East at West and then...

[howardlong]

Went to East at West on Friday night.

We took the Sublime menu which includes four tasters and a dessert for £40. Plus we took the selected wines with each course.

The menus are over-trendy, bound on the right rather than the left. A silly bit of over pretentious design if you ask me. There are three tasting menus, all with five course including dessert. One of the three tasting menus is vegetarian. You can also have the courses individually a la carte at £9 each.

I quite enjoyed the food but the portions were rather small. Mostly the house selected wines matched extremely well.

After removing the over charging for a non-existent a la carte main course each and for a non-existent extra dessert course each, the bill was £220 inc. for three.

Not bad, but how come we were still hungry?

So we jumped into a cab with the intention of making up a cheese board at my gaff. Then a wiff of inspiration came to us and miraculalously we were transported to Aubergine, with the intention of having cheese.

When we got there, the Maitre d' (Thierry Tomassin) greeted us and suggested we might like something else first, to which one of my fellow diners suggested (tongue in cheek) that a meat sandwich would be nice.

Ten minutes later, up came the pan fried Foie Gras burgers from the kitchen. Seriously caremalised and cooked with figs, believe me, I can recommend them. Aubergine is now without doubt my favourite burger joint.

We still had cheese too, and finally we were satisfied.

Cheers, Howard

[Andy Lynes]

I don't suppose chef Drabble would like to host a meeting of the burger club would he?

[Andy Lynes]

We still had cheese too, and finally we were satisfied.

So basically your meal at East at West was your starter. On that basis, you should have had dessert at Aubergine as well, or at the very least a Mars Bar from petrol station on the way home.

Not that I would ever dream of doing such a thing my self of course. Or for example, and this is just off the top of my head, go back to the hotel and eat the Toblerone out of the mini-bar after going out for a big meal. Never, ever, ever.

[howardlong]

I don't suppose chef Drabble would like to host a meeting of the burger club would he?

I'll ask him on Thursday.

Cheers, Howard

[MobyP]

Howard,

I remove my sizeable chapeau to you! The finest display of gourmand gluttony since my wife pulled in for a drive-through cheeseburger after our French Laundry meal.

[howardlong]

I remove my sizeable chapeau to you! The finest display of gourmand gluttony since my wife pulled in for a drive-through cheeseburger after our French Laundry meal.

LOL - now you must tell us how the h*ll that happened.

BTW, under duress I made it to Zur Traube near Dusseldorf the next day for a 13 courser so I am well and truly stuffed for the week. The phrase 'have a salad' springs to mind.

Cheers, Howard

[Paula Jonvik]

...Not bad, but how come we were still hungry?

So we jumped into a cab with the intention of making up a cheese board at my gaff. Then a wiff of inspiration came to us and miraculalously we were transported to Aubergine, with the intention of having cheese.

When we got there, the Maitre d' (Thierry Tomassin) greeted us and suggested we might like something else first, to which one of my fellow diners suggested (tongue in cheek) that a meat sandwich would be nice.

Ten minutes later, up came the pan fried Foie Gras burgers from the kitchen. Seriously caremalised and cooked with figs, believe me, I can recommend them. Aubergine is now without doubt my favourite burger joint.

We still had cheese too, and finally we were satisfied.

Cheers, Howard

Dear Mr. Howard Long... This is my very first post to eGullet and... At last! I can communicate with the gentleman who has so many nice things to say about my dear friends at Gavroche and Aubergine!

I can say, without hesitation that you are a highly appreciated customer/friend at Aubergine, as Monsieur Tomasin speaks very highly of you... As for foie gras burgers... That in itself speaks about your relationship with Chef and Thierry!

I have many things I would like to ask you, and also to tell! You are definately shaping things on the London dining scene... And your wine knowledge is staggering!

Thank you for sharing your adventures with folk, as we can all benefit from your vast experiences.

I look forward to conversiing with you in the future...

Kind Regards...

Paula Jonvik of Seattle Washington