david goodfellow
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Posts posted by david goodfellow
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Judy B,
You beat me to Orwells, are we to get a review up soon?
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Had a very tasty meal here on Wednesday, took some photos and will post them asap. I am now really far behind with posting our meals, its so much more difficult on the memory.
Shaun looked resplendent in his whites,( and white clogs ) as we had a brief chat about his time working for Robert Carrier, before disappearing back into the kitchen to do a bit of pan shaking.
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Stunning revelations of alleged torture and abuse.
Simply beggars belief.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286219/Man-arrested-torture-broccoli.html
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You know the feeling, a craving for something a bit different, and this place is certainly that. Thankfully not your normal curry place, quite a step up indeed.
Its been a while since we ate here and indeed since the success on F Word they are still very busy. Booking for weekends are into August whilst midweek is easier and lunchtimes its quite easy to get a table.
If manager Syed is on hand let him guide you through the menu, if you like to sample different flavours from different parts of India he will point you in the right direction.
Head chef Aktar Islam was in the kitchen along with some of his other chefs from India, specialising in their own regions making certain of authenticity.
A traditional poppadom taster was presented with a couple of dips and some crunch in the form of onions and cucumber.
The other F Word winning dish SEABASS JHOL was bang on the money, the dogs goolies no less. Stonkingly fresh fish and of generous proportion in the form of two pan fried fillets spiced with turmeric and chilli on garlic scented wilted spinach, surrounded by a fantastic full flavoured Bengali fish broth, plus some bulk in the form of potatoes
DIM KI BIRYANI aka Goat Curry was next.
Was it as good as last time?
Yes indeed', although the Seabass and Lamb Chops were hard acts to follow.
"Goat meat and basmati rice cooked together in a sealed potwith yogurt and mint. Scented with cardamon, mace,and dum masala, served with a Lucknowi gravy".
Exactly as it says on the tin, not short changed at all.
CHICKEN CHETTINAD, Again we have eaten this dish on our last visit. It was just as good this time, tasty big chunks of chicken, if I'm to be picky it was slightly dry on the inside however with ample sauce to wash it down it did not do it any real harm.
We finished the meal by sharing a traditional Indian dessert which now escapes me, a syrupy doughnutty thing which supplied the sweet hit to finish off
So all in all a very good meal and well worth the long drive risking life and limb on the full of roadworks M6.
Sadly there are too few very good Indian restaurants in this country thankfully Birmingham has one of the best. Good to see Mercedes wanting to link up with one of Brums best.
Just as a footnote the Lamb dish photo is out of sync with the post, I don't know why as I can't correct it I just left it rather than mess about
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I shall certainly follow his blog just in the hope of some illuminating behind the scenes info.
A number of critics and bloggers have reviewed the place with perhaps mixed views, still I shall make my own mind up on our visit, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.
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Astounding revelations and so very revealing. Hope their friendship, and business partnership can survive.
I had best check he is still in the kitchen when we visit.
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I'm on the whole quite pleased this is now over as the standard of food has I think. Has been quite poor.! Tom Kerridge has done himself no harm at all and we look forward to a meal there in july. Alan Murchison and Will Holland seem like complete idiots. Which is a great shame as we had thought becasse could be worth a trip. It has now been cancelled.!!!
Really? I know that Alan didn't come across well, but I just thought that Will was out of his depth in the competition, as well as being very constrained by the rules which limited what he could use, particularly for the fish course. We had an excellent meal at La Becasse in April and I would certainly recommend going there if you have the chance.
Wholeheartedly agree, I would return in an instant to eat Will Hollands food. Sadly he did not shine on the show but he really is a talent.
Shame its so far out of the way for us.
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Yum,Yum could eat it all again
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"Where are we going this weekend"
"Petrus! For a taste of Gordon Ramsay and, Bar Boulud for possibly the best burger we have ever eaten"
"But were having a burger tonight"
"Yea, well the next burger will be extra special. Trust me"
Aint the internet great for foodies,? you can plan what to eat before you even leave home.Most restaurant websites are updated on a pretty regular basis.
And so it is with Bar Boulud. I know the burgers are a must and of course the charcuterie, the sausages, the Plats De Resistance, plus of course the daily specials. Oh, and don't forget the stunning value Menu Prix Fixe.
The last time we were at the Manderin Oriental was to eat at Foliage the now sadly defunct Michelin starred place where the very good chef Chris Staines wowed not only us but many others. Its soon to be Mr Blumenthals first London opening so its looking like Knightsbridge and especially the Mandarin is going to be pretty damb busy.
