The Fat Duck Revisited

Having had the opportunity to eat at The Fat Duck once before on the final day of the a la carte menu being served, 4 years ago, I was happy to again get the chance to visit Bray and this time try the tasting menu.

We really outstayed our welcome this time, leaving at about 5:30, the hoover was out in preparation for the dinner sitting but they were so hospitable, even allowing us a sneak peek into the kitchen on our way out.

We were a group of 6, it was Aymeric's birthday and soon to be Bel's and we went all out and had the wine pairings too.  This is obviously a rare treat kind of a meal and here's what we ate.

Nitro poached aperitifs, gin and tonic for me, vodka and lime sour and campari soda also available, these are little meringues, frozen with liquid nitrogen at your table.  I was the first to try and stupidly expected it to be hot, it was obviously freezing cold and smoke started coming out of my mouth as I chewed, much to the hilarity of the rest of the table, you have to eat it quickly so I couldn't take a pic.

Next up was an amuse of beetroot meringue filled with horseradish cream, it looked like a little whoopie pie.  Tasted exactly as described, very clever and pretty.  Neat little plate too.

Red cabbage gazpacho with pommery grain mustard ice cream was next.  I had this last time and again the flavours are so prominent, it tastes really fresh and clean. 

Then another familiar dish, one we had on our previous trip, jelly of quail crayfish cream, chicken liver parfait, oak moss and truffle toast.  This is the point when dry ice floods over the table bringing with it the aroma of a forest. 

Now for the thing I was most looking forward to trying, the snail porridge with iberico ham and shaved fennel.  The dish Heston is famed for and it was brilliant, look how green it is!

Roasted foie gras next with rhubard, braised kombu and crab biscuit.  This is really, really excellent.

Then came the Mad hatters tea party, exactly as seen on the telly, a little glass cup into which you pour your own water with a pocket watch stock 'teabag' making mock turtle soup, accompanied by a toast sandwich, so beautiful.

Sound of the the sea was next, a little tray of various sashimi fish with sand and sea foam, this was the dish I was most indifferent about, the only one I'd say I actually didn't like.  It's gimmicky, with the sound of waves lapping on the shore played on an mp4 player to each diner, I disliked the textures, the sand is very convincing and quite grainy, I wasn't a fan, but ate it all of course.

The dish that everyone complains hasn't changed in the last 10 years follows, salmon poached in liquorice gel.  I actually quite liked it.  It comes with artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise, grapefruit and trout roe.  Remembering it now, this was actually very good and again I loved the plate.

Another fave on the day was the main course of saddle of venison with beetroot soubise and risotto of spelt and umbles.  It was actually the latter component, served in individual pots that elevated this dish, the soubise was a tad sweet for me but the meat was delicious and the risotto was incredible.

Hot & Iced tea was, as before, a marvel, how do they do it?!  We all pondered that, me loudly, and one of the many waiters told me I was wrong, they always seemed to be listening to what we were saying, perhaps after a few wine pairings, we were louder than we realized, but it felt, at times, as though there were hidden microphones.  Paranoia!  Desserts began with galette of rhubard which was another accomplished and well rounded dish. 

Then came the BFG, I've no doubt previously mentioned that I am not the hugest fan of chocolate combined with fruit, so the rhubarb was much more my kind of pud, but I did enjoy the black forest gateau still.  It's undeniably attractive.

And onto the whiskey wine gums, which are lethal little brutes, I was already tipsy and these are, in varying degrees, laced with whiskies of the world.  I'm not usually a whiskey drinker but the difference in the flavours is remarkable.

Last billed dish is "like a kid in a sweet shop" which is a lovely touch, something you can take away with you to enjoy later, I ate my baccy on the train ride home.  The queen of hearts (pictured top) bakewell tart in playing card form was outstanding, seen below in an envelope, the fudge wrapper was edible and the little chocolate thing was filled with orange.  Loved it all.

We also had cheese and these wines, I was most psyched to try Châteauneuf-du-Pape but was slightly miffed that it was a white variety.  Interesting to see Sake on the list too, the wines were all lovely and perfect pairings, naturally.  That's more even than I am qualified to say.

We marveled at the skill and sheer number of components to each dish, such expertise and wizardry, this is exactly what I love about fine dining.  Having visited before, I knew what to expect of course but I wasn't disappointed and I'll never tire of this kind of eating.  I would recommend dining here to anybody who considers him or herself a fan of food, you'll probably still like it even if you don't, oh, and you'll need a spare £400 to hand.

