Geruhage 2026 tour day 1: white wines with dim sum

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A few hours after sipping on some wines together into the wee hours at our place, I'm meeting up with Geruhage and Tomo-chan for lunch. DaRC had kind of overruled our friend's original wish to try dim sum at a place he hadn't visited before, and the bunch of us ended up at Forum Restaurant (富臨飯店). One could never go wrong here, and I jokingly reminded Geruhage before coming here that we should pre-order the fish maw... which used to be priced at around HKD 30,000 but is now listed as "market price"...

DaRC comes here much more often than I do, so we are guaranteed to have a wonderful experience when we're with him. I left the ordering up to the expert.

Forum steamed premium shrimp dumpling with pork (富臨蝦餃皇) - they do this classic so, so well here. Very plump and full of flavor.

3-star lab rat

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It has been a long, loooong time since I had the opportunity to open a couple of bottles with the Hairy Chevalier. In fact, I've been trying to do that for most of this year without success... Well, he finally called me over tonight to Caprice Bar, with the aim of testing out a few dishes for the upcoming special game menu. So I brought along a bottle I've been meaning to drink with him for MONTHS, as well as a bottle I thought would go well with game.

1981 Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs - the nose was really mature and lovely, with marmalade of course, but perhaps also a little apricot. Nice and soft on the palate now after 45 years, but certainly not weak or short. In fact, this had great acidity and very, very long on the finish. Fantastic.

Another home banquet

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A few years ago I had the honor of being a guest at what I called "the ultimate home banquet", and it was an incredibly memorable meal. Well, tonight I answered to another kind invitation from the hosts, and I was just so, so excited!

Before we started, Dashijie (大師姐) regaled us with one tale after another of how things have just not gone her way while putting this dinner together. Well, with everything that happened, I'm just grateful that we still have a delicious meal waiting for us. Given that some of the dishes were on the menu from my last dinner, I'm using the same poetic names for them stylized by our hosts' daughter.

Naturally, once again the serving china used were all from Ruyi Gastronomy and from the Home Banquet Collection (家宴逸品) range.

Anniversary in Taipei

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When we planned this trip to Taipei for dad's birthday, we knew that Foursheets' birthday and our anniversary would fall in the same week, so we made a conscious decision to spend more time with the Parental Units and, for the first time, celebrate our anniversary with them. This means we weren't going to be at our beloved Caprice on this special day, and would have to choose a place in Taipei instead.

I was busy planning my trip to France, and when I returned I dithered a little about where to go... It would appear that the fine dining scene in Taipei is doing pretty well, perhaps thanks to the booming stock market over the last few years, as a number of places I wanted to book were all unavailable. So in the end I chose Ephernité - a name that's been in the back of my mind for a few years.

Since it's our special day, I opted for the Chef's Tasting Menu for us, preferring to have ingredients that are meant to be more premium and interesting.

Salmon tart - made with diced smoked salmon and a fie roe sauce.

A grateful celebration

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I try to spend each birthday with the Parental Units, but this particular birthday has extra meaning for dad. Having started chemo right after mom's birthday this year, and having some through some tough times during the latter rounds, we have been told that the Big C is now in remission. So... in a sense, we are celebrating dad's re-birth at the ripe old age of 86. For this occasion, I decided to take us back to trusty Tutto Bello, whose cuisine has long been to mom's liking.

We are back in the familiar, dimly-lit dining room. One thing I am confident about this place is their wine service. I've opened a few old bottles here, and they've always done a good job. Meanwhile there was a group of wine lovers near us drinking up Henri Jayer and the like... and I thought I recognized one of them. They were a little loud, but that happens when you ply a group of people with lots of good wine...

The beauty of this place is the ability to order à la carte. However, one needs to read the menu a little more carefully than I did tonight... or end up getting more food than one would want.

One small annoyance was that our starters took about half an hour to arrive... leaving us with just a few pieces of bread to begin with. Oh well... I guess they were catering to the table of big spenders near us.

Cappe sante alla pancia / granchio / zuppetta d'aragosta bianca - I hadn't read the menu carefully enough, so I didn't realize there was also crab meat in the lobster bisque. Very nice.

