Thomas Secor

Sorry about the mix-up. One day I will be able to figure out the quote thingy and then forego such lapses in manners. I agree about Konditor & Cook, and specifically omitted my own opinion. The only thing there that I have really cared for is the shortbread (but then I am a huge fan of the "butter makes everything better" contingent, and shortbread seems to me to be nothing much more than sweet butter in a cookie format). In fact, I have had some downright atrocious experiences there and seldom venture inside these days. But still, if you dig it, theres one on Grays Inn Road. I encourage Barcelona a trip to Barcelona. Not only is the food great, the social scene is lovely, and as I put it to a friend of mine, the buildings look like they are celebrating Mardi Gras all on their own. The architecture is quite intriguing. But then I have only been recently introduced to Gaudi and that style of modernism.

Ive been curious about Gourmet Burger Kitchen for sometime, and Kikujiro you may have sealed the deal in my head. I have got to check out the chorizo burger. I am returning to Barcelona in a few weeks, and all I can think about is the chorizo sandwich that I had in some divey place in the Barri Gotica washed down with an ice cold beer. We were stopping at this place on the way to dinner for a quick one, and we never made it to dinner. We showered ourselves in chorizo, manchego cheese, lightly fried peppers, sauteed pork, the list went on and on. Heaven. Anyone looking for Konditor & Cook, should also note that they have a shop on Gray's Inn Road, about a block north of Holborn.

The wraps are great, although thats not usually my thing. There is also a west indian guy selling very reasonably priced and tasty meals or a la carte items. The burgers are excellent. My only gripe is regarding the most popular stand, the chorizo sandwich guy. It somehow wraps up the whole London eating scene in my mind that in order to over pay for, an albeit very tasty, tiny (one small-medium sized chorizo), relatively simple sandwich (three ingredients, bread, rocket and chorizo, four if you count the olive oil), one has to wait in lines of up to 30-40 minutes and then be asked to pay three pounds or whatever for a sandwich that costs about 50 pence in Barcelona and has twice as much meat. I know the usual arguments, rent, transport, etc. But for chrissake, its a stand in the middle of a market, about four hundred km from the source.

I agree with Karylou. I dont have much investment in the Michelin star/French bias debate, but one thing I would ask for is consistency. If Michelin ratings are supposed to imply a certain level of service, among other characteristics, then it is incumbent upon the Michelin reviewers to stick to those guidelines. As has been noted on this board numerous times, and in many reviews, the level of service at Hakkasan, particularly considering the price, is close to appalling. It is very clear that service staff are hired based upon youthful model-like good looks (perhaps that should be a Michelin criteria, but to my knowledge is not) and not for their service excellence. I have received wrong orders, had miscalculated bills, had courses intolerably stretched out, and then jammed together, over and over again at Hakkasan. Look, the food's good, the place is funky (in a relatively safe, trendy kind of way), the drinks list is pretty right on, and its a pretty nice place to pass a night chowing down, getting pissed, and watching people snogging in the corner and experiencing the early effects of the ex thats going to take them through the night. But is that really Michelin?

Simon's correct. Although, they seldom seem to chuck anybody out in practice. Too difficult to figure out who is a member and who is not at that point. I think its more of an effort to establish some pretence of adhering to their license, which requires it to be members only post-11. What is certain, is that it would be difficult for non-members to get in following 11. And I would point out, although I am not an expert on members clubs, that these two seem to fall into their own category. Most of my english friends who go thinking of them as members clubs, are not particularly enthused about their experiences. To the extent that the concept "members club" conveys any sense of elitism, discretion in admission, availability only to those of a certain background or level of wealth, these joints are not fitting the definition (as indicated by the "anyone who pays their 150 pounds a year can join" policy). Perhaps following on that, the level of service is probably not close to that at a trendy members club like Home House. You just arent likely to feel like a big important somebody walking into Match or M&H. I really enjoy both places. And I have had great cocktails at relatively modest prices at both.

Im in (work going well). Simon, I am wondering if you are aware that the Player is run by the same folk running Milk and Honey, your other favorite place in London. Or was it the most loathsome place in London?

