Top 10 2022
#10 Lobster with tandoori spice, carrot, citrus, and coriander at Helen Darroze in London, United Kingdom
While I had mixed feelings about this meal overall, I could not find any fault in this dish. What a wonderful plate of food, the Cornish lobster being accurately cooked and the flavors well put together. In particular, the sauce work was dazzling with a meat stock base that gave it great depth of flavor and the use of coral well-judged. I even enjoyed the extra coriander added to the top which highlighted the international flavor profile. Packed with bold and interesting flavors, this was a joy to eat.
#9 Shime Sabe with tomato rice at Midori in Lisbon, Portugal
This dish provided a pitch-perfect example of how fusion can be brilliant when done in an original, thoughtful manner. The shime saba, a classic Japanese preparation that involves curing mackerel with salt and vinegar, was high quality and would have fit in at any top Sushiya in Japan. The Portuguese influence came from the tomato rice, a common side for seafood in the country. Most importantly, the rice and fish blended together harmoniously to form a coherent and well balanced dish.
#8 Eggs on Eggs on Eggs at The Modern in New York City
The amuse was followed up the signature of The Modern - “Eggs on Eggs on Egss”, a cleverly named dish of caviar, egg yolk, and toasted brioche. This was a luxurious take on eggs and soldiers, the childhood classic where a softboiled egg is served with toast “soldiers” for dipping into the runny yolk. The addition of caviar and dill to this classic combination was smart, the caviar adding its signature salinity and bursting in your mouth to contrast the creamy mouth feel of the yolk. This was quite rich so the pickled shallots added a welcome dose of acidity even if I would have appreciated a few more of them. Overall, a well-put-together dish that lived up to its reputation (and was the main reason for my visit).
#7 Potato, Kalix vendace roe and pickled shallot at Frantzen in Stockholm, Sweden
#6 Chinese chive and Iberico pork chin dumpling at Tohru in Munich, Germany
The second course was even better as it featured a Chinese chive and Iberico pork chin dumpling that was topped with top-notch Royal Belgian caviar. The description of this dish sounded great and the flavors did not disappoint. While the dumpling was nice and comforting, Chef Nakamara kept it interesting by pairing it with a sauce made from the fermented rice product typically used to make sake with the saltiness of this sauce pairing very well with the salinity of the caviar. A joyful dish.
#5 Norwegian Langoustine, choron butter emulsion at Frantzen in Stockholm, Sweden
Lobster
#4 Organic egg, hollandaise, spinach and Perigord black truffle at Amador in Vienna, Austria
The end of the tapas did not mean any drop in dish standard though as a more substantial amuse bouche of organic egg, hollandaise, spinach and Perigord black truffle was just as good and provided a nice bridge to the main menu. Each component of the dish was interesting by itself and combined to make a near perfect dish. The egg yolk had been cooked for more than a day, giving it a jammy-like texture that was completely different than the runny poached egg you typically get in eggs benedict. Perigord truffle (just a shade past peak season) was applied amply so its earthiness came through the entire dish. Sweetbreads in all their silky, fatty glory. Spinach to provide some relief from all the fattiness. What a dish.
#3 Ballotine of duck liver with damson and pistachio at The Ritz in London, United Kingdom
The description belies just how much effort goes into making this dish, the liver marinated in sauternes, port and armagnac for a day before being wrapped in spiced port jelly and served with a bit of damson plum jelly and pistachio yogurt. Rounding out the dish is a flawless piece of buttery brioche and a small pistachio Bakewell tart. It is impossible to overstate just how good this dish is, the foie being smooth and having a remarkable depth of flavor which can only be achieved by sourcing the best foie possible from Landes, France, and enhancing it further. Wrapping the foie in the jelly was brilliant, ensuring you get a nice balance of foie and jelly in each bite on the brioche. This is one of the finest foie gras dishes around and one that I would happily eat over and over again.
#2 French beurre blanc sauce and served with hazelnut milk, oyster, and n25 caviar at Amador in Vienna, Austria
Beurre blanc sauces are always among my favorites so turning it into ice cream was a stroke of genius, the contrasting temperature adding an interesting dimension when paired with the Gillareadu oysters (No 2, the plumpest and most expensive). Tying it all together was top-shelf N25 caviar in all of its glory. Rich butter-based sauce, oyster, and caviar is not an original flavor combination but the incorporation of modern techniques created an original and exciting dish.
#1 Soft serve sundae, caramel cooked over the embers, and coca nibs at The Angler in San Fransisco, US
Usually
I enjoyed this so much, I