Visited in August 2025 Dinner Rating: mentioned in Guide Michelin
It may be attractive for people who do not suffer fear of heights to visit a platform on a skyscraper to get a view over New York from the top. Often this means buying tickets and eventually waiting in a queue. Another possibility is a reservation in a restaurant high up, and there are different possibilities. Originally, I thought about booking in SAGA**, but even beginning of August, the desired dates were greyed out on the reservation platform Tock. Looking for an alternative, I found Manhatta, which, according to Guide Michelin, should have good food located on the 60th floor in a building in the financial district. The windows are facing towards Midtown and east direction Brooklyn Bridge. An MTA train ride on line 2 with exit at Wall Street station brought us close to the restaurant. Leaving the elevator and going left one has a direct view of the bar. Left of it is a bar area, on the right there is first dining room, followed by the open kitchen and a further dining area with corner windows. We booked for 7 pm, which gave us the chance to take a look at the skyline day and night. For dinner, the restaurant offers three- and four-course menus with a choice of four or five different options in each section to choose from. We decided on the four-course and started with a cocktail and a mocktail. But before they arrived, a snack was served.
Pecorino, trout roe
This mild cheese and superb caviar combination of a crispy tartelette marked a very strong start.
TROPIC THUNDER
Tanqueray 10, Planteray Stiggins Pineapple, Cappelletti, Chinola Mango, Yuzu, Tangerine, Passionfruit, Egg White, Passionfruit Koji Saline, and an alcohol-free mocktail
Bread and butter
The bread was exceptionally good and triggered reorder(s).
Smoked Burrata with summer melon, tarragon and sobacha
Sobacha is Japanese roasted buckwheat tea. To smoke the burrata was an interesting twist.
Hudson Valley Trout with mezcal, blood orange and avocado
The coarse tartare of avocado and trout, although previously excluded and not listed on the menu, had been mixed with some fresh coriander. Just about tolerable. A Mezcal granite was located on the side. A blood orange vinaigrette and a squid ink chip with sea salt and coriander powder completed the course. ___
Corn and Pecorino Cheese Tortellini with Australian black truffleLive Scallop with jimmy nardellos, nduja and heirloom tomatoes
The scallops were not living anymore, but the word “live” should indicate that they were very fresh. The nduja (a pork sausage from Calabria) was provided as crumble. Finger lime on the scallop added acidity and freshness. Jimmy Nardello is a variety of peppers originally from the Basilicata region in southern Italy. ___
Dry Aged Duck with gold bar squash, sansho pepper, and peaches
Interesting combination of flawless duck breast and leg, early pumpkin as a vegetable, and peach for the fruity touch.
Ribeye of Beef with gem lettuce, aji dulce and garlic scapes Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Ceritas, “Colima” 2020, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Aji dulce are small, sweet, fruity, and little spicy peppers. Grilled gem lettuce (Eisbergsalat), from the garlic only the stems were used. The ribeye was simply perfect. It doesn’t always have to be wagyu.
Melon ice cream with Prosecco jelly and melon pieces
We both were thrilled by this simple but superb pre-dessert.
Milk Chocolate chicory mousse with white coffee cremeux and black cherry ice cream
Cherry and chocolate, a combination that almost never fails.
Toasted Rice Millefeuille with Koshihikari Rice Cream and Hazelnut Cream
A very nice dessert centered around rice and complemented by hazelnut preparations.
Peach Macaron
Simple and perfect. Taste and texture of the macarons as it should be.
After dessert, I had the pleasure of emptying the bottle and enjoying a few glasses of 2017 Puligny-Montrachet, Comtesse de Chérisey, Hameau de Blagny, 1er that a couple at the next table thankfully had left for me. They had also offered me the red wine that accompanied the main course.
Summary
Good food, interesting wine and drinks list, vibrant atmosphere, magnificent view, and lovely service. This reservation was spot on. I would come back here again.
