I still remember the excitement when Michelin introduced the Green Star in 2020. A special mark for restaurants that take sustainability seriously. Places that think about where their ingredients come from and how their actions shape the world around them. Since then this small green symbol helped me choose many meals. More than once the scale tipped to the side of the Green Star when I was deciding where the two of us should go.

So you can imagine my disappointment when Michelin recently removed the option to filter restaurants by the Green Star on their website. They said it was because of a redesign of the portal. Online you will find every possible explanation. Aparently, their website is going under huge reconstruction. Howevber, some claim that the Green Star is not reliable enough because restaurants answer questions about sustainability themselves and Michelin has to trust their word. And yes, maybe that creates some grey areas.

Still, I cannot help imagining a strange little scene. A kind of green star gestapo knocking on the back door of the kitchen, surprising the dishwasher who has just stepped out for a quick cigarette during his first break. A serious voice saying, “Good day, show me where the scraps go” and “I will also need a sample of this carrot, it looks suspiciously perfect.” We probably do not need a green police force, but we do need honesty. And we definitely need to highlight the places that really work hard in this direction.

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Michelin stars aren’t for everyone

Farm to table is, for me, one of the most beautiful things that can happen in this world of food. Nothing compares to a vegetable that comes from a garden only a few minutes away. When that vegetable is grown organically, with permaculture principles, by people who understand their soil as something alive and meaningful, it becomes more than just an ingredient. It becomes poetry on a plate.

This is why I truly hope Michelin finds a clear and fair way to keep awarding Green Stars and to present them properly. They matter. They guide us toward restaurants that respect the land, the farmers and the future. And they remind us that good food is not only about taste, but also about the story behind each ingredient. Respecting your ingredient!

The post Michelin, We Want Green Stars Back! appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

About the Gric Restaurant

Most elements ending on Michelin star Gric restaurant’s table come from their organic farm. Vegetables are a no-brainer, but the Kosir family also cares for ducks and grows mushrooms, edible flowers, and herbs, including wasabi. All the rest comes from the village or as near as possible. Chef’s sustainable practice with zero waste policy was also awarded a Michelin Green Star.

Dairy Products

Right across the Gric restaurant is the organic goat farm where the Oresnik family makes various dairy products. Home to traditional practices where goats graze steep pastures and cheese enthusiasts from all over the world show up for a learning experience. Diverse terrain that has never been touched by chemical fertilizers, naturally affects the goat’s milk in increased quality. This can be felt most intensely in cheese, especially aged one. Some Oresnik items are prepared exclusively for the Gric restaurant.

Duck Farm

Hidden in the forest, near the mushroom garden is a flock of ducks. Approximately a hundred feathered birds on pest duty count about 8 different sorts. Happy ducks are on the menu once a year – that’s when the right conditions for the best quality meat happen. Lately, with long warm autumns becoming normal, the processing of ducks doesn’t occur before the wintertime. A nice fat layer that comes with cool temperatures is well worth the wait and patience is awarded with fresh eggs.

The Cellar

A showstopping cellar is a place of magic. Not so much because it is divided into individual stations for fish, cheese, cold cuts, dry age chamber, wine cellar, and fermentation station. But because chef Luka Kosir experiments with different techniques and ingredients. The most wild area must be the fermentation, where a collection of 24 different miso sauces grew over time. Fermentation fascination started with sriracha when Chef Luka made an irresistible batch. Later on, he perfected lacto fermentation, kimchi, fish sauce, and much more. Mercifully, some of the ferments are possible to buy, and if you want to learn new skills you can get a masterclass as well.

Drinks on the Menu

Wine

Growing wine collection is based on eco-friendly practices at every step of the wine-making journey. Regenerative practices that respect time-tested methods surely deserve a special place in any wine cellar. So do wine bottles of vineyards awarded with strict biodynamic Demeter certificate. Attention to detail is shown also through the search for smaller families that have a passion for viticulture.

June

In general, we can say that june is a probiotic drink made with water kefir grains steeped in chilled tea and sugar. At the Gric Restaurant flavor gets pushed in all directions with the use of herbs, fruit, honey, and salt. Sky is the limit and with a chef that doesn’t like to repeat himself you never know what will swipe you off your feet.

Herbal Tea

If you want to enjoy an herbal beverage rest assured that you’ll get a mix of herbs handpicked picked in a pristine environment.

Atmosphere at the Gric Restaurant

The old part of the property shines brightly in traditional white and black hues. Given the fact that Slovenia is a catholic country, you’ll be greeted by the Virgin Mary before you enter the dining room. Authenticity can be seen also in wooden ceilings and textured plastered walls. Furthermore, the sheepskin can be understood as yet another nod to Slovenian history. However, if you don’t care about the past, you might enjoy how it softens the look of the restaurant while ensuring a cozy seat for all the guests. Many items in the restaurant are made locally including the lights and wall décor, which is all about honouring the food.

Restaurant Gric Review

Amuse Bouche

The insanely crispy crust of a Focaccia took all the attention for a brief moment. It was difficult to let go of the pure crunch, but the flamboyant hues of the pumpkin dip proved to be irresistible. The colors of the sun delighted us with harmoniously tuned flavors that put pumpkin in the spotlight while the texture was as light as a cloud.

Wine Pairing

Sparkling wine Reya Brut Nature is the perfect fit with its fine bubbles and sophisticated tones. It was maturing for four years on yeasts before four different vintages were mixed together. The end product expresses a fruity aroma and refreshing body with a mineral aftertaste.

Chefs Compliments

Bisque in Kadayif

The compact bisque cream inside the brittle wheat kadyif hides its umami. The seafood used in bisque is the only ingredient that comes further than 5 kilometers or 3 miles. As one can expect the catch is wild and comes from the Adriatic Sea.

Sedum Sturgeon

Vibrant flavors presented to us on a Sedum leaf were rounded with marinated sturgeon. A bite full of different textures delivered slight acidity coming from tomato reduction boosted with a touch of garlic.

Leafy Sandwich

Fine spinach biscuit filled with smoothened and masterfully leveled hard goat cheese was all about the fine-tuned balance. Both parts of the bite had the opportunity to shine and support each other in a mouthwatering way.

Broccoli in a Shell

Delicate shell full of chopped baby broccoli had a boost in the form of an herbal broccoli cream. A healthy snack left us with an intricate aftertaste and smooth mouthfeel.

Humming Cracker

Cracker consisting of sunflower and camelina seeds filled with hummus, truly was one extraordinary “tasty pasty”. Here we must mention the secret of this ancient seed – camelina is a stone-age superfood. Talking about food that is pure gold for the body and soul, the hummus was made with fermented vegetables and elegantly seasoned with miso paste, also made downstairs.

Cold Appetizer

Power of the Goat

It happened for the first time that our mouth was salivating in between the bites. Knowing what to expect next, just filled us with a desire for more. What was so exciting, you might ask? Simply put, it is about pure flavours dancing together in adoration. In this case, it was about goat’s cream cheese and cucumbers. Together they created a gentle, light, and refreshing abundance of flavors, we couldn’t get enough of. Scrumptious cheese wrapped with ribbons of fresh cucumbers topped with grated goat cheese aged with blue mold, made in granite. Let’s not forget the cucumber water binding everything together.

Fragrant Fish

A carpet of sweet-smelling phlox blossoms stole the show. For a moment we didn’t care that red bream covered in citrus cream was waiting for us. On such a hot and sunny day, we bet that Phlox pushed as hard as it could! The scent was flamboyantly there, even when we smothered it with orange peel-infused olive oil. On top of that these sweet petals bestowed a textural fix to the succulent sashimi and refreshing cream.

Drops for Pairing

Boutique Vitovska

An old autochthonous white wine variety known as Vitovska Grganja is full of elegance with a long almondy aftertaste. To the tongue, it is quite mineral and invigorating with notes of ripe citrus fruit. We had the pleasure to taste the 2017 vintage from a tiny vinery from the Kras region. Grapes went through less than a week of maceration time before the second step in wooden barrels. After six months in a wooden barrel wine finally matures in modern inox cisterns.

June

A fermented drink sweetened with honey, Tepka pear, and peppermint. Certainly, a thirst-quenching drink that was more salty than sweet, but very clearly nectariferous. By the way, the pears used for this drink come from an old heirloom variety known as the Tepka pear. Austrian Empress Maria Theresa ordered to plant Tepka pear trees on every farm. Those farmers who didn’t plant enough pear trees were punished. Maybe the act of beating up the disobedient serfs named this unique pear Tepka(“beatings”), or maybe it was a way of harvesting that happens in the same manner, by beating up the tree.

Warm Appetizer

Duck Liver

It feels good to eat the liver of a well-fed animal, that had a happy and active life. Good feed is especially important when we have liver on the plate. Surely that is a reason for the liver to taste sweet, but at Michelin Star Gric restaurant we got plenty more. Another cause is the beetroot glazed with birch syrup and aronia berries. Bea balm blossoms also don’t hurt. They played on the strings of spruce needles ash and pine oil. A plate of intense flavors and different textures befitting to daring carnivores.

Herbal Yolk

Lusciously rich duck’s egg yolk surrounded by freshly harvested aromatic herbs of all sorts, made every bite an adventure. No matter what herb landed on the spoon it was creamy and crunchy. Whenever we added the burned rapeseeds and potato nest we were met by a more familiar ground. All the while, the light parsley foam felt like a light cloud on a hot sunny day.

Drops for Pairing

June

More refreshing due to the gentle acidity, but still very chill. We loved the amplified harmony between herbal notes from the Birch leaves and the floral aroma of the honey.

Aged Tuna

Delightfully smelling tuna fish deepened the depth of flavor over the two months of the aging process. It didn’t just look good among the invigorating berries but also tasted great as well. Admittingly, the greengage isn’t really a berry but we loved its acidity with the divine complexity of the grilled tuna. However, when we snatched the peppery nasturtiums, we were in heaven. That was especially true when we included the nikiri sauce with cistus-infused soy sauce.

Cuttlefish on Strips

Cuttlefish in three forms brought the celebration of the sea to the plate. We loved the masterfully tuned cuttlefish paste on strips of tender cuttlefish, dense algae, and toothsome zucchini. The textural play has a silver lining with lemon invigorated ink.

