Chez Sophea and Matthieu (Cambodia)

Visit: June 17, 2012
Address: In front of Angkor Wat Temple, Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia
Number: (855) 12 858-003
Website: http://www.chez-sophea.com/html/map.php

My aunt was the one who planned the Cambodia trip this time and while she was googling reviews, she stumbled upon Chez Sophea and Mattheiu's restaurant with superb reviews. So, the restaurant was a little adventure for my big family.

Menu

Menu

Complimentary Bread

Complimentary Bread

The bread itself was okay. The interesting part though, was that there was a huge selection of sauces and spreads for us to use... though not all of them were for the bread. There was plain old mustard, mustard seeds, butter, margarine, olive oil, vinegar and chili oil.

Mixed Salad $7.00 USD

Mixed Salad

The salad here was served with a really unique sauce that was actually quite yummy.The sauce tasted a bit Thai, a little bit sweet, sour and salty. Yup, a party of flavors.

Set - Mixed Salad

Mixed Salad

Set - Fish Kruen $18.00 USD

Fish Kruen

Okay, first off, the plating just does not look appetizing. Second, the fish was so dry like they forgot about it while it was cooking and only remembered an hour later or something. Not a good dish at all.

Set - Amok Fish (Curry) $18.00 USD

Amok Fish (Curry)

Out of all the mains we had, this was definitely the best by far... but that's only relative to the rest of the dishes. The curry was a very normal fish curry that you could find on any street corner in Taipei.

Set - Beefsteak with Prahoc $18.00 USD

Beefsteak with Prahoc

This would be without a doubt the worst beef I've ever had in my life. I'm sure that from the picture it looks nice, pink, and tender since that's what I'm seeing right now. You know how they say pictures are worth a thousand words? Well then, let's make them a thousand lies. The beef was nothing but tender. It was rubber. But see, that's not the worst part. The taste of the beef was just disgusting. You know that lamb odor you get a lot at bad restaurants? I didn't think that was possible with beef until I had this. GAH. NASTY DISH.


Set - 1/2 Chicken BBQ $18.00 USD

1/2 Chicken BBQ

Looking at the picture right now, I'm laughing to myself. Doesn't the chicken look like it was forgotten on the grill? Yup, it tasted just like that.


Set - Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

Finally after a long string of practically inedible food, the roasted potatoes were a welcoming sight, though it was more like fried potatoes. The potatoes were nicely golden and crispy on the outside.

I do not  in any way or form recommend this restaurant. I honestly have no idea how Chez Sophea and Matthieu had so many positive reviews. Not only was the dining atmosphere pretty nasty with a giant fan blowing kitchen oil into our hairs but there was also a dog creeping around while we were sweating in the hot Cambodian weather. I keep telling myself that maybe, just maybe the chef was having an off day. To this extent though? Highly unlikely. But hey, an adventure is always filled with unknowns :)

Amansara (Cambodia)

Visit: June 15-17, 2012
Address: No 262, Krom 8, Phum Beong Don Pa, Khum Slar Kram Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia
Number: (855) 63 760 333
Website: http://www.amanresorts.com/amansara/home.aspx

So this summer, my whole dad's side of the family has decided to go to Cambodia for a little relaxing but culturally abundant vacation. As much as I've been enjoying all the beaches, it was actually quite a nice change to go visit temples and other historical sites. For the duration of the trip, we stayed in Amansara, a resort from the well regarded Aman group. For all of our dinners at Cambodia, we ate within the resort. And there's only one restaurant in there, so I'm sure you won't be wondering which restaurant it is.

For every meal, I've included the menu so you get a sense of what meals are like there. The chef changes the menu every single day, though you can certainly request what you'd like to have beforehand. Each day, there is always a Western option as well as a Khmer option.

Day 1
Menu

Menu: Day 1

Western entree - Lime Vichyssoise with Salmon Caviar

Lime Vichyssoise with Salmon Caviar

Western entree - Ricotta Ravioli with Bacon & Walnut

Ricotta Ravioli with Bacon & Walnut

Mmmmm, this was SO GOOD! There was enough ricotta inside the ravioli and the bacon plus walnut just added so much to the taste. Besides, the ravioli wasn't in overly heavy and creamy sauce.

Khmer - Somlor Tompeang: Fish soup with bamboo shoot & coconut cream

Somlor Tompeang: Fish soup with bamboo shoot & coconut cream

I'm not a huge fan of fish soup, but the watered down curry tasting soup was nice.

Western main - Seared Sea Bass with Sauteed Spinach, Red Wine Sauce

Seared Sea Bass with Sauteed Spinach, Red Wine Sauce

The seared sea bass was very enjoyable, though the salmon (as you will see later one), was still better.

