Food perfection at Brasserie Chavot

Brasserie Chavot offers a French inspired menu created using the finest produce from the British Isles and France.

The Parisian inspired dining room has white tablecloths, red banquettes, a beautiful mosaic tiled floor and extravagant chandeliers.

Executive chef Eric Chavot is highly acclaimed and has worked with iconic chefs  including Pierre Koffmann and Raymond Blanc.  He opened this Michelin star Brasserie in 2013 and It’s conveniently located on Conduit Street, Mayfair, which is just off of Regent Street, perfect for a pre/post shopping spree slap up meal.

My husband and I were on a date night.  We had already decided what we were eating before we had even got to the restaurant.  Brasserie Chavot is famous for their soft shell crab.  I love soft shell crab too so there was no doubt I was going for this.  My husband and I always tend to order different dishes, I’m not sure why, I think we like to compete for food envy but my husband was already envious before we’d even ordered so he too went for this as a starter too.

Deep-fried soft shell crab, whipped aioli

So was it as anticipated? Omg yes! Deep fried Light crunchy batter on a succulent soft shelled crab served with gorgeous whipped aioli, the ultimate food porn, smartly served on a grease proof French newspaper, c’est magnifique!

For our main course we both chose the classic Brasserie dish of steak frites! Again my husband didn’t want to risk food envy, because If you’re ordering steak and chips from a Michelin star kitchen you know it’s gonna be très bien.

The Beef ribeye comes with either a choice of echalotes (shallots) or bearnaise sauce, but we went for both.  The steak is also served with a side of watercress.  Pommes frites were ordered separately and we also ordered an additional mixed leaf salad.

The steak was cooked to perfection, as expected gorgeously pink and tender.  I spread the softened shallots on top of the beef and dipped each cut into the bearnaise.  We were also  offered ketchup and mayonnaise, which I’m ashamed to say I used for my chips.  My husband is a condiment-a-holic he will literally have some sort of condiment with every meal eaten at home.  So to have all these lined up on the table was a real pleasure for him.

The watercress side was coated  in a Roquefort blue Cheese dressing, it was so delicious.  The chips had been triple cooked so were soft inside but crisp and crunchy.  Quite honestly this was the best steak,  chips and salad I’ve ever had!

Although we were absolutely stuffed we still found room for a dessert.

Surprise surprise we actually ordered different desserts.  I went for the Chocolate and pistachio pot de crème.

Hubby went for the Baba au rhum with creme Chantilly

The desserts were very generously sized.  We were both very happy with our choices.  My husband’s dessert looked huge, but he had no problem scoffing it in about 10 seconds, I barley got a taste.  I savoured mine, and it was a delicious combination of smooth rich flavours and textures.  As my husband and I are used to having small tasting menu courses we were pleasantly surprised by how big the dishes were, although we were almost in a food coma we definitely felt satisfied like we’d eaten a good meal.

We headed off and thanked the staff for their great service, they were very engaging and really passionate about the food and their chef, we did ask to meet him but to our chef stalking disappointment he was not in. So walked our happy bellies to the train station whilst reminiscing about the amazing food we just ate.

