robyn

This is one of the Chef's signature dishes. Too bad you don't like chocolate (I do and thought it was fabulous). There's a discussion in the Per Se thread about tasting menus - and I think your comment is another reason they should be avoided. Why waste a course eating something you don't basically like (no matter how well it's prepared)? Better to order ALC and get the things you really enjoy. By the way - I think this restaurant is probably the best restaurant in the southeast these days. Robyn

I'm not a good person to be writing in this thread because I didn't have a budget. We liked Anchor & Hope - but it certainly wasn't a place for someone on a budget (my husband's main was about 15 pounds - mine was 19). Robyn

Is it possible to avoid Wagamama in London? The day we arrived (at 7 am) - we went to Canary Wharf (sounds like an odd destination but it was fun at lunch hour - watching Tango dancers and getting the free ice cream from the company sponsoring them - viewing the gardens, sculpture and architecture - stocking up at Molton Brown). And we ate at Wagamama. Very nice comforting food (big bowl of soup and noodles) for the walking-dead jet-lag afflicted. Almost woke me up . Note that the location at Canary Wharf was jammed. Seems like a very popular place. I liked the way our orders were scribbled on our menus. And we enjoyed speaking to the diners on both sides of us in the communal dining setting. Robyn

After one meal - I obviously can't comment on consistency. I do suspect it's more of a style thing though. Just like all the arguments about the show gardens at Chelsea this year (the most contentious arguments I heard in London weren't at Speakers' Corner - they were at Chelsea!). As for you and Mrs. Aikens - some people are oil and water. For various (frequently no-fault) reasons. Such is life. Robyn

isn't that the beauty of opinions though? glad you enjoyed your meal robyn, it sounds like you had a good trip. We had a great trip. A combination of various things. Just about everything in London was very good ---> excellent. And we'll be spending most of June taking my father-in-law for radiation therapy for cancer. So it was our last chance to have a good time for a while - and we made the most of all the good things London has to offer. Robyn

I think that the premium for the tasting menu perhaps reflects the increased amount of service required - and the increased amount of time diners spend at a table (assuming the restaurant has more than one seating a night). Robyn

I don't have the time to write the kind of analysis you wrote right now. All I can say is I've pretty much given up on "tasting" menus. We just returned from a week in London - and the only disappointing meal we had was one "tasting menu" meal. Apart from this meal - we did the traditional ALC - starter - main and dessert - to great effect. Note that I also agree that it's difficult to do what I consider to be the heart of most great meals - the meats and game - in the context of a tasting menu. Anyway - thanks for this message. It's something I've thought about for a while - and I'm casting my "in-restaurant" votes for traditional ALC. Robyn

Well - I never made it to a sex shop - but we did eat . We had evening tickets for Phantom of the Opera (I don't know why it took me 10 years to see it - but it did - it's ok - but seems somewhat dated). Ate at J. Sheekey after. A table in the bar area. Had to wait even to get that (people in London can really eat very late). I can't do justice to what the restaurant might have to offer in terms of a full dinner - because my husband and I just had some drinks and appetizers (I had the prawns and they were excellent - my husband had the scallops and I liked those too). We shared a "spotted dick" for dessert - mostly because we had had too much to drink to know to avoid a traditional overly sweet dessert . I can say this about the restaurant though. The service is exceptional. Near the end of our little "meal" - the waiter unfortunately knocked over a glass of wine. The glass broke and the wine spilled on my pants and leather jacket. The staff did a great job of cleaning me up - and it gave us a "we're sorry" bottle of very nice Sauternes by way of apology. Apology accepted. And - when we left the restaurant to try to find a cab - at about 1:00 am - and returned 15 minutes later after not finding a cab - they had someone at the door who seemingly was employed just to find patrons a driver to take them home. That person was on duty until the last customer had left the restaurant. So if the restaurant is as good as our fleeting glimpse suggests - it is very good indeed. Another day we had matinee tickets for Jerry Springer - The Opera. Don't miss it. Scathingly funny. Designed to offend almost everyone. I know it will never make it to Jacksonville FL . On the other hand - I'm not sure why British audiences find it so amusing. Anyway - that day we had dim sum before theater. At Chuen Cheng Ku on Wardour Street. Excellent dim sum - with trolleys. Had some dishes we'd never seen before - including an especially delicious fried shrimp ball in some kind of feathery wrapper. The staff was more competent in English than we're used to - and very pleasant. I recommend this place highly. Wish I could have tried more of the places that were recommended. Robyn

