Matthew Grant

How much?

Pretty certain this is available in Neal's Yard Dairy at Borough Market (probably in the Covent Garden branch as well).

Any sign of poultry on the menu? Was the restaurant full?

They're helping the kitchen porter

pass- Gordon Ramsay (circa 1999) meat - MPW fish - Rafa veg- Michel Bras sauce- Michel Roux (Snr) pastry - Nico Ladenis Laboratory - Heston Blumethal porter - Terence Conran Still thinking about the Hot and Cold Larder chefs

This is the new restaurant opned by David Tang (he of Shanghai Tang fame) in the Dorchester. Overpriced, average food without the glamour that you would hoped would have been attached to it. The best bit about it was the classy toilets and the white gloved waiter carving the duck with a cleaver. Surprisingly large as well, I'd hazard a guess that there are 150 - 200 covers in there. I appreciate that Smoking is an essential part of the Chinese experience but it was the thoughtless smoking that annoyed me and I was surprised that people were smoking despite there being no ashtrays on the table. Lighting up seemed to bring the ashtrays in just a few seconds, pretty much like the rest of the food which arrived within a few minutes of ordering (I'm not actually putting this down as a criticism of the actual food as much Cantonese cuisine can be prepared/finished quickly.)

Peking Duck was fine, nothing too special though. Pricey - £9.00 for "classic" fried rice - per person!!! Incredibly dull. Prawns in spicy salt and pepper - OK, 5 prawns - £22 Gai Lan - £8 (Insert Yawn emoticon here) Not even offered desserts and coffee. Wine waiter I'm sure attempted to bring me the wrong bottle of wine with the words "This is the wine you ordered sir" when showing it before opening it. Pretty sure it was doule the price of the wine I ordered. Feigned ignorance when I told him it wasn't and was unaware of the wine I had ordered. Smokers everywhere etc. etc.

If only! Little rich kids on a day off from their boarding school, wealthy (presumably) chinese teenagers smoking during courses. Wine waiter bringing incorrect..... I can't be bothered, it doesn't even deserve any justification. Here is an alternative to my two word review above: Three words: It was shit.

In my quest to try and find some glamorous/Cool dining with reasonable food this week I tried Nobu Berkely (very successful) and last night China Tang. Two words: Don't Bother.

Nice sounding menu! Did you get any food Andy?

Disappointing meal here yesterday. Service seems stretched and the room is still as awful as ever, especially if you have to turn left at the bottom of the stairs. We were seated, then minutes later we were moved and re-seated in the dreaded area left of the stairs. It took 15 minutes before somebody took our order (we hadn't even been asked if we wanted drinks). Prawn and Mango pancake rolls arrived seconds after ordering, followed shortly after by Prawn Cheung Fun. The pancake roll lacked seasoning, we shouldn't have ordered this knowing that Mangoes aren't in season. Prawn Cheung Fun was a good example, 3 large prawns well cooked. A steamed dish of Duck with Shitake mushroom was excellent, prawn with yellow chive (?) was also good but not as earth shattering as previous visits. Venison puffs were OK. In fact, that was probably the problem with this visit, nothing seemed any more special than the Chinatown Dim Sum restaurants and that is an area that Hakkasan and Yauatcha have excelled in previously. Then we waited. And waited, 15 minutes passed without any mention of our remaining dishes. It was difficult to get the attention of the seemingly disorganised wait staff so I set a 2 minute limit before I would ask for the bill. After about 30 seconds a spring onion cake arrived. That was the last food we say, I left it another 15 minutes before I gave up on the Singapore noodles and the Shaghai dumpling and asked for the bill. Shoddy service average food, I won't return in a hurry.

I do believe I just saw GR poach a chicken in a stock made with a stock cube!

The name was given back to him by the high court when the previous owners went bankrupt.

Yes it is good news maybe now I'll get a reply to my letter of complaint (not that I hold a grudge)

That's what I thought. Bloody journalists

From the "Homes & Property" section of todays Evening Standard: Did La tante Claire used to be in Pimlico Road before Royal Hospital Road?

Its an EC3N postcode Andy - will you be abe to find your way that far?

One feature is that restaurants can gain 3 stars in their first year.

I don't work in a kitchen either but I'm guessing that taking scallops out of a fridge and getting them to 10 degrees and then putting them back in the firdge without cooking them is against health regulations. I'd also hazard a guess that the heat in most kitchens would mean that if the inside of the scallop was at 10 degrees then the outside would be higher - again another health hazard

It is easy to use in respect that you can reheat and add more of required (or more of your base liquid). I tend to add less than the recommended amount as I find that sets it too hard as you say. It doesn't melt in the mouth readily presumably because of it's high melting point but if combined with a warm sauce it has a pleasing slow melting effect.

Agar is the way to go for warm jelly. It doesn't melt until around 80 degrees. Really easy to use as well.

I cooked venison on Saturday night and immediately decided that I was going to cook it on Christmas day as well - beautiful Loin of venison available from Mid Devon Fallow at borough market, not a centre piece roast but it has the advantage of cooking in 10 - 15 minutes. £22/kg - 1 KG goes a fair way especially if you are serving another meat as well.

Is that goose frozen?

Are you saying that Ray Marks sells proper Capons - castrated Roosters or he sells Large Chickens/Roosters masquerading as Capons?

Anybody know where I can get a good quality Capon in London, something akin to a Chapon de Bresse. Something preferably free range, truly a neutered rooster and not just an oversized chicken and most importantly flavoursome and succulent. I found this company selling Chapon de Bresse but the telephone number is unobtainable. Du Pain Duvin