British food blogger Andy Hayler (above) has dined at every three-Michelin-star restaurant in the world. He shares his most memorable restaurant meals, from the most expensive to the one that surprised him the most.
Most ambient
Michel Bras Toya in Hokkaido, Japan. It has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over a volcanic lake. There’s a place called Le Petit Nice in Marseilles that is almost built into a cliff face, so you overlook the Mediterranean. Then there are those very grand dining rooms such as Le Louis XV in Monaco, and Le Meurice (below) in Paris.
Most expensive
I would say in Switzerland, because of its currency, and Paris. New York can be expensive. The most I ever spent was at Per Se (below) in New York. Its average price per head is now US$850, making it the third most expensive restaurant in the world.
Most surprising
There’s a restaurant called Ibai (15 Getaria Kalea; below) in San Sebastian, Spain. It’s in a basement in the middle of town and has no Michelin stars. It was another food blogger who told me it was the best restaurant in Spain, and I don’t think he was wrong. It was extraordinarily good. The food was very simple, but the ingredients were stunning. I don’t know why it has eluded Michelin.
Best value for money
I love Diwana Bhel Poori House (below), a south Indian cafe in London. I’ve been going there for a decade. The food is tasty and, if you spend £15 (US$19), you wouldn’t finish the food. In Mumbai, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay (31 Dadisheth Agyari Lane, Kalbadevi) is great. I’ve been there three times and the total bill is usually £3 per person. It serves fresh, vibrant, spicy, good food.
Best service
The service at Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville (below) in Crissier, Switzerland, is exceptionally smooth. It’s so good a three-Michelin-star chef in another country pays for his managers to eat there anonymously, to see what good service should be like. That’s quite a compliment.
Best meal
The restaurant where I had the most consistently good food was Jamin (below) in Paris. That’s where Joel Robuchon was cooking before he went on his own and became a celebrity. No course was ever anything less than superb.
– TEXT BY STEVE TURNER
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, LE PETIT NICE’S FACEBOOK PAGE, LE MEURICE’S FACEBOOK PAGE, HOTEL DE VILLE’S FACEBOOK PAGE, PER SE’S FACEBOOK PAGE, RESTAURANT JAMIN, INSTAGRAM
This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.
