Kochi, India's EAST INDIES at the Eight Bastion Hotel get bravos and indeed impresses (1-29-23)

 On our second and last night in Kochi we decided to head several blocks away to another hotel called the EIGHT BASTION after several local folks (including one who we did a cooking class with) recommended EAST INDIES. It's a simple setting with an open courtyard with table and a glass walled indoor section where we dined as the heat in Kochi is humid and not that great for outdoor dining, especially with the mosquitoes. There was only one couple dining in the garden courtyard and we were the only ones indoors. Our server, Nidhin, was a gem and totally got us when we said not to dial down the spices.

We chose two starters and two mains to share and all four dishes were truly spectacular and showed off the local cuisine and ingredients.

We ordered a bottle of Grover Art Collection Viognier from India which we had not yet had, and it was ideal with the spices and was blessfully chilled on the hot evening. We have come to love and almost worship the okra dishes here and the Stuffed and Grilled Okra with onion, chickpea, garlic, celery and oregano was no exception; Elakkaya Kurmulagu Chicken was a yummy chicken starter with cardamom, ginger, garlic, chili(spelled "chilly" on the menu) and curry leaf that had a nice punch and was as juicy as could be. 

For the mains we chose to split two different Pollichathu which are local recipes cooking in a banana leaf. There was Meen Kudampuli Pollichatu with mahi-mahi, smoked kokum, shallot, chilli, turmeric, curry leaf, tomato and kallappam on the side which is that wonderful fermented rice pancake akin to Ethiiopian injera. This is different from the appam we had in the north as it is a Christian recipe that includes kallu or toddy, a fermented palm wine! We loved the whole dish and when the Chef Baby came out to ask if everything was okay, we were praising everything to no end.

The other main was Cheemmen Manga Pollichatu using the huge local Tiger Prawns we saw being sold on the promenade where our hotel is. They were huge, juicy and out of this world with raw mango, green chilli, shallot, curry leaves, coconut milk(as virtually every dish in Kerala uses this--it is NOT sweet) with red rice.

Will ordered the Vattalappam fir dessert, which again is a relative of the Kallappam, but here it was not a pancake and was more akin to flan cooked with coconut milk, cardamom and made with the local raw sugar called "jaggery." We learned about jaggery early on as it is used in small amounts to eliminate the spice that you might get in your mouth if you are not used to the local intensity. At home folks use milk, which is okay, but jaggery is much better indeed. It is also better in coffee or tea and much healthier than white sugar.

We were thrilled with our dinner and left Kochi today headed for the mountains knowing that our first meal's crab dish was a fluke and now looking forward to more amazing food as we begin our last week (of three) in India.

The TERRACE at Brunton Boatyards in Kochi, India takes off, crashes and re-incarnates(1-28-23)

 Our first night in the south we headed to the Terrace seafood restaurant at our hotel and thought it odd when we arrived at 730pm that they said they only had one table left--the place was empty and there were at least a dozen tables. Five or six tables did ultimately get occupied, but there was no way they were fully committed!

The way the menu works here is you order a main course and automatically get a set starter of delicious Mahi-Mahi cooked with grated fresh coconut, a small cup of their famous Prawn Bisque which was indeed heavenly and then you main with rice and veggies.

Will chose the Ft. Kochi(the hotel is located where the British fort was) style Lobster Masala with onion, tomato and coconut milk curry, which was delish, but needed more sauce. The veggies were way overcooked to boot and had no flavor. My Njandu Curry was a crab and tapioca black pepper curry that had a ton of tiny pieces of crab shells in it with virtually no meat. The Terrace is quite dark, and we needed flash to photograph the food for FB as well as to read the menus, but this beautiful clay pot used for cooking was so dark, I could not distinguish the shell from the meat. They took the shells away and brought back a plate of empty shells with about an ounce of crab. What a waste. They could see I was upset, and I suggested that their crabs are quite sad, and they asked how it could be fixed. I said that the red snapper looked fab and a couple of pieces of that cooked in the local oven would be great. It arrived fast and I popped it in the black pepper curry, and it was FABULOUS. The Fratelli Indian Sauvignon Blanc was so refreshing as the temps here are in the 80's and we were quite hot on the outdoor terrace!

