The Silver Spoon

Barbecoa

 
Barbecoa

20 New Change Passage

London, EC4M 9AG

website

 

Background: About once a quarter, my INSEAD friend Andrew and I try to meet up for lunch somewhere in between Old Street and Fleet Street.  He picks my brain about my views on online shopping (a subject on which I can assure you I am an expert) for his company farfetch.com and he buys me lunch.  A pretty sweet deal if you ask me.  It’s not the easiest task trying to triangulate a restaurant in exactly the right spot but given the newness and relative hype we thought Barbecoa might be a good choice. Do forgive the iPhone pics, after a full year of silence I am a little out of practice.

For what it’s worth, I like Jamie Oliver.  I also happen to be one of the few people who live in England or America for that matter who have never eaten at one of his restaurants or cooked from one of his cookbooks.  I do, however, admire what he has done with his restaurant Fifteen and am truly appreciative of the effort to reform the School Lunch program in my home country.  God knows we need it.   Let me also say that I have been a Daisy May’s fan for a long time.  One of the first Street Carts to hit Manhattan, Daisy May’s introduced the pulled pork sandwich to the mid-town Manhattan lunch scene and never looked back.  That said I had high hopes for Barbecoa even if it was housed in a shopping mall.

 

The Meal:  I am generally not a fan of eating in restaurants housed in shopping centres.  You could perhaps attribute it to my New Yorker view towards suburban living or something else entirely I am not sure.  The last meal I ate in a mall was a corn dog with my late grandmother when I was about 10 and I haven’t yet fully recovered.   But One New Change is kind of different.  It is mostly open air and extremely helpful if you happen to need a last minute outfit and can only spare 30 minutes from work.  So off we went to Barbecoa on the second floor of One New Change. 

Since it was a lunch date, we weren’t going to go all out and order starters and mains.  So Andrew ordered the Barbecoa Burger with Westcombe Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Sweet Onions, Pickles and Chips  and I went for the Pulled Pork Shoulder with Coleslaw, BBQ Sauce & Jalapeño Cornbread ( seems we weren’t dead set on making it a light meal after all), we also ordered the Curly Kale with Rosemary, Anchovy and Garlic. 

 

I personally love a chef who imposes his view of the world upon a dish.  I believe that all burgers should come replete with cheese and bacon so the sound and look of the Barbecoa Burger was right up my alley.  Disappointingly, Andrew took the bacon off without even trying it or waiting for me to take the picture (I made him put it back on), but I will forgive him this small injustice.  A rather more serious injustice which cannot be forgiven was the servers’ failure to ask how he wanted his burger cooked.  Our mistake for not having noticed, but given the ambient noise level was verging on bursting; it is easy to see how we missed it.  Thus, the burger arrived well-done.  A crime in my opinion, but I bet the rare/medium rare version is really good.

As you can probably tell, I can get a little sentimental over burgers.  I also have a real soft spot for pulled pork, so much so that we served it at the rehearsal dinner for our wedding.  Needless to say I was excited.  Maybe the mention of BBQ sauce as a line item should have been a hint but the meat was absolutely doused in it.  Overall it was good, but I was hoping for the tenderness to come from the pork rather than the sauce.  The cornbread, however, was really nice with a good bite from the jalapeño and not heavy.  Surprisingly, for a restaurant showcasing meat, the real shining stars of the lunch were the sides.  The coleslaw and kale were great.   And not just great for vegetables, but really good in their own right. 

 

Closing thoughts:  The meal was decent.  The service was slow and a bit spotty and the noise for a Friday lunch was almost unbearable.  The burger had the potential to be great; the pork needed a couple more hours and a lot less sauce but also has the makings of a great dish.  But all in all, its just not there yet, but the sides are enough to bring me back to give it another shot. 

 

Silverware:  Nice looking and substantial.

Silverspoons: 6.5/10

Damage: I was treated!

