The Badger Hunter

Killer Wales Escape @ Mortimer House!

2014-03-09T18:50:00.000+00:00

www.mortimerhousecrickhowell.com

Arriving in Crickhowell on a sunny Friday afternoon we were delighted to find a picturesque village, with all the charm of a postcard but some fairly practical amenities too. The first building we saw was a post office, then a delightful little boozery, a few bustling pubs, some independent shops and a grocers.

The village is small and it didn't take much to find our cottage, bang in the middle of town. The parking for the cottage was private and spacious and there was no issue having our party arrive in 2 cars.

We met Natasha in the road and were greeted with warm smiles and bags of welsh enthusiasm. Entering the property you were immediately hit with how nicely new and finished it was, with beautiful details.

Natasha walked us through all the 'need to knows' and offered us some advice on what to visit (and maybe more importantly what to skip).

The cottage was charming and cosy through and through. Both bedrooms nicely appointed, with good beds and tasteful, quality modern furnishings, enough to be homely but not enough to feel cluttered.

One nice bathroom with contemporary fixings and a zing of colour.

A cute lounge with french doors onto a sweet kitchen garden with table and barbeque. The cottage is filled with bright pictures by local artists all available for sale and all adding to the texture and luxe factor of the place.

On the dining table were some goodies, a large bottle of local apple juice, a loaf of village bread, some welsh cakes and a bar of divine chocolate from the chocolate shop across the street. We are talking 5 metres from the front door. We visited 'Black Mountain Gold' twice during our stay and the range of chocolates they sell is vast from port & stilton to peach & madras curry even if we stuck mainly to the likes of sea salt caramels and orange milk chocolate.

Back to the cottage, more goodies awaited us in the kitchen, local cheese, a large container of milk, tea, sugar etc... The kitchen was new and light with a door to the garden and a skylight.

It didn't take us long to settle in and it very soon became our home from home. Every day we ventured out and found we were extremely well located to reach a variety of destinations. The countryside was beautiful and serene and it was a delight to return every day to our bolt hole as the sun sunk into the hills. As we made our way from the car park (only metres away) you could see down the sun drenched high street with its pastel blocks of cottages and shops and truly feel the calm and tranquility of this place.

Even at night the village was prettily lit with life and soul around the pubs.

I would not hesitate to stay here again or to recommend this place to anyone. First world mod cons with old world charm wrapped into a ball of dreamy tranquility. The perfect escape for city types who cannot live without deep mattresses or wi-fi.

Vetiver at Chewton Glen - A Countryside Re-treat

2013-08-16T19:00:00.000+01:00

www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant

We know Chewton Glen very well and have dined there on many occasions in the last few years. The ambiance is quite magical and I must admit that I get a warm feeling every time we drive down the driveway through the stone mushrooms and over the awkward bumps. The place has a wonderful modern edge despite having quite traditional core values. This blend of classic service and formality with fashion and business forward sense will no doubt ensure its long lasting place in history. Chewton seems to really embrace the modern world, understanding today's demographic, offering quality and quirkiness, not stuffiness. If you don't know about their treehouses yet you should really look them up! The fun side of Chewton is what tells me that the place has soul and charm that really makes it great for younger adults. This is exactly the kind of place to bring your parents, but at the same time you actually want to be here with them. This is not one of those tired old country houses institutionalized into a hotel.

Sadly, the last time we had dinner here the service (not the food, the food was divine) was absolutely appalling and because I could not believe it I wrote to the hotel to tell them. We were contacted very quickly and assured this was not the norm nor was it acceptable and we were invited back. Having only ever had a great time here I was more than keen to take them up on their offer. One dish in particular lingered in my mind as I accepted the invitation... I had a baby pumpkin slow baked with truffles with a creamy and delicious filling. Not only was it beautiful and intensely flavoured it was inspired. Anyway, this post is about our latest visit and the fantastic evening we had.

We arrived and were greeted with smiles as our car was taken away. We were escorted to the bar where we enjoyed our prinks (pre-dinner drinks). We always make a habit of doing this in nice places as it is delightful to sit in the bar or lounge and take in a whole other experience before dinner. I'm all for dragging these things out. We opted for the tasting menus, and in my case the vegetarian tasting menu. We had a lovely table and the staff were sincere and attentive.

Now for the food...

Heirloom Tomato Salad, Basil Mayonnaise, Tapenade, Summer Truffle

Very nice. Good flavour which, when being served tomatoes often back fires as the desire for varieties better serves for presentation than flavour. These had been well chosen, well seasoned and thoughtfully put together. A very nice refreshing start to a summer menu and very nice to look at.

