Jon Tseng

To be fair I've always found Matthew Norman's reviews perfectly reasonable, if somewhat interchangeable with those of Jan Moir and Matthew Fort. At least he (or they) remember to write about the food, rather than pretending they are entering a primary school creative writing competition. A fair choice, IMHO. ta J

Hi Lucy PM Adam Lawrence. He will have ideas But, basically, you're stuffed. Try the Lemon Tree up the Woodstock road. Also check out the reviews in the OUSU handbook www.oxfordhandbook.com ta J

Cephalopods shoot leaves?

Yes; classic agency problem: 1) WHATS BEST FOR ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS: Get in early so you can get the first review up (even if the restaurant isn't bedded in yet) so you can get the jump on your competitors and sell more papers. or 2) WHATS BEST FOR THE READERS: Take some time. Get a more balanced view. Review something which is more reflective of what 90% of consumers would actually experience. Sell fewer papers. The only defence of 1) I can see (apart from filthy lucre) is the argument that you can actually tell what a restaurant will ultimately be like from first impressions (or the derivative, that things don't actually change that much through the bedding-in period). This may be true in cases where a concept is so irredeemable broken there's no chance of fixing it (BLUE BELT), but probably not when there's fine-tuning to be done, IMHO. ta J

Fay reviews restaurants far too soon after opening. Her argument "well if they're charging customers they should deliver" Obvious reply "standard of restaurant changes hugely in first month as beds down. Therefore first month experience not typical of what 90% of punters (ie YOUR CUSTOMERS) will experience. Therefore you are doing them a disservice by rushing to the front of the queue and making snap judgements. As wise men say, only fools rush in Though to be fair there has recently be a column revisiting restaurants (think St John got a bit of a kicking the other week). Too little too late however - the innocent victims of Fays sloppy review approach would long have closed by then. Here endeth the lesson J

Interesting. Many thanks to Ian for organising... and for the discount. Clearly a very very good egg Thoughts in no apparent order Worthwhile experience (at least for the price we paid). A profusion of dishes and a number of preparations I haven't seen in other Chinese restaurants in London. Overall level of cooking good but not miraculous; more quality than quantity; with 20-something dishes inevitably there were some stars - pork intestine very good, as was one of the braised pork dishes. Standout was crab on dan-dan noodles; such a good idea. Some of the dishes less well integrated however; notable was squid, lamb and duck tongue dishes were sauce not strong enough and meat relatively tasteless. In general dishes slightly undersalted (eg chicken soup), which is unusual. A lot of the dishes used vinegar as a strong flavour element; I assume this is typical of hunanese food Not as spicy as I expected (hunanese normally fairly hot) Manager noticeably avuncular. Sometimes overly so. Overall a fun night. Definitely worth going once. Not sure if I would go again - sort of place thats good with a big group to taste and share cheers J

Was at Golden Palace Sat and Royal China (Canary Wharf) Sun. IMHO Golden Palace slightly better in terms of quality of food. There are also a couple of dishes there that really stand out - deep fried crispy squids is my obvious example. Royal China no longer has any really "stand-out" dishes (although many years ago the Char Siu Puffs used to be sensational). Golden Palace' secret weapon is also its outstanding veggie "fake meat" dishes - a chinese speciality which you rely see in this country. They make their own gluten in the restaurant - the fake char siu pork is outstanding. I would also disagree with Sam (never trust a man who puts miso in his sweet and sour sauce! ) and say the Golden Palace evening food is also slightly better than Royal China - the one thing which stands out is the House Soup which is invariably outstanding and changes according to the seasons. Is it worth it the extra trip out? Probably not on a regular basis but you should make the trip at least once, if only to try the special dishes cheers J

First time I saw this (in either incarnation). Thoughts in apparent order: Good they have a full hour but feeling they are stretching the pieces to fill the time. Bravo to Richard Johnson. Like the deadpan approach leavened with a hint of cynicism. Richard Corrigan's enthusiasm shines through, despite an occasionally indecipherable brogue But Merrilees Parker... oh dear... reminded me of Daisy Donovan trying to lull unsuspecting victims by spouting slightly random blatherings... apart from this time i think the poor gal actually meant it. e.g. Bloke: "and now we put on some sweet potatoes" Bird "oooh... they're really sweet aren't they". No shit sherlock. Please a little insight is all I ask from my presenters. Is that too much to ask??? The scallop thing was interesting though heston looked awkward on camera. I was surprised by how much the scallops took the flavour of the essential oils after minimal steaming (though there was actually quite a lot of oil in the mix... references I see normally say add a drop or two rather than half a pipette). I would also like to know where I can get a whizzy hob like that which forms a perfectly brown caramelised scallop after about ten secs - my hottest hob takes a minit or two by which time the innards invariably a bit well done! The only thing they probably should have mentioned is that essential oils as found in Boots et al for cosmetic purposes are generally unfit for human consumption - hope nobody makes the mistake of trying that one out at home! So overall an improvement... but given the standard of food tv thats not saying much. Still playing to the lowest common denominator. As the BBC mantra goes... "educate, entertain, inform" (or whatever). This program did none of those for me... J

