Andy Lynes

Marcus Wareing's menus can also be strangely unseasonal. Shaun Hill has a very intersting take on this which may already be posted on this forum elsewhere. He says that seasonality in the modern world is more about what you feel like eating at any given time of the year than what is available locally. Which is why you would often find asparagus on his menus in December. He says that as long as there was decent produce available from somewhere in the world and you had the appetite for it, then you should use it (I'm paraphrasing of course).

Pictures now added to the report. I'm hoping to get a few more details about the food and its preperation which I will post in the near future.

Paul - did Terry ever work for Ramsay? Le Gavroche, Harveys, The Canteen, Coast, Frith Street, The Walnut Inn, then consultancy at Cecconi and then God knows what. Have I missed anything, did he spend time in France?

Doubly odd as I was only enquiring about his whereabouts a few weeks ago. Still not heard anything however. Whatever he's doing, he should stop arsing about, open a restaurant and cook there. Preferably in Sussex.

Exactly why I like it. City Inn is just off Broad Street. Your other option would be Malmaison in the Mail Box, which is just aroud the corner from, you guessed it, Broad Street. There's no getting away from it really is there?

I don't think The Fat Duck's reputation is based on "hyper-creativity", although you may be able to prove me wrong and link to an article that usess that term or words similar to it. People have always said that he doesn't change his menu very often. His reputation has been built on a steadily growing media interest in his food, much of it attracted by the "ick" factor of snail prridge and foie gras ice cream, and his high ratings in the guides. I think its just the way Heston works, he's not in the position of many other chefs where they can say, "Right, I'm bored of that bloody sea bass dish, lets put turbot on instead and we'll do a classic beurre blanc with it and maybe some wild mushrooms." If he wants to change the oyster and passion fruit, then he's got to come up with something equally striking, unusual, different. Having developed a whole theatrical presentation for dishes like the green tea and lime sour or the parsnip cereal, he's not going to take those of the menu lightly. Just as most bands will come up with one memorable song every couple of years, chefs will only create one of two great dishes a year, maybe not even that. Gagnaire reckons to have created five perfect dishes in his whole career. Whether you like the food or not, its obvious that a lot of thought goes into each dish. Pretty much everything on the menu is a 3 minute pop single; the food is crafted, it's "produced", it's properly arranged with backing singers and a string section. Heston is a creative chef, perhaps the most creative in the country. So he doesn't work fast enough to satisfy you? Well, I wouldn't hold your breath for him to change his ways. Having said that, now that he has his "lab", he has the space and manpower to do more and maybe we will see more changes. But there are only so many good ideas out there.

If you were doing other things while in Birmingham, it would be more convienient to stay in Broad Street, but if you are just in and out for Jessicas then staying closer makes sense I suppose. I personaly wouldn't want to stay on the Hagley Road, but next door to the restaurant would be very pleasant. I wandered up from my hotel for a drink at the Marriot and picked up a cab from there and so avoided the worst of the traffic, although Broad Street isn't exactly Oxford Street in the rush hour.

Jessicas is a 5 minute taxi ride from all the major hotels in Broad Street. The nearest one is probably The Marriott at Five Ways. If cost is a consideration, there is a Travelodge, also on Broad Street. I've stayed in The Jurys which is ok and got a very good walk up rate from them (around 50.00 if I remember correctly). The City Inn is very nice and not too expensive (although I got a very good corporate rate.)

Thanks for the clarification. I should add that Michel Roux's speech was very charming and entertaining and that his comments, although serious and not tongue in cheek, were made with good humour. Given the Roux's contribution to dining in this country, I think they've earned the right to say what they damn well please (although they should get their fact right of course!)

I did wonder about that claim myself. I think its worth investigating, but I've just reported here what M Roux said on the night.

If you'd like to let us know about somewhere you do like, I for one would be very interested to read your reports.

