 Fred Smith at the Admiral Codrington is becoming quite famous for his burgers and a trip there to sample these was long overdue. When Fred did a Burger Monday, it sold out in 5 minutes leading to a unique extended run, Burger Tuesday such is the respect his burgers now command. And with the past week seeing much Twitter excitement around his latest creation, a 'Double Cheese Stack Burger', The Admiral Codrington has been at the front of our minds. So when we found ourselves in Chelsea, hungry, and with a couple of hours to kill, dropping in seemed like the thing to do.
Now, the Admiral Codrington is what we'd call 'a proper boozer' and if it's a pint and a packet of peanuts that you want, that's available right there in the front of the pub. At the back of the bar however is a separate dining room, complete with retractable glass roof where Fred can be seen in the kitchen working hard to keep his many hungry customers satisfied.
The menu is extensive but a step above the usual pub fare. What's more, looking at the choice of steaks, the menu informs that the steaks are 'aged in house' and that they are sourced from O'Shea the butchers, both pointers to the fact that this is a pub/restaurant that really does care about the food quality.
And so to the starters where we sampled three from the menu: Burrata, Datterini Tomatoes, Basil Oil; Chilli Salt Squid, Green Chilli, Coriander; and Loch Duart Salmon Ceviche, Jalapenos, Lime. These were all simply brilliant and seemed to convey just what the food at the Admiral Cod is all about. First, great ingredients: the burrata was absolutely fantastic and the tomatoes packing concentrated flavour. Second therefore, when you have great ingredients in classic combinations, you don't need to do anything too fancy (no foams here then). These dishes, just as they are, really hit the spot and Fred brings the ingredients together in well judged balance so that the flavours really work together to excite. This was a really good start to the meal.
 the restaurant at the Admiral Codrington  Chilli Salt Squid, Green Chilli, Coriander  Burrata, Datterini Tomatoes, Basil Oil  Loch Duart Salmon Ceviche, Jalapenos, Lime For the mains, we had to try the burger, and seeing how there was a special on the menu (the double stack cheeseburger), well, we had to really. Part of the success of Fred's burgers is the quality of meat used in them, again sourced from O'Shea, together with spot on cooking. The cheese has Fred's secret infusion to give it a little extra and this particular burger is dressed with its own sauce made from tomato sauce, mayo, cooked onions, chopped pickles and pickle juice. Eating this giant stacked burger is a messy and satisfying experience.
If you want to catch one of Fred's specials, be aware that they are only available on the lunchtime menu and as specials, are of course subject to change. Also worth noting, the lunch menu is served throughout the Codrington but dinner is served in the restaurant only.
Back to the food where things get even better. Hand cut chunky chips with it were great but a side of macaroni cheese was awesome. You could smell the cheese before you even cut into the well crusted top and the addition of smoked bacon into the mac 'n' cheese took it to another level. We've lost count of the places since we started this blog that have served us an oh so bland mac 'n' cheese but Fred's is memorable for all the right reasons.  Double cheese stack burger  as above  Three cheese macaroni If you exclude restaurants that pretend to be pubs (think Hand & Flowers), the Admiral Codrington provides its customers with what we think the best pub food should be. It's a fantastic offering centred around good ingredients and a chef that cares passionately about food; if the Cod were anywhere close to where we live, I'm sure we would have seats there with our name on. It's great that Fred has become famous for his burger but the revelation of our visit there was that the Admiral Cod is about much more than just burgers. The burger is great but competes in a crowded field, meanwhile the brilliant Burrata, the Salmon Ceviche and the Mac 'n' Cheese stand out in our minds as equally compelling dishes that elevated our meal at the Cod to a real foodie treat leaving us wanting to try the rest of the menu. Return to homepagerelated links The Admiral Codrington websiteChef Fred Smith on Twitter
 'What exactly is it?' is a fair question. Inscribed on the door it says WINE - RESTAURANT - ORGANIC FARMSHOP. Outside, the plant pot barrels say 'Hacienda Zorita Organic Farm'. A farm, really? We haven't however gone crazy with our Oyster cards for we remain in the middle of the city; in fact, we're in the City, for Zorita's Kitchen is located on the wonderfully named Broken Wharf, so called because around 1249 the wharf was broken and the joint owners quarrelled for 40 years on who should repair it. The modern Londoner will more readily recognise the Millennium Bridge as point of reference and Zorita's Kitchen affords a good view of that, the Tate and Shakespeare's Globe given its north-bank riverside location. But what exactly is it? The signage on the first floor of the building, 'Bacchanalia', makes things a little