From relishing lively and heterogenous cities to cathartic experiences of magnanimous mountains and oceans, one thing remains true — to travel well is to eat well. While you plan your journey to new countries and unexplored territories, the best meals should reward you with remarkable and memorable experiences.

At Cathay Pacific, we take pleasure in only the best — gastronomic discoveries that are wholesome, innovative and ones that challenge our senses and boundaries. Here is our pick on the best three-star Michelin restaurants in the world.

Alain Ducasse at the Dorcester is situated in Mayfair, London, a neighbourhood steeped in sophistication with its decadent restaurants, stunning architecture and trendy independent stores.

The restaurant is one of two three-star establishments in London. By injecting a more contemporary approach to fine dining, Ducasse’s philosophy is to create cuisines that are in total harmony with their locality. The restaurant is formal but unpretentious — a perfect ambience for your first course.

When you are there, order the seven-course menu that will take you several hours to enjoy. Each dish is served like classical music — a structured assortment of ingredients that will take you through the peaks and troughs of a wonderful culinary journey.

The seven-course menu is priced at £140 (RM780).

Located in the Iidabashi district of Tokyo, Kohaku is wedged between the fashionable and French-imbued shopping district of Kagurazaka and its surrounding array of trendy cafes and tranquil gardens.

In the nine years since its opening, head chef Koji Koizumi has transformed the kaiseki tradition of unhurried, multi-course meals and has bagged his third Michelin star in 2016. Kohaku is globally renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional Japanese cuisine by incorporating influences from outside the country’s culinary sphere.

Koizumi’s entry-level and affordable omakase (dishes selected by the chef) makes a perfect gateway for anyone who is new to the concept of kaiseki. For those who are already familiar, he offers a more refined and cosmopolitan menu which features a wide array of dishes created with only the best local produce.

Elegantly crafted and undeniably delicious, dining at Kohaku means striking the perfect balance between complexity and simplicity.

Kohaku’s kaiseki experience starts from ¥19,000 (RM750).

Nestled in a serene street in Tetuán, Madrid — home to South American and Chinese working-class — DiverXO showcases itself more like an experimental art gallery than a Michelin three-star restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant is quirky and edgy, with swarms of butterflies covering the walls and ceiling, and giant metallic ants in the wine cellar. David Muñoz, the head chef and founder, stands out, with his modern punkstyle mohawk and an unrivalled energy.

Muñoz specialises in the avant garde. In an interview with The New York Times, he described his dishes as “brutal” and a “gunshot to your head”, where each course is designed to shock and captivate the senses. While the dining experience may take up to four hours, be pleasantly surprised by the unlikely but perfect combination of ingredients — strawberries, coffee grounds and baby squid, for instance. Even Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, has visited here.

DiverXO chargers €150 (RM710) for a seven-course menu and €170 (RM800) for a 12-course menu.

Starting at a young age of 16, T’ang Court executive chef Justin Tan hails from a lineage of distinguished chefs in China.

Located along People’s Square, the restaurant is surrounded by Shanghai’s most prestigious hub of designer shops, museums, and most notably, the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre. Here, well-dressed locals hurry past in chic outfits, glamorous suits, killer heels and handbags. Plus, T’ang Court is the first and only restaurant in China to receive three Michelin stars.

T’ang Court is essentially a Cantonese restaurant that prides itself on imaginative infusions of western influences as seen in the medley of crab meat soup and truffle, xiao long bao and avocado and the likes.

A six-course menu at T’ang Court costs up to RMB870 (RM570).

Benu is situated in a quiet street in the South of Market Area (SoMa) of San Francisco. SoMa, the city’s urban renewal district, has seen an artistic and club culture revival since the 1980s. Here, you will find San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art, California Historical Society Museum and South Park — not the acclaimed TV series — a charming quiet park
in the midst of SoMa’s industrial hustle and bustle.

South Korea-born founder and head chef Corey Lee has a knack for uncommon meats, curiosity-inducing gastronomical experiences, and a passion for seasonality. He also infuses Korean, Japanese and Chinese influences into his food, using ingredients such as abalone, century eggs, and ginseng.

The 12-course tasting menu starts at $285 per person.

As you travel and eat well, you will build memorable, meaningful and rewarding experiences that epitomise the very philosophy of living well. Discover with Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon what #lifewelltravelled means to fellow passengers and explore the ways they create their very own exciting experiences at lifewelltravelled.cathaypacific.com.
 

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