I had the wonderful opportunity to dine at this Michelin rated restaurant courtesy of Tsumori-san. Simply put, this meal was fantastic. ASO is what I’d classify as modern Italian cuisine with its blends of recent advances in food science (stable foams and emulsions) and classically themed dishes to create novel and delicious meals. They are serious about making excellent food, but don’t take themselves so seriously that they aren’t willing to have a bit of fun. The combination of plating foods in interesting ways and involving the diner with the eating experience helps keep the atmosphere convivial and relaxed while still keeping a strong focus on the food.

Rather than detail every course, I’ll go over a few of the fun and interesting parts of the meal. The meal was set as an eight course menu with a wine pairing for each course. The cheese course isn’t listed on the menu.

Menu from Ristorante ASO in Tokyo, Japan.

Admittedly there was more than one instance where the waiter had to explain how the meal was intended to be eaten as the presentation could appear intimidating at first. As the first course was brought out to the table, I knew I was in for a treat and that the chef wanted to set some expectations for the coming meal. The first course was brought out with an inverted shot glass on the plate. On the top (the bottom of the glass, technically) were several tips of asparagus. Underneath the shot glass was a small salad of shaved asparagus. Two of the three promised asparagus preparations were already present, what was the third? I finished the asparagus tips and set my shot glass right-side up to begin the salad. No sooner than my glass was inverted, a waiter filled the glass with a refreshing asparagus soup. Each preparation was simple and straightforward with clear, pleasing flavor. The asparagus was front and center in each iteration, with other more subtle flavors taking minor roles. An exceedingly simple premise that I’m sure took quite a bit of patience and practice to develop and prepare.

Some assembly required.

In the photo above you can see a bit of the involvement needed on the diner’s part that I mentioned earlier. This part of the meal was a pasta dish, but the plate of seafood set in front of me left me perplexed. Notice that insulated glass container in the top right of the photo? That’s the pasta. Each diner who ordered the same dish combined the two together at the table. Involving the diners on a level more than just eating made us experience the food in other ways. How does the food combine? Does the food become more than the sum of the parts once combined? Would they have been appreciated as much separately? Was there a culinary reason as to the separate preparation? As you can see, many thoughts passed through my mind as I enjoyed the meal. Also, notice the foam on the top of the pasta–that dissolved into the dish to become a sauce.

Mini food in the top left, actual portions in the bottom right.

Here is a prime example of the playfulness of the chef. When the meat course was brought to our tables, some of us were presented with miniaturized version of the meal! The staff quickly replaced the plates of tiny food with the full sized portions after the joke became apparent, but it was fun to see the chef keep humor in the meal as well. It makes me appreciate one of my continuing driving forces in cooking: To have a fun time with friends. Food isn’t just eating, it’s the experience of sharing a good meal with good people and enjoying oneself.

I’ll cut to the desserts now so I don’t get too long winded, but I’ll leave you with a few final thoughts at the end.

Orbiting Chocolate Cake

I’m a sucker for chocolate cake, so I had to order it for dessert. After such a meal, I knew that the pastry chef had to have his act together. But I wasn’t expecting this! It looks almost planetary; I expected other bits of chocolate to be orbiting it. I could hardly bring myself to destroy it–OK, after the first bite, I fairly easily destroyed it. It was even more delicious than it was beautifully presented. Different intensities of chocolate played off of each other, from the smooth melting bits of solid chocolate that were the orbits paths, to the gelato that was orbiting the outside, to the cake itself at the center.

Simple and good.

This dessert looked wonderful in its simplicity. I’m a huge fan of the chocolate sculpture I ate, but simplicity is too often overlooked. Not in this dessert. Gelato. On ice. And salt. Three kinds of salt, no less. We were all amused by the presentation of the large block of clear ice but, frankly, what better way to keep ice cream chilled! The salt was there to play off of the sweetness of the dish as it can intensify and enhance flavors.