clearer for this is the office of the City Wine Merchant of that name. They are a specialist in Spanish wines while supplying some Italian wines also. They are also partners with Haciendas de Espana offering wine tourism and gastronomy in Spain. What it is then, is the retail outlet for the wines, for some farm products to go, and a social space inside in which to enjoy the farm products also (eat in). The venue's quite low key: there's only six tables in the venue together with a horse-shoe bar dining arrangement while the back walls carry the wine shelves announcing it as a shop also. The next surprise comes on opening the menu to be greeted by the name Sergi Arola, the chef who runs the Arola restaurant in Hotel Arts Barcelona and the two Michelin star restaurant Sergi Arola Gastro in Madrid. I remain slightly unclear exactly what his involvement is with Zorita but sadly this is not his undiscovered UK outpost. He does however endorse the ingredients and the still mysterious farm. The food is in fact very basic, centred on ham, cheese and combinations of ham and cheese. It is however high quality produce and one gets the sense that the point of this restaurant (if you can really call it that) is in fact a social space where you can really relax and enjoy a small taste of Spain. While I'm no expert on Spanish wines, those on sale here are again high quality wines sold even for those eating in (I'm assuming) at retail price and so the idea of stopping at Zorita's Kitchen for the best of Spanish wine and ham and cheese with your friends is a good one. Back to the menu, page 1 leads with Jamon Iberico de Bellota, aged 18 months at the Hacienda Zarita Organic Farm (£20), followed by Torta de dehesa (£13), an award winning soft sheep's milk cheese (unpasteurised) also aged at Hacienda Zorita Organic Farm. The penny is now dropping on the farm thing. There's Embutidos (£15), a selection of prime cured cuts, and Tabla Campera (£12), ewe's cheese and prime cured cuts together with a few other similar assemblies. Page 2 gives three cooked options: Tortilla (£5), Pulpo a la gallega (£7) fresh water octopus, and Fabada asturiana (£5.50), a traditional Spanish stew with a white butter bean base served with pancetta, chorizo, black pudding. As a table for three, we ordered the Bellota which was of course excellent, the tortilla which was really nicely cooked and the Spanish stew that had a good kick to it and felt appropriately authentic. Then there's the Tostas, open toasted sandwiches served with tomato, garlic and olive oil where a full page menu offers up a mix of your preferred ham with your preferred cheese. With quality ingredients, these are a fabulously tasty snack.
 the room  Jamon Iberico de Bellota  various Tostas  Fabada asturiana - a Spanish stew  Tortilla  located on the north bank The overall effect is a pleasing one offering an alternative lunch in the City to the chop houses or the grand spaces of Ramsay/Oliver's New Change food factories. At Zorita's Kitchen, a relaxed room, pleasant service, a great bottle of wine at a very decent price, the best ham, cheese and tostas make for a very social lunch hour. It's been open coming up for two years now but tucked away in Broken Wharf, possibly possessing an identity crisis, one feels it's not as busy as it should be. It probably fails more as a shop because viewing the wine racks requires you to manoeuvre between occupied tables and if I were browsing wine, I for one would feel more than a little awkward. Taking the place for what it is however and sitting down to eat, it's a great find, and for those working in the City or for those visiting the Tate, Zorita's Kitchen is a much better bet than much else that's in and around the local area. Return to homepageAt the time of writing, Zorita's Kitchen does not have a website. Some details howeve can be found at Bacchanalia
 It has been a year now since Pollen Street Social opened its doors to the public and it has, without doubt, been a success story - even a bank holiday lunch time sees every table occupied. What's more, chef-patron Jason Atherton has achieved we think his goal of making the restaurant a 'social' space offering Michelin standard food without Michelin standard stuffiness.
Our return visit to Pollen Street Social was driven by a desire to try the tasting menu, something that was unavailable in the early days when the small plates concept was available. With some guests finding this tricky for the usual small plate reasons like how much to order, how to share a slow cooked egg etc, the menu now is a more recognisable format of starters, mains and desserts so the tasting menu is a welcome addition.
The menu dishes have also changed somewhat as both customer feedback and the restaurant's increasing confidence shape the menu. Certain favourites are still there such as the cauliflower & squid which is featured on the tasting menu and is in itself reason enough for a visit to PSS since it is as clever as it is tasty replacing rice in a risotto with diced squid. The dessert bar also continues to thrive with most of the original desserts having survived, though as we found with the Eton mess, one year on it has become a somewhat more elegant dish.
