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Jon Tseng

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Everything posted by Jon Tseng

  1. That's good news. Along with Jun Tanaka at Pearl, one of the real underrated chefs (back) in London. J
  2. could we also pop along to the Greenhouse for elevenses?
  3. Since last time good sushi: Atariya's take-out branch just along from Selfridges for traditional Soho Japan between Oxford Street and Goodge St - good traditional and killer grilled food also Sushi Hiroba on Kingsway has really excellent new style sushi/rolls etc. Upmarket kaitan if such as thing is possible. The scallop sashimi is also to die for. Kobe Jones - trashy as hell variations of california roll slatered with mayonnaise and tobiki, but utterly delicious - particularly the one with scallop on top. The sushi equivalent of a Shrek movie. J EDIT: Sushi-Hiroba, not Sushi Hiro as i originally writ.
  4. nb that generally these type of joints tend to be a bit more laid back at luncthime my suspicion would be that if you did look like a complete tramp this is the sort of joint which would lend you a jacket if it was a stipulation and you were without. of course that's just my hunch, but if you explain you've come into town specially etc and its boiling, any front of house worth its salt should show some common sense rather than turning away a hundred quid ticket. J
  5. Oh the background on the pigs trotter thing is that everyone knows it used to be the PK signature stuffed with morels and sweetbreads. When Gordon took over the site wayback he had a riff on it on the menu as a homage to the PK signature. Rather than a whole trotter served as a main it was sliced into rounds and panfried, and served either as a starter (with fried quails eggs, if I recall) or a slice as a garnish of the fillet of beef. However the current version is very different from that. It's a big, long slab of a pigs trotter and ham terrine, fried to finish. No sweetbread or morels in sight. Had supper there a few weeks back and spoke to Mark Askew for a while afterwards (lovely chap, btw) and he mentioned it was nothing to do with the PK dish. In my view Gary is quite incorrect to attribute this dish or any of its previous incarnations to the influence of Fergus Henderson. In fact I can't remember ever coming across pigs trotter in any significant fashion on the St Johns menu (although I've got a nagging feeling there was some kind of pigs trotter pie dish on one of the feasting menus). Again I also think it's an incorrect generalisation to associate use of "gizzard" with Fergus. Again, don't remember duck gizzards particularly standing out at St Johns (more a landes/confit country think e.g. tins of confit des gesiers you often find in french delics), although they did used to have a quite inedible duck neck dish on the bar menu. J
  6. I'm surprised by that too. I was always under the impression he had a stage at Le Manoir but was otherwise self-taught. Course with MPW you never know what to believe...
  7. Yes, the sushi there is good. It's just a couple of streets along from Selfridges. Atari-Ya are the specialist Japanese fishmongers/grocers who also have branches in Acton, Golders Green, Finchley (i.e. where the ex-pat community is) plus a concession in Oriental City. The Black Cod (sold ready marinated in miso) is great. J
  8. Dragon Castle in the elephant would be the closest place to Waterloo. Reasonable quality, incongruous location, not as stellar as Royal China but it might do. There's also a mainline station at Elephant but I haven't the foggiest as to whether its on the Waterloo line (I'd suspect its mroe on the lines going into London Bridge). Phoenix Palace, that old standby, is nr Baker Street tube although I suppose if you're in that area you might as well drive to Pearl Liang (although bit of a pain in the arse navigating the M40/flyover/flyunder to get to it) or the Royal China branch on Baker St (beware big queues). There's plenty of parking in that neck of the woods, particularly in the side roads off Baker St. Actually come to think of it on Sundays you can probably park in the Queensway area - park on the main road which runs along the side of Hyde Park (though you may need to go a bit further down to find a space). All in all if you're not fagged about driving (and queuing) for a bit I'd say Royal Chinas in Baker St or Canary Wharf (they're probably equidistant from Waterloo). If you worried about practicalities just schlep along to Dragon Castle. J
