Jon Tseng

Had a quick gander through Pork & Sons in Waterstones the other day. Had to get them to unwrap it for me cos all the copies on the shelves seem to be shrinkwrapped, which seems to be an absolutely suicidal way of trying to sell a book retail, IMHO. Looked OK but not overwhelming. As noted the recipes didn't look that different from stuff I've seen before. Presentation good (interesting that it was published by Phaidon who do lots of art books, but I haven't seen as many cookbooks before) but I got the feeling of "style over substance". Haven't seen the Pied de Cochon book yet, but it sounds interesting. Inveterate UK cookbook lovers should also note that that Marcus Wareing's first book is out any day now (my mum said Waterstones had it on the shelves last week). That'll be interesting; a lot will depend on what levels its pitched at (and I do think Dorling Kindersley are the publishers), but if his previous work in The Cook's Book (also DK) is anything to go for, it should be worth a look ta J

Yummy You know I always think there's an argument for doing a "Yes They Do Have Restaurants North of Watford" food tour. Try to hit Sat Bains, Juniper and L'Enclume in a weekend (do any of these places open on Sun?) ... see if you can get more than 100 different degustation plates in over a 48 hour period (OK Juniper would probably be half of those, from what I hear). Of course you could also drop into Anthonys for coffee if you're not full yet :-) :-) :-) J

Haha, you're stuffed. Best option get the train to Victoria (half an hour) and forage around there. Maybe Noura for middle eastern. Or I'm quite fond of Jenny Lo's Tea House nr the coach station (v. good deep fried salt and pepper squids) though be careful as I think they're cash only. Probably too much hassle, but so long as you're heading out of the resto soon after 1300 you should be in reasonable to shape to get back to the airport for 1400. J PS the same advice applies for anyone doing layovers at Heathrow - get the train into Paddington!

And fat?

Flash git

Haven't we had this debate before? About fifteen times if I recall... In summation (off the top of my head) 1) No the FD tasting menu doesn't change much. 2) Yes, they can sub in dishes if you ask and/or arrange ahead (actually that's probably a newish data-point) 3) Yes they do tweak stuff and dishes are constantly evolving. 4) No Heston isn't as innovative in changing his dishes as a Pierre Gagnaire/Adria/Charlie Trotter. 5) Yes, there are other top-notch restos (e.g. the old Chez Nico) which don't change dishes very much. 6) Yes the dishes they have do taste quite nice. 7) Yes, we should remember there are other dishes on the alc (even if 90% of the dining room is going for the degustation). No 90% of us have never tried them. 8) Yes the invariant tasting menu does restrict the replay value of the place. 9) Yes it is a shame HB doesn't put more variation on, and he probably could do more if he tried given the lab set-up. 10) Yes the place has gotten a bit stuffier since the third star (NB the paving tile of a wine list, which probably required a small herd of frieisans to provide the leather binding). 11) No I don't know whether fear of michelin holds the place back from innovating. 12) No we're never going to agree on whether all this is good/bad reflects well/poorly on HB as a chef/bloke. I think that covers most bases. Can we talk about something different please? (the stuff about how they make the quail jelly was good, though I think I heard the thing about them using zillions of quail carcasses to make the stock a few years back) J

Dunno, but according to the degustation on the website there's a dish: "Duck egg 62oC 'textures' of peas ham- bread vinegar jus" Sounds like deconstructed gammon and eggs to me...

Canteen is one of those restaurants which as a sterling reputation for what is does, however whenever I look at the menu I never see a single thing I want to order. Personally I'd pop round the corner to Giraffe instead. I continue to maintain it has simply the most intelligently thought-out menu in London. Something for everyone, without straying into excess. J

Cool. I stand corrected.

If theres no her maj does that mean we'll be spared that ghastly simpering jenny bond woman also? surprised so many returnees. wld have though gordon would at least have let a different one of his half dozen * protegees have a pop this time...

As opposed to baking it blind Hullo m'dear hows things going? What's happened to the GastroC blog? lah J

dunno but i wonder what if you taste like if you used foie gras fat as part of the mix with the lard sacralegious (sp) but probably tasty... ;-) J

Ten Deadly Sins was good on paper but surprisingly miserly in practice when I tried it... NB however this was at least three years ago. Cock Tavern is was plentiful and cheap n' cheerful when I went. Don't expect anything too fancy, it is at heart a greasy spoon in a basement. But worthwhile. Fox and Anchor at Smithfields good. They also do brekkie on Sat I think. Sir Loin I've always wanted to go but never got round to. Always think it looks worth a shot. Providores brunch is fantastic. J

Cakes n' bakes. J

Hehe. Do go. You'll find it interesting at least. Although given my luck i bet the nite u go the chef will be sick, the fish will be off and the food will probably taste like poo. ;-) J

Oh I certainly agree that that Bacchus divides opinion. If I recall fay maschler was lukewarm on the place while marina in her sister publication absolutely loved it. Note that the fact that not everyone views it as a star doesn't mean it isn't a star. In fact I'd go further and say I'm pretty sure Bacchus is a nailed on star and one of the outstanding restaurants in London today. In particular I'd note: - I've had a couple of meals there and probably got thru 20+ preparations. Its pretty clear from tasting the food that Nuno has an outstanding talent for matching flavours and textured. The dishes are esoteric but more often than not they do work and more. - Yes there are differences of view but the balance of opinion from informed diners who's' opinions I rate (on this board and on others) has been overwhelmingly positive. You might be able to bluff once or twice but you can't hide from an organised degustation with of twenty ravenous foodies! - I applaud the innovation of the place. Pip could have played it safe, done a gastropub, served but some salt a pepper squid and cashed in. Instead he's gone out on the limb to create an establishment that tries to break the boundaries (fine dining in trainers - ugh) and is completely unique on the London scene. Not saying its going to work commercially we shall see! But you've got to admire the chutzpah. (Hello Pip, can I have a free meal next time I drop in now? ;-) ) Andy you really should go. Heck not going in your situation is like going to vancouver and not visiting a single chinese restaurant. ;-) Honestly, maybe you'll hate it but at least you'd find it interesting. Cheers J