The menu too is an interesting one, not least because of the Asian influences that are in dishes. The French quail for example come with mirin pickled vegetables while the miso braised leg is one of the highlights of the meal. Another highlight is undoubtedly the 50 day aged pure breed Black Angus rib-eye that came alongside the braised ox-cheek: it's one of the best pieces of beef you're likely to eat. The ox-cheek itself made for a fabulous dish, so tender it's a wonder how it holds its form on the plate, but plated alongside the 50 day aged rib-eye, it hardly puts up a fight. With the likes of Goodman now dominating the steak scene in London, it's nice to see somewhere like PSS hitting back with such a quality offering.
 crispy pork skin & apple sauce  Sicillian olives & brandade  Wye Valley asparagus salad, Colchester brown crab, pomelo, coriander  Scallop ceviche, cucumber, radish, yuzu soy dressing, apple  Cauliflower & squid, clear roasted squid juice, sea herbs  French quail, miso braised leg, mirin pickled spring vegetables  French quail with mirin pickled spring vegetables  Miso braised leg  liver parfait on brioche  Wild sea bass, coco bean, squid & langoustine "minestrone"  Before... 50 day aged Black Angus  After... braised Scottish ox cheek, 50 day aged pure breed Black Angus rib-eye, crispy potato, onion Lyonnaise  ... with parsley beef broth added  Pineapple & kaffir lime granita, lychee foam  Eton mess, wild & gariguette strawberries, basil ash meringue  chocolate pave, mango sorbet One year on, PSS is really in its stride. There's more chefs in the kitchen, there's fewer tables on the floor and any FOH issues from the very early days are gone, everything has come together now to provide an extremely elegant meal but in relaxed surroundings. The food standard, high from day one, has nevertheless improved further and everything we tried on the tasting menu was expertly done leading to a very satisfying meal. It's easy to forget that Pollen Street Social is just a year old, still relatively new then, but already a well loved addition to the London restaurant scene. If like us you visited PSS in the early days but haven't been back for a while, it's definitely worth going back to see what's new. If however you have yet to visit PSS, well, you should, it really is very good. Return to homepagerelated links Pollen Street Social (April 2011)Pollen Street Social website
 There's a point out there where the very unfashionable City gives way to the uber fashionable Shoreditch and Eyre Brothers has for the past decade operated on what must be the border. In an uncharacteristic club night for one half of the CC, the DSLR left at home given its bulk but the compact slipped in to my back pocket, my pre club filler was what the website describes as 'London's finest, authentic Iberian food'. Clubbing aside, there's clearly a need to investigate.
The menu is rich in Portuguese offerings, but in addition to this, if you know in advance that you're coming, you can with a day's notice order Andalusian rabbit and rice, or Portuguese style whole roast sucking pig. As a last minute booking, we could opt for neither, but the menu still offered a wide range of treats.
Initially, we both opted for the same: a starter of spatchcocked quail, cooked and then marinated in sherry vinegar, olive oil, raisins and pine-nuts, new potatoes and mint (£8) followed by a main of Grilled fillet of acorn fed Iberico pig, marinated with smoked paprika, thyme and garlic, oven potatoes with green peppers, onions, garlic and white wine (£21). The restaurant recommends the pork served medium rare.
As it turned out, this was a fine choice. The quail was delicately cooked while the plate bristled with variety given the spread of ingredients in the pot. Quantity is partly an issue here however, too much in fact (well, possibly), for a whole quail served with six potatoes plus veg as a starter is a lot of food to begin with. The main course, medium rare pork (asked for and received more on the rare side) is a testament for the quality of pork now available and really was fantastic. The picture tells the full story.
If there is one 'fault' with the food here today, found in the above dishes and the other ordered meal, it's that they seem to try to put too much flavour in everything. There's an element of over-seasoning here and an excessive pinch of garlic there. Throughout, these are quality ingredients and the cooking is good also, the kitchen should have more confidence to let things be.
A desire to be different and a glance at the table next to me convinced me however to embrace Jamon Iberico bellota, grilled bread with garlic, tomato, marjoram and olive oil (£18) to start, and order a main course of Grilled Mozambique tiger prawns piri-piri, pilaf rice, cucumber, coriander and sherry vinegar. Here, the Jamon was delightful (as it should be at this price) but the grilled bread overplaying it a little, especially on the garlic (noted above). The tiger prawns were mighty impressive and cooked with skill leaving few complaints on the dish itself but some naval gazing at the equally impressive £12 per prawn price tag.