Drops for Pairing

Muscat by Zorjan

The consuming practice of caring for the vineyard is done by the biodynamic principles and Zorjan vinery even got a seal of approval by the strict Demeter standard. Once the Muscat grape is ready to be harvested, they handpick individual berries and gently pop them before they are exposed to the old Georgian method. That is done through the six-month fermentation in buried clay amphoras. After half a year in the ground, the wine gets decanted into a cleaned amphora for another year. After that, it is time for the wine to mature for one more year in the cellar before the last stop in wooden barrels for another two years. Minimal interventions allow the wine to be its own master without any fine-tuning and manipulation. The end result shines in amber color with a complex fragrance, buttery mouthfeel, and mineral aftertaste along with a long-lasting fruitiness.

June

Gooseberry is the main star, but with the addition of beet stalks, walnuts, and shiso herb it reaches new dimensions. On the nose, it is intensely fruity while the taste is full and rounded. Salt addition stopped the fermentation process that would deliver acidity making it more herbal and graceful.

Pallet Cleanser

A refreshing frozen treat made of elderberries combined with fragrant peony espuma gave us relief before another savory meal of the day. We loved the mild astringency with a touch of ginger in the aftertaste. All in all, it was a well-balanced combination that aroused our appetite for more.

Main Course

Alpine Caviar Soaking Iceberg

The heart of a really fresh iceberg dressed in a creamy coat of savory symphony was an absolute hit. What else could it be?  After all, it was topped with the Siberian Sturgeon roe by Alpine Caviar. Crispy crunch in a mixture of hazelnut vinegar, cream fresh, with soy sauce, and fig leaf oil. Best of all was the change when iceberg salad flushed the delicate popped roe with its juice.

Caviar

Caviar comes from the nearest organic farm possible, which is located in the Austrian Alps (let’s say they are about a 3-hour drive away). Alpine Caviar’s champion, besides members of a small family farm, is a sturgeon. Due to its less salted roe letting the unique nutty taste shine through, it is one of a kind. The biggest influence on the flavor is pristine water and a rare honor for the sturgeon to live its adolescent life in the wild, swimming and eating away wild prey. Such a precious ingredient is an exciting find that is permanently on Gric Restaurant’s 11-course degustation menu.

 Drops for Pairing

Furmint Brut Nature by Gross

Furmint Brut Nature sparkling wine couldn’t be more perfect with caviar. We loved how the fine bubbles energized the sophisticated extra dry nature of the floral body. Furthermore, the microclimate of the Gross vineyard has a beneficial effect on the wine.

Because of the steep terrain in the Slovenian Stayer region, the machinery is out of the question. Luckily so, otherwise the family vineyard wouldn’t be the same. The history of a furmint vine dates to Napoleon’s times and can be used in extremes. Besides that, this sparkling gem grew on pristine slopes, that are unharmed by chemicals. All of that is met with devotion and care for the natural practices that reward hard work.  

Iron Beef

Beef aged for seven months was a clear star of the iron plate, even though it had strong companions. However, black koji was another strong player that demanded attention, besides the plate fit for an open flame. A koji fungus is special and certified as the “National Mold of Japan”, so no pressure. Umami pack with a touch of bitterness and saltiness bonded well also with swiss chard rolls. But for the best bite, we had to unite all components including the light sauce made of stalks.

Blacksmith

The iron plate made by the neighbor clearly showed how important is the physical plate. A vessel uniquely affects the food, it hoes from the cooking process to the final act of the meal. In our case, the warm brushed plate echoed elegant insurance.

Drops for Pairing

Truska Wine

Dry Truska wine is a cuve of 40% refosc, 30% merlot and 30% cabarnet sauvignon. On the nose, it is full of ripe fruit with a spiced wooden back. Sipping on it coats the mouth with a velvet-like feel and rich taste. Truska organic red wine has a long maceration process before being left to mature for 36 months in old barrique barrels.

June

Elderflower berries seasoned with walnut leaves, fermented green strawberry, and wild cherry. Its fruity aroma smelled of ripe candied fruit and sweets. Surprise revealed itself upon tasting the savory drink. Still and smooth essence was very tasty and befitting to such a powerful plate of food.

Dessert

Pumpkin Rose

The queen of flowers sent us lip-smacking way with melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin semifreddo. Passion for the original flavors prevented excessive use of salt and sugar, leading to a balanced treat. Due to exquisite seasonings, we got the best part of the buttery pumpkin and fragrant rose meeting each other. Compact pumpkin shined in warm tones while rose variations invigorated and perfumed the way for the gentle perilla oil.

Drops for Pairing

Semi-Dry Rhine Riesling by Stolfa

Semi-dry Rhine Riesling by the Stofla family from the Slovenian Dolenjska region tasted great next to the mildly sweet first dessert. Its sweet aftertaste lifted the following bite while supplying a gentle aroma of peaches and sweet spices.

Goat’s Yogurt with Juzu

A dessert where sugar has a place only between toasted sesame seeds might not be enough for our intense sweet tooth. At least, that was our first thought. As it turned out, the light confection with airy juzu cream was spot on for a hot summer day. Fragrant green shiso-infused luscious goat’s yogurt with a combination of fruit and sweet-smelling flowers. It tasted especially wonderful when we combined it all in one bite.

Drops for Pairing

June

Wild forest strawberries stand proudly with juzu infusion sweetened with honey. Sweet-smelling citrusy aroma painted a mirage of sweetness that materialized with honey.

Chef’s Sweet Goodbye

The First Milk

Goat’s colostrum was all about nourishing flavors. This wholesome bite was effortlessly uplifted by the vanilla-clove-like phlox aroma.

Pick Me Up

Fruity seaberry mousse with intense medlar filling was divine with sweet and sour drives.

Tonka You

Innocent-looking cookie made of burned dough was gentle tasting with a crunch on the outside. The not-too-sweet base for the tonka cream was an utter joy that let the tonka’s famous complex nutty vanilla flavours shine through.

Cocoa Blues

Shiny-looking quenelle made of cocoa with thyme cream tasted sophisticated and mature.

After Eight

Chocolate ducks represented the house version of After Eight, which was intense and left our mouth feeling refreshed.

Final Thought

Here, we came to the end of this extended Restaurant Gric Review, and I hope you are as ecstatic as we are. Whole food is becoming increasingly challenging to get and when it is enriched and prepared with such devotion it is an honor to enjoy it. You can see that, the chef understands the whole circle of ingredients and has the skills how to bring it to the next level. One element here is critical, and they respect it – time. Some ingredients are much better with the help of time. So why not take some time and enjoy being on cloud nine? We truly loved the view over the garden silently stating that this is as fresh as it gets. Warmly recommended!

Restaurant Gric Review Card

• 9.6/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.6/10
• 9.9/10
  SERVICE – 9.9/10
• 10/10
  PRESENTATION – 10/10
• 9.9/10
  FOOD – 9.9/10
• 9.9/10
  DRINKS – 9.9/10
• 9.8/10
  VALUE – 9.8/10

Price and Location

7-course degustation menu will cost you around 130 USD, while 11-course degustation menu will settle you for about 175 USD. Here is a link to the location for easier navigation.

The post Restaurant Gric Review appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Atelje Restaurant Ambiance 

During the warm months of the year, you can sit outside and enjoy the peaceful pedestrian avenue. Laid-back atmosphere leads the way also inside the Atelje restaurant, designed with a bistro image in mind.

There you’ll find dark grey walls highlighted with terracotta bricks, vintage wooden chairs, and a handful of artworks. At this point, it is fair to explain the meaning behind the restaurant’s name Atelje, which means studio. There is no secret that Chefs are artists, and at Atelje restaurant, creative plates fuse with the interior.

However, we can imagine a better execution of the interior here. Dark fake plaster would be much better in bright tones and thicker relief would make a difference as well. On the other hand, bricks have their own charm! Which we can’t say about the toilets, though.

Jorg Zupan, Head Chef of Atelje Restaurant 

Young Slovenian Chef with European and Australian experiences loves all good things in life. Naturally, good food comes first, and he builds his plates with sustainable gastronomy in mind. Therefore, Jorg Zupan uses seasonal local ingredients and strives to minimalize packaging. For that reason, they make their bread, pickles, butter, yogurt, kefir, etc. He doesn’t limit himself to only a few influences and techniques. On the contrary, he smoothly bonds cosmopolitan flavors on a continuously changing Atelje menu.

Atelje Restaurant Review

Two or three-course lunch menu is designed to be quick; this means that offer is straightforward. On our visit, we were able to choose between two starter dishes and two mains. In addition to that, the dessert of the day didn’t leave us coldhearted. Here we must admit that we missed the option of an extra dish, which could be vegetarian.

Whether you want to try their tasting menu, you must stop by in the evening. That is when you can enjoy 7-course Atelje Expressions and 9-course Atelje Impressions.

Bread Basket

Each of us got a piece of buckwheat bread with walnuts and a piece of wholegrain sourdough bread. Both had the perfect crust that filled our ears before we got to the moist center. Next to the bread, we got whipped homemade butter, seasoned with yeast extract. We loved the airy cloud that could quickly be mistaken for creamy, yeasty spread.

Appetizers

Beetroot and Blackberry Gazpacho    

This refreshing cold soup presented the best side of the beetroot. Blackberries vivified its sweetness, while the walnuts rounded earthy notes. Finally, the chef added the sour cream and connected everything into a creamy delicacy. We really liked the smooth consistency of the soup and young beetroot leaves that remained clean and glossy till the end. 

Mackerel Salpicon

Eye-catching greens on top of the cucumber wrap were an eye-popping contrast to visible black dots. These spots were made of black garlic paste and were divine umami bombs on a mouth-watering bite. The vacuum compressed cucumber kept definite crunch despite thermal treatment, which deepened its taste. Inside the thin cucumber sheet, was diced mackerel file, seasoned with shallots and mint vinaigrette. Around the long roll, chef drizzled the gravy made of fish stock and chardonnay. 

Mains

Octopuss

The aroma of the pil-pil sauce sent us straight to Thailand, with its seasonings. Chef added some coconut milk and lemongrass to the fish proteins left in the olive oil. With cooked young potato, he uplifted the initial sweetness in the sauce and the octopus. Really, the octopus tentacle was the plate’s star, soft as butter if we may add. 

Katsu Sando 

Slovenian version of the Japanese cutlet sandwich was filled with a tender beef tongue that had a long time to cook, prior frying. Crumbs in which it was fried were crisp and not at all fatty, same goes for the deep-fried onion rings. Fritters were quite the opposite of the soft bread. Its sponge-like texture soaked up the Tonkatsu sauce like a charm. Due to a mixture of the favorite western sauces, some call it the Japanese BBQ sauce. We loved the large bowl of mixed green salad on the side, with emphasis on arugula.

