[Shinrei]

I've had so many spectacular meals, this is really hard.

The filet I had at a French restaurant in Japan, riveled by the filet I had at "George's" in Appleton Wisconsin (guess which one was more expensive...)

The gorgonzola pasta I had on Pearl Street in Boulder, CO.

The traditional vegetarian meal I had in the Arashiyama district in Kyoto.

The soba at the 300 year old soba restaurant in Kyoto.

The "Tofu Family Style" breathing fire spicy meal I had at a Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis.

The Nepalese style Jackfruit veggie dish in Madison, WI.

Chinese Hot Pot in Shanghai. It was so good that the huge argument with the restaurant manager afterwards was bearable even.

The meatdumpling from the street stand in Guong Zhou.

The 5 a.m. Sushi in the dinky restaurante at the fishmarket in Shizuoka. (men having a beer at 6am with their raw fish)

My mother's lasagna and any of her deserts (but with rhubarb pie, pumpkin pie, fudge and rumcake topping the list).

Tonkotsu Ramen at Jangeru Ramen in Harajuku, Tokyo.

The italian tempera pasta fusion in Venice, Italy.

Spam and freeze dried eggs on the 7th day of camping. (everything tastes amazing when camping)

I know I've missed a bunch, but those are the first off the top of my head.

Shinrei is a total unabashed foodie. In fact, the one thing I can't stand about the majority of my friends here in Japan is they are total cheapos and don't care to eat decent food. Thank goodness my wife appreciates a quality meal.

[dktorode]

Ohh...yea theres also
bacon
biltong
and marrow bones on taost

but those arent meals...still prob the best things i have ever eaten.

[Satan]

I've had couple as well.

When I went to Barcelona we managed to find this adorable, little, family-owned, traditional restaurant hidden away in some back alleys (every street in Spain are back alleys, so I don't know if it counts...) a couple of minutes walk from our hotel. I ordered a steak of kid (I think, they didn't speak a word of English), and I can't remember ever chewing the thing - it just melted in my mouth.

Then there was that garlic chicken from a restaurant just a bit north of the main university campus in Kyoto. We (I) christened the place Two Peas (because of the adorably racist picture they had of two cartoonish black lads with the subtitle "Like two peas in a pod"), so I can't give any better description of the place than that. But their entire chicken menu was marvellous. I'm a rather big fan of garlic, so that dish got my pick from there.

My father has to have at least two dishes in on this list. He hasn't had any formal cooking education, but he's taken it up as a hobby in his later years. So much so that he's been accepted into the local gourmet club. He likes cooking, and we love him for liking it. The first dish was a summer day where we were grilling at his porch. I have no idea what sort of marinade he used, but that catfish was fantastic! I believe we had a pick of the regular vegetables on the side, and everything was simultaneously eclipsed and lifted to new gastronomic heights by that fish. GREOWR!

And I'm looking forward to every new years eve, as that's when he serves all the grouse his wife and him have hunted through the season. We're three families that have that date marked for every year, where we gather at their place and marvel at what he's done with the grouse for this year.

[Abyss]

In Pampalona, Spain, during the Running of the Bulls week long orgy festival, at a street market i had a whole spit roasted chicken stuffed with french fries and roasted peppers. I ate the entire thing with my fingers with a 2L bottle of Sangria i picked up for $2, surrounded by partying backpackers and spaniards.

If we want to go classy in NYC, the scallops at http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/ (when they have them) are just wrong. Anything else served there is merely perfect.

If you find yourself in Montreal between about 11am and 2pm, on a weekday, and you're truly fortunate because it is not one of the fairly random weeks when they are closed, go to Wilensky's on Fairmont to experience deli sandwich perfection. On a beautiful summer day, 2-3 of these babies with soda from the fountain and a few pickles is pretty much as good as it gets.

- Abyss, likeses his eateses.

[Salt-Man Z]

Possibly the best thing I ever ate was a plain turkey, lettuce, and mayo sandwich that I made for my first "real" food after a weekend of throwing up sick. In that context, it was absolute heaven.

Otherwise, one of the tastiest meals I've had the pleasure of eating (since someone mentioned Cheesecake Factory) is Cheesecake Factory's chicken madeira. Seared chicken breasts, asparagus, cheese, and "dirty" mashed potatoes in a madeira wine sauce. Mmmmmmm...

[Anomander]

The best thing I've ever eaten? Hmm... there was this delightful bowtie pasta in a creamy cheese sauce I had in Florence that pretty much rocked my world. Mussels cooked in red wine with sautéed tomatos and onions was also a personal fav (it was at a seaside resort which meant fresh catch of the day seafood).

