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I finally managed to get to Restaurant Sat Bains a couple of weeks ago.Beautiful rooms , Lovely meal ,enjoyable wines and an all round good night out.Full meal write up is on my Cumbriafoodie blog but heres the Menu that we had on the evening along with a pic from each course. horseradish panna cotta, smoked bread, nettle puree, and a gastrique jus. Duck egg cooked at 62 deg with peas, pea sorbet and Bellota ham Scallops roasted , with chicory, coriander, seasame seeds, pumpkin seeds, shallots, textures of Squash and pumpkin oil. 'Allium', an aromatic bowl of caramelised shallots, a French onion soup, onion oil and crispy shallots. Grey mullet with a Leek stew. English Duck: duck liver parfait rolled in a duck ham, crispy duck skin and 'Asian influences' of peanuts, sweetcorn, shiitake mushrooms and spring onions with a plum puree Pickled, salt baked and cured celeriac, served on a chicken and truffle jus Wild hare served with quince, fresh pear, cauliflower and shavings of bitter chocolate. On the side is a little toast with tartare of hare. Beetroot, goats cheese granita, lemon zest and a little salt Sea Buckthorn with caramel, soft meringue and pine Chocolate dish, served with coffee caramel, yoghurt foam and coffee shortbread 'Blackberry', served with almond granola, wood sorrel and vanilla ice cream

Well another cracking meal at the Berkeley last week.This time it was an Autumnal tasting menu with whatever the market had on offer at that time.As you can see , it was a mini feast with pushing on 15 assorted wines.The food was up there with the best...as you can see. The wine was entertainment and an education in itself.The service is the best i have ever received...Anywhere...ever.The team have cracked the art of service and honed it off to a fine art.....i was treated like royalty as was everyone else in there. Full story on my blog but in the meantime...feast your eyes on my meal. Pig , egg , Caviar. Quail hearts Oyster , red wine and shallot jelly. Beetroot , ricotta , Liquorice. Foie gras , Date , sorbe , Milk , Walnut bread. Tunworth cheese , Ceps , Girolles , Mushroom consommé , chestnuts. Dorset Crab , Pear , Chestnut Salmon , Cockles , Sea purslane. Lobster Broccoli five ways. Quail , Squash , Girolles. White Chocolate ice , Redcurrant. Opera Gateau , Hazelnut. Apple arctic roll , Cinnamon Handmade Chocolates. Anjou Pigeon , Celeriac , Hazelnut , Radicchio. La Fromagerie.

Had a fantastic meal at the Ledbury last week.Was definitely a menu for the guys....full of Game and white truffles , rich , classic , meaty goodness...have a wee look. Amuse Bouche of Foie Gras parfait with Quince. Chantilly of Colchester Oysters with a tartare of Oyster , Horseradish and Dill. Flame grilled Mackerel with smoked Eel , Celtic mustard and Shiso. Native Lobster with Broccoli stem , Natural yoghurt and Indian spices in Brown Butter. Hampshire Buffalo milk curd with Saint Nectaire , White truffle toasts and a broth of grilled Onions. Roast Scallop with Pumpkin , Clementine and Ginger. Breast of Berkshire Partridge with Chestnuts , Iberian Ham , Sunflower seeds , Chanterelles and White truffle. Celeriac “Risotto” with smoked Bone marrow , Parmesan , Chanterelles and White truffle. Pigeon Kebab Saddle of Sika deer baked in Douglas fir with White Beetroot , red wine Lees and Smoked bone marrow. Pre dessert of Coconut and Lemongrass. Pave of Milk Chocolate with Milk puree and Chocolate malt ice cream. Brown sugar tart.

I like the good food guide for reference and ive also bought the AA guide this year....at seven quid on amazon its handy to keep nearby. As for the Michelin guide..........Would anyone actually pay for that load of twaddle ?

