andrew_j_craig

Any idea where Terry is going? Who will replace him? Without the flourishes of Gill and Coren, he was the most informative and reliable of the restaurant critics for the UK papers. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fo...st-1727746.html

What is the basis for suggesting there is a feud between Ramsay and Wareing? Google hasn't helped. What was thje source for the comment that Ramsay's priority is to fix Petrus?

A Eurostar visit to Paris has me wanting to do something a little different next Saturday night. Paris has a vibrant jazz music scene, right? There must be some place where the food is more than acceptable, the atmosphere relaxed yet vibrant, where there are seats for all and the music is good. My searches to date have been in vain. The China Club near La Bastille comes recommended for its live music selection but I am not sure a three course cantonese meal is quite worth travelling to Paris for. Make no mistake, no Folies Bergeres or Moulin Rouge for me. Any recommendations?

Terry is indeed an Aussie and married to Jill Dupleix. I understand he started off in advertising in Melbourne before becoming the restaurant reviewer for that city's broadsheet, the Age, before moving again to the Sydney Morning Herald. From there in about 2001, he nabbed the IoS gig at the same time as his Mrs got the cook job at the Times. I have followed his moves each step of the way. At times, in brand obsessed Sydney, he focussed a little too much for my liking on the designer of the chairs or the waiter's uniforms. But his knowledge has always been sound and his judgments reliable - I always get a sense of whether it's worth going to the restaurant. Also, I don't have the same confidence in other London reviewers when they move beyond Franco-Italo-British cooking. He's strong on Chinese and south east Asian cuisines. As much as I like the food there, he was perhaps a little hyperbolic to say that David Thompson's Nahm was one of the most exciting thing to hit London in years (for which Jonathan Meades took great offence), but that's a small blip. I certainly never trusted Meades to tell me anything about the greatness of Thai cooking. I think TD has also authored a number of cookbooks.

Useful suggestions all. Thanks, I'll investigate and report. When passing by Yauatcha in Berwick St W1 on Wednesday, I called in and the assistant told me that they may start selling tea to take home from late October - her answer was a little vague but she offered to contact me when they do. They're not quite yet living up to their claim of over 100 teas and being a serious purveyor...

It puzzles me that England, as a nation of big tea drinkers, does not take the quality of its tea more seriously. Bog standard tea bags are common place - fresh tea made using leaves is not guaranteed even in notionally fine London or rural restaurants. There are the big name suppliers of bland Anglo-Indian teas, however, there seems nothing that vaguely approaches Maison des Trois Thes in the 5th arrondissement in Paris (near the Rue Mouffetard market) by way of dedication, expertise or variety. The tea selection available at the new Yauatcha in London is a refreshing start. Is there much competition in London (or elsewhere in the UK) for a place to buy top end oolongs and green teas from Taiwan and China? I've looked but not found.

Markk I asked a similar question in May. Here is the answer I got. Here is a report on the place I went to. Enjoy

In no particular order, and ranging from the cheap to the expensive: - Becasse - Billy Kwongs - Prasits Thai Takeaway - Kensington Peking Restaurant - Claudes - La Disfida - Tetsuyas - Icebergs - Yoshii - Lucio's I've been abroad for 18 months, there have been some openings and closings since but I hope this still serves as a useful guide

Imagine you must. My partner's objections to beef and lamb are purely taste based. My memory is a little hazy on the precise composition of her foie gras dish, but from recollection is a small-ish lobe, browned on the outside, rare on the inside, quite mild but long in flavour. The accompanying sauce was kinda sweet, I think with some sauternes like sauce. The acidity of the sauce helped cut through some of the richness of the foie.

