Blackitch Artisan Kitchen in Chiang Mai is a MUST!!(2/18/25)

 As you know, I research dining options way ahead and I was thrilled I found BLACKITCH which stands for the chef's nickname (Black) and Kitchen! 

We arrived to find a small room where some folks were seated and we were told to sit at a small bar and were served a fruit drink. After a couple of minutes and English chap sitting with two other men came over and said "Are you Alan Savada?" It was a gent in the opera biz I knew from decades ago!! So we were escorted upstairs to the intimate space with 6 tables and 15 people dining. What are the chances of bumping into someone you know in  a place like this??

We perused the amazing menu and Will ordered a Jo-Lo Lime Zeppelin with limoncello, gin, lime and lemonade. I had the Nama Sake, made in house from sticky rice which was fruity (think white fruit) but great with the food flavors. we then ordered a superb Alain Geoffrey 2021 Chablis. The menu had an insert about sustainability and local sourcing as well as a map of Thailand where every ingredient's source was indicated. I LOVED this. A woman who was serving was very helpful in explaining each course and she turned out to be the chef's wife who owns the place with him as a team!

First came White bread like a Parker House roll with Chicken Liver Pate/Smoked (Trigger) Fish mousse mixed together (yes, an unlikely blend) with Caviar and Pine nuts. We were HOOKED!

The menu is only a tasting option here and worth the amazing price as well! Second came a Seaweed(harvested by the southern tribes) Cone filled with Raw cuttlefish, Fermented (Burmese) Tea Leaves (you know we love these) and persimmon. I have never had raw cuttlefish before and was so surprised at how tender it was! The third plate was a combination of many things: Whitefish(Snapper) that was raw and served with a sesame/miso dip(that had a hot mustard hint to it); Smoked (36 hours) River fish with Compressed Tomato; Hon Maguro Tuna with a soy, barley filling in mustard leaf. I was trying to keep up with each ingredient and the locations on the map, but it became overwhelming!

Taro Tuile was filled with Crab and coconut curry with shrimp past/tamarind/caviar and pineapple.  The next course was a major production of Somen(noodles) with local Chicken roulade and crispy skin with Fish Maw(stomach), Quail Century(old) egg and a chicken broth poured over it all tableside with chili and tomato oil. Lotus stem and fiddlehead fern completed the amazing concoction.

Sheatfishes (a type of local catfish) was next fried and crispy with eggplant and okra all of which was hot and spicy as we love it. While the Local Duck was served as a larb(minced) with duckskin rinds, mushrooms, peas(edamame), fermented shrimp and holy basil with micro greens. Winter Vegetables with Shrimp miso, pickled vegetables, curry leaves and prawn head curry had yummy Thai beef with a chimichurri-style sauce. While our favorite new local dish River Prawn came with Local rice, wild vegetables(many carrots) and a prawn rice chip. The Prawn had a spicy mayo on it as well and a seaweed soup.

Yes, that was it for savory and we were happy to see the Strawberry/Peach/Passionfruit sorbet arrive--a palate cleanser from heaven. All the desserts came together so again I was overwhelmed with Pumpkin/Tea(black tea ice cream and pumpkin cream with syrup) and something called Rice/Rice as well as sweet potato and flour tea.

The place had almost emptied, and the chef and his wife joined us for a complimentary glass of Prosecco(or was it cava?) and we chatted for a while. I was sorry I did not get a photo of this amazing couple who have created an itch for us to return to their fabulous intimate dining space!

BODHI Terrace at the Anantara Chiang Mai bodes well for our stay(2/17/25)

 We had a full day travelling by car from the remote Golden Triangle to Chiang Mai in central Thailand, where I had also been fore almost 40 years ago. The city has grown massively (as has every city in Thailand) and it was nice to have our stay at the serene Anantara Hotel & Resort on the river just blocks from the night market and the hubbub of the city, but with a quasi-quiet location. We decided to stay in the hotel and dine of the river at Bodhi Terrace and the first thing we told the servers was "spicy please!" P. arrived at our table with flair and they immediately were thrilled to cater to us and make our meal superb; indeed they did. The Amuse was Miang Kham and we finally figured out that Miang is a betel leaf stuffed with lots of things that you make tableside. This was a tiered tea tray like thing with coconut, peanuts, chiles, sauces and the betel leaves all separated for us to make our own treats. These were super and P. made sure we had extra chilies!!