I`m hearing very good things about this place.A friend of mine went last month and is still raving about the place.Loving those photos Mr Goodfellow , definitely getting better.Hey...how good does that Seabass dish look ? Amazing. Cheers

Was the annual Michelin results last week and it seemed that all the Lenclume fans were totally pissed off that the team never got that second star.I decided to head there for a nice lunch , its only an hours drive away for me.The lunch was meant to be a light one but ended up as a 17 course feast....with lots of bread.As always , fantastic and cant wait to go back again when they change the menu in the next couple of weeks. Here`s the pics from my meal there , Enjoy. DUCK SCRATCHINGS AVOCADO AND STICHLETON BISCUIT BEETROOT AND MOZZARELLA , CUCUMBER AND DILL COD "YOLKS" AND WILD WATERCRESS , GARLIC , SALT AND VINEGAR. ENGLISH TRUFFLE PUDDING IN TRUFFLE BROTH , PUFFED BARLEY AND FENNEL. SMOKED BESSY BECK TROUT WITH OYSTER , TROUT ROES,AND PICKLED VEGETABLES. ROYAL KIDNEY COOKED IN CHICKEN FAT , CRAB AND HORSERADISH. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES , ST TOLA , TARRAGON , MALT. PLAICE FILLET AND WHITE VIENNA BAKED IN SALT , KALE GREENS AND RAZOR CLAMS. SUCKLING PIG , PARSNIP AND APPLE, WILD CHERVIL AND GROUND IVY. CHESTNUT, HONEY OATS , ANISE , HYSSOP , APPLE. BLACKBERRIES AND HONEY CAKE , OPAL PLUM ICE. QUINCE WITH BUTTERMILK , ICED AND CRISPY DAMSONS,SWEET BRACKEN AND ROSEHIPS. MILKSHAKE. AERATED CHOCOLATE WITH KENDAL MINT CAKE ICE. RASPBERRY MERINGUE

Unbelievable , the Lenclume team...and fans must be banging their heads against the walls in shock....Something very suspect going on inside Michelin HQ.I`ll be eating at Lenclume tomorrow and know only too well that it certainly lives up to its placing of Number 2 in the UK....Thanks to the Good food guide.

Oh dear....you`re all correct , he resigned and is working with his wife Sandia at the Keller pop up in Harrods.I think its a case of "watch this space" , he`s really excited about the next phase after Keller.....should be something to look forward to. Would be nice if Keller has now seen the huge potential in opening a London restaurant and James took the reins there....we will all wait with baited breath for any news.

Ive Twittered him Gary so i`ll let you know when he gets back to me....not good news....but there again where`s he heading to ? somethings tempted him away from MW.

You gotta be joking ,,,,,,,Im booked in again for the 19th November ;-(

PICS......PICS.......PICS.....I WANNA SEE PICS....This is torture , cmon bloggers do your stuff.

Cant believe its sooooooo quiet on this French laundry thing....From reading the foodie blogs etc it really doesnt seem like there`s a lot of interest and judging by the price i really can`t blame people. Personally for me it would be a Simon Rogan at Lenclume / Roganic or a James knappett at the Berkeley occasion instead.Pay the extra on top of the tasting menu and get a few extra courses thrown in...Fantastic.

Here`s the pics from my August 18th visit to The Ledbury. I won`t go into elaborate descriptions as it`s all been written already on here....and i agree, it`s bloody fantastic food....Nuff said , heres the pics.( oh and the full report is on my Cumbriafoodie blog )and the full set of pics on flickr. Apologies for not knowing the names two of the courses ( Amuse and pre dessert )...too much vino. Amuse of Foie Gras tartlet with gooseberry puree and gingerbread crumb Amuse Bouche 2 Salad of Heritage Tomatoes with Goats cheese with dried Olives and Herbs. Flame grilled Mackerel with Celtic Mustard , Avocado and Shiso Hampshire Buffalo milk curd with Saint Nectaire, Truffle toast and a broth of grilled Onions. Roast Brill with Smoked Eel , Radishes , Buckwheat and Borage. Pork Jowl cooked in Spices. Roasted Breast and Confit legs of Grouse , with Red leaves and vegetables , Foie gras and Cherries. Pre dessert. Caramelised Banana galette with Salted caramel, passion fruit and Peanut oil Parfait. Brown sugar tart with Muscat grapes and Stem ginger Ice cream. Coffee and Ledbury petits fours

Possible a relation of the Cotswold "White" chicken ha ha.Well spotted Margaret.