We went to the Anchor and Hope for lunch last Friday. About 12:30 - maybe a bit later. Had to wait at the bar for about 5 minutes. Perhaps it was a short wait because it was a bank holiday weekend? Had a fabulous lunch. Started with the "peas". I'd read about this starter. That's what it is - peas in a pod. Doesn't sound like much - but if you come from a part of the world where it's tropical - and you can't get fresh sweet spring (English) peas - then it's terrific. My husband chose the better dish this time - lamb sweetbreads (we've have sweetbreads before - never lamb though) with various veggies (wonderful sweet carrots) and beans. I had the turbot. It was a fine turbot - but no competition for the sweetbreads. Good Guinness on tap. My husband also liked the Bombadier bitter (it was his birthday - he was entitled to 2 beers for lunch ). So I guess my advice in terms of a table would be - go on a bank holiday weekend . For those of you who are tourists like I was - the place is a short walk from the Tate Modern. A perfect place to have lunch before a visit to the museum (don't miss the Hopper exhibit). Robyn

Unpacked and found my menus. I've told you just about everything I thought about our meal at TA - but I didn't tell you what my husband and I ate. We started with the champagne trolley. The first time I saw one of these was at ADNY - and it was love at first sight. Wine generally doesn't agree with me but - for some reason - champagne does. So I stuck with champagne for the evening - Pol Roget NV. I'd never tried this champagne before (it isn't that common here in Florida) - and I liked it a lot. It wasn't a bargain at TA - 10 pounds a glass. I've found some here in Florida today for $20/bottle. I'll be stocking up. My husband and I both had the ALC carte menu for 55 pounds. I thought the price was very reasonable for the meal. We had several amuse bouche courses. I don't take notes - so what I don't remember isn't memorable. The one amuse bouche that was memorable was a wonderful parfait/mousse/whatever of tomato with pesto. The essence of spring. My starter was "Duck" - which is billed on the menu as hot duck cassonade with foie gras beignets, cured duck and prune puree. It was terrific (duck several ways and things that taste good with duck) - and the foie gras beignets were the single best thing I had in London. We deep fry everything here in the deep south in the US. Wonder why no one here has thought to fry foie gras ? My husband's starter was "Scallops" - billed as roast scallops with cauliflower puree, sherry jelly and pickled raisins. It was good - delicate - but I liked my "Duck" better (I tend to prefer hearty dishes). For the main - I had "Veal" - roast veal fillet with veal shin lasagne, braised veal and braised onions with sorrel. The circles of fillet were served over little piles of delicious mashed poatoes. The single best thing on this plate was a square the size of an envelope served vertically which was fried tongue of veal. I swear - Tom Aikens is the best southern cook in the world - he knows what to fry and how to fry it . My husband had "Chicken" - roast chicken breast with boudin of chicken leg confit, chicken and morel mousse, morels and Sauternes sauce. I thought this was very good - but again - more delicate than and not as good as the veal. My husband tends to order a lot of fish and chicken - but I always like to give a chef a chance to work with the big flavors that you can only develop when you're working with game and meat. The best dessert throwaway was the truffles (I have a weakness for truffles). I would have ordered the Coffee and Hazlenut for dessert (it's one of my favorite flavor combinations) - but my husband ordered it first. So I took the Lemon. The Coffee and Hazlenut was coffee and hazlenut cake with coffee mousse and coffee parfait. I liked it better than the Lemon (lemon rice pudding with lemon pannacotta, lemon sorbet and lemon mousse) - but the Lemon was tasty (perhaps parts might have been a bit tart for some people - but I like my citrus desserts tart). I will note that I had never heard of lemon rice pudding before this trip - but I wound up having it twice. The first time was at 140 Park Avenue - and I thought it was better at 140 Park Avenue because the rice was lumpier there and it was served with spiced poached pears - I'm a sucker for poached pears. If I had to point to one weakness at the restaurant (and it's a minor weakness) - it would be on the dessert end. All in all - it was a terrific meal - and I think what I ordered played to the chef's strengths - which are the big tastes of game and meat. I always advise people to order the "big" dishes at "big" restaurants - and TA is no exception. The wine service was excellent. My husband asked for a recommendation for a bottle to go with his meal - and received a Menetou-Salon "Clos des Blanchais" Henri Pelle Loire 2002 for 35 pounds. He liked it a lot - and it didn't break the bank. So you don't have to spend a fortune to drink good wine here (although it is certainly possible to go to much greater heights - at much greater cost - than we did). I frankly can't see how reasonable people can disagree about this restaurant. It's excellent. I know from reading this thread and other things on the internet that this chef carries some baggage with him - and then there is the unfortunate current gossip about him and his wife. I don't think that the chef's past or his marital situation is any of my business. I'm simply a diner at his restaurant - not his mother - and all I want is a excellent meal. There is no question my husband and I got that when we dined with him and his staff last week. Robyn

