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Airwaves

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  1. "Barrel scraping this year?" I hear you ask. I think they've well and truly broken through the bottom. We watch all of it on digital record, taking time for around 5 mins per programme for the tasting (and we are thinking of droping that)
  2. Well, we – that’s myself, and my wife Pip – finally made it to Noma during the October school half-term. We booked all the peripheries – flight, hotel etc – early in the year in the hope that we would be able to get a Noma booking to coincide with our city break. So, when bookings for October opened in July I was on the PC at 9am with a dozen browser windows open pressing refresh, refresh, refresh… - just like trying to get a ticket for Glastonbury! After about 45 minutes in a booking page came up – I almost fell off my chair in amazement. Remembering that the 12 course taster menu is recommended for 4 hours I booked for 7pm on the last night of our trip, the Thursday. The evening before our booking we walked out to Noma to get the lie of the land and check how long it would take to get there – we didn’t want to be late the following evening. It’s not exactly in the centre or hub of town. The final ¼ mile across a rough, dark car park could give you worries, but all was OK. Just a 30 min walk from our hotel. Thursday evening – we arrived about 20 minutes early, around 6.40 pm, and it was almost like being greeted as lost friends. Surrounded by maitre-d, chefs and others our coats were swiftly taken away and we were shown to a table – large enough for 4 – and sat in such a position we could see the comings and goings throughout the restaurant. The first buzz came when I told Pip who had taken her coat off for her – René himself. Soon after we sat down the charming maitre-d introduced himself and there was a check on any dietary issues. We indicated that there were things that either of us don’t usually like eg I don’t like horseradish, but that we had already decided not to declare any as ‘off limits’ for us. And with that we were invited to partake of the first taster course – already on the table for us (I have pictures of most of the tasters, just one or two missing, and all the main meal except for the main meat course, though apologies that one or two are not as clear as I would like). That of course was the infamous flower posy with the edible branches in the display. This was swiftly followed by the deep fried moss – tony h above couldn’t recall whether this was fried or nitroed or other. I checked, it is deep fried. And it just dissolved away. Somewhere early we were also asked about an aperitif – various on offer, verbally described, and we plumped for – Pip, a delicious glass of white wine, and myself a bottle of their own-brew beer, around 2000 litres a year brewed. Dishes kept coming thick and fast for the first hour or so, so fast that taking notes and photos got a bit haphazard, and were by no means complete. I also lost count of how many different chefs bought dishes to our table, all perfectly described, and each chef more than willing to talk longer with us – though I did believe that for one or two of them this was a bit outside their comfort zone. Next up was a pork scratching unlike any we have ever had before – a light aeration of pork skin foam, as light as a feather, and topped with a blackcurrant leather. Next, nasturtium flower with a snail centre, and then the plate of mussels with two edible mussels amongst them. By now we were feeling somewhat overwhelmed, and I know of at least 1 dish that I have no photo or notes of, I can just remember it as a mini tart with a green filling, served two in a tin. And so to the live shrimp! I had already warned Pip that looking at recent reviews there was a possibility that this would be included. I was already up for it (though with some trepidation) but Pip took a little more persuading. But we both concluded that bite and crunch was the best formula – we didn’t relish the idea of it slipping down ‘live’ – but by this time one shrimp had already jumped out of the jar and onto the table. Ever being the gentleman I took this one, dipped it in the tangy butter dressing and in it went. Pip manned up and followed. Reflections – tasted the sauce more than any of shrimp. 3 more dishes shown – smoked lightly cooked quails egg in a false egg, on straw complete with smoke (which regretably the camera hasn’t caught), the yolk of which was as smooth as single cream. Then radish and carrot in edible soil (more a flavoured, malty/gritty yoghurt) and a layered delight of ? with wood sorrel topping topped with dried duck gravy skin (I don’t think that was a mis-translation) – unfortunately I only caught a picture of this when we had eaten most of it. Time then for a brief respite and an opportunity to consider how we were going forward ie 7 or 12 course menu, and what to drink. Remember we don’t see a written menu at any stage, they only do ‘menus’ and whilst they will enquire about any allergies etc essentially you are in for what they give you. So, this being a once in a lifetime chance for us, we were in for the 12. Also, not wanting to muddy the waters by any level of intoxication I went for the juice menu and we also had sparkling water. Having chosen we were told that we would be having 9 savories and 3 desserts, and my 7 juices would be for 2 or 1 course at a time, to be indicated when served. The juices were cucumber, sorrel, apple/pine, carrot, ligonberry, sea buckthorn and elderflower (cordial). The bread arrived, described as soda bread, made several times a day as demand required it. This came with two pots, one of swedish ‘virgin’ butter, tart and quite unlike home butter, and a pot of kirsh flavoured pork fat, which was far more