Ok...so quite a few of you emailed me and recommended Galvin @ windows , how could i not try it after seeing those pics and visiting their website , the place looked awesome.Unfortunately Andre Garrett was away on holiday but the guys in the kitchen done him proud.All round thumbs up for the food , wonderful service , great Sommelier and the general relaxed atmosphere.Didnt get to meet Fred Siriex either so next time maybe.Ive written the full report up on my blog so wont parp on anymore. Here`s some of the pics from the Summer tasting menu.The rest are on the blog and my flickr page. Amuse bouche - A little shot of Tomato essence Amuse bouche - Gougere with Black olive Amuse bouche - Garden radish with spring onion and red pepper . Cured south coast Mackerel , avocado puree , gooseberry and pickled cucumber. Hand cut Cumbrian Steak tartare , Quail egg , Summer truffle and pickled Girolles. Seared Scottish scallop , Razorclams , wild sea vegetables and Oyster emulsion. Poached Cotswold wild chicken , Onion tart with Foie gras , spring garlic puree , English baby summer vegetables , Hazelnut Jus gras. Fresh blueberry compote , Amalfi lemon custard , Macaron and Lemon Thyme foam. English strawberries , Rosewater jelly , Fontainebleu and Jus de Fraise. Selection of seasonal cheeses from La "Fromagerie" This is what you`ll get if you order the "cheese for one" - A nice little selection of four cheeses , grapes and caramelised Walnuts..Oh and those beautiful hand made biscuits. Chocolate Truffles and Fruit Jellies. Galvin Marshmallows. A quick look inside the kitchen to meet the chefs , nice set of guys , all took time out to say hello. And finally what Galvin @ windows is famous for... The wonderful View over London.

I`m out

Sounds like a big success MaLO ,it really is a treat isnt it ?. I was a bit tormented over this Keller at Harrods pop up at £250...without wine and service.After eating that meal at The Berkeley ive decided my money would be better spent going back there for another beautiful meal. The service was fab , they all seemed so bloody happy...why can`t i be like that at work ? Thanks for the nice report.

Was a birthday treat prawn , Tasting menu with a "couple" of extras thrown in....Im eternally grateful for the wonderful experience. Was a tad warm in my " Anorak " though

