Meadowood, 2014

Second time around in Meadowood, still as magical as the first time, except this time we were sitting at the Chef's Counter in the restaurant kitchen.

While savoring the multi-course dinner, we were also enjoying the real-time actions in the kitchen. We got a visual "taste" of how a three-star michelin restaurant is operated behind-the-scene in the kitchen. It was a tremendously unique and enjoyable experience.

All the dishes were still pretty much true to the local and seasonal ingredients (some if not most of the vegetables and herbs were from their garden). Creativity was never lacking in Meadowood when it comes to producing the complete experience of dining with the tasting menu.

Service was impeccable. period.

Meadowood always has a special place in my heart…

Venice, Italy

Italy has always had a special place in my heart. Rome and Florence have charmed me immensely before. I always look forward to visiting Italy again. This time, Venice.

Venice has showed me its beauty as a city that is filled with history, arts and culture, even though my travel experience was compromised a little bit due to the Venice seems to be a bit too commercialized and overly crowded with tourists.

Ciao, Italy…until next time.

Santorini, Greece

I have always been mesmerized by the stunning views I saw about Santorini. The image of those white and blue houses are drawing me to this dream land.

It was a dream come true. There is a panoramic view from everywhere on the island. I was blown away by the breath-taking views.

Alinea, 2013

Second time around in Alinea, it was still as magical as the first time. We remembered why we fell in love with Alinea in the first place. We were blown away by the seamless orchestrated flow of dishes. Each one of the dishes kept wow'ing us without reservation. The presentation of the dishes were a feast to the eyes. The service was impeccable. The night ended with perfection till the very last note.

Michael Mina, San Francisco

We went to Michael Mina in SF for a few times and always had a good dining experience there. We went there again for lunch with a few friends last year on our city hall registration day.

4th of July Long Weekend in New Orleans

It was our first ever trip to the South - New Orleans is the perfect choice for a weekend get-away. We have been wanting to visit this vibrant southern city for a while. New Orleans has captured our hearts with its energy, its melting culture, its wonderful architecture, and its music.

Alinea, 2011

We paid our first visit to Alinea back in Fall, 2011. I had just finished reading Chef Grant Achatz's book "Life, on the line". I was fascinated by the chef's stories and his passion for food. He is known for creating dishes that can not only tantalize your senses, but also trigger emotions. i.e. people can relate certain smell, certain texture, or certain taste to their memories or stories.

It was a dining experience of a life-time. The whole dining experience was like a well-choreographed symphony. Each chapter - the dish was "well played" with layers of flavors. There were moments where we were memorized with the sensational combination of smell, taste, and texture of food in one plate. Magical!

There was a story behind the black truffle ravioli dish - this dish is unique to the chef (You can read more about how he created the dish in his book). You are supposed to have this dish with one single bite - hence, it is served on a spoon. It was an explosion of truffle, parmesan and something more. There was a contrast of different textures in the mouth. What a sensational enjoyment…

Meadowood, 2013

It was the perfect first encounter in 2013 we had with  The Restaurant at Meadowood.

Wonderful seasonal ingredients - some from Chef Christopher Kostow's Garden.

Wine selections were excellent - the advantage of being in Napa.

Service was attentive and warm - got an unexpected meet-n-greet moment with the chef.

A dining experience that can't be more perfect...

Lunch at Noma

In our trip to Copenhagen, Denmark in June 2013, we had a pilgrimage visit to Noma (reservation was made a few months ahead).

It was one of the best Michelin starred restaurant experiences we've ever had. The chef Rene Redzepi is true but creative in utilizing the local ingredients that are accessible to him. Some of those scandinavian ingredients that are not easily found elsewhere in the world took a magical transformation.  We could taste the most undisguised original flavor of the ingredients, but yet there was so much to it in regards to the complexity of the taste.

It was not only a great treat to us, but also an enlightening dining experience for us.

Some of the dishes (the new potato and the muikku) are so memorable. We can still remember the taste of those dishes when we are savoring the memory of that lunch at Noma.

The Quail Eggs

                                The quail eggs in Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark