The Hardest Reservation in Barcelona

To enjoy food is to live. That thought hummed through me as I stepped into Disfrutar Barcelona, one of the most famous restaurants in the world — and rightly so. It holds the coveted three Michelin stars and, in 2024, was crowned The World’s Best Restaurant on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Now, in 2025, it rests in the legendary Best of the Best hall of fame, alongside the greats that have defined global gastronomy.

The Chefs of Disfrutar

Created by chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas — all alumni of the legendary El Bulli — Disfrutar has become a global reference point for fine dining in Barcelona. It is also one of the most sought-after Michelin star restaurants in Barcelona, with reservations disappearing within hours of release.

The entrance itself gives nothing away. Hidden inside a beautiful but otherwise nondescript building in Barcelona’s Eixample district, the façade is discreet, almost ordinary. There is little to hint at the gastronomic wonderland waiting inside. Yet, stepping past those doors, I found myself in the middle of an exciting buzz — the kind generated by chefs and waitstaff confident in their craft, and by diners who knew they were about to experience something extraordinary.

A Stage Set for Wonder at Disfrutar

Inside, the room was bright and modern, filled with diners who looked and acted as though they’d won a lottery ticket. In a sense, they had. A table here is one of the hardest to secure in Barcelona, and every person in that room knew it.

The staff moved with quiet assurance, gliding between tables as though the choreography had been rehearsed a hundred times. The atmosphere wasn’t stiff, but it carried weight — a shared awareness that something rare was about to happen.

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First Bites at Disfrutar: Playful Creations

The first plates arrived quickly, as if to break the ice. A frozen passion fruit ladyfinger laced with rum cracked between my teeth, cold and sharp. I glanced at the couple seated next to us — Americans who I later learned had traded Chicago for Costa Rica. The wife caught my eye and laughed, holding up her empty spoon. “Like a cocktail that forgot the glass,” she said.

Then came the beet that comes out of the land — presented as if it had been pulled straight from the soil. Its sweetness was earthy, not sugary, and it lingered long after the bite was gone. The husband leaned closer and muttered, “I could eat five of these and still not figure out how they did it.”

A lychee appeared next, dressed in roses and touched with gin. It looked delicate, almost fragile, but the flavor was bold. Three dishes in, it was already clear: this was not food meant to comfort. It was food meant to surprise.

Disfrutar Barcelona Menu Review: Signature Dishes

Courses began to land in rhythm, each one sharper than the last. A vodka and truffle shot slid across the table, cold, earthy, and gone in a blink. The wife leaned over with a grin: “That’s the best martini I’ve ever had — and I don’t even like martinis.”

The panchino came next, a tiny bun filled with caviar. One bite, buttery and salty, and it was gone. The husband whispered, “It’s like a doughnut that went to finishing school.” I nearly laughed out loud.

A gazpacho sandwich crunched with vinegar, tart and cool. The Idiazabal cheese mille-feuille looked too precise to eat, but we ate it anyway. Each plate was clever, but never smug.

Creative Surprises on the Tasting Menu

The surprises kept coming. A mushroom leaf shattered like glass. A crispy egg yolk sat on warm mushroom gelatin, spilling gold when cut. Asparagus was dressed with elderflower and macadamia, light and clean. Then came pesto — but not pesto as anyone knew it. Multi-spherical, paired with pistachio and eel, it felt engineered, yet alive.

The husband shook his head. “If I lived here, I’d sell my car just to eat this once a month.” His wife nudged him and smiled, “He’s serious, by the way.”

From Catalan Tradition to Culinary Theater

Then came the nods to Catalan tradition. Macaroni alla carbonara was playful but rich, a joke that also worked as food. A tomato, turned jewel-like, burst with olive oil. A suquet appeared twice — once as seafood stew, once as cappuccino — two versions of the same memory.

The couple were delighted. “They’re rewriting the classics and getting away with it,” the wife said, half in disbelief.

Sweet Surprises to End Dinner at Disfrutar

Desserts were no less bold. A cucumber in hoisin sauce, clean and strange. A cheesecake cornet, crunchy and sweet. Chocolate peppers dusted with oil and salt blurred every rule. Tarta al whisky closed the line, airy and nostalgic, but different enough to feel new.

The couple swapped bites like teenagers. “This one’s mine,” the husband said, shielding the cheesecake cornet.