 Jamon Iberico bellota, grilled bread with garlic, tomato, marjoram and olive oil  spatchcocked quail, cooked and then marinated in sherry vinegar, olive oil, raisins and pinenuts; new potatoes and mint  Grilled fillet of acorn fed Iberico pig, marinated with smoked paprika, thyme and garlic, oven potatoes with green peppers, onions, garlic and white wine  Grilled Mozambique tiger prawns piri-piri, pilaf rice, cucumber, coriander and sherry vinegar We suspect all sorts dine at Eyre Brothers, from entertaining City types to fashion conscious Shoreditch clubbers and residents; and why not. In an area somewhat short of good eating, Eyre Brothers restaurant offered an enticingly different menu and delivers the plates well. The web site claims 'full on gutsy flavours' and in that respect it delivers. They should be careful however not to over do it to the point where the prime ingredients are overwhelmed, but this was a meal very much enjoyed, especially ahead of a hard night's clubbing.
Knowing you have a table booked at The Ledbury gives you a warm glow for The Ledbury is always special. It is one of the most highly regarded restaurants in the country and when you eat there, it is easy to realise why. Front of house strike the perfect balance between professionalism and friendliness while the food, well, that's always a joy. Brett's enthusiasm for food is remarkable (and contagious) and the menu doesn't just change quarterly with the seasons, it changes between services as the result of his suppliers finding that next special cut of meat (or indeed a successful shooting outing). Having had the tasting menu at lunch leaving us entirely full up, Brett's description of a beef addition to the evening menu was so attractive it made us want to stay for dinner too. In keeping with our experience with The Ledbury, there's the usual mix of plates: transformation of everyday ingredients (see the beetroot dish below), luxury ingredients (oysters, scallop and turbot today), and game in season, here, Muntjac (a small deer) and pigeon. Regardless of whether it is a simple beetroot or the king of fish, Brett makes every dish special. We've posted at length before on The Ledbury ( see post here), so in this post, we just give you the pictures below to enjoy.  amuse  Bacon & Onion bread  Quail's egg  Deep fried oyster  Cornish oyster chantilly and tartare with horseradish and dill  Beetroot  Scallop  Roast Turbot with crab, pinenuts, cauliflower, and blood orange  Berkshire Muntjac: compote of the shoulder with parsley root and prune cooked in Chinese tea  pigeon ahead of plating  breast of pigeon, foie gras and rhubarb  Pigeon offal  Gruyere, apricot and white chocolate  Meringue, sea buckthorn, mandarin  Parfait of dried fruits with Gariguette strawberries, white chocolate and warm tapioca with vanilla  petits fours
 An expensive meal that is excellent can bring satisfaction, while a low priced meal that is okay can still do the trick. An excellent meal that is 'did I read that correctly' cheap is an absolute joy and of course an extremely rare find. Today, we found such a thing in Charlotte's Bistro in Chiswick. Throw in too for good measure engaging staff, a thoughtful focus on drink as well as food, and a light, comfortable dining room, and our experience there left us delighted and charmed.
Our choice of Charlotte's Bistro followed a 'shout out' to Twitter for good places to eat in the Chiswick area and the Bistro clearly has a fan base. On entering, we were greeted with a smile (which always works for us), walked past a well stocked bar and were taken up to the dining area that was modern, comfortable, and with a glass roof, flooded with natural light.
The menu too is fresh and offered us seemingly attractive plates that if carried off, would see the Bistro be a good step up from the average neighbourhood restaurant. While a la carte prices indicated starters at around the £7.50 mark and mains at the £16 level, we then read about their 'trial'. What they describe on the website as a 'Set Lunch Steal', in their own words:
For the months of March and April we are running an amazing trial... Rather than serving a set lunch menu Monday to Saturday, guests are welcome to choose two or three course from Wesley's full A La Carte.
The price of the the set lunch? Two courses £12.95, three courses £15.95. Now that we've said all that, you might want to read it again, two or three times. We did, literally. Three courses for less than the normal price of a single main, we thought we had misunderstood, we started discussing it. What is the catch? Surely there's a loophole, tiny portions perhaps, or maybe it will be full of exclusions and supplements. Actually, no, as we found, it's an open, honest and transparent offer; we're shocked and delighted in equal measure. There's also a £1 cover charge, usually a bug bear for us, but on this occasion rather than hidden in the small print, its made clear and explained up front and at £15.95 for the food, you simply can't quibble about this.
