sped98
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Posts posted by sped98
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Surely there must be some "leaks" seeing as though the guide is out at midnight tonight. I know i`m being a little ambitious here but my gut feeling tells me that Mr Rogan is going to be our next UK Michelin 3 star restaurant....this guide or next. It has to happen soon , surely.
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Oh dear SuY , i take it you`ve already been there by now ? Not a good choice at all. Nearest City Carlisle and then you`re not going to get anything decent, Lakes are 30 minutes from Maryport , nearest decent restaurant is Cottage in the Wood , Keswick.
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Adey73 - Yes , was the back end of last year Simon took over Cartmels Pig n whistle pub. Not managed to get there yet and ive still to eat at Rogan n Co, also in the village, I`m sure theyre both wonderful.
No sign or mention of a book yet , i`m sure the idea will have been banded around in Simons head...hopefully sooner than later.There are quite a few recipes of Simons online if you have a little look around.
Itll be interesting to see the next stage of Simons move to the Midland , there`s the Brasserie and another restaurant to be addressed i believe.
As for the food at the French , yep , very typical of Lenclume / Roganic so will probably be on constant change as foods come into season.Spring and summer are always exciting times on the menus. Im hoping that we see a few "signature" dishes appearing and staying on the menu at the French , Razor Role reversal made an appearance in the trial menus this week. Expearamenthol Frappe and my all time fave "Cubes from Land and Sea" definitely need to reappear....Oh and the Carrots with Ham fat simply have to go back on again...but there again its so pretty no one wants to eat it.
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Mr Rogan makes the move into Manchesters Midland hotel and Tuesday 12th March will see the doors opening to a very exciting start to the fine dining scene and fingers crossed the Michelin stars back into the city again. I was fortunate enough to be invited down to a preview of what the new look The French restaurant is going to be producing over the next few weeks. I believe there will be 2 multi course tasting menus in true Rogan style , a small and a large ( itll be something like a 5 and a 10 course choice i would expect.). Here`s a wee sneak preview of what delights await....The future looks promising for Manchester.
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I`ve been following the Lenclume gang around since the place opened almost 10 years ago. I`ve watched Simon Rogan evolve through many stages of cuisine , endless experiments and i have to say it`s been one hell of a journey.Simon has now levelled out and the new phase of Lenclume food over the last few years has been producing wonderful delights from the Cumbrian landscape , sea , lakes and mountains and also the very best of the regions farmers and suppliers. The menus have now been cut to just the one....roundabout 16 – 18 dishes and they`re decided upon each morning depending what`s available that day. Don`t go whinging if the diners on the table next to you have something different because i can guarantee you that you`ll have your own delights that they won`t be having.It`s all going on behind the scenes in the kitchen and its literally being picked seconds before it hits the plates....it really is amazing. I truly believe in my heart that no chef is cooking like this in the United Kingdom.... i was honestly buzzing for days after this meal.....yeah yeah yeah so i`m a sad so and so but it`s true.... i really did get off on this meal. For those reading this and thinking of going to Noma to eat....just forget it as Lenclume is our British version and really is running at world class levels , it`s just stunning.
I consider myself as a very fortunate guy as i manage to eat Rogans food every few months , i ate at Rognanic a few weeks ago and i was expecting similar food on this menu but everything was different....everything. Chef Dan Cox told me that the menu had only been put together an hour before lunch and the lads had just returned from picking at the farm and the local hedgerows .The menu was brought to the table and tucked away under a pebble , it was there if i needed to have a peep but i was just told to relax and let it flow.
I`ve already written plenty about Lenclume and Simon Rogan in the past so ill just shut up now and let the photos do the talking....and folks , just get over to Cartmel and sample the food , its running at the highest levels ever and apparently plans are in place to up their game even more.
Oyster pebbles
Eel smoked with potato and Ham fat
Cream cheese wafers
Asparagus with Bay Shrimp.
Cod “yolk” , Sage cream , salt and vinegar.
Kohlrabi dumplings in Westcombe , Hyssop and Purple sprouting.
Valley Venison , Charcoal Oil , Mustard and Fennel.
Sea scallop with spiced Strawberry , grilled Cauliflower and coastal leaves.
Cucumbers , Pineapple weed , frozen Lobster and Rat tails.
BBQ leeks with poached marrow , English mace and egg yolk sauce.
Lightly smoked bay Bass , Cockle juice , Courgettes and cotton Lavender.
Reg`s Guinea hen and offal , Turnip and Elderflower.
Iced chamomile , Spruce , Celery and black pepper.
Cumbrian slate , Gooseberry , Apple and Lemon Verbena.
