Roger le goéland

I returned to Annecy yesterday to find police everywhere, and a bunch of farmers selling their produce for cheap beneath large placcards. They were "waiting for Barnier". Apparently there's an agricultural summit. My relatives said (after picking up 6 crates of stuff) the government plans to ban raw milk produce and do many other bad, bad things to get in line with EU regulations. There was even talk of banning open air markets to force farmers to have their food checked before selling. I looked in Le Monde and all I found was some talk about renewing the PAC or not. What's going on? No more raw milk would be a terrible thing!

On that basis, there are a gazillion places that deserve a star if one compares them with the likes of Hakkasan. Just my opinion, of course! Cheers, Howard ← But I would disagree - Hakkasan serves Chinese food. Alimentum serves Mediterranean (really, nouvelle cuisine/british), similar to what Arbutus and Wild Honey do. There are gazillions of gastropubs serving that kind of cooking, but Arbutus, Wild Honey and Alimentum all reach the higher levers, delivering superb value for money (at least ALC for the first two ) . I have not been to Hakkasan, but many times to Yauatcha where the chef supposedly moved, and the dumplings are (in my relatively uninformed Westerner opinion only) decidedly superior to pretty much any other Chinese restaurant, including Giles Coren's favourite Chuen Cheng Ku, whilst remaining approachable, understandable and served in a setting that can be understood by a travelling Frenchman. In fact, if one goes by the original definition of the Guide, stars should be given to restaurants that would please a travelling tyres salesman. I.e. mostly French (and therefore familiar) cuisine, and then a few non-French places that serve their style of food in a setting and way which the conservative French guy can stomach. My French relatives, who grew up in another era, are shocked to see me eat sushi, and find baked beans absolutely revolting. They would not step inside Yauatcha nor Tamarind despite both places serving Western-friendly food, yet my dad found Alimentum to be one of the best meals he's ever had out of France. (and now I'm turning into a walking advert for the place)

Well, I had a lobster risotto at Strada Cambridge, and it showed that the staff never tasted lobster, nor had they ever seen a risotto. Rice undercooked, gluey, and the lobster was like chewing gum. The other dishes were so badly executed too... I mean, they charge an absolute fortune, surely "Italian" food is quite easy to cook! I don't think the origin of the cooks should matter in a chain. McDonalds ( ) was successful precisely because they devised a system allowing them to serve the same quality of food anywhere. Strada should train its staff to cook lobster at least to edible levels. Then again, in Cambridge it is sufficient to have a microwave, a freezer and a door near the centre with "restaurant" above it to charge £30 a head and be full most nights.

Alimentum - consistent, beautiful cooking, mostly works. If Arbutus and Wild Honey have a star, Alimentum should too. But I'm not sure whether I want them to have a star. In a selfish way, if they don't have one, it means I can actually get a table and afford the bill. Plus it goes against their ethos of friendly approachableness.

Went there multiple times in Cambridge, due to the lack of many other decent venues to have a coffee, breakfast or dinner right in the centre. Boring, boring food. But at least it's not reheated from frozen, and yes whilst the cooking is not great (e.g. carbonised parma ham with dry eggs, or massively underseasoned sea bass) the ingredients taste like they were fresh not too long ago. The vin santo was not good at all, and the pastries ok. I love the bicerin, although like everywhere else the coffee tastes stale and overroasted on its own. Unlike other southern EU places though, they cannot produce a decent espresso out of it. The ice-cream is fun. I'd say they are to Strada etc. what old Starbucks is to new Starbucks.

I respectfully disagree. As a student, I can afford and feel comfortable in * (Arbutus, Foliage) and ** (PAT, Gavroche) dining here (and even *** if I could actually get a table!), but cannot in Paris (e.g. Le Bristol). This may be the market in action - Paris has no shortage of cheaper but still delicious and original places, whereas London has Cafe Rouge and Chez Gerard (with the odd exception). Could also be the quality of a macaroon in the respective countries (I'll stop right there before we have a heated argument ). Similarly, one of my dining partners at Foliage last night (a "posh" location if there is one!) was perfectly comfortable wearing an untucked polo shirt and jeans, whereas in Vienna I got strange looks from immaculately dressed Austrians for not wearing a tie. Anecdotal evidence indeed, but so far not disproved. I remember an article in the Figaro last year which agreed with me - the author found Brits laughing drunkenly at St John, a baffling clash with established French fine dining etiquette - how could they possibly be having fun! (as an aside, I wonder why * and ** here charge so little compared to their French counterparts, considering London's main industry and its players...)