delicious than ‘pork fat’ might lead you to believe. Dish 1 was ‘An Apple, which has fallen from the tree’. Essentially a small apple, segmented, cooked to a fluffy lightness, reassembled, coated (not sure what with) and served in a bowl with sorrel and oil sauce. Really, really refreshing. Next up one of, for both of us, our real highlights of the meal – freeze dried dill and freeze dried cream, with raw sea urchin, and cucumber balls (the black bits) the cucumber having been balled & griddled & pickled & ???. This was absolutely stunning – a total taste of the sea, and really cold. More sea food next – shore crab, with two jellies – one of seaweed and the other of horesradish – with a rape seed oil surround. Loved the main ingredients but found the oil a bit cloying. Somewhere around this time in the meal we were visited by one of the chefs in mid-cooking, to show us the 12 month old carrot which was being cooked for around 90 mins in a stove top pan being basted all the time – this was to be served later. Next was the Noma tartare classic. Well described elsewhere – beef, herbs, tarragon emulsion, … - what I hadn’t seen anywhere previously is that the beef is scraped off the joint not cut / diced. That is why it it served without cutlery, to be eaten with fingers. A plate of caramelised onions next – cooked to a totally soft finish and with a butter emulsion. Then followed two dishes which stretched, for us, the envelope somewhat. Firstly a plate of cabbages and seaweed, with a fresh (24 hour old) cheese and a tasty ‘broth’. I quite liked this, though would have preferred the veg more al-dente rather than out & out chewy. Pip, not liking this one so much, gave half of hers to me. Then the 12 month old fermented carrot. This was, to be fair, a bit of a stretch. To describe the carrot as an ‘acquired’ taste would be understating it. But in fact the bit we liked least was the truffle accompaniment – both the 2 thick slices and, especially, the truffle ‘sauce’ with a consistency of molten tar. But hey, one ‘dislike’ amongst a total of 27 courses! Around this time we had also become aware of a burning smell through the restaurant, and we were soon to find out why when the ingredients and utensils for The Hen and the Egg arrived – a piping (280 degrees C) hot skillet on a bed of hay. Alongside a plate of herbs, butter… A dollop of oil was squirted into the skillet by the chef and we were instructed to crack the egg into the hot oil, having put our napkins into a protective position first! The timer was then started for 1 min and 20 secs. After that time we added the herb butter and the cabbage, lovage, and parsley and cooked in the oil/butter for 20 secs. Finish with chopped herbs and salt to taste and eaten with the potato curl. That left just 1 ‘recognisable’ main to have – which I kick myself for not photographing as I haven’t seen a picture on any other site. This was a dish of hare – the finest of saddle/loin – in two pieces, with ragout of hare between, served with white walnuts, wild herbs - dandelion leaves, ground elder and the like, with a walnut milk sauce. 1st dessert was a tart ice cream served with wood sorrel and a snap of frozen aerated milk, as light as rice paper. Next up was a pear dish – The pear part is a grilled pear half just visible beneath the wafer thin pickled (?) pear on top, alongside a nitroed frozen thyme foam and with a thyme oil sauce. Then to finish a tart parfait with herbs and wood sorrel sauce and jelly. And the main meal was over. We opted for coffee – we felt we deserved it. That bought a further 3 ‘sweets’ – a soft caramel made with bone marrow rather than butter – hence the serving in a slice of bone ; a potato crisp coated in chocolate with fennel seeds ; and, to us, a ‘walnut whip’ without the walnut. Somewhere during the taster courses René visited our table and chatted. I took the opportunity to ask how the ‘foraging’ was conducted during the depths of winter. He told us that they already had 1500 Kg of food already set aside for the winter months – cured, dried, pickled, frozen, …. Also in the winter months there were still ingredients to be foraged if you knew where to look, and also they kicked in more sea and shell fish which was at its best during the winter. Something else I was fascinated by and asked the maitre-d about was that there were clear examples of different dishes going to other tables, to an extent that I felt wasn’t explained by differences between the 7 and 12 course menu. We were told that the kitchen had around 32 ‘mains’ on the go on any given evening. This gave allowance for allergies, dislikes, religious or social preferences etc. Also, variety came about as dictated by the amount of any given product eg if that day there was only enough hare to serve 8 people then only 8 get hare, and something else is served to the other tables. The final variety came about by serving to people who have been before some dishes they didn’t have previously – they keep a record of what they serve to each diner so that it can be referred to for a subsequent visit! Would we go again – if I had plenty of free money, yes. However, current circumstances tend to restrain our repeat visits – too many restaurants, too little time. Would I recommend it – in a heartbeat. Was it the best meal we have ever had - ?? Some others over the years come to mind eg Michel Guerard, Paul Bocuse (both in the late ‘70s), Fredy Giradet and the Troisgrois Brothers in the ‘80s and it was on a par with those as an experience, but possibly we both ‘enjoyed’ the more traditional meals more. Final damage on the day – still waiting to see the converted credit card invoice, but I reckon, incl a 5%ish tip (apparently the norm for Denmark) and charge for credit card, around £480 for the two of us (but plus of course the air fare etc).