The kitchens of Ockenden Manor are unique in the UK in being able to boast two Roux scholars - junior sous chef Matt Tomkinson won the competition this year while HS Hotels Group Executive Head Chef Martin Hadden bagged the title in 1989 (at 31 Head Chef Stephen Crane is now too old to qualify for a scholarship and will just have to make do with his Michelin star.) The hotel was therefore the ideal venue for a recent Scholarship fundraising dinner. It was a return match of sorts for Hadden, who also cooked at the Waterside fundraiser in early April this year alongside fellow scholars Sat Bains, Andre Garret and Steve Love. Michel Roux, Martin Hadden, Matthew Tomkinson, Albert Roux in the kitchens of Ockenden Manor The evening began in the lounge with a champagne reception where the Gosset Grande Reserve flowed and trays of tapenade toasts; asparagus and hollandaise tartlets; smoked salmon, avruga and herb creme fraiche feuilletes; and mushroom and parmesan aranchini disappeared with unseemly haste. Star bite was a deep fried pigs cheek and foie gras "lollipop" apparently inspired by recent visit to restaurant Bernard Loiseau. The five course menu started with an impression rendition by Crane of the modern classic "ballontine of salmon with herbs, local asparagus and fromage blanc." Two skinned sides of the fish are first cured in sugar, salt and lemon then laid top to tail, covered in chopped soft herbs and wrapped tightly in cling film to form a cylinder. The salmon is poached at 66 degrees for 6 minutes so that the flesh remains pink at the centre. The ballontine is cooled in its cooking liquor before being sliced into rounds and served with a quenelle of herb-spiked fromage blanc and spears of lightly cooked asparagus. Crane and Tomkinson's potato gnocchi with spring vegetables, scallops, oysters and mussels continued the seasonal theme with peas and broad beans jostling for bowl space with the shellfish, nage, pillow-like dumplings and even the odd cherry tomato. Although its flavour couldn't be faulted, the addition of some saffron might have improved the appearance of the naturally grey broth. A main course of roasted beef fillet filled with morels and foie gras was lifted directly from the menu of the 3 star restaurant Pic in the Rhone Valley where Hadden completed a month long stage as part of his scholarship prize. This was a richly satisfying plate of food, and a ballsy choice to serve to 70 people in one go. Inaccurately cooking the meat would not only have spoilt the prime fillet, but would have reduced several kilos of duck's liver to an oily and very expensive mess on the bottom of the roasting pan. Not a pretty sight, especially if you're a kitchen porter. In order to aviod this potential disaster, the foie gras was seared before being stuffed in to the meat, adding flavour and achieving the desired fat loss before the whole was cooked. The dish was finished with a puree of artichoke topped with Jerusalem crisps and an accurately cooked mound of spinach. The vegetable cookery was uniformaly on the ball throughout the meal, a notable achievement for banqueting-style service where the dangers of overcooking are ever present . The Brigade at Ockenden. Head chef Stephen Crane is third from left Cheese came in the form of a plated course of a deliciously salty and savoury cone of creamed roquefort rolled in crushed walnuts and served with mache salad and home made cheese biscuits on the side. An intensely flavoured bitter chocolate tart benefited from a light, mousse-like texture; a scoop of black cherry ice cream added a note of subtle acidity that further lightened the dish. Wine matching was expertly done. The pairing of Moa Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2003 from Malborough with the salmon and Chianti Classico Riserva Petri 2001 Castello Vicchiomaggio with the beef were particular successes. Although both Rouxs were in attendance at Ockenden, Albert, recovering from a recent hip operation, left it to his younger brother to do the talking. If you've read his autobiography, you'll know that Michel is not exactly the retiring and modest sort, so it came as no surprise that he used his after dinner speech to remind his audience that he has held 3 Michelin stars uninterrupted for 22 years (a record in Europe) and that around half the starred restaurants in the UK are headed up by chefs from the Roux stable. A youthful Martin Hadden winning the Roux Scholarship in 1989 Less expected were his cryptic comments about some unnamed British restaurants doing "silly things" with food (a dig at his near neighbour in Bray perhaps?) and the arrogance of Restaurant Magazine for compiling a list of the World's 50 Best restaurants, an opinion that no doubt played well to the table from Caterer and Hotelkeeper. With all food and wine being donated by suppliers and HS Hotels covering all other costs, the event raised well over 8,000 which will ensure the Scholarship will continue to help elevate the standard of cooking in the UK for at least another year.

I built up gradually to 3 star dining, but that was because I was starting from a baseline of complete ignorance. In my very late teens, early twenties, my girlfriend (now wife) started suggesting that we might do something else together apart from go to pubs and gigs and almost had to drag me to our first date at a restaurant. As I developed an interest in cooking, I began to realise that there was almost certainly better food to be had than we were getting at the time in Portsmouth, and so we started to travel to London, initially using a Time Out general guide to London to choose our destinations. I then somehow stumbled across The Good Food Guide and Kit Chapman's great Chefs Of Britian and in particular a 3 page spread on Conran's Le Pont De La Tour restaurant in Elle magazine (imagine something like that appearing in a women's magazine these days) and realised I needed to eat in these amazing restaruants I was reading about. I'm glad I built up to the top level. As an unsophisticated working class Pompey lad in my 20's, it was useful to build up some confidence and experience of fine dinning before finally passing through Marco, Nico and Ramsay's doors. I appreciated those meals all the more for having some understanding of why they merited the accolades showered upon them.

For what it's worth, Rob Feenie e mailed his response to me, it didn't come from his publicist. I suppose he could have had some help formulating the response, but so what? Theres vry phew ov uzz that wuldnt bennyfit from a littl editeing now and again.

Memory jogger...

I thought that as well, I was expecting 32.50 or 35.00 in line with the other NPM restaurants, but you have to bear in mind that this is in effect a mini-me Square (whatever Phil Howard says - the beef dish is a direct lift from the current Square menu) and a la carte there is 60 quid.

