Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Prague
I'm currently in Prague, turns out its a beautiful city full of little lanes full of small boutique shops, cafes and restaurants.
The square has an Xmas market at the moment with stalls cooking chestnuts and delicious hams over an open flame, being served with potato and pickled cabbage...lovely.
I'll be posting pics soon
The square has an Xmas market at the moment with stalls cooking chestnuts and delicious hams over an open flame, being served with potato and pickled cabbage...lovely.
I'll be posting pics soon
Thursday, 15 November 2012
St.Johns 1*, London
St.Johns is one of, if not the most famous restaurants in not just England but the world drawing plaudits from fellow chefs and celebrities alike, with TV chef and author Anthony Bourdain proclaiming it as his favourite restaurant of all time.
Whats the reason for this? Chef Fergus Henderson and partner Trevor Gulliver opened the restaurant in the old smoke house in late 1994 and pioneered the philosophy of 'nose to tail' eating, a philosophy that they have stuck with ever since and others have joined to varying degrees of success.
What is nose to tail? Fergus describes it as "meaning it would be disingenuous to the animal not to make the most of the whole beast; there is a set of delights, textural and flavoursome, which lie beyond the fillet".
Ever since I started a career in cooking and heard of this place I was in love and placed it at the top of an ever growing list of places I wanted to eat at, so when some guys at work mentioned they also wanted to go we booked it for the next day!
So with high hopes and empty bellies off to Spitalfields we trekked for lunch. We arrived at the old smoke house which looks like it hasn't been touched since! we were greeted by the friendly bar staff and given a complimentary drink of negroni (with a st.John twist) It was far too bitter and really not pleasant to drink.
We were then taken through to the restaurant and seated at a table dressed with a paper tablecloth..as all the tables were, all part of the unique experience. As we were seated we were plied with more alcohol, this time rose champagne. As were were perusing the menu the waiter came and told us that they were out of two of the main courses...which as luck would have it were the only two that sounded interesting to me, so I opted for replacement dish of braised veal neck and shoulder, but more on that later.
I had already decided on my starter before I had even booked the table, the world famous roast bone marrow with a parsley salad and it didn't disappoint! the bone marrow was so rich and creamy and the parsley and caper salad beautifully cut through the richness, I couldn't have asked for a better start to the meal.
And then to the main, the replacement braised veal paired with aioli, I ordered a side of new potatoes to go with it as the main didn't sound that much on its own.
The dish arrived with a big healthy portion of braised meat with the carrots from the braise full of flavour and a huge dollop of home made aioli. It looked good, it smelt good, then I had a mouthful of the beautifully tender meat with a good smear of aioli...it was then that it hit me and i recalled a previous warning of avoid their aioli! Oh my god, it tasted like a raw garlic puree and it burnt the back of my throat and stung my nostrils!! such a basic condiment ruined, I can still taste it now!
This coupled with the barely cooked/bordering raw grouse served to my colleague and the fact that two main dishes had run out by 1.30 put a real dampener on the main course.
So to dessert, we were sent a pre-dessert of strawberry granita with a shot of vodka. It was a nice gesture but it was October so not entirely sure where the strawberries came from but the granita was definatley not made with fresh strawberries but a pre-packed strawberry puree! Not something I was expecting from this temple of all things cooking.
My main dessert was a large eccles cake served with a generous wedge of Lancashire cheese, the cheese was delicious but the cake was a touch on the dry side, the meal had really spiraled down hill.
So a day that began with such high hopes and dreams, with visions of eating the best meal of my life to date, that started so well with a starter that both met and surpassed all expectations, for the meal to be tarnished by a distinct lack of choice in the mains and a dish that I could so easily have produced myself.
The restaurant was great and I loved the decor and the no frills, no fuss that went with it, but the food (starter aside) was disappointing which really was a shame.
Whats the reason for this? Chef Fergus Henderson and partner Trevor Gulliver opened the restaurant in the old smoke house in late 1994 and pioneered the philosophy of 'nose to tail' eating, a philosophy that they have stuck with ever since and others have joined to varying degrees of success.
