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 — 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 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 – 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 – 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, 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

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 (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 – 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 – $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

Tonkatsu – $11.00 (lunch)

This pork loin, tender part of the pig, is from the Berkshire pig or kurobuta as the Japanese call it. The decision to use kurobuta instead of the conventional American pig, gives its meat a juicier and  more flavorful taste because the meat is genetically predisposed to be fattier even though loins tend to have little fat. The pork loin is breaded with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep fried. This dish from Shiki shall be well praised for not being over-fried and for its juicy and tenderness. Most places use cheap meats and tend to be dry and chewy. Tonkatsu sauce made from vegetable and fruit puree is provided along with mustard wasabi for you to dip. There are the cabbage and mayonnaise mini cucumbers on the side, but I never eat them.

9 Babcock Street Brookline, MA 02446
Phone: (617) 738-0200

Dhaba Chicken – $13.99

Dhaba Chicken at Kabab and Tandoor is a tandoori chicken equivalent at other Indian restaurants. Several chicken drumsticks are marinated in yogurt and several spices including cayenne pepper and turmeric to give its distinct red color. This dish is a little bit spicy, but definitely toned down for its more western audiences.  Don’t be fooled by the ‘hotness’ associated with the deep red color, its bearable and good judging from the fact that the meat is favorable and NOT dry. Eaten with the parsley and onion, definitely cool down the spicy overtone. Did I mention it is baked in a traditional tandoor oven (clay oven).

699 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (781) 899-0022

Filet Mignon – Euro 36.00

The newest edition to the Costes family of restaurants, La Societe is hidden in plain sight with no signs or mention of the restaurant. Once inside patrons must take a side door to enter the restaurant which has been designed by Christian Liaigre, and is frequented by the Fendi family as well as Domenico and Stefano Gabbana. The filet mignon steak is presented simply with a portion of sauce bearnaise. The dish is also accompanied by a portion of mashed potatoes.

4, Place de Saint-German-des-Pres, 75006, Paris
Phone: 01 53 63 60 60

Ralph’s Burger – Euro 27.00

Ralph’s Restaurant in Paris is Ralph Lauren’s second venture into the restaurant business, with the first one located in Chicago. Ralph’s Burger is served with ranch style fries, American farmstead garden slaw, onions, pickles, heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar cheese and crispy bacon. All the meat is flown in from Ralph Lauren’s ranch in Colorado. The burger itself was extremely soft with the sprinkles of bacon adding a bit of crunch to each bite. The burger itself, as well as the rest of the portion, are noticeably smaller from their American counterparts, which seem to have been adjusted for the French palate.

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

Anmitsu

Sobaya is an authentic Japanese Teuchi Soba noodle restaurant in East Village. Soba is Japanese buckwheat noodles, and Teuchi means that noodles are hand-made at the restaurant. Sobaya is famous for its variety and authenticity of soba noodle dishes, but they offer other dishes and desserts as well.

Anmitsu is a popular Japanese dessert consisting agar jelly, sweet red bean paste, Shiratama (soft mochi ball), variety of fruits and often a scoop of ice cream. Pour some Kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) over Anmitsu before eating!

229 East 9th St. New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 533-6966

http://www.sobaya-nyc.com

Crispy Pad Thai – $7.25

Pan-fried noodles with minced chicken and shrimp with bean sprouts, egg, scallion, and grounded peanuts thrown in. This dish is very light with crunchy noodles slightly glazed with a sweet sauce. The sweetness isn’t overdone to the point it becomes a sweet dessert.

168 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA 02134
Phone: (617) 254-8488

Thai Fried Rice with Crispy Duck & Fried Egg – $15.95

Thai fried rice with slices of still juicy duck on top. Each piece of duck has its skin fried till crispy, so with each bite into the duck you get tender meat and crispy skin. Think crispy fried chicken skin. Sweet and sour sauce is provided in case you want more strong flavors with your duck and rice. Most importantly to the dish is to break the fried egg with the still runny yolk on top and mix it in with everything. The typical tomatoes and cucumber are there to offer ‘coolness’ in your mouth if you choose to do so.

411 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02446
Phone: (617) 232-2955

Hot Artichoke Dip with Crisp Bread and Endive Leaves – $10 plus $2 for Endives

It’s a perfect appetizer to share between 2-4 people.
Freemans is located at the end of an alley between two streets in Lower East Sides.
Extremely low-profile because it does not have any signs.
Go early to avoid long wait since the restaurant only takes reservation for parties of 6+.

End of Freeman Alley (off Rivington b/w Bowery & Chrystie) New York, NY 10002
Phone:  (212) 420-0012
www.freemans restaurant.com

Yook Hwe-$14.95 (serves four unless you know you love it, then this may be good for two)

Yook (meat) Hwe (raw and edible) [pronounced: yuqwe] is an authentic Korean appetizer. The sesame marinated beef tartar is served with thin slices of garlic, Asian pear and cucumber, and with the raw egg yolk on top, nothing is cooked in this dish.  The way to tackle this ball of thinly shredded meat is to break the yolk and mix all the ingredients really well so that each bite contains some spicy raw garlic, sweet juicy pear, crispy cucumber and of course some beef. I threw in some Kimchi and the flavors blend well. It is very raw, but with the strong flavors of the condiments and the heavy sesame oil base marinade, you cannot really taste the rawness of the beef. Though the sliminess, especially with the egg yolk mixed in, is inevitable.  Give it a try, you will be excited by the adventurous textures and flavors if the idea itself isn’t enough. Even my sashimi-intolerant  friend enjoyed multiple servings of it and said he will definitely return for more. Koreans know their meat and sauces but make sure you trust the quality and freshness, extra important when things are RAW, but from my experience, this is not something you have to worry about at Woo Lae Oak.

3201 Algonquin Road,
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-3830
(847) 870-9910

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte – $5.95 (1 slice)

Creamy, but not thick hazelnut chocolate ganache is sandwiched by a light hazelnut sponge cake. The sponge cake is airy providing a nice bounce with each bite into the cake. Finished with a hazelnut buttercream on the outside. The lightness of the ganache doesn’t make you thirst desperately after eating it, but a nice cup of tea or warm milk goes well with it.

92 Spruce Street, Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 861-5190