Pressed Foie Gras, Crunchy Grapes, Pineau Jelly, Almond Vinaigrette

Green Bean & Pine Nut Salad, Avocado Cherry Tomato, Croutes

My green bean salad was very nice, however the real star was my husband's dish. In particular I must mention the crunchy grapes. They were really delicious. They were partly dessicated giving a richer flesh, which coupled with the slightly salty crunch to the skin made for a beautiful and intense savoury morsel. Pineau jelly was lovely with foie gras, quite a classic combo really but executed very well and put apart from most foie gras cum sweet substance by those rather special grapes.

Stuffed Courgette Flower, Courgette & Olive, Elderflower Vinaigrette

Wild Salmon, Pea & Mint, Crushed Broad Beans, Lobster Bisque

It was my turn to have the star dish and my courgette flower did not disappoint. I truly believe this was a michelin star worthy dish. Not only was the presentation breathtaking the flavour combination was incredible. The use of olive was truly inspired as it gave a salty tang which with the green of the courgette and the floral notes from both the elderflower vinaigrette and the geranium leaves was a true celebration of summer in a completely novel way. I have never had these flavours together and I was unable to guess how they would work, but they did. Genius.

Smoked Loin of Veal, Red Cabbage Ketchup, Pickled Sunflower, Aubergine Caviar

Another really innovative dish that delivered a lot of flavour. The smokiness of the dish came from the veal and the aubergine caviar (this was very much like the lebanese smoked aubergine dish baba ganoush). The earthiness was further added to with a chargrilled artichoke. In fact the smokiness might have been overwhelming if it wasn't for the Red Cabbage Ketchup which really lifted the smoke with an acidic zing. My one criticism is the amount of aubergine. It was too much and just threw the dish off balance. As soon as I worked this out I pushed half aside and my husband followed me. A silly thing I know, but it was powerful and left the veal struggling to be heard. The elements of this dish were beautiful and intellectually it delivered, a real treat for the mind and the tastebuds.

Baked Isle of Wight Soft, Crusty Bread

The cheese course. I love cheese. This was very simple in essence, but it was also very effective. We got a whole cheese and it was lovely, a rich mild cows cheese with real butteryness, especially after it's time 'au four'. In a way, the attention was drawn away from the cheese and pulled towards the 'crusty bread'. This was a lie. This was not crusty bread, these were the most beautiful and attractive sheets of mosaiced ingredients. There were 2 varieties, one rich and fruity with nut, the other more savoury with spring onion, seeds and apricot. Both delightfully fragrant and delicate and triumphs of baking. These exsquisite fine sheets were a pleasure to eat and a wonder to look at. My eyes were studying the light and it passed through them and lit up the colours within.

Raspberry Gazpacho, Roast Red Pepper Sorbet

This palette cleanser was right up my street, the raspberry was subtle, but this new format served very well for delivering that chilled note of cucumber with the sweet but bitter zing of pepper.

Iced Honeycomb Parfait, Chocolate Mousse & Honeycomb

I have never really been a big dessert lover, but if I have one, this is what I like. Parfait is always lighter to take after a big meal and the honeycomb worked very well. The mousse was beautiful and bitter and the little hit of salt always brings out the sweet flavours for me. Very nice to eat indeed.

Mignardises

In conclusion, dinner was superb! A great performance and every dish a pleasant surprise. The one other thing I must must mention however is the wine. I opted for the wine pairing, and it was fantastic. When doing pairings I like brave choices, I like interesting wines that will really add to the dish I am eating. Chewton is one of the few places where if you have the vegetarian tasting menu you get a different flight of wines. This to me proves their dedication for matching the wine to the food and I very much appreciate the effort. The sommelier was also well informed, thoughtful and very good company throughout the meal.

This restaurant is so close to being the best of the best. The chef has the imagination and the skill. A touch more control in the kitchen and in service would deliver them all the awards the world has to offer. Truly a pleasure to dine here. The biggest challenge Chewton faces is the size of the restaurant, being large for it's callibre and its ambition puts a very heavy burden on them. How they coordinate the delivery of the quality with the detail and the timings is a wonder to me, truly impressive!

Inamo: Hi-Tech Eatery of the Future.

2012-04-09T13:00:00.000+01:00

www.inamo-stjames.com

How badgerifical is this? A restaurant where your table is an interactive space (projected from above) where you can browse the menu, place your order... use the "chef cam" to view inside the kitchen, keep track of group and individual totals and even choose your "tablecloth" design and play games either on your own or with the other diners.

