JAAN By Kirk Westaway needs no introduction. It is definitely one of best restaurants in Singapore and one that has to be on your bucket list if you haven’t already had a meal there.

Sitting on Level 72 of Swissotel Stamford, JAAN By Kirk Westaway is a fine dining restaurant with one of the best views of Singapore – definitely befitting of any dates and/or special occasions. Helmed by Chef Kirk Westaway, JAAN By Kirk Westaway has 2 Michelin stars and as if these are all not impressive enough, they have recently undergone a makeover and have introduced a brand new look that is more than regal.

There are slight tweaks to the menu, but some of Chef Kirk’s famous Modern British creations remain unchanged so that we can always have a taste of his ingenuity.

Step into JAAN By Kirk Westaway and you’ll instantly feel at home. While it has opted for a classy and luxe decor, the inviting space still feels very much like home – cosy as before, and alluring in many ways. The entryway is kept minimal, with a small lounge area with two emerald chairs that are quite a statement.

The paintings on the wall drew our attention immediately. In beautiful jewel tones, the abstract paintings are reminiscent of Chef Kirk’s hometown in Cornwall – an English county with beautiful, sandy beaches. Very serene, very calming; that was how we felt with the paintings. We loved the vibe already.

Remember the iconic glass ornaments that hung from the ceiling from the old JAAN By Kirk Westaway? Those handblown Murano glass are reconstructed, retaining about 40% of the original artwork and repurposed into a completely different structure that fills the space and cascades beautifully to an end.

Even the floor was thought through and given a spanking new look – in shades of blues to white, the gradient depicts the waves of the ocean crashing onto the shores of Cornwall.

During lunch, you can opt for the 4-course menu at S$198++, and 5-course menu at S$208++. For dinner, the Reinventing British Dinner menu is priced at S$388+. There is a supplement of S$88++ to S$128++ for wine pairing, and cheeses from the daily trolley are optional add-ons, too.

Start off with Krug Champagne and be ready for a stellar meal that you’ll not forget.

Chef Kirk always gets everyone’s bellies ready with his 4-pc appetiser. This changes seasonally, but at the time of writing, they were serving this White Beetroot Cloud and Smoked Cheddar Pancake on its lunch menu that were so unique and tantalising. The mish-mash of flavours woke up taste buds up instantly.

There is also Chef Kirk’s signature Burnt Leek & Potato Soup – a simple appetiser that is so rustic and reminds us of a hearty countryside soup.

Onto the Sweet Onion Pie – an eclectic creation that features layers of flavours. The different layers of sweetness from the onion and aubergine was nothing short of impressive, and we were so tempted to ask for more.

You can also look forward to Chef Kirk’s signature Hen’s Egg – the best egg dish you’d ever try, complete with a spoonful of caviar.

In between these courses, do also look forward to the dark rye sourdough with the most extravagant butter service. We are telling you that this is a show on its own – whenever the service staff pushes the butter trolley out, our eyes are glued to the huge bowl of lusciously creamy butter. The way they scoop the butter out so perfectly and top it with salt from Cornwall is an art.

Served with a bunch of lemon thyme, this seemingly simple bread and butter dish actually has another back story – Chef Kirk spent his earlier schooldays picking lemon thyme as part of his apprentice days. It is often in the simplest of things that exude depth.

Other noteworthy dishes include the Wild Seabass – a clean-tasting seafood dish of fresh seabass, muscles and scallops made better with a refreshing lemon butter.

There is also the BBQ Langoustine that Chef Kirk is so proud of. The best thing about eating langoustine at JAAN By Kirk Westaway is that you do not have to deshell it yourself. The next best thing is its accompanying celeriac noodles, brown butter sauce and Kristal caviar.

We can go on talking about our experience at JAAN By Kirk Westaway, but nothing beats dining there yourself. We are a fan of JAAN By Kirk Westaway, always will be, and know that you will be, too. Do yourself a favour and book a table for a meal there before it is impossible to get a reservation next time.

It is still early days, but we are definitely rooting for Chef Kirk Westaway and his team to attain the elusive three Michelin Stars one day.

