World Gourmet Summit presents Ferran Adria

I was recently in Singapore for Asia's largest Food & Hospitality trade show as well as the Gourmet Summit. Flying in I read the Straits Times and happened to see that Ferran Adria of El Bulli restaurant was coming to Singapore for 2 events.

Chef Adria is a pioneer in molecular gastronomy, the ultimate nouvelle cuisine of our day. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferran_Adria

Other than the fact that I sell professional quality cream whippers (a vital tool in molecular gastronomy), and that I'm a big foodie; I saw this as an extremely serendipitous turn of events. The man who can make espuma or edible foam out of meat with the equipment I sell is someone I had to meet or at least see in person.

To say Chef Adria's culinary innovations have influenced the world of cooking is as understated as saying the slam dunk influenced the modern era of the game of basketball. His "kitchen moves" have reverberated through every important kitchen on earth, much as Bob Kurland's first dunk shocked, awed, infuriated, confused, and most of all impressed the basketball world. To indulge in one more basketball comparison, Chef Adria is to the gastronomic world as Phil Jackson is to the NBA. Not similar because both have received awards, prizes and accolades but that he like Jackson has brought tangible, important yet "weird" innovations to his profession with tremendously successful results.

Many attempt to crown him "the greatest chef in the world". Chef Adria bristles at this title saying only that there is no such thing. He says that there are only great chefs who make great meals. Hear him, hear him! His humility belies his genius.

In the presentation, Chef Adria spoke of cooking as it's own language. Different styles of cooking are a different language. Like many languages, cooking can fuse, adapt, borrow, and even copy. He posited that he had simply invented his own new language in his cooking. He also stressed the importance of understanding the alphabet of cooking, that which is understanding the ingredients; and how scientific factors like temperature, pressure, and viscosity affect the physical properties and ultimately the taste of said ingredients. This is real science. The rest of the presentation focused on the history, current state, and future of the El Bulli restaurant. To even begin to understand his cooking I highly recommend seeing the processes and techniques he employs in achieving his results. Youtube has a wealth of videos, just search under El Bulli.

In an era where celebrity chefs have blurred the lines of entertainer cum gastronomist or vice versa, Chef Adria has clearly set himself apart. Engineers, scientists, authors, philosophers are usually who we regard as great thinkers, but like those before him, and those he influences later, Ferran Adria is a mental giant of our day. He is revered and at the same time reviled. Revolutionaries usually are.


PS
I just hope he reads this and gives me a reservation if I'm ever in Catalonia, instead of making me one of the more than million reservation requests they turn away every year!

ADDENDUM:
A day after writing this blog Restaurant Magazine awarded Noma in Copenhagen top honors for 2010 replacing El Bulli's 4 year run as the Best Restaurant in The World.

Despite losing his long-held best restaurant in the world title, Ferran Adria walked away with chef of the decade honours from the magazine.

"I feel very, very emotional. Today's a very special day, because it's the last time I'll get a prize from the gastro world. El Bulli will never be a restaurant again, but don't think I'm going to leave you," Adria said at the award's ceremony.

Ootoya Washoku

Ok, usually I try NOT to write about chain, corporate restaurants.  However, I have to give Ootoya a nod.  This Washoku style (everday japanese cuisine) restaurant chain is so consistent, and good that I feel it important to promote them here.  I personally eat there 3-4 times a week and it would be immensely hypocritical of me to not mention them.  Ootoyas singular focus is to deliver great quality at low prices-VALUE!

You'll see japanese businessmen, japanese families, and many many middle-upper class thais eat here.

They have curry udon, great hot/cold soba, awesome grilled fish bentos, tonkatsu, japanese fried chicken, and marinated tuna sashimi among many other sets.

The prices are unbelievably affordable as well.  You can eat lunch or dinner there for under 200 baht.  So, short and sweet you can't go wrong here and whether you are visiting or living in Bangkok you will love the quality at Ootoya.  

Ootoya is at most malls, and shopping centers throughout central Bangkok.  J-Avenue Tong lor; Emporium 5th Fl, Paragon ground floor are some specific locations.

The Marie Royal Korean Cuisine

Nice!  

