Harters

We've given up trying to get a reservation. We've tried on several occasions, over the last couple of years, when we've been travelling to London on shortish notice without success. And, with them not taking reservations more than 30 days in advance, it's proved impossible to reschedule other committments. Lunch might be the answer.

Mrs F You're right - the programme doesnt indicate where the contestants are working only that they have a professional background. So, they may well be working in a variety of establishments. John

Only if being poked in the eye with a stick is your sort of fun, Phil. Concept is fine. But, as others mention, the cliches just overwhelm it - the fake tension, the moody looks as the "judges" wander round the kitchen, blah, blah. It'd have been more useful if the chefs' full names and restaurants had been mentioned but that might have compromised the Beeb's "no advertising" integrity. Yeah, right. And, as for the Hairy Bakers - makes me ashamed to be northern!

I'm somewhat surprised to see Fishy Fishy win Best of anywhere. We spent a week in Kinsale in June and had lunch there one day. My notes of the meal:- "A seafood “chowder” had been unfortunately blitzed so there were no discernable chunks but a rich, creamy, crabby taste remained. The other starter was more disappointing. A seafood salad in sweet chilli dressing promised a lot and delivered much less. It was mainly salad with a couple of bits of fish – and potato. It was a good concept with a pleasant dressing but corners had been cut, presumably to keep costs down. A real let-down. The first main was also disappointing. Prawn scampi were deep fried and served with potato wedges and salad. Good prawns. OK salad. Undercooked potato spoilt it. The second main was better. Fillets of turbot, broccoli, “crispy” potato in a lemon/tarragon/cream sauce. Excellent fish and sauce. “Crispy” potato was OK, even if it was not “crispy”. It came with an unadvertised and unnecessary side salad. Bill was €82 including a bottle of water, two glasses of sauvignon blanc and two coffees." John

The explanation of the buffet thing makes sense (isnt the Greek/Turkish/Cypriot place on Princess Street now buffet?). I'm in Stockport fairly often at lunch time and the general town centre offerings are dire - I usually end up at a Chinese buffet just near the station. Do you have any reasonably priced lunch recs. for Chinatown or immediate area? I'm starting a research project in the autumn that's going to see me spending a lot of time at Central Library and I like to get out for a proper lunchbreak but one that isnt going to take too long. Just returning to your mention of Wings, I've never eaten at the city centre branch, but was taken by family members to the original place in Cheadle Hulme last year. Nothing stellar, IMO.

London isn't my part of the UK so more local folk may have better ideas - but I rate this place highly. The 400 mile round trip is the second furthest I've travelled simply to eat dinner. http://www.passione.co.uk/

I don't travel into the city to eat too often these days but my visits to Chinatown date back to when I worked nearby in the mid-70s when the Kwok Man was pretty much on its own. Havnt been back there in a long time. Had a decent meal at the New Emperor late last year and, around the same time, took some friends to the Yang Sing. Thought the food was still pretty enjoyable, although one of our party was a veggie and wasnt that impressed (that said, Mrs H is not the greatest fan of Chinese food so it wouldnt have taken much for her to set her face against it) I've had a couple of solitary lunches this year (one at the Little Yang Sing, the other just down the street from Ho's Bakery - can't recall name). Neither were particularly good and I would agree that, at this cheaper end of the market, the quality is suffering as they compete with the buffets. Both still better than the buffets, though. As you'll have seen up-thread, my current Cantonese fave is Glamorous - lunch or dinner.

Anything to drum up punters, perhaps? We had a very average dinner there in June. Absolutely nothing to set the world alight in terms of the menu or the cooking (except for 1 dessert which was fab). And at knocking on £140 for the two of us, not good value either. Place was much less than half full on the mid-week evening - and half of them being Michael Caines' own party.

An old thread resurrected to comment on a good value dinner at Glamorous this evening (a birthday celebration for me). No dim sum trolleys in the evening so we settled on a "dim sum combination" - This brings a plate of crispy wonton, sui mei, har gau, a deep fried prawn wonton ( fun gor?), seaweed and spring roll. Good mix of textures but all a bit prawny. A main of fillet steak in Cantonese sauce arrived on a “sizzling” hot plate with some onions. Thin slices of very tender meat, covered in a sticky sweet sauce. This worked well for one of us, but not for the other who found sweet beef not to their taste (Chinese cuisine is not Mrs H's first or even third choice) A second main bought a very well filled plate of char siu pork. Cut slightly thicker than expected, and with a thin honey glaze adding to the good flavour of the meat, this was excellent. I do like my piggy. We also ordered a third dish – stir fried broccoli and mangetout in garlic sauce, hoping this would add a moistness to complement the pork. It provided some welcome crunch and change in texture, but the sauce was non-existent and just comprised scattered garlic. With a drink before and just a bottle of water with the meal, the bill came to £50. Good value & good food in our view.