Romantic meal with a view – Galvin at Windows

Galvin at Windows, situated on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, was one of the first ‘posh’ restaurants my husband and I went to. Within our first year of getting together we went there to celebrate his birthday. We also spent our wedding night at the Hilton Park lane and although we didn’t dine at Galvin at Windows that night, they sent some of their marshmallows to our room, simply because we had mentioned how nice they were to the person who checked us in. As the restaurant is quite sentimental to us my husband surprised me and took me there for a date night.    As we were shown our seat, right next to the window, we were given postcards, which could be sent anywhere in the world courtesy of the restaurant. I wrote them out to my children, all the way in sunny Kent. The views are incredible, you can see for miles, from our table we overlooked Buckingham Palace. We were given an Amuse-bouche of crayfish and some freshly baked bread. The bread was delicious, still lovely and warm and the butter melted into it as I spread it on. My husband had purchased a voucher which entitled us to the Menu Prestige. The menu had a good variety, for starter I choose San Marzano tomato gazpacho, Sicilian red prawns, peach compote & basil and my husband, shockingly didn’t order the foie gras, went for the Scallops ceviche, Aquitaine caviar, pickled kohlrabi & sweet soy. My dish was really good, the gazpacho was so refreshing and the little tomatoes had so much flavour and were lovely and sweet. It looked pretty too. I had a little taste of hubby’s, that was pretty impressive too. Next up was the main course, now my husband and I very rarely order the same dish but I love lamb so I choose that, he would have ordered the beef I think if it were not for the supplement. There were additional sides too, at a cost, we didn’t order those.  Rump of lamb, slow cooked belly, devilled sweetbread, spring vegetables & spiced jus The mains were presented, the portions were huge! Sides were definitely not needed as the portion was more than adequate! The lamb was gorgeous so tender and soft, not at all chewy. The sweetbread, which I’m used to eating fried, wasn’t fried but still a nice addition. The slow cooked belly was melt in the mouth. The jus on the dish was incredible, it had a spicy cumin kick and worked so well with the lamb, I literally moped every drop up with the bread. Such a hearty flavoursome filling dish. I’m used to tasting menu portions so this left me felling very full! Dessert menus were given to us, great choice of desserts. I liked the sound of meringue and black pepper ice cream so opted for that. Hubby went for the chocolate dessert.  Dark chocolate Palet D’or, raspberries & white chocolate ice cream  Nougat parfait, caramelised banana, Muscovado meringues & black pepper ice cream Both desserts were presented beautifully! My was quite funky. The taste and texture was like a banoffe pie, and the crunch on top of the banana was pefect. My husband was very selfish with his and I barely had a taste. These were awesome desserts, a real treat. I loved having a full size dessert! Along with the bill came some chocolates and the amazing marshmallows. When my husband asked for the bill, there was a bit of confusion, the manager was very apologetic, he arranged drinks in the bar to make up for the mistake and amazingly we got to even walk through the kitchen out onto the balcony!!!! We had been quite privileged to this and this more than made up for the slight error.    So overall a great meal, the food is absolutely delicious and filling, I know some people complain about small portions in Michelin star restaurants, but it definitely isn’t the case here. My only negative of the meal is I personally feel the service could have been slightly more attentive, by that I don’t mean the service was bad, quite the contrary, I just would have liked more interaction. I would have liked a description of my food when the dishes were presented to the table. But this is a personal preference and something that I am accustomed to. I think Galvin at Windows is a great restaurant. The views are incredible, the food is amazing. I think it’s a great starter restaurant if you are new to fine dining and Michelin Star restaurants. You are made to feel welcome but not fussed over and it’s a perfect venue for a romantic date.

GELINAZ! TAKES OVER THE WORLD. The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle – July 9th 2015 at Hibiscus

I was part of an exclusive event called the grand Gelinaz! Shuffle. Gelinaz! is a collective of some of the best chefs from around the world. And for one night only something incredible happened. From Japan to Chile, from Brazil to Slovenia, France, Turkey, Sweden, Thailand, Australia, UK, Italy, Peru, Spain, Canada, Belgium and Denmark and all throughout United States, 37 of the best chefs of the planet swapped restaurants! Our one off diner was being hosted in Hibiscus, London as Claude Bosi is one of the Gelinaz! Collective along with Massimo Bottura, Andoni Luis Adruiz, Rene Redzepi and Alain Ducasse to name but a few. So Claude Bosi had jetted off to a secret location and our guest chef was not to be revealed until we sat down on the night and opened the menu. We waited eagerly in the lounge area on arrival to Hibiscus. We were one of the first to arrive. As more guests arrived it was quite amusing to see how many people asked who the chef was tonight only to be told all will be revealed at 7!  
Twitter had been buzzing with #gelinazshuffle cryptic tweets were being posted to give clues as to which chef was where. A few clues had actually gave me an idea as to who would be cooking tonight. I had mentioned to my husband earlier that I thought it may be Sean Gray. Would I be right????
As we were first to arrive we were first to be lead into the dining room. We sat down and opened up the menu to reveal our chef…………… Sean Gray! I was right! Sean Gray is the Chef de Cuisine of Momofuku Ko. Ko is located in New York and boasts two michelin stars. I had guessed as there were a couple of crucial tweets which gave the game away! 
Once the dining room was full the meal kicked off. After some delicious snacks our first course was presented.  

  
Honeymoon melon, cherries, oregano, Alsace bacon. The flavour of the melon was so intense in this dish. Great start! 

  
Cornish mackerel, cucumber, new season almond. So it’s no secret I’m not a fan of mackerel. I did try a slice of the fish but I passed the rest over to hubby. I enjoyed all the other components and soaked up the cucumber with some bread.  