I've been remiss in not reporting on Auberge de l'Ileearlier. I dined there in late May but work commitments intervened shortly after my return. An interesting thread on poor menu translations prompted me to choose this place, among several other interesting suggestions. I retained a copy of the tasting menu, and some additional notes Iscribbled at the time about the food. Alas, I wasn't focussed enough to record the wines or say much about the decor. In this report, I've retained the French text (minus the accents) as it appeared on the menu card given to us at the end of the meal, in each case offering my own translation (open to corrections). The extras (amuse bouche, petits fours etc) I've described in English. Lyon in late May was hot and the air thick with pollen - a nasty cocktail for a hay fever sufferer. Mercifully, by early evening, the allergy was in retreat and my palate in relatively good form. No written menus are offered on arrival and instead you are directly to take an aperitif outside under the oaktree in the courtyard. The chef explains in florally French the 3 (€75) and 5 (€95) course tasting opens (no a la carte). We chose the 5 course. We enjoyed an aperitif (Billecart Salmon Rose Brut, €18 per glass). To accompany this, we were given a hors-d-oeuvre plate consisting of "beignets d'herbes aromatiques" (green herb fritters), sweet potato and beetroot chips, caramelised gingerbread with crab and green apple and a mini vegetable club sandwich. The batter surrounding the herb fritters was thin like lattice with an agreeable crunch. The flavour of the mint dominated, but it was possible to see the coriander, basil and tarragon. I overhead a waiter saying to guests nearby that there were 5 herbs in total. I couldn't detect the fifth by taste or sight, nor I can recall now what he said it was. The chips were greaseless, well salted, very thin. The gingerbread with crab was the highlight of the plate: the burnt toffee characters of the bread off set by the sharpness of the apple with delicate shreds of tasty crab. A happy combination. The cubes of club sandwich were pretty but left me with no particular flavour memory. We moved inside. We ordered two half bottles of wine. My first choice white, a Condrieu 1/2 was out of stock as was my first choice red, a 1/2 of Cote Rotie. The Chablis and St Joseph were acceptable replacements, each at around the €40 mark. As mentioned, I have no notes indicating more details of provenance. Unsurprising, the wine list had aggressive mark ups on esteemed vintages. The first amuse was a poached quail's egg with honey sabayon and sherry vinegar. This chef clearly had no aversion to "aigre doux" (sweet sour) and this theme was to continue. The portion was tiny but powerful enough to give the tongue an early tingle. The accompany white and sourdough breads were excellent. Chewy, deeply flavoured crust with demi sel butter. On to the first menu item: Tarte de Jeunes Primeurs du Printemps, Creme glacee a la moutarde douce (Vegetable tart with mustard ice-cream). This captured spring flawlessly. On a pastry base no thicker than egg shell sat delicate batons of asparagus, some garden peas, morels, onion and baby carrots. Each cooked "a point", a skill not known to many lesser French cooks. No raw crunchiness, and none of the flabby boiled characteristic of overdone vegetables. I think they had been delicately sauted in extra virgin olive oil and salted. The timing was precise. On top sat a lobe of mustard ice cream, piquant and creamy. A happy match. Next came Noix de St-Jacques en Aigre-doux de miel and de vin rouge (Scallop with miel and red wine sauce). Some of these flavours were familiar from the quail egg amuse. The scallop was nicely browned on each side and well rare in the middle. The sauce was sharp and zingy, however together it didn't quite hit the spot. Too much acid overpowered the marine sweetness of the scallop. A rare dish where the parts were greater than the sum. The only dish on the menu that didn't reach admirable levels of success. This was followed by L'Omble Chevalier du Lac du Bourget a la peau croustillante, un beurre de lentin de chene (Fresh water Artic Char from Lake Bourget, with crisp skin and shitake mushroom butter). The skin was presented as a flat, separate sheet, erect - a shard of salty crispness. It offered a pleasing contrast to the delicate texture of the fish, which appeared to have been steamed. The mushroomy butter was delicate, in fact I found it difficult to detect anything particularly shitake-like but that was just fine as what I wanted most of all was to taste the fish. This I did. The dish delivered. At this point my dining partner and I slightly diverged. She doesn't eat red meat. Her