I went to Alinea several years back and I felt like they struck the perfect balance between the weird/cool molecular gastronomy while still delivering just ridiculously good food. Only 3* I’ve ever been to.
Also have done Alinea and Next.
Both were absolutely top notch and awesome experiences that are worth a trip to Chicago
Yeah, one of these days. One of these days when we eat out again :(. 10th anniversary is coming up this year, which would be a good excuse, but plan A at this point is JAPAN. Might have to do a fine dining trip report from that, though, assuming it happens.
Google says The French Laundry reservations system open up at 10 AM PST the first day of every odd month, two months at a time for two months in advance but i don’t see anything for March yet so makes me think they’ve gone to releasing them every month?
Going to be doing a west coast road trip this spring, figured it be worth shot to try and get one (slim chance I’m sure).
Japan is incredible.
First place I’ve been that for fine dining, having some basic grasp of the language goes a long way. We did one of the Michelin Sushi Omakase menus, and I’m not sure if they were punking the white people or if we just weren’t used to real Wasabi, but for the first 4-5 pieces all we tasted was Wasabi until we got the hostess to come in and translate for us.
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Its every month for a month jn thw future atarting at 10 am on the first of the month preceeding. So they opened February only on Jan 1 at 10 am
Set up your CC on the website a cpuple days in advance. Be on a few minutes before 10. Have your dates in mind and be willing to accept whatever time is available on those dates. Then go fast
Second this. The food is incredible, everywhere. Even the dingy dive places are amazing. The fucking ramen shop in the mall in Sapporo that was literally the only thing open by the time we got there was amazing.
I’m sure there is bad food somewhere, but we didn’t find it. I mean, I guess my husband wasn’t a big fan of bean paste, but besides personal preference, everything was top notch.
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Third this. I eat like a king every day of my life here, because everything is excellent. You absolutely don’t have to lay out big bucks to eat amazing food in Japan.
A few cheapish eats you should try while in Japan that are often overlooked by tourists:
-Japanese curry (a thick currry gravy over rice)
-Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet, which I don’t eat so I go for the shrimp version of the same)
-Bread (Japanese bread bakeries are out of this world delicious and the varieties are astounding)
-Cake (my favorite is Mont Blanc, or MONBURAN as it’s called here, a kind or chestnut and cream cake that doesn’t exist in the States but should)
Onigiri (rice ball (actually triangles usually) snacks filled with various fish and meets and wrapped in nori seaweed)
-Italian pasta (the quality of Italian in Japan far exceeds anything I’ve had in the States)
-Street food like takoyaki (octopus balls) and yakisoba (stir-fried soba)
-Yakitori (charcoal-grilled skewered chicken. Don’t eat meat but these make me wish I did)
These are just off the top of my head. There’s way more.
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That’s odd. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a piece of sushi here, much less one made at a Michelin restaurant, that was overwhelmed by the taste of wasabi.
At most sushi places in Japan, unlike in the in the U.S. (at least the places I used to go), the chef includes wasabi in each piece he prepares (at least the ones that are supposed to be eaten with it).
Is it possible you dipped pieces that already had wasabi into soy sauce that had even more wasabi in it?
It’s possible but neither of us were totally slathering it in soy sauce.
Second the fact that food in Japan is incredible. Everything from fried chicken to pizza to a $6 bowl of udon to an omakase menu was incredible.
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Been to Japan twice now and planning our third trip and the food and the people are amazing. One great experience was a wagyu bbq type place where they cook everything at your table for you. Was recommended by a Japanese friend and we had booked online but when we arrived the waiter was a bit flustered as nobody there spoke English and they have no English menu. Our friend had written down what to order so we were fine with that and the food was amazing but the funniest part was the waiter explaining what each piece of the beef was by pointing at his own body and then also explaining with almost no English beside yes and no but just pointing fingers that you should eat the first small piece without anything, the second with some salt and then try the sauces. Got us a bunch of different sakes to try as well that made me realise just how diverse sake is.
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Plus one for the onigiri (I didnt know that’s what it was called) the little seaweed triangle things.
You can buy them from 711 type places, train stations, etc. They are really good.
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My personal favorite was Musubi.
Why every convenience store in America doesn’t have rice balls with soy sauce and smoked salmon for $1.29 is beyond me
I love the spam version of this lol. Always grab them from gas stations when I’m in Hawaii, if there are places on the mainland that offer that I’d consider moving there
There is a food truck that I used to frequent that had them. Price point was higher, tho.
Musubi is another word for onigiri–they’re the same, and yes, it’s something that should exist in America but doesn’t. Salmon is excellent, as is tuna salad.
there’s no reason to move to mainland for misubi. there’s every reason to move to hawaii for misubi.
I think it’s easier to get good poke on the mainland than musubi.
i’d probably move for hawaiian bananas and avocados tbh