The Epicurean

The Best 20 UK Restaurants Outside London 2011

2011-12-24T08:39:00.012Z

Whole grilled lobster from Newhaven cooked Thermidor style, served with buttered samphire, sea spinach and sauteed squid. The Kitchin , Leith.

Here is the list of of the best restaurants outside London where I live. Generally speaking the quality of sourcing is often higher outside London but service levels can be patchy. The restaurants are not listed in order of preference but I would be happy to travel to all the ones listed for lunch or dinner.

1. The Kitchin. (Tom Kitchin)
2. The Royal Oak ( Dominic Chapman)
3. The Walnut Tree Inn (Shaun Hill)
4. The Fat Duck (Heston Blumenthal)
5. The Waterside Inn (Alain Roux)
6. Martin Wishart
7. The Star Inn (Andrew Pern)
8. Castle Terrace (Dominic Jack)
9. La Bécasse (Will Holland)
10. The Sportsman (Stephen Harris)
11. Nathan Outlaw
12 L'Enclume (Simon Rogan)
13 Restaurant Sat Bains
14 Lanterna Ristorante (Giorgio Alessio)
15 Le Champignon Sauvage (David Everitt-Matthias)
16 Siena Restaurant (Russel Brown)
17 The Elephant (Simon Hulstone)
18 L'Ortolan (Alan Murchison/Nick Chappell)
19 Mr Underhill ( Chris Bradley)
20 The Pipe and Glass (James Mackenzie)

N.B I have not eaten at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons for 3 years hence it's not on the list .

Top 5 Meals in London 2011

2011-12-09T21:59:00.002Z

Toptable asked me to rate my top 5 meals in London during 2011 it was a tough choice but you can can read my choices here

2011 Best in London

2011-12-04T18:47:00.006Z

Here is my list of best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2011.

Best Italian Restaurant (Southern & Sardinian) : L'Anima , 11 Park Walk

Best Italian Restaurant (Northern) : Alloro , Zafferano & Locanda Locatelli

Best Pan Italian : River Cafe & Babbo

Best Indian : Roti Chai

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares , Rasoi

Best Pakistani : Shezan & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan , Kai

Best Dim Sum : Pearl Liang , Alisan and Royal China (Baker St)

Best Thai : Nahm & Heron

Best Fusion : Galoupet

Best Japanese : Umu and Sake No Hana

Best Vietnamese : head to Paris or Vietnam

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia , Knightsbridge

Best Greek : none in London are rated.

Best Turkish : Mangal Ocakbasi (Stoke Newington)

Best Sushi : Yashin Sushi

Best French : Hibiscus , Gauthier Soho , Club Gascon , Alain Ducasse (Dorchester)

Best Modern British/European : The Ledbury , Petersham Nurseries , ( all with an Antipodean twist)

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio , Pizzaro & Iberica

Best Tapas : Barrafina and José

Best English : St John's

Best Fish/Seafood : One - O - One , Knightsbridge

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope , Great Queen St

Best Sandwich : Fernandez and Wells , Kappacasein

Best Pub : The Ship (Wandsworth) , Drafthouse (Westbridge)

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : 28-50

Best Brasserie : Bob Bob Ricard

Best French Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Racine , Bistro Bruno & Koffmann

Best Burger : Hawksmoor, Goodman and Admiral Codrington

Best "joint" Burger : The Meatwagon , Meat Liquor

Best Chain Burger : Byron

Best Steak : Côte de Boeuf at Racine

Best Steak Restaurant : Hawksmoor and Goodman

Best Grill : The Dorchester Grill

Best Pizza : Franco Manca (Brixton) and Santa Maria

Best Street Food : Mr Falafel

Best Value for money Wine List : Bob Bob Ricard

Best Value for Money Restaurant : Koya & Mangal Ocakbasi

Best Newcomers in London 2011 : Hedone , Koya , Tinello and Roganic

Best Italian Deli : cannot vote on this category as have equity in the best :-)

Best Butcher : cannot vote on this category as have equity in the best :-)

Best Bakery : St John's Bread

Best Patisserie & Chocolatier : William Curley

Best Coffee : Prufork Coffee

Best Coffee Roaster : Square Mile

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Gelato : Cocorino , Oddono's and La Gelatiera

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie , Rippon , Neal's Yard and Beillevaire

Best Wine Merchants Retail : Lea and Sandeman, Philglas and Swiggot and Handford

Best Wine Merchants Wholesale : Liberty , Fortyfive 10 , Eurowines and Bibendum

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou (Turnham Green Terrace)

Bruno Loubet Dinner chez les Critical Couple

2011-09-18T20:11:00.002+01:00

Another remarkable dinner hosted by the Critical Couple , this was the sixth one and the first by a French Chef you can real all about it here

Ben Spalding dinner chez les Critical Couple

2011-08-29T13:13:00.004+01:00

Ben Spalding created a spectacular feast for all the guests at the 5th Critical Couple Dinner . Read all about it here and watch out for this 24 year old talent as he is clearly a rare talent

Brett Graham dinner chez les Critical Couple

2011-08-29T13:10:00.002+01:00

Brett Graham produced fireworks at a dinner described by Bruce Palling of the Wall Street Journam as the best meal he has ever eaten in a private residence . Read about it here

Alyn Williams Dinner chez les Critical Couple

2011-08-29T13:07:00.003+01:00

Another superb evening at the Critical Couple you can read all about it here

The Best Sunday Lunch Ever ? . Dine with Dos Hermanos at Goodman London June 26th 2011

2011-06-27T11:28:00.003+01:00

Had an amazing Sunday Lunch yesterday . World class produce brilliantly executed by a really professional kitchen brigade led by John Cadieux and served by a superb FOH team marshalled by David Strauss. You can read all about it here

Johnnie Mountain Dinner chez les Critical Couple

2011-06-09T07:22:00.003+01:00

Another stunning dinner, you can read all about it here

11 Park Walk , London

2011-02-18T13:54:00.012Z

I was intrigued when I heard that Roberto Pisano (Edera) and his business partner John De Stefano ( Chairman of The London Fine Dinning Group where reopening the former site of Aubergine, a restaurant that in it's lifetime produced superb French inspired cuisine under both Gordon Ramsay and then William Drabble . Furthermore John De Stefano decided to name it 11 Park Walk the very name of the pre Aubergine restaurant.

John De Stefano a very successful property developer and owner of London Fine Dining Group already has the excellent Alloro and Zafferano in his portfolio. Roberto Pisano co owns 11 Park Walk as well Edera with John De Stefano and recently became General Manager of London Fine Dining Group.

Pisano was practically born in a restaurant in his native Sardinia and his experience spans both the kitchen and front of house. In London you may have come across this consumate professional at Edera, but he has in the past charmed customers at both San Lorenzo and the excellent Teca.

Edera's Giancarlo Usai also from Sardinia has now become Executive Chef of both Edera and 11 Park Walk and the kitchen hit the ground running producing pan Italian delights.

Roberto Pisano like me shares an addiction to the finest quality Bottarga as well as Truffles and I'm happy to say both feature strongly on the on and off menu dishes at 11 Park Walk.

On my various visits to 11 Park Walk I have had outstanding Bottarga centric dishes like Carpaccio di bottarga di muggine con carciofi e pomodorini (Mullet roe carpaccio with fresh artichokes and cherry tomatoes) , Malloreddusu con carciofi e bottarga (Malloreddusu with fresh artichokes and bottarga) and what is the finest Spaghetti a la bottarga that I have had outside Sardinia, the concentrated taste of finest Cabras bottarga blended with spaghetti that has been cooked in fish stock, coated in a foamy emulsion created in the pan where the dish is finished is simply phenomenal.

Other highlights include perfectly executed Branzino al sale (whole Baked Sea bass for two baked in salt) served table side. Truffles not only feature in a number of pasta dishes but also in deserts including the perverse but wonderful Zabaglione topped with Black Truffles.

Cleverly the owners are making 11 Park Walk all day dinning so for me it will become my pre or post match restaurant of choice for home games at Stamford Bridge.

11 Park Walk is not just a great addition to this part of Chelsea but will surely become a destination restaurant for those seeking fine Italian cuisine.

The BIG D

2011-02-10T14:25:00.001Z

A Very Special Dinner Party

2011-01-15T18:57:00.003Z

It's only mid January and I have probably already been to the dinner party of the year.

The food was cooked by Jason Atherton and wines included Petrus , Latour and Vega Sicilia to name but a few . Fellow guests where all passionate about food , wine or both.

I cannot really add much to this post from our wonderful hosts The Critical Couple

You can read about the Dinner Party food and wine here

What to match with the world's best Bordeaux-style reds

2011-01-13T16:56:00.002Z

I was asked to contribute to one of my favourite Food and Wine sites on the subject of matching food with top Bordeaux style reds. You can read it here and the wonderful matching Food and Wine with Fiona Beckett can be found here

Current Favourite Food Suppliers

2011-01-04T12:30:00.001Z

The Chelsea Fishmonger
10 Cale Street,
Chelsea,
London, SW3 3QU.
Tel: 020 7589 9432

Mortimer and Bennet
Delicatesen & Fine Foods
33 Turnham Green Terrace
London
W4 1RG
Tel : 020 8995 4145

Andreas Veg
35 Turnham Green Terrace
London
W4 1RG
Tel : 020 8995 0140

O'Shea's of Knightsbridge
Butchers
11 Montpelier St.
Knightsbridge
London
SW7 1EX
Telephone : 0207 581 7771

Beillevaire

7 Montpellier Street.
Knightsbridge
London SW7 1EX
Telephone

The Ham and Cheese Company

Bea's of Bloomsbury

Food in the City

Poilane

Rhodes Bakery

Peter's Yard

Valvona & Crolla

Has Bean Coffee

Square Mile Coffee Roaster

Rare Tea Company

Best in London 2010

2011-01-02T17:18:00.009Z

Here is my list of best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2010 and you can compare with 2009 ,2008 here 2007 here and 2006 here

Best Italian Restaurant (Southern) : L'Anima , Mennula

Best Italian Restaurant (Northern) : Alloro , Zafferano & Locanda Locatelli

Best Pan Italian : River Cafe

Best Indian : The Painted Heron

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares , Rasoi

Best Pakistani : Shezan & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan , Kai

Best Dim Sum : Pearl Liang and Royal China (Baker St)

Best Thai : Nahm

Best Japanese : Umu and Sake No Hana

Best Vietnamese : Mien Tay , Battersea

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia , Knightsbridge

Best Greek : none in London are rated.

Best Turkish : Mangal Ocakbasi (Stoke Newington)

Best Sushi : Sushi - Hiro (Ealing)

Best French : Hibiscus , Gauthier Soho , Club Gascon , Alain Ducasse (Dorchester)

Best Modern British/European : The Ledbury , Petersham Nurseries , Pied a Terre ( with an Antipodean twist)

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Barrafina , Barrica

Best English : St John's

Best Fish/Seafood : One - O - One , Knightsbridge

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope , Great Queen St

Best Sandwich : Fernandez and Wells , Kappacasein

Best Pub : The Ship (Wandsworth) , Drafthouse (Westbridge)

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : 28-50

Best Brasserie : Le Cafe Anglais & Bob Bob Ricard

Best French Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Chabrot Bistro D'Amis , Racine , Bistro Bruno

Best Burger : Hawksmoor , Goodman , Byron Big D (limited edition special)

Best Mid Range Burger : Byron

Best joint Burger : The Meatwagon ,Grazing (Tower Hill)

Best Steak : Côte de Boeuf at Racine

Best Steak Restaurant : Hawksmoor , Goodman , The Rib Room

Best Grill : The Rib Room & The Dorchester Grill

Best Pizza : Franco Manca

Best Street Food : Mr Falafel and The Meatwagon

Best Value for money Wine List : Bob Bob Ricard

Best Value for Money Restaurant : Polpo & Mangal Ocakbasi

Best Newcomers in London 2010 : 101 Pimlico Road , The Dock Kitchen ,Texture and Goodman (City)

Best Italian Deli : none in London are rated.

Best Butcher : Oshea's of Knightbridge

Best Bakery : St John's Bread , Franco Manca , Poilane

Best Patisserie & Chocolatier : William Curley

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Gelato : Cocorino

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie , Rippon and Beillevaire

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , Bibendum Wines

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou (Turnham Green Terrace)

Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

2010-12-24T20:25:00.000Z

Merry Xmas to all and here is the best Xmas Song of all time !

10 Best UK Restaurants 2010

2010-12-07T09:22:00.003Z

Toptable asked me to list my ten best restaurants for 2010. My selection in no particular order, was based on restaurants I have eaten in at least 3 times and at least once during 2010.

You can see the full list here

10 Best Pasta Dishes in London

2010-11-03T13:27:00.027Z

I have selected 10 truly outstanding pasta dishes that have been eaten in London over the last 18 months. They are rated outstanding or great because in my opinion they are not only beautifully executed by very talented and skilled chefs but they have been prepared with world class ingredients. To this end they are in most cases as good or more often better than the equivalent dish sampled anywhere else in the world.

What is really encouraging is that many restaurants are now using top quality dry pasta like Pastificio dei Campi (in the case of Tinello and Locanda Locatelli where I have had outstanding pasta dishes many times but not in the last 18 months). It's a pity that so many other Italian and non Italian restaurants can't be bothered to source quality durum wheat , bronze dye (sauce gripping) pasta from Gragnano or Abruzzo and continue to use industrial commodity variants that are often inferior to the supermarket own brand dried pasta. Will the addition of a few pence to their cost per portion be punitive ?

Also the quality of the homemade pasta at Alloro , L'Anima (Pappardelle) and Zafferano (Pappardelle) Galvin Bistro De Luxe (Lasagne) was really exceptional.

I have also been privileged to watch some of these chefs cook the dishes and the memory of Francesco Mazzei creating "emulsione con emozione" whilst preparing Linguine alle Vongole will forever remain in my mind.

Those of you who are particularly observant will have noticed that Paul Merrony's Penne Putanesca would, to most Italians be a total anathema . Firstly the ideal shape for this type of sauce is Spaghetti and the addition of Parmigiano-Reggiano or any cheese should be avoided. Paul is his own man and I have to admit that this actually dish works and despite the imperfect pasta shape and addition of Parmigiano-Reggiano perhaps because it's combination with anchovy creates nothing short of an umami weapon of mass destruction.

If you live in London or are passing through I strongly recommend all the restaurants mentioned not only for the specific dishes but for a fabulous dinning experience.

Spaghetti with Meatballs by Paul Merrony at Giaconda Dinning Room

Pappardelle al sugo di lepre by Francesco Mazzei at L'Anima

Penne Putanesca by Paul Merrony at Giaconda Dinning Room

Spaghetti a la Carbonara made by my Roman Great Aunt

Lasagne of Dorset crab, beurre Nantais by Chris Galvin at Galvin Bistro de Luxe

Linguini alle Vongole by Francesco Mazzei at L'Anima

Pappardelle allo zafferano con guanciale di maiale by Andy Needham at Zafferano

Spaghetti alla Bottarga at Sardo

Pacheri di Gragnano “Nduja” e burrata by Frederico Sali at Tinello

Tagliolini ai funghi porcini by Daniele Camera at Alloro

20 Truly Great Dishes Eaten in London

2010-10-14T13:56:00.025+01:00

I have selected twenty truly outstanding dishes that have been eaten in London over the last 18 months. They are rated outstanding or great because in my opinion they are not only beautifully executed by very talented and skilled chefs but they have been prepared with world class ingredients. To this end they are in most cases as good or more often better than the equivalent dish sampled anywhere else in the world.

Many of these dishes are on the surface simple like Zucchini Fritti, Zabalgione or various steaks. Sadly based on my experience in London most of the time ,these dishes are a massive disappointment due to poor sourcing and cooking, or, sometimes both.

If you live in London or are passing through I strongly recommend all the restaurants mentioned not only for the specific dishes but for a fabulous dinning experience.