I've just received a press release about The Ledbury, which is virtually BS free so I'm re-producing it here in full, along with a sample menu: "The Ledbury has opened at 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London, W11. It is owned by Nigel Platts-Martin and Philip Howard, who together own The Square in London’s Mayfair. The Ledbury’s Head Chef is Brett Graham, who most recently worked at The Square for four years, where he quickly rose to become Sous Chef. Described by Philip Howard as one of the most talented chefs to have worked in his kitchen, Australian born Graham, 26, was previously at Banc restaurant in Sydney, where he won the prestigious Josephine Pignolet Award for Young Chef of the Year in 2000. In the UK, he also won the Restaurant Association’s Young Chef of the Year Award in 2002. The Ledbury’s launch menu is £39.50 for three courses, and a short lunch menu is also available at £19.50 for two course, or £24.50 for three. The restaurant seats 65, and also has a 30-seat terrace, which is expected to open in early June. Other senior members of staff at The Ledbury include Helena Hell (Manager), previously at The Square, The Connaught and La Trompette, and Dawn Davies (Wine), who has also worked at The Square, in addition to the Boxwood Café and Zuma. The Ledbury is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations can be made on 020-7792 9090. The Ledbury is Nigel Platts-Martin’s 5th restaurant. His portfolio now consists of The Square and The Ledbury (both with partner Philip Howard), and Chez Bruce, The Glasshouse and La Trompette (with partner Bruce Poole)." Menu Ravioli of Shellfish with Asparagus and Champagne Roast Foie Gras with a Tarte Fine of Figs and a Fig and Port Purée Lasagne of Rabbit and Morels with a Velouté of Thyme Terrine of Skate, Ocean Trout and Leeks with Frog Leg Beignets and Watercress Mayonnaise Salad of Spring Vegetables with Quail Eggs, Truffle and Pea Shoots Roast Scallops with Cauliflower, Cèpes and a Potato Emulsion Fillet of Brill with a Fondue of Courgette, Lobster Beignet and Tomato Butter Ballotine of Glenarm Salmon Wrapped in Pancetta with Crushed Jersey Royals, Peas and Morels Loin of Monkfish with Tapenade, Olive Oil Creamed Potato and Sardine Vinaigrette Assiette of Veal with a Gratin of Macaroni and Girolles, White Asparagus and Toasted Almonds Loin of Lamb Roasted in Balsamic Vinegar with Wild Garlic, Artichokes and Dried Olives Fillet of Beef with Red Wine Sauce and Croustillant of Snails, Oxtail and Celeriac Roast Pigeon from Bresse with a Cèpe and Madeira Consommé and Foie Gras Tortellinis Ravioli of Pineapple and Passion Fruit with Lemongrass and Lime Chicory Crème Brûlée with Coffee Ice Cream and a Chocolate Madeleine Vanilla Yoghurt Parfait with Blueberries and Churros Chocolate Soufflé with Banana Ice Cream and Honeycomb Assiette of Mango Selection of Sorbets Cheese (Information courtesy of Network London)

Looking back on the thread is realise that Jason and Rachel have already posted the majority of items from the Bar Room menu. Some of the garnish has changed slightly, but it seems broadly the same. The menu is divided in to "0ne", "Two" and "Three" with around ten choices per section. A note on the bottom of the menu states: "We welcome you to construct your meal any way you'd like according to your appetite - from one plate to a multi-course tasting. Dishes on pages one and two are served appetizer sized;those on page three and are half-entree portions." Out of 31 dishes, only one appears suitable for vegetarians: Butternut Squash Soup with Chesnut Chutney, and even that could be made from chicken stock. Fine herbs salad comes with bacon wrapped goats cheese, wild mushroom soup with toasted chorizo ravioli and potato and marrow cassolette with smoked beef tongue. There are however plenty of seafood choices including smoked eel rillettes with turnips and horseradish or diver scallops with poppy seeds, arugula and parmesan. Meat eaters may get the best deal here though with a ton of delicious sounding stuff - Venison terrine with celeriac, oxtail gellee and huckleberry; sweetbread ravioli with balsamic and sage sauce; braised pork cheeks with sauerkraut and ginger jus. Prices start at $9 for Liverwurst from "one" and top out at $18 for Hanger steak with porcini-potato gratin. Desserts start at $7 for sorbet and rise to $10 for Beignets with maple ice cream, caramel and citrus-mango marmelade. I had a glass of delicious Santenay 1er Cru sat at the bar on a Friday afternoon and the place was rocking. I returned on Saturday evening for a few beers and some tarte flambee, and the place was still rocking. Although my initial visit was in order to interview Danny Meyer for a UK magazine, my wazoo remained for the most part un-VIP'd for which I was most grateful.

Yes, that's online, they obvioulsy haven't updated it to align with the new 5 star system in the paper.

Jon, is that you?

I have copies of the menus at home so I'll post some more details later today when I have access to them. Sam's earlier post on this thread provides details about the Bar Room style of service. I tried some of the tarte flambe when I was there and I thought it delicious.

Fay Maschler weighs in with a 2 star review.

Thanks ljr for taking the time to compose such a detailed post, much appreciated.

Suzi, I believe they are supplied by Artisan but Heston claims to have originated the idea - here's what he said last time that question came up.

That's the trouble with these Michelin starred places, they all copy each other!