I’ve often thought that overly complicated presentations are interesting but can quickly become tiring. I’m a big proponent of simple meals that are excellently prepared. I too often have had a poorly cooked steak that would otherwise lack flavors if it had not been slathered in some kind of sauce. It is rare to find an excellently prepared steak with fantastic taste alone (unless you are in Argentina). The chef here kept it light and playful. His skill and uniqueness was not overlooked, but he knew when to indulge and when to keep things minimalistic. This balance of letting good food stand on its own and alternatively be enhanced by the chef’s preparations made for one of the best dining experiences I have had.

A little arrangement brought out to the tables with coffee after the meal.

Final thoughts:

Bacon and Brussels sprouts! Awesome!

You gotta be resourceful in a kitchen this size.

Even while in France, I couldn’t help myself but to make a few meals for some friends. In fact, we were asked to bring food to a couple parties. I couldn’t resist the urge to make a bunch of awesome quesadilla’s to blow some French people’s minds. Tex-Mex food isn’t quite common over there. Needless to say, they were well received. But I was in France, so I definitely did sample the local food (great steak, awesome wine, terrific cheeses).

So, enjoy the food related photos and I’ll see you here again with some recipes next time!

Of course, I had to go to l’as du falafel again.

can I haz falafel

I did have a food revelation thanks to my brother: fromage blanc is amazing. I can’t seem to find it here in Raleigh though, which is unfortunate. It’s such a simple pleasure, it’s not even fancy. Just a mild cheesy, yogurty, curdy goodness. Imagine a cross between Greek yogurt and ricotta. I would just spread it on some fresh baguette and call it breakfast or a mid day snack. I did some research back in the US for the English name for it and they all sound like names of characters in Lord of the Rings or something: Topfen, Quark, Tvorog, or Kaas. Try to tell me that I am wrong.

Dinner in Nantes (top), Le Labo bar in Nantes (bottom left), Breakfast (bottom right).

The meals in France were always stellar. Above you can see a seared goat cheese salad with prosciutto and melon eaten at Millesime 68 in Nantes. Next to it is beef and potatoes gratin. I forget what it was actually called, but the sauce was very rich meaty.

After dinner, I stopped by a bar called Le Labo. Their thing is to play up the whole “laboratory” atomosphere. Their drinks are served in lab flasks or beakers and the drinks list is organized into things like “Cryogenics” and “Erlenmeyers.” If that’s not your thing, they also double as a pretty impressive rum bar with a long and varied list of rums to choose from. (Photo of Menu here, and here.)

Bread is still amazing in France. That last photo was basically my breakfast every morning there. I devoured a baguette and some kind of croissant, pain au chocolat, or pastry. I wish I could still have baguette and fromage blanc here in Raleigh…

Petanque with a group of friends at the canal (top), Poached egg with asparagus (bottom left), English beer in France (bottom center), The Black Lips, an Atlanta, GA band playing in Paris (bottom right).

Other interesting revelations:
-Playing petanque with a group of friends by the canal is a great way to spend an afternoon. Though finding out which brother is winning can be tough.
-Speaking of good meals, the poached egg with asparagus was the appetizer and beginning of a great meal at Café Panique. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other photos, so I’ll just move on.
-Potato chips come in different flavors than over here too. Many were very meat-centric like Rotisserie Chicken or Chorizo.
-I didn’t go out to eat as much this time, so no serious restaurant reviews like last year. I mostly made simple dinners with my brother or bummed around the city. It was good just to relax and not take much seriously for a while.
-I managed to find decent English beer, but it just wasn’t the same in France. It’ll hold me over until I go back to England though.
-Speaking of traveling to one country to see something from another: I saw the Black Lips in Paris. I lived in Atlanta for five years and never saw them in their home town, but I travel to Paris and see them there… go figure. Great show though.

Max’s claims Georgia’s only coal-fired pizza oven (capable of producing a blistering 1,000F). Their menu has a stable of standard pizza’s and calzones (both customizable) along with a few sandwiches and salads. All their produce and vegetables are fresh, the mozzarella is house made, and the basil is grown out on the patio–you can watch the chefs go out replenish their supply as they prepare the meals.