What is nose to tail? Fergus describes it as "meaning it would be disingenuous to the animal not to make the most of the whole beast; there is a set of delights, textural and flavoursome, which lie beyond the fillet".
Ever since I started a career in cooking and heard of this place I was in love and placed it at the top of an ever growing list of places I wanted to eat at, so when some guys at work mentioned they also wanted to go we booked it for the next day!
So with high hopes and empty bellies off to Spitalfields we trekked for lunch. We arrived at the old smoke house which looks like it hasn't been touched since! we were greeted by the friendly bar staff and given a complimentary drink of negroni (with a st.John twist) It was far too bitter and really not pleasant to drink.
We were then taken through to the restaurant and seated at a table dressed with a paper tablecloth..as all the tables were, all part of the unique experience. As we were seated we were plied with more alcohol, this time rose champagne. As were were perusing the menu the waiter came and told us that they were out of two of the main courses...which as luck would have it were the only two that sounded interesting to me, so I opted for replacement dish of braised veal neck and shoulder, but more on that later.
I had already decided on my starter before I had even booked the table, the world famous roast bone marrow with a parsley salad and it didn't disappoint! the bone marrow was so rich and creamy and the parsley and caper salad beautifully cut through the richness, I couldn't have asked for a better start to the meal.
And then to the main, the replacement braised veal paired with aioli, I ordered a side of new potatoes to go with it as the main didn't sound that much on its own.
The dish arrived with a big healthy portion of braised meat with the carrots from the braise full of flavour and a huge dollop of home made aioli. It looked good, it smelt good, then I had a mouthful of the beautifully tender meat with a good smear of aioli...it was then that it hit me and i recalled a previous warning of avoid their aioli! Oh my god, it tasted like a raw garlic puree and it burnt the back of my throat and stung my nostrils!! such a basic condiment ruined, I can still taste it now!
This coupled with the barely cooked/bordering raw grouse served to my colleague and the fact that two main dishes had run out by 1.30 put a real dampener on the main course.
So to dessert, we were sent a pre-dessert of strawberry granita with a shot of vodka. It was a nice gesture but it was October so not entirely sure where the strawberries came from but the granita was definatley not made with fresh strawberries but a pre-packed strawberry puree! Not something I was expecting from this temple of all things cooking.
My main dessert was a large eccles cake served with a generous wedge of Lancashire cheese, the cheese was delicious but the cake was a touch on the dry side, the meal had really spiraled down hill.
So a day that began with such high hopes and dreams, with visions of eating the best meal of my life to date, that started so well with a starter that both met and surpassed all expectations, for the meal to be tarnished by a distinct lack of choice in the mains and a dish that I could so easily have produced myself.
The restaurant was great and I loved the decor and the no frills, no fuss that went with it, but the food (starter aside) was disappointing which really was a shame.
Monday, 10 September 2012
The Square, London 2*
Last Monday myself and a colleague from work booked a table at Phil Howards 2star The Square in Mayfair after the strong recommendation of the restaurant manager at work who booked us the table, having previously worked there.
When we arrived chef Phil Howard was outside having a photo shoot and was greeting the guests as they arrived.
We were seated and presented with the menu, there was the option of the reasonably priced set menu of the more pricey a la carte menu...we both opted to go for the a la carte!!
We placed our order and were looking forward to the meal, the sommelier came over and and talked to us about our food choices and what he thought would be the outstanding matches to go with theses dishes, I'm not much of a wine conisure so went with his choices...this proved to be a good decision.
Anyway to the food. As the restaurant we both work in has strong times to this we were treated extremely well, you could say even spoilt! We were both given a pre starter of langoustine tails with Parmesan gnocci and truffle, this is considered one of the best dishes in London along with two others also at the square! we were in for a treat!
The only thing that can be said for this is outstanding, a truly amazing dish I could eat this all day!
Now it was time for our starters I went for the famous Dorset crab lasagna with a cappuccino foam of shellfish and champagne! The Lasagna was layers of beautiful meaty crab and soft pasta. the cappuccino was rich and full of flavour...delicious.