  
Hereford Snails, coco bean, lemon grass, coriander. This was my absolute favourite dish of the night. I’ve had snails a few times but never presented like this. I think the mention of snails is scary for most people, but trust me if your first taste of snails was served liked this you’d be an instant fan.   

  
Scottish Langoustine, cauliflower, Szechuan pepper. Langoustine is one of my favourite ingredients and this was perfect as anticipated.  

  
Wild turbot, tarragon, Jersey royals, carrots. The star of this dish was the potato. The tiny little spud had been smoked and was bursting with flavour. A surprisingly delicious addition to the plate.  

  
Milk fed veal, English mustard, girolles & wild chervil. Stunning course, the crispy BBQd fat on the side was delicious. 

  
Oakchurch Farm raspberry, basil, lime, Szechuan pepper. The pastry casing was perfectly crumbly. The cream filling was delicious with the raspberries and basil.  

  
English peas, shiso Meringue. I have never had peas as a dessert before so was really surprised by how lovely this dish was. Peas are sweet anyway so it kinda makes sense to use them as a dessert. They complimented the meringue beautifully and were a perfect finale to such an awesome meal.  

  
As we were savouring our last morsels Chef Sean Gray entered the dining room to an applause. He then made his way round to each table shaking each diners hand. My husband got his menu signed. The grand Gelinaz! Shuffle was such an amazing experience and what contributed to it being so amazing was the incredible service from the restaurant staff, especially from the sommelier. I look forward to future events and hopefully the Grand Gelinaz! shuffle 2016 

Club Gascon April 2015

I’m a big fan of Pascal Aussignac and Club Gascon, although this was actually my first visit to the restaurant. I’ve sampled their food at the Taste of London festivals and my Husband and I always said that we must visit the actual restaurant, imagine what the food would taste like from an actual plate in a dining room as opposed to a plastic dish in a park. So that’s exactly what we did and my husband booked us in for lunch on April fools day.
Club Gascon is home to Head Chef Pascal Aussignac and specialises in cuisine from the South-West of France. The food is made with imagination, passion and most importantly love!

We were the first to arrive for the lunch service, and no surprise we had decided on the tasting menu, as usual. Prior to our arrival I had tweeted my excitement at having lunch at Club Gascon so we were given a special treat, a tour of the kitchen before we began our meal. We got to meet Chef Pascal in his domain prepping the foie gras which we would be trying for dessert?!?!?

The kitchen was teeny tiny, it’s so impressive how relaxed the chefs are in such a tight space. I know in my tiny kitchen at home it’s complete chaos cooking for just four people. I sometimes feel like a bit of a wally going into their kitchen but my husband and I are geeks who like meeting our chef idols, ha! I’m sure they appreciate their ‘fans’ too.

We took our seats and kicked off our meal with a glass of bubbles.  We were also given gorgeous cheese sticks, bread and a small bowl containing a single ravioli in a beautiful coloured liquid.

First course was Catalane spring cress, sea urchin jus & charcoal shallots.

I really liked the presentation of this dish. I know sea urchin sounds a bit scary but they’re really not, they’re actually quite delicious.

Next up Landes white asparagus, black pudding emulsion, pork crackling.

This was one of my favourite courses. I love asparagus and it pairs so well with pork. I could not get enough of the black pudding emulsion. I asked for more bread so I could mop up every last drop.

Now for the most beautiful course of food which was Violet tea smoked seatrout, cardinale pulp, pickles, linen oil.

I’m finding seatrout appearing on menus a lot more recently. This dish was so artistic and pretty to look at, it was almost a shame to mess it up with my knife and fork.

For main course we had another stunningly presented dish of Roast guinea fowl, elderflower glazed chicory, mustard & wild garlic. It was delicious.

The dessert, Duck foie gras tagada, wafer & aromatic strawberries.

My brain didn’t understand the foie gras as a dessert but I could understand the concept as foie gras is very rich and creamy, obviously strawberries and cream is a classic combination. So I could understand why the components were put together but it wasn’t for me. I prefer a sickly sweet chocolate dessert. I did enjoy the fact that I had a sneak preview of this dish as we were informed that it would be one of the dishes presented at Taste of London.

At the end of the meal, to my gratification, we were presented with some chocolaty petit fours.

