Restaurant Review - Nobu, Park Lane, London

Restaurant Name: Nobu

Location: Metropolitan Hotel, Park Lane, London, UK

Visited: May 2011, Lunch

Nobu is the famed, uber cool, Japanese restaurant group with locations worldwide.  There are two in London, the 'original' site on Berkeley Square, and the one I visited at the Metropolitan Hotel just off Park Lane.  It has a Michelin star and had been on my radar for a visit for sometime, I love Eastern cooking and my last meal could well be a Thai meal, on the right day anyway.


We booked well in advance for lunch, for my first visit, and to really make an impact, it was the day after we had dined at Le Gavroche (see here for review).  Our expectations were most certainly high.


It didn't disappoint, not in anyway, neither in service, food, delivery or ambience.  Nobu really is worth all the hype, and more.  The menu is extensive and the choice was like being a sweet shop.  I wanted it all.  After some deliberation we (possibly I ... !) had chosen a couple of courses to indulge ourselves in over some cocktails.  Lobster Tempura with Creamy Wasabi Sauce, Anticucho Peruvian Style Tea Smoked Lamb, Field Greens, Snow Crab in Spicy Creamy Sauce, and we also ordered some sushi rolls (crab/avocado, tuna, soft shell crab) to finish.


Lobster Tempura? Are you kidding me?  I couldn't quite beleive it.  I love lobster, I love lobster grilled, steamed, thermidor, but lobster in a light tempura batter really does take some beating and is seriously something I never thought I would find on a menu.  I have no doubt one day I would have tackled this at home - thankfully for all those I concerned in my culinary endeavours I no longer have to.  The lobster meat was sweet and beautiful, the tempura batter was light and crispy, and the accompanying creamy wasabi sauce was heavenly. I write this with a grin on my face, it really was that good.  The delicate chunks of lobster were sitting on some well seasoned and dressed greenery.  You can see where this is going - the greenery was nearly as good as the lobster, enough said.


After this first course we were slightly stunned, and still revelling in what we had just been served and eaten, we were duly delivered our next course of snow crab.  Again this achieved the desired effect - whilst you were eating you could not help yourself from discussing quite how the chef has got these dishes to deliver in the way they were.  They looked beautiful, they tasted liked nothing I had eaten before, and every mouthful was pure gold.  Snow crab meat was sweet, the creamy spicy sauce was finished under a salamander to create a wonderful creamy crust on top. 


The lamb that followed was equally divine.  Tea smoked lamb cutlet, french trimmed, very strong and complex flavours - for met it tasted what I thought a Peruvian meat skewered food would taste like, with an Eastern influence. Admittedly I havent visited Peru.  It was excellent, some might say slightly undercooked (as did my dining partner), although for me it was perfect and a great dish -  a real master-class of cooking.


Raspberry based cocktails were the order of the day (in fact, of the indulgent weekend) and they were just right.  So often you can order a cocktail and unfortunately the bar person simply has no real understanding of or passion for cocktails; they are just on the menu because they should be.  These though were artfully created, and for the typically trendy and demanding clientele they are being served to, the cocktails were of a high standard.


This review wouldn't be complete without a mention for the ambience or the delivery.  The service delivery was exceptional; knowledgeable staff, efficient, friendly, and as successful hospitality operators acknowledge, achieve this and you win half the battle.  The restaurant was busy and I should imagine it always is, every day.  There was a real buzz too.  Customers in the know knew what awaited them and first time visitors were caught up in the excitement and the perfect delivery.  


This really is one of the best restaurants I have been to.  I will gladly return very soon and with all those delectable choices (such as King Crab with Ponzu Butter Sauce) I will not be leaving it too long before I do. 


This is foodie heaven, take my word for it. 

Restaurant Review - Laduree, Covent Garden, London

Restaurant Name: Laduree

Location: Covent Garden, London, UK

Visited: May 2011, Breakfast

Laduree is the home of the Macaron, by far one of the best makers of Macarons in the world.  Their core business is making exquisite pastries and cakes with outlets in Paris and London.  The first store and Laduree tearooms to open in the UK was, and still is, within the Harrods department store.  This visit in May 2011 was to their third site recently opened (May 2011) on the cobbled streets of Covent Garden.  Its a great location and despite the brisk breeze, breakfast had to be done.


