Ben Forster has been crowned the winner of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search to cast Jesus in his new Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

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British intelligence agency for Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) should be used “revolutionary capabilities in information” to control communications personalities who participated in these meetings, according to documents that acknowledged the Guardian.
Aceste documente sugerează că serviciile de informaţii au instalat Internet cafe-uri, unde puteau să intercepteze comunicaţiile şi să supravegheze e-mailuri şi apeluri telefonice efectuate pe telefoane BlackBerry de către delegaţi. These documents suggest that the intelligence services have installed Internet cafes where they could intercept communications and monitor e-mails and phone calls made by delegates on BlackBerry phones.
Agenţia a instalat, de asemenea, un dispozitiv ce îi permitea să ştie când se contactau delegaţii unii pe alţii şi ar fi vizat anumite personalităţi, în special pe ministrul turc al Fi-nanţelor, potrivit unor documente de care are cunoştinţă ziarul. The agency also installed a device that allowed him to know when contacting delegates each other and should be targeted certain personalities, especially the Turkish Minister of Fi-Finance driven, according to documents that have informed the newspaper.
Calculatoare sud-africane au fost identificate ca obiect al unei atenţii speciale, potrivit unuia dintre documente. Computers South Africa have been identified as the object of special attention, according to one of the documents.
Potrivit aceleiaşi surse, Agenţia GCHQ a primit un raport de la instituţia americană omologă, National Security Agency (NSA), despre tentativele sale de al asculta pe preşedintele rus de la acea vreme, Dmitri Medvedev, într-un apel telefonic prin satelit la Moscova. According to the sources, the Agency GCHQ received a report from the American Institute counterpart, the National Security Agency (NSA), about his attempts to listen to the then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a satellite phone call from Moscow.
Potrivit unui document GCHQ datat în ianuarie 2009, ordinul de culegere de informaţii de la delegaţi G20 provenea de la un nivel superior al Guvernului, condus la vremea respectivă de premierul laburist Gordon Brown. According to a document dated January 2009 GCHQ, intelligence order from G20 delegates belonged to a higher level of government, led at the time by Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Edward Snowden, în vârstă de 29 de ani, care lucra pentru puternica agenţie americană de informaţii NSA, se ascunde la Hong Kong, în contextul în care Statele Unite au lansat o anchetă împotriva sa, în urma dezvăluirii unui vast program american de supraveghere electronică. Edward Snowden, aged 29, who worked for a powerful U.S. intelligence agency NSA, hiding in Hong Kong, given that the United States launched an investigation against him, following the disclosure of a large American program of electronic surveillance.
vvv vvv
Liderii ţărilor membre G8 se întâlnesc, timp de două zile, începând de ieri, la Lough Erne, în Irlanda de Nord, pentru discuţii despre criza siriană, evaziunea fiscală şi comerţ. Leaders of G8 countries are meeting for two days, starting yesterday at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland, for talks about the Syrian crisis, tax evasion and trade.

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For my birthday this year, I was looking to drink something a little special and so BBR became an obvious choice for it carries a list of classy old world (and very collectible) wine labels but with modest mark-ups. Prices track closely to the market conditions, generally with 20 to 30% margin over retail and do present tremendous value compared to ‘finer’ establishments. Let’s see, there’s the now luxury brand right bank star, Cheval Blanc, the 1996 for £500; Conseillante, a consistent Pomerol estate (Merlot!) , from a generally positive vintage, 1990 for £526; ’98 La Mouline, the most feminine of the trio of ‘Lalas’ from Northern Rhone producer Guigal for £432. There’s even a Unico by Vega Sicilia, what is regarded as Spain’s version of a first growth, the 1999 for £317.

1985 Ch Haut Brion, Graves. £392 + 12.5%

It was an easy decision to pick this claret. It’s got a quarter century of bottle age, and a glut of cellartracker reviews indicating that it is in a really nice place at the moment. In another restaurant, a first growth Bordeaux would easily command a four digit price, so £392 + 12.5% is a ‘relative bargain’. It was also surprisingly close to cost price (330/btl in bond) so it seemed er, sensible to take a punt. So to secure it (by the time you read this, the wine list might have been reviewed), I had paid for the wine upfront sometime in April, 12 weeks ahead of this meal.