Visited in August 2025 Lunch Rating: Two Michelin Macarons
After a visit to the great Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side, we had lunch at Jean-Georges, which is located in a side tract of the Hilton Hotel at Columbus Circle. You enter it through a separate entrance. They publish relatively strict attire rules on their website, but taking a look at the other guests, I had the impression that it is not taken so seriously. We had a nice table with an overlook of the dining room. Jean-George is one of the few highly rated New York restaurants that does not require that you pay in advance. The restaurant was not booked out this noon. At lunch, they offer a six-course or a four-course lunch with a choice of three savory dishes and cheese or dessert. We decided on four courses and selected our choices out of three starters, three intermediate course, main course, and dessert/cheese.
Bread and butter
Delicious bread and Bordier butter. Remarkably, the dark full-seed bread.
The sea trout of good quality was placed on a crispy rectangular piece of potato pancake. This was relatively dry. Additionally, the falafel-type second amuse was quite dry and not my favorite.
The akami tuna was of high quality. Itachi cucumber is a white Asian cucumber with an intense taste. Poblano is a mild chili pepper which made the escabeche spicy. This was reinforced by the ancho pepper which is the dried version of the poblano.
Heirloom Tomato summer fruit, myoga ginger and gazpacho consommé
My starter consisted of a potpourri of summer vegetables and fruits. To mention a few, I found watermelon, four different sorts of tomatoes, beans, nuts, onions, and chili. The different tomatoes were of best quality. Again, the use of chili and shoots of myoga ginger in the consomée made the serving slightly spicy. This was a very fresh seasonal course.
Hudson Valley Foie Gras tamarind, pineapple and black lime tajin
A nice piece of harissa-crusted, seared foie gras came with a pineapple chili purée and onion compote. The pineapple was slightly spicy. Warm Foie Gras is my favorite preparation and pleased also here.
Gulf Shrimp gold bar squash, kanzuri and 5 year soy sauce
Grilled squash slices below the perfectly seared shrimps and squash purée, creamy soy sauce. Kanzuri is a mix of togarashi chili peppers, salt, rice koji, and a hint of yuzu. It was used in the red liquid and responsible for the spiciness in this course.
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Spiced Duck Breast shelling beans, umeboshi and lovage
The duck breast was the best of the three servings in different restaurants during our New York stay, perfect in texture, intense in taste, crispy skin and spices on the skin that provided additional umami. Umeboshi (fermented Japanese plum) was used in the red vinaigrette, and the green oil was aromatized with lovage. A mixture of red beans and greens was present as a side on this colorful plate.
Wagyu Strip Loin Calabrian chili, broccoli, mimolette jus and dill
The wagyu, which was perfectly pan-fried, came with broccoli purée and roses as a vegetable accompaniment. Dill was used for the broccoli preparations. The red-yellow garnish on the broccoli, which included Calabrian chili, added some spiciness to the course again. The jus incorporating the northern-France cheese mimolette paired well with the wagyu.
Black Forest almond, cherries, vanilla cream and devil’s food cake
This beautiful decorated bowl had a deconstructed black forest cake as topic. The eater was very pleased and refused to share. That says something…
I had this beautifully arranged berry garden, which consisted of a pastry ring on which the following components were placed: Strawberries, candied strawberry chips, strawberry sorbet, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pistachio ganache and financier, meringue, cooled strawberry, elderflower and basil pearls. An elderflower strawberry was poured into the middle. What a fantastic summer dessert!
What followed for the finish surprised me because it is rather uncommon for a New York restaurant: The Petits Fours trolley. Five different parlinés, homemade marshmallows, soft caramel candies, and six other sweet treats were presented.
I took the cherry macaron, the sudachi blue- & raspberry tartelette, marshmallow, the raspberry jelly, two of the pralines, the taste of which I do not remember, and the gummy bear, which had the taste of a cocktail I do not remember.