Thankfully as Howard points out an awful lot of the building work involving road working has been finished so the traffic flow is a million times better. Many,s the time we have sat in the car looking at Harrods and Harvey Nicks that given the time delays we could have almost done a bit of shopping in them both.
On securing a booking I asked for a table with a view and it was considered that the best one would look to the open kitchen to watch the chefs plying there trade whilst we enjoyed the fruits of their efforts. One of the downsides of the seating plan where we were sitting is the need to plan your toilet visits in advance as once you are safely ensconsed behind the table its takes quite an effort involving both parties plus server to extricate oneself from said location. Not the end of the world of course and if like me you're a gregarious sort of chap you can have some interesting conversation with the intimatly seated couple at next table. Indeed we made two sets of new best friends during our lunch, including an American couple who had literally just flown in from New York that same day and had dined at one of the Boulud(I forget)places a day or so before. Small world is'n't it?
Just a small note on the lighting,(or lack of it) on our table. I did take photographs, without flash but the light was very poor I'm not sure if they will come out ok. I'm afraid you will have to wait as this is a new laptop and I,ve not mastered the pictures side yet, but fingers crossed. In all fairness we were offered another table by the extremely attentive staff but declined as we felt at home here.
We chose from the aforementioned Menu Prix Fixe an extremely good value introduction to what is on offer. Indeed I'm not sure as to how many other diners ordered it but judging what food was on the "pass" it seemed to me to be most of the restaurant.
BREAD was as expected very good, butter was excellent. I'm fairly certain that I have read elsewhere that the bread is bought in from Boulangerie de Paris although one of the staff assured me "everything is made on site"
CHOP CHOP SALAD, was a large porion(in a dish) of the following, romaine lettuce (cos to you and me) pickled mushrooms, cashews and radish, red pepper plus some (pickled?) carrot, topped with sesame crisps. The ginger soy dressing worked well and a surprise element of watermelon added furthar sweetness. I chose to add lobster, at a supplement (£7.50) which on reflection it needed. As already noted it was a hearty portion but as the Piggy Burger was up soon I thought it best to enter piggy mode so I polished it off.
LAPIN DE GARRIGUE, the other starter was described as, " Provencal pulled Rabbit, carrot, cougette and herbs. Now I'm not sure if said Rabbit was sourced in Provence or that was the "style" of the dish but it could have been fattened up on my Chop, Chop salad and ended its days with a smile on its face. Thats not to say anything was amiss with said terrine, far from it. It put a smile on our faces.
Special of the day was LANGOUSTINES A LA PLANCHA (£12.50) Two monsters from the deep, split in half, simply grilled, sitting on top of a mango salsa.
We were initially told that they were from Brittany then we were informed they were from Scotland, finally, yes they were indeed from Brittany. Now bearing in mind you wil not be able to get a Ryanair flight for what we paid, oh but hang on you may get one but your luggage will most certainly cost you more, what we paid for the pleasure of eating this dish was peanuts money.
I must have looked as prehistoic as the said beasts as I chewed, slurped, sucked all of the goodness from the head and the shell even the little legs crunched down to extremelly good flavour. Simple,simple, simple every time.
BOUDIN BLANC(£11) A truffled white sausage, sitting on top of some very tasty herb flecked mashed potato was quickly devoured or should I say virtually evaporated in the mouth it was so light. No hint of any chewyness in the sausage made it a very pleasant eat indeed. An unannounced batton of apple teased the taste buds to add a furthar dimension and the welcome sticky sauce washed it all down.
The main event DBGB PIGGY BURGER A Grilled Beef Patty with BBQ Pulled Pork, Bibb lettuce, Green Chilli Mayo, red cabbage slaw, served in a cheddar bun and pommes frites.
Well where do I start?
How about I cut to the chase and just say that this is the best burger that I have eaten. Not of course that I have eaten loads at top notch burger places far from it. I have eaten quite a few in the States, not that many here (where do you find good ones?) Of course Americans (and Frenchies) know a bit about burgers and as Daniel Boulud is considered by many to be one of the best my expectations were running high.
I feel sorry for women, especially those who really enjoy their food, its all about etiquette and the inability to jump in with two feet (hands) for fear of offending anyone. We blokes are blessed being able to pick said burger up in both hands and enjoy it unfettered by cuttlery and little nibbly bites. Oh the joy of the curious dribble of mysterious moisture meandering its way down the chin.
