Half bottle problem

25 Sep 2011: Today, we opened 4 half bottles of white burgundy and 3 were madeirised.  The ones that were madeirised included 1 half bottle of 1999 Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumées, Ramonet and 2 half bottles of 2002 Chablis Vaillons, William Fèvre.  The only one that turned out ok was the 2004 Meursault Perrières, Bouchard.  This has been more or less our average hit rate with half bottles of white burgundy: around 25% would turn out alright if we're lucky.  We have been luckier with those from more recent vintages.  Not sure if we can draw any conclusion from our experience, whether it's to do with the vintages in question....from 1995/6 to 2002 or it's to do with the bottle format or it's to do with particular winemakers.....I wonder if half bottles would be better off being sealed with screw caps to minimise the risk of premature oxidation???  We have so far not experienced this problem with Sauternes and Barsac, and half bottles are very popular formats with these two appellations.  Something to do with the higher sugar and sulphur content? 

In love with the Right Bank.....

24 Sep 2011: Tasted quite a few Right Bank wines this week.  Some of the more impressive ones that I tasted this week included:

2001 Gazin: Rich and complex nose of plum, chocolate, coffee, tobacco, and liquorice, showing some hints of leather and truffle.  Very elegant and stylish, still lush, balanced by fresh acidity.  Firm fine-textured tannin. A drying sensation on the long finish.  Full of character.  A very fine effort.  Drinking well now and will continue to drink well for the next 6 - 8 years. (There was a bit of bottle variation - we had 2 bottles opened (from same case) and one tasted much leaner and less generous than the other bottle - almost as if they were from different vintages.) 16/20

2000 Troplong Mondot:  Initially a little tight, needed time in the glass to open up to reveal its glorious bouquet of black and blue berries, plum, chocolate and eucalyptus. Velvety texture, a rich but fresh-tasting palate, with ripe well-integrated tannin giving an overall impression of a very harmonious and balanced wine with much depth and concentration of flavours and a very long finish. Still extremely youthful.  Though drinking now, can benefit from some bottle age before  trying again.  A very long life ahead!  Drink over next 15+ years.  18/20

2001 Troplong Mondot: Very deep ruby.  An intense nose of cassis, blueberry, blackberrry, chocolate, espresso, cola and liquorice. Made in a big, bold and concentrated style, perhaps lacking the elegance and persistence of the 2000 vintage on the palate. Youthful and vivacious.  Drinking now and will benefit from a few more years in bottle before trying again.  17/20
 
1985 La Conseillante (magnum): Ruby-garnet. A captivating perfume of tobacco, truffle, cloves, mocha, cedar and violet. Velvety tannin and still tasting rather fresh and concentrated, with the hallmark seductively lush character of Pomerol.  Deliciously long and sweet (almost like caramel) finish.  A wine with plenty of sex appeal, that makes you yearn for more and more.  Drinking now and for the next 5 - 6 years.  18.5/20

1982 Figeac: Rose petal, violet, cedar, dried blueberry, star anise, mint and eucalyptus. Harmonious and well-integrated. Medium bodied. Tasted still very fresh but a little delicate and lean on the palate....I would have preferred a bit more generosity to give it a slightly more substantial mouthfeel.  Today, I didn't like the somewhat (to me anyway) excessive cedar character on the nose and palate which will no doubt take on other complexities in the next 6 - 8 years.  16.5/20

The next 2 wines were enjoyed side by side and what a treat it was!  Both decanted for 2 hours, while we enjoyed the lovely 1997 Salon that Patrick brought.  Initially very tight and somewhat austere, the nose was mineral, floral, citrus and apple.  The rounded character was evident but needed time to build up.  The wine continued to develop after opening and 2 hours later, it flaunted all its richness and complexity which reminded me of a freshly baked pear tart, with a rich layer fo marzipan and the pear slices slightly burnt and caramelised.  Absolutely delicious!  19/20
2000 Chapelle d'Ausone: Deep ruby.  Graphite, blueberry, black cherry, violet and eucalyptus, some savoury and tobacco character coming through.  Purity of fruit, delicious and ripe, balanced, beautifully textured with fine but firm tannin.  Lengthy finish. A marvellous effort for a second wine sharing some of the qualities of the grand vin, though less concentrated.  Drinking magnificently now and showing all the characteristics of an extremely well-made wine in its own right, pure, balanced, elegant and seductive. Drink now and for the next 8+ years.  17/20

2000 Ausone: A deeper hue than the Chapelle.  An altogether more dense and concentrated wine, very rich and powerful.  Black fruit, blueberry, liquorice, violet, spicy and fragrant, and some very intense minerality/graphite character.   The wine took much longer to open up and 4 hours later, it finally revealed the unmistakable Bordeaux character. A very serious wine, totally reserved now, will benefit from further bottle age.  Suggest trying this wine from 2014....and a very long life ahead.  19.5/20   

Gimonnet Champagne Dinner at Rokkaku



The most delicious salmon sushi!!

