Little Michelin flowers of spring

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Three weeks after our last visit - with another trip to Japan in between - we are back at Godenya (ごでんや). I usually make sure I book at least 2 visits around this time of year, in order to catch the season for those tiny little sansho flowers. This time, though, we are lucky to be here just 3 days after the restaurant earned its very first Michelin star. So I brought along a gift that I felt would be appreciated by Goshima-san.

Tonight's menu looks remarkably like the one from a few weeks ago, but I didn't mind that at all. I loved the dishes from last time and wouldn't mind having them again and again...

Sakura-masu, ark shell, wasabi-stem, warabi, sansyo-leaf (桜鱒  赤貝  花山葵  蕨生  木の芽) - the flavors from the wasabi stems definitely stood out among the rest, and I do love how the dish has the combination of mashed sansho leaves (木の芽), fresh sansho leaves, and sansho flowers (花山椒).

Celebration bubblies and sticks

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I was still at lunch in Macau when RAW Yeah pinged me. Would I be interested in joining supper at Hidden (秀殿) tonight with the Man in White T-shirt? Well... after continuously stuffing my face over the last day or so, I really should take it easy tonight and stay home. I declined the invitation.

Then I got to thinking... why not treat this as a celebration for the Man in White T-shirt? After all, Neighborhood just got their first macaron yesterday... and surely that is something worth celebrating! I messaged RAW Yeah and told him I would be happy to join. Besides, it's been so long since I went to Hidden for supper, just like we did in the old days.

Mr. White T had already been there for an hour by the time I arrived, having mixed up our starting time. I would also meet a couple of new friends tonight, one of whom turned out to be my kohai (後輩) from high school in Tokyo.

Fried chicken wing (手羽唐揚げ) - YES! It is de rigueur to kick off a meal here with one (well, at least one) of these chicken wings. Mr. White T let slip that he did, at one time, get the recipe for this and ended up serving it at Neighborhood. Somehow I don't remember ever tasting that.

An afternoon in the garden

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My morning started with a late breakfast. I should have had this breakfast earlier, but erroneous information online put the opening times of Sei Kee Cafe (世紀咖啡快餐) in Nam Van (南灣) at 90 minutes later than when it actually opened.

I'm here for one thing - egg and luncheon meat on toast (午餐肉厚蛋多士). Having tasted this beautiful sandwich with its thick slab of luncheon meat along with a thick yet fluffy omelette, I just had to come back for it at the first chance I got. Who cares if lunch is in 90 minutes?!

And I still liked the clay pot coffee (燒瓦煲咖啡).

Michelin HK / Macau 2023: my 2 cents

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It has been many, many years since I last wrote a post to comment on the Rubberman and the annual award of the macarons. I used to point out what I considered to be "anomalies" in the first few editions, but got tired of it. After all, I'm a nobody and who gives a shit about what I think when the mighty Red Guide has been in existence for over 100 years?!

As I attended the announcement in person this year for the first time, instead of watching a livestream or waiting for the PR blurb after the fact, things felt a little different. A few restaurants and their chefs, with whom I have a deeper connection, have received what I and many others felt were long-overdue recognitions. I figured I would add my two cents' worth.

The biggest news of the day was undoubtedly the elevation of a restaurant to the pantheon of 3 macarons. This is a big deal. Looking at Rubberman's website, there are just 140 restaurants in the world which holds the distinction. So it's a very, very exclusive club.

Michelin HK / Macau 2023: buffet, gala, and supper

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After holding the revelation events online for the last few years during the pandemic, the Michelin Guide is once again making the announcements for the Hong Kong and Macau Red Guide in person. The title sponsor for this year has changed to the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, which has very kindly made all the arrangements for us. I got up bright and early this morning and headed to the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal to catch the ferry to Macau.

But first, traditions are traditions. I stopped by McDonald's at the terminal to buy breakfast for my ferry ride. Sausage McMuffin is just what I needed.