Simon Majumdar

Mogsob I wont get involved in the Berne's argument, never been there, but agree that PL's is amazing If you are in London ( you are are you not?) then there are two places that have beef every bit as good as anywhere on earth James Elliot - Essex Rd ( next to Steve Hatt ) - he had the most superb 28 day dry aged Scottish beef and will do any cut English or otherwise you want The Ginger Pig - as mentioned many times before I have to say that the best beef I have ever eaten was the Beuclough (Sp?) fillet at Locanda Locatelli. I am never quite as impressed with Argentinian beef as I think I should be. I have been on a couple of occasions and found what the places the locals took me to to be fine but not revlatory. I wonder if they export a lot of the good stuff. Now, some of the Brazilian beef I have tried has been superb S

Of course. Not only is it on the menu ( which is a bit of a giveaway ) but if you ask them they will add some into the mixed kebab platter Bloody Amateurs!! S

I am alarmed to see that Peter and I have something in common Thanks for the rec in Florida. I am pondering on that or the San Juan Islands for next year's trip. This may just tip the scales in Florida's favour by 32oz's Adam- Is it just people called Adam or does everyone have it in for me in the Bitch stakes? S

I have not tried that one, but I did try the one on the Upper Richmond rd which was very good in its own "we don't take cards, don't take bookings, don't serve chips but have a great time anyway" kind of reticent way It is just too far to schlep S

There was, cabby. The cut of meat itself had been trimmed of fat which is a mistake IMHO, but the steak itself was well marbled with fat. Very tasty S

SMOLLENSKY’S, WAPPING Steak & a Gherkin There are some things that Britain does extraordinarily badly and top of my current list is serving a decent steak. Where NY has Pete Luger’s we have the risible Notting Grill with all the horrors that punning name brings with it. Where Dallas has Del Frisco’s we have Sophie’s. Even at a chain level the best we brits have ever been able to muster against Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse ( actually rather good ) is a bloody Berni Inn or a Beefeater. For God’s sake! Last time I craved a huge slice of cow the size of my ex-wife’s arse ( that is big, I can tell you. Any bigger and it would have had its own climate ) I had to resort to buying it from the Ginger Pig and cooking it myself. Last night Majumdar R and I were doing our once a week "need to eat dead flesh" bonding session and wanted to have a steak rather than our usual Mixed Kebab with a side order of Sweetbreads from Mangal. On the recommendations of a few people on this board we went to the Smollensky’s in Wapping. The cavernous dining room was almost entirely empty when we arrived and so we grabbed a large table for four. The room did fill up considerably by the time we left. I guess if you live in Wapping, there is a limited choice. The menu is the same as you have seen at every other restaurant of its ilk. The starters were the usual "smothered in our famous sauce" variety of Potato Wedges, Shrimp Cocktails, Caesar Salads etc, but our choices ( a Caesar and the Shrimp Cocktail ) were fine and fresh. There were a variety of main course choices but the whole point of going was for steak. One of my real criticisms of eating steak in London is that it is too bloody difficult to get one large enough. While there were plenty of 10oz this and 8oz that to offend the real meat eater, they do have a 24oz NY strip on the menu, so there was no real choice. The meat is 28 day aged on the bone Aberdeen Angus and arrived cooked exactly to order ( in my case, black on the outside,blue in the middle. The only way ) it was flavourful and delicious. Sides were industrial and entirely nasty. Why bother putting Onion rings and Chips on the menu if they are going to be disgusting and of the "straight from head office by lorry" variety? The chips in particular were horrible and seemed to have as much resemblance to a potato as I do to Mel Gibson. I would much rather they charge more for these and make a half decent job of it and it made me long for the onion ring in tempura batter at Del Frisco’s. The wine list is tiny and not in the slightest adventurous. We had a perfectly OK bottle of Californian Zin/Shiraz which at £14 was not robbery. Just. We did not have dessert as we were far to full of barelyy cooked beef. Not a bad thing. Bill for two courses and wine and pre dinner beers came to a whopping (geddit?) £90 inc a service charge which was deserved as the waiter was friendly and entirely efficient. The NY strip was £21, so that added the largest proportion. On the whole a slightly uninspiring "steak experience" but I am not sure it gets any better in the UK. We decided to walk off some of the beef and went to have a look at the Gherkin that is rising up into the skyline near Bishopsgate. It is extraordinarily impressive and reminded us both of some of the things that this country can still do better than any where else in the World. Now if only we could open a good steakhouse 5/10 S

I think the correct phrase would be to say "some Indian cooking" is complex and time consuming, but then so can cooking from many other cultures. I know of Jewish chicken soup recipes which take days and I have spent a week prepping a duck to prepare Peking Style. There is beauty in both the simple and the complex. S