I say this because it's the first word that popped to mind when I saw the decor of this fairly new restaurant.  I've bemoaned that Korean restaurants are hopelessly designed when you compare them with most Japanese counterparts.  It makes No sense either, as Koreans have tremendous sense of personal style and are very artistic.  However, I see pathologically ugly interiors that really give a sense that style is always an afterthought.  The Marie is alternatively tasteful and beautifully designed.  It looks like something out of the set of the hit movie "Winter Sonata".  It makes sense as the husband and wife proprietors are university and professionally trained artists and graphic designers.  So how's the food you might ask?

They offer traditional and fusion Korean dishes sans the BBQ table and thus no smoky garlicky hair and clothing when you leave.  It's much more in the style of Korean restaurant cafes in Japan, but the great thing is that the food is actually cooked by Mrs. Marie so the food has "seoul"!  Excusing the pun, Marie also has a pedigree in traditional chinese herbal medicines (A long practiced art by Koreans as well) from her grandfather, and incorporates healthy cooking ingredients and methods.

The food is delicious and the lunch sets are very affordable at around 150 baht.  Very nice, stylish place to have a lunch or dinner.

The Marie on Tong Lor soi 13, Bangkok inside the Home Place Building 1st floor

Cold Korean Black Soba or Chik Naeng Myun

Ok, when I say that I probably have eaten more chik naeng myun than any other person on the planet in the last 15 years, I'm being more  accurate than most would believe.  I would gladly and on occasion have eaten this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craved it again late at night. Only Mr. Choi the owner of Yu Chun restaurant in Honolulu that introduced me to this variation of Korean soba has more knowledge and maybe a slight edge in appreciation (although I doubt it) of this dish.

First allow me to "school" you on naeng myun.  It is the dish that is one of the most Korean of dishes.  You might argue kimchi, but kimchi is now eaten all over the world, and to say that pickled vegetables are the bastion of one culture is a losing argument.  

Naeng myun in Korean literally translates into "cold noodle". Now, my research has shown that very few asian or any cultures for that matter have many cold noodle dishes.  Most noodles, pastas, etc around the world are served hot, inside soup, drowned in rich sauce, or stir fried. Koreans and Japanese do enjoy soba noodles and naeng myun cold.  How cold is the big question? I'll get to that soon......

Naeng myun noodles like their soba cousins are mostly made from buckwheat powder, which gives them their unique chewy texture, and grey color.  Anyone that knows the fiber content of said grain will tell you it's extremely high in fiber, and digests very slowly.  This makes naeng myun among the healthiest of noodles one can ingest, and later ahem.....excrete.  The high fiber is great for your colon, and the slow release of carb sugars is a much healthier alternative to any white flour noodles that tend to spike one's blood sugar and thus releases too much insulin.  The variation that I have come to really appreciate is chik naeng myun that is a variety made mostly from arrowroot.  It gives the noodles an even chewier texture, earthy aroma, and the black-purple coloration that is it's trademark.  Like most true pasta lovers can really appreciate the unique qualities of squid-ink pasta; chik noodles hold the equivalent reverence among true naeng myun lovers. 

I have eaten chik naeng myun in my hometown of Honolulu, LA, Seoul, Sydney, Singapore, and Manila. Most chik naeng myun I've eaten was in a chain of Korean restaurants called Yu Chun. However, recently in Singapore and Manila I have found very very good copycats at Seoul Garden at the Esplanade in SG, and BiWon on P.Burgos street in Makati.  

The noodles are only part of the equation.  The yook-soo or cold beef soup broth that is served slurpee style (ice cold) along with the fresh cucumber, garlic chili paste, shredded Korean bbq-beef, and hard boiled egg all combine to give your mouth a tremendous taste EXPLOSION! Nothing in my eating life has turned out to be sooo good and SOOOO addictive.  

Everyone has asked themselves if I could only eat one dish for the rest of my life what would it be?  I would have to walk down the aisle with Chik naeng myun.

Elbert's Steak Room

This is a restaurant with no signs, no advertising, lots of exclusivity.  

Word of mouth among Manila's elite have made Elbert's the talk of the steak town.  Adrian the chef and brother of Elbert does an amazing job serving up great steaks in an elegant yet cozy dining room.  These guys really understand how to run a great steakhouse.  It's actually the KISS principal.   Keep it simple stupid.  

