GastroChick

Everyone is aware that a picture of an onion is not going to reveal how to cook a French onion soup, however a beautiful picture sets a mood or tone for a recipe Personally I find nothing wrong with so-called food porn that so many people seem to look down on. I think there is a prevailing attitude, especially in this country, that if something looks appealing it should be viewed with suspicion or be regarded as silly or facile.

What planet has that guy been living on, all the food photography that I see is shot mainly in natural daylight and with a low fstop. I'm not being rude but it sounds like they're a bit behind, you'd do better pitching your stuff at a more enlightened market!

My question was simply that, being so easy to do and so completely and unthinkingly ubiquitous, we're surely going to get bored of it - then what? Sorry that last post was in answer to the above question posed by Tim

that's my point I think food photography is far more limited than fashion photography. I mean your not going to shoot a spear of asparagus in the Sahara desert, or make it strike an interesting pose.

Hi all I read with interest Tim's thread on food photography. It is a matter close to my heart as I have just invested in a Nikon D70 so that I can improve the quality of pictures on my food blog. I won't pretend that I am the next Juergen Teller of food photography, however even I have been surprised at how easy it is to get an attractive image using a low aperture, shot in natural daylight. Personally I like the direction that food photography has taken over the past few years, moving away from a contrived studio setting towards a more natural feel. I still think it has a long way to go however before it reaches the creativity of say fashion photography, however the market for it is probably different?

Bad/slow service when the restaurant is only half full.

To be honest I've never really harboured any burning desire to want to go to PAT. Maybe it was because the recent posts on this forum have been less than complimentary. However it was my cousins birthday last Friday and she was desperate to go after sampling a small dish of their's at the Taste of London festival last year. To my surprise I actually enjoyed the meal. Sure some of the platings were a little fussy for my taste and I'm not certain that quails eggs work that well with tuna tartare however the seabass with scallop sausage was probably one of the best dishes I have eaten this year and without blowing my own trumpet I've been doing some pretty serious restaurants - Arzak, Gordon Ramsay RHR, Mugaritz. In my opinion this restaurant is definately worth a go.

I agree about making you feel better I had a dodgy stomach on Monday night but after my pho I was miraculously cured. I will have to try the beef pho next time.

Interested to hear any thoughts about Pho the relatively new Vietnamese cafe on the Clerkenwell road. I went for the first time on Monday night and thought that the spicy chicken pho was exceptionally delicious so much so that I couldn't resist ordering a take out from there last night. To be honest it's surpising how much I like this place considering the more authentic offerings on the Kingsland Road leave me cold.

Personally I find the article written by Coren rather irritating. I think to be a food critic a level of anonymity is required, going on the F word as Coren recently did has made him instantly recognisable. I would be hard pushed to believe that he doesn't get special treatment when he visits a restaurant despite the nonsense he says about sitting with his back towards the wall, he's not exactly the most unassuming of characters. Whatever one might think of Reichl, her recent book Garlic and Saphires exposes the disparities between the way plebs are treated and those that restaurants percieve to be important critics/celebs. Personally I applaud her efforts

Ping-Pong is quite a good place to go as a group, whilst the dimsum is not the best in London it has a young, buzzy feel and is relatively cheap.

Popped in this morning and have been scoffing chocolates most of this afternoon. I got through quite a few ( it is a bank holiday afterall) and would recommend the seasalt with caramel, this was by far my favourite.

I don't believe it!

I find JBR very irritating especially after watching tonights show. I would find him funny if I truly believed he was just joking around, however I think he firmly believes that he is the superior chef. I really like Caines as a chef and as a personality, he has a calm, refined aura about him which is reflected in his dishes. From what I have observed I hope Caines wins

You didn't waste anytime. I'm going to pop in tomorrow now I know it is has opened.

really enjoyable I thought. Burton-Race is a cocky bugger although I 'm sure it's for the camera. His starter I personally thought appeared a little contrived, or as Jennie bond commented 'twee'. Caines dish however looked a little bland. Be interesting to see what else they come up with for the other courses.

I know I have been walking past everyday drooling and imagining all the goodies to be had.

I agree about the parking restrictions especially in Hampstead where it is impossible to park. Also the extortionate rents squeeze out independent businesses and mean that only the high street names can afford to remain. I grew up in Hampstead and it is a different place today.

Claridges or Pret-a-Portea at the Berkeley if you are into fashion. The cakes and pastries are inspired by current catwalk collections. The selection of canapes and savoury snacks beforehand is also very good.