The real problem with "curry powders" as with all ground spices is that people who do not prepare indian food regularly leave them in the larder for months on end before looking at them again. By the time they do get to them, they are useless and can add a nasty taste to the food. My suggestion is to mix your own masala from fresh ( where possible ) or newly bought ground spices and put into small plasic bags and pop in the freezer. Not only will they keep but you also have just the right amount for each dish I keep a few ready prepared masalas in the freezer Turmeric/Ginger/mustard - For my fish Cumin/Chilli/Cinnamon/Fenugreek/turmeric - as a general masala for meats and poultry When added to the longer lasting whole spices ( curry leaves, Cinnamon Stick, Cardamon, Cumin seeds, Kalonji etc ) these can be used for just about every dish. I never buy "curry powder" and very rarely buy pre-mixed masala. I just don't think the taste is the same In the end it boils down to your views on cooking. If cooking is a means to an end, i.e to prepare tasty food but not spend forever in the kitchen, then pre-prepared is fine. If however, cooking is the end in itself, what could be better than the taste of food prepared with spices you have prepared and ground yourself? S

What I want to know is how restaurants can have towels that are so hot that theyn scald you but go from that to freezing in 3 seconds. Are they taking lessons from the airlines? S

Robin and I tried the Sutton Arms this evening First of all I was very impressed that they phoned my colleague who had been kind enough to call for my table to warn them that they had two big parties dining that evening. I was determined to try the place so it made no difference After a number of exemplary cocktails at Sosho ( the new list from Dale De Groff is a real winner ) we turned up at the Sutton Arms at 8pm. The service for the whole evening was outstanding. Two young women called, I believe Anna and Leanna who were over from New Zealand proved to be amongst the most common sense, caring and efficient servers I have ever had in London The menu is compact to say the least but there did seem to be something on the to suit everybody Amuse of cheese Beignet were superb and accompanied by two glasses of Lindauer at an unbelievable £3.00 a glass. Starters were a salad of Cuttlefish and a Matualan Salad of Chicken with oranges and pine nuts. Both were clean and fresh and well composed and at £4.50 astonishing value Mains were slightly less successful. An Involito of Veal was tasty but a little dry. It was however served with delicious potatoes which had been roasted in fat. My Lamb rump was a little over cooked but the meat ( sourced from Theobalds on Theobalds Lane ) was of great quality. We had this with a bottle of Palo Alto Cab Franc( £13.50) which was served slightly chilled as it should have been. At £12.50 a head. These were both very good value Puddings were disappointing. A deconstructed Black Forest Gateaux was fine but lacked a good splosh of Kirsh and a Rasberry Gratin lacked some oomph ( technical term ) which could have come from a drop of something. They aced the mint tea test and could not believe that other places could not and we also had a good drop of Calvados to finish. Bill for the whole lot was £80 with us leaving a £12 tip, Thanks for the tip everyone. This was a great addition to the neighbourhood and could possibly make a great venue for an Egullet get together. And thanks again to Anna and Leanna for the best service I have experienced this year S

Saffy maybe it just because I am British or is it just because I am me? But Has no one else thought that you should really rub the silly old mare's face in it for providing you with such ghastly food by really going to town You could have it catered by JGV or Batali and served by liveried footmen in powdered wigs The meal should be at least 10 courses all of which should be printed ( or embossed for better effect ) on at least 256gsm card which should be delivered a week in advance so she has time to wallow in her shame. The Invitation should also be printed and under Dress Code just put "sack cloth and ashes" Before the description of each course on the menu should be the words "unlike the slop you served me, this wont keep you up all night searching for the Peptobismol and Immodium" The Cutlery should all be finest Sheffield Steel which you can drop into the conversation was given to you by the Queen of England in gratitude for the light snack you cooked for her once. The music for the night should be a constant loop of "anything you can do I can do better" You could present them with a bill at the end of the evening that reads "$250 or one decent meal cooked at your place in the next ten years" Surely this is too good an opportunity to miss to make someone you care about feel small and pathetic? Hope this helps S