An Array of Original Desserts

Then came the finish — a parade of small bites. Hazelnut liquid, raspberry marshmallow, a pine nut and mushroom rock that tasted better than it sounded. Basil leaf candy that vanished on the tongue. More followed: raspberry conglomerate, physalis lollipop, elderflower sphere, chocolate-passion bonbon, cotton candy.

The wife held up her cotton candy like a prize. “This is what childhood would feel like if you grew up in heaven.” She wasn’t wrong.

Compartir in Barcelona: From Enjoying to Sharing

By the end, I felt both full and light. Disfrutar had told its story in edible chapters — playful, precise, and unforgettable.

But our neighbors weren’t finished. They mentioned they had a table at Compartir, Disfrutar’s sister restaurant, the next day. “It’s a table for four,” the wife said. “Join us. After all, compartir means to share.”

We did. The next afternoon was less about tricks, more about flavor. Plates arrived to the center of the table, meant to be passed, tasted, and argued over. It felt looser, warmer, closer to joy itself. To my surprise, I loved Compartir even better.

THE CLASSIC DISHES AT DISFRUTAR

FIRST COURSES

Frozen passion fruit ladyfinger with rum (2016)

The beet that comes out of the land (2014)

Lycjeem amid roses with gin (2014)

SECOND COURSES

Vodka/ truffle (2019)

Flour-free coca pizza (2018)

“Panchino” filled with caviar (2016)

Savory walnut candy with mango, tonka beans and whisky (2014)

Home-made cider smoked at the moment (2016)

Idiazabal cheese mille-feuille (2016)

Gazpacho sandwich with scented vinegar garnish (2016)

Disfrutar’s Gilda (2017)

THIRD COURSES

Crunchy mushroom leaf (2021)

Crispy egg yolk with warm mushroom gelatin (2014)

Asparagus with elderflower and macadamia (2021)

Multi-spherical pesto with pistachios and eel (2017)

FOURTH COURSES

Our macaroni alla carbonara (2014)

Tomato poltroon and arbequina caviaroli (2014)

Liquid salad (2014)

“Suquet” seafood (2016)

“Suquet” cappuccino (2016)

FIFTH COURSES

Pepper steak (2021)

Multi-spherical satin of corn and foie (2016)

Pibil pork (2016)

SIXTH COURSES

Hoisin cucumber (2018)

Cheesecake cornet (2014)

Chocolate peppers, oil and salt (2014)

“Tarta al whisky” (2015)

DESSERTS

Hazelnut liquid “Catania”

Raspberry marshmallow

Pine nuts and mushrooms rock

Basil leaf

Raspberry conglomerate

Physalis lollipop

Spherical elderflower

Chocolate and passion liquid bonbon

Cotton candy

READ MORE ABOUT THE BEST OF CATALUNYA IN TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE

The post Disfrutar in Barcelona : To Enjoy Food is To Live appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

On a trip to Spain, I decided to try my luck for a table at El Celler de Can Roca, one of the best restaurants in the world. I won’t bore you with the logistical details of making and securing a restaurant reservation there, except to say that it typically has a 15–month waiting list. Yes, getting a reservation here is a little like winning a lottery.

 JUST LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY

What a marvelous feeling it is, to win one of the most coveted lottery prizes in the foodie world. The confirmation that I had the best table in the house, for four persons, arrived by email just as I was about to switch off my mobile phone on the runway of an airport and fly to Europe.

Lucky me. The restaurant booking they gave was on the exact and only date I could possibly squeeze in a trip to the town of Girona in my jampacked schedule in Spain.

HOW TO GET TO EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA IN GIRONA, SPAIN

Talk about a wonderful way to start a Travelife to Spain. Getting to Girona in time for our meal was a production in itself. We were staying at a hotel by the sea in Valencia on the day of our booking at El Celler de Can Roca.

Girona is about three hours by train from Barcelona. Meanwhile, Girona is one hour from Barcelona, near the French border.

So we took the fast train from Valencia to Barcelona. In Barcelona, we hired in advance a van and driver to take us to Girona. All our efforts were worth it, for a 24–course meal at the best restaurant in the world.

Actually, the degustation menu at El Celler de Can Roca is slightly less than 24 courses. But we’d ordered seconds of dishes we liked, and our most reliable count of the number of dishes that actually arrived at our table was 24. However, I must admit that this was tallied under the influence of alcohol.

