so sorry,

It's entitled: Wake up and Smell the Service. See if you can't search that on the Asia board.

Let me know

Tripgirl, I found it and brought it up to read later...how did I manage to miss what looks like a wonderful tale?? I am leaving tomorrow so will be sure to read it carefully tonight once I finish packing!!

SO-O-o-o long ago in St Tropez, my first sea urchins,
Tellines in the Camargue,
Écrevisses, two inches long in Fountaine de Vacluse,
Cavaillion Melon with Beaume de Venise poured over it .
The baby eels of Spain. They look like spagetti and cooked in olive oil and garlic.

EK, I am going to Barcelona this summer and will put Cal Pep on the list. Also going to London and the Basque region for first time. I can't wait. It has been a couple of decades since I have been back to Europe as my wife has been reluctant. I guess I finally wore her down. thereyet

Tripgirl, can you tell me a little more about Gordon Ramsey's. I have also been to Charlie Trotter's, where I grew up, a friend of my wifes guest chefed there. Very nice list. More specifically what food or taste will you never forget? thereyet

Thereyet...how could I have left out La Cuchara de San Telmo in San Sebastian? The Basque country in both France and Spain takes eating to a whole new level!

As for Cal Pep..there can never be enough superlatives to describe my meals there. Let's just say we went over and over again during a week in Barcelona a few years back...

And over the French border, how could I have forgotten the roast chicken and potatoes from the vendor at the Sunday St. Cyprien market in the Dordogne? Or the long multi-course, duck-saturated afternoon repast at the walnut oil mill outside Martel....???

I could go on and on..not to mention the other parts of the world.........

Food tastes, hmmmm..

I love all food so for me it all blends together, I usually rave about everything in a great place.

today, my brain is not functioning as well ( just getting over a horrific cold), but I will tell you that that roast duck in Beijing, ooooohhhh, I can still taste it!!!

And the desserts at La Manoir.....oooohh......

Gordon Ramseys was all terrific, but I do remember my lamb dish... sublime... I loved the setting and the serve was perfect!

And yes, believe it or not besides the courses, what I still enjoy from Le Louis XV was the bread table... yes it was a large cart brought over with about a zillion different breads to choose from, not just some sloppy bread basket on the table and I loved the little dishes for each type of butter... salted or unsalted and all molded into a beautiful creations.

But the best was actually that DH got up everytime I left the table to go to the ladies room... he was a perfect gentleman!

ek,

so glad you found it, have a wonderful trip; you will love Asia, fantastic part of the world....

Happy travels ( and eating!!!!) Try EVERYTHING ( but do be careful of street vendors, choose, but choose wisely, I opted out of it, but it did look good, wanted to take extra care not to fall ill, but probably now in retrospect a little too cautious on my part!)

Rastaguy,
Don't know who was chef when I went to Domaine Chandon, but I also had a leisurely lunch there with my Mom in the 80's. Just remember wonderful sweetbreads and wishing we didn't have to drive back to SF after drinking all that champagne (along with the wine at the vineyards we visited before lunch.)

Paella at a little restaurant (no clue what the name was) in a little town called Sitges, just outside of Barcelona. But...it was 30 yrs ago.

ekscrunchy and thereyet.

I will be going to Arzak in San Sebastian in May. Totally looking forward to that meal. Great Basque food is always my favorite!

Entrecot au sauce poivre at 'La Boucherie', I think the place was called, in Villeneuve les Avignon, right across the way from the Mairie.

Something I whipped up myself in Santorini for my wife and I. From supplies at the local grocer I concocted "Penne al Santorini". Served at sunset overlooking the caldera, washed down with a good bottle of red.

Rastaguytoday, just checked out the web for Arzak. Wow. I don't think I will be able to talk my wife into that one but it sounds cutting edge fantastic! I'm guessing it is a long range reservation needed to dine there. Anyway, from what I am gathering it will be Pinxtos heaven in San Sebastian. thereyet

So much delicious food, so little time!

My most memorable meal for the food and atmosphere was probably at Citronelle in Washington DC: Potatoes cut like railroad ties,fried in clarified butter, paper thin fried potato discs stacked between truffled mashed potatoes in a tower 6 inches high, both served with butter tender chateaubriand preceded by escargot atop tarragon/cream infused tiny pearl pasta, followed by chocolate/hazelnut heaven.

A close second was at Guy Savoy in Paris. The foie gras with apricot french toast was outrageous. Although the huge slab of foie gras on top of the creamiest mashed potatoes ever (only 20 euro!) at Le Hanger in Paris was a fantastic meal, made memorable by sharing it, along with duck shepard pie, beef stroganoff, and a number of great appetizers with my 2 daughters.

Other amazing meals were at Daniel's in NYC and Jean George aso in NYC. I also remember some fantastic street food on the west coast of Mexico (yes I was young and brave then!)and fresh caught boiled in sea water lobster at a small shack on the coast of northern Maine.

a small locally recommended tratoria in seina italy. first courdse of the wide loccal noodles with a hare sauce and a main meal of roast rabbit with greens asn oven brown potatoes. much more had eaten there 2x best meals we ever had

Reminded me of an old thread... http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;tid=105286

Just back from Morrocco, and the sheeps head and brains with cuscus. UGH

blightyboy, brains are a bit too grainy for my taste. thereyet

Moving to Latin America, the provoleta grilled cheese and the steak at Cabana de la Lilas in Buenos Aires is another of my all-time great food memories. Also the fried chicken at the bus stop in Guatemala's Cuatro Caminos junction.....I can go on andd on.. And the best part is that there is always another amazing meal waiting to be discovered...