JAAN By Kirk Westaway
2 Stamford Rd, Level 70, Singapore 178882
Tel: +65 9199 9008

The Michelin Guide Singapore has just announced the awardees of the Michelin Stars this 2019. Along with the recent release of the 2019 Bib Gourmand Award Winners, this is one of the most thrilling food-related announcements we will hear this year! We are always on edge to hear who did not make the cut and more importantly, who did.

Will the awardees of last year stay at the top? Which new players will enter this coveted Hall of Fame?

With today’s grand reveal, we are super excited to see which restaurants remain on this list and who some of the newer recipients are of the highly-prized Michelin Star. Whether you agree with this list if up to you to decide when you eventually pay them a visit after this announcement.

Read on to see the results of the 2019 Michelin Guide Singapore!

1 MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN 2019

• ALMA
• BASQUE KITCHEN*
• BÉNI
• BRACI
• BUONA TERRA*
• BURNT ENDS
• CANDLENUT
• CHEF KANG’S
• CHEEK BISTRO*
• CORNER HOUSE
• CUT
• GARIBALDI
• JAG*
• HAWKER CHAN
• HILL STREET TAI HWA PORK NOODLE
• IGGY’S
• IMPERIAL TREASURE FINE TEOCHEW CUISINE (ORCHARD)
• JAAN
• JIANG-NAN CHUN
• LABYRINTH
• LEI GARDEN
• LEROUY*
• MA CUISINE
• META*
• NOURI
• PUTIEN (KITCHENER ROAD)
• RHUBARB
• SHINJI BY KANESAKA (BRAS BASAH ROAD)
• SHINJI BY KANESAKA (TANGLIN ROAD)
• SUMMER PALACE
• SUMMER PAVILLION
• SUSHI ICHI
• SUSHI KIMURA
• TABLE 65*
• TERRA*
• THE SONG OF INDIA
• VIANNEY MASSOT*

This year, we have some exciting new additions such as the Basque-inspired Basque Kitchen and Leruoy, serving up modern French cuisine. Some didn’t make the list such as Bacchanalia and the Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle.

1 MICHELIN-STARRED HAWKERS IN 2019

• HAWKER CHAN
• HILL STREET TAI HWA PORK NOODLE

2 MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN 2019

• SHISEN HANTEN
• SHOUKOUWA
• WAKU GHIN
• SAINT PIERRE*
• RESTAURANT ZÉN*

3 MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN 2019

• ODETTE*
• LES AMIS*

We would like to congratulate all chefs and restaurants who made it into the 2019 Michelin Guide Singapore!

One of the best meals that I had last year was at JAAN Restaurant Swissotel, and I’ve been suggesting it whenever someone asks me for recommendations.

I was thrilled when Chef Julien Royer extended an invitation to try his summer menu. But at the same time, I was a little afraid. What if it wasn’t as good as before? I had a fantastic experience at JAAN previously and I did not want to tarnish that memory.

I went back and I had a spectacular meal. Chef Julien has done it again. I dare say you will find it very hard to find a restaurant which can offer a better dining experience.

He has been helming the kitchen for a year, and given that he has managed to settle down, I have no doubt that the upcoming year will be good times for the restaurant and we can definitely expect greater things to come. JAAN is still one of the best, if not the best restaurant in Singapore.

We started the meal with the amuse bouche platter: croquette, crispy chicken skin with Indian spices, smoked eel with pickled apple and jelly.

Amuse bouches, for the uninitiated, are different from appetizers in that you do not order them from the menu. Instead, they are served free, and it is up to the chef’s creativity. They are little surprises meant to prepare the guest for the meal; to tease the palate so as to speak.

The tiny bites were excellent; they did what they were supposed to do – to “wake up” the palate.

The second amuse-bouche, mushroom soup – a mainstay on JAAN’s menu – was also very good. In fact, I am going out on a limb to say that it is one of the best mushroom soups that I’ve had.

Then, we had a selection of bread – walnut raisin, mini baguette, truffle brioche, and sourdough – with wonderful butter from Brittany, France.

