Year: 2016

L’Astrance’s Pascal Barbot Guest Chefs at Shangri-La Blu

A short stint by Pascal Barbot of Michelin 3-starred L'Astrance in Shangri-La's Blu restaurant gave us in Singapore a chance to try the renowned chef's cooking. I've been trying to get into L'Astrance on my occasional trips to Paris and when I found out he'd be cooking in Singapore, I jumped at the opportunity. Although it's never the same as eating in his eatery itself given that we won't necessarily get all the good produce here, I think that there is so much more available here nowadays...

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Mirazur in Menton – Good but No “Wow” Factor

On paper, Mirazur is set up to be a highly memorable meal with its location outside Monaco overlooking the coast and its Michelin two-star standing and well regarded chef but it ended up being a meal that just fell short of being really good. Perhaps it was because it was lunch and the sun's rays through Mirazur's full length windows made the restaurant a tad too warm to be comfortable. But it may also be that we already had a fantastic meal at the Chèvre d'Or in Eze with a stunning...

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Chevre d’Or – Reason Enough to Visit Eze

With a view that looks over Monaco, Michelin two-starred Chèvre d'Or has the view to go along with its beautiful food. It was an especially pleasing lunch all the more so because we had pre-lunch aperitifs in the garden and arguably had the best table in the restaurant - a round table next to two large windows that look out over the Cote d'Azur (sometimes it's good to travel with a group - there were eight of us). Coupled with a very friendly sommelier who immediately made us feel...

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La Place de Mougins – Surely it Deserves a Star

Occasionally I check back to see how some of the restaurants I enjoyed in prior trips are doing. La Place de Mougins, located in the hills of the Cote d'Azur (in Mougins), is a restaurant that I thought would be on its way to getting a Michelin star. However, it still hasn't happened although it has been recognised by the guide. I'm sure this doesn't detract from the positive reviews it is getting anyway from patrons, ranked first among restaurants in Mougins by TripAdvisor.com. The chef...

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Lark Seattle – Best Pork and it’s Not a Chinese Restaurant

I found one of the best melt-in-your-pork dishes in Lark, Seattle's well established modern American restaurant. It was a nice surprise because we almost didn't order it since there are lots of other choices. Lark presents its food tapas style with dishes meant to be shared and this is a great way to sample more of its menu. Besides the pork, I thought Lark's pasta was good and if I have a chance to go back, I'd probably try a few more pasta and starter dishes. While the dishes are not as...

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