21 Sep 2011: Gimonnet, a grower champagne name from the Côtes des Blancs of the Champagne region, long admired over the generations for the finesse, purity, precision and consistency of their 100% chardonnay champagne.  It was therefore very appropriate to have these qualities matched with the purity, precision and dedication to detail and quality of Japanese cuisine at the restaurant Rokkaku (Kwong Ming Street, near Star Street HK).  Chef Wong did an amazing job turning out some extraordinary dishes of sashimi, sushi, tempura and robatayaki dishes that totally wooed the crowd, in particular the lightly seared salmon belly sushi, which received calls of 'encore' from a most enthusiastic audience!  Fresh salmon roe just came into season and we were treated to it, served with some light radish shaving.  Absolutely divine when paired with the champagne! 

4 cuvées from the range of Gimonnet champagnes were tried and paired with the food (and with some very satisfactory results!):

Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru Non-Vintage: as an aperitif and also to go with the amuse bouche of edamame, cold tomato salad and cod crisps, it tasted young, refreshing and lively, with some gentle notes of citrus, green apple and a hint of peach.  Very expertly made (typically from a blend of 4 vintages), with just the right balance of freshness and roundness, and a great way to kick off the evening. 15.5/20

Gimonnet Gastronome 2006: a young vintage wine with around 50% contribution from the grand cru of Chouilly, less than 40% from Cuis, enriched by the addition of wine from some very old vines from Cramant.  It's a great cuvée offering complexity and richness, while offering youthful freshness.  It served very well accompanying the selection of sashimi and sushi that the chef prepared.  Fine-textured bubbles and a creamy mousse giving this wine a very elegant definition.  Lovely nose of white peach, pear, acacia, honey and underlined with a hint of toasty character.  A very approachable 'coupe de champagne'! 16/20

Gimonnet Extra-Brut Oenophile 2004: A dry style non-dosée champage, crisp, complex and characterful, with a well-balanced richness.  A very distinct mineral and savoury character dominates here, making it very stylish.  Finish is long and very neat.....a very impressive wine!  I thought this went so well with the salmon roe! 17/20

Gimonnet Fleuron 2005: A vintage champagne made only in the best years, with selections from the best vineyards that are most representative for the particular vintage, and with ageing on lees in excess of 4 years before disgorging.  An absolute great equation for price and quality.  Brioche, floral, pear, apple and mineral.  Rounded texture, creamy mousse, perked up by the house-style acidity.  A great effort and it had sufficient complexity and texture to be paired with the bacon-wrapped grilled oyster, grilled ox tongue and grilled chicken dishes!  17/20

We finished the evening with a warming bowl of udon in soup, which probably served well to soak up the alcohol and a touch of sweetness at the end (some Tokaji got sneaked in to round off the evening and it went down rather well too!)

2006 Clinet

18 Sep 2011: Very deep colour. A masculine nose of plum, blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, liquorice and a hint of cedar.  Fleshy, rich, robust structure bolstered by refreshing acidity, irm but not aggressive tannin, all framed in a medium body.  Very enjoyable now, but will definitely benefit from further development in bottle over next 6 - 8 years, with a longer life ahead!  17/20 

Napa Valley's Liquid Gold

17 Sep 2011: Dinner chez Martin and Tayma.  Martin cooked a sumptuous feast!  We started with oysters and 1990 Krug.  Toasty, brioche, grilled hazelnuts. Very mature. Drinking at peak now.

The delicious platter of lobster with marie-rose sauce, avocado and fresh crab meat, tomato with tarragon and salad was brilliantly accompanied by the2002 Batard Montrachet, Pernot. Lemon, quince, fig, almonds, honey and jasmine. Good acidity.  Weighty, well-structured and balanced.  Still very youthful, but already very enjoyable. Very high quality.

Main course was a very succulent and tender piece of beef, seared before slow-cooked in the oven for 9 minute, served with a rich truffled sauce (and bearnaise sauce). This was served with a 1982 Leoville Las Cases in magnum. Mature bouquet of violet, cloves, cinnamon, leather and tobacco. Silky, with a lengthy finish.  Very more-ish but not as generous as we would have expected.

The 1983 Hermitage Chave slowly opened up to offer a bouquet of chocolate, cinnamon, spices and vanilla. I just love mature Syrah, somewhat exotic, with a romantic undertone! Drinking very well now, and for the next 6 - 8 years, I expect.

Still rather thirsty, we returned to Bordeaux with 1998 Haut Bailly.  Very deep hued. Rather rich and concentrated, with a rounded character, showing ripe but well-textured tannins and good acidity.  Plum, blackberry, liquorice and spicy oak.  An under-valued estate that delivers on harmony and consistency.

Before wrapping up the evening, Martin introduced us to Dolce, a late harvest wine from Napa.  It's made in the style of Sauternes, with a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, affected by noble rot.  Harvest would take place over 6 weeks, and only picked by hand and carefully sorted.  Fermentation in oak barrels is a very slow event, usually taking up to 6 months.  Maturation in 100% new French oak, for up to 3 years.  The final blend is decided during the 3rd year.  I did not see the vintage for this Dolce, but it was full-bodied, balanced by mouthwatering acidity, with the unmistakable nose of dried apricot, orange peel, ripe peach and honey.  Very easy to please with its intense fruitiness and nectar-like quality, but this wine could also benefit from additional bottle age to take on some tertiary complexity and maturity.

