RESTAURANT REVIEWS

A couple of my very best friends have been badgering me to visit this restaurant for a year or so and realised the only way to ensure I would pay a visit was to book it and take me. Hence I found myself in this very traditional English style building, just off Cavendish Square – once a Coutts and Co Bank – on a Friday evening with three good friends to determine what all the fuss was about.

The restaurant calls itself a Brasserie and is the London offshoot of a well established 2 Michelin star Restaurant in Paris (named Le Taillevent) which apparently was the inspiration for the film Ratatouille. The claim to fame in the London branch is that it has 110 wines to try by the glass that compares to the average “fancy” restaurant offering of on average around 6. It also prides itself on pairing wines with the food, and the menu itself is a jigsaw of food listings which can then be paired with a choice of 4 different wines in different price brackets ranging from around £8 a glass to in excess of £20 enabling you to very much choose the exclusivity or rarity of the wine you wish to enjoy with your food.

It is quite an original concept and to my knowledge nothing else in London can compete with such an offering. To overcome this daunting but impressive looking menu – which would involve long decision making processes – 2 of our party( myself included) decided to opt for the Tasting Menu (£59) with pairing wines at an additional £45. The other 2 present went off piste and chose their own wines. So we had a situation with the 2 Brits present doing preordained Tasting – we cannot be bothered to choose the wines – and my 2 French friends doing their own thing – what this says about the respective Nationalities I am unsure, other than us Brits know nothing about wine and prefer to leave it the experts, and our friends from across the Channel apparently do!

To the food – as mentioned above we opted for the tasting menu which on the face it looked exceptional value bearing in mind we would enjoy 4 Courses followed by 2 desserts.

The first offering were some beautifully light cheese gougeres that almost needed to be tethered to the serving plate to stop them gravitating to the ceiling they were so light.

This was followed by the first course on the tasting menu being a very seasonal pea veloute which arrived as bright green tiny spheres accompanied by a few girrolles, baby gem and pea shoots with a little pecorino ravioli balanced in the middle, with the vibrant,almost kryptonite, pea veloute poured in at the table. I love a good pea – very underrated when at their seasonal prime – and this was a fantastic concoction, sweet tiny balls of joy with a little bit of hidden hazelnut somewhere inside to give a crunch and change in texture.

Next up was the restaurants most iconic dish, that of Spelt Lobster Risotto. Again we had waiters pouring the final accompaniment at the table, this time being an earthy lobster bisque which gave the dish a lot of punch and depth of flavour. The spelt had a lovely chewiness to it and the lobster claw floating in the middle was sweet and the whole dish came together perfectly.

This was followed by Scottish Cod with steamed broccoli, yuzu and a Beurre Blanc. A tiny portion of the B.B. was poured out on the side of the plate by the waiter, upon him disappearing we all emptied out the pot that had been left on the side onto our plates – who does not want a full portion of beurre blanc – especially when it was this good. There was a wonderful “zingy” Strong citrus flavour coming from the Yuzu, and the Cod – it appeared to be cooked but not cooked. Almost translucent- not a good sign for fish cooking- falling apart and incredibly delicate and gorgeous. On enquiringly on the cooking method, it was, as I suspected, poached, but to my surprise in buttermilk. Outstanding.

The final savoury Course was a Surf and Turf which always worries me – I don’t usually enjoy the 2 on the same plate together – but I need not have been concerned. This was Veal rump that was coupled with langoustine, one separately on the side, and strangely enough one langoustine in the centre of the veal too – they cannot have been cooked together like that ? The langoustine was meltingly soft and I would have thought only took 1 minute or so to prepare hence my question of preparation together.  Interestingly enough a langoustine bisque also mingled on the plate with a Veal jus – it was surf and turf on a another level. We had a brassica element to the plate here too, namely small cuts of cauliflower sitting on a cauliflower purée that was infused with vanilla. I am not a huge cauliflower fan but the vanilla hit and the crunchiness of the roasted or pan fried cauliflower with the soft purée also was a hit. Cauliflower seems to be making a huge comeback presently and is being prepared in all sorts of inventive ways – I could be becoming a fan !

