New Pierre Koffman Restaurant

[countryboy]

Pierre Koffman will open, Koffman's at the Berkeley Hotel, on the site of the Boxwood cafe in June. Where La Tante Claire was when he closed it I believe. Anyone know any more about this very exciting venture. I wonder if he'll be doing any of the cooking?

[countryboy]

He's certainly making out that he will be doing the cooking. http://tinyurl.com/y27boxz

Good luck to him, going to be great I hope.

The Koff and Marcus Wareing under one roof? Britain's most gastronomic hotel?

[Richardvines]

Hi. Here'a the original Pierre Koffmann story and a video interview. What else would you like to know? Regards, Rich. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/commentary/vines.html

[countryboy]

Brilliant, thankyou very much. I'm sorry Rich but I can't get that bastard video to play. Codecs? God knows.

Irregardless. I'm a huge fan of Koffman's, loved the restaurant on the roof, and when I was a waiter I used to wait his table at Arbutus whenever he came. Very exciting news he's making a return to fray.

All the best

countryboy

[ermintrude]

Had dinner there last night. With an old chef friend who's teacher was trained by Koffman. I took her to Le Tante Clare for her birthday where once we got over the OTT stiff and starchiness and they knew we were there for the food I had my 4th ever best meal. This time my Birthday we visited the new Koffmans.

2 Champagne cocktails to get us going.

To start I had Scallops with squid ink, perfectly cooked but just seemed something lacking, my companion had Snails, girolles, garlic & mashed potatoes which was a much more robust and the taste I had more satisfying.

We the both went for the clasic pig trotter, while rich and unctuous, and plenty of sweetbreads I did not taste any morels, my companion found a small sliver of morel which the dish did not sing. It was good but not in comparison to what I remember from Le Tante Clare. Perhaps we had an off batch but for £27.50 there should be no off batch especially as this is Koffmans signature dish.

A plate of cheese to share to finish off the red.

For desert went for the Pistachio soufflé which was outstanding.

The coffees and a glass of Eau De Vie each to finish.

The sommelier was excellent and made some good recommendations. Two glasses of Riesling to match the starter and most interesting was a bottle of biodynamic red "La Luna", on it's own light and fruity but at the same time strangely tannic and acidic, on it's own I would not want to drink it, but it worked well with the trotter as it cut through the fat and the tannins were enough to stand up to the robust taste.

Total cost £255 for two.

Overall, a placeto revisit that old style French cooking again, but it seems a bit dated. Yes I know it was summer, but it was raining and cold outside so the heavy trotter dish should have worked - but no morels so the dish did not sing.

FYI my best ever meals

1 - Moto Chicago - in odd circumstances (Ended up with 3 of us after 9pm being the only people in the restaurant - amazing to talk, chat and they "played" with us. An accidental one off) but it will take a lot to beat that experience.

2 - The Fat Duck

3 - The French Laundry

4 - La Tante Clare

5 - Some unknown place in Paphos, Cyprus, cooked buy a thi guy on a 2 ring stove with a 68 cover restaurant! Terible waits between courses but food to die for.

6 - The El Bulli hotel - could not get into the mother ship but this was great. Dinner a bit rushed - do not miss the El Bulli breakfast

7 - Bibendum - Eaten here so many times and it does what it says on the packet