rmajumdar

"...if we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it..." Quite. I popped into St John B&W for an impromptu lunch the other day and in among the usual suspects (langoustine, ox hearts, slip soles, confit of chicken neck) I was surprised to see crispy quail heads and aioli on the menu. I wasn't sure if this was a typo (the dish was £1 cheaper than the usual roast quail) but I ordered them anyway. It did exactly what it said on the menu, a bowful of quail heads, roasted with a dollop of pungent aioli. I’m not that squeamish but I found them difficult to eat. With their hollow eyes and rictus grin it was quite an effort to shove them in my mouth although masking them with the sauce helped. My friend (vegetarian) suggested that they could be served with a small audio device which emitted tweeting thus bringing one closer to the animal. The taste was ok reminding me of the dry and crunchy bits one gets on a roast chicken leg – a texture thing I suppose. I could imagine them as a sort of pre-dinner snack /conversation piece, to be served with a chilled fino perhaps. The thing was, I couldn't be sure if this was an experiment by the good people at St J, to push the envelope on selling weird stuff to the public or just a way of making a bit of extra dosh. The only other cuisine I can imagine serving heads (tout seul) is Cantonese but then I've never seen them on a menu (they’re probably in the section hidden from the gwailo). Robin PS I finished every last one of them

What wine do you drink at home for pleasure as opposed to work ? Regards Robin

I wonder if anyone saw a small article in the Observer a couple of years ago entitled "My perfect night out" or something equally banal. The author wittered on about going to a restaurant with friends, having a great meal, good conversation and finishing with several coffees, all over the space several hours and without being rushed. The author was one Gordon Ramsay (surely no relation ?) Robin

Re La Tupina's location, the area is not too far from the University and thus has a more casual, buzzy vibe but it's easily walkable from anywhere in the centre of town and didn't seem particulary sketchy. Robin

I visited back in July and had a very good meal. I had chicken for my main course and got about a quarter with a meaty forcemeat, a huge plate of chips cooked in duck fat and a wedge of toasted bread in a pot of chicken juices with garlic. Maybe because I also had a side of duck hearts and had started the meal with a salad of scallops and foie gras I ended up giving dessert a miss and finished with a Calvados and coffee. I visited on a Friday and the place was about 2/3 full. Re quality of cooking I actually preferred Didier Gelineau a 1 star joint in the centre of town. The decor was a bit twee but the food (a seafood set menu) was excellent. The seafood (oysters, lobster, salmon) was incredibly fresh. This seemed to be the case in even very modest places. Robin

yo bro, don't go, even if they beg - remember Claridges Robin

Free ????? It cost me £150

I think somebody overlooked the Never mind, you can reduce the deficit during the next episode of The Majumdar Brothers Go America

Well, since it was my dosh I suppose I should set the record straight (Simon's post was as always a mixture of truth, fiction and the just the plain bizarrrrre - it's only since he's been under my tutelage does he give marks other than 1/10 or 10/10). The fact that I had booked a table which seemed to have disappeared when I arrived did irk me but they did give us one until around 9pm (we arrived at 7:30 and only intended to have a couple of drinks anyway). The first round was a bit slow coming as there appeared to be only one barman in the downstairs bar, but my Sazerac once it arrived was good. The second one arrived more quickly. They were pretty strong too (a good thing). I'm not sure how oysters can look dodgy but I eat a lot of them and the ones served looked like normal rock oysters on the half-shell on ice to me. I decided to give them a miss as I once had an unpleasant experience mixing them with spirits. We then had some shrimp which were ok. Decor was more dive bar than lounge bar and the music (trad jazz, I think) was a bit loud). I was up for another round but Simon was bitching so much about the other people in the place I got earache, so we upped and we left. Further info: Membership is open to anybody. They are open until 3am Mon-Sat and until 2am Sunday and they say you can get a pro-rated refund if not satisfied. Basically I want the same things as Thomas so I’m prepared to give it another go (sans my moaning minnie brother, natch ). I can take up to three guests so if anyone fancies trying it out please contact me (you buy your own drinks, though). Robin

I think you'll find you have a very special brother who takes you to such places.

Just visited Mangal on Upper Street for the umpteenth time and they outdid themselves - yet again. A couple of starters with great bread and olives were no more than time fillers for the main event: mixed grill for two with a side order of sweetbreads. We had lamb (adana, chops, rolled breasts and little nuggets), chicken, quail and sweetbreads all cooked perfectly. Accompaniments , a large salad, more bread, rice and a couple bottles of Yakut (not the greatest wine in the world but it seems to go well with this food). We finished with a couple of coffees and mint teas, lokum, baklava and Turkish liqueurs - all on the house. Total cost: sixty quid. Service was friendly and efficient. I want to eat here for ever and ever.