Wines – I have not mentioned the Wine but it involved a very original selection wherein our Sommelier was enjoying playing tricks with us and getting us to blind taste some. We had a wonderfully light red 2014 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre with the cod, and a Moroccan 2012 Syrah produced by French wine makers Thalvin and Graillot with the Veal which none of us could get close to on a blind taste and I would defy anyone ! Closest we got to was South African.

Desserts – first up was Mandarin which came with pistachio and vanilla, gold leaf on top,  and a sort of mandarin soup to go with it. We were told to smash the mandarin immediately and to get all of the tastes together which we did not need to be asked twice to do.

This was followed by a chocolate dessert that involved peanut caramelia, a cocoa sorbet and a light shard of chocolate that disintegrated upon touch. Effectively this was a high quality chocolate peanut magnum, but I was always a fan of those, so enjoying a higher quality version worked for me.

By now all of us were feeling somewhat overindulged, the portion sizes for such a tasting menu were quite generous and we were struggling to finish our magnums. I would say this is one if the best value tasting menus I am aware of in London presently, especially when lined up against Simon Rogan at Roganic and the like. The quality of every dish was exceptional and if you do not go for the wine pairing you are coming away having experienced 6 amazing dishes for less than £10 a plate – in Central London !

The service was also spot on, not too intrusive, but there when it was needed, and this helped to establish a relaxed atmosphere rather than what potentially could be a stuffy location.

I would highly recommend this location and intend to visit again soon to try the A La Carte  offerings. This was a case where I should have listened to my friends earlier, maybe there are trendier spots,and a lot more recent openings to try out, but Taillevent is offering modern/classic perfectly prepared food at extremely competitive prices. Faultless.

Rating :

Food – Blazingly Hot Pan

Service – Blazingly Hot Pan 

Les 110 de Taillevent, 16 Cavendish Square, Marylebone,W1G 9DD.

With an evening free and by myself in Padstow I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit the little Fishing Villages only Michelin Starred Restaurant.

Whilst Padstow really has become Padstein with Ricks Restaurants, Cafes,Patisserie, School, Shop , Pub – the list goes on, one would have thought it brave for some interloper to take him on at his own game – especially some oik from Southampton !

Paul though has tremendous pedigree having worked with Gary Rhodes for 2 years in 1998 at The Square, and subsequently having stints with Gordon Ramsey at his eponymous Royal Hospital Road Restaurant, Petrus with Marcus Waring, and then at the Berkeley Hotel alongside Marcus. After being invited down to Padstow to work as Head Chef at No 6 the opportunity came to take over the business, which alongside his wife, they have run from 2010.Like Rick that have branched out to take over Rojano – a high class Pizza and Pasta Restaurant by the Harbour and to also set up a small hotel. Number 6 is situated in a small townhouse a stones throw from the Harbour and next to another Rick Stein venture. However Paul’s cooking and style sets itself quite apart from any of Ricks businesses and it appears that This town is big enough for the 2 of them.

The room itself has recently been renovated and there is now a large window on one wall giving an excellent view into the compact kitchen.

Online the restaurant had suggested they were full so I paid them a visit at 5 to surprise their staff dinner and asked if it was possible for an early table for one. They could not have been more helpful even though I was disturbing what was probably a rare break for them, and the lovely Anna offered me a table at 6.15, or if it’s for one “ basically any time you wish for” How accommodating is that ?

A quick schlep home and change ( well Anna had to see me spruced up ?) and then I returned to see the restaurant now ready for its evening clientele. I was shown to a table directly looking at the kitchen and offered a newspaper all presumably to offset the fact that I was dining alone. Little did they know I would  be taking notes, photographing everything and dropping my phone into my main meal.

A cocktail and drinks menu was quickly offered and Very clean cut, well suited and helpful Gentleman came up for a chat  – again probably thinking who this sad Gentleman was having dinner alone. As soon as he established I was doing work experience at Steins he became very animated and promised me a good evening – er ? Careful now.

