Foodie Janice
Pasta Bar
Addison
Addison has been the “must go” restaurant on my list for a while, given that it was the ONLY three-Michelin-star rating restaurant in SoCal for several years. It earned its third star in December 2022 and held that exclusive title in the region until 2025, when Providence and Somni in L.A. also received three-star ratings.
After the weekend celebration in San Francisco for Brian's birthday, Brian wanted to reciprocate by planning a weekend celebration for my birthday in San Diego! So, we finally got to visit Addison by William Bradley. The restaurant is located within the Fairmont Grand Del Mar resort. The grounds and the views were breathtaking as we relaxed on the terrace before dinner.
The cuisine was heavily rooted in French methodology, but over the years it evolved to focus more on the region, making the dishes feel more unique by embracing San Diego and California as a sense of place. Thus, it includes touches of Japanese, Thai, and many Latin influences, while remaining rooted in French techniques.
The tasting menu lasted over three hours! There were four preludes, ten seasonal selections, and four sweet treats. Chef Bradley definitely showcased his unique interpretations of Asian and Latin flavors brilliantly. The only disappointment I had was the non-alcoholic pairing option. It was not as creative as some of the pairings at other top restaurants we have experienced. I even shared that comment with the chef in the kitchen after the meal.
Vespertine
I’ve been wanting to go back to Vespertine ever since it reopened in April 2024 after a four-year closure. It’s a two-Michelin-starred restaurant tucked into Eric Owen Moss’s award-winning Waffle Building in Culver City, which always reminds me a little of the “Dancing Building” in Prague!
We absolutely loved seeing the “rebirth” of a more mature Vespertine. This time around, the experience feels more rooted in pleasure—Chef Kahn’s cooking still has its intellectual edge, but now it’s clearly guided just as much by heart.
Of course, getting here wasn’t easy. Vespertine closed at the start of the pandemic, and Kahn and his team pivoted to creating some of the most creative takeout in California, including meals inspired by his Southern and Cuban roots. I’ll always remember those takeout meals; they were genuinely something I looked forward to every month during that strange time.
Kahn’s talent is undeniable. Every dish is visually beautiful, and the food is not just wildly inventive (sometimes even playful), but also technically precise and beautifully balanced. We loved the 12-course, three-hour, multi-sensory journey, and the pairings were just as memorable. Brian went with the Dynamic pairing—wine, sake, beer, and even kombucha—and every element worked perfectly with the food. I chose the Vitality pairing, and it’s easily one of the top three non-alcoholic pairings I’ve ever had.
The meal finished just as strongly as it began, with a mesmerizing dessert full of kaleidoscopic flavors.
Array36(三十六宴)
The name Array 36 (36宴) comes from a phrase that roughly translates to “a person has 36 special, monumental events in their lifetime, and each one is worth celebrating.” When this fine-dining Chinese restaurant first opened in late 2023, we tried it and were not impressed at all. However, we gave them another chance a year later—recognizing that many restaurants go through a “learning curve”—and were pleasantly surprised by a much more solid menu with many new creations. We were told that they had a new chef! The restaurant quickly became one of our favorite regular dining spots.
The general manager, Bobby, is an experienced, professional, and friendly individual from another well-established Chinese restaurant. He and the new chef run a tight ship and have transformed the restaurant into one of the most popular gathering spots in the San Gabriel Valley.
As one of their “regulars,” I was able to have the chef agree to prepare a special “Eight-Treasures Stuffed Turkey” for our family’s Thanksgiving 2025 celebration! I also modified a few other dishes—beyond simply changing the duck to turkey—on the banquet menu, creating a truly special turkey dinner in a Chinese restaurant. Every dish was greatly appreciated by all the family members, making it a very memorable dinner!
La Tanière3
We were excited and ready to have our dinner at Légende, one of the nine Michelin-starred restaurants in all of Québec and one of the four located in Québec City. However, around lunchtime, I received a call from Tanière stating that they had an opening for us (we were on their waiting list)! I couldn't believe our luck and was overjoyed. We gladly canceled our one-star reservation and accepted the two-star offer! I later realized that my new friend from the previous night—the restaurant director, François-Emmanuel Nicol of L’Orygine—was the one who made this switch for us. He was our lucky charm!
Wow! What a pleasant surprise—and wow! Two unforgettable dinners in a row!