EATING AT THE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD

El Celler de Can Roca then had an unmistakable buzz because it had just been chosen the best restaurant in the world. We noticed it as soon as we entered and locked eyes with other diners.

It was just before lunch so most guests were enjoying an aperitif in the garden before settling down to a meal averaging five hours.

Most people could help sizing up their fellow diners in a friendly way simply because, at that time, this was definitely the restaurant of the moment. And we all knew that we all had either incredible luck, patience or connections – or a combination of all – to even be there at all.

HOW MUCH IS LUNCH?

At El Celler de Can Roca, a small fortune will be helpful as well in paying the bill. Relatively speaking, this very contemporary and stylish restaurant is not expensive, as far as Michelin three–star restaurants go. Considering its status  as #1 restaurant in the world, some foodies might even consider the prices cheap.

Nevertheless, the tasting menu with wine pairings will easily hit four figures in euros, for a table for four.

However, if your find yourself in Spain and are able to secure a table here, I strongly suggest you head north to Girona with a credit card. Then, just don’t look back. A meal here is certainly worth writing home about, and worth including twice in Travelife Magazine.

Read more about the best restaurants in the world in Travelife Magazine.

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Kitcho is a Michelin three-star restaurant in Kyoto that is considered one of the best restaurants in Japan. One fine summer day, we took the bullet train to Kyoto and then we got into a taxi at Kyoto Station for Arashiyama.  

Arashiyama is a suburb of Kyoto known for its exceptional prettiness in the autumn and early spring. We had traveled a very long distance from home for a good lunch. Our expectations were high.

The kaiseki (fine dining) restaurant Kitcho in Kyoto is a favorite restaurant of Japanese connoisseurs since it opened in 1948. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone picked Kitcho to cook dinner for world leaders at the G8 Summit. In the past years, it has become famous internationally because the Michelin Guide awarded it three stars.

ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN JAPAN 

In reality, Kitcho is grand in service but simple in décor and surroundings. This is in line with the traditional Japanese sense of aesthetics. And it’s been this way long before the world discovered it.

Kitcho is housed in a traditional wooden villa set amidst shrubbery. It’s accessible via a long pebbled path. You cannot see anything from the street. But once you have actually navigated this path, you will be surprised to discover that nothing luxurious waits at the end.

LUXURY AT A RESTAURANT IN JAPAN

Instead there is a row of Japanese umbrellas hanging casually but picturesquely on one side. Next to it is an unadorned entrance that looks like someone’s back door. There’s no hint of the beauty and the old-fashioned world of refinement and elegance inside.

But once you step inside Kitcho, you’ll find the kind of atmosphere that so many Japanese dream about. It reminds me of the Golden Age of Japan, just before World War I and World War II forced it to modernize and conform.

This rarified way of life is practically gone now in Japan. But it’s still alive in Kitcho in Kyoto.

KAISEKI: THE BEST JAPANESE FOOD

When we were there, the restaurant was full but we would never have known it. We only heard a solitary burst of laughter as we passed otherwise quiet and empty corridors. As is the tradition in Japan’s finest restaurants, guests dine by themselves in private rooms attended by a lady in a kimono.

THE MENU AT KITCHO

At Kitcho, our private room on the second floor overlooked the river and the hills. Once seated, we received no information on the menu or on the prices.

Read about the best tempura in Tokyo

It seemed enough for us to have secured a much-desired restaurant reservation; whether we simply imagined it or not, we were made to feel that if we dared eat here, then we need not discuss costs at all.

So we made no further inquiries. After the de rigueur sake was served in a flat lacquer dish, we simply focused on enjoying twelve impeccably presented courses.

The food at Kitcho is kaiseki style. This involves a series of small courses of food with not much seasoning. Some foreigners think kaiseki lacks taste, but this is exactly how Japanese gourmet like their food.

That day, each course was exquisitely plated with careful thought. Each consisted of a medley of ingredients that remained distinct. The flavours never once merged together. For me, this was a true test of culinary talent.

There are many fine kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto. However, Kitcho stands out for its creativity and innovation in the highly structured world of Japanese cuisine. The food is traditional, but here and there we found delightful twists that pointed to a chef who was also willing to think out of the box.

RONALD REAGAN AND ROSANJIN DINED AT KITCHO

Kitcho in Kyoto is faithfully patronized by powerful Japanese politicians and tycoons. It is also a great favorite of lovers of food and the good life.