Last night in London, so 3 of us visited Foliage tonight. Should have had the tasting! It wasn't that much more. ALC was a decent £60. Very good food, cooked precisely, and it all works. Only disappointment was the braised beef, which to be fair I should have seen coming ("braised" does not mean "a seared piece of delicious rare fillet") - a few tiny pieces of what was a well presented boeuf bourguignon. The grouse was the best item. The amuse-bouches were amusing. The chocolates at the end (served despite us not getting coffee, how generous!) had star dust in them. Very friendly service, and they conveniently ommitted our second bottle of sparkling water from the bill. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic - plenty of light, beautiful interior, not too noisy. IMO and that of my guest, beats Hibiscus from the time we visited Hibiscus (a few weeks/months after opening) which was also £60 ALC.

Did you think the right person won? That venison looked tasty...

Don't forget the "I'd pay good money for that"! What's "bad" money according to Mr Wallace? Sure, fine dining is expensive but not that much more than "boring" dining... 1 ** three-course dinner = 3 Pizza Express meals (not counting booze). I don't understand his obsession with "vast sums of money". (and of course in terms of "value added" and ingredients a ** meal is much, much cheaper than any fast food...)

Like your use of the word "exist" instead of say, "are common too". (please prove me wrong! Would be delighted!)

Went in at about 7.30, they had no tables until 10.15pm. It is indeed tiny.

Did Mr Roux say "I'd serve that in my dad's restaurant"?

Howard, any more stalwarts? :-P

Basildog - was thinking the same whilst watching Masterchef last night. The chefs all want "fame" and to be "recognised". I remember that Mr Bise at the Auberge du Pere Bise in Annecy only wanted his guests to be as happy as possible - he felt rewarded if they left beaming. Don't think he cared that much about fame. (not that I ever got a chance to eat there, this is way before my time)

Visited the place for a quick 10pm meal. Pig's head was great, squid was... squid, salmon was raw (but cooked enough not to be sashimi) and the accompaniments tasteless, rabbit was tasty, chocolate soup was fantastic (first choc dessert I've actually enjoyed and been excited by, ever!) and the summer trifle summery. £40 a head inc. a carafe of wine and service. Nice place. I'd go back.

An update for those that care. Bearing in mind that I'm a boring person whose favourite coffee is medium (on the side of mild) roast Columbian and for whom coffee is about the nose and the finish more than anything else. I visited Fernandez, Algerian Coffee Stores, Flat White, Monmouth (both shops in Borough, and the one next to 7 dials) and Grazing. All multiple times, in the interest of fairness (except Grazing which is unfortunately far too far!) Fernandez stands out as the best coffee, by far. They use a medium and a strong roast, my espresso was made with the medium roast. The best time was when the lady preparing my espresso packed some grounds, packed more, added more on top and compressed it again - took her about 3-4 minutes to get it in the machine but WOW. Smooth, loads of crema, an aroma which is impossible to describe... Subsequent visits have yielded similar espressos (none to that level though, especially at rush hour) and I am now addicted to their "Stumpy". I arrange all my "in town" meetings to happen there despite the horrible seating, crowded and noisy inside, and remarquably high food prices. Totally worth it! Monmouth... the 7 dials shop I've described above. As a regular to Borough I had to try the espresso at the main shop next to the market (not the stand in the market). It was bitter and really not that great - could have gone to Cafe Nero. My partner's latte was not brilliant either. I guess their specialty is filter. Algerian Coffee Stores - again, bitter, watery, no crema. Terrible espresso. Won't go back, at least not for a coffee. I'm sure their beans are fine, but I have very good suppliers already Grazing - absolutely fantastic black pudding and egg sandwich! It was so good I brought lunch back to the office for everybody despite the half hour tube trip (and loooooong walk to Bank). Coffee was good. Not as good as Fernandez. Flat White - so much hype. The website even has photos of the regulars' anniversary party or something. "Best coffee in London" is unfortunately not to be found there but at their Portuguese/British neighbour. It was a decent latte, and a decent espresso, but they use a dark roast so it doesn't have the same finish as the wonderful medium roast used in F&W. Incidentally I've since moved into an area of London predominantly populated by the Portuguese, and the cafe/minisupermarket next to my flat produces an excellent espresso for just 80p.

