Matthew Tomkinson

The prizes truly are fantastic, i came back from New york the week before last having had a fantastic time and a really great learning experience. I think that Pravin will take full advantage of the opportunites that the following year holds for him and is a very worthy winner.

Pravin Sharma of Courthouse Hotel Kempinsky was last night announced as the Roux Scholar of 2006, the finalists had to prepare a 'Coubiliac of Salmon and Seabass' for the judges and Pravin was declared by Michel Roux to be the clear winner.

Good for you! any idea where you are gonna go then?

I am enjoying parts of it too. I thought last night's in the Artic was really good. The dish is 'Ballotine of Chicken' and is usually made with a whole bird or just the leg which is much nicer than using just the breast. It is also usually braised rather than poached to give a bit more flavour.

It was my sous chef that entered, he did really well just the dessert let him down a bit. It looks like he will be entering again next year (his last chance).

It should be, although this will be the first time i am there as a guest! The regional i went to in London was superb and the final promises to be of a really high standard. Hope to see you there

Are you going to the national finals moby?

Just got back from the regional finals in London at the Thames Valley University, this year's national finalists are as follows; Lisa Allen of Northcote Manor Stephen Stevens of Plas Bodegroes Pravin Sharma of Courthouse Hotel Kempinsky Armand Sablon of Orrery Paul Kavanagh of The Montague Arms Henry Vigar of The Greenhouse The standard was very high and all of the finalists produced excellent dishes both for the ducklings and the mystery dessert box. This is the first time for many years that there has been a female finalist and also one of the few times that there will have been a final with no previous regional or national finalists.

I was at university for four years in Birmingham and lived in and around the different areas. There are/were several really good places ranging from quite expensive to really cheap. In town we used to go to Shimila Pinks (chain) or Ragards to Broad Street (on Broad street). In Ladywood we just used to go into one that looked good as there are so many, half the fun is taking the chance and at such good prices no real risk. When ever i go back we ask the taxi driver for advice and usually get some great tips and even an invite to a friends place. Also if you venture up North i love the curry mile back home in manchester. Have fun

Had a lovely lunch at Petrus yesterday, more because of the superb and friendly service than particularly great food. We all ordered ala carte and whilst every dish looked perfect we found it a little bland and apart from the fantastic cheese course very average overall.

I am taking my parents for lunch at the Capital in March and am worried i have made a bad choice reading some of the comments. It will be their first time in a 2* and only the second time in a starred restaurant (they are dining where i work the night before). I want them to have a relaxed, friendly and tasty experience at lunch menu prices any other ideas ? or is The Capital a good idea? Incidentally we are going for lunch on the day of the Roux Scholarship final, anyone have any plans to be there in the evening?

I love the "manly task of reducing an ox to a demitasse" superb.

Meeting an old friend tonight at the Ebury, any ideas on what one should eat?

Ha ha. Bit of a gamble on his part i think! I told chef about the dishes you directed me to and he is literally salivating.

We are booked in to the L'Ambroisie on Friday the 24th at 1pm! Cant wait, now just the small matter of selling a kidney to pay for it!

Thanks Bapi. I now know that when i am next thinking of dropping a few hundred quid on a meal, a few minutes on here will ease my conscience!

Fantastic Link Moby! Thankyou. The whole meal sounds amazing.

If we can get in we will be going end of Feb, going to book today. We are trying to convince ourselves that the cost is okay because it is educational!

At work three of us (Chef, Pastry Chef and myself) have decided to go to Paris to eat at L'Ambroisie, starting to save now

[ There was a series of programmes brought out after Ramsay's first book "passion for flavour" that i thought were really good. In the first half of the programme he would look into a product or group of products and then in the second half would cook one course using the ingredient. The cookery was filmed at Royal Hospital Road almost in real time to show how the dish was produced. I think this format is interesting, enlightening and not at all patronising. i think that he just thinks he is better than everyone else and on this programme he is

Unfortunately i did see it. I love watching all programmes relating to food. Foolishly like the last series i was excited at the prospect of it and was again very disapointed. The tasks they have to perform seem ridiculous and apart from the segment of them cooking their own dish, completely irrelevant from what the proramme suggests it is trying to achieve. For me bring back Mr Grossman!