Thank you Martin and Tayma for a most delicious evening!

Mrs. Burghound and Friends' Hong Kong Paulée

16 Sep 2011: I was rather annoyed with myself for arriving late at this much-anticipated event in Hong Kong - a special dinner (Paulée) with Erica Meadows aka Mrs. Burghound and other burgundy lovers!  Not only for the reason that I completely missed Erica's speech, but also for the more important reason that I had missed the 1988 and 1990 Salon that were supposed to be served during cocktails! Luckily for me, the champagne that James and Melissa brought had not yet been opened - an Egly Ouriet (cannot remember the vintage!) which was absolutely delicious on its own, but even better with food, I could imagine! 

Dinner took place at Amuse Bouche and Kent and his team did a fantastic job producing dish after dish of top quality fine cuisine and looking after the guests with first-rate professionalism.  The dishes we had were:

Red tuna tartar with Katsubushi jelly, Oscietra caviar, wasabi soya dressing
Boston lobster wrapped in spinach with red wine sauce and seasonal vegetables
Roasted smoked duck foie gras with black pepper and turnip confit, fig and Port wine reduction
Sea urchin risotto with crustacean foam or Black truffles risotto with parmesan cheese flake, veal jus
Slow cooked free-range yellow chicken from Landes, morels, asparagus with Arbois yellow wine sauce or
Roasted milk-fed Sisteron lamb duet in wild mushrooms crusted with a natural jus, broad bean, tomato confit and boulgour
Truffled Brie de Meaux with quince paste, cherry jam
Crispy Granny Smith apple tart, vanilla ice cream

There was only one word to describe the culinary experience: perfection! 

There were around 20 of us, I think, and everyone was supposed to bring 1 bottle of wine, true to the Paulée custom.  There were however some deviations from the Paulée customs, whereby each bottle would be poured directly by the individual who brought it and there would be no changing of glasses.  At this HK version, the wine was mostly poured into our glasses by the waiting staff and our glasses were frequently refreshed.  I was pretty good at remembering the first few wines that were poured, but after a while, wine started appearing from different places and I was not quick enough to spot the label nor did I have enough time to ask what was being poured, that I had little idea what I was drinking most of the time!

Of the wines that I had memory of tasting, they were 1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, 1989 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet, 1990 Dujac Charmes Chambertin, 1990 Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin, 1997 Dominique Laurent Ruchotte Chambertin, 1971 Robert Arnoux Clos de Vougeot, 1995 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques, 1995 Hubert Lignier Clos de La Roche and 1972 Volnay Caillerets, de la Pousse d'Or.  My brief notes as follows:

1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne seemed to have evolved very little since birth!  It still tasted quite tight, giving away very little in the nose and the palate.  The nose was distinctly citrus and mineral.  The palate clearly needed time to develop and take on more weight and complexity.  Sadly, there was no time for this development to be witnessed.  Drink now and will conntinue to develop over the next 8 - 10+ years.  17.5/20

The 1989 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet was richly flamboyant, flaunting notes of grilled hazelnuts, brioche, toast, fig, acacia and nuances of creme caramel, a medium-full body, bolstered by very lively acidity, tasting so fresh and yet so enriching.  A terrific wine and totally at the top of its game....Drink now and for next 10+ years.  19.5/20

The 1990 Dujac Charmes Chambertin presented a very endearing bouquet of red fruit, floral and sweet farmyard hay.  Totally silky in texture, gently caressing one's palate, and with just the right amount of acidity to keep it fresh.  A very fine example of Charmes Chambertin: charm, elegance and lots of finesse, with a very fine structure.  A lengthy and sweet finish.  This for me is drinking at peak now, and will continue to give perfect enjoyment for the next 5 - 6 years.  18/20

By comparison, the 1990 Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin showed a rather reductive nose and it did not quite live up to expectations. 

There was plenty of good fruit in the still youthful and fresh tasting 1997 Dominique Laurent Ruchotte Chambertin, starting to show some savoury, animal character.  Good acidity keeping the structure in place, with the tannin very much mellowed out.  Lighter in style, but very representative of the vintage.  Drink now and for the next 4 - 5 years.  16/20

The 1971 Robert Arnoux Clos de Vougeot was an absolute eye-opener.  Absolutely delicious.  Burgundy at its best!  Velvety and lush, with beautiful tertiary character of tobacco, truffle, leather, rose petal pot pourri, with just a hint of cloves, all wrapped in a neatly structured frame, still with plenty of poise and dignity.  Simply stunning.  "A Point!" 19/20

The 1995 Rousseau Gevery Chamertin St Jacques was slightly more linear and austere than the 1996 version that we had about 4 weeks ago.  The 1995 showed much more of the minerality, and less of the floral character that we found in the 1996. Drink now - could possibly benefit from a bit more time in bottle  16.5/20

The 1995 Hubert Lignier Clos de La Roche also showed quite a bit of austerity.  I wish we had more time to understand and appreciate this wine!  Must try again on another occasion.