  9. I share the view that "tourism" is a perjorative term. Tourism in the sense we are talking about here is when people are there to say they've done it, rather than enjoying doing it in and of itself. Viz "I've done the Fat Duck", "I've done the tasting menu at Gordon Ramsays", "I've done the KFC outside Liverpool Street station" (bloody long clue there this lunchtime, but that's a different story). Tourism in this respect is perjorative because people care less for the intrinsic value of the thing itself. On the whole they are not as interested in engaging with the restaurant - rather they sit and take it. And on the whole people don't go back - after all once you've "done" a restaurant why on earth would you ever want to go again! That's an attitude which contrasts with some of my fond favourites in London - The Greenhouse, The Capital, Foliage, The Wolesley, Tom Aikens. Sure I've "done" them, had the degustation (if germane), but I still go back to see them cos I, er, enjoy the place for what it is - that is the what tourism is not, and that is why "tourism" is a perjorative term. Now of course not every "tourist" falls under that definition. For every mindless hick who just wants to go to Paris, get their picture taken at the Eiffel Tower and see the Mona Lisa there is one who wants to engage with the city, understand the vibe and get under its skin. Nonetheless this definition of "tourism" is relevant, I would argue, more often than not. I also share the view the view that tasting menus, in my experience, are generally less satisfying than a la carte. That's not because they are simpler or "easier to produce" (and if you apply a close reading to the thread, I don't think you'll find anyone suggesting they are). My disagreements, as I have outlined above, are with the format. I simply find that the portion size is too constraining, and no sooner are you starting to really enjoy a dish, then its gone. A lot of that is personal preference, but that's built on a fair amount of experience. Maybe its just me but I find that tasting menus infrequently live up to expectations. The second argument against the tasting menu at the Fat Duck in particular is the lack of variation in the dishes. We've gone over this many times already (yes I know maybe the dishes have gotten "perfect" so why change them (nb Nico Ladenis typified this attitude), yes I know they do involve and lots of subtle changes do come through etc etc). One one point I would make is that stacked up against the new dishes which come through in the tasting menus of comparable ***s in France and Spain, the lack of change gives the appearance (pls note the italics!) of a lack of creativity. I don't quite understand the argument about tasting menus being drawn from the carte (its late and I've still got lots of revision to do). Are you saying tasting menus aren't inferior to the carte because their often drawn form the carte? (which obviously doesn't make sense given you make such a hue and cry about the FD's dishes not coming off the carte) Or are you saying Fat Ducks dishes are better than the carte because they're not drawn from it? (are you opening a new line of argument that dishes on the carte are inferior to those on the tasting menu?) One point I would make however is that I think you're wrong to characterise the Fat Ducks' tasting menu as sui generis and seperate from the carte. A lot of the dishes evolved from either the carte or the lunch menu, in my experience. I've had the green tea and lime mousse as a precursor to the carte, as is the mustard bloody ice cream with red cabbage bloody gazpacho. The pigeon and pastilla of pigeon which was on the tasting menu for many years was straight off of the carte, as was the cauliflower risotto which I had when I went for the tasting menu. The snail porridge was originally on the cheapo lunch set (sadly discontinued) long before it made it onto the tasting, and you'll note the best end of lamb is currently on both the carte and degustation. The bacon and egg ice cream also used to be on the carte. It is very unusual, in my experience, to have a tasting menu entirely distinct form the carte. The only example which really springs to mind is Pierre Gagnaire, where he is at pains to stress how going a la carte and taking the tasting are deliberately different experiences. That is not to say, please note, that I am casting aspersions over the quality of the cooking on the tasting menu at the Fat Duck. I have always found the standard of cooking both alc and tasting to be of the highest quality; in this respect the whole scientific/perfectionism thing is a definite benefit. i.e. its not that its a low-grade offering which is specifically meant for tourists, but because of the way the restaurant has developed it is increasingly being taken by tourists. In summary: - Tourism bad: See above for why. - Carte more difficult to produce: No one ever said it is. That question is a straw man. - Difficult correlates to better food: See above - straw man. - First time visitor would be better off with the carte: Haven't got a clue what a first time visitor would do better with. Personally a) I would say that on the whole I agree tasting menus in general are the poorly informed tourist's choice, and b) the more "destination" a restaurant the more this is often the case, c) however I wouldn't go so far as to say this definitely applies to the Fat Duck - there is an enormous amount on that menu that is both good and damn tasty but d) I do have reservations about how the tenor of the restaurant has evolved over the years. To be honest though, the only point this whole debate proves is that I really should go back to the Fat Duck and have another crack at the tasting menu at some point... J
  10. As an aside, because the press coverage of FD revolves almost entirely around the degustation, it's worth asking the question: Are these dishes on the tasting menu because are famous/good or famous/good because they are on the tasting menu? I suspect the latter.