O'Shea's of Knightsbridge Perthshire Black Angus Rib Eye on the bone at Goodman

Fish and Chips at 101 Pimlico Road

Rissoto with Black Truffles , Rousillion

Linguini alle Vongole l'Anima

Pizza with Chanterelle and Gloucester Old Spot Ham at Franco Manca , Brixton
Vitello Tonato , Giaconda Dinning Room

Zucchini Fritti at L'Anima

Zabalgione at Alloro

O'Shea's of Knightsbridge Perthshire Black Angus Onglet at Bob Bob Ricard

Frank Hederman Organic Smoked Salmon at Goodman , City

Crab with Crispy Noodles at Hunan

Sicilian Rabbit at L'Anima

Prawn , Vegetable and Fig Tempura at Sake No Hana

Spaghetti a la Bottarga at Sardo

Ris de veau aux morilles at Racine

O’Shea’s of Knightsbridge Munster Black Angus beef Côte de boeuf, Béarnaise sauce at Racine

Parmesan Custard at Le Café Anglais

Mini Doughnuts at The Harwood Arms

Steak and Mushroom Pie at The Anchor and Hope

O'Shea's of Knigtsbridge Pertshire Black Angus Bistecca Firoentina at Alloro

The Kitchin , Leith ,Edinburgh

2010-08-29T12:44:00.022+01:00

Amuse-Bouche 1. Cheese Straws and Balls

Amuse-Bouche 2. Summer Courgette Soup

Saying hello to the Newhaven Live Lobster

Tartare of wild Salmon from Usan, served with diced apple and a lemon creme fraiche

Whole grilled lobster from Newhaven cooked Thermidor style, served with buttered samphire, sea spinach and sauteed squid

Rich Valrohna Manjari tart with Perthshire Rasberries and mint cream

Wine Consumed : HERMITAGE 'CHANTE-ALOUETTE' 2006 M.Chapoutier.

I have now eaten at The Kitchin four times , once in late 2007 , twice in 2008 and most recently on Thursday 19th of August 2010 , with my family (the pictures on this post are of what I ate on this day).

Every time with out exception I experienced world class cooking based on superbly sourced produce (most from Scotland's ample larder) coupled with first class service. All this in a relaxed , simple tastefully decorated restaurant.

Tom Kitchin is a great talent but he has also garnered a an impressive culinary education not only his many years with Pierre Koffman at Tante Claire , Royal Hospital Road ( he also returned to Tante Claire when it moved to the Berkeley ) but also Guy Savoy in Paris and Alain Ducasse's Louis XV in Monte Carlo.

I must have eaten Tom's cooking many times at Tante Claire and maybe even at Guy Savoy whilst he was there but at The Kitchin he is the man, and what a man , for me there is no better restaurant in the UK . I have not been as impressed with food in a restaurant in the British Isles since some of my early meals at Chez Nico , Tante Claire and the late Gunn Eriksen's, Altnaharrie Inn .

On this occasion it was a real pleasure to meet Tom for the first time and find a humble, charming individual who along with his brigade, produces perfectly executed and seasoned dishes.

My Tartare of wild Salmon from Usan, served with diced apple and a lemon creme fraiche was perfectly balanced and refreshing.

The whole grilled lobster from Newhaven cooked Thermidor style, served with buttered samphire, sea spinach and sauteed squid was really inspired with each ingredient perfectly seasoned and well - proportioned to create a superlative synthesis .

I finished a wonderful Rich Valrohna Manjari tart with Perthshire Rasberries which showed again that the brigade is strong in executing every course be it savoury or sweet.

The HERMITAGE 'CHANTE-ALOUETTE' 2006 from Chapoutier was sublime and served at the correct tempreture also worked well with my wife's Scallop starter and Turbot main.

The Kitchin’s sister restaurant Castle Terrace openeded on 14th July on Castle Terrace in central Edinburgh, with Chef and co patron Dominic Jack behind the stove. Edinburgh-born Dominic Jack who worked as a trainee with Tom at Gleneagles has followed a similar career path that has included L’Arpège and Taillevent in Paris. It seems that Tom Kitchin is expanding in a controlled and intelligent way , whilst spending most of his time in the Kitchen !

I'm already planning a long week end in Edinburgh.

28-50 , London

2010-08-11T10:53:00.012+01:00

28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen is the newest venture from Xavier Rousset and Agnar Sverrisson, the restaurateurs behind the award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant Texture. It opened last month a stones throw from El Vino, it aims to deliver an exceptional variety of wines at fair prices alongside simple French inspired food.

Sverrisson and Rousset met while working as head chef and head sommelier respectively at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons . They have also hired the charming and very professional Ed Newman who I remembered from High Road House and Shoreditch House.

Named after the latitudes in which most wine regions are located, 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen has on the surface some similarities to Terroirs however one you study the wine lists and menu the differences are immediately apparent.

Rousset is an award winning master sommelier and this shows in both the collectors list” including wines such as 1978 Château Léoville Las Cases , 1984 Ridge Montebello or 1995 Ornellaia alongside an extensive list of 30 wines at very reasonable prices – all of which are available by the bottle, carafe or glass. The list will be continually evolving with the aim of allowing guests to experiment in their wine choices, and a winemaker is featured every month.

The Head Chef Paul Walsh was last at Gordon Ramsey Hospital Road and this shows through in terms of presentation and sophistication.The food at Terroirs is on the whole more rustic and the portions more generous.

My only gripe about 28-50 is in fact the size of the portions , on the first of my three visits I wondered for a brief moment if I was in Lilliput being served food one-twelfth the size of an acceptable portion. Unfortunately this is more and more common in London where crude empiricists develop price points for dishes and then build the food and margin into them, either by size or (often inferior) quality of ingredients. At 28-50 the 10 dishes I ate in three visits were all either good or very good and very well executed.

On my most recent visit my companion and I started with plate of Charcuterie to share can only really satisfy two fictional inhabitants of Lilliput and Blefuscu. At £11.50 this was not good value despite being served with excellent toasted brown bread.

I followed this with a starter Confit salmon with cucumber, basil and
tomato vinaigrette that was perfectly sized for a starter and very good value at £6.50 .

My main course of Icelandic salt cod with chorizo and couscous at £14.95 was again a very good dish but with not really enough on the plate.

I finished with probably he smallest sized desert I have ever been served, a truly delightful Almond cake with peach sorbet and fresh raspberries (1 to be exact) at £6.00. The Almond cake must have been baked in a thimble to achieve those absurd proportions.

We drank a glass of 2009 St Nicolas de Bourgueil, Mabileau served at the optimum tempreture and, a rather good 2001 Rioja Reserva, Vina Arana, La Rioja Alta.

Despite my comments about portion control 28-50 is a welcome addition to the wine bar/bistro scene in London with great value wines at all levels , quality food and excellent service.

Royal Oak

2010-08-02T14:06:00.017+01:00

I recently made my third visit to the Royal Oak and enjoyed another marvelous and relaxed, 3 hour meal that served to confirm why this is one of my favourite places to eat in the UK.

This pub was transformed in early 2007 with the arrival of Dominic Chapman (brilliantly profiled here by Douglas Blyde ) a man whose wonderful cooking I first tasted in the late 90's at the Fat Duck (a very different menu in those days) and Fat Duck Bistro in the Bray Marina (a joint venture between Heston and footballer Lee Dixon) and more recently at the Hinds Head where Dominic was Head Chef. Chances are that I ate some of Dominic's cooking whilst he was working as chef de partie at Kensington Place for Rowley Leigh.

Dominic was away on holiday in Greece so it was also to be my first meal at the Royal Oak whilst he was away.

Since Chapman’s arrival at The Royal Oak, it has been crowned AA Restaurant of the Year, England, 2008-09, and Chapman was named by The Good Food Guide as Best Pub Chef 2009 and as Best Young Chef 2009 in the Tatler Restaurant Awards. Earlier this year it received a much deserved Michelin Star. Credit to Michael and Nick Parkinson for bringing in such a fine Chef.

My recent meal was typical fresh seasonal food made with superb ingredients . Sourcing is one of the real strengths of this restaurant be it meat , fish , fruit and vegetables or cheese.

The (irresistible) Scotch Eggs served as a perfect transition from a G&T to the starter of stuffed courgette flower . This was stuffed with Ricotta and served with fresh peas , beetroot , artichoke hearts and lightly dressed in olive oil. I would rank this as the best consumed in the UK, alongside a classic fried version with Mozzarella and anchovies that I had many moons ago at The Walnut Tree Inn in South Wales. My companion was delighted by his Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait, Fig Chutney and Toasted Brioche .

We drank the potent White ,Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Doamine Chant Perdix, 2007 with our starter and main. The Grenache, Roussane, Clairette and Bourboulenc blend worked very well with both courses.

For the mains I had Line Caught Sea Bass with Sweet Young Peas, Radish, Lettuce and Bacon (see picture) whilst my companion had Roast Cornish Turbot with Samphire, Cockles and Mussels . The fish was in both cases beautifully cooked (often the best test of a kitchen when the Head Chef is away) The triple cooked chips here are in my view the best in the UK and only a close second to those at La Tupina in Bordeaux fried in Goose fat.

We drank a rather good Paulliac Cru Bouregois, 2000, Château Haut-Bages Monpelou with our cheese Alderwood, Berkswell, Ogleshield, Gorwydd Caerphilly, Waterloo, Harbourne Blue) and had time round off the meal with a couple of Delamin Pale and Dry XO's before rushing off to catch the 4.08pm train from Twyford to London.

I live in hope that the Royal Oak copies the Pot Kiln and opens a London outpost. Of course I also know the perfect location and it's less than 300 metres from my home !

Premium Products That More Than Deliver

2010-07-16T14:57:00.006+01:00

I have always thought that the quality of ingredients or products represents at least 60% of what it takes to execute a perfect dish. This ratio , in my opinion should apply equally to amateur cook and professional chef.

Over the last 18 months I have had the pleasure of meeting and sampling an amazing new dried pasta from Gragnano , a really phenomenal Irish Smoked Salmon as well as tea that is so good that I actually started drinking the beverage again at least once a day.

In all three cases I actually met the passionate people behind these products before tasting them and, saw them in full flow both educating their audience as well as going into detail about their respective products, points of difference.

Giuseppe di Martino is co owner of the established Gragnano pasta maker Di Martino as well as being President of the Gragnano Pasta Makers Association . Giuseppe and his sister created Pastificio dei Campi using the finest durum wheats and dried pasta making process.

The pasta is finished by hand and gently passed through bronze dies before being slow dried at low temperatures creating exquisite pasta. Every box of pasta can be traced back to what day that batch of wheat was sown, what field it was grown in and when it was harvested - directly linking the sourcing of the best limited supply grain back to the farmers. Gambero Rosso Magazine recently featured this amazing pasta under the title "Pasta Grand Cru"

Guiseppe explained to me over several meals involving this amazing product that his pasta when cooked al dente expands it's protein (Gluten)to circa 15-17% which explains why it seems so easy to digest and feels so light on the stomach. Inferior industrial dried pastas can expand to over 50%. It is not really a surprise that so many top Italian Chef's both in Italy and beyond are using this pasta in dishes that require the use of a top quality dried pasta.

Frank Hederman is in my view producing the finest smoked salmon in the world at his Belvelly Smoke House near Cork . I met Frank at of all places a male only steak fest orgainsed by Simon Majumdar where in my opinion the Irish stole the show with bothe the Salmon and Beef. In what was one of the best presentations on food that I have seen Frank made it clear it was not only the smoking and curing but the quality and selection of the salmon that makes the difference. He illustrated this by showing us the industrial dyes used by most salmon farms as well as sharing a few alarming facts about how many fish per cubic metre, some of the fish are farmed in.

Henrietta Lovell is a remarkable woman who has not only created a great company and premium tea business but is (re) educating this nation of tea drinkers into both making and drinking proper tea, both through personal appearences and through these charming videos. What is tea ? and How to make a cup of tea are a must watch.
On the rare days I don't have at least one cup of Lost Malawi Tea I feel a sort of emptiness and lingering listlessnes.

The products are all beautifully packaged and Giuseppe , Frank and Henrietta are passionate and knowlegeable gastronomes in their own right but, as always what really counts in the end is does the product deliver on the promise and, justify the premium. Well for me they certainly do !

In the UK Pastificio dei Campi can be purchased via the excellent FoodintheCity

Frank Hederman Smoked Salmon can be tasted at Goodmans and purchased from Wright Brothers

Rare Tea Company sells online and here

Alloro , London

2010-05-20T10:25:00.004+01:00

Picture courtesy of Douglas Blyde

A recent invitation to a Sardinian feast at Alloro by the London Fine Dinning Group prompted me to revise my view of both the quantity and quality of top class Italian Restaurants in London .

It was a pleasure to have Douglas Blyde as a dining companion not only because of his "intoxicating prose" but because he takes beautiful pictures too, and I can then focus on the food and wine !

I first ate at Alloro in 2003 what was an above average for London Italian lunch and then again a year or so later experienced an exceptional dinner just before Christmas. What happened in that period is that Daniele Camera who originates from Turin took over as head chef. The restaurant itself reminds me of the timeless establishments one finds in Turin and Milan , understated elegance , superb service and a kitchen that delivers year in year out.

The evening was co sponsored by Feudi della Medusa and Vallebona Sardinian Gourmet.

Menu

Chef’s Selection of Canapés
Prosecco
*
Musamari de tùnnu con fasobeddu e pilarda
Wind dried tuna with green beans and sun dried tomatoes
~Albithia Vermentino di Sardegna 2008~
*
Supa de freula e coccioba
Soup of Sardinian cous-cous with tiny clams
~Alba Nora Isola dei Nuraghi 2007~
*
Malloreddus a sa moda campidanesa
Sardinian pasta with fresh sausage, tomato and pecorino cheese
~Cannonau di Sardegna 2006~
*
Proceddu e patatasa arrustidasa
Roast suckling pig with roast potatoes
~Gerione Isola dei Nuraghi 2006~
*
Sebadas cun meli de olioni
Traditional Sardinian cheese fritters with Corbezzolo Honey
~Aristeo Vino Passito 2005~
*
Caffei & Murta
Coffee & Traditional Myrtle Berry Liqueur

For me the stars of the evening were the Supa de freula e coccioba matched with Alba Nora Isola dei Nuraghi 2007 and Proceddu e patatasa arrustidasa matched with Gerione Isola dei Nuraghi 2006 . The soup was perfectly balanced and a perfect example of Daniele Camera's light touch whilst the Suckling Pig was one of the best I have eaten in the UK.

The Alba Nora Isola dei Nuraghi 2007 is a wonderful example of how you can make wonderful Chardonnay in Italy . The wine is an intense yellow with a flint and toasted almond bouquet coupled with a hint of sea salt taste.

Gerione Isola dei Nuraghi 2006 is a blend of Bovale , Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc .Maleolactic fermentation takes place in barriques . Maturation is for 18 months in 225 litre Ailler and Tronçais oak barriques. The scent reminds one of cherries with a tinge of Muscat and liquorice .There is a long lasting flavour that heightens the cherry and small fruit scents; a taste of tannin emerges at the back of the mouth that gives the wine its persona.

The delightful Claudio Benvenuti a Tuscan ex Frescobaldi who was seduced by Feudi della Medusa gave us a detailed history and background to all the indigenous and non indigenous wines the winery produces.

Those of us who live in London are really fortunate to have access to excellence at Alloro , Locanda Locatelli , L'Anima , Semplice and Zafferano . Alongside the aforementioned we also have some really good neighbourhood Italians like Edera , Enoteca Turi , Sardo and Locanda Ottoemezzo . Can we say the same in terms of quality and numbers about Chinese , Japanese or even Indian/Pakisatni cuisine ?

Bar Boulud , London

2010-05-17T20:51:00.007+01:00

3 Michelin Starred Chef Daniel Boulud’s first UK restaurant, Bar Boulud, London opened its doors on May 6th at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I am told breakfast will only be served until Heston Blumenthal opens his restaurant in the same Hotel later this year and I'm assured the breakfast menu will not be based on his work for Little Chef.

The Adam D. Tihany designed interior seats 169 in two large connecting rooms, the first has zinc topped bar and the second has a vista of the open kitchen. Materials such as wood, leather and cork add a contemporary touch and the bar a vin theme showcases the craft of wine making, including walled wine stains from Chef Boulud’s favourite vintages and photography by Blaise Adilon of various renowned Lyon bistros and brasseries. Guests can watch the chefs at work at the charcuterie bar running along the edge of the open kitchen or dine in one of the two interconnecting private dining rooms, both seating 16 people each. The management are forecasting serving circa 700 covers a day and from what I saw on my visits so far they have a top team in place to do so.

Dean Yasharian from Bar Boulud in New York has come over as Executive Chef and Stephen Macintosh from The Wolseley is the General Manager, Bar Boulud, London looks set to follow in the success of Daniel Boulud's "diffusion" range of restaurants in NYC, Café Boulud, Bar Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne and, most recently, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, on the Bowery.