The tables were simple and granite with woven wicker chairs and riverside fountains. There were many parties going on at venues and restaurants along the river, so the din got high at times, but never bothersome. A large lone bird (kingfisher?) sat in a tree on the river never budging, even for the fish in the river!

They did not have Bangkok Silver vodka, so I opted for a Campari & Tonic to start and then we had another bottle of our favorite Monsoon Valley Chenin Blanc from Hua Hin in Prachuapkhrikhan (I dare you to try that one!) which P. immediately told us was near their hometown.  We started with the tasty Larb Muang, the traditional larb with minced pork and (extra thanks to P.) Szechuan peppers. After this we decided on the Pad Thai with Chiang Mai River Prawn as P. said it was local and very traditional, and they could add some spice. We had not had any Pad Thai, so it was time, and we loved the Surat Thani stir-fried noodles in Tamarind Sauce and the huge prawns were again a true treat!!

We wanted something light and different for dessert and shared the Apong Itim Kai Kem Chaiya or Phuket crispy pancake with coconut ice cream and Surat Thani Salted egg yolk. It was really a tuille and we loved the custard, ice cream and flavors...truly anther wonderful dessert and so light and refreshing. Great start to our stay in Chiang Mai and great spice and service thanks to P.!!

SAMSARN @the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp cooks up a storm (northern Thailand-2/16/25)

 Samsarn is a very quiet, zen and special place at the Anantara Golden Triangle with only a dozen or so tables and an open kitchen (where two chefs labored all evening). Sarn means elephant is Khmer and also in Thai means triangle or the local area known as the Golden Triangle (as the Mekong River flows just outside the hotel boundary and you see Myanmar across the small stream and Laos across the Mekong!) The menu is a tasting or a la carte(which we chose) and the intimate space was occupied by only two other couples!

Thai Rock Mountain sparkling water was a tad fizzy, but we have learned to avoid San Pellegrino as it can run up to $10/bottle! We have become fans of Bangkok Silver Vodka and had ours with Tonic and Kaffir Lime! 

Before we started the server rolled over a huge cart with a globe (bar cart style) on it which she opened to reveal dry ice floating over two drinks and the amuse! The drink was with Passionfruit/Phrik Larb(Thai Herbs)/Makwaen(local dried pepper)/Thai apple and packed a punch with an added local Thai rice vodka with a sweet and sour peppery taste in the throat! The amuse was Lao Kogge or fried Buffalo beef with Thai herbs and the Phrik Larb(again another version of the herbs in the drink)!

It was quite a production and introduction to our wonderful meal. We found a Thai Chenin Blanc that we loved from Monsoon Valley and since it priced about $25 less than the imported wines (at $60-100) we were very happy, and the acidity really worked with much of the spice!

Our first course was Kor Moo Yang or grilled pork neck presented on a min-hibachi that was very much like pork ribs but thicker. Lao style chili sambal was on the side for dipping and the glaze on the ribs was a tamarind Jus. There were crispy pork skins in fermented fish sauce as well. The restaurant prides itself on using all three of the regions' cuisines (Thai/Lao/Burmese) and really does it well. Our other starter was Hoy Shell or seared Hokkaido (Japanese) sea scallops with Lao Lemongrass Salsa and a crunchy Tapioca Cracker. These two dishes were soooo different yet wonderful in flavor and tastes and a great pair of appetizers. In Thailand appetizers are really uncommon and all the food is brought whenever it is ready. We learned to try and order a dish or two or three to start and then consider more if we were not full which worked brilliantly; here the style was multi-course Western servings.

Our two mains again were shared, and we chose the local specialty Khao Soi Kwai of tender Buffalo cheeks with pickled Burmese tea leaves (a dish we learned to adore in Myanmar many years ago), coconut foam and finger lime. I should note that before the main we were presented with a choice of beautiful wooden handled engraved knives (with Samsarn name on them), which I thought was odd as knives are generally not used in Thailand (so I guess it is for Westerners). The Goong Mae Nam or Ayutthaya Chao Phraya River Prawn(just north of Bangkok) is as big as a huge lobster tail and became a favorite dish we ate often. It came with Jicama Som tum and Kaffir Lime Jelly and was indeed an ideal display of Thai cuisine. We chose two sides as they said they were very small(wrong--see photos on FB) and we loved the Pak Thong or wok-fried pumpkin with edamame, soybean paste and Thai basil. The Pak Boong was wok-fried morning glory with Burmese dried shrimp and garlic and while the flavor was great, the morning glory is a tad chewy!