I would be lying to you if I said we came here because the food sounded great. I had read an article about this "dining experience of the future" and could not wait to have a go. I do have a reputation for being a bit of a technophobe, but the appeal of ordering your food directly off the table top, without interaction from "a humble human" was too much to resist. At first I still found myself waiting or at least expecting service, but there is the beauty of it... they cannot rush you... because you decide when to place the order! As soon as you embrace the power of ordering the chef around without interference from the usual mediator, a whole world of opportunity opens up before you.

I found myself ordering more than I usually would and not keeping to the conventional pace of the meal. I could order mine without waiting for the other diners, and if I wanted another drink, I did not need to raise it as an item for discussion by the whole table, I had the power to simply do it!

The table of the future.

Cherry tomatoes with ginger, chili and avocado. This was a delightful eastern twist on an Italian classic!

One of the biggest surprises for me was when the food arrived. It was beautiful! All of it! Modern and elegant and really quite delicious! The cocktails were also a great find, and I could easily see how on a Friday night you might be in serious danger of getting quite drunk drinking cocktail after cocktail without trying to hail down a waiter (which on a weekend evening in a bar is like trying to get a taxi in the rain) and lose valuable time waiting between drinks. No maths at the end of the night either, regardless of you group size, sobriety or moral preference as the table "knows" what you ordered and your total bill.

Truffled marbled beef fillet. Another beautiful twist on a carpaccio this time.

Duck with pancakes and hoisin sauce... no cucumber and spring onion though... instead a box of fragrant herb salad.

"Vegetarian Lunch Box" Consisting of miso soup, pickles, edamame beans, rice and a vegetable curry for £14!!!

Pandan macaroon, white chocolate and Yuzu mouse with candied Yuzu and homemade coconut and lemongrass ice cream. This was exquisite and I WILL have this again. What a badger! p.s those dots are the chocolate sauce, lol.

The beautiful stone bar.

The other wonderful thing was how beautiful and serene the restaurant was. The quality of everything was superb, from the onyx panels in the walls to the bamboos sprouting out of the ground. There is no missing the Japanese influence here. The clever use of sliding panels, and the sharp modern simplicity of the lines. Even the projectors were in funky hexagonal ceiling pods that added to the futuristic appeal of the place.

My trip towards the restrooms (which were also lovely).

The sake cabinet.

The most interesting thing that you realize about this new techy restaurant experience is how much of restaurant dining culture is tied to service. The pace of your meal, the ordering in rounds, and even the discussions around who will have what. Plates were arriving at the table and I did not even know they had been ordered! This style of dining (and the games!) definitely draws out an introverted sense of self and pushes you back into a personal space where your dining choices are not democratic and the idea of waiting on someone else to get your order in is driven out by the emergence of one's own internal voice saying "order it, order it now...".

Singapore Garden: An Asian Eden

2012-04-08T20:30:00.000+01:00

www.singaporegarden.co.uk

One of my favorite haunts in London, despite being some distance from where I stay in London. I am drawn back by the wonderfully friendly staff, my favorite dishes and the stylish yet warm and comfortable decor.

Outside Singapore Garden

I was introduced to this restaurant by a good friend, and it quickly became a regular outing. The right attention to detail is given to everything, from the fragrant, balanced cocktails to the freshly made, wonderfully cooked food.

One highlight are the cocktails. My favorite is Lychee Suzy Wong.

Chicken Satay. The best in London.

The pork dumplings have a wonderful flavour and texture.

One of the many kinds of crab on the menu.

Smoked Chicken, again, the best in London.

Crispy Beef: So fine and so crispy.

Greens stir fried in garlic. Simple but effective.

Pineapple fritters with wonderful vanilla ice-cream and Golden Syrup

I truly recommend this place. The food is always perfectly executed. Granted they are not inventing anything new, but if you love Chinese / Singaporean / Malaysian or Thai food then there will be a dish here for you. This is definitely my home from home regular (if I am in London).

Launceston Place: Quick, somebody call the Michelin man!

2012-04-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk

I remember eating at this place many many years ago when it was a tired traditional English restaurant. The kind of place you could take your grandparents and not overwhelm them with the advances made in gastronomy over the last two decades. Well I have eaten there a few times since the transformation and quite frankly the only thing I can say is that it has metamorphosed into a very special place indeed. The decor alone was transformed to be elegant and modern with a cosy feel and beautiful details and furniture.

A couple of years ago I had the privilege of eating a truffle risotto at Launceston Place which was beyond compare. In fact, loving truffle the way I do, I have had many a truffle promising dish in many a one/two Michelin starred restaurant that paled in comparison. There was one thing letting this place down however, and that was inflexibility of the staff and the narrowness and seldom changing nature of the menu. Upon revisiting their site recently I happened upon a wider selection and the addition of a vegetarian tasting menu! Although I am not a vegetarian myself, I often have a mix of the vegetarian and regular tasting menu as there is usually something I dislike. This was the sign I was looking for to inspire me to book this place for the visit of my fiancé's parents.

