CIOCCOLATI ITALIANI (MILAN, ITALY)

Cioccolati Italiani
Via San Raffaele 4
20121 Milan
Cioccolati Italiani
Tel: +39 02 89406651
Cuisine: Gelato
$ (under $15)
Sun, 10/21,2017, 8:00pm walk-in
     (5 Piglets)

Anyone who knows me knows that gelato is my favorite food or meal of the day. I always look forward to eating gelato. The last time I was in Italy, I ate 20 different flavors in a matter of 3 days. Yes, in 3 days!!! This time, I knew I had to pace myself and didn't want gelato to be my only meal for each day since I was no longer a poor grad student traveling through Europe. 

Once I landed in Milan, I knew I wanted gelato that day. I searched and searched and found Cioccolati Italiani via Yelp. It had amazing reviews and it was just around the corner from my hotel near the Duomo. 

I entered the gelato spot with no line. Apparently, just an hour before, the line went around the corner but since I went at dinner hour, the line was non-existent. There was a chocolate fountain for a window display. Their main ingredient is chocolate. The unique part about this shop is if you desire, they top off the gelato with Nutella. Even watching them scoop the gelato is an artform. They also serve a customer every 60 seconds. You'll see...

The cashier with lots of goodies

The kitchen

The line! Lots of peeps

GRANELLATO FINO A 3 (4.50 EUROS): I got strawberry, hazelnut, and coffee with nutella on top. This was ridiculously good. When they scoop it, it's an art form. The nutella adds a nice difference to all the other gelatos you eat. I absolutely adored it. It was smooth and creamy and had the perfect texture. I loved how they added the waffle cookie to it as well to give it some crunch. Inside the cone is a coating of chocolate as well. Delicious!

Overall, Cioccolati Italiani is an awesome place to get gelato if you're in the area near the Duomo. The wait can be long, but it goes by pretty quickly. I love all the different options they have here, including crepes and various cones. The fact that they put Nutella on top of the gelato is a plus. It's authentic, creamy and delicious. And if you come during an odd time, you may just be lucky enough to avoid the queue. 

Notable Dishes: Any of the gelato! 

BERNERS TAVERN (FITZROVIA, LONDON, UK)

Berners Tavern
The London Edition Hotel
10 Berners St
London W1T 3NP
www.bernerstavern.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7908 7979
Cuisine: British
$$$ ($30-$45)
Fri, 10/20/2017, 2:00pm reservation
    (4 Piglets)

I landed in London and was extremely exhausted from the flight. I just wanted to sleep. I checked into my hotel at the London Edition (which I absolutely love love love!), and was feeling peckish and wanted to pass out. The staff recommended their restaurant Berners Tavern for lunch, which is under the guidance of Michelin Starred chef Jason Atherton. They made reservations for me and I went to take a long nap in my most comfortable bed ever (the bed reminds me of the Four Seasons).

The bar

Dining room

Upon arrival, the restaurant was packed. It looked like this is a common place for people to have lunch meetings. The décor is classic, like an old library with a bit of sophistication put to it. Photographs with beautiful frames line each wall with a beautiful chandelier set in the middle of the space.  The chairs were so comfortable. I wanted to order something small cause I knew I would be splurging and gorging on food later that evening at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. This is what I got:

TRADITIONAL BRITISH PORK PIE SERVED TABLE SIDE (£17.00): English Piccalilli, Pickled Vegetables, Mustard. This was just ok for me. I prefer a flaky crust. I thought it was going to be warm, but it was cold. It was more like a thick pate. The pickled vegetables were good to cut through the fat. I got a bit of all the mustards. The traditional dijon was my favorite. 

The dish

TRIPLE COOKED CHIPS (£5.00): I was quite disappointed with my chips. They weren't anything like Heston Blumenthal's triple cooked chips. They were a tad bit soggy. 

COFFEE: It was delicious and creamy. I would order it again. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT FLAMNG ALASKA, SPECULOOS, AND COFFEE CRUMBLE, HAZELNUT CUSTARD (£18.00). This dish is freakin amazing. It totally made my lunch that much better. It arrives plain and then they add an alcohol and light it on fire and pour it over the ice cream and whipped cream. It starts to flame and it brulee's the top part of the baked alaska. 