Deep-fried peony

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We're in Taipei for a few days while we do some celebrating, and first up is Foursheets' birthday. When I asked her if there was anywhere she'd like to go, I was glad she chose Mudan Tempura (牡丹 • 極上 天ぷら). On our first visit 3 years ago, we were absolutely floored by the quality of our lunch. The technique was very, very good, and the execution on some of the items was nothing short of perfection. In the back of my mind, I had always wanted to find an excuse to return, as it is clearly the best tempura restaurant I have dined at outside Japan. Well, here was my chance!

As usual, the chefs presented the ingredients to be used for our meal before we started. We noticed immediately that there was something on the menu that we don't eat, and we asked for a substitution. We were also offered an extra course of matsutake (松茸), but once I was told they come from Vancouver, I turned this down. We were the only cheapskates who said "NO"...

Classics from Oncle Joël

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After a fun evening out at Caprice last month, the Tea Supplier very kindly invited the gang to dinner at Le Jardin de Joël Robuchon. To be honest, I don't visit the Hong Kong outpost of the Robuchon empire very much, and as they've gone through an extension renovation, this was a great chance for me to see how different the place is.

We were across two tables in their large private room, which was pretty stunning. I was fortunate that the Mushroom Supplier kept us company.

Cream of corn soup with smoked duck and foie gras terrine - there was a spicy kick from the piment d'espelette. Did I mention how bling this dish was? LOVE IT.

The four Italian horsemen

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More than 3 months after our last gathering around wines from Years of the Horse, our foursome is back popping a few more bottles. When it was suggested that we open some Italians, I suggested to the group that we bid on a particular lot of wines from top Italian producers that I saw at an auction. There were exactly four bottles, and they were all top cuvées from renowned producers. Well, we managed to win the lot.

I saw a few dishes on social media posted by Chef Liu Zhen (刘震) of Yong Fu (甬府), so I suggested that we pay the restaurant a visit - especially since the others haven't been in quite some time. Thankfully the team could accommodate us, even when I insisted that they include a dish from their set dinner. Thank you so much, Yu zong!

I LOOOOOVE mahua (麻花), and it's even better when they come covered in powdered seaweed. Oh, and their peanuts come with seaweed, too!

No more meat

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Andō has recently undergone a renovation of its premises, and Goldfinger also took the opportunity to revamp the menu. One of the most notable points is that it no longer features any meat - unless guests specifically asks for an alternative to what's on offer. I had accepted the invitation from B Bestie some time ago, but when he suddenly asked me to find myself a companion for the meal, I knew that he didn't want to put me near any of the Bs he loves to invite... so I brought Foursheets along.

We started with the bocaditos:

Mid-Autumn with the team

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One of the bosses had asked me about booking at Wing (永) some time last year, but as someone who does not abuse his privileges, I offered to arrange for a team dinner but made it clear I would not book for others without being present. Well, the time finally came to take the team out, and I was very grateful that Vicky could accommodate us.

The hospitality here really is world class, and for regular customers, they tailor the menu so that they don't keep serving the same dishes and bore the diners. For this occasion, knowing that I'm bringing a group of newbies, Vicky asked whether I would want to have a mix of classic dishes along with new, seasonal offerings. Of course I said "YES"!

As usual, our welcome drink is tailored to one of the twenty-four seasons (二十四節氣), and tonight this was made with upright ladybells (沙參) and dried longans (桂圓).

Visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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Since early 2007, I have been wanting to gear my future travels towards visiting more locations which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are so many amazing places around the world to see!

Here is the list that I have already visited so far. Click on the links to see pictures from my Google albums.

Total count: 81 sites in 21 countries

Australia
Greater Blue Mountains Area - 1976
Sydney Opera House - 1976

Belgium
The Architectural Works of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement - 2018
Belfries of Belgium and France - 2018
Historic Centre of Brugge - 2018
La Grand-Place, Brussels - 2018
Major Townhouses of the Architect Victor Horta - 2018
Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex - 2018
Stoclet House - 2018

Cambodia 
Angkor - 2001

Three 3 stars in France day 8: from one island to another

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It's my last day on Noirmoutier, in fact it's my last day in France, and we got an early start as the sun was just coming up. Alexandre and Emma Couillon are taking us to see his suppliers at the fish market just here at Port de l'Herbaudière, which is just a few minutes' walk from the restaurant.