Dessert

Creamy and refreshing summer dessert left us feeling light at the end of the meal. We started the final course with buttermilk ice cream flavored with lemon verbena. Afterward, we focused on the luscious greek yogurt panna cotta topped with fresh strawberries, sage, and sugar braised skinless cherry tomato. The only thing that bothered us a notch was stevia like sweetness in the tomatoes. Nothing outrageous, we prefer different sweeteners, like gula Melaka.

Cheese Course

The cheese course is an excellent opportunity to try different cheeses. Pleasing additions usually accompany the cheese selection, at Atelje restaurant we especially liked the apricot chutney with toothsome mustard seeds. Of course, the classic nuts and dried fruit never disappoint. In our case, we got dried figs and tomato on the side. Another great companion of the cheese plate is wine. Ultimately, both cheese and wine are true artistry. 

BIO sheep and goat cheese, we got at the Atelje restaurant, were from a small family farm. Oresnik’s pastures are pure, unpolluted by the chemicals, full of wild “weeds”; flowers and herbs. Therefore, Oresnik cheese is a true joy to the taste buds with five samples ranging from mild to intense. In their over 20 years of cheesemaking, the Oresnik family personalized French and Dutch influences.

Atelje Restaurant Drinks Menu

Atelje restaurant’s wine menu consists of numerous Slovenian and renowned European wines, plus a handful of Latin American wines. We were over the moon also for the opportunity to choose a dozen organic wines. Also worth mentioning is the wide offer of wines by the glass.

Final Thought

Atelje restaurant might be the place you would want to return, especially if you stop for lunch, as we did. The taste of the dishes was superb and the service was lovely. After all, this is the standard one expects from Michelin starred restaurant. However, there were some flaws but nothing too serious.

For lunch, they serve only a few dishes and we couldn’t make some “serious damage”. Our bellies were more than ready for the degustation menu, which is not on the menu for lunch, only dinner. A great solution for that would be some extra signature dishes, not only cheese plate.

Another flaw is their wine list. At the Atelje Restaurant, they use a modern approach – wine menu on the tablet pc. This is a great idea, especially now in Corona times. Nevertheless, there was only one tablet, and we almost finished our cheese plate, before some wine ordering.

Atelje Restaurant Review Card

• 8.5/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 8.5/10
• 9.0/10
  SERVICE – 9.0/10
• 9.4/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.4/10
• 9.4/10
  FOOD – 9.4/10
• 9.5/10
  DRINKS – 9.5/10
• 9.6/10
  VALUE – 9.6/10

Price and Location

2-course lunch menu with dessert comes at a price at about 33USD, while the 9-course tasting menu costs around 112USD. Here is a link to the location in case you will pay them a visit.

The post Atelje Restaurant Review: Michelin Star in Ljubljana appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

About Vila Podvin

Dedication to local goods is diverse in this restaurant. It’s not only felt in the dishes but also the atmosphere proves that. We haven’t met a person that would be so passionately involved with the local community like Chef Uros Stefelin is. Everything in the restaurant is local, including the handmade tableware, which has been designed in collaboration with the Slovenian painter Arnol Matjaz and CUDV (center for the work safety and training for people with special needs).

Every first Saturday, Podvin premises host a market where the public can meet the restaurant’s partners. There everyone can find out where Vila Podvin’s food originates from and even purchase some for personal use. Then there is also cookery school for children and grown-ups, plus a summer special event “stake & chocolate”… The event calendar is packed and updated on their website, so click through.

Chef Uros Stefelin

Chef Uros Stefelin is working hard to revive traditional Slovenian cuisine and make it more appealing to future generations. Visual impressions have never been more important than now; no need to deny that. Add to that the flawed view of food in general and dishes of our ancestors are gone. Anyway, the meeting point between old and new is Chef’s creativity. He’s stunning creations are developed by modern cooking techniques and personal memories. In addition to that, neighboring Italian cuisine influenced the Slovenian cooking style, and so did France.

Ambiance 

On a warm day, one can enjoy al fresco dining experience under or near the tall trees. Although indoors offers a cozy and intimate place to go for the colder days. Inside the Vila Podvin restaurant, you can appreciate the arched ceiling made of red bricks and stained-glass windows. The color theme is earthy and gives away the homely vibe with a fireplace. A connection to the outside world is the art exhibition art.

Vila Podvin Food Review

Get ready for some delicious Slovene Nouvelle cuisine based on sustainable gastronomy. We must admit, eating the food grown as close as possible gave us double pleasure. That is why we dared to address the dishes through old wisdom.

Hors d’oeuvre

Time Makes Memories Golden

We began our lunch with a nourishing dish in an eggshell. This rustic perfection has propper old school roots. With modern execution, it got transformed into the perfect pleasure. Not only is it utterly beautiful to look at, for us carnivores, but it also pays tribute to the traditional breakfast. Potato foam introduces the heart-warming bite, filled with runny egg yolk and polenta. Let’s not forget the rinds, another traditional regional addition. 

Play by Ear

Tiny cones filled us with intense flavors that played out like a symphony. Starting with the perfectly tuned horseradish mayo that supplied mellow piquancy to the smoked trout. In fact, the relish smoothened the transition between the firm meat and crisp dough. Then, there was a beautiful parsley leaf for a stimulating effect.

Bread & Butter

Freshly baked sourdough bread tasted like heaven and had an insanely crisp crust. As if that wasn’t enough, Chef Stefelin served it with infused butter stripes. Each butter stripe brought out something new from already very flavourful bread. For example, beetroot appealed to the grounding sweetness while nuts rounded its depth. 

Appetizers

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Slow-cooked slices of the marinated bovine tongue were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. It went wonderfully with fine-tuned horseradish mayonnaise and salad. However, it became a delicacy when eaten together with black walnuts, quail egg, and local cheese.

Soup

Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Both sunchoke and mushroom soup hugged us from the inside. Naturally, the thick sunchoke soup was lighter, especially when combined with the yogurt foam. For extra flavor and bite, Chef garnished the soup with crisp fried parsley leaves and sunchoke chips. He did the same with the dried fennel and pea sprout on top of mushroom soup. Here and there, they cut through the combination of wild mushroom foam and smooth potato soup.

Hot Starters

A Chain is Only as Strong as its Weakest Link

Sealed ravioli kept the filling inside without the option of escaping. Lack of weak links allowed us to get the Bohinj cheese filling in abundance. This beautiful dish continued to evolve with mushroom foam, creamy quail egg yolk, and toothsome autumn salad. 

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Late autumn used to be reserved for the pig slaughter and village life fussed over the winter food storage. One of the traditional dishes prepared during that time used to be the blood sausage, filled with buckwheat and different seasonings. In respect to the tradition, Chef kept the filling classic but deconstructed it for a more attractive appearance. Appetizing look continued with the thick potato foam, truffles, and fried turnips.

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Main Dishes

Where Love Sets the Table Food Tastes at its Best

Ians’ main dish was a Slovenian meat classic – piglet. There is no need to say it was prepared perfectly because the photo says it all. Crispy skin and juicy meat in a company of mixed beans, red cabbage, apples, and parsley root.

Art Finds its Food Everywhere

I have a statement to make! This is the second-best grilled octopus, after the one we had in Lefkada, Greece. Looks like chef Uros is well aware of how to prepare seafood and satisfy even the most demanding guests.

Dessert

What is Essential is Invisible to the Eye

Our first dessert was a mysterious one, because of the sunchoke sheet stretched across the bowl. Once we broke through, we were taken aback by the aroma of sweet pear, pumpkin, and mint. In the middle of it, we also got some chestnut sauce and delicate meringue. Numerous flavors and textures kept opening new horizons up until the last mouthful. 

All Good Things Come to An End

We finished our feast at the Vila Podvin with an absolutely delicious dessert. As a matter of fact, we loved the dashing twists on the seasonal ingredients. First, we stopped at the chocolate chestnut mousse and apple ice cream. Then we couldn’t get enough of the orange & pumpkin sauce with panna cotta on the side. Truth be told, we almost run out of it before having that one perfect bite where everything is included. Nevertheless, it was enough and spot on.

Conclusion

Their style reminds me of Repovz, where the line between modern and traditional is thin. However, it never ever gets crossed but rather play with all your senses. Slovenian cuisine is thrilling and people like Uros are making it sure it will rise out from the ashes and show the world glorious Slovenian taste.

Vila Podvin Review Card

• 9.3/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.3/10
• 9.4/10
  SERVICE – 9.4/10
• 9.6/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.6/10
• 9.6/10
  FOOD – 9.6/10
• 9.3/10
  DRINKS – 9.3/10
• 9.7/10
  VALUE – 9.7/10

Price and Location

The 8-course degustation menu at Vila Podvin will cost you about 100 USD per person. Here is a link to the location in case you will give a try at this Michelin restaurant.

The post Vila Podvin Review: Nouvelle Cuisine appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

I am talking about Ana Ros, a chef who is creating some of the world’s best dishes. Ana and her partner Valter Kramar gathered together an international team to spoil no matter how demanding gourmand you are. If you are looking for the best restaurant in Slovenia, this is probably your answer. Check our Hisa Franko Review and see why we think so. Update: We are not the only ones who agree with this opinion. Hisa Franko got 3 Michelin Stars in 2023, and not only that. They are also holding their Michelin Green Star, which is amazing!

The Ambiance at Hisa Franko

Slovenia is all about nature, and here at Hisa Franko, it is easy to feel close to nature. From our table, we enjoyed the unspoiled view over the forested hills and the valley. In addition to that, we even got to see the mountain peaks bathing in the warm light while the sun was setting. After the sun said goodbye, we treasured the dancing flame in the fireplace.

In a word, we can say the ambiance at Hisa Franko is very peaceful. Friendly staff took care of our needs and presented a helping hand if needed. The only missing link we found was a lack of homely charm, which a spectacular view can’t substitute.

Wine and Cheese at Hisa Franko

Before our lunch, we were lucky enough to see the famous Hisa Franko wine and cheese cellars. We expressed our interest in the guided tour beforehand and now we are happy to report our enthusiasm.

Wine Cellar

Precedence spot in Hisa Franko’s wine cellar belongs to natural wines from Slovenia and elsewhere. House sommelier Valter Kramar is a longtime wine collector and naturally produced wine enthusiast. Therefore, Hisa Franko wine cellar holds a massive natural wine collection.

Cheese Cellar

In the separate space right next to the wine cellar is the cheese cellar. Cheese is another of Valter’s passions extending through the aging process of local “Tolminc” cheese. In time he perfected the ripening process and has now differently aged “Tolminc” cheese at the restaurant’s disposal. The oldest cheese in the cellar is aged up to five years but diversity continues through aging in different environments. For example, 4 months in the underground pit drastically changes the cheese. This “cave” cheese, Ana Ros uses as a seasoning in some of her dishes.