A full bistro menu is based on seasonal, bourgeois French cooking and includes dishes such as Truffled White Sausage, Grilled Atlantic Sea Bass, Braised Rabbit Ragout and Coq au Vin as well as a selection of terrines and pâtés made on site under the direction of acclaimed charcutier Gilles Vérot. Alongside the classic bistro fare we have a selection of Burgers from Danile Boulud's second tier eateries. Wine has a focus on Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, an impressive selection of wines, by the glass and by the bottle, and occasionally from Magnums, Jeroboams and Rehoboams, feature old world wines as well as new world selections made in the Rhône or Burgundy spirit. A selection of beers is also available on draft from small, artisanal producers and continental microbreweries with specially designed glassware for tasting portions.

Everything I have eaten is beautifully prepared and I'm sure sourcing will improve over time as is the case with many transplants from the US.

In terms of food though what I think is truly disruptive for London is not the much anticipated burger(s). Though perfectly good, even in New York not considered to be in the same class as Minetta Tavern or the Spotted Pig for instance but for me the Charcuterie of Gilles Vérot is the star of the show. Bizarrely I first tasted the product of this Pierre Hermé of charcuterie" in New York before visiting his boutiques in Paris . When in New York I understood that the Charcuterie is made on site by a master Charcutier supplied by Gilles Vérot. In the case of London it is Nicholas Maragou that is preparing truly world class Charcuterie in London.

We are very fortunate to have both Pierre Hermé and Gilles Vérot delights in London and for those who have not been to Catherine and Gille Vérot's boutique Charcuterie's in Paris it's worth going there just for that !

All I can say is at the moment is thanks to Daniel Boulud and the Mandarin Oriental , London "nous sommes gâtés ". I have already enjoyed some of Nicholas Maragou's delights for breakfast and cannot think of a better stop over on the way to work !

I predict Bar Boulud despite the constraints of being in a Hotel will be a great success. It has a wonderful room , service is superb and where it trumps The Wolseley par example is on what the kitchen delivers in each and every plate or board.

Sardo , London

2010-05-10T12:22:00.004+01:00

I recently returned to Sardo after not having been for about a year. On this occasion it was a lunchtime walk in with my business partner who was over from LA.

Returning to Sardo was like running into a a very dear old friend who for one reason or another one has not seen for a while. Nothing had really changed much be it the simple decor or olives and the perfect Pane carasau, or carta da musica, the traditional flatbread from Sardinia.

Sardo and Primrose Hill sister Sardo Canale remains in my opinion the best Sardinian restaurant in London . To check standards were high I could not resist the Spaghetti a la Bottarga to start and it was truly sensational made with a generous quantity of top class Sardinian Grey Mullet roe not the cheap pulvarised stuff often used in inferior restaurants. My companion joined me on both the Spaghetti and to follow a simple but beautifully executed grilled medium rare dish of Yellowfin Tuna with asparagus , cherry tomatoes and rocket.

We shared a portion of Sebadas (Sardinian puff pastries with honey) with our espresso's before heading off to our next meeting.

I need to return soon for a longer meal and to revisit the excellent Sardinain and Italian centric wine list.

Lift9 - Wine And Social Media

2010-05-01T14:03:00.002+01:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Lift9 - Wine And Social Media

View more presentations from Warren Sukernek.

Steak Frites Tasting Dinner Monday 12 April - Racine

2010-04-05T17:42:00.002+01:00

The next youngandfoodish Steak Frites Tasting Dinner will be Monday 12 April in the private dining room of Racine Restaurant in London.

The menu will again feature three steak classics – onglet aux échalottes, filet au poivre, côte de boeuf – prepared by chef Henry Harris with the finest cuts of dry-aged, grass-fed beef selected by Darragh O’Shea of the great London butcher O’Shea’s of Knightsbridge. Each steak will be matched to a red wine selected by Peter Lowe of Berkmann Wine Cellars:

onglet aux échalottes <–> Morgon Domaine Jean Descombes 2008
filet au poivre <–> Antinori Santa Cristina 2008
côte de boeuf with béarnaise <– > Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit 2007

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts video 6 .The Finale la Côte de Boeuf

2010-03-13T09:20:00.007Z

Here is the sixth and final release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones and co-produced by Dino Joannides Dino Joannides and Daniel Young, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

The Rib Eye on the bone or Cowboy Steak as Americans call it and Côte de Boeuf as it's known in France is normally cut for two to share so perfect for lovers and good friends.In fact I know some couples who call it the kiss and make up steak. It is basically a thick rib eye with the bone attached. The bone always enhances a steak and this cut presents beautifully and theatrically when carved, and served at the table either in a restaurant or at home . This is one of the cuts that does benefit from aging at O'Shea's it is aged for 45 - 55 days. A well aged and marbled Côte de Boeuf should not need a sauce and is perfect with good Mustard or Bearnaise as a condiment.

In the final video in the series Henry Harris Chef Patron of Racine Restaurant shows how he cooks a wonderful Irish Black Angus Grass Fed and Barley Finished Côte de Boeuf from O'Shea's of Knightsbridge. This combination of chef and butcher has now attained cult status with the cognoscenti claiming it is the best in the world. Henry Harris prefers to use a thick pan as well plenty of butter but as important is resting the meat.

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts video 5. Raw Essentials

2010-03-12T09:04:00.004Z

Here is the fifth of our daily release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones and co-produced by Dino Joannides Dino Joannides and Daniel Young, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

The Onglet is a family favourite it has a massive flavour kick when properly cooked. To some the cut looks unattractive when removed from the carcass, a good knife can quickly transform it into a real beauty. Watching Dermot and Darragh O'Shea preparing it is like poetry in motion. Onglet is two muscles divided by tough connective tissue, which must be removed, and is taken from the diaphragm of the animal. Because of it's location it has a slight gamey, offally flavour not present in any of the other loin cuts. In terms of ageing this cut does not require or benefit much from more than 21 to 28 days.

Fillet is the most tender steak of all, but it is not necessarily the one with the most flavour. It is sought after for its delicate structure and lack of fat but ironically these are the characteristics that can make it rather bland when compared to the other great beef cuts like Onglet, Rib eye and Rump.

Fillet is cut from the inside of the beef loin, it does very little work and is therefore very tender. It can be improve when dry-aged and cut on the bone. We age our Irish and Scottish Black Angus Grass Fed and Barley Finished Fillet for around 21- 28 days but even at 15 days it can produce superb results when cooked and served correctly.

Fillet doesn't benefit from long ageing. If left too long in a vacuum it can develop a metallic taste as the enzymes over work. Too long hanging on the bone and it will dry out, losing some of it's moisture and tenderness .

The Rib Eye on the bone or Cowboy Steak as Americans call it and Côte de Boeuf as it's known in France is normally cut for two to share so perfect for lovers and good friends.In fact I know some couples who call it the kiss and make up steak. It is basically a thick rib eye with the bone attached. The bone always enhances a steak and this cut presents beautifully and theatrically when carved, and served at the table either in a restaurant or at home . This is one of the cuts that does benefit from aging at O'Shea's it is aged for 45 - 55 days. A well aged and marbled Côte de Boeuf should not need a sauce and is perfect with good Mustard or Bearnaise as a condiment.

In the video below Henry Harris Chef Patron of Racine and Darragh O'Shea of O'Shea's Knightsbridge discuss the raw essentials of Onglet , Fillet and Côte de Boeuf.

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts video 4. Béarnaise

2010-03-11T09:26:00.004Z

Here is the fourth of our daily release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones and co-produced by Dino Joannides Dino Joannides and Daniel Young, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

With a côte de bœuf especially if you have invested in a really top class well aged piece of meat from a premium Butcher you don't really need much more than a top quality Dijon Mustard or proper homemade Béarnaise. I also love them both equally so tend to alternate between the two with each forkful of succulent steak which of course means I tend to go for big steaks !

In this video Henry Harris Chef Patron of Racine Restaurant shows how to make the perfect Béarnaise and how to avoid the mistakes so many home cooks make which cause both anxiety and stress. Henry's Béarnaise is not that difficult to make and well worth the trouble it is so much better the bought in stuff so often found in some restaurants or even the best versions one finds in supermarkets or delis.

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts video 3. Filet au poivre

2010-03-10T11:35:00.005Z

This is the third of our daily release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones and co-produced by Dino Joannides Dino Joannides and Daniel Young, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

Fillet is the most tender steak of all, but not necessarily the one with the most flavour. It is sought after for its delicate structure and lack of fat but ironically these are the characteristics that can make it rather bland when compared to the other great beef cuts like Onglet, Ribeye and Rump.

Fillet is cut from the inside of the beef loin, it does very little work and is therefore very tender. It can be improve when dry-aged and cut on the bone. O'Shea's of Knightsbridge age their Irish and Scottish Black Angus Grass Fed and Barley Finished Fillet for around 21- 28 days but even at 15 days it can produce superb results when cooked and served correctly.

Fillet doesn't benefit from long ageing. If left too long in a vacuum it can develop a metallic taste as the enzymes over work. Too long hanging on the bone and it will dry out, losing some of it's moisture and tenderness .

Unfortunately like with the other cuts you need to be very careful when selecting your beef as quality varies hugely so my advice is find a good Butcher ask about the provenance of the meat , the breed , what it's fed on , husbandry and so on. If the Butcher says things like Scotch, English or Argentinian and not much more you are probably in the wrong place.

Great Chefs like Henry Harris of Racine Restaurant as well as home cooks will always prepare a sauce with this delicate cut and, in the video below you can see him cook Fillet au Poivre a dish he learned to cook under the tutelage of the great Simon Hopkinson in the seminal mid 1980's restaurant Hilaire , just around the corner in Old Brompton road. That kitchen brigade then moved on to open Bibendum with Terrance Conran. The combination of veal stock , butter , black pepper , brandy and top class Fillet steak produces a wonderful steak dis that also goes very well with pommes frites. The first time I remember having this dish was when I was a child in Paris at a restaurant called Pharamond in Les Halles and it was served with pommes souffles. However I can confirm that the combination of O'Shea's of Knightsbridge Fillet and Henry Harris's cooking produced simply the best one I have ever had.

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts, video 2: the shalls & shallots of onglet

2010-03-09T09:59:00.006Z

Here is the second of our daily release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones and co-produced by Dino Joannides Dino Joannides and Daniel Young, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

The Onglet is also one of our family favourites it has a massive flavour kick when properly cooked. To some the cut looks unattractive when removed from the carcass, a good knife can quickly transform it into a real beauty. Watching Dermot O'Shea preparing it is like poetry in motion. Onglet is two muscles divided by tough connective tissue, which must be removed, and is taken from the diaphragm of the animal. Because of it's location it has a slight gamey, offally flavour not present in any of the other loin cuts.

As Henry Harris says this is one of the classic Bistro steaks of France. It is beautiful cooked on a searing hot griddle and then rested until warm through, but it must be rare. Onglet is very fibrous and therefore must be cut across the grain. By doing this, you shorten the fibres and make them softer on the palate. Americans call it Hanger and we call it Thick Skirt.

The Onglet is often called the Butcher's Cut as it was thought that the butcher would keep it for himself and his family and maybe that's we like to call it Steak O'Shea.

The second video in our series shows Henry Harris" Chef Patron of Racine cooking Onglet aux échalottes or à la Bordelaise.

Steak Frites : Mastering the cuts, video 1. Frites

2010-03-07T22:06:00.009Z

To enhance and celebrate our shared appreciation for an unsurpassed pairing of meat and potatoes, youngandfoodish launches steak frites – mastering the cuts, a series of 6 web videos featuring Racine Chef Patron Henry Harris, with meat by Darragh O’Shea of O’Shea’s of Knightsbridge.

The daily release of the videos, shot by Brian Jones a co-production between Daniel Young and Dino Joannides, will form the backdrop of our “why do you love steak frites?” competition on twitter, hopefully inspiring your most poetic, passionate or playful responses. [HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION].

The winner, along with his or her guest, will be invited to the premiere of the youngandfoodish 3-steak tasting dinners at Racine on Monday, 22nd March. Henry Harris will prepare three cuts of O’Shea beef in the styles best suited to each: onglet aux échalottes, filet au poivre, côte de boeuf with béarnaise sauce. The meat will be matched to three bistro-style reds selected by Peter Lowe of Berkmann Wine Cellars.

Of course there is no steak frites without potatoes. Not just any potatoes, but floury potatoes like Desiree, Maris Piper that score 5 on the waxy / floury scale cut in the ideal shape for holding and dipping. As Harris explains in the first video, you never need to use a fork with frites:

Zafferano, London

2010-03-01T09:58:00.010Z

I was lucky enough to eat many times at Zafferano between 1995 and 1998 when Giorgio Locatelli was Head Chef. It was here that I have eaten some of the best Italian food in the UK along with Giorgio's eponymous Locanda Locatelli , L'Anima and Franco Taruschio's The Walnut Tree Inn.

After Giorgio’s departure, his number two, Andrew Needham, took over the reins and I continued to be delighted by my meals between 1999 onwards however I must confess that until last Thursday I had not eaten there for a couple of years. Needham has an excellent background starting as a teenager at the Savoy prior to working at Paris’ Le Pre Catalan followed by a stint at Giorgio’s uncle’s La Cinzianella on the borders of Lombardy and Piedmont.

I am pleased to report that my meal was up to the usual high standard and despite having limited time as my companion had to return to Saudi Arabia I had two lovely courses ( no vino )

My Pappardelle allo zafferano con guanciale di maiale (Homemade saffron pappardelle with pig cheeks) was outstanding . The quality of the pigs cheeks was apparent unlike some very poor ones I recently had at Dean Street Townhouse.

The Tonno alla griglia con rucola e pomodorini siciliani (Char grilled tuna with rocket and Sicilian cherry tomatoes) was a simple well executed dish where the basic ingredients stood out from the Tuna itself to the choice of tomatoes and rocket.

We finished with excellent esspreso and a mini pistacio ice cream cone on the casa !

Service was both totally professional and charming.

I intend to return here soon and try some of the other dishes especially those that feature veal and see if Needham's reputation for meticulous procurement applies to everything that appears on the menu.

Bibendum , London

2010-02-25T15:19:00.007Z

In 1987 Terence Conran resumed his role as a restaurateur when, in partnership with publisher Paul Hamlyn and chef Simon Hopkinson, he opened Bibendum in the Michelin building in Chelsea. Hopkinson had been the Chef at the seminal Hilaire on Old Brompton road along with Matthew & Henry Harris who also moved to Bibendum.

Today Matthew Harris is Head Chef whilst his brother Henry is Chef Patron at Racine after stints at amongst other places Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor and the Soho House Group. Others that have passed through the kitchens of Bibendum include Bruce Poole , Jeremy Lee’s and Philip Howard.

Simon Hopkinson helped establish the style of cooking based on classic French Bourgeois cooking with a smattering of influences from Italy , Spain and the UK. Matthew Harris has continued the tradition since Simon Hopkinson stopped cooking.

Even after 22 years Bibendum housed in the part modern, part Art Deco Michelin building remains one of the most beautiful restaurant rooms in the country. In fact the whole building including the Conran Shop , Bibendum Oyster Bar and offices was really a case study for a brilliant design and branding.

I was lucky enough to be taken to Bibendum by my parents in it's early days and fondly remember the best Roast Bresse Chicken, Crème Brulée and Bread and Butter Pudding that I have ever had in the UK . I always felt that Bibendum was the only restaurant that Terrance Conran was involved with where the brilliant design was matched with food that had great flavour and was based on wonderful ingredients. Over the years I have seen Simon Hopkinson eating in a number of restaurants ranging from La Tupina in Bordeaux to Giaconda Dinning Room in London. It is clear from these glimpses and, his brilliant writing that this superb cook also really loves eating.

I went back last week on a Friday lunchtime to see how the place is doing after hearing some disturbing reports about the quality of the food and also because it had been over 3 years since my last visit.

Sadly based on this meal the reports were largely true . My starter of peppers stuffed with tuna was very average and I would guess that it had spent a bit too long in the fridge post preparation whilst my haddock and chips was really very poor. The latter was a dish I have eaten many times but the soft and over flowery batter around an almost tasteless piece of haddock was compounded by what I can only describe as pommes allumettes not actually bad but in my opinion totally inappropriate in terms of thickness. My companion asked me to taste his rump of beef and it was really was a shock as the meat was clearly under hung and I suspect that it was not sourced from one of our few top butchers but rather standard Smithfield sourced catering butchers product. This is not what I expected from a restaurant with such a great pedigree and tradition.

On the positive side the Crème Brulée was as good as ever and one of the wines we drank was an outstanding Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia 2004. Service can only be described as excellent.

My sad conclusion is that this restaurant may need to improve it's procurement pretty quickly as I cannot believe that 4 tables at Lunchtime on Friday bodes well.