Summary
Despite opinions in some reviews I read before, this lunch was pretty good. This restaurant is the flagship restaurant of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the patron of the JG imperium, of origin from Alsace, France. The menu did not give a hint to this in difference, e.g., to Gabriel Kreuther, whom I visited in February. What stood out was the almost ubiquitous spiciness of the dishes. That’s certainly not for everyone. I would like to emphasize is the extremely friendly service. Since the price-performance ratio was also good, it is worth revisiting.
Visited in August 2025 Dinner Rating: Two Michelin Macarons
The MTA Red Line 1 brought us from mid-town to Franklin Street and a short walk to the restaurant. Through a kind of labyrinthine way in the building, we were guided to the dining room. We had a table close to a kitchen bench where three cooks prepared the first snacks. This evening was not sold out. Two tables remained empty. After the water question was clarified, I ordered half a bottle of 2021 Grgich Hills Estate Fumé Blanc for the savory courses until Lobster. Although I said that we wanted half a non-alcoholic pairing (named “Temperance”) for the other guest, the full package was served. The menu in Atera is a surprise menu, which is neither published on the internet nor handed out before the start of the serving. Temperance Pairing: Sparkling Rosé I Rose Hip, Strawberry was served before the first snack arrived at the table.
Crab I Cucumber, Coconut
A fantastic start with a tartelette, plucked peaky toe crabmeat, coconut cream, cucumber slices and lime jelly.
AEbleskiver I Truffle, Compté
Another highlight: the traditional Danish Christmas pastries, here in a warm (if not too warm), savory version filled with Comté cheese and topped with parmesan and truffle.
Kaluga Caviar I Custard, Bonito
Smoked custard in a bonito broth with Kaluga caviar formed the next tasty Amuse Bouche. It was very well balanced and used the best ingredients.
Foie Gras I Cherry, Balsamic
Announced as the final snack this sablé with filling switched to the carnivore universe. The filling was a foie gras mousse with some balsamic and cherry on top. It tasted a little cheesy. We suspected that it had been processed in sablé.
Tuna I Watermelon, Yuzu Pairing: Pineapple I Tamarind, Saffron
This very beautiful looking bowl contained Akami tuna and watermelon cubes, and flower-shaped radish. It was topped by finely-grated radish and trout caviar. The quite acidic vinaigrette was yuzu-based.
Halibut I Scallop, Mushroom Pairing: Pomegranate I Vanilla, Citrus
The fish course had halibut and scallop as the main ingredients and these were accompanied by sweet peas, porcini, Mu-Err and oyster mushrooms and kohlrabi. Very good.
Lobster I Sweetbread, Truffle Pairing: Smoked Ginger I Chicory, Lemon, Black Tea
Surf and turf differently. Seafood as Maine lobster pieces and astonishing crispy sweetbread pieces in this cappuccino called preparation. In addition, we found bity saffron pasta, passion fruit aromes, truffle, and at the bottom of the cup a lobster tea. This was quite a complex but at the same time fantastic tasting course.
Beef I Carrot, Harissa, Kombu Pairing: Cote de Beet I Black Currant, Thyme Wine Pairing: 2021 Jean Chauvenet, Aux Raviolles, Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, France
Braised beef cheek, zucchini, carrot, carrot purée, and green asparagus were the components of the first of the two main courses. Harissa on the meat and a kombu-based jus completed this serving. The cheek was very tender. When it came to the red wine to accompany the two meat dishes, they immediately reached for the top shelf without asking. The wine was undoubtedly very good. The temperance pairing was almost undrinkable alone, with its earthy beet aromas, but changed its taste completely when drunk with the beef cheek course. It paired less well with the duck.
Duck I Blackberry, Lemongrass
The second main course had dry-aged duck as its topic. During our New York stay, we were served this two more times. Here, a beautiful, big half blackberry and a blackberry sauce set the tone. Further side dishes were celeriac as a disc and purée, pickled plum, hazelnut, and a lemongrass foam. The duck with its small fat layer was tender but missing a crispy skin.