  11. In part, I disagree. Tasting menus perform different tasks in different restaurant. Often I have found they are not the great choice they appear to be. Often, particularly in big-name restaurants, the tasting menu has a tendancy to veer towards the formulaic. Its the easy option for the one-time diner who doesn't know what to get and just wants the "greatest hits". What you often end up, rather than the chef highlighting what hes best at (which si the ideal) is a sort of cooking-by-numbers exercise which lacks soul but (because of the premium pricing attached to most degustations*) keep the ledger ticking over. I find it interesting that the "bigger-name" restaurants I go to, the higher proportion of the dining room takes the degustation. I think that is in part with what was meantby the comment about tasting menu being tourists choice. To a great extent I agree. -------------- The Fat Duck is the most obvious example. Another one is Gordon Ramsays where the degustation is almost always amuse + foie gras preparation (hot or cold) + either a scallop dish or the lobster/langoustine ravioli + a white fish preparation (sea bass or turbot) + chocie between canon of cornish lamb or beef fillet + pre-desert (normaly yoghurt + fruit compote) + desert + petit fours. The structure of the menu has remain completely unchanged and uninspiring or as long as I can remember. The reasons are clear - that's what the "tourists" (and pls Nb I use the term in speech marks) want - something relatively flashy but uncontroversial which will let you say you've "done" the GR degustation experience. At the end of the day, that's what sells. Of course there are exceptions which prove the rule - Pierre Gagnaire is the obvious one that springs to mind, and in different restaurants degustations often have a slightly different emphasis (particularly where you only get 4-5 courses rather than 8-10, basically taking some of the carte dishes and serving then en demi - a format I much prefer). -------------- Nonetheless my overwhelming advice to anyone hitting a "destination" restaurant and comtemplating the tasting menu is: stop a moment a think again. You will often get an enormously more satisfying experience by sticking with the carte. Part of the reasons "tourists" (speech marks!) often go for the tasting menu is that its seen as the "premium" option ("if we're only here once, might as well make the most of it..."). In my experience however you're paying for choice and more dishes, not for better (or in aggregate more) food. A la carte will often get you better integrated dishes which aren't gone in two bites before they're arrived. You generally get as much food as a tasting menu (where portions can be stingy - Manoir Aux Quat Saisons is a notable offender in my experience) and once you've thrown in amuse-bouches, canapes, pre-deserts and petit fours you're probably up to 5-6 courses anyhow. Worth considering next time... J * As an aside one thing I also notice is that in the UK taste menus are generally priced at a premium to the carte, particularly when the carte is itself done on a prixe-fixe for three courses basis. that premium is normally 10-15 quid. what is interesting is that in Paris (where a la carte prices at the **/*** level are an order of magnitude higher) the degustation is often the cheaper option to going a la carte.