Terroirs, London

2010-02-22T14:34:00.009Z

I finally had my third meal at Terroirs and really wish I had been more often since it opened especially when I think about how many poor meals and unimaginative wine lists I have been subjected to over the past six months.

On my most recent visit last week I started with the Cantabrian Anchovies , Shallots & Unsalted Butter , this is great starter that gets your taste buds racing for what is to come. To follow I enjoyed a really delicious Cassoulet finishing off with some cheese, Fourme d’Ambert, Rocamadour, Soumaintrain and Saint Nectaire . My only quibble was the Toulouse sausage in the Cassoulet was not good enough and maybe not even a genuine Toulouse however the other meats were perfect.

My companion had a Selection of Charcuterie that included Duck Rillettes ,Saucisson “Noir de Bigorre” and Pork & Pistachio Terrine. He then had a fabulous roast Quail dish and also finished off with cheese.

We drank a glass of Champagne Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut followed by a superb Trinchero Barbera d'Asti 2003 ending with a glass of 2007 Moscato d’Asti, Vigna Vecchia, Ca’ da Gal.

This was my first meal in the downstairs section of Terroirs and it was as good as the other meals I have enjoyed upstairs . For me Terroirs ticks all the boxes, a very good well chosen wine list with simple well selected , procured and executed dishes complimented by very high levels of service.

Terroirs has a simple Philosophy: Great food and great wine sourced with an eager eye for provenance and as long as they continue to deliver they will have my regular custom.

Dean Street Townhouse, London

2010-02-22T11:30:00.008Z

I thought I was going to get away without having to review Dean Street Townhouse because having eaten here twice before I was confident that the required third meal could be avoided.

The reason for my third meal was a lunch with Helen the author of the brilliant World Foodie Guide . We were limited to Soho for the venue and somehow we settled on Dean Street Townhouse.

The Dean Street Townhouse has on the whole received very positive reviews but closer reading of the reviews may lead you to conclude that the food is no great shakes.

Well let me be very clear about the food , it is really awful in a nutshell poor quality ingredients more often than not very badly executed.The restaurant dinning room is really quite delightful and "clubby" but the kitchen seems to be unable to produce food that even matches those of Soho , Electric , Shoreditch , High Road and Babbington Houses !

My advice is go for some Oysters and a grilled Dover sole any dishes requiring a skilled cook/chef and good procurement are likely to disappoint.

For my most recent meal I started with twice baked haddock Souffle - it was not what I would call a souffle but I can confirm it had haddock in it followed by Pork cheeks with parsnip mash, glazed carrots and cider . The pork was of very poor quality and the sauce seemed to have been thickened with copious amounts of corn starch.

Other dishes I have tried chicken pie , salt beef , steak and roast chicken all average at best but frankly piss poor.

One wonders if there is any incentive for the Soho House Group to improve the food when reviews have largely been positive , the room is lovely, service is excellent and the place is fully booked with a good smattering of minor and major celebrities ?

I suspect Dean Street Townhouse Dinning Room has already achieved in a few months what Brasserie Lipp in Paris founded in 1880 has , a beautiful chic restaurant , great atmosphere serving dire food whilst still remaining popular .

101 Pimlico Road , London

2010-02-03T10:42:00.016Z

101 Pimlico Road occupies the site of one of Chelsea's famous Italian restaurants, La Fontana and most recently Vivezza. La Fontana established in the 60's attracted a slighter older segment of the Chelsea set and was famous for it's seasonal truffle menus. It was therefore no surprise to spot one of London's Truffle purveyors, Alfredo pop in and have a chat with Keith Goddard the Head Chef at 101. In fact I actually smelt him before I saw him as, his leather "man bag" was full of Tuber's.

I first met Keith Goddard during his stint at O'Shea's Knightsbridge where he spent a year learning about top class meat from an 8th generation butcher and his father. When you consider how much poor quality meat is served in London restaurants of all types one can only hope other aspiring and even established chefs consider investing time and effort understanding key elements of their supply chain. It was actually at O'Shea's of all places that Keith produced simply the best Chocolate Brownie I have ever had.

Keith is still in his late twenties,and a graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York. He has since developed his skills in a couple of start up restaurants in NYC then at Oliver Peyton's The Wallace and with Tom Aikens eponymous restaurant in Chelsea.

Will Guess who now owns and runs Rowley's in Jermyn Street (after taking over from his father) is the main investor and with Keith running the kitchen we have one of London's youngest teams to launch a new restaurant.

My original plan was to visit 101 with one of Keith's mentors but for various reasons this was not possible. The restaurant is still less than 3 months old and after some teething problems front of house the operation seems well set to support the beautifully executed food.

On my most recent visit with my wife for lunch we both had a really light and subtle confit of salmon served with a truffled egg.

My main of Battered Cod with truffle chips , spinach and lemon beurre blanc was a revelation. My wife adored her lobster and octopus salad made with the freshest leaves and herbs I have tasted for some time , in fact she was positively reluctant to let me taste.

Both deserts ; Crème Brulée with cinnamon shortbread and Chocolate Tart with peanut butter ice cream sprinkled with Maldon Salt were exemplary.

We drank a decent Pouilly Fume "Des Coques" 2007 .

My only quibble in fact is the wine list that though well chosen is rather limited in numbers and choice of wines but I'm assured this is a work in progress and a more extensive wine list is being developed.

101 Pimlico road is a welcome addition to both the area and the London restaurant scene .

Franco Manca , Chiswick , London

2009-12-13T13:57:00.011Z

I have sung the praises of the original Franco Manca in Brixton here and also covered the link between Eco , Franco and Franco Manca here

The new Franco Manca in Chiswick's soft opening was on Saturday December 12 , 2009, 14 days after the amazing oven built by the same Neapolitan artisans used in the Brixton branch was fired up.

The menu and formula here is the same simple 6 pizzas but there are some additions on the wines and beers . An organic Czech Lager and a range of Piedmontese wines from an Organic Wine cooperative.

Today I had another beautiful light sourdough Pizza with tomato , mozzarella and home cured Gloucester Old Spot Ham cooked in 38 seconds in the amazing 500c real wood fired oven !

There are 80 covers in the former Eco site , lovely brown granite tables , charming waiting staff and a wonderful mural from Enzo Apicella who did the same for some of the early Pizza Express restaurants in the 1960's.

By early next year Chiswick and Brixton will be baking 15,000 + Pizzas a month which is good news for lovers of the real thing !

Best of 2009 in London

2009-12-07T14:25:00.013Z

Here is my list of best food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2009 and you can compare with 2008 here 2007 here and 2006 here

Best Italian Restaurant : L'Anima

Best Indian : Bombay Palace

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares

Best Pakistani : New Tayyabs & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan

Best Thai : Nahm

Best Japanese : Umu

Best Vietnamese : Mien Tay , Hackney and Battersea

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia

Best Sushi : Sushi - Hiro

Best French : The Square , Hibiscus and Le Gavroche

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Fino ; Barfina

Best English : St John's

Best Fish/Seafood : J Sheekey

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope , Great Queen St & Harwood Arms

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : Vinoteca

Best Brasserie : Le Cafe Anglais

Best Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Racine , Knightsbridge

Best Burger : Hawksmoor

Best Steak : Cote de Boeuf at Racine

Best Steak Restaurant : Hawksmoor ,& Goodmans

Best mid range Burger : Byron Burger

Best Pizza : Franco Manca

Best Value for money Wine List : Andrew Edmunds

Best Value for Money Restaurant : Giaconda Dinning Room

Best Italian Deli : Speck

Most over rated : The Wolseley , River Cafe and Sketch

Best Butcher : Oshea's Knightbridge

Best Bakery : St John's Bread , Franco Manca & K&S Bakery (German breads only)

Best Patisserie : William Curley

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , Bibendum Wines

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou , Turnham Green Terrace

Rousillion, London

2009-11-30T21:32:00.013Z

I returned to Roussillion last week after an absence of several years , having first enjoyed the always perfectly executed cuisine of Alexis Gauthier and his team in the late 1990's .

For some reason I always leave thinking I really should eat here more often as this restaurant really does have everything I normally expect to find in a fine restaurant. The food and service are very good and there is an excellent serious wine list in what remains a very understated restaurant hidden away half way down a side street on the Belgravia/Pimlico border.

On this occasion I was asked to choose a restaurant by an epicurean Greek technology entrepreneur where the food was good and we could actually talk at ease without intrusive service or noisy patrons . We had to eat fairly early as Tony K had to catch a flight to Cologne early the next day.

Saying that I ran into to a friend of mine who is amongst other things a member of the Chelsea FC medical team and we of course discussed the Serbian Horse Placenta wonder treatment.

Everything at Roussillion is as the French sometimes say is "correct" from the excellent homemade bread , the two (salted & unsalted) butters to the actual pace the staff move around the main room. Michael Lear runs the front of house with elegance and good humour and Roberto Della Pietra is one of the UK's top Sommelier's.

Alexis Gauthier who worked in amongst other places Chanteclerc at Hotel Negresco, Nice and Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV temple of gastronomy in Monte Carlo continues to produce beautifully executed dishes that wherever possible use locally sourced ingredients.

The amuse bouche included Chickpea Beignets with Mustard; and Canapés of Smoked Eel & Beetroot Purée which I have had before and a new one on me delicious pigeon heart pictured below.

I am afraid that the Black Truffle Risotto is really too good to resist and I didn't it was a perfectly balanced and executed combination of truffle , rice , butter and parmigiano .

My Veal and Morel main course was again perfectly cooked and presented but I found the Isle of Wight Veal lacked flavour maybe I should pluck up courage and introduce Alexis to my butcher who not only has the best beef and pork I can get my hands on in the UK but superb Irish Rose Veal. We drank a Montagny 1er Cru,Château de la Saule 2007 that worked well with all our courses. Tony had :

SCALLOPS & PEAR ROASTED LARDED SCALLOPS, LIGHT CAULIFLOWER CREAM, CRISPY & CRUNCHY PEAR, JUS DE ROTI

BLACK OLD SPOT PIG & BRAMLEY APPLE BRAISED BELLY RUBBED WITH INDONESIAN PEPPER, ROASTED MIGNON, GLOBE ARTICHOKE,FOIE GRAS & GRILLED APPLE

After a pre desert of clafoutis of pear and choclolat we both ended our fine meal with a circular version of Ducasse's Louis XV - hazelnut praline, over thin biscuit base, sandwiched between chocolate ganache and covered in dark chocolate sauce , finished with with gold leaf.

I think I need to come here more often or at least as often as I go to Hunan around the corner !

Amuse Bouche. PIGEON HEART , CONFIT TOMATO , CARAMALISED BABY ONION AND CRISPY LARDON

Entrée. BLACK TRUFFLE RISOTTO

Plat Principal. VEAL & MORELS THIN & SOFT CUT OF CALVES SHANK, BATTERED SWEETBREAD, CREAMED MORELS & CABBAGE,
BACON & LIVER PARCELS

Desert. LOUIS XV

Working on Best of 2009

2009-11-24T07:15:00.015Z

Seems like only yesterday that I was publishing my annual Best of list the last twelve months have really flown by.
You can see my 2008 list here
This year I plan to have more categories including Best Spanish , Vietnamese , Thai , Best Cafe , Best Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking and best Pizza.
Please let me know what you think ? I plan to release my list in the next few weeks.

Eco , London : The Forgotten Gem

2009-11-12T10:50:00.007Z

There is a very strong connection between the best pizzas in London and the owners of Eco in Clapham the Wassif family. In fact the owners of Eco today were owners of the site of the original Franco's Pizzeria in Brixton Market (in it's time the best) that they later opened as Eco Brixton after Franco moved to North London to set up Casale Franco. These days the site is Franco Manca widely accepted as the best authentic Neapolitan pizza base in London. The Wassif's are working with Giuseppe Mascoli to launch Franco Manca in Chiswick which is due to open in December 2009. In fact the artisan ovens are being hand built at this moment on site in Chiswick always between 90 and 130cm wide and no more than 35cm high on the inside.These dimensions will determine the oven's heat and humidity and mean just like in Brixton pizzas will cook in 40 seconds at 500 C + .

Sami Wassif a genial Egyptian businessman and epicurean has also invested in a number of high profile restaurants including Hakassan and worked on a number of Alan Yau projects not to mention with great talents like Francesco Mazzei who has now established the best Italian Restaurant in the UK , L'Anima .

Some 17 years ago when Franco went "missing" I remember hearing about the link with Eco and trying the Pizzas in the newly opened Clapham High Street restaurant . What struck me at the time was how light and digestable the base was as well as the quality of the toppings.

I recently returned to Eco and found it almost unchanged apart from a slightly bigger space and more extensive menu that includes salads and grilled meats and vegetables.

The pizza I had with ham , egg, red and green chilis was as I remember all those years ago. The restaurant was packed to the rafters with regulars and neophytes enjoying the great food and atmosphere overseen by probably the best front of house team I have come across in a Pizzeria !

Restaurants come and go on Clapham and many other High Streets in the UK and when one has been around for as long as Eco it usually means the food and atmosphere must be damned good !

Melanzana , The boys are back

2009-11-10T09:57:00.004Z

Lucio and Jimmy are back on the square with a new partner Paolo.

They had previously been across the road now a Dry Cleaners with a small deli cafe but now have created a Deli , Cafe and Tratoria that serves simple mainly southern Italian cuccina casalinga .

Even though Melanzana opened yesterday I was able to enjoy an excellent plate of pasta a la Norma (Rigatoni with aubergine , tomato and garlic sauce with Sicilian Ricotta).

The daily changing menu is available to eat in or take away.

The deli counter has a wide range of salumi , hams and cheeses and there is excellent bread and small selection of vegetables.

It's also great to be able to get a decent espresso as the other places on Battersea Square have coffee which frankly is as bad as their food.

Melanzana is a much needed addition to the Battersea Square area that is open for breakfast through to dinner .

Madsen , London

2009-10-20T15:22:00.010+01:00

Madsen has now been open for a year at the South Kensington station end of Old Brompton road, not too far from where the seminal Hilaire restaurant opened it's doors many moons ago and less than 500 meters from another Danish restaurant Lundum's that closed about 3 years ago.

Charlote Kruse Madsen a graduate École Hotelière de Lausanne in Switzerland who trained at Ida Davidsen’s in Copenhagen, s founded the contract catering company Madsen Food in 2006, with the aim of bringing the Scandinavian food experience to London and a year ago Madsen Restaurant opened it's doors serving modern Danish food.

Once you enter the restaurant you you are transported to a typical modern Scandinavian environment of simple clean lines light woods and friendly and efficient staff. It reminded me of visiting the offices of Scandinavian Broadcaster SBC in Hounslow, where as soon as you enter you could be in Oslo , Stockholm or Copenhagen !

Lunch features Smushi , a smaller version of the traditional Danish open sandwich called ”Smørrebrød”. They are beautifully decorated on either dark rye or white sour dough bread with healthy fish, meat and vegetarian options. Warm dishes that include daily specials are avaialbe as well and range from Frikadelle , Danish meatballs with red cabbage and new potatoes to Braised pork shank on a bed of caramelised cabbage, pearl onion and mustard to Pan-fried, breaded filet of Irish plaice served with broccoli tossed in oyster remoulade. There are plenty of vegetarian options and gluten free bread is available on request.

Last night my companions and I had a wonderful dinner that kicked of with shots of Akvavit followed by the excellent value set dinner.

Salad of baked pumpkin and salted seeds with little gem lettuce and honey vinaigrette and extra hot smoked Scottish salmon. This was a delightful simple perfectly balanced and well executed starter.

The main course was the daily special of Frikadeller” -Danish Pork Meatballs with red cabbage , gravy and mashed potatoes. The meatballs were light and perfectly cooked servers with al dente red cabbage , thick gravy and excellent mashed potatoes in a side bowl. We drank a Gavi ‘La Zerba’ 2007 which complimented all our food.

We finished with a truly delicious "Rødgrød med fløde” the famous Danish red berry pudding served cold with cream .

I look forward to returning soon to work through the rest of the menu !

Leong's Legends : A one trick pony ?

2009-10-19T14:08:00.007+01:00

I have been to Leong’s Legends about six times now and have tried most things on the menu.

The restaurant claims to be Taiwanese but has many standard Cantonese dishes that one would encounter in most of the Cantonese centric establishments in London’s China Town or other comers of the world where Cantonese communities are well established be it Hong Kong or of course Taiwan.

My conclusion on this restaurant is that the vast majority of dishes are average to poor but there are a few really outstanding ones.

Other dishes that are good to above average include Taiwan Mini Kebab with pork though sometimes it is far too fatty, grilled minced pork buns (not a patch on Hunan’s) a spicy beef noodle soup (again the brisket can be too fatty for my taste) and the pork belly stew.