Such a lovely restaurant with such attentive service. We really were made to feel special. There were great wine choices to accompany our meal. Aside from the main courses all the other little bits were also delicious. Every plate had a contrast of beautiful colours, really artistic presentation. The plates of food are truly stunning and as well as tasting great they are beautiful to look at. My husband and I left very satisfied and feeling very spoilt.

  
  

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay revisited

I  first visited this incredible restaurant back in 2011 for my husbands birthday. Back then my husband and I had recently started exploring fine dining in michelin star establishments. It sounds ridiculous but years ago we felt slightly awkward in these restaurants as they were so ‘posh’ and we weren’t sure of the restaurant etiquette. Fast forward to 2015 and I can’t believe we ever felt like that! Visiting a michelin star restaurant is my absolute favourite thing. I know I keep banging on about michelin stars but in my opinion it guarantees amazing food and fantastic service. Now days there are such good lunch deals on offer it’s just as cheap to eat at a michelin star restaurant as it is a chain restaurant.   Anyway, we had decided to return as it was again my husbands birthday and we wanted to fully appreciate the dining experience this time. We had 12o’clock lunch reservations and had already decided we were going for the menu prestige.      We started off the birthday celebrations with a glass of bubbles.     The dining room is very intimate and mostly filled with couples. It’s such a romantic venue.      The first plate was served, an eggshell filled with potato mousseline with smoked egg yolk generously topped with black truffle.     My husband had researched before our visit and heard rave reviews so we added an additional dish of linguine with an emulsion of aged Parmesan again topped with Perigord truffles. The truffles are presented to the table in a wooden box and shaved generously onto your plate, so luxurious!      Pressed foie gras with green apples, turnips, watercress and smoked duck    Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque, oscietra caviar and sorrel velouté.  The pasta is incredible and each mouthful is so moreish.    Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King Crab, finger lime and ras el hanout infused broth.  Such a beautifully presented plate, the flowers looked stunning, the broth was so fragrant and delicious.     For main I chose the Cotswold lamb and winter vegetable “Navarin”, braised shank and confit breast    Hubby went for Roast pigeon with fennel, sautéed foie gras, lavender, honey and orange    Before desserts we ordered the optional selection of cheeses     Pre dessert was a pallet cleansing Cucumber sorbet, salad burnet, lemon verbena and mint.  The herbs had been freeze dried to be crushed in the pestle and mortar by the diner at the table.      For dessert we went off the menu and ordered Assiette de l’Aubergine which is a miniature selection of the entire dessert menu!     Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot and sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet Smoked chocolate cigar with blood orange and cardamom icecream Carrotcake with mead, bee pollen and creamcheese icecream    Caramelised tarte Tatin of apples with Tahitian vanilla ice cream     English peppermint soufflé with bitter chocolate sorbet Hubby’s birthday didn’t go unnoticed, he was presented another little dessert with a candle and sang to!   I absolutely adore this resturant, one of the best in London.   Each dish is as good as the next and cooked perfectly.  This restaurant holds THREE michelin stars, because it’s a class above all the others. The food is incredible. The plates are presented beautifully and the flavours are extraordinary. This is formal fine dining at it’s best, if you want to feel special, spoilt and pampered, have your crumbs swept away and napkin folded and want to make an effort for a special occasion then this is ideal. I’m a big fan of fine dining and Michelin stars and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is absolute PERFECTION.

 

VIP Treatment at The Square, Mayfair

My husband and I had the luxury of going out for dinner.  Our kids were staying at their grandparents for two nights over the half term so we decided to take full advantage of this and go to dinner after work.

My husband chose the two Michelin star restaurant The Square, Mayfair.  My husband and I are fans of the TV programme Great British Menu, it’s a cookery show in which Britain’s most incredible chefs compete against each other to cook in a themed banquet.  We had watched Phil Howard, chef and co owner of The Square, go from being a contestant to a judge.  So we were already fans of the Chef, and wanted to taste his food.
We arrived at The Square and were shown to our table.   The restaurant was far smaller than it looked from the outside and from what I had imagined.

We chose champagne as an apéritif and enjoyed some canapés.   There was foie gras in a cone, pork cheek and some (squid ink?) crackers.  I really need to start listening when they explain what’s been put on the table, but I’m so desperate to eat it!

All the canapés were delicious but the pork cheek was an absolute show stopper! Wow! A tiny little morsel packed so much punch.  Amazing flavour.  The standard of canapés I’ve eaten lately is so high, it’s amazing how delicious just one purposely made mouthful of food can taste.  Hooray for canapés!