I once made a 24hr journey from Bombay to Calcutta on the Gitanjili Express ( named for the sublime poem of Tagore ) I, in a moment of madness, thought that it might be a "romantic" way to see Mother India to travel in class 3. I booked three months in advance only to find that when I went to collect my ticket, that my booking was to be on the waiting list!! The first class cabin was however almost empty and was only £50. So, I soon ditched the idea of romance and went for what comfort was on offer. Not much by those of us softened by getting on a plane and turning right, but by the standards of other classes, absolutely luxurious. During the journey I befriended a young couple from Bombay who were going to live in Calcutta and they were kind enough to feed me the whole way there. The food was of a bewildering variety and had been made for them by various sisters, aunts, mothers and grandmothers all of whom had come to the station to wave off their children with much wailing and tears and invocations to Ganesh. Everythime I thought that they had run out, the young woman would produce some incredible new dish for me to try and by the end of the journey, I must have sampled about 30 dishes. I recall most of the dishes vividly Cauliflower Pakora Samosa Fish tandoori Rolls Pickled Carrots Turmeric rice balls Home made paneer Lime Pickles Hot and sour sweet Pea Aubergine and Sweets, including Gulab Jamun, dhoi, Shrikand ( which the well prepared couple kept between ice packs in a freezer bag ) The one dish that really lives with though is one I have never been able to get close to recreating. It was a dish of chickpeas in a rich and fiery gravy which had fenugreek and chilli and a number of other things. it was topped with a yoghurt and sprinkled with Chaat mix. It was indescribably good and I would love any ideas for somehting similar S

Not sure either Baltic or RSJ is right if ambience is more important than food I have recently taken Clients to Axis ( underneath No1 The Aldwych ) the food was fine and the setting fitted the bill very well S

I went to Pigalle with a dear chum on the recs of this board and I have to say it is a strange place We werethe only people in the place at 9.00pm ( after a few moderately well made drinks in Che ) and Francois was very welcoming with a free glass of Champagne for the two of us. We ordered the Cassoulet and Coq Au Vin and a bottle of Cahors. The food was indeed excellent. The Cassoulet came with a huge piece of duck confit and Chorizo while my Coq au vin was filled with wonderfully fatty bacon. Bill for two came to a little over £40. A good rec for a non destinational night out Thanks S

Fenugreek is a staple of Bengali and Tamil spice mixes It is one of the main ingredients in Panch Phoron ( although our family recipe does not include it ) I like its slight bitterness ( although many westerners do not - it can be mellowed by dry roasting ) and can usually tell if it is absent. I think, along with Cumin, it is the most India smelling of spices It is used a lot in the middle east for pickles. It is never necessary to use it, but I think it adds depth S

I have never used a chiminea but I do find that some meats can be tandoored in the oven quite well by using a Chicken Brick ( an earthenware pot with a tight fitting lid ) These were a staple of 70's households and, if you can find one, they work really well for small amounts S

I think this is again a legacy of Raj When people returned to the UK after leaving India, they wanted to recreate the dishes they had been given in India. This and the immigration drive in the 40's and 50's to get people from the "colonies" to fill low paid jobs in the UK led to the growth in the asian population and the opening of the "Curry House" The chefs could not get all the ingredients and used what was to hand, so colouring replaced the use of natural ingredients. In the end, an undiscerning public became used to bright reds and yellows and began to reject anything that looked different. I know to my cost that I have spent hours on preparing meals for people who profess their love of Indian food but who rejected the food I had cooked as it "did not look right" This is changing but it is a slow process. Only last night a friend took me for an "indian" meal which comprised of Onion Bhaji ( like a cricket ball ) Korma ( as yellow as the sun and a Biryani ( complete with sliced egg and cucumber ) I really did not have the heartor the bad manners to say anything, but my heart sank that such things pass as dishes from Mother. S

HOT AND SOUR PRAWNS This is a wonderful dish adapted ( i.e buggered around with by me ) from a goan recipe It is one of the few cases where the sauce is cooked first and then the seafood, being quite delicate, is added right at the end. INGREDIENTS GROUND SPICES 1 tsp Ginger 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Fenugreek 1 tsp Turmeric 2 tsp Chilli powder 1 tsp sugar WHOLE SPICES 2 Whole dried chillies 1 tsp Cumin Seed 2 Green Cardomon pods OTHER 1 Large Onion ( finely chopped ) 1 garlic clove ( finely chopped ) 8 Tomatoes ( peeled and de-seeded ) 2 Limes ( Juice ) + zest of one lime 1/4 cup of Tamarind pulp 1 buch of Cilantro ( chopped roughly - take that Cilantro! ) 1 pint of fish stock or water For the Prawns you can go one of two ways 1) 1 Large bag of shell-off frozen prawns ( defrosted ) 2) Large Shell- On prawns ( in shell ) METHOD Fry the whole spices in a little nut oil for at least a minute. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for one more minute before adding the ground spices. Sweat again for one more minute allowing all the onions and garlic to be coated in the spices. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down. Once they do add the tamarind ( this is not to everyone's taste so you can alter the amount as you prefer ) and half the stock/water. Cook this down for about 20 mins or until it has reduced by half, then add the remaining stock/water. Cook down for a further 20 mins or until the sauce is reduced to quite a thick consistency. Add the prawns and cook on a low heat until they are cooked through. Mix in the cilantro and serve with the lime juice and zest sprinkled on top I love tis dish, as it has fire and spice but a wonderful two-tone sourness from the Tamarind and limes S