Will had the custard Pasteis (famous in Lisbon) for dessert which he liked alot and said was as good as the originals--this area was under the Portuguese before the Brits and Vasco de Gama was buried here before being moved to Lisbon!) and I had a local cake of chocolate and raspberry that was nice but won no prizes. The staff were very apologetic and sent a bottle of wine to our room today to make up for it, but tonight we shall try another nearby hotel instead!

Raas Devi Garh, outside Udaipur is unusually upscale 1/26 & 27/2023

 For our two nights in Udaipur we stayed about 30 minutes away at the centuries old Devi Garh which was built as a nobleman palace/fort (garh means fort) and was painstakingly turned into a luxury hotel that will take your breath away as you drive up to this massive stone and marble structure!

The dining room has a massive menu, especially for a hotel so small that encompasses almost all cuisines, but of course we tried to stick with local options.

Will had a cough and was refraining from wine, but I ordered a bottle as we knew we could finish it the next evening. Our go to red in India is the 2022 Grover red blend of Cabernet and Shiraz and works quite well with most food, even the spicy prawns we chose!

A simple amuse of salad arrived with pappadams with coriander-mint sauce and pickle chutney. I started with the Dal Moth salad a yummy mix of some veggies with sprouted moth lentils and a tasty lemony dressing which had a nice spiciness. Will loved his Dal Nariyal aur Lemongrass Ka Shorba, a lentil soup with coconut and Lemongrass.

We chose three main courses to share and loved them all: Tamatar aur Jaitoon ke Kofte were olive, sun-dried tomato and cheese dumplings in a creamy sauce with a hint of spice; Tawas Jhinga Masala was a prawn curry that had a nice spicy kick, but the Kurkuri Bhindi was one of the best dishes we have had so far. Bhindi is okra but here it is saved thin and light battered with chickpea flour and fried then sprinkled with mango powder that must have some extra spice added as the dish was slightly spicy but not greasy at all and may be one of the best okra recipes on earth. They said they would email me the recipe!!

We were so full and hence skipped dessert.

Our second night, the amuse was the same Dal Moth I started with the night before, but they really cut back the spice. Our attentive and sweet server, Gautam, reappeared with a huge bowl of the lentils with kick-ass spice! My starter was the Som Tam Malaker off the non-Indian menu and this was an extremely spicy Green Papaya salad with beans, tomato, peanuts and Thai chilies. Will chose the Mushroom Paneer Kasorba soup which was a nice cream of Mushroom style. His main was the Amritsari Fish Tikka which were large chunks or river sole marinated with caramelized seed, ginger, chilies and cooked in a tandoori oven. My Dunghar Lahsun Ka Ghost was a smoked lamb with garlic that was really tasty and very different from all the other lamb recipes we had so far. Gautam insisted we have bread and rice, so Will had the yummy garlic Naan while I went with the paratha.

I finished the red wine with the lamb but had two glasses of the Sula Sauvignon Blanc which went brilliantly with the spicy lentils and papaya salad!!

We loved our meals here as well as the amazing breakfasts with Masala Dosa, Uppma(porridge) and Idly Sambar!! Headed to the south of India now and the state of Kerala for 6 nights!

the Oberoi Rajvilas (Jaipur) RAJ MAHAL dining room is a revelation (1-24-23)

 Our second night in Jaipur, we were supposed to visit a family for a cooking class and dinner, but some politician was getting married and decided to block all the streets so we got stuck getting back to the hotel and after much consternation decided to stay there and dine in the private pavilion just around the corner from our room where Chef Kushagra (from Agra) reigns and has created a bespoke tasting menu that really gave us an amazing journey through Indian cuisine. The chef came out at the start, and we spoke at length and he actually ended up delivering almost all the courses as there were only several other parties, but they were all seated outside, so we had the private hall all to ourselves. 