Cherries with Meadowsweet , Hazelnut and Apple.
Gingerbread and iced watermint.
Coniston Oatmeal Stout ice cream , Blackberry and Plum soda.
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Yep....soft , melting and packed with Oyster, exactly same texture as a steak pud....and as i said , highlight of my meal , im converted.
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Finally got around to visiting Aumbry last week....well overdue.We chose the £65 tasting menu which really was good value considering what we actually got....about 15 courses in all. Mary Ellen came out to see us and spent 20 minutes giving us the industry gossip , nice lady.
I wont really parp on about Aumbry`s history as its already been mentioned umpteen times. I`ll definitely return , even if it`s just to sample the Plaice dish with Oyster pudding....Amazing pudding , highlight of my meal which is great for someone that could never stomach an Oyster....im converted.
Keep up the good work.
Cheese gougere.
Little amuse buche , Prawn burger.
Hot Beef juice and dripping ( just for the bread )
Duck egg yolk and Malt loaf.
Bury Black pudding Scotch egg , Tomato ketchup and Mushroom relish.
Home smoked Mackerel , poached Rhubarb and mustard cream.
Potato and wild garlic soup with English truffle oil.
Cauliflower and Oat groat Porage , seared Grelots and Cauliflower beignet.
Poached Plaice , Oyster pudding , sea aster, peppermint , verjus and sea purslaine.
Milk fed Cumbrian Lamb , spring vegetables , witch hill potatoes and roasting juices.
Cumbrian wood Pigeon , grilled Grelot , braised chicory , Lemon balm and Barley grass.
Selection of British and Irish cheeses.
Grapefruit possett , Celery granita & Sherbet.
Beetroot and Chocolate cake , Caraway, hazelnut , and bee pollen.
Apple tart , Heaton park honey , yoghurt , bay and almond.
Trifle with almond sponge base soaked in Colosia Moscatel with Chamomile custard, apricot jelly and moscatel syllabub.
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WOW , you guys are having a great time of it are`nt ya ? Looks like im well overdue a visit to Fraiche....must check the diary. Thanks for the great photos David , looked awesome. Cheers.
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I ate them at Hillbark.... Amazing.
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Had an almost identical meal there last week....Amazing.
Down to London on the train.....lunch and then straight back again....was definitely worth it.
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Smoked Pork and Eel croquettes
Onion biscuit , Nettle cream and Shallot jam.
Roganic breads – Pumpernickel , Onion Thyme and Wholemeal with Ale.
Burnt cream of English mushrooms , Ramsons and Cheese drops.
Grown up Egg yolk from the Golden egg , Celeriac , Sorrel and Garlic cream.
Spring broth with Carrot dumplings , Sea kale shoots and Pearl barley.
Raw Venison in Coal oil , Mustard , Scurvy grass and Onions.
Crispy seaweed mashed Potatoes , Mace , wild Leek and Fennel.
Cornish Lobster , Oyster , Apple , pickled Kohlrabi and coastal herbs.
Grilled salad smoked over Embers , Truffle custard and Cobnuts.
Five flavoured Monkfish , Razor clams , Vinegar and Hazelnut.
Herdwick Lamb flank, Sweetbread , Salsify , Hedge Garlic and Velvet caps.
Sweet cheese , Water celery , Artichoke and Malt.
Rhubarb with Meadowsweet , cream cake and sweet cicely.
Rowan shoot milk shake with Lemon curd brioche donut.
Bourbon biscuit and white chocolate ice lolly.
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Amazing and the pics look fantastic.
Im so pissed off as i was meant to be eating there last saturday and due to some bad news it all fell through....i was in a proper low way all weekend and now....when i realise just what i missed its really peed me off again
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Another amazing meal at The Ritz last week...10 course Sonata menu. Here`s the highlights - £99
Halibut Dauphine , Smoked Oyster mayonnaise with Caviar.
Venison Tartare , Parmesan bread and Black Truffle.
Roasted Langoustine , Sauce Marie.
Croque Monsieur with Truffle.
Dressed Devon Crab roll , Avocado , spiced apple puree , confit ginger, Charentais Melon.
Terrine of Goose liver , Port glazed Spiced Fig , Gingerbread and Marsala jelly.
Seared Scottish Scallop , Smoked Eel , Bacon , pickled Shallots and Watercress.
Braised Cornish Turbot , Chestnuts ,Artichokes , Cep puree and Truffle.
Peppered Venison loin , Smoked sausage , Pumpkin and cabbage.
Salt baked Truffled Tunworth ,Pear and Walnut salad.
Lime and Vanilla sorbet , poached Rhubarb , Muesli.
