March 2010 Archives

The second London Restaurant Festival will run in the capital for two weeks in October.

The event was launched last year by the London Evening Standard's food critic Fay Maschler and Simon Davis, who together run restaurant consultancy Private View. It is a citywide celebration of dining out designed to raise the profile of restaurants involved and drive footfall.

Supported by Mayor of London Boris Johnson and tourism body Visit London, the 2010 London Restaurant Festival will run for two weeks from 4-18 October compared with six days last year. Restaurant operators in the capital can register to take part in the event by entering their details on its website.

Last year, the London Restaurant Festival attracted more than 500 operators and saw a myriad of events take place including the high profile pop up restaurant of iconic chef Pierre Koffmann on the roof of department store Selfridges, which ran for more than seven weeks.

Kenneth Culhane a sous chef at contract caterer BaxterStorey has been named the 2010 Roux Scholar.

Culhane, who works at the group's contract at Level 31 Barclays in London, won the title following a fierce cook-off in the kitchens of Westminster Kingsway College yesterday (29 March).

Competitors were asked to cook filet of beef en croûte à la Bisontine with pommes duchesse and sauce béarnaise in two hours and fifteen minutes after they were given extra time to complete the dish.
 
Their culinary skills were judged by a panel of industry experts headed by scholarship founders Michel and Albert Roux and their respective sons, Alain and Michel Jnr. The panel also included David Nicholls, Gary Rhodes, Brian Turner and guest judge James Martin, as well as the competition's inaugural scholar Andrew Fairlie.

Culhane, who competed alongside his colleague Kevin Sutherland in the final, has won prizes including a week's paid work experience in New York, courtesy of Compass Group's Restaurant Associates, an expenses-paid trip to Champagne Gosset in Ay and a trip to visit the Caffe Musetti roasting factory in Milan.

Speaking after the award ceremony, Michel Roux said: "Kenneth was able to handle the pressure and he was very clear in his mind that he wanted to win the competition. He was beautifully organised and his method of work brought out the best dish of the day."

The five runners up were:

Gemma Almond, the General Tarleton, Ferrensby, N Yorks
Mark Birchall, L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria
Stephen Stevens, Cleifiog Uchaf, Anglesey
Kevin Sutherland, BaxterStorey, Barclays, London
Kevin Tew, Corrigan's, Mayfair, London

A new gastropub in Oxford has Matthew Norman of The Guardian in raptures in this weekend's restaurant reviews. He declares that The Magdalen Arms could be used as "a teaching module for wannabe gastropub owners who think it can be done with half the flair and individuality of an Ikea flat pack".

Florence Fowler, who runs the front of house, and chef Tony Abarno have created what is probably the best eating place in Oxford, believes Norman.

Lisa Markwell, writing in The Independent on Sunday, is impressed by the food she is served at Bistro Bruno Loubet, which has opened at The Zetter hotel in East London, where Loubet has made a welcome return from Australia to the capital's restaurant scene.
 
To quote another chef, Markwell says Loubet is a "rock god" because of his brilliance with flavours. Almost every aspect of her meal is faultless from her starter of skate to a chocolate dessert which she describes as the best she's eaten in recent memory.
 
A fish restaurant in Ramsgate, Kent - Eddie Gilbert's - is highly recommended by Jay Rayner of The Observer. As well as serving simple dishes very well such as fish and chips, fish cakes and bowls of shell-on-prawns by the half pint, there are many more ambitious dishes which are also impressive. 

The food enjoyed by Rayner includes vodka and beetroot cured smoked salmon, monkfish with gem lettuce and parmesan and white chocolate fondant.

In Time Out, Guy Dimond reviews Mark Hix move into retail catering with Hix at Selfridges, London. In comparison to Hix in Soho, Dimond declares the Selfridges eaterie to be the diffusion line "the T-shirt bearing the logo, rather than then tailor-made suit, and poor value when compared to the real couture".

However, he does find it to be a cool place to people watch, despite the steep prices and the indifferent service.

The culinary industry's original enfant terrible, Marco Pierre White (MPW), has become the latest celebrity chef to sell out and sign an embarrassing advertising deal.

The former three-Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur and star of ITV's Hell's Kitchen has agreed to lend his face to Norfolk-based turkey brand Bernard Matthews, which has been responsible for bringing the world products including the notorious Turkey Twizzler.