  3. OK - Watched it all (subject to some fast forwarding on recording) and have concluded:- It's not Jenny Bond that was the duff element of previous series, it is the "script".
  4. Please allow me to quote from an article in the Sunday Times Business section, 6 March 20011 - from an article about the Waitrose managing director Mark Price. "Mark Price....never does things by halves.....The Fat Duck....is his choice for the evening." How does he, or anyone, become able to readily get bookings at The Fat Duck?? My wife tried repeatedly to get a booking for my birthday last year and consistently failed. She wants to try again for my 60th next year but we are concerned that she will again be unsuccesful. Is there a way to get bookings??
  5. It is reported in the the Guardian Magazine today http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/s...2258619,00.html that Shaun Hill is tired of the life 'behind the scenes' and has redonned his apron and taken on the Walnut Tree near Abergavenny. Anyone been yet?
  6. The new TV series about John Burton-Race at The New Angel starts on Channel 4 on Thursday 13 January 2005, 8.00 - 9.00 pm. Airwaves
  7. 22 Mill Street has, over the last 18 months or so, become one of our favourite places for a dependable meal out. Our latest visit was last Thursday for my wife's birthday. One disappointment was that besides ourselves there was only one other person eating. There had been cancellations regrettably. The usual interesting choice throughout. This evening we had:- Whilst choosing our meal - Parmasan crisps & asparagus stalks as an amusle guele At the table - A cup of bean (? - memories - must take notes) soup with pieces of red mullet in it before we started I had for my starter - Sweetbreads fried off, with capers and oil reduction sauce. I really like my offal, and had nearly bought some sweetbreads the previous weekend in Barnstable. Delicious. For main course my wife had Confit of Dartmoor Lamb, with olive & potato cake, shredded (stir fried?) artichoke & aubergine. As someone who will not touch rare meat - she prefers meat done to death! - this dish was ideally suited. Don't know which cut was used - it wasn't shank as you see in Gastro Pubs, unless it was cut higher up the leg. The meat was falling apart, just as you would expect a confit to be. Keeping with the strong flavours theme I had Venison steak with potato rosti, beetroot and red wine reduction sauce. The venison was beautifully tender. I even enjoyed the beetroot - a vegatable I usually hate. For puddings my wife had hot Passion fruit souffle whilst I had the Plate of Raspberry - which consists of a raspberry sorbet/biscuit, mini raspberry souffle, chocolate case containing raspberry parfait, and a miniture brulee (turned out, with a topping of crispy caramel) with raspberries inside. The Passion Fruit souffle was, as always, beautifully risen and was served with a generous jug of warm Passion Fruit Juice. All round, once again, a very good eat indeed. Looking forward to possible another visit for lunch in the week afetr Xmas. Best of the season to you all Airwaves
  8. Just had trip away, and wife's birthday last week. So 1) On Sunday - Muro's in Venice (see review in Venice pinned thred) 2) Last Thursday - 22 Mill Street, Chagford - has over the last 18 months become one of our favourite places. Alway impecable food and service 3) Less recently - The New Angel, Datmouth - Totally different style from 22 Mill Street. Torn between the 2 Airwaves
  9. MURO vino e cucina Tel 041-5237495 Location – from the Rialto Bridge go North West along the main street, past the two/three market stalls on the right hand side, and beyond the uniformed flunkies standing on the right outside some Government Justice offices. At the first alley to the right (effectively the southern edge of the block of butchers & provisions shops just before the main markets) Muro is located about 50 yards closer to the canal, on the left. There will be a small crowd of people standing outside, using the bar. Recommended recently by one of our Sunday papers, we asked our hotel reception for directions. He told us this was the 2nd Muro, and that it had the better food. Consisting of a busy bar downstairs, and a small, ‘industrial’ style restaurant upstairs (20 