As mentioned earlier, legendary Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone often used Kitcho to entertain important visitors. One of his most famous guests at a Kitcho banquet was the late President Ronald Reagan. Kitcho also took charge of the kitchens for the historic G8 Summit banquets held in Japan. The legendary artist Rosanjin Kitaoji also reportedly loved Kitcho.

FAMILY OF CHEFS IN JAPAN

Today, Kitcho in Arashiyama is run by Kunio Tokuoka, grandson of the founder of Kitcho himself. Tokuoka began training as a chef at the age of 20.

His wife, impeccable in a lovely kimono, personally greets every group of guests. Then she presides over the serving of the first course. After the first course, she hands the service over over to a dedicated attendant for the rest of the meal.

This was also the point where we sat back and allowed Kitcho to overwhelm us with an experience that was part installation art and entertainment. It was also a full-blown gustatory delight that constituted one of my best meals in a never-ending Travelife.

Read more articles about the best restaurants in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Lunch at Kyoto’s top restaurant appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

This post is about a meal at Kitcho, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Kyoto that is considered one of the best restaurants in Japan. It was still a fine day when we reached Arashiyama, a suburb of Kyoto known for its exceptional prettiness in the autumn and early spring. We had traveled a very long distance from home for a good lunch. Our expectations were high.

The kaiseki (fine dining) restaurant Kitcho in Kyoto is a favorite restaurant of Japanese connoisseurs since it opened in 1948. Recently, it has become famous internationally because the Michelin Guide awarded it three stars.

SIMPLE JAPANESE FOOD THAT’S SIMPLY DIVINE

In reality, Kitcho is grand in service but simple in décor and surroundings. This is in line with the traditional Japanese sense of aesthetics. And it’s been this way long before the world discovered it.

Kitcho is housed in a traditional wooden villa set amidst shrubbery. It’s accessible via a long pebbled path. You cannot see anything from the street. But once you have actually navigated this path, you will be surprised to discover that nothing luxurious waits at the end.

NO FRILLS LUXURY IN JAPAN

Instead there is a row of Japanese umbrellas hanging casually but picturesquely on one side. There is an unadorned entrance next to it. There’s no hint of the beauty and the old-fashioned world of refinement and elegance inside. But once you step inside Kitcho, you’ll find the kind of atmosphere that so many Japanese dream about. It reminds me of the Golden Age of Japan, just before World War I and World War II forced it to modernize and conform.

This rarified way of life is practically gone now in Japan. But it’s still alive in Kitcho in Kyoto.

FOOD AS ART AND THEATER

When we were there, the restaurant was full but we would never have known it. We only heard a solitary burst of laughter as we passed otherwise quiet and empty corridors. As is the tradition in Japan’s finest restaurants, guests dine by themselves in private rooms attended by a lady in a kimono.

NO OPTIONS NECESSARY

At Kitcho, our private room on the second floor overlooked the river and the hills. Once seated, we received no information on the menu or on the prices. It seemed enough for us to have secured a much-desired restaurant reservation; whether we simply imagined it or not, we were made to feel that if we dared eat here, then we need not discuss costs at all. 

So we made no further inquiries. After the de rigueur sake was served in a flat lacquer dish, we simply focused on enjoying twelve impeccably presented courses. Each course was exquisitely plated with careful thought. Each consisted of a medley of ingredients that remained distinct. The flavours never once merged together. For me, this was a true test of culinary talent.

There are many fine kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto. However, Kitcho stands out for its creativity and innovation in the highly structured world of Japanese cuisine. The food is traditional, but here and there we found delightful twists that pointed to a chef who was also willing to think out of the box.

CULINARY HISTORY OF KITCHO

Kitcho in Kyoto is faithfully patronized by powerful Japanese politicians and tycoons. It is also a great favorite of lovers of food and the good life. For example, legendary Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone often used Kitcho to entertain important visitors. One of his most famous guests at a Kitcho banquet was the late President Ronald Reagan. Kitcho also took charge of the kitchens for the historic G8 Summit banquets held in Japan. The legendary artist Rosanjin Kitaoji also reportedly loved Kitcho.

FAMILY OF CHEFS IN JAPAN

Today, Kitcho in Arashiyama is run by Kunio Tokuoka, grandson of the founder of Kitcho himself. Tokuoka began training as a chef at the age of 20. His wife, impeccable in a lovely kimono, personally greets every group of guests. Then she presides over the serving of the first course. After the first course, she hands the service over over to a dedicated attendant for the rest of the meal.