Three 3 stars in France day 7: simpler, lighter, better

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We're back at La Marine tonight. When I first thought about joining this excursion, I didn't quite understand when I was told that Geruhage was coming for 2 dinners. Well, Alexandre Couillon promised to cook him (and us) a different menu for the second night, so I was very curious what would be in store for us tonight.

Our table tonight was all the way in the back of the restaurant facing the garden, which afforded us some natural light while the sun was still out.

The starters we had were mostly the same as last night:

"Eau de tomate", infusion aux feuilles de tagète - once again, we start with this refreshing drink that combines acidity, umami, and sweetness.

Ventrèche de thon - cured with salt and sugar, then lightly seared on the outside. So... basically like Japanese tataki (たたき)... where it's still raw inside. Very nice.

Three 3 stars in France day 7: a look around the island

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Nights are certainly quiet here on Noirmoutier, and while I would have loved to spend an idyllic morning enjoying the island breeze, there was work to be done... so I stayed in my AirB and B room this morning and hit the keyboard. I still had some strawberries leftover from the box I bought in Paris, plus some Roscoff onion-flavored potato chips, so that was kind of my breakfast. I do need some caffeine to kickstart the day, and thankfully I had brought along Ta Vie 旅's coffee from Simple Kaffa. So I sat on the deck outside my room and enjoyed the breeze for a little bit...

Three 3 stars in France day 6: the pearl of Noirmoutier

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A few hours after stuffing our faces next door, I showed up at the front door to La Marine - the destination restaurant with 3 macarons run by the Couillon family on the site of the former establishment operated by Alexandre's parents. Apparently this place has seen a major revamp, where the kitchen now faces the harbor and anyone passing by outside can get a peek into the action through the windows. The dining area has been relocated to the rear of the restaurant with a view of the gardens. And visitors are now asked to wait in the foyer, where they get to watch a beautiful introductory video that would have cost a pretty penny to produce.

Céline greeted us at the door and led us to our table. We were also looked after by Vincent, who had actually spent time in Hong Kong at a bistro I never had to pleasure of patronizing. Thirsty from the 80-meter walk from his hotel room around the corner, Geruhage immediately asked Vincent for a glass of Champagne...

We began our meal with a handful of starters, prepping our stomachs for the bigger things coming our way:

"Eau de tomate", infusion aux feuilles de tagète - no surprise here that there's plenty of umami, but we've also got sweetness. This was so refreshing!

Three 3 stars in France day 6: a trip to the island

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I'm taking an early morning train ride again. I checked out of Novotel Paris Centre Gare Montparnasse and rolled my suitcase downhill to Gare Montparnasse. I don't have the leftover bread for Frédéric Lalos, and I got to the station a little too late to grab some kouign amann from Yann Couvreur, so... no brekkie for me this morning.

I met up with Geruhage and Tomo-chan after getting off the train at Gare de Nantes, and after a quick stop at Paul for coffee, we ran into Monsieur Croissant while on the way to collect the rental van. We're so lucky to have a chauffeur for our road trip to Noirmoutier...

As it's just before noon, the high was still too high for us to make the crossing on the Passage du Gois... so we had to get on the island by driving across the Pont de Noirmoutier - making our journey slightly longer. Eventually, though, we arrived at the northwestern tip of the island and parked the van right in front of the Port de l'Herbaudière.

Lunch today is at Élise, Poisson et Braise - the casual eatery run by Alexandre Couillon and family right next to their famed 3-macaron restaurant. We were warmly welcomed by Alexandre's wife Céline and their daughter Emma. We were seated in the middle of the long counter, and food just started arriving in quick succession...

Gazpacho - made with tomatoes from the garden.