After we were done, we had our first appetiser – cannelloni of new caledonian obsiblue prawn & avocado ($58). It was a medley of flavours: the smoothness of the avocado melting in your mouth; the sweetness of the obsiblue prawn; the slight tinge of saltiness from the chorizo iberico; and the oscietra caviar, tiny bubbles of oceanic pleasure popping in your mouth. So delicate, so fresh, so light, so delicious.

“This is too beautiful to be eaten,” I said to my dining companion as the server brought the tomate ‘coeur de boeuf’ to our table. Drizzled with a sauce made of fresh almond and truffle, the appetiser tasted as good as it looked.

The use of almond provided texture to the burrata, which had a tofu-like consistency; it was smooth and crumbly at the same time. The intensity of the two different types of tomatoes, sun-dried and coeur de boeuf, also added wonderful layers to the dish.

To use the word ‘good’ for describing it, is an understatement.

Next, the 55′ rosemary smoked organic egg ($44) with garden peas, fairy rings, and bellota. Among all the dishes, it stood out with its dramatic entrance. The eggs – delicately poached at 64 degrees for 55 minutes, presented in its original shell on a typical egg tray – were accompanied with dry ice on the side, making it a feast for the eyes.

To sum it up; the perfect poached eggs. I want to have this for breakfast every morning.

This was followed by the escalope of landes foie gras ($53), which was paired with a slightly fruity Brut Rose champagne. It was a very well-balanced dish, with a myriad of different flavours and textures – the foie gras was cooked to a taut consistency; the crunchiness of the hazelnut; the acidic undertone from the rhubarb drop; the freshness of the strawberry topped with fresh coriander and ginger; and accompanied by the toasted brioche.

As the meal progressed, I found it hard to continue describing the food because every dish was exceptional. I wanted to drop everything (taking photos and jotting down notes) and just eat.

This probably explains why I can’t tell you much about the next dish – Chef Julien’s pigeon from bresse ($115) – except that the pigeon breast was so soft and tender that it’s a kind of texture (for a lack of a better word) that you would not usually associate with breast meat. The pigeon leg confit, without going too much into details, was excellent. We saveured the pigeon with a glass of Gevrey-chambertin (2009).

Before heading into desserts, the manager offered us a chef’s special cheese plate, and since I wanted to save room for sweets, I requested to have a portion for sharing. How I regretted it after taking the first bite!

The cheese was good, but it was the truffle ice cream that blew us away. Forget about truffle fries, all you want is truffle ice cream. My life will never be the same again.

To wrap up the meal, we had a fraicheur d’ete – a crème brûlée with lemon, basil, and thyme; and the choconuts 3.0 ($28). During my previous visit, I had the first version of the choconuts which consisted of jivara mousse, peanuts, with macadamia nut ice cream. Chef Julien has since came up with two improved version, and for the latest edition, you have the sable breton, tanariva chocolate, tonka bean ice cream, macadamia & pecan nuts, and walnut snow.

This was again, a good built-up of flavours and textures – the intensity of the different chocolates; the saltiness of the sable, and nuts; the effortless blend of tonka bean ice cream – made it a very interesting and delicious dessert.

And finally, petit four with a cup of coffee.

I am sure you have noticed that I’ve repeatedly used the words ‘texture’ and ‘flavour’ in this post. Yet, this is truly what the food at JAAN is about – making use of the freshest produce, respecting ingredients in it’s natural form and combining it with simple everyday spices, to create multi-dimensional dishes.

Sometimes when you eat at fine dining restaurants where they serve multi-courses, it gets a little draggy and often the waiting time in-between is too long. This is, however, not the case at JAAN. The four hour lunch that we had did not seem long. A good meal is about having fun, and I think they managed to accomplish that.

I think I’ve said enough. For a special occasion, you should definitely go to JAAN – it is a restaurant that you will not want to miss out trying.

For lunch, JAAN has a 3 course set menu at $55, but I’d suggest the 5 course degustation lunch, which is a steal at $88. And for dinner, the 5 course degustation menu is available at $198, while there is also a more elaborate 7 course degustation menu at $238.