The outside of Launceston Place

The in-laws to be. Both turning 60 AND celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary!

The Amuse Bouche: Celeriac Foam with Truffle Oil. Perfectly executed and delicious to eat. The foam was not like spit, it was a light and consistently airy concoction that was a delight to eat.

Asparagus & Duck Egg: The Asparagus Veloute that these perfectly cooked elements bathed in was so smooth and delicious you simply did not know how they did it and retained the intensity of flavour.

Roasted Scallop, Glazed Belly Pork, and Textures of Apple and Celeriac. The belly pork was the star here, succulent and moist. The apple and celeriac really brought the surf-and-turf together.

Herb Gnocchi, Broccoli Puree, roasted Shallots & Truffle Emulsion: Another spectacularly perfect dish.

Cornish lemon sole, prawns, shrimps, samphire and potatoes. Elegant and refined, the sauce really let the fish shine through.

Beetroot, White Balsamic, Dandelions & Hazelnuts: A beautiful plate of food with a rich earthy depth and a spectrum of texture.

Ravioli of Goats Cheese, Olives, Piquillo peppers, Artichokes & Spinach: A little too much going on, but all the flavours fit well and each element was executed perfectly. This was my least favorite dish (there has to be one!) as it lacked the clarity and focus of my other dishes. Please note, this was a vegetarian option.

Pork loin fillet, cumin cabbage, pumpkin puree and pork popcorn. My fiancé thought the cumin was a little overpowering, but what does he know?? It was inspired as was the popcorn that gave the texture of crackling to the dish.

The wonderful and stylish cheese trolley.

The selection we made for our table with the highlight being a Calvados steeped Camembert.

There was also a wonderful Lemon Posset pre-dessert with Rosemary Granita. An inspired little creation.

The Dessert: Chocolate Souffle with Praline Ganache and Dark Chocolate Sorbet. again, perfect execution and an Easter treat for chocolate lovers.

Although not photographed, I also had the flight of wines and they were superb. I knew they would be as soon as the sommelier presented himself. I found the fact that he was Spanish (as usually they cannot help but be French) quite refreshing and it did mean that we got some interesting Spanish wine. He was really very pleasant and thoughtful and I did not feel for one second that he was reeling off a prepared script. He very much took the time to engage with us and discuss the wine.

In fact, he was not the only one who impressed me. The service was really quite fantastic (unlike previous visits) and the desire to accomodate you did not go unnoticed. I cannot for the life of me work out why this restaurant does not have at least one Michelin Star? I can only imagine that the inspector is still on his way here...

Terravina: Californian style informality in the New Forest

2012-04-05T20:30:00.000+01:00

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

Terravina. The name itself was appealing to me as a lover of wine. "Terra" meaning land, earth or soil, depending on translation, and I am guessing we all know what "vina" is a reference to?!

It was a friend of mine that first brought this place to my attention, and it was with this same friend that we planned to visit to celebrate the start of our easter holiday and the one year pre-versary of my wedding. Before I launch into the experience we had at Terravina, I feel duty bound to mention the personal tailoring they offered on the menus. I had called to ask about the availability of a vegetarian tasting menu and was basically offered a menu designed around my palette. NEVER before in my history of dining has any place been this obliging. Thank you and I do not know how you do it!

The outside of Terravina Hotel and Restaurant.

The room where we had our predinner drinks. The room felt very cosy and pleasant, but I found the decor underwhelming for this calibre of place.

Printed menus (even my bespoke menu!!).

The WINE

The view of the restaurant from our table. Again, understated.

Tomato and cucumber tian. Very simple, very refreshing.

Crab, Mackerel, Tomato and Ginger Tian with red pepper gazpacho.

Beetroot salad with goats cheese and walnuts. This dish shone for me.

Lamb and black pudding with braised bok choi and minted mushy peas.

Pickled vegetables with pine nuts, chick pea
mousse and deep fried Boursin balls. Some lovely textures and flavours.

Chicken with tarragon gnocchi, olives, dried tomatoes and a lemon butter sauce. very nice. The chicken was perfect.

Halibut with oyster, samphire, rocket and shellfish sauce.

Squab pigeon, celeriac, onion and garlic. A delicious plate of food.

Poached pear with white chocolate mousse, raisin puree and almonds. I particularly enjoyed the white chocolate mousse.