Lemon I White Chocolate Pairing: Basil, Lime I Coconut, Cocoa Nib
This combination of marzipan, white chocolate, and lemon was very nice.
Strawberry I Pistachio
The main dessert was composed of a strawberry-filled meringue with pistachio, frozen milk snow, and a strawberry sauce.
Raspberry I Caramel Banana I Bourbon Chocolate I Mint
The dinner was closed with these three mignardises. The raspberry, caramel one was the best.
Summary
Astonishing, we had both the impression that the menu started very strongly but then became weaker and weaker. I left the restaurant with mixed feelings. Price performance was, for sure, the worst we had during our whole New York stay. The light in the dining room is very unsuitable for taking pictures; it is loud. The music selection was according to our taste, with many highlights from the eighties. Service was impeccable with the exception of the communication mismatch for the temperance pairing.
Visited in September 2024 Dinner Rating: not rated yet
After I had visited the culinary lighthouses in New York, Eleven Madison Park (before plant- based phase), Per Se, Le Bernadin in the past, never had plans for Masa, it was always my wish to visit Chef’s table at Brooklyn Fare. Some obstacles hindered me from doing so. During the period when César Ramirez was the chef here, the minimum party that could reserve was two. The price tag was always high and had to be paid upfront via Tock. And, the restaurant was often booked-out immediately after the reservation window opened. However, some things have been changed since it reopened after the unexpected big bang mid-last year. My travel plans changed three weeks before I planned to arrive in New York, which allowed for an additional dinner during my New York stay. I could easily reserve a place at the kitchen counter for the second seating on a Saturday evening. Half of the menu price, which recently was reduced by 20%, had to be paid as a deposit upfront. Located in a corner of a supermarket of the small chain Brooklyn Fare between coffee and marmalade shelves one finds the receiving counter of the restaurant. When I walked through the supermarket a known face came towards me: Rebekah, the wife of Max Natmessnig, one of the co-chefs of the restaurant. Max, I knew already from my visit in Munich last year when he cooked in Restaurant Alois. The guest room consists of an open kitchen with a kitchen counter and tables in the back. Seats at the counter are comfortably placed with enough space to the neighbors. The menu with 15 servings is given, the wine menu was a little challenging for me. The 11 glass wine pairing was out of question due to an early morning flight on the next day. The choice of half bottles is limited with only one Riesling as white wine. The wines by the glass also did not attract me, so I had to choose a whole bottle. My choice fell on a 2022 sauvignon blanc RouteStock from Napa Valley California which tasted and paired well with most of the courses.
Blue Fin Tuna
The dinner started with this tuna taco made of a potato base, Japanese blue fin tuna of the right size and bite, pickled corn, and summer flowers. The taste was very fresh with a touch of acidity and the quality of the tuna was beyond any doubt.
King Crab
The following buckwheat tarte had meat of king crab as the main ingredient. It was prepared together with saffron, apple and sea buckthorn, an ingredient also known from northeast Germany. The sweetness of the crabmeat went well together with the acidity of the other compounds.
Foie Gras ǀ Eel
The then-served snack elevated the quality to the next level. This combination of red beet, foie gras and smoked, flamed and glazed eel was simply fantastic.
A5 Wagyu
Another sensational bite was this crispy Nori tartelette filled with truffle crème, wagyu A5 tatar, covered with caviar and shiso flowers. The temperature was perfect, the aromas balanced and the textures exciting.
Hokkaido Uni
There it is, the new version of the CTBF classic uni toast now to be eaten in three bites. On a non-sweet Belgian waffle butternut squash purée, uni (sea urchin), and truffle were applied. Devine.
Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino)
One believes it or not but this dish is an example of the further improvement of sourcing ingredients that have unearthly quality. It was often written that when an ingredient has a top quality, in this restaurant they find a supply that delivers an even higher quality. Max explained to me in German that scouts analyze the Kinmedai in Chiba, Japan, and get it with more than 17% fat proportion, which stands for the utmost quality. On this plate, it comes after having been dry-aged, grilled above Binchotan charcoal, and flamed, on crème fraiche, Myoga ginger Julienne with a fingerlime ginger escabeche, verbena oil, and Ikura (trout roe). Pickled jalapeños were also somewhere. This was another fantastic serving.
