tonto21

Does anyone have any information on getting a reservation at 'Tickets', I am travelling to Barcelona in May and had a look there at the bookings and it appears to be booked out for the entire year as the only spot not taken was for person in June, that was the only available slot till December. Is this the case or will the reservation be opened up for the later months in due course?

I dont think he had ambitions of a star at the Church Green and from what I've hear he always intended to open up a fine dining restaurant after the Church Green. Is the great british menu to blame for all the Aiden Byrne bashing that goes on? Despite how he may have come across, the food at the CG can be great and in my mind Byrne is definitely at the level of a one star chef based purely on his ability and where he has worked and what he achieved at these places.

Viajante is defo worth a visit, I'd a good lunch here 2 weeks ago, Blueberry dessert was awesome.

Yeah I realised this....I just presumed it was london...silly

Well A.A Gill's review in the times on sunday comes to mind. I can't say I have been but he seemed to enjoy it. www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/a_a_gill/article7115474.ece

Have to say I am surprised to hear about your meal LizzyWizzy....Thats a shame. I have been twice, dinner both times, both in January a year apart, both before the 2nd star. The two meals were excellent. I put it forward as one of the best restaurant in London/UK no problem.

Cheers, much appreciated, Luckily Sunday is lunch is what I was aiming for...although I can do Sat Lunch and Din if needed.....Fingers Crossed....!

How easy are Lunch reservations to get? is it a fat duck/noma job as in you ring on the day your table becomes available as soon as the line opens up? im hoping to go in august.

Cheers FoodDoc, I've been twice to KO (I live in Ireland). The first lunch (August 09) and the second dinner (January 10), lunch was brilliant, dinner was a good meal but didnt hit the highs of the lunch i had had 5 months previous. 16th August 2009 Lunch (All over the place as we tried to piece it together some days after the event took place) 
First course- tofu on spoon (Little Crispy Stick thing) (Little Breaded Cube Tongue) 

Potato souffle 

Deep fried onion daikon cube 

3 sashimi courses (Hamachi was one i think) 

Oysters and caviar 

Urchin with soy milk curds and puff rice 

Grilled ocotopus (Fennel, Pickled something!)

 The "glorious" egg dish with bagel filled with ????? (Bacon & Cream Cheese?) 

Gnocchi dish with radish squash and onion rings

 Grilled corn, nori and corn soup 

Shaved foie lychee, peanut brittle and reisling jelly 

Crispy black bass, calamari, clams, daikon and smoked tomato water 

Duck with sausage, rice, vandouvan and fruit (Peach)

 Ash cheese, compressed pinapple, mustard cres and pistachio 

Pre- grean tomato sorbet, buttermilk and deep fried bread

 Strawberry sorbet with ritz crackers 13th January 2010 Dinner 1. Fried Pork Skin, Black Pepper Biscuit finished with Mirin 2. Braised Pork Belly, Compressed Cabbage & Onion Consommé 3. Raw Prawn, Pineapple Dashi, Dehydrated Broccoli Flowers 4. Long Island Fluke, Spicy Buttermilk, Poppy Seeds and Chives 5. Spanish Mackerel, Mizuna, Yuzo, Pickled Ginger and Puffed Rice Balls 6. Shaved Daikon Tortellini of Onion Puree and Oxtail Meat, Oxtail Consommé, Bean Sprouts, Basil and Cilantro 7. Smoked 5 min Egg, Soubise, Potato Chips, Caviar, Chervil and Chive. 8. Torn pasta, Chicken and Snail Sausage, Chicken Skin, Black Truffle & Parmesan 9. Almond Crusted Skate, Cauliflower Florets, Green Olive and Almond Milk Frothed 10. Shaved Foie Gras Torchon with Riesling Jelly, Lychee, and Pinenuts 11. Duck, finished in reduced pomegranate juice, Tokyo white turnip (baby nave), Pumpernickel, Mustard Leaves, Foie and Japanese Mustard Sauce, On the side Little Duck Terrine (Liver and Leg and herbs) 12. Brunoise Asian Pear, Elderflower and White wine sorbet 13. Goats and Ricotta, Cottage cheesecake, cranberries, Squash Ice-cream, Pumpkin Oil, Pumpkin Seed brittle

Shouldn't suffer from fatigue - I am well practiced and off to NYC after SFO for more eating! So if Im suffering by the end of SFO it won't be good news! Yeah I didn't mean to say Quince (Have you been?) was low key just that I would be giving it a miss! From Ireland....might well stick one of those places on the list then. thanks.

Yeah I was wondering that, but think I am happy to give it a try having never been before...