And of course this about sums up the pleasure, every single bite was divine, nothing clashed it all melded well, superb beef, superb pork, excellent bun. The frites were amazing also, skinny little things so cut that they can take on more of the cooking medium. The tomato sauce as good as Heinz, was it really that good? Yes, indeed it was.
COUPE DE FRUITS EXOTIQUES Was a cocktail glass brimming with Ginger Marscapone foam, coconut, passion fruit seorbet, tiny dice of Mango? Light as a feather dessert in keeping with the quality of the meal.
TARTE AU CHOCOLATE,Mocha Ganache, Caramel Ice Cream was the ladys choice and nice it looked too.
We were compted some piping hot FRESHLY BAKED MADELEINES (£5) which are a signiture dish of Monsieur Boulud and jolly nice they were too.
I just have to mention service,led admirably by Stephen Macintosh. After a handfull of years at The Wolseley he certainly knows how to put his guests at ease. Good to see happy smiley staff at work, indeed the attention to detail would shame droves of other venues.
Stephen kindly offered us a small tasting of Award winning handmade Lincolnshire Poacher teamed up with a shot glass of Duchesse de Bourgoigne 6.2% a sour Flanders Red Ale, fantastic pairing it was too.
This place really has something for everyone, specialist beers, cocktails, fantastic bar menu, and of course the Restaurant proper. If only I had the money I think that I would move down to Knightsbridge, you lucky, lucky people
As a footnote, don't be put off by the five star location or indeed any fears as to expense. Even though our additions to the stunning value £20 set menu including a couple of glasses of wine each pushed the bill in the direction of £100, the most expensive burger is only £13.50.
Its my considered opinion that you would spend considerably more on a trip to New York to eat a better one.
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He's right on about one thing, and thats the service, its totally top notch and a lesson to most other places.
We went today and along with nearly two hundred other folks really enjoyed it. (at least it looked like they did)
Will write it up soon.
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I'm quite surprised that this thread is so quiet.
Has anybody else been recently?
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The place looks stunning Alan, and it sounds like Kenny is doing the business in the kitchen.
I have wanted to eat his food since seeing him on GBM last year.
I spoke to him earlier in the year to ask if he was on GBM and said we would pay him a visit.
We had best phone in advance if the portions are small, as we,re big eaters
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Sounds great. Its now on my visit list for next week.
Oddfellows is well worth a try. I love its quirky interior and the food is also good.
Richard Phillips is consultant chef and I,m sure the head chef has a decent background
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I just had to add to this thread as it appears that (according to Jasper Gerard) some pretty good food is coming out of his kitchen.
Also its fantastic to hear he's still packing them in.
Anybody else been recently?
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Thanks very much for the report Howard, much appreciated.
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Some visually stunning looking dishes there, and every one is different to what we ate on our last visit. Looks like a return is well in order.
Did it eat as well as it looked?
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I was too poor to be a snob when I was young
So old habits die hard and even though I can now afford whatever I want (within reason)I still seek out a bargain.
Aldi's veg section is simply unbeatable value especially on their top offers, and its all(or mostly?) Great British produce by smaller growers. Whenever I stroll through Tossco's and see the same stuff at twice or three times the price it makes my Scottish blood boil.
I also pop into other stores like Sainsbury's to see how Jamie's getting on
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Nice to see you enjoy a bit of food with your wine Howard but what was it like?
Best, Worst dishes?
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We are booked in here next week and are really looking forward to it.
Simply can't wait.
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Blimey John does'n't time fly. Thought it was a couple of years since we dined here but it was longer than that because its changed hands and there is a new chef.
Previous chef was a guy called Duncan Poyser? and pretty good he was too. BIG portions of food came out of the kitchen.
Looks like the new chef has got a very good pedigree. Must give it a try again.
No menus up on the website, choice of four is very good really, wonder if its the same menu in the evening?
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Not yet, David. We keep finding reasons to put off going. But we're running out of them - once I've obtained the second mortgage, we're going for dinner.
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I wish I had a quid for everytime that I have thought of dining at Chez Bruce. Or a quid for every time my friends or others have praised the food here. I must have spent countless hours reading the menus over the years. I wish I had a tenner for every failed attempt to get a weekend table here also but finally,,,,
"12 or 2.30"
"What about 1"
"Sorry nothing at that time"
"Any other times apart from 12 or 2.30?"
"No, I'm afraid not"
Were staying in West London, I'm driving my wifes little rocket, easy parking, nippy as hell, but no sat nav, just a map and a printed google maps journey plan which gives a journey time of 38 minutes. Sod 38 minutes I allow 50 and it takes an hour and a quarter plus parking.