Neha, the catering manager also arrived as she promised to add a special lamb dish(we had met her at breakfast) and we knew we were in good hands as every meal at all the Oberoi Hotels have had exquisite service. Indeed, all the Oberoi Hotels are rave worthy from top to bottom.

Pickles arrived: chili pickles, mixed pickles, garlic pickles and sweet mango pickles. It was hard to resist. We ordered another wine from Grover Vineyards, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from Karnataka region in Bangalore was great with the spicy food and alone as well. Our red was Escudo Rojo Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah/Cab Franc blend from Maipo in Chile which was awesome with the lamb.

Chef arrived with the most gorgeous pie-looking creation called Ghewar ki chaat(chaat is a snack to start with) which was a crispy cake with baked potatoes with mint, tamarind and dates sprinkled with pomegranate seeds that we adored (pictures on FB). 

Rajasthani Murgh ke Sooley was a yummy local chicken with chili, garlic, lemon and lime, cumin and coriander in a clove flavoured yoghurt sauce. There were two side dips of honey yoghurt and mint & coriander.

Makai Ka Raan was a tasty corn soup with ginger which was followed by Gulab sorbet which was made from rose petals.

There were three main courses with the extra one sent by Neha and we started with the most divine Lobster Moilee which was simmered in Coconut milk, mustard and green chilis served over appam which is a fermented rice pancake (think of Ethopian bread-injera). Rice Pilaf and plain rice also came....way too much.

Adla Ghost(again pronounced "gosh") was lamb simmered in yoghurt with saffron which was truly wonderful, but the Raan-e-Rajmahal is a specialty of the house made from leg of lamb with silver leaf and was indeed a revelation of spices and flavors created by the chef. Sides included a salad, black lentils and yoghurt sauces.

The two desserts were also amazing and while we had the Kundalika, a funnel cake with condensed milk often called "jalebi," it was the Gajar Ka Halwa that grabbed us as it was a local sweet red carrot pudding that easily got best dessert prize so far.

Our serve Krishna was a gem and also was drop dead handsome and we really were thrilled we stayed at the hotel and enjoyed this truly divine dining experience.

Suvarna Mahal means "gold palace" and the palate is pleased at the Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel in Jaipur(10/23/23)

 Our first night in Jaipur brought us to dinner at the magnificent and very grand Taj Rambagh Palace where Suvarna Mahal holds a special significance as it is where the Maharajah entertained foreign dignitaries. On arrival we were introduced to a gentleman who actually was the steward for the Maharani! We settled into our linen clothed table laden with heavy golden engraved silverware, chargers and cups in the grand hall with frescoed ceiling, silk wallpaper and indeed we felt like kings(or queens).

We ordered a Fratelli Family 2016 Chardonnay from the Akluj region in India which we loved , and began to wonder about the odd salsa-like music being played in the room. The music varied throughout the night and at times was fine, but somehow did not fit the ambience of this grand palatial ballroom dating back to 1835. Our red wine was a Grover "Art Collection" 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend from Bangalore that we also loved. There are not many Indian wines, but the few they have all seem to be excellent and generally are lower in price than imports.

The menu is divided into four regions in India (basically one north, south, east and west) and then each menu has starters and mains and some sides. We decided to pick some from each group and ultimately ordered way too much! Frist came pappadams with a honey mustard yoghurt dip and then our two starters arrived: The yummy Kalonni Jhing were huge prawns grilled in lemon, cardamom and onion seeds and hail from the south in Hyderabad. Bhuttey an de Kebab are again the patty(a kebab is patty, seeng kebab is skewered) with corn, herbs, green chilis which is first poached then grilled.  We loved both dishes and told them to please boost up the spice. Our server brought some jaghri which is local raw cane sugar and is used to cut the spice if you get too much as you simply break off a tiny piece and pop it in your mouth. It works way better than water or even milk!!