Of all the Bordelais, I am most familiar with wines from the Graves, perhaps the only region in Bordeaux where the white wines are as revered as the reds. While the mighty Pauillacs boast fruit and power, I believe they are not as intriguing as the clarets from Graves. The name is a direct reference to the soil character and it is the gravel and clay which is said to give rise to the trademark aromas of smoke and cigars, or broadly speaking the sense of place these wines are so famous for.

I’ve sampled small sips of ’78 Haut Brion (fucking wow), ’66 La Mission (fading in 2012 it seems), the lauded 09 Smith Haut Laffite (TANNINS) but my favourites are the fleshy Chevalier reds (I haven’t tried their whites) which are decent expressions of the region and relatively affordable at £50 a pop. I have a case of the 09s cellared which I plan to break out when I retire.

I think there is no better way to experience the best of Graves than a good bottle from the Chieftain of Pessac that is Haut Brion (ok maybe its sister estate La Mission Haut Brion). It’s very noble stuff. The Domaine would probably tell you how it has been so famously revered through its long history, it even found its way to King Charles II’s dinner table. In those days, Haut Brion defined a new breed of claret while today it is reputed as the oldest and the only First Growth outside of the Medoc, per the dated left bank 1855 classifications.

Considering its age, the bottle was in a healthy state, at mid-neck fill levels. Though it was slightly worrying to see a perfectly legible label, suggesting a mostly dry shelf-life, which may make for dry corks, but that’s just speculating by inspection. The sommelier popped and poured a small sample into my glass and decanted the rest. He left maybe about a shot’s worth in the bottle, as there was quite a bit of expected sediment. The cork looked pristine, stained to about halfway up, indicating the wine had crucially taken in some air in its long life.

Even before swirling, savoury secondary aromas of tar, ash, cigar, leather and maybe smoked ham were present. It instantly reminded me of the ’78. So all fears subsided – the bottle had been carefully stored through its lifetime.

As the wine breathed, the fruit started to unfurl, plums or maybe even dried fig – a flash of its youth. Through the night, the wine became less shy, more perfumed and more floral. It was a tremendous pleasure to smell the wine and I spent more time doing that than drinking. Obviously I don’t drink trophy wines regularly – if at all – so there might be more aromas which I couldn’t detect. However it definitely felt like a step change to anything I’d drank in recent memory.

On the palate, it was simply the smoothest wine I’d ever tasted. This really was liquid silk, as abused as the term may be. It felt polished and precise. This mature claret seemed almost Rhone-like in weight with all the tannins now fallen away. Spicy, maybe soya sauce, but with black fruit in the background and some sweetness too …somewhere in the mix.

The wine changed perceptibly in the glass as we drank it over four hours. It was fruitier to start and grew to a spicier and more savoury monster toward the end. All the while however, it maintained this poise, this ultra-smooth, lithe mouth feel and drank beautifully to the very last drop. I remembered the long sizzling finish and counted 15, maybe 30 seconds, lingering fruitiness…

…wow. So this is First growth quality.

We were still conscious that this was merely fermented grape juice, but it was surprising how harmonious the wine was. There weren’t any rough edges, it was so smooth, so balanced and such a delight to drink.

Was it worth £440? Is any liquid – at least 80% water – kept in a glass bottle for a long time worth that kind of money? It probably retailed closer to £44 when it was bottled in ’88. So maybe not, but I suppose what you pay for is the promise of intangibles involving emotion and pleasure. Though we did entertain the idea of trying to quantifying this ‘greatness’ and subjectively, it felt like this wine could justifiably be worth £300+. £200 would be good value (in relative terms) , but if it were available for say £100, we would probably buy a case of it.

Nevertheless, the 1985 is certainly in a nice place today, I felt we drank a great bottle of a great wine providing for a truly memorable experience and this was absolutely worth it.

And now to the food..

Six Colchester Grade ‘A’ Rock Oysters, £13.25.

We started with healthy looking rock oysters from Colchester. Creamy, crisp but not as thrilling as the Dorset rocks which our fishmonger sell at our farmers market at Queen’s Park.