Caviar ǀ Scallop
From the kitchen counter, one could well observe the preparation of this serving. The big meaty scallops from Maine were first fried and then transferred to the Binchotan grille where they remained quite long. Served with vin jaune sauce, fig leaf oil, and a generous portion of caviar they were perfect with a glassy inside. This was one of the best coquille St. Jacques, I had so far.
Abalone
In a preheated bowl, slices of abalone on rice preserved white asparagus from Israel, and shaved Matsutake mushrooms were surrounded by a sauce cooked from abalone liver and seaweed. This abalone preparation I liked more than the one Max cooked for me in Munich last year. In Munich, I was more astonished that such a rare ingredient was served at all.
Langoustine
The Norway lobster was prepared in an East Asian fashion. The crustacean of highest quality was briefly fried with oil and served with an essence cooked from its heads, pandan cocos foam, kaffir lime, peanut, nam prik, underneath a brunoise with mango, and on top purple curry powder and a mini zucchini with flower. The perfect quality and preparation of the Norway lobster and the play between acidity and spiciness made it another highlight of the menu.
Turbot
Turbot from the Netherlands, sepia, Australian winter truffle, consommé. How it smells… No knife was necessary to eat this. Simply delicious.
Hudson Valley Duck
Seared foie gras, a chanterelle mushroom, a raviolo made of ragout of duck leg and three different mushrooms wrapped in leaves of nasturtium (Kapuzinerkresse) and duck jus, accompanied a slice of dry-aged Hudson Valley duck breast. The breast had a crispy skin and was of rose color inside. A perfect first meat course.
A4 Wagyu
This serving was quite reduced with wasabi underneath, fresh and cured palm heart cubes, a tranche of A4 wagyu beef of fantastic quality and finish, a pistou crème, and beef jus.
Huckleberry
The dessert was served in a deep bowl with layers of almond cremeux, Beach rose/Shiso sorbet, yoghurt espuma and huckleberry. A good but for me not overwhelming dessert.
Fujisan Bread
Miso glazed Japanese brioche, coconut sorbet. The excellent bread was changing between sweetness and saltiness. I knew it already from Munich where it was already praised by me.
Mignardise
Matcha Canelé, crispy Yuzu paraliné The praline I liked very much. The canelé, which was green inside, had an odd taste for me. For taking at home, each guest got a box with two excellent pistachio madeleines.
Summary Many of the servings are unreal if not to say out of this world good. If someone who loves good food is not in culinary heaven here then I do not understand that. Some servings are simply very good, most outstanding. The complexity of the servings is most often higher than that of the “old” CTBF. However, this does not at all take a bit away from their sensation. The dessert, I found a little disappointing in comparison to what else was served but that may be due to my personal taste regarding desserts. The service was very attentive and knowledgeable and provided just the right amount of information. The chefs also served plates, Max of course explained them in German as Rebekah also did for the most part. This also contributed to the feeling of well-being. I had a nice chat with the sommelière afterward and was the last person to leave the restaurant. The dinner had a duration of little more than three and a half hours. The restaurant was not booked out to the last place. I predict that this will change once Michelin has issued the next ratings for New York.
Visited in May 2024 Lunch Rating: one Michelin Macaron
A visit to a car show in Cernobbio at Lake Como brought me to Italy on a marvelous Sunday. Since between the free exhibition of the cars and the parade on the stage, there was quite some time I waslooking for lunch options. By chance, there is a Michelin-rated restaurant in walking distance of the exhibition area Villa d’Erba and they had a table available for lunch. The restaurant is affiliated with the former Como Grand Hotel, which belongs to the Sheraton group now. It is in a separate building in the very beautiful garden premises of the hotel complex. Besides two 5-course menus, one omnivore, one vegetarian, and a chef’s tasting menu in eight courses one can also choose from à la carte options. This is what I did. Because the weather was really good I chose to take my lunch on the terrace. Shortly after I found my place, crackers arrived at the table.