The Fat Duck
High Street
Bray
Berkshire
SL6 2AQ
9/10

April/May Round Up

Been a while since I've blogged.  It's been a good April/May but I've been lazy so I'll do a little round up of things I've eaten recently, or I'll never catch up.

Tuscanic
I popped in for an unplanned lunch after walking by and seeing the selection of foccacia sandwiches on display in the window.  It's a decent place, not too busy, think charcuterie meat platters and a focus on quality Italian ingredients with rustic, no fuss presentation.

This board was £10 and we shared it between 2 so was a bargain lunch, served with bread.  We paid extra for the olives.

Red Lion & Sun
I've moved recently, back to the Tufnell Park area and at last ventured to the Red Lion & Sun, where I've wanted to go for eons.  It's in Highgate village so not technically our local, but we can be there in 20 minutes if we get a wriggle on.  When walking there on a particularly warm day with a 7/10 hangover, so a bit slower in pace, we were a bit late and they were ever so nice about it.

I had the lamb shank, we were in for Sunday lunch, and it was amazing.  THE best roast I've had in London, sorry Pig & Butcher, they all come with Yorkshires, who wants a roast without one?  Bel's beef was brilliant too, there was a bill mix up, but it was sorted quickly and in all, it was lovely.  I'll be back.  We also had puds, sticky toffee pudding and rhubarb crumble.

Lots of children and dogs were present, but don't let that put you off.  They have 2 gardens and often host street food vans, like Mama Wangs most recently, I'm still annoyed at myself for not going.

When Mac Met Cheese
The Endurance is hosting a mac & cheese pop up.  I've spent a lot of evenings in The Endurance, and mac cheese is my absolute favourite dish, so no brainer, I was there last Friday.  They're there for 6 weeks I think, and this was their first week.

Couple of options on offer, we all went for Mum's classic, I expected it to be topped with tomatoes and rocket, which you can add at no extra cost, but it was mixed in.  Not sure about that.  This is satisfying after a few drinks, and great value for £6 a pop, but it's pretty bog standard, no frills stuff.

We shared some macancinis which were great, flecked with jalapenos and really quite spicy and had to try the deep fried oreos, but we ate them after the main event and it all came served together so they were a bit cold and past their best.  If you want them, order them later.

Mele e Pere
For Nibs' birthday we tried this Italian Trattoria style restaurant on Brewer Street.  The space is massive downstairs and it was practically empty on a Saturday lunchtime, so they don't seem to be doing too well.  I was really happy with my dish of gnocchi with clams, prawns and samphire, the sauce was great, I'm going through a bit of a gnocchi phase at the moment and ordering it whenever I see it.  This one was flavoured with squid ink.  Loved it.

We shared loads of other dishes, meatballs, calamari, arancini and a bread basket, all were enjoyable and good value for money, the tomato bread was particularly good.  Whilst not being wowed, we were all happy.  Think we paid about £20 each, and we had a couple of cocktails too.

Terry's Cafe

On the actual day of Nibs' birthday we went to her local fave on Great Suffolk Street.  Terry's is a family run cafe, now headed up by Austin, son of Terry.  Their breakfasts are pretty epic and we had the whole restaurant for the evening.  They were offering a variety of pies or toad in the hole all served with mash and veg.  Nice home cooked food and really sweet service.  Get there early for breakfast as they run out of bubble and squeak, and you'll want to try that.

Dean Street Townhouse
Another Sunday roast, this one recommended by Art, and it was great.  Em and I were so beaten, and wanting to save room for pub.   We did 2 courses for £24 and shared a starter of smoked salmon with pickled cucumber then both opted for the roast chicken, served with literally ALL the trimmings and cauliflower cheese which made me so happy.  We shared the dessert too, bread & butter pudding.

The room is a little lacking in atmosphere, a bar lines the wall, with the most ridiculous stalls that are so tightly packed together, making it almost impossible to maneuver in or out.  Tables are quite close too, so conversation is a tad hushed.  Not sure I'll hurry back, but the roast is good, definitely filling, go hungry.

The Bull & Last
I've blogged about this pub before, and it's probably one of my favourite places in London, so I'm blogging about it again, because they do breakfast!  I had the homemade baked beans with ham hock topped with fried duck egg on sourdough.  It was brilliant, watercress was unnecessary though.  The menu is short but well put together, the coffee is pretty good too.  This was under a tenner, then I had a bloody mary.  Bull & Last's still got it.