James Knappett was going to be cooking my dinner at the Berkeley , Marcus Wareing was elsewhere so James was leading the kitchen brigade as the head chef.James has an amazing pedigree and when i read the impressive list of restaurants that he`s worked in i was really excited at the thought of what he would be cooking for us.Thomas Kellers "Per Se" in New york , Gordon Ramsay , Rick Stein and 2 years in the kitchens of the `worlds Number one` restaurant - Noma in Copenhagen...WOW , i was wondering what James was capable of whilst in charge of the Berkeleys kitchen team. I had already been studying the Menus for a couple of weeks prior to my dinner there. I could see influences of Noma straight away on the various menus that Marcus and James had created together.Marcus specialising very much in classic cuisine ( ex Gordon Ramsay ) married up with James`s wild and modern twist of flowers ,hedgrow , seashore , wild and foraged produce.Part and parcel of chefs daily chores whilst working at Noma was their daily forage in the countryside and then creating a menu around what was available that day .So what an amazing combination , both of classic mixed with modern, exactly what i love so much in cuisine.When i dine out , i want to be eating Lobster , foie gras , truffles , reduced sauces etc etc .Im very much old school in my tastebuds but i also get off on the modern twists of food "from nature to plate" , Simon Rogan and Lenclume for instance.So my meal with James would be very much of a cross between the two....or so i hoped. We arrived at the Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge at 7.30 , perfect timing for fantastic cocktails in the hotels "Blue bar" , a well known celebrity destination hang out.It was to be a long night of eating , 5 hours to be precise so time to relax , enjoy the friendly faces and prepare for the feast that lay ahead. Shortly after we were greeted and ushered through to the Restaurant , it was stunning , all with a Burgundy / Aubergine theme....and very.....very dark.Ohhh dear , my immediate thought straight away was " My photos ".The restaurant really was so badly lit that i doubted that even my trusty little well researched Panasonic Lumix LX5 wouldnt be able to save the day. I had flashbacks to my night taking photos in `The Witchery` in Edinburgh , the fantastic Gothic restaurant lit only by candlelight...which was so dark i had to read the menu with my phone light. I had horrific thoughts , the Berkeley restaurant lighting wasn`t quite as bad but it was still going to be a nightmare to use a camera - with no flash. I asked one of the staff if they could turn up the lighting over my table but i was politely informed that it wasn`t possible as all the restaurant lighting would increase...Ahh well , onwards and upwards and ill try and make the very best of a bad job and let photoshop save the day on my computer....as it did with the Witchery photos. And so the food started to arrive , and as you can see from the photos below , photoshop actually worked its magic and managed to turn dark and grainy photos into something `just` acceptable.Next time i go to the Berkeley then ill do Lunch , sit beside a window and get some decent light on the plates. Little appetiser treats from the chef arrived one by one - Aubergine tart, / Grilled Quails hearts , / Pickled egg , caviar and Pigs skin , /Pineapple weed , Scottish Scallop in pickled Cucumber , grape , Lime mayonnaise. / Dorset Crab , Avocado puree , tomato , pickled vegetables , pickled Chilli , coriander Aubergine tart Grilled Quails hearts Pickled egg , caviar and Pigs skin Pineapple weed , Scottish Scallop in pickled Cucumber , grape , Lime mayonnaise. Dorset Crab , Avocado puree , tomato , pickled vegetables , pickled Chilli , coriander Creamed Foie Gras , caramelised milk tuile, fresh cobnuts, blackberries and Hyssop Burrata "stretched" Mozarella , Malted crumbs , cherries and onions. Summer "Vegetable patch" - Pickled Damsons , pea puree , turnip , baby carrots , Elderflowers , soft Goats curd and Elderflower dressing. Butter poached Scottish Lobster , Quails egg , Nori Seaweed powder , buttered cabbage , Vinegar. Girolles , Herb Papparadelli , Chickweed , Purslane , Truffle butter and Fresh Truffle from Tuscany. Cornish Mackerel , Smoked Paprika , Paprika oil , Sweetcorn puree , Grated Zests , Parmesan , coriander , Lime puree. Cornish Line caught Sea bass with 7 textures of Cauliflower , pine nuts , flaked Almonds , sauce Polonaise , Purslaine Cornish Turbot , New potatoes , Green Strawberries , courgette and Coastal herbs. Wood pigeon , Turnip , cabbage , Chocolate sauce , pigeon jus Cumbrian Lamb with Japanese Rose petals , Yoghurt and charred Leeks. Beef , Smoked Bone marrow , Hogweed seeds , Grilled courgette , cucumber , Raspberries and Nasturtiums.Best main course of my life. Broken down Pina Colada , Pineapple sorbet , Rum and different textures of Coconut. Caramelised apple parfait , Bramley apple jelly and sorbet , pearl barley and cinnamon. "Hay" creme brulee , Strawberries , Sweet cicely , Malt crumbs Caramel sundae with different textures of Caramel , Yoghurt and Malt. Liquorice cake , Smoked milk ice cream , fresh pear and wood Sorrel. Sea Buckthorn mousse in Milk chocolate....My special birthday cake . So....to summarise my 22 course dinner by James Knappett @ Marcus Wareing @ The Berkeley.....Spoken from the heart as an `impartial diner` - First of all the negative points....or should i just say `point` ?....The restaurant lighting.The lighting was horrendous for anyone who enjoys taking pics of their meal , flash photography isnt allowed in the restaurant in respect for other diners so food lovers.So bloggers and those wanting to show others their wonderful meal on their phones or cameras have to rely on the available light. Far more importantly the food is so amazing and pleasing to the eye that i personally feel that it needs to be proudly presented in all of its glory.Take for example the `summer vegetable patch` , it was visually beautiful , a work of art on the plate but sadly couldnt be seen to its full potential and beauty because of the poor lighting , same for the rest of the food. So cmon Berkeley and tweak the lighting levels up "just a wee bit". As for the good points....Ohhhhhh i`m gonna struggle here ha ha....Well for a start, no two ways about it I ate 3 star Michelin food, ....I ate James Knappetts 3 star Michelin food.This guy is so talented he blew me away with his innovative , perfectly cooked and faultless food....Words fail me right now but theres no doubting that this guy is going places, he`s cooking up there with the best 3 star chefs in Europe and its only a matter of time before the name is up in lights.There you go...Summed up an a couple of lines.I`m a happy diner , im a happy blogger and hopefully my photos and words will portray what an amazing dining experience we had at the the Berkeley. Marcus...You`re leaving your kitchen in very good hands. I cant end this piece without thanking the front of house team.It makes the world of difference to see people smiling and it seems that everyone at the restaurant was doing just that.It`s evident that everyone is happy there and that came over during service. A quick look inside the kitchen ( By then it was 01:15am ) and a big thank you to Chef James and we had to make our excuses to leave and let the lads all get back to their beds......Seeing as though they were all back up again at 07:00.....Ohhhhh No.....life as a chef , not for me.

