The late, Kim Jong-il,  was a famous gourmand who fancied a wide variety of delicacies, purchased by his personal chef  from all over the world, and flown back to be consumed at lavish banquets for his friends and generals.  It was estimated that he had a cellar of over 10,000 bottles including wine and his favorite cognac and scotch Hennessy XO and Johnny Walker Swing. He was purported to be the largest single buyer of Hennessy, spending between $650,000 and $720,000 per year on the cognac during the nineties.

Kim Jong-il’s, now-escaped former chef, who managed to make his run while on a buying trip for Sea Urchin (Uni) to Japan. He went into hiding and wrote a book under the pseudonym Kenji Fujimoto, throughout the pages he emphasized that the Dear Leader refused to eat anything but the very best.

Many restaurant enthusiasts think that the quality of food in restaurants serving haute cuisine is declining. In the past, ingredients were impeccably prepared in fine restaurants, especially in the inimitable gastronomic Republic of France. It is presently becoming more difficult to find good food on any price level. Produce from Japan is of higher quality than in France of late.
Today, generally produce for the mass market is picked green and sealed in containers and topped off with nitrogen, shipped to market and held in warehouses until needed. The fruit or vegetables ripen immediately after being exposed to the atmosphere, although they spoil sooner. This nitrogen preserving technique, introduced in the U.S., has reduced most produce to tasteless rubbish.
French gastronomes have traditionally considered haute cuisine as an art form. Due to the high cost of obtaining top-quality produce and the constantly rising expense of the preparation of excellent cuisine, it is becoming increasingly harder to find fine cuisine, as we used to know it. Only a few top echelon chefs in the finest restaurants use quality vine-ripened produce and must seek it out from small growers. Supply is limited and seasonal. While dining out in France usually is a delight, International French cuisine can be disappointing and overpriced. French food is also losing ground in favor of Italian cuisine that was sweeping the world but has finally made an about face and the French bistro is becoming the darling of the minute. Presently in a few major U.S.cities and around the world there is an attempt at the resurgence of inexpensive French bistros. The thrust is toward low food cost and inexpensive prices on the menu–nothing wrong with that–however, in most cases it is at the expense of quality. It the past, it was possible to obtain a good meal at a reasonable price in Paris, due to the demand created by large numbers of people dining out. They complained loudly if the food is not up to par; and that was the reason why France maintained high standards of quality compared to the rest of the world. It was also possible to dine well at a reasonable priced bistro in France if you knew where to go. (Today the younger generation in Paris is less interested in good food and has taken to the practice of ordering in fast food.) Most restaurants still offer an inexpensive Menu Touristique that usually consists of French regional cooking served in three simple courses. Don’t be put off by the unappealing name, as it is usually good value for money. In the seventies, nouvelle cuisine dominated the menus of most French restaurants. Regional dishes were out of fashion and restaurants, no matter which region they were in, would serve the same boring nouvelle dishes as all the others. Many dishes served in these restaurants depended heavily on the ubiquitous sauce beurre blanc.

With the arrival of the eighties, nouvelle cuisine started to lose favor; restaurant patrons became bored with minuscule portions laid out on oversized plates and feminized by frilly decoration. Vegetables served undercooked, in fact, almost raw were never popular with most of the clientele who longed for the good, sturdy regional dishes to return.

On another front, a young chef called Michel Guerard invented Cuisine Minceur (slimming cuisine). It spawned out of his need to lose weight. Nevertheless, even on a diet he did not want to give up good food. Michel used the Robot Coupe (known outside France as Cuisinart) to puree the sauces. He used a mild cheese called Fromage blanc which he beat into the sauces as a thickening agent. With these two elements he created delicious dishes that had extremely few calories. This cuisine had limited popularity outside France, especially in the U.S., where diners went to French restaurants to eat rich food. When they wished to diet, they stayed at home.
As weight conscious yuppies emerged onto the food scene, they thought that Italian food was lighter and contained fewer calories. This might be true, although judging from the choices they made from the menu these weight conscious diners might have been deceiving themselves.
Young chefs from Italy were bringing new Italian cooking into the United States. The old American-Italian mom and pop operations were closing. Replaced by noisy, trendy and stereotyped restaurants serving designer pizzas and outrageously priced grappa, in fancy hand blown Venetian bottles. These grappa bore no resemblance to the ones poured by Italian peasants into their espresso coffees for centuries. They were rough, gasoline-tasting distillations while the new-wave grappa was smooth, no doubt tamed by sugar. Meanwhile, modern Italian wine made by large conglomerates became complex, refined and balanced—slowly replacing wines made in the villages which were cloudy, rough, unfined, unfiltered and tainted with migrating sediment. These wines, if for no other reason, were at least genuine and natural. Progress is not always a step in the right direction. Italian winemakers were taking courses at U.C. Davis (University of California at Davis, specializing in viticulture) to learn the newest winemaking techniques. Italian restaurants now needed to create more sophisticated cuisine to go along with the new style of wine. Italy once an inexpensive country to visit became more and more expensive and after joining the EU it is on its way on an upward spiral to becoming the most expensive country on the European continent.
Chef Wolfgang Puck, born in Austria and trained in France, opened a restaurant concept, borrowed or not, which changed food fashion in a radical way. He made his name, in California, working at the once famous restaurant Ma Maison, a hangout for the Hollywood film crowd. He opened Spago and started a new craze, serving pizza to his celebrity clientele. He adapted and modernized classic Italian dishes to the new style of light dining. This style of cooking is copied by many all over the world. In his restaurant called Chinois, he stylized Chinese food adding a bit of French flare. Also, in vogue and gaining popularity is the Franco-Japanese restaurant. Japanese chefs that trained in France and are cooking in the French style with Japanese overtones, the cooking in these restaurants can be excellent.