To season everything the table had sea salt and pepper made with river seaweed and onion! (like we needed it!).

We saw our neighbors order one dessert and HAD to choose it. the Lanna Mille Feuille was a magnificent puff pastry with Doi Chang Chocolate Ganache, Doi Tung Macadamia Praline, Vanilla Cream served with Nan Salted Caramel Ice Cream. It was huge but great for two people and we were in heaven as this was easily the best dessert on the entire trip.

Sesame river seaweed cookies and Burmese potato roll with chili and tea leaves mousse were our going away treats....Yup, full again, but what a fab meal.

BANGKOK's NAHM offers a terrific (if too much) tasting (2-13-25)

It seems I mistook the last review for our LAST NIGHT in BANGKOK and indeed this was it, and while there was again no oyster, this meal was a fabulous journey.

Will ordered the Sathorn Tonic to start with Belvedere vodka, guava shrub, and yes, Thai chili and loved it. My Tom Yum Tini was terrific as well with Thai (rice) spirit, galangal, lemongrass, chili, makrout lime leaf and lime.

Clothilde from France was the sommelier and helped us also choose between the various choices on the set menu. Again, the wine prices were sky high, and Clothilde offered a tatse of the Thai rose(Granmonte) which was very bland, so we settled on a Cotes du Rhone white blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Bourbelanc and Grenache Blanc from E.Guigal.

Course 1 was the Blue Swimmer Crab(Pu Sorn Klin) with pickled garlic and peanuts on charcoal rice cracker which was a tad sweet and a Miang Napakoo or ceviche of live river prawn with chicken mango and herbs arrived on a betel leaf. In the past, I have not been a fan of these leaves in India but I have to say the wound and Thailand are softer cannot as sour. There was a tad of spice in the ceviche, so we reminded them that we like our food very spicy....

Course 2 was Dok Khajorn Nha Gung or minced prawn tanking jasmine, prawn and peanut gray on a rice cracker which reminded me of a prawn satay with a crunch. Miang Pla Sa-Er was another ceviche of kampachi(yellowtail) with white turmeric green mango again, served on a betel leaf. I was beginning to absorb some Thai words as Pla is fish and Miang is raw! It had a nice spice as well.

Course 3 was Plaa Hoy Shell, an Hokkaido herbal sea scallop with fresh roselle blossoms and dried shrimp that gave it a nice crunch. Next came Sao NAHM pillaging or fermented rice noodles with coconut cream, dried citrus fruits and dried prawns, as well as a chili mix.

Tom Yum Gung is the famous soup here with prawn, mushroom and chili paste... Which we would actually learn to make in our cooking class the next day up north. A second soup was Tom Klong Plaa Insri Rom Kwan, an Amberjack Soup with smoked coconut husk, that was kick ass spicy and we absolutely loved it. At this point, we began to become overwhelmed as everything arrived together and there did not seem to be any separation of courses...

Namprik Nakhon Baan was a shrimp taste relish with five citrus and acacia fried egg more like an omelet with veggies and radish and zucchini and the snap peas and okra. Gang Pu Bai Pla Chu was a southern turmeric curry a blue swimmer crab with betel leaf and kalamansi lime. Also at the same time we received Pad Nuea Sai Namai Nahm, a wagyu beef stir fry with yellow capsicum and wild rice stems, which reminded us of artichoke hearts but firmer and with a crunch.

We ordered a glass of red Cotes du Rhone blend from Jean-Paul Draumen which paired well.

Yes, we were completely overwhelmed and there was so much food, alas much of it is wasted, which we felt horrible about. Citrus sorbet with lingam was welcome and then A pre-dessert arrived of egg yolk noodle with yam!!

We chose different desserts. Mine was "Life cycle of coconut" a light option with pears, granite cassava and angel cake. Will had "Textures and Taste of Pandan" with sorbet, granite, a really yucky jelly and caramelized steamed rice that sent us home a tad unhappy, but way too full!!