Yes, the A'bunadh, which I think was introduced in early 2002, is very good. I have given it as a birthday gift to a few people, as I think it is both somewhat original and fitting (since the name means origins). Wilfrid, if you are in London these days and looking for a very solid older single malt, I would suggest the Ardbeg 17. It is a clear example of how a very distinctive and flavorful 10 yr can retain those traits but be mellowed by age becoming much more drinkable. Ardbeg 17 is mentioned a number of times above. The reason that I specify your being in London, is because there has been a promotion on Ardbeg 17 in a number of shops (I can think of Oddbins and the Soho Wine Shop (which has excellent deals by the way)) are having a special and I have seen it for as low as 26 pounds which is a real steal. I also think the Glenfiddich 18 is infinitely superior to the standard younger Glenfiddich 12 (which I dont generally drink). If you are looking for smoother whiskies of similar years, you might try one of the "double matured" series (Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Talisker, Glenmorangie, and maybe a few others). These whiskies have been matured according to the standard process of the particular distillery and then recasked and matured for a further period (e.g. the Lagavulin was second matured in ximena sherry casks). I have found that this produces a smoother and slightly sweeter finish. This is particularly so with the heavily peated Islay whiskies such as Talisker and Lagavulin. The double matured Lagavulin is one of my favorites.

I hope it was worth the trip, if not mindblowing. As I mentioned, its a good neighborhood place, but I am not sure how far I would travel to get there. Brings up a funny story though, the last time I went by Han Kang was to get takeout, and I was absolutely ravenous. I picked up the food and hurried home, smelling the bulgogi through the bag all the way and already anticipating the first mouthful of kimchi. I rushed upstairs and tore the bag open. I then decided that since my wife was out of the house, I could indulge in a favorite activity I am usually forbidden, and that is a cigarette before my meal. Of course, a wife who doesnt want one to smoke at all, is certainly not understanding about smoking in the house, so I made my way downstairs cigarette in one hand, beer in the other, putting my much anticipated meal on hold for five minutes. Well, of course, as soon as I got outside and heard the door click behind me, I realized I had forgotten my keys. No money, no keys, half a beer, half a cigarette, and the realization that a feast was waiting upstairs in an empty but well-lit apartment.

Friends of mine went to Giardinettos on Friday and said it was not only not good value, but downright bad. Overcooked pasta, overcooked and tasteless dover sole, uninteresting starters. Of course the restaurant itself is nothing much to look at, worsened by being in a basement that seemed to have fluorescent like lighting the one time I went down to take a look. In addition, it is not cheap. In their view, they could have gotten a meal at Passione for very much the same price (although probably a meal of two courses instead of three), which would have been infinitely better. Went to Paolo's on Friday night. It was packet at 9:30 and had trouble find seating for us as we hadnt reserved. I made this point in Kikujiro's post, that Fitzrovia restaurants are far more crowded Wed, Thurs and Fri. then on Saturday as much of their business is from the media types and PRistas that work in the area. And I loved the lemon tart. They are never lemony enough for me, and I thought it was great. Didnt have the tuna carpaccio though.

Bols actually makes one of the better Genevers, although I have never tried the Gin. Genever is less versatile than gin perhaps, but to my mind the oude genever is generally far preferable on its own. Bols makes a very nice oude genever. Guests to my house, many of whom profess to dislike gin, are almost invariably pleasantly surprised by a nice glass of chilled Bols oude genever.

Jason, I will have to pass on your fondness for the Matouk's to my wife. We went to Anguilla a few years ago, and she thought I was insane when I brought home half a dozen bottles of the stuff. Oddly enough (or maybe not considering the demographics), it is much easier to find Matouks and similar styles in London, than in NY. I suppose it doesnt count as a hot sauce, but its spicy (if you get the spicy version, that is), so I am gonna have to give a shout out to Stubbs barbecue sauce. Anything you might have a desire to put ketchup on, Stubbs is better.