I have read with interest the previous comment regarding GRHR. Here is my take on it; Gordon Ramsay is a chef that I have always respected and admired. I once ate at Aubergine and had an almost transcendental culinary experience - at the time I declared it to be the most exquisite food that had ever graced my lips. That was almost 10 years ago. The restaurant still exists, under different management, and represents an era when Ramsay was still relatively unknown to the masses and had yet to adopt the celebrity chef persona he has today. Nowadays it is impossible not to see his wrinkled yet ruggedly appealing face lending itself to yet another product, reality show or magazine article. Apart from being an exceptional chef some media hot-shot must have recognised the obvious entertainment value in producing documentary style programmes portraying this chef as a rude, obnoxious, git responsible for terrorising his kitchen staff and diners. Interestingly however, despite his obvious short comings, notably his explosive temper and obvious ego-centric quirks, his passion and love for food shone through and the public developed a particular fondness towards him. His new status also enabled him to build a restaurant empire on his lucrative name which has become synonymous with exacting and vigourous standards and has launched the careers of some of Britains most promising chefs. Whilst I have had the good fortune to have eaten at a number of Ramsay establishments - Maze, The Connaught, Claridges and the Boxwood Cafe, it was the experience at his restaurant Gordon Ramsay on the Royal Hospital Road that I truly longed for. It is London’s sole 3 star Michelin and has received acclaim and honour from some of the most eminent critics and writers. It is the restaurant to which Ramsay has given his famed name and thus lures in gullible punters like myself with the inference that he is out back in the kitchen cooking your meal. It’s reputation means that it is understandably a drag to get a reservation. Reserving a table requires the sort of timing reserved for a stand up comedian, entailing phoning on the dot of 9.00am and then being put on hold for half an hour in an attempt to secure a table in exactly one months time. After a few attempts my husband finally managed it, albeit at the rather unenviable slot of 6.30pm . Despite the greetings from the convivial staff I could not fail to notice the complete lack of character afforded to the beige coloured, faux-opulent dining space. The only hint of design came from a spell-bindingly hideous glass screen which ran the length of the room and would have been more at home on a cross channel ferry. Admittedly Michelin starred restaurants are rarely bastions of style fit to grace the pages of Wallpaper, however they should at the least be vaguely pleasing to the eye. Lighting is particularly important as it can cast unflattering shadows, in this case it came from some badly positioned overhead spotlights which had the effect of making both my husband and the food look less than their best. We chose the Menu Prestige comprising seven small courses we hoped would show off the kitchens much lauded and documented skills. To begin an assortment of amuse bouche’s were brought- the most notable a pumpkin Veloute which was delicious despite being searingly hot. The first course, peking duck and foie gras terrine worked harmoniously together, the chinese five spices and sweetness of the duck cut through the buttery, velvety texture and richness of the liver. Ravioli of lobster whilst visually appealing failed to impress , the pasta dough was a little too doughy and lacked the requisite lightness. More successful was a perfectly cooked fillet of wild turbot atop an interesting citrus reduction. A meat dish comprising beef fillet and beef cheek atop truffle mash was without doubt the winner of the evening. The fillet was amongst the most tender I have ever tasted, sublime, whilst the cheek was rich and unctuous. A huge selection of excellent French cheeses from the Fromagerie were ceremoniously wheeled out before the dessert - a pannacotta of such richness and magnitude that neither of us could eat more than half of it. Ramsay’s restaurant fulfils every requirement one would expect from a 3 star Michelin restaurant. The service is impeccable, the dishes (on the whole) perfectly executed and the wine list extensive and balanced. Yet my main critiscm would be that it ers too heavily on the side of caution. The food lacks any distinctive or original flair, it uses all the luxurious ingredients one has come to expect such as foie gras, truffles…. in a predominantly predicatable and uninspiring fashion. The meal at Aubergine lingers in my memory because it captured my imagination and introduced me to flavors, textures and combinations that I had never been exposed to.

I agree with the last member re.Morgan M as a self confessed meat junkie I diverged and ordered the garden menu on my last visit and was suitably impressed. As another option how about J.Sheekey?

Thanks everyone for all the interesting suggestions and for reminding me that there are still some good places to eat. I grew up in Hampstead so am familiar with a lot of the places mentioned, seems like NW3 doesn't have a great turn over of restaurants. Maybe that's a good sign? I agree with Hallie that Polish food is not to everyones taste, however I grew up in an ashkenazi Jewish home where stodgy stews were the norm. I know that I have been to Troika before but can't recall the meal, however I think that this type of food is perhaps best served in the confines of the home where it can be lovingly prepared. Sushi Waka sounds cool. When I was growing up we used to go to Jin Kichi on Heath Street which incidentally is still there and also Wakaba, bizarrely located on the Finchley Road, once a shrine to minimalist architecture and excellent sashimi. From all accounts it appears that Lemonia has gone down hill although this doesn't seem to have affected its popularity, when I drove past on Monday it was completely packed.

Interesting you mention Melrose and Morgan I was there recently and was impressed by the mainly English produce and specifically the pretty cupcakes, the staff also seem friendly and knowledgeable. Sardo Canale is a phenomenal restaurant, thanks for reminding me I went there about a year ago. Good to hear that the Engineer is still worth a trip I will also check out the Lansdowne. Do you know anything about the Washington on Englands Lane? Apparently the Belsize Tavern has been taken over by the owner of the Great Eastern Dining Rooms and is due to open in summer. I recently ate there and thought that for a mid priced meal in Shoreditich it was quite good. Maybe moving back over that way is not so bad after all Thanks for all your suggestions

After living in Islington for the past couple of years I have been spoilt with the huge number of excellent delis, fishmongers and restaurants all within close proximity. In the next couple of months I will be moving to Belszie Park and from what I can remember it is a bit of a gastronomic wilderness. I would love to hear from those who might be familiar with the area and can make any interesting recommendations.