Tuscanic
72 Old Compton St
Soho
 W1
6.5/10



The Red Lion & Sun
25 North Road
Highgate
N6
8/10



When Mac Met Cheese @ The Endurance
 90 Berwick St
Soho
W1
5/10



Mele e Pere
46 Brewer Street
Soho
W1
7/10



Terry's Cafe
158 Great Suffolk Street
Borough
SE1
7/10



Dean Street Townhouse
69-72 Dean St
Soho
W1
6/10



The bull & Last
 118 Highgate Road
Kentish Town (ish)
NW5
9/10

Boo in Paris - The Rest

Here's a little round up of the rest of our recent Paris trip for Bel's birthday. 

It has to start with the finest cheeseboard I've ever seen in a restaurant, Chez Casimir's selection which was one of the culinary highlights of the trip.  We were left alone with it for about 10 minutes and did some serious damage.

 

Here we also had probably the sweetest service of the weekend here, they chaps really made us feel welcome.  Brilliant mains too, the iberico pork with polenta;

 

And the lamb shanks with vegetables served in individual casserole dishes.  We had 4 courses for €32, an absolute bargain. 

The confit fennel with citrus sorbets was the best received dessert, not too sure about the logo though...

We were all really eager to try L'as du Falafel in the Marais because everyone knows that they serve the best falafs in Paris.  They didn't disappoint and we all ordered the classic pitta special which for €7.50 comes packed full with falafel, aubergines and salad. 

 

The accompanying sauces are nice too providing an additional kick, red and green chilli to choose from.  It's really relaxed and they have a little window out front for take away orders. 

We had some nice food but surly service at Cafe Constant but I really enjoyed the ox cheek bourguignon with carrot and potato (€14), so I thought it worth a mention.  

The plate du fromage was laughable though, 2 huge hunks of the same cheese and they couldn't wait to get us out of there as we'd arrived pretty late (having struggled to find anywhere open on a Sunday night).

We also picked up some brilliant baguette from a little bakery on Rue André del Sarte (thanks for the recommendation Benj), had nice late night drinks in the conservatory of Hotel Amour to see in Bel's actual birthday and fell in love with the baked goods from Maison Kayser, the pistachio financiers are seriously good.

Chez Casimir

6 Rue de Belzunce, 

75010

8/10

Cafe Constant

139 Rue Saint-Dominique

75007

6/10

L'as du Falafel

34 Rue des Rosiers

75004

9/10

Boo in Paris - Septime la Cave

One of the most hyped restaurants in Paris right now is Septime.  Having not planned ahead we stood no chance of getting a table during our 4 day trip, so didn’t even attempt it, but we were lucky enough to have lunch on our last day at the newly opened Septime Cave.

The Cave, just across the road from the main restaurant is a little wine cellar with 3 stools at a bar, offering a small menu of wines by the glass and a few bar snacks.  We propped up the bar for a few hours ahead of our train back to London and were so impressed with the wines (bringing plenty home with us) and the food.  It’s not really marketed as a foodie destination, more a place to buy some good wines and perhaps crack open a bottle right there, or sample some others whilst grazing on some snacks.  

The place is stacked with wines from floor to ceiling, on each wall.  They also sell a bunch of other drinks and whilst it's a tiny room, they've really made the best of the space they have to work with.

We ordered pretty much 1 of everything between the 3 or us.  The toasted bread was replenished literally about 10 times without even having to ask.  

  

In this first picture is the foie gras with anguille fume (€10) which was great.  Even Art, not the biggest fan of fish, was taken with the smoked eel stuffed in the centre.  Great with the bread, from a local bakery.

Next to arrive was the saucisson salamino (€8) and the house smoked duck breast, magreb fume ici (€7).

Final batch of plates we ordered were the saint nectaire cheese (€8) the lombatello di cinta senese (€8) an Italian proscuitto type ham and, what was for me the best dish of the day, the ricotta anchois (€8).  The combo of anchovies with the creamy cheese topped with toasted bulghar wheat and plenty of Occhipinti extra virgin olive oil.  The oil was also left with us for regular top ups and I got a bottle to take away.  So good.  It’s from a small family run estate where some of the wines on offer are also produced. 

Onto the wines, the biggest hit of the day was probably the P.U.R BBQ 2011 which Bel took a few bottles of.  A full bodied red from the Chavanay region of France made with Syrah grapes.

