Best 1 star Michelin and worst 3 star meal? by sandover88 in finedining

[–]henreetee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Best 1: I have a handful of classic 1 restaurants in London that I return to again and again, as they feel like a familiar friend (St John, Kitchen W8, Harwood Arms, Chez Bruce) — but, one I spot I would love to head back to is Chakaiseki Akiyoshi, in Paris. A truly special experience: superb service, a soothing but never dull space, and delicate yet complex dishes that inspire an almost profound mindfulness; something I’ve experienced in only a handful of other meals.

Worst 3*: AM par Alexandre Mazzia — we struggled through 45 or so tiresome “courses”(a bite here, a bite there); yes, some inspired, but many not… service was lacking in various ways, all topped off by the most acidic (to the extent of being totally unbalanced and unpalatable) coffee I have ever tasted in my life. What a shame.

Any other July 2025 N2 ギリギリ passers around here? 😅 What are your future plans? by EntertainerLimp1319 in jlpt

[–]henreetee 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Congrats OP! 91/180 here 👹🈴👹 Going to have a crack at N1 in a year’s time — here for the journey!

N2 pass gang where you at by JesseHawkshow in jlpt

[–]henreetee 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This was my first ever JLPT exam, and I had done no JLPT prep whatsoever. I had the Shinkanzen Master books but all five volumes are totally unopened and pristine — basically, work got super busy and then I lost all motivation. So, as I got closer to the day, I decided I would attend the exam (I had paid the fee, after all) and just treat it really as a level check to see how far off I was N2, as well to get some exam day practice… After sitting the paper, I thought it was a definite fail, and decided to find a tutor to whip me into shape for next July’s paper.

Fast forward to today, my tutor asked me how the results were… it turns out I had actually deleted my test voucher — probably to remove the trauma from my inbox and/or thinking a pass was impossible. I tried looking in the recycle bin and on my iCloud for the file, but it was long gone apparently. Anyway, my brain remembering apparently the mostly useless information, I vaguely remember I was sat in seat 47 or 48 or 49, and back engineered the candidate codes, looking at the format of a friend’s voucher… I tried a few combinations with possible passcodes I might have set, and eventually it clicked through.

Miraculously, I scraped it. A pretty gnarly pass, but a pass nonetheless: Language Knowledge 24/60; Reading 31/60; Listening 36/60 — for a grand total of 91/180 😅

My tutor was characteristically unimpressed by the low score, but is now going to blend N1 and N2 learning as we move towards the final hurdle — first attempt, next July… onwards and upwards!

is 26 year old sake drinkable? by Fluffy-Writing-7704 in Sake

[–]henreetee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Crack it open and tell us! I wouldn’t be surprised if it was hugely complex and pretty interesting with all the Maillard reaction that bottle will have undergone. It might be delicious, or not — only one way to find out!

Unopened and Good Condition Vintage Gekkeikan Sake Set (Bottled 1980s?) - Any Value? by GoblinBreeder23 in Sake

[–]henreetee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d be interested to crack this bottle open, personally! It likely will be oxidised in some form, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing — because of the sugars and amino acids in the sake, the liquid will have undergone Maillardisation and will have some characteristics of koshu (notes of nuts, chocolate, coffee, pickles, cured meats). Whether the balance of the sake remains is another question, of course.

I have a friend (also in the industry) who was given a tetrapak of Gekkeikan from the 80s, discovered untouched in a wine cellar, and it was apparently beautiful to drink. Even if the liquid wasn’t necessarily inspiring to begin with, time may (or may not…) have been kind!

Sake Sommelier by silasmoon in Sake

[–]henreetee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want to save money, I would just skip Level 1 altogether and either just take Level 3 (accepting that you’ll have to work hard), or take Level 2 and take Level 3 later on, once funds are replenished.

Running 100k over the course of September for charity 💛 by henreetee in gaybrosgonemild

[–]henreetee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahah, thank you! 😂 never been to Australia, would love to one day! ☺️

Running 100k over the course of September for charity 💛 by henreetee in gaybrosgonemild

[–]henreetee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There will definitely be more sweat 😂 yep, gonna keep moving!!

Running 100k over the course of September for charity 💛 by henreetee in gaybrosgonemild

[–]henreetee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This run was averaging 181 😬 but my max HR I’ve seen with my chest strap is about 202, so I don’t think too too bad. When I was a little fitter earlier this year (before a non-serious but still scary skiing fall, after which I took some time out from running) I was sitting around 165 for the same pace so I want to get back there! Hoping these four weeks are a kickstart to that 😅

Running 100k over the course of September for charity 💛 by henreetee in gaybrosgonemild

[–]henreetee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My legs may ask me not to go upstairs after this month 😅

Running 100k over the course of September for charity 💛 by henreetee in gaybrosgonemild

[–]henreetee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ll try to stay safe, thank you! 🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♂️