Sausage and goat cheese pizza

The atmosphere is casual and laid back. Patio seating is available in front of the restaurant. Local and regional beers are available on draft (with draft root-beer available as well!). The waitstaff is friendly and knowledgeable. They can recommend good toppings and combos if you can’t make up your mind. As a testament to how good they think the food is, the staff often makes the trip back to get pizzas even when they aren’t working.

On this visit we ordered the sausage & goat cheese pie, the Margherita pizza, and a calzone stuffed with garlic spinach, pepperoni, and tomatoes. The dough on both pizza’s was phenomenal; It was the thin, airy, blistery crust I had hoped for. There was just enough chew to give you something to think about without working your jaw. The large slices held the toppings nicely without getting soggy or falling to bits. The toppings were generous, but judicious–good pizza’s have enough on them to give them flavor, but to still let you taste the dough and sauce. The margherita had slow roasted, balsamic vinegar marinated Roma tomatoes with fresh basil and housemade mozzarella. The tomatoes were outstanding and really made that pie.

Calzone

The sausage and goat cheese combination worked like a charm. The sausage had good flavor and was not overly fatty (as many sausages relegated to pizza duty tend to be), paired with crumbled goat cheese for extra flavor, roasted red onions, basil and tomato it really made for an earthly flavorful pie. Onions live in a gray area as a pizza topping. Often, onions are undercooked and contribute a harsh, biting taste that overpowers the other flavors–but not these. The heat was able to quickly roast the onions to mellow and sweeten their flavors.

I was eager to try the calzone as I had no had one in a long time. I figured if anyone could make a decent one, it would be here. The calzone was huge, a single calzone would be plenty for two people to share. Most calzones I have seen in other restaurants end up looking like a softball of toppings wrapped in dough, resulting in an unevenly cooked meal. The edges of the bread dry out by the time the ball of toppings wrapped in the center cook through. Max’s doesn’t fall prey to such a trap. Their calzone is longer and more stretched out than most. This allows for the stuffing to be spread evenly and cook uniformly. All that said, I still am more of a fan of the pizza, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I ordered the calzone again.

Max’s is located in downtown Atlanta in the Luckie Marietta District. Go there.

Döner kebab with fries

Much like the falafel, this is a messy sandwich with ingredients and toppings piled on top. The classic way to serve this is wrapped in a cone of wax paper (or tossed into a bag), with fries stuffed on top of it. You can already likely see the appeal of such a meal after a night out.

As with any street food, hundreds of variants exist, but the most basic version consists of sliced of lamb wrapped in a flat bread or stuffed into the pocket of pita bread. It is very similar to a gyro or a shawarma. A choice of a harissa sauce (spicy) or a sauce blanche (a tangy yogurt sauce) is generally offered. Other ingredients, like onions, peppers, and lettuce, are sometimes added.

It may be the greatest late-night food I have ever eaten. I have no idea why it hasn’t caught on in the US yet. All of Europe, the Mid-East, and North Africa already seem to be on board with this delicious sandwich. Actually, I hope it doesn’t get too popular, because then I couldn’t use it as excuse to travel…

As you approach the store, you will see other restaurants all making the absurd claim that they have better falafels. Resist the temptation to get one form anywhere other than L’As du Falafel. Stick to your goal. At the intersection of Rue des Ecouffes and Rue des Rosiers you will notice one particular restaurant that has an abnormally long line. That’s where you want to be. Queue up and don’t be daunted by the wait, it tends to move fairly quickly. But if you are in a hurry, take advantage of their to-go window and eat your falafel on the street. I can assure you that you won’t be the only one doing it.

The falafel in question.

Just be aware that this place is no secret. The falafel has fans coming from all over Paris–heck, people come from all around the world. The sandwich itself is stuffed with about 6 golf-ball sized falafel balls (essentially fried chickpea dough balls), plenty of creamy hummus, cucumbers and fried eggplant. Be sure to ask for the spicy harissa sauce added in, it definitely pushed an already fabulous sandwich over the edge. It’s a delicious mess that’s actually best tackled with a fork. Just don’t be shy about it.

