Molière Montagne — Restaurant in Kutchan

I had high expectations for Molière Montagne, given its association with a three-Michelin-star restaurant, but the experience was far from what I anticipated.

First, the pacing of the meal was completely rushed. Even after specifically asking them to slow down, dishes arrived one after another at lightning speed. I have never had a French fine dining experience that lasted under two hours, yet we were done in less than that. It felt more like a business lunch than a proper tasting menu.

The night before our reservation, we called to request a time change from 6:30 to 7:00, but they refused, saying they were fully booked. However, when we left at 8:00, there were plenty of empty tables. It makes no sense why they couldn’t accommodate such a simple request.

To make matters worse, tonight was a special night with a fireworks show that happens only once a week. At 6:58, when we finished a dish, we asked if we could step outside for a moment to watch. They declined, insisting the next dish was ready. But in reality, the next dish didn’t arrive until 7:12—long after the fireworks ended at 7:05. We easily could have stepped outside without disrupting service, but they forced us to stay inside and miss the show.

Additionally, the service lacked attention to detail. The main dish, a beef steak, was served with two sauces and one type of pepper, but the server did not explain what the sauces were or how they were meant to be enjoyed. In a fine dining restaurant, I expect the staff to provide some guidance on how to best experience the dish, especially when multiple elements are presented.

Overall, the experience felt rigid and unaccommodating, completely lacking the warmth and refinement that define true Michelin-starred dining. I expected a memorable and well-paced evening, but instead, I left feeling rushed and disappointed. Definitely not...

Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan - Amazing food and for the 9 course of food and the quality, the price was justified. The ambiance was nice too, modern and classy, and sitting by the window on a Saturday allowed us to see the fireworks from the slopes which made it an extra special night!

I feel like the service could've been a little better though. The servers didn't speak English at a decent level and we had a hard time understanding what they’re trying to say. Since this was more of a western dining experience, I think it would make more sense to have staff that have stronger bilingual skills like the front desk staff of Park Hyatt. I've been to fine French dining places in Thailand and all the staff they hired spoke English and explained the dishes very well. I feel like for a fine dining restaurant, the communication is quite important. Also, there's really no break in between dishes. Not like they rushed us, but it's one dish after another which was very fast-paced compared to the other fine dining experience I've had.

Service aside, there's food was delicious! The burdock soup with foam was refreshing and savory, the vegetable gnocchi dish was absolutely delightful, the raw scallops were sweet and slightly crunchy, the truffle au gratin was pure heaven. They also cooked the abalone really well and the squid ink risotto was just delectable. And the Mille feuille dessert. Oh goodness, so thin, flaky, buttery and the cream went really well with it.

Overall great food and make sure you book...

One of the best meals I have ever eaten. Straightforward food that celebrates the taste of the produce without the need for theatrics.

First up was a cold soup of sorts which had a nice milky sweetness to it. Not sure if I heard correctly but this was made from milk and potatoes.

Next up was the Asparagus with runny egg yolk and parmesan. The sharpness of the fresh cheese was perfectly balanced by the warmth and mild flavour of the runny yolk and sweetness of the asparagus.

The hair crab risotto was pretty much one of the best dishes I’ve eaten. The crab was so sweet and tasty. The light creamy sauce was reminiscent of the first dish and the slightly al dente short grained rice made the eating experience an almost perfect one.

The palate cleanser of sorts was made from a tea sorbet (tasted like a mild lemon tea) and was paired with a small amount of pear brandy. Really genius combination.

Wood smoked hokkaido beef with gratin and turnip was next. Really tasty and the gratin was so sweet and delicious. The potatoes are really different in Hokkaido.

Lastly, we had freshly baked madeleines with lemon zest (crispy on the outside but soft and warm on the inside), strawberry terrine with some form of desiccated coconut and cream cheese with haskap berry compote. The cream cheese was so light and the tartness of the compote a perfect accompaniment to it.

Would give this meal 10...