While, we may not have had oysters we had everything else there was to eat in the entire city of Bangkok!!

Bangkok's Michelin KHAO@Ekkamai is extravagant (2/12/25)

 For our last night in Bangkok the world was not our oyster, but KHAO helped it be a superb night. We were greeted by the chef at the door, who seemed to disappear once the large room (which was pretty full) was all seated! The decor is all wood walls, ceilings, floors and tables with a large bar at one end of the room. The glass enclosed kitchen is behind this, and it all gave a very spacious feel even with lots of tables and numerous large groups. There were adorable hanging glass ornaments of tuk-tuks, toys and elephants on the wall near us. Once again, the wine prices were SKY HIGH so we settled on a Gruner Veltliner from Adelaide Hills, Australia by Pike & Joyce Separe which was more citrusy than usual with a hint of green apple and melo, some mineral taste and GREAT with the spice; basically indescribable. We asked for sparkling water which was oddly EIRA from Norway!!

We wanted to try the Thai Tacos with Crabmeat and Prawn and they were nice, but then

we asked our server PLA what was spicy and decided on the Southern Thai Rice Salad with Prawns which arrived with a pile of blue rice at the center surrounded by tons of various ingredients which she instructed us to mix up, There were chilis, dried fermented shrimp and veggies galore and Pla explained the rice was blue from a butterfly pea dye that is used in Thailand.  It was spicy and we loved it all. A little later Pla arrived with a bowl of dark blue dye and some flowers explaining these were the butterfly pea flowers and the dye used for the rice. We tasted the flowers and they were so sweet and truly the best flower I have ever eaten in my life and wanted more....we did get them later in the trip and in the meal, too.

Stir-fried Thai Basil with Chicken was last and it was okay, but we were so full it did not matter. We saw that there was a Steamed Butterfly Pea Rice Cake filled with Egg Yolk Custard and Coconut Ice Cream and could not resist our newfound favorite find. It was refreshing and delicious and we went home quite happy ready to head north.

Bangkok's CHARMGANG charmed us (2-10-25)

 We were exhausted from the overnight flight from Turkey, but managed to stay up to head to CHARMGANG just across the river from our luxurious suite at the Peninsula for dinner. 

The setting is simple with metal backed seats and gray lacquer(think formica-like) tables with wood trim. The kitchen was open and we were right next to all the fun action from the team of about 5 chefs. Music played ll night from "Crimson & Clover" to 1950's to the Beatles.

The wine prices were above $60 for really mediocre imported wines, so Will had a Ber Lao Gold Lao Brew artisanal, and I ordered a bottle of Kozaemon  Shiraku Kabosu Jumai sake which I loved and worked great with all the spice. Smoked Duck was first with wafers (really tacos) and Black Witch Grapes(all fotos on FB). We told them we like spice, and this dish was milder than most but tasty and fun. Our main was Red Curry of Dry-aged Duck with Salak (palm species called snakeskin like a pearl onion!) and Olive Leaves. The leaves were like grape leaves and larger than bay with great flavor and it was loaded with Thai chiles that had us all excited. Our final dish was a superb Salad of Sugar Cane Smoked Pork Jowl with Southern Sour Mango. The jowl had a BBQ-ish flavor and the mango was like sweet and sour and the dressing was akin to a balsamic base with a slight hint of sweetness yet loaded with lime and there were lots of dried shrimp with fish sauce. We were in heaven BUT full.

Not tired enough yet, we walked back down the other side of the river through an art fair (bought shirts and T-shirts) and headed to the Sky Bar atop the Lebua Hotel for the view. Well, the two (stingy) margaritas were $85 with tax and service, but I guess we were paying for the view! Quick boat ride across the river and to bed!

Bordeaux's LE LOUP still luscious (2-8-25)

 On our last evening in Bordeaux, before we were headed to Thailand the next day we decided to return to one of our favorite little places in old town Bordeaux--Le Loup. As is usual we arrived at 7pm when they open and there was only one table occupied already, but we knew we needed a reservation, and by the time 830pm rolled around, there wasn't an empty table in the place. Indeed, there are only about 12 tables and some are high tops, so it's always best to reserve and we get a regular table. I haven't mentioned the décor here because the last two times I so impressed by the food I failed to mention there is a wall of beautiful forest-like wallpaper, and the wooden tables are very lovingly made from large pieces of light wood.

