Simon Majumdar

A full menu would be to forget the meaning of Cricket ( the Don would be ashamed as would little Vishy ) I can only suggest Bhaji and beer Tea and cream cakes Perhaps, if you are not quite pukka, some chaat S

Of course not. Too young I have read about it in history books though The coffee bar where Tommy Steele was "discovered" right? S

Old Compton St, that's the one. Ghastly. I was taken there once and it was horrible All those old restaurants were Tidi Dolls ( sp?) anyone? S

now it all becomes clear

Bizarrely enough the two Pizza Express places that do Jazz can be fun There is the one in Soho ( never sure which street ) and the one next to the Lanesbrough. The food is fine ( if you like Pizza ) but they occasionally have very good acts on S

There is still a Topo Gigio near The Glass Blower. is that the original? It has been there as long as I have been in London S

Also, when we had the infamous Dim Sum and Drinks lunch way back when, you kick started this by drinking at two places with war time significance, The French House and De Heims S

Gee Suvir- I hope for your sake that it was indeed ages past since you've had that drink. From what I read in the papers recently, the Ganges river water had something like 5000 times the raw waste matter (read: sewage) considered safe by the World Health Organization! Unless of course, you got the water from the base of the Himalayas, where the river starts. The Ganges is filthy and I shudder when I see people washing in it when I am in Calcutta. Mainly because as the do the corpses of people go gently floating by " I drink dead people" S

The Cork & Bottle is one of those places that I always forget about, but when I do go there it is always pretty good and has a great wine list I suspect it is just the rather grim location that pushes it to the back of my mind. The other place like that is The Dive Bar on Gerrard St. Not sure what it is like now and I hate that area at night, but I used to go there a lot in the early 90's. Before all the easy listening stuff got fashionable again, it was the only place that would always have Sinatra or Nat king Cole on in the background while you drank bad beer. OK, back to talking about dead stuff in a bap. S

Did anyone notice though that the sitcom CYBIL was, shall we say, an homage to Ab Fab? Drunken slapper best friend, square daughter, ex husbands etc etc S

There will probably be a tacky US knockoff within two years. Off topic I know, but this reminds me of when the US tried to make a US version of Fawlty Towers ( not sure which network ) The figured from Focus groups that the character of Basil was too unsympathetic, so they took the character out and made the series as Cybil by the Sea with Cheech Marin as the Mexican waiter and Bea Arthur as Cybil. There were lots of crazy happenings and group hugs as in all US "comedies" I am not sure it made it past the pilot Bless the Americans S

I can't say that I have ever heard of it being used as an ingredient in cooking. As a perfume, cosmetic and offering,certainly, but in food, never I would be interested to hear S

There will probably be a tacky US knockoff within two years. With John Ritter plating the Richard E. Grant part. And Tony Danza playing Arabelle Weir

In fact it is on Kingly court between Carnaby St and Kingly St Pedant S

Hmm... Uncle Monte should make an appearance and teach everyone how to grow firm, young carrots. I can't help thinking of Uncle Monte and Andy Lynes being one and the same person S

No I would not steal it for Bengal That would be daylight rabri S

It also happens to be a classic Northern Indian pudding... It is famous in Haridwar, Kanpur, Meerut, Lucknow and most parts of Oudh and Faizabad. It also is made better than in most any city of India in Hissar ( a city in Hariyana ), and is especially good with Malpuas that this particular chef prepares in Kaithal (another city, albeit, very small one in Hariyana ). I take very serious issue with you suggesting that anything this good could come from anywhere but Bengal S

The dish is called Rabri and is a classic Bengali pudding. You can make a close approximation of it by reducing cans of evaporated milk until it reaches the same consistency and then flavouring with pistachio and rose water. It is not the same as that made by the cook in my Grandmother's kitchen, but it is a good echo. In London, the restaurant Mela ( is Shaftsbury Ave ) serves Rabri with its other puddings. If you are nice to them, they will often bring you a bowl of the stuff just on its own. It is very good indeed S

Dry with a cotton cloth. It works every time S

There are some bars in the East end of London that are so rough they have bouncers outside chucking people in and where, if you have your own teeth, you are barred I have, of course, never been to such a place but I know they exist from watching the news S

Hot water and Vinegar works very well ( or lemon juice ) S

I took a woman to see Bert Janch at The Tatty Bogle ( Kingly St ) way back when. We then went on to dinner at a place on Vauxhall Bridge road called the New Maple Grill Trattoria ( now long gone ) and found ourselves eating next to a dishevelled old man in a grubby raincoat who turned out to be ex-Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. S

Is this while cutting the ham improperly or for suggesting that the person cutting the ham was doing so improperly?? S

I think this is absolutely the point. The Museo's that we visited ( on more than one occasion ) the same person was cutting the ham. When we had the Iberico, it was a little thicker than I have had in London, but the Bellota was perfectly cut Adam- It is no surprise to me that Spain has one of the highest instances of gout in Europe. Added to the meat eating I did for 7 days in the US and the eating I am about to do in Paris, I suspect I will be chewing on Viox for a few weeks afterwards S

Agreed, the bars around Plaza Mayor are awful and to be avoided. Further out a block or so and they improve a great deal The bellotta at the Museo is far from crap, but I am sure there is better to be had. it is certainly a lot better than you get in London S