While you are there, know that is one more thing this restaurant is known for, and that is its lemonade. In the US, lemonade–the kind made with lemons and sugar–is everywhere. But in Europe if you ask for a lemonade, you are served a Sprite. The whole “when life gives you lemons” thing never really caught on, so real lemonade is virtually impossible to find. Take advantage of it while you can.

Bubar

There is no better way to spend a casual evening in Paris than sipping wines in one of the many wine bars scattered through the city. Bubar is a cozy, hidden wine bar located near the Bastille, and it’s one of my favorites. Packed with old friends and locals in-the-know, the simple bar has a casual, inviting allure about it. There are tall stools and standing room around the bar and old wooden tables (and a vintage school desk) fill out the rest of the space. The bearded owner is very nice and helpful in choosing wines and provides a selection of cheeses, olives, and fruits to accompany the wines. With a good choices by-the-glass and an even greater selection by-the-bottle, the owner can steer you toward something in your taste. Oddly enough for a French wine bar, the wine list shows no allegiance to French wines. The owner prides himself of finding uncommonly good wines for a reasonable price. We had a few wines from Argentina, Spain, and -of course- France.

The name of the bar is actually a clever pun on the owners beard. A popular style of French slang is to inverse the syllables of a word to create a new, different word that means the same thing. This is called verlan (the name is itself an inversion of the French word for “inverse”, “l’envers”). The French word for bearded is barbu, and the slang would be bubar. To up the cleverness quotient, the phrase “bu bar” literally means “drink bar”.

So after a nice dinner, show up with some friends, chat with the barbu owner, and have a nice glass of wine. And yes, you are allowed to feel clever knowing the origin of the bar’s name.

Just don’t confuse it with Babar…

First thing first, order a bottle of cider. Cider is the traditional drink to have with galettes and crêpes. It’s a bit different from US cider as the carbonation is a result of natural fermentation as opposed to forced carbonation during bottling. This yeilds a smoother drink. Oh, and you normally drink of out bolées.

Galette

I know that nearly everyone knows what a crêpe is, but what about the galette? The galette is the savory, salty version of the dessert crêpe. This thin pancake has it’s origins rooted in the traditions of a simple, cheap, poor man’s dinner. It is made with buckwheat flour, as the refined, white flour used is crêpes was not commonly available, and fewer eggs (or none). (The white flour and eggs were used by the likes of Marie “Let Them Eat Cake” Antoinette.)

The nutty flavors of the galette also help it stand up better to the various savory ingredients used. A galette “complète”, as I ordered mine, basically means it has egg, meat, and cheese wrapped in it for the meal. The final difference between the galette and the crêpe is simply the presentation. Galettes are normally folded into squares or rectangles, crepes are folded into triangles. The thicker filling of the galette doesn’t fold nicely into a triangle.

Flambéed Nutella Crêpe

The crêpes are what keep people interested. This one was a Grand Marnier flambéed Nutella crêpe. It’s kind of hard to see the fire in the picture, but the pale blue glow over it is the flame. Other varieties include the no-fuss butter-sugar crêpe (a fantastic classic) and the lemon crêpe (absolutely worth a try). But me, I’m all about the Nutella or the chocolate crêpes.

Granted, you can pick up a street crêpe at any street corner, but to get the real deal, stop by La Crêperie Bretonne.

And you know what, it’s surprisingly good.

I found the restaurant Les Fines Gueules by way of a David Lebovitz post. He asked some Parisian locals to pick their favorite places to eat around town. There are a lot of good recommendations in that article, so if you are thinking of going to Paris, be sure to check it out.

Steak Tartare at Les Fines Gueules

This was the recommended restaurant for steak tartare. This would be my first time ordering steak tartare, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, perhaps a pile of beef in a puddle of blood. Quite to the contrary, the meat was tender and flavorful. There wasn’t even a drop of blood! Admittedly, This preparation of steak tartar was not quite standard (normally just raw egg and raw beef), but it was not terribly gussied up either. Hand-chopped, high-quality, beef was tossed with truffle oil and sun-dried tomatoes then topped with shaved Parmesan (OK, maybe it was a little dressed up). The truffle oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan provide a bit of background complexity to the meat, but don’t compete with the naturally beefy flavors. Served with a salad of mixed greens and some potatoes, it made for a nice, and surprisingly light, lunch.