The 1972 de la Pousse d'Or Volnay Caillerets was a difficult guess.  It was served to us blind and we had to guess the vintage and the commune.  Eric did very well. What I can remember now was a very elegant presentation, with soft red fruit, and still tasted very fresh, without any signs of intrusive acidity! If kept in the right cellaring conditions, this wine could easily have a life of another 10+ years!  17/20

What a fabulous evening and as if we hadn't had enough to drink, Richard ordered a magnum of 2007 Hospices de Beaune Beaune Cuvée Nicolas Rolin to refresh our palate - not a bad idea!  A lovely example of this vintage, early-drinking, easy to like, beautiful red fruit and floral character, with a good background note of minerality.  Not a wine for the long haul, but definitely a charmer in the first 8 years of its life!

It really was a treat to be invited to join this very exclusive dinner and I was so happy to have this opportunity to meet Erica, having corresponded with her on a couple of occasions.  Unquestionably, the perfect ambassador for "Burghound Corporation"!  I look forward to the next Mrs. Burghound event in HK or in France! 

Dinner at Murano, London

3 Sep 2011: Dinner at Murano, an Angela Hartnett restaurant on Queen Street, London.  Decor is meant to be chic contemporary Venetian....I think.  They brought us some parmesan crisps and warm truffle-flavoured risotto balls as amuse bouche.  Then we were given some charcuterie and bread, as part of the amuse bouche.  Frankly, you probably wouldn’t need a starter after all this!  Menu is based on 3 or 4 courses, to be chosen from a selection of starters, main courses, vegetarian dishes, desserts and cheese.  So good to see a healthy selection of vegetarian dishes.  The chef had kindly prepared an off-the-menu langoustine starter for Richard and I took the warm caramelised tomato, lightly flavoured with balsamic vinegar, basil and smoked ricotta.  Then I had the linguine, with prawns, chilli and parsley.  Richard had the Iberico pork shoulder with pearl barley and salsify, which was tangy orangey.  The portions were perfect, and there was plenty of room for the cheese trolley, which is highly recommended.  We had a lovely Italian cheese with a name that would sound like ‘Medieval Castle’!  To add to this, we had Lincolnshire Poacher, Stinking Bishop and a Calvados-soaked Camembert.  We decided not to take dessert, but to our pleasant surprise, our waiter produced two ‘generous’ slivers of smoked lemon tart, a chef’s signature dish, apparently, together with a bowl of cherries and some hazelnut truffles.  Service was slick and impeccable and the restaurant felt spacious.  The food was perfectly executed and presented – attentive and imaginative cooking from the heart, a subtle display of talent.

For the wine, we took the sommelier’s recommendation.  2006 Lessona DOC, Proprietà Sperino: Traditionally a covinification of 95% Nebbiolo and 5% Vespolina (red grape variety related to Nebbiolo), grown on marine sandy, acidic but mineral-rich soil, at 295 – 350 metres above sea level. (Lessona DOC is north of Barolo, and next door to Gattinara DOCG). Use of natural yeasts.  28 days of maceration, followed by 13 months sur lie.  Maturation in barrels and 15 hl casks for 30 months, with further time in bottle, prior to release.  The 2006 vintage was aromatic, elegant, charming and very approachable, with a well-defined purity.  Lovely red fruit of red cherries, with slight herbal, earthy and floral character, with a hint of spice.  Medium in body, with smooth fine tannin and good level of acidity.  Went equally well with my linguine with prawns, chilli and parsley, as with Richard’s pork shoulder in a tangy orangey sauce. 16/20

A bit of background on this estate.  The estate was originally owned by the Sperino family, a renowned family of doctors, whose most notable members who contributed much to vinegrowing were Casimiro Sprino and particularly his son Felice Sperino, who was a close friend to Italy’s first ampelographer, and took active interest in indigenous grape varieties of northern Piemonte that were fast disappearing.  In the early 19th Century, as a result of no direct heirs, the estate passed to the De Marchi family, their close relatives.  Vinegrowing was abandoned for reasons of difficult economic climate and lack of economic scale to make the property work, without compromising on quality.  Paolo De Marchi (Isole e Olena, Tuscany) had dreamt of returning to his roots in Piemonte one day to revive the winemaking on their estate, and in 1999, he returned to the castle with his son Luca.  They have taken painstaking efforts to revive the tradition of vinegrowing and winemaking in Lessona and the results have been very encouraging.  Their first vintage was 2004, released in 2006.   Proprietà Sperino lies in the Castello quarter of the village of Lessona (Biella), among the foothills of the North Piedmont Alps.  The Nebbiolo grape is locally known as ‘Spanna’.

Visit to Marseille - Day 4

1 Sep 2011: The day greeted us with such intensity of warmth and sunlight.  It’s time to leave Marseille to head back to London.  A quick hello to some early anglers at the promontory by the hotel, off we went to the airport, which was quite an experience!

Visit to Marseille - Day 3

31 August 2011: After breakfast, we took a walk down the Corniche JFK to check out the beaches along the coastline, to get ourselves ready for lunch at Chez Fonfon (140 Rue du Vallon des Auffes).  I really enjoyed this walk along the coast and if we had time, we would also visit the gardens, which would no doubt have more tropical specimens….including the ubiquitous cacti and agaves. 