Nestled within the historic vaults of Petit Champlain, La Tanière is a place outside of time, where each dish is a sensory immersion—a suspended moment. We had to provide a “code” to enter through the closed street-level door. We were then greeted and led to the underground receiving lounge for our welcome drinks/cocktails and multiple amuse-bouches. Next, we were ushered into the main dining room, where the chef’s tasting menu surprised us one course after another. After the last main course, we were guided to yet another room for the finale: our sweet dishes.
Tanière was more than just a meal; it was a journey that awakened all the senses. The venue itself was already a treat, and the entire experience was simply spectacular. In Québec, this was undoubtedly the pinnacle of experimental gastronomy.
L’Orygine
We were very excited to have a reservation at L’Origine in Old Québec City!
A rare distinction noted by the Michelin Guide stood out: Groupe La Tanière—a collective composed of three restaurants, including Tanière³ (2 stars), Légende (1 star), and L’Orygine (recommendation)—has the immense honor of having all three of its signature restaurants selected by the renowned guide. This family business, with nearly 50 years of experience and three generations, is recognized for the excellence of its establishments.
I chose L’Orygine for our first night because it is co-owned by a female chef, Sabrina Lemay, even though it has not earned any stars yet! We had outdoor seating for our six-course tasting menu, which highlighted seasonal and locally sourced ingredients with a contemporary flair. We also ordered the non-alcoholic pairing, which was absolutely the best and most creative we have ever had! The courtyard setting was simply magical—it was an unforgettable experience. I made an impression on the restaurant director, Philippe Veilleux, who turned out to be our lucky charm for our dinner the following night! 😉
Maison Boulud
We chose Maison Boulud as our last dinner in Montréal since we were taking an early train to Quebec City the following day. The restaurant is located in the Ritz-Carlton, and it's huge, including a bar and lounge and two private dining rooms. It was packed on that Friday night! We ordered their nine-course tasting menu and asked to be seated in the quieter section of the indoor dining room by the French doors overlooking the patio dining area.
Maison Boulud offers the cuisine of a chef deeply rooted in French tradition, yet inspired by decades of experience in New York City. Daniel Boulud, a native of Lyon, France, is considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities and one of the most revered chefs in New York, his home since 1982. He has continually evolved his cuisine and expanded his reach to Canada—with restaurants in Montréal and Toronto—as well as across the United States, the Bahamas, Singapore, Riyadh, and Dubai.
Chef Daniel’s approach remains a soulful reinterpretation of French classics, steeped in rich culinary tradition and inspired by the rhythm of the seasons.
The nine-course tasting menu was served at a perfect pace, and our server was friendly and attentive. Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be having a great time. We certainly did!
Europea
Europea is one of the three Michelin one-star restaurants in Montréal. The restaurant’s décor is striking, with bold artwork. We had their deluxe set menu for lunch. All the dishes were beautifully presented and tasty, but they all felt “pre-made” with no real “wow” factor. It was a nice lunch break, but we did not feel that it deserved one star.
Mastard
Mastard was located quite far from our hotel, the Ritz-Carlton in the downtown area. Following a major renovation last year and now equipped with a new minimalist décor that highlights natural materials, the restaurant is chic and can accommodate about 50 diners. The five-course tasting menu was offered to everyone (with one optional add-on). The dishes were definitely hyper-imaginative, seasonal, and delicious. Brian and I both had the refreshing zero-proof wine pairing. We can see why Mastard was among the three Montréal restaurants that have earned a One Michelin Star award!
Toqué
Toqué! was our first culinary adventure during this five-day trip to the Québec region in Canada! Although it did not earn any Michelin stars, it was definitely one of my favorites on this trip.
With a permanent spot on Montréal’s best restaurant list, Chef-owner Normand Laprise has built his restaurant on a passion and commitment to showcasing Québec’s local and seasonal ingredients since 1993.
He truly deserved — and just received — the Icon Award from North America’s 50 Best Restaurants for his legacy in promoting Québec cuisine in 2025!
Brian and I enjoyed meeting him, touring his beautifully designed kitchen and amazing wine cellar, and receiving the gift of his signed cookbook. The beautiful and delightful dishes, along with the exceptional service, made our meal at Restaurant Toqué! very memorable. There’s a reason this restaurant has been part of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants since 2015!
Hilda and Jesse
This was an easy choice after my extensive research; Brian hates the traditional big-spread brunches. There are limited Michelin-starred restaurants open for lunch on Sundays in San Francisco, so when I came across Hilda and Jesse's site on the Michelin pages, it immediately caught my eye!