Mont Blanc , Caramelised Pear and Clementine sorbet inside a milk chocolate dome , Rum baba , Marron glace , Chestnut Chantilly cream.
The Ritz coffee and Petits fours.
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Yeah i have to admit i was peed off when i found out that they were quitting.It was their blog and Londoneaters photography that got me into it all in the first place....Theyve cost me a bloody small fortune. I`ve used their blog to weigh up most of the restaurants ive eaten at in London.If i didnt like the look of the food in a particular place then i just searched their blog for something more up my street.
I like the air of mystery surrounding them...who are they...how old are they , what do they do etc etc.So when i finally met up with them for dinner at Sat Bains i was pleasantly surprised.They were both young ,totally normal and 100% down to earth people...They were both good company and fun to be around.
Sad...but i hope they see sense and hit back after their "short" break.
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Absolutely David...£55 for the tasting and £45 alc....Erm...maybe he got a little carried away though...and i think i broke his record for the most courses.Certainly wasn`t complaining though,the guy is a superhero....i would have carried on if he hadnt stopped. I shall return.
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Had dinner last week at the Westbury.Lovely meal and got to meet Alyn also...nice guy. Current tasting menu priced at £55...best value tasting menu in London right now.Well selected wines on the wine flight as well but resisted the £35k bottle of DP 1996 Rose....Ohhhh dear.
Amuse Bouche
Cauliflower Pannacotta , Acorn , Cream cheese wafers.
Smoked Egg , Perigord Truffle soldiers.
French Onion Consomme , Crab , Lyonaisse.
Lobster , Fennel custard skin , Eel.
Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Lime , Frozen yoghurt.
Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Sand Carrot.
Beef Tartare , Catalonia , Gribiche.
Snails , Soil , Pickled Onion , Scarlet Elf cap.
Chicken wings , Perigord Truffle , Lemon , Ramsons.
Grilled Plaice , Ink , Cuttlefish , Ricotta , Puntarella , Mojamo , Lardo.
Cod cheeks , Snouts , Tongue , Beach vegetables , Cockles.
Venison , Acorn , Cima di rape , Rosehip vinegar , Mandarin.
Pear creme catalana , Pear , Pine.
Cows curd cheesecake , Passion fruit , Honey , Flapjack.
Blood Orange , Crystal Malt ice cream , Dried Milk , Toasted white
Chocolate.
Chocolate mousse , Caramel , Peanut butter.
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I`m heading there on friday...Tasting menu and wine flight...and camera
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I`ve done both places guys.Ive done Roganic on opening day and Lenclume maybe 3/4 times a year or whenever the menu / season changes.I believe the Roganic venture was to give the Londoners a bit of a taster into Rogans cuisine and if they liked it then they would make the journey up north to stay over in the lakes and have the Lenclume experience.The two places are worlds apart in terms of placement.As for the food...well Simon spends time at both restaurants and has Mark Birchall running the flagship and Ben Spalding as head chef at Roganic...both extremely talented guys putting their own twists on Rogans style.
There`s quite a few bloggers posted their pics up from both places so one can compare rather easily.Ive got mine on my Cumbriafoodie blog also ( both restaurants )
In a nutshell , Lenclume is definitely the place to go , the village is totally chilled so its an amazing laid back weekend up in Cartmel.Sticky toffee pudding shop , a fine cheese shop , a couple of real English country pubs plus the Lenclume overnight and breakfast experience is definitely worth a shot.
One thing to note - I believe plans are underway to transform Rogan & Co ( in the village ) to a new style of restaurant serving Chef Rogans cuisine from the last 10 years....and believe me...this is some pretty crazy cuisine....Cep Bomb Ravioli , Cubes from Land and Sea , Cubism in foie gras , Egg drop soup , Surrealist Nitro slammer.....Oh yeah , we`re going to be getting the lot i believe....and you can bet ill be there as soon as it opens....I loved Rogans crazy years.
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Ha ha...you`re all bloody nuts .....but i`m laughing my head off here.
Cheers guys , all the best for a lovely 2012 to you all.
Alan
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Happy new year folks and here`s my first report of 2012. Lenclume and the Winter menu.I originally planned to take my son ( he`s 15 ) for a little `light` lunch down in Cartmel....it turned out to be a 16 course cracking meal. Chef Simon Rogan i was told was taking a hard earned xmas break with his family and Mark Birchall was at the stove as Lenclumes Head chef. Mark has just returned from his Roux scholarship prize of 3 months working at El cellar de Can Roca in Spain.Watch out for some exciting treats once he gets back into the swing of things in chilly west Cumbria.
Here`s the 16 courses -
Crispy Duck Scratchings.
