RDB

OK. I have planned the tour, any logistical problems?? RHR: 12pm 3.30ish: Either Moro or St johns or anyother suggestions...... 5.30: Benares 7.00: L'atelier 8.30: Yautacha 10.15: Bentleys-Oysters and Jazz 10.00AM: Wolseley for breakfast 12.15: Arbutus 4.55: Virgin aberdeen angus burger

Out of the whole menu the salmon dish was the one I was fearing the most, as liquorice is something I am not keen on. I think it stems from the days of eating midget gems and being dissapointed that the black ones had a horrid liquorice flavour. Anyway, I actually found the flavour to be very subtle, considering the colour screams hardcore liquorice and as a whole thought the dish worked very well. I had a similar liquorice and salmon dish at Sat Bains a few months later which presumably was a homage to this dish. I think it was salmon with fennel, vanilla, passionfruit and liquorice which was equally as good if not a little better, passionfruit working better than the grapefruit.

Jay were you and MPW separated at birth?

Beebop, please excuse if I am misunderstanding your argument but I am just wondering what is your real concern? Is it because ChefSimon has not hired a PR company? Or is it because he has started a thread about his restaurant on Egullet? If it is the former I think it is very noble of you to show such concern. If it is the latter he would not be the first to do it. If I was running a business which I am sure costs a great deal to start up, I would advertise wherever possible, preferably free of charge. That's business...... Also, as it already has been mentioned (and hope I do not get spit roasted for this ), Jay gets a few of his venues for review from this very website. And why not? I doubt there is anywhere better to find out whats new and up and coming. Just one additional point if I may? Do things need to add up? I would find it slightly strange if chef simon continually talked about how wonderful his food was. Surely that is the job for the punters, critics and people on this board??

Ravelda you certainly know 'the word on the street' about the imminent return of certain chefs, pray tell who is the shoeshine boy imparting such information

Kim do you remember what you ate at the time? Why was the experience so good? Unfortunately I suppose this really won't apply, as he is back to star in a reality tv show, not try to regain his former glory. By doing so his attitude towards some b-list celebrities will be more the focus rather than the food (obvious exceptions being those on the obsessive spectrum and egulleters) Very true Gary and I would be right behind you .....

Not unless Mr Ishii is with him

I know this thread is about MPW coming out of retirement, but I was wondering did anyone on here dine at Harveys or Restaurant MPW (obviously a great deal of you have), I would be particularly interested in the former. Being a young lad myself I am intrigued to know was his food as fantastic as legend has it? Did he really bring such excitement to the British Restaurant scene? I know I have read so much about the man but would love to hear some first hand accounts for those who were there?

Very much a phenomenon that is alive and well across the border. At the ill fated michelin starred Oriel in Gilford Co Down, I recall the punters demanding that the chef serve side orders of spuds because the food wasn't filling them. Something which Corrina mentions about L'ecrivian. Maybe it all harks back to the famine

I am really looking forward to this to! I think MPW in the day was a bit of a legend, not sure how he will come across now though. I like his views on Saint Jamie, anyone who criticises the 'sacred one' is fine by me. Seeing this is a celebrity hells kitchen, I hope he is very aggressive and bullying, I do enjoy a bit of celebrity bashing

Good review Matthew. I always thought the menu read really well and good to see that it transpires into reality. The macaroni dish sounds amazing. Its good to hear a first hand account of what looks like a very skilled chef, running a great restaurant with a very exciting menu. I like the idea of nutella sorbet, very interesting.......................

Again did not see it last night, but in the trailer it appeared that the guy was struggling and Jamie was hugging him (which he always does as he can take your pain away). How did it end Matthew, is Jamie still a saint????

