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WHEN IT COMES to hobbies, some people play tennis. Others restore classic cars. Some take up the trombone.
Brian Robinson travels the globe, eating at the world’s best restaurants twice a day.
Robinson, a businessman from Southeast Asia, has always loved food. He told Business Insider UK:
“My first trip abroad was when I was 13 years old. I wasn’t thrilled with Disney Land or Universal Studies, but I was more interested with finding or eating the best burger of steak.”
Today, when not working for a meat company, Robinson is visiting London, Tokyo, Paris, and other cities, eating some of the best food earth has to offer. He was kind of enough to share some photos of his meals with us.
Robinson tries to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant twice a day when he’s traveling. To be clear, he can’t dine at top-tier restaurants every single day of the year.
Here’s beef cheeks pot au feu with foie gras and artichokes, served at Le Violin D’ingres in Paris. It has one Michelin star.
He lives and works in the Philippines, where there are no restaurants that have been awarded stars. But he travels abroad once or twice a month, and when he does, he visits fine-dining establishments on a daily basis.
This is a raspberry medley from La Grande Cascade, also in Paris with one star.
Michelin stars are issued by French tyre manufacturer Michelin and are considered a guide to the best restaurants in the world. Ratings range from one to three stars.
A dish at Alain Parrard in Paris. Three stars.
Robinson only visited a Michelin-starred restaurant for the first time in January 2013. He had dim sum and shark’s fin at Fook Lam Moon (two stars) in Hong Kong. “I loved it.”
Marinated saddle of rabbit, capers, Italian cheese with fondue cream and tomatoes, at the Ristorante Aroma in Rome. One star.
When visiting a city for the first time, Robinson says that he makes an effort to visit the major sights, and then go to a Michelin-starred restaurant each day for dinner.
Frozen roasted poppy seeds with parsnip and pear cream, cold horseradish chocolate, beer radish slices, and sweet cucumber, from Restaurant HORVÁTH in Austria. One star.
“If I have been more than once to that city and have seen the important sights,” he told us. “I design my itinerary around lunch and dinner at Michelin restaurants.”
Salmon roe, at Sukiyabashi Jiro. Two stars.
He has a secretary who helps plan itineraries, print out maps, and so on. His wife, Rebecca, says they often catch the subway (if available) to save money.
Blueberry with yogurt ice cream at Pauly Saal, Germany. One star.
He prefers to eat only the local cuisine when visiting a city. “I would only eat French food in France, Italian food in Italy, and Japanese food in Japan. So, for example, in Hong Kong I would not eat at the three-star Robuchon [a French restaurant]. I would prefer to eat that in France.”
Mango purée with sorbet at Restaurant Epicure at the Hôtel le Bristol in Paris. Three stars.
Robinson has tried a huge variety of food, but says he doesn’t think any meal is “crazy.” Over the course of his culinary adventure, he’s had turtles and duck embryo (balut). “Everything is well-appreciated,” he says.
Octopus salad starter at Aragawa, Tokyo. Two stars.
That said, he’s not a huge fan of foie gras and liver paté.
Somen with uni at Sakaten, Osaka. Two stars.
So where’s the best restaurant he’s ever visited? Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London, Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, and Lung King Heen all come to mind.
Lamb with dried apricots, mint, and pecorino, at Palazzo Petrucci, Italy. One star.
His favourite cuisines are French and Japanese.
Raw deer with green peas, mint, and raspberries. Ristorante Cracco, Milan. Two stars.
And the worst? “So far all Michelin-rated restaurants [are] rated fairly [high],” he says. The ones where he has been disappointed are down to “over-expecting.”
A dish served at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris. Three stars.
But if he had to choose, Flaveur in Nice, France, was the “worst” of the bunch.
La Grande Cascade, Paris. One star.
Robinson loves food, but, surprisingly, he doesn’t cook much himself.
Gaku’s charbroiled young tuna, at Otemon Gakuin University. One star.
Rebecca says that he doesn’t even really go to one-star Michelin restaurants any more — instead preferring to eat exclusively at two- or three-star restaurants, when available.
Fish cooked in sake and ponzu sauce. Sushi Harasho, Japan. Two stars.
When he does visit one-star restaurants, he’d rather not pay more than $80 (£52).
Abalone (sea snail) at Kikuchi, Japan. Two stars.
The menus given to women often don’t have prices, Rebecca told me. “One time I freaked out and told him ‘oh my, how do you eat without knowing how much your bill would be?’” He responded by pointing out that his menu — the one for the man — does.
Light cream of haricot coco bean soup with golden croutons and pig’s feet. Le Violon D’ingres, Paris. One star.