So while sipping and nibbling and reading through the menus we decided to go for the tasting menu.  To be honest we always go for the tasting menus, because they showcase the best of what the restaurants have to offer.  We went for the paired wines too, we don’t know a great deal about wine, or pretend to, but an enjoyable part of our dining experience is engaging with the sommelier.  We like hearing the descriptions of where the wine has come from and what smells and tastes the sommelier suggests.

When asked if we were happy with the menu I expressed my dislike for Mackerel, unfortunately for me this was one of the first courses.  I cheekily suggested crab lasagne as a substitution.  Well if you don’t ask you don’t get!  Our server said he’d speak with the kitchen and see what he could do.

After a few moments we were given individual menus, to remind us of our dishes.  I took a sneak peak and to my delight my wish was their command, the makeral had disappeared and the crab lasagne had been added to my menu!

Our first courses arrived, for me smoked beetroot, and for my husband mackerel.  The sommelier brought out two separate wines.  As I had a different course in a different order to my husband this had been reflected in the wine pairings.

What a great start, cheese, pear and beetroot are always a winning combination I loved the smokiness too.

Salad of smoked white beetroot and salsify with organic curd, hazelnut praline, white balsamic and pear 

My next course for me was a signature dish of Dorset crab lasagne, my husband had the smoked beetroot.

Lasagne of Dorset crab with a cappuccino of shellfish and champagne foam

Oh My Goodness, this dish was sooooooo good!  The crab was layered in a tiny lasagne and foamy gorgeousness was poured over the top.  Although he would never admit it there was serious food envy going on.

My husband and I were both in receipt of the same dishes now and next up were langoustine tails.
One of my favourite foods is langoustine.  This dish was incredible as anticipated.  I loved the tiny little deep fried shallot rings delicately balanced on top. The langoustines were so plump and juicy and a lovely shaving of truffle just made it perfection.

Sauté of Scottish Langoustine tails with parmesan gnocchi and an emulsion of potato and truffle

The next course was chicken wings, and no they were absolutely not how I had envisaged.  The bone was removed and it had been stuffed and served on top of pasta.  I eat a lot of dry pasta at home, it’s very quick and easy when you have a family, so eating fresh pasta is a dream.  Another delicious dish, such a fantastic and diverse menu so far.

Stuffed and glazed black foot chicken wings with egg yolk Campanelle, chanterelles and cauliflower

Now I don’t usually get excited over a fish dish but this was beautiful perfectly flaky soft cod, I loved all the components and presentation.

Roast Cornish cod with celeriac milk, Savoy cabbage, salsify and roasting juices

Onto the main event, 55 day aged rare breed pork.  It was served pink!  I know some people would be alarmed by the colour.  It was perfectly fine.  I was taking about it when my husband had left the table and it was explained that some breeds of pork, the higher quality ones, are fine to eat pink as the pigs are feed on a special diets which make a huge difference to the meat.  I was never concerned, I trust the restaurant and will always eat the meat the way the chef recommends anyway.  It was really tender, the tea smoked sausage was lovely and the pork crackling was fantastic, great crunch.  Fabulous dish and a first for me eating pink pork, I didn’t hesitate for a second.

Roast 55 day aged rare breed pork with creamed potato, Tokyo turnips, tea smoked sausage, apple, earl grey and prune

As our plates were cleared we were offered a tour of the kitchen.  My husband and I are very passionate and love to engage with the staff, so we accepted.  Unfortunately Phil Howard was not in the kitchen that night, its amazing how small restaurant kitchens are and how cool and calm the staff appear.  We were then shown the wine cellar which was also really small but very well organised.  Truly fascinating!

When we arrived back to our table our cheese course was ready and waiting.  I like it when a actual cheese course is created, and it was quite simply a  piece of cheese and some chutney.  There was a cheese trolley, but my husband and I tend to get a bit greedy so we stuck to the menu.

This was served with port, I find this drink very strong, it’s not a drink I enjoy.  So the sommelier adjusted my wine pairings.  He made his own judgement and I really appreciated this.

Winter Beaufort with pickled walnut and honeycomb

The first of the desserts was a rhubarb and vanilla fool served with a tiny little warm doughnut on the side, which reminded me of being at the seaside and eating a bag of hot sugared doughnuts, obviously this one was a lot less greasy!