Now it appears Ferran Adrià, and his brother Alberto,who is the pastry chef at El Bulli, are following in the footsteps of  Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali and are researching in Italy how to make  pizza, and claim that they will create a straightforward version of a pizzeria in Barcelona, no chemicals or foam please!

1. Iggy’s, Singapore
   www.iggys.com.sg

2. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
   www.restaurantandre.com

3.  L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong, China
   www.robuchon.hk

4.  Robuchon a Galera Macau, China
   www.hotellisboa.com

5. Caprice Hong Kong, China
   www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/caprice

6. Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
   www.cilantrokl.com

7. Mr & Mrs Bund – Modern Eatery by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
   www.mmbund.com

8. Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, Seoul, Korea
   www.pierregagnaire.co.kr

9. Bo Innovation, Hong Kong, China
   www.boinnovation.com

10. Tippling Club, Singapore
    www.tipplingclub.com

11. Antonio’s, Cavite, Philippines
    www.antoniosrestaurant.ph

12. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia
    www.mozaic-bali.com

13. 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China
    www.ottoemezzobombana.com

14. Gunther’s Modern French Cuisine, Singapore
    www.gunthers.com.sg

15. Dum Pukht, Mumbai, India
    www.itchotels.in

16. Dakshin, Chennai, India
    www.itchotels.in

17. Yung Kee, Hong Kong, China
    www.yungkee.com.hk

18. Sarong, Bali, Indonesia
    www.sarongbali.com

19. Les Amis, Singapore
    www.lesamis.com.sg

20. Bukhara, New Delhi, India
    www.itchotels.in

Link to related article:

Leila Lindholm Contributing to Butter Shortage

Alfred A. Knopf the publisher of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” by Julia Child has released the book in eBook format after technology caught up and was able to duplicate the unique two-column layout, allowing the reader to see the ingredients alongside the recipe, among other things. It is best read on tablets rather than eBook readers due too the intricacies of the layout. Cookbooks have a long future in print, but due to advances in technology you probably will see more cookery books in eBook format.

TYPES OF HERRADURA TEQUILA AVAILABLE:

Herradura Silver Tequila
Herradura Reposado Tequila
Herradura Anejo Tequila
Herradura Seleccion Suprema Tequila
Antiguo Tequila

Founder: Aurelio Rosales, founded Herradura in 1870
at Amatitan, Jalisco, Mexico

BLT Burger
470 6th Ave, New York 10011
(Btwn 11th & 12th St)
Tel. (212) 243-8226

BLT Burgers Hong Kong

BLT Burger
Shop 301, Level 3, Ocean Terminal
Harbour City, Tsimshatsui
+852 2730 2338

BLT Burger
Bistro Laurent Tourondel at the Mirage, Las Vegas
NYC, Las Vegas, Hong Kong
The restaurant’s casual attitude and cool milkshakes are complemented by beef, American Kobe, lamb and turkey burgers served on soft, no-frills buns with all the burger trimmings the heart could desire, including the usual and the unusual suspects like cheese, bacon, avocado, and homemade chili. A circular open grill kitchen lets guests watch while their burgers are cooked to perfection. BLT Burger’s bar offers over 20 beers on tap enticing cocktails, and an extensive wine list.

