The Observer

9 January

Jay Rayner finds himself reaching for his napkin in Vernon's, Manchester

I knew from the moment I attempted to cut the sweet fried dumpling in half that we were in serious trouble... half a lump of deep-fried sweet sponge sprang off my plate, bounced on to the floor and disappeared under the table. The remaining half was one of the nastiest things I have ever put in my mouth, challenged only by the other things I ate during my lunch at Vernon's in Manchester. It had been microwaved and was the texture of plasticated polystyrene. And £38 for three for this filthy rubbish isn't a bargain either.



The Guardian

8 January

Victor Lewis-Smith revels in good regional food at the Three Fishes, Whalley, Lancashire

I'd heard that the Three Fishes had just reopened (under the auspices of Nigel Haworth of Northcote Manor) and was claiming to specialise in traditional Lancastrian food, so I was keen to discover if this was the real thing, or some ghastly plastic gastropub simulacrum. I soon realised that the emphasis on quality regional produce is almost an obsession here. I ordered North Sea cod fishcake with parsley sauce, along with some curly leaf that looked like an aerial shot of Kew Gardens. For the main course I had Jim Curwen's trencherman Bowland Forest cottage pie with soused strong onions along with brown sauce in a rustic pot. The puddings were better still. The Three Fishes currently operates at a culinary standard that most gastropubs could only dream of. (Three courses: £25-£30 per person with wine)



The Times

8 January

Giles Coren has his most disappointing dim sum experience yet in Yang Sing, Manchester

I had been looking forward to Yang Sing for years - half the correspondence I get from Mancunians is about how I should stop banging on about London Chinese food until I've been to Yang Sing. What is it I am supposed to have been missing? The grismal yam and pork pasty that tasted of pig poo but wasn't quite as pretty? I can't imagine that the sweaty T-shirt taste of the shark's fin soup can have been a response to customer demand, even in Manchester. This is an utter dog of a restaurant, the kind that is in the process, thank God, of being drummed out of Soho. (Most dim sum, under £3 a portion. Score: 4/10)



The Independent

8 January

Tracey MacLeod couldn't make sense of the menu at W'Sens, London

W'Sens is more like the lobby of an anonymous but very fashionable hotel than a bistro. Both dining rooms were empty when we arrived for an early dinner, but we were still shown to a crap table. Now, the menu... it will make the vast majority want to hide their heads under their napkins and whimper. A starter of fresh crab and chilli accras tasted of nothing more than stodge with the tiniest back-kick of chilli. Main courses offered a similar mix of the accomplished and the pointless. A decently cooked fillet of turbot was similarly overwhelmed by a nutty risotto made with black Venere rice. (Dinner for two without wine, £80; lunch, £40; food three stars)



Daily Telegraph

8 January

Belinda Richardson is overwhelmed by the food at Jade, Salisbury

Jade looks little more than a cold, empty townhouse from the outside. Inside it has all the familiar trappings of a Chinese. But credit where credit is due - you only have to touch your chopsticks and you are immediately given hot towels large enough to wash your entire torso. It is the seafood that takes pride of place at Jade. Freshness is exalted and everything is cooked in the simplest possible fashion. Before we are allowed a crack at our lobsters, a stunning plate of mussels in black bean sauce, scallops and won ton arrives. Our lobsters are both successfully seared and caramelised on the outside, yet thoroughly moist inside. (Chef's special, £21.50 per person)