Lunch at Les Fines Gueules

Even if you don’t want to try the steak tartare, the menu at Les Fines Gueules offers enough of a selection to satisfy anyone. The food is well prepared, fresh, and reasonably priced.

My meal was tidily completed with an espresso served with Valrhona chocolate. I could do this everyday.

Espresso and chocolate. So simple a combination.

Pont des Arts, by Phil Hilfiker.

One way to cross this (delicious) task off your to-do list is to stop by Nicolas for a bottle of wine, and a cheese shop for a couple cheeses. Your bounty now in hand, head to Pont des Arts over La Seine for a picnic with all the other Parisians. You’ll feel right at home tearing chunks off your baguette and watching the sun set over the city.

Foie Gras at Astier

I was quickly able to cross another food from my list: My meal began with the quintessential French delicacy of foie gras d’oie.

The foie gras was served chilled with a chutney and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel. I had a glass of Sauternes to sip as I ate my foie gras on freshly toasted baguette. It’s quite a delicious and a decadant way to start any meal. I made a note to myself to pick up a few tins of foie gras before leaving France. This is one of the few foods that I am actually allowed to take back on the plane. Ever try passing customs with a chuck of cheese? Not a good idea.

As a main course I had the seared duck breast and my friend had some baked fish.

Duck and Fish at Astier

Largest. Cheese Plate. Ever.

If there is one thing that I can’t get enough of, it’s good cheese. Well, maybe after being served from this giant platter, I was at least temporarily sated.

I loved the restaurants/bars around here because of the locals-only vibe. Cafés spilled out into open squares that were connected by narrow streets of boutiques, restaurants, and bookstores. The food choices were varied, tasty, and cheap. Here you can find traditional Italian restaurants, Basque country cooking, possibly the only good Mexican restaurant in Barcelona, all sorts of tapas, great pizza, and old diner-style bistros. I ended up getting dinner at the Mexican restaurant, Cantina Machito, and lunch the next day at a Catalan café.

Cantina Machito was good, but not the kind of food that you can in the US (particularly in the South). Of course, Mexican food served in the southern United States isn’t quite authentic either, but it’s what I’m used to. Cantina Machito hit the high notes correctly, offering up excellent margatitas and guacamole. I even ordered a Michelada, which is essentially a Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka (there are other differences). Obviously, go here if you are looking to have some Mexican food, but if you can get a good Mexican meal back home, I’d steer you to something a little more local. Try their margaritas, order up an appetizer, and enjoy yourself. (Photos of the food are a little dark, but you can see the guac and another dish here.)

Amazing sandwich, love the fried egg, sunny side up. It's all about the runny yolk.

A cafe on Plaça del Sol was a great stop for lunch the next day. I’ll be up front here, the best part of this place is their prices. A dirt cheap menu and simple food is what this is about. Local favorites such as Galacian octopus, paellas, mussels, and various preparations of seafood are on the menu next to simpler fare such as sandwiches, fried potatoes, and assortments of olives. I ordered the house sandwich and was not disappointed. Served open-faced and loaded with meats, cheese, vegetables, and an egg sunny-side up, this sandwich was filling and surprisingly cheap. Here is the place to go for a value, budget meal. Nothing fancy here, just cheap and flavorful.

There is one glaring detail I have omitted from this review: the restaurant’s name. I somehow misplaced it. I’ve looked online and in tour books and cannot seem to find it. I’ve asked some people in Barcelona to stop by the place by and get the name for me. I’ll let you know if I ever find out. Heck, I may even use this as an excuse to go back… [EDIT: Found it!!! Nou Candanchu!]

Even if you aren’t looking for a meal, a walk through Gracia is a well spent afternoon. Who knows, if you make it through the squares without pausing for a drink at a cafe, you might still be stopped by one of the ice cream or pastry shops. Good luck.