david goodfellow

Well, where do I start? I won't bore you too much about scrawping one of my uber expensive alloy wheels whilst rejoicing finding a parking place across from an always busy Chinatown. As I sat there listening to my wife chastise me for being mean,a taxi nearly took my wing mirror off. So it was off to the car park for me. Walking past Red Chilli was not as painful as I thought that it would,as I looked down the steps into the basement I was fairly content to give it a miss this time. Just around the corner in Faulkner St was the target, and gazing up amongst the myriad of neon signs, we were only fifty meters away I knew what to expect as we gazed up the two flights of steep stairs as we had been here before, not to eat only to collect a menu and take a look around. I pictured drink fuelled punters struggling up these stairs thankful in reaching the top in one piece. The room was more inviting than I could remember, however it could be that I was more receptive this time. In the corner of the waiting area is a small screen on a table which shows photos of the food whilst you are waiting to be seated. The place was about a quarter full of Chinese people, mainly ladies who like to shop, designer clothes and bags much in evidence. Another young English couple were sitting close by us. The menu is presented like a thick bound wine list from a posh eatery, however inside are again, photos of all the food on offer. A number of tables seemed to have the "Luxury hot pot Buffet (£18pp)making use of the induction hob already mentioned above. This had a choice of three "bases". with additions of lamb,beef, fish, ham,etc, etc, etc. The only caveat being, that all the food from the first and subsequent course had to be eaten or you had to pay £8 to have it put in a take away? I was keen to identify the famed (Red Chilli) hot pot dish, and it was listed here as "Sliced Lamb Sichuan style house special (£7.95). We asked the waiter to point us in the direction of the signiture dishes, however,we chose our own as he was not too well informed. I have to add however that the service was a notch up on the usual, leave you to it attitude. Ok, I know its not adventurous, but its a standard that can be compared, we choose the classic Gong Bao Chicken with peanuts (£7.95). This arrived pretty quickly looking not too dissimilar to the Red Chilli version, with perhaps, fewer spring onion,and a lot less of the nearly raw garlic slices. It did,n't really suffer because of this, the sweet sticky sauce was spot on,not a huge amount of heat,just enough,with the most welcome whack of fresh ginger,every so often. Portion size was generous, pretty similar to RC. I should add that the chicken was super tender, and we both felt this dish was excellent. I fancied the Twice cooked Pork, the one that Prawncrackers had, however Mrs G liked the look of the King Prawns with Broccoli(£9.50), so being the gent, and especially that she had to suffer the Hotpot dish, that was next. Well, surprise,surprise, Cilla, at least a dozen of the largest,plump prawns that you may imagine arrived on the plate interspersed with vivid green, sparklingly fresh broccoli, spring onion greens, and a few mushrooms, with the kind of white sauce that I love but can not as yet recreate at home. This was really fresh and between a portion of chicken was a complete contrast, much appreciated. The lamb did not arrive,due to a break down in communication, and even though we were feeling full, asked for it to be served, so we could make a definate comparison. Well the first thing that we observed was a lack of chilli oil that normally tops the RC version. I can understand the oil slick putting a lot of people off, but not me. The next thing that was different, was no birds eye chillies, just a huge topping of thickly sliced dry chillies. The thinly sliced lamb was good, and it was extremely hot,we dug into the dish hoping to find the comforting bed of iceberg lettuce, but this dish relies on slices of onion instead. Within about a dozen mouthfuls, beads of perspiration started to appear on my forehead and I realised that having not had a skin full of beer, or was it just that I am a light weight, defeat was not far off. We doggie bagged it To sum up, We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of this place ,both the Chicken and Prawn dishes were excellent. The Lamb was not as good as the Red Chilli version,however that said it was'n't too shabby either. I'm really pleased we finally got around to try this place out, we would most certainly recommend it, and rest assured we will be returning to try quite a few of the other dishes

Thanks for that Thom. Mrs G enjoyed it (except the lamb hotpot dish) Report on its way!

Brilliant, thanks for that, and your tip on BBQ Village,will most certainly drop in there after my next Purnells hit. Manchester also boasts the built in induction hobs, we were quite surprised to see them in every table Seems that they are for the banquets (which we did not have). Try hard to post my report today

Yes it most certainly does. Be interesting to compare the two

Well it had to happen sooner or later, a visit has been on the cards for some time now,however I have not been strong enough to pass by the door of Red Chilli without entering. I am afraid that you will have to be patient awhile before I post the review as its been a bit of a hectic weekend,and I don,t have my writing head on just yet. If someone else out there can start the ball rolling it will help me get my act together

This place is a fairly recent addition to my London "list". I did try for a weekend table six to eight weeks ago, but failed, but hope to dine there before the end of November. In my opinion, from what I have heard it really does deserve its own thread, so thanks for starting one, Hope it gets some good response. By the way Claude Bosi (Hibiscus) thinks its "terrific" High praise indeed, from a superstar chef.