The deal, which follows an advertising contract with Knorr, sees MPW as the company's ambassador who will "champion turkey as a great tasting and versatile meat".

"Through a wide range of activities, Marco will encourage people to move away from the 'turkey is just for Christmas' psyche and inspire everyone to cook with turkey all year round," the press release trills.

While the deal will no doubt call into question MPW's culinary ethos, "the money will certainly be useful to a man who has been embroiled in a long-running and very expensive divorce battle with his former wife Matti," reports the Daily Mail.

The Twitter brigade has already been vocal about MPW's involvement with Bernard Matthews. Here are a few comments:

@circeplum What a complete and utter slut.

@hollowlegs Oh Marco. What the f*ck.

@womaninblack Marco Pierre White is Bernard Matthews' new ambassador? Has he got a divorce to pay for, or something (Walkers, Knorr, Bernie...)?

@sharonecampbell Just when you thought he couldn't sell out more.

@pennyjsmith What next? Crikey!

@craigmorgan Thats bloody shameful (for MPW)!

Who knows, perhaps MPW will give us Turkey Twizzlers with a fine dining twist?!

St Patrick's Day clearly doesn't just signify the luck of the Irish and it's been a blessed day for one of our favourite French friends too - Raymond Blanc.

After breaking his leg and ankle in six places following a fall down the stairs at his Oxfordshire home earlier this month, Blanc was forced to have two operations to set the broken bones.

But after more than two weeks, he is finally leaving the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford today.

The chef patron of the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons said while he had been looked after exceptionally well at the hospital, he was thrilled to see the back of it.

 "I'm thrilled to announce that I will be leaving the John Radcliffe today which coincides with the 26th Anniversary of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons," he said.

"I shall recuperate at Le Manoir as I have to stay off my feet for another 12 weeks. However, this means that I can work with my team - lead by Philip Newman-Hall director general manager and my two brilliant generals - executive chef Gary Jones and chef pattisier Benoit Blin."

Michelin has awarded two stars to Frantzen/Lindeberg, a fine dining restaurant in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, in the 2010 edition of its guide to the Main Cities of Europe.

Frantzen/Lindeberg has become only the second establishment in Sweden to hold two stars (the other one is Mathias Dahlgren), bringing the total of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Scandinavian country to 11.

The 2010 Main Cities of Europe guide, which concludes Michelin's European coverage for this year, covers 44 cities in 20 countries, including one newly added city, Salzburg, Austria, where the guide awarded one star to Carpe Diem.

It also awarded new stars to Novelli in Vienna, Austria; Costes in Budapest, Hungary; Luomo in Helsinki, Finland; and Hytra in Athens, Greece.

In total the 2010 Main Cities of Europe guide includes 231 Bib Gourmand restaurants and 341 starred establishments, of which 271 hold one star (41 new), 55 are two-starred (5 new) and 15 restaurants hold the top accolade of three stars (one new). View the full list here. 

The re-opening of the Canton Arms in London by the people involved with the Anchor and Hope in Waterloo and Great Queen Street in Covent Garden delights food critic Jay Rayner. 

Writing in The Observer, he describes the food served in all three pubs as hugely attractive - "rustic, solid, big flavours, no ingredient frottage".

The choice of just two desserts is typical of the rest of the brief menu which Rayner believes shows welcome self-confidence.  "The entire operation is without pretension; they are absolutely not trying to be all things to all people," he enthuses.

Zoe Williams, writing in The Sunday Telegraph, describes the West House in Biddendum, Kent as "as stylish place" that has earned a Michelin star under Graham Garrett, a protégé of Richard Corrigan.

Despite sampling some unusual concoctions - including a toffee-apple panna cotta with candy floss on top and a popcorn shot on the side - she finds Garrett's cooking to be carefully thought-out and mainly wonderful.

In Glasgow, Kate Spicer of The Sunday Times eats out at what has become one of the most sought-after venues in the city, the Crab Shakk.  Specialising in seafood, the cuisine, she says, lacks finesse, but the ambience is fun.  "If I walk out laughing more than I did when I went in, then I've had a good dinner."

Guy Dimond of Time Out is thrilled that Bruno Loubet - one of London's most celebrated chefs during the 1990s - has returned to these shores from Australia.  Now ensconced at a new eaterie that bears his name at the Zetter hotel in London EC1, Loubet is cooking French cuisine de terroir as brilliantly as he was doing on his previous stint in the city.

Dimond advises: "visit before Loubet goes walkabout again."