So I ordered a Cornwall G and T Margarita not quite knowing why – I think due to being in confusion at that point. It came up strong and citrusy and not bad at all, however I was still pondering why I had ordered it. Calm down and concentrate ! Let’s look at the Food Menu to get grounded !

Well 5 starters / 5 mains and 5 Desserts. I like that- not too confusing but enough variety to suit even the most awkward or obnoxious Diners.

Actually I almost wanted everything listed. Quite telling that it was almost “ Anti Fish” so you could feel that it was waving a nonchalant stick at Rick almost teasing him with its meat themed menu. Only the catch of the Day on the Mains could be seen to be competitively going up against the Steinmeister.

Having been in a Seafood Restaurant kitchen for the past 4 days I was happy to go Carnivorous and therefore opted for Pigs Head Fritter with roast Onion, Coxs Pippin Apple and smoked eel. Other starters involved all the rabbit ( a terrine that I was promised really involving all body parts)  a smoked haddock Quiche Lorraine and Jacobs Ragu Bolognese – which I am assuming was connected to Jacobs ladder, another meat cut.

Before my starter a Porthilly Oyster – caught just over the road I was  advised – came up as a pre starter with a smoked cods roe mayonnaise.

Great presentation – don’t swallow whole !

It had been deep fried in breadcrumbs and reminded you that you should actually eat Oysters in 2 or 3 bites and chew rather than swallow whole. Well actually you couldn’t with this one but it made you think about the next one that you potentially could.

This Oyster had real flavour and bite to it, and whilst not as sea salty as a raw one, was very satisfying coupled with the Mayo, and the breadcrumbs gave the silky oyster texture an extra oomph !

To my actual first course as ordered. These bloody free bits and pieces always get you confused as to where you are especially if you opt for the tasting menu ( nothing to do with being at Number 6)   – after 8 small dishes – what do you mean now we start our Tasting menu ? I am ready to go home already. Apologies , little uncalled for rant there.

Ok back on planet earth. Starter. Pigs Head Fritter. A lovely slab/block of Fritter with nice little cubes of apples on top and a tiny piece of something I presume to be eel sitting on an onion.

Fantastically presented dish.

I cannot recall but I have eaten a similar pigs head Fritter before, not that it should take anything away from this one. Apple with pork, a bit of fatty eel and an onion that tasted meaty too all on one plate, it worked very well. I thought there was meat involved in the onion itself, when questioned the Waitress advised that maybe the onion was not just cooked in red wine but a mixture of red wine and meat stock. Anyway the onion was a star here very meltingly soft, meaty and adding a perfect combination to the Fritter.

Oh forgot the Bread And butter bit ! It was Explained beautifully by Becky another very helpful waitress all of whom seemed to know the workings of the kitchen and food they were serving as well as the chefs that had cooked it. This is a massive plus for me. So Salted butters and a caramelised butter – very nutty on the palate – and complimenting the fantastic Organic Brown Sourdough bread which I learnt had been cooked for an hour at very high Temperature to achieve a special hard crust but a very soft inside – bit like me ?

Mains – my order was Hogget with red garlic ketchup cucumber and sweetbread fricasee . Hogget is not a so well known or offered piece of meat –  a sheep is called a hogget after it is one year old) but a piece o& meat that should have a great depth of flavour I& prepared correctly. Other mains included the aforementioned catch the day ( Monkfish) ,  chicken Tornedos Rossini and  a Soy glazed duck. Minimum Mains price £31. Others up to £45.

My main came looking like a little Chocolate Fondant and first impressions were  not good. On the side my fricasee did not look beautiful but I was full of confidence due to my love of sweetbreads!