Bouillabaisse at Fonfon

 Our only problem that we foresaw at lunch was that we had been told to have the bouillabaisse, and yet it would be a very filling dish to have at lunchtime, especially when we had dinner at Le Petit Nice to follow.  So we took a compromise of having one portion of bouillabaisse and one green salad.  We had such high expectations of the bouillabaisse that we felt rather disappointed by the not so appetising looking plate of potatoes and fish that arrived – plus some of it didn’t smell nor taste so fresh, especially the rascasses.  My green salad was so drenched in dressing that I could only eat half of it.  The toasted croutons and dips that came free at the beginning of the meal were probably the best part – Richard’s favourite was the meshed pea dip, mine was the fromage blanc dip.  For wine, we had a half bottle of 2008 Château Simone, which tasted rather flabby and uninteresting.  Perhaps if we had gone a bit earlier (unlike the 13:45 when we showed up), we would have had a better experience??   Anyway, at least we can say we’ve ticked this one off!

After lunch, we walked (or climbed up the hill) to the Nôtre Dame de La Garde (at altitude of around 148 metres).  It originated as a chapel built in 1218 and was then enlarged by the Bishop of Marseille in 1851 and the basilique was built in 1864.  It was topped with a giant statue of Our Mary carrying the infant Jesus and blessing the city and its harbour, the people and the visitors.  It was certainly a worthwhile visit and a very good spot to get a panoramic view of Marseille, the harbour and the ports. We then went to check out a wine bar, La Part des Anges (33 Rue Sainte).  The barman was very chatty and began to talk about the differences of the wines of the region.  We got on the subject of vins rosés and he was very vocal about how rosé wines should be the expression of terroir, rather than the result of technology-focused winemaking and high-profile marketing targeted at Saint Tropez.  I think he had a very fair point, but I think credit should also be given to those who have taken a lot of effort to overcome the challenges of transforming rosé into a serious wine……..I highly recommend La Part des Anges, both as a wine bar and also as a lunch/dinner spot.  There is a decent menu and the chef’s fish and bars were widely advertised at the counter!  There are a few tables on the pavement – so you could enjoy a bottle of wine with a few friends, while enjoying the scenes of the street.  Rue Sainte seemed a very interesting street, bohemian chic and exotic, with quite a few eateries.  Turning the corner from Rue Sainte, we arrived at Rue Paradis, with a number of high-end smart boutiques.  



Deep fried shrimps at cocktail

 Our second and last (on this trip) at Le Petit Nice.  We started with an aperitif at the bar - we decided to give the outdoor terrace a miss. The mild mistral had rather strengthened and it was felt quite poignantly at the height of the Notre Dame de La Garde. I thought I ought to have a pastis to round off our visit to Marseille.  Some cocktail snacks came. They looked pretty much the same as the previous day's, except that deep fried white bait was replaced by deep fried tiny shrimps, which were so sweet and tasty! And interestingly, not bad with the pastis! 

We decided to go for the legendary bouille-abaisse, in the Passédat style...this being our second bouillabaisse on the same day. Well, the version at Le Petit Nice was a very sleek interpretation of the traditional dish.  Entirely elaborate and ceremonial.

For the white wine, we had chosen a bottle of 2007 Domaine Gauby Vieilles Vignes, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (http://www.domainegauby.fr/)  (40% Macabéo, 30% Grenache Blanc, 5% Carignan Blanc, 10% Grenache Gris, 15% Chardonnay; very old low-yielding vines, around 50 – 100 years old; natural yeast, 7-8 months sure lie; 65% maturation in barrels, 35% in tanks). I found this wine rather evolved. Some lemon, honey, apricot and spicy character, and something very savoury and yeasty.  Medium body, but rather low in acidity, to balance the flavour intensity and the weight.  Very weak mid-palate, though there was some length.  I was a bit baffled by the wine, not entirely sure if it tasted like how it should, and thought it might improve with a bit of decanting, but sadly it didn't, not for me anyway.  I wonder if we had an ‘out of condition’ bottle – we had asked the sommelier to try and he declared it ‘in condition’.  (Surprisingly, the same sommelier had informed us that this wine was a blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne…..I would not have expected to be misinformed by the sommelier in a 3-star restaurant!)  The Wine Advocate had scored this wine 94 points, with drinking window till 2016.  It certainly didn’t taste anything like the tasting notes in the Wine Advocate.  Based on this bottle, I would probably score this 14.5/20…but I think we should try another bottle to see if we had a dud.



Coquillage carpaccio

 The Menu Bouille-Abaisse started with a carpaccio of coquillage, full of the flavours of the sea and lightly seasoned. This was accompanied by a cream of chives, with some seafood fritters.  A cream of carrots, with an apple sorbet, shortly followed to freshen the palate.



Beautiful platter of fish in saffron broth

 This was followed by an assembly of beautifully grilled/roasted fish (monkfish, whiting, daurade and some other fish that we could not catch the name of) and lobster in a saffron fish stock with mirepoix of tender vegetables. Very colourful and full of fresh flavours, enhanced by the saffron fish stock.