The food was very good, the flight of wines very nice. The service was good and the company was good. All in all we had a wonderful evening here and would highly recommend it. The one thing I would say though, is if you are looking for an extremely chic and stylish experience, this is not exactly that. The place is very nice, but it is informal. Quite loud and no tablecloths... The kind of place you can pop inand have a bite in jeans and a tshirt or have a tasting menu with friends (this is also true of Hotel du Vin). Fair dues to the owners who had this vision of relaxed informality with great food and wine, because they have achieved that. I would be comfortable coming in here anytime. I like the accessibility and lack of pretentiousness. As a younger fine diner I also enjoyed not feeling patronized by snobby staff and sometimes even other diners!

If you are looking for sparkling glamour or want to "show off" your wealth then you are in the wrong place. This place is quite unique in being the ideal prowling ground for evolved wealth. Those who value comfort and personal care over bling and pzaaz. The kind of people who are comfortable in their standing and are accustomed to the finer things. I personally prefer a little more flashiness and song & dance, but I am young and still getting comfortable!

L'Etranger: Style meets food

2012-03-23T20:30:00.000+00:00

www.etranger.co.uk

We had eaten at l'etranger only once before, but decided to take our friends there for dinner. We thought it would be a great place to get a taste of London, as we all live out of town. Outside of London you can find wonderful 'country park' and 'boutique' hotel restaurants. If you are looking for something that is edgy and cool, with oodles of sophistication, but without the starch collared structure of a fine dining establishment, then London is the place you need to go.

I suppose it must be the wealth in the city that allows this kind of place to exist. The kind of place where you can have an informal semi-reasonable meal or spend over a grand on tasting menus and wine, a truly flexible dining experience. To give you an idea of the coolness factor, we are all in our twenties, and although we didn't see anyone in there younger than us, I felt a tinge of 'out of towner'. All diners were dressed well, 'rich/pseudo-intellectual sports casual' if that means anything to you.

L'etranger describes itself as a fusion restaurant - Japanese meets French, which personally, is not something I look for in a meal. If it doesn't sound like your bag either, do not let it put you off. The most Japanese element of my steak with truffled polenta chips and peppercorn sauce was the Japanese plate it was served on. If however, nipponch cuisine is exactly what you have been missing in your life, then there were curiosities (like Tuna Tataki with Foie Gras Shavings & Truffle Ponzu Jelly) on the menu to appease you.

The thing that impresses you the most are the quirky theatricals you witness, from the elegance of the olive bread sticks to the presentation of the courses. The attention to detail really served to prove that money had been spent on the right things and that you were somewhere a little special. The cutlery and glassware were über-sleek, the menu (sadly I did not photograph this) was printed on pearlized paper held in a handsome wallet.

Black and green olive pastry sticks.

Every time a course arrived there would be something at the table you had not seen before to capture the imagination, like the deconstruction of foie gras with foie gras lolly pops, foie gras creme brulée, and a test tube of plum wine!

Scallops with Parmesan purée in a shaved wood strip.

Foie gras three ways, with mushroom brioche and plum wine.

Calamari with lime and chilli sauce.

Five tomato salad with burrata, basil sorbet, and truffled balsamic pearls.

So we went to town, we started with cocktails, then we had starters, then we had mains with wine (from an extensive list) made more alluring by the fact that we could espy the glass walled wine room from our table.

All four of us chose the fillet for the main course.

We then shared a dessert 4 ways, which may seem impossible to you, but it was a platter of chocolate in 7 different incarnations including a mousse with orange, a bitter chocolate sorbet, chocolate fondant, an opera cake, and even a dark chocolate and truffle ganache.

Death by chocolate - seven ways.

To top off our night we had a flight of 6 dessert wines (which we also shared among us). They had carefully selected 6 wines of increasing intensity. Starting with a light semi-sweet apple nosed wine to an aged pedro ximénez that clung heavily to the sides of the glass, a tar like nectar with the deep sweetness of liquorice, treacle and raisins.

They brought all the bottles to the table for us to see... and check out the cool table lights!

The holders for our flight of dessert wines were very fun and futuristic.

We were there for hours and we had truly taken advantage of the spectrum of delights they had to offer. The service was what you might expect at the finest establishments, the food was rich, delicious and comforting yet sharp and thought provoking. If you are looking to have a unique 'London' night or just want to be fed well and in comfort, then this place is for you. An intimate and classy joint that tickles with its play on food yet does not compromise your stomach's enjoyment in the process!

The Waterside Inn: Back to the era of Classic French Gastronomy.