Three 3 stars in France day 5: dinner at granny's

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Tonight's dinner was at Geoélia, the (relatively) new restaurant opened last summer by Chef Camille Saint-M'leux - replacing the Parisien institution that was the Chinese restaurant Tang. The restaurant is, apparently, named after the boat owned by the chef's grandparents. Geruhage was already familiar with the chef, and I was just happy to tag along, once again.

Chef Camille very kindly offered us a glass of bubbly to start.

JM Sélèque Solessence, dégorgée en Decembre 2024 - as expected with this winemaker, the acidity was on the high side.

Gougéres - always happy to see these. Great to nibble on when you're hungry, and they go so well with Champagne.

Three 3 stars in France day 5: Asian flavors in Paris

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I didn't manage a lot of sleep on account of a late night last night, and I had to get up and do some work while I had the spare time. Seeing that I have a big lunch planned today, I skipped breakfast. One thing I liked about Novotel Paris Centre Gare Montparnasse is that they have a dispenser for filtered water out in the hall, so I don't have to go out and buy myself drinking water.

The Hairy Chevalier had recommended I try Plénitude at the Cheval Blanc Paris, but this happened to be the week that 50 Best Hotels was doing their annual shindig in town, and it became even more impossible than usual to get a seat. Thankfully he managed to get me a seat at Le Gabriel, Jérôme Banctel's restaurant in La Réserve. So that's where I was headed for lunch today.

I arrived much too early.

As one of the restaurants holding 3 macarons, it's natural that it would be a tourist destination. It became pretty obvious that half of the patrons today were visitors, with the majority of them being Asian. I was the only solo diner.

I needed to get back to my hotel room to join a board meeting, so I asked the staff to inform the kitchen so that I could finish the longer menu entitled Virée, which is Chef Jerome's expression of his Bretagne background. It also meant I couldn't really drink much, so I was looking for wine or Champagne by the glass. As luck would have it, they had exactly the Champagne I was looking for. It's a shame I couldn't open a whole bottle...

Romain Henin Le Gamin du Ter-Terre, dégorgée le 23 Fevrier 2024 - more than 2 years after dégorgement the nose has developed some maturity, definitely showing more oxidation with marmalade, and a little bit of metallic notes.

Three 3 stars in France day 4: dinner and a show

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I was fortunate to be in Paris around the same time as Geruhage and Tomo-chan, because I really didn't have much planned for the days after Bordeaux. I thought I would take things easy and just meet up with a friend for a meal, but a month ago this friend told me that our mutual friends were in town, so I immediately asked to piggyback on whatever their program is. For our first meal together, we would check out the new location of restaurant they already know.

Maison Ruggieri Palais Royale has already gotten back a star after moving to the current premises, and given Chef Martino Ruggieri's pedigree and the fact that the old location had two macarons, we definitely had expectations. But truth be told, I should have gone to buy myself aome short-sleeve T-shirts from Uniqlo before coming to dinner. I was still wearing the long-sleeve tee I'd been wearing since this morning, and Paris was still well in the 20s even at night. The folding glass walls were open so that we had direct access to the garden inside Palais Royale, but this meant we were left without much air conditioning...

There are poems to match the dishes and menus, and the long tasting menu is named Letter from a Correspondent. I doubt Geruhage ever entertained the idea of taking A Short letter from a Correspondent... The menu lists dishes by their main ingredient, followed by a short poem from the chef's wife.

Zucchini with flower and watermelon "ham" - the zucchini came with a tarragon sauce, the flower was covered in a sauce made with cumin and tomato. The strips of dehydrated watermelon "jambon" were chewy and sweet.

Three 3 stars in France day 4: Bordeaux to Paris

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It's my last morning in Bordeaux, and thankfully I've chosen a train that doesn't depart too early. That meant I could still sit and enjoy breakfast on the patio at La Maison d'Estournel.

As usual, I picked up the viennoiserie...

Today I also grabbed a crêpe from the stack on the table, and spread some caramel and chocolate on top.

My driver from yesterday came to drive me to Gare Bordeaux Saint-Jean, and we had a good conversation along the way. But before we get into the city, I asked him to make a couple of stops so I could take better pictures in the warm, morning light. First stop was, of course, where I had dinner last night - Château Lafite-Rothschild.