Matthew Grant

I was looking at why we couldn't find tangerines last year. It seems they were usurped by the generic "citrus fruit" others claimed that they are the same as mandarins (sounds fishy to me) Article Here

The B&B has been up for sale for quite some time now.

On the whole I would have thought that Brick Lane was a good place to avoid? As previously mentioned the Tayab restaurants are well liked here, my personal favourite is Mirch Masala which offers good North Indain/pakistani food. There are several branches now, one in the East End (http://www.mirchmasalarestaurant.co.uk/mm/index.htm Another area you might want to try is Tooting (I know you said the brick lane area but it doesn't hurt to visit somewhere else

Maybe they started asking as the number of people cancelling increased.

On a positive note, they did ask me why I was canceliing which suggests that a) a fair few people have cancelled and b) that they are taking note and will do something about it.

I just cancelled

Maschler seems a little warmer to it but still only three stars

No, still waiting despite email advising I would be receiving it shortly.

Think positive, everything will be running like clockwork by then, in fact it better be running like clockwork in time for next Friday

The Steak and chips is, unfortunately, a must have item on most London menus. Sad to say it is still one of the most ordered things. I remember being in the kitchen at Putney Bridge and watching plate after plate of Fillet steak "well done" going out the kitchen. The number one seller of a Saturday evening. For those that don't want fillet steak and chips don't order it. The plating look similar in style to Louis XV. I can't say my pigeon there was the most appealing thing visually (though it wasn't unattractive) but it blew most things I have eaten in this country over the last couple of years out the water. Simple and effective, Ducasse is not about cutting edge cuisine, I welcome the return of proper sauces!

I hope this gets sorted out quickly. With regard to the dishes such as "Nicoise" and "Grand veneur" I think this is in keeping with his current style in France. On the Louis XV menu at the moment is "Back of venison crushed with black pepper and juniper, fruit and vegetable, “poivrade” dressing" (Dos de chevreuil d’Alsace frotté de poivre noir et de genièvre, fruits et légumes à la forestière, sauce poivrade) Mediterranean sea bass spiked with black olives and capers, green tomato juice, lemon, scallion, fennel and sweet pepper (Loup de Méditerranée piqué d’olives noires et petites câpres au jus de tomates vertes et de citron de Menton, cébette, fenouil et poivron fondants). Wood pigeon roasted rare and after cooked «salmis», cabbage stuffed with foie gras, Matignon vegetables (Palombe rôtie saignante puis mijotée en salmis, chou fourré de foie gras puis braisé sur une fine matignon) Not so very far from the dishes on the London menu. I suspect the execution is the problem, not the actual dishes.

I was there for that meal as well, made me wish Phillip Britten would start cooking again!

It was already translated, I heard it was all pretty good and the room is meant to be "stunning"

Apparently half of Londons best chefs were there last night or as somebody told me "Everybody except Ramsay". Apparently an excellent meal. I can't give you a review until next week but I can give you this: A la carte 3 courses £ 75 4 courses £ 95 Starters - Entrées Fine CHESTNUT VELOUTÉ, royale of foie gras, light whipped cream Châtaignes en fin velouté, royale de foie gras, crème légère Soft “Silver EGG”, warm truffled leeks OEuf mollet en feuille d’argent, poireaux truffés servis tièdes Simmered duck FOIE GRAS, mango, “dolce forte” sauce Foie gras de canard cuit au bouillon, mangue, sauce dolce forte AUTUMN VEGETABLES, raw and cooked, mushroom marmelade Légumes d’automne cuits et crus, marmelade de champignons LANGOUSTINES “Parisian style”, avocado condiment Langoustines à la Parisienne, condiment à l’avocat PUMPKIN RAVIOLI, Parmesan émulsion Ravioli de potiron, émulsion de Parmesan SEA SCALLOPS and baby vegetables in a delicate “gelée” Saint-Jacques et jeunes légumes en délicate gelée parfumée SQUID bonbons, crunchy green vegetables, coco chutney Calamars farcis à la vapeur, légumes verts croquants, chutney coco Fish - Poissons DOVER SOLE fillets, shrimps and Paris mushrooms, “vin jaune” sauce Sole en épais filets, crevettes et champignons de Paris, sauce au vin jaune HALIBUT, lemon caper sauce “niçoise”, spinach and Jerusalem artichokes Halibut, épinards et topinambours, sauce niçoise câpres-citron BAKED SEA BASS, mixed shellfish, light herb butter sauce Blanc de bar cuit à plat, condiment-garniture de coquillages au vert SEARED SCALLOPS, white and green swiss chard, ponzu dressing Saint-Jacques à la plancha, feuilles et côtes de blettes, vinaigrette ponzu Meat - Viandes Poached breast of LANDES CHICKEN, Albufera sauce, seasonal vegetables “au pot” Poitrine de volaille jaune des Landes, légumes au pot, sauce Albufera Roasted PIGEON, Tuscan crostini, salmis jus Pigeon rôti, crostini Toscan, jus salmis Peppered ANGUS BEEF fillet, “pont-neuf” potatoes Filet de boeuf Angus aux poivres, pommes pont-neuf VENISON cooked in a cocotte, fruit & vegetables, “Grand-Veneur” sauce Dos de chevreuil cuisiné en cocotte, fruits et légumes, sauce Grand-Veneur Dessert COCO-CARAMEL delight Barre coco-caramel, sorbet vanille-citron AN APPLE COMPOSITION… « Comme trois pommes » THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA Coupe ananas/vanille BABA like in Monte Carlo Baba au rhum de votre choix, comme à Monte-Carlo The velvet GIANDUJA Croustillant chocolat-praliné orange CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY “star” Sablé choco-framboise Cheese - Fromages Selection of French and British cheese £ 12 Fromages choisis Tasting Menu £ 115 Crunchy raw VEGETABLES, “Riviera” condiment Crudités … Marinated LANGOUSTINES as a tartare, Oscietra caviar Langoustines et caviar Osciètre en consommé rafraîchi … FOIE GRAS, chicken and truffle terrine Pressé de volaille, truffe et foie gras … Seared SCALLOPS, ponzu dressing Saint-Jacques grillées, vinaigrette ponzu … VENISON cooked in a cocotte, fruit & vegetables, “Grand-Veneur” sauce Dos de chevreuil cuisiné en cocotte, fruits et légumes, sauce Grand-Veneur … Selection of French and British CHEESE Fromages choisis … COCO CARAMEL delight Barre coco-caramel, sorbet vanille-citron

