jayrayner

Okra's fine as long as you soak it in lemon juice diluted with a bit of water first. And then throw it away.

I have a policy (only very loosely adhered to) of trying those things on the menu which sound most horrible. Because it's much harder to make the nasty concept taste good, than the nice. Unfortunately I've found that if it reads nasty it always tastes nasty. Black Pudding spring rolls with chill jam at Brian Turner's, anyone? I did not order cod cheek with sauteed okra at Jaan because I wanted to eat it; I ordered it so my readers wouldn't have to. I am, madam, here to serve.

Personally I would be willing to pay £200 not to have to go to Jaan. I still have nightmares about the cod cheek and okra dish, using fresh sauteed okra which became more and mroe gelatinous on the plate the longer it sat in front of me. Fishy snot, cooked by someone with no understanding of the thickening properties of okra.

The exact line was 'i can't describe this as the worst restaurant in Britain, but only because I haven't been to them all.' Pants, pants, pants. the worst experience of the past two years, apart form the pub in the black country.

Sorry. Don't understand. 60% of the savoy grill is booths. How can sitting in one compromise your anonymity? (though it has to be said the wareing/ramsay axis knows what we all fahrking look like anway; trying to be anonymous in this business is akin to a hooker trying to regain her virginity)

Kastoori?

Thanks Michael. being Euro trash, we're staying pretty close to Portals Nous so we may give it a go.

No they haven't. Every single one of my wine writing colleagues does one of these pieces about once every two years. My own newspaper's wine columnist did it a couple of weeks back. But here's the thing: whatever the FT says, I have yet to drink an english wine that didn't make me wish I was actually drinking a wine from france, italy or spain or New Zealand or indeed anywhere other than Kent. They ahve all, to the last drop, been 'shite', which is a techincal food and drink writers' term.

bring your wallet tonight majumdar

Didn't anyone tell you about Charlene's tragic opthalmic diagnosis, the very next day? No one said anything to you? Nobody? Oh that's awful. So embarrassing. So embarrassing. Anyway, at least I don't try to disguise my age by shaving my head. (That's what Ilove about egullet; it never gets personal.)

I think 'polite' might be a better description. I just couldn't bring myself to tell the weird beardy man begging the introductions to chefs, to go away. It's a character failing.

Thanks Adam. Much appreciated. Will report back if I find 'owt good down palma way.

it is when your other job is working for The Observer S Oi! Remember who's paying tomorrow night.

Sorry. that's a load of smug self-satisfied cobblers.

No no no. It's just a huge and terribly succesful marketing exercise by Restaurant Magazine who, good luck to them, pulled off a blinder. An arbitary list? Absolutely. Journalists love lists so everyone else can argue about them. A motely crew of critics and experts? Definately. Christ, I should know. I was one of them. (And then, when the list was published, duly dragged myself out of bed at 6.45 this morning so I could go on breakfast television to slag it off as a travesty of a sham of an outrage of a disgrace. Particularly the inclusion of 11 British restaurant, four more than France and who the hell do they think are etc etc... But... this story appeared on the news pages of most of the Birtish dailies. It at least made the BBc. And how often do we see the generalist news press debating the relative mertis of the French Laundry over El bulli; Bocuse over Bras; Ramsay over Chez panisse? Er never. So yes, it's bollocks and for the high-minded souls here, low rent bollocks. Me, I think it's a good thing.

The idea is you drink only as much as you want. Not every time the tray comes round. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Racine?

Forgive me but I wasn't intending to write it up at all. But in summary: room, champagne, restauranteurs, me running away from chefs I'd been rude about, Matthew and Andy begging me like crazy mad-eyed stalkers for introductions to chefs I'd never met , Roger Moore's eye brows and Bruno Brookes. You kinda had to be there, I suppose.

Off to Mallorca for a week this saturday. We're staying not far from Palma. ANybody have any thoughts on good, relaxed mid range places; the kind of places you could go with a three year old for great sea food or tapas, perhaps largely outside.

Wheelers (whitstable)

You see. told you it would be quick. Which is good because I've got to go collect my boy from nursery. over to you Bapi.

Round three - and I am expecting you to wrap this one up quickly. therefore, no clues. Yet. Warm Salad of Black Pudding, Smoked Bacon, Poached Egg with a Tomato & Onion Marmalade & Sauté Potatoes .... Fillet of Venison with a Green Chartreuse Sauce, Wild Mushrooms & Herb Mash Raspberry Syllabub Trifle with Raspberry Coulis & Cream

No. the man's just bored at his desk, good at using the web and able to read a blindlingly obvious clue. Give me a minute and I'll bring us back this side of the Atlantic

How about Susan Spicer's Bayona in New Orleans?

To rich, good looking asians who get all the best lasses S Oh. Did you go with some friends then?