The assembly of bouille-abaisse
Imagine all the layers on top of each other on arrival



Dorade et Pageot

 Finally, the pièce de resistance!  A tower of 4 layers. The top layer was a tube of soupe de poission, with the grated gruyère and rouille of the maison. The second layer contained potato cubes cooked in saffron fish stock. The third presented 2 pieces of beautifully cooked filets of daurade and pageot partially immersed in the soupe de poisson. Underneath in the 4th layer was a hot bouillon with herbs keeping the fish at a nice temperature.  The two types of fish, though similar, had different textures (the pageot slightly firmer and the daurade more delicate) and tasted best soaked in the extremely intense fish soup. The fish soup had this phenomenal intensity and texture that was simply sensational!  Interestingly this last course would go much better with red wine, and we had a half bottle of 2004 Domaine Terrebrune, Bandol, organically certified (http://www.vin-bandol-terrebrune.fr/) .   A blend of 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Raised in very large (50-60 hl) oak vats for 18 months.  Liquorice, herbal, boysenberry, black cherry, spicy, savoury and slightly minerally.  Moderately tannic and the tannin was not astringent at all to be in the way of the food. A very good match with enough acidity to balance the richness of the flavours and enough weight/mouthfeel to match the texture of the fish soup.  Very approachable and a perfectly pitched expression of the grape varieties and the terroir.  Drinking very well now, and for the next 8 – 10+ years. (And I highly recommend the matching with la soupe de poisson (and make sure it’s one with a rich consistency!!!)   16/20




Apple dessert

 For dessert, it was an assembly of apple flavoured mousse/jelly/sorbet/marshmallow and apple-flavoured grissini. Rather tasty!! Quite rare for us that we really did not have room for cheese!  Well, we didn’t….!

Visit to Marseille - Day 2

30 August 2011: Breakfast at Le Petit Nice.  You would have a table on the terrace, right by the sea, and while feasting on the breakfast delights, you would also be able to watch some topless bathers taking a morning dip in the chilly waters!  There is a promontory next to the hotel and it seems like a popular spot for bathers in Marseille.  They come very early, as early as 8am and some leave rather late, almost 11 pm when the last would leave.  Breakfast is a casual buffet spread, with jamon, salami, cheese, fruit salad, apple compote, yoghurt, bread, croissants, and some really delicious cakes….I greedily tried them all, so yummy!  

Blue and Turquoise Marine

After a very simple lunch at the hotel, we took a speedboat excursion to visit Les Calanques (This I would readily admit as an extravagant mistake in our planning - it turned out to be way too expensive for just the two of us - it could have been worthwhile if we went out as a party to lunch at the Calanques and take a swim, etc. I recommend the cruises from Le Vieux Port as a more economical and sensible option!).  You start approaching the Calanques after passing through a narrow channel between the mainland and the Ile Maire, another towering limestone formation.  We visited the 3 most popular and largest ones, Calanque de Sormiou followed by Calanque de Morgiou and Calanque de Sougiton.  The water in the calanque was a striking interplay between clear turquoise and deep blue.  We chose a turquoise spot to anchor the boat and Richard, after mustering enough courage, plunged into the water for a quick dip, which Clément, our skipper and I resisted – it was so cold, it felt like 16 degrees!  There was a mild mistral blowing and this not only made the sea a little choppy, but also the water rather refreshing.  You could have lunch at Calanque de Sormiou – there seemed to be a decent fish restaurant.  Calanque de Morgiou was relatively calmer and less busy.  We took time to have a coffee at the Nautic Bar which also served grilled fish and other simple dishe.  Calanque de Sougiton was probably the prettiest, but unfortunately other people also thought so and it was a bit too busy for us to stop for too long.  From all these Calanques, you could go for hikes in the hills and it would make an interesting exploration of the flora and fauna of the Massif.  Clément also pointed out an extremely popular restaurant in the Calanque de Marseilleveyre, where only 3 dishes would be served….and yet there would always be a queue for the food in the high season!  The forces of nature were evident everywhere, sculpting the Massif into every thinkable shape and form over the thousands of years of their formation, including some very sharp edges like Le Bec de Sormiou. I felt so humbled by these marvellous formations of nature, towering above us!  The sea was rather rough on the way back, so we only managed a quick look from afar of Château d’If and the Archipelgue de Frioul.  Clément then took the boat into the Vallon des Auffes to show us a bit of the heart and soul of Marseille, with the little colourful houses around the fishing village harbour…..it was a very charming site, and he made sure that we would be trying another local institution, dating back to 1952, Chez Fonfon (http://www.chez-fonfon.com/) , which apparently served the best traditional bouillabaisse, before we would leave Marseille.



Snacks at apertivo
at Le Petit Nice

 Dinner at Le Petit Nice.  We went downstairs for cocktail around 7:30 pm.  Cocktail was served with a platter of nibbles, including some deep fried white bait and some anchovy-creamed biscuits.  We watched the sun slowly making its descent behind the gossamer of wistful clouds.  We had a very lovely table by the sea and we were able to witness nature’s light show while indulging on our dinner.  For wine, we had chosen a bottle of 2006 La D18, Domaine Olivier Pithon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (http://www.domaineolivierpithon.com/) .   D18 is the name of a route départementale just next to the vineyard where these vines lie, a road between Calc and Le Col de La Dona in the Roussillon region.  Production of only around 2,600 bottles of a blend of organically cultivated, low-yielding Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris grown on high altitude slopes, raised in wooden vats between 12 and 16 months, with minimal intervention.  An engaging complexity of lemon sherbet, white peach, frangipane, honey, almond, marzipan, enhanced by mineral and savoury nuances.  The wine opened up in the glass to delight with a rounded mouthfeel, balanced with refreshing acidity.  Finish was lengthy and savoury.  Plenty of character and poise.  Perfect drinking now.  It went effortlessly well with a number of our dishes, in particular the marinated raw fish, the sea anemone and the lobster.  I would score this wine 16.5/20.