  12. OK, not as great as the old Thyme in clapham back in the day Only been for lunch - NB the offerings on the lunch carte a bit unadventurous. Go in the evening if you can ta J
  13. Better than Giles Coran (so at least I read it) J PS And remember Brian Sewell isn't nearly as posh as the airs and graces he likes to put on. He is a Habs boy* after all (alma mater of Ali G, David Baddiel, Matt Lucas, yours truly and, of course, the esteemed Mr Jay Rayner) * Class-speak for north london upwardly-mobile immigrant stock.
  14. One point the author makes is interesting: The food tends to lack crunch/crispness (hence the rant about everything being "wobbly"). This is a chronic problem I find with a lot of molecular gastronomy places - because of all the low temp-stuff you're giving away in terms of texture. Even if you blast stuff with a blowtorch at the end to brown it off you don't get the texture of a really nicely done bit of crackling. J PS As an aside has anyone figured out whats so great about seashore yet? If strikes me as a perfectly good composite seafood dish, bit of "sand" for crunch and textural variation. Basically a tarted up fish stew. Apart from the headphone thing it doesn't seem that much different from a luxury seafood stir-fry/hotpot you can get in most decent Chinese places (although obviously the flavouring will be different and its all probably been sous-vided rather than stir-fried). Have been watching the press coverage of this with slight bemusement. Emperors new clothes anybody?
  15. aha! good spot yes if that is the gig sounds well worth it. and if you're not full up remember to slip across the road to laduree for cakes later (the macarons are rip-off but the cakes are nice) website probably needs a spring cleaning though (I'm sure Marcus Wareing would agree with me): "The Capital Restaurant is legendary. Located in Basil Street, in the heart of Knightsbridge, it is currently the only London restaurant situated within a hotel to hold two coveted Michelin Stars." J
  16. No, but I am going for Sunday lunch in a few weeks, were I hope to have the tasting menu (if they do it???). Will report back. ← They don't normally do the tasting at lunch (although in compensation the set lunch has extensive choice). Haven't been for a while now so dunno if that's changed. If you're keen why not ring ahead a req a tasting (dunno if thats possible... presume the mise en place/stuff in the larder will be diff Sun versus Sat nite. but worth a shot) J
  17. make rissoles squish together rice with chinese sausage, mushrooms, any other fried goodies or tidbits you can think of (maybe a bit of soy sauce) shape into patties - dip in classic wiener schnitzel mix first flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs pan fry to golden J
  18. Worth going to Early reports from Malaysian ex-pat banker mafia were mixed on first opening. I went there a month or two back with friend though and we thought it was very good. The Eis Kacang (Malaysian dessert - basically giant slush puppy with extra condensed milk on top) was excellent and will make a wonderful restorative after a warm summers afternoon stroll in nearby Hyde Park. IMHO the food definitely "kiasu" Another place along Queensway worth checking out apparently is Gold Mine, which has allegedly nicked Four Seasons' duck chef (have heard that story from two different sources now). ta J
  19. As an aside, I have to add that for food-related matters Restaurant Magazine kicks the Caterer's arse, IMHO. One of the mysteries is that in the face of RM's innovation and focus Caterer has never really picked up its game and made itself more user-friendly. Maybe that's just what its audience demand - also bearing in mind RM can be more food-focuses while Caterers has all these hoteliers to think of too. Unfortunately I let my RM subscription lapse a few years ago, but I do pick it up when I can - good job Joe J PS although I thought the Gary Rhodes piece in Caterer the other week also very interesting. The bespiked one shooting for two stars. Hmmm...