Venison Tartare Imperial, with 15g Sturgeon Caviar, £29.75

I wasn’t expecting the caviar to be anything more than just an extravagant splurge, but the deep saltiness, sticky texture did appear to enrich the tartare. A little excessive but it was an enjoyable one-off.

Crab Salad with Chilli Avocado Mayo, £11.50

Generously loaded with freshly picked crab, needed a lot of lemon juice but generally pleasing.

Crispy, Pressed and Roaster Belly of Suckling Pork, with Truffle Gravy, £21.25

This was hugely enjoyable, the crackling was just smashing, the pork was delicious. The black pudding was a little sweet, lighted scented with truffle gravy. Yummy, but probably more so in winter.

Veal FIllet Holstein, with Quail Egg, Anchovies, Bacon and Truffle Gravy, £21.75
with Lobster Mash, £6.75.

I’ve had this dish on a couple of separate occasions and have always been impressed. It’s just so dependable, so classic. Served pink, also with lashings of truffle gravy, it was comforting, a joy to eat and it complimented the wine well enough.

Although the lobster mash was certainly the best thing we ate. It was like mash soaked in a lobster bisque. Flavours of fluidised shell, and with generous claw meat mixed in. It was a course unto itself. To me, it seemed exactly what you’d expect lobster mash to taste like. It’s miles ahead of the Goodman version.

Chocolate Glory, MK II. £9.75.

With chocolate jivara mousse, brownie, meringue and passionfruit orange jelly in a golden shell that disintegrates as hot chocolate sauce is poured over it. The extra special message made out to me with hot chocoalate sauce around the plate, was more than appreciated.

So we paid £440 for wine, £139 for the food plus service, totaling £579. In the end, it was a memorable meal. This old-fashioned-ish brasserie with an eccentric approach to hospitality was a success for a private celebration. Nothing but love for the plush leather-seated booths.

Details

Bob Bob Ricard
Anglo-Russian All Day Diner £50pp
1 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DF
Tel: +44 (0)203 145 1000
Tube: Piccadilly Circus

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The West End’s annual charity fundraiser West End Bares returns this Autumn with a sporty theme.

Billed as the West End’s sexiest night of the year, a host of West End performers will bare all in support of the Make A Difference Trust, helping people living with HIV and AIDS.

[Visit Westendtheatre.com for the full article]

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Today I will recount the Legend of Young Turks & The Clove Club. The story of how a group of gifted palate thrillers had joined forces in their relative youth to dazzle the masses.

There is already so much written about their food, their previous experiences and on-going adventures that admittedly I was expecting an over-hyped meal contrary to the chorus of praise. No restaurant can ever match feverish expectation anyway, right…? Well as it turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong.

As you already know, this project was originally conceived as a long running pop-up at the upstairs of the Ten Bells pub, infamous for its connection to Jack the Ripper. It ended in April when James Lowe went off to other things (Thanks Michael, corrected now) but as it became too successful to pass into the history books, Isaac and co decided to reboot the restaurant with a long(er) term view.

The current line-up consists of Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith (both of the Clove Club) running the floor, Giorgio Ravelli pulling the strings behind the stove, and Mchale masterminding a new ALC, forgoing the £39 set.

I thought the restaurant may come with all the amateurish trappings of pop-ups but again I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by how swish this operation really is. In my opinion, the decor rivals the most atmospheric pub dining rooms I’ve been in. It reminds me of the cosy Bull & Last and the stark grandeur of The Dogs albeit with stuffed animals and dog portraits replaced by Mediterranean rugs, Tracy Emin neon ‘art’ and a portrait of a couple of topless nipple pinchers (like that by the School of Fontainebleau). You eat with proper cutlery and on sturdy wooden tables ala St John. This is no pop-up, this is a proper restaurant!

(Keep scrolling..)