BLT Burger Lunch & Dinner Menu – New York City
SALADS & APPETIZERS
FARMER’S SALAD $11
iceburg, radicchio, chopped vegetables
 with feta cheese and oregano dressing
CAESAR SALAD $9
served with parmesan crouton
 w/organic chicken add $5
spinach salad $10
blue cheese, bacon, egg, red onion, mushrooms
SPICY CHICKEN SALAD $12
cabbage, carrots, sesame, romaine, basil, cilantro, chicken
CHILI BOWL $9
 housemade beef, pork & bean chili,
topped with cheddar, sour cream & green onions
CHICKEN WINGS     8/$7.50     15/$14 
crispy fried chicken wings; your choice of
either spicy Buffalo or tangy BBQ
FRIES & RINGS
Idaho Hand Cut French Fries $3
Sweet Potato Fries $3
Waffle Fries $4
Chili Cheese Waffle Fries $5
 Vidalia Onion Rings $4
Cole Slaw $2
BURGERS 
Our 100% beef burgers are a combination of sirloin, short rib,
chuck and brisket cut and are served on a soft bun with tomato,
 red onion, iceburg lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo

burger choices – served medium rare to medium
THE CLASSIC BURGER $7 
tender and delicious Certified Black Angus beef
 double meat add $3
“BLT” $11 
two Certified Black Angus beef patties, apple woodsmoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, green peppercorn sauce
AMERICAN KOBE $16
Snake River Farm
American Wagyu beef (6oz)
JAPANESE KOBE $62
100% Japanese Kobe beef,
highest quality (5oz)
LAMB MERGUEZ $10 
Colorado raised ground lamb
yogurt sauce, cucumber, olives, red onion, tomato
TURKEY $7
 all white meat natural turkey breast ground
 with fresh herbs
VEGGIE $7
 medley of organic grains,
vegetables and spices

”AHI” TUNA $15
grilled sushi grade tuna, scallions, red onion,
chiles, lime zest, harissa mayo
Cheese 50¢
 blue, Vermont cheddar, American, Swiss, Monterey jack
Toppings $1.50
 apple wood smoked bacon, sliced avocado,
grilled red pepper, portobello mushroom, fried egg
 homemade chili, bbq onion
COMBOS
#1 – CLASSIC BURGER, FRIES, FOUNTAIN SODA $11
#2 – CLASSIC BURGER, FRIES, MILKSHAKE $13
KID’S MENU
Includes French fries and a choice of soft drink -
Pop Bomb, Shirley Temple, Roy Rogers, Lime Rickey
add $3 for a milkshake
Chicken Fingers $7 
Corn Dog $5 
Grilled Cheese $6
SUNDAY BRUNCH til 4 PM
“BLT” EGG BURGER $11 
egg frittata, cheddar, bacon
EGG IN A HOLE BURGER $12 
breakfast maple sausage, sunny side up
STEAK EGGS RANCHERO $14 
scrambled eggs, tomato salsa, guacamole

DESSERTS
Crunchy Peanut Butter And Jelly Doughnut $6
 Chocolate Mud Pie $6
 Sour cream Apple $6 
Vanilla Cup Cake $3 
Chocolate-Coconut Cookie $3

A New York woman who fetched a McDonalds Happy Meal six months ago found the uneaten food were still as fresh as the first sight, according to AFP news Thursday. The artist-photographer Sally Davies claimed that her primary aim was to capture the forms of a hamburger in the intervals of changing from fresh to corruption. Six months after taking photos from the day she purchased the McDonald’s hamburger,  she showed the photos that nothing big has changed. The McDonald’s said that “bacteria and mold only grow under certain conditions…. If food is/or becomes dry enough, it won’t grow mold or bacteria”.
Being questioned about the proof of her experiment, Davies suggests people to do the same.

A McDonald’s plain hamburger contains 9 grams of fat, and a cheeseburger has 12 grams. Now guess how much fat in a McDonald’s Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken.  The answer is: 20 grams.  You want ranch dressing with that?  Add another 15 grams, for a grand total of 35 grams, which is roughly the same as consuming four McDonald’s hamburgers.

Links you may enjoy follow:

In-n-Out vs 5 Guys  Article

Burger King  Article

In-N-Out  Article

Giraffas is a fast food operation that has been around about 30 years in Brazil and is about to make an entrance into the American market soon – Miami first. Yes, they do have hamburgers, salads and the like with additions that are not so familiar to the American fast food scene: The Brazilian Selection which includes a steak, black beans, rice and a sauce piquant, also Stroganoff. Brazilians dislike eating with their hands so the dishes are always served with utensils so that they won’t have to use their hands, and they also frown on boxes, so plates are the thing!

Links that might interest you:

IN-N-OUT

In-N-OUT Vs 5 Guys