Yorkshire rhubarb and vanilla fool

Time for the ultimate dessert, souffle.  I do love a souffle and you have to admire restaurants who are confident enough to have these on their menu.  The chef had nailed the souffle, text book perfection.  Light and airy with a great crunch from the salted toffee.

Medjool date soufflé with salustiana orange ice cream and salted toffee 

We had our coffees and petit fours and thanked all the staff for their fantastic welcoming service, we had been made to feel like VIPs with such incredibly attentive service and food to match.

The insanely amazing Sketch lecture room and library

We pulled back the curtain stepped over the hopscotch and checked in at the front of house.  As we waited for someone to collect us I sat and admired the art.  This was the first time I had visited sketch its such a fascinating place with so much art to get lost in.  The red rope was pulled back and we were shown up stairs.  We passed the toilets, which I must say are by far the most glamorous toilets that I have ever seen! Wow! 

We climbed the stairs “have you been here before” “no”we replied then the  double doors swung open and an amazing world opened up in front of our eyes.  What an entrance! I almost expected to walk into moulin rouge.  It was like the moment Willy Wonka opened the door to his magical room where everything was edible.  

We were dining in the lecture room and library, the room is absolutely beautiful.  Gorgeous reds and golds with sunlight pouring in through the window.  We took our seats and I gazed around the room absorbing the beauty of it.  

My husband had spotted chef Pierre Gagnaire, he was sat behind a wall scribbling away.  Being that the world famous head chef was here today we were anticipating great things.  As the dinners began to fill the room the chef made his way to the kitchen.   

To start we had a glass of Sanger champagne and the trolley was parked behind me, great photo opp!

The canapés were presented, and actually took up the whole table!

A dirty martini, hummous, foie gras and chocolate, squid ink sticks in olive oil and cheesy bites ( I couldn’t remember all the correct descriptions).  We were really excited, these were just the canapés!

We were going to the theatre this afternoon so we ate from the a la carte menu as we knew we didn’t have time for a tasting menu.  

Onto the starters.  

I chose the langoustine addressed five ways and my husband choose a starter titled winter.

Winter 

Foie gras ice cream with tandoori Duck consommé and turnips

As weird as it may sound, probably not if you’re a foodie, foie gras ice cream works because of its creamy texture, another thing I have learnt about foie gras is that it works great with sweet dessert wines too.

Flash smoked root vegetable cocotte, red beetroot jus with walnut oil Jurusalem artichoke consommé with black winter truffle

This dish was presented to him in a huge cassoulet/ BBQ type pot, the lid was taken off and the smoke rose out, this wasn’t put on the table, the dishes were prepared on a trolley parked in front of our table.  In my opinion anything with truffle tastes amazing 

Marinated artichokes lardo di colonnata red cabbage cubes

Sea urchin royale grilled hand dived scallops

Langoustines 

Pan fried langoustines with terre de sienne green put lentils apple enoki mushrooms 

Langoustine mousse perfumed with manzanilla 

Langoustines marinated in a shell jus and grilled a la plancha crunchy daikon

Langoustines slightly smoked carpaccio olive oil redcurrant coriander beeHot langoustines consommé horseradish Chantilly

I loved the way this was presented a bottle of beer was opened and drizzled onto the carpaccio, a very pretty dish. 

Plate after plate after plate were placed onto the table.  There were so many plates of food that the starters were actual served in two halves, like a football match.  

I love langoustines so I was in my absolute element with all these dishes.  

My husband was pleased with his choice too, he loves anything with foie gras and is a big fan of scallops.  

The food was exciting and we felt like royalty at a banquet being presented with all these plates of delicious food.  

Between courses I wanted a toilet break.  I was more desperate to see the actual toilet rather than use it.  I opened the door and walked through a curtain of crystal beads.  

There was unusual carousel/music box type music playing, the room was black and spider webs were studded onto the walls in crystals.  The toilet roll was sat on a crystal swing.  

These toilets were insane! I think sketch is famous for it’s quirky toilets, ive seen so many pictures of the pod toilets, but these were something else!  I took a few pics then made my way back up to the table.  

For the main I chose suckling lamb, hubby chose organic pork.  

Chef had requested my husbands piece of pork was brought out for my husband to witness before it was carved, then it was taken back to the kitchen. 