This was also the point where we sat back and allowed Kitcho to overwhelm us with an experience that was part installation art and entertainment. It was also a full-blown gustatory delight that constituted one of my best meals in a never-ending Travelife.

Read more articles about the best restaurants in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post The bill for lunch at one of the most famous restaurants in Japan appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

This is a post about the Private Kitchen Dining Experience at Geranium in Copenhagen, Denmark’s first Michelin three-star restaurant.

In Copenhagen two weekends ago, living a #Travelife, I booked the private kitchen dining experience at Geranium, officially Denmark’s and Scandinavia’s best restaurant, as it is the very first to receive the coveted Michelin three stars.

This is the hottest restaurant table in Copenhagen now especially as it has taken the region of Scandinavia such a long time to get a restaurant with a three-star Michelin rating.

This year, only two restaurants received three stars and these were the first three-star restaurants of Scandinavia — and Geranium was one of them and the only one in Denmark.

Scroll down to read more…

PERFECT TIMING FOR GERANIUM IN COPENHAGEN

We arrived in groups from our hotel and it was truly the most perfect timing for a private kitchen dining experience at Geranium in Copenhagen.

The sun was just about to start setting slowly and from our private kitchen window — which was really more a giant floor-to-ceiling wall of glass — we could see the city and the sun shining on it.

I’ve been everywhere and seen some pretty amazing things in my never-ending #Travelife, but that view from the private kitchen of Geranium sure is something to remember — especially on a summer evening like the one we had, with the anticipation of a good dinner before us.

THE GRAND EXPERIENCE.

AND ABOUT WORKING AT 

A MICHELIN THREE-STAR RESTAURANT.

When you book the Private Kitchen of Geranium, you get an entire wing of the restaurant to yourself with an entire kitchen at your disposal, where your food is prepared before you. 

This Private Kitchen is really very grand in an unfussy Scandinavian way so it’s certainly the place to impress a group of people with, especially when you think about how this is the best restaurant in Denmark.  

At the same time, this Private Kitchen is informal and enjoyable as you are all by yourselves with the chefs. So you can sing and dance, if you wish, or stand up and take photos, make noise, or work with the Geranium team of chefs over dinner — as I did that night.

How many foodies can say they’ve worked at a Michelin three-star restaurant, after all, and not just eaten in it? 

Of course I jumped at the chance to do so, joining the chefs to prepare a wonderful dish of peas and oysters for everyone. 

THE GASTRONOMIC TASTING COURSE AT GERANIUM.

AND ABOUT A GREAT HOLIDAY IN ICELAND.

All of us had Geranium’s gastronomic tasting course which consisted of about a dozen small courses, counting the amuse bouche and the pre-desert and apres-desert. 

We started off with some champagne to toast to friendship and to the truly wonderful and enjoyable trip to Iceland we had just had. 

I go on fantastic trips with great company all the time, but this Iceland trip of July 2016 certainly ranked up there as being just about perfect.

When we weren’t shopping or eating — and I don’t say this in jest, as I think we did help to raise the GDP of Iceland by a fair bit that week — we were laughing our heads off about one thing or another. So enjoyable and such needed Me-Time.

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JUICE PAIRINGS & WINE PAIRINGS

AT GERANIUM

To go with our meal, some of us decided to do a juice pairing. 

However, I and three others went for a wine pairing as the entire setting of the Geranium Private Kitchen, with the drama, the flair and the phalanx of chefs in attendance, really makes for getting just a little happily tipsy.

DINNER AT GERANIUM

Look at all the Geranium chefs who worked on our dinner in Geranium’s Private Kitchen, including Chef Rasmus Kofoed

The verdict? Geranium is a well-oiled and seamless culinary machine with a talented chef, Rasmus Kofoed, and an equally talented team of chefs supporting him — along with a friendly and very professional service team. 

The setting is amazing compared to any of its peer restaurants in the region, especially if you book the very special Geranium Private Kitchen experience.

CLASSIC COOKING & NOUVELLE CUISINE

VS. SHOCK & ABSORB

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In terms of food, as those who read this blog might know, when all things are equal, I prefer finely done and beautifully-plated classic dishes or world-class nouvelle cuisine over the kind of meals that surprise diners and make them think out of the box — although there is, happily, always a place in a foodie’s life for the latter.