Yvonne, The last time I was in the Wenlock I noticed they had some White Shield although I always stick to the draft. Robin

Best bottled beer ever: Schneider Weisse. Full, Spicy, complex. Great head. Best served with the proper glass. Pour (as the Germans do) with the head of the bottle in the beer, remove just before it's empty, swirl and pour the rest in, watching the yeasty deposit fall to the bottom.

Steve, It's not just Simon writing about this place. Look at this thread (and another on a rival board) to see what the current opinion is of La Regalade. There are plenty of places I loved in the past but don't cut the mustard now. Be gracious enough to concede that all is not well in the house of Regalade we won't think any less of your taste - honest Any comparison with Club Gascon I find unfair as the service and food at CG is much better: good regional wine list, honest, well prepared regional dishes. Also, M. Aussignac has stated on many occasion his hatred of 'sittings'. Once you are seated you are not rushed and can spend as long as you like at your table (in my case 3-4 hours). The only problem is that after many years CG has it's first star so will inevitably appear on the tourist trail - let's hope it doesn't go the way of La Regalade - Krug anybody ???

Had a very enjoyable meal there tonight. Started with well made Negronis and a large basket of bread (baked on the premises). Being Majumdars (of that ilk) we went for three starters which the small (and inadequately spaced) tables struggled to accomodate. Mackerel wrapped in pork belly, fried cheese and a superlative Ox tongue with a salsa verde were all exemplary. Clean strong flavours. Mains were slightly mixed. My sweetbreads suffered from a slightly uncomplementary sweet 'n sour sauce and parsimonious portioning (visit Foliage for the ne plus ultra sweetbread dish) although the sweetbreads themselves were good. Simon's fillet of Buccleuch was as good a piece of beef I've had. It was served with a superfluous polenta and a less superfluous radicchio. I daringly allowed Simon to choose the wine but he came up trumps with a 1998 La Grola from Allegrini. Deserts were competent but not a must have (maybe we don't love deserts enough). Coffee was the superb Illy and they even managed to gather some mint leaves together for Simon's tea - which was nice. A couple of grappas and petits and that was us. Extra points for the enthusiastic and knowledgable staff and the fact that they welcome children (esp. on Saturday lunch time). Bottom line: I liked it. This place deserves to succeed. Robin

You're right the place was full of Americans We like to think of it an asset enabling us to sniff out bs I checked with an aquaintance of mine and he assures me that ordering a glass of house champagne is permitted in a Paris bistrot (although the laws were only changed very recently) and only a complete rube would order a kir or Pineau des Charentes. Cos that's what people do when they're having a good time What was your sample - mine was about 95% of the restaurant. The pork terrine was ok. My meal was very good. My thoughts exactly. Wow - restaurant cooking in Paris is in an even worse state than I imagined. Now you come to mention it...

My opinions on food, restaurants and Paris are pretty different to those of my brother (apart from our love of products porcine) but we were unanimous on La Regalade – it failed big time. I suspected the worse when I asked for a glass of house champagne and was immediately recommended a glass of Krug. Hardly bistro-style. The rest of the meal went by in a blur. Ok terrine, whipped from the table a couple of minutes after it had been placed. Much heralded ecrevisses that should have been sweet morsels, tasted of nothing. Braised leg of veal tasted one-dimensional and stewed. Dull desert. Six dishes between us, not one good one. The mediocrity of the cooking reminded me of a long forgotten UK chain (Pierre Victoire) except that a meal there cost £5 and the service was better. It was especially telling that we were never asked how our food was - perhaps they didn't have the time or the inclination. I looked around the room, nobody was smiling. We left, nobody said goodbye. I felt I had just been through some sort of machine which parts undiscerning tourist from their money but without the consolation of a Mickey Mouse or Jimmy's Stratocaster to gawp at. Comparisons with La Trouvaille are laughable. There is a honesty to their cooking which shames the places we visited. The quality of their ingredients is light years ahead, the steak tastes of beef, the pork tastes of pig. Unlike my brother I have no problem with France (or Paris). I was in Champagne not too long ago sampling the delights of the menu at Les Crayeres chez M. Boyer. A few years ago I spent two blissful months in Paris sampling the delights of bistro and brasserie. But on this occasion I found the cooking had deteriorated (at this level) and that the prices had risen inversely. I did have good food during my visit. Oysters, Crepes and Gaufres purchased from street vendors, exquisite Marrons Glace ice cream from Berthillon, a slice of ham from a charcuterie , a hunk of cheese from one of the many Fromageries. I still like Paris as a city. The days I visited were clear skied, the quality of the light is terrific and the architecture still looks great. However, I found much of the city centre dirty. This was especially the case in the Metro stations – much worse than London. It is true that they wash down the streets every night but this doesn’t seem to shift the piles of dog crap that mottle the pavements. Ultimately it appears to have surrendered much of it’s self respect to the lure of the tourist dollar and I think it’s cooking has suffered as a consequence. Time for some posters to wake up and smell le pain grille. Robin