The Menu at Hisa Franko

They ditched à la carte and rather serve an extensive degustation menu which changes seasonally. At the time of our visit, it was towards the end of autumn, therefore Chef Ana Ros presented strong and tantalizing flavors. The menu presents in-season local produce and is shaped by the surroundings.

Expect a long lunch and enjoy this culinary journey.

Our Hisa Franko Review

One-bite Pallet Starter

The perfect ratio of cauliflower shreds and smoked cave-aged cheese pulled out the sweetness and nuttiness in both. While the addition of trout roe and crunchy rye tartelette reduced intensity a notch. The most complex and intense flavor was coming from the cheese. Furthermore, the long-lasting aftertaste is reaching the depth of the underground.

Taco

Vibrant edible flowers on top of all green bite popped an eye-catching contrast while hazelnut miso excited the pallet. Wild herb salad became even tastier when eaten with plantago taco, elderflower marinade, and yeast emulsion. This was a mouthwatering crunchy bite that ended with vegetal notes.

Potato aka “Chompa”

This is Chef’s Ana Ros interpretation of the traditional dish and one of our favorite plates we had that day. Basically, it is baked potato in a shell, which is made of hay, salt, and egg whites. Next to it, we got double fermented ricotta cheese with smoked chocolate and chamomile.

Flavor varied from grassy to sweet and sour with lush chocolate hinting to chestnut notes. Not to mention how the double fermentation changed the ricotta cheese into the melting deliciousness that left our mouth moisturized.

Bignet

Bignet stands for the incredibly light deep-fried choux pastry filled with lamb brain pate. Combining it with the perfect seasoning and preserved berries this creamy pate ticks all the boxes. Deep-fried bites like this, can easily be too greasy. However, not here! It was perfect.

Sourdough Bread

Can bread be a dish? Yes, if it is made by Natasa Djuric, and it comes with homemade cultured butter. Truly, spelt flour and molasses sourdough bread is perfection in every bite. First, the color of the crust gets the imagination going before its crispness fills the ears. It is all we wished it to be and more.

Surf and Turf

Where to begin with describing our first dish? We loved the combination of light and sweet flavors with soft textures all the ingredients have in common. It started with the Mortadella consume, scallops sashimi, and cherry tomato filled with Mortadella cubes. Naturally, there was more to it than that, especially when we got bittersweet tarragon oil on the spoon.

In the second part, we were presented with the “bacon” made of cuttlefish. It not only succeeded in bold imitation but also went wonderfully with the fried bread cube filled with Mortadella mayonnaise. Albert Adrià, are you here?

Roebuck Sashimi

It goes without saying that the roebuck sashimi was so soft that it quickly dissolved in our mouths. We got some extra texture from the grated fresh chestnut while the flavor intensified the fermented plum paste and umeboshi marinade.

The Umami rollercoaster continued through the roebuck broth seasoned with juniper oil. The final bite induced an umami twist in the form of an oyster, which we saw coming in the broth. Before that entire dish was submitted to the roebuck.

Pituralka

Pituralka is an old pear variety known for its late harvest and small fruit that is best enjoyed when thermally treated. Chef Ana Ros knows that well and for this reason, slow-cooked Pituralka pear in pear juice and butter. She combined it with goose liver pate, chestnut, sage, and coffee yogurt. As advised, we mixed it all together and enjoyed the far-reaching burst of flavors. Lovely dish!

Pit Cheese Filled Raviolo

Let’s begin with the perfectly cooked raviolo, filled with “Tolminc” cheese aged in an underground pit. Even though raviolo was the star of the plate it had a strong supporting team in a form of artichokes, black truffle, and black trumpet also known as the horn of plenty. Our noses were sniffing some porcinis in the background… In addition to that, the cheese rind soup expanded the flavors with its slightly acidic taste and aroma similar to the one in the cheese cellar.

Lamb and Crab

Once again we were encouraged to eat with our hands the tiny green wrap. To be more specific it was a mixture of lamb and crab wrapped in a chard leaf. We loved combining it with sunchoke chips and lamb soup in between the bites. Finale rounded the sweet gentle flavors trapped inside the poached egg yolk bathing in the lamb soup which was filled with sunchoke cream and topped with fish roe.

Trout

Trout from the nearby river tasted outstanding with moist meat and crisp corn crust. Its mild taste grew in depth with porcini gravy made of buttermilk. To keep the lightness of the dish going chef added lightly seasoned winter salad on the side.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin roasted in brown butter with tingling apple salad pointed us toward the seaside. It started with the sea urchin addition in béarnaise sauce that matched the color of a pumpkin. In the same color specter was also soft shrimp that was hidden from the eyes and edible flowers. This dish wasn’t only for eyes, its taste was clean, well rounded and warm.

Hisa Franko’s Interpretation of Istrian Stew or Jota

Free-spirited interpretation of traditional Slovenian stew looks completely different and yet it retained vital similarities. There was a turnip, potato, and beans for a traditional base with the smokiness coming from smoked trout. Especially intriguing was the tender sausage made of pig’s snout and crisp kale. Indeed, a wonderful interpretation of an old nurturing dish that warms up any cold day.

Roebuck

Sweet companions to the roebuck fillet included pinecone, beetroot, and gravy. Pickled beetroot stimulated the fillet for a way back to the forest with cooked young pinecones, while horseradish ricotta cheese made the journey even more engaging.

Delicacy Before the Sweet Treat

As we come across in one interview Chef Ana Ros doesn’t really have a sweet tooth. Her go-to choice at the end of the meal is a cheese plate, and that is seen on Hisa Franko menu. Understandably, we went for the house cheese plate and finished with desserts.

Cheese Plate

To be honest, this is a nice experiment. All cheeses are coming from a similar base, and then the magic of maturation comes. We had fun getting to know how cheese evolves through the ripening process in four different samples.

It was absolutely delicious to discover the changes in the aging cheese with intensified flavors becoming nuttier over time. The final piece was the double-fermented “Tolminc” cheese aged in the underground pit. This one is extremely strong tasting and, in our opinion, rather a seasoning than an independent ingredient. The only enjoyable thing was its aroma. I joke you not, but it smells like porcini – outstanding.

Masterpiece

Apple croissant filled with rosehip cream and topped with caramelized goat milk not only looked beautiful but also tasted perfect. Things got even better when we combined it with the ice cream made of cooked apples and beeswax crème anglaise. Downside? Size of ice-cream serving.

Revolution of Kobarid Strukelj

A traditional dish with a reputation of being on the plate at the festive occasions as a fulfilling sweet treat was presented to us with changed filling. Instead of the traditional walnuts, raisins and breadcrumbs, ours was filled with apples and parsnip. Whilst walnuts and caramelized pork rinds were part of the topping.

Last Sweet Treat

Our final plate refreshed our pallet with preserved lemon sorbet and bergamot curd. The meeting point between the salty and zesty tang was the buttermilk reduction and verbena oil. Our only problem was the size because it all disappeared in one mouthful. Leaving us out of control sweet tooth restless.

 Final Thought

Chef Ana Ros has perfected her pallet to the finest detail and balances the flavors in a tasty symphony. Basically, each plate launched “fireworks” and left us with always the same comment: “that was incredible.” It is difficult to follow all the happenings with identification, instead, it is better to let go of it and enjoy the moment. Understandably, her inspiration comes from the pristine nature, who is the best teacher and provider. We respect her effort toward the local produce and closer connection to the environment. Guys, Slovenia is a foodie destination 2020, I am telling you.

Any downsides for us? Yes, the ambient has some space for improvement. We were missing homely feeling or tack sharp design which would keep us in this nature bubble illusion. Another minus goes to dessert deprivation. Our sweet tooth is not easy to be satisfied.

Hisa Franko Review Card

• 9.0/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.0/10
• 9.4/10
  SERVICE – 9.4/10
• 9.7/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.7/10
• 9.8/10
  FOOD – 9.8/10
• 9.7/10
  DRINKS – 9.7/10
• 9.5/10
  VALUE – 9.5/10

Price and Location

Our Autumn menu came at a price of 150€ per person plus 10€ for a cheese plate. In case you are looking for wine accompaniment expect to add about 80€ per person. In house sommelier works closely with the chef and pairs mostly natural wines for you. For the occasion dress appropriately with the smart casual dress code in mind. Here is a link to the location for easy navigation. Enjoy!

The post Hisa Franko Review: Creations by Ana Ros appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Pavus Restaurant Ambiance

This medieval castle has stone walls with small windows that give away a little moody vibe. For more down to earth feel there is dark wooden furniture everywhere. Also, the handmade ornaments act playful and make the restaurant more laid-back. Since the Castle Tabor is on top of the hill, we got to see the surrounding forest as well as the Lasko town in the valley.

In reality, this fairytale Castle Tabor has one minus we can’t be quiet about. On the day of our visit, a large plastic tent occupied the castle’s courtyard and ruined the outside image. Probably they were preparing for some bigger event, and we have another excuse for our next visit.

Pavus Restaurant Menu

Chef Marko Pavcnik at Pavus restaurant embraces modern Slovenian cuisine with a free spirit. He is incorporating wild ingredients and combining international favorites into his dishes. While the tasting menu changes with seasons, the final dish depends on the items Chef Marko Pavcnik has at hand. On the day of our lunch at Pavus restaurant, we got to taste the mix of Asian and European influences on Slovenian cuisine. Just right, for our slow transition from Asia to Europe. Enough Said, Let’s dig into our Restaurant Pavus Review.

Amuse-bouche

If I have to pick one combination of this two-part pallet starter, I choose the “sassy glassy.” Well, allow me to call it so, mostly due to the glass in which the creamy foam stands. It’s about the refreshing cucumber flavor and cube of terrine floating in it. I loved the gentle salty-sour balance of briefly pickled cucumber and meaty piece. The second bite at Pavus restaurant showed French influence in Slovenian cuisine. Freshly made pate on a crispy slice – yummm.

First Course – Trout Sashimi

“Slovenian style” marinated Trout Sashimi starts with condiments like radish pickled in beetroot’s juice as let’s say “ginger replacement.” While the gravy made of elderflower berries worked with aromas in trout’s marinade. Let’s say the gravy could be taking the place of a “runny sushi condiment” swap.

For the “thick paste,” we got the orange cream that melted quickly and coated trout. On top of that, there were cuttlefish ink polenta and spicy Nasturtiums. The whole dish works very refreshingly, clean and great balanced. Watch out Japan!