Cracker
Beside other ingredients with poppy, pumpkin and various flower seeds. Good.
Snacks
Five different snacks from right to left: Warm pulled pork croquette with béchamel sauce, Tartelette with green tomato sphere and bergamot mayonnaise, a vegan cake made with cheese, chestnut, and bell pepper, taco, and “cherry” filled with foie gras crème and coconut. All were very good with the pulled pork as my favorite.
Amuse bouche
Buffalo Mozzarella crème, eggplant parmigiana sphere, and parmesan chip. The sphere had an intense parmigiana taste that dominated the other compounds on the plate. Nevertheless a good amuse bouche.
Bread and condiments
A parade of bread was served afterward: homemade grissini with rosemary and sea salt, a brioche with poppy seed, two kinds of bread, butter from Normandy with blueberry salt, and a very good olive oil from Trapani/Sicily, uTrappìtu, Terre di Shemir.
Scallops, broad beans, vanilla onion and Champagne
Lukewarm scallops from Canada perfectly prepared with a glassy core were surrounded by broad bean mousse and onion vanilla confit. A champagne truffle sauce was applied at the table. I liked this starter very much. Especially the sauce was so good that almost nothing of it in the casserole left on the table came back to the kitchen.
Sous-vide cooked and then pan-fried duck breast was placed on a Robuchon-style potato purée covered with bok choi leaves. A brunoise of bok choi was also placed on the pan-fried piece of foie gras. The plate was completed with truffle slices and a very intense and dense jus of duck with shallots was applied at the table. The casserole was left on the table. Very good main course with a lot of Umami.
Mignardises
From left to right: mini Tiramisu, baba au Limoncello, hazelnut praline. All very good with baba as my favorite.
Summary
This was an enjoyable lunch with good products, rather classical combinations, and flawless preparation. With all the little extras before and after, even two courses were enough to not leave the table hungry. It is a very pleasant location especially if the weather gives a chance to sit outside. Service was professional but also kind and dedicated to the guest. On another occasion in future, I am curious to taste more courses prepared according to the concepts of Chef Andrea.
Visited in November 2023 Dinner Rating: Three Michelin Macarons, One green star
The restaurant, run by German Stefan Stiller, who has a second two Michelin Macaron restaurant of the same name in Gangzhou as well as two other restaurants in Shanghai and Gangzhou, respectively, is not exactly on a street where you would expect to find such a restaurant. Finally, at the end of a dead end road, the glow of a red sign, which could be a Michelin badge, pointed the way. After ringing the bell next to the door, I am one of the first guests to enter the dining room, where a kitchen counter with seating for 20 people is grouped in a U-shape around the kitchen. There are also two booths, each seating 4 people, and an event location nearby, as indicated by the various trays of food being carried out through the entrance. The restaurant will be fully booked tonight. The patron is on site, checking occasionally preparations and crossing off the outgoing dishes on the receipts of the individual groups of guests next to the pass. As I greet the restaurant team with a clear “Good Evening” and a “Guten Abend”, the patron greets me personally. After clarifying the water issue, wafer- thin bread crackers and caramelized peanuts are placed in front of me.