An alternative view of Bacchus from a recent Guardian review by a mysterious "roving chef" click. ← Sorry Andy, feeling a bit dim today (stuck on quite a dull cfa course). Could you clarify what point you're trying to make with this post? J

Not at all impressed by this list. I see little in here that hasn't been mentioned many times before or (in the case of Galvin, Theo Randall, Pengelley (in several incarnations), Toms Kitchen, Scotts and Arbutus) reviewed to buggery by every national critic and his dog in the last twelve months. I look to my restaurant critics to provide genuine insight. I don't buy a newspaper just to be told what I know already - that's a guaranteed way to really f*ck off an audience because a) it wastes their money and b) it treats them like idiots. Mark if you're reading this (and if you've even half the ego a genuine restaurant critic then you will be)... Yes I know the audience here is probably tougher than the average, but come on you can do better than that (I hope!). I mean even Michelin's managed to track down Arbutus and Midsummer House by now! Here's some examples of food writing with some real insight to kick you off: click, click. Best of luck J

Chocolate is not infrequently matched with heavier/gamier meat dishes. Vension and chocolate is one combination (there's a good recipe for this in the first Gordon Ramsay book). Mexican mole poblano (sp) with turkey and lots of spice is the other one that springs to mind. In that context chocolate and fillet steak, while not classic, is not as unusual as you might think. I believe the rule of thumb is that if you chuck in chocolate you shouldn't be able to taste the chocolate standing out. It should be a whisper and nothing more. J

Another hot tip from Simons and Robins blog (don't forget chaps these are the guys who star spotted Bacchus and Hawksmoor while the rest of us were still trying to get bookings for El Bulli summer '09). Good gig though. Basically amazing, authentic northern spanish nosh in a nasty brick pile the wrong end of the Isle of Dogs. Ok I exagerrate. Its basically a skip along from Crossharbour dlr so actually well convenient for us denizens of Canary Wharf. A quick supper tonite after working late. In no apparent order: Cubes of pork belly lacquered with apricot (jam maybe?) And with a squiz of balsamic on side. Fatty, tasty, not utterly butterly melting fatty but more than good enough. Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and sea urchins - a damn reasonably priced dish shot through with tongues of sea urchin (apparently they get their own from spain - I'm sure you'd pay an arm and a leg for the same stuff in a sushi joint). Only complaint, a little gritty. A bowl of crisp, fresh bread, an olive studded ficelle and various other white bread doodads. A dish of roast suckling pig, again the skin not quite crispy but neither was it flabby. Pig tender and tasty (some belly flaps and a bit of shoulder or leg), served with quince jelly and some superfluous parsley mashed potatos. A platter or jabugo ham, hand sliced with crusty croutons on the side slathered in olive oil and chopped tomato. Some moreish spinach, cheese and cod croquettes, plus a sneaky side order of aioli to dip the little bastards. Gracious service and atmosphere. What more could you ask for? (Apart from a better location) The best restaurant in london east of bacchus and north of magdalen? J

Maybe, but wasn't Bocuse doing pretty much the same thing (albeit more in France) some time before Puck? And I'm sure he had a restaurant in Disneyworld before Wolfgang had one in Las Vegas... J

A little tetchy this morning Andy? I suspect Moby was using hyperbole... One shouldn't always be so literal about such things. He' a playwright remember. Gotta give the poor boy some artistic licence sometimes... On the subject of Bjorn Van Der Whathisface I had a so-so meal at Noisette in the summer (since trumped by a couple of meals by Bonnet at the Greenhouse), but given his track record and recent reports looks like it might be worth a second chance now he's bedded in. The Winter carte which Bruce dined off looks like its got some quite interesting dishes on (jasmine-steamed brill, scallops and sea urchins, cod and crispy pumpkin gyoza). The other thing I'd say is that that this carte really stands out from the other menus in the Gordon Ramsay stable, which are on the whole characterised by perfect, preperations of pampered proteins, limned by classical garnishes and a complete lack of soul. Clearly Bjorn has a lot more of a free rein to "do his stuff", although the disadvantage is that it looks like the a la carte still keeps its complete cacophanous arrangement of starters, mains, winter classics and whatnots. Interesting. J

Sounds like all the characteristics of classic sous-vide to me...

Interesting point I think the question is whether an old-school "restauranteur" can be the leading ilght of a modern *** establishment, or whether you necessarily now need that figurehead to be the chef. Maybe is it the latter, a reflection of the increasing drive for innovation and personality-driven cooking at the top level. Thinking back at the great restauranteur-driven temples of haute - Taillevent/Vrinat, Tour D'Argent/Terrail (x2), Point post-Point (i.e. when his widow was in charge) - these have all fallen away today. Then again I think about the modern corporate gastro-empires of Ramsay or Ducasse and aren't they they same thing - top-level (joints which may have a superstar chef on the front door, but don't necessarily have him in the kitchen. Did Didier Elena or J-F Piege count as superstar chefs? Maybe I suppose. I dunno... Hmmm J J

Good book. Relatively complex recipes, but a lot of hard science and explanation behind it and step by step pictures. Gives you a lot of comfort the recipes will actually WORK despite the complexity. Not massively long but longer than the Champ Sauv book (whos brevity was its only weakness). Normal balance of starter/main/pudding recipes Def worth getting. Better than the restaurant, in my experience J