2011-09-30T20:00:00.000+01:00

www.waterside-inn.co.uk

When you enjoy fine dining as much as I do, it isn't long before you start to set your sights on the cream of the British restaurant crop, the 3 Michelin starred restaurants. As those of you in the know will know, in England this isn't even a list of restaurants, there are 4. Although I have visited a handful of 2 Michelin starred establishments, my visit to The Waterside Inn, was my first 3. In fact such an expensive meal warranted an occasion, and we visited to celebrate our engagement. In order to to further relieve us of our money we also opted to stay in one of their rooms. I must admit to being skeptical about this, as I had viewed their rooms on the website and found them rather unappealing. I may even have mocked the "garden furniture" in one of the rooms and I certainly found their decor a little too reminiscent of the 80s/90s crossover years.

The village view from our room.

Arriving in Bray, the renowned restaurant town (due to its two 3 Michelin starred restaurants), was an experience it itself. Coming off the hectic M4 only miles from London, one arrives almost instantly in this countryside idyll. Right before your eyes the modern world disappears and you find yourself on the set of Midsummer Murders. It is a wonder to me that this little town of so much acclaim could remain here untouched. Well, there is one thing, the wealth. You know you are in a chocolate box village near London when you see all the driveways and streets crawling with mercs and beemers, new ones.

The view at the front of The Waterside Inn.

Anyway, it was a warm late afternoon as we approached the restaurant, a Tudor style country spot on the river. The first thing that you notice is chefs. Chefs here, chefs there, chefs everywhere. How do I know they were chefs... easy the tall hats. Anyone who has been to Oxford knows how the place crawls with intellectual student types, and you just know they 'go to Oxford'. Well, here it was the same, but with chefs. Outside in the daylight, carrying things to other buildings, standing around chatting, having a fag-orette break.

The place seemed lovely and calm and it felt very much like we were somewhere special. The place did seem a little dated in style, but everything was ultra sharp and clean. Our room was small, and the decor as predicted, but the details were right, and nothing was tired. There were Roux cook books and magazines that served to remind just what a special place you were in.

Our Room Key.

The bedroom.

There was no mini-bar, but we were shown to a kitchenette down the hall that boasted an 'Honesty bar'. For those unfamiliar with this notion, an honesty bar is an unmanned bar where you pour your own drinks and write down what you have so they can charge you accordingly later. This is a lovely idea in general as it implies they trust you and that you can make your gin and tonic as strong as you like. However, when the cost of a G&T matches the price of a whole bottle of gin in the supermarket it makes you feel more like they do not trust you in any way.

The kitchenette, complete with complementary tea and coffee.

Price list for the honesty bar.

We sat outside overlooking the river for a pre-dinner drink and canapes. We were lucky that it had been warm enough for this as it was so wonderful out there. We then made our way in to a corner table for our meal.

Where we sat for our drinks.

The view at night.

The canapes.

One thing you did notice was that it is not a huge place, and the sheer number of staff was incredible. In fact, if you count the chefs and kitchen staff there is a more than good chance that the guests were outnumbered! The service was also super attentive and faultless. It is also fair to say that there was not one member of the waiting staff that did not come and say hello at some point in the evening. Surprisingly perhaps, I was not overwhelmed by it, and I am the type who does not like to get too 'involved' with the waiters, I like a bit of space and I do not like to feel like I am being watched.

The view of the room from our table

The room itself was nice enough, it had that lovely soft glow and warm atmosphere. The decor, chairs and china were again outdated but not tired. The menu was classic French without a doubt and without apologizing for it, as was the very extensive French only wine list. To me it served only to reinforce the fact that the food must be phenomenal, or they would not get away with it.

A wonderful Chestnut and champagne veloute with foie gras dumplings. Delicious.

Flaked haddock souffle.

The runny hidden egg in the souffle.

The best plate of food I have ever eaten. Rabbit with fondant celeriac, glazed chestnuts and armagnac sauce. I cannot begin to understand or explain the flavours. This was the highlight of my night.

Venison Wellington. I tried this and it was superb. The venison was beautiful and the surrounding substance was unexplainably delicious and perfect.

Chocolate Fondant with clementine sorbet.

Assiette of desserts.

Caramel almond.

The cheese trolley.

By the end of the night, it felt like the restaurant had been there forever, protected in a bubble of its own exquisiteness. An old world charm, unchanged by the advances in modern gastronomy. The food had truly been mind bogglingly faultless, and there had been no theatrics. A simplicity in it's delivery that really, for the price, was brave or even cocky. However, the complexity of the flavours on the palette were enough to make you want to cry about your own cooking. I trust these people with my food.

As we were so full we opted to have coffee and mignardises taken to our room. They were happy to oblige.

Coffee & Mignardises in the room.