What Mr Marshall said - Ramsay in no-giant-prawn-wonton-on-the-menu shocker! Good to see the food moved on a bit (though Canon of Lamb or Filet a somewhat desultory choice on the main) His scallops are some of the best in London IMHO (and no Vong-caper-raisin-cauliflower action! again vive le change!) The cherry story is that he first tried doing perfectly ripe cherries as petit fours back in Aubergine but the customers rebelled ("we want our tarty petit four cake things... even if they don't taste as nice"). Cherries were done as petit fours at Menu I think when I went. Looks like now he is the fairy on top of the tree Ramsay is finally able to do as he pleases! ta J

Oh surely a simple case of supply and demand. If people are willing to stump up those prices day in day out it would be churlish of the vendors not to charge them no? I used to (actually I still do) get very exercised by the blatant rip-off tactics of Turnips. A simple comparison of the prices of any of the places next door shows that they are rampantly profiteering... and to be frank the produce isn't always as good quality either. But every time I go there the stall is stall as full.. and the prices are still as much of a joke. The simple fact is even at their elevated levels there is such an excess of demand that no matter how badly the managers treat the customers like shit, there is always someone behind them in the queue willing to step up for more. Of course at some point the supply of users will run out... but thankfully for them it hasn't happened yet! ta J

Chris Behre Lovely chap Last seen running a joint in Santa Monica, I believe ta J

Was the sea-bass overcooked? From the bento box it sounds as if the main protein items are done on a fairly small format. The natural result of this re fish is that you get a very small piece which is invariably overcooked. Wondering if this was the case here? ta J

What everyone else said: Yes lightly chilled will be fine Oremus should be decent if - as everyone says - pretty oxidised and potentially paturised to boot (have a bottle of the 81 6-putts at home waiting for the right moment). Think sweet sherry and lots of acidity. Nuts, blue cheese and goose liver pate (ideally foie gras) are the classic accompaniments It should be pretty sweet (tokajis generally run to much higher residual sugar than, say, sauternes) so will be stand up to some relatively sweet puddings if you so choose cheers J

