Matthew Grant

I spent a year back and forth to Zurich 3 years ago and on the whole found the food to be VERY disappointing . However, we did have one great meal at Ermitage Am See (Ermitage). On sunny days all the tables are moved outside overlooking the lake. I thought I had written about the meal on EG but I can't seem to find it. I was impressed that they were having fish driven up daily from the south of France, sometimes twice a day. Another thing not to be missed in Zurich is having a Bratwurst down near the lake. Get off the tram at Bellevue Platz (sp?) and on the main road there is a structure that seems very temporary but is permanant (think marquee), they serve great Bratwurst, wrapped simply in napkin with a small pot of mustard and a bread roll. Pull up a chair and order a beer from the bar at the back (a separate enterprise) This place is often packed with locals, especially Sunday mornings. I recently returned for a friends wedding earlier this year and a group of us ate at La Salle which is in th trendy shipbuilding area of Zurich. It is quite an Industrial space. I thought I had posted this as well: I couldn't honestly recommend this place for the food but it is a nice space (if you like that sort of thing )La SalleIf they haven't booked anywhere to stay yet, don't miss The Widder, one of the best hotels I have stayed in, I somehow managed to book myself into this hotel via my company and by the time they had noticed I was staying there every visit it was too late to stop me. CLICK HERE Its worth stopping for a drink in the bar, nice cocktails, a huge selection of whisky's and sometimes they have good jazz.

Tepee is it a 701a/707a or some other model? Also what size motor is it, I believe this is normally written on the base.

Oh no I didn't surface tension - wanky art term relating to the (agreeable) arrangement/juxtaposition of paint/objects on a canvas/page etc. Some chef's are masters of simplicity - Aikens comes on like Pollock/Kandinsky/Matisse on speed ← And there was me thinking it meant that his sauce had got a skin on it from being under the lamps too long BLH, I've already been once and loathed the food. What's changed to make me go bakc. Is the winter style of cooking much different to the summer menu?

In my opinion the actual cooking seems to be following classical techniques, however this seems to be distorted by the inclusion of so many elements in each course and the presentation. Like Andy I don't expect every detail to be listed in the menu but the overriding complaints on this board about this restaurant seem to be that dishes were "too busy". Reading the thread in its entirety again this is something that seems to have become more of a problem in the last few months. Do we think it is the summer menu that has changed things? Some of the winter dishes sound great and I'm slightly (only very slightly) tempted to return for lunch one day. It is amazing how some restaurants divide opinion, this one manages to do so more than most

Does the updated book have a slightly different title in the UK? It would appear to be on Amazon UK as "McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture" Same book?

Not sure, apparently enough to do 2 1/2lbs of dough with the 701a I think it may be bigger on the 707a. 450w motor on the 701a but i think it may be larger on the 707a.

Has anybody tried a Kenwood A701A or A707a with a dough hook attachment? Although they are very old machines I've heard that they run forever. I'm interested in buying a mixer that is strong enough to mix bread but at a reasonable cost, One of theses machines second hand seems to be my best option at the moment. Thoughts?

I'm also going to be in there in February for 3 weeks. My stops include Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra, Kota, Udaipur, Jodphur, Jaisalner, Bikaner and Mandawa. Any recommendations in those areas much appreciated. Incidentally, I think I have saved maybe £2000 for two of us by booking this holiday through a Indian Government approved travel agent and not using a pre packaged holiday, we are staying at several converted hotels alongside a few nights in more luxurious places as a specail treat and have hired a driver for the full 3 weeks . PM me if you want further details of the sorts of places we are staying in and approximate prices.

The latest Time Out food guide lists Boxwood as a Haute Cuisine restaurant.

The mid tier is nothing special. Only reason to eat at SOS for me (apart from breakfast) is for the steaks on the top floor.

?????? This is exactly my point! People who don't have the foggiest about "molecular gastronomy" now think that its all about fizzy fruit and listening to yourself chewing? Not a very good representation of Molecular Gastronomy OR the Fat Ducks cuisine if you ask me.

I think promoting his food like this probably just alienates people. Most people probably find out it costs £90 a head (or whatever it is these days) and think that it is a silly price to pay for novelty food. Generally the people going to the Fat Duck are people that are into food. Generally people that aren't into food are not going to start their fine dining restaurant experiences at 3 star Michelin restaurants however they are promoted. A couple of years ago he was talking of taking this off the menu as too many people had started to copy it. Is he still serving it?

I've said it before and I'll say it again Why does he persist with promoting the novelty aspects of his food when there is so much more to it?

On the positive side, Cinnamon Club does some great Lassi cocktails. The foods not bad but I did leave with the feeling that I had paid way too much for the meal. As Andy says, two completely different restaurants style wise but they are trying to do similar things with the food. Personally, although the setup is very grand and impressive, I think that the Cinnamon Club space has a very impersonal feel to it. In fact this is the complete opposite of RVT which can seem a little too personal given the table spacing. Tom Aikens - completely missable IMO

I'd second Rasoi Vineet Bhatia at the moment and would suggest that you cancel the Cinnamon Club in favour of RVT. It does the high end Indian thing far more successfully and at a comparable price. I went to Nahm when it first opened and thought it exceptional (and the decor exceptionally bad) but this was obviously some time ago and recent reports made me cancel the last time I had a table booked.