My colleague ordered the winning dish from Great British Menu which was a tasting of mackerel with oysters and caviar. the smoked mackerel was served under a glass dish the billowed smoke when removed...a real show, and the dish was pretty good too!
We next received a fish course of cod with a cauliflower pure, cobnut and truffle pesto and grilled potato. This was a simple dish that was executed perfectly with the components of the dish left to talk for themselves. It was so light and perfect for the rare baking hot day we were enduring.
For our main course we had both ordered the saddle of Lamb with a herb crust, olive gnocci and tomatoes. The lamb was perfectly pink and tender, the gnocci beautifully plump...delicious.
We had a pre-dessert served in a shot glass of poached white peaches and yogurt sorbet. This was served with a complimentary glass of sweet wine.
For dessert we went for the Brillat-Savarin cheese cake with a red current glaze and raspberry ripple ice cream which is a traditional Square dessert always featuring on the menu with the fruit of the season.
Dinner was finished with beautiful home made nougat as petit fours, we got two helpings, much to my delight!!!
The Square is by far the best restaurant I've ever had the pleasure of eating in and well worth the hit to the pocket. I would highly recommend everyone to go, the atmosphere is relaxed, the service friendly and extremely knowledgeable and the food impeccable.
Visit the website and see for yourslef at http://www.squarerestaurant.com/Home.aspx
When we arrived chef Phil Howard was outside having a photo shoot and was greeting the guests as they arrived.
We were seated and presented with the menu, there was the option of the reasonably priced set menu of the more pricey a la carte menu...we both opted to go for the a la carte!!
We placed our order and were looking forward to the meal, the sommelier came over and and talked to us about our food choices and what he thought would be the outstanding matches to go with theses dishes, I'm not much of a wine conisure so went with his choices...this proved to be a good decision.
Anyway to the food. As the restaurant we both work in has strong times to this we were treated extremely well, you could say even spoilt! We were both given a pre starter of langoustine tails with Parmesan gnocci and truffle, this is considered one of the best dishes in London along with two others also at the square! we were in for a treat!
Now it was time for our starters I went for the famous Dorset crab lasagna with a cappuccino foam of shellfish and champagne! The Lasagna was layers of beautiful meaty crab and soft pasta. the cappuccino was rich and full of flavour...delicious.
My colleague ordered the winning dish from Great British Menu which was a tasting of mackerel with oysters and caviar. the smoked mackerel was served under a glass dish the billowed smoke when removed...a real show, and the dish was pretty good too!
 |
| Crab Lasagna with shellfish and champagne foam |
 |
| Tasting of Mackerel with oysters and caviar |
We next received a fish course of cod with a cauliflower pure, cobnut and truffle pesto and grilled potato. This was a simple dish that was executed perfectly with the components of the dish left to talk for themselves. It was so light and perfect for the rare baking hot day we were enduring.
For our main course we had both ordered the saddle of Lamb with a herb crust, olive gnocci and tomatoes. The lamb was perfectly pink and tender, the gnocci beautifully plump...delicious.
We had a pre-dessert served in a shot glass of poached white peaches and yogurt sorbet. This was served with a complimentary glass of sweet wine.
For dessert we went for the Brillat-Savarin cheese cake with a red current glaze and raspberry ripple ice cream which is a traditional Square dessert always featuring on the menu with the fruit of the season.
The Square is by far the best restaurant I've ever had the pleasure of eating in and well worth the hit to the pocket. I would highly recommend everyone to go, the atmosphere is relaxed, the service friendly and extremely knowledgeable and the food impeccable.
Visit the website and see for yourslef at http://www.squarerestaurant.com/Home.aspx
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Christian Etienne, Avignon
Christian Etienne is situated next door to the Palais des Papes and was built in 1180! We were seated in the outside seating area under a glass rough with a view of the square. The glass covered dining area was decorated with hundreds of plants which at closer inspection turned out to be all the herbs and vegetables used on the menu with aubergines, chilli and bell peppers amongst them.