I saw his interview with Ducasse in the Independent and he certainly sounded a little uncomforable talking about opening more places. Saucepans at dawn

I had a great dinner here last Friday, I was treated by the kitchen to a large selction of dishes the standouts for me being the roasted root vegetables and fennel, a wonderful ox cheek ravioli which seemed a little michelin orientated compared to most arbutus dishes but certainly didn't suffer because of this. Sea bass came with razor clams beans and chorizo, excellent crispy skin and decent flavoured fish. Cailettes of pork (a traditional meatball) were large, and I probably didn't need to be served two of them following the previous mass of food, the accompanying pomme puree could be one of the best in London. I probably shouldn't have accepted cheese especially as we were served a lovely tarte tatin which we really failed to make a dent in. Arbutus still hitting all the right spots and service was excellent throughout, Anthony and Will seem to have got a really good team together now, even on days when they might be at Wild Honey the kitchen and service is spot on.

I haven't got mine yet, I read somewhere that they were due out in November.

Doesn't anybody else eat here? Another smashing lunch at The River Café, my first outside of Spring/Summer and it would appear that it is even more popular once the weather gets a little cooler. Carne Crudo di vitello was perhaps a touch too cold but still very good, simply adorned with lemon, mache salad and parmesan shavings, really good quality parmesan A plate of Prosciutto di Parma was a generous plate (as was the veal) served with shaved fennel and more of that parmesan. I thought the prosciutto was exceptional quality, possibly the best I have had. Seared Scottish scallops came with soft polenta butter and parmesan, I thought the polenta could have done with a little more seasoning or parmesan. The Scallops were topped with a lttle chopped chilli which was both sweet and hot and worked nicely with the Scallops. super zuppa followed – Zuppa di Pane, Tuscan bread soup with potato, chard, borlotti beans and chicken stock – the line between soup and vegetable stew must be a fine one, beautiful autumnal food, a real hearty dish. Yorkshire Grouse stuffed with thyme and sage, wood roasted in Collemattoni Brunello 2002 came out as a whole bird which I think caught a few people by surprise. This was a real manly dish, the smell of the thyme and sage snuck through alongside the powerful grouse, alongside you may have expected something light to balance it out but a large quantity of wild mushroom Bruschetta made for another great autumn dish. Deserts, as usual, were fabulous, Torta di Capri, sensational Pannacotta, caramel ice cream and a lovely pear and almond tart. I was half hoping that the River Café wouldn’t be as good outside of the summer months, unfortunately it was possibly even more appealing and I can see another couple of dents in my wallet in the near future.

Ooh! Does that suggest a more high end focused approach or simply that Canuti wasn't up to the job? I don't believe Cerutti was ever planning to leave Monaco or be chef in London?

Alternatively see dozens of reviews right here on eGullet! Arbutus or its sister restaurant: Wild Honey

If I remember correctly at the demonstration they said that yo udon't don't have t opay postage if it goes wrong. The scales were very sensitive at the demo as well, just the merest touch on the equipment threw them out (think tea towel brushing aginst the side). I agree about the preset buttons for the temperature as well, not sure why they changed that, I'd much rather have a more precisely controlled mechanism.

That's the Irsih for you, always got a tale to tell. I don't believe for one minute that you can see all the way to Brazil from there...

I've seen the one previous to this version cheaper on Ebay - around £250 I think. I was at a thermomix demonstration a few weeks back and I would advise people to have a look before they buy one. Its a fantastic piece of machinery but I utimately came away thinking that it was mainly a convenience piece, a "one pot stop" for cooking, great for emulsion sauces, custards and the like but aside from that or unless you really want to chop large a amounts very quickly then I would think you may find its use a little limited. Having said that they didn't demonstrate too many modern things with it, everything they did demonstrate could have been done with a chopping board a bow and a saucepan, sure I would have had a little more washing up to do but I enjoy chopping! It's chopping ability is pretty amazing, expecially if you want to get things very small/powdered. it manages to do this without bruising leaves or turning things to mush - If that is the sort of thing you would want it for then i think the older version may suffice. From what I can tell the older version is a little larger and diesn't have the ability to reverse the one-sided blades (in the newer one you can switch it to reverse and stir while you cook wihtout continuing to cut things up, though I think if you had the blades slwo enough they wouldn't do too much damage to your food), it also has a temperature dial rather than the preset buttons on the new one. Overall I just couldn't justify the expense, if they could bring it down below £500 I'm sure it would sell better. Interestingly there were 5 other people at the demonstration and they were all European. Strange how it is so popular abroad but not in the UK.

I'm not certain of this but I think the tables are kept empty deliberately.

Is the thread where England fans come to gloat?