Ta Vie - Hong Kong
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Ta Vie - Hong Kong

French Mediterranean cuisine plus Japanese influences equals many delicious dishes. Add intentiveness, a bit of whimsy and a friendly, down-to-earth chef and you have a delightful dinner

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Eleven Madison Park - New York
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Eleven Madison Park - New York

Seasonal vegetables and fruits shine in a creative menu that’s full of big flavors and consistently delicious. All the more impressive since all dishes are vegan

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Le Bernardin - New York
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Le Bernardin - New York

Perfectly prepared seafood and delicious sauces. It was in the combination that the execution sometimes faltered, leading to several underseasoned dishes. A step down from our previous visits

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Lakeside - Hamburg
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Lakeside - Hamburg

Many excellent dishes, great service and a fantastic view of Hamburg’s skyline are all good reasons to visit and to overlook the few issues: some dishes that don't work as well, and the lack of a common thread in the tasting menu

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JAN - Munich
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

JAN - Munich

Some amazing seafood dishes, and impressive technical cooking, but not every dish was a success for us. Hopefully the uneven service was just a one-off

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Mühle - Schluchsee
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Mühle - Schluchsee

Delicious, light seafood and meat dishes in Germany’s Black Forest. Ingredients could be more local, and salt used less enthusiastically, but otherwise this is definitely worth a stop

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Makimura - Tokyo
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Makimura - Tokyo

One of the world’s hardest to reserve three-star restaurants was also one of its most charming. A cozy atmosphere akin to a mom-and-pop shop, and many excellent dishes made us almost forget the few letdowns

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Maeda - Kyoto
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Maeda - Kyoto

Delicious, novel takes on traditional Japanese dishes. And even better, counter-seating with a wonderfully relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

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Hyotei - Kyoto
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Hyotei - Kyoto

An old-style tea house is the setting for a traditional Kaiseki cuisine that has very few nods to modernity. A pleasant dinner, but overall too light on flavors for three stars.

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Mizai - Kyoto
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Mizai - Kyoto

Mostly traditional Kaiseki cuisine that is enjoyable, but didn’t include any real standout dishes. More impressive is the patience of the customers who made reservations over a year ahead of time

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The Eight - Macau
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

The Eight - Macau

Cantonese fine dining in a glitzy atmosphere. Unfortunately, the world-class ingredients (with corresponding price tags) are underutilized in dishes that rarely justify three stars

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Jade Dragon - Macau
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Jade Dragon - Macau

Located in a luxurious casino complex, the kitchen serves Cantonese classics and French/Cantonese fusion cuisine. Add an excellent wine pairing, and one can almost overlook that the dishes didn’t quite reach a three-star level

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Forum - Hong Kong
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Forum - Hong Kong

Great Cantonese cuisine is anchored by the kitchen’s phenomenal signature abalone dish, and an amazing (and surprisingly non-traditional) caviar preparation. A good wine selection is another plus

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8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana - Hong Kong
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana - Hong Kong

The world’s only Italian three-star outside of Italy unfortunately served us a lackluster tasting menu. There were a couple sparks of brilliance, but the majority of the dinner deserved at most a single star

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Cocina Hermanos Torres - Barcelona
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Cocina Hermanos Torres - Barcelona

A dramatic dining room with a centrally placed kitchen is the location for a culinary tour through Catalonia and Spain. Some amazing appetizers and desserts surrounded the good, but not stellar regular courses on the tasting menu

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Atrio - Cáceres
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Atrio - Cáceres

A tasting menu where every dish includes Iberian ham. While this leads to some fun results, more often than not this gimmick works against the kitchen

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La Villa Madie - Cassis
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

La Villa Madie - Cassis

Phenomenal seafood meets lackluster non-seafood dishes in this three-star restaurant located right on the Mediterranean sea. The successes alone make this worth the trip

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Addison - San Diego
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Addison - San Diego

A tasting menu that encompasses multiple cuisines that made their home in California, with influences from Mexico, Japan and Thailand. Several excellent dishes, and a consistently high level throughout

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Azabu Kadowaki - Tokyo
Matthias Ruhl Matthias Ruhl

Azabu Kadowaki - Tokyo

Inventive Japanese cuisine full of non-traditional dishes, some of them better than others, but the successes were quite impressive. Even though the menu was pretty short, the restaurant still managed to rush us out

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