Rest of the list is....Manresa, Chez Panisse, Commis, Ubuntu, French Laundry, Coi & Zuni, I've a spare dinner slot in SFO, but would prefer somewhere low key....Quince was a possibly but I'm not that pushed to go. Any recs?

Thanks Carolyn! I already have Commis booked in fact! Looking forward to it even though I have read some mixed reviews. Taking into account the places he has worked and his recent Top 10, it is hard to imagine it will be disappointing

Just wondering if Corey Lee has opened his restaurant yet? i am visiting California this summer and am curious as to whether he has reappeared on the scene or has plans to do so before August? http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-08-06/entertainment/17177093_1_menu-chef-restaurant

Ate in Mathias Dahlgren in November, Loved it although I think it might be hard to call for three stars, I dont think it's quite there yet. The food is great though and it is no doubt a world class restaurant. Looking forward to his new cookbook aswell, be it in swedish... J. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonto21/collections/72157605182380648/

Managed to stick up my Harewood Arms pics...the photos are dodgy are they only off my phone but better than nothing! http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonto21/collections/72157605182380648/

Had a quick dinner in Harewood Arms on Saturday night and found to it to be excellent, I have some poor quality phone pictures I will link once I have them uploaded. I have not been to Hereford but I am booked in there for April. You wont be disappointed by Harewood though....

its cool cool have it now! Turkish embassy electrical supplies, London....

Have it! 20. Best place to buy: Olive oil Turkish embassy electrical supplies, London Mehmet Murat in his electrical shop. Photograph: Andy Hall The most unlikely olive oil vendor in the world? At his electrical supply shop in London's Clerkenwell, Mehmet Murat sells wonderful, intensely fruity oil from his family's olive groves in Cyprus and south-west Turkey. Now he imports more than a 1,000 litres per year. His lemon-flavoured oil is good enough to drink on its own. 76 Compton Street, London EC1, 020 7251 4721, www.planet mem.com

A man in London who either sells engine oil or tea...but sells wonderful Olive Oil aswell? Where is this again? There is place in London it is a tiny little shop and either sells Motor/Engine Oil or Tea (I cant remember) but he also sells magic Olive Oil apparently. I remember reading it either online or in a paper of some sort. Heading to London this coming weekend so desperate trying to find out where this is before I get there! Any clues no matter how small would be appreciated!

Is Tailor as a bar still open? If not where is Eben Freeman working these days? Any news on Sam Mason?

Cheers, I see, you know what I can defo see them doing that with a new Ramsay place, Is a new Petrus really necessary in the London scene at this point in time? (apart from the obvious attempt to get back at you know who.)

PhilD: the Belgium rules? Ben Mcmayon: Yeah I never thought about that aspect. Don't really get that new menu thing it's a bit of a random thing to do and seems somewhat out of his place considering what his other place around the corner does. Yeah I think he probably does deserve two at this stage but agree with the pissing off of everybody and the occasional inconsistency. You seem somewhat excited about Petrus? You going to be working there or just a fan of Ramsay? Also you said you think Sat will go to two? I take it you have been there? Is it worth a visit? Have you been to L'Enclume? Eating at the Church Green this saturday haven't been before but would surprised to see it get a star. Then again I didnt eat at the Dorchester when he was there although I presume its not quite at that standard. Although I can predict what kinda of food we will get having eaten Tom Aikens, Shane Osborne and Dylan McGrath similarities must run between them all considering the time they all spent together!

What makes you think Aikens won't be given a second after two years rising? Why Sat Baines to two? (I havent been just curious!) Wen does the new 'Petrus' open? I am sceptical as to whether a Ramsay restaurant would be able to reach 3 stars again (all talk about RHR is that it risks falling to two), Is it exciting enough? Who is behind Petrus? Askew?

Will be incredibly surprised if Ananda gets a star, it's not at that level. Is China Szechuan a contender in your opinion? To be honest I would never have placed either in a group who would be vying for a star. Certainly not China Szechuan, Ananda is nice but I think in comparison to the other starred restaurants in Dublin they would feel hard done by if Ananda was to get one. As for Pichet, It's good but I think it is hype over substance in some ways. Can't see it getting a star. Gibson obviously has the pedigree to do what ever he wants with the place. I can not see the pair of them deciding to go for a star, it's not what they set out to achieve and it would probably hinder their aims as opposed to helping them. Have you visited L'Ecrivain since Gibson's departure? Dax and Pearl are worthy mentions also..but again I doubt it. Pearl would probably take a star if they could get. I dont think Dax needs/wants it but it definitely one of the best restaurants in the country. Hopefully in the new year Dylan will get what he needs behind him to give it another go. He is incredibly important to this country on account of his ability and how he would be able to move the country forward in terms of our view of food. It would be a shame if he was forced to leave in order to be a success.