Breakfast could only be had in the room. So that is where we had it and it was of the caliber you would expect. We checked out and coughed up over £700 for the dinner and room. We were given a Roux signed book at check out as well. Before driving away we wandered round the back to see the view of the river.

A view of the terrace where we had had our drink the night before.

The river.

All in all, it had been an expensive night. The room is not worth the £230 price tag, but that is the premium you pay for staying here. The staff were lovely and the food outstanding. It was certainly a special experience, and something everyone who loves food should try once.

I managed to leave with mixed feelings though, this place is old fashioned and out dated and there was no sorbet or pre-dessert. You got what you ordered, and there were no extras or surprises, but what you did get was sublime! I can see why the Roux family dynasty have an established place in history with their contribution to classic cooking.

Pied-à-terre: Best restaurant in the world?

2011-06-29T21:00:00.000+01:00

www.pied-a-terre.co.uk

Arriving at Pied a Terre was a lovely experience, it is only a small restaurant really, and the space is long and narrow. That said, it is beautifully appointed in a warm modern fashion and the place oozes refinement. I felt like I was somewhere special almost immediately. The moment you arrive you are taken into the care of the staff, and they wait on you as if you are the only reason they are there. NOT in an overwhelming and stalkerish way, but in a warm and thoughtful way that seems so effortless that you know they must know what they are doing as there is a restaurant full of diners recieving the same level of care.

10 Courses. The tasting menu experience is an event that lasts about 4 hours and is a real treat. Before I launch into the food, I should mention the Sommelier who pulled together a wonderfully interesting selection of wines for me to try. Not only this, but for each wine he visited the table twice, once at the start and once at the end of each course. The first visit would always be to pour the wine before the corresponding plate of food arrived. The second visit he would bring back the bottle, ask us about the wine, discuss the flavours and finally reveal the bottle and tell us about the wine. With charm and consistency he would arrive so casually, yet so punctually and he never missed his cue. We developed quite a fondness for his visits to the table and he was a delight to discuss wine with. In fact he also helped me track down a wine I was trying to source at the time (a Lillypilly Fortified Shiraz).

The food was superb, each plate so perfect and so pretty! Each dish so complex and I never saw a plate with less than 10 parts/ processes to it. Everything was simply sublime.

Canapes: Some sort of pastry with truffle.

The amuse bouche: The most processes I have ever seen in one amuse bouche EVER.

A Salad of Raw and Pickled Autumn Vegetables
Toasted Sunflower Seeds and Carrot Oil

Confit Yellow Fin Tuna with Dill Pickled Chayotte,
Oyster Mayonnaise, Toasted Quinoa and Mustard Seeds

Roasted Cheltenham Beetroot with Pinenuts, Balsamic Gel, Lancashire Bomb Cheese and Mini Capers

Lightly Poached Scallops with Cuttlefish, Confit of Buddha Lemon, Samphire and Saffron Velouté

Roasted Foie Gras with Rhubarb Curd, Hazelnut Crumble,
Parsnip and Vanilla Custard

Salt Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Avocado Oil, Sea Purslane and Trompette de la Mort

Pan-Fried Turbot with Shaved Chervil Root,
Braised Cavolo Nero and Caper Beurre Noisette

Butternut Squash with Fresh Shimeji, Sage Beignets,
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Baby Wood Sorrel

Herb Crusted Saddle of Sika Venison with Cranberry Red Cabbage, Baby Spinach Compote, Shallot and Red Wine Jus

A forest of cracker shards.

Le fromage!

Lime Airs and Caramel Foam with Toasted Meringues,
Wild Finger Limes and Mint Oil

Bitter Sweet Chocolate Tart, Stout Ice Cream
and Macadamia Nut Cream

A generosity of Mignaridises

The overall experience was wonderful, and I think it is the best dining experience I have ever had. For me, this is now the restaurant to beat. I heard once that to be a great chef you need to be generous and want to give as much as you can. Well, this place is a living testament to it. You see the tower block of mignaridises above? We had 2 of those for a table of four! The sheer volume and variety totally uneccessary for a group of people who have just eaten 10 courses of food!

No expense, no detail, no effort spared in bringing you the very best of everything through every part of the visit. In no way does it feel like a business transaction, these people take you in and as if without considering cost they offer you everything they have! Bravo!

Bubblegum Ice Cream: Technicolour Wonderland

2011-05-01T19:46:00.002+01:00

We live in an age of concern for the "goodness" of food, where we want natural colours and natural ingredients. We want our meat to have been reared so close it would have to have lived with us and we want our veg to look more like circus freaks than perfect wax facsimiles.