replacement (offered without hesitation) was a slice of foie gras entier, I think in some sauternes-like sauce. It looked good and she liked it but I didn't focus too much on it. I had the menu item of Double Cote de Veau de Lait, grosse asperte verte, creme de radis rose. Two generous veal ribs, lightly coloured nestled on top of another well timed asparagus (this time a broad stalk and tip) and a red radish cream. Subtle flavourings on the cream meant I could focus on the milk fed veal. Milk fed in veal to me often means "little flavour" but this provided a happy exception. Flavour had not been sacrificed on the altar of tenderness. No high artistry here but very solid produce well prepared. The final savoury course before cheese was a Veloute des premieres morilles, dans l'esprit d'un capucino. There's little new under the culinary sun and yes mushroom cappuccino has been floating around posh French restaurants from London to New York via Sydney for some years. However, provided the flavour is concentrated, the bubbles light and the cream sparing, I still think it can be a tasty dish. I liked it all the more when I found some whole morels, sitting like jetsam at the bottom of the coffee cup. Ensuite, les fromages. As they called it "Notre Selection de Fromagers Lyonnais, Cellerier, Lery et la Mere Richard". I can't for the life of me remember what we had from this lot but we both asked the waiter to pick a selection of 5 or 6 for us from the range laid out across three separate trays. A marvellous selection, no less that 50 or so in my estimate. The waiter thoughtfully selected different cheeses for our plates so I sampled 11 in total, all well matured. I've not had a better cheese offered to me in a restaurant. And finally on to dessert Les Trois Dessert de l'Auberge, Douceurs et Friandises. Personally, I see no point in white chocolate but this did nothing to detract from my enjoyment of a dessert of layered raspberry puree and white chocolate with pistachio creme brulee. This could have been a sickly sweet mess but thankfully it was well restrained. Next in the series was a rhubarb tartelette with lemon sabayon and toffee strawberry. No great complexity in this dessert but a harmonious combination of fruit picked at peak ripeness. The pastry was a little thicker, and of course sweeter, than the shell for the vegetable tart. Finally, a gingerbread ice cream cone with single ball of licorice ice cream. My partner desires licorice like nothing else and she was in raptures. I shared the joy, this was a triumph. The cone brittle and strongly spiced, the ice cream smooth, intensely aniseed/star anise. To finish with tea, we were presented with a plate of petits fours: apricot and blackcurrant jellies (separate), caramelised nuts and chartreuse and orange flower marshmallows (again separate, not combined). By this point, I was reaching tolerance limits of fullness. Still, we left the plate empty. The jellies in particular sang loudly of fruit. I am grateful for the suggestions from fellow e-Gulleteers for L'Auberge de l'Ile. It was an excellent meal. It was the first 2 Star meal I'd eaten in some years in France so no easy comparators. No great surprises in the flavours, it wasn't taking me to unfamiliar places. However it was not staid and the chef showed a welcome affinity with the fresh ingredients of the season. Service austere in the classic French way but accommodating and precise. Recommended. A few other random notes about Lyon: - The chocolates at the more famous Bernachon have none of the finesse and intensity of those from Rich'Art, a stone's throw on the other side of Cours Fr. Roosevelt. Chocolates are grouped into "flights" or flavour families such as "Herbaceous", "Spiced", "Red fruits" etc. Sometimes the flavouring overpowered the dark chocolate flavour (particularly in the Herbaceous category) but on the whole, this is superior chocolate making. It is only a small notch below Herme in Paris and Marcolini and Wittamer in Brussels - Les Halles market early Saturday afternoon was a little lifeless and a number of stalls were shut. Gariguette strawberries were at their peak (Why can't UK or US growers produce this fragrant variety? If they do, where can I find some?). We bought some and enjoyed a punnet next to the Rhone in the sun. The daily open air market on Quai St Antoine is livelier, in a prettier setting next to the Saone and would suggest punters go there instead of les Halles is time is short - There is a sameness about the bouchons in the Vieux Lyon. Cheap, heavy, traditional fare, they're OK but not memorable - Maybe I didn't look hard enough but no where did I find a restaurant serving poulet de bresse. More of a speciality product than I had imagined.