Sardos was one of my favorite restaurants for a period of time, and I must have recommended both it and the Perseverance to dozens of people for reasonably priced meals in the Bloomsbury/Fitzrovia area. However, much like the Perseverance, my enthusiasm with respect to Sardos has waned and I dont expect to go back. Interestingly enough, I dont think the quality of the food has changed. I would say that I always had one donkey of a meal for every three good ones that I had. And I stress the word "good", the meals were never great. What Sardos offered was something I think London, at least central London, sorely lacks, and that is reasonably priced, good, neighborhood restaurants. When Sardos was 60 pounds for two people, including starters, mains and a bottle of wine, I thought it fit the bill. They have recently raised prices so that the last time I went, the same meal had risen by 20-30 pounds. At 45 pounds a head, I expect a very different meal, different service levels and a different ambience. For my wallet, at 45 pounds, 3 out of 4 is not good enough, you have to be spot on every time, and you have to be better than a good neighborhood place. Now I go to Paolo, which although neither the interior, nor the "vibe", are as enjoyable as Sardos, has equally good food, some decent wines, and is still less than 20 pounds for three courses (17.50 to be exact). Hopefully a new place will open by the time the sucess of Paolo's goes to someone's head and they think they can start charging 12 pounds for perfectly good, but ordinary, linguine con vongole.

I second Tony's thought. I had lunch in the bistro at the Don, which is in the former port cellar of port producer Sandeman (who I have never heard of), and thought the service was great, the food exceptionally good and the prices very reasonable. Four of us had starters, mains, desserts and coffee for about 90 pounds (no liquor). I got the sense that the service is of the same quality as the restaurant, so you end up with the service of a fine dining establishment in a bistro. I had a wonderful fish soup to start, which came with all the appropriate accompaniments. I had stuffed pounded pork loin for a main (stuffed with ham and cheese if I remember correctly) which was breaded on a bed of rocket and some sort of mash (memory very hazy, the lunch was an interview lunch so was not able to concentrate properly as the interviewee seemed hell bent on discussing U.S. foreign policy, not the subject matter I would bring up in an interview, by the way). I do recall that the waiter came by with four or five mustards laid out on a tray for me to try, which I greatly enjoyed. One of my lunch companions had a lamb burger which was probably the best burger I have had in England in the few years I have been here, it was medium rare, juicy and flavorful, properly salted, had some flavor from the spicing but not so much that it overwhelmed the flavor of the meat and came resting on a mess of crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, frites. The desserts were also very good. I had a Tarte Tatin like concoction, but made with bananas instead of apples. The only low point was the coffee, where I had ordered an espresso they brought me about five to six ounces of something between a strong coffee and very weak espresso. The Don was far and away the best place I have been to in the city in this price category (4-6 for starters, 9-14 for mains). Coq Dargent shouldnt even exist two blocks away from this place (except for the views of course). It is owned by the same people who own the Bleeding Heart Tavern, so perhaps the food is similar. I have never been to Bleeding Heart except for drinks. I can also recommend Moro and Cafe du Marche highly. I would not recommend K10 for anything other than a quick casual lunch. I agree with Gavin that the food is very good, but at lunch its always packed and although I have never been rushed by the waiters (such as they are, since 60 percent of the seats are at the conveyor belt), I have always felt as if someone is waiting to pounce on my seat as soon as I vacate it.

Most of my finer food thoughts have already been suggested, but.... I recognize you didnt ask, but if you are looking for a quick, non-pub, close-by drink before hand, I would suggest Freud which is across the way from 125th Street on Shaftesbury Avenue, on the east side of the street. It is downstairs, so you have to keep your eyes peeled. Nothing fancy about it, but they make nice relatively inexpensive drinks. If you prefer a pub, I would suggest the Cross Keys down Endell Street. There is also a Sam Smiths pub across the street from the Theater. I think its called the Crown. They often have heated seating outside. If you get stuck and starving before or after the theater, there is a better than average (in the universe of Central London, way better than average) Kebab shop called Cafe 2000, right next to the Freud. Enjoy the show. Having lived on 125th street for most of my youth and much of my adulthood, I always giggle when I go by the theater.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have reservations for Alle Testiere and Carampane (unfortunately for the same evening, so something is going to have to give). Kikujiro, thanks for the list. You have hit many of the ones that I have repeatedly seen recommended. However, I would give al Mascaron a miss. I have been there twice in the last year and a half and both times found it to be disappointing, particularly with respect to the amount of hype its received. I must disclose that the last time I went, my mood was probably heavily soured by the fact that we went by during the day, were told we needed reservations, and therefore made reservations for the evening (the only available reservations being for 9pm). We arrived promptly at 9pm and then waited for over an hour for our table, along with all the people who hadnt made reservations. Peter, do you have any concrete suggestions regarding Venice, I didnt notice any above. I would love to take recommendations only from italians, but that is not always an option, and in this case the two italians who might be helpful, i.e. my wife and her father, are the ones whose lack of information prompted my original request.