Khmer - Larb Sach Moan: minced chicken salad, Curray Sach Kou: beef curry, Cha Trei Spei Teur: stir fried fish with pak choi & oyster sauce, Cha Katna: stir fried kailan leaves with garlic 

Clockwise from bottom left: Larb Sach Moan: minced chicken salad, Cha Katna: stir fried kailan leaves with garlic, Curray Sach Kou: beef curry, and Cha Trei Spei Teur: stir fried fish with pak choi & oyster sauce

My first night at Cambodia, i was dying to have some Cambodian food though I soon regretted my decision. While the Western options just seemed so mouth watering, the Khmer cuisine was quite...unexciting.

Western dessert - Vanilla Rice Pudding, Raspberry Sorbet

Vanilla Rice Pudding, Raspberry Sorbet

The vanilla rice pudding tasted very much like the Tapioca Custard I made a while back. The raspberry sorbet was neither too sweet nor too sour.

Day 2
Menu

Menu: Day 2

Western entree - Antipasti

antipasti 

I thoroughly enjoyed the antipasti. I loved how there were so many different kinds of appetizers for me to taste.


Western entree - Tuna Tartar with lemon, Chives & Greens

Tuna Tartar with lemon, Chives & Greens

The tuna tartar has just enough acidity to prevent the tuna from being too seafoody.

Western main - Poached John Dory with Pickled Fennel & Orange Emulsion

Poached John Dory with Pickled Fennel & Orange Emulsion

Poached dory was an excellent creative fish dish from Amansara.

Western main - Seared Lamb Rack with Ratatouille Couscous & Harisa

Seared Lamb Rack with Ratatouille Couscous & Harisa

Seared lamb was a very pleasant pink minus the disgusting lamb taste.

Western dessert - Coconut Panna Cotta

Coconut Panna Cotta, Mango Granite

I wasn't really expecting the panna cotta to be much... until I tried it. The mango granite seriously made the panna cotta come alive.

Day 3
Menu

Menu: Day 3

Western entree - Spicy Tomato Soup with Cucumber & Cream Cheese Crostini

Spicy Tomato Soup with Cucumber & Cream Cheese Crostini

I don't remember this being particularly spicy...


Western entree - Crab Salad with Avocado & Pickled Radish

Crab Salad with Avocado & Pickled Radish

The crab salad was delicious and the pickled radish arranged in a flower fashion below the salad was delightful.


Western main - Horseradish Crusted Salmon, Leeks & Bechamel

Horseradish Crusted Salmon, Leeks & Bechamel

Okay, this would be the salmon that I was referring to back from day 1. The salmon was definitely "crusted" and awesome. My sister wasn't planning on having dinner until she had a taste of my mom's salmon...then it all changed :D

Western main - Pancetta Wrapped Chicken Breast with Balsamic Lentil

Pancetta Wrapped Chicken Breast with Balsamic Lentil

I wanted to try chicken since the chef has done such a nice job with the rest of the meats, but the chicken was such a disappointment. It was simply too dry and the lentils were just very normal.

Western main (from day 1) - Poached Beef with Gnocchi & Mushroom

Poached Beef with Gnocchi and Mushroom

On the first day, my uncle was the only one who ordered the beef &gnocchi, and from then on, we all pretty much regretted it. Just by asking in advance to have the beef & gnocchi for the evening even though it wasn't on the menu, the chef happily agreed to make it for my dad.  The dish did not disappoint with its pink juicy center and cheesey gnocchi.

Western dessert- Tonka Bean Creme Brulee, Passionfruit Sorbet

Tonka Bean Creme Brulee, Passionfruit Sorbet

Although the creme brulee wasn't exactly creme brulee, I think that the taste and the sorbet definitely made up for it.

The caliber of food served at Amansara was very very surprisingly high. I honestly didn't expect much from a hotel/resort restaurant until I tasted the food. The first night, I thought that the chef lucked out, but I eventually realized that he couldn't have lucked out with his food so many nights and dishes in a row. Not only was the food awesome, but obviously, as Amansara promises, the service was superb.

Antoine's Room [安東廳]

Visit: June 11, 2012

Address: 台北市中正區忠孝東路一段12號 2F
Number: (02) 2321-1818
Website: http://www.sheraton-taipei.com/english/r_antoine.htm


The best excuse to eat - birthday celebration. So yup, after enjoying our last visit at Antoine's Room, we decided to have dinner here to celebrate my sister's birthday.


Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


Complimentary Bread

Complimentary Bread

When I saw the cheese butter, I was so excited!!! But... just stick with the original butter.

Antoine/Classically - Amuse Bouche (開胃小點)

Amuse Bouche

The triangular fried thing on the very right reminded me of a samosa haha.

Antoine - Chef's Special Seafood Salad with Citrus Jelly (主廚特製海鮮盤佐柚凍)

Chef's Special Seafood Salad with Citrus Jelly

Classically - Pate of Duck Liver with Truffle Puff Pastry and Garden Salad (松露鴨肝醬脆皮千層沙拉)

Pate of Duck Liver with Truffle Puff Pastry and Garden Salad

Oh my was it flavorful~ I'm usually more into seared duck lived, but the puff pastry combined with the foie gras was definitely awesome.

Antoine - Pan-fried Silver Grant Fish with Sea Urchin Sauce (嫩煎雞仔魚佐海膽醬汁)

 Pan-fried Silver Grant Fish with Sea Urchin Sauce

The mashed potato was silky, and the fish so crispy.

Classically - Steamed Morel Mushroom Egg Flan Garnished with Salmon Roe (羊肚菌鮭魚卵蒸蛋)

Steamed Morel Mushroom Egg Flan Garnished with Salmon Roe

Antoine - Mushroom Cappuccino Soup with Truffle (蘑菇松露卡布奇諾湯)

Mushroom Cappuccino Soup with Truffle

It was really nice how you could actually taste the truffle in the soup.

Classically - Watercress Soup with Truffle Ravioli (水田芥湯搭露餃)

Watercress Soup with Truffle Ravioli 

Don't miss your chance for the rare awesome opportunity of ravioli!


Antoine - Roasted Spring Chicken and Couscous Meant Jus (爐烤春雞搭非小米佐肉汁)

Roasted Spring Chicken and Couscous Meat Jus

I think by now, my stomach was already near exploding. But hey, it's worth it.

Classically - Braised Boston Lobster and Alaska King Crabmeat with Saffrom Sauce (嫩悶波士頓龍蝦襯阿拉斯加帝王蟹佐紅花海鮮汁)

Braised Boston Lobster and Alaska King Crabmeat with Saffrom Sauce

The plating was so cute while the food was also very good.


Antoine/Classically - Home-made Sherbet (安東特質沙碧)

Home-made Sherbet

A bit of sherbet to clear your palette... though perhaps a little bit too sweet.

Antoine - Grilled U.S. Rib Eye Steak with Red Wine Sauce (炭烤肋眼牛佐紅酒醬汁)

Grilled U.S. Rib-Eye Steak with Red Wine Sauce

The potatoes on the side were cooked so crisply on the outside without being too dry. The steak was also cooked just right. It was also nice because the fat in the rib-eye was easy to avoid when I was trying to cut around it.


Classically - Grilled Lamb Chop with Green Peppercorn Sauce (炭烤特級羊排佐青胡椒醬汁)

Grilled Lamb Chop with Green Peppercorn Sauce

The lamb was nicely cooked though I'm not sure if I liked the sauce all that much. It reminded me a bit of like soy sauce.

Beef Wellington in Tofu Skin

Beef Wellington in Tofu Skin

Okay, so when we first came to the restaurant, we were actually offered another menu that came with the beef wellington. And well, when I saw the words "beef wellington", I couldn't resist and made them replace my main course with the beef wellington. I've been searching Taipei up and down trying to find a restaurant that served beef wellington. But to my disappointment, when it was served... Antoine's Room decided to make its own version of wellington... one that was wrapped in deep dried tofu skin. As much as the Beef Wellington was good, I'm sure you could probably imagine my sadness ;(

Classically - Hazelnut Souffle (榛果舒芙雷)

Hazelnut Souffle

While not all of us ordered the "Classically" set, we ended up all switching our desserts to the souffle in order to satisfy our sweet tooth. The souffle was one of the better ones I've had in Taipei so far, but I think Joyce East still wins.

I would definitely recommend Antoine's Room for those looking for a nice restaurant. Although the price range is a little bit high, I would say that the food was worth it. The service was spectacular, and the waitresses were willing to comply with our many (probably annoying) requests with a smile, which is not something that I've seen very often. The food was also very good with a really nice and classy atmosphere.

SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon

Visit: Feb. 26, 2012
Address: 台北市松仁路28號 3F (Bellavita)
Number: (02) 8729-2626
Website: http://www.robuchon.com.tw/salon/desserts.php

Tea Set for 2 (下午茶組 - 二人份) $1200 NT
Tea Set - Vegetarian Tomates Confites, Courgette et Mozzarella (蔬菜起司三明治) + $100 NT

Vegetarian Tomates Confites, Courgette et Mozzarella

 The tea set included a choice of sandwich, but none of the options suited my sister, so despite the additional cost, she decided to get this. The bread was really unique because it wasn't the normal toast or bread, instead it was extremely thin and crispy. For someone craving something lighter and salty, this might not be the best option because the inside was a little oily from the cheese, and sweet from the red pepper.


Tea Set - Le Cappuccino (熱卡布奇諾) , Madaleine (檸檬瑪德蓮), Chocolate Macaron & Sesame Macaron (巧克力 & 芝麻 馬克龍), Tarte Chocolat- Caramel (焦糖巧克力塔), and Opéra (歐培拉)

From top left: Le Cappuccino, Madaleine, Chocolate Macaron & Sesame Macaron, Tarte Chocolat-Caramel, and Opéra

 Tea Set - Madaleine (檸檬瑪德蓮)
The Madaleine cake was good but not spectacular. I really liked the caramelized outside, but the inside wasn't special at all.


Tea Set -  Chocolate Macaron & Sesame Macaron (巧克力 & 芝麻 馬克龍) ($80 NT each without set)

Form left: Chocolate Macaron and Sesame Macaron

 Unlike usual macarons, these macarons had a little something special inside. The chocolate macaron though wasn't bad, was a little mediocre while the sesame macaron really brought out the sesame flavor. Compared to the macaron I just had at Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI though, these were just not as good.


Tea Set - Tarte Chocolat-Caramel (焦糖巧克力塔) ($190 NT without set)

 The caramel on top completed me <3. Between the caramel and the tart was a layer of whipped cream which was a little unnecessary and just made the dessert a bit too heavy. The chocolate within the tart was also a bit too creamy even though the tart itself was awesome. Overall, the tart was good except... there were peanuts in the tart...whole peanuts. When I bit into them, I must have had a pretty weird expression on my face because I was definitely not expecting peanuts to be in my dessert. Maybe I'm overreacting, but who puts whole peanuts in pastries? The waitress could have told me about them when I asked her what was in the tarte chocolat-caramel. The peanuts were just out of place, and completely destroyed and degraded the dessert.

Tea Set - Opéra (歐培拉) ($200 NT without set)
I was really impressed with the number of different layers in the cake. The outside was of dark chocolate, while the middle layers consisted of coffee, chocolate, cream and probably a lot of others. Although the dessert looked impressive, I didn't really enjoy it that much. At the first few bites, the cake was pretty yummy, except when it's for me to finish the entire piece, I started to feel really grossed out. This is something I'd share with a few other people, but I definitely cannot take the creaminess alone.


Tea Set - Wedding Imperial (皇家結婚進行曲) ($250 NT without set)

Wedding Imperial

 The caramel scented tea was a really nice and refreshing fit for afternoon tea.

Tea Set - Le Cappuccino (熱卡布奇諾) ($200 NT without set)

Le Cappuccino

 I didn't try this, but according to my sister the cappuccino was a little heavy. Not sure if it actually was, or it was because of the desserts we had.


A few other items we ordered...

From left: Brioche au Sesame, Canele, and some sort of pastry

Brioche au Sésame (芝麻布里歐)
The Brioche au Sesame just tasted like regular bread with a little bit of white sesame filling. Although I really liked the sesame filling since it wasn't overly sweet, I really wished that there was a lot more of the fTilling.


Canelé (可麗路)
The Canele was very ordinary. I felt like the insides were a little too moist and packed, while the outside wasn't caramelized enough. After finishing the Canele, I suddenly missed the Canele from Le Gout.

Galette Bretonne (小圓酥餅)
I really liked this cookie-like/pie-like pastry. It tasted like crumbly pie crust except with a more cookie-like texture. Actually, now that I think of it, it reminds me a little bit of some of the yummy Chinese cookies.


Mille-feuille à la Fraise (草莓千層派)

Mille-feuille à la Fraise

I'm starting to realize that it's hard to stop people from eating or butchering the dessert before take my picture.The crispiness of the dessert as well as the natural tart flavor from the strawberries really balanced each other out. As I chewed on the dessert, I actually smiled because I haven't had such a good mille-feuille in a long time.

I think I've heard too much about SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon for it to ever live up to my expectations. Although the tea set and pastries were a little on the pricey side, the breads were surprisingly reasonable. If you just simply want something good to go with your drink, I think that focusing your attention on the bread would actually be a good idea. I definitely recommend SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon for those looking for a nice place to enjoy some afternoon tea.