The upper middle class can certainly compete with the rich in terms of dining. I am not so sure about oceanfront estates in Palm Beach . Robyn

Just curious - what didn't you like about Mrs. Aikens? What was your experience? I found her to be quite charming. Like the rest of the staff. And the Irish sommellier - well no one could mistake him for anything but Irish the night we dined. Which is kind of beside the point - because we judged him on his wine selections (for us - we don't exactly drink traditionally) - and we were quite happy (I with my pol roger - my husband with his wine). Her husband - Mr. Aikens - is quite interesting too. We chatted with him for a while in the bar area (I like to have a cigarette after dinner and you can only smoke in the bar there). I really hadn't gotten the kind of feeling about food I got that night since I had my first Robuchon meal at Jamin. Something new - something exciting. In this case - well I have to liken the dishes to what one feels watching the Cirque du Soleil. There is a lot going on - but you take it in with a sense of awe and wonder - not scorn. Like every possible piece of veal (including the tongue) cooked every which way with everything that goes with it - including magical beignets of foie gras - what could be more terrific than that (this was the single most delicious thing I ate in London)? I was pleased to learn that Mr. Aikens (is it Aiken or Aikens?) trained for a while with Mr. Robuchon. The most favorite chef of my younger days passing on ideas to a new generation of chefs who will bring a smile to my face as I age . Anyway - what didn't you like? What did they do to offend you? I am a simply a middle aged woman who loves good food - and my love didn't go unrequited the night I dined there. Robyn

Like I've said - we had a fabulous dinner there on the 27th - and just got home today. Once I get unpacked and back to normal (a couple of days) - I'll report too (on this and the other places we went to). It would really be too bad if Mrs. Aikens left the establishment - because I thought she was a terrific "front of restaurant" person. By the way - I read an article in the paper on the plane today. I think it was from the Times. About the Michelin rating system and the fellow who wrote a book "exposing" the "dirty little secrets". And all I can say is he was totally on point. If one looks only at food and service - then the 2 best restaurants we went to were Gordon Ramsay and Tom Aikens (the interior at Gordon Ramsay was a bit more polished). Can't say that one was better than the other. They were just totally different in terms of food styles. Gordon Ramsay is Chanel - or Gucci - traditionally elegant - and Tom Aikens is Cavalli or Alexander McQueen - right on the cutting edge. Like I said - no better or worse (except perhaps as a matter of taste preference) - just different. That said - I can't understand Aikens having 1 star - and Ramsay having 3. You might say - well Aikens is new - and Ramsay isn't. But if the Times article is correct - the chefs with "pull" can get their 2 stars or 3 stars even when they're new. Makes me wonder. I'll also note that we thought Menu was very very good. It got a first star this year - and that is clearly where it ought to be. Zaika - on the other hand - while enjoyable - simply isn't in the same league as the other restaurants with Michelin stars. In light of the Times article - it really gives one pause. Anyway - I know I'll get around to writing more about each place when I get caught up back home. We had a great time eating in London (apart from the star restaurants we ate at places as diverse as the hotel restaurant - 140 Park Lane - Wagamama -the Anchor and Hope - fantastic lamb sweatbreads there - and terrific dim sum in Chinatown). I took some pictures at a few places and will post them when I figure out how to upload pictures. I had to diet before I left and I fear I'll have to diet now upon our return . But it was worth it! Robyn P.S. The favorite things we saw apart from food were the Chelsea Flower Show, Jerry Springer at the Opera, the Hopper exhibit at the Tate, the roses at the Queen's garden in Regent's Park (simply the most amazing display I've ever seen) and listening to people from dozens of countries who now live in the UK scream at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park about how awful the US and the UK are (it is of course their right to do that in the US and the UK - but they'd have their tongues cut out were they to say similar things about their home countries in their home countries - my husband and I furthered the tradition of heckling that afternoon ). You're too late the catch the first event - but the others are ongoing and I recommend them. Those of you who live in London live in a wonderful city - and I'm more than a bit jealous.