Indian tonic water is sold under the Schweppes brand. I agree that it seems a bit sweeter than the tonic sold in the States. On the question of the drinks being tastier, I assume that it was not a distinction in the gins themselves? There are a number of gins sold in England which are quite good and, to my knowledge, are not widely sold in the States, such as Plymouth.

On the contrary, I thought it was an undeserved compliment.

The Busaba Eathai on Store street was scheduled to open in Mid-September, so now its anyone's guess. I was walking by a few weeks ago when the door was open and the inside still looked pretty gutted. On a similar note, does anyone know when the new Nando's flagship on Frith street is supposed to open? Or whether its open already?

I am planning a brief visit to Venice with my wife and her parents in October. I have taken into account the above recommendations and saved the FT article from when it was first published. However, I was wondering whether anyone had additional thoughts. In particular, we are interested in laid back, friendly environments with good traditional food. My wife's father was brought up in Venice so he has very high standards to go along with his very fond memories. However, his fond memories do not include the names of any of the places he went to as a child (other than one place, maybe Giardineto's?, which I have been to and is very good, I will post on that and others when we return). Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Vanessa, I have not been to New Malden (not even sure I know where it is, embarassingly enough), but I imagine the faux vegetables you had were pickled cuttlefish. Its also quite common to get pickled fish themselves, I never know what kind they are, but they look like the minnows I used to use for bait. Anyway, you eat them whole, and my wife finds them disgusting (often an indication that something will be particularly tasty). Akiko, I dont remember noticing the stone bowls, but I bet they know where to get them if they dont have them. They certainly sell all the things to cook in them. With respect to Kickuchi's, I have never been there, and have heard mixed things. However, it is usually full (mostly japanese middle aged men with the requisite clouds of smoke). If you want to check it out sometime let me know, maybe you will have an expertise in ordering that I certainly lack. I havent had the japchae at Han Kang, in fact I almost always go for the barbequed meats which they do quite well. Like Simon, I am a voracious carnivore so I can seldom resist just cutting to the chase. The pancake things (particularly with scallions) are a favorite of my wife and I thought they were quite good. The bibimbop is not my favorite, but does have a stronger taste of sesame than most, which I do enjoy. The soups are all very good, in particular there is a very spicy beef soup (cant recall the name) which I get almost everytime (can you identify a theme here?). The gyoza are a bit crap, but I have seldom had good gyoza in a korean restaurant. They do some very good seafood dishes. Simon, usually I would recommend you ask the hostess, but I am not certain how the women at Han Kang would respond. I would be curious as to whether you could convince them not to steer you to the more mundane dishes. Its well worth a try. Another favorite of mine is to look around and point at what I want on the other tables. I know these are not particularly helpful hints, but much of my korean food experience stems from fast food countertop type places in Hong Kong where I could never read the name of what I was eating and the selections were relatively limited. I just came to know that I was really diggin it.

The Myna Bird has a similar menu, with some more traditional asian entrees. Its always empty. I heard the original chefs and backers took off, maybe selling it to the manager or some such. Now, on to the more important topic of the Perseverance. I have been to the Perseverance about a dozen times over the last year and a half and have recommended it to numerous people. The food has always been good. The beer selection has always been bad (Kronenbourg, usually one real ale London Pride or some such, Stella and, horror of horrors, Miller Genuine Draft). Over the last six months, mostly since they have moved the dining room upstairs, I have seen a significant fall off in the service, and to some extent, possibly as a result, a fall off in the quality of the food. The last three times I was there the service was intolerably slow (20 minutes to get our first beer on the last go round, and over an hour before our starters came out of the kitchen) and the food at times has been cold or appeared as if it had been sitting in a warming oven for a bit. This might be acceptable in a (gastro)pub but for the fact that there only about 15-20 covers, and the restaurant is not part of the pub, but self-contained upstairs with its own dedicated staff. All in all, still a good bet, particularly if you are anticipating a leisurely evening and are not hungry when you go. However, I thought it was a more lively and enjoyable place and I thought the service was much much better when they served food downstairs in the pub area.