 bread & butter  Cauliflower veloute, Masala froth An amuse of Cauliflower veloute with Masala froth was excellent and an encouraging start. Amongst the starters, we were recommended the Charlotte Potato & Truffle Fondant, Vacherin, Muscatel vinegar and cepes puree though there was little doubt we were going to choose this anyhow as it sounds like a show-stopper. When it arrives at the table, it looks good, a touch intriguing perhaps with the texture of the main potato/truffle fondant initially difficult to discern (picture below). Take the knife to it and, oh my goodness, the vacherin just runs out of it revealing it as a spectacular delight (pictured second down). All the flavours shine, offering brilliantly done indulgence. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal and is very much Charlotte's Bistro's own dish. It recalled to mind however another dish at another restaurant that similarly thrilled us: Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, the dish: the potato that wants to be a truffle. What a result for the Bistro then. The other starter was Grilled Mackerel, crab, Yorkshire rhubarb, radish, ginger ponzu dressing. As a plate, it was a joy to have placed in front of you: vibrant and enticing. Tasting as good as it looks, the small cut rhubarb an excellent foil to the mackerel but with the ginger ponzu dressing providing nice additional layers.  Charlotte Potato & Truffle Fondant, Vacherin, Muscatel vinegar and cepes puree  Grilled Mackerel, crab, Yorkshire rhubarb, radish, ginger ponzu dressing Mains were excellent too, with one choice of Bream Fillet, and one of Beer Brined Pork Loin and Crisp Pork Belly. Pork, always so lovely when done right is all too often done badly by restaurants that should know better but here, no such problem, it was a joy to eat. Portion sizes are excellent, normal, call them what you will, they've not been pared back to accommodate the amazing price here, and amongst other temptations on the main courses is a whole plaice with mussels and beurre rouge (as part of a £16 menu). Do I hear another wow?
A chocolate pot for dessert, and a coconut and tarragon rice pudding rounded out the meal. The latter lacked impact but this was a minor slip and the only one of the meal; we really don't mind, we're already charmed. A friend who had joined us for coffee enjoyed the cheese plate which is also pictured below.  Gilt head bream fillet, shellfish bourride, squid & pork dumplings, paprika aioli  Beer brined pork loin, crisp pork belly, smoked potato, red cabbage, salsify, pistachios  Cold coconut rice pudding, champagne rhubarb, lemongrass, honeycomb  Praline & caramel chocolate pot, tonka bean milk sorbet  Selection of cheese from La Fromagerie (£9) We have not come across Head Chef Wesley Smalley before (twitter @wesleysmalley) but he clearly cares passionately about the food and has a lot of talent. Michelin stars could well be in his future. Front of House is overseen by Matthew Mawtus (twitter @Matt_Mawtus) who has created a friendly and convivial atmosphere in the restaurant. In conclusion, this set lunch offer, described as a 'trial' for March and April, really will make your day. If you like eating out, take advantage of it while it runs, and make sure you order the potato truffle. The quality of the food for the price charged is simply astonishing and must surely rate as one of the best restaurant deals available not just in London but in the country right now. We chanced upon it and count ourselves lucky. Had we paid the full a la carte price for the meal we would have still been happy for the quality is there. July last year saw us visit Chiswick's Michelin starred La Trompette and conclude that it was a 'good neighbourhood restaurant'. On the strength of today, Charlotte's Bistro is a great neighbourhood restaurant and if we lived closer, we think they would see rather a lot of us I'm sure. Return to homepagerelated links Charlotte's Bistro website
We are generally of the view that if you want a good steak in London, Goodman is the place to go. Hawksmoor is pretty damn good too but with the Goodman vs Hawksmoor thing, it's a bit like Coke vs Pepsi in our view, people seem to be one or the other. CUT at 45 Park Lane sounded impressive but in our opinion offers nothing as good as either of the aforementioned but still requires you to remortgage your house before eating there so why bother. Sophie's Steakhouse however has received increasingly good press and on their website state 'at Sophie's our aim is to provide the best steak in London'. With such fighting talk, we had to try. One half of the CC team visited with a friend. Looking at the website for Sophie's before my visit in order to book a table, I discover that it is a no bookings restaurant (silent scream). Only when I read that the restaurant seats 220 do I cease to care for a table surely seems guaranteed. Also catching my eye is the boast that 'our giant martini's (sic) are legendary' - so many things to worry about in so few words. The menu too is reasonably extensive which might or might not be a good thing. Entering the restaurant, it is pretty huge, and despite my visit running in to late (Sunday) afternoon, the restaurant remained impressively full, with new customers still coming through the door at 3pm. Menus are in large card format though mine was dog-eared in the corners and marked with both biro and some food stains. It probably should have been in the bin rather than given to customers. For pre lunch drinks we ordered G&Ts but were not asked if we wanted water or given a wine list - perhaps they don't have one. Napkins are of the light paper tissue variety and seated three tables from the door, mine wafted on to the floor each time the door was opened. Tables generally are also quite close and the (normal sized) waiter couldn't squeeze between ours and the one behind us without banging my chair which became a little tiresome. On food, couldn't really resist seeing what they would do with 'Traditional prawn cocktail' while my friend asked for a green salad with the dressing on the side. The prawn cocktail was entirely as described, ie, traditional, though to be fair, was actually fine enough in being what it was. The large prawn on the side (a nod to the avant-garde perhaps?) nevertheless came shell on and with no finger bowl provided, left my fingers smelling of prawn for the rest of the meal. The green salad was fresh and fine.  