Thanks for the tip. I'm still here (until Monday) but I'm afraid I'll have to work my way through the box of chocolates I took home from Tom Aikens first . We had a fabulous meal there last night. Will write a full report later (today is my husband's birthday and I think he wants to spend it doing things other than watching me write messages on the computer ). Robyn

That's interesting. My husband and I are in London now. Ate at the only 3 star in central London today (Gordon Ramsay). Fixed 3 course lunch is about $63 - 3 course a la carte (lunch or dinner) is about $117. I tend to think of London as being more expensive than New York - so Per Se sounds kind of pricey to me. Robyn

The times they are a'changing. We got both the caramel truffles and the strawberry ice cream wrapped in white chocolate at lunch today. Robyn

I am alive and well although still very jet-lagged in London. My husband and I had lunch at Gordon Ramsay today before the Chelsea Flower Show. We know that Gordon Ramsay was not in the kitchen 1) because we paid a brief visit to the kitchen; and 2) Gordon Ramsay made the headlines in tonight's Evening Standard ("Celebrities Walk Out of Ramsay Hell's Kitchen"). We haven't seen the TV show yet - although apparently everyone else in the UK has (our cabdriver to the restaurant couldn't tell us enough about it). Nevertheless - lunch was beautiful (it's a sign of a fine well-run restaurant when things are smooth as glass in the head chef's absence). My husband had the lunch menu. He started with a cannelloni of cornish crab with wild salmon, baby spinach and a chive veloute. Main of roast fillet of wiltshire pork with crushed peas, herb gnocchi, wild mushrooms and madeira jus. Dessert of marinated rasberries with tapioca, melon and lemon brioche. I dare anyone to find a better meal anywhere for 35 pounds. I ordered from the a la carte menu. Not as much of a bargain - but well worth the price. Starter of warm scottish lobster tail (I didn't know Scotland had lobster) with grilled asparagus, tomato and aubergine millefeuille, caper and chervil emulsion. Main of oven-roasted pigeon from Bresse with sauteed foie gras, creamed spinach and mushrooms, braised root vegetables and truffle jus. Both of these were seriously delicious - not overly this - or underly that - just plain wonderful. The plates were totally clean when they returned to the kitchen. I forgot to get the dessert menu - so I can't quote you chapter and verse - but my dessert was a tall cylinder of bitter chocolate filled with various layers. The first and most memorable was a ginger mousse. Then layers of several other smooth things - with a layer of crunchy caramel in the middle. Side of vanilla ice cream with thin threads of chocolate. An excellent dessert expedition. I didn't drink anything except a liter of water (it was lunch and the flower show beckoned). Being from the US - we find it silly to pay for water - but we are resigned to the European custom (when in Rome, etc.). My husband asked for 2 glasses of wine to pair with his courses - and received reasonably priced pairings (white was excellent - red was ok). We liked the room and the table seatings (the person who wrote about 5 people being cramped was correct - the tables here are for 4 or fewer). The table settings (including flowers) were attractive - and the flowers in the planters outside (mostly hydrangeas) were lovely. Perhaps my only criticism was that the flatware could have been a bit "heftier". The service was both attentive - and extremely friendly. In particular - the head waiter was both funny and charming. Capable of treating me like a grown up woman while making me feel like a kid in a candy store. What can I say? This is a world class restaurant. Deserving of its praise. Although I had my camera - I couldn't possibly have whipped it out to take pictures. Would have ruined my mood (taking something magical and turning it into something clinical). I don't eat like this very often - but - when I do - I enjoy every minute. Note that we got here yesterday. We are staying at the Marriott Park Lane. We ate at the restaurant in the hotel last night - 140 Park Lane. I won't lie and say that it's in the same class as Gordon Ramsay. But we had several dishes that show that the chef has serious talent. Our favorite starter was parfait of chicken liver and foie gras with mango confit and salad mache. Favorite main (restaurant signature dish and a world class dish) was fricasse of monkfish and veal sweetbreads with morels and tarragon. And the dessert - lemon rice pudding with spiced poached pears - was very very good (I'm a sucker for anything with poached pears - and this dessert was both novel and delicious). The service and surroundings - while certainly below 3 star Michelin standards - are nice. The restaurant is currently running a 2/1 coupon offer on london-eating.co.uk - and I would like to give the chef a little free advertising here - because he deserves it. Running a hotel dining room is frequently underappreciated - and this is certainly more than another hotel dining room. Again - I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures during dinner - but perhaps I can take some in the (open) kitchen later this week. We're having a good time (only complaint is Chelsea Flower Show should have sold 1/2 the number of tickets - it was more crowded than Disneyworld on its most crowded day). Wish you were here (if you aren't already ). Cheers! Robyn

