Matthew Grant

It was the first time out for this dish, personally I would have liked the Pork cooked a little less. The fennel and orange go very well together, try it as a salad on its own! I like raw fennel with a lot of things particularly pork and lamb. The sauce wasn't too sweet, just the natural juice with dark chicken stock, cooked with a little onion softened in butter, sieved, then reduced with the peppercorns, a little acidity from some red wine vinegar right at the end. I had a minimal amount of garlic leaves as they can be a little ovepowering, they really worked well, the powder you can see was some dried and ground zest to add bitterness but in hindsight was probably not neccessary.

I hate to disappoint you (or sound like an arse) but Rendang is a dry dish without any gravy, it can be kept for several weeks (maybe even longer I've never tried), what you have there is more likely Kaliyo which is basically the same dish but without reducing the sauce completely.

Mozzerella, figs roasted with Maple syrup Chicken wings with morels, fresh peas and crispy chicken skin: Pork Fillet with a blood orange + green peppercorn sauce, fennel and blood oranges, pomegranate and wilted garlic leaves.

The newest edition to Antony and Will's small empire is the old Pitcher and Piano in William IV street. It will be run as a Parisian style all day brasserie. Currently pencilled in to open in September, more info as and whe I get it.

On the evidence of my lunch there on Tuesday, Croydon now has at least one decent restaurant in Albert's Table http://www.albertstable.co.uk/. It was also impressively busy for early week in January (Its at 49b/c South End so Matthew's statement may well still be true.) On this evidence I went along. Crab tart tasted of little, let alone crab, it was served with a decently cooked scallop, some pancetta, a prawn and a prawn soup (If I remember correctly). Venison was a decent piece of meat but let down by non-descript sauce. Neals yard cheese always gets my vote, well if i were Neals yard I would stop selling to this restaurant, appalling condition, tired and small pieces of 4 or 5 cheeses. Nothings changed, though I will concede that this is probably the best restaurant in town along with Le Cassoulet. It's just all so boring and old fashioned and wouldn't encourage me to get on the bus. Bloody awful room as well, not even half full on the Thursday night we went.

I popped in for a drink at the LAB last night and the drinks were very good. Still looking a little tired round the edges and a friend thought it best to avoid Saturdays when it is horrendously crowded. Had a decent drink at Floridita as well but was a little put off by the smell which seemed to be a mix of puke and stale drinks spills that hadn't been mopped up since lunchtime

The Player still has some of the best cocktails in London, IMO better than LAB which to me is past its best. Having said that I haven't been in a couple of years so it may have resurrected its performance.

fairly consistent theme in your postings on this venture and the man himself eh Matt? - its a publicity stunt - I've cancelled my table cause I heard it was rubbish - he can't get any backing, and he won't put his own money in etc now some of that is just simple make believe. I wonder why Which bits are make believe? The bits you've qouted that I didn't say?

Richard Vines (Bloomberg) 22nd September

Haven't we been through this before, several times ever since he closed LTC? Has he finally found a backer, after all we know he doesn't want to risk his own money?

Anejo Rum, Orange Curacao, Lime juice, Angostura bitters Another one I often order is an Apple Jack Cocktail, its not on the menu at the moment but they will make anything you want. Calvados, Orange Curacao, Lime juice and Orange bitters. By coincience they are next to each other in Dale Degroff's The Craft of the Cocktail.

Difficult to choose but an Anejo Highball always hits the spot.

The Player Not been to Kettners, it got bad reports (actually I think they were awful if I remember correctly) after the revamp.

As I just said on another thread, the Player is still one of the best cocktail bars I know in London. IMO much better than Lab which has had better days.

For cocktails try The Player, its members only but you can get in if they have room.

You think? Surely he needs the money? How about Careme?

I'm holding out for an Escoffier return.

Then surely it would be a Madeira sauce and not roasting juices? My point being that a very good, simply roasted piece of English veal with its juices and girolle mushrooms can be had for far less than the £75 required here. For that sort of money I either want something with impeccable ingredients or something a little more technical. Compare the complex dishes at Ducasse to Koffman. £75 for three courses at both of them.

Strange, I had the veal and Girolles with roasting juices the other day, at Arbutus. It was things like the veal being English Rose (not that I have anything against English Veal, some of it is very good) that made me canx, at that price why not Limousin veal and something a little more adventurous sauce wise?

Is there a bistro on the way? In this climate I just don't know. Added to the fact that he doesn't want to risk his own money (see recent interview with Richard Vines) and his age I doubt it will realy come about or if it does it will be nothing more than him being a front man for a bigger group of investors. He has consulted at a few places over the last few years and nobody got too excited then which may put off potential backers. He has been talking about a bistro for years, ever since LTC closed

As I said because there is nothing I have read that makes me think it is going to live up to its £75 billing. The Trotter is a famous dish but I'd wager money that if Koffmann was to open a bistro he would sell that dish with a far lower price tag. Other reports read nicely but don't strike me as mind blowing. I think my expectation might be set unreasonably high.

I cancelled my table. The reports were reasonable enough but nothing I read made me think it was going to be worth £75 plus wine and service.

Unfortuantely not, I was on a 25% female table

Le Gavroche is, IMO, as formal as it gets in London. YOu really need to provide a few more details with regard to food preferences.