JAAN Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 7pm – 10pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting

With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, the question on everyone’s mind: where to go for a romantic date?

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, I’d suggest celebrating it the weekend before, or a few days after. Unless both of you have violent objections and insist on celebrating it on the actual day, it really doesn’t make sense to pay so much just because it is February fourteenth.

As such, this post is mainly on romantic restaurants in Singapore which I think are worth trying; you can also use it as a guide for other special occasions. (I’m not including the details of Valentine’s Day set menus. If you want to find out more, please call the respective restaurant to check their Valentine’s Day promotions.)

Here are some suggestions on where to go for Valentine’s Day Dinner 2012.

Otto Ristorante

I’ve been hearing good things about Otto Ristorante, but somehow I never got the chance to try it. I finally went there recently, and I’m happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Otto Ristorante has a 5 course degustation menu at $88/pax, which in my opinion, is great value for the quality of food.

It is definitely going into my list of must-try Italian restaurants in Singapore.

28 Maxwell Road
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building
Tel: +65 6227 6819

Bar & Billiard Room

Take a day off and enjoy lunch with your partner at the Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Hotel. I like the nostalgic feel of the restaurant, and the buffet selection offers a wide variety of choices. Buffet lunch from Mon to Sat is $60++/pax, while dinner is $75++/pax.

1 Beach Road
Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6412 1816

Brasserie Les Saveurs

If you’re going to do brunch, do it in style in one of the most posh settings in Singapore.

Brasserie Les Saveurs at The Regis is easily one of the most romantic French restaurants in Singapore, so why not come here for an early Valentine’s Champagne Brunch this coming Sunday?

At $170++/pax, the Champagne Brunch Buffet at Brasserie Les Saveurs is not cheap. But what you get is a wonderful experience with free flow of champagne.

29 Tanglin Road
The St. Regis Singapore
Tel: +65 6506 6888

Bistro Soori

Bistro Soori is a cool, cosy, informal restaurant with a small open kitchen and a few tables, which makes you feel as though you are dining in a friend’s place. The prices aren’t too high (although not too low, either), and you can have a good meal without spending ridiculous money. It was one of the best meals that I had in 2011, and I think you will like it too.

2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
(Near Outram/Tanjong Pagar)
Tel: +65 6438 3802

Halia Restaurant

Halia Restaurant is located in the Ginger Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and it has been known as one of the most romantic restaurants since opening in 2001. While prices are rather steep, it is the perfect place for a special date.

1 Cluny Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: +65 6476 6711

Hummerstons Restaurant

One of my favourite new restaurants is Hummerstons restaurant at Robertson Quay. The food is competent, and reasonably priced. Definitely worth checking out.

11 Unity Street
#02-14 Robertson Walk
Tel: +65 6737 8863

JAAN Restaurant

If money is no object, go to JAAN Restaurant at Swissotel The Stamford.

JAAN by Chef Julien Royer is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Singapore. Of course, I can’t afford to eat there all the time, but for a lavish meal like this, enjoyed with a amazing view of Singapore’s skyline – it is indeed a fine way to splurge during a special occasion.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670

Keyaki Japanese Restaurant

Keyaki – at the rooftop Japanese garden on level 4 of Pan Pacific Hotel – is a traditional fine dining Japanese restaurant. For dinner, you can either eat at the Teppankayi counter, order ala carte or go for the 8 courses Kaiseki dinner set ($160++/pax).

The Japanese Restaurant currently has a very good brunch deal on weekends (12 noon to 2.30pm): 10 course kaiseki set brunch featuring Japanese cuisine prepared in various styles is available for just $60++/pax. Feast on the selection which includes daily kobachi, three types of appetisers, assorted sashimi, steamed egg custard, assorted tempura, teppanyaki beef or pork with fried rice, dessert.

7 Raffles Boulevard
4/F Pan Pacific Singapore
Tel: +65 6826 8335

Recommended : Valentine’s Day Food Gift Ideas

Which is your favourite restaurant for a romantic date? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day 2012? I want to hear from you!

