NYC – 11/11/17 – Momofuku Ko

Perhaps I avoid getting caught up on this blog because revisiting my favorite places in NYC just makes me too sad.  Yet another fantastic dinner at my favorite spot topped off by a perfect chocolate fernet dessert.

black bass, rye bonji, perilla

sea urchin, chickpea, hozon

ko egg, caviar

beef au poivre

razor clam, pineapple, basil

striped bass, eggplant, tomato

lamb, radish

foie gras, lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly

cheesecake

foie gras, lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly

chocolate, mint, fernet branca

Healdsburg, CA – 9/3/17 – Single Thread

It was perhaps the most anticipated opening of 2016 and after so much hype I was sure that I was going to be disappointed. I tried to set very low expectations and even prepared myself to sweat on the roof before dinner.  I could not have been more pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was. One of the best examples of what hospitality is.  Delicious food, friendly and stellar service.  Really the type of fine dining experience that I gravitate toward.  I didn’t want to leave and can’t wait to return.



late summer in sonoma county








homemade tofu – heirloom tomatoes, jimmy nardello pepper, saikyo miso and olive oil

summer squash from the farm – scallop stuffed blossoms and courgette cream

bodega bay wild king salmon “ibushi-gin” – shio koji vinaigrette, char roe, and myoga

poached foie gras – tea of last year’s tomatoes, tokyo turnips, and their greens


black cod “fukkura-san” – leeks, vegetables from our farm broth of young lettuces and gyokoro tea


pacific rogue beef – noyaux cream, komatsuna, bing cherries, chanterelle mushrooms, summer truffle, and almond

sonoma grains – nettles, kasu-zuke, farro verde beignet, rib cap, and herbs from the garden

frozen peach – sweet corn granite, peach, corn pudding, and peach consommé

pennyroyal lychee sherbet – whipped lemon posset, fig compote, and plum

the check

wagashi – chocolate and mint, tomato and strawberry, yuzu cream

NYC – 7/16/17 – Momofuku Ko

Yet another fantastic meal at one of my favorites, Momofuku Ko.  This was actually my first visit for lunch and I especially loved the new-to-me pork and squash dish. I’m missing a few photos but I overcast about Ko anyway!

chicken oyster


black bass, rye bonji, perilla


sea urchin, chickpea, hozon


ko egg, caviar


beef, au poivre


lobster, lobster mushroom


pork, squash




foie gras, lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly

strawberry, vanilla

NYC – 12/7/16 – Momofuku Ko

Ko continues to be my favorite restaurant in New York and the one always at the top of my list of recommendations for foodie friends from out of town.  I have stopped including in this blog my many visits for the shorter bar menu otherwise you may tire of these posts, but this trip was for the full menu.  I am still trying to figure out why I like the sea urchin-chickpea dish so much considering I dislike urchin and have texture issues so that this dish on paper is something I wouldn’t even want to try.  After much contemplation I think that the olive oil is the magic component.  The ko egg will never ever get old.  Of the new-to-me dishes on this menu it was a tie for my favorite between the sweet potato-brown butter and beef-au poivre.  If you haven’t been yet, GO.

pomme souffle


lobster paloise

chicken oyster

blackfish – barrel aged bonji

sea urchin – chickpea, hozon

ko egg – caviar

sweet potato – brown butter

beef – au poivre

razor clam – pineapple, basil

bouillabaisse – potato, saffron

duck – squash



foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly

wild rice – kombu

melon – honey, mint
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Brussels – 10/21/6 – Bon Bon

As I dine out a fair amount, sometimes the meals tend to run together.  And when it takes me months to complete a blog post, it is not unheard of that I can’t remember anything about it.  Chef Christophe Hardiquest’s Bon Bon was a truly memorable experience.  I had what I thought was the best seat in the house at the chef’s counter which was so close that my bread is literally on top of a ticket in one of my photos.  Dinner started with a long serious of snacks.  They aren’t on my typed menu and I can’t remember all of the ingredients of each, but many are at least partially self explanatory and all were delicious.  There were many great touches in dinnerware such as the egg cup and the multitude of amazing knife handles.  Its funny that I will probably remember those knives forever.  I have a weakness for a cheese cart of any sort, let alone one with this many selections, but a macaroon cart?  Brilliant.  Highly recommend.



Saint-Jacques de Dieppe – Finement tranchees, Chantilly d’echalote, Gaspacho d’huitres

Moules parquees 2016 – A la marollienne

Raviole – A la truffe blanche d’Alba

Coeur de cabillaud – Broccoli, emulsion chaude aux huitres

Caille farcie – Racine de persil, Jus de caille, genevrier-gin

Incredible knife handles.  Each one in the block was different.

Assortiment de fromages


Il n’y a pas d’omelette sans casser des oeufs

Truffe – Mousse de lait cru a la truffe blanche, Opaline de chocolat, Poire pochee


Macaroon cart!