View of the twilight from dining table

We both took the Menu Passédat, which I highly recommend as an excellent introduction to the cuisine of Gerald Passédat and included all his signature dishes, including the raw pélamide (a version of tuna) with olive oil, soya and yuzu sauce, seabass as his grandmother liked it, grilled/roasted poisson de palangre (a type of seabream/”daurade”) with caramelised eggplant and rice crispy, sea anemone cooked 2 ways, in a light batter and also in a milky custard, with caviar, and finally the lobster cooked al dente in a blue-marine consommé.  Here’s the menu again and I mark the ones we liked best J:

Avant goût
Pélamide crue à la tranche, écorces de bergamote J
Bar de ligne comme l’aimait Lucie Passédat J
Poisson de Palangre grillé, jus de la tante Nia
Anémones de mer en beignets legers et onctueux iodé
Le homard Breton en mauve abyssale J
Les fromages affinés J
L’avant douceur
Fraicheur de fruits rouges et brousse du Rove
Mignardises



Raw pelamide



The famous seabass



The seabream



Sea anemone topped with caviar in a milky mousse



Lobster in a blue marine broth

 
The cheese trolley was not to be missed.  Even though we were both groaning under the weight of all the delicious dishes in the menu, we could not resist having a mouthful of cheese!  Not all French, there were some English, Scottish and even Dutch reinforcements.  The maroilles was my favourite, perfectly ripe!  Dessert consisted of 3 parts: the pre-dessert, the dessert (red fruits with Brousse du Rove, a freshly-made goat cheese, a bit like cottage cheese) and the mignardises…..all rather irresistible and delicately prepared! It’s a five-star experience, enhanced with very friendly, personal and knowledgeable service!  Marvellous!  Can’t wait for our second meal!

Visit to Marseille - Day 1

Le Petit Nice, Marseille,
view from the Corniche



Entrance to Le Petit Nice

 29 August 2011: Landed in Marseille, fortified by a British cooked breakfast on British Airways.  First impression of Marseille is an inspiring blend of fishing village charm, French traditions, Mediterranean tempo, international port, all enriched by a multicultural existence. The terracotta and pastel-coloured houses around the harbour, set against the backdrop of one big azure blue, and far in the distance the imposing limestone Massif des Calanques lending to the bustling city a sense of stability and calm.  The sunsets were particularly mesmerizing here, watching the sky turning blue to mauve and finally a deep violet…before the dark curtain closing in on a dramatic show of light, twilight taken over by neon lights and the city was lit ablaze again.  We stayed at Le Petit Nice, a 3-starred Michelin restaurant/hotel run by Gérald Passédat (http://www.passedat.fr/) .  We arrived on a quiet day, when the restaurant was shut, which suited us well, as it gave us a chance to visit some of the local institutions for the quitessential bouillabaisse!  



Le Vieux Port,
View from Notre Dame de La Garde

First stop was Les Gailnettes Chez Madie, a family-run restaurant with generations of tradition.  It was on the Quai du Port (138, Quai du Port), with perfect view of Le Vieux Port and the Nôtre Dame de La Garde atop the multitude of houses garnishing the gentle hillside.  We had the soupe de poisson, which was served from this enormous tureen (a very good sign!).  We should really have had the boeuf en daube, which was a specialty of the maison, but we were more tempted by the fish offerings. Grilled seabass for Richard and the famous galinette for me.  I was less impressed by the garnish of gratin de courgette and breadcrumbed tomato.  Perhaps just a green salad would be better.  The whole seabass tasted fresh, delicate and just perfect.  The galinette or le grondin perlon is like a big rouget, with a red robe and a white belly, living quite deep in the water, around 40 metres, and close to the rocky coastline of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic. It had a firmer texture to it….a bit like garoupa.   The food was washed down with a half bottle of rosé from Cassis, a lighter style (and less alcoholic) rosé from the Provencale version, rather quaffable! 

View of a street, Le Panier

After lunch, we strolled around Le Panier, the old district, a bit like Montmartre, with a setting of artists and craftsmen along the narrow streets. We had just missed a major exhibition on Oriental influences with works from Delacroix to Matisse, at La Vieille Charité, a former hospital, now restored as an exhibition and museum centre, with Mediterranean archaeology and African and Oriental works as their permanent themes.  Then we descended upon Rue de la République, a main shopping street, that would take us back to Le Vieux Port. 