First, the name of the restaurant was unique—it came from the grandparents of the co-owners: Ollie Liedag’s grandmother and Rachel Sillcocks’s grandfather—Hilda and Jesse—honoring their roots while pushing culinary boundaries.
Offering what may well be the Bay Area’s most creative and ambitious take on brunch, this casual spot located in the charming North Beach neighborhood was such a delight for Brian's birthday celebration on the day of! The hospitality was cheery and warm, and every "traditional" brunch dish had a creative interpretation. Everything was beautifully presented—a total riot of flavors mixed with stellar ingredients—and every course was equal parts unexpected and undeniably satisfying. We even had the playful non-alcoholic pairing with the tasting menu.
This was probably one of the most unconventional, casual-yet-fine Michelin dining experiences we have had over the decades!
BENU
I decided to recreate a similar, unforgettable two-day culinary indulgence we had back in 2015 — ten years ago — in San Sebastián, Spain, for Brian's birthday. So, I booked four Michelin-starred restaurants (dinner/lunch/dinner/lunch) for our three-day weekend on June 1st in San Francisco!
The hardest to book was Benu — the first restaurant in San Francisco to receive three Michelin stars in 2014, and they have maintained that distinction for eleven consecutive years!
Benu is an oasis in the center of the city. You are welcomed into the dining room through a courtyard where you’ll see many large ceramic jars used by Chef Corey Lee to make his own soy sauce through a traditional fermentation process that takes years to perfect.
Benu only serves the chef’s tasting menu, and we opted for the non-alcoholic pairing with the meal. Corey Lee’s ultra-precise approach to Asian cuisine — especially Korean flavors rooted in French technique — is showcased in all the delicate bites, such as the exemplary lobster coral xiao long bao: a tissue-thin-skinned soup dumpling plumped with lobster meat and lobster consommé, resembling a small, crimped water balloon.
There were seven small delicacies (amuse-bouche) served before the xiao long bao — the first course — and it was one wow after another.
Brian was absolutely delighted when he was given a wooden music box to play “Happy Birthday” before receiving his special birthday cake!
Kato
It seems like our children love to pick Kato for their birthday celebrations... We were here for Ryan and Cory's birthdays, and this time for Ruthann's 45th!
Chef Jonathan Yao is on a mission, deftly drawing on his Taiwanese background to deliver inspired, bold dishes. We can really see, smell, and taste that Chef Jon continues to grow and perfect his tasting menu, paired with one of the most inventive zero-proof beverage programs in the city!
There were two "add-ons" on the tasting menu: one was the cruller, or youtiao—Jon's interpretation of a classic Taiwanese breakfast dish—and the other was red-braised beef, or niurou mian, the most popular beef noodle dish among all Chinese!
We decided to add both dishes to the original tasting menu, and everyone's favorite was the youtiao!
With Jon's creativity and the team's impeccable service, it's easy to see why Kato has earned the top slot on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants and a "One to Watch" distinction from the World’s 50 Best.
We shall be back!
Providence
Brian decided to celebrate this year's Valentine at Providence, a Michelin 2 star staple in Los Angeles. This is our 1st time back after their complete renovation and we both loved it much more than the old setups and decor! The striking blue-greens and warm sand tones present a serene atmosphere. Purity and precision are the underpinnings of Chef Michael Cimarusti's California cooking, inspired by flavors from Asia and the Mediterranean. We truly enjoyed every dish on the tasting menu; you can taste the freshness and quality of all the seafood dishes, but we liked the A5 wagyu with morel mushrooms just as much! An unforgettable Valentine dinner indeed.
La Mer
We selected La Mer for our 27th anniversary dinner, as it has been our most cherished restaurant in Honolulu during the years Mom lived here for 17 years! We have countless photographs with Mom and wonderful moments shared at this establishment. This was our first return to Honolulu in over eight years, since I took Mom back to California in March 2016... We were delighted to be seated in our familiar spot with the stunning ocean view. The same manager and executive chef greeted us warmly, and everything felt wonderfully familiar-like reuniting with an old friend.
La Mer is Hawaii’s longest consecutive AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5-Star restaurant. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious fine dining restaurants on Oahu, with ocean views capturing the romance and elegance of Halekulani. Tranquil, graceful, and refined, La Mer epitomizes superlative fine dining, with an internationally acclaimed menu that features local and tropical ingredients in dishes inspired by flavors from the south of France. We shall be back!