covers). Unfortunately the restaurant was not that busy (7 others besides us). Interesting breads, refilled 3 times during the evening – olive rolls, rustic rolls, and short, fat bread sticks that managed to be both dry & crispy to eat yet were able to taste olive-oily when eaten. The menu for the day – Saturday 18 December 2004 – is listed in full here, with spellings and style as on the menu (prices in Euros):- Crab’s tartare with avocado and salad – Euros 16 Rice leaves rolls with thistle, young artichokes, beef filet and confit of tomatoes – Euros 17 Chestnut soup with reindeer’s carpaccio – Euros 12 Tagliatelle pasta with shrimps, sardine, sultanas and saffron – E..15 Beans soup with beef bites and smoked ricotta – E..15 Tagilatelle with fresh white truffles (a gram last minute price) – base E..7 Sweet & sour trout with vegetable’s julienne and potatoes – E..22 Loin of deer with polenta, mushroom taste and dried fruit sauce and onion boiled in valpolicella – E..29 From the barbecue Fresh fish from the market with potatoes & herb sauce – E..20 Fiorentina steak – hg E..6 Fillet steak – E..23 Duck breast – E..20 Argentinian Angus huft steak – E..20 Bison rib-eye – E..25 Spare-ribs marinated – E..25 The meat is served with a salad bouquet and roast potatoes Deserts & cheeses A selection of cheeses served with honey & home made marmalade – E..14 Home made chocolate cake – E..8 Marinated pears in vin brulee and cinnamon sauce – E..8 We prepared our specialities with fresh and selected ingredients from the Rialto market and we prefer to follow the season. Pasta and deserts are all home made. Cover charge and water are included. My wife forwent a starter to leave room for a pud. I had the Tagliatelle with shrimps etc. A bowl of delicious pasta filled with sweet, small brown shrimps, pieces of sardine, and halved cherry tomatoes arrived. The highlight, beside the obvious freshness of the ingredients and the cooking, was the hit of saffron – clearly used as a very distinct flavouring rather than just a light colouring. The chef said I should eat the whole of the shrimp, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat the crunchy heads. Next for me – Loin of deer…., This consisted of a serving of polenta, onto which was the porchini and fruit sauce, topped with fillet of venison cut into 3 pieces. Alongside were 3 shallots, which had been reduced down in the wine, and then the sauce trailed along the plate. To say the venison had just been shown the heat would almost be an exaggeration – it reminded me of the fashionable & correct way to BBQ tuna, that is a thin layer of sealing with the internal flesh essentially untouched. To eat this I was given a knife so substantial I’m surprised I didn’t need a licence to use it! It was hardly needed. To say that the meat was tender would be an understatement. A delightful eat. My wife had ‘Fish of the day’ which was today a fat, juicy Sea Bream. BBQed to perfection, the skin black, crispy and delicious, whilst the flesh was moist. Served simply with some skin-on roast potatoes. For pud I went for the Marinated pears… A red-wine cooked half pear, with a glass of cinnamon flavoured, fairly solid creamy mixture – hard to relate it to something more well known – and a light almond flavoured sauce. Again, delicious. My wife had the cheeses, which came as a plate of 5 portions – Stilton, Brie and 3 Italian, the names of which we didn’t catch. These were accompanied with two marmalades - one of white tomatoes, and the other we couldn’t deduce – and more of the breads. A small wine selection – about 25 bottles each of reds and whites, almost solely Italian – with half a dozen of each available by the glass. Bottle prices were Euros 15 to Euros 30, whilst those by the glass were E..2.50 to E..3.50. Water – still or sparkling – came complimentary. We also had a free glass of grappa to finish – don’t know whether this is usual or a Xmas treat. This is only our 2nd time in Venice and I cannot draw comparisons with other places there. I can only compare with the range of fine restaurants we have in our vicinity in South Devon, England. Muro stands comparison with any of them. We regarded this as a real find, a meal we would happily repeat. Well worth looking out.
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