Not a fan of raw fish? Never did I know that I would put raw fish into my mouth! I love Japanese food in general. I had my first Japanese meal - Sushi and Sashimi when I was at high school. And I fell in love with Japanese food right from that moment.

 

As time goes by, Japanese food is nothing unfamiliar to me. I like both the cooked dishes and the raw ones. The restaurant that is on top of my list at the moment is Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. We had the freshest ever sashimi and sushi when we were in Los Angeles recently.

 

 

It was a very busy Saturday night. We had to wait for about 20 minutes before we were seated at the sushi bar as all the tables were fully booked. But, to satisfy our taste buds and our hungry stomachs, we didn’t mind. After all, it was probably a better idea as the sushi bar is located in a separate room from the main dining area. There were 3 chefs that serve the patrons in that room.

 

We had cooked dishes like Soft Shell Crabs and Tempura Prawns and Vegetables. They were absolutely delicious! Both dishes were light, not oily at all. I think I particularly like the Soft Shell Crabs for the quality of freshness. Not only that, the use of light batter has produced wonderful crispiness to the crabs! Yum!

 

What impressed me most was the way sashimis were served. As we were at the sushi counter, we could just tell the chef what we wanted. We went for our normal sashimi selections of salmon, tuna, mackerel, and bream. After that, some sushi – fish roe, sea eel, prawns, octopus, seaweed, jellyfish. Then, we sort of ran out idea of what to have. The chef was friendly and explained all the chunky fish fillets that they had. Then, he suggested to us to try sardine, sea urchin, and grey snapper. These are the ones that I have never tried eating raw.

 

Sea urchin sushi was too slimy, milky and a bit sweet for my liking. My first bite told me that I didn’t like it, so I swallowed it. The sardine was brilliant. Tasted very fresh and firm, not fishy at all! The one that I remember most was the grey snapper sashimi. We asked the chef to prepare the best way that he could think of.

 

The chef came out with a really simple yet scrumptious way of serving 4 thinly sliced snapper sashimi. His recipe?? Squeeze of lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil, chopped chives and sprinkle of Miso. How about that? Of course, good quality of snapper is the key. We both loved this so much that the memory of the first bite stays until now. My camera was out of battery. So, I missed all the wonderful shots that I could have taken! I had only a picture captured by the iphone. Truly, not the best quality of picture but definitely a good quality of fish!!

 

 

A meal for 2 for about £70 (excludes wine) for a 1 star Michelin is pretty reasonable. Actually, I would say that it’s cheaper than a good standard of Japanese restaurant in London. Price and quality wise, Matsuhisa is the place to go for an unforgettable good dining experience with both thumbs up before you leave the restaurant.

 

However, I haven’t tried UMU, or Nobu Restaurants in London though. But, for now, Matsuhisa takes the lead. Rating: 9/10

 

Matsuhisa Restaurant

129 N. La Cienega Blvd

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Tel: 310-659-9639

 

 

I struggled to choose a nice and good standard restaurant for Sunday lunch as most them that I shortlisted are closed on Sundays. After all the phone calls, I crossed off some of them on my list. Left with one that I finally thought would be the one to go. A 2 Michelin-Star restaurant, located in one of the nicest part of the West End, that offers a reasonably priced 3-course lunch that sounds pretty impressive. I believe in my choice, so, I booked a table for 3.

 

 

It was slightly more than 2 weeks ago that we went to The Capital Restaurant for a special lunch. I said special because it was for Arnaud’s mom birthday. I did actually check the menu before I decided to book. I always make sure I do this before I book a restaurant.

 

 

It wasn’t a very busy Sunday, most probably because it was Bank Holiday. We were greeted by a friendly waiter and then led to our table.

 

 

Each of us got the lunch menu in our hands. Within seconds, I knew what I was going to have. (Having read it before hand for a few times) However, I did have to admit that I was contemplating to either have Rabbit or Fish. Both sounded really good to me. After a few minutes, we all knew what we wanted. Later, the sommelier ran through some of our choices of wine and we then settled with a bottle of Red Bordeaux.

 

 

We started with an amuse bouche of Lobster Consommé. This had tempted my appetite, wanting to eat more. Casual chat took place while we were waiting for our entrée. Soon, the waiters presented our entrée in front of us. I had Home Cured ‘Treacle’ Salmon with Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab. In fact, we all had the same. Absolutely delicious as this dish contained all my favourites! The salmon is really special, never tasted anything like it before. Two thumbs up!