This isn't the first time I have had breakfast at Laduree, having visited both Paris and Harrods sites.  When staying in a hotel in London, no matter how good the breakfast is in your hotel, Laduree is worth getting dressed and out the door for (no need to rush, the breakfast menu is thoughtfully served up until 11:30AM.) 


This visit did not disappoint, although I must announce one or two errors of service and delivery (otherwise what would be the point in an honest review...)


I had a simple breakfast of tea, orange juice, and my chosen food of French Toast with maple syrup.  The tea actually wasn't as good as I had had previously, I would be suprised if they had changed the tea, possible that I had overlooked the brewing pot in favour of savouring the orange juice and gazing at the passers by, although my dining partner also made a similar comment - too strong and slightly bitter.  The freshly squeezed orange juice was however sublime.  There is freshly squeezed in the morning orange juice, and there is orange juice perfection, and this was just so good.  With the heat lamps wafting every now and then, who needed tea anyway.


The French toast did arrive somewhat later than my partners croissant and brioche, and it pains me to say anything negative but it was also 15/20 seconds over cooked.  Like ever so slightly burnt toast, not enough to discard, but enough to amend the taste.  However, it was delicious.  The best French toast you have ever had - spongy, melt in the mouth, moorish, accompanied with fine maple syrup (you could also have Chantilly cream).  I do confess that I love nothing more than a Full English Breakfast this almost has me converted.  I do believe I could give up a Full English in favour of Laduree's French Toast.  Time will tell.


Laduree isn't cheap, luxury never is, and I stand by my mantra of 'You get what you pay for'.  


That said, our relatively small but perfectly shaped breakfast was half the price of the breakfast we would have taken at our Park Lane hotel.  


Cheap at half the price and truly an experience not to be ignored.  

Restaurant Review - Tossed

Restaurant Name: Tossed

Location: Multi sites, London

Visited: Once per month for lunch

Not strictly a restaurant but a fast food (tossed salad www.tosseduk.com) business with multiple sites in central London, and growing fast.  I felt I had to blog about this business as Tossed offer healthy and delicious salads made to order.  I do realise that this sounds like an advert, but it isn't and it is solely my own advert for Tossed because it is top notch.  There are many options these days with Pret a Manger, Itsu etc and they all have plus points and it is good to have choice but if you seek quality ingredients in a salad or wrap, then make a visit to Tossed.

I will not bore you with the details but take my word for it, the salad is good with lots of ingredients and tossed in front of you.  Its a good working lunch.  

Enjoy!

Restaurant Review - Georgian Restaurant, Harrods

Restaurant Name: Georgian Restaurant, Harrods

Location: Harrods, London

Visited: December 2010, Lunch 

The Georgian Restaurant on the fourth floor of Harrods is a must for tourists seeking a quintessentially English Afternoon Tea in elegant surroundings.  For those in the know, it also delivers a sumptuous buffet (especially at Christmas) supported by an a la carte menu offering fine, and I would say traditional English, cuisine.  Service is hospitable and prompt and if you become a regular visitor, that 'old school' hospitality awaits you every time.

This is an annual visit and has been for many years.  Harrods at Christmas time is magical, although only if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Festive season.  It is also Foodie heaven (although it does necessitate a visit to Selfridge's Food Hall to make the Foodie trip complete!) so a day of Christmas shopping, browsing the finer things in life and food therapy, both retail and Lunch, makes for me a day not to be missed.

Our 2010 visit was a great one and lunch was enjoyable.  This cannot be said for the last couple of years and had it not been for visits years ago that excelled, we may not have returned this year (in fact we nearly didn't and had considered 'giving it a miss this year'.)  In 2008 and 2009 some changes were made to the food offering and the service and quality suffered also.  It has economic downtime all over it and it seemed it was time to lower the cost of the product but maintain those selling prices.  Recessions can affect even Al Fayed it seemed.  However I have to say that this year its 'hey day' glory was almost returned and there was a real buzz to the restaurant.  Sadly the food has not returned to the heights of the earlier years and clearly savings have been made (for example the cold buffet used to include lobster and crab claws before 2008 which have not made an appearance since.) 

Harrods is all about luxury.  The Food Hall delivers the same, the 'best of' suppliers and ingredients sourced, and the restaurant used to simply be an extension of this making use of the best ingredients the market had to offer and then prepared for the restaurant.  Now the restaurant seems to have stopped being about the luxury foods such as Foie Gras (no longer on the menu, ethics aside here for a minute) and Salmon en Croute with Lobster sauce.  The latter used to be served at the table and was sublime, silky and rich.  2010 unfortunately saw the end of this dish,  and the old the menu, and in place a shorter and less luxurious one with some major deletions.  A feast is still to be had with the like of fruits de mer, but some of the old favourites have gone.  Change isn't always about 'moving forward' and I do feel some 'modern' twists should not have been imposed.