I agree Thom and think maybe we are singing from the same hymn sheet. All the places you mention (the majority of which I have frequented) I agree are fine, but not many of which are exciting, innovative, or indeed at the higher end (Juniper being the only exception). Again for a city which is not short of a few bob, continually redeveloping and lets face it is the second city in England, a decent michelin star restaurant or two would not go a miss. I gave up on having an eating night out in Manchester, a while back, last place being Palmiro, because it does not excite me (again Juniper excluded). It tends to be lunch times( good Lebanese on Cheetham Hill road called Bawadi,btw, think it is still open) and Saturdays when I eat out in town. I tend to travel the country now for 'higher end' food, which is a shame. Like yourself Thom a top drawer venue on the proverbial doorstep would be fantastic, and indeed surely not to much to ask

oops, may I just add I was talking about higher end restaurants etc

I think this thread highlights how much of a culinary wilderness Manchester city centre really is. Fanstastic, club, pub and shopping scene, but food wise it really is too top heavy in chains with the same old, same old menus. Oh well.

Internal surroundings I think Sam's is much better. I think the food at Thomas's is a lot better, mainly because they serve the best corned beef hash (starter) and HP, ever. Limited table space in both so can get busy on a Saturday, and the bar space is tiny.

I am going to London in a few weeks to have lunch at Gordon Ramseys. In the evening however I want a tour of as many decent restaurants as possible. Now I am not looking for set meals, but places I can go eat a bar snack, have a drink and move on to the next place. Can anyone give me some ideas of some good places whereby I can carry out my restaurant hopping? I have identified The Providores, Benares and Moro? Are there more or better than what I have come up with? Also what is the best way to travel taxi or tube ? Many thanks

Nothing much in Manchester central for your request, infact for a major city like it is a shame there are no 'higher end' decent restaurants. If I were you I would jump on the tram and go to Juniper, were you will definitely be able to fulfill the other parts of your criteria.

..............I think you will find a lot of people on here actually do work in the 'restaurant biz'.

I just could not stomach watching a second episode at all*. 'Carpet fitter' and ' Head Hunter in the city' etc, as I have said Jamie and his army of middle class cronies would not know 'disadvantaged' if it came and bit their middle class arse. It appears being working class, being from an 'ethnic minority' or being 'Oirish', is what constitutes being 'disadvantaged'. Come on Jamie you are nothing more than an option for kids who are not sure what they want to do with their lives, you are not doing some amazing charity work, your whole operation is a glorified YTS scheme. If you want to know and see real 'disadvantaged' get yourself into the innercity areas around the country!! Right thats my last on the subject!!!! *Saying that instead of watching this I chose to watch a programme about 11 men who were extremely 'overprivledged', yet at the same time were clueless, apathetic and totally useless

Maybe I am missing your point entirely but I do not think your criteria is as fit all as it appears. It seems TA has two ventures at the moment and is planning to open a third? To me that is not really an empire, it is three businesses. This has been done (is being done ) seemingly quite sucessfully by some other chefs, who are not ** 0r ***. To name but a few........ * Nigel Haworth: Northcote,Three Fishes and new venture The Highway Man Tunstall. * Richard Corrigan: Lindsay House, Bentleys and The Mill Restaurant. No *'s Anthony Flinn: Anthony's, Anthony's at Flannels and Anthony's Patisserie.

I would like to know however, who was 'The Pro' and who was 'The Punter'

I see Matthew did a piece on the Three Fishes today in the Guardian. He appears however to refer to Northcote Manor as 'Northcote Park'

Hi Chef Simon, I would like to know where your restaurant is? What type of food? What is your wine/beer list? Have you a website? When are you open? Have you spoke to Philip and Gary about their experience? Try laughing at Andy's puns and praise OFM Do you think Jamie is a Saint? (Joke before it gets fucking deleted( swearing a joke before it gets deleted(bad use of brackets before they get deleted) Good luck in your venture

I give without making a fuss. I do not go showing my friends etc, copies of my bank statements containing my charitable direct debits. ← So why mention it now? I appreciate you're hardly making a fuss, but you're certainly bringing to peoples attention and using the fact you never mention it to make yourself seem different to the rest of the world, but you're hardly defying human nature, rather exemplifying it. ← An example purely for the purpose of the debate, and remember examples are often hypothetical of course . I maybe should have used the term 'others' instead of 'I'. Friday afternoons eh ← Of course examples are hypothetical, and don't get me wrong, if I wasn't such a mean, miserable bastard I'd casually slip in here that I regularly donate to my local sanctuary for terminally uncharitable forum users, but I of course don't like to talk about it. ← Of course you don't, you have bigger epistemological fish to fry