Overall, Berner's Tavern was good but not amazing. It took awhile for the staff to take my order. I almost felt they ignored me since I was dining solo. The food was good, but I think I expected much more. The saving grace was the baked alaska. It was one of the best baked alaska's I've had in a really long time. Sure it's boozy, but that's the fun of it. I loved that it was also conveniently located within my hotel. Would I come back? Possibly, but I would order something else other than the pie. 

Notable Dishes: Baked Alaska

CHUTNEY MARY (LONDON, UK)

Chutney Mary
73 St James' Street
London, UK SW1A 1PH
Chutney Mary
Tel: +44 020 7629 6688
Cuisine: Indian
$$$ ($30-$45)
Sat, 10/21/2017, 12:30pm reservation
     (4.5 Piglets)

London is one of my favorite places to get Indian food. It is probably considered to be the best place to find curry outside of India. A friend of mine told me to check out Chutney Mary's. I made reservations for two online and couldn't wait.

The restaurant is fairly sophisticated. It isn't a hole in the wall restaurant. It's somewhere you would want to take a person on a date, a work meeting, or impress someone. My date and I sat down in the far back corner of the restaurant. It was lunch time and the place was slightly busy. 

INTERIOR

INTERIOR

FISH PAKORA: Fresh Whiting, Tamarind Chutney. Surprisingly, this was delicious. It wasn't my first choice as an appetizer but my date wanted it. Thank goodness he did cause it was so good. It was moist and juicy and the outside was super crisp. A must get. 

SAMOSAS. OMG! It was so good. It was light and crisp and not heavy at all. I think this was one of the best samosas I've had. Loved every bite! 

GRILLED PRAWNS: Marinated with Green Herbs. This was so good. There was so much flavor and the prawns were super succulent. It was cooked perfectly. There were enough spices and it wasn't too spicy hot. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. BUTTER CHICKEN METHI MASALA: Fresh Menthi Leaves, Cornfed Chicken Thigh, Carmelized Onion and Tomato. This was my favorite. It was so creamy with tons of flavor. The chicken was moist and delicious. I loved soaking my naan and rice with this dish. It's so worth it.  

YOGURT AND HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM. Who would've thought an Indian restaurant would have amazing desserts?! This ice cream was so spot on. It was creamy and had texture from the honeycomb. I liked that it wasn't too sweet.



PASSIONFRUIT TART: This dessert was delicious as well. There was a bit of tartness from the passionfruit, which cut the creaminess and sweetness of the tart. I loved that it came with ice cream. It was a perfect combination. This is also a good dessert.

Overall, I thought Chutney Mary's was great! It's a little bit on the pricey end compared to other Indian restaurants I've been to, but it's so worth it. The service was great and the food was fantastic. There was not a single dish I didn't like and it was somewhat different than the usual Indian food we have here in Los Angeles. If we had anything remotely close to this in LA, I would be there all the time. I highly recommend this restaurant for a visit.




Notable Dishes: Butter chicken and Grilled Prawns

WHAT'S IT LIKE DINING SOLO AT A 3-MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANT (RESTAURANT GORDON RAMSAY-LONDON, UK)

Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road
London, SW3 4HP
Gordon Ramsay
Tel: +44 02073524441
Cuisine: French
$$$$ ($50+)
Fri, 10/20/2017, 9:30pm reservation
     (5 Piglets)

The front door

Having previously lived in London back in 2005-2006, I've been wanting to go to this restaurant ever since but never had the chance. Now that it was within my grasp, I knew this was the time. I landed in London with every intention of dining at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. I made reservations using the OpenTable app along with assistance from my American Express Platinum Concierge service (they're amazing!). It was for a table of one to dine at Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant that has consistently maintained a 3-Michelin star.  

Upon arriving, I was greeted by the maître d'hôtel and seated amongst one of the twelve tables in the restaurant. The hallway to the dining room was sleek and shiny. The dining room itself was fancy, superb, and sophisticated. It was simple, no paintings, just beige notes with white tablecloths.