Ker Sangri Ki Subzi was our veggie dish from Rajasthan (which is Jaipur's state) and was another fabulous veggie dish here made with the thinnest of haricots verts type beans with wild berries. These are not sweet berries, but a local one that is sour and adds amazing flavor. The whole dish(photos on FB) reminded us of Ropa Vieja, but was totally vegetarian. We loved the vegetable raita that came on the side with the two mains as well: Awadhi Murgh Korman was chicken and nuts with a yoghurt cream, mace and nutmeg sauce that was divine and hailed from the Oudh region. Our Punjabi dish from the north was Masaledar Chaamp or lamb chops in an onion and tomato curry (gravy). Did you know that curry literally means "gravy?" Of course we crab fiends had to order bread and chose the delicious Onion Kulcha.

We were full but decided to split a dessert and it was fabulous: Anjeer Ki Kulfi is a duet of figs with saffron and then fig kulchi, the wonderful frozen milk ice cream which was atop falooda or sweetened vermicelli noodles. The noodles were a tad odd, but we loved the overal fig dish.

Another amazing meal in India, but this one was in a palace fit for a maharajah!

Oberoi Vanyasvilas in Ranthambhore was a revelation in dining (1-22-23)

Our second day in Ranthambhore yielded a morning tiger trek seeing three cubs and then an afternoon trek for 4 hours with no results....until we were about to leave the reserve and a tiger literally jumped down and near the car and crossed the path in front of us (our guide said this has never happened to him in 32 years of being a ranger!). We came to dinner on a super high and Sara, our server from the day before and that day as well, was so thrilled and told us she had several dishes in store for us that were very special. She was so amazing for our stay that we commended her to the hotel manager as well as the head of Oberoi here in India!  We still had a half bottle of white and red from the night prior so we drank those as we were leaving the next day.

We started with Palak Patta aur Bhindi ki Chaatwhich was made from spinach into a funnel-cake-like dough(not sweet) with a sweet yoghurt, nylon sev(semolina), pomegranate and Indian pickles that we loved. Chapli Kebab were pan fried lamb cakes with coriander and spring onion served with three sauces to dip: tomato & garlic, smoked yoghurt, mint & coriander.  We loved them ALL!!

Main courses were Methi Malai Murgh-fenugreek and chicken in a yoghurt curry sauce; Bhuna Ghost(pronounced Ghosh) which is a baked lamb with onion and tomato; Mango Rice with Lentil Dumpling and the winner again was the bite of heaven on a fork veggie dish: Shahi Baigan Halim, aubergines in a rich garlic, onion & coriander cream sauce.

The chefs came out and we congratulated them on the amazing new dishes we had never had before and wished we were staying longer here!!

Of course there were breads:Koki Masala (Gram or chickpea flour with onion, coriander and green chile), but we tried to refrain so there was room for dessert.

Khulfi-the omnipresent Indian ice-cream was made from rose and pistachio with a caramelized nut crisp; Kong Firni was a rice pudding of condensed milk, almond, pistachio and saffron; while Baked Gulabjamon Rubdi(pronounced rubri) Malai is that rich gooey ball we see everywhere but it was tamed here a tad and served in a saffron cream.

I stopped in the bar for a scotch in front of the fireplace and had the room all to myself thinking what an amazing journey this has been, and we were only one week in out of three. Much more food to enjoy!!! 

Everything including the tiger is on Facebook!

Oberoi VANYAVILAS is beyond awesome at Ranthambhore National Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, India (1-21-23)

 Our first true fine dining experience here in India took a while as I was out with a bad back in Delhi and we were stuck in horrid traffic getting to Agra arriving so late we stopped on the road fora quick Masala Dosa at a road stop on the way. I want to note that Masala Dosa is now our favorite go-to breakfast and snack perhaps anywhere!!