Prawn cocktail  Green salad (dressing requested on the side) My dining companion had the lobster & avocado club which impressively boasts on the menu a 'whole Canadian lobster' so, at £21.95, is only a touch more expensive than Burger & Lobster (though served here without fries but includes bacon in the club). It was reported to be excellent. For me, with an extensive range of main courses offered, I felt in some way spoiled for choice though I was here for the steak challenge so I thought I'd better. Now, assuming that the cut of beef is a given, Goodman et al have raised the game several steps further by providing the holy trinity of description: country of origin (especially USDA versus other), the breed of cow (always welcome to see Belted Galloway on the board) and how many days aged the beef is (28 or perhaps 60 day). On the menu, I spotted none of this; on looking at the website later, I note they say 'Great British Dry Aged Steaks) so maybe this was somewhere on the menu and I missed it, but for a restaurant that wants to offer the best steaks, in London, it's a glaring shortfall unless the beef really does do the talking. I opted for a bone in sirloin medium rare. It came with a strong char on the outside, cooked about right inside, but overall, failed to leave an impression on me. If I had never had a Goodman steak, maybe I'd be saying something different but I have. 28 day aged Belted Galloway from Goodman is in my view the gold standard and if they want to trump the competition, a better quality steak is needed, it's as simple as that. Sauces are not offered at the time of ordering, and again, while not clear from the menu, it actually came with bearnaise which was in fact quite good. A bottle of Sophie's steak sauce was also brought to the table (not tried). A hastily ordered glass of red wine came in a funny little glass that basically said "we're used to breakages and this glass is either too tough or too cheap for us to worry".  Lobster & avocado club sandwich  bone in sirloin  interesting wine glasses The prices here are admittedly less than Goodman. As a quick spot check, the 28oz Porterhouse at Sophie's is £39.95 while the metric Goodman sees it on my calculation at £52.52 (prices taken from website menus). In my view, Goodman do offer a better steak but they charge you more for it. In some sense then, everything seems fair. Situated in the heart of theatre land/Covent Garden, the location is perfect for visitors to the capital. Furthermore, for what most will want pre/post theatre, visitors will come away happy with their choice. However, from giant Martinis to the dog-eared card menu, everything here suggests boisterous youthful restaurant rather than top end steakhouse. It is therefore what it is, and as the old expression goes, 'you pays your money and you takes your choice'. Personally, I'd rather dig a little deeper and go to Goodman who do actually do (in our opinion) the best steaks in London. Return to homepageRelated links Goodman CityGoodman Mayfair Sophie's Steakhouse website
 Aulis is something special, unique in fact, for Simon Rogan has thrown open the doors of L'enclume's test kitchen to members of the public who want to get even closer to the food. We jumped at the opportunity therefore to have a 'light lunch' at Aulis and the result was one of the most memorable meals of our life.
Aulis is new this year with the test kitchen only recently modified to seat up to six people along the bar where you can watch your meal prepared in front of you. But don't mistake this for the chef tables you get in London restaurants for it is a significantly more personal experience. For a start, Aulis is a physically separate building to the main L'enclume restaurant/kitchen and your chef and host for the event, Dan Cox, is cooking exclusively for you. The menu too is exclusively for you with bespoke dishes that are not featured on the L'enclume menu either.
But what really distinguishes the experience from all others is the level of interaction you have with the chefs. Dan is assisted by Kevin Tickle, long standing sous chef at L'enclume and that's it; there are no waiters here to serve food or wine, it's just you and two chefs. Talk of course mostly centres on the food (at least it did with us) and Dan's open about all aspects of what they do. In our view, Dan is absolutely perfect in the role: relaxed, engaging and really willing to share, nothing is held back from you, nothing is 'top secret'.
And then there's the food. Those familiar with L'enclume will know what style of food to expect though we were still caught a little by surprise. Having been told that we were booked in for 'a light lunch', we forgot that in L'enclume-speak, that would mean a lot of food and the menu today consisted of four 'snacks' to start and six main menu courses!
