Iskender Stylized Beef Fillet Escalopes — 360 Istanbul

Iskender Stylized Beef Fillet Escalopes — TRL 34

Sitting above Istanbul with panoramic views of the mosques and skyline this restaurant offers a spin off traditional Turkish cuisine. Served with yogurt, tomato confit, and a charliston pepper. The meat has been marinated for 24 hours to offer an extremely succulent taste. Underneath the steak lie soaked bread pieces that are also very soft and add a bit of texture to the tender beef.

Istiklal Caddesi, Misir Apt, 34330, Istanbul
Phone: +90 212 251 10 42

Chicken Topkapi @ Çırağan Palace Kempinski Tuğra Restaurant

Chicken Topkapi — TRL 59

Set on the balcony of the first floor of the Çırağan Palace on the Bosphorus this elegant restaurant fuses old Ottoman dishes with their cometmporary counterparts. This particular dish is of the classic Ottoman style. It is comprised of roasted chicken breast filled with oriental pilaf (a type of rice) and topped with creamy spinach.

Ciragan Caddesi 32, Besiktas, 34349, Istanbul
Phone: +90 2123264646

Omakase @ Uobaka

Omakase of the Day (Chef’s Special) – 7,000 yen

Uobaka only offers two menu, Omakase (Chef’s Special) 5,000 yen and 7,000 yen. Both courses are entirely seafood, and  changes daily depending on the fish caught in the morning. 7,000 yen course consists of Sashimi dish, Live Squid Sashimi, Grilled Fish, Nimono (boiled dish), Fried Fish, Soup, Sushi, and a side carefully prepared by a female chef Sae Iwamoto. They also have extensive list of Sake and Shochu.

In the picture (clockwise from center): Alfonsino, Moontail Bullseye, Octopus, Grunt, Bluefin Tuna.

2-2-19 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 104-0061                                                                                                                                         Phone: 03-3563-4100

Cheeseburger @ Rival

Cheeseburger – Euro 20.00

Part of the freres Costes restaurants, Rival follows the same basic menu format as the others. Their cheeseburger is served in a lightly toasted bun, with bib lettuce, sliced tomatoes, peeled onions and of course a slice of american cheese. The dish normally comes with a side of fries but I opted out. Your fingers do get dirty while eating this, but on the bright side the burger does not fall apart, even though it is quite large.

20 Avenue George V, 75008, Paris
Phone: 01 47 23 40 99

Filet Mignon with Grenailles Potatoes @ La Villa

Filet Mignon with Grenailles potatoes

Filet Mignon with Grenailles Potatoes – Euro 32.00

Presented at this new Parisian dining establishment is very standard menu but using the very best ingredients. This steak was extremely tender, breaking apart with the slight movement of my knife (which is also pictured above). The baby pebble like potatoes were also an excellent supplement. They were firm and did not crumble. One thing that was missing, in this reviewers opinion, was an option of sauces or mustards to accompany the dish. The sauce as shown above was merely as it seems for presentation purposes as it was stuck to the plate.

There are a list of side dishes you may choose from as well including: green salad, fries, quinoa, bushel of spinach, green beans, mashed potatoes, and grenailles potatoes. All sides were Euro 8.00.

37 Avenue de Friedland, 75008, Paris
Phone: 01 82 28 75 08

Caramelized Diver Scallops @ REDD 1

Caramelized diver scallops, cauliflower purée, almonds, balsamic reduction – $14.00/$26.00

REDD is definitely a must-go if you are visiting Napa. All the ingredients were very well complemented as there was like “chemistry” in every bite I take. The scallop was perfectly seared, especially given the size of it. Not chewy at all and a lot of moisture. The cauliflower purée was well-blended, not too mushy, and tasted super smooth!  I was happy to find cauliflower florets too, and they were a bit roasted. Finally, the almonds added a nice crunchy flavor along with some raisins. This dish was actually part of an afternoon tasting menu so I thought there was an excess of purée for that one piece of scallop. I forgot how much the tasting menu cost, but REDD offers an appetizer portion or entrée portion on its menu. Ah, how I wished I could have had more!

6480 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599
Phone: (707) 944-2222

#6 (Marinated Portobello, Blue Brie, Griddled Scallions, Dijonnaise) @ DMK Burger Bar

Marinated Portobello, Blue Brie, Griddled Scallions, Dijonnaise – $8.00 (additional fried egg, $2.00)

This American delicatessen is one juicy contender using grass-fed beef cooked till slightly pink core, sandwiched between two freshly toasted crunchy buns. Grass-fed beef is suppose to taste different due to the cow’s different diet compared with the typical American feedlot cows feeding on corn mill. But all that goodness from the included ingredients makes it hard to really pick out the beefier taste; however, we can take comfort in the cow’s healthy well-being before the slaughter. As for the innards of this burger, we have diced and sauteed marinated portobello mushrooms, melted blue brie cheese, griddled scallions for the herby taste and texture, and dijonnaise for the slight tang. If that mouthful of flavors isn’t enough for you, a fried egg can be added. Perfectly orchestrated fried egg with still runny yolk will end this burger on a high note.

2954 North Sheffield Avenue, Chicago 60657
Phone: (773) 360-8686

Zucchini Basil Soup @ Green Street Cafe

Zucchini Basil Soup (Low Fat) – $3.45 (cup) $5.50 (bowl)

I visited this outdoor restaurant as I was looking for a quick lunch around Coconut Grove in Miami, and was recommended to try this healthy summery soup. What’s surprising was that it might look very creamy, neither butter nor cream was used! The soup was very soothing, and had a very fresh and distinct flavor of basil. The texture was not too thick and not too creamy, and there were minute chunks of zucchinis here and there. I was very happy to have found such healthy comfort food!

3468 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 444 0244

Crispy Southern Fried Organic Chicken @ Ralph’s

Crispy Southern Fried Organic Chicken – Euro 36.00

At this diners third foray at the Ralph Lauren restaurant in Paris, I ventured to try one of their poultry dishes. This classic came with home style mashed potatoes and sauteed baby spinach with cornbread on the side. While the food is excellent the service and attention to detail require some working on, surprising considering the 2:1 service to patron ratio.  I realize it is not standard policy of HighTea to inject strong personal opinon but I feel three times in a two week span cannot be overlooked.

The outer layer of the chicken was crispy and the inside soft and tender. The accompanyments fit the dish superbly complementing the flavor of the dish with watery spinach and puree mashed potatoes.

173 Boulevard Saint Germain, 75006, Paris
Phone: 01 44 77 76 00

Sliced Pork with Garlic Dipping @ May’s Cafe

Sliced Pork with Garlic Dipping – $6.95

A Taiwanese appetizer with thinly sliced pork with diced lettuce and parsley served with their house-made garlic dipping sauce. The freshly boiled sliced pork is warm when it arrives so you get the warmth of the meat and coldness from the diced lettuce and parsley; adding the garlic dipping and you get a mild sweetness to the bunch.

97 Glenville Avenue, Allston, MA 02134
Phone: (617) 782-1688