The Xiao Long Bao (pictured above) are certainly the best I have had in London and only second to some I had in a restaurant in Liverpool called The Orient over 15 years ago (in terms of UK). Both restaurants achieved the perfect balance of dumpling texture broth and pork filling. Of course neither reach the levels that I have been lucky enough to sample in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei but they get close !

Leong’s Xiao Long Bao are in fact so good that I will continue to frequent this establishment even if it’s only for a late breakfast at noon when it opens it’s doors.

#vongole video 8 : why no cheese ?

2009-09-24T08:39:00.005+01:00

In this 8th and final video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of the award winning L'Anima in London explains why cheese is not required in this dish.

Pasta has become popular all over the world as has Parmegiano Reggiaono however it is often added to dishes that do not require the addition of any cheese or this particular cheese. Even in Italy other cheeses form the essential ingredients of a specific pasta dish be it Sicilian Ricotta , Mozzarella or one of the many regional Pecorinos. Also many dishes do not need cheese because it's just one ingredient too many and it unbalances the dish by masking or clashing with the main ingredients.

7 #vongole video - parsley a herb worth waiting for

2009-09-23T10:22:00.002+01:00

In this 7th video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of the award winning L'Anima in London talks about parsley .

Again the selection of parsley is important to ensure the dish is balanced so the taste should not be too strong . Francesco prefers to use Southern Italian , Ligurian or Greek flat parsley and also likes to chop it roughly again to ensure the flavour does not overwhelm the dish.

6th #vongole video :"emulsione" with "emozione"

2009-09-22T10:22:00.003+01:00

In this 6th video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of the award winning L'Anima in London focuses on "emulsione" with both "emozione" and his unparalleled "passione".

This video beautifully illustrates the points of difference one gets with Francesco and his team at L'Anima . Here we see the extra effort and energy that goes into executing a perfect dish time and time again.

The "emulsione" is a kind of Gastronomic Alchemy produced by shaking the pan to and fro and combining the starchy pasta water with olive oil and the natural juices from the clams. The result is a true taste sensation !

5th #vongole video : how and when to add white wine

2009-09-21T14:09:00.004+01:00

In this 5th video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of the award winning L'Anima in London explains when and why you add white wine during the cooking of Linguine alle Vongole.

# 4th vongole video : extra virgin understatement

2009-09-20T10:52:00.008+01:00

In this 4th video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of L'Anima in London explains why the choice of olive oil in this dish is so important.

Francesco recommends extra virgin olive oil that is quasi neutral in taste thus allowing the key ingredients of the dish to prosper and combine without being over powered by a strong flavoured olive oil that can "kill" the dish.

This lesson so to speak applies to practically all dishes and cuisines . How often do we find just that extra ingredient to many or that the balance of the dish is wrong because there is to much of something .

Being able to select, combine and balance the right ingredients to execute the perfect dish is one of the key points of difference one finds in great cooks and chefs .

#3rd vogole video : it is essential use bronze die/cut pasta

2009-09-19T14:28:00.002+01:00

Here Francesco Mazzei explains the reason for using better quality bronze die/cut pasta.

The quality and choice of pasta is very important as it affects the pasta water needed to create the perfect "emulsione" and determine retention ratio of this almost creamy sauce.

Better quality and artisanal pasta have certain key advantages over the key industrial brands . Firtstly they extrude their pasta through bronze dies hat leave microstriations (ridges, grooves, etc.) to capture and hold the sauce.

Second, they dry the pasta at lower temperatures. While this takes longer, it preserves the fine flavors of the wheat.

And finally I also have the impression that the quality of the starch in the pasta water (essential in this dish) is far superior.

I use Garofalo one of the producers from Gragnano reputed to be the best areas for dry pasta making as well as Guiseppe Cocco from Abruzzo another highly rated area . The latter is available in Waitrose whilst most good delis will sell at least one brand of high quality pasta.

2nd #vongole video – linguine or spaghetti: the necessity of long, slender & dry

2009-09-18T18:32:00.002+01:00

In part 2 of “linguine alle vongole – the finer points of a perfect pasta”, Francesco Mazzei explains why it is essential to use a pasta that’s long, slender and dry.

1st #vongole video – “spurgare le vongole”: the ritual of cleaning the clams

2009-09-18T18:25:00.001+01:00

“linguine alle vongole – the finer points of a perfect pasta” is a series of eight short videos starring Francesco Mazzei, the chef at London’s L’Anima. In part 1 of the series – spurgare le vongole – Francesco explains the ritual of cleaning the clams. In Italian, spurgare means “to clean, purge” and can apply to forms of purging other than the removal of sand from clams.

Linguine alle Vongole - The Finer Points of Perfect Pasta

2009-09-16T14:33:00.025+01:00

I have gone on record to say L’Anima is my favourite Italian Restaurant in London here . In fact it’s now one of my favourite restaurants in the UK.

Through a number of discussions on Twitter with Daniel Young @youngandfoodish and Rejina Sabur @gastrogeek1 I got involved in a debate about Linguine alle Vongole that led to meeting and getting to know Francesco Mazzei the brilliant Chef and co Owner of L’Anima.

Eating regularly in a restaurant obviously tells you a lot about the philosophy and passion of the Chef. What is striking about L’Anima is the attention to detail be it the home made bread, choice of olives, the carefully constructed wine list and of course perfectly executed dishes that transport you to Calabria’s, Sicily and Sardinia.

What I like about Linguine alle Vongole is that like many Italian dishes it appears on the surface to be very simple, boil some pasta and throw in a few ingredients

Linguine or Spaghetti alle Vongole is an essentially contested dish just like many others that transcend regionalism and can be found in all corners of the country and beyond. Every aspect is debated and contested, rosso or bianco, chilli or no chilli, white wine or no white wine, choice and quality of pasta, fine or coarsely chopped parsley, cooking time and so on.

In reality when you deconstruct this dish you start to understand Italian Cooking, the importance of good quality ingredients and the dialectic between apparent simplicity and the combination of few ingredients to produce the synthesis of a perfectly executed dish.

Through this project I have been lucky enough to watch a master cook one of my favourite dishes, whilst explaining each of it’s finer points. I am of course even more fortunate to have eaten this glorious dish cooked by Francesco Mazzei from scratch in less than 12 minutes.

Now you to have the opportunity to see Francesco cook Linguine alle Vongole and then eat the dish at this unique event.

Francesco will demo and effectively deconstruct this deceptively simple dish through a series of short web videos and then at a special October 2009 tasting dinner in the private dining room of L'Anima. The first of the vongole vids, "Spurgare le Vongole: The Ritual of Cleaning the Clams" will begin appearing on Thursday 17th of September on youtube and twiddeo. 7 additional videos will be released over the next 7 days.

Tell us why you love linguine vongole in 140 characters or less and post it on twitter before the 25th of September, including the hashtag #vongole somewhere within your response. (If you don't use twitter, post your reply as a comment below). If your verse on vongole is voted the best, you and a guest will be invited by Francesco to attend the special linguine alle vongole tasting dinner at L'Anima in October.

Hacienda Benazuza , La Alqueria

2009-09-08T17:23:00.020+01:00

When we entered La Alqueria Rafael Zafra who is the head chef and one of Ferrán Adriá right hand men met us. Rafa greeted our boys who he had met the night before and promised them a great experience to rival anything they may have tasted in their short but nevertheless impressive gastronomic education.

Rafa was not wrong the food and wine combined with superb service was worthy of mention alongside my first experience of Pierre Gagnaire (in St Etienne) in the early 1990's or other unique experiences at Frédy Girardet (Crissier), Troigros and of course Ferrán Adriá.

Rafael Zafra a native of Seville is only 27 and apart from Ferrán Adriá over the last 5 years, he has also worked with Fernando Barcenas (Aldebaran) Daniel Garcia (Trabaguches), Toño Perez (Atrio), Gerard Swaiger (Tristan restaurant).

The tasting menu was really stunning and one of the most enjoyable 3 hours I have ever spent with my family. It's not always easy to choose your wine on such occasions but I decided to stick with Spanish and we drank 2005 Lusco do Mino "Pazo Pineiro de Lusco" Albariño, Rias Baixas and Vega Sicilia Unico 1990 the former was familiar to me and turned out to work well with the myriad of tapas and sea food centred part of the tasting menu whilst Pepe Garcia the Sommelier assured me that the 1990 as opposed to 1995 Vega Sicilia would be better suit with the meat centric part of the menu. 1990 is not one of the great years but nevertheless it's a remarkable wine that has never disappointed me unlike the over hyped 1995 Pingus.

The tasting menu was really a masterpiece not just on an individual per dish basis but how everything worked so well as a whole. The highlights were a mock baguette wrapped in Iberico Ham, tempura flowers, red mullet fillets with mango and lime sorbet, duck foie gras with an almost chocolate like reduction and an incredible frozen white chocolate cake. Many of the dishes are staples tried and tested at El Bulli before being replaced by the newly developed dishes. The real point of difference here is Rafael Zafra who as a native Andalucian adds his talent and creativity to the tried and tested dishes but also some of his own that are obviously inspired by the region of his birth.

In summary Hacienda Benazuza provided us with one of the best boutique hotel stays and breakfasts ever as well as a dinner I am happy to include in my top 10 to date.

Hacienda Benazuza , The Breakfast

2009-09-06T16:44:00.022+01:00

The 7 course breakfast at the Hacienda Benazuza is an absolute delight and a wonderful way to start your day in this magical Hotel. If you have not yet dined in La Alqueria it gives you an early indication that there is some serious talent in the Kitchen.

Whilst eating some outstanding Jamon/Lomo Ibercico , Manchego as well fresh marinated Anchovies served with excellent crusty white (having arrived very late the night before) we noted that, both procuremnt and service was world class . Juan José Morán the "Director de Restauración " even asked us if for the following evening we wanted something "simple" for our boys as he knew the four of us were booked for dinner at La Alqueria.

Juan who is 33 was actually born in Sanlúcar La Mayor started working at the Hacienda Benazzuza in 1994 as an 18 year old and has risen through the ranks also spending two years at the Berkeley Hotel in London from 1996 to 1998.

Whilst chatting to Juan who was a consumate professional as well as being a delightful and engaging young man, I mentioned that the boys were very advanced gastronomically speaking, and mentioned a few restaurants and dishes they had already experienced. He then took our two sons to the kitchen as we finished our wine an excellent bottle of Silente from north of Seville. They came back delighted, saying that they had met the "head chef" and his team.

The breakfast is obviously designed to wake up all of your senses and everything from the outstanding pastries to superb juices , marmalades ,conserves, flavoured butters , marinated fruits , breakfast deserts to the finale of sumptuous egg based dishes.

When a Michelin starred kitchen brigade makes breakfast one can expect something special but when it's brigade from La Alqueira/El Bulli you get fireworks !

The rest of the day was spent realxing by the pool waiting in glorious anticipation for our tasting menu at La Alqueira.

Hacienda Benazuza , Sanlúcar La Mayor - Seville

2009-09-03T09:32:00.017+01:00

I recently spent two nights at the Hacienda Benazuza with my wife and two young sons and this is the first of three posts that cover a magical experience. The other posts will cover the amazing 7 course al frescoBreakfast and then Dinner at La Alqueria.

The El Bulli Hacienda Benazuza was originally a 10th century Moorish Estate, Hacienda Benazuza later became part of the crusading order of the Knights of Santiago and subsequently the property of a succession of noblemen honoured with the title “Count of Benazuza”. In 1998 the hotel formed an association with El Bulli (Ferrán Adriá) for the food and beverage side of the business and it is now part of the El Bulli Hotels and Resorts. The crowning glory of this association is the hotel's “La Alqueria” restaurant that currently boasts two Michelin stars. The Hacienda Benazuza is a veritable oasis surrounded by lush gardens and enclosed by white washed walls, where calm and seclusion pervades the air. The extended views of the centenary olive groves mix with the sensuous sound of the fountains and subtle smell of honeysuckle of the gardens. The inside of the hotel is a series Arabic patios and salons that create a timeless Andalusian environmentthat reflects the hotel’s rich historical past. The 44 bedrooms and suites are decorated with perfectly selected objects of art and valuable antiques that blend harmoniously with the more modern facilities one would expect from a world class five star boutique hotel.

Le Café Anglais , London

2009-08-17T16:40:00.014+01:00

Last week I had Lunch at Le Café Anglais and on leaving came to the same conclusion that I have had the two previous times I visited this restaurant. My conclusion was I really should eat here more often.

I have never met co owner and Chef Rowley Leigh apart from a brief exchange of pleasantries at Kensington Place some years ago but I am old enough to have eaten his food, in several of the restaurants he was involved in, including Le Gavroche Sloane Street, Le Poulbot, Kensington Place, probably, 192 on a week end night and who knows maybe even a Hamburger at Joe Allen.

Rowley Leigh's food could be described as Franco Italian bistro/brassiere-influenced modern British cooking but this man of impeccable taste is far more open minded and Spain and Japan clearly figure in his gastronomic melting pot.

Leigh like Alistar Little and Simon Hopkinson always produced perfectly executed simple food made with excellent ingredients. What all three have in common along with another contemporary Sally Clarke is that despite the simplicity of a given dish you somehow felt the personality of the chef coming through. One also felt that these chefs developed strong views on food and a vision about how it should be cooked and presented.

Along with Bibendum I think the art deco Le Café Anglais has the most beautiful rooms in London. At lunch the huge windows overlooking Bayswater Road and Porchester Gardens flood the vast room with natural light even when the sun is not shinning which of course is more often than not.

Like the room (170 covers) the Menu is vast with Hors D’Oeuvres, Starters, Mains many side dishes and puddings. There is a daily Lunch Menu and for Dinner a daily roast ranging from Venison to Gloucester Old Spot Pork along with the permanent Rotisserie Classics (Chicken, Beef, Game and Lamb)

Probably because my mother hails from Bologna I have never resisted the Mortadella with Celeriac Remoulade (well sourced) and Parmesan Custard with Anchovy Toast (perfect) and on this occasion we also had Pike Boudain, a little bland for me however the explosion of controlled flavour from Mackerel Teriyaki certainly made up for that,

Both my companion and I love Roast Chicken choose the option to have just the leg with it's jus and some beautifully cooked Chanterelles. This is an absolute bargain at £4.50 for what I consider to be the best part of any chicken including the UK's best, Label Anglais favoured and championed by Rowley Leigh.

I finished my meal with well-made Peach Melba whilst my friend chose the Queen of Puddings that also got thumbs up.

The wine list well constructed with both Old and New World fairly represented (therefore no New World :-) ). We had a pretty decent chilled Chinon ( I failed to note the winemaker or year) which served it's purpose of more or less matching our eccentric choices of food.

The service on a fairly busy Lunch service was perfect from the moment I set foot in the restaurant to when I departed two and a half hours later.

In terms of large modern Brassiere style Restaurants in London I prefer Le Café Anglais to The Wolesley primarily because the food is better but also this well run operation has leveraged the space to create a very pleasant environment that is perfect for a business lunch, treating your elderly parent or dare I say a romantic dinner or hot date.

Having reflected on why I don't go more often it's probably because of the location and as most of my lunches are business related I become a prisoner of the City and West End. However to paraphrase the words of the most famous of all guides, Le Café Anglais is certainly worth a detour.

Educating Teens at L'Anima

2009-08-08T17:44:00.018+01:00

Many people ask both Mrs Gastro and I how we managed to get our two boys (7 and 10 respectively) to love food and try absolutely everything. Well the answer is simple education, education and on going education. We talk to them about food take them to great restaurants and involve them in growing and sourcing. Our boys are well known to our Butcher and Fishmongers as well as many chefs and restaurateurs both in the UK and abroad.

Today at L'Anima I witnessed a wonderful birthday gift offered to their daughter (Ellen) by Martin and Katie Wright a delightful couple from Suffolk.

Martin is a Partner in City Law Firm based a stones throw from L'Anima and is a regular customer. Francesco Mazei Chef and co owner holds regular cooking classes for adults on a Saturday morning when the restaurant is closed. Between them they came up with the idea of inviting nine of Ellen's teenage girlfriends as well as her ten year old brother Alistair to have lunch at L'Anima as a birthday treat. The twist as they found out on arrival was that they would have to help prepare the food with Francesco and his craque kitchen brigade! Also while lunch was being finished off they would have a special wine tasting session given by Head Sommelier and Wine Evangelist Gal Zohar.

@MsMarmitelover and I acted as provocateurs and in loco parentis whilst Mr and Mrs Wright went shopping and returned to join everyone for lunch.