I preferred the Bourgogne Aligote from Naudin-Ferrand, a fruity and smooth white.  Glasses of these to drink in range from 5-8 Euros and the bottles can be purchased for around 7-15 Euros.  And that is really all I should say about wine, because I know so little, but everything we tried was excellent.  So cheap and it really was the best way to spend the final few hours of our trip.  I had a cider too for €3.

I can’t think of anywhere similar to it here in London, it’s a brilliant idea.  There was a steady stream of visitors coming in to pick up a bottle or 2, and the lovely lady working there that day was so sweet and helpful.  It's a casual vibe and really ended our holiday on a high note.

Septime La Cave

3 Rue Basfroi, 75011 (Charonne)

Paris

8.5/10

Boo in Paris - Le Chateaubriand

No exaggeration, I've been trying to dine at Le Chateaubriand for about 4 years. My previous visits to Paris always coinciding with their summer and Christmas closures, so this time, the girls and I were determined not to miss out.

This and this report of how to bag a table came in really handy as we'd not managed to make a reservation. So we took up residence in sister restaurant Le Dauphin and kept an eye on the queue situation to ensure we were able to be relatively close to the front.

At Le Chateaubriend, the first sitting from 6pm allows organised diners to book in advance. As the tables turn, those who queue are able to try the tasting menu on a first come first served basis. There is no all night queue, it forms from about 9pm to reduce potential waiting times which seems like a much better way of doing it than the constant queues we see here in London.

We waited inside at the bar from just gone 9, drinking champagne for about an hour. Tables of 2 were seated ahead of us, bigger groups will need to wait for longer.

Once we were seated, we enjoyed the best meal of the whole trip and I now see what all the fuss is about and why for many Le Chateaubriand is still offering some of the best food that Paris has to offer.

There is a set tasting menu only, which changes on a daily basis and costs €60. A wine matching menu is also offered for €120 but we were already pretty merry.

First up came the amuse bouches.

 Cheese puffs - not particularly memorable, and we spotted some nearby diners

being served 2 each.  Only 1 each for us, boring start.

 Liqueur de tomates. Almost like a bloody Mary, a salty cold liquid with a 

chunk of avocado in the centre. This was seriously impressive and 

I annoyed everyone by banging on about how much I loved it.

 I still can't decide what fish this was but I think it was

monkish with horseradish and walnuts.  Nice textures.

 Octopus salad with asparagus and yoghurt. Another wow dish.

 Amuses done, a celery soup palate cleanser which was way better than it looked.

Some nice bread and butter arrived at this point along with the starter of boudin noir, choux de pointoise (cabbage from a suburb in the Northwest of Paris) and pimentón (paprika). This was the dish of the day for all of us who agreed that we would never have ordered it, but were thoroughly blown away by the combination. The boudin noir was the nicest blood sausage I have ever tried and the additions of grapefruit pulp and cabbage were genius. LOVED IT.

 Next up was our least favourite dish. Monkfish with carrots and bitter leaves. 

The sauce was a bit wishy washy and it lacked the flavour present in all the other dishes.

 Guinea fowl with squid cubes and beurre noisette. Another really brilliant dish. 

Lovely cooked meat with a nice tang from the onion and herb topping. 

Pre dessert of mandarin ice cream with rum soaked raisins. I didn't expect to 

like this but it provided a nice freshness and the raisins really packed a punch.

We shared 2 cheese plates and had an extra 2 desserts as concino del ciolo cannot be shared. How do you slice a runny egg yolk?! These split the table really. The Spanish sweet dish of pastry with toffee sauce topped with an egg yolk. Eaten in 1 mouthful the yolk pops and is only slightly sweet, blowtorched sugar forming a hard top and resuting in a gag reflex from half of our table. Certainly fun to eat.

The fromage, I forget which as the menu didn't specify, was a fine selection.

More bread was delivered with it.

To finish, we were given a plate of mango pieces topped with cumin and fennel seeds with what could have been other candied seeds but I can't be sure (the colourful balls pictured). We shared a bottle of red through the meal and by this point we were all flagging slightly having been on the 7:30am Eurostar from St Pancras that morning. A 1:30am finish to the meal took its toll on us and I was struggling to see straight!

To say we enjoyed this experience would be an understatement. The service and atmosphere was lively and fun. We paid €90 each and left full and happy, all boudin noir converts and I will certainly be back next time I'm in Paris. The wait we had feared was a non issue and the food some of the most innovative and interesting I've ever had.

Le Chateaubriand

129, Avenue de Parmentier

Paris

70011

9/10