The London Review of Breakfasts is usually a great read. Not my part of the world but I check it out every few weeks. It has some absolute gems.

For some years after it opened in the 1970s, the Moss Nook (near Manchester Airport) actively discouraged and declined tips saying that the staff were "well paid". Times have changed and there's now no discouragement to tipping. Unfortunately, it's about the only thing that has changed. Menu would be quite familiar to 1980s diners "We only serve duck well done, as that's how our customers like it". John

Thanks, Phil. I recall, ages back, you asking me on the "other forum" if I'd been to Fraiche. Glad to give you the encouragement to go here, if not on there. I know you were also interested in our West Cork experiences. You'll find a brief summary on the Trip Advisor "Kinsale" forum (I have the same user name there) which IDs the places where we ate - you'll see it will point you on to fuller reviews posted on menupages.ie. Great trip you're putting together. Look forward to the read. John

I've been toying with signing up to egullet for months but have waited until my first post could be a report on a really top meal. Last night's dinner was it! We liked Fraiche. We liked Fraiche a lot. A tiny restaurant, less than 20 covers, in what looks like a converted terraced house. A very modern décor, extending to the glass artwork on the walls and the water glasses on the tables. It was a lovely evening and we were led out to the back yard for aperitifs (which were accompanied by spiced pecans). A few days before, we’d had a telephone call asking if we’d like to eat the “bespoke” menu – a ten course surprise at £55. We would. Now we were asked if we had any allergies. We hadn’t. So with no food menu to peruse, the wine list got a good viewing. I don't drink, so the companion in life was pleased to see such a good range of half bottles and by the glass. But, in the end, a full bottle of an Australian pinot noir was ordered (better value) - difficult to match wine when you don't know what food is coming but the advice was to keep it light. And so to food: 1 a small slab of salted berry chocolate. An unusual start, but one which worked. 2 diced sashimi tuna and watermelon, with tomato water. Taste & texture were imprtant here as the tuna and melon had almost identical colours and sized dice. Tomato water was just fab – pure essence of tomato. Came with a poppy seed biscuit and parmesan crisp which added another layer of texture. 3 four different breads, with unsalted and seaweed butter. 4 chicken with globe artichoke and lemon puree. Perfectly cooked piece of thigh, the puree cutting through the richness. Companion in life is not normally a fan of chicken but declared this the best ever tasted. Rare praise. It was certainly non too shabby. 5 scallops with tarragon grapes and sweetcorn cream. It would be a picky diner who criticised the scallops for being a tad overcooked but that picky diner was on the other side of the table. Mine was fine but I wasn’t convinced by the sweetcorn cream which seemed to make the dish overly sweet (other side of table thought the flavour spot on). 6 three more different breads 7 chilled watercress, chorizo and crème fraiche soup. Refreshing with the crème adding richness. 8 seabass with aubergine yogurt and wild rice. My favourite dish of the evening. Absolutely bang on for flavour, concept and cooking. 9 lamb, pea cream, braised celery heart, fondant potato. Classic! Lovely dish even if the lamb was not the most flavoursome we’ve ever eaten. 10 a cheese came wrapped in leaves (the latter not to be eaten). Can’t recall the name but French, soft, probably goat and studded with peppercorns. Immediately followed by….. 11 ……fizzy grapes. A few grapes injected with fizzy water. Perhaps flavoured water (?) as there seemed to be some other taste than grape. 12 two spoons each. First one with sweet and sour pineapple. Chewy, tangy, refreshing. The second with lemon meringue pie – tasted just like my mother used to make (this is a compliment) 13 lemon grass pannacotta, cherry foam and pistachio “soil”. The “soil” being the first bit of menu-speak since we arrived. Foam was packed with cherry flavour. Pannacotta much more delicate. Soil provided a texture contrast. 14 roasted strawberries came with a rhubarb ice and hibiscus popcorn. The roasting really lifting the berry flavour and a good contrast with the slightly tart rhubarb. 15 “popping egg yolk”. Berry juice (raspberry?) to which something techie had been done to from a skin so it wobbles like, erm, a yolk. A wake-up taste particularly as there was “space dust” in there as well. We’ve had a very similar citrusy version at S’Atic in Soller, Mallorca. Great fun. 16 orange soda with vanilla straw. 17 chocolate orange. Bits of orange; chocolate ganache, something else. Coffee and excellent fruit and chocolate petit fours were an extra. The coffee, drinks before, bottle of wine and water added nearly another fifty quid. In summary, the best meal we’ve had in many months and cracking good value. Service from the two front of house staff had been faultless.