“We are married so he doesn’t even care what he looks like when we go out on dates,” Rebecca says. “But when he is out on a date with his Michelin food (for three-star ones), he wears a suit regardless of whether the dress code dictates it.”
A dish served at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London. Two stars.
One particularly hot day, she asked him why he bothered. “Because I respect the food.”
A dish at Epicure in Paris. Three stars.
Rebecca keeps an Instagram account, @DatingMrMichelin, where she shares photos of meals they have eaten together. It is “for my husband who loves eating; sometimes, even more than he [love]s me!”
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Incoming comments about how they could afford rent if they didn’t have a few drinks on the weekend.
@D: but back in my day ……. * angrily shakes fist*
@Keelan O’neill: back in my day rent for the year was easily covered by summer work.
It’s a nice idea but it’ll do no good, the rents will increase and the students will still pay it.
They have to be more radical (not talking about violence) but they need to make a bigger stand. For example, they could protest outside the new accomodation being built and stop work going on there, obviously this isn’t a good thing but it’s just an idea if they want to really put their foot down.
@John Black: Rents will NOT increase if people all stand together and say enough is enough! Rents are extortionate and FFG are happy for this to stay so they keep the REITS happy. FFG don’t care about the electorate. People need to stand together
This is all based on Supply and Demand, Ireland is currently one of the most attractive places in the world for international students to come and study. People who can afford to send their children to study abroad can also well afford these new increases.
@Cynical: so true, and that’s why the new accomodation currently under construction is more like a set of penthouses rather than basic student accommodation
@John Black: Irish Universities are not even in the Top 100 of the world. It has nothing to do with student accommodation! There only building student accommodation for the tax breaks
Jesus I wish I thought of that when i was in college, and they had much more land back then too!!!!
Referendum needed to fix the defective Irish Constitution to permanently solve the housing / Rent / Accommodation crisis … else, your great grand kids will face the same … important to bring your ‘young’ brains to the Polling booths …
https://www.change.org/p/irish-housing-crisis-referendum-on-family-homes
They have a case.
So at it’s lowest end (€749) it will increase by €30 per annum, few less shots one weekend and it’s sorted. This is a nothing article. We see article after article about how the cost of living is increasing on a monthly if not weekly basis. Even over a 8 or 9 month academic year equates to about 3.50 a month, for accommodation where transport and utilities are a non factor this is a bargain. Wait til these students decide to live and work in the real world and they will see what hardship is really like or will the carrot of taking their degrees overseas be dangled in from of the next government?
@Ian Breathnach: so based on what it’s like when they finish college and get to experience hardship by having a job (whatever that means) this is isn’t an issue?
10k a year to just have somewhere to live while going to college (and don’t forget fees/“registration costs” on top of this) seems like an issue to me…
Also, how is this an equal start for kids? Someone living in an urban area, close to a university can stay at home with their parents but if you live outside a commutable distance you could be hit with these substantial costs just to be able to attend university.
I know my kid’s college choices will be influenced by what and where we can afford to send them.
@Pilib: are you suggesting free accommodation to all students? Is an additional 3.50 a month extortionate? No. In the grander scheme of things does living on campus save money as I stated? Yes. Do you not expect your children to work while in college/university? Are you going to give them a few euro for pints during the week too? The point I’m making is it’s a small increase, regardless of what you think, it is not a huge amount ie one less coffee a month. Minimum wages have increased, obviously these students firmly believe that these properties and the college for that matter run on fresh air. Typically people don’t care how much it costs to run things, the behind the scenes maintenance and upkeep. People are outraged when it is suggested they pay for the services they receive.
@Ian Breathnach: I think you’re missing the point, the issue is that the price is already extortionate and the increase is rubbing salt in the wounds. 4% increase isn’t much if the original rent was reasonable but it is extortionate already.
As much as you like to think it, these students aren’t scroungers, they have no problem paying for accommodation if it’s a fair price but colleges are using it to squeeze every cent out of students, they’re taking advantage of them.
@John Black: explain to me how it is extortionate?
@Ian Breathnach: you pay 8000 for an 8 month lease , so 1000 per person per month, to share an apartment with 5 other people, thats 6000 per month for a basic apartment, now it’s your turn to explain to me how that’s not extortionate.
How can a college charge 48k for an apartment for only 8 months when “greedy landlords” get slammed for charging 24k for a 12 month lease?
@John Black: well, you don’t have to commute so no transport fees, all utilities are included and on site security 24/7 and depending on what halls you are living in there are other “luxuries”. Now I’m open to correction but you say apartment, but aren’t these ensuite rooms with communal living spaces?
Students will have Less money for drink and drug consumption
No one cares it’s the new progressive Ireland, so suck it up snowflakes
have your say