The Menu

Aubergine Parmigiana
Fettuccine a la Bolognese
Chicken Milanese
Classic Tiramisu

Wine Tasting

Prosecco, Bisol
Pinot Grigio Ramato, Grion 2007
Rosso Picerno Superiore, Aurora, 2004
Solita Fattoria le Pupille , 2005

The children had a tour of the entire Kitchen set up and then participated in the preparation of all of the dishes from frying aubergines and making fresh pasta to how to make a classic Ragu Bolognese.

Francesco is a natural communicator and he was supported by Luca and Christian who ensured each one of the teens understood and participated fully.

As @MsMarmitelover mentioned at the time it was wonderful to hear and see the teens describe so vividly the wines they smelt and tasted.

After all the work every one sat down and enjoyed eating wonderful food and drinking the wines from the tasting with it. All the plates for each course came back to the kitchen clean!

Bravo Francesco and Martin !

Sorelle Picchi , Parma

2009-07-31T20:28:00.020+01:00

Sorelle Picchi is a legendary Salumeria and Restaurant in Parma . The 2nd generation Picchi sisters sold out to a big local producer of Prosciutto (Cotto and Crudo)Parmacotto. I'm glad to report that this institution so favoured by the likes of Dario Fo and gastronomes from all over, Parma , Italy and the World is still superb.

The procurement of the finest Prosciutto di Parma , Culatello di Zibello , Salami di Felino and local Coppa is if anything improved . I suspect the new owners also own many of the suppliers like Antica Salumeria Rosi.

The wine list is now a bit longer and broader and I was very happy to find the superb Pinot Nero from Alto Adige made by Martin Hofstätter . At 15 euros this is a veritable bargain and great match for the remarkable Salumi and Tortelli.

I have eaten here 3 times on this trip and have enjoyed some of the best Culatello and Proscuiutto di Parma I have ever tasted and I have never had better Tortelli alle Erbette.

Also sampled superb Fetuccini con culatello e porcini, Cappeletti en brodo and con sugo di carne whilst the best main was without doubt a melt in your mouth Guanciale de Vitello ( Veal cheek stew).

The only desert I managed on my 3 visits was a beautifully balanced semifredo di zabiaone con salsa di cioccolato caldo .

By my third visit I was actually worried that I would be able to squeeze through the little gap between the wall and the wooden counter on which rests the cash register and enter the back room, a vision of white tablecloths, packed with wooden chairs and busy waitresses serving a myriad of simple staple Parmigiani dishes.

What impressed me about Sorelle Picchi was the cross section of local people who ate in this restaurant at both lunch and dinner. There were doctors ,lawyers , shopkeepers , professional footballers,employees from Parmalat , secretaries , students and farm workers from the province of Parma. This is not unusual in good restaurants in Italy but certainly not common in the UK.

Parma like Bologna and most of Emilia Romagna produces wonderful food and it is really difficult to eat badly. I have always found the cuisine of this region along with large portions of the south (especially Calabria , Campagnia,Basilicata and Sicily)to be head and shoulders above the rest of Italy.

For those who have not visited this part of Italy and tend to focus on Rome , Florence , Venice and maybe Verona too try and find time to discover not only great food the beautiful cities and countryside around Parma , Modena and Bologna !

Sorelle Piccchi
Tratoria.Salumeria
Via Farini 27
43100 Parma
Tel 051 233528

Naranj , Old Damascus

2009-07-23T15:15:00.015+01:00

Naranj was recommended to me by Kano -Syrian Foodie in London who is not only a Surgeon but a top Food Blogger.He asserts that this is the finest Syrian Restaurant in Damascus and I cannot disagree.

There cannot be many restaurants in the World located in a more historic location - the corner of Via Recta aka Straight St or Medhat Pasha Street by the Roman Arch

The spacious 300 + cover restaurant is in a converted Old Damascene House with the largest space being in what must have been the countyard. The menu is pan Syrian with special dishes that represent most parts of what is now modern Syria .

Ideally you would want to visit this restaurant with four or more people to be able to start with 10 or more mezze and then have a main course of your choice.However on this occasion this was not possible.

I started with Houmus , Taboule , Babaganoush and Fried Kibeh all were perfectly executed. The Arabic bread was made on site in a section of the large kitchen that has a Fatayer oven for the various Fatayer and breads . I drank Arak with the meal as I have always found this to be the perfect match for Syro/Lebanese cuisine.

For my main course I had Lamb cooked in a clay pot with Bamya (Okra) one of my favourite oriental dishes that I have enjoyed in Greece , Turkey , Egypt and Lebanon. What made this dish exceptional was the quality of the lean lamb (shoulder and leg) and the firmness of the Bamya held together in an almost sweet tomato sauce that had been perfectly seasoned and spiced.

Some Syrian sweets were brought along with superb Cherries and Plums. I had enough time to smoke an Apple Argeela (Shisha) and drink a perfect Turkish Coffee.

I left the restaurant totally satisfied turned right and right again walking up Via Recta remembering Acts 9:10-19

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

Mrs Gastro's Allotment in mid Summer

2009-07-16T19:22:00.010+01:00

Mrs Gastro1 got her allotment just under four years ago and after a first 12 months of very hard work it began to yield some amazing fruit and vegetables.

After much trial and error Mrs Gastro1 has worked out what grows well and now our family is getting superb fruit and vegetables grown without any pesticides whatsoever ( not the case with certified organic ) just good old fashioned horse manure and organic slug pelets not to mention hard work dedication and planning.

Over the last 6 weeks we have had first class berries ( Tayberries , Loganberries , Blueberries and Yellow and Red Raspberries) yellow and green courgettes and French beans , Rocket , Escarole , Radicchio di Treviso , Potatoes , Broad Beans,Leeks ,Peas , Spinach , Swiss Chard, Artichokes , Wet Garlic , Rhubbard , Red Currants , Black Currants and Gooseberries.

We estimate that in at least 8 months of the year we get over 60 % of our fruit and vegetables from the allotment on any given week. The goal is to reach 80% ! And boy do things taste better when you have just picked them.

Another benefit has been the gastronomic education of our two sons who of course have been involved in growing fruit and vegetables and eat absolutely everything with great gusto.

I would recommend my fellow Londoners to get on a waiting list, the hard work really pays off !

Franco Manca , London

2009-07-11T20:36:00.010+01:00

Franco Manca opened on the a site that serious Pizza lovers will may remember was once occupied by a Pizzeria called Franco that begat both Eco here and in Clapham as well as Casale Franco in Islington. (Hence Franco Manca).

Franco Manca is co owned by Neapolitan expatriate Giuseppe Mascoli and the the Brixton based artist Bridget Hugo . Mascoli is the owner of Black's the Soho Private Members Club.

Giuseppe Mascoli and his Pizza "consultant" Marco Parente have created a neo Neapolitan Pizzeria with a twist. Whilst largely adhering to the basic rules of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana they source their Fior di Latte Mozzarella from Alham Wood Farm of Somerset which is rather good and certainly better than the majority of Italian industrial versions - however some argue that not using or providing a (higher priced) option of DOP Mozzarella di Buffala is the one weakness of this establishment. Others point out that top DOP Mozzarella is too good to be used for Pizza and should be enjoyed with some good olive oil uncooked or as part of a fresh tomato based salad.

The philosophy of Franco Manca is the creation of a genuine Neapolitan Pizza with the best available locally sourced ingredients. This explains the cheeses from Shepton Mallet and Spanish Olive Oil and selected cured meats from Brindisa. The perfect dough produced with to 00 flour forms the base of a Pizza that is light and airy and cooked in a genuine Neapolitan brick wood fired ovens for less than a minute.

Mascoli like Francesco Mazzei at L'Anima represent a new generation of proud Italians who are not only perfectionists but also have a tremendous pride in the cooking of their motherland! This is great news for a city and country where regrettably many of their compatriots be they recent migrants or first and second generation have shown in Deli’s, Cafes and Restaurants a total disrespect for authentic good quality regional Italian fare.

The menu offers six Pizzas served regular or as calzone, a side salad and beverages (Organic Sicilian Lemonade, Beer and Wine ) as well as a decent Monmouth Espresso.

My routine is usually to have a Pizza and then either split another with my companion or sometimes even have two. I prefer to drink the excellent lemonade and have an espresso with il conto.

After a year or so of regular visits I am pleased to see Franco Manca has not only maintained standards but also continued to improve.

I'd love to see the option of a more expensive DOP Mozzarella di Buffalo topped Pizza for those who are prepared to pay. But despite this little quibble along with Metro on Battersea Rise I have not had better Neapolitan Pizza in the UK.

Update Monday , July 27, 2009

I took my kids for lunch today and after another sublime pizza I ran into Giuseppe Mascoli . Apart from discussing the deconstruction of a certain classic Italian dish and Jacques Derrida I told im the pizza seemed even lighter and more enjoyable than ususal. Giuseppe informed me that this was because the fermentation of the dough on Mondays has been 38 hours (from Saturday evening) unlike most days when it's 24 ! Anyway I can report that at 12.15 only 15 minutes after oeneing there was not a free seat in the casa !

Racine , London

2009-07-04T13:53:00.012+01:00

Henry Harris is back as Chef Patron at Racine after a shortish stint as Executive Chef of the Soho House Group. I have eaten Henry's fine Bourgeois cooking for more years than I care to count going back to Hilare, Bibendum and 5h Floor at Harvey Nicholls.

It turns out that Henry also knows and worked with one of my best friends from University at The Old Ship in Brighton many moons ago. Strangely all this became apparent when Henry and I engaged on Twitter in a discussion on La Meranda in Nice that also involved restaurateur Charlie McVeigh and food critic/writer Daniel Young.

Racine reminds me of several Paris restaurants that falls into the category of Bistros/Brasseries * with a delightful room that has a wood floor, brown leather banquettes with mirrors above them and pale yellow walls.

Racine though is really about the food and as you can imagine when the Chef Patron has spent his formative years working with Simon Hopkinson you are most likely to be guaranteed well executed classic Bourgeois cooking.

John, Henry’s old colleague from Brighton and I had an exemplary lunch on Friday, July 3rd 2009. The food and service was really top notch and as it turns out it was Henry’s last service before a well-earned holiday.

We were greeted by Henry who gave us some of his own home made delightful cured middle white proscuito .

I strated with Smoked duck, French bean and girolle salad which was really very good indeed. The beans were perfectly cooked “al dente” and the duck was succulent with the delightful small girolles complimenting the ensemble of ingredients.

John was delighted with his Lincolnshire smoked eel, salmon roe, watercress and horseradish salad.

To follow I had Filet au poivre made with a lovely piece of well hung Filet served with hand cut chips and simple mixed leaf salad. The sauce presumably made with a veal stock reduction was really delicious and worked well with the tenderest but not necessarily the most flavorful cut of beef.

John said his Breast of guinea fowl, peas, broad beans and tarragon was really outstanding.

We drank a half bottle of Gewurztraminer, Cote de Rouffach, Rene Mure followed by a chilled Brouilly, Chateau de la Perriere as well as “several” Marc’s de Bourgogne with our espressos; we were really too full to be tempted by the classic deserts or the fine cheeses from La Fromagerie.

Racine is a delightful restaurant with excellent service providing very good and well executed Bourgeois cooking based on well selected ingredients from top suppliers. To paraphrase the by line of Benoît in Paris "Chez toi Racine, on boit, festoie, en rois”

Update Summer of 2009

Henry started to source amazing Cote de Boeuf from O'Shea's of Knightsbridge these Irish Black Angus Grass Fed , Barley Finished 44 day + aged Ribeyes on the Bone are in my humble opinion simply the best steak you can have in the UK !

* see the excellent Bistros , Brasseries and Wine Bars of Paris : Everyday Recipes from the Real Paris by Daniel Young , Harper Collins NY, NY 2006.

The Harwood Arms , Fulham , London

2009-06-22T13:54:00.017+01:00

I have been to The Harwood Arms three times since it opened its doors in a little corner of gentrified Fulham between Seagrave Road and North End Road. After every meal I conclude that this extraordinary “gastro pub “ seems to get better.

The Harwood Arms is a joint venture between Brett Graham of the excellent Ledbury, Mike Robinson of the superb Pot Kiln in Berkshire and top publican Edwin Vaux .

The décor is classic fine gastropub with stripped woods, bare tables and pale pastel coloured walls. There are some points of difference namely the wonderful Sophie Conran crockery and rustic Hessian napkins.

Chef Stephen Williams is a true artist with fresh, seasonal British produce much of it from the same suppliers to the Pot Kiln. Stephen has worked not only at The Ledbury but also Coach & Horses and my favourite gastropub Anchor & Hope. At The Harwood Arms he has the opportunity to work with superb game, seafood and fruit and vegetables.

The cooking here is truly outstanding with very British, bar snacks, weekday and week end menus that usually include five starters, five man courses and five deserts supplemented by some blackboard specials.

My only real quibble is the very poorly selected wine list that has too many average New World wines and is generally unimaginative. Food this good deserves a much better wine list.

On Sunday 21st, Father’s Day whilst Mrs Gastro was completing the London to Brighton charity bike ride I took my mother and two sons for a late Sunday Lunch to The Harwood Arms.

The food was superb and we received excellent service from Charlotte Levi whilst Stephen and Alistair worked their magic in the kitchen.

We ate (* what I had):

To start

*Salad of Warwickshire Asparagus with roasted hazelnuts, radishes and salad cream.
Chilled courgette and basil soup with warm cheddar cheese straws.
Soft boiled pheasant eggs with field mushrooms and coarse celery salt.
Poached salmon with broken eggs, wild herbs and toast.

To follow

*Slow roast old spot pork belly with celeriac puree, marjoram and gooseberry chutney.
Braised shoulder of lamb with lovage, peas and grain mustard crumbs x2
Stuffed leg of chicken glazed in mead with pink fur apple potatoes, broad beans and bread sauce.
Crisp potatoes with garlic butter for the table.
To Finish

Bowl of warm lemon curd and sherbet doughnuts with whipped cream and heather honey
Rhubarb bakewell tart with vanilla ice cream
English strawberries with elderflower jelly and sour cream sorbet
Eaton Mess made with gooseberries and gooseberry jelly.

Everything was truly outstanding and beautifully presented and executed. Flavour combinations were subtle and worked very well and the quality of the ingredients was obvious.

I thought both the courgette soup and pheasant egg/field mushroom starters were outstanding as were the lamb and pork mains.

My Rhubarb bakewell tart even surpassed my (previous) favourite version at the Anchor and Hope and the homemade ice vanilla ice cream served with it was sublime. My seven-year-old son is still talking about his mini sherbet doughnuts 24 hours after the meal.

With starters and puds below £7 and main courses rarely above £16 The Harwood Arms is not only producing great food but amazing value too.

Sammach , Dubai

2009-06-15T19:49:00.007+01:00

Sammach is a Lebanese fish restaurant with three branches in Dubai . It is one of my favourite places to go to when I'm in town and want really fresh fish from the Arabian Gulf.

My three friends and I picked a nice 2kg Hammour , 2kg of Red Mullett and 1kg of large shrimp. Hammour is the generic name given to a type Grouper found in the Arabian Gulf , Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea.

I am particularly fond of Hammour especially when it is simply grilled over charcoal and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Hammour is enjoyed by nationals of Kuwait , Bahrain , Saudi Arabia , Qatar ,Oman, UAE and Yemen whilst many of the expatriates use it in dishes ranging from Fish & Chips , steamed with ginger , garlic , chili and coriander , Tagine to curries.

After some delightful Lebanese Mezza the fish was brought to the table.

After a long hot day very few things can beat a good simple meal, with good friends where fish that has been landed a few hours before cooking is the star.

Sammach
Jumeirah Beach Centre
+97143494140

La Trompette

2009-06-10T17:22:00.013+01:00

I have been eating at La Trompette since it opened it's doors about 7 years ago and have always found it to be superior to it's sibblings Chez Bruce and The Glasshouse.

Even though I live nearer to Chez Bruce and enjoy it very much I have never thought it has reached the heights of Harvey's a previous occupier of the premises, when Marco Pierre White was on the stoves assisted by a young whipper snapper, a certain, Gordon Ramsay.

My lunch today confirmed my views. I don't think there is a better price quality ratio Lunch avaialble in the whole of London £23.95 for 3 courses and £19.95 for 2. I guess my companion and I are ideal customers as we spent over 3 times our combined 3 course food spend on excellent wine from the inspired wine list put together by the Sommelier Matthieu Longeure. Each country/region seems to contain one of my favourite winemakers be it Bernard Morey , Paul Draper or Livio Felluga.

