chez pim

Yves Camdeborde's new hotel Relais Saint-Germain

Another congratulations is in order today in Paris, where the most anticipated openning of the year finally took place. Yves Camdeborde, of La Régalade fame finally opens his pensione de famille in the 6th. The hotel is called Relais Saint-Germain.

He also took over the annex brasserie Le Comptoir du Relais which will be open every day from 12h00 until 23h30 pm, beginning April 1st. Camdeborde reportedly claimed that the cuisine would be nothing like La Régalade, because he disliked "reheated dishes" !! because he disliked rehashing old ideas. (Thanks Clotilde for pointing out my language inaptitude.)

I must say I am quite surprised to see that the hotel is right smack in the middle of touristy madness in Saint Germain. I had expected him to open in a low key arrondissement like the 17th, to attract both tourists and locals, or perhaps in the ever popular Marais, but certainly not at the corner of St.Germain and Odéon!

Here is the website for the hotel, which seems to have been inherited from the previous ownership. I expect them to add more information about the restaurant and how the pricing of the rooms ties into the dinner at the Brasserie. Early reports of Camdeborde's plan for this hotel said that the restaurant would serve dinner only to hotel guests. So, either that plan has now been abandoned or the new website should be up explaining the deal shortly.

Thanks Adrian for the email tip.

Yet more press: haven't I told you my ego really doesn't need help?

I was about to head to bed when I noticed a new article on the Guardian UK Online about food blogs. Written by our very own Pieman, the article speaks of the usual suspects: Clotilde, Kate, Alberto, Hillel, among others.

But the sweetest bit of that article is this:

Jay Rayner, the Observer's food critic, is a member of several online food forums, but reads just one food blog, Chez Pim - "She's very funny, has exquisite taste and she's a friend of mine".

Mais bien sûr, and did I ever mention our little Mutual Admiration Society we've got going here, Jay and I? Because I really should, because Jay Rayner is my favorite restaurant critic, ever. Seriously, if you didn't believe me you should read his review of Vernon's in Manchester.

Le Guide Michelin France 2005

And so it is public, the press release for the Michelin Guide 2005 came out today, all speculation and trepidation could finally come to an end. The guide itself will be out on sale next Wednesday March 3rd, but the list is out now. (Merci bien, Degusto.)

The most interesting development has got to be the announcement of a new category, well, more like a supplement to the current categories. An additional designation espoirs has been added within each star category. The restaurants which are notated with espoirs are those who are not only better than the other in the same category, but also represent the hopes of the gastronomy world of tomorrow. The espoirs designated restaurants are -by all appearances- the ones to watch for a star promotion, though Michelin has made it clear that it would not be necessary for a restaurant to receive an espoir before being given a first or an additional star. Confusing enough? Heh.

Among the five espoirs in the two-star category is my favorite Le Meurice. I did a review of my first meal there a while back, I have since gone back and continue to be impressed with everything Yannick Alléno has been doing in that kitchen. It's great to see that all his hard work has been recognized by this new designation. Félicitations Yannick and Alexandre! Time to go back for another meal soon I think.

Because the best things in life are always bittersweet

A sweet childhood memory tinged with a pang of regret. A bygone love affair that still fills you with tiny butterflies. Even the happiest of times are haunted with a specter of melancholy, knowing that those too shall pass. The best things in life are always bittersweet.

When Hillel of Tasting Menu asked me to be a juror for the first annual Independent Food Festival and Awards, the first thing that crossed my mind was how could I ever choose just one? The world has so many flavors, so much deliciousness to savor. I thought of many things: great dishes, amazing meals, fantastic wines, so many beautiful memories to visit. Each one was happiness, yet made bittersweet for it was now in the past.

So it is indeed fitting that my award, Best Bittersweet Bite for Your Bittersweet Life, goes to June Taylor’s fantastic Candied Seville Peel in Rose Geranium Syrup. Because the best things in life are always bittersweet, why shouldn’t the best thing you eat?

Say WHAT again?

So, a funny post over at Vinography got me paying attention to Google Ads on my sidebar. And look what I've got today? EBay ads for new and used curry paste! How fun...um....just to be clear dear readers, Chez Pim certainly does not endorse the use of used curry paste...ugh..