I had the buffet for starter and it was very enjoyable, and followed this with wild smoked salmon (one of the best I have had at Harrods for year) and then a Christmas Roast.  Had it been the menu of old I would have opted for the a la carte menu but no need to go down that road again ... the carvery was excellent.  This was all finished off with plenty of Harrod's bread and butter pudding (worth a visit just for this), washed down with some Dom Perignon.  


Plenty of good champagne can often iron out the flaws ....

Restaurant Review - Tamarind, London

Restaurant Name: Tamarind

Location: Mayfair, London

Visited: January 2011, Business Lunch 

Tamarind is a great restaurant serving delicate but punchy (Moghul cuisine) food matched with great service and atmosphere. 

I have to admit I have only ever eaten here for lunch and for business - which does mean my attention is less on the food and more on the business.  However, Tamarind's surroundings make it easy to enjoy both.  This latest experience was the best I have had, perhaps having temporarily lost their Michelin star they are damn well making sure it stays, and rightfully so.

I opted for the 'Winter' set lunch (which you always do on business lunches!) and started with light Tilapia fillets followed by lamb cutlets in a brown onion and spiced sauce.  As always at Tamarind it's the accompaniments that are delivered that are so very moorish.  It isn't until you start scraping the bowl of the side dish that you realise that it was as good as the lamb cutlets you were eating.  If not better.  On this occasion we had warm chickpea salad, rice & naan bread (the best you have had) and other delights that fused together perfectly, as they should at this level of dining.

We opted for dessert and had Rose ice-cream with baked apricots.  Absolute heaven, in fact I can taste it as I write.  If it wasn't for the fact I would ruin the memory I would attempt this at home. I do confess I love anything Rose (especially if it starts with Laduree Macaron) but this dessert was exceptional.

Not to be overlooked, Tamarind also serve white chocolate dipped mint leaves with their coffee which are worth the wait every time.  They are so good I almost didn't want to tell you.

It isn't surprising every business contact I dine with leaves the lunch happy. Surely this is good for business, or so I keep telling my expenses bill....

Restaurant Review - Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny

Restaurant Name: Walnut Tree Inn
Location: Abergavenny, Wales, UK
Visited: July 2010, Dinner

The Walnut Tree Inn restaurant has been famous for many years. I dined here last 10 years ago in one of it's 'hay days' and had a superb experience. In 2010, and under the helm of Shaun Hill and co, my experience lacked in some areas, and excelled in others.

The atmosphere was loud and casual and we were seated at a table for four in a low lit area of the restaurant. Visibility was low and without candle light we had all commented as soon as we squinted at the menu. The table was missing cutlery although was laid for four diners, and when we were eventually asked for our drinks order, we then had to wait for extra water glasses as two out of 4 were not present as they should have been.

So to the menu - simple and informal. Whilst I understand why, the menu lacked surprises and no single menu entry jumped out. It all looked okay, but only okay. I opted for scallops (as invariably I do) with coriander and lentils. Others had monkfish, courgette flowers with ricotta, and finally red mullet. Everyone enjoyed their starter, and all shared similar views - exquisite sauces, simple cooking, but masterfully prepared and delivered. The scallops were juicy and the coriander lentil concoction they rested on was delicious. The kind of sauce you wanted to eat as soup. The monkfish with tomato and chilli was apparently 'fab'.

For main I hesitantly (possibly reluctantly) chose the sirloin and salsa verde, others had a 'vegetarian option' tart, John dory and sea bass. All options tasted good, with good definition in the elements of the dish. It was simple but effective, and a nod to what can be accomplished with good local produce and simple techniques; a commodity many restaurants I see forget to consider, let alone strive to deliver. That said, and as I had probably pre-guessed, my Sirloin was just a well cooked sirloin and the salsa verde for me was on the wrong plate.

The desserts were a let down, nothing gelled and not one of the dishes we had was received with great applause. We would all opt for the cheeseboard next time.

Overall a good meal, although not a great 'experience'. Yes I would return, the cooking was excellent generally and the flavours were what all chefs aspire to in their cooking. It just didn't feel right and lacked something within it's informality. Probably formality - as the flavours and those coriander lentils deserved more of this.

