Naomi Watts along with Ewan McGregor star in the new Spanish film “The Impossible” currently filming in Khao Lak, Thailand. The Impossible is the terrifying account of a family unexpectedly caught with many others when a Tsunami flattens their three-story hotel and the surrounding landscape and how they had to struggle to survive after being pushed underwater into a quagmire of dislodged trees and debris where they were thrown upside-down, and battered by debris.
By Sandy Driscoll
Barbrix’s outdoor patio on a balmy California evening (All Images ©2010 restaurantdiningcritiques.com & Sandy Driscoll)
Barbrix Wine Bar and Restaurant
2442 Hyperion Avenue @ Tracy
Los Angeles, CA 90027 (Silver Lake area)
Website: http://www.barbrix.com/Home.html
Phone: 323-662-2442
Open: Sunday – Thursday 6pm – 11pm
Friday – Saturday 6pm – 12am
Credit Cards: Yes
Valet Parking: Available
Prices: Reasonable
Opening in May 2009, Barbrix was an instant hit with the hip, trendy, bohemian Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Just a few months later, they were named one of LA’s Top 10 New Restaurants by Los Angeles magazine.
Chef Don Dickman’s cooking is Mediterranean inspired, market driven small plate fare. Occasionally, he does delicious and fun prix fixe meals. This week featured “Chef Don does dinner!” and was a very tasty 3-course meal for only $25! Quite frankly, I don’t know how he did it for the price. It was a melange of fresh fare, direct from Sunday’s splendid Hollywood Farmer’s Market.
Flavors (the aioli, bouillabaisse broth and rouille) were stunning in their depth, and the Epoisses and Poached Pear finished off the evening perfectly!
Bacon Deviled Egg, Aioli on Radicchio, Tapenade/Goat Cheese Crouton, Herb Breadcrumb-stuffed Lipstick Pepper,
Haricot Verts, Nantes Carrot, China Rose Radish, Puff Pastry Onion Tarte
Bouillabaisse – Lobster, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels (lots of them!) in a savory broth with a Rouille Crouton
Epoisses cheese from Burgundy with La Brea Bakery Fruit and Nut Bread and Red Wine Poached Pear
O’ Rendez-vous Restaurant & Bar
5/42. Moo 7
Tel. 076.485.108 087.706.7457
Email: tpasieu@hotmail.com
Operated by: Pascale Theng
tpasieu@hotmail.com, Pascale Theng
We were most fortunate to find this lovely restaurant located directly across from our hotel in Khao Lak. It is run by two charming individuals, Pascale Theng, a French national with considerable reinforcement from her German boyfriend Philipp Schüeller. She has organized the kitchen to produce both classic French and authentic Vietnamese dishes as well as popular Thai selections. I highly recommend this restaurant as probably the best restaurant in town.
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Local Barracuda
Tiger Prawns
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Groupe Casino of France, the oldest and one of the largest market chains in the world, and owner of Big C in Thailand has acquisitioned Carrefour’s 42 outlets in Thailand and it is now similar in size to Tesco Lotus in the Kingdom. Carrefour positioned itself a bit higher than Tesco Lotus, while Big C targeted a lower-priced market than either Carrefour or Tesco Lotus.
It seems simple enough to me, although I am not a hypermarket strategic analyst. There are many chains competing for the lower-end market as does Carrefour, with only a small segment of Carrefour’s retail outlets offering higher-priced premium cheeses, wines and other quality items in areas where these items are in demand, why not keep the status quo within these stores, and let the rest compete as they always have. In other words, many of us, especially the French community, would be upset to see the few premium items that these few stores stock vaporize into another “product for the masses” Big C.
Akasaka Prince Hotel, Tokyo (image ©2010 restaurantdiningcritiques.com)
The Akasaka Prince Hotel with its entire exterior faced with white Carrera marble was designed by award-winning architect Kenzo Tange, and is located in the heart of downtown Akasaka, one of the most important districts in metropolitan Tokyo. Guests staying at what is now named Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, formerly Akasaka Prince Hotel Tokyo, are offered the outstanding benefits of an unbeatable location, combined with impeccable accommodations inclusive of a wide range of amenities and facilities and an uncompromisingly high level of service. Unfortunately, the same fate that befell another beautiful Tokyo landmark, the Capital Tokyu a couple of years ago, will now strike the Akasaka Prince Hotel, and it will be another victim of so-called “urban improvement”.
In a city that is particularly known for its lack of available space, the 761 rooms of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, are all the more remarkable for the amount of space afforded, with the smallest room offering 252 square feet, larger than many studio apartments in this crowded city. Each room has been deliberately designed to be a corner room, and offers a spectacular view of downtown Tokyo.
Seasonal Mushroom Cuisine & Piedmont Specialties at Rossini’s at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
From November 15th – 24th , Rossini’s Chef Stefano Merlo offers set and a la carte menus of mushroom dishes and specialties from Italy’s Piedmont region.
Rossini’s will also host a memorable Mushroom & Piedmont Wine Dinner on Friday, November 19th.
A la carte dishes include sautéed porcini, black trumpets, chanterelle mushrooms and polenta taragna, the exquisite maccheroncini with clams and chanterelle mushrooms, and roasted suckling pig with chanterelle and chestnut foam.
The set menu includes salad of fresh finferli mushrooms and Parmesan cheese followed by ravioli filled with morels. Diners will also enjoy Barramundi fillet with asparagus and chanterelles mushrooms, and chestnut pudding with black truffles. The exceptional meal ends with coffee, tea and biscotti.
The set menu of “Seasonal Mushroom Cuisine & Piedmont Specialties” is outstanding value at Baht 2,200* per person and Baht 3,900* for the wine dinner on November 19th.
For more information or reservations, please call 02 6498364 or visit eatdrinkandmore.com/bangkok
Starwood Privilege Thailand members enjoy a 20% discount.
*Price is subject to 10% service charge and 7% government tax.