I decided to give Google Ads a try a few weeks ago, just to see how it works, and all the other blogs are doing it. :-) I like that I don't have anything to do with the ads so the editorial content -if I can dare to call my posts here that- can be completely free of commercial influence. But I don't know, ads for used curry paste and used Pinot Noir are making me rethink this a little..

So I became a food stylist..

An email arrived at 7pm last night from a newspaper called La Prensa in Panama, asking for a photo for the Tod Mun fish cake I did for our Menu for Hope. The story, as I was told, would run this Saturday, so she needed a high resolution photo by the morning!

I haven't got any photo(!), the files were corrupted, so I had to make the dish in a hurry. Drove out to May Wah on Clement to find the ingredients, only to find the market closing down and couldn't really get what I needed. So I ended up scrounging around the fridge to see what I could do to at least make the dish look good, never mind how it tastes.

My urban tribe

It is a condition of modernity, I suppose, that we live in urban tribes. No, this is not a great discovery on my part or anything, there's already at least one book written on the subject.

But it's so true isn't it? Look around your social circle and I am sure you'll see. Many of us in big cities live faraway from our families, so we have our friends, our urban tribes, to rely on for good times and bad.

Mine showed up in full force last Saturday at the local Thai temple in San Bruno. The occasion was the anniversary of my grandfather's passing. It was not the easiest of time, but it was made easier because I had my tribe with me. Thai people have a ritual of bringing the favorite foods of our dead relatives to the monks, who function as a sort of divine Fedex. I used to make fun of this practice growing up, but somehow I found myself bringing armloads of my grandfather's favorite foods to the temple Saturday. How funny.

a thing or two about love

Not much, mind you, but I do believe I know a thing or two about love. Romantic love may forever confound me, but I have seen a far greater kind. And I have neither loved nor been loved more, or better.

This post is a remembrance of my beloved Khunta, my grandfather. How I so wish to share another meal with him, or perhaps a quiet teatime so we could, once more, talk about the world. How many things I have to share with him...

His house, our house, gave me sanctuary from the sometimes maddening world outside. His love was my courage, and his kindness my support when I stumbled. And the best gift of all, he gave me room to be myself.

On this day, when everyone is supposed to be thinking of love, I am taking myself back to one of those bygone afternoons, on my grandfather's patio, sharing with him a pot of fragrant tea and stories about the world, between mouthfuls of his favorite snack of Khao-tung Na-tung, crispy rice cakes and a sweet and savory prawn and peanut dip.

Khunta is no longer with me, but his love remains always.

My life in soundtrack

And so it happened -after so many years on the Dark Side- my return to the Light. Last week my new PowerBook G4 arrived, and on the same day I got my ipod and airport.

No, the ipod wasn't pink -the mini just wasn't big enough- so I consoled myself by wrapping it in a Robin's Egg Blue case. Just put a fraction of my CD collection in it, and it's already over 1MB, so I guess I am glad I didn't get the pink ipod.

And now that I am back in the Light, I wonder how I've been without for so many years. The PowerBook rocks, and the ipod -well you don't need me to tell you about the pod- I feel like the last person in the known universe to get one.

I've had the pod glued to my ears since I got it, my life now has a soundtrack, how sweet!

because Adam couldn't leave it well enough alone

Really. After quite an eventful weekend, I was about ready to head to bed for a restful night sleep, but because Adam, that amateur gourmet Adam, couldn't leave well enough alone and tapped me for this thing, and of course -ever so obliging that I am- I had to do it.

Music In My Kitchen
What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
Um..here's where it gets embarassing, none, yet. Not a Mac nor an ipod person. Got a Mac on order though, should get one in a week or so. I've been a PC person since I first took a serious job, and now about ready to switch back. There is a pink ipod in my future, I think.

The CD you last bought?
Chet Baker in Paris
Mulligan Meets Monk
Hôtel Costes -huit-
Kings of Convenience, Quiet is the New Loud (replacement)
Got all of these together at once, so it's sort of hard to say which was the last one I bought.

What was the last song you listened to before reading this message?
'round midnight, Monk