We have been blown away by the luxury, service and friendliness of all the Oberoi Hotels we have visited, but last night we met Sara from Kolkata who is one of the most wonderful servers we have ever had anywhere in the world. As all meals are included here, we have asked for her at every meal! I asked saying that Sara is not a common name in India, and she replied "yes, but I am not common!"  We asked her about the Indian wines on the menu (I did not even know they made wine here) and she recommended the Sula Sauvignon Blanc 2019 which hints of melon, lemon and a touch of grass and of course was great with spice. For the red she was spot on again with the Vijay Armitraj 2019 Rare Red Blend that comes from Maharashtra in the east and the wine region of Nasik. It has a chalky essence but was a medium bodied blend of Shiraz, Cab and Viognier(somebody studied winemaking in the Rhone!).

Will and I split two salads as Sara insisted we try the Heirloom Greens with Avocado, Shitake, Tofu and ponzu in a Miso Vinaigrette that was divine. The Green Papaya Salad had a nice bite and included crushed peanuts, cherry tomatoes and haricot beans.

Will loved his Corn and Lemongrass Chowder while I totally fell for my Chicken, Potato and Leek Soup with Garlic Chips and White Truffle Oil!

We split two main courses of lamb that were so different with the Maas Ki Khadi being baby lamb with yoghurt and Rajasthani spices (we are in Rajasthan) that fell apart and was as tender as could be. The spicier Laal Maas (literally "red lamb") was a darker spicier dish truly red in color with whole spices, Mathania chiles and cloves. Boy, do they know how to cook here. The chef came out to make sure everything was all right and it could not have been more perfect. Sara insisted on brining and extra dish called Gucchi Malar Makhana (not the designer) which are special morel mushrooms from Kashmir in a rich creamy awesome sauce with lotus(malar) and green peas (makhana) that needs to be something we have in the USA if we can get it!

There was no room for dessert(besides our complimentary chocolates were in the room, but we knew we would be back in this room multiple times for our 2 night stay!!

Remember photos on an Facebook as well as our entire journey!

Dubai's PAI THAI is tasty and pricey, as it seems all is here(1-15-23)

 I was in Dubai 30 years ago as a guest of the Emir and back then it was a quaint Arabian outpost. Today is it an almost maniacal scene with so many tourists, but also with some of the most insane prices anywhere. While we are staying at the exclusive Burj Al Arab in a magnificent duplex suite(I won it in a travel quiz), I was quite shocked that last night we had a light dinner at the rooftop bar, GILT, that cost almost $200 for a sandwich which we split and two glasses of wine!!

Sticker shock aside we thought we would step outside the hotel tonight for another light bite(breakfast is huge, so we skip lunch) and headed to the nearby Medinat Jumeirah also owned by the Emir(Sheikh/Prime Minister/royal family) as the Pai Thai restaurant came with very high recommendations. The food was wonderful, the ambience great and the prices a tad lower than the hotel as the total bill rang in at $200US for a bottle of inexpensive rose, an appetizer plate for two to share and one main course which we shared with a side of the best Coconut Rice on earth. Photos on FB!

The Villa Garrel rose was $100 or so and the Norwegian bottled water rang in at $10 a bottle. Luckily the starter of Kong Wang Ruam Pai Thai was a huge platter with Shrimp Cakes, moist Chicken sate, crisp veggie spring rolls, super yummy purple chicken dumplings and a not so spicy Green Papaya Salad (with apple?!).

The main course we split was a nice Kana Nuea Nam Man Hoy or wok-fired beef with oyster sauce, Thai broccoli, garlic and mushrooms which was nice, but needed a tad more spice. The Coconut rice that accompanied was a revelation.

I realize that this is the playground of the rich and not-so-famous, but I can say we are glad to be headed to India tomorrow where the pocketbook will surely not suffer and the palate will be tingled.

BBQ Al-Qasr- beachfront luscious luxury dining at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, UAE(1-13-23)

 We were guests of the magnificent Emirates Palace Hotel by Mandarin Oriental tonight for what was one of the best meals anywhere in the Middle East( BBQ Al Qasr | Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi (mandarinoriental.com)  . What fun we had in a private dining pavilion on the beach as each dish was grilled nearby and prepared to order. The service from Tatyana was beyond perfect and we honestly felt as if we were the sheiks here at this palace! We had pours of Perrier Jouet Rose Brut poured into chilled glasses, but ultimately switched to a nice full bodied red for our grilled course: La Planta 202 Ribera del Duero Tempranillo.