It's not often that you go to bed saying good night to the perfect day. But my day at the French Laundry was just that, perfect in every way.

As journalists we all have our icons - the one person who tops the list of people we want to interview. Thomas Keller has been on the top of my list for years and not only did I get to interview the legendary US chef at his flagship restaurant, I was invited into his kitchen and dining room alongside an equal culinary great, Michel Roux.

The reason for our visit to Napa Valley, California, was to catch up with Hrishikesh Desai, the 2009 Roux Scholar who chose to spend the three-month stage he won as part of his scholarship at the French Laundry. He is the first scholar, in the 27-year history of the competition, to work at a three-Michelin-starred restaurant outside Europe.

Desai chose to work with a chef whose culinary ethos is one of product and execution. It's all about a celebration of the highest quality produce and a drive towards perfection. His style is deeply influenced by the great chefs of France.

Keller epitomises respect - respect for the ingredients, respect for the people who prepare them. Each and every day he wants to be better than the day before. He inspires the people he works with by leading them in a way that makes them want to succeed, never disappoint. There is a sense of calm, a peacefulness in his kitchen that is unique. Every chef in his brigade forms part of a puzzle, there's no room for egos here.

Above the pass in the French Laundry kitchen is a sign featuring the definition of finesse: "Refinement and delicacy of performance, execution or artisanship." What goes beyond the pass is as close to perfection as you can get: a menu so refined it moves you on more than just a culinary level, it's an emotional experience to eat his food.  

Thomas Keller is a gentle giant. A true professional, a leader in his industry and a chef who practises the art of gastronomy at its very best.

Following a devasting fire that gutted the kitchens at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Mugaritz, its chef Andoni Luis Aduriz is seeking help from his fellow chefs in finding out what the perfect kitchen should be like.

According to a report on Spanish website eitb.com, Aduriz has now set up a team to help him create his new kitchen.

"The burnt kitchen had two main drawbacks," explains Aduriz told the website. "The cooks had to work in cramped conditions and the cleaning area was next to the dining room so the clank of plates and cutlery interrupted the peaceful atmosphere of that area. We have begun thinking about what was lacking from the old kitchen; the brainstorming hasn't stopped..."

In his blog entitled: "Ideas for a new kitchen", Aduriz is seeking advice and tips from anyone who has any good ideas for designing kitchens.

So, if you want to help one of the world's most prestigious chef create his perfect kitchen log on and leave a message. You can also follow the restaurant's progress on Twitter @Mugaritz.

Despite a limited wine list and an extortionate bill at £115.10 for two at lunch, Jasper Gerard enjoys the Japanese tapas style menu at ex-Nobu chef Tomonari Chiba's restaurant Dinings in London. 

"The chef is uncompromising in his use of quality ingredients (truffle, bass, lobster, oyster, crab, duck)," the The Daily Telegraph's food critic says as he tucks into a wide selection of dishes.

In Glasgow, Tracey MacLeod of The Independent visits Crabshakk and finds that a pleasingly mixed clientele, crisp but friendly service and decent prices make the seafood restaurant a winning operation.

Meanwhile other reviewers are not so fortunate in their choice of restaurant. Giles Coren, writing in The Times, describes Babbo in London as "one of the new breed of Italian restaurants in Mayfair (Cipriani set the trend, Dolada followed most recently) that serve competent food at ridiculous prices and make you feel ill to the bottom of your mortal soul".

And in Manchester, The Observer's Jay Rayner finds that Glamorous, a Chinese restaurant with a seating capacity of 600 set in a business centre next to a multi-storey car park, is anything but glamorous. While he admits the experience at times is entertaining, the food itself is either odd or weird.

The Guardian's Matthew Norman is forced to have lunch twice after ending up at the wrong restaurant but is impressed with the food and service at Chinese restaurant Ba Shan in London in the end.

Last week, Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, co-owner of L'Anima in the City of London (which is closing for an extension this summer), went on a mission to find the perfect potato for gnocchi.

Mazzei and his team of chefs set out to test three different varieties of potatoes to see which one would make the best base for the Italian staple, with iconic French chef Pierre Koffmann testing the final product.

The varieties of potatoes on the menu were: Markies, Ramos and Sierra Gold which were supplied by QV Foods.

After boiling, peeling and ricing the potatoes, the chefs added flower and egg yolk to make the gnocchi dough, which they rolled out into strips, cut into pieces and shaped with a ridged, wooden gnocchi board.

