The World's Best Restaurants

[Aus_MD]

Restaurant Magazine (UK based) produced a list of the "World's Best Restaurants". I am more than a little sceptical of the methodology, and of the judging panel (insofar as it relates to Australasia). Some of the best restaurants that I have been to are on the list, but there are some which I have found to be truly dreadful.

Any comments? Favourites?

 

[Homme]

What do you think of Rockpool being at number 30 ?

 

[Alter]

I find it amazing that there are no restaurants from Japan on that list.

 

[Aus_MD]

Originally Posted by Homme

What do you think of Rockpool being at number 30 ?

I've enjoyed Neil Perry's food at Rockpool as much as I enjoy it on a Qantas flight. Any one who seriously believes that it deserves to be on the same page as Enoteca Pinchiorri (number 29, and seriously underrated by the survey) needs a brain transplant.

 

[Aus_MD]

Originally Posted by Alter

I find it amazing that there are no restaurants from Japan on that list.

An artefact of the flawed methodology.

 

[timekeeping]

Not a single Chinese restaurant either...

Totally flawed methodology.

Rockpool is seriously overrated.

 

[acidboy]

no hongkong, taiwan, shanghai, or thai restaurant either.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by Alter

I find it amazing that there are no restaurants from Japan on that list.

I don't at all. The greatest gourmets and food snobs I've known have been completely clueless about Asian cuisines. It's alternately hilarious and frustrating to watch such people cope with even simple things like sushi.

 

[aybojs]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

I don't at all. The greatest gourmets and food snobs I've known have been completely clueless about Asian cuisines. It's alternately hilarious and frustrating to watch such people cope with even simple things like sushi.

I'm absolutely mystified myself. Why do people always hold French/continental food as the pinnacle of cuisine? I don't hold my own personal tastes to be the arbiter of the world's best, but I always find that kind of food (from my limited experience) extremely bland and overly buttery, oily, and/or creamy. Considering the kind of exposure people have to such a wide range of interesting foods, why is it that food from India, China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, etc. gets the short shift from self-proclaimed food experts, who seem to be more content to circle jerk about the latest hot trend in French or French fusion cuisine?

 

[pinchi22]

why is it that food from India, China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, etc. gets the short shift from self-proclaimed food experts, who seem to be more content to circle jerk about the latest hot trend in French or French fusion cuisine?

I agree that there´s a eurocentric bias, but it does evolve. Who would have imagined a Spanish restaurant being named the world´s best a decade ago? The food at El Bulli is a far cry from the classical french cannon of cream and butter.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

I believe the eurocentric bias is on the way out; in another twenty years lists like this will make even less sense than they do, right now. Personally, my favorite restaurant, is Lasserre. Not only for the food, but for the way the ceiling opens to the Paris night, every fifteen minutes. Also, the waiters, doing their dizzying ballet around the tables . . . are a sight to behold.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by aybojs

I'm absolutely mystified myself. Why do people always hold French/continental food as the pinnacle of cuisine? I don't hold my own personal tastes to be the arbiter of the world's best, but I always find that kind of food (from my limited experience) extremely bland and overly buttery, oily, and/or creamy. Considering the kind of exposure people have to such a wide range of interesting foods, why is it that food from India, China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, etc. gets the short shift from self-proclaimed food experts, who seem to be more content to circle jerk about the latest hot trend in French or French fusion cuisine?

Two arguments come to mind. First and more facile, some people love to be big fish in little ponds. Second, I've observed in others that a steady diet of overy buttery or creamy cuisines accustomes their palates to the richness of butter and cream to the extent that they perceive other less ***** cuisines as bland or lacking in variety. Except for Indian. That's the one cuisine that seems to penetrate that palate.

Not that I dislike French, Italian or other continental cuisine, but I certainly couldn't face a diet limited only to those.

Originally Posted by pinchi22

I agree that there´s a eurocentric bias, but it does evolve. Who would have imagined a Spanish restaurant being named the world´s best a decade ago? The food at El Bulli is a far cry from the classical french cannon of cream and butter.

You've got to give credit to Nobu too.

 

[Etienne]

Originally Posted by aybojs

I always find that kind of food (from my limited experience) extremely bland and overly buttery, oily, and/or creamy.
It's been some 40 years since that has stopped being a defining feature of French cooking...

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by Étienne

It's been some 40 years since that has stopped being a defining feature of French cooking...
Oh yeah? Well... uh... why didn't the French media report that instead of the supersecret anti-terrorist Paris cell? Where are they when it comes to real news, huh?!

 

[kennethpollock]

I have only eaten a 4 of them. My impressions:
(a) Jean Georges-one really great dinner and one uninspired lunch
(b) Bernardin-two uninspired lunches
(d) L'Arpege-I agree; really great
(d) Grammercy Tavern-several visits-not a great restaurant by any stretch of the imagination, IMO. The Modern (same ownership) is far better.
(e) I have also eaten with Daniel Bouloud at several locations but not at his present place. He was good at his main location and when he was at Le Cirque; but not so at Cafe Bouloud.