This thread, with its minor tangents and linguistic conundrums, has entertained me no end. For that, I am grateful to all contributors. I will record my appreciation by penning a report of my dinner at either Gourmet de Seze or L'Auberge de l'Ile, the two on my short list. Pierre Orsi lost at least two customers - my partner and me - by reason of its shameful web site. Any side trips for market oysters or lunches at bouchons will also be noted. I am there in late May so in early June I'll start a new thread with some thoughts and impressions. I am also keen to take up the Bernachon v Rich'art chocolate challenge. Bernachon seems to get the fame and glory but I am told by my Lyon friend that from Rich'art, "les petits carres fins fondant sur la langue sont un delice" and that the "le venezuelien a 92% de cacao est amer a souhait." Both are in the 6eme, in Cours Franklin Roosevelt. PS Note to restauranteurs - when building your website, stay away from Flash and keep your site designers on a tight leash. Strive for uncluttered presentation, a few sample menus, clear contact details and perhaps a map and a few indicative snaps. Flash and other wizzbang niceties will do nothing to make me patronise your restaurant

These contributions have been as entertaining as they have been informative. If you can make your way through the awful site, you can print out English and French versions of the various menus. Out of curiousity, I did so but they don't always match up - it's not always possible to do a side by side comparison. The "Frenglish" menu I quoted from earlier seems to have been adapted from a different French menu. Like balmagowry, I thought I'd target the "madnesses of the injury" - I agree that the most likely, if you can put it that way, approximation for that phrase is "Folies de Dame Tartine et friandises exquises". A quick search on google.fr didn't help much. There seem to be a number of French songs and nursery rhymes along the lines of "La Chanson de Dame Tartine" so I'll need to get to dig deeper to get to the bottom of what this elusive dessert might be. Like Bux, I can't quite get my head around the combination of a gooey, creamy Mont d'Or cheese (at its best in late autumn I would have thought) and acacia honey. Certainly to the non-French speaker, the English translation is more of a hinderance than a help. bleudauvergne - I like the sound of your suggestion - Gourmet de Seze. I'll take a look a little further. I am not one to slavishly apply the principle that "michelin star = best". Above all, I am going to seek out the type of food I can't easily find in Paris or even less so in London where I live. Magnolia - I am going in two week's time so no immediate rush for the copy of the menu from Auberge de I'Ile if still you have. A friend who grew up in Lyon but has long since left, also mentioned this to me so it sounds a worthy place.

As an amusing aside, I thought I should record some of the menu translations on the Orsi website. Previously I had only read the French version and it sounded appealing. The English reader would surely be baffled by the following menu descriptions - "Madnesses of Injury Slice of bread and delicacies exquisite - "Beaten white of the Mounts of Gold to the Acacia Honey" - "Ox net of Charolais, Race to wine dregs" - "Casserole - middle class way" - "Snails of pots of snails of burgundy, very rascals" - "Marine of the wolf and mullet to the basil" - "crystallised garlic out of shirt" Just not quite so poetic in English...

I'll read this in more detail shortly but I couldn't let the occasion pass without remarking how useful this is. Thank you in advance for the tireless compilation effort. [Moderator's Note: Please scroll to the end for the latest comments on the lastest Digests.]

I've read previous threads on Lyon dining in this forum. I remain undecided as to which of: (a) Pierre Orsi ( http://www.pierreorsi.com/ - an annoying Flash driven site); (b) La Tour Rose ( http://www.slh.com/france/lyon/hotel_osefra.html - alas, no details on the menu); or © Leon de Lyon, restaurant gastronomique ( http://www.leondelyon.com/uk/relais.htm - again too much Flash) - I should book for a single fine dinner in Lyon.... Can anyone speak from recent experience on these? I have a pocketful of recommendations on the bistro/bouchon front (La Mere Jean, La Machonnerie, L' Amphytrion, some bistros in the Leon de Lyon empire).

For the Singapore/Malaysian hawker experience in Sydney, in my mind there are two serious contenders: Kopitiam on Harris St Ultimo (past the Powerhouse museum) - not well publicised and not covered in any of the mainstream guide books Temasek in Parramatta - oft reviewed in the SMH Good Food Guide. Now living in London I have a serious craving. I ask for triple chilli and it still don't cut the mustard

Stephanie Alexander, Australian food writer, chef and long time francophile, has written an interesting article describing a certain lack of variety in the cooking she found on a recent trip to Paris. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/...7144960552.html She is not without some credentials to speak on the matter http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/index.htm

Well thank you to Katie and Robert for those tips. I will report back next week with my impressions.

