Better late than never, here's Part 1 of my 2025 overseas dining wrap-up. Starting with just the 2 and 3-star spots. If the reaction is good, I'll post the 1-stars and some detailed reviews of specific restaurants. **Per Se (NYC)**: The Cooking Monster's former workplace. To be honest, I didn't have a great experience at French Laundry the year before so my expectations weren't high, but I left Per Se pretty satisfied. The problem is the wine pairing starts at $450... the value was trash. The truffle pasta (extra charge) had plenty of truffles, but the dish itself was mediocre. Still, I left the restaurant feeling good. The view and vibe are great, so it'd be a good spot to revisit for a special occasion.
**JUNGSIK (NYC)**: Ended up going to Jungsik in NYC even though I've never been to the one in Korea. It was an experience worthy of 3 stars (likely soon after their promotion). The amuse-bouche bites at the start and the octopus dish were artistic. Galbi-jjim? Having a Korean main felt fresh abroad. Wine pairing was $200 but totally forgettable. Still, thanks to the excellent service and food, I could see why they got the 3rd star.
**Birdsong (San Francisco)**: Had some decent dishes like the caviar cornbread. First time trying tuna spinal marrow too. But the server and sommelier service were so bad that I have no intention of returning. Dessert was basically just a peeled tangerine for half the course... left a lot to be desired.
**Sir Kwinten (Outside Brussels)**: Actually my 2nd favorite place this year. Incredible service, wine pairing, and refined Belgian cuisine. Went during white asparagus season and it was delicious. The wine pairing was 86 EUR per person, and for our group of 4, they basically gave us whole bottle pairings for half the courses. They kept refilling the glasses the moment they were empty. Amazing pairings for the price. Had a blast for over 4.5 hours. They even tweaked the pairing to match our story. Top-tier sommelier service. Not sure when I'll be back in Belgium, but I definitely want to revisit.
**Ever (Chicago)**: This is the restaurant from the show *The Bear*, which was a big reason for visiting. After the meal, they gave a kitchen tour and showed us all the spots from the show. Fun experience. Having white asparagus here just a week after that amazing one in Belgium meant the impact was a bit dampened. The Wagyu was a bit cliché, but it was the first time in fine dining where I actually liked the crispy sear on the outside. $180 wine pairing was good value. Got a few refills and the explanations were solid.
For dessert, banana foam kept bubbling up from the bowl, adding a fun touch with the sound and scent. **Saison (San Francisco)**: Another famous spot. The plating overall was beautiful. The photo below is a rabbit dish. Posting it since rabbit meat appeared in *Culinary Class Wars 2*. Actually went to celebrate a close friend finishing chemo. The restaurant reached out after I contacted them secretly, and though I didn't expect much, they showed such moving and memorable personal hospitality. My friend was really touched. We left the place laughing and crying. Wine pairings are $180 for standard and $270 for reserve. Highly recommend the reserve. They served a Lafon Meursault Magnum in the middle. Putting Lafon aside, the wine quality was high and great value. I'd go back when the menu changes.
**El Celler de Can Roca (Girona)**: Hands down the best place I visited this year. Was so lucky to get a reservation. It was literally the restaurant of my dreams. Ever since seeing them on *Chef's Table* years ago, I've wanted to go... Met the second brother (sommelier) and third brother (pastry chef) and took photos. Spent over 5 hours in awe with my friends. 180 EUR for a pairing of 19 glasses? It was insane. It was my wine-loving friend's first Michelin experience, and he hit the ceiling right away. Below is a 'good example' of an apple molecular dish... We just sat and ate straight through, but the table next to us took like 4 smoke breaks during the meal. We just stared at each other like 'wtf'.
Jordi Roca is a straight-up genius... **Disfrutar (Barcelona)**: Also lucky enough to visit Disfrutar. A very novel experience. Felt like I finally learned what 'molecular gastronomy' is. A canapé that turns into a cocktail in your mouth... pasta noodles made of pork fat?... I felt like I was being pleasantly toyed with. Service was average for a 3-star, but overall a great experience. When they first explained things, they told us to let them know 1-2 courses in advance if we needed the bathroom. So we had this 'funny-but-sad' moment where my group went to the bathroom together twice. The pairings with sake and truffle vodka were fresh. Below, the yellow thing is butter, but it's like a porous chip? Had a styrofoam texture.
Mushroom, but shaped like a light chip? It was paired with the sake above, and if I had to pick just one dish+drink pairing this year, it's these two. The umami and mushroom aroma just exploded. Posting since there are many sake experts in Om-Gall. It was fun, but I probably won't revisit. Still, definitely a restaurant worth experiencing at least once. That's it for the overseas 2 & 3 stars. If the reaction is good, I'll post the 1-stars. Gonna try to post more reviews this year. Source: Omakase Gallery [View Original]
"The gallery is losing it over the 'legendary' 19-glass wine pairing at Can Roca and OP's insane global fine dining spree."
#FunContinue Browsing