Second Course – Deer Carpaccio

Maybe quinoa chips were meant for a dip in foie gras foam. If not, there is still an option for the future. Firstly, it is the deep-fried quinoa chips we loved, with or without anything else. However, when combined with goose liver foam, the balanced buttery notes took over. Add to that some raspberry and a piece of black walnut skin for some sweetness.

Of course, that’s not all. On the bottom, there is delicious deer carpaccio. Deer carpaccio shows Italian influences, plus over 50% of Slovenia is still devoted to nature. Tender meat with black forest fruits and delicious goose liver foam is an amazing head start.

Third Course – Poached Egg, Truffles, Celery

On this plate, we could taste celery seasoned with truffles, poached egg, and bread crumbs. First, it was about nourishing celery head foam to which parsley contributed some freshness. Colorful match to this tasty garnish proved to be the mild celery oil made of celery stems and leaves. Chef at Pavus restaurant even pickled the celery root. That means he is using the whole plant and show his creativity.

As we all know, creativity is not enough, so let’s check other aspects. We love the balance between oil and poached egg. Also, herb oil can easily overwhelm the main component, but not here.

Fourth Course – Black-belted Pig, Miso, Kimchi and Eggplant

Our interpretation of this dish is; “Reality, here and now.” The star on the plate is the Krskopolje Pig. The Krskopolje pig or black-belted pig is the only preserved Slovenian indigenous pig breed. This pig was popular to keep among regional farmers so it makes even more sense to serve it at the Restaurant Pavus. Now, if we compare it with the commercial pork, it has a stronger color, intensive aroma, and is tastier because of marbled meat and slower growth. The aroma in this particular dish circled towards China with their famous five-spice mix. Asian influence expanded through kimchi and the miso addition.

Proteins in this dish were flawless, miso sauce and pickled addition were right on spot. Add fried rice ball and five spices to this combination and we get a great dish.

Dessert at Pavus Restaurant

One part of the dessert was refreshing, while the rest bonded in comforting notes. To point out, there was fragrant Slovenian native wine (Jurka) sorbet in deep pink color. The color is all-natural from grape’s dark purple peel, also known as a rich source of antioxidants. Chef Marko Pavcnik enhanced grape’s fruity-floral aroma with Asian aromatic spices. He seasoned the Greek yogurt with cardamom while pumpkin got star anise. As a crunchy element, there were buckwheat popcorns, which get along perfectly with yogurt and pumpkin.

We must also mention the expanded fragrant symphony when we combined the dessert with aromatic “Diseci Traminec” from Slovenian winery. It not only prolonged the taste but also added wings to grapes aroma. Talking about wine…

Wine

Ahhh yes, finally in a country with a rich wine history. To be honest, the wine was one of the things we truly missed back there in Asia. However, we will make up for that. For our Restaurant Pavus review, we paired our main course with Merlot Benedetic, 2016 and Tilia Rubido, 2017. Merlot with its deeper ruby ​​color and red fruits on the nose was a perfect match for our pig. Low acidity and fresh finish with a slice of spiciness on spot!

On the other side, Tilia Rubido is a chapter for itself. It is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured in barrique barrels for about two years. It is elegant and playful at the same time. Some dried prunes, fresh red fruits, jam, smoke, and full body. This glass was nice with the pork, but I wouldn’t mind to have it with our Deer Carpaccio as well. Exceptional wine! For dessert, we added “Diseci Treaminec”, which means aromatic Traminer. Ian doesn’t like this one, due to the irritating aroma, minding him on perfumed wine. But I loved it.

Conclusion

JRE Restaurants usually don’t disappoint, and our Restaurant Pavus Review can only confirm that. Our five-course menu was a delicious and fun experience. Slovenian ingredients going hand in hand with Asian spices, sure why not. If these twists are Chefs’ signature, let it be. This castle lunch was delicious and we warmly recommend the restaurant to all travelers.

Restaurant Pavus Review Card

• 9.3/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.3/10
• 9.6/10
  SERVICE – 9.6/10
• 9.6/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.6/10
• 9.5/10
  FOOD – 9.5/10
• 8.8/10
  DRINKS – 8.8/10
• 9.3/10
  VALUE – 9.3/10

 Price and Location

The five-course menu at Pavus restaurant costs about 54 USD per person. Note that making a reservation is highly recommended and will assure a pleasurable experience. If you want to adjust the menu due to your dietary restrictions it is best to inform them already in your reservation. Here is a link to the location for easier navigation.

Pavus Restaurant Dress Code

Whenever you visit the Pavus restaurant, we suggest you consider obeying the smart-casual dress code. After all, you will be entering the noble premises.

The post Restaurant Pavus Review: Castles are Magical appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Saawaan Drinks Menu

Saawaan drinks menu is oriented towards the world’s wines and Fhaang forest tea, but it also includes Bangkok soda, water, and beer. You’ll have the biggest freedom of choice when choosing the bottle of wine, although wine per glass is well thought out. 

Saawaan Tea Pairing

Saawaan is one of a few fine dining restaurants in Bangkok, where you can have your meal paired with tea. Probably the only one where you can taste six different specimens in one evening. To our slight disappointment, the tea repeated itself three times, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t fit with the dish. On the contrary, it paired wonderfully, but we longed for some extras. Maybe some smoked tea next to the charcoaled dish…

Forest Teas by Fhaang

To say nothing of the sustainable, forest-friendly Thai tea by Fhaang would be a crime; after all, they are focusing on freestyle growing tea trees and not the usual tea plantations. Their focus is to spread awareness of native Northern Thai tea plant (Camellia Sinensis Aassamica) through making high-quality tea. No logging, no pesticides, and no herbicides, with business in the hands of local people, sounds like a dream. Ian and I support the eco-friendly practice that brings local people a brighter future with all our hearts. That is why we were more than happy to toast to our dinner with some hot brew.

Saawaan Wine Pairing

At Saawan, you can enjoy your degustation menu with pairing wines. Presented wines are from France, Spain, Italy and Australia, but that can change as the seasonal menu changes.

The Food at One Michelin Star, Saawaan Restaurant

Given that Thai cuisine is known for its balance between salty-sweet-sour-spicy flavors expect all of them in many dishes. In the light of respecting the Thai cooking tradition Chef Sujira ‘Aom’ Pongmorn, prepares some of the dishes “old school style” using fermentation, grilling, steaming and stir-frying. While modern cooking techniques include foams and a slow cooking technique known as Sous vide, among others. Awareness that every dish is firstly enjoyed with eyes is also part of Thai food carvings, but at Saawaan, the art of plating is done only in the modern style, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Seasonal 9-Course Tasting Menu for Our Saawaan Bangkok Review

In the Saawaan Bangkok review below we’ll go through individual dishes through Wild and Free diary experience. We loved spicy Thai flavors and aromatic dishes created by both Chef de cuisine and pastry Chef. Here we have to point out that not everything is produced in Thailand but the majority is.

Amuse Buche

Heart-warming first bite consisted of purple yam blini topped with a reduction of coconut chicken soup and Oscietra caviar finishing touch. By the way, Oscietra or Ossetra caviar is most prized and Saawaan imports it from France. This Thai take on the Russian classic is about creamy deliciousness refreshed by freshly grated kaffir lime zest. 

Tea Pairing: Kombucha Tea

  Probably nothing fits better at the beginning of the meal than kombucha tea. I loved the tiny cuppa, which made absolute sense due to the strong homemade brew. By all means, it wasn’t kombucha vinegar, it still retained some sweetness and it provided a beneficial foundation for all that followed. 

Raw

Sea urchin resting on top of the fruit salad sure looked tempting, even though it was served inside its shell with still attached black spines. Quite a dramatic plate that might scare you a little, but eating it with a spoon was easy and safe. Leading taste without any doubt belonged to sea urchin’s creaminess and sweetness even when eaten with the powerful salad seasonings like ginger, lemongrass, chili, and mint. Although without delay Madan fruit added a firm yet sour crunch.

Tea Pairing: Steamed Assamica Green Tea

Tea with earthy and vegetal taste on the first note, but it also hides a hint of seaweed inside it. Precisely that was just the perfect match to this dish in addition to tea’s ability to prolong the creaminess. 

Dip

“See who you eat” approach also made sense when rice paddy crab’s shell converted into the dipping vessel. The thick dip was made of seasoned rice field crab’s guts and roe, known under catchier name crab butter or crab fat. Actually, this part of the crab gets discarded too often, but once you try the real deal, you’ll lick your fingers. We sure did! It was fun unwrapping the burned banana leaf before reaching the aromatic sticky rice cooked in coconut milk.

Tea Pairing: Steamed Assamica Green Tea

Vegetal notes in the tea served as a light contrast towards the thick dip. 

Fermented

The star of the plate was the fermented Black Berkshire pig, also known as Kurobuta pork. This pork is celebrated for its juiciness coming from marbling texture and rich taste. Through a week-long fermentation, its taste only developed and meet got even more tender. Before we got it on the table it received yet another treatment with a quick dip in the hot oil. Another fermented item on the plate was the one-minute cucumber pickles with a really refreshing taste. In the light of intense flavors, even the fried rice stood its ground with the help of red curry seasonings.

Tea Pairing: Lanna Black Tea

Free-grown black tea from Chiang Mai cleaned the palate between the bites and revived the chili heat. Regardless of intensified heat, we tasted some dried plums while aroma indicated some dried figs.

Boiled

Slow-cooked beef soup seasoned with Thai herbs and leafy vine Bai Ya Nang. Although the Bai Ya Nang is known to be pretty much tasteless, it is packed with health benefits. No wonder it has been used in traditional Southeast Asian medicine! Honestly, this soup at large felt like a medicine, a very aromatic and intense rebound broth. After 8 hours of braising, a piece of hump beef released plenty of flavors and reached the desired tenderness. Indeed, marbled meat was so soft that we wouldn’t have known it was there without munching on it for a second. Separating it from the soup to taste it was the key, probably because the broth was too salty to our taste.

Tea Pairing: Lanna Black Tea

At this point, I must admit that the soup wasn’t my favorite Saawaan dish but tea fixed the biggest flaws. It not only lowered the saltiness and added a little bit of roasty flavor to the tongue but also presented slight sweetness to the aftertaste.

