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It’s that time of the year again, and I’m grateful that Foursheets flew halfway around the world to be back for this dinner. Just as I did last year, I chose to spend this night at my beloved Ta Vie 旅, as there were a few dishes I really wanted to have.

I chose not to dine here during the period when they were serving their 10th anniversary menu, featuring their “greatest hits” since opening, so I knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t be able to have the exact menu served to me tonight. Sato-san did, however, agree to serve me some of those dishes as part of the special menu he selected for me – interspersing the classics between new, seasonal dishes.

I’m also grateful that such a fine dining establishment would be open for business on a Sunday with the chef in the kitchen. That made my choice of restaurant much easier.

Nukazuke (糠漬け) bread – this little bread has been part of the journey on every single occasion, ever since the restaurant’s opening. I shall never tire of starting the meal by tearing open this piping hot bundle.

Homemade butter and ricotta – the butter has also been housemade since day 1, with the ricotta joining the party some years later.

"Shiromiru" white geoduck tossed with diced vegetables and jalapeño pickles served with geoduck juice and basil oil – a new dish that is an update of a couple of dishes from earlier times, one of which we enjoyed exactly a year ago. Tonight the presentation would feel a little more dramatic.

Right from the start, the capers vinegar gets to work and whets one’s appetite, and the fragrance from the basil oil lingers in the mouth. The thin slices as well as springy chunks of the geoduck were very fresh and very sweet, complemented by tomato salsa with a little spicy kick from pickled jalapeños. The chiffonade of lemon zest and cucumber added more texture and aromatics. At the bottom we had a refreshing terrine of cucumber, celery, and wakame (若布). A very enjoyable first course to start our journey.

Sweet corn puffed mousse with lightly torched botan shrimp in shrimp broth jelly (2015) – my favorite dish from my very first visit, and I’m so happy to have this again as it’s been a few years since it made an appearance.

The wonderful botan shrimp (牡丹海老) from Hokkaido seasoned with fragrant olive oil; the crunchy corn from Yamanashi (山梨) with their sugary starch; the light and airy corn mousse with their sweetness; the beautiful umami from the shellfish gelée; and those chopped chives that just seem to add a tiny little extra bit to mesh it all together and result in perfection. I should be so lucky to be able to enjoy this time and again.

Pain de rustique – my favorite bread here was just a tad less than perfect tonight, but still left me with a smile on my face.

Crispy blue lobster paella "rouille" red bell pepper sauce, tomato parsley oil infused with lobster shell – well… this did not look like any paella I’ve ever had! Sato-san chose to highlight the soccarat that many of us love in paella, so this was almost like a big macaron with crispy top and bottom.

I was a little surprised that the rice and homard bleu was served cold-ish, but the flavors were pretty intense. Lots of shellfish flavors inside with the rouille, and the crunchy top and bottom tasted strongly of lobster shell and head. A shellfish lover’s dream.

"Civet" braised abalone covered with abalone shell (2016) – another of the early classics. I still remember when we first saw the word “civet” on the menu, the first thing that came to mind was the civet cat…

The abalone was as tender as ever, and that pastry “abalone shell” tasted sooo fragrant in the mouth thanks to all that butter. We’ve got spinach with the rich sauce, and there was also a little spinach in the shell, too.

Roasted Limousin veal with brown butter confited carrots served with black truffle – served with a terrine of beurre noisette carrot confit and black truffle topped with hazlenuts and brioche toast, along with truffled veal jus. Very grateful that Sato-san shaved a bunch of black truffle on top.

The veal was roasted with garlic, herbs, and butter, and it was so, soooooo soft and juicy it was literally dripping.

Lifting the carrot dentelle revealed a potato stuffed with veal ragout.

Signature flower tea – always wonderful. I should probably learn to make this refreshing mix of orange and roselle at home.

Almond pudding with peach compote, fresh lychee and "Monkey Pickled" Oolong tea jelly, scent of rose bud (2015) – the one dish from the anniversary menu that I requested for tonight. I reminded Sato-san that on our first visit here, DaRC loved this so much that he asked for a second serving… which led to all 5 of us getting a second bowl. So, sooo happy to have this again! I would love anything with seasonal lychee, but the interplay of the floral fragrance from the lychee together with rose petals, the almond pudding, and the Oolong tea jelly just worked magic. And since Foursheets doesn’t enjoy desserts, I got to have two of these.

Signature Crown melon shortcake (2017) – I had suspected that I might be getting one of these tonight, and I was right. Sato-san very kindly served me a whole melon tonight, and make sure that the spun-sugar “crown” came with enough gold to shine like a real crown.

Since the Crown melon wasn’t actually at peak ripeness, this wasn’t that sweet and was something that Foursheets could enjoy with me tonight. So grateful to have this again. Oh and I did eat the whole spun sugar crown with all the gold...

Chocolate pudding – and finally… my absolute favorite dessert here… which isn’t even a “full” dessert but the petit four. I sound like a broken record when I say for the hundredth time that the kaffir lime leaf in this chocolate pudding is pure genius, and I will love it until the day I shed this mortal coil.

Takano-san later came to apologize as she realized they had forgotten to add the usual gold flakes on top for me. No biggie... as I got plenty of gold with my cake.

Simple Kaffa Tano Batak Mandheling coffee

For the adult beverage side, Takano-san very generously started us off with a glass of bubbly...

2015 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée en Decembre 2022 - got a nice and toasty nose, with a good balance on the palate where the acidity was slightly higher than expected but the wine was still rounded on the palate.

1970 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - served without decanting. Initially this was OK but after 20 minutes this was starting to fade in the glass, with a short finish. Nose was fairly woodsy but it wasn't cedar, and there were stewed black fruits. After about 30 minutes the nose was more open with more woodsy fragrance. After 1 hour this was not as good as before, with the acidity higher on the palate and the wine starting to feel a little thin. Not as good as the other bottle I opened 4 years ago.

Very grateful to have yet again been well taken care of by the team at one of my favorite resaurants in the world. Definitely felt the love, as I always do on each visit. Really happy to have tasted some of the classic dishes again, and thanks for all the gold!