ravelda

How about Magdalen, Herefored Road, Wild Honey, Fortnum and Mason (it is fab since re-opening!)....

So, after opening his new digs in Chelsea, Marco has sold the Mirabelle, Quo Vadis and Drones to Stephen Schaffer and Joseph Ettedgui. And I always thought that the Mirabelle was his baby! Anyone know his reasons for selling - is it cash problems or just to re-invest elsewhere? Also on the newsflow, Gordon ramsay has appointed a 26 year old female chef as head chef at RHR. Apparently he is refusing to give more details about her other than her ange and the fact that her name is Clare. All very interesting!

I would back Hereford Road - had a very pleasant meal there week beofre last - decnt wine list, reasonable prices and you would certainly not feel uncomfortable there. Not earth shattering food, but none the less very pleasant.

I thought this was so much better than the last series - you can actually take a number of the techniques that he used to make the Tikka and apply to other recipes, something that I felt was lacking in the last series, I mean, where else other than the gateau am I likely to use a hoover on my food?! In fact, I think the tikka recipe should be achievable by most competent cooks. It was also very interesting to see the benefit of adding yoghurt to the marinade.

Huge wine list - it's bigger than the bible! I have to say I was very impressed on one visit where they did not have the wine I ordered so they offered to give me an older vintage of it at the same cost, despite the fact there was a whopping price difference.

For my sins, I have had my share of explosive moments in the past. One that sticks in my mind was when I was cooking for a party of 14 - I busted my arse to cook their dishes to all go out at the same time (no mean feat when there were 8 different hot courses to be done - all by me, not to mention the other tables that were also called away at the same time). My runner was a really lazy sod who spent his time talking to the kitchen porter or chatting up the Waitress's. I kept calling service but he did not respond, and when he finally sauntered in the food was not to the standard I was happy with. I therefore sttod on the pass and propelled one plate after the next at him until I had despatched the final plate. Needless to say I canned the guy pretty soon after that!

I would agree that it would not have brought the restaurant to its knees if they were using ready-made pasta or had dough ready but if they were very busy, it would have affected the kitchen significantly had it not been ready. What they should have done is perhaps offered some other alternatives that they could do rather than simply refusing to change the dish.

This just shows a total lack of understanding of a) what you are paying for at this type of restaurant and b) how a kitchen works. The high price is not for them to pander to your every desire but to create wonderful dishes using the finest produce, cooked to the highest standard. To maintain the high standards the chefs will all be engaged and working hard in the kitchen - for one person to have to stop his usual job in the kitchen to knock up a batch of pasta for one person would disrupt the entire kitchen and thereby affect the standard of every other person in the restaurnat, thus they would not be recieving what they should expect to. In short, I am amazed that you can complain about this!

They are all pretty good tables, but one of the ones at the far end of the restaurant away from the kitchen and by the window would be lovely

Thanks for the write up Tony. Interesting to hear the tables are rather packed together - that is definitely a change from when I visited on their opening lunch when there was bags of room between tabels. Also the scallop dish sounds almost identical to a dish I had earlier in the year at Foliage, a restaurant which I find utilises textures in a far more imaginative and interesting way.

Hmm, my initial thoughts were Petrus - I personally believe the food is appreciably better, it is more modern with some interesting touches. It also benefits from the fact that it is not a basement room like le Gavroche. On the flip side, there is something rather romantic about Le Gavroche - the character of the room, the traditional menu, the formal service etc. If it were me, I would probably plump for Petrus though, or otherwise Pied a Terre which I highly rate.

According to Bloomberg, gordon Ramsay at the London has received 2 Michelin Stars

I would second Morston Hall - lovely setting and solid cooking with a decent wine list and good service

I have it on good authority that it will be the full on Ducasse with no expense spaired - looking at the quality of seafood they are looking to buy it certainly will be too!

I have to say, as much as I enjoyed my meal here, for the textural element, I have been more impressed with how Chris Staines at Foliage ustilises them in his dishes without it becoming the tail that wags the dog.

I would imagine that the financial benefits and prestige could overcome most disagreements between business partners - particularly when they are ultimately answerable to shareholders, so turning away such high quality business would likely not be viewed as in the interests of the ultimate business.

Clearly people don't know that the paperback is being re-released on 15th September in all its glory and is available at Amazon for £8.99! They need to read Jay's piece!

Just been to the new opening on Portman Square of a restaurant called texture. I will give a full write up later, but I will say that the food is very good indeed, the service is unbelievably slick (I have never seen a first opening where you feel like you are in a well established restaurant) and prices are pretty reasonable. At lunch there is both a tasting menu and an menu not unlike at Foliage where you can chooses any number of courses at £8.50 each. Dinner is ALC or a selection of different tasting menus. The room itself is beautifully laid out, clearly a fair amount of cash has been spent on this place. It is quite a contrast to the best western hotel with whom it connects to share toilets (no other link with the hotel other than that though). I believe the head chef and maitre d' are both ex Le Manoir and it certainly shows (the Maitre d' or manager-director as he is termed was I believe the youngest finalist in the Ruinart UK Sommelier of the Year in 2001 and in 2002 as he was the winner of this reward - it shows as the wine list is excellent). I have to say that one thing I had expected from this restaurant was for an interesting play on textures. This seems to have been attempted but to be honest it did not really work as nothing particularly textural came across in the food. None the less it was a really good meal - I will certainly be heading back soon!

Agreed, sam left them in the shit then blamed him for it. On the basis he can't cook & appears to have no interest 'i'm just in the way here, i'll leave you to it'?? surely they can't possibly make it through the week. ← Can anyone explain to me why this guy is on the show? I cannot fathom any reason why he is there ← So his wife (or is it girlfriend?!) can get an acting job!

Actually, I have it on pretty good authority that he did use stock cubes in the restaurant at times - not as a replacement for stock mind you, but as a seasoning aid

That was great actually - like the Eddie Izzard sketch about guns "guns aren't dangerouse, its not guns that kill people, its people that kill people"

I've been meaning to ask for a while but, has anyone else noticed that Raymond Blanc looks just like Duncan Banatyne (Dragon's Den) in certain (read "a lot of") poses?

Gary - could I possibly ask you a huge favour - could you pm me contact details for said shop if you have it? Thanks!

Outstanding - right, that is birthday present number one that I am buying for myself - perfectly timed release a mere 10 days before the day itself! Has anyone seen the MPW Hells Kitchen cookbook at all - I'm wondering if it is worth a purchase? fingers crossed they will re-publish wild food fron the land and sea as well - the non-photo version is just not the same! Edited to say that White Heat is £8.99 on Amazon - publised 15th September

Jay - not sure if I read your blog wrong - but can it really be true that White Heat is being re-published!!! Do you know if it will be the full technicolour "complete-with-photos-that-make-you-dribble-like-your-first-copy-of-playboy" vesrion by any chance?!!