Vanessa, one of the restaurants you asked about was Han Kang on Hanway Road (down the street a bit from Hakkasan). I go to Han Kang on a relatively regular basis and find it to be a solid and respectable choice for korean. I dont think its brilliant, in that the dishes are not particularly unusual (for a korean restaurant, that is), but it is certainly not a place that tailors for western tastes either. For those on the board who are not well versed in korean, or who may be hosting any such, I think Han Kang would be a nice introduction, as it has an "authentic" feel to it. In addition, the owner and the staff are very friendly and welcoming, and although many of them do not speak english very well, they will do their best to be helpful in ordering. It is also quite reasonably priced. For the price, it is certainly the best korean I have been to in London. If you are at all interested in cooking your own food, there is a korean grocery on Store Street, just up Tottenham Court Road from Hanway Road, which has a wide selection of korean (and japanese) ingredients. Much to my delight, they not only sell a range of kimchi, but they also sell pre-marinated bulgogi which I like to take home and cook. The only problem is that I cant get the rice right. Oh well.....

At the risk of rekindling the acrimonious discussion above, I thought I would note that the debate regarding Berns may live on, but the subject has not. Obit

The Good Pub Guide has been invaluable to me on travels around England and Wales (it has a brief section on London, which also names some top places, but you might find these without the guide). Although not every place mentioned is top notch, I have found that every place I have been to which received special mention in the guide, was well worth travelling out of the way for. In addition, it generally indicates the beer on offer, so if you are looking for something in particular, or just something you havent had before, you can get that info before arriving to find out that you are at yet another Youngs Pub (not to knock Youngs, which is a fine, fine brewery). Unlike the CAMRA guide (which is also good), the Good Pub Guide has detailed description of food on offer, indicates whether the pub in question has a developed wine list, and whether it has rooms. I cannot overstate how helpful this book has been to me. If you are a beer drinker and want to really begin to enjoy what England has to offer I highly recommend it. By the way, I too agree that the Zagats in London is not very helpful as I have found it much less reliable than the same guides in other cities. When I first arrived in London I somehow ended up with a free subscription to Square Meal magazine, which was helpful in getting the lay of the land, although I am not sure I would pay for it. I also read past threads on food boards. I relied on the Rough Guide to some extent, which is a bit hit and miss, but does review some places that fall below the radar screens of other guides (including the much vaunted Mohsens). The primary problem I have found in London (as much discussed in other boards) is that it is difficult to find information on local and/or low-end restaurants. I have wrestled with the rationale for a very long time and have no conclusion as to why although you will find more than a few opinions on this and other boards. However, I would keep it in mind, even with respect to the postings on e-gullet.

I will definitely be checking this place out in short order. On the lack of business side, it helps to keep in mind that the Fitrovia area gets a lot more weekday evening and lunch business than weekend business. Almost all of the better mid-priced establishments (particularly those which are not located on the well travelled Charlotte Street) are busier during the week, as are the better pubs. Places like Sardo's, Giardineto's, the Fitzroy Tavern, Ragam, L'Etoile, even Passione, are almost always packed on Tues, Wed and Thursday nights, but are often much less so during the weekend. I have been able to book twice at Passione two/three hours before a Saturday evening dinner. So, what's my point? Two points, one, if a restaurant in that area is not busy on a weekend evening, one should not take that as a signal regarding the restaurant's quality, and two, one should not be as concerned regarding the restaurant's viability. Now if its not busy on Thursday, that's a different issue. All, in all though, I am very excited. I have a friend in town and like Kikujiro, have been racking my brain for a new, reasonably priced place to check out.