According to Time Out 2010, this is London,s best value lunch menu, currently on offer. I could not agree more,three top notch courses for £22 is brilliant. However, get this, three courses including cheese, is only £25,and you get seasonal fruit chutney and muscat jelly thrown in. I dare say with the other freebie bits that you get for your £25 there are many happy bunnies dining here Any recent reports would be most gratefully appreciated.

Well I finally got round to dining here and wow were we impressed. To quote PhilD this place really is "head and shoulders" above the rest. We drove into London on the Saturday aiming to enjoy a leisurely lunch and were not disappointed.However there is one distinct problem,because of its location amongst some decidedly eye wateringly expensive properties. Parking! its virtually impossible to park remotely close.However don't let this put you off. Ditch the car! The place itself is very "cotswoldy" with hunting prints,stripped pine,two tone lemon yellow paintwork, and miss matched chairs. A pitcher of water is on the tables. Along with a small specials board, a very appealing menu of five starters, six mains,five desserts, and a few side dishes. You can choose from Salmon, Hereford snails, Rabbit,Roe deer, Roast cod with crayfish, Sea bream, Pork belly,Wood pigeon, Lamb, etc,etc,. We we truly spoilt for choice. We got the ball rolling with the famed Venison scotch egg, which I think is listed as a bar snack? Don't miss this its fab. She who must be obeyed, chose my first choice of Half dozen Hereford snails with oxtail braised in stout, parsley crumbs and bone marrow.(£7) Although I really fancied the Rabbit dish also, I could not resist the snails. Well this was the best seven quid I think I,ve ever spent Totally stunning dish, bags and bags of flavour, I wish I could cook like this.My snail shells were licked dry and the plate was meticulously cleaned with the home made Irish soda bread and some nicely crusted potato bread. Whole braised shoulder of Roe deer for two with smoked bacon, grilled field mushrooms, and celeriac puree (£30.50) was totally irrisistable. We took a side dish of salad,which consisted of baby watercress,shallots, celariac,with a grain mustard dressing and I think we detected some grated hazelnuts,and sherry vinegar(£3.50) I asked if Mike Robinson had personally shot the said deer, but it was not affirmed, needless to say again it was a fabulous dish which they gladly doggie bagged as we were reaching bursting point. We felt that we just had to squeeze in a dessert or two for the sake of, well just being there. We skipped the famed jam doughnuts, and went for,Lemon Posset, Dorset blueberries,and shortbread (£6)and Blackcurrent and stem ginger Eton mess(£6) Both were really scrummy, and just about finished us off, so to speak. What a truly wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon, the late summer sun was streaming through the windows and all was good in our world. Very highly recommended

According to the entry in The Good Food Guide 2010,and with a score of 5, Ryan Simpson,is cited as, "best up and coming chef". Mighty praise indeed. As they held a Michelin star with former chef Mike North,( now at his own place The Nut Tree, Murcot,also Michelin starred by the way) is it at all possible that they have a future star in young Ryan? We have not been fortunate enough to dine there yet, however despite the distance, rest assured we will try it very soon. As a way of whetting my appetite has anyone been recently? and if so can you post a review? Whilst on the subject, anybody been to The Nut Tree recently? a report on the relevant thread would be much appreciated. Thanks in anticipation.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

