Le Louis XV — 3 Michelin Stars Restaurant Review, Monte-Carlo

Last summer, my Hubby took me to France for a vacation to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary.  We also spent a little time in Monte-Carlo, Moncaco.   During our stay in Monte-Carlo, he surprised me with an unforgettable dinner at Le Louis XV.  Let me fill you in a little with the background of this restaurant before I introduce you to the food that we indulged in.  Le Louis XV is a three Michelin stars restaurant lead by chef Alain Ducasse and chef Dominique Lory.  It is located inside the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.  The Hôtel de Paris looks out over the central square of Monaco, adjacent to The Casino de Monte-Carlo.  Le Louis XV has also been included in The World's 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant Magazine.



The Hôtel de Paris, Monte-Carlo, is definitely one of the most elegant hotel that I’ve visited.  Check out the hotel lobby (picture above) and the structure details right outside of the building (picture below).  I’m sure anyone would agree that the hotel building itself is a piece of art.




The chef de cuisine here is Dominique Lory, who returned to Louis XV after his role as sous chef at Plaza Athenee.  Thanks to my Honey’s arrangement, I had the honor and pleasure to visit the kitchen at Le Louis XV and met Chef Dominique Lory in person!  How exciting!




I absolutely adore their kitchen.  Look how neat and organized they are!  And those glorious copper pans hanging on top definitely caught my attentions!  This is probably one of the best commercial kitchen that I’ve set foot in as well.
 



The excitement of the night (or early evening I should say) never subsided.  After visiting the gorgeous kitchen, we were let to our reserved table.  Since there was an event at the Casino of the central square of Monaco, we got the priority seating at the patio, instead of the main dining area.  But do check out the dining area pictures here at their official website.  It’s gorgeous and left me speechless, just to think about the time, resources and details that they’ve put together to build this amazing restaurant.




I absolutely love their table setting as well.  Simple yet elegant, won’t you agree?



We’ve got complimentary champagnes from the chef!  Cheers!  Sorry that the picture below was a little blurry.  It seemed alright when the maître d' took the picture for us.  I guess the screen on the camera was too tiny for us to detect that the picture wasn’t in focus.



Another corner of our table, how can I not fall in love with the table setting.  Even the salt and pepper holder is super adorable! 




This is the view from where we seated (see picture below).  The building to the right is The Casino de Monte-Carlo.  It happened that they were having a huge celebration that evening and there would be a show and fireworks right outside of the casino!  I’ll show you more in just a minute. 




The first thing that arrived was a few bread crisps with paper thin veggies pressed in.  These are totally addictive!



We also have a company who dine with us that night.  She is simply adorable.  Hm….maybe she was there to pick up the bread crumbs that we left behind on the table.  If that’s the case, I need one, or a few back home at my dinning table!



Here comes the very grand BUTTER!  Yes!!! (Hope I didn’t say that out loud at the table!)  The rectangular block on the lower side of the picture below was salted.  And our server is prepping us another one that is unsalted! 



Let me tell you, the butter here is amazing, so rich and flavorful!  That’s how the pastries and baked goods were so good, it’s all about the butter they used!  I honestly wanted to fill up my suitcase with butter before coming back home….that is, if I’m not travelling with my Hubby.



Here comes the glorious cart of bread!  I love the wide selections here and they simply smells amazing when the cart was parking right next to me!  Should I simply request the server to leave this cart right next to our table?  Just kidding!!!



We’ve got a complimentary appetizer from the chef.  Check out each ingredient in it; the crunchy bread on the bottom, topped with tender eggplant and bell peppers, black olive, a piece of mackerel, fennel slices, a slice of hard boil egg, some lettuce leaves and drizzle of olive oil.  See how artistic they were put together.  The flavor was fantastic and so refreshing, definitely the perfect dish to start a meal. 




My Hubby ordered the Turbot with Celery, Lemon From Menton and fresh coriander (see picture below).  He always tried to eat light when he travels.  The fish was cook to perfection and super fresh.  I love the sauce, which was refreshing, light yet, complex in flavors.  The French are really master in creating flavorful sauces with depth of flavors. 