Restaurant Review - Fifteen, Watergate Bay

Restaurant Name: Fifteen

Location: Watergate Bay, Cornwall, UK

Visited: June 2010, Lunch

Fifteen, the 'trading arm' of the Jamie Oliver Foundation which was created to support young people, often in need of direction, and transform their lives by giving them the opportunity to work in the restaurant business. As a dining experience, it was one of the best I have had.

We booked a table for 6 (+ 2 children) and were fortunate enough to be 'housed' in what appeared to be a private dining room, segregated from the main restaurant with large opening windows overlooking the beautiful Watergate Bay. Whether this is the norm for large tables I am unsure. This dining experience was memorable for all the right reasons. Great atmosphere, great service, and absolutely outstanding cooking. The food served was simply brilliant with only a couple of exceptions. It must have been some achievement to secure that site as well.

Whilst we waited for fresh Fifteen lemonade with a hint of Vanilla, which was as good as it sounds, we ordered their Puglia olives. Having tasted these before I knew what to expect - they are divine. I ate hand dived scallop and pancetta Spiedeni on fennel to start followed by John Dory with Cornish Razor Clams and Lenticchie di Castelluccio. Both of these were presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. Had the experience not been as good as it was I would complain more about 2 scallops on a skewer for approximately £16 as more scallop was necessary, but this aside, the meal was distinguished. The John Dory was excellent, razor clams had lost their delicate texture having been overcooked but in the scheme of things, it was ignored until now. Every mouthful was too be treasured.

Another guest had local Duck tortellini which when I return, is what I will be having. Light and buttery and packed a real punch, shrouded in the lightest pasta you have ever tasted. The presentation was inviting and so right.

The dessert list, as was the rest of the menu, was full of attractive options to make your mouth water. I opted for Amalfi lemon and ricotta meringue pie with peaches and clotted cream. I could eat this dish all day long. The texture and the remarkable flavours were a real treat.

Service was genuine with only a couple of service errors (forgotten drinks - we couldn't get enough of the Vanilla Lemonade ...) but that aside, it was of a very high level with very personable and attentive staff. If these staff were on the wrong side of the track before, then this restaurant and what it has successfully delivered should be highly acclaimed and everyone involved deserves a pat on the back.

I cannot wait to return, if only for that Duck Tortellini and those beautiful views.

Restaurant Review - St Petroc's Bistro

Restaurant Name: St Petroc's Bistro

Location: Padstow, Cornwall, UK

Visited: June 2010, Lunch

Part of the Rick Stein empire in Cornwall, St Petroc's Bistro delivers a seasonal menu in an attractive restaurant in bustling Padstow. His chief restaurant, the Seafood Restaurant is the one to visit but with long booking times and no children allowed, St Petroc's was the next best option.

I have fond memories of Padstow having spent time during summer holidays there cycling from nearby Trevone many years ago. If you haven't visited, Padstow is a charming tourist destination with a quaint harbour offering high speedboat rides, and some great crab fishing. With this recent visit to Padstow, it hasn't changed too much, except for Rick Stein having opened a number of additional sites such as Fish & Chips and a new deli.

So to the restaurant review in question. We had booked a table for 8 plus 2 children. Too large a table (in my opinion) to truly experience what this and any other restaurant has to offer. When you have a large party, the intimacy is lost and with so many voices, the food is no longer the raison d'etre. This also reflects the service offering at a lot of restaurants as they seem to believe that the guests are happy amongst themselves. The service therefore was average at best. Food was somewhat delayed between courses, and the attentive service that this restaurant/level was supposed to be delivering was not forthcoming. The atmosphere was noisy (this could have been our table of course ...) and compared to my previous visit to this restaurant, there was no finesse in the delivery.

Perhaps (and some might say) crucially, the food I ate was delicious; fresh, presentable, and put a smile on your face. For me, when food does this, they restaurant has success. I started with curried crab on sliced tomatoes served with one of the best Rocket salads i have tasted. The ingredients used were well sourced. The crab was fresh and sweet, and not too delicate and combined gracefully with the fresh tomatoes. Other guests had local asparagus with hollandaise - done right, this dish often fails to impress, and this was no exception. The hollandaise, all be it for me a little creamy, was very good. For mains I had whole pan fried lemon sole with bearnaise, as did most of the table. Again, the ingredients were perfect and cooked simply - often the best way. This was let down only by the most horrendous side salad I have tasted - to say it was salty was an understatement. The lemon sole though was superb. The side order of fries were also good though possibly a little oily.