While the mise en place has been done before you arrive at Aulis, the cooking and plate assembly is performed in front of you after which Dan simply passes the finished dish across the counter for you to tuck in. So that you can see what actually takes place, we've included video footage in this blog post of three of the items served during the meal.
With Dan and Kevin exposed to the watchful eye of the dining guests at Aulis, there's little room for mistakes here, but it doesn't matter for there are none and all the food presented is perfect. Crispy chicken skin the way it is supposed to be, tripe with beef strands that is intense, and a duck liver parfait and duck fat that shames the best foie gras. And as always with a meal from the Rogan stable, there's surprise ingredients aplenty with the main talking point today cod tongue - Twitter confirming that most are unaware that cod even have tongues. They are in fact like mini cod fillets: one tongue contains two of them, separated by cartilage with skin around them, served with this removed of course.
It is from start to finish a stunning display of understanding (of ingredients), genius (of composition) and excellence (in cooking).
 the kitchen and dining room | Video clip:
Dan Cox prepares chicken skin, yoghurt and pickled beet | |
 chicken skin, yoghurt and pickled beet  Kevin (left) and Dan prepare the next course  Butternut, pork belly and Brussel sprout | Video clip:
Dan Cox prepares tripe, marrow and beef strands | |
 Tripe, marrow and beef strands  Squid croute, aioli and purslane  as above  Duck liver, fat, anise carrot crumb  Cod tongue, broad bean leaves, mushrooms and dill | Video clip:
Dan and Kevin prepare salt baked hake | |
 Salt baked hake, salsify purée, oyster sauce and leaves  Gotty's lamb breast and sweetbread, parsnip and sheep's milk  Sea buckthorn, anise hyssop, liquorice and butternut  Fresh cheese ice cream with sorrel, hazelnuts In our 2011 post on L'enclume, we reported on the farm and how, in another differentiating factor for L'enclume, they were producing more of their own ingredients that meant that seasonality didn't just mean a quarterly changing menu but one that literally changed daily depending on what was ready at the farm. Just by way of an update, things have moved on substantially since then with a new site and bigger ambitions that now extends across herbs, veg, fruit and even livestock. We mention it here in the Aulis post because Dan Cox, as if he weren't already talented enough with his cooking, is also in charge of developing the farm. The idea of farmer/chef provides in their philosophy an even greater connection to the food chain. It means that no restaurant in the country will have more control (and we think understanding) of the ingredients as the same chef will have seeded, planted, harvested and cooked most of the things on your plate. Since discovering L'enclume last year, we have constantly urged foodies who have not been to go and eat there believing it to be the best restaurant in the UK, for it really is. Aulis however is not a restaurant, it's a test kitchen that allows you to be as close to the food production process as you are in your own kitchen. What's more, Dan makes you feel so welcome you'll feel as comfortable as you do at home in your own kitchen also. Chances are however, that's where the similarities with your own kitchen will end, and you can now sit back, relax and let Dan and Kevin cook up a world of surprises and treats. This wasn't just a memorable meal, it was a deeply memorable and unique experience, and on that basis trumps almost everything else we've written up on this blog for the enjoyment we took from it. In fact, we believe Aulis is the most exciting thing in the UK's restaurant scene right now. Details on how to book are available on the L'enclume website with prices starting at £150 per person including wine. Return to homepageRelated links Aulis on TwitterDan Cox on TwitterKevin Tickle on Twitter
 It's hard not to love Andrew Nutter, he's funny, charming and has bags of enthusiasm for everything. He's also incredibly hard working for he is the chef-patron behind Nutters, surely the most successful restaurant in... Rochdale. That's not a typo (or a joke), and before you double check the TFL website, it's not a lesser known stop on the underground network either, but is what we 'southerners' call 'up north'. That in itself explains a few things for the portions are massive, the prices extraordinary and the welcome warm. It is also a huge success story.
Just to back up a little, Andrew Nutter was seemingly born with a saucepan in his hand for he was runner up in the National Junior Cook of the Year in his very early teens and offered a job at the Savoy Hotel aged just 15. After three years at the Savoy, two years in the Michelin kitchens of France, he worked briefly with Gary Rhodes at the Greenhouse before opening his own restaurant, Nutters, aged 21. He's now also a regular on TV, stared in his own Channel 5 show 'Utter Nutter', and has several best selling cook books to his name.
The restaurant itself is set in what was once a private house but could equally have been a church or a school, and is simply enormous, accommodating a bar area, the restaurant and two function rooms. The extensive grounds and the views from the dining room add an extra layer of relaxation to the experience. Lunch service gives way to an incredibly popular afternoon tea service which in turn gives way to dinner. It's a restaurant that is always on the go.