For me, I ordered the Breast of squab from the Aples-de-Haute-Provence region, grilled duck foir gras and potato, tasty jus thickened with giblets.  It was rich, flavorful, earthy and decadent!  Just the way squab and foir gras should be.  The jus was to die for.  So rich and packed with wonderful flavors.  Yes, I don’t order light when I travel!  LOL….I can do the exercise (or not) when I get home.  This is definitely one of the top 3 best dishes that I've eaten in my life!  



Here goes the performance of the night.  People were gathered in from of the stage to watch, sing and dance along.



After the main course, we were ready for the dessert table settings.



Of course I’ve got to have dessert to complete the meal.  However, the desserts below weren’t what we’ve ordered!  These mignardises (sweet treats) were complimentary by the Chef!  Look at the amount and varieties.  I can pretty much make a meal out of them.



A closer look at these mignardises.  The passion fruit tarts (the square ones on the right) were amazing.  Sweet and tart with a buttery crust.  The wild strawberry over shortbread was just as decadent (the one on the bottom right of the plate). 



My Husband ordered Black Chocolate Leaves, Caramel and pure sea salt, cocoa ice-cream.  Oh so rich and good.  A chocolate lover’s must try!




I tried the Warm “Bergeron” Apricots Souffle, Summer batter-pudding.  The souffle was slight tart and not overly sweet.  I didn’t care much about the pudding on the top left.  But the Vanilla ice cream was amazing.



We were stuffed and so satisfied.  Then, this madeleine came and my life was changed forever!  It was the best madeleine I’ve ever tried.  We were so full by this time, but I still enjoyed this little cake to the fullest.    



Then, here goes the fireworks.  The celebration of our 10th Wedding Anniversary was just as amazing and perfect.   It totally felt like they helped us celebrate our wedding anniversary with some fireworks!   Won’t you agree?



Again, the casino building itself was another art piece.  So gorgeous.  We later took a tour to check out the inside as well.



After dinner, we were on our way out to the hotel lobby to take a few more pictures.  And the hostess handed me this little bag of pastries on the way out.  I bet she knew I need more mid-night snacks after that dinner!  How thoughtful!  




I hope you enjoy reading this post and the pictures.  It was an amazing journey for us in the last 10 years and I couldn’t ask for more.  I really look forward to many many more years of celebrations with my handsome boy! 

Happy Chinese New Year—恭喜發財!

Happy Chinese New Year (恭喜發財)!  It’s the Year of Goat in the Chinese Zodiac.  I want to wish you all a healthy, wealthy, and prosperous year! 

羊年祝大家 新年快樂, 身体健康, 洋洋得意, 要咩有咩, 喜氣洋洋, 食極唔肥, 永不皺皮。

Also, thank you for all your supports and friendship in the past!  I look forward to sharing more awesome recipes and products with you all! 

Here are some of my favorite CNY recipes.  You can click on the title and it will take you to the recipe page, enjoy!

Matcha Shortbread Cookies

Butter Cookies

Chicken Pot Stickers

Fruity Pork Jerky

Chinese Turnip Cakes

Coconut and Azuki Glutinous Rice Cake

Fortune Cookies

Tangerine Macarons

Top 5 Secrets on How to Make Soy Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs

Ever wonder how the soy marinated eggs were made from your favorite ramen noodle restaurant?  Well, wonder no more.  You're in for a treat today.  I'm going to show you how to made these Soy Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs, including a video tutorial as well (if you can't wait, you can scroll down towards the bottom of this post.)  But wait, I hope you’ll read through the post because I have some great tips for you that the ramen restaurants won’t tell you.




Ever since I was a little kid, I adored those velvety, deep yellow and oh-so-rich egg yolks from soft boiled eggs.  I just couldn't stand swallowing the crumbly and all dried-up fully cooked yolks.  Are you the same way too?  Or am I the only one out there?  You might recall the Chinese Tea Eggs recipe that I posted a while ago.  Yup, they've got to be soft boiled as well.