My girlfriend and I went for dinner last night (saturday) and had a table booked for 9.45pm. We arrived to be told our table would not be ready for another 15 minutes and that the small seating area they have is full We were advised of two local pubs and ended going just down the road. After 30 mins or so we returned to be told it still wasnt ready and there was still no where to sit so would we like to have some champagne at the reception? We did and were kind of regretting returning and if it hadnt been 10.30 would probably have gone somewhere else. This is the first time this has happened to us at a starred place and were a bit suprised. We were so glad we stayed! We opted for the tasting menu and after talking to the fantastic female sommelier went for mainly Italian wines. We ate Bread was bacon brioche roulade slices and sourdough with good salty butter. Both very good *Canape of crispy brique pastry with foie gras parfait and cress, lovely with the champagne, tasty and simple. *Amuse of liquorice roasted scallop with onion puree, crispy shallots and mushroom puree. Absoluteley superb dish and given as a suprise, the menu simpy states 'Amuse' *Loin of tuna wrapped in Basil with a salad of radish and soy. Again lovely and light, fragrant and with the radish, basil and citrus flavours it was palate cleansing. *Lasagne of rabbit and chanterelles with thyme veloute. The well documented signiture dish that for me more than lived up to its reputation *Roasted seabass with pumpkin gnocchi and ginger. Perfectly cooked, crispy bass with julienne confit ginger, mushroom duxelle, pumpkin gnocchi and pumpkin puree. The dish was spicy, earthy and very well balanced with several strong flavours all complementing the bass and not outdoing it. *Roasted foie gras with port glazed pear, fig puree and grue de cocoa. For me the weakest dish we had but still very interesting. Ther foie gras was crusted in a toasted hazlenut caramel, served with the cocoa sauce and the pear and fig. The dish was nice to eat but the sauce alone was slightly off putting and it was not the best liver i have eaten *Pyrenean milk fed lamb baked in hay with creamed potato, truffle and celery The dish was served as an assiette of lamb with rump, liver, kidney, shoulder and best end and is almost gently smoked by the hot hay in the oven. A super buttery potato laced with grated truffle and truffle slices and garnished with diced celery and crispy celery leaves. An outstanding simply presented dish and showed the lamb in all its glory it just missed some sweetbreads for me. * Cheese. Nice selection with a good double gloucester and several options of British cheeses with the usual french suspects * Sauternes custard with dried apricots and vanilla. A small shot glass arranged like a trifle of layers with a rich custard, vanilla cream and juicy, chewy dried friut. Very good and suprisingly light and tangy *Chocolate souffle with honeycomb and banana. A Square quality perfect chocolate souffle with pieces of chewy honycom, banana ice cream and chocolate sauce. A little too generous in size but delicious with classic combinations of flavours *Petit fours. Simple chocolate mint discs, small financiers and another i cannot remember! We drank 2001 Roncus Bianco, Vecchie Vigne 2004 Essenzia, Pojer and Sandri, Trentino Alto Adige 2004 Aglianico IGT, Terredora, Campania 2002 VDP Collines Rhodaniennes, La rosine, Rhone Valley We also had tasters of two different dessert wines and two small glasses of wine with the cheese Total bill for two including £5 supplement for the cheese, coffee and service was £260 which we felt was fantasic value for money. We were lucky enough to have a good chat with Brett afterwards and got the tour of the kitchen. We didnt end up leaving until nearly 2 am. Very good friendly service , superb wine selection and the best food we have eaten in a long time. We will definately be back but maybe for an earlier table!

I am going to the ledbury tonight with my girlfriend, in case we had forgotten they have phoned to confirm the table 3 times! Anyone been recdently? hoping to have a fantastic meal and a few nice drinks beforehand.

I have just come back from a lovely lunch at Aubergine and have The Ledbury booked for dinner on the 21st. Planning on going to Pied a Terre, Le Champignon Sauvage and maze when finacially able. I have my trip to New York through the Roux Scolarship in March and seems to be that i will be able to eat in a two or three places. Anyone have any first hand recomendations of where to eat? any ideas greatly appreciated.

Im not long back from my stage in France and thought it about time i showed my face around here. Was hoping to have read Andy's take on the finals in April but doesnt seem to be here. I remember very little of the evening following the announcement apart from drinking some very evil drinks and waking the next day to the Caterer calling me for an interview and being barely able to speak! Any info. greatly appeciated