When I did my reservation, more than two month ago a payoff of RMB 2000 was already booked from my credit card. The starting point of the menu is the 8-course core menu, with various salty and sweet snacks before and after the main dishes, which changes every 6-8 weeks to reflect the seasons. In addition to the core menu, they also offer two supplemental selections: Taian Table’s signature dishes from past menus, as well as limited-time seasonal specials. The guest selects two or four dishes from these classics and specials to add to the core menu, and customizes the dinner according to appetite, diet and personal preference. The end price of the menu depends then from the number of additional courses selected. Until the day of my visit, menu No. 42 was displayed on the website, but I already suspected it, on the evening menu no 43 was handed-out to me. From another review, I knew already that the classic lamb should be good and for the second additional course, my choice fluctuated between the new seasonal specialty veal tatar and the king crab. I wanted to limit my wine consumption and decided as a start beginning with the first courses for a glass of 2021 Domaine Fouassier, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley | France
Bread & Nuts
Shiitake | Beurre Noisette | 香菇 | 棕黄油
First, a mushroom soup with marinated shiitake mushrooms from Yunan at the bottom, a beurre noisette espuma and nut butter flakes was served. This had an intense umami taste and showed a first glimpse of the excellent cooking craft.
A trilogy of three amuses bouches followed: – a green algae wall cylinder filled with broccoli, pistachio and passionfruit crème, – a puff pastry filled with sardine mousse decorated with a melon disc and flowers, and – a tartelette filled with beef tatar, pear, cucumber kimchi made with Korean red chili paste and egg yolk crème. All were very good. Especially the snack with the passion fruit crème shined with its concise, mild, not sour taste.
Tomato Custard | Swimming Crab | 番茄蛋羹 | 梭子蟹
A Foie Gras preparation, crabmeat, a tomato chip on the bottom of the bowl were overlaid with a white tomato foam. Nice delicious little preparation with tastes between umami by tomato and Foie and sweetness of the crab.
Cured Kampachi | 腌制琥珀鱼 Water Bamboo | Kombu | Green Rhubarb 茭白 | 昆布 | 大黄
Christiaan served me this course and explained it to me in German. Three days aged Kampachi, two times marinated, the second time with a vinaigrette containing yuzu. Water bamboo slices on top of a jelly, homemade yoghurt and a green rhubarb vinaigrette. A fantastic course with very fresh tasting Kampachi, firm bamboo and well-balanced acidity by the vinaigrette; for me a true three-macaron Michelin course.
The restaurant is full in the meantime. Some may describe the atmosphere as vibrant, some others maybe simply as noisy. The kitchen noise, the talking guests, phone calls and music in the background contribute to this. Guests were mainly Chinese, three including me looked European. Chinese guests are different from western fine diners. They become impatient if they do not get the next course after 10 minutes. They have no problem with using their telephone at the table. One guest was told by the service to stop phoning several times. It was uncomfortable for the service and they saw that I was dissatisfied with this but they could not help. As a compensation, I got another generously filled glass of the Sancerre.
Tatar of Veal Tenderloin I Brown Butter | Button Mushroom
From the classics menu: Creamy veal tatar with brown miso butter, rocket pesto and shaved champignons on top. A gentle, clear and cautiously salted course.
Foie gras terrine with dark chocolate, XO crème and fermented plum, aside brioche backed with XO crème
Grilled King Crab Leg |扒帝王蟹脚 White Miso Hollandaise | Pickled Radish 白味增荷兰汁 | 腌 渍萝
Inserted as an extra course from the Classics section by the chef: leg of grilled king crab (sweet) with nice smoke aromas, miso hollandaise delivering a lot of umami, pickled red beet rose with earthy acidity.
New Zealand Deep Sea Scampi | 新西兰深海鳌虾 Celeriac | Tom Kha Gai 根芹 |椰汁鸡汤
Celery prepared in pasta style, a crustacean of highest quality and optimal preparation and a coconut, lemongras, galangal sauce derived from Thai cuisine contributed to this excellent course.
A dressed piece of the yellow croaker with an excellent sauce with Shao Xing Wine (= a traditional Chinese vin jaune), sea buckthorn without adding prominent acidity, dill and keta caviar. Rice pearls on the fish added crispyness. Nasturtium leaves and flowers on top. Star on the plate was clearly the sauce: well balanced with delicate dill aroma, went very well with the fish without overpowering.