I have tested many methods and different cooking time to perfect the done-ness of these soft boiled eggs.   Yes, let me handle the testing part so you don't have to.  I'm sure you're going to love this recipe.  Here are 5 tips to ensure some yummy eggs every single time!

Tip #1:  Room Temperature Eggs
The number one big secret is to start with room temperature eggs.  If you add cold eggs into the boiling water, there's a higher chance that the shells will crack.

Tip #2:  Boiling Hot Water
Make sure the pot of water comes to a full boil.  That way, your eggs will have the same result every time.

Tip #3:  1-inch Margin
Make sure the pot of water will cover the eggs by one-inch.  That way you know you have enough water to cook the eggs evenly.

Tip #4: Timer
Have a timer ready.  You'll need it to ensure the done-ness of the eggs.

Tip #5:  Ice Water Bath
Have a bowl of iced water ready to stop the cooking process when the eggs are done.


Bonus information of the day:  Here's the cooking time for different done-ness of the eggs.

6 minutes 30 seconds:  If you want soft boiled eggs as shown in my pictures, cook for 6 minutes and 30 seconds.  You'll have fully cooked egg whites and very runny yolks.

7 minutes--7 minutes 30 seconds:  If you prefer the custard style yolks, cook for 7 minutes and up to 7 and a half minutes.  The egg whites will be fully cooked and the egg yolks are very creamy.

8 minutes: For my kids, they love the 8 minutes mark; which is almost fully cooked, but not quite.  It's still very moist in the middle of the yolk but nothing runny at all.

Here's the video tutorial on how to make these scrumptious Soy Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs!







I hope you enjoy today's recipe, video tutorial and tips.  Please don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel.  That way, you won't miss any of my new videos.  Stay tuned on how to make some slurp-worthy ramen topped with these Soy Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs in my future post.







Note: If you're concern about consuming eggs that are not fully cooked, used pasteurized eggs.  They are widely available in many supermarkets.

Chinese Turnip Cakes (港式臘味蘿蔔糕)

Chinese Turnip Cakes (港式臘味蘿蔔糕) is one of my family’s favorite savory treats.  We do order them at Dim Sum restaurants from time to time.  But those from the restaurants are usually lack of “filling” ingredients inside.  Of course, I rather make my own at home, especially around this time of the year.  Yes, Chinese New Year is approaching fast.  It falls on February 19th this year and it’ll be the “Year of Goat”. These Chinese Turnip Cakes are wonderful treats to share with friends and family. I’ll tell you why in just a minute.          



To make these Chinese Turnip Cakes, I cooked the ingredients on the stove to make the batter.  Then, they are steamed in disposable loaf pans (think about easy transportation and minimal clean up) .  When ready to serve, cut them into slices and pan fry them until the edges are golden and slightly crispy.  Chinese Turnip Cakes are usually served with Hoisin Sauce, a slightly sweet and savory Chinese BBQ sauce and chili sauce, if you like it spicy.   The inside is tender and packed with shreds of turnips.  You can also see and taste the Chinese sausage, Chinese bacon, dried scallops and mushroom throughout each bite. 



It’s quite a bit of work to make these Chinese Turnip Cakes but absolutely worth it.  There are many specialty food, savory dishes or sweet treats, made just for the Chinese New Year.  These special treats often have special meanings, for good health, wealth and/or good luck for the new year.  Rice/turnip cakes are one of the "must have" treats during the CNY because the pronunciation of “Cake” in Chinese (糕) sounds exactly like "growth (taller)".  These turnip cakes symbolize growth and improvement for the year to come. 



Now, you know why these are the best to share with friends and family for the celebration.  I hope you’ll make a few loaves and share.  What is your favorite treat to enjoy for special occasions?  Do you have other Chinese New Year “must have” that you make at home?  I would love to hear from you.