The waiters and staff catered to me as expected from a 3-michelin starred restaurant. I was alone, dining alone, and complimented by the managers of how beautiful I looked (thank you for this).  It's an interesting feeling knowing you'll be sitting alone for the next 3+ hours eating, with no one but your phone as your date. It's a matter of feeling comfortable in your own skin and not feeling like you need someone. Luckily, the staff made me feel comfortable, even conversing with me and learning a little bit about each other. I felt like I was no longer by myself anymore. This is what tends to happen when I dine at these Michelin starred restaurants (the other place was Quince in SF). When you walk in thinking, "oh goodness, I'm gonna be solo for the next couple hours with no one to talk to" you actually find yourself not feeling lonely. You end up making friends with the managers or the chefs and you're comforted by the superior food that is presented right before you. That feeling is invigorating and makes you stronger, at least for me.

So, after ordering a glass of wine, I picked the Prestige menu for my dinner and this is what I received...

The long walkway

The menu

The dining room

COURSE ONE: PRESSED FOIE GRAS: Green Apples, Turnips, Watercress, Smoked Duck. This was absolutely delicious. The foie gras was smooth as silk and the smoked duck added smokiness to the dish. There was a bit of all textures and flavors as well as freshness. It came with the buttery brioche which I loved! 

COURSE TWO: RAVIOLI: Lobster, Langoustine, Salmon, Oxalis and Wood Sorrel. This was delicious as well. It is one of the dishes that Gordon Ramsay is famous for. It was delicate and the lobster was luscious and succulent. Everything about this dish was magnificent and I wanted more. It was my second favorite dish. 

COURSE THREE: POACHED ISLE OF GIGHA HALIBUT: Atlantic King Crab, Finger Lime, Ras El Hanout Infused Broth. Wow! The fish was perfectly cooked. The broth was light and delicious. Everything about the dish had a beautiful balance along with a gorgeous presentation. The fish was not at all dry, and just fell off with the touch of a fork. I loved every bite. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. COURSE FOUR: ROAST PIGEON: Beetroot, Quince, Buckwheat. This was the best dish of the night. The pigeon just fell off the bone. It basically tastes like duck without tasting gamey. The sauce was so rich and complemented the duck well. I finished every little bite. I feel like pigeon is hard to cook and they cooked it successfully. 

The cheese cart!!! You can pick as many as you want with a 10 pound supplement fee!

COURSE FIVE: SELECTION OF CHEESES FROM THE TROLLEY (10 POUND SUPPLEMENT FEE). This was so worth it. Every cheese I tried was delicious. I basically was greedy and asked for a little bit of everything. I was so full by then but I finished it all. SO GOOD! My favorite was the creamy one second from the right. 

The crackers that came with the cheese

COURSE SIX: SORBET: Blackcurrant, Champagne. There was champagne jelly that went along with this sorbet, which was good. It was a bit sour but that's what palate cleansers are for. Good, smooth, rich, and cold. Perfect. 

COURSE SEVEN: LEMONADE PARFAIT: Honey, Bergamot, Sheep's Milk Yogurt. This was freakin fantastic. It would be one of my favorite desserts. It was so smooth and luscious. It wasn't too sweet but sweet enough. It was beautifully presented and I wanted more of this!! I wish I could have this all the time! 

Additional dessert^

The kitchen

The kitchen after service. 

All cleaned up

Overall, my time at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the service. Dining alone is something that not many people feel comfortable doing, especially doing it at a 3-Michelin starred restaurant. I didn't mind dining alone one bit. I felt at ease and felt they catered to me more than others to make me feel at home. The food was fantastic and I didn't have one single bad dish. They even noticed I loved the ice cream balls in liquid nitrogen and decided to give me a second batch. I was offered a tour of the kitchen as well. They don't however, allow actual cameras to take pictures of the food, which was disappointing. If you ever feel you want to eat at a really good restaurant but don't have a date/friend to join you, just do it. You won't regret eating there, but you'll always regret having never had the chance to try it because you didn't have anyone to go with. And a good place to start would be Restaurant Gordon Ramsay...

Notable Dishes: Pigeon, Lemonade Parfait, and Ravioli