Work takes me to Cannes this weekend from London. Dinner is organised for Friday night at Palm Square (allees Liberte) and Saturday lunch at Fouquet's (Majestic Hotel bld de la Croisette). Any suggestions for a relaxed Sunday lunch in Cannes, serving "plats typiques"? Bouillabaisse would be good but Marseille is a bit of trip.

I should have added that any of those would be suitable for an anniversary dinner except Billy Kwong's and Bistro Moncur which are more casual. Depending on your budget, I would choose Tetsuya's, Quay or Lucio's for the "romantic" element. You should consider contacting the restaurants in advance as many close for a week or so over Christmas/New Year's.

In 2.5 weeks, you'll have a good chance to sample the range of cuisines that Sydney does well. Here are my suggestions: French (lightened for the warm climate): Quay, Celsius, Claude's, Becasse, Guillaume at Benelong, Bistro Moncur Thai/Modern Asian (often a blend of Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines): Sailor's Thai (the most authentic Thai), Longrain, Billy Kwong, Rockpool (latter 3 are modern Asian/Australian) Italian: Lucio's, Otto (the latter more for location than food) Seafood: Pier, Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay In its own category: Tetsuya's (plead with your hotel's concierge for a reservation) All of these restaurants are described on http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/section/food_wine/. As for things to do, anything involving the beach and water are the best things at this time of year. These visitor guide are quite useful - http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/section/visitor-guide/, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g25...outh_Wales.html, and http://www.discoversydney.com.au/things/

A highly ubiquitous gastro couple, Terry Durack and Jill Dupleix, food critic and cookery writer, respectively, for the Sydney Morning Herald, parted these shores 2 years ago for London. Terry's now writing for the Independent on Sunday, Jill for the Times. I've only been able to track down a few of Terry's reviews on the Independent on Sunday website. His writing style hasn't changed - self referential, excessively adjectival, loves to name the designer of the chair he sat in. His personal website http://www.terrydurack.com automatically redirects to that of his wife http://www.jilldupleix.com. What do London readers make of him? How does he cut it against the more established writers like Giles Coren, Fay Maschler, Matthew Fort and AA Gill?

The considerable number of responses which my question elicited only serves to reinforce the point made by some contributors - that eGullet is the best source of informed opinion. All responses gratefully received - thank you. I won't arrive in London in time for the next eGullet luncheon/dinner but I'll be a keen attendee at the first one of 2003.

I'll soon be departing the sunny shores of Sydney, Australia for life in England. I'll be leaving behind an impressive pastiche of foods and largely affordable restaurants. I am eager to know where I can be sated upon arrival in London, without burning through the pounds. Which are the best food guides falling into the following categories: a) General restaurant guide for London b) Guide to (for want of a better word) "ethnic" restaurants and cafes with an emphasis on authenticity and value for money c) Guide to pub and restaurant eating in Great Britain more generally d) Guide to where the best produce can be found in London (eg good sources of bread, butchers, fresh markets, Thai ingredients etc) I am less interested by Zagat's style popular opinion guides, and more by informed opinion. The thoughts of London residents and visitors will be appreciated.

I know it's a tough ask. Monsieur Pignolet certainly has a lot of goodwill in this Moncur St bistro. The food I've had there has always been very good, with that old adage of the "ingredients shining through" in evidence - dishes appear uncomplicated and straightforward but of course behind that veneer of simplicity, there is much skill and talent. Those factors notwithstanding, Becasse wins on a countback. On three recent visits, the chef (Justin North I think) has shown a more sophisticated (but nevertheless restrained flamboyant) technique, more innovative pairings, and stronger more punchy flavours. I can never recall there being an amuse guele or pre-dessert offered at Moncur, as there has been at Becasse on each occasion. Service at both is professional, and Moncur would probably win on the wine list, but it's hard to beat the excellent value for money at Becasse. On the first visit in January, the food smells at Becasse were more noticeable but not necessarily disagreeable. Certainly not more intrusive on my meal and conversation than the noise levels at Moncur (forget Lulu where they are unbearable on the busier nights) On the most recent visit to Becasse in mid April, the smell problem (to the extent that it was a problem) was largely cured.