. A tip here: munster is just so disastrous with red wine! The Meursault was great with the fouget, as would be a racy but elegant Chablis!

We returned to Le Manoir after a wedding. For our second evening, our focus was a 2007 Chablis Les Clos, René et Vincent Dauvissat. Initially very closed, stoney, mineral, citrus and a hint of cashew. We had the wine decanted. After about an hour, the wine showed some tropical fruit character, pineapple, as well as some greengage and apple, and a touch of smokiness. The wine also took on some weight from the aeration, giving a much more rich and rounded character. It went very well with the stinking bishop cheese that Richard organized for later! 18.5/20

Cocotte of fresh veggies

We both had the same salad as first course.  For main course, I had the ravioli and as mentioned earlier, it was a rather disappointing dish. Richard had seabass with langoustine in a red wine sauce. He said the seabass was delicious but could not quite see the need to include the langoustine and the red wine sauce was appropriately lighter than the version at L’Atelier de Robuchon. However, where the restaurant really impressed us was the two cocottes of freshly cooked garden vegetables – just the sweetest and juiciest vegetables I had tasted: sweet corn, turnips, carrots, green beans and spinach soaking up all the jus and olive oil at the bottom! Almost a meal in itself!

Seabass and langoustine
in red wine sauce

Richard would always have a bit of red. So to finish off the evening, we had a half bottle of 2008 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, Frédéric Magnien. It tasted very young, bursting with ripe red fruit.

Le Manoir is just the perfect place to relax and indulge. It has this special charm that makes you feel at home almost immediately. Don’t miss out on the afternoon tea….even if you are not too peckish….a pot of tea comes with a couple of slices of this most divine lemon cake, so lightly iced at the top and so refreshingly citrus! Breakfast is quite an affair and there is such a choice of fruit at the French buffet, an oxymoron in itself! I had a most delicious sausage and mushrooms and Richard said the haddock with poached egg and spinach was just the perfect start to the day, complete with well cooked toast!

3-Michelin Stars for Over 25 Years…..in a Little Village Called Bray

23 Sep 2010: My birthday, which I felt like I’d been celebrating all week, starting on Monday with a really yummy Thai meal at Pattara with Nick, who drove up from Henley just to have dinner with me. I felt very special!

Tuesday dinner was a treat – home-cooked supper in the kitchen of my boss’s home, with a bottle of 2006 Le Serre Nuove over a (not so) spicy spag bol. A very vivacious and velvety-textured Le Serre Nuove (second wine of Ornellaia), a rich and spicy nose of blackcurrant jam, black cherries, blackberries, figs, liquorice, black pepper, cloves, violet, cedar and mint. Still tasting very young. Drinking well now, but will continue to develop over the next 6 – 8 years. 17/20 Le Serre Nuove is about 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Merlot, with the balance made with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, pretty much made and aged in the same way as Ornellaia, except that the vines are much younger – so really great value to have a taste of the grand vin! Richard (my boss) served a delicious Vin Santo with dessert – 1999 Vin Santo di Carmignano, Fattori di Bacchereto, with aromas of dried apricot, raisin, orange peel, orange marmalade, grilled nuts and honey. Vin Santo is just one of these dessert wines that I find do not shock the palate as much, especially when moving away from a feisty red. It has this spicy sweetness which refreshes the palate. With a bit of age, like this example, it offers an elegant rancio character, which puts it in the same beguiling category as marmite, which is an acquired taste for the connoisseurs!

Wednesday was dinner at Kicca with Graham. The food was rather disappointing at Kicca – I had quite high expectations because like me, Graham enjoys the finer things in the gourmet world! We had a delicious bottle of Guado Al Tasso 2005, which I thought was not ready for drinking, but I could see the potential for development into a true beauty. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, that would marry well the power, elegance and character of all its composite grape varieties, when given the right amount of time. It tasted very New World and very new oak.

So when it came to the actual day, I was full of expectations! And I had every reason to be, as Richard arrived from Hong Kong in the morning and we left London to drive down to Bray about 3:30 pm. My second visit to The Waterside Inn. It is just a magical spot: the “establishment” and its riverside terrace, against the backdrop of the River Thames and the geese regaling up and down the river and the occasional boats passing by, conjure up a most romantic scene. We took the same room as last time – La Regate. I love the apple green and mauve colours of this room – so refreshing. We went for our traditional walk round the village and paid our respect to the “menu” of the Fat Duck……we’re such traditionalists that we still haven’t felt the urge to taste the food at the high temple of molecular cuisine. That day will come, no doubt! Just not today!