We drank :

Chassagne Montrachet 2002, 1er Cru Les Baudines , Bernard Morey
Vosne Romanée 1999 , 1er Cru Les Brûlée , Domaine René Engel
Geweutztraminer 2004 Vendages Tardives , Caves de Turkheim

We both started with a truly wonderful Ravioli of Crab and Scallop with crushed peas and Asparagus with a Shellfish Velouté . This dish was executed perfectly and every ingredient blended in perfectly.

I followed with New Season Roasted Shoulder of Lamb served with mouseline mash, caramelised carrots and a thick reduced jus. Again this was a perfectly executed dish.

My companion had Grilled Calves Liver , Pancetta ,Onion Rings , Potato Gnocchi with a Rosemary and Madeira reduction.

I ended the meal with my old favourite Valrohna Chocolate Marquise with Milk Sorbet , Macademia Nut Praline and Chicory Crème whilst my companion thoroughly enjoyed the (large) Crème Brûlée with Dates and Vanilla.

James Bennington is a truly great Chef and like Bruce Poole has the ability to produce great dishes with the right balance of ingredients . With a great Sommelier and front of house team La Trompette remains one of the best places to eat in London.

Mrs Gastro's delights from the allotment

2009-06-03T18:55:00.005+01:00

Mrs. Gastro has been producing amazing things for the last three years from her allotment located in Putney Vale. The familgia are extremely lucky to be able to get outstanding fruit and vegetables out of the ground and into their bellies sometimes in less tan an hour.

We have had wonderful Blackberries, Loganberries, Raspberries, French Beans, Broad Beans, Artichokes, Shallots, Cavalo Nero, Radicchio de Treviso as well as Carrots, Potatoes, Leeks to name just a few of the wonderful produce from our allotment.

Our friends are amazed at how well our kids eat and especially their consumption of all fruits and vegetables. The education aside I'm sure food related travel and their involvement in growing a lot of their own food has certainly helped them become little epicureans.

It should be no surprise that my eldest boy now 9 ate foie gras at La Tupina in Bordeaux aged 18 months an act that caused most of the kitchen brigade to pop out and see who this child was. My youngest boy exclaimed one day aged 4 at The Chelsea Fishmonger , Rex Goldsmith that he thought the Red Mullet was exceptionally fresh and he wanted some. One of the ladies waiting beside me asked me " how do you do it" my children will only eat fish fingers".

Today as you can see we had some wonderful young broad beans served raw with some smoked back bacon lightly dressed in virgin olive oil followed by a superb Gooseberry and Rhubarb crumble. Before the aforementioned the Shepherds Pie we had featured potatoes that had been in the ground less than 2 hours before we ate this hearty dish.

We are looking forward to a bumper crop of Rocket and Berries this summer which will form the basis of more Gastro delights.

Galvin Bistro De Luxe

2009-05-31T09:36:00.006+01:00

Jeff and Chris Galvin opened Galvin Bistro de Luxe some four years ago and I have continued to frequent the establishment despite what I think was a fairly long period for the restaurant to find it's feet.

In early 2006 I remember having a very average Cassoulet , not a patch on Anchor & Hope or Le Vacherin.

I am happy that I have persisted, and now along with Racine and Le Vacherin this is one of the few places in London where you can get very well executed Bourgeois cooking. In fact it's probably the nearest you will get to Aux Lyonnais, Benoit or similar high end "Bistros" found in Paris.

Today Galvin's has a very smooth operation with an excellent front of house and kitchen brigade.

Yesterday my friend Charlie and I both long standing Chelsea supporters had a pre FA Cup Final early lunch which was really very very good.

I started with one of the house staples crab lasagne with a subtle Beurre Nantais sauce . A delicious Daube followed ,on a bed of artichoke risotto. The risotto was unfortunately probably not cooked to order and either cream or mascarpone added to it, a total no no in my book. Saying that the Daube was excellent. To finish off I had a fabulous Chocolate Fondant with orange sorbet.

Charlie was very pleased with his asparagus, poached egg with Hollandaise sauce, Tagine of Lamb and plate of cheese.

The baguette,Echiré butter and coffee were all excellent.

We drank a fine St Aubin followed by a remarkable 2005 Cornas that complimented both the Beef and Lamb.

One could argue that maybe the menu is a bit to eclectic and more French classics should feature but somehow the restaurant gets away with it !

With it's pleasant dinning room and fine service Galvin Bistro de Luxe is one of the restaurants I always enjoy returning to on a regular basis.

Andrew Edmunds

2009-05-28T00:00:00.003+01:00

What a great restaurant, the food is really very good and the wine list a real bargain.

I come here two or three times a year and always leave satified having eaten very well and consumed excellent wine at some of the lowest mark ups in London.

The menu changes daily and I guess can be described as pan european.

Dishes always seem to be prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients.

Amazed to see 1999 Ridge Montebello for under £100 in a restaurant as well as other great French and Italian wines that were either bought and cellared when released or the policy is retail like mark ups.

The main restaurant in the basement is rather dark and some would describe as romantic so not perfect for a business lunch unless you know your guest fairly well.

A good place to take a loved one for both lunch and dinner !

Fernandez and Wells is across the road so a good place to stop for a post meal coffee on your way to your next destination.

Lunch @home May 25th 2009

2009-05-25T17:54:00.012+01:00

I picked up some hand carried 36 month old Parmigiano form Azienda Brugnoli in Vischetto (Makers of the World Champion Parmabio in 2006), Black Pig Salami and Culatello di Zibello this morning from a friend who returned from Parma last night.

Antipasti sorted and I used the Parmigiano on my primo of Steamed Evesham Asparagus , Tomatoes from Provence sprinkeld with Gold Label Balsamic vinegar and Seggiano 2008 harvest Virgin Olive Oil

Main course is my Italo/Greek fusion dish - a kind of "Giouvetsi" but dare I say better - using Jack O'Shea's Yorkshire Shoulder of Spring Lamb , Orchiette from Pulgia tossed in meat jus and San Marzano Tomato based sauce.

Cheese course - well when you have "King" as good as the Parmabio 36 month , one cheese is enough - matched the 1996 Barolo very well.

Desert - Mrs Gastro was in overdive today and she made an Apple and Blackberry Pie as well as a Victoria Sponge for the little Gastro bambinos. Both served with Jersey Double Cream as we are all watching our weight.

Wines

Terra Serena Prosecco - Gift
Corderro di Montezemolo Barolo Vigna Enrico V1 1996 - Last Drop Wines Ltd
Diamante d’Almerita 2005 from Tasca d’Almerita - Last Drop Wines Ltd.

Moro

2009-05-24T08:22:00.005+01:00

A really great establishment that hit the London restaurant scene in 1997.

Hats off to Sam and Sam Clark who have created an institution.

Serious research , great ingredients and fantastic food beautifully executed covering recipes from southern Spain to Syria via North Africa.

Moro is one of those restaurants I'm always happy to cross London for , it continues to innovate bringing food from nearly all the countries that touch the Mediteranean with an empasis on Southern Spain and North Africa.

I always like to start with a glass of Manzanilla with a couple of Tapas usually some Jamon and Pimiemtos de Padron and then chose from the daily changing menu that always has seasonal meat , fish and vegetables .

Many of the dishes are produced from the wood burning oven or the charcoal grill.

I look forward to another 12+ years of delightful food from this great restaurant.

Fisher's for top Fish and Chips

2009-05-23T19:27:00.004+01:00

It's so difficult to find good Fish and Chips in London in fact I struggle to name more than 4 places that are genuinely good.

The Rock and Sole Plaice and Sea Shell are really not very good any more.

This shop has been a chippy for over 30 years but about 8 years ago the Fisher twins took it over.

Fishers was sold about 18 months ago and the owner did not find suitable management to run it so standards went down.

The new owner has managed to bring Dan Fisher back who runs a tight ship and normal service has been resumed.

Currently I would rate the Cod and Chips here as being as good as anywhere in London.

The fish is always fresh and well sourced, cooked in good oils in a simple "Golden Sheaf" batter mixed with water. As Dan says he'd rather drink the beer.

The menu is extensive and fish is also available steamed and grilled for those who do not want to opt for classic English Fish and Chips.

The staff are very friendly and believe in getting to know their customers which probably explains why there are lots of loyal regulars who are not just local but are prepared to travel for good Fish and Chips.

Mrs Gastro and children visit every week en route to the scouts !

In fact Tom who runs the front of the very small sit down restaurant has the patience of a Saint. On a recent visit I watched him handle a very eccentric and drunk gentleman with wonderful tact and good humour.

Luciano

2009-05-22T18:56:00.010+01:00

I had a very pleasant lunch today as the guest of an old university chum who is doing very well in Broadcast Media.

Luciano is a joint venture between Sir Rocco Forte and Marco Pierre White located on the original site of Madame Prunier’s fish restaurant, one of London top restaurant destinations during the first half of the last century. Up to 2005 it was a very good if somewhat pricey Japanese retaurant called Suntory.

The restaurant is very spacious with a clubby feel that suits it's location in St James's .

The food is good and comaprable to Cecconi's just up the road and the wine list has some good selections of Italian wines but as to be expected in an area with astronomical rents , not many bargains.

I started with what was an over generous primo piato of Linguinni with a Rabbit Ragu and then decided to try the Costoletta Milanese served with rocket , finochio and cherry tomatoes in a light olive oil and lemon dressing.

The Linguinni was very good and beuatifully cooked whilst the Veal despite being a little burnt on one edge ( see picture) was well prepared witout the taste of overcooked butter that I sometimes find at Cecconi's.

The fried Zuchinni were very delicate and as good as L'Anima which is a tough act to follow.

One of my comapnions had a beautifully prepared calves liver with pancetta and sage served on mash. I tasted his starter of Pasta Fagioli ,a special of the day , and it was
really very well made.

We drank a very refreshing Gavi di Gavi Morgassi Superiore 2002 and Planeta (Sicilian) Merlot 2003. The latter seems much subtler than when I first tried it 5 years ago and was really very pleasnat indeed.

No room or time for puds and coffee.

Ba Shan

2009-05-22T17:31:00.012+01:00

Ba Shan is a sister restaurant to Bar Shu (across the street) and Baozi Inn .

The speciality here is xiao chi (small eats/dishes) from Sichuan, Hunan and Shaanxi and like the other restaurants in the group Fuschia Dunlop has acted as a consultant.

The restaurant is divided into several themed sections ranging from a snack seating one at the front to a wonderful shadow puppet theatre and farmers cottage.

My companion and I decided to more or less follow what Helen Yuet Ling Pang (World Foodie Guide, one of my favorite food bloggers in London) had the previous evening but added a few extras:

Five-spiced beef salad with coriander and garlic
Deep fried prawns with chilli sauce
jiamo with cumin-spiced beef
Jiamo with cumin - spiced chicken
Pork chaoshou with spiced soy sauce, chilli oil and garlic
Prawn & water chestnut dumplings served with vinegar
Chicken & shiitake mushroom dumplings served with spicy, garlicky sauce
Shaanxi noodles with pork, beancurd and hot and fragrant sizzling oil
Noodles with red-braised beef and carrot
Braised Aubergine
Dan Dan Noodles
Pot marked old woman’s beancurd

We drank a fairly average Pinot Grigio ,the wine list is very limited and badly chosen just like Bar Shu.

Everything was really delicious as is the food at Bar Shu (currently being refurbished after a kitchen fire).

The dishes that truly stood out for me were all the dumpling dishes (clearly home made) all of which had tremendous flavour and texture – all the ingredients blending in perfectly.

The small bite sized Jiamo were really fresh and satifying.

The Pot marked old woman’s beancurd was actually better that the one I had at Bar Shu and probably the best I have ever had outside China.

However I fund the noodle dishes a bit disappointing probably due to the lack of flavour in the soup This is where Hunan in Pimlico shines, Peng father and son make stocks that are second to none. Stocks in any cuisine are crucial and the more effort , care and attention is taken the better the dish be it a Rissotto , Blanquette de Veau , Avgolemono Soup or Laksa.

I look forward to working my way through the rest of the menu.

Food , Wine, Tea and Ale, 13th, 15th and 16th of MAY 2009

2009-05-16T20:54:00.012+01:00

Having tasted a number of top 1999 Bordeaux over the past few months I decided to take one of my cases of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1999 out of bond and storage . Berry Brothers and Rudd promptly delivered it on Friday may 15th. I therefore bought some Black Angus Grass Fed Irish Côte de Bœuf form Jack O'Shea to have with the Pichon Lalande on Saturday.

On Friday evening we had some wonderful Scottish Sea Trout from The Chelsea Fishmonger, Rex Goldsmith which I simply roasted having covered with salt pepper and olive oil and stuffing some fresh thyme from Mrs. Gastro's allotment in the stomach of the fish. The fish was served on a bed of steamed East Sussex Asparagus sprinkled with my sauce Gastro - juice of two lemons, 1.5 tablespoons of Savora, 5 tablespoons of Seggiano Extra Virgin Oil and salt/pepper.

We drank an excellent 2006 Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Chaumées, 1er Cru, Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard - Berry Bros & Rudd

On Saturday I let the beef reach room temperature over four hours and then first pan fried the Côtes de Bœuf for about 6 minutes each side then adding salt and pepper before finishing them off in a very hot over for 8 minutes. The beef was served with Gratin Dauphinois and par steamed French Beans finished off sautéed with butter. The Pichon Lalande complimented beautifully both the beef and the Camembert from La Fromagerie that followed.

We ended the meal with some Strawberries and a delicious bottle of Diamante d’Almerita 2005 from Tasca d’Almerita in Sicily that I picked up from Last drop Wines - not as good as the Ben Rye Passito de Pantelaria I had last week but certainly a contender for my second favorite Italian desert wine!

After smoking a Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona Mrs Gastro and I had a delicious cup of Oolong Tea from the Rare Tea Company.

I had the pleasure of meeting @raretealady aka Henrietta Lovell on Wednesday at a wonderful event held at The Westbridge, Battersea hosted by @Charlie McVeigh and and organised BY @eatkikeagirl on behalf@ Catavino those passionate evangelists on skates for Iberian Wines (#LWFB London Food and Wine Bloggers) Charlie supplied the room and an inspired selection of cheeses and charcuterie and Salumi to compliment a selection of mainly Spanish and Portuguese wines . Star of the show for me was José Maria da Fonseca's Domini 2007 from Douro and a wonderful Tête de Moine Cheese (with correct cutter sourced by Charlie).

Henrietta is the Jancis Robinson of tea and I learned enough from her in 10 minutes to realise that one of the reasons I don’t drink tea very much is that both the quality and knowledge of how to prepare it in the UK is generally very poor. This is really astounding for a country that drinks so much tea but then again in line with both food and wine consumption!

Anyway you can buy tea from the Rare Tea Company online and in selected supermarkets including Waitrose.

www.rareteacompany.com

The Westbridge is also an excellent establishment serving outstanding beers coupled with solid food and wine list. Charlie who these days is also a shareholder and executive in the excellent Le Café Anglais introduced me to a stellar beer called Wandle Ale produced a few hundred meters from both my home and The Westbridge at Samsbrook’s (micro) Brewery.

www.sambrooksbrewery.co.uk

www.thewestbridge.co.uk

Gordon Ramsay

2009-05-15T08:56:00.004+01:00

For me this is still the best for this type of cuisine in London even if Mr Ramsey is never behind the stoves these days. Good luck to him he knows how to find nurture and develop great chefs and front of house staff.

With quality people with experience and knowledge like Mark Askew, Jean Claude Breton running the ship and the brilliant young Head Chef Calre Smyth this is one hell of a team.

Ramsey was a great Chef and is now a great restaurateur. I have eaten in many of his company's restaurants and pubs both in the UK and abroad and have always found high levels of quality and consistency at all levels be it pub or 3 Michelin stars.

I have been lucky enough over the years, to eat the food he cooked at Harvey’s , Aubergine as well as Royal Hospital Road.

Gordon may well be over exposed and a target for the Red Tops but those who understand food and price to quality ratios will always be satisfied.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Gordon once in a Sauna of all places in the old Champneys Piccadilly and found him to be an engaging, charming and knowledgeable man.

The sous vide beef cheek stew which he serves at his entry level eateries is actually quiet delicious and the fact it is prepared in a central kitchen in South London totally irrelevant.

Here at Royal Hospital Road you will find superbly executed dishes using outstanding and yes sometimes very expensive ingredients. The staffs are top-notch professionals from stoves to front of house and in this respect this is the benchmark for The Square Hibiscus and Pied a Terre.

Enough praise though in the world of 3 Michelin stars he has not managed in my humble opinion to reach the heights of MPW in his heyday (sad to see him promoting Knorr stock cubes now) Nico Ladenis or indeed Pierre Koffman's La Tante Claire on the same site. Anyway the aforementioned are enjoying a well-earned retirement.

