When booking a table at one of the world’s hottest restaurants,you will need perseverance, commitment and unabashed determination.
Text by Jacqueline Yang
When Shanghai-based foodie Mark Chin took it upon himself to reserve a table for four at French Laundryin Yountville, California in 2009, he was aware it is one of the most notoriously difficult bookings to nail in the world.
Chef Thomas Keller’s restaurant, whichserves contemporary American fare, hasthree Michelin stars and seats just 60 covers for each sitting. Unsurprisingly, seats at French Laundry are, to put it mildly, highly sought after.
Reservations can only be made two months in advance so Chin picked up the phone when the booking line opened at exactly 10am, 62 days ahead, and dialled.
“It was already engaged,” he recalls. “I kept redialling but it was permanently busy. It was like that for 40 minutes before I finally gave up. “I must have dialled at least 80 times duringthat period.”
“After a two-hour break to calm my nerves, I started calling again. It was still busy at noon time. So I gave up for the day and thought I’d try again tomorrow. This time I started calling at 9:50am and it was still busy! It was like that every day until the fourth day whenI finally got through to a human voice, and managed to snag a table for April 27, 2009.”
So was all the effort worth it? Chin says the food absolutely lived up to his expectationsbut the arduous experience he had gettinga table has put him off going back. Whena restaurant becomes as famous for its tricky booking system as it is for its food, it is hardnot to feel like the pawn of a gimmick.But Gerald Li, co-owner of private kitchen Liberty Private Works – with its 16-seat capacity and four week waiting list – disagrees.
“As a private kitchen, most of our clienteleare true foodies.” Li says. “They are just as passionate about food as we are, so quality is our number-one priority. With the increase in demand for bookings, last December we tried doing two seatings each night, one at 7pm and then another at 9pm. But we noticed the quality of our food wasn’t the same.Our chefs were rushed and though the guests were happy, we weren’t. We quickly went back to one round of covers an evening.
“I have the utmost respect for restaurants like French Laundry. It’s not that they don’t want to serve you, it’s just that they obviously want to maintain their food standards and keep that attention to detail. It’s not about money but about the food.”
Since opening last year in July, Liberty Private Works has managed to become one of the toughest reservations to get in town.According to Li, this wasn’t their original intention. He cites the foodie grapevine and positive word of mouth for their quality food as the reason behind the ever-growing waiting list.
“So many restaurants open in Hong Kong all the time, and everybody rushes to try it. They get lots of opening publicity but if the food is bad, people don’t return. Then, three months down the line, you see it was all smoke and mirrors,” he says.
“We didn’t want to be like that. We wanted to focus on showcasing the best and most interesting food possible, even if that means we have to serve less people each night – it’s worth it in the long run.”
Jeffrey Mui, executive director and owner of The Drawing Room in Causeway Bay – which currently has a two week waiting list for the weekend – reiterates the importance of quality as well as value.
“Good dining is an experience andpart of that is good value for whatyou get. I went to Per Se in New Yorkabout two years ago when the waiting listwas about two months, and I waslet down. The meal turned out tobe about US$245 per person andeven though the food was good,it wasn’t worth that much. In contrast,The Drawing Room’s four-course tasting menu is only $580 per head.”
But whether the wait is worth the menuthese restaurants boast, you’ll have tolet the food speak for itself – if,of course, you can get a table.
No introduction is needed for this culinaryhaven of molecular gastronomy. Chef FerranAdria is a legend and so is the reservationsystem.The restaurant is open for only half the year, with bookings opening on a single day after theclosing of the current season. This means all thetables are booked for 2010. El Bulli is closed from 2012 and will re-open in 2014 as a non-profitgastronomic foundation.
Cala Montjoi, Ap. 30 17480, Roses, Girona, Spain
+34 972 15 04 57
www.elbulli.com
Located in the heart of the Napa Valley, this is widely considered to be one of the best restaurants in America. The bookings office is open from 10am to 6:30pm (PST) and they take requests two months in advance with a credit card guarantee only. 6640 Washington Street, Yountville, California
+1 1707 944 2380
www.frenchlaundry.com
David Chang’s latest eatery has taken restaurantbookings into the future. Open an account onthe website with credit card information and booka reservation through the open schedule plan onthe site. But good luck, as you will soon find there areno openings for next week, or the week after that,or the week after that.163 First Ave. New York
www.momofuku.com
Despite the food poisoning scare last year, chef Heston Blumenthal’s unique gastronomic style is still attracting the masses. To reserve, call between 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, two calendar months in advance.
Maximum number in a party is six andbe warned, if you do not give sufficientamount of notice for a cancellation,each person will be charged ￡100. Credit card details are taken during time of reservation.
High Street, Bray, Berkshire,United Kingdom
+44 1628 580 333
www.fatduck.co.uk
Nordic cuisine is not world famous but Chef Rene Redzepi paid his dues at both El Bulli andFrench Laundry before opening Noma. To reserve,it is best to use the booking system online, whichallows you to see all the available dates and times.Reservations are accepted up to 90 days in advance.Strandgade 93, 1401 Copenhagen
+45 3296 3297
www.noma.dk
This ten-table Italian joint is all about home cookingso don’t expect any avant garde gastronomic tricks. Don’t even bother calling as the answer will be no.Only friends of the owner or VIPs get to dine herebut if you’re lucky, you might win a reservation through their regular charity auctions and online contests.17 Battery Place, Suite 610, New York
+1 212 169 0151
There are only six seats at this innovativerestaurant, with two seatings a night.You can see why the waiting list is booked up a month in advance. But with 30 mini courses such as cotton candy foie gras cooked upin front of you, it is well worth the wait.405 8th Street NW, Washington DC+1 202 393 9812
www.cafeatlantico.com/minibar
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