Better late then never (bloody good all these food board all use the same software; means I can cut and paste old posts and the formatting all stays the same... ) But lets face it... 15? likely to be straight down to McD's for the aircon and flush loos, then off down the nearest bar for a quick beer. Chinese beer is cheap and good - the one good by-product of C19 German imperialism... ta J -------- JT's BJ EATS LIST NB I haven't been there for a couple of years so this tends to list old classic joints rather than the latest new thing. And don't blame me if the establishment in question has been bulldozed to make way for a six-lane highway. Practical details via the usual method (ie google) MUST VISIT: Quanjude roast duck, Wangfujing night market, Fangshan (though not necesarily for the food!) HIDDEN GEMS: Kaoyouji, Sichuan Fandian, Gongdelin, Bai Yun "WE'VE BEEN DOING IT THIS WAY FOR THE LAST TWO HUNDRED YEARS AND SO WE AIN'T CHANGING IT NOW" PLACES Roast lamb (kaoyangrou) - Kaorouji Roast Lamb Restaurant (does what it says on the tin). Right by the side of one of the Houhai (back lakes) behind the Forbidden City. Famous for roast lamb - get a terrace in time for sunset. Mongolian Hot Pot: Donglaishan Restaurant. By the south end of Tiananmen Square (there are other branches too, I think) - classic BJ steamboat - best in Winter; not sure about the wisdom of trying on blazing hot summer day... Veggie: Gongedelin Restaurant. A couple of hundred yards south of Qianmen gate on the left. Famous veggie restaurant - renowned for its mock-meat dishes made with gluten etc. Some stunningly almost convincing stuff you never see in the West (you'll never eat Quorn again!) Tofu also good. Goubuli Baozi Restaurant Actually the original is in Tianjin but there are some branches in BJ (think there is one in Wangfujing near the Sick Duck. Famous for its baozi (steamed buns). Called Goubuli (dogs wont touch it) cuz the original owner was that ugly... FOR THE ATMOSPHERE AS MUCH AS THE FOOD The Sichuan Restaurant (Sichuan Fandian) - legendary old crate which has a fantastic location in the garden of an old princes mansion tucked away in the Hutongs alleys behind the Forbidden City. Actually worth it just for the garden - this is a slice of princely old BJ you don't really see. Food is OK - lots of sichuanese specialies to road-test. Fangshan Restaurant: Place for authentic Imperial Court style food (think Escoffier but with more camel feet). Food is so-so at best but its a must-visit for the ambience and the history. Only place you'll get authentic imperial-style banquets. Pricy. Nice location in Beihai Park too. If the guards tell you the park is closed in the evening jsut tell them you're going to the restaurant and they will let you through. Tingliguan in the Summer Palace grounds also does similar stuff. Have to book. Li Jia Cai Restaurant: Supposedly another place for Imperial Food. Small family run joint which gets good write ups in the western guides though I've never been. Look up on egullet for more. Looks touristy to me and you generally need a big table but could be worth a try Bai Yun Japanese Restaurant was the first Jap place in town. Its up in the residential district North of the Forbidden City (I think). It's also interesting because its in a mansion which used to be Chiang Kai-Shek's residence before the Second World War. History and sushi - what else do you need? QUACK QUACK Qianmen Quanjude - Original and biggest branch in BJ. Best port of call for top notch duck. Bit of a factory production line but quality is excellet. Arrive early, sit downstairs. There's a whole carte of other duck dishes to choose from too. Get the most expensive duck - by western standards its cheap! Wangfujing Quanjude: Another branch of the same. Called the "Sick Duck" cos its close to the Peking Union Hospital Bianyifang - another duck place. Different owners. Also good and historical. Not as big/busy and Quanjude STREET EATS Yangrouchhuanr - Lamb kebabs bbq'ed on the street. Very addictive + cheap. The nicest ones have crispy bits of lamb fat threaded in between. If you're worried about cleanliness booths also do deep-fried versions which aren't quite as yummy Night Market - Big night market full of food stalls runs every night on the road heading out East from the EAST gate of the Forbidden City to Wangfujing street. Lots and lots of hawker food, street food, insects on a stick etc. DON'T MISS. Jian Bing - Trad breakfast pancake cooked at little stands in the street. A crispy dough wrapped in a crepe and cooked with an egg on top. Again, addictive Toffee Hawthorns - Don't know if they've started up yet (sort of Autumn thing). Haw fruit on a stick, dipped in caramel. Popular street snack, esp. with kids though the stones are a bit of a pain Northern Breakfast - from street cafes. Deep friend youtiao (dough ticks), bowls of jou jiang (soybean milk). Have to be up early (6-ish) to catch this Baozi - Steamed buns stuffed with pork, sold from cartsi n teh street in the mornings. One of these will fill you up for about 2c. If you're lucky you might find muslims selling lamb-versions (even jucier) OTHER RANDOM STUFF McDonalds is plentiful, cheap and has 1) aircon and 2) clean loos with toilet roll Justine's Restaurant (French) in the Jianguo hotel sometimes has dishes with Chinese truffles The Courtyard is supposed to be the poshest fusion joint in town. Near the Forbidden City There used to be a branch of Maxims in BJ. Haven't a clue if its still there. Uygurville: Uygurs are the Moslem chaps (and chapesses) from far West China whose main occupations appear to be 1) setting off sepratist bus bombs 2) providing useful examples for the National Spelling Bee 3) cooking very nice kebabs (see yangrouchuanr above) and flatbreads. Now there are (or were) two clusters of Uygur restaurants round 1) Weigongcun and 2) Ganjiakou districts in Beijing where you could wander around troughing on dead sheep. Most likely bulldozed by now; maybe your local guides will be able to pick up the scent... Finally Xiao Wangs Restaurant (there are several branches) is a good jack of all trades for varied Chinese food in nice surroundings. Peking Duck and salt and pepper ribs are notable.

Cut-price foie gras is a welcome feature of hungarian restaurant menus, though unfortunately it is often overcooked. Hungary is world's largest export of fg, most of it to France J

Silly girl The Fuchsia Dunlop book is the only one worth considering Readily available, under various guises, on Amazon J

An insightful and genuinely informative article from OFM Which is, in itself, a remarkable achievement. Makes a change from the usual "Girl off of last year's Big Brother... Whats in UR Shopping Basket" type pap J

How ripe are they? If less ripe good for some salsa action to go with meat or fish (the tartness helps) or for tarte tatin (where they are doused in sugar anyway, and have to hold some shape) If more ripe think ice-cream or lassi... but only if they are really fully flavoured as the custard/milk dilutes the mango taste. Basically trading silky mouthfeel for flavour If they are perfectly ripe slice, dice, and have them as they are! cheerio J

Good for shops Mediocre for restaurants J Jonathan Day will know more. I believe this is his "hood".

Green tea ice-cream is super-nice But pls make it creamier than the traditional japanese recipe, which I find a bit sorbetty/tannic cheers J

What time is th van out? It is just daytimes or is it out evenings too? J

Wouldn't freezing it kill all the bad shit?

So basically get out a frozen parfait mix with beaten egg whites, no? J

I've had the lime sour thing... frozen mousse not ice-cream though A bit fragile. Think will be a bit of a nightmare handing it down from the van counter to the punter without it disapparating... J

Any chance of nicking the recipe for foie gras ice cream off of claude bosi? (though I have a nasty feeling you will need a pacojet) ;-) J