My birthday was in August & like every year it was filled with shopping, surprise gifts, shopping– finally culminating in a gastronomic treat at a fancy Michelin starred establishment. This time I decided to celebrate at La Cime in Honmachi, Osaka. La Cime, recently earned its 2 Michelin Stars and prides itself for its unique & artistic presentation. They were also kind enough to tweak their menu to suit my food preferences, you see I am allergic to seafood – shell fish in particular – yeah I know it is tough especially surviving in this land of sushi & sashimi! I was really looking forward to the dinner, since I had heard so much about the restaurant and the photographs featured on their website looked so delicious. La Cime was a bit of let down, perhaps because my expectations were very high. To start with, the ambience, which is high on my key criteria (I love taking pics and basking in the opulence), reminded me more of a living room than a luxurious restaurant – it is good but not wow. The dishes were very innovatively presented, however I think there is a slight imbalance between presentation, portion size and overall taste. I have dined in several restaurants, partaking in simple 5 course menus to elaborate 17 courses – but one thing has always been common in all my experiences – by the end of the meal I was stuffed – at La Cime even after 10 courses I reckon I could have tucked in a course or two. Although I have no complaints about the taste, but then again no dish in particular stood out or was exceptional either. But they didn’t disappoint in the deserts – loved the deserts – deserts are my weakness – hence all shortcomings are forgiven. Loved the combination of peaches, almonds and raspberries! To summarize, I would say, out of the several Michelin Star restaurants I have dined at, La Cime would find itself at the lower end of my list. The decor is ok, portion size is not value for money and frankly I didn’t feel that their presentation was any better than other Michelin Stars. So honestly, I don’t really see myself revisiting La Cime again in the near future! Access – Honmachi station on Midosuji Line Price – Dinner for two will cost about $ 80 – $ 110 per person, but if you add taxes and a glass of wine each, it will easily cross $ 250 mark. Vivalahighstreet Menu Amuse Duck/okra/red pepper Croquette of pig cartilage/mushroom Foie gras terrine/rhubarb/cassis Wagyu beef/Spinach/Spelled Wheat Sweetbread/green tomato/parsley Pig cheek meat/eggplant/chestnut Peach/Almonds/Raspberry Confection Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Vivalahighstreet Top – Zara, $ 50, 2015, also worn here; Skort – Zara, $ 30 on sale, 2015, also worn here; Shoes – 心斎橋 Shinsaibashi, 大阪 Osaka, $20, 2013; also worn here; Bag – Chanel, gift, 2014, also worn here; Sunglasses – Forever 21 フォーエバー21, $ 10, 2015, also worn here; Cuff – Forever 21 フォーエバー21 , $ 8, 2013, also worn here;