Japanese chef Atsushi Tanaka belongs to the new generation chefs in Paris. Prior to opening his tiny restaurant on a tranquil street of 5th arrondissement, Tanaka-san worked at Pierre Gagnaire in Tokyo, Quique Dacosta in Denia and some of the most prestigious kitchens in Scandinavia, Holland and Belgium. That brings…

Few pictures from my May lunch at Hexagone. My last visit there was back in January, when the restaurant had just opened. I must say that Mathieu Pacaud’s cooking is a perfect compromise between the traditions of the classic French cuisine and our modern search for légèreté on the plate.…

Some gastronomy modernists dismiss L’Ambroisie style of cooking as old fashioned, but, for me, perfect French cooking can never go out of fashion simply because it tastes so good. ( if it’s good for your diet is another story). I have posted about L’Ambroisie two years ago, below- images dating…

Forget about all the fancy proteins, usually associated with fine dining restaurants. It’s the humble herbs and vegetables that are reigning world’s most cutting edge kitchens nowadays. One of the pioneers of this vegetal trend was (and still is) Alain Passard, whose 3 Michelin starred restaurant menu is 90% vegetarian…

After the amazing turbot at Elkano and mouth-watering Galician beef at Etxebarri, it was the turn of Ibai, another Basque gem in San Sebastian focusing on excellent ingredients. Alicio Garro name might not be famous internationally, yet he is one of the finest chefs I’ve ever encountered. When perfect, seasonal…

My next stop in the Basque country was Asador Etxebarri, the ultimate grill in Axpe valley not far from Bilbao. Victor Arguinzoniz is a legend among the globe-trotting foodies and is known for his obsession with wood-fired grilling. Everything at this restaurant with picturesque surroundings is grilled or at least…

“Nothing”,- was the answer when I asked what was the turbot served with at Elkano. My short trip at the Basque country started 30 minutes drive from Donostia/San Sebastian, in the small fishermen town called Getaria. I travelled there for one and only dish, the famous rodaballo, turbot caught off the…

Photos from one Michelin starred sukiyaki (hot pot) restaurant in Tokyo Nihonbashi. It’s been operating since 1935 and must be one of the oldest beef restaurants in Tokyo. Hiyama 2-5-1 Nihonbashiningyocho, Chuo-ku, TokyoTel. 03-3666-2901hiyama-gr.com

Yakiniku or “grilled meat” is the simplest way to enjoy beef in Japan. Small bites or thin slices of various parts of beef (and sometimes pork) are grilled on a griddle over woodfire or gas. The job of grilling is usually done by guests themselves, so the experience can be…

I have special sentiments for Sushi Kanesaka as it was one of the first fine sushi shops I’ve been in Tokyo. When I started travelling there for eating, food tourism, how we know it, was still in its infancy phase in Japan. Things began to change when in 2009 Michelin…