Onion , Cheese wafers
Oyster Pebbles
Carrot Pork Sacks
Lenclume Bread
Grilled Salad smoked over embers , Isle of Mull cheese , Truffle custard and Cobnuts
Valley Venison , Smoked salt , Chicory and Fennel.
Roasted Snow Crown in a rich Beef broth, Crispy Parsley , and cultivated Nameko
Native Lobster and pickled Beetroot , Apple and Bittercress.
Halibut with Trout roe sauce , Celeriac and Chestnut.
Roasted Monkfish in our spices , Roasted Kiri Squash , Yoghurt and Raspberry vinegar.
Randolph`s Lop suckling pig with Northern Mead , Vintage vegetables and Nasturtium.
Yew tree farm Herdwick Hoggett in Mulled Cider , Brussels sprouts and Red Cabbage.
Sea Buckthorn and anise Hyssop , Liquorice and Butternut.
Fig and Malted cream , William Pear Ice.
Fresh Cheese ice cream with Sweet Brackens , Rosehips and Hazelnuts.
Aerated Parkin Meringue.
All in all...Another wonderful meal at Lenclume and fingers crossed they`ll go from strength to strength during 2012...."Simon Rogan".... Watch this space , I`m quietly confident.
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In my eyes....Very very annoying people who can do a lot of damage to hard working restaurants based purely on their own personal tastes....The world would be a much better place without them.One only has to look at their pompous, `up their own arses` facial expressions when the food lands on the table on the Masterchef programmes...they can barely raise a smile when those nervous contestants walk in with their plates of food.For example...Take that critic that looks like Klebb off James Bond..she`d pop the knife out from her shoe given half a chance.I`ve never seen a more miserable woman on any cookery programme.
Charles Campion...Well he`s just a joke. They all need to take a leaf out of Michel Roux`s book....Constructive criticism in a nice way , he puts no one down , doesn`t kick their feet from under them....Probably the nicest guy in the industry...Anyways , i`ll stop now and wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012.Ill look forward to reading all your messages and looking at your lovely foodie photos over the year.Cheers , Alan ( cumbriafoodie )
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Well Marcus...it was a steal "however" the Lobster and the Grouse terrine weren`t inclusive of the set lunch.They were both off the alc menu.The set lunch did include the foie gras terrine with the truffle and the sea bass , pork and beef then chocolate pud.Definitely well worth casting aside your jeans for though.Ill be back early in the new year to try the tasting menu so ill be sure to let you know how that one went. Cheers.
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Sunday lunch at The Ritz is priced at £45 per person for a 4 course meal (inc an Amuse) and inclusive of service ,very reasonable for top class dining in such an establishment. There was an individually priced a.l.c. menu as well as a tasting menu available for lunch.I was absolutely gutted when the maitre`d suggested the Chef recommended we go for the Ritz Tasting menu ,it read beautifully on the menu but after our 21 courses and 15 wines only hours previously at Marcus Wareing i was ever so slightly delicate to say the least. I sent my apologies to chef, perhaps it would be best that we just chose the set lunch and return again for the Tasting menu next visit.
We were both seated in the far corner of the restaurant for lunch.It was the perfect place to take a nosey at all that was happening during service…probably best seats in the house if i`m honest.We both sat in silence taking everything in…we just didn`t need to speak , it was a case of The Ritz working its magic.Within a few minutes a little entourage of smartly dressed young waiters descended on our table “A complimentary starter from the chef”. My eyes lit up , i seen the wonderful terrine presented before me…generous slices of Goose foie gras sandwiching perfectly cooked cubes of Grouse breast and Granny smith apples interleaved with Black truffle and date puree….Oh Jeez…This is what fine dining is all about…what a treat.
Grouse and Foie gras terrine ,Black Truffle and granny smith apple compression.
Chicken terrine with foie gras , Truffles and Girolle.
Wild sea bass with Apple
Warm native Lobster with Grapefruit and Caviar
Classic Roast beef sunday lunch.
Roast pork with Autumn flavours.
Chocolate and Pear
Ritz petits fours
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Almost all of my meals are posted on here Matthew and nearly always with photographs which take me days to edit.....as you already know.No need for that comment at all.
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£600 for two people.....
Gobsmacked....dont ever tell the Sommelier to "feel free" when it comes to selecting a wine flight.Pics on my blog.
Simon Rogan at Claridges, London.
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining
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Amazing news released today . Cumbrian chef Simon Rogan takes over the starring role at Claridges , London. Lenclume style cuisine no doubt with a quirky Rogan twist. Seems like it`s looking like an April / May takeover so exciting weeks lay ahead. So its bye bye Gordon and hello Simon....Happy days.