Is the developer subsidizing the restaurant? Robyn

Absolutely not. I guarantee. What if you were Rudy Giuliana's personal secretary - minus the $100 bill? Robyn

It's completely different because there are no jacked prices at Per Se. Everybody at Per Se gets the season-ticketholders' price even though the product would be worth more on the open market. There are no inflated scalper/broker rates based on supply and demand. At the World Series, the people with the most money get the tickets. At Per Se, the tables go to those who call first, and everybody pays the same. Well - that is not an entirely accurate analogy. The main problem being that most of the people here can't seem to get reservations after 6 or before 10. Not a problem on my part. I'm not planning a trip to NYC anytime soon - and perhaps by the time I get there - I'll be able to dine at a normal hour. Robyn

I don't think these restaurants are so much "failing" as coming to the end of their natural lives (and some lived to a very ripe old age!). Robyn

It's always nice to speak a bit of the language in a country you're visiting - but a little won't help you with a complicated menu. A friend of mine wrote a series of books quite a few years back - Ellison's Menu Readers (from various countries - including France). They're reasonably comprehensive - and very compact (will fit into a pocket or a purse). They're also out of print - but you can pick up a copy on Alibris. Robyn

I wouldn't mess around trying to bring any contraband into the country these days - no matter how innocuous. Stressed out border agents aren't apt to be amused by a cheese smuggler. Robyn

The Pyramids cost about $5. Robyn

Being from Florida - Vancouver is high on our list of places to go to get out of the heat in the summer. Regarding your ideas - I have the following comments. Don't choose between Tojo's and Blue Water. Do both (we did both on our last trip and were quite happy). At Tojo's - we ate at the bar. Didn't do a fixed omakase. Just let the chef prepare dishes until we were full. Came to about $75 a head without liquor. Note that we are not huge eaters. Your mileage may vary. We went to C last trip as well. Excellent. If I had to choose between Blue Water and C - I'd choose C - but I wouldn't want to have to choose. Eat at Granville market (who can look without eating!). The beach itself isn't wonderful - but walking/biking/roller blading/etc. on the "boardwalk/seawall" is great. Do as many miles as you need to burn off your excess caloric intake . The Pink Pearl is a sentimental favorite of ours. Perhaps there is better dim sum in Vancouver these days - but any good dim sum is a treat for us - so we keep returning to the Pink Pearl. If you want mountains - forget about the rope bridge. Take a day trip to Whistler. It's a breathtaking trip (the village is ok too - last time we were there - we saw a great street juggler). I like walking in Stanley Park (I do have to walk a lot to burn off the calories ). I also like walking in the contemporary furniture stores (happens to be a love of my life - exploring contemporary furnishings all over the world). Since you'll be in town over the weekend - go down to the docks while the cruise ships are in port. They are really quite a sight (huge! -- like floating cities). Note that the trolley is a great deal - and a great way to get around the city if you've never been there before. It hits all the major attractions around town - and you can get on and off as much as you like. Don't have to worry about driving and parking. The Museum of Anthropology is a bit off the beaten track - but it is a world class museum. Worth at least a couple of hours. For other people reading this thread (don't think you'll have time) - it's a thrill taking the jet helicopter to Victoria for the day (there are discount rates if you travel at times other than business rush hour). I've only been on a helicopter twice in my life - so I'm like a kid when I get in one. Most of all - remember that apart from making major restaurant reservations in advance - Vancouver is a wonderful little city where it's a lot of fun to unwind and poke around (I'm type A too - but Vancouver is more fun if you practice some type B ). Too bad you won't be in town for the PNE. Anyway - I love Vancouver. Hope you do too! Robyn P.S. I have probably given you much too much to consider for a long weekend. My husband and I have been to Vancouver 3 times in the last 10 years - each time for about 5 days. I suspect you'll return as well. So what you don't see this time - you can see next time.