Owner Christian Etienne pays homage to his native Provence's abundance and offers an array of high-quality dishes that change with the seasons. The fixed-price menus change seasonally and focus on different themes, including one devoted entirely to lobster. In summer, the "tomato" menu is also on offer, while in winter you might find the "truffle" menu, which features the region's black diamond, truffles. There is an extensive wine list, which contains many Côtes du Rhône wines.
 | |
| Watermelon with Dried olive and cucumber gazpacho |
 | |
| Tomato and olive bread with a basil and anchovy butter |
 |
| The Cheeseboard |
My main dessert was a trio of chocolate with milk chocolate sorbet, dark chocolate mouse and white chocolate meringue. This was delicious, the mouse was so rich and light, it was delicious.
Laura was served a fruit salad with mango sorbet, the fruit salad was nice but nothing exceptional as you would expect from a 1* but the sorbet was delicious and the Swiss roll a nice touch.
Petite fours were however really nice with a pistachio and raspberry macaroon which was immense and mini Madeline.
In all I really enjoyed my meal at christian Etienne, and liked the fact that the man himself came out and talked to all the tables, our conversation was short due to his lack of English and our lack of French but still a nice gesture.
The food was awesome and the ingredient and flavour combinations regional. Highly recommended.
Keisuke Matsushima, Nice
Recently went to France for the first time (other than Disney land!) and I have to say the food was incredible! Everything ranging from the supermarket to the markets and restaurants. Its clear that food remains an integral part in peoples lives with people buying their bread fresh everyday from the small local bakers and their fruit and veg in the supermarkets which are huge and full of things your local ASDA wouldn't even have heard of let alone stock!
When dining out its a real experience and something that's not rushed, you eat out to enjoy the atmosphere, the food, the wine and the company your with, its a pleasure!
Laura and I went to Paris, then to Nice and then to Avignon for two weeks.
In Nice we went to the 1* Keisuke Matsushima and had the special lunch menu which was unbelievable value at 33euros per person for 3 courses, a glass of wine and a coffee.
Anyway to the food, when we arrived we were seated and immediately presented with our amuse bouches of a cherry tomato with a sugar shell which provided an interesting texture with the crunchy sweet outside to the slightly bitter soft centre of the tomato.
For starter I went for a crunchy vegetable salad with an olive tapenade dressing, It was nice but nothing really spectacular although the dressing was good, nice strong garlic taste.
Laura had a nice grilled sardine and cous cous which she loved.
Due to the french menu we we a tad unsure on the option we opted for the one dish we understood (much to Lauras disgust) which was Rabbit with soft polenta. I can honestly say it was the best main course of the holiday, the rabbit was so moist and perfectly cooked and the polenta smooth and full of flavour...Laura felt dirty but she says this is her fave restaurant of the holiday! high praise from someone who used to keep guinea pigs!
The desert options were slightly disappointing with only a fruit salad being offered or a cheese board so with both of us being fans of cheese that's what we opted for.
The cheeses were really nice and and the breads were really fresh and on constant offer ( I think we ate 5 each :s) i Particularly liked the anchovy roll whilst Lau liked the foccacia twist.
Laura being the coffee expert said it was one of the best of the holiday...they like it too strong over there!!!
In all the meal was really nice, the staff friendly and the restaurant small and quiet. The Rabbit was a real high point and for the price a real bargain.
When dining out its a real experience and something that's not rushed, you eat out to enjoy the atmosphere, the food, the wine and the company your with, its a pleasure!
Laura and I went to Paris, then to Nice and then to Avignon for two weeks.
In Nice we went to the 1* Keisuke Matsushima and had the special lunch menu which was unbelievable value at 33euros per person for 3 courses, a glass of wine and a coffee.
For starter I went for a crunchy vegetable salad with an olive tapenade dressing, It was nice but nothing really spectacular although the dressing was good, nice strong garlic taste.
The cheeses were really nice and and the breads were really fresh and on constant offer ( I think we ate 5 each :s) i Particularly liked the anchovy roll whilst Lau liked the foccacia twist.
Laura being the coffee expert said it was one of the best of the holiday...they like it too strong over there!!!
In all the meal was really nice, the staff friendly and the restaurant small and quiet. The Rabbit was a real high point and for the price a real bargain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)