There are a range of mid level clubs in London that actually do rather good food These include The Agency ( my own hideout ) The Green Room Two Bridges I would not claim the menus to innovative in any of them but the food is fresh and well prepared. Frederich, the chef at The Agency makes the finest soups I have ever tasted and also the best chips in London BAR NONE. Another level of club ( Groucho, Soho House, Teatro ) sell themselves more as eating places, but you have to put up with the fact that most of the clientele is actively odious S

The Book is called Curries & Bugles: A Memoir and Cookbook of the British Raj by Jennifer Brennan I am not sure if it is still in print ( or ever was in the US ) but it has some excellent stories and recipes in it Hope this helps S

Tarkas ( Sp?) made by frying bulb chillies, curry leaves and a little turmeric in ghee can be the most wonderful addition to an otherwise simple dhal. I almost always make one to pour over the top just before serving You can have so much variety. I sometimes use whole garlic cloves, slivers of fresh ginger and a little chilli fried in ghee and poured over casseroles just before serving. S

The best tip someone ever gave me for tandoori cooking ( not in a tandoor as I have no room in my appt, but coked under a hot grill ) was the marinading of the meat/fish. When I make chicken/lamb Chops/large prawns etc, I use a mixture of Fresh ginger Fresh chillies Fresh garlic Ground Cumin Ground Turmeric Ground Fenugreek Ground Chilli powder Sugar Juice of two limes I mix these with the meat/prawns/fish and then cover with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least two hours but better overnight. Then add the yoghurt and mix again, place back in the firdge for a further two hours. Then grill under a very hot oven Suvir posted a fabulous salad recipe of tomatoes, cucumber, red onions and fresh corriander with a dressing of spices fried in oil and mixed with lime juice which I now serve with this. Fresh, zingy and delicious S

The colour of food is as important as the taste. The old saying that we eat with our eyes before our mouths is very true of Indian foods hence the covering of food with gold leaf the use of shimmering tarka on dhals, and the bright yellow of mustard baked chicken Where this has been debased is in the use of artificial colouring which has led some of the "curry houses" in the UK to serve extraordinary looking food that people now take as the norm, expecting tandoori food to be bright red and korma to be bright yellow, er? I love to present a meal with a wide range of colour, textures and tastes, but all of this can be done naturally. If you want reds or oranges, use saffron ( I like to soak this in milk to use in marinades as I think it adds a tenderness to the meat ) and if you need a mild yellow, use turmeric ( I find the fresh root almost as good as the powder for this purpose and it has a milder flavour ) Hope this helps S

Ended up at St J's last night with Sam & Scott, Miss J and Partner ( surprisingly, far too good for the likes of her!) and the Johnsons ( Egullet's answerto The Osbournes ) and old billy no mates (ME!) After a couple of pints at the Wenlock we met up at Match for a few which we had to bolt down in our rush to get to the restaurant. The table was booked for 8pm and when we got there, the bar was packed but the restaurant was quite empty ( it filled up considerably by the time we left. I actually can't remember all the starters, but Yvonne and I split a main course special of Pig Snout. These were your actual snout on a plate with broad beans in a parsley sauce. They were very fatty and unctuous and adored by me, less so by others. We went a bit tame for the mains ( except Yvonne who had lambs tongue ) I had a perfectly nice, but ordinary Chicken, Chips and Aoli. The did have special of half a pigs head which I wish I could have persuaded someone to share with me. Ho Hum We had a family style selection of puddings which had to include eccles cakes or Miss J threatened to cry. Three bottles of Aligote ( £20 per bottle ) and two of Pic St Loup ( £22 ) complimented well. Bill for 7 inc after dinner drinks came to c£50 per head Had heard some downhill reports, but still seemed pretty good to me. S

Actually Adam They have been working very hard at that and the Little Chef of now is very different from the Little Chef of five years ago ( thank god ) They have tied up some brand led partnerships and revamped the menu quite considerably It is still fairly standard stuff ( although I am not entirely sure it is legal to have something called a "beef Clanger" on the the menu ) but by comaprison to service station food, it is fresh and well prepared. It is a notch above the same offered in the US where Arbys, Dennys etc have a lot to learn Where it really suffers is from its brand image and I guess this is where its revamp has originated. It is actually offering a not bad product to an audience that has memories of the grim food of their childhood. It is also now part of a bigger group, so I expect they have a much bigger marketing budget unlike the Labour party, I suspect they wont be bankrupt any time soon S