Rochelle Canteen

Rochelle Canteen

Rochelle School

Arnold Circus

London E2 7ES

website

  

Background: One of the inevitable consequences of moving to a new city, or country even, is that your existing friends and family try to set you up on friend dates.  On one such occasion, when my mother and her friend connected their daughters ‘who were looking for friends in London’, I met up with a girl who had been living in London for no less than 8 years, thinking she was helping out a newcomer (3 years deep).  That relationship was not meant to be and I believe our respective relationships with our mothers suffered as well.  It does happen every so often that you are connected by someone else and it just works.  In London it has happen three times, this particular time it was my step-brother Lopo who put me in touch with Rachel, a foodie, setting up her own catering business who is a super cool East London chick and we ate a great, simply meal together and just chatted and chatted forever.  The plan was to meet in Shoreditch, no small task in the snow (this post is about as current as the January snow storms), at a place called Rochelle Canteen.  I took the Hammersmith and City line, which means it’s a miracle I made it all, and even found the restaurant which is located in a schoolyard behind a wall with no sign (further indication that I am a genius).   

  

The Meal:  The menu is simple and to the point.  The ambience is no different.  No nonsense.  We were there for lunch, ordered starter and a main (see why I like this girl), we split the Oxtail Soup and the Roast Sirloin & Horseradish.  Oxtail soup is one of those menu items that I cannot get enough of.Though how I try, I cannot not order it.  The most popular way of serving it is usually in a consommé type broth, though usually more robust in flavour than a typical broth, with a dumpling or something with some of the meat.  This was not that.  It was Osso bucco in a soup; hearty and soulful, truly not what I was expecting but really delicious.  The roast beef, was well roast beef. But perfectly cooked, the way you wish most of the roast beef you will ever have would be cooked. 

 

For the main course, Rachel chose the Braised Faggot & Peas and I went with the Black Bream, Leek and Green Sauce.   Being a prudish American I could never order a meal called Faggot but it was very good and not at all what I was expecting.  I have always been under the impression that the non-pejorative term meant a bundle of sticks, therefore I was, perhaps foolishly, expecting a bundle of something rather than basically one big meatball.  At New Year’s I resolved to eat more fish, this was one of my inaugural meals and I was not to be disappointed.  The skin was perfectly crispy while the flesh was tender and moist.  As for the sides, well you might comment on a sort of lacklustre colour profile going on, they were the best that the dead of winter will lend to a restaurant trying to source local and in season food. 

 

For desert (yep, it was that type of meal) we split the Prune & Almond Tart.  Since childhood, I have avoided the prune like the plague associating it with regulating one’s tummy.  My views have now shifted.  For a dried fruit it still holds onto a bit of the succulence of the original fruit and the combination with the almond was great. 

Closing Thoughts: Rochelle Canteen, tucked away in a school yard, serves good solid fare.  It was a pleasant excursion from West London and a great casual place to meet a new friend.  Also its BYOB with a £5 corkage fee.

 

Silverware: Fittingly school canteen like

Silverspoons: 8/10

Damage: Don’t she paid, but I am guessing pretty reasonable 

The Hinds Head

The Hinds Head

High Street

Bray

Berkshire, SL6 2AB

01628626 151

website

 
 

Background: Our dear friend Jeffery is moving back to the States and to send himself off, he had planned a wonderful boozy lunch out in Henley the other Sunday.  So what is one to do when they find they need to be out in the countryside on Sunday for lunch? Well, schedule two meals around it, of course!  It was this magical thinking that brought us to The Hinds Head.  The Hinds Head is the pub of the world renowned Heston Blumenthal whose claim to fame, The Fat Duck, is just down the road. The pub, built in the 15th century, has been operational for over 400 years and although its original function is unknown some say it was a royal hunting lodge while other the guest house of the Abbot of Cirencester. In an unusual turn of events, I was not burdened by the responsibility of making a reservation but was told by my friend, Michelle that her new boyfriend, Dawid (pronounced Daa –Vid, try it once more) had made a reservation and we would be having a double date. Fantastic! Luckily the skies were pouring down with rain so there was nothing more we all wanted to do then sit down to a nice pub lunch.