I would have bet strong money that I would never utter the words " Had a poor meal at Red Chilli", but I just have. I was looking forward to my overdue chilli fix today, but on the way to a rain soaked Manchester I formed a pact with my wife to not have the lamb hotpot, which is a stalwart, that I always order. Early evening was about a third full and the service was the normal laid back slow. Glancing at the above posts before we left I decided to take Thom's advice and look for the Rabbit specials as we are partial to a bit of bunny. Sadly there were none. We did however chose another special. Sexy aubergine couple with honest lamb & coriander in clay pot. Well, I missed Thom's comment above, sad to say, as this dish is gobsmackingly poor. It looked completely unappetising when it arrived at the table. The dish was devoid of flavour except for the coriander and a slight lamby undertone. The aubergine was tasteless and the broth was as murky as the pavement puddles that we had trudged through. A really poor dish. Gongbao chicken was the first dish we ever ordered here and this latest rendition was as good as the first. So no problem there, thank goodness. Salt and pepper soft shell Crab arrived looking as appealing as ever and its normal portion size as generous as we remember.. However, the dish had stood about for some time, so instead of the batter being crispy it was soggy and slightly offputting. The crab itself was tasty, thank god or I would have sent this back. I was really disappointed with the meal and it did cross my mind to complain, but quite frankly I really could not bring myself to do it. We spoke briefly to the manager as we left. He was on meet and greet duty so we had to be brief. He is always happy and friendly with us so I did not discuss the food but sad to report ,you Brummies will not be getting a Red Chilli, your loss will be London and Newcastle's gain. They are also having a look at Reading. We are of the opinion that this freak event will not happen again, so it will not stop us going back

We ate there again last month, I booked the 10 course dinner menu for lunch with a group of friends. It was very good, the each dish is small but overall the meal filled us up and some of the flavours and combinations are very good. If anything it was better than out first visit in Feb. I agree with Jay's niggles apart from the Tiramisu which I though worked quite well (and I am usually cynical about deconstructed dishes) ← Thanks Phil, According to their website, " Coming soon " 2 new menus priced at £40 and £55. Waiting to get a reply as to opening times as it does not list them on the website(except lunch).

Just in case you read other newspapers and may miss this, is he the only one to be underwhelmed? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/re...eld-London.html

Anybody else apart from Jay Rayner been here recently http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/200...ner-restaurants Certainly seems worth a visit, especially with those bargain basement prices

Really glad you liked it so much. As pointed out in my review I am amazed this thread has been so quiet since the original opening flourish. Hopefully now they will get the due uptake of business that they deserve And of course that star. Happy eating I forgot about the truffles and macaroons, we were compted them as well, even though we skipped coffee (as we always tend to do )

You may have missed this rather interesting article by Jasper Gerard, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/re...-Cambridge.html

Its truly great value, for quality and quantity, no tiny portions here. It deserves a lot more recognition, its class.

One of the great mysteries of the fine dining world is why this place has not got a Michelin star. I sort of followed the progress since the opening in 2007, and with such a dream team in residence it seemed a foregone conclusion. As is perhaps the case with London restaurants once the initial enthusiasm subsides quite a lot slip below the radar, as witnessed above with the lack of activity during 2008. We decided to give it a try as it held so much promise. Try driving into London on a Saturday when your sat nav breaks down, you don't have a map, your running late, and you don't know the location, Thankfully our late arrival was graciously accepted, which amplified the level of service throughout. We opted for the excellent value lunch to see what "Aggie" could put in front of us for £22. To get things going we were presented with a mixture of "crisps" a signiture dish consisting of potato, cod skin, bread, parmesan?, with two dipping sauces. The crisps were good enough on there own without the sauces, but we ploughed in never the less. The pre starter was wonderful, a "texture" of peas and baby broad beans. Bread was as you may expect, was top notch, served with, butter, olive oil, and tapenade. Heirloom tomatoes, dried, fresh, Parmesan Snow,basil. Icelandic organic Salmon, confit, capers, cucumber,rye bread. Both starters were full of interesting flavours, please accept my sketchy account as I did not take notes and the pictures on my phone are too dark to jog my poor memory. We both opted for, Lancashire Pork belly, slow cooked, spring roll, asian flavours. As pleasing on the eye as well as the palate, this dish was really showing what the kitchen was about. I asked for the other dish as an extra course. Icelandic line caught Cod, barley risotto, pickled shallots, lemon puree. Beautiful tranche of Cod, flaky, and fresh as can be, teamed well with the other ingredients and I was really pleased that I ordered it. For dessert we had Mara des Bois Strawberries, granola, greek yogurt, milk ice cream. New season Raspberries, raw, juice, Lemon Verbena, yogurt ice cream. Both desserts without "cream" are of course all part of the ethos of Sverrison's cooking, lightness, clarity, and of course, seasonality. I was surprised no one was on " pastry" Aggie himself produced the desserts which were both up there with the best that we have eaten this year. I especially liked the Raspberry " soup" with the memorable lemon verbena tang. As has already been touched on, service was, efficient, informative, and the right side of friendly from Xavier Rousset and his team adding to the enjoyment of the meal. Chef was around and about, but apart from a "hello chef" on first sight, we dived into the food with relish. Well what can I say. I know it was only lunch and I will perhaps get a bit of stick for saying it again, but, "Why has this place not got a Michelin Star?" This place is up there with the best of our dining experiences this year, and I'm hoping, hand on heart, it does not turn into the Anthony's of the South. 2x 3 course lunch £44 1x Extra main £12.50. 2x glass Rose £9.00 1x glass Cabernet £7. 00 1x glass Frappato £6.50 Opp, service charge £9.88 Thames water FOC Total £88.88

Doesn't he just! I think he keeps this place alive! ← I do my best Had a very good lunch at Texture on Saturday also, may post it later.