I have to give props to the wine list, some very good, lesser known, non-traditionalist bottles. Two producers which I recognised were Mas Coutelou and Mark Haisma. Originally ‘discovered’ by Robersons last year, Mas make natural wines and are from the South of France. Their wines gained a real following for offering bang for the buck – especially the Ouest 2001 – when they were bigged up by Jancis Robinson. Robersons quickly sold out but have recently stocked up with loads of cases from across their entire range. The Ouest 2001 was a tenner last year, but now is back up to rrp of £15. It is sold at Upstairs for £28 – Just under 2x mark-up, which is pretty competitive.

Haisma is also another Jancis Robinson favourite (I like Thibault Liger-Belair and Bernstein wines too, so that makes me a diehard purple pager..) , an Australian winemaker who started out as lieutenant to Dr Carrodus of Yarra Yering. Now he makes wine in Burgundy (2007 was his first vintage, as a non-Burgundian, much respect!) using grapes bought from local growers. I’ve been searching for a merchant who stock his wines for some time now and I was ready to drop the £47 for the 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin, if I weren’t dining solo. 2009 being a super vintage (read: hyped and overpriced) for Burgundy, though it is said that wines were ‘un-terroir’ like for being overly concentrated. Burgundy drinking windows are always tricky – either drink them very young (fresh and lively) or really old (compost… earth!!), but not in between. I think 3 years is still young enough before this closes up, so that’s what you’ll read about on my next visit here…

I started slow, with a glass of young Beaujolais, Recolte 2011 by Ch Cambon (£4.50). I assumed this was made from gamay as it was easy drinking, uncomplicated and overshadowed by the first ‘snack’ to come.

Buttermilk Chicken & Pine Salt, £5.20

There are so many pictures of this dish on the internet, it is unanimously praised but deservedly so.

The smell of pine …wah… this reminded me of the sensory stuff they do at the Fat Duck, except it’s far subtler compared to the way Heston forces it upon you. Like a patch of forest scooped up and landed on the table, I couldn’t help but position my nostrils over it as I picked up each piece of fried chicken. Juicy thigh meat cased in piping hot, powdery, crispy batter. Premium pop-corn chicken in 3D. I would gladly have a whole thigh as mains …a spin-off for a chicken & chip shop perhaps?? So good, too good…

Courgette Soup, Razor Clams & Indian Spice, £5.90

Sliced razor clams, courgettes and spiced potatoes stacked on top on one another, like an edible dam splitting the plate in half. The cold soup was carefully poured on either side of it as they served this dish. For a touch of theatricality I suppose. The fluidised vegetable went on a taste-bud spree. I think I tasted garlic as well but my attention was firmly on the Indian spiced potatoes. It was like paprika and lavender. Actually it wasn’t and Jared did explain it to me, but I was too engrossed in slurping the soup to take notes.

Roast Lamb Saddle, Anchovy & Potato, £16.60
with Salice Salentino, Torre Nova 2010. Natalino del Prete, Puglia, £4.20

Daniel served the wines, he raved about his Italian red and poured me a small sample to try with the lamb. Oh my my… nose on fire! Wild, powerful savoury, meat and maybe even turpentine. On palate more meat, grippy tannins, fiery spice and a lingering finish. So good …I asked him to fill my glass! £22 for a bottle, and per-ml prices (by the 125ml measure) are nearly equivalent. Can’t find a retail price, but can’t imagine this being more than £10. Cracking value nonetheless.

The lamb had such intense aromas, it was like being on a farm in Rotorua. The meat was unbelievably tender, collapsing as the knife went in. Crackling skin, its flavour like just-cut grass or perhaps even sugarcane. Inside there was no sign of pinkness, it didn’t taste like it was boiled in a bag, so I wondered how they manage the tenderness. How were the flavours so rich and consistent ..as if a glove of gravy had formed around it? Pure magic, proper roast lamb, triumphant cooking.

Blueberry Mousse, Milk Crisps & Tarragon, £6.20

This was pudding without the stodge, like blueberry coolwhip with the sponge cake and crisps flavours reversed. It’s modern like the New Nordic stuff and could probably pass as being Le Fooding.

There were so many things to like, so many things to admire. Food was utterly delicious, wines were dangerously drinkable. Service was relaxed, impassioned and professional. I must have had an incredible and memorable meal.

