Michelin is an experience to share, to appreciate, to enjoy.
The Latest California 3-Michelin-stars Experience
I don’t remember when we started celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with fine dining in Michelin restaurants. In the birthday celebration earlier this month, we had an amazing experience at the Single Thread. Located in Healdsburg,California, Single Thread has its own organic farm and serves a set menu. It comes across as a fusion of 20% French with cheese/butter, 10% California, and 70% Japanese Kaiseki style.
The 3-Michelin-stars Single Thread in Healdsburg has been arguably the most expensive birthday dinner. Without wine, it costs about $700 per person for a set menu. At the end of the day, do I remember $700 more or do I remember the very memorable dining experience on my birthday? The latter without a question.
The Berlin Facil Michelin Experience
Located close to the venues of the Berlin Film Festival, this 2-Michelin-star restaurant is among my very favorites. It is not a set menu. We all can pick what we like the most. Some fine dining restaurants do not strike the balance between attentive service and put the diners at ease. Facil just strikes the perfect balance in its service.
The Buenos Aires Don Julio Michelin Experience
Some consider this as the best restaurant in Latin America and ranked in the top ten of the world. Located in the Buenos Aires Palermo area, Don Julio lives up to the 1-Michelin-Star rating. It is not easy to get a reservation but not impossible. Even with reservation of the first evening slot, foodies can expect to line up outside of the restaurant before the restaurant opens at 7pm; and be prepared that some servers may not be very fluent in English.
The Unique Manresa Michelin Experience
Manresa was a restaurant in Los Gatos, California that specialized in California cuisine. It was founded in 2002 by chef David Kinch. It earned three Michelin stars in 2016. In one year, Forbes rated Manresa the best restaurant in the United States. In November 2022, Kinch announced Manresa’s closure with its final day being December 31 of that year.
Manresa was among the first Michelin-star restaurants we visited during special occasions.
Manresa was among the first Michelin-star restaurants, if not the first, we visited during special occasions. It was many years ago, when it was a 3-Michelin-stars restaurant and was arguably closest to our residences. We went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We did not know what to expect and ended up more than impressed. The dining memory has unfortunately faded over the years; and at that time, there was not yet the practice of taking photos using mobile phones to immortalize the experience. After a good number of fine dining experiences, the detailed experiences become hard to recall.
We would however always remember Manresa. Like other 3-Michelin-stars restaurants, its exterior is not eye-catching. We overshot and needed to make a U-turn in some side street in a seemingly residential area. Our wedding anniversary is in October. It was somewhat dark in the neighborhood. That was before Google Maps. We had to find a safe spot to make a U-turn. Maybe there was a sign that said no U-turn. Just when we did the U-turn, a police car showed up out of nowhere. The police ended up giving us a traffic ticket!!! We went ballistic. Traffic tickets in California are never cheap. Thankfully we recovered just before the dinner to have a good time, and not let that spoil the occasion. Over the years, sometimes, I still ponder that had we told the police that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, would he let us go without a ticket. We would never know, but in the grand scheme of life, this forever memory may just be worth more than the ticket.
The Best Price-Performance Michelin Experience
Among the Michelin restaurants, this 1-Michelin-star Yat Lok Roasted Goose definitely is a living evidence of how foodies can compromise comfort for tasty food. Located in Central, Hong Kong, the street is not well maintained. The restaurant’s exterior is unassuming and looks no different from many BBQ shops commonly found in Hong Kong. There is always a line outside across the street. The service is at best a 3 out of 5. The restaurant does not take reservations and in fact, they do not have individual tables. The interior is so crowded that we are just a couple of feet away from other diners, complete strangers, sharing the same table. The food makes the wait worthwhile, and the price is affordable for this 1-star Michelin experience, so that I would return on my next trip to Hong Kong. This Yat Lok is among the most unique Michelin Experience. Yet, in Hong Kong, there are just so so so many restaurants serving super delicious roasted ducks. If it is not for its Michelin star, would I visit Yat Lok? And how many Michelin Stars would the Michelin Inspectors give to the many many other shops in Hong Kong serving roasted ducks?
Within the same central area, there is a 3-Michelin-stars restaurant Caprice. Located in the upscale Four Seasons hotel, Caprice stands tall with its Michelin stars and its harbor view. The harbor view and busy harbor traffic are scenes that one would not get tired of watching. The harbor view pairs perfectly with the fine cuisines and the perfect service. Its location makes it a great place for business or executive lunches. Its price is attractive compared to other three-Michelin-stars too. Ask for a window seat on your visit.
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