 

The Meal:  One glance at the menu and it is obvious that a measured pace is advised although it was pretty clear that was not going to happen.  We started off with two “snacks”, Devils on Horseback and Scotch Quail Eggs (we opted out of Warwickshire Wizzers); all of which needed to be explained by the waitress as there wasn’t not an Englishman among us and I was too embarrassed to admit just how familiar I already was with Scotch Eggs. That being said, The Devils on Horseback were exactly as good as any meat lover (pork in particular) can imagine sausages wrapped in bacon would be and the Scotch eggs were cooked to perfection.

For the starters we elected to go for some of the lighter options on the menu; the Duck and Smoked Guinea Fowl Terrine with Spiced Apples, the Picked Anchovies with Tomato and Garlic, the Scallops with Smoked Pollack Champ and a grilled squid that was not on the menu but an additional special.  All of the starters were very good but the anchovies and the scallops were the stand out favourites.  Fish, like aubergine, has never been a particular favourite of mine, strangely I am a diehard fan of anything shellfish.  The anchovy, therefore, poses several problems; a) it is fish shaped, b) it is a fishy fish, and c) it has lots of little bones in it.  Imagine my surprise when this rather large anchovy melted in my mouth without a hint of fish or bone.  It was a delightful dish.  The scallop was also very good but in a very different way.  Where the anchovies were simply and beautifully prepared in a classic Mediterranean style the scallops were more inventively put together a la late 1990’s with a foam to represent the sea and breadcrumbs the sand.  As cheesy as it sounds, I was still extremely tasty.

For the main courses, Dawid chose the Blade of Highland Beef with Savoy Cabbage and Black and White Pudding, Pascal got the Oxtail and Kidney Pudding, Michelle opted for the Wild Boar and Apple Sausages with Mash and Caramelised Onion Gravy, and I ordered the Aberdeenshire Beef with Bone Marrow Sauce and Triple Cooked Chips.  Given that it was Dawid who brought us all together at the Hinds Head, it was only fitting that his choice would be the winner among champions.  The beef shoulder was cooked sous-vide (in a plastic bag in water) for 17 hours! (I believe the hype)  It was rich and tender and succulent and really anything you could hope for in a braised shoulder of beef with the crisped Savoy cabbage balancing the flavours very nicely.  

The second favourite were the Wild Boar and Apple Sausages; a step up from your traditional bangers and mash and very good.  My steak was lovely.  And although am not such a kidney fan for those around the table who are more smitten with offal, the Oxtail and Kidney pie was also a winner. 

  

Dessert:  It’s hard to imagine that after such a feast we could muster the energy for dessert. But desperate times call for desperate measures and we dug deep; deep enough to order two desserts among the four of us.  I choose the Caramelised Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream and Dawid chose the Chocolate Wine ‘Slush’ with Millionaire Shortbread. The crumble was a very good, solid, stand-up crumble, certainly worth another pass. The ‘Slush’ was an entirely different matter.  If you were to analogize it would go like this: anchovies are to scallops as crumble is to slush.  Make sense?  It seems that culinary inventiveness was not just limited to the late1990s but also to the 1660s (there is a nice symmetry or palindromeness or something to that).  Chocolate wine (made by whisking a strong wine like claret or port with sugar and chocolate) hit the scene in the days of Charles II and was seen as an aphrodisiac.  The resulting dessert was very good in an “I can’t really figure it out but I like it” kind of way.    

Closing Thoughts: It’s hard to say that you were blown away by a pub.  Emotionally I find that difficult, but this place was really good.  The beef shoulder is up there with best pieces of meat ever.  Everyone walked out of lunch into the rainy afternoon and said, “Man, do I want to go to Fat Duck for dinner ... and come here for lunch.”  I hope to find a reason to venture to Bray again, and soon!