Where can one eat well for £30 a head, with 5 guests including a veggie and two strong meat lovers?

Went to Haandi instead and it was pretty boring. I think Tayyabs is next

Couple of ideas, came up whilst watching the latest episode (how much worse can the candidates get?!). I thought the BBC was against advertising. No names of chefs, no restaurants, not even "le Gavroche". Yet every other word in the interview is "Michelin". Do the BBC even realize that there are other guides out there (GFG, Harden's etc.) competing with Michelin? It's a 30min advert for the company! Also, I've had the "chance" to work catering cheap-ish for 90 people (as kitchen slave and washing up slave). During that time I was taught a few things by a guy who did two years in a French catering college. I was very impressed - he could grab a chicken, a knife, and suddenly after jedi-like moves the chicken was boneless. None of the candidates look like they could get near that level of skill. Maybe Masterchef ought to be "Masterchef Professional France". That would be MUCH more interesting.

Happy to queue if the food's good. Thanks for the feedback, it is much appreciated - I was avoiding the place based on London Eating but will give it a try now. Is it easy/possible to reserve?

Everyone keeps pushing New Tayyabs, but london eating reviews complain that it's crowded and the food really isn't what it used to be. Is there much truth in that?

I somewhat pity Mr Wallace. At one point (in episode 1?) he was talking about his reasons for eliminating a candidate, and Mr Roux was simply smiling in an uncomfortable way as if to say "look, you're just embarassing yourself, and me, because I'm sitting next to you and letting you say things like that". Poor him, having to speak first for the main. However, it is highly amusing to see just how much food he will be able to put into his mouth. I thought he had gone as far as he would when he put a quarter of that omelette in his mouth, but then he managed to stuff a whole profiterole in there. Is it just me or is he trying to be like Heston? Glasses, haircut, accent... The previous comment about Mr Roux setting a new standard for these cooks is spot on. Perhaps he is so good to watch because he gives genuine appreciation for what he sees, he is tough but fair. And the raw chicken. Wow. How do they let them in? How can you not cook a piece of chicken? When professional?

I thought it was great. No messing around - just do the same (classical French, technical) thing, see who does it best, gets judged quickly and efficiently by the judge and his assistant (as mentioned above)... It does feel as if Michel Roux is only on TV to show the country how cooking should be done. His "duty". Unlike the chef he regularly beats at the London Marathon...

Since this is now also the Wild Honey thread... Had an average pre-theatre set dinner at WH today. The food was equivalent to well-prepared canteen food (not my word, just that of my dining partner) although the summer fruits sorbet was absolutely gorgeous (why with melon... why?), and I loved the fennouil bits (whatever that is in English) in the tomato/gnocchi/anchovy starter. First time I see somebody English pairing it with fish - thought it was only to be found in Southern France (used to go chew on the wild ones next to the football field). Spent £50 for two including a carafe. The wine list is lovely for us cheaper diners! Perhaps it is worth spending more and getting from the card. We were not impressed by the fact diners who were eating alc were offered bread as soon as they finished theirs, whilst us cheapos had to do with one slice each. Should probably have asked the waiter for more. Other than that, the service was professional and enjoyable. We had: Tomato/G something (ended up being gnocchis)/anchovy (fresh, unsalted) Runny yolk egg/salad/sauce/green sauce Pollock/potatoes/cabbage (?)/some kind of potato mash with fish Moussaka (what it says on the tin, was served with more of above salad) Summer berries sorbet with melon. I.e. a scoop of excellent sorbet on 6 mini melon balls, nothing else. Well, I was going to go to Arbutus but now will give it a miss until I have an excuse for alc. (interestingly, our very local Alimentum trumps all the 1*s I've dined in so far in London, with very high consistency, with modern Mediterranean (Spanish/French) cooking similar to Arbutus/WH, and yet no star. Well, not complaining, keeps prices down.)

Noodles were barely edible. Dumplings were ok. I won't go back (despite the price). Better value to be had in an escalope sandwich, in my humble, non-Chinese cuisine educated opinion. Everything was still £3.50 when we went last week. Remember to factor in half an hour of queuing in the actual price of the evening