Bus 83 would take us back to the hotel, which is just off the Corniche JFK, a very popular jogging path for the locals.  You could see them jogging at all hours almost, from as early as 7 am to 9 pm!  Continuing along the Corniche, you would come across different beaches, Plage des Catalans, Plage du Prophète and Plage du Prado, and even now when we’re close to the end of the season, you would find people turning up at the beaches early enough to secure a good spot on the sandy beaches.  Swimming, spear-fishing, snorkelling, beach volleyball and table-tennis amongst some of the seaside activities!  

8:30 pm.  A brisk 20 minute walk from the hotel to the restaurant to boost our appetite for dinner.  We booked a table at Chez Michel (6 rue des Catalans (http://www.restaurant-michel.com/) , another “de père en fils” type of family-run institution in Marseille.  The restaurant was founded in 1946.  A very simple menu, of just a choice of a few starters (including soupions persillés, crevettes cocktail, freshly shucked oysters and wild salmon), and effectively two choices of main course, either grilled fish (whatever happened to be fresh that day) or la bouillabaisse or la bourride (as far as I can gather, the difference between the two is that the latter is made with only white-fleshed fish and with aioli, instead of rouille).  As we have other opportunities for bouillabaisse, we felt rather tempted to have the grilled fish instead.  We had the grilled sole, and it was absolutely delicious, and cooked to perfection.  All I needed was just a good squeeze of lemon, a dash of olive oil, and a good sprinkling of black pepper.  So yummy!  I also highly recommend the soupions (deep-fried squid with parsley sauce)…al dente and absolutely moreish when eaten hot, fresh from the kitchen! This was happily washed down with a half bottle of white Cassis (Ugni Blanc and Clairette) – citrus zesty and minerally, very refreshing and an excellent accompaniment to the soupions!  The fish was skilfully taken off the bone in front of us.  We could see the next door table enjoying the bouillabaisse, also ceremonially and deftly served at the table, with the soup separately served from the fish!  We also ordered a half bottle of Bandol rouge, which tasted much better slightly chilled, a friendly style of wine, from Moulin des Costes.  The restaurant had run out of Domaine Tempier, being the other option.  We had a quick chat with the maître d’, whom I asked if he was related to the family.  He said that he wasn’t but he had worked there for a long time.  The great grandson is still involved, but not so much on a daily basis.  It’s very nice seeing these traditions prolonged by men and women holding them up….with pride in their duty and work!  There’s a mirror of fame, as you walk into the restaurant, with photos of celebrities, politicians, movie stars, all having been a happy customer at Chez Michel!  Totally steeped in tradition, even the bill was handwritten……..so quaint!

Please follow next 3 blogs for the rest of the Marseille trip!

Au Gamin de Tokio: a little gem in residential Tokyo



Chef at work in the middle
of the dining room

 22 August 2011: A brief visit to Tokyo.  We couldn't get into Quintessence, the newly crowned 3-Michelin star restaurant, which apparently now requires more than 2 months' advanced booking.  So we decided to try Au Gamin de Tokio:  a culinary gem in Minato-ku, deep in the residential heart of Tokyo, off the beaten track, not covered in the Michelin guide.  A small and intimate dining room, counter seating centred on the professional stainless steel cooking stations in the middle of the room, with the chef and his assistants busily turning out a range of dishes in their own interpretations of French traditional dishes plus the innovative twist with Japanese ingredients and cooking methods.  The chef trained at Bocuse (Lyon), Hotel Negresco (Nice), Au Crocodil (Strasbourg) in France and also in Italy.  He said all his staff also received training in France.  Quite good news for us as our Japanese was certainly not up to scratch! 

Corn custard with sea urchin

A respectable range of dishes in the repertoire, that you didn’t feel limited for choice.  Cold starters, hot starters, main courses and side dishes.  From beef steak (different types of Japanese beef), to duck confit, to pan-fried pork chop, to pasta with pesto sauce and squid and to omelette topped with black truffle, and the list went on.   We were really impressed by the starters, mine was a corn custard topped with sea urchin (a signature dish of the chef’s and a really tasty one too – the sea urchin balancing the sweetness and texture of the corn custard!) and Richard had the crab and tomato salad (served in a glass!)….Then we decided that we quite fancied our neighbours' pasta dish and decided to order the same.  It was home-made pasta with squid, pine nuts and pesto.  The pasta was cooked al dente, well-flavoured.



Pasta with squid, pine nuts and pesto

 For main course, we took the duck confit and pan-roasted pork chop, with roasted onion and chips.  Bistro style cooking for the main courses, perhaps less refined and less exciting than the starters.  The cheese platter was rather impressive for a tiny enterprise.  Service was impeccable, even when we had interrupted the order of service by interjecting a pasta course in the middle, a course of action which would no doubt have caused a bit of chaos (understated) in a French kitchen, but our Japanese chef executed our request with much calm, not even a grumble.  Very convivial ambiance and very professional, but also intimate service, with the chef personally explaining the menu to us (in French) as we didn’t understand the written Japanese menu on the blackboard.  The only criticism would be the limited wine list.  The plan is that they will be taking over the ground floor as a wine bar, at which time they may need to seriously consider upgrading the wine list!   Highly recommended!

Au Gamin de Tokio: 03-3444-4991 (Open daily: 18:00 - 23:00; Closed Sundays)