1. Great, over the top rated USDA aged prime cuts chilled-never frozen
2. simple menu offerings, that empahasize freshness.  Baked potatoes, grilled vegetables, fresh salad, and some nice desserts!
3. dark, classy ambience

I finally got a great steak after months of trying to get one.  It's true that I am an unabashadly great admirer of grain fed USDA prime beef.  The taste is second to none.  It gets it's taste from the bone, meat, and aging rather than the marbling and tenderness that wagyu does.  For a bloodthirsty carnivore Elbert's delivered and then some.

Elberts is in makati on Delacosta somewhere.......you are in for treat if you can find it.

Gilak Middle Eastern Restaurant by Hossein

Gilak's is Mr. Hossein's latest restaurant newly opened at Greenbelt in Makati.  I was luckily invited there by my customers who have been long time diners at his Hossein's location on Makati Avenue.  I will say that middle-eastern is NOT always my favorite, but like my Dad used to correctly state, " great cuisine is found everywhere, and it doesn't matter how it's cooked, as long as it's cooked well".  Thars some wisdom in dem words Pa!  Mr. Hossein went on to knock my socks off with the wonderful talent with which he showcased in the meal he served us.

We had braised lamb shanks, shrimp arab with yogurt sauce, naan, salad, and tandoori chicken.  All these are dishes I've had before, but he does them exceptionally well.  Think a steak from TGI Friday's vs. a steak from Mortons...

for more pics and details on Gilak check out my friend Rica's blog: http://heart-2-heart-online.com:80/2008/10/12/gilak-by-hosseins/

TSUKIJI

PURE QUALITY comes to mind when I think back to the dining experience I had at this premium Japanese restaurant in Makati a few days ago.  It's NO secret that well heeled filipinos have tremendous spending power and Tsukiji offers them the best of the best that japanese cuisine has to offer right in their backyard-for a hefty price.

They get their name from the world famous fish market in Tokyo where they also happen to get direct shipments of the best fish cuts 3 times per week.

The restaurant is located on Pasay right behind the Greenbelt shopping complex.  From the street it's very unassuming and appears to be inside a lowrise office building.  Once you take the lift to the 2nd floor and you enter the restaurant it looks like any standard japanese restaurant with the obligatory private rooms where you sit on the floor and a sushi counter with wooden seats.

However, open up the menu and you realize that this is going to be an expensive meal.  For  good reason though as most of the items are premium ingredients imported directly from Japan.

I ordered:

 

Sashimi moriawase (mixed raw pieces of fish)

This dish is always about freshness and quality of fish.  Super high marks for both requirements. The tuna belly (o-toro), salmon, hamachi (yellowtail), squid, uni (sea urchin), and salmon eggs were among the best I've EVER tasted.  The uni in particular deserves a nod.  Uni is by far one of my favorite foods and I've tasted uni around the world.  This was uni from the icy siberian waters of Hokkaido Japan.  The consistency was like eating spoonfuls of mayonnaise.  Probably just as full of fat as well because the cold water requires the uni to develop a high fat content.  It was also bright orange/red; a color I have never seen before in uni.  Easily the best I've had.  Yes, even better than the Santa Barbara uni......sorry Cali.  

Wagyu Yukke

This is Korean steak tartar.  It's a raw chopped beef dish marinated with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garnished with asian pear, cucmbers, spring onions and chili powder, and the force-de-resistance a raw egg yolk on top.  Furthermore it was decadantly made of fresh Wagyu beef that is among the best in the world.  The first bite of this dish at Tsukiji was a life-altering experience.  I grew up on eating dishes like this as a Korean.  However, I never thought the best yukke in the world would be eaten in a Japanese restaurant.  It was such a bittersweet moment as my taste buds viciously betrayed my nationalistic feelings.  But it was definitely NOT hard to swallow.

Kani Fry

this is deep fried battered oyster and I kick myself for ordering this dish in a high end restaurant like Tsukiji. 

I washed down the meal with cold sake and green tea.  This was easily a top 3 dining experience in my life.  Unbelievably delicious.

They offer a 13 course menu called Kaiseke that basically is a chef's selection of all the best and freshest ingredients.  However the catch is you have to order 3 days in advance and a minimum of 3 persons is required.

Expect to drop about 5,000 pesos ($120)  if you order premium fish and beef.  Worth every single peso-trust me.