  20. Have had a couple of looks through in the store Uber-designed. Interesting by Phaidon whom I generally come across as purveyors of art books not cook books. Recipes don't strike me as anything particularly novel. Also the ones I looked at didn't look that detailed - although I'd have missed many. My take is that this books is stronger in form than in content. Also some pillock has decided all the copies in the UK stores come shrinkwrapped - had to ask the permissino of the borders salesperson if they could unwrap it so I could flic. Good way to pick up the casual buyer. Not. J
  21. Surprised vodka in batter would make fish go mushy after all a marinade only tends to penetrate a couple of mm into even if you leave it there overnite. don't see why a quick dip in batter should have much impact on a chunk of fish? J
  22. But to be fair though and to give credit where credit is due, for all its faults the Resto Mag 50 has more than anyone to put haute cuisine into the mainstream (and it is, of course an unashamedly haute list). The national papers have been talking not only about Blumenthal but about Pierre Gagnaire, the French Laundry, and Bras. I was enormously gratified to read the Indy today (a viewspaper alas, not a newspaper) and see Celler de Can Roca name-checked. Imagine ten or fifeen years ago. You would never, NEVER have had such coverage of the comparable haute stars in their day. Mainstream press in the early 90s would probably have thought a Robuchon was a kind of root vegetable, and Chez Panisse located somewhere south of Bruges. We've got the Resto mag to thank for that (and for the fact that with all that fame its a right pain to get into the Fat Quack nowadays). Cheers Joe! J PS But yes, you do wanna find yourself a new webmaster...
  23. 1) Before we have the same debate again and again please note YES list is subjective, NO its not definitive and YES its frequently wrong. As has been endlessly debated last year. And the year before. And the year before etc. 2) Top six the same name tells its own story. The list is losing its impact, a natural outcome given there simply isn't that much haute change in the top establishments. More prosaically it probably needs a rethink for next year. Maybe spring another high-publicity surprise (cf making FD #1 a few years back) e.g. by naming a derivative me-too (but well executed) posh french tapas place "Breakthrough Restaurant". Ooops, done that already. 3) End of the day remember its primarily a marketing exercise for Restaurant Magazine (and can I say Joe a very successful one too - I bet the guys at Caterer are green with envy; did you send them an invite this year? ). One thing though Joe - how did you get away with papering over the leak of results the other week by whoever the muppet was running your website? * I'd have thought someone would have run with it, but the press didn't seem to notice.... Got away with that one! ta J EDIT: * For the benefit of those who were turned to another channel at the time, the file with the top 50 (and the top 51-100) went up on the official website a week or two ago, but was not linked to the front-page. However it was discovered, deep-linked and the full list was published and discussed on this website and on other food forums, although I think the thread here was taken down.
  24. Oh wow, sounds like we've found someone who had the Selfridges wagyu sandwich thingie. A-mazing! Other foodies vanity projects in London? Errrm the obvious ones that spring to mind would be the white truffle pizza at Gordon Ramsays's Maze joint (though a) you'd probably have to wait until white truffles start up again in Oct/nov and b) it was probably just a publicity stunt anyway so sod knows if they will put it on again). There is a foie gras and veal hamburger at Boxwood Cafe (although to be honest I thought it was insipid, probably not a patch on the DB Burger though I haven't tried it) To be honest your best bet is to find some cheapo Eurostar tickets and jump on the train to Paris. Plenty of choices there. If you can wait until next December the black truffle pasty (ok, feuillette) at Ambroisie comes highly recommended. ta J PS but to be honest if you were are real foodie wouldn't you rather have a nice simply plate of perfectly cooked asparagus instead? English asparagus just coming into season... And you'll also have that rare window of opportunity soon when asparagus, jersey royals, morels and lambs sweetbreads are all in at the same time. Just sautee the bastards in a dab of posh butter and be done with it. Much cheaper too...
  25. Right finally had a look through in Waterstones. Agree, bit too dumbed down for me, but probably right for the superstar housewives that are clearly the high volume end of the market. All in all a bit too "Dorling Kindersley" haha. Wld say that some of the how to make it perfect tips looked useful, though. All in all an undistinguished literary debut (did he have an ammuensis? forgot to check but I assume so). Interesting though that having spent, what, five years driving like a monomaniac running and opening haute joints and gunning for the **, his first book its pitched at such a different level. J
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