Death of a Chef, Bernard Loiseau of La Côte d’Or – France

January 9th, 2011

The changing landscape of French cooking.
Published in The New Yorker
by William Echikson May 12, 2003

2003_05_12_v256© The New Yorker

Poularde Alexandre Dumaine, a two-hundred-and-sixty-seven-dollar chicken offered at La Côte d’Or, Bernard Loiseau’s gastronomic temple in Burgundy, is filled with julienned leeks and carrots, lightly basted and seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked in an earthenware pot. Truffles inserted under the skin give the bird an earthy flavor, and the meat is tender and pungent. Early on the afternoon of February 24th, Loiseau watched his team of a dozen chefs prepare the poularde for two American chefs who were completing internships in France. After the dish was served, he went home for a siesta. Sometime later that day, he shot himself in the mouth with a hunting rifle. He was fifty-two.

This is an older article well worth a read.

Below is the link to the complete article in The New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/05/12/030512fa_fact2

The Sidecar Cocktail

January 7th, 2011

Sidecar 6

Open Wine Restaurant – Phnom Penh

January 5th, 2011

Hamburger

The Wine Restaurant
No 219 Street 19
Tel. 855 (0) 23 223 527
Fax. 855 (0) 23 223 528
Phnom Penh
Kingdom of Cambodia

The hamburger (pictured above) with Bearnaise sauce was by far the most novel and  interesting of the dishes we tasted. The bun was homemade, possibly coming from the same source as the rest of the baked goods, La Residence. To its credit, this restaurant stays open all day and throughout the evening without a break. Although the food is far from outstanding it is a good place to go, especially for lunch, once you have discovered the particular dishes you favor.

Hachis ParmentierHachis Parmentier was certainly not a stand-out dish but went down quite easily

Blanquette de VeauBlanquette de Veau was not up to standards, bound with a gluey flour-laden sauce

Sorbet 2SorbetApple tart 2Apple Tart

Tavern Tipples . . . a drink called Vis-à-vis at the Elephant Bar, Phnom Penh

January 4th, 2011

small logo RDC( Tavern Tipples . . . Vis-à-vis a drink my daughter found very delectable at the Elephant Bar, at the Raffles Hotel, Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
This exotic drink is made from banana puree with coconut cream and a touch of sugar syrup, blended and served in an out-sized, high-stemmed glass. It is listed as a non-alcoholic drink on the menu, however, rum may be added if you wish.

The Warehouse, Wine Shop – Phnom Penh

January 3rd, 2011

Warehouse 1

The Warehouse
32E1, Street 240, Sangkat Chaktomuk
Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
Kingdom of Cambodia
Tel.+855 023 986 641
Fax. +855 023 986 642

The Warehouse is one of two excellent wine shops in Phnom Penh and the respective owners, although competitors, are good friends. I bought some bottles to take back to Bangkok*, some excellent wines that would cost a fortune across the border.  The owner was very generous and opened a couple of bottles of wine to taste while we were waiting.

The Wine shop has a good selection of wines, both old and new world and they are kept in pristine conditions.

*The Thai tax makes them four times more expensive.

Warehouse 2

Warehouse 3

The Worst of 2010: Sam Sifton, New York Times Food Critic, Reviews KFC’s Double Down

January 2nd, 2011

small logo RDC(

Culinary Tidbits . . . “Sam Sifton writes that he ingested two slabs of breaded chicken, which KFC call the “Double Down”, he described it as a “slimy and unnatural moist thing”, “that the company” (KFC), “asks customers to eat with their hands”. “The chicken is watery within its soft casing of breaded “crust”, “the cheese would be familiar to anyone who has eaten food prepared by the United States government”, “the bacon chemical gives it smokiness”, “the mayonnaise sauce tangy, salty, and sweet, all at once”, “a disgusting meal”, “a must-to-avoid”.

Prince Hotels, Japan

January 1st, 2011

Prince 1

Prince 2

Prince 3

Prince-Hotels

Best Food Yet in New Orleans

January 1st, 2011

Ozersky-3

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2039918,00.html

December 31st, 2010

Happy New Year

Ton Shou Ramen – Bangkok

December 31st, 2010

By Emi Kagawa

Menu at Ton Shou Ramen

Ton Shou Ramen
87 Soi Akapat (thonglor 13) Sukhumvit 55 Rd.
Klongton-Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel/Fax. 02-1852905

Various ramen selections are available on the menu from 160 THB up at Ton Shou Ramen. All stock is made from pork bones and it is of superior quality. The Gyoza they offer is not that impressive and my advice is to order from the ramen selections.

Ton ShouTon Shou Ramen

Ton Shou 1Ton Shou Ramen with Nori

Gyoza