Organic pork

Pan fried rack of pork with sage Red cabbage marmalade with prunes

Black pudding ravioli fondue of romain salad

Pigs ear celeriac salsify black garlic

Suckling lamb 

Piece of suckling lamb roasted then sliced with oregano Raw and braised endives tamarind jus

Organic spelt crispy lamb sweetbreads golden raisin saffron

Braised shoulder a l orientale with dates served chilled

The food was amazing, this is a two michelin star restaurant, which is very obvious but personally I think it deserves a third.  I’ve been to all the three stars in the UK and I think this is up there with them.  But hey I’m not an inspector, but what a cool job though! 

We unfortunately had to dash off so didn’t have time for desserts, we were devastated about this.  But the silver lining was we had the incredible honour and privilege of meeting chef Pierre Gagnaire.  He signed our menu and drew a smiley face sunshine, he also took us into the kitchen for a picture.  

What a lovely lovely man he is.  My husband and I have quite a collection of signed menus and chef pictures now, we’re a bit geeky, like autograph hunters.  

So we went to the theatre, the show was ok, although the theatrics in the restaurant were more impressive to be honest.  Coincidentally we saw Charlie and the chocolate factory.   It was meant to be a pre theatre meal before an amazing show but turned out to be an anticlimax due to the orgasmic experience at Sketch.  This restaurant has had such an impact on me I was desperate to return even before I had left.   I want to come back for a table full of desserts, explore all the other rooms and of course get a picture of the toilet pods.   I will be back….. Hopefully very soon! 

 

Valentine’s Menu 2014 Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

in 2014 I was fortunate enough to eat the most romantic meal of the year, in one of the best restaurants in the UK.  Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

They offered a special Valentines Day Menu, with some very romantic offerings

Foie gras ravioli, delicate duck consommé

Salad of warm Scottish lobster, coral vinaigrette

Fillet of beef, Swiss chards and ox cheek ‘gratin’, truffled jus

How the dessert looked before I tucked into it! (I forgot to take a photo)

A heart for two

Petit Fours

Such a gorgeous menu, in a beautiful dining room.  This is an amazing restaurant and because of its opulence a meal on any day would feel romantic.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

Happy Birthday to Me! Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons

I celebrated my birthday in January and my husband surprised me with a lunch reservation at Le Manior Aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire.

We sipped on champagne and nibbled canapés as we browsed the menu and relaxed.  The reception and lounge area reminded me of The Waterside Inn, the conservatory dining room reminded me of Midsummer House, where I had celebrated my last birthday.

There were quite a few birthday celebrations, so I was in good company.We opted for the 5 course tasting menu with an additional cheese course and an additional dessert, well it was my birthday, hehe!

First course was a pumpkin soup with a perfectly cooked langoustine.

Next course was a mackerel dish which I opted to substitute for a mushroom risotto, which is my favourite dish of the year so far and will take some beating, It was amazing, it was creamy, rich, the rice perfectly cooked, the truffle generously coated the top. This dish was absolute perfection. Top marks!

Next course was slow cooked hens egg, to be honest I only really eat the burnt fried kind but I actually enjoyed this far more than anticipated. I really enjoyed the different textures of this dish.

The main course was Jacobs ladder, melt in the mouth tender as expected, looked beautiful on the plate too.

Next we had cheese from the cheese trolley. I chose 4 different types but my husband greedily ordered the remaining cheeses I hadn’t. We do love a cheese trolley, the staff serving the cheese were very passionate and very generous with the portions.

First of the desserts was citrus. And this was a gorgeous pallet cleanser for the rich millionaires shortbread which followed.

I was very excited to see that my dessert had been pimped up with a happy birthday plaque and a candle.

We were full to bursting so I took a mint tea in the lounge in front of the open fire, very romantic. My husband shocked me, he was so full he did not even touch the petit fours! Now that’s a first, all the more for me!

This was a perfect choice of restaurant by my husband to celebrate my birthday. I really enjoy the traditional formal dining and getting dressed up and being in company of others that have made an effort. I really did have a very happy birthday indeed.

2014 – My year in restaurants

2014 has been a year of amazing restaurant experiences for my husband and I.  Halfway through the year I decided to start documenting my meals on WordPress to share with fellow foodies and to remind myself of the delicious plates of food that have been sat in front of me.

