oenomania

A couple of less gossipy publications which are interesting are artofeating.com gastronomica

Thanks for the replies; I am not in China often and, indeed, this is my first trip to Beijing. So I aim to restrict my attention to Chinese restaurants and apart from having a go at Beijing duck I would like a few recommendations for snake restaurants, 'fine' restaurants, dumplings, street food, etc etc.

Sad to see there are no replies to this question. I am going to Beijing at the end of the week and would love a few recommendations of authentic places to eat and dishes to look out for, special markets, etc. Thanks!

Was this Bologna as in Emilia-Romagna, or Bologna as in bologna sandwich?

I always end up going South for Chinese food or North to Rasa or Pied a Terre; I wonder though whether Soho has changed much or whether I am just getting older. It seems a long time ago that the then Hamine on Brewer street was new, or similarly the laksa joint on Great Windmill Street...

I happened to run into Fuchsia Dunlop today and she said she was not particularly aware of any Sichuan restaurants one would recommend in London. Anyway I pointed out to her that there is this thread...

I would second the vote for St John - either St John. Incidentally a new edition of Henderson's Nose to Tail Eating is coming out in the US in April so you might be able to book-up on the flight.

Have you tried working with a professional travel agent in the US who might actually take some responsibility for the recommendations and the answers to the questions you have? I would be worried about snake-oil if I were you. And I think it would be a good idea to really pin down how you see yourself spending your days. Four months is a long time to spend somewhere if you are unsure about whether you will be happy there and you might end up in a damp converted barn; personally I would recommend you set up base camp in Paris and then maybe spend a few long weekends away in the Loire, in Burgundy, in the Languedoc, or the alps, or Alsace, or Normandy, or Montpellier, or Bordeaux... Then next time you can make a better informed choice about more remote areas you might like to live.

They seem to have headed more towards the pre-packaged/prepared meats and away from old style butchery, for my money. A shame. What about Kingsland, on Portobello Rd?

Lidgate in Holland Park is usually a good bet.

I was being a little facetious. So I take it that you are not against Paul's? I will only start to worry if they plan to open outlets in North America! The horrors!!!! I believe they are in Spain, Morocco, Japan, and the UK. But I'm not sure about North America. Perhaps they should aim for Montreal first.

Note that Morris & Verdin was recently acquired by Berry Bros.

Hmm. This is an interesting thread. It seems to suggest another excellent reason for adoption. Either that or wait for a good vintage in the southern hemisphere and then hurry.

Did I mention the food? I had the John Dory as a main course, by which I mean I ate a fleck of cold fish basking atop the mound of salt and courgette, and pushed the plate aside. I did not dwell on the food earlier, because the service made my evening so thoroughly unenjoyable I didn't feel I could be objective. However I have seen reviews elsewhere noting the high salt content, so in retrospect I assume my perception was correct. It was unquestionably the worst restaurant experience I have ever had in London. I have fonder memories of meals which ended with food poisoning. It might be a good place to shoot some reality TV, however, with real-time blood pressure readings of the contestants.

For the record here is a nice review due to Jay Rayner: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/restaurants/s...1096143,00.html