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Geranium belongs in the latter category, but it doesn’t attempt to shock you the way some other famous Scandinavian restaurants love to do, with their puritanical, if not fanatical, food procuring and preparation methods. 

The tastes and the overall sensory experiences are a delight, and Geranium is definitely one dinner table you should book, should you find yourself in Copenhagen, living a #Travelife.

The post The Private Kitchen Dining Experience at Geranium in Copenhagen appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

Last week in Kyoto, living a Travelife, we had a very nice meal at one of the city’s top restaurants with three Michelin stars to its name.

I was just invited, so I didn’t do the choosing or the booking; but apparently when my friend made the reservation, the lady had not asked about a menu or informed him of a price or our options.

And when we sat down in our private tatami room finally, we were not handed a menu or any details either. The restaurant mistress, whose grandfather started this very famous restaurant, simply came in to greet us and to make some small talk about their private label sake and the fine weather outside.

Then she basically handed us over to a smiling young lady in kimono who took care of us for the next three hours or so.

Then the meal commenced — and what an amazing meal it was in terms of ingredients used, cooking creativity and artistic presentation. If I could give four stars for creativity and presentation, in particular, I most certainly would. Several courses were especially designed to shock and awe — and so I just couldn’t stop taking photos.

Very cold private label sake in a sterling silver ice bucket

Our kimono-ed attendant was quite amused at my never-ending photo activities and my friend was on the verge of embarassment,  I’m guessing, because it is so touristy to take so many photos after all — especially in this particular restaurant patronized by food connosieurs from all over Japan and the world.

Of course no one knew that I was going to be posting photos in the Travelife blog or using these for an upcoming Kyoto special in Travelife Magazine. The restaurant staff probably just assumed I was going to be posting these on Facebook.

But that’s how beautiful everything was — that I simply couldn’t stop clicking away. Watch out for the  truly beautiful photos in the upcoming issues of TRAVELIFE Magazine. I’ve saved the best photos for our special Kyoto supplement, of course.

Scroll down to read more…

This restaurant cooks two kinds of rice for every room, in case guests want a certain kind of rice on the spur of the moment.

The top restaurants in Kyoto are divided into the very traditional ones and the more adventruous ones that like to put some innovation and novelty into the menu. Although this restaurant is over 70 years old — that’s still young by Kyoto standards — and so I would describe the dishes as on the playful side.

They served juicy pieces of toro sashimi, for instance, with a special soy sauce and slices of fried garlic — treating it almost like a Kobe beef steak.

I really appreciated that, by the way, as it made the meal so much more enjoyable for me.

Unfortunately I can’t divulge the name of the restaurant or more details, as this restaurant experience is going into the Kyoto special of Travelife Magazine — but I can tell you that between the places I and one of my contributing editors stayed in and ate at, we pretty much have been able to cover the best of Kyoto in a way I am so confident no other magazine ever can.

We’re certainly not Travelife for nothing.

Still on sale until October 15

At the end of the meal, when the damages were assessed and my friend was done with the bill, we were very respectfully escorted by the mistress of the house and her team all the way to the pretty imposing gate of the restaurant.

We had decided not to call for a car yet as I wanted to take photos of the river and the trees all lit up so beautifully even at night. Wrong move. It took us a good ten minutes to walk from the restaurant gate to a point where we were sufficiently out of sight — and for this few minutes that seemed like eternity, the restaurant team stood at the gate bowing formally.

I’ve never had this experience as there’s usually a car already waiting at the restaurant entrance by the time I finish dinner, and so we’re able to turn a corner in a minute; or else the walk out is just a hop and a skip out of sight.

But this time, for a good ten minutes, I felt seriously responsible for the sore backs of three very nice people.

My companion said: “The next time we’re eating here, I’m going to make sure we have a car or a taxi already waiting.”

I replied with a smile: “Oh. So there’s going to be a next time.” It was a truly lovely and delicious restaurant after all, so I was very happy to go again. And again. And again. But I’d spied the credit card bill at the end, and with those prices, one of us could have flown on a KLM promo ticket to Europe  instead of having a meal there.

KLM, by the way, has among the best promo fares for business class and economy class from Manila to Europe via Amsterdam.

But as that very catchy credit card advertisement goes, some things are just priceless. And a meal at Kyoto’s top restaurant probably ranks right up there with them.

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