January
The year started off with my birthday meal at the Midsummer house.  As we approached the restaurant, walking over the bridge, the beautiful fairy lights looked magical.  The food I encountered was also magic.  I loved this restaurant, it was very romantic and felt special, the food was incredible and a perfect destination for celebrating my special day.  I loved the BBQd beetroot.  

February
Birth month for my husband and we dined at the Ledbury for his special day.  The service was amazing we had the tasting menu.  We were actually allowed into the kitchen and got to meet Brett Graham who was very welcoming to us.  

We also got to celebrate Valentines day in style at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester.

March
I took my Mum for Mother’s Day to The Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Tower of London.  It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the champagne and cocktails went down a treat!

Me & my Mummy

April
We celebrated our wedding anniversary and stayed at Penny Hill Park and we dinned in their 2 Michelin Star The Latymer.  This was an incredible evening away, the hotel upgraded our room, the spa is the best I’ve visited and to have this incredible restaurant located in the hotel made it perfection.

 
Gorgeous outdoor pool at Penny Hill Park

Beautiful roll top bath

May
We ate at the highly anticipated Fera, hubby was desperate to get a table for the opening week but had to settle for the opening fortnight.  I loved this meal.  I loved the excitement in the dining room, I loved the way Simon Rogan presented us one of our courses and I loved that it’s so much like L’Enclume (another of my favourite restaurants).

During May I also experienced the John Lewis Garden Room pop up restaurant, twice

And attended the ‘too many chefs’ event at the Drapers Arms in aid of action against huger.  10 chefs, 10 different courses.

 

I also had a catch up with a dear friend at the two Michelin star restaurant Hibiscus. We ate from the amazing value set menu and had such a lovely time before we knew it we were the last two people in the restaurant.   I loved the ‘Pork Pie’ dish.

June
We attended the best food festival London has to offer, Taste of London.  I have been to most of the London food festivals this year and in my opinion this is head and shoulders above the rest.

I also had a fab girly night at Shaka Zulu, Camden

I attended a meet the makers event at Bread Street Kitchen with Gonzales Byass Sherries.

July
A fantastic Birthday Brunch with my mum at One Aldwych

We took the kids to The Big Easy

Had an alfresco lunch at Cha Cha Moon

I made marvellous macarons at Jenius Social, which was really good fun, and hard work too!

August
I visited the lovely Tamarind of Mayfair, where I had my first taste of lobster in the form of a masala and I particularly enjoyed the Papdi chaat.  This is a fantastic restaurant the staff are lovely, it’s like being in your local Indian, but they have a prestigious Michelin Star.

This was the month I also faced my fear trying Sashimi at Yashin ocean house and actually enjoyed the experience.

One of the best and most underrated restaurant I visited this year was Launceston Place.  I was certain this would get a second Michelin star as the food and service we received certainly deserved it!

September

I dined 100ft high in the sky with L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
London and Alyn Williams at The Westbury.

I also experienced a kitchen takeover Glynn Purnell at Nathan’s Outlaw’s at The Capital

October
We visited the sophisticated Alyn Williams at The Westbury, my second experience of Alyn Williams’ food but with my feet firmly on the ground.

Booked almost a year prior to the visit we eventually visited Tom Kerridge’s famous pub The hand and flowers.  It was great and the food was fantastic particularly the desserts.

Drakes restaurant Woking was a lovely treat and with no expectations I was very pleasantly surprised.  Great feel to the dining room and fantastic food really liked way the cheese course was presented.

November
This was a casual month where I dined with friends.
I dined at the The Fish & Chip Shop, Islington and it definitely is the best fish and chips I’ve had.  I loved the quirky decor too.

Another place I visited was The Remedy wine bar, a fantastic little gem. Real cosy place offering great  charcuterie and cheese boards and quality wine.   My friend and I had a fab evening here. I will definitely be revisiting in 2015 for more catch ups with friends.

We attended Taste of winter for the first time.  Had loads of fun and I tried food from Kurobuta London and it is a restaurant I look forward to visiting in the new year.

I also attended a SPIES event at South Place Hotel and had a fantastic magical mystery evening.

December
For the second year running I enjoyed a festive afternoon tea with my friends at the Conrad Hotel, Westminister.  With free flowing champagne for £45 I think this is an absolute bargain! I’m sure to be back again next December.

So that’s a round up of my year, what a great year it has been too!  Thank you to my hubby for taking me for all these incredible meals and thank you so much to all the restaurants for the incredible food and service received.

Here’s to 2015!