Check out the fun FB fotos which include hotel photos and a video of the super-fun fire-show on the beach!!

There was yummy homemade bread which was warmed on the grill and had that wonderful grill taste to it served with seaweed butter. We chose three starters to share:

Below Farm(grown locally in the UAE)Mushroom Flatbread with tons of black truffle, artichoke and tomme du jura fumee.

Yellowtail Sashimi was smothered with caviar and tasty kelp candied tomatoes(they tasted like kumquats) and infused tomato water. The fish tasted like it was fished minutes earlier and brought up on the beach where our dining pavilion was located.

Wagyu Tartare was to die fore with a smoked bone marrow on the side with grilled sourdough bread and topped with cured egg and colatura.

We decided to split two mains as the wights of the dishes were listed and some were in the multi-kilo region!

The Carabinero are huge prawns(think langoustines) from Spain grilled with Harissa and Prawn Head Sauce and were tasty as could be. The Simple Wagyu Tenderloin(at 1/2 kilo or over 1/2 pound) was superbly rare and delish on it's own but came with chimichurri and bearnaise sauces.

The highlight here is the grilled food, but also the grilled veggie sides. The Grilled Cauliflower had several types including my fave romescu and was seasoned perfectly while the Below Farm Mushrooms came with enough slice black truffles from France to start a truffle farm.

We are so superbly grateful to the entire staff at the Emirates Palace and especially my sales contact there Jordi Gruwel who deserves a prize for putting up with all our food and dining stories.

We are only here for two nights and this was a spectacular evening as we head to the nearby emirate of Dubai for the next two night before heading to India for 3 weeks!! Lots of food for sure.

DC's THIP KHAO make Laotian lovely (1-2-23)

 The first meal of the new year was with a friend in Columbia Heights here in DC where Thip Kaho opened almost 7 years ago, and I had wanted to get to multiple times. On arrival at 630pm the place was about half full and there were not too many servers. Within an hour the place was jammed and sadly they really needed some additional help. Other than that, the food was wonderful, spicy and a real different take on the normal Thai and Vietnamese SouthEast Asian brands we have around so much.

The wine list here has one white and one red, and the white is arefreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine de l'Hermoniere in Touraine that has great acidity and stands up well to spice. Spice is an important word here and generally they seem to take down the levels a notch for the non-locals....I could have easily enjoyed a tad more fire.

The Tam Som is one of the spicy (from fish sauce and chilis)green papaya salads (there are some FB fotos) with green beans and peanuts and is a great way to start the meal as the mains tend to be meaty or tofu centric or with noodles, so this was refreshing, spicy and set the mood. The spiciest dish we had was the Mee Kathi a huge bowl of curry soup thick with thick rice noodles and chicken (it also comes with shrimp). This is a meal in itself, and we split the bowl and still had leftovers. The two mains we shared were very different form the Asian dishes we know. The Khao Niew Siin is a kind of BBQ beef jerky, and all the dishes are served with an adorable basket of sticky rice that could possibly be gooier! The meat was in large pieces and a tad difficult to manage as you only get a fork and spoon, but the spoon can double as a knife when needed! The other main was one of the tastiest pork belly dishes ever and is called Muu Som made from rice-cured sour pork belly served with mushrooms and carries a nice kick from chilis.

We could not fathom dessert as we had doggie bags already but would love to return again to try the many different dishes that will surely warm you up on a cold wintry night!

Le Nouvel An a Marcel's (Washington, DC) est magnifique! (12/13/22)

 As Will was flying off to LA to see Sam for the holiday weekend, I decided to partake of the set menu at Marcel's in DC's West End on New Year's Eve. It was a pricey menu indeed for $275, but well worth it and indeed it was like a homecoming as it must be over 1/2 a decade since our last visit there.