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Palate Cleanser: Miang

Miang literally means “food wrapped in leaf” and we got a neat quenelle in the middle of the shiny betel leaf. This type of snack is part of an old Northern Thai tradition that continues to this day. The minimalistic presentation left the expectations to roam free, but nothing could prepare us for the following; a combination of tangy sourness coming from fermented wild tea leaves and betel leaf’s sweetness. This bite leaves diners with only two options; love it or hate it. We loved it! I guess princess Dara Rasmi was hoping for the same “love it” feedback when she introduced her Miang version to King Rama V.

Stir-Fry

If there would be an option to have one dish on the Saawaan degustation menu twice, this is the one Wild ‘n’ Free Diary would select. There are a few reasons for this with the first and most significant one affecting the wonderfully prepared sator beans or stinky beans. This was the first time Ian agreed to eat them, let’s say a miracle happened.

As we learned, the secret for diminishing bean’s pungent aroma lies in the preparation. The trick is to cook stinky beans over the charcoal, while seeds are still sealed inside the pod. Later Chef pealed and seasoned them with some coconut milk, cashew nuts and stir-fried everything together with some yellow curry paste. Freshly ground sprinkles of dried crab roe with kaffir lime leaves also didn’t hurt. Plus, they lifted the stir-fried Mud Crab claw.

Tea Pairing: Jungle Oolong

As the name indicates, this tea grows wild in the jungle so hand-picking it can be a challenge. After harvesting, the half-oxidized tea leaves develop slightly sour taste with hay connecting the grassy aroma. Its aroma of freshly cut grass caught me by surprise and indicated that a very special cuppa stands in front of me. Here we must admit that slight fermentation of wild tea leaves really enchanted us and made Jungle Oolong our favorite brew on the Saawaan tea pairing menu. 

 Charcoaled

Colorful papaya salad never looked better, and we loved some extra time for admiration. In no time chef arrived at our table with smoked quail inside a big clay pot. What is special about organic quails served at Saawaan is that they are fed coconut. I swear I could taste it! Maybe that was due to the stuffing or maybe the tomato sauce had a splash of coconut milk in it. It doesn’t really matter; the point is that charcoaled dish tasted great with noticeable charcoal characteristics.

Tea Pairing: Lanna Silver Needle

This fine tea has a slightly sweet aroma and vegetal character with a light astringent taste. Paring it next to the juvenile quail reduced the intense flavors and lengthened its sweetness simultaneously.

Curry

Curry is a staple in Thai cuisine and is often eaten as a stand-alone dish just pored over rice. At one Michelin star Saawaan restaurant, we got to taste a few different curries before this one and none of them felt like Penang curry. This type of red Thai curry has peanuts in it and it’s sweeter than any other. Its sweetness matched the BBQ-ed eggplant and Andaman black Grouper file. If it weren’t for coconut milk in the curry, it would be overpowering but the fish had a backup. Solid enhancement appeared as the deep-fried fish crumble. 

 Tea Pairing: Lanna Silver Needle

Velvety mouthfeel nourished the taste buds while tea’s lightness welcomed the perfectly cooked Grouper fish.

Wine Hint

If you skipped the wine pairing and crave a glass, we advise you to pair the Curry dish with Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Turckheim. It’s a great match.

Dessert

The final part of our Saawaan Bangkok Review is a dessert. This sweet journey started with refreshing tamarind sorbet beside aromatic jasmine meringue sticks. The last touch to this divine treat can easily escape the eye, but sprinkles of salt and chili are there for the wow factor. When we captured everything, they turned the sourness down a notch and deepened the taste. Tea pairing doesn’t come with this palate cleanser, but I dared to dream about iced jasmine tea.

Deconstructed Traditional Thai Dessert ‘Gluai Buat Chii’

Cooked banana in coconut milk is easy, actually idiot proof simple. Although this may be true for the Chef Paper’s inspiration, her creation is far from easy. It’s a show-stopping case with beautiful eye candy and complex tasting explosion of textures. Just like in the original, you can’t miss the comforting taste of cooked banana and sweet coconut cream is also right there. Then you get the Michelin star goodies that form a tropical dream with trendy caramelized white chocolate code-named the blond chocolate. 

Tea Pairing: Lanna Oolong Tea

Buttery tones go hand in hand with the fulfilling dessert and the same goes for a slight bitterness. In the end, it completely cleared the palate so we could have a fresh start whenever we pleased. 

Sweet Farewell

Flowers are important in Thai culture not only as a seasoning but also as an offering. Floral chains, for example, are present everywhere, not only at the Buddhist temples. We’ve seen the white crown flowers on many garlands but never an edible one. As expected, white crown flower-shaped meringue tasted like flowers. Well as a cloud of jasmine flowers, to be more specific. That was just one part of the floral chain and only one of the petit fours. This extended Saawaan Bangkok Review too long anyways, so I’ll say one more thing about the durian chocolate truffle. You’ll love it even if you don’t like durian.

Conclusion

Despite the apparent respect for the original food we felt at home with the modern presentation and attentive staff. Dinner at Saawaan will stay in our memory for a long time. If you are thinking about trying their food, we can only encourage you. I hope you liked our Saawaan Bangkok Review, see you next time.

Saawaan Bangkok Review Card

• 8.6/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 8.6/10
• 9.2/10
  SERVICE – 9.2/10
• 9.4/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.4/10
• 9.3/10
  FOOD – 9.3/10
• 9.2/10
  DRINKS – 9.2/10
• 9.3/10
  VALUE – 9.3/10

Price and Location

Degustation menu like we had for this delicious Saawaan Restaurant Review will cost you about 95 USD per person. For wine pairing, you will add an extra 75 USD, while tea pairing will settle at 26 USD. Here is the location of the Saawaan Restaurant.

The post Saawaan Bangkok Review: One Michelin And More appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Concept of Bo.lan Restaurant

Arrival to Bo.lan Michelin star restaurant felt more like a visit to the friend’s house. While we approached the premises down the entryway we got an instant homely feeling. That feeling got enhanced by the sight of the small henhouse on the left side of the pool area. Once we noticed the beehive, we were over the roof.

It felt like we found a rural oasis in the middle of Bangkok. Our enthusiasm continued when we stepped inside the house, where every corner celebrates Thailand. The dark wooden interior is a charming background for artistic food images and flower installations. For a change, flowers have their spot on the wall, while the table is reserved for the culinary delicacies. On top of all that this is an upscale dining restaurant that follows the eco-friendly practice.

I will be very brief with their ideology and philosophy. In a nutshell, it’s about committed to change the food industry and revive authentic Thai food. Everything had begun with a lack of knowledge about Thai food in the country and close to zero organic products. After the initial shock, they started a mission to find a few small-scale organic farmers that still exist.

The only way to find them was to explore Thailand for their restaurant suppliers and give them much needed support. Not only this partnership is beneficial for the restaurant but it is also crucial in preserving rare native plants and organic techniques.

Restaurant Menu

The menu is based on the local ingredients and it changes with the seasons. No matter what is on stock the perpetual goal is to have as little environmental impact as possible. With that in mind, we were eager to try everything that is on their lunch menu. The Bo.lan lunch starts at noon and is supervised by Dylan, while evening star is Bo. No matter when you plan to visit them you’ll get your taste buds pampered with traditional Thai flavors. To be clear, Thai cuisine includes chilies in many dishes so be ready for some tingling sensations.

Before you make a reservation, I suggest checking the menu if you try to avoid certain foods (not chili!!). When we were there all the dishes included animal proteins, which was somewhat disappointing. I can only guess how the previous menus were, but I hope that individual dishes in the future the menu will vary more.

Wine List

Wine list hides a surprise for lunch and dinner; the wine from Thailand. Not just Thai rice wine, but “ordinary” wine as well. Along with bio-dynamic and organic produce from around the world, it is a captivating list. For those who don’t care about alcoholic drinks, Bo.lan Bangkok offers signature mocktails.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Among the pink guava mojito and watermelon mojito, we chose the third one; a so-called herbal drink made from lemongrass and pandanus. I expected some bold lemongrass with subtle pandan in the background, but it was the exact opposite of that. Modestly measured lemongrass freshened the drink in which the spotlight belonged to the subtle pandan.

Michelin Star Lunch

For our Bo.lan Bangkok Review, we turned to the four-course tasting menu instead of the single plate dishes. Even so, it is good to know about the less time-consuming option full of delight. On the side, we got a free flow of organic Gaba brown rice and organic white jasmine rice, both cooked perfectly to the tooth. Maybe a more known name for the Gaba rice is germinated brown rice or sprouted rice, which is easier to digest, very healthy and more flavorful.

Amuse bouche hit the pallet straight away to show us what is coming. The mixture of minced pork, large mint leaf and plenty of shallots sent us through individual characteristics that worked well together.

Thai Hospitality on the Table – Main Dishes

As we are used to in Asian cuisine, we got all the dishes at the same time. This “course-prohibited” act filled our table instantly and left us to enjoy all of them as we pleased. Naturally, Ian and I had a taste of all eight Thai dishes, which all tasted great and were portioned adequately

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Let’s Start With the Salad

Even though we were advised to combine everything with rice I had to taste the first salad on its own. That way I could savor the tender grilled pork with lively additions of pomelo, santol, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and mint. Each ingredient served the purpose of flavor, texture and aroma, all rounded by a sweet kick of chili dressing.

The honey coated aroma of the second salad proved to be the opposite of my predictions about the fish salad. This refreshing appetizer starred with abundant mint leaves and aromatic herbs. Even so, I quickly included the rice, to balance the saltiness which led to the evolving flavors.

Soup

A combination of creamy coconut, chicken and young galangal is absolutely delicious. The flavor profile of this soup starts with young galangal that provides the piney-herbal notes with mild heat and goes on with milky coconut.

The dominating seasonings in “Boat noodle” style soup were the cinnamon and coriander. Both of them and many others masked the thickening agent of this soup, which by tradition is the blood. Don’t be appalled! It’s not weird to use all the animal parts instead of throwing them away. What is wrong are artificial additives and lack of respect for food in the modern world. I’m thrilled that at Bo.lan ethic reach beyond the food and include the environment as well.

Thai Curry is a Must

Thai Curry is unlike any other even though some spices are the same as in Indian curries. At Bo.lan kitchen stuff goes a step further and makes each curry paste from scratch. For the occasion, we got a portion of aromatic chicken curry and a bowl of thick pork curry.

The intense yellow color of the southern style chicken curry indicated the use of fresh turmeric while taste added the bouquet of shrimp paste, black pepper, and intense chili heat. Thankfully I was able to get all green chilies out of the bowl and enjoyed the remaining tender meat and pickled bamboo.

The “Tair Po” pork curry with crunchy morning glory had a strong citrusy taste with dried fish addition for more depth. With the fishy twist came the part I didn’t enjoy, even dough it complimented the pork ribs just fine.