First up was the Markies potato, which Mazzei mixed with dried spinach to give the gnocchi a vivid green colour. Markies are the new rival of the ever popular Maris Piper; they are a good all-round kitchen potato with a floury texture and mild flavour.

Mazzei served the Markies gnocchi with basil pesto and the result was a bright green plate of food made up of gorgeous, light and fluffy gnocchi perfectly balanced by the sweet basil sauce. "A definite winner," judge Koffmann declared.  

Middle-class supermarket Waitrose has followed in the footsteps of its less glamorous competitors Sainsbury's and Aldi by enlisting the help of celebrity chefs to boost sales.

But where Sainsbury's long-running partnership with Jamie Oliver and Aldi's ad campaign featuring Phil Vickery rely on just one famous face, Waitrose has outdone them both by appointing two celebrities.

And an unlikely pair they are: domestic goddess Delia Smith and culinary wizard and three-Michelin-starred super chef Heston Blumenthal.

The pair has been appointed as "food ambassadors for the Waitrose brand, sharing their expertise and showcasing recipes". Which basically means that, over the next three years, they will appear in TV and print ads enthusing about Waitrose's range of products.

In a first for British TV, Waitrose will broadcast a new advert every week for the rest of the year demonstrating a new recipe, which will run for the entire length of the ad break. The campaign will kick off on 15 March. 

The partnership, a first for Waitrose which has never before used celebrity chefs, may come as a surprise to hardcore Delia fans who will no doubt remember her rant against celebrities endorsing products. 

The deal also comes just months after a leaked BBC report alleged Delia had "limited appeal" relegating her to the "occasional sparkle" category.

Two-Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard's latest restaurant, Kitchen W8 in London, is a must-consider for anyone in Kensington with something to celebrate, says restaurant critic John Walsh.

Writing in The Independent, Walsh is impressed by both the food and the service at Kitchen W8, which is a joint venture between Howard and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas.

However, he is less keen on the prices. "With most starters costing £8.50 and main courses mostly north of £15 (rib-eye steak is £19.50) it's hardly snack territory," he says.

Meanwhile, The Guardian's Matthew Norman is effusive in his review of the Dean Street Townhouse, which is the first new joint offering from Nick Jones' Soho House Group and Richard Caring, owner of Caprice Holdings.  

"It mingles the bustle and slickness of the grand, all-day Parisian brasserie with a determinedly anti-Michelin English menu and a room cunningly designed (distressed mirrors, grand bar, wood panelling) for that ultra-voguish, modern media Soho clubland feel," Norman says. 

Meanwhile the new head chef at Gilpin Lodge in Windemere, Cumbria, received the seal of approval from Jasper Gerard in The Daily Telegraph. Despite fearing the place might be all cream teas and doilies, he is delighted to find that, as well as being friendly, informal and full, the food prepared by Russell Plowman is top notch.

In The Times, Giles Coren says his visit to new Japanese restaurant Aqua Kyoto atop the former Dickins & Jones building on London's Regent Street, was a fun experience. As well as consuming great cocktails and good sushi, he also enjoys the stunning night views.

Jay Rayner of The Observer finds a far better-than-average local restaurant in Maison Bleue in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Efficient, friendly service and perfectly judged fish cookery makes the town "a very nice place to be".

Rose Gray, the founder of the acclaimed River Café in London, with partner Ruthie Rogers, died yesterday aged 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 1998 and has been the launch pad for the careers of Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Theo Randall among other chefs, is closed today as a mark of respect.

Gray and Rogers were recently awarded MBEs in the 2010 New year's Honours List and Gray was bowled over by the news. "It's really fantastic. We love the fact that we head the women's honour's list," she told Caterer in January.

Gray was a keen home cook and a designer before launching the River Café with Rogers in Hammersmith in 1987. It immediately hit the headlines as being the place to find beautifully prepared simple, seasonal and carefully sourced Italian food - a total antidote to the nouvelle cuisine that was still prevalent throughout London at the time.

The River Café has spawned a host of imitators, but Gray and Rogers were never tempted to expand elsewhere. They became known as always being personally devoted to the restaurant.

In her last interview with Caterer, she said that it was always her intention to make the restaurant more special and even more interesting

"It's a restaurant run by two women and we're always there. That gives us the chance to make sure our personal vision is integrated into all we do. I think that's what makes the River Café so special."