David.... i was lucky , the chicken with red leaves was replaced by Grouse with red leaves....Ohhhhhh dear , it was one of those memorable moments and down as one of my top 3 main courses of all time.I got my number one best main the following night off Mr James Knappett@Marcus wareing. All in all the Ledbury was a very delightful experience , Four stand out dishes , Heirloom tomatoes / The truffle toasts / The grouse / and the brown sugar tart....Amazing. Ill post my pics up on here in the next week or so once i get through them all.

Simon Rogan at Lenclume , surely has to get 2 stars this time around. Seems like Sat bains is along similar lines and worthy of 2 stars. Marcus Wareing...after my 22 course meal there this weekend is 100% a Michelin 3 star restaurant , best meal in a long long time. Ducasse....downgrade to 2 stars.

WOW , food looks amazing, i cant wait until Thursday ive already started the countdown.Cant decide what to eat so ill probably go for the tasting menu with wine flight.Do you always get that assortment of desserts ? My fave part of the meal. So my 4 day trip to London kicks off with Ledbury , followed by the tasting at Marcus wareing and tasting at Galvin @windows.Saturday evening still left spare for a last minute "walk in" .....possibly Hestons "Dinner". Camera battery was charged up last night....Raring to go. Pics from my last London trip are all up on my blog now with reports. Cheers.

Congratulations to Simon Rogan and the whole team at Lenclume in Cartmel - 9/10 and Number 2 in the 2012 edition of the Good food guide....Heads down now for a 10. Well done guys.

Sous vide them ??? Kind words cheekymunkey....My thoughts are a tad stronger than that.I`ll be there next thursday for my tastimg menu "whatever the weather"....I`ll go down fighting with the kitchen brigade, no hiding in wine cellars when it comes to handing rings , phones and wallets over to that pile of shit.

WOW , Opportunity of a lifetime here , but as for the price...Whoaaa scary , but surely im thinking that this must be inclusive of matching wines. The reason behind my thoughts is that the Tasting menu - the "Real deal" at Kellers temple in Yountville is put out at $270 dollars which equates to £165.48p....and that also includes service. So im thinking that the £250 price tag at Keller@Harrods must include the wine flight...and the service charge.Correct me if i`m wrong folks ;-) I`ll be on the phone to join the queue on booking day.