3-Hour Dinner at Ai Fiori | NYC

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Fancy date night, anniversary dinner, etc.

- Attire/ambiance: Classy, elegant.

- What to order: Definitely the Anatra (duck) and Trofie Nero (squid ink pasta, quite unique). If you like rich desserts, then get the Tartaletta.

- Reservations? Yes. (Keep in mind: the 4-course prix fixe may take 3 hrs.)

I had my first Michelin Star experience at Ai Fiori - "Among the Flowers" in Italian, the epitome of fine Italian & French dining. I now have a much greater appreciation for the sheer level of dedication and detail that these places must maintain 24/7.

After we ordered, our server brought over a complimentary appetite-awakener. The grape was a nice touch, and balanced out the savory panna cotta cheese.

Then they presented an assortment of freshly-made bread to choose from, including multi-grain bread, sweet onion rolls (pictured), French baguettes, etc. I normally never use butter with bread, but their herbed butter was irresistibly light and fragrant.

Elegantly plated appetizer - Insalata di Astice: Nova Scotia lobster, cipollini onions, celery, new potatoes, dill. There's so much going on here...Great balance of flavors.

My appetizer, the Vellutata: lobster soup, périgord black truffles, tarragon. I thoroughly enjoyed the first few bites; however, it quickly became too rich/heavy for my taste.  

My next course was their famous Trofie Nero (squid ink pasta): ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia (cuttlefish), scallops, spiced mollica (bread crumbs). The thick, crunchy, tightly-coiled pasta strands were fun to eat but over-hyped, in my opinion. 

Another great pasta option is their Risotto: riso aquarello (Italian rice), duck confit, mushrooms, marsala (wine), parmesan fonduta. They definitely didn't skimp on portion size!

The next meat dish, the Tagliata: prime dry aged strip loin, endive, potato terrine, “cacio e pepe” (basically cheese and pepper), balsamico, bordelaise. The meat was cooked perfectly, very tender and juicy, but lacked the wow factor for us.

On the other hand, we absolutely loved my meat dish, the Anatra: long island duck, apple mostarda (an Italian fruit and mustard condiment), tuscan kale, hazelnuts, cipollini onion. It was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and the fruity sauce, nut-encrusted caramelized skin, and flavorful meat complemented each other beautifully. Best dish that night, hands-down.

Though I was much too full to even contemplate dessert, I gave in anyway to the raspberry mousse paired with a tangy peach sorbet, fresh fruit, and white chocolate.

Also fantastic but very rich – the Tartaletta: Loma Sotavento 72% ganache (a smoky dark chocolate), chocolate chiboust (pastry cream), tiramisu gelato.

Instead of mints, these delicious petit fours accompanied the check. 

Thus concludes a food coma-inducing but very memorable dinner. My only gripe would be toward the insanely slow service...We got there at around 8:30 pm but left at almost 11:20. At least the numerous courses of the meal kept us entertained. 

Dinner at Top of the Hub | Boston

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Graduation/anniversary dinner or fancy date night.

- Attire/ambiance: Smart casual or dressy; classically elegant decor. 

- What to order: The espresso creme brulee, and also the lobster soup.

- Reservations? Yes. (Try around 5 pm to catch the sunset.)

An elegant dining experience with a killer view of the city. Great for celebrating special occasions while enjoying a creative spin on some traditional New England dishes.

Putting up dessert first because it was just so good. I was in creme brulee heaven. The custard inside was delicious – not too sweet, and flavored with espresso AND caramel, two of my favorite things. The fresh blackberries on top were also a nice touch. 

For the appetizer, we ordered their famous spicy lobster soup with creamy coconut milk, lemongrass, and a hint of ginger. Flavorful but over-hyped, in my opinion.  

For the entree, I got the special: herb-crusted halibut with potatoes, mushrooms, and some type of green paste…forgot what it was. Solid but not a particularly memorable dish. 

My friend ordered the braised short rib encrusted with aromatic herbs, served with creamy whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus. It was surprisingly very good – juicy, flavorful, and not overdone at all.

All in all, don’t expect mind-blowingly good food - but definitely go to Top of the Hub for the espresso creme brulee, the experience, and the fantastic view. 

Dinner at Dadong (大董烤鸭) | Beijing

At dinner with one of China's top food critics at his favorite restaurant in the whole country: Dadong Roast Duck (大董烤鸭) in Beijing. Although one duck there costs a hefty ~200 RMB, it's well worth the experience. 

Dadong truly embodies the concepts of fine dining, luxury, and imagination down to every last detail. You can see this just through their room decor, in the projected poem and images on the walls of our private suite. 

Sitting at the table, I was amazed by the picturesque view from every angle. 

Below, a waitress recited an ancient Chinese poem about snow falling to the ground and covering the forest, while sprinkling white flour onto a slab of rock with braised ribs. 

Then came the appetizers on pristine thrones of ice, chilled to perfection. 

The sea cucumber at Dadong is, surprisingly, almost as famous as its Peking roast duck. For this, the head chef came out to personally craft one for each of us.

For a dark, glistening blob, the sea cucumber turned out to be surprisingly tasty. It soaked up the rich flavor of the green onion sauce and caramelized beautifully.

Afterwards, I experienced the most tender beef I'd ever had, flash-cooked right before our eyes with a burst of fire. 

Next was a rich and creamy fish soup with corn. It came in a bag, on a hot bed of pebbles, on a huge (real) leaf...leaving plenty of room for imagination. 

We were then served clay pot rice topped with juicy abalones, with a poem on the side. 

Then came the star of the show - the duck. To prove just how unbelievably crisp the skin was, the chef did a demonstration where he threw a piece down onto a glass surface. It immediately shattered into a million tiny pieces. 

Traditionally, Peking duck is eaten by stuffing a few slices of meat into a thin crepe (or toasted bun) with sweet bean sauce, scallions, and cucumber. If the ratio is right, the flavors should balance and intensify with each bite. 

Dessert was next - liquid nitrogen chocolate ice cream. I didn't know this, but you're supposed to place the ice cream on your tongue and then let it sit for a while, to prevent your tongue from sticking to it (ouch). While waiting for it to dissolve, you can also entertain yourself by spewing out mist.

Finally, we had a light persimmon puree and fresh lychees to round off an otherwise rich meal. A perfect end to an amazing dinner...which the food critic viewed as entirely normal and unsurprising. 

I now firmly believe that it's better to eat with food critics than to actually become one.