 

Silverware: Classic and substantial

Silverspoons: 8.5 / 10

Damage: £50 / person including wine

Negozio Classica

Negozio Classica

283 Westbourne Grove

Notting Hill

London, W11 2QA

Background: Living (and eating) in Notting Hill can be exhausting (and fattening).  We also tend to frequent the same restaurants over and over again.  Come Sunday there is often no food in the house and Pascal and I debate if we should just go back to the usual or try something new.  Negozio Classica was recommended to us by two trusted sources, Skye (who also recommended the Ottolenghi cookbook for which I am forever grateful) and Melissa, my Pilates instructor (read great body and healthy) so it seemed appropriate for a light Sunday night bite.  Negozio Classica is on the corner of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road, a corner with uber people watching possibilities (although probably not recommended on a Saturday)and is basically a wine shop with a couple of tables.  Negozio means shop in Italian so that would make sense to anyone who speaks Italian; I do not so I looked it up.  This also means that if you order wine then you pay a shop price and not a restaurant price which is great news. 

 

The Meal:  Most of the dishes are basically starters with the possible exception of the beef filet, so we started off with the Mozzarella di bufala, avocado and cherry tomatoes and the Parma Ham and Mozzarella with figs (PS the menu items were obviously in Italian but I didn’t grab a menu and am not that clever).  The Parma ham and figs was very nice, the ham was lovely, although, having eaten a lot of Parma ham I wasn’t so sure it was the genuine article.  We asked the waiter he assured me it was and they get it special delivery blah blah.  I believe him and either way it was really nice and the figs were great. 

 

The mozzarella dish, however, was a bit disappointing.  Given the limited and simple nature of the menu you would really expect each dish to be spot on, but while the mozzarella was good it was not exceptional and the avocado was unripe to the point of being inedible.  Fair enough if you are attempting to make this dish in an igloo in Greenland and your shipment of avocados was late or not ripe enough, but inexcusable if you are a restaurant in London ON Portobello Road where they sell ripe avocados 6 days a week.  Granted, Sunday is not one of those six days but still, you do not serve a tennis ball to your diners and hope they won’t notice it’s not avocado. Same same.

 

 

Next up we had the beef carpacio and the fillet of steak.  The Capacio was nicely seasoned and the salad was well put together. The steak was also good but nothing to write home about.  It seems that the lesson with this meal is that you aren’t supposed to treat Negozio like a proper restaurant where you order a starter and a main, etc.  This was our mistake. Instead the approach should have been to order the selection of cured meats and the cheese plate and maybe something else like the Pappa al pomodoro, which is thick yummy bread soaked with tomatoes.

 

 

 

Dessert:  This part of the meal should never have happened.  We didn’t need desserts, we weren’t still hungry but somehow we managed to order not one but two sweet treats; the Chocolate Fondant and the Pannacotta.  This was where the restaurant really fell down, literally in the case of the Pannacotta which looked more like a puddle and tasted like tapioca pudding (luckily for them, I really like tapioca).  The chocolate fondant was also not what it advertised but instead was more of mushy brownie, tasted ok too. But in both cases I felt a little bit duped and figured they were using some sort of store bought desserts of the Gϋ variety.

 

Closing Thoughts: All in all the experience as ok,  I would definitely change my style of ordering for the next time, skip dessert and concentrate more on the wine than anything else. The ambience is nice and a table outside is always welcome.  The service is a bit slow but nothing worth complaining about.  In truth, great for a glass of wine and some nibbles, not the other way around.

 

 

Silverware: Modern and thin

 

Silverspoons: 5.5 / 10

 

Damage: £40 / person (pricey we thought given the wine is retail priced)

Al Pont de Ferr: Milan

Al Pont de Ferr

Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55

Milan

02-8940-6277

 

It has been two years and two days since I first drove from France to London to start a new life.  Add to that 10 months for an MBA and it’s been nearly three years since I left my hometown of New York City.  I am often asked about how the cities are different and what do I miss from NY. My list, which I will save for another time, is often long and nostalgic.  At the top of that list, however, are my family and friends so when my best friend/ex-roommate/partner–in-crime, Michal, said she was moving to Europe I was elated.  By American standards she is not exactly close.  Geographically, Milan and London are about as close as New York and Atlanta (I had to Google this, took me four tries) but psychologically they are basically neighbours.  All I had to do was make sure that she actually went through with it and stayed. 