Props and Tools used in this post:

Assorted Floral Chopsticks (Click here to see similar product)
Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information) 
Crane Chopsticks Rest (Click here to see product information)
Small White Soy Sauce/Chili dish (Click here to see similar product)
Bamboo Placemats (Click here for more information)
Disposable Loaf Pans (Click here for more information)
Wheat Starch (Click here for more information)
Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Chinese Sausage (Click here for more information)
Chinese Bacon/Cured Pork Strips (Click here for more information)
Dried Shrimps (Click here for more information)

Everyday Bento Giveaway Winner Announcement

Thank you everyone who participated in the Everyday Bento Recipe Book giveaway.  Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize.  We have selected a winner through Random.org!



The winner is Sushma who siad,
“Liked the page on Facebook as Sushma Pillai”
Congratulations, Sushma!  I’ll be in contact with you soon.

If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Everyday Bento here.  It’s a wonderful book and really inspires me to pack fun and nutritious lunches for my Kids. 

Thank you all for reading.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes, video tutorials and giveaway soon.

How to Make Edible Chocolate Dessert Bowls

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day yet?  This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday (don’t panic, it’s next Saturday Feb. 14th, not tomorrow) and I predicted that all decent restaurants will be jam packed with love birds celebrating the occasion.  My Hubby and I usually don’t dine out on that day just to avoid the crowds.  We rather relax and have a peaceful meal in the comfort of our home.  But, that doesn't mean that the Valentine’s Day dinner and dessert have to be ordinary and not spectacular!  I have this amazing dessert idea that sure will “Wow” your sweethearts.  I promise you'll have tons of fun making and eating your own creations.     



See these adorable dessert bowls in my pictures?  There’s only one ingredient (okay, maybe two if you count the sprinkles) involved, it’s made out of chocolate!!!  All you need is a few simple tools and you’ll have these amazing edible dessert bowls ready in no time.  I say, they’ll be wonderful to make with your loved ones, too.  My Kids and I had a blast making them together.




Here’s the video tutorial on how to make these Edible Chocolate Dessert Bowls.





If you like my video,  please subscribe to my Youtube channel here so  that you won’t miss out on my new videos.





Below is the stey-by-step pictorial:

1) Inflate 12 water balloons. Rinse and pat dry them with a kitchen towel, set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

2) In a medium size pot, heat one inch of water until simmer. Place 3/4 of the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over a pot of simmering water.

3) Stir constantly until chocolate is melted. Then, add the remaining chocolate and warm until just melted.  ***Please see my note on the bottom of the post.

4) Remove from heat and let chocolate cool slightly. When chocolate is cooled but still runny, dip the bottom of the balloons into the melted chocolate, about 1/2 way.
 

 
5) Gently tap the balloon on the side of the bowl to drip off excess chocolate.

6) If desired, decorate the edges of the chocolate bowl with sprinkles. Place the chocolate dipped on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the balloons.

7) and 8) Let the chocolate harden at room temperature, about 2 hours. You can speed up the process by putting them in the refrigerator. When the chocolate is set, pop the balloon with a needle. Gently remove the balloon and your edible chocolate dessert bowls are ready to be filled with your favorite treats. Enjoy!



These dessert bowls are amazingly delicious.  My method in the recipe is one easy way to temper the chocolate, which yields a nice and shiny finish and a snapping sound when you break into them.  If you’re interested to read more about tempering chocolate, please click here.  You can fill these dessert bowls with fresh whipped cream, berries, and more sprinkles.  I also tried them with ice cream, pound cakes pieces with whipped cream, etc.  They are all amazing.  So, have fun and fill them with whatever ingredients your heart desires. 




I hop you enjoy today’s recipe and video tutorial.  For your convenience, I share some links below of the tools and props that I used for this post.  Please stay tuned for more fun and delicious recipes and thank you for stopping by! 

 
Tools and props used in this post:
Water Balloons (Click here for more information)
Calphalon Baking Sheet Pans (Click here for more information)
Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here for more information)
Small Plastic Bowl set to prep ingredients (Click here for more information)
Star Shaped Sprinkles (Click here for similar product)
Wilton Sprinkle Set (Click here for product information)
Wilton Jumble Hearts Sprinkles (Click here for product information)