Chef/Owner Robert Wiedmaier was nowhere in sight, but his team was in charge, and everything went as smoothly as could be. On arrival I got a warm greeting and hug from Moez, who has been there for ages and is always a warm welcome as well as a brilliant sommelier! I had not seen Jonathan Crayne in ages as he now only works an occasional Saturday night, but what a treat to see his huge smile. Of course, everyone asked why I was alone, but a quick explanation about Will cleared that up!! Isat down and noticed a framed blue silk scarf entitled "Aida" by Erté on the wall, a duplicate of one we have at home! It seems that Chef Robert's late aunt collected them, so now they adorn the restaurant. The dining room is as cozy and comfy and classy as it has ever been, and this is why Marcel's has always been one of the top fine dining establishments in DC for decades!

A glass of G.H. Mumm's Brut Rose appeared courtesy of Moez and was the perfect match to the amuse of Cauliflower Flan, Smoked Trout Roe and a piece of edible Gold Leaf for fun. Served in an eggshell, it was a kickback to Jean-Louis Palladin who first created this type of dish right here in DC. The flan was creamy and rich, and the roe popped for flavor.

I asked Moez about wines and he said he would take care of pairings and not to worry about the pour size as he has a heavy hand!! First came a Macon La Roche Vineuse 2018 from Sylvain & Alain Normand which had a lemon zest nose and a good deal of acidity to work with the next course: Bay Scallops with Fermented Garlic, Champagne Glaçage, Garlic Croutons and Osetra Caviar. The garlic had a kick and the dish had the feel of a gratinée, although no cheese was present! Thank goodness for the warm French bread to mop up all the fabulous sauces.

Moez arrived with a Post & Beam(from the folks at Far Niente) 2021 Chardonnay from California which was wonderfully creamy and rich but not with any oakiness or obnoxious intensity that so many California chards can have! Lobster Timbale was another decadent rich dish with Butter Poached Lobster atop and Sauce Américaine that was dark, complex and yet not so intense as to overpower the lobster.

The next course was the winner of the entire evening and will go down as one of the best fish courses ever: Pan Seared Turbot was swathed in thick slabs of Burgundy Truffles with Robuchon Potatoes ,Potato Crisps and a Truffle Sabayon. (By the way photos are on FB). The clue to the evening was clearly decadence and the sabayon was so magnificent and the truffles on the fish so divine, the combination was simply heavenly. Haut Cotes de Nuit Albert Bichot 2019 was the perfect pairing as well!

Many folks are passing up Foie Gras these days but after last night's preparation, I doubt anyone would decline the Pan Seared Foie Gras with Chestnut Purée, Braised Chestnut & Port Reduction over a small Brioche slice. Moez said there was also date jam in the dish and because of this offered up two wines: Muscat Beaumes de Venise, Domaine de la Fenouillet as well as a Croft Tawny Port. I love the muscat and drank a tad before the dish arrived, but once settling in the port went quite well...hard choice here. I did save the rest of the port for with dessert.

My server was Milos from Serbia and we spoke about the issues there and in eastern Europe in general, but he was also a brilliant server in noting that I needed a rest or wanted to continue as the meal was long and lasted well over three hours, despite the fact that i was alone. It was also nice to have the live piano played in the front bar room that filtered into the main room I was in next door; the pianist was excellent.

The main course was an A5 Wagyu Filet with Charred Scallion & Ghent Mustard with Puffed Rice and was paired with a Gerin 2017 Saint Joseph from the Rhone that I loved with its earthy notes. Moez also offered up a glass of 2016 La Campine Syrah in case I needed something a little bigger! The meat was rare and superb, but by now I was beginning to fill up.

Dessert was a Vanilla Bean Mousse & Dark Chocolate Mousse with Jasmine Crémeaux, lace Tuile and Lemon verbena Ice Cream which cut the richness of the mousses with their little crunchy pieces!! Actually, the ice cream was like fireworks ending the evening!  A single beautiful Chocolate Truffle was presented to end the evening, and as I rolled out, I bumped into friends who were in the other room that I did not even know were there!

All I can say is this was the perfect way to end the old year/begin the New Year!