For desserts we had fruit (and on this occasion a birthday cake for my wife) which was nice but not memorable. This however was not a reflection on the food in general, and nothing a good dollop of clotted cream couldn't sort out.

In summary, the food was great and perhaps had we been a smaller table, the experience would have been that much better for reasons aforementioned. I would return and would highly recommend - but only if you cannot get into Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant of course ...

Restaurant Review - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Restaurant Name: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Location: Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London

Visited: Mid May 2010, evening reservation, all 4 diners opted for Tasting Menu

Royal Hospital Road, the jewel in the crown for Gordon Ramsay and the holder of 3 of those Michelin Stars for better than first class food, service and experience.

Apparently.

A table of 4 booked to visit this restaurant in May '10 simply to experience food and fine dining theatre at its best. With recent visits in the last few years to other UK 3* establishments (The Waterside Inn, The Fat Duck both in Bray, UK), we had very high expectations and very high presupposed standards that such accolades command. What was delivered, from food to service, was far from worthy of such accolades. I like to get down to the business end, so here follows a list of all the errors and fatal flaws in the delivery of this 3* magic.

In some order of how they stacked up throughout the evening:

• Restaurant welcome was very informal, too informal
• We had a corner table (fine), but my chair was physically touching the person behind me
• Restaurant was very loud, and rather warm. There was no intimacy to set the scene for what should have followed. Had it been intimate, the disappointment would have been worse.
• Bread - lifeless and definitely not home made. It had that 'travelled' guise.
• Sommelier spoke to us like we were sommeliers ourselves. Even with an above average understanding of wine, even I was stumped, and his advice was not very helpful. We weren't looking for a master-class demonstration on his understanding.
• 'Lobster in a cone' - messy, and did not excite the taste buds. Other pre starters were inspired, but not well executed.
• Too long service times between courses.
• Staff continually leant across you to collect plates, place items on table
• The lifeless bread kept appearing after every course (even with the Tasting Mains). I didn't need bread with my Fish course, or my Lamb.
• Incorrect cutlery was laid and staff did not realise until they delivered the course, prompting them to turnaround with the food, swap the cutlery, apologise that they had made a mistake, and return the food.
• We added a 'buttered' Lobster course from the a la carte menu to the Tasting Menu. We shouldn't have bothered. Over cooked Lobster tail, the claw was acceptable. It was bad enough to complain so we did, however head chef advised being Scottish and native Lobster it is apparently supposed to be this texture. Nothing to do with being overcooked then. Native or not, it wasn't brilliant and we had yet to be wowed by any culinary delights.
• We were offered our decantered red wine with our lobster and fish course which was interesting. We politely declined.
• The other courses were average. I had eaten better food and experienced culinary magic at many 1* and 2* restaurants. Lamb was okay, texture and flavour good, but not great.
• The desserts - personal preference possible, although the table agreed, the dessert menu was uninspiring and lacked 'colour' and 'flavour'. We had deliberated over the desserts early on when discussing 'a la carte' or 'menu prestige'. This, and no doubt our other grumblings had been acknowledged when we were duly delivered every dessert on the menu. The Maitre'D had opted to 'help us with our decision'. It back fired, instead of well crafted plates of glorious sweets, we were given a platter of small portions - without the frills.

We had some great wines which was a highlight of the evening (the cheese board I thought was excellent also) - a Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles 2001 and a Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 1996, both outstanding.

Some of these may appear to be small errors, but errors none the less and at this level you cannot afford these type of faux pas. What they and the food in general amounted too was an evening not to be repeated, but more disheartening, and herein lies the problem, is that you expect to be 'wowed' at such experiences.

Experiences is what these dining visits are, its entertainment of the senses. But how disappointing this show was. Perhaps having not long dined at the Fat Duck our expectations were too high, surely with the hype and the 3* we are allowed to, and should do? Maybe not. Maybe the Michelin inspector got it wrong, maybe the restaurant had a bad night. Surely not at this level ...

In the back of our minds I firmly believe we 4 diners actually thought this might happen, but the proof was in the pudding and it had yet to be ticked off the list, and Michelin doesn't often get it wrong. That said, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay didn't even make The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2010. It didn't even make the top 100. Whatever it did or didn't receive, it wont receive a visit from me again.