 

 

 

For the main, my decision finally was to have Roasted Leg of Rabbit with ‘Tian Provençale’. The meat was so tender and juicy. It was served a tiny tortellini by the side. How pretty that was!

 

Dessert was the crucial part as I had told the restaurant manager to do something special on the plate as it was Arnaud’s mom birthday. As the dessert was presented to her, it came with a lit candle. She was surprised and happy.

 

I chose to have Caramel Moelleux, Jivara Mousse with Banana and Vanilla Ice Cream. It was pretty nice but not one of the best desserts that I have had.

 

However, I must admit that the overall lunch was wonderful - good food, a special day with great company.

 

 

So, what do I think of The Capital Restaurant? I personally think it’s surely a 2 Michelin-Star restaurant. The service was great, the food was delicious. Moreover, the lunch is reasonably priced. Overall rating, 8.5/10.

 

 

Followed by the post that was written on the 28th October, here I am to continue writing a longer post to say that I have had a fabulous birthday celebration ever! So, how did I celebrate my birthday? Oh well, it was a 3-day celebration!!

 

Let me start telling you what happened on the 26th October. I had my friends around for dinner, oui, c’est moi le chef! I had my menu planned a few days before.

 

I had decided to make a 3 course meal! On that night, we had mini Provençal Tarts as amuse bouche. It was a success as the serving plate was empty within minutes! I opted for a light starter - Grilled Prawns & Squids in Trio Citrus Fruits Dressing. What could I say, it was simple yet delicious. As for the main, it was Pan Fried Seabass Served With Seasonal Vegetables and Selections of Mushrooms. To end the dinner, it was a special dessert that was served. It was made specially for my birthday. It was a typical South African dessert - Peppermint Crisps Pudding. Delicious! Well, due to the fact that I was a busy host on that night, I didn’t have a chance to take some shots of the food that I made. However, I promise, I will feature all these dishes on my upcoming posts!

 

My weekend started with a wonderful dinner at home. Then, to a 2 ** Michelin restaurant - The Square in Mayfair the next evening. It was a surprise for me. I only knew about the restaurant on the day itself as Arnaud refused to tell me where we were gonna go for dinner. The exterior of the restaurant had already given me a good impression, not to mentioned about the menu. Well, we were a bit worried that it might be a disappointment at first as Arnaud read some mixed reviews on some websites about The Square. But, I thought, everyone was different, so would the views!

 

As we got into the restaurant, we were led to our table. The waiters and waitresses were friendly. There were already a few tables occupied as we arrived. We opted for tasting menu, a 7 course menu. Sounds a lot but every dish came in a small portion. I have to admit that every dish was so up to Michelin Star standard - so carefully and nicely cooked and presented. I really have to praise how consistent the presentation was for all the dishes that were served. We were not disappointed by any of the dishes.

 

My favourite(s)? Oh, it’s a difficult question. I like Salad of Thinly Sliced Octopus, Red Mullet, Salt Cod and White Bait with Lemon Oil, Orange and Herbs. Ah, and this one - Sauté of Scottish Langoustine Tails with Parmesan Gnocchi and an Emulsion of Potato and Truffle. And that one … err… Loin of Venison with Creamed Cabbage, Green Peppercorns and Beetroot. Not to forget, the pre-dessert, it was the super yummy Choux à la crème and also the dessert itself - Créme Brulée with Muscat Grapes and Sauternes.

 

My verdict for The Square: it was a good dining experience, friendly staff in spite of a small mistake made - no change of cutlery after the first dish. Apart from that, good food - combinations of tastes and colours, and very well presented. Overall rating: 8.5/10.

 

More celebration the next day? Yes! Arnaud bought me a very nice birthday cake from patisserie Valerie and he got all my presents presented in front of me. It was a great moment - I had to blow off the candles and open all my presents As it was Sunday, we took it easy at home and the eating continued with Roast dinner in that evening. I have to say that it was very much food related weekend. What a wonderful weekend, too short though.

 

Tomorrow is gonna be 1st November. So, anything to look forward to? We’ll see.

Yesterday evening was special. It was a GREAT gastronomic experience that will last for a life time! Pied à Terre is located at Charlotte St, London. A petit restaurant that has the status of 2 star Michelin. We have opted for Menu Degustation. It has left me speechless simply because of the uniqueness, tastefulness and thoughfulness of the food prepared by the Chef.

Let me now share with you the whole journey of this experience;

Now, hungry yet? I am. It’s over my usual dinner time and I wish I could have these again!