If all they have set out to do is make people happy by feeding them delicious food, then I think these folk have achieved that goal in spectacular fashion. I felt there was clarity and respect for crafting a fine experience, but surely a perfect example of total hospitality done right. I think restaurateurs generally seek flair while customers look for balance. When they align, that’s when the act of nourishment yields strong emotional responses. Or in my case, when I make the effort to dream up even more cringe-worthy ways to describe how I fucking loved this meal.

Attention to detail extends to the coffee, brewed with cafetiere but using bottled water rather than tap, as it is less tainted and presumably will interfere less with intended flavours. ( Don’t roll your eyes, see twitter conversation that ensued ). As for the amateur in me, I couldn’t tell if there would be a perceptible difference, but the brew was indeed smooth, fruity and a fitting conclusion to a fabulous meal.

I paid £45.35 for this dinner for one, and put £5 for service. Given that it’s four courses with 2 glasses of wine and coffee – or as some of you put it to me for ‘ordering the most expensive things on the menu’ – truly fantastic value for money.

I think the immediate challenge now – like any restaurant – is in maintaining this consistency. If they can do that, stay permanent and then step up a gear or two as the kitchen matures, Upstairs will easily become a stalwart. I was lucky enough to have been to Dabbous twice when it just opened and I thought then that I had already eaten my best meal this year. But this tops it. I want more of this, I want to take the missus, my family and all my friends to this restaurant. This is what it’s all about. This is my favourite meal of 2012.

Details

Upstairs at Ten Bells
£40pp British
84 Commercial Street E1 6LY
Tel: +44 7530 492986
Tube: Liverpool Street

Other views: Skinnybib , Rocket & Squash , Cool on Demand , Dinnerathon , London Food Freak , Hollow Legs , Hungry in London , New York Times

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Quick thinking firefighters returning from a routine fire safety inspection helped to save two lives in the space of 30 minutes on Wembley High Road last week.

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I am indebted to Josh Katz for sending me to this (relatively) new Middle Eastern diner opened by ex-Ottolenghi/Nopi chefs. Josh is now officially the former head chef at the excellent Made in Camden. While I’m a little saddened that I can no longer eat his banana breads for brunch, I am eagerlloa waiting the arrival of his next project.

The owners are husband and wife, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer and if you google them, you’ll find dozens of Ottolenghi links, so Ottolenghi fans should probably rejoice.

The cafe is shoe-box sized, open from 7.30am to 7pm (for the time being) with dinners (currently) offered as special one-offs. Decor is basic, the appearance of an honest, family run cafe. Itamar even appears to prepare food just behind the counter. Cakes are pushed up against the front window on display, just like Ottolenghi.

Despite flying completely under the radar (no website but Itamar is active on Twitter as @honeyanco) , it already seems to have a strong following. It was very busy for Friday lunch, tables turned briskly with a steady stream of customers to fill newly vacated ones.

The menu appears seasonal and well-priced. On my visit, starters include fresh peaches, goats cheese, salted almonds, regent’s park honey (£6) ; Ras al hanut beef cigar, yogurt & tomato sauce (£4). Mains were Chicken & Mint dumplings in yoghurt sauce, peas & basmati rice (£8.5) ; Beef Kebab, roasted apricot, pistachio & rocket (£8.5). Everything sounds exotic and exuberant.

I drank a glass of house red for £3, I didn’t take down the description, but it was definitely gluggable fermented grape juice.

5 seasonal mezze, olives and bread £6.

Fattoush (bread and tomato salad) , butternut squash tahini, (mashed?) aubergines with olives, rice and herb fritter, (spiced?) chick peas and sliced pita bread made in house.

I gobbled up each mezze very quickly but did manage to note down a few words to describe it – juicy, fresh, healthy, yummy, great pita. It felt like each ingredient was lovingly massaged into the final product. As cliched as it sounds, this was the sort of personal cooking one would imagine chefs whipping up for loved ones in their own time. I only realised after the fact that this was completely vegetarian.

Seared lamb, saffron potatoes, artichokes, oregano, £8.50.

