Elements is very much a restaurant in the Michel Bras vein, arguably more exciting than anything in New York City (well, I do love that Keste pizza.) While it may not have all of the three-star refined touches of Jean Georges or Per Se, it does have an identity and focus that neither of those restaurants, or others, can lay claim to. There are rough edges here and there that serve more as character than flaws. If the restaurant continues to develop under Chef Scott Anderson, and this report one year later suggests it has, it will grow into a solid two-star quality restaurant shortly.

series of amuse – local zucchini soup, french breakfast radish, yellow squash crostini
Read the rest of this entry »

Down an anonymous alley, just above Ginza, the obsessive line up early to nab a mythical mousse cake – “the best in the world” – one man bakes as many cakes as he feels necessary for the day. He then calls it a day – the freedom of being great. The cake is not guaranteed past eleven so the necessary strategy is arriving early.

Read the rest of this entry »

There are meals where every bite is a revelation, old world views crumble, and life takes on new meaning – the pursuit is pushed forward and there are new realms to explore. It is magical when it happens, smiles everywhere, but time, and continued avocation, often cruelly reveal the legitimacy of those epiphanies – there are few – and what was once the culminate becomes the stepping stone – local maxima. Sushi was one of those first gateways for me – I thought I knew sushi – I still don’t – but nothing I’ve had¹ compares to the Sawada meal below.

Read the rest of this entry »

A meal at Koju does not surprise as much as it lingers – a slow burning memory that simmers for days, or weeks. Where restaurants like noma and Manresa tell a story through their use of local & timely ingredients, Koju bridges a gap between story-teller and eater – it is not a meal as much as it is an immersive experience. And it just may be my favorite restaurant in the world.¹

Read the rest of this entry »

ChuckEats owes its existence to start-ups and the entrepreneurial spirit – and now it’s re-visiting those roots. The trick was finding a way to turn the passion of ChuckEats into a viable business, without compromising the content.

I have found a way ¹ – and (hopefully) it will be of great interest to most readers of this blog.² All will be revealed soon – and some will receive an invitation to participate in the upcoming alpha version.

Meanwhile, to get my hands dirty again with product design and engineering…

Read the rest of this entry »