Most people have the impression that I always eat at fine dining restaurants, but my friends would know that I usually prefer going to casual places that are cosy and provide good food at reasonable prices.

But sometimes if you want a very good meal, you really have to fork out top money for it. JAAN Restaurant at Swissotel is the prime example. I had one of my best meals of 2011 at JAAN. I’m going out on a limb and say that they are among the top restaurants in Singapore.

When you eat in one of those fine dining restaurants, you’re not just paying for the food. You’re also paying for everything that comes along with it: the location, the rent, the service, the plates, the view, and the ambience. JAAN has it all: central location at City Hall; highest restaurant in Singapore; breathtaking view of the city’s skyline; knowledgeable servers who do a good job between the dining room and kitchen; and most importantly, good food.

At lunch time, they have extremely good value for money set lunch: 3 course at $52 and 5 course at $82; and during dinner, there are two different choices, including the 5 course menu for $198 (with wine pairing $318), and 7 course menu for $238 (with wine pairing $418).

And of course, you can also order from the ala carte menu which has five appetisers ($46-52), five main courses ($82-118), and four desserts and cheese ($28-45).

We sat there waiting eagerly for the food to come, while having some wine. The amuse-bouche arrived on our table and I put it into my mouth without hesitation.

We were on a roll. The mushroom soup next was excellent. I took a sip, and the only word that came out of my mouth was: wow. This is coming from a guy who doesn’t fancy mushroom soup.

I didn’t want to fill my stomach with bread, but I couldn’t resist having one, okay two from the impressive selection of bread.

And then, we were served the Trumbetta Zucchini ($49) – burratina, basil, almonds and black olives. In terms of presentation, it was one of the prettiest dishes that I’ve seen.

I thought that the Saint Jacques ($49) – rosemary smoked trondheim bay scallops, reinette apple cider, boudin noir and burnet – was good, but my friend told me she had an even better one at another restaurant.

Still, it was quite a sight to behold, and there was a mini performance when the staff sent this to our table.

The star of the meal, without a doubt, is the Ravioli ($46) – organic hen egg, artichoke, melanosporum truffle and cantal. Chef Julien Royer brought the dish out, and he gave us a generous shaving of white truffles on the spot.

It was hands down the most delicious ravioli I’ve ever tasted.

The Atlantic Cod & Baby Squid ($82) – chanterelles, broad beans and smoked garlic emulsion – was equally splendid.

We couldn’t stop gushing about the food, and on top of that, the wine recommendations from the sommelier were spot on. No one that day could have eaten a better meal than us.

After our empty plates were taken away, we continued with desserts. The Choconuts ($28) – Jivara mousse, peanuts, Macadamia nut ice cream. The perfect ending for a perfect meal.

I was wrong. It wasn’t the ending, I’ve forgotten about petit four. Now we can live happily-ever-after.

It’s been a while since I’ve been surprised and won over by a meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been eating plenty of very well executed food but the problem with having a benchmark is that it’s getting increasingly difficult to wow me. But JAAN managed to do just that.

The presentation of the food is flawless. Chef Julien Royer and his team pay attention to every single detail and all the dishes are plated beautifully.

$200/pax (probably more because you are going to have wine) for a meal is not a small sum. I can’t afford to eat there all the time, but for a lavish meal like this, enjoyed with a amazing view of Singapore’s skyline – it was a fine way to splurge during a special occasion. JAAN is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

JAAN Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 7pm – 10pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Wow. Another year just passed by like that. This year was a big one, and I couldn’t have done it without you guys. Thank you for being here.

I ate a lot last year, and I managed to travel quite a bit as well. Like what I always say, travelling is just an excuse for me to eat more. So I’m not surprised that some of the best meals that I had last year were during my travels.

To be frank, it’s quite difficult to impress my jaded palate nowadays. You see, the problem of having too much good food is you will always have a benchmark to compare against, and this will lead you on a (never-ending) quest for something equally good, if not better – which is often quite impossible.

Thankfully, I’ve had several really good meals throughout the past 365 days, and I hope that I’ll be able to share with you more good food this time next year.