At this time I observed Christiaan at the pass first tasting then pushing back a casserole with a sauce saying “Guys, too sweet, once again.” 🙂 These scenes one can only observe in restaurants with open kitchen.
Served by Christiaan: Duck dry-aged for 3 days, de-boned, marinated for 6 to 8 hours, sous- vide pre-cooked. Then layered with dough, Spitzkohl, boudin noir sausage. The loaf is then baked like a filet wellington. The result of this complex preparation is an almost in the mouth melting tender piece of meat. It was served with white onion sauce, pickled onions and powder of the baked onion. A classical duck jus infused with blackberries completes the plate. An intense duck consommé is served aside.
Lumina Lamb Saddle | 新西兰羊鞍 Black Currant Mostarda | Spätzle
From the “Our Specials” section: Next was a very tender piece of the New Zealand lamb saddle with crispy skin a mustard lemon jus. Spätzle and lentils with meat from the gigot, Gruyère cheese foam, crispy fried onion rings. Spätzle and lentils is a typical meal from Swabia in southern Germany. I never had it so fine. I asked the Chef about his origin and it turned out that he grew up in the same area in Niedersachen where my family lived a long time.
In the meantime, 4 places further a bottle of 2005 Château Pétrus was opened by the sommelier. The fact that it is not listed on the wine menu and that the sommelier could not immediately answer my question for the year is a sign for me that it was brough by the guest.
Before main course as a palette neutralizer sorbet and slices of kiwi with Thai basil and Nigori Saki poured at the table was served. In my opinion, this should have been served two courses ago when the transition from fish and crustaceans to meat happened. The content of the cup itself was very good.
This piece of wagyu of the highest quality A5 was the first of its kind that tasted for me according to enthusiastic descriptions in other reviews. With its high evenly distributed fat content it melted literally in the mouth. Responsible for it is the right preparation applied here. The sirloin was short-grilled from both sides for a couple of 10 seconds on a charcoal grill at around 450 °C. It was served with a smoked eel (unagi = fresh water eel) carpaccio, a spoonful of caviar, an eel foam and a mild sauerkraut below the foam. The sauerkraut did not pair well with the wagyu. I ate it separately. All other components in combination were fantastic.
Pear | 蜜梨 Fourme D’Ambert | Dulce De Leche 昂贝尔·佛姆|牛奶焦糖
The dessert consisted of a dulce de leche ice cream on a disk of parfait made with the French cheese Fourme d’Ambert. Besides was a sablé filled with different preparations of pear such as candied, as gel, natural, crème and some Fourme d’Ambert chips. This was a nice not too sweet dessert. Pear and cheese are anyway often a winner combination.
Orange Baba | Passionfruit Cocos | Black Forest | Canelé
From high to low podests it was a standard canelé, a black forest rearrangement without Kirschwasser in form of a cherry with cherry jelly and chocolate mousse, A coco almond passionfruit praline and a lemon curd Grand Marnier Baba with candied oranges. All four I liked very much.
Popping candy | Amaretto pralines
Both good
Chocolate Box | 巧克力盒 Yuzu | Black Chocolate 80% | Strawberry Yoghurt | Beetroot | Apple Curd and Rosmary
I took one of each home.
Summary
I enjoyed my visit very much. I do not remember having eaten once in a menu so many meat courses (duck, lamb and wagyu) of such a high quality. Another highlight were the Kampachi and the yellow croacker, the latter mainly because of the sauce. The weakest course was the foie gras serving. A couple of courses were served by Stefan Stiller himself, chef de cuisine Christiaan Stoop and another German member of the team who was preparing the meat at the hot station before serving. During the evening, we had a couple of interesting conversations including a view in the cold preparation and development kitchen 30 meters away. Jürgen Dollase wrote in his review of the cookbook of this restaurant that the restaurant with its German owner is a little overseen. This is OK according to Mr. Stiller being the main customers local ones. The service was attentive and adapted the serving speed to my convenience.
gourmettrips 