.Inside the little pudding shaped Fondant were lots of small cubes of Hogget but also something crunchy? When I emptied the contents of the side dish to my main plate not only did I find sweetbread but Burnt celeriac and some other part of the lamb/sheep. Could it be tongue ? Yes. All together this was a great combination with what I found out to be lambs belly crisped up like bacon (waitress speak not mine)providing a wonderful texture to the soft and sweet sweetbreads with the earthy taste of the cubed Hogget and some lovely little lambs tongue to set it off. What did not look so pretty delivered a punch.

becky informed me the tongue was her highlight of the dish and she was not far wrong. She then  offered me Dessert advising this would be an even greater highlight. I explained that Dessert was usually my least favourite part of a meal so she determined to change my mind. She insisted I should look no further than the Bread And Butter pudding with Pedro Ximenez and roast vanilla Ice Cream accredited to Gary Rhodes 1998 in the menu – which I thought was a lovely touch to Mr. Ainsworths mentor.

Best Dessert in the World .
Ask Becky !

She also offered a sweet wine to go with it upon which I took up her offer ashy now so seemed to be very much in her hands. It was a recommended Muscat at £17 a glass but I do not recall all the details. Anyway the dessert itself was spectacular and maybe was not far from being one of the best desserts in the world.

Large cubes of softly steeped bread swimming in a sweet vanilla custard – Creme Anglais –  surrounded by little individual sultanas and raisons topped by the wonderful ice cream. I wanted a raisin with every mouthful and I think I got one. I believe this is a classic Gary Rhodes recipe with the original just missing the Ice Cream.

I forgot to report about Wine – being alone I did not want to drink a bottle to myself so what this restaurant offers is a Coravin whereby wine can be poured from a bottle without removing the cork so that you can enjoy just a glass of something special. This was the perfect opportunity to employ that so I went for a glass of Aloxe Corton Domaine Maillard Pere et  fils burgundy. The menu said 2013 but they poured me a 2014. The first on offer was good but on realising her mistake the waitress bought a 2014 as well which I preferred. Strawberry hints and good body and finish. £26 a glass but something which would have been  a real treat to have by the bottle. Not aware of many restaurants offering this service ?

The staff in this restaurant went out of the way to look after me and demonstrated an excellent knowledge of the dishes they were serving. I am struggling to decide if the restaurant deserves the top rating criteria or not. There are clear nods to the style of Rhodes and Waring in the preparation and presentation of the food and it is accomplished – is it modern/ trendy – No, but faultless.

I think I may already need to widen my parameters of scoring for restaurants as 5 Pans do not necessarily cover the subtleties of the restaurant environment currently. For now

Food – Very Hot Pan 

Service – Blazingly Hot Pan 

Empty Bar – not a regular occurrence

Before working in the Kitchen for a week on my work experience – and being Johnny no mates in Padstow on a Sunday evening – I thought it would be a smashing idea to experience the restaurant from the Customer side. Upon arrival, and the restaurant having knowledge of my position, I was placed on a table looking directly at the central Bar area where, I was told, I would have the opportunity to watch the Chef at work.

I am not too accustomed to dining alone but from time I do find myself in the position where, if I do not, I am left with visiting the big Yellow Arch or going hungry. So in such circumstances Dinner alone is on the menu.

Summery Grapefruit ad Tonic – oh and a splash of Gin

First a drink – I did not want to order a bottle of wine for One as I don’t do single glasses of wine so I decided to peruse the Cocktail list. I like a G & T now and again so went for a Rick Stein special of Gin with a Fennel and Aniseed taste which came with a slice of Grapefruit inside – beautifully refreshing and the aniseed appealing to my senses.

The menu is quite extensive but not for Carnivores with only a Lamb Rack on offer for anyone not fancying something that swims. Starters range in the £15 area with Mains mostly in the £20’s but some exceeding this by leaps and bounds – Turbot with Hollandaise ( a RS classic) at £45 and the infamous Lobster Thermidor at £66 a head – Yep £60 pp – a lot of money down here in Padstow ! ( or only £60 if you go for a small one !)

How Many Eggs – answers on a postcard please !

Thereafter I am offered 2 types of bread – Walnut and Soda – nothing too special here and an Amuse Bouche of a little shell containing mashed potato, a little Hake and a topping of Caviar – a very exotic ( Caviar😉👍) and delicate dish. Good start – let’s aim to impress !

