36 On The Quay

[Andy Lynes]

Although you have to feel for Ramon and Karen Farthing, Jan Moir's scathing review of their 36 On The Quay restaurant is a beautiful piece of writing:

"a table laid for an afternoon wedding party of 15 dominates the small dining-room, like a tanker in a paddling pool."

"The restaurant's lovely views over the harbour are only lightly jaundiced by the Dalek-style air-conditioning unit"

"The dishes and ingredients are described in a way that suggests they might be on a date with Mickey Rourke instead of on a menu, for they are not just served, they are complemented, they are accompanied, they are laid and then, of course, they are finished."

[edmundcarver]

I liked the quote "house of misery by the sea", it is a bit of a shame because there are very few restaurants with much of a reputation anywhere in that part of the country and I was under the belief that this one was pretty decent.

[Corinna Dunne]

I like her reviews. They strike me as very even handed. Lately though, she does seem to be having more flourishes, which I agree are great reading.

[Andy Lynes]

I had her pegged as a bit bloody miserable for quite a while, but I now think that she is an enthusiast who is quite often disappointed and a bit saddened by what she finds. Although there is humour in her reviews, Moir doesn't make cheap jokes at the restaurateurs expense - although sometimes admittedly she does makes finely crafted jokes at the restauratuers expense.

What I admired particularly about this review was that it bought the experience so vividly to life, I could imagine myself right there at the table.

[fisherman]

very good review, not a writer i usually read (don't take the torygraph) but i have to ask andy, why do we 'have to feel' for the proprietors, they clearly can't be bothered to do things properly anymore, surely service like that can't have been going on since the place opened? seems they need a kick up the arse, maybe they just had it.

[Andy Lynes]

Just looking at life from both sides, in a Joni Mitchell stylee.

[fisherman]

do you do that crazy laugh she used to do as well?

[Adam Balic]

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

With a pink hotel, a boutique

And a swinging hot spot

Don’t it always seem to go

That you don’t know what you’ve got

Till it’s gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

[Andy Lynes]

do you do that crazy laugh she used to do as well?

←

Only after my fifth bottle of wine of the evening.

[Andy Lynes]

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

←

In a desperate and obvious attempt to get this thread back on topic, Emsworth harbour is relatively unspoilt. I'm sure Joni would approve.

[marlena spieler]

36 on the Quay is the main reason for Emmsworth calling itself, or locals calling it, aspirationally, a foodie village.

its a cute village, relatively unspoilt. i reviewed a restaurant there, allwoods, for the portsmouth news. it was okay.

but okay doesn't a foodie village make.

have i said that friday night the only line outside a restaurant that i've ever seen in these here parts, is at the KFC? sad but true.

[tony h]

I was looking for somewhere nice near Portsmouth. Had thought of going here but now not so sure. Anyone been recently or can anyone recommend something else?

[PhilD]

not a writer i usually read (don't take the torygraph)

←

I think all her reviews eventualy end up on her site http://www.areyoureadytoorder.co.uk/review_search.php so you can avoid the torygraph.

[erica graham]

I was looking for somewhere nice near Portsmouth.  Had thought of going here but now not so sure.  Anyone been recently or can anyone recommend something else?

←

I enjoyed my last meal there, so could only recommend it- Fat Olives also in Emswrth is a good bistro or further afield in Petersfield is JSW which has a good reputation. However Atul Kocher has just opened his new restaurant at Wickham Vineyard, near Botley which should be worth a visit. I bet Botley doesn't know whats hit it.

www.wickhamvineyard.co.uk not sure if its up to date yet.

Edited August 25, 2008 by erica graham (log)

[Matthew Grant]

This restaurant seems to fly below the radar despite having held a Michelin star for something like 13 years.

Following our excellent meal at the Montagu arms we headed down to Emsworth where we found a charming little restaurant with rooms just yards from the sea. "36" (take that Jamie with your little "15") seems to fly below the radar despite having held a Michelin star for something like 13 years. It’s a lovely little town thankfully having avoided the usual seaside tat can dominates coastal towns in the UK. In fact the main thing here seems to be yachts and pubs, and very nice pubs at that with decent ales and some nice looking (though untested) food.

An amuse of Pumpkin and orange soup with hazelnut oil was wolfed down while it was probably too hot to really do it it justice. To start I had an exemplary fillet of Brill on caramelised fennel with confited tomatoes, fennel dust, foam, and a roast chicken sauce. I’m not sure I remember the dust but that wasn’t a problem, the fish was beautifully cooked, it really shone, the fennel foam may have been an unnecessary addition to the dish (I’ll come back to this point) but the roast chicken sauce was a delight.

Another starter of Sea Bass, cauliflower risotto with a peashoot a crisp potato salad with a curry dressing was again a little busy but the main components worked well with a lovely light curry dressing.

For a main course 3 or 4 wood pigeon breast were served with braised red cabbage, wild mushrooms with baby onions, some small cubes of gratin potatoes and some unadvertised foie gras which was served just as I like it, really crisp on the outside, melting in the middle and topped with a little slat. Overall this was excellent, breasts cooked medium rare with good accompaniments.

Duck Breast was honey roasted and spiced. It came with a lovely confit duck cake (more like a croquette) and a shallot 4 ways, creamed, tempura, tatin and caramelised.

Due to a small problem with our room (which was dealt with superbly) I was comped an excellent selection, I think it was the whole board, of British cheese, the majority were in very good nick, presumably there is a high turnover of cheese here and rightly so.

Desserts kept up the high standard, a hot lemon soufflé was possibly technically more of a soft meringue than a soufflé but suffered little because of that, accompanied by a wild strawberry parfait, crisp poppy seeds biscuits and a fresh strawberry confit. I was so caught up in my own dessert that I didn’t get to try the “36’s speciality dessert” which was a selection of miniature chocolate and orange desserts.

Overall this was an excellent meal, if I had any faults it would be that perhaps the food was a little over complex and sometimes had a couple of elements too many, however in this location this may be what is required to give people what they perceive as good value for money, coming from London I wonder if I feel a little differently?

Once again well worth a trip, a good tie in with the Montagu arms about 40 minutes away.

[CalumC]

Was this meal recent Matthew? Seems a little early for wild and/or cultivated strawberries.

[Matthew Grant]

It was Saturday. Not sure where the strawberries were from but I imagine they are easily ready if imported(?).

Edited March 16, 2009 by Matthew Grant (log)