Thanks for that timely report, seems we are not the only ones who tend to go for the same dishes, Mrs G always chooses what I fancy eating, and vice versa of course. Sometimes we just order the same if the dish is irresistable, but of late if that happens I tend to order the other choice as an extra course rather than not taste it. I think I may toss a coin as to visit or not. Fully agree with you on the despicable "no shows", whip the b'stards till they squeal. Thanks again

More staff than customers here today is perhaps a sign of the recession, quite a few of said staff seemed to be eastern european which somehow jarred on the authenticity front. All of the restaurants in Charlotte street were dead, and as I gazed across the road to Pied a Terre(closed) I was glad not to be in the restaurant business at this point in time. I like the room and wanted to sit at the square wooden bar watching the action on the robata grill and see the chefs prep the food. Nic Watt was not in the kitchen today, although I was informed he is still in the country, as I was under the impression he was in Oz. There are two tasting menus on offer, 11 courses at £50, or 13 courses at £75. I can only assume that these courses would be really tiny, as our choice off the carte was to be a bit of a mixed bag. Soft shell crab with garlic, soy mayonnaise. Ama Ebi-sweet shrimp. Chicken skewers with spring onion Quail marinated in plum wine and red miso. Scallop skewers with wasabi and shiso. Butterfish tataki with white asparagus and yuzu shallot dressing. Foie gras with umeshu plum and nama nori. Rice hot pot with King Crab and wasabi tobiko. Now hands up, Japanese food appeals more to my wife, however some of Nic Watt's food on Saturday Kitchen has struck a chord with me. The best dishes were the Quail, Foie Gras, and the Chicken skewers. The best of all, and good value for money was the Crab/rice hot pot, a type of Japanese risotto. Sweet shrimp ( three ) were miniscule and at two quid each, was taking the pith. Butterfish was fine, as was the soft shell Crab but I was'n't wowed. I think my expectation level was higher than the kitchen could deliver, and even though the food was good, I was a tad under whelmed. As has been touched on above its easy to run up quite a bill on these tasty little morsels, some smaller than the gratis amuse bouche usually offered at our normal dining places. I am glad to have tried this place out, all in all it was enjoyable, I do however find it over rated. We would return, but not in a hurry as there is still a multitude of other places to try. Food £76.70 1 Asahi beer £4.30 1 Hakushika (saki) £5.80 Service charge £11.69 4 glasses Thames water FOC Total £98.29

Tried a few times to get a table on a Saturday/Sunday without much luck, however I generally leave it late to decide on where I want to eat,(3 or 4 days max) so perhaps a bit of extra planning is in order.

Which, keeping on topic, can provide a focus for popping off to a nearby area and having a spot of Sunday lunch somewhere before garden visiting. ← Which is exactly what we do John

damn...i was taken there for my birth-day last year and had a lovely time. stunning gardens, and the food at the pub was very enjoyable. hopefully it will still be run as a hotel of some sort. -che ← No need to worry, its been taken over by the owners of nearby Calcot Manor. http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...nistration.html The gardens are indeed wonderful, we went a couple of years ago when they were in full bloom, the village gardens were opened up as part of The National Garden Scheme a fantastic charity, where kind people open their gardens to the public. The Cotswold village gardens are a national treasure well worth a journey. http://www.ngs.org.uk/

Hmm, I quite like the Glasshouse too. My least favourite of the bunch is The Square, although I feel I may be in the minority with that one. I never have figured out why The Square deserved one let alone two stars based on my visits there (although the food was OK bar the incessant use of cappuccino'ing every sauce, the service was what really let it down for me, for example staff including maitre d' not knowing anything about the miniscule cheese selection). H ← I had a look at The Square earlier today, I've only been the once, and quite some time ago. I fancied something for this weekend, but decided against it as the pricing put me off a bit. Its not reviewed at all, yet for a two star place I'm a bit surprised to say the least. There are some terrific bargains in London currently so I ended up booking somewhere else, although when I have my more serious head on I will give it a try perhaps.