The Dhabba - Glasgow

2009-05-12T17:26:00.004+01:00

I spent 15 months going up to Glasgow on a a weekly basis and was lucky the firm I was consulting for had founders of Pakistani origin who generously fed the entire company of more than 250 people every Friday with amazing Punjabi food only surpassed in peoples homes or in Pakistan itself.

Glasgow was voted the Curry Capital of Britain in 2007 and so it is no suprise to find such a great restaurant here.

I was up in Glasgow at least 5 times a month for 15 months and always ensured I had a meal there when I could.

The Dhabba has tremendous well spiced food with many dishes not often found in the UK.
This is not the standard neo Bangladeshi cliché food that is so common in these Islands but an upmarket quality establishement with pan Indian dishes .

The breads are excellent and there are beatifully prepared Tikkas , Curries be thay meat , chicken , fish or vegetale/pulses.

If you are in town I strongly recommend The Dhabba as well as it's location - Merchant City.

The Wolseley

2009-05-12T14:07:00.003+01:00

I’m a great admirer of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King and what they did particularly with Le Caprice and J Sheeky were textbook case studies in the London Restaurant market.

Their comeback to the capital probably post the end of a non compete period is another story.

The Wolseley on the other hand is probably closer in execution and positioning to another of their great success stories , The Ivy. The common theme here is that the food at both is no great shakes in fact for me the food at The Wolseley just does not cut it.

Hand on heart I cannot recommend anything on the menu and say it is good or even average be it the Salade Nicoise, Steak Tartare, Salt Beef, Hamburger, Weiner Schnitzel, Steak Frites or any of the deserts with the possible exception of the Banana Split.

If the food is not the basis of your decision-making when selecting a restaurant in this price bracket then you may find that you can have a pleasant evening in another David Collins Architects restoration.

Aubergine

2009-05-12T13:16:00.003+01:00

I have been going to Aubergine since Gordon Ramsey was the launch chef and have carried on since he famously "walked out" with the majority of his "loyal" staff and set up at Royal Hospital Road on his own in pretty quick time.

The restaurant continues to produce great French Cuisine backed up by a super wine list.

William Drabble has a talent for procuring excellent seasonal, mostly local ingredients and turning out exceptional French influenced food. May less talented chef's have received more than one Michelin Star !

Aubergine is great for a special occassion in the evening and still has one of the best (Michelin starred) bargain set lunches in London £ 29 for 3 courses or £34 for 3 courses and a half bottle of very well chosen house wine.

http://www.auberginerestaurant.co.uk/

Highlights from Dinner May 9th 2009 @ Home

2009-05-10T14:30:00.011+01:00

Guests

Subterannean & Steph

Menu

Linguinni with Cornish Crab , Chilli ,Courgettes , Lemon and Parsley.
The Chelsea Fishmonger - Rex Goldsmith

Black Angus Sirlion (Tagliatta) with Rocket (Arugula) , Tomatoes lightly dressed in Olive Oil and lemon juice.
O'Shea's , Knightsbridge

Cheese - Pont L'Eveque , Old Momolette , Gorgonzola Dolce , Bannon and Sardinian Pecorino
La Fromagerie - Marylebone

Mrs Gastro's famous Chocolate Mousse made with Valrohana Grand Cru Guanaja 70% and Italian Organic Eggs .

Wines
Mumm Gordon Rouge NV Champagne - Oddbins
St Aubin 1er Cru ,2006, Les Charmois , Olivier Leflaive - Last Drop Wines Ltd
Guidoalberto 2002 Tenuta San Guido , Bolgheri - Last Drop Wines Ltd
Sassicaia 1999 Tenuta San Guido , Bolgheri - Harrods
Ben Rye 2007 , Passito di Pantelaria - Harrods

Château de Kefraya , Le Nectar de Kefraya - Gift

La Tupina

2009-05-08T22:08:00.015+01:00

Jean Pierre Xiradakis should be awarded the Legion D'Honneur and tout de suite - his contribution to France and the world is far greater than Nicholas Sarkozy another Frenchman with some Greek blood.

Superb foie gras cooked many ways - Côte de boeuf grilled on an open fire and served with potatoes fried in goose fat - get the picture + superb wine list that suits all budgets with wonderful Bordeux fron exceptional cru bourgeois to the first growths.

The cooking of the French Sud Ouest is beautifully captured here and its worth flying to Bordeaux just to eat here !

Along with L'Ami Louis in Paris I dream of this place when I need a fix of this type of honest and hearty cuisine.

www.latupina.com
6 porte de la monnaie, 33800 Bordeaux
+33 5 56 91 56 37

Enoteca Turi

2009-05-07T09:52:00.005+01:00

Enoteca Turi as the name suggests is about the wine however the food should not be underestimated in fact I consider it to be one of the best Italian Restaurants in London along with Riva , L'Anima and Locanda Locatelli.

The wine list is superb with outstanding Brunellos , Super Tuscans and Barollo's as well as some gems (whites)from Alto Adige and Friulli.

The menu is on the small side as are the portions and most regions of Italy are well represented with the dishes always based on authentic fresh ingredients.

A dish of Papardelle with Duck Ragu that I have had here on many occasions will always remain in my gastro memory !

Guiseppe Turi and his family are a credit to their country showcasing quality food and offering a superb wine list.

Hunan - Mr Peng is the Master

2009-05-06T13:52:00.010+01:00

Mr Peng the Chef Patron is a genius who does not compromise on quality. He hails from Taiwan but has been taught to cook superior Pan Chinese cuisine with a focus on Taiwanese versions of the best from mainland China0 by a fellow gastro black belt.
Mr Peng has passed on his knowledge and skills to his son Michael and together with Mrs Peng they run a superb operation.
The food is superb and cooked with a light delicate touch despite the fact that Garlic , Ginger, Chilli and Corriander prevail.
There is a well chosen wine list to compliment the food - try the outstanding Feluga Pinot Grigio.
There are a couple of menus but just ignore them and put yourself in Mr Pengs good hands and he will just keep sending a barrage of small dishes.
Circa £35-£50 per head ex wine depending on how much and what you eat.
If you are looking for the standard Cantonese heavy MSG food with lots of rice and noodles stay clear of this place.

I have been coming here for over 17+ years and highlights include an 11 hour meal - lunch at 1pm blended into dinner and we left at midnight - I blame Dan P for this gastronomic encounter :-)

The Square , London

2009-05-05T17:01:00.007+01:00

Having eaten here several times I always leave asking myself if this is the best restaurant of its type in London and wondering why it remains stuck on two Michelin Stars.

It is easily an equal to Gordon Ramsey at Royal Hospital Road and in my view ahead of the tired Le Gavroche and the hard sell of Petrus (maybe no longer the case as Marcus Wareing). Therefore I feel that along with Pied a Terre , The Square is overdue for elevation to 3 stars.

On my most recent meal the Lasagne of Crab with Langoustine Cappucino and Basil followed by Ayreshire Aged Beef Fillet with croustiliant of Ox tongue , bone marrow , foie gras and girolles were stunng and beautifully executed.

The amuse "guelle" was an insense gaspacho with two miniscule fried kalamari on the side - certainly woke up my taste buds.

I had a wonderful desert Pavé of Chocolate with Griottines which description will not do it justice.

A half bottle of St Aubin followed by a 2002 Henri Boilott Volnay 1er Cru Les Cervets accompaied what was one of the best meals I have enjoyed in London for a long while.

The service was what you would expect of such a professional establishment.

My congratulations to Philip Howard and his front of house team - I hope they receive their just rewards in 2010.

6-10 Bruton Street, W1J 6PU
Tel: 020 7495 7100
Nearest tube: Green Park
www.squarerestaurant.org

May Day Bank Holiday Lunch

2009-05-04T16:44:00.010+01:00

MENU

Dressed Cornish Crab with Mayonaise and Hard Boiled Quails Eggs - from The Chelsea Fishmonger Rex Goldsmith

Roast Loin of Dorset Organic (Tamworth) Pork - from Jack O'Shea
Roast Carrots , Potatoes and Parsnips
Sauted Spinach with Pancetta

St Marcellin , Pont-l'Évêque - from La Fromagerie London - Parmabio 50 month Organic Parmigiano Reggiano from Fausto Brugnoli e Marina Carpanini hand carried from Vischeto , Parma.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble with Jersey Double Cream made by Mrs Gastro

Meursault, Les Charmes,2005, 1er Cru, Domaine Michel Bouzereau - Berry Brothers & Rudd

Coudoulet de Beaucastel Red , 2006 Cote du Rhone - Haynes Hanson & Clark
Chateau de Beaucastel 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin - Gift

2006 Passito di Pantelleria DOC Ben Rye - Harrods

The Chelsea Fishmonger Rex Goldsmith

2009-05-01T19:52:00.005+01:00

Rex is one of my food heroes.
He took over this small Chelsea Green Fishmongers shop as he expanded from his original outlet on Secretts Farm in Surrey. He recently opened another in Guildford.
Rex and his team led by Matt know how to buy fish and hence you will always find amazing fresh seasonal fish mainly from British waters.

The best fish I have bought in London over the last 15 years has come from here - superb Red Mullet , Dover Sole, Brill , Turbot , Sea Bass , John Dory , Clams , Mussels , Razor Clams ,Cornish Crabs and Crab Meat as well as fanatstic Scottish Langoustine and Scallops .

A fishmonger in Islington once tried to sell me a faux Red Mullett so I never returned, then again its the most overated Fishmonger in Britain.

By the way the person who owns the "Chelsea Tractor"parked outside the shop bought some smoked haddock for a fiver and paid £85 for a wash and blow dry at Real the Hair Salon next door !

10 Cale Street,
Chelsea,
London, SW3 3QU.
Tel: 020 7589 9432
http://www.chelseafish.co.uk

Spaghetti a la Putanesca

2009-04-29T23:52:00.010+01:00

Alistar Little recommended in one of his early books that you should always have the ingredients ready for this dish in you larder.
There are as my good friend Umberto once said as many recipes for this dish as puttanas in a certain streel in Naples !
Also there are several theories about the origins of the Putanesca sauce some involving the oldest profession and others not . Wikipedia covers most http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttanesca
Any way here is the one I follow and adore !

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
10 anchovies - Ortiz if you can get them.
8 whole garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 medium Sam Marzano tomatoes, chopped & seeded with juice, OR one can Sam Marzano tomatoes
12 Kalamata olives, pitted & halved or chopped to taste
3 tsp capers, drained
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
500grams of Dried Spaghettini/Fedelinni or even Linguini, for example De Cecco ,Barilla, Voiello or your favourite artisan brand , personally I always favour pasta di Gragnano and the Garofalo brand . The rougher exterior of Gragnano pasta seems to embrace sauces in a unique way. This sauce is better suited to long thin dried pasta (do not use fresh pasta) .

In skillet, heat olive oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes and anchovies (stiring and crushing into the oil) cook for 90 seconds then add chopped garlic . Cook until garlic begins to brown a bit and anchovies fall apart. . Add tomatoes, olives and capers. Simmer sauce 8-10 minutes.Add some of the pasta water to the skillett just before the pasta is ready to serve say half a cup.

Add a bit more chopped garlic, parsley and basil. Simmer a few minutes more. Serve over cooked ( al dente of course ) pasta and then 1/3 of a cup more pasta water when you mix everything up. (No Parmigiano Reggiano or any other cheese for tht matter are required to this dish )

Top 10 coffee shops in London

2009-04-25T00:27:00.001+01:00

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The Nosh Bar London is Back and the Salt Beef is A1

2009-04-21T15:59:00.002+01:00

The Nosh Bar was a well known salt beef bar at 39 Great Windmill Street, London, for over forty years, opening in 1944 by Phil Rabin and finally closing in the late eighties. It re-opened in 2009 after an absence of almost 20 years by the Jonas family.

I have to agree with food critic Dan Young who has specific domain expertise on Jewish Deli food "To describe the thick, moist, fat-glistening, hand-cut slices of cured salt beef as “tender” is to do their singularity an injustice."

Today I had not one but two Salt Beef Sandwiches on Rye for research purposes of course.

The meat was really outstanding ( sourced from Hensons ) as was the Rye Bread ( sourced from Gavins)

Carry on the good work lads and keep the quality up !

O'Shea's my new Number 1 Butcher in London

2009-04-18T21:01:00.026+01:00

Dermot O'Shea is descended from eight generations of Irish butchers. In 1998, he and his sons and daughter opened a butcher's shop in Brussels, which quickly became one of the most popular amongst the cognoscenti in the city supplying a very demanding epicurean audience. In 2006 he and his two sons opened his second shop in Knightsbridge, London. Cathal now runs the Butcher concession in Selfridges Food Hall whilst Darragh runs the premium Knightbridge shop.

He sells high-quality meat, including an outstanding grass-fed, barley finished Black Angus beef from South West Ireland and Perthshire in Scotland that provides perfect conditions for this breed that produces not only excellent "prime" cuts like sirloin and fillet but superb Onglet, Bavette and stewing classics like Cheek and Shin.

Just looking at this fine Beef not only shows the marbling but that it has been hung from between 30 to 60 days .

The Knightsbridge store also has outstanding organic and free range pork (Landrace)from Childhay Manor (Dorset) as well as excellent British Lamb from Yorkshire, Shetland and Wales depending on the season.

The Rosé Veal is sublime (Irish) full flavoured unlike the majority of pale Dutch Veal mostly found in the better butchers in London. It is how Veal should be i.e. a young animal as opposed to the Dutch produce that is treated like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner.

The shop also produces excellent homemade pies, pasties, hams , gammon bacon and sausages. There is often a scrum at lunch for the famous homemade baguette sandwiches.

Darragh runs a very serious premium business focused on excellence in terms of selection, correctly hanging and maturing their meats as well as clearly identifying their provenance.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Dermott and Darragh and it's clear within minutes that they are true artisans and this is a business committed to promoting excellence in gastronomy. Seems like the O'Shea's not only know their meat but also are well traveled and understand how different nationalities cook theirs.

Unfortunately during these tough economic times many of our top London Butchers are lowering their standards by mixing up their offerings with inferior and cheaper meats with very dodgy provenance.

For me O'Shea is now the leader of the pack in London leaving Lidgates, Allen's of Mayfair, Harrods, and Ginger Pig etc behind. This has all been achieved in 3 years.

Until further notice I will single source all my meat from this establishment.

11 Montpelier St.
London
SW7 1EX
Tel: 0207 581 7771
website

Not bad for a chain

2009-04-04T13:41:00.001+01:00

Rossopomodoro is a successful chain of Italian Restaurants promoting Neaplolitan food. It has many branches all over Italy and has now launched in the UK .

The chain has wood fired ovens and make good Neapolitan style pizzas using quality ingredients.

There are also good pasta dishes and salads.

I tend not to like chains especially those that feature "Italian" food like Strada , Ask , Bella Italia etc but Rossopomodoro manages to produce simple and consistent food using good ingredients.

Can 'Curation' Save Media?

2009-04-03T22:43:00.001+01:00

Can 'Curation' Save Media?

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Should An iPhone App Developer Charge Or Run Ads? (Galaxy Impact Case Study)

2009-04-01T17:11:00.001+01:00

Should An iPhone App Developer Charge Or Run Ads? (Galaxy Impact Case Study)

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Hibiscus in London

2009-03-31T16:32:00.004+01:00

It is always difficult to move a restaurant within a city but to bring it down from Ludlow the little gastro hub in Shropshire is very brave indeed.

All I can say after eating there recently week is bravo Monsieur Bosi ! you and your wife have done a great job.

The food is superb and original from the amuse bouche to a remarkable light chocolat tart infused with liquid choc and flavoured with indonesian basil.

Claude Bosi does remarkable things with vegetables somehow concentrating the flavours through pulverisation and blending with other compatible ingredients.

My one criticism is that the portions are slightly too small if you are going for 3-4 courses a la carte including cheese.

The wine list needs a bit of beefing up in terms of choice especially red and white Burgundy and a wider range of red Bordeaux to include some cru bourgeois and lesser grand cru classes' ( of at least 8 years of age)

As in Ludlow this is two star cooking and with some small changes this could become along with The Square and Pied a Terre a contender for a 3rd.

My experience here reminded me of another great French Chef who thrived in London - Pierre Koffman at Tante Claire (Royal Hospital Road) - the approach and philosophy is obviously different but the technical skill and execution from the kitchen was really impressive.

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2009-03-31T16:21:00.001+01:00

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2009-03-26T19:37:00.001Z

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