We got a warm welcome from Ludovic, the manager, who seems to run the place single-handedly with one chef in the kitchen and then around 730pm someone else shows to help take orders and serve! He handed us menus and told us with me.Basic structure of the menu had changed, while some of the dishes were still being retained and it was now what we would call tapas style or shared plates, or plats à partager in French.

We love this idea since we like to order more things and share them anyway; you know how big a fan I am of tasting menus!

We decided to try Le Thym Citron cocktail made from vodka, lemon and thyme(fotos on FB) which we both loved and then went on to a bottle of 2010 Château La Levrette from nearby Blaye, Côtes de  Bordeaux which is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40%  Cabernet Sauvignon. The year was 2010 which is 15 years since harvest and thus the tannins were soft, but the wine had a wonderful earthiness to it.

We started with one of the Signature dishes Will had the last time: Oeuf Mollet or a soft egg in a bed of parmesan cream. The dish is rich and heavenly and actually I could even have a little bit of the cream cut back, but it is one you could have over and over every time you come here. Of course, there is always the fabulous French bread to mop up the extra cream!

Gnocchis châtaigne, ail noir, shiitake, compote d'oignons were delish chestnut gnocchi with black garlic and caramelized onions that was out of this world. I fondly remembered the pasta with Escargots that I had my first time, and I know this chef is really good at pasta.

Magret de Canard, Sauce Foie Gras was a perfectly rare to medium rare cooked duck breast sliced and then drenched in a decadent foie gras sauce tableside. Another dish we had before was still on the menu and we could not resist the Carrottes Fermentée Grillées, Huile de Sesame, Sesame Noir... Heirloom, carrots that are fermented and then grilled in a sesame oil with blackened sesame seeds on top. It's truly a brilliant vegetable dish and since I can't eat raw sesame seeds, they were very gracious and brought them on the side.

Poitrine de Porc Ibaiama, Sauce Saté were simply beautiful chunks of pork cooked perfectly and then served with a very mild satay sauce on the plate. 

On our last visit our friend Simon, who recommended Le Loup to me last year, ordered the White Chocolate Mousse with Granny-Smith and Celeriac Compote and Streusel for dessert and I was glad that Will and I decided to share this rich but novel choice. The white chocolate was nowhere near that cloyingly sweet type we get in the USA and all the flavors blended so we'll.

We headed home to get have a good night's sleep before we headed out to Bangkok to arrive here this morning!

Bordeaux's L'Oiseau Bleu is the best! (2-7-25)

 Our friends here have all raved about the one Michelin star restaurant that is only a 20 minute walk or so from our apartment (we did the bus/tram last night as it was raining) and we finally got a reservation to this small cozy spot that we have fallen in love with.

There are only 7 or 8 tables in the small room which are all well spaced, although we did seem to see a group of 4 come in and maybe go to another private room. Even so, the service was impeccable and the folks were just plain nice, offering to explain everything in French and English so Will could try to improve on his language skills, but even so get the gaps filled in.

There are three menus: 3 courses which you choose for 70 Euros and Chef's menus (which are a surprise) of 4 courses for 100Euros and 6 for 130. We chose the middle option which was simply perfect and settled in for a nice warm evening with the chilly rain outside. The decors is basically white with very comfy grey velvet chairs. Some artwork in white is unexciting, but it is all about the food.

The wine list by the glass 3 whites, 3 reds and an orange and there are also wine pairings. We decided to order a bottle of white and a bottle of red as the prices here were very reasonable and the sommelier, Ambre, was super helpful as well. I chose the Saint Veran 2022 "Les Crais" from Domaine de Fa which was excellent with our first dishes as many were fish-centered. Ambre suggested a Bordeaux red at 55 Euros(!!!) that was mostly merlot with some Cab Franc 2019 Chateau Barbe-Bleu (yes, Bluebeard) from Lussac Saint Emilion that we just adored and was excellent with the beef course.

With the arrival of the first 3 canapes, we knew this was going to be a treat, we just had no clue how totally amazing the entire meal and every dish and sip would be! Vegetable Tartelettes with flaky pastry arrived with a creme base with citron as well as my favorite the Wild Dorado Tartare in a cup with a confit mago and Madagascar vanilla dot on top that was simply heavenly. Third was Mushrooms atop a rich cauliflower puree!