The Last Main Dish on Our Bo.lan Lunch Menu

The strongest dish of them all, in my opinion, was the stir-fried pork with Andaman shrimp paste and sator beans. The sator beans are also known as stinky beans for the apparent reason. Even so, their distinctive smell is not off-putting. I’d say the bouquet tells you they are healthy, but not everyone can handle them.

Ian, for example, tried one and gave the rest to me. That, of course, didn’t happen with the pork even though it is much less healthy. I like the differences in the texture and taste, which goes beyond words – Umami and more… Anyway, I’d be happy to have these beans on their own in the same thick gravy with paprika and aromatic caffer lime leaves.

The last goodness was all from the sea, with crunchy Thai samphire sea-vegetable and tender stir-fried prawn. Here the prawn is indisputable king, especially with prawn stock covering everything. Its tender meat gets crispiness from the samphire, which is also salty by nature. This succulent plant receives the salt from the sea, while it grows in the coastal area.

Classic Thai Dessert for Finish

I finally found pleasure in quintessential Thai dessert that I tend to disapprove of due to the artificial syrups. This shaved ice is a way to combat the tropical heat, with 100% natural toppings made of aromatic jasmine syrup, sour green mango and ginger warmth. At the bottom of the glass, it was also rambutan and santol fruit for a more satisfying finish. In the light of the whole meal also the dessert combined the unforeseen contrast by a pinch of salt.

What More is There to Say? Critique.

There is no point in denying we didn’t enjoy our time. We did, everything was very flavorful, only the dessert was a bit too simple. However, we missed some of the warmth we experienced at Erawan Tea Room, Le Normandie or Saneh Jaan Michelin star restaurants before. And those restaurants aren’t even ‘family businesses’ like Bo.lan.

Is it really that hard to greet your guests and put some personal notes? Well, we were warned about this from one well-known Bangkok’s food critic and another connoisseur here. Yes, it is true we came for food, but there is always much more when it comes to the whole experience. In this case, the holistic homely feeling is gone. Unless they want to change the design of the homely restaurant, the owners should be more personal with the guests.

Final Thought

Cooking from scratch is part of the gourmet cookery which ends in an utterly delicious meal. The cherry on top for Michelin star meal is the chef’s deep passion, which in this case concerns more than just quality ingredients. It starts with running the zero-carbon footprint restaurant and personal twist to the Thai gastronomy and ends with supporting local and autochthonous ingredients. Thank you for keeping with us in this extended Bo.lan Bangkok Review.

The only missing link here is homely feeling. If you prepare a place like your home, cook your food like moms used to at Thai homes, act like we visit your home. After all, that’s why we visited you!

Bo.lan Bangkok Review Card

• 8.4/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 8.4/10
• 8.9/10
  SERVICE – 8.9/10
• 8.9/10
  PRESENTATION – 8.9/10
• 9.3/10
  FOOD – 9.3/10
• 9.3/10
  DRINKS – 9.3/10
• 9.5/10
  VALUE – 9.5/10

Price and Location

Lunch like ours will cost you here about 40 USD per person. When you are in Bangkok I warmly recommend paying a visit. Here is a link of location for easy peasy navigation. Bon appetit

The post Bo.lan Bangkok Review – Eco-Friendly Restaurant appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Not to mention new ones opening all the time. For this reason in 2019 the Michelin guide is titling 7 new restaurants, out of a total of 27 Michelin awarded restaurants in Bangkok. One of those 27 Michelin eateries happens to be Saneh Jaan with its traditional Thai cuisine. We tried their traditional recipes and here is our Saneh Jaan review.

Ambiance

Saneh Jaan is in busy Bangkok’s area near Lumpini Park, where is always something going on. A few traffic lights from the US embassy is Saneh Jaan restaurant. It is part of a big building named Glasshouse@Sindhorn, right behind the glass structures. When we opened the doors, a hostess welcomed us instantly. Only a few steps away, our table was ready in a big dining room with a lit dimmed ambiance.

A so-called moody ambiance induces a rather suave feel, which is ideal when it comes to fine dining. This idea is scientifically proven – people sit longer, feel more relaxed and yes, spend more in this type of environment. It is also perfect for a romantic getaway, but not so great for Ian’s photos.

On the bright walls are pinned many mirrors and photos from around Bangkok. Another light addition to the Saneh Jaan dining room are white orchid flowers. The place is very spacious with dark wooden tables where you won’t find a tablecloth. A modern setting for traditional Thai dishes – I am excited already!

In addition to the big dining room, they also have three separate spaces, where they serve smaller functions and a bar area. In the smaller rooms, there are big log tables made out of a single wood trunk and fashionable lighting. The modern style bar and lounge area connect everything.

Saneh Jaan Menu

Saneh Jaan is the right place for lovers of Thai cuisine, and by this, we mean the authentic traditional Thai dishes. The same as were served to a royal family back in the olden days. At Saneh Jaan you will find classics from southern and northern Thailand. All made with the finest local ingredients. With this in mind, for the appetizer, you can choose from a traditional sweet and sour crispy rice vermicelli with river prawn or the famous fried shrimp ball with sweet and sour sauce.

North and South

We could not skip over the great offer of spicy Thai salads or traditional Thai soups. They have a huge selection of northern and southern style curries as well. You can even try their free-range Tanaosri chicken with wild basil curry. We have already come across the traditional Thai desserts at the Erawan Tea Room and the Authors’ Lounge, and we wanted more. The tasting at Saneh Jaan could only enrich our experience of Thai sweets. Here they have some less known desserts and also classics like Khao Niew Si Nha, which is a form of sticky rice, a favorite in Thailand.

This traditional Thai fine dining with a contemporary twist is also possible to enjoy with business lunch sets or the so-called Saneh Jaan lunch sets. That is not an ordinary practice for the Michelin star restaurants, but it makes sense for Saneh Jaan. Considering the location, which is in the heart of Bangkok’s financial district. What could be better than having a tasty lunch break in the middle of a long workday?

Drinks

The drink list here at Saneh Jaan is the same style as the food menu: extensive. They serve some classics and also some of their signature cocktails. Given the length of the drinks list, I don’t doubt that you will find something to your liking. If you don’t, then turn your focus to the spirits list and check out their abundant collections of whiskeys. The wine list has respectively good European coverage and some other country labels. Only note that a few of them are available by the glass.

Our Drinks

I decided to go for a non-alcoholic drink this time, and the Mekhong Jaan Horm came highly recommended. This signature mocktail is exceptional –  I dare say that it’s a must-try here at Saneh Jaan. The inspiration for this mocktail came from a Thai dessert known as Som Chun or fruit in syrup, in English. It was fruity and refreshing because of the citrus with surprising seasoning: caramelized garlic. Truly a pure delight to taste the intense characters even when the ice melted.

Amuse-Bouche

Saneh Jaan’s Michelin star is well-deserved for the successful mission of reviving ancient knowledge. The high-end standard consists of quality ingredients and recipes made for Thai royal cuisine. Despite our focus on the traditional dishes for this Saneh Jaan review, we had a taste of contemporary twists with the most pleasing mixed drink.

The amuse-bouche got our palate excited with the pork-shrimp ball and green curry sauce. The excitement wasn’t caused by the chili heat but rather by a tasty bite. It demonstrated to us that the food at Saneh Jaan is taken seriously!

Appetizers

Our appetizer plate consists of four bite-size parts. The first one was a crispy fried dumpling with soft minced chicken filling. The second crunchy bite was a rice cake with pork floss and curried fish. Usually, I’m not a pork floss fan, but this one was different, because it was not overpowering. Although, I liked the curried fish ball with pineapple next to it more.

The moist fish ball got a sweet juicy embrace from pineapple and coriander. A combination of sweet and salty flavors dominated the petite Thai crepe with shrimp and coconut. Pleasantly marinated coconut extended the crepe crunch and got kefir lime refreshment.

Chef’s Selection of Thai Appetizers

The Chef’s selection of Thai appetizers is another recommendation that we highly suggest you go for. It is eye candy on a golden three-layer stand, where each dish looks royally glamorous.

Gracefully presented at the bottom are steamed dumplings, all beautifully shaped and stuffed. The first one that I tried was the Chor Muang, or Thai flower dumpling. The purple flower colored by butterfly pea flowers and stuffed with fish was absolutely delicious! Another good one was the bird-shaped dumpling with a pleasantly sweet mix of shrimp and peanuts filling.

Thai Appetizers are Amazingly Delicious

The next bite had soft crab meat wrapped in an egg yolk net. Seasoned with garlic, pepper and coriander root or as they call the marinade “the three musketeers”. This egg yolk wrap was a salty snack where all the flavors blended well with one another. The last one on the bottom was a half-moon shaped dumpling. Stuffed with fish and refreshing raw coriander leaves.

Next was a crunchy deep-fried dumpling filled with juicy chicken and bamboo. The filling was slightly sweet but still very meaty. Crispy Thai crepe with coconut and sour plum punch was a good combination. However, the final one was a kefir lime fish ball, to which I added some fried garlic and plum sauce. Three tiny matching saucers had plum sauce, sweet and salty rose sauce and pickled cucumbers with peanuts. On top of the stand were vegetable condiments that went great with this Thai delicacy.

Soup of the Day

The daily soup for business lunch was a bitter melon soup with mushroom and pork. The strong stock indicates that this soup is meant to be eaten with the main dish. Despite that, I loved it on its own. Mainly because it is not too bitter and compact mushrooms fit well with the coriander. Inside the bitter melon is a pork ball, which keeps the meaty flavor. By no means can I understand how local people normally don’t finish their soups – the stock is the best part! That’s what makes the soup a soup, right?

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Main Dishes

It’s a good thing I’ve gotten used to the chili heat by now. For that reason, I was eager to taste the green curry made with the traditional Thai recipe. To point out, all the curries at Saneh Jaan are made with traditional recipes. In order to respect the originality of the dishes sometimes the spiciness can’t be adjusted. With that being said, I must admit that it wasn’t as spicy as I expected it to be. The rich coconut sauce was well rounded, although it wasn’t very aromatic. I got it with roti and a bowl of wonderful steamed rice.

The fried rice with pork rinds and egg was Ian’s main dish. The first thing he liked was the rice itself: it was cooked to perfection and not too greasy. Ian especially liked the pickled shallots mixed with the rice and the bowl full of crunchy pork rinds served separately. From across the table, I noticed the beautiful food carving. Especially the cucumber, which was an edible work of art.