So for now, here are the 10 Best Meals that I had in 2011.

New Year Resolution in 2012: Eat more!

JAAN Restaurant in Singapore

Ever since Chef Andre Chiang left JAAN, the fine dining restaurant at Swissotel the Stamford – ranked #39 in S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 – had struggled to fill his shoes. After eating there recently, I’m happy to say JAAN’s talented new Chef de Cuisine Julien Royer is the right person to lead them to greater heights.

The food was very, very good. It is one of the few meals I had in 2011 that made me sit up and take notice. JAAN is definitely one of the best restaurants in Singapore, and as long they stay on track, I’m sure it will not be long before they are back among the best restaurants in the world.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mrt: City Hall Station

Café des Fédérations Bouchon in Lyon

When I was planning my Europe trip, Lyon wasn’t even in the picture. I wanted to visit some of the cities that I’ve always wanted to go – like Madrid, Venice, and Prague. After I figured that it is impossible to squeeze in all of them, I decided to keep it within the area, and Lyon – known as the food capital of France – immediately came to mind.

I’ve read a lot about the bouchons in Lyon; everyone raved that the best food in France could be found there. The Bouchon is a Lyonnais version of the classic French bistro. I’ll be writing a separate post on the food that we had, to cut the long story short, I had one of my best meals in 2011, if not my life, at Café des Fédérations.

8-10, rue Major Martin, Lyon
Tel: 04 78 28 26 00
Metro: Hotel de Ville

Bistro Soori in Singapore

Another really good meal that I had was at Bistro Soori. I wasn’t expecting much before going, and boy was I blown away by the food. It has a cosy and intimate setting, and some of the dishes – Pork Belly, Rack of Lamb, and Pandan Souffle – that we had were outstanding.

Sometimes, good things happen when you are least expecting them.

2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 3802
Mrt: Outram Park Station

Zubuchon Lechon in Cebu

The lechon from Zubuchon is quite easily one of the best things that I’ve ever eaten. Utterly delicious.

One Mango Mall
General Maxilom Ave, Cebu City
+63 32 2395697

Prive Restaurant in Singapore

One of my favourite restaurants in Singapore is Prive at Keppel Bay. They serve good and unpretentious food. The meats that we had from the Josper Grill menu (prices range from $52 for Kurobuta Pork to $75 for the 280g Ribeye Cap) were fantastic. Definitely worth a try if you are in Singapore.

2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina Keppel Bay, Singapore
Tel: +65 6776 0777
Mrt: Harbourfront Station

Cerveceria Catalana in Barcelona

Among the tapas places that we ate in Barcelona, Cerveceria Catalana stood out for serving good tapas at reasonable prices. It was one of the best meals that we had during the 5 days there. Just in case you are wondering, the jar of sangria you see in the picture doesn’t have anything to do with my choice. I’m completely sober as I write this.

236 Mallorca, Barcelona
Tel: 932 16 03 68
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

Antoinette Patisserie in Singapore

Antoinette, without a doubt, is my favourite patisserie in Singapore. I lurveee Chef Pang’s creations and if I lived near the Lavender area, I could imagine myself dropping by the Parisian tea salon every other day. Try the Antoinette Chocolate Earl Grey Cake.

30 Penhas Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6293 3121
Mrt: Lavender Station

Dinner at Martell’s Château de Chanteloup

I had many good meals during Martell’s Pure Gourmet tour, but the highlight was definitely the risotto that we had during one of the dinners. Paired with a glass of cognac, it was out-of-this-world-good. I can never see risotto in the same light again.

Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Bali

Naughty Nuri’s Warung is famous for its pork ribs, with many people calling it the place to go for the best pork ribs in Seminyak. It was so good that I polished off the whole rack by myself.

Jalan Batubelig 41 Kerobokan Kelod
Kuta Bali Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 847 6722

Pierre Herme in Paris

What do I need to say about Pierre Herme? It has always been my dream to visit the famous patisserie in Paris, and what a moment it was. After having the desserts from Pierre Herme, life will never be the same again.