Now I have phoned to say we will be late as the traffic is bad (only good manners) I can't understand as I have been assured that the London Marathon is no where near here.
We get to the table at just after 12.30 and guess what the place is only a third full. After about thirty minutes another table arrives then another, but the place is no where near heaving, and this is the pattern until we leave about two forty five. It really narks me to be offered slots that suit turning the tables, perhaps the traffic will habitually become bad in future
We found the table to be too small and the chairs uncomfortable and as I gazed around the room distant memories flooded back of our previous visit here, many years ago, then it was Harveys, Marco Pierre White,s restaurant, he who completely dominated the London dining scene at that time. This was where it all happened. I still remember what I ate (which is very unusual for me).
The amuse if you can call it that was a parmesan crisp, which was tasty but screamed out for something to dip it into.
Bread was made on the premises and was, White Sourdough, Granary, and Focaccia and very good indeed it was, especially the Granary.
Starters were, Crisp fishcake with beurre blanc, smoked haddock, poached egg, shrimps and samphire, and Lambs tongue and breast, with braised peas, bacon, jersey royals and mint.
My medley of Lamb satisfied my craving that I had held all week, the fishcake was declared "OK, not as good as yesterday"
Slow Roast Belly Pork with caramelised apple, creamed potatoes, mustard sauce and crackling was really what this place is about. A stonking plate of food, bursting with Porky flavour, beautiful crackling, melt in the mouth. The unannounced caramelised shallot added a sweet note. The whole lot was devoured like it was my last meal on this earth.
Less sucessfull was the Roast Rib eye with fondant potatoes, green beans, horseradish cream and roasting jus.
Yes it did look the part, but sadly the flavour was not all that. I had a taste and found the beef a bit disappointing taste wise, the horseradish cream had been prepared for wimps, in as much as it had no real umph. A shame in a way but still,,,
By this time our table was annoying us a bit, we were seated in front of a screen which we had not initially noticed was the entrance to the kitchen. As service became busier there was a blur of activity all around us which made me feel quite giddy. Our French waiter struggled with his English a bit when I asked him who was in charge of the Kitchen. In the end I gave up having established that "Matt Christmas was not in today".
Our sommelier was so engrossed in thinking about the Marathon that she poured our wine without asking if I would like to taste it. In a way I felt that summed the service up, it felt like the morning after the night before (Saturday).
Desserts were, Bramley Apple crumble with some nice vanilla flecked custard plus( if you wanted) a dolop of Ice cream. This was pretty bog standard stuff befitting a good neighbourhood restaurant, not really inventive enough for Michelin imo.
I did not try the Hot chocolate pudding with praline parfait, but it was declared "very nice"
We were offered some wonderful shortcake, which my wife declined but I asked if we could take them home with us and they thoughtfully bagged them for us.
Looking back at the menu most of Sundays lunch dishes are on todays website, siting a sample dinner menu from Thurs (I think) so perhaps the real value here is the weekday lunch at £25.50, as opposed to the weekend price of £32.50(lunch) £42.50.(dinner).
We did enjoy it here, in the main, perhaps we eat out too much to really appreciate whats on offer. Therein perhaps lies part of the problem always having comparisons to make.
A weekend lunch for two with a bottle of wine, coffees (which we did not have) service and a bottle of water about £100.
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John, I will mention this place to our friends who live reasonably close by.
Have you tried The Church Green yet? The pub menu (as opposed to the carte) is very user friendly.
Be very interested in your opinion.
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They were fine John. I think the coke(cola) that I was drinking dulled the taste a bit though.
Bought a pack of Laver (seaweed) soup stock and other bits from Wing Yip. Only 49p for six sachets of base stock.
Made a fantastic soup with one sachet, fish sauce, slivers of galangal, handful of prawns, same amount of boiled rice. Very finely sliced some fine beans, added boiling water, microwaved for a minute and a half (before adding the prawns as they were cooked) Ample amount of coriander and Thai holy basil on top with sprinkling of red chilli. Would have added spring onion but did not have any, still next time.
So,So,Simple and tasted as good as I've eaten anywhere.
Wish I had taken a photo of it now.
Dining in North Wales
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining
Posted
Been perhaps half a dozen times over the years and as yet not been disappointed John. I remember last summer bumping (not literally) into a couple of chefs deciding what to put on the menu from the bumper crop available from the very well stocked garden.
Wonderful spot anytime of year, but especially so during summer.