OK – the main deal – The Food !

I ordered a starter of Fillets of Hake Veloute which my very helpful Waiter suggested was new but the best Starter on the Menu. Well after a short wait this beautifully plated dish arrived and I must say it was astounding ! I simply did not want it to finish. The Hake was soft and breaking up under my fork – poached ? – and it was coupled with wafer thin slices of apple which helped cut through the Veloute with a nicely balanced acidity However what was outrageously wonderful was that with some mouthfuls you encountered Pink Peppercorns, Dill, and, surprisingly, Chopped Dates and Raisons. ( Where has Rick been on his latest travels ?) These were little gems of heaven when coupled with the rest of the dish and one of the best things I have eaten in a while.

My little plate of Heaven !

I had ordered the classic Turbot – really pushing the Village boat out – as my main course but whilst awaiting it a further starter arrived? I was guessing my presence had been recognised by the kitchen and I was getting special treatment – NO, NO – alright YES YES  !

What turns up as a surprise second starter are Fillets of Cornish Gurnard with Char Grilled Baby Leeks, Soft boiled egg, Mustard Vinagrette And Parmesan Shavings. A lot going on here and ingredients I never would imagine should be occupying the same plate but it works ! (Especially when it’s free !)

Too much going on – NO !

If there were to be one complaint on this dish I would have hoped for a little more mustard Vinagrette – it was hardly discernible, but when it was, you wanted more of it !

Now to the The Turbot ! It’s billed as Roast Troncon of Wild Turbot with hollandaise Sauce. Apparently People come from around the World to experience this dish and you could almost believe it. It’s classic, it’s served on the bone and if it was ever taken off the menu there could be riots down here on the Harbour.

Its accompanied with minted Cornish Potato’s And Hispi  Cabbage with Onion Confit and Chives. It’s a tremendous threesome that works like a dream. Every mouthful of Sweet buttery fish should be coupled with a dash of the Hollandaise and you will smile with every forkful – is that a word ? The Hispi cabbage – on almost every menu these days- has been shredded rather than quartered or halved as you often see and oozes with butter and chives, again very calorific – butter everywhere !

World Famous Troncon

Troncon apparently translates as Section in French so I can understand why they use the Gallic version !

Dessert – I was already full after 3 courses but felt I had to indulge further to be able to review at least 1 dessert.

I ordered a Mexican Rice Pudding with Honeycomb simply because of my weakness for Honeycomb. I was told it would be served at room temperature and with sliced mango and a few spices. Other temptations on the Dessert Menu included classics such as Choc Fondant,  Apple Tart and Vanilla Ice Cream and Pear Tarte Tatin with Choccy Ice Cream.

My Mexican Rice Pudding was simple enough but also rewarding with the Scattered Honeycomb.

Hey Gringo – I am Not just rice but Mexican Rice !

This is a Restaurant that really knows what it is doing and showcases Fish and Crustaceans in a spectacular, even if sometimes a simple and classic way. The menu is often tweaked with a new dish appearing following on from Ricks travels and TV shows/ Books etc. One of the latest was my wonderful starter, and another popular dish new to the menu is the Sea Bass Pollichathu – a whole fish baked in a banana skin with a Masala Sauce – a recipe originating from Kerela.

It does not command a Michelin Star and I don’t know what Mr.Stein thinks about that business but if it were in London I would guess it would have been awarded one years ago. It is Fish fine dining in terms of taste but the atmosphere itself was very casual and not imposing or stuffy in any way.

You need to go – if not for splashing out on the Turbot – for my Hake starter !

Rating – BLAZINGLY HOTPAN

SERVICE  – VERY HOT PAN ( took ages to get my bill as they had forgot ! ) 

NB ( I did pay for my meal in full but received an extra starter for free)

ASTER

Coming out of Victoria Station – probably the worst Construction Site in London, like forever – I was thinking where will I find Aster whose address is the new NOVA centre ?

Well it was not difficult to find as this Weird shard of metal of glass was jutting out directly in front of the station and I could spy the word Aster already above the almost Icelandic Modern Church looking entrance.