I definitely tasted the oregano punch, kapow. Great charcoal smoky lamb, pink in center, juicy, fleshy, delish. The potatoes were fragrant but also citrusy! The acidity cut a contrast to the lamb, also, it was served cold against the hot meat. This reminded me of the Eyre Bros/Pizarro recipe of pink iberico loin with potatoes. Nothing fancy, just great meat & potatoes, at a reasonable price.

I finished with a gorgeous flat white (£2.20) that was dense and toasty and took home a slice of cake (£3). Everything came to £22.70 and I put down £5 for the very personable service which was a little overwhelmed by the popularity at times throughout lunch hour. The next morning, I savoured the cherry, almond and pistachio cake and thought how it easily challenges the signature cakes (like the flourless chocolate for example) from heavyweights like Gails and Ottolenghi.

Honey & Co is a certainly a gem. If you work in the vicinity, it is worth giving Honey & Co a go. That is if your colleagues haven’t already alerted you to it. My meal was merely a glimpse, so do have a look at other blog posts from around the interwebs for a rounded view. There are multiple accounts of the sheer edibility of Itamar’s falafel. Mmmm, now to attempt a seat at Itamar’s off business hours, long table dinners…

Details

Honey & Co
£20pp Middle East
25 Warren Street
W1T 5LZ
Tel: 0207 388 6175
Tube: Warren Street

Other views: Good for Lunch ; A Mouthful of Kim ; Hummus Boy ; Beauty and the Dirt

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Animal rescues have shot up by almost 60 per cent over the past six years

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Many people would not be surprised to hear that studying in a business school helped me get a new job. But I never expected that it would be co-chairing the school’s black-tie Summer Ball committee, very much unpaid. I was flattered and gracefully accepted (fine I was over the moon, but us “chairs” are not to be seen over-excited about anything). The news came on the 14^th of February, when I was working round-the-clock in our French offices, quietly mourning St. Valentine’s celebrations – and alas – there was finally some justice in the world. However for my co-chair this must have been an even more special piece of news, as the event itself fell precisely on his birthday, just another 5 months later.

For those whose paths never crossed a single doorstep of a­­ school black-tie Ball – think about graduation after a looooong, hard, demanding but fun year at school, think tuxedos and gowns, adopt the nostalgic “we might never see each-other ever again” feeling. And now turn all this into expectations for your last party at the school. And see it from the organisers’ eyes. Scary?

Enormously, if you have even a tiny hint of responsibility, empathy and consciousness in your nature. Not for our fearless (or foolish) group of 6. We saw the ball as a defining event not only for LBS, but for London’s summer social scene, and committed to not go for second best in anything in our attempt to make this day unforgettable for our classmates. We set out to challenge the famous Oxbridge May balls and themed ours “Great Expectations”. This turned out into a fantastic and challenging experience, which without doubt tested our management, leadership, problem solving, negotiating and number crunching skills better than any exam as well as probed our stamina, creativity, and diplomacy.

So what did the LBS Summer Ball committee members spend their free time doing?
- Visiting potential venues all around London (including National History Museum, One Mayfair, Greenwich, Guildhall, British Museum – we even considered a tree house) – check
- Doing 3 food tastings a day, some excellent, and some not that much – check
- Manual control of the 1000 purchased tickets – check
- Writing copy for imaginary event hosts to post on their Facebook page – check 
- Meeting up on Sunday early a.m. to decide on a ticket-selling strategy – check
- Reaching out to 100+ small and big companies to get sponsorship – check
- Designing logos, wristbands, tickets and building a website from scratch – check
- Going clubbing to find the best DJ for the event – check
- Stepping outside comfort zone, staying up notoriously late, sometimes disagreeing and still having lots of fun – check

11 day countdown is on and I cannot wait, but am already full of bitter sweet memories. Because there is hardly a possibility that I will be involved in organizing next year’s ball. Its also quite probable that I will never get to throw another party of this size and blitz. And there is absolutely no room for doubt that I will ever forget this odyssey to put the LBS SB’12 together.

…and yes, as of 3^rd July 2012, we still do have some tickets available…

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Free tickets have been released to be in the studio audience for the live finals of SUPERSTAR, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new search to cast a Jesus for his forthcoming Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

[Visit Westendtheatre.com for the full article]

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