I know that this has probably been covered to death before but I just haven't got time to search through the hundreds of threads that mention these areas before I leave on Saturday I'm looking for suggestions in Seville, Cordoba and Granada - anything goes: Michelin stars, tapas, traditional restaurants etc. I'll also be on the Costa Del Sol for a few days so any recommendations there also welcome. Incidentally, is Tragabuches open for lunch? I'll just about persuade myself to not drink and eat there at lunchtime but there is now way I'm remaining alcohol free to drive back in the evening

I have always find it curious that in the USA everybody talks only of a generic "Prime Beef" and of how much better American beef is, I'm not disputiong that American beef may generally be better but there is plenty of excellent beef in the UK. From what I understand America is restricted quite a lot on its hanging time for beef - does this lend itself to a different way of rearing the beef to give it more flavour or is it just a myth that American beef is better because in general we eat poorly reared supermarket beef. Are we honestly saying that cheap beef from a supermarket in the US is better than cheap supermarket beef in the UK I think the trouble is that the UK has got used to crappy supermarket beef raised as quickly as possible. If people hunt it out there is plenty of good beef in this country.

I had lunch here during the summer and although it was nice it definitely didn't blow my mind as it had done a few years ago. I think the killer word in that last sentence is "Nice". At these prices I don't want "nice".

OK, sorry for the late reply on this but I was waiting until I had seen Anthony Demetre again to confirm a couple of points. I was in the kitchen the day that Marlyn was there so may have taken his comments a little too personally , I know this as it is the only night that Putney Bridge have entertained 30 odd covers on a coach tour! The restaurant was very busy for midweek and it was fantastic to watch the kitchen team in full flow. If I remember correctly 110 covers went out that night. I still struggle to understand why Marlyn and his colleague would have such differing views of the duck and the sea bass. The duck was cooked on the carcass and removed for serving, tables for two obviously get the same carcass, hence the meat has had the same cooking time, same goes for the sea bass which is cooked in a low oven covered in clarified butter. The care and attention going into the food is amazing. They agreed to the coach party provided they all ate the same menu and they were sat in groups of 8 and 1 table of 10 so that there wasn’t too much hassle trying to get all the courses out in quick succession. They had the sea bass for main course because it was easier to get right due to its cooking method. From my view in the kitchen that party had no effect on the rest of the food. No less care and attention went into the food going out once that party arrived. A day in the kitchen is a fantastic experience (I returned for a half day yesterday) even if I only get to do the “tourist” work. My fingers are killing me today after cracking fresh walnuts, trying to extract them as whole as possible and then peel them without blanching them! But it is great to see whole ducks/fish/slabs of meat coming in and being prepared by the crew. Its good to see them rejecting fruit and veg for not being of a good enough quality Its no secret that I love this restaurant and have built up a rapport with them but I do truly believe that this is a restaurant not getting the credit it deserves (I’m sure its not alone in this). Anthony Demetre is in the kitchen everyday except one (I’m not going to mention which one although its not too difficult to guess). Traditional touches with a nod to modern techniques, “We like to dabble occasionally” as Anthony puts it. I hope that Marlyn returns sooner rather than later for a happier experience than his last one. Incidentally, in light of a couple of other threads the restaurant is serving Grouse at under £20 and yesterday they started serving a squash soup as an amuse. Keep an eye out for the game menu, yesterday saw the first wild mallards in the restaurant, they arrived complete with heads and intestines, nothing wasted as the legs were confited and terrines were made. Apparently my one of my favourite dishes will be reappearing in the winter, Rabbit cottage pie. Turbot in a salt crust will be replacing the chicken in a salt crust from last year (a shame as that chicken dish was outstanding. Did that last paragraph sound too much like a shameless advert?

No - you just prefer your meat a different way, a way which you have described perfectly! Give me furry bits of meat any day

I'm surprised that anybody would choose AA over well hung Welsh Black or Dexter. However, I can't say that I have ever found Aberdeen Angus hung long enough for my tastes. I always find its flavour too delicate, that isn't to say I don't enjoy it but a well hung rare breed nearly always wins due to its "beefier" flavour

They do supply other meat, as far as I am aware the beef is all Longhorn. One of the best pieces of meat I have tasted was a double rib of Longhorn hung for an incredible 8 weeks. To the uninitiated it is quite scary to look at, I wouldn't recommend showing it to anybody who wasn't into food They are also selling Bresse chickens and can get Geese complete with foie gras as a special order.

The top floor at Smiths of Smithfiled isn't loved by everyone but then it is one place where you can go and order 2 Sirloin steaks (different hang times, different breeds) and try them side by side. They used to hang all their meat themselves, I'm not sure if this is still the case. There is no doubt in my mind though that well hung rare breeds do, generally, offer a much better flavour than you run of the mill Aberdeen Angus. Good rare breed meat has a more pronounced flavour, often gamey, with good levels of yellow fat that you won't be able to stop eating. To get the best rare breed meat I think you are better off buying it your self due to the lack of choice in the restaurants The reason you don't often see it in restaurants is consistency of supply. It's all very well selling the best White Park or Dexter Steer but whether you will be able to get them again next week is a different matter. They are "rare breeds" because they are rare. If you are ever at Borough market and see White Park at Northfield farm, snap it up because it won't be there the next week or may be for several weeks to come. There just aren't that many of them.

I was thinking of spending a few days on the Amalfi coast in November. My concern is whether restaurants and bars close seasonally in this area. Is sorrento a good place to base ourselves and do we need a car or is it easy enought to get around by public transport?

Another problem I have is that if 50% off = different then it is not 50% off!