You also find on arrival that you get two Nutters for the price of one, for overseeing the front of house is Andrew Nutter's father, Rodney, who came out of retirement (previously a butcher) to help with all aspects of Nutters and who seems to have more energy than most men half his age. He lends a nice personal and friendly touch to the service.
He's also responsible for the wine list which offers real bargains throughout. As Rodney explained to me, there's no wealthy tourists (like in the Lake District) and the glamorous Northern footballers reside in Cheshire, not Rochdale, so if you don't offer real value, you simply wont sell any wine. If I lived anywhere near Nutters, I would move in simply for the wine list.
Andrew's been running his own place long enough to have his own distinct style, and while there are nods to French cuisine, there's a greater nod to his local roots as 'black pudding wontons' and 'Nutters Suet Pudding' suggest. Other plates however have a more universal nature such as salmon with asparagus, and brill with Lancashire cheese, that both appeared on our menu. The highlight for us however was, without doubt, dessert where Nutter had made up a board especially for us. Framed in a chocolate window and entitled 'A Few of our Favourite Things', eight mini desserts greeted us including a special dessert on there for Moo (see pictures below) and a Grey Goose sorbet (definitely a favourite thing). This was a wonderful dessert board and we made a remarkable job in mostly clearing it despite having eaten so much already by that point.
cocktails in the bar first
Bury black pudding wontons, chicken liver parfait, smoked haddock suppli ball
Crispy lobster and basil fritter, with Jerusalem artichoke and truffled fregola
Steamed salmon fillet served with blood orange, pink grapefruit and new season English asparagus
Fillet of brill with a Lancashire cheese and garden herb crumb served with a chive veloute
Seared Limousin beef fillet, slow roasted rib, and Nutters suet pudding and wilted spinach
Dessert: A few of our favourite things
one for Moo
and one for Mr Goosey
Nutters restaurant has never advertised but has built up a thriving business partly on the back of its larger than life chef Andrew Nutter. So not only has he built a restaurant, but he's built a brand too and we're thrilled to see him doing so well, because we, like so many of his Rochdale customers, are nuts about Nutter. Return to homepagerelated links Nutters restaurant websiteAndrew Nutter on Twitter
The lake district boasts three restaurants that hold Michelin stars and a huge number of pubs, all serving the usual pub grub. There is something of a gap however in the middle ground. This is where Rogan & Company fits in, offering good food in an informal atmosphere at good prices. Rogan & Co is situated in the village of Cartmel, is 30 seconds walk from the main square and is Simon Rogan's ( L'enclume) second restaurant in the village. Even before setting foot in the place, there's two things you're pretty sure of: first, ingredients used at Rogan & Co will be of the highest quality and for the most part locally sourced, and second, the cooking will be precise. Despite having a third restaurant ( Roganic) in London, Simon's home is Cumbria allowing him to fully participate in the food at Rogan & Co. In other words, this is not just a name over the door or a consultancy agreement, this is properly a Simon Rogan restaurant. It actually goes a step further than this we learnt while dining there. The food being served at Rogan & Co is typical of what L'enclume was in the early years of its existence, before the molecular that would then give way to the current menu style, and back to L'enclume's earliest a la carte. It's quite interesting therefore to enjoy food that still seems contemporary but is also a nod to history. The food we enjoyed is shown below, and yes, the ingredients were of the highest quality and so was the cooking. The food looked gorgeous on the plate too. With starters around the £8 mark, mains around £16-£17, and desserts priced at £7, three course dinners can be had for a shade over £30. With the wine list having many choices below £20 (and all below £30), Rogan & Co provides a very high quality offering in the mid market segment at a very attractive price. L'enclume is not an everyday affair, and the pub food around the lakes is somewhat mixed. Accordingly, Rogan & Co is to be welcomed to the Cumbrian dining scene as an affordable quality alternative for locals and tourists alike.  scrambled egg, smoked sausage and chervil foam  Soused mackerel, pickled vegetables, mustard, dill  Goat's milk curd with rocket, beetroot and radish  Marinated sea scallops, oyster and onions  wild brill, lobster dumplings, crispy leek and lobster cream  pan fried sea bream, bay cockles, white cabbage, potatoes  hot chocolate mousse, white chocolate sorbet Return to homepageRogan & Company websiteDisclosure: we ate at Rogan & Co as part of a paid for multi day L'enclume package http://www.lenclume.co.uk/offers.php
|
RSS Feed