Desserts

I kept an open mind about the sweets and the dessert of the day sounded spot on. Ian, on the other hand, is different. When it comes to food, he is not a fan of surprises, so here at Saneh Jaan, the coconut ice cream was his pick. He was blessed not only with mouthwatering ice cream but also the side desserts. Especially the jasmine infused rice, cooked in coconut milk: amazing!

My desserts were more adventurous with royal roots. It started with a pandan cube. A pleasant start of slightly jelly-like pastry with a mild pandan taste. Then there was a flower shaped Khanom Kleeb Lamduan. Lovely slightly smoky shortbread cookies.

The most unusual bite for me was the baked coconut custard pudding with caramelized onions on top. The History of this dessert dates back to the Ayutthaya kingdom and it’s known as Khanom Maw Kaeng. It was inspired by the Portuguese and unlike the western custard, it is made from egg whites, resulting in a lighter texture. The shallots are an interesting addition to the dough, which can be described as something between a very moist cake and flan.

I ended my Thai gourmet journey at Saneh Jaan with the owl shape candy. It miraculously melted away despite that it is mostly made of flour. The most notable thing was the aroma while the taste was just slightly sweet.

Conclusion

The Royal Thai cuisine bases itself first and foremost on the fresh ingredients, which is well-reflected in Saneh Jaan. In this establishment, they are willing to preserve tradition and serve it in a modern way. We admire that, and this is just one of the reasons why we recommend this fantastic Thai restaurant.

The last time we reviewed Thai classics at the Erawan Tea Room. Anyway, it is hard to say which dishes are better. I think both have some amazing bits and advantages. Well, Erawan has one amazing bonus – outstanding afternoon tea. On the other hand, Saneh Jaan is a bit more authentic… I think the best option is to visit both options ;).

Saneh Jaan Review Card

• 9.1/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.1/10
• 9.2/10
  SERVICE – 9.2/10
• 8.8/10
  PRESENTATION – 8.8/10
• 9.5/10
  FOOD – 9.5/10
• 9.3/10
  DRINKS – 9.3/10
• 9.1/10
  VALUE – 9.1/10

Price and Location

Here is a link to Saneh Jaan restaurant location, if you decide to try out Thai traditional treats. For two persons, a nice meal like ours will cost you about 140 USD.

The post Saneh Jaan Review – Authentic Thai appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Ambiance

After the elevator, we stepped into the luxurious neoclassical restaurant, and we took a few minutes to admire the bright space with floor to ceiling windows. Design is contemporary French, inspired by famous French Villa diners. The elegance is presented not only by the interior itself but also in the floral arrangements and table settings. It is not a secret that we were very excited to experience the creations of chef Arnaud Dunand – Sauthier: his contemporary approach to French cuisine with his personal touch sounded intriguing.

Amuse-bouche

Right from the beginning, the chef revealed a strong connection to his roots. As in a typical French lunch, a set of canapés, bonbons, and paté was brought to the table by a very knowledgeable waiter. The waiter presented every dish as well as how it’s meant to be eaten. Our first single-bite was a lemon carrot bonbon with cumin and parsley. The liquid inside burst to the surface with the gentle touch of a tooth and quickly filled the mouth with complex flavors, like an explosion of vegetable soup.

The second amuse-bouche was a canapé, topped with Buffalo cheese sorbet and trout caviar. This savory piece had a good crunch in its citrusy crust, which put this canapé on our list of top canapés ever. It also prepared us for the light foie gras mousse, with the classic addition of raspberry jam.

We liked that the serving metal container had a bump that enabled us to dose the combination of mousse and jam topping. Here I would compliment a nice pearl shell spoon, which makes this experience unforgettable. The creamy texture quickly melted away and caressed our taste buds.

Chef truly knows how to pamper his patrons. They served us another amuse-bouche, a mushroom tea with bacon foam. The shape of the bacon foam was surprisingly deceiving and the mushroom consume matched the flavor intensity. All our compliments to the chef for this amazingly clean and tasty soup with extra bacon cubes.

Butter and Bread

Contemporary cuisine leans towards the healthy, low-fat cooking and here in Asia, butter is more a delicacy than an average item in the fridge, but French cuisine without butter would be complete nonsense. At Le Normandie, they spoiled us with premium butter. A scone shaped seaweed butter, which transported us right to the seaside.

The addition of red algae added the saltiness and taste of the sea. Our seaside journey took a turn back to the mainland when we had a taste of unsalted butter. This modest looking cylinder had a beautiful ornament on top and it was rich in flavor. Its deep color says one thing: grass feed cattle. With this in mind, we choose the homemade baguette and sour bread made of a 9-year old starter, next to it. To point out, the in-house baker chefs know how to handle the dough and the crunchy crust on the bread was just insane.

Starters

First on the tasting menu was a slightly sour marinated mackerel from Brittany, accompanied by fennel, dill and licorice. It was amazing how the combination of those intense flavors made the mackerel shine, and each component in this dish helped develop the others. The sweetness of the licorice complemented the roasted fish and the fennel to perfection. This dish might look simple, but its flavors are complex and great connected.

Fera Fish

The Fera du Lac Léman was another dish that celebrated the ingredients in a way that only contemporary cuisine could. There is no point in stating that the chef uses ingredients of the highest possible quality when you can taste it in every bite. In order to assure freshness, the team here goes beyond borders and urges for quick transport from every continent. Fera fish is one of the tastiest French freshwater fish. Here at Le Normandie, it was imported from Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), which is considered to be the best source for it.

Foodies will know that this is not a real Fera fish, as Fera fish from Lake Geneva was extinct in 1920, due to overfishing and non-sustainability. Later on, they inhabit another variety of whitefish imported from Lakes of Neuchâtel, which has a similar taste and also doesn’t tolerate overcooking, of which they are very well aware here at Le Normandie.

To pay their respects to the ingredients, the fish was roasted to perfection. The deep red color of cassis provided a vibrant contrast that we could taste with the currant. This combination went amazingly well with the warmth of Piedmont hazelnuts and the roasted leek, which were left still a little bit crunchy. On the side, the chef served a celiac purée, which linked everything together nicely. Every ingredient on its own had a strong flavor and when mixed together, they were all still there. The fish was always very present, no matter the combination and we liked it all mixed in, in every bite.

Caviar Osciètre et Oursin

I think Le Normandie review got to its climax right here. This is Arnaud Dunand –  Sauthier’s signature dish. Another dish that we liked mixed with all the ingredients was the Caviar Osciètre et Oursin: sea urchin from Hokkaido with potato foam and champagne sauce. This is the chef’s signature dish and now we know why.

We could taste the sweetness of the sea urchin, with the creamy potato foam base. The champagne sauce served as a delicate seasoning, which enriched the dish and made it creamy. What about the caviar? Champagne, caviar, and sweetness: need I say more?

Wine

How can you have such an excellent ‘French’ dine without a French wine? Ian had a craving for a glass of great white wine, and a quick chat with the house sommelier offered him a great choice: a full-bodied white wine from the Rhone Valley, the Viognier Le Plan GT-V, vintage 2015. It is a macerated white wine with an aromatic tropical palate, blossoms, honey and spicy notes of citronella. The aftertaste was long enough to and the buttery texture elevated the dish to a higher level.

Main Dishes

My main dish was a roasted milk-fed lamb with zucchini and basil, seasoned with a touch of cardamom. The perfectly cooked lamb was spot on with the warming touch of cardamom and crunchy zucchini. On the other side, Ian’s dish was the distinguished pigeon from the Pornic region, which deserves all the praise.

It was tender pigeon meat accompanied by an aromatic and sweet Japanese melon, which made for a tasteful and healthy combination. The Chef’s creativeness was evident by his use of seasoning with the rare Timut pepper, its vibrant aroma of grapefruit complimented the watermelon and pigeon greatly. Tender, juicy and tingling sensations in every bite was a grand finale before our desserts.

Desserts

In Michelin restaurants are well aware of the importance of dessert. Our Le Normandie review is not short here, for sure. Our first dessert was a nice combination of crunchy layered biscuits with carrot confit and famous Bronte pistachios quenelle. These pistachios from Etna have a distinguished flavor due to the volcanic soil and altitude where they grow.

A rich and balanced taste with a long aftertaste is a component for great ice cream. This ice cream was creamy, denser and more buttery than your average kind, but it was still light. In the first place, the flavor of pistachio paired well with a delicate carrot taste and a bit of a stronger Bronte pistachios sauce. A job well done. My only complaint is that I couldn’t buy a pint of the ice cream to take home with me!

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Thankfully, there was a second dessert to help me put out my sorrows. Inside a coconut husk, we found a neatly presented chocolate-inspired dessert. A milk chocolate jelly offered a clean look and smooth base for the sour cherry puree. To point out, the chocolate sponge cake was perfect for soaking up the melted coconut ice cream under the jelly covering. The sponge also allowed us to play with the spoon and admire the perfect coconut husk. The cocoa originated from Chang Rai which is an excellent tribute to Thailand.

At the end of this fabulous meal, they treated us to mignardises! The caramelized Kouign Amann, a dessert from the chef’s childhood, brought us once again a display of the French’s love of butter.  As a child, the chef loved this puff pastry and now he has perfected it. There were also coconut candies and rich Bonbon au Chocolat.

Le Normandie Review Conclusion

Le Normandie review is the first of its kind. Anyway, it is not in our habit to visit French restaurants here in Asia. We believed that such an establishment must be attended in its country of origin, not where it is possibly only imitated. However, our experience at Le Normandie showed us how wrong we were.

The food was more than amazing and Chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier brought France to our table. As a matter of fact, the maître d’hôtel is from France and his speech, with his lovely French accent, was the cherry on top for the evening. For a moment, we thought we were looking at the Seine River instead of the Chao Phraya River. Amazing!

Anyway, there is only one suggestion. Some plates could be a little bit more colorful. For example, the pigeon dish would be more catchy with the addition of deep violet Lilac (Syringa vulgaris). Not only that, it’s citron taste would be a great match for Japanese melon.

Le Normandie Review Card

• 9.5/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.5/10
• 9.6/10
  SERVICE – 9.6/10
• 9.1/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.1/10
• 10/10
  FOOD – 10/10
• 10/10
  DRINKS – 10/10
• 8.5/10
  VALUE – 8.5/10

Price and Location

Six-course degustation menu without wine pairing will cost you about 215 USD per person, and a glass of wine we had is 20 USD. If you would like to pamper yourself with amazing French cuisine in Bangkok, here is a location to Le Normandie.

The post Le Normandie Bangkok : Review of 6-course heaven appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.