Although I think a sandwich made from a freshly seasoned whole chicken breast on a homemade baguette with crisp lettuce and tomato from a sidestreet vendor in Monaco potentially beats all. Oh how I would love another!

[rhulad]

The best main course that I have ever eaten was the Lobster Linguine at the scotch distillery in Nova Scotia. The best dessert that I have ever had was my Uncle's Mother's Black Forest cake.

[Abyss]

Anomander, on 02 March 2010 - 05:55 PM, said:

...I think a sandwich made from a freshly seasoned whole chicken breast on a homemade baguette with crisp lettuce and tomato from a sidestreet vendor in Monaco potentially beats all. Oh how I would love another!

Streetmeat in Monaco is absurdly awesome.

- Abyss, doesn't get all the Cheesecake Factory love...

[Slow Ben]

Thats because normally its just good, not great, my gf likes the cheesecake so thats where we go.


But that one time....one time, the stars aligned, maybe the chef was having a good day (won at the track, got lucky the night before, who knows!), but it came together for that one perfect meal.

[Shinrei]

Recently my wife made ridiculously good spring rolls. Some recipe she snagged off the TV, and they were awesome. I told her they are automatically on the menu of every party we ever have.















-and we must now have parties twice or more a week.

[dktorode]

BEER CHICKEN

Stick a open tin of beer up a chickens but..season chicken.
Put in oven standing up.
WIN

meat falls off the bone goddamn its juicy

[caladanbrood]

I had a ridiculously nice steak on Valentine's Day this year, at an obscure little hotel in the Peak District.




But on friday we're having a dinner party thing and I'm making Bourbon-soaked ribs. They will be absolutely gorgeous

[Gothos]

dktorode, on 03 March 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

BEER CHICKEN

Stick a open tin of beer up a chickens but..season chicken.
Put in oven standing up.
WIN

meat falls off the bone goddamn its juicy

does... does the beer expand and soak the chicken in the process?

[dktorode]

Gothos, on 03 March 2010 - 12:58 PM, said:

dktorode, on 03 March 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

BEER CHICKEN

Stick a open tin of beer up a chickens but..season chicken.
Put in oven standing up.
WIN

meat falls off the bone goddamn its juicy

does... does the beer expand and soak the chicken in the process?

yes... it steams and boils inside the tin bubbling over into the chicken.
Making sure the chicken is succulent and moist no matter what.
You can put seasoning into the beer before hand too.

man...now i want to try it again...this time with a guiness, might be interesting.
Ive got a beer chicken holder...got rings to hold two chicken upright standing on the beers.
Great bloody thing

[Gothos]

I don't know... one the one hand, this does sounds awesome. On the other hand though, I prefer my chicken dry as firewood. Chicken breasts to be precise.
But this... hmmm. Hmm hmm hmm. I'll just have to give it a shot.
What prior seasoning would you recommend for the chicken?

[dktorode]

I use herbs and lemon juice.
Thyme, rosemary, black pepper, salt. maybe even some lemon zest.
Stuff it inside the chicken and some chopped up rubbed all over oiled skin.
Could even shove some under the skin.

Its pretty fool proof.

I squeeze loads of lemon juice all over my chicken and let it stand...inside and out.

But it doesnt matter... whichever way you like to do your chicken just do that...the beer gives the chicken a richer buttery beery flavor.
Whats cool is you can make the chicken sooooo crispy on the outside without having to worry too much that your chicken is getting too dry. (though you like dry)
I actually did it for waaay too long the other day and the breast actually did come out i little dry . Crispy as hell on the outside though

Give it a bash... even though it is juicier im sure youll like it.

[Gothos]

mhm. grilling season coming in a few weeks hopefully, got to write this down :>

[dktorode]

must get a stand like this

[Abyss]

Love the beerbird.

dktorode, on 03 March 2010 - 01:13 PM, said:

...man...now i want to try it again...this time with a guiness, ...

One note: if your Guinness can has the little plastic thing inside that is supposed to maintain the foam or something, you must remove it first.
Otherwise, well, let's just say it's upsetting.

dktorode, on 03 March 2010 - 02:24 PM, said:

must get a stand like this

chickens always look so laid back on those stands. Like they are just hanging out in the sauna or something.

- Abyss, has a problem with anthromorphism.

[dktorode]

Yea I would probably just transfer the guinness to a standard tin...removing that ball would be a pain