We assumed this was the amuse, but no..that came next in the form of a single velvety oyster with apple accompanied by a parsnip foam. The gorgeous warm bread was accompanied by butter topped with mustard seeds! 

Saint Jacques are Scallops that were sliced thin and raw served with zucchini cream and served with confit kiwi as well as a smoked fir tree oil vinaigrette. While this dish was truly impressive it was the next that blew me away. Monkfsh was topped with razor clams and caviar on a bed of artichoke puree with a Jerusalem artichoke on the side all bathed in the most silky shellfish/seafood sauce that was like a bisque!!!

A choice of lovely handled knives was presented for our choice for the beef course which was a perfectly cooked fillet accompanied by salsify, crosnes(or Chinese artichokes!!), topped with shaved Black Perigord truffles in a Sarawak pepper sauce. Need I say more?

We had some nice breaks and it was a long dinner, but we enjoyed the red wine while we waited for dessert which was another revelation with Sauternes-soaked spongecakes(well, it is Bordeaux!) with apple, icecream and a fruit sauce!

We could not go home without mignardises and these arrived in the form of a marshmallow puff, a coconut thingy and one of the best Gianduja chocolates ever.

We will be back!!

--

Montego Bay's THE BOATHOUSE GRILL is great (1-21-25)

 We drove the 15 minutes up the road to the Boathouse just outside of downtown on the Blue Lagoon section of the Caribbean and were greeted by the ferry boatman who took us across the 20 foot stretch of water to the anchored restaurant; it was akin to crossing the River Styx, but not as ominous. We were a bit worried when they could not find out reservation, but they rectified it quickly when we realize the mistake was partly mine and partly the hotel's concierge as I had asked for Tuesday the 20th and it was Tuesday the 21st! OOPS! They brought us upstairs to the roof to a table for four overlooking the bay and the twinkling lights of the towns west of Montego Bay. It was really beautiful, and the weather was perfect. The prices here were way lower than the hotels as well as the wines were as low as $30US! Swe ordered an Oyster Bat Sauvignon Blanc and a Chilean Frontiera Chardonnay as the food here is SEAfood. We thanked manager Patricia profusely for fitting us in when the place was full and proceeded to order. Leon was very helpful telling us which dishes were spicier and such and we settled in on a Grilled Calamari with Tomato Concasse and Capers in a Nut Brown Butter which was indeed spicier in some places than Leon explained. Will called it an "explosion of excitement in my mouth." The Panko Crusted Lobster Cake with Dijon Mustard Mayo was huge and while not all lobster, had a goodly amount. My Panko Crusted Grilled Garlic Shrimp came with a kalamata Olive, Tomato & Garlic Mayo to dip them in which was superb. 

Main courses were also delicious and full of flavor and spices. Baked Snapper Fillet was Almond Panko Crusted with Roasted Red Pepper Cream, Parmesan Risotto Cake, Dijon Vinaigrette and Veggie Slaw that everyone raved about. The presentation (check out the FB fotos) was also gorgeous. Spicy Peel and Eat Pepper Shrimp with Scotch Bonnet Beurre Blanc that kicked ass was an appetizer that Will had as a main and loved, while Sauteed Leomon Pepper Garlic Shrimp came with brandied Sauce Homard, Classic Parmesan Risotto and Macedoine of Vegetables. My Live Caribbean Spiny Lobster was Split and Grilled with Brandy & White Wine and fab spices and served with Garlic Baguette(two cute miniatures sized about 3 inches long and 1.2 and inch wide!) and Caesar Salad. The Lobster trap is located under a glass floor on the entrance of the boat below and we saw it, but I just told them a 1 to 1-1/2 pound lobster they chose would be fine. It was one of the best lobsters I have ever had in my life, and definitely the best Spiny Lobster!

Dessert was yummy creamy Devon Stour Ice Cream & Vanilla Ice Cream, Banana Cake and my Creme Brulee that was a tad too thick and rich and too sweet served in a deep coffee-like cup with a gooey top that was not brittle.; no prizes there. We all had a ball and really loved the ambiance and setting as well.