This is huge space with a cafe area downstairs and a sweeping staircase leading to the more refined Dining area that has full length glass windows giving a wonderful view over what is a blot on the landscape – the aforementioned construction site of the Victoria Station complex.

This is a restaurant led by Chef Patron Helena Puolakka who has Finnish roots but was classically French trained – hence the style of cooking before referred to as Nordic/French. She has a great pedigree having been Executive chef at Skylon for 6 years and has previous experience with Pierre Koffman and at the 3 Michelin starred Pierre Gagnaire temple of French Gastronomy Hotel Balzac,Paris.

I was here to meet a couple of fellow students that had also endured the stress of the last week of schools Theory and Practical Exams and who needed to be comforted by someone else cooking for them !

We were provided with 2 menus the first being working Lunch menus with 2 courses for £21 or 3 for £23 which appeared good value for money but we went with the a La Carte which had a number of tempting dishes on offer.

First out of the traps was Foie Gras ,Pan Fried with smoked ell and apple salad and topped with a parmesan lace potato.

This was a beautiful looking dish – I had been concerned regards the quantity of eel to Foie Gras but needn’t of been as the Foie gras was a soft and juicy lump of meat with a burnous of Eel pieces scattered around. The apple -Granny Smiths ? -_cut through the fat in just the right proportion and the dish was a hit.

Another starter sampled was the Beef Carpaccio  with pink Oyster mushrooms and some kind of pickled celery = another well presented dish and declared as fantastic by my dining companion.

We were advised that the scallops were unavailable from the Starter menu but other options included a very Nordic sounding Blackcurrant herrings with new potatos and pickled red onions.

On to mains –  my 2 friends went for Guinea Fowl balloting,turnipos ,apples and a vin jaunt sauce. This was much more delicate looking and tasting than the Chicken Ballotine we had prepared at school a few weeks back and the meat was prepared perfectly being moist and tasty. My choice was Halibut, Hispi Cabbage Charred Onions and a buttermilk sauce. This was s small wedge of halibut and textural not has meaty as I thought it might of been, but none the worse for it – Hispi cabbage was Nice and sweet and the sauce required but had I not read the menu oi would not have been sure of its flavour. Interestingly enough out of 6 main courses on offer, 2 were Vegetarian options and 1 a Chateaubriand to share (at £58).

We had the Truffled potato accompaniment – being greedy ordered 2 of them – but the portions were large-  and although tasting like a very creamy and exotic Dauphinoise we did not quite manage to polish them both off !

There are 6 Desserts on offer and all tried different options. A chocolate “planet” was impossible to resist for our chocolate lover and a blood orange cake, jelly, candied peel and Juniper Ice Cream was also ordered. This was a little messy looking and a little dry and maybe not the best dessert on offer.

A very beautifully constructed Apple Tarte Fine was ordered by me with smoked Almond Ice Cream. not as almondy as I was expecting and smallish in quantity but again it looked and tasted a treat.

The chocolate planet – a sphere to you and me – was greedy finished off and thereafter ice were presented with a small gift of pistachio macaroons – excellent and some kind of mini berry parfait cake – tasteless and discarded !

Allin all all this was exquisite food very well presented and in a little different style to what we are used to. Helena and her team have an eye for precision and finesse – you eat with your eyes as we are often told,  but in this case our stomaches were just as well treated as our eyes in Aster !

The ambience was very Corporate Suites on a Monday lunchtime – probably we were the only casual Diners – so need to check it out in the evening as it has the potential to be quite buzzy with a good looking bar area as you first reach the top of the stairs.

If you plan to see Hamilton anytime in the near future this is a great option for before or after as it is more or less next door and caters for both pre and post Theatre Dining.

Price for 3 – £223 including a very well balanced and not overpowering Californian Sebastiani 2014 Zinfandel from Sonomo at £42. Good value .

RATING : FOOD –VERY HOT PAN

SERVICE – HOT PAN (Waiter was putting bread on incorrect side plates !)