Although part of me is quite happy with the general gist of this movement as I myself am a little concerned about an ingredients lists reading like a maths equation, I can't help but find joy in something of the opposite extreme. Something so artificial... so abstracted away from our natural environment that it lights up my mind with thoughts of a fairytale world. A world without dirt, with clouds made of candy-floss and edible rainbows. I was awash with happiness upon seeing this little treasure in a Portuguese supermarket. Bubblegum Ice cream with the brightest most cheerful swirls. Just have a look at this:

I had no idea what it would taste like, I hoped for something powerful reminiscent of tales of things in Wonka's recipes.

The taste was amazing, stronger than I expected with what must be described as bubblegum. A bouquet of green bananas, violets, soap and cream with a powdery finish.

Spooning into a bowl was fun too, creating my own marbled art work. The texture was lovely and foamy.

This badger was one hell of a find and it really is what childhood dreams are made of.

The Ledbury: Just great food.

2011-03-23T20:30:00.000+00:00

www.theledbury.com

It is a shame that I ate here so recently after visiting Pied à Terre. Although the food was somewhat exciting and perfectly executed it somehow lacked the drama and sheer brilliance and complexity of it's 2 michelin starred Rival. Do not let this put you off, the food was really quite excellent, as it should be. It did not leave my mind dancing like a giddy fairy though. Alas, that is it! The presentation was beautiful, and there were plenty of unique touches I had not seen before.

It may have been that we didn't have a great table, or that the sommelier was a little too busy to indulge us fully, not that he did anything wrong, but it would not be my first choice considering London options.

The reputation of the place does not help as it sets your expectations unbelievably high and it delivers on quality and execution. I am struggling to explain my indifference, but indifferent I am despite having a faultless meal. The place itself was nice enough, and despite the flurry of noise around their interior design, I found it quite boring. I think that is the problem. I wonder if a little too much restraint is guilty of making me feel this way? A little more backbone or courage might have changed things. The food was delicious though.

Curd of Hampshire Buffalo Milk with Mushroom Consommé and Saint Nectaire on Toast

Flame Grilled Mackerel with Cucumber, Celtic Mustard and Shiso

Root Vegetables Baked in Salt and Clay with Hazelnuts

Terrine of Foie Gras with Cooked and Raw Apple in Sake

Tart Fine of Cevennes Onion with Grilled Onion Puree and Chanterelles

Roast Cod with Pumpkin Polenta, Shellfish Emulsion

Shoulder of Pyrenean Milk Fed Lamb with Jerusalem Artichokes, Winter Savory Milk and New Season Olive Oil

Jerusalem and Chinese Artichokes with Winter Savory and New Season Olive Oil

Pre-Dessert

Mignardises tin

Mignardises

L'atelier de Joel Robuchon: An artist's Workshop

2010-11-27T21:00:00.000+00:00

www.joelrobuchon.co.uk/first-floor

Oh Joel. He was my first 2 Michelin Star restaurant and what an experience it was. We went a la carte rather than tasting, and "Je ne regrette rien"! I remember arriving here and finding the place sleek and cool, modern with an almost Asian vibe and red accents on everything. Before I launch into the food, I must warn you that this man is an artist. When I think of the direction he takes the food, I am sad to think that most people will live their entire lives without knowing ingredients can be used like this.

Foie Gras Ravioli in Chicken Broth with Whipped Cream: What can I say. It sounds original and it was. It was so fresh, so zesty with a light airy creaminess brought about by the presence of one dollop of whipped cream in the broth. The extremely finely diced fragrant herbs cut through the oiliness and left your palette in a totally new place. The whole dish was simple and yet so inspired. What a badger!

A modern take on Tournedos Rossini. truffled beef fillet and foie gras. This came with a mini saucepan of "special" mash. In fact it was so special I will never forget it and it dictates how I make mash at home!

My mother had this. Seafood extravaganza of some kind, it looked wonderful.

I cannot remember what this is but it is what my fiancé had and there were no complaints from him!

Pre-dessert: White chocolate and Yuzu ice lolly dipped in popping candy. This was the first time I had seen popping candy used this way and it has certainly popped up many times since.

I feel guilty for not remembering what this is, although I do know it had chestnut and it was divine not to mention breathtakingly beautiful.

A perfect Soufflé

My mother had this, and of the desserts it looked the most spectacular. You are looking at a cherry dessert within an edible, clear sugar sphere with gold leaf.

Another precision executed dessert.

Gold dusted liquid caramel chocolates.

A very interesting espresso cup.

I do not know what else to tell you other than that the food was so imaginative and mind openningly fun and delightful. I hold Joel in very high esteem, I think his creativity and excellence are on the cutting edge of gastronomy. A whole new food experience. I cannot wait to have more, learn more and be amazed some more!