French Michelin tour day 5: back to the tower

Took an early morning train from Reims back to Paris. Our stay at Hôtel d'Angleterre Champs-Elysées a few days ago came with insect bites, so I'm no longer staying there. We took our luggage to Hôtel Monna Lisa a few steps away on rue de la Boétie, which was a little more modern and cute.

Went to visit the Louvre again. It's my third (actually fourth if you count two visits with mom on my first trip to Paris) visit so my enthusiasm isn't what it used to be. However, I'm always happy to visit the Galerie Médicis for the huge, beautiful paintings by Rubens.

French Michelin tour day 4: drinking in Champagne

Took a morning train from Gare de l'Est in Paris to Reims. It was too early to check in to Holiday Inn Express so we got some croissants for breakfast nearby.

We visited the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. What a beautiful place! I absolutely fell in love with the stained glass windows from Marc Chagall. They were just so blue and beautiful!

French Michelin tour day 3: six-star day

We started the day by having breakfast at Dalloyau on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, just a short walk from our hotel. It's my favorite salon de thé in Paris, so I was very, very happy.

It's a day on the islands, and we started at Sainte-Chapelle, which is my favorite church in Paris. The reason? those absolutely stunning stained glass windows of Chapelle Haute, where the royal family used to worship. There are 15 panels in all in addition to the rose window.

French Michelin tour day 2: birds and Burgundies

Breakfast was taken this morning near our hotel, and we quickly began our shopping excursion on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

We took lunch at L'Angle du Faubourg, the casual restaurant run by the famed Taillevent. I chose this place because of their selections of wines by the glass, and I had a glass of 1997 Gevrey-Chambertin.

French Michelin tour day 1: casual eats

We took the Eurostar from the Waterloo Station in London to Gare du Nord in Paris in the morning, making it my first experience on the train. Pretty convenient.

We're staying at Hôtel d'Angleterre Champs-Elysées again, my go-to hotel in Paris on rue de la Boétie right off the Champs-Elysées. Grabbed a quick lunch at a touristy spot on the Champs, then began our sightseeing for the day.

First stop was the Musée Rodin, with many sculptures inside the beautiful building. The gardens were also very beautiful, especially on a sunny day like this.

Brasserie Birthday

I hosted a dinner at Brasserie on the Eighth at Conrad Hong Kong for the MNSC boys to celebrate my birthday, and invited a couple of ladies to attend. Chef Kong set a menu for me and we were given the private room.

Hot purple white asparagus

Confit of pork belly

82s at the Lighthouse

Dr. Poon is celebrating his 35th birthday, and invited us all for dinner in Singapore. All of us were staying at The Fullerton, since the dinner was being held at The Lighthouse by Les Amis, the restaurant at the top of the hotel helmed by Chef Justin Quek.

Canapés

Cauliflower purée, Iranian caviar, lobster emulsion

Tuna belly, live scallops and foie gras with black truffles

Poached egg, fresh morels and Spanish ham

Truffle soup "en croûte"

Lobster and crispy veal sweetbreads, red wine sauce

Baby lamb loin, fricassée of chanterelles, sauce diable

Glass tagliatelle "à la carbonara"

Seared wagyu beef fillet, wilted spinach, natural jus

Grilled pigeon breast, baby spring vegetables

Selection of cheese

Birthday cake

Cavaillon melon with pineapple-cinnamon sorbet

The focus was, of course, the wines. We had two blind flights of reds, which turned out to be all 1982 Bordeaux.

Flight 1:

1982 La Conseillante - nose of green pepper, sweet berries hidden underneath, smoke, smooth and velvety tannins. Not light but medium- to full-bodied.

1982 La Fleur-Petrus - tannins were still a little strong here.

1982 Latour à Pomerol - typical cigar smoke and pain grillé. Smooth tannins, which have been mostly shed. Really awesome and a quintessential Bordeaux.

1982 Certan de May - nose of pain grillé and sweet berries. Smooth but nose was very closed.

Flight 2:

1982 Pavie - acidity was a bit high.

1982 Canon

1982 Cheval Blanc - sweet on the nose with some caramel. No smoke here.

1982 Figeac - nose of sweet grass and stewed prunes.

Other wines to finish:

Kistler Chardonnay (vintage and vineyard unknown) - toasty, nutty, ripe, sweet mid- and after-palate.

1983 Yquem - orange rind, pineapple, and acetone on the nose.