Tosca
Restaurants are always looking for new ways to keep diners on their toes — whether it’s with a fresh design, seasonal ingredients or, in this case, themed tasting menus. A handful of Star-Rated eateries around the world are doing their part to keep dinnertime dynamic by creating playful lineups of delicious dishes. Here are three you’ll want to put on your culinary bucket list as soon as possible.
Tosca, Hong Kong
The Italian restaurant perched on the 102nd floor of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong offers a special “First Class” menu, which uses concentrated flavors for high-altitude dining that’s typical in planes. Garnering inspiration from a recent collaboration with Cathay Pacific, chef Pino Lavarra has crafted this four-course gastronomic experience. The meal kicks off with tender beef carpaccio served with creamed ricotta cheese, spring sprouts, rice crackers and housemade tomato jam. Next up is a pasta selection that’s composed of ditalini (small pasta tubes), zucchini stew, Tomberry tomato and fresh langoustine. The mouthwatering main course features a roasted rack of sea bass with cheek stew, yellow tomato spaghetti and spinach cream sauce. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a true Italian meal without finishing it off with tiramisu.
Available through July 31, 6-10:30 p.m. daily
The Immigrant Restaurant
The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
This Five-Star resort is so proud of its cuisine that it doesn’t just include one of its restaurants in the festivities, but five of them. On December 4, hop from eatery to eatery at The American Club, sampling a new course at each. After a toast at the hotel, you’ll be shuttled to Cucina for your first bite: wood-fired grilled prawn with chive polenta, piquillo pepper arugula salad and fennel vinaigrette that’s paired with Antinori Bramito chardonnay. The second stop is at Four-Star The Immigrant Restaurant, where you’ll find white asparagus and potato soup complemented by K Vintners Viognier. At The Wisconsin Room, the dish of the hour will be crispy Great Lakes perch with New Glarus malt vinegar reduction, herbed crushed potato and garden cabbage slaw, which goes nicely with the La Crema’s chardonnay. The fourth course of the evening is Blackwolf Run Restaurant’s tender grilled short ribs with tri-colored potatoes, caramelized pineapple and onion marmalade, and an apple ale reduction. The decadent dish is paired with Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec. Be sure to save some room for dessert because you’ll dig into five-layer chocolate cake at Craverie Chocolatier Café and wash it down with a sophisticated glass of Fonseca Bin 27 port.
December 4, 6:30 p.m.
Aurora, Macau
Earning the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award is quite an honor for a property, so Aurora created a special menu to show off its achievement. Chef Michele dell’Aquila pays homage to the restaurant’s accomplishment with the unique Five-Star Experience. Complete with the Five-Star emblem at the top, the menu provides five courses (plus housemade pralines and petit fours). The extravagant meal at Five-Star Altira Macau’s signature restaurant starts with smoked Jerusalem artichoke with cantaloupe sorbet and fennel salad; followed by scallop and Sicilian red prawn tartare with celery sauce; and herb ravioli with butter and Parmesan, burrata and truffle emulsion. The main course is a tempting Australian wagyu beef strip loin with chanterelles, traditional salami and green pea mash. But do keep your eye on dessert, which comes in the form of chocolate mousse with almond ice cream and sour cherry sauce.
Available through July 31, 6-10:30 p.m. daily
Photos Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC and Kohler Co.
