Michelin Starred Archives - Gazing and Grazing

Ragusa’s Duomo Ristorante is the One Fine Dining Meal to Savour in Sicily

August 18th, 2018

Nestled in the baroque hilltop town of Ragusa sits Duomo Ristorante, which I think is the one fine dining stop to make in all Sicily. Chef-owner Ciccio Sultano and his wife Gabriella are gracious hosts and passionate about sharing the cuisine of the area from which they both hail from. The Michelin two-starred restaurant is said arguably to be the best in Sicily and definitely worth a visit. As you would expect, the dishes are built on Sicilian specialties utilising well known...

Bangkok’s Gaggan is Worth Trying Once

June 17th, 2018

Bangkok's Michelin two-starred Gaggan is rated by some as Asia's best restaurant so I had to go see whether it was worth that hype and especially since the restaurant will close in 2020. After getting some help in securing a reservation, I'm glad I came because it's a blend of food that's unlikely to be duplicated elsewhere. The cuisine is borderless - creative Indian with Thai, Japanese and French influences and generally beautifully presented in 25 small courses. While some of it can be...

Nouri – Salsa to Sambal in Singapore

January 8th, 2018

A meal at Nouri is like a trip around the world. Chef Ivan Brehm hails from Brazil and takes those influences as well as a focus on local ingredients to create his take on what I'd describe as creative french food with a good dose of international influences. This seems to be the trend these days but which is done well at Nouri with Ivan's own touches. A lot of pride is taken in using "locally" sourced produce especially a plethora of organic vegetables grown in Malaysia's Cameron...

Chicago’s Alinea – Come on an Empty Stomach

September 23rd, 2017

Come on a very empty stomach. Some top rated restaurants fail to live up to the hype but this is not the case for Alinea. It has three Michelin stars and was voted the country's outstanding restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2016. Admittedly I was half worried that I wasn't going to enjoy the food as much as I should, but the presentation, breadth of tastes from dish to dish and fine but not stuffy service really surprised me as to how good this place really is. It's almost...

Les Amis is Still On Top of its Game

September 21st, 2017

Les Amis (website) remains one of Singapore's top fine dining destinations. It has been a standout for decades but I haven't eaten here in a few years and so a visit a few months back surprised me positively. The restaurant's current chef, Sebastien Lepinoy, hails from France and settles Les Amis with quality modern french cooking with a lighter touch. While Singapore's Michelin rankings may have left some surprised, I do think that Les Amis genuinely deserves its two-starred accolade. And...