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Broken English

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Everything posted by Broken English

  1. I always used to think canned beer had a really odd taste to it. Looking back now though, it was probably just that in Australia it's mostly horrible beer that's sold in cans.
  2. That's what really irritates me about him, the fact that he gave that up to shamelessly promote Coles and become a complete media whore. Yeah, the paycheck may be good, but it is pretty clear he has no self respect or dignity left. But then again, that seems the way of the world, the eye candy gets the prize. I'd have a little respect for him if he actually had his own restaurants and got his publicity and profile that way, rather than not having 'cooked' for years and having the nerve to promote a soulless corporate giant such as Coles, just because middle aged housewives find him 'cute' and want him to ravish them.
  3. Depending on the style of restaurant, a more informal thankyou like buying a beer is well appreciated, but someone who has dined there 4-5 times in their week long holiday (I used to work on a holiday island) coming into the kitchen at the end of their stay to thank you for your hospitality over the week is also very well recieved. It depends on the context.
  4. I have to wonder, what happens if you choose a long tasting menu, do you say grace before each course, or before the start of the meal? I have no problem with people doing it, if that's what turns them on, but I don't expect to be forced to participate, that's when I'll get my back up. I have never seen it done at a restaurant by anyone though.
  5. I assume you're talking about freezing yourself in a domestic freezer? I think the effect that freezing has on fish depends on how it is done, and the industrial processes are much less severe. Certainly tuna are deep-frozen at sea, so even when you read about a new record being set for the price of a tuna at auction, which seems to happen every so often, that record-price-setting tuna has been frozen. I think they use liquid nitrogen, or at least a slurry of dry ice and liquid nitrogen, which doesn't harm the flesh as much. I noticed that a thread on 'wormy fish' has been bumped up, it contains a few statistics from Modernist Cuisine in one of the newer posts. The risk is very slight... But while it's good to know there is a potential risk from eating raw fresh fish, I think the risk of getting food poisoning from eating an oyster is far higher, but it's never harmed their popularity. It just goes with the territory... I've never worked in a kitchen that has used liquid nitrogen, so I don't have any basis for that. I was referring to freezing conventionally, either cryovaccing and freezing or just freezing as most people would at home. I assume using liquid nitrogen, the principle is the same as that in ice cream, whereby the freezing occurs so quickly that there is no time for ice crystals to form, which I guess, would leave the texture a great deal better. Still, I would submit that fresh is better, it doesn't matter how quick the freezing occurs, I would think that the process would strip some of the essential characteristics that fresh caught fish has. I have no real basis, and am happy to be proven wrong, but that's my feeling. Maybe it's just the enhanced perception gained when you know the fish was pulled from the water less than 24 hours before that provides the majority of the difference between the two products. It would be quite interesting to have a blind tasting of the two. There may be a slight risk with worms, but again, I think there's a hell of a lot of bigger risks in the food world, like you mentioned.
  6. In my experience, the process of freezing turns the flesh far too mushy to be eaten raw. I guess the ice crystals force the flesh fibres apart. Cryovac bags help this a little, but it's still not good enough for raw purposes in my book. All fish loses the 'fresh' flavour as it gets older. Even a fish that's had a few days in the fridge will taste quite different from one fresh caught that morning. Wahoo often have the same sort of parasites in the flesh of their belly flaps. They are completely harmless as long as you cut around them.
  7. My favourite raw dish I've created is inspired by something I came across flicking through an old Creole cookbook I found. I make a white gazpacho with cucumber, eschallot, sour cream, lime, verjuice, sugar syrup, herbs and chardonnay vinegar, and serve it with a tartare of wahoo (it's my favourite raw fish because of its extremely buttery texture and delicate flavour ... we've also used tuna and hiramasa kingfish) dressed with apple, lime, mint and chives. Absolutely delicious.
  8. I like braising them in masterstock (yeah, exactly what you said you were sick of, I know ... but it's good), or brining and roasting them coated with a glaze of the masterstock. I love masterstock and duck, it's a combination made in heaven for me.
  9. I may as well just use this topic to ask this, so ... I'm moving to Toronto in August for a year or so, and was wondering about the top places in the city to work as a chef. I'd prefer fine dining and really want to learn more about MG stuff, but I'm not overly fussed.
  10. Okay, so it's not quite a 2 month policy, The bookings for the entire month of August open up on June 1. Anyway, I'm in. I really can't wait.
  11. That's not fair !!! I dined alone there in January last year and did not get any extras or freebies !!! Just luck of the draw I suppose... I don't know hey, it must be. I usually get extras, in terms of big ticket places I mean. Ramsay's in Chelsea and Melbourne and also Quay are the only ones in recent memory where I got just what was ordered. Not that I hold that against them at all. I must just look hungry most of the time.
  12. Brilliant restaurant, and the cookbook is simply stunning.
  13. I have about 120. Favourites include... Nutmeg and Custard - Marcus Wareing Becasse, Inspirations and Flavours - Justin North The Big Fat Duck Cookbook - Heston Blumenthal Under Pressure, Cooking Sous Vide - Thomas Keller Quay, Food Inspired By Nature - Peter Gilmore All pretty mordernist, but great books nonetheless.
  14. Chef's Armoury in Alexandria, Sydney, also has a range of Molecular ingredients.
  15. Well, I have to say in July last year, there wasn't a thing I could fault. Though, I was dining alone, and in my experience, dining alone gets you a lot more 'special treatment' than you do if dining with others. I got a few freebies and got the langoustine upgraded to lobster on one of the dishes. Having Marcus there in the kitchen, and having him take the time to insist in having a ten minute talk with you and signing a free copy of Nutmeg and Custard was a great little bonus that has etched it into my memory as the best meal I've had thus far. My first booking next time I'm in London will be here.
  16. Thanks. I tried calling them at 10am and you are correct, it's a 2 month policy. I managed to get straight through as well. Wish I could do that at The Fat Duck.
  17. Just wondering how hard it is to get into Alinea these days. I'm going on a US holiday and will be in Chicago in early August. I already have a booking at Moto, and would love to hit up Alinea as well. Should I have tried to book earlier?
  18. I would definately visit Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, I had an extraordinary meal there last year while I was there. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is one I'd probably give a miss when I go next, it's nice food, expertly prepared and almost technically flawless, but at the same time it's pretty boring. The other pricey place I ate in London was L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, which was very impressive.
  19. I spent 2 hours redialing last night and couldn't get anything other than the engaged tone. I guess you just have to be lucky.
  20. I'll be heading down to Sydney again soon. I'm stoked to go to the new Becasse, from what Monty (Koludrovic, head chef)described last time I saw him, it'll be something else. Marque is always on the list, as is my old work Fratelli Paradiso. I really want to try Sepia this time, and probably Grant King's new restaurant in Potts Point.
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