So in the middle of June I trundled off to Milan into 88˚F (31˚C) heat to look for apartments.  I may have just described a modern day nightmare for some but for me, this is my bag.  I love hot weather and am obsessed with real estate.  So what if I am on my own and don’t speak Italian while Michal is lost in some suburb trying to sort out her visa.    

At the end of day one, we are discouraged.  I fear that I am going to lose her back to the comforts of the United States and air conditioning.  We had been scouring our little guide book for some where to eat and figured we would hit up a new neighbourhood since we had already memorized 75% of the city.  We wanted to eat in the Navigli, the south of Milan where the canals are.  We mentioned this to a friend who gave us a disgusted look like we were patchouli-wearing backpackers but then proceeded to call her friend and book us a table. 

Al Pont de Ferr is not an unknown locale.  It graces way too many guide books to be considered a local find but surprisingly we were the only two customers speaking English. The dishes are simple, delicious and well priced.  One stand-out, however, was the squid.  I had read recently in the New York Times that said “THERE'S an old chestnut about squid: Cook it either for just two minutes, or leave it on the stove for at least 30.”  Whether this was the former or the latter I have no idea but am inclined toward the latter, it was the best squid, hands down, that I have ever had.  Let it be known that I am not a squid novice. I have been around the block once or twice when it comes to squid so I do not utter these words lightly. 

The setting is not something to be scoffed at either as the canals are beautiful.  You do get the feeling that you might have your handbag stolen at any given moment and I was bitten than no fewer than a large colony of mosquitoes, nonetheless, it was a beautiful night.  There is nothing like some good food and wine to get someone to warm up to a city.  Welcome to the Continent, Michal. 

Eastside Inn

Eastside Inn

38-42 St. John Street

Clerkenwell

London, EC1M 4AY

 

Background:  One of the perks of writing about food and restaurants is that you end up meeting other people who are similarly impassioned about the same topic. Hence how I met Charlie McVeigh of the Le Café Anglais and The Westbridge (I highly recommend both). We got a talking about cheese, wine, restaurants and the like and planned to have lunch.  Eating with a restaurateur is a little daunting.  He made the reservation at Eastside Inn (through the PR office at Le Café Anglais!), a newcomer to Farringdon around Smithfield market, in the previous home of Vic Naylor’s, opened by Bjorn van der Horst, formerly with Gordon Ramsey Holdings. 

When I hear the word “Inn” I immediately think of Jesus, for no other reason than he was born in the stable of an inn or so they say.  After Jesus comes small country get-aways in Connecticut or the Cotswolds.  This place was not very “inn-like” according to my standards but I am not in the habit of setting them so take them with a grain of salt.  The interior is modern and minimalist, a little too well-lit for my taste, and is divided into two sections; the restaurants and the bistro.  There is also a little lounge area where there is supposed to be jazz (apparently not lunchtime) but struck me as a little awkward.

Lunch is often the toughest time for most restaurants, new restaurants especially, thus the place was rather sparsely populated when we arrived. Thankfully we opted for the less formal option, the bistro, and to eat at the bar of the open kitchen which to my great pleasure was not pre-set with Easter egg coloured chargers like the restaurant. 

The Starters:  I have a bit of a habit of asking the waiter what he or she likes the best of the menu.  It comes out automatically without my having much control over it.  So I did.  Sometimes you can tell that they are completely sincere and love the item they are suggesting and sometimes you just know that they are trying to move a dish.  In this case it was the former.  A good thing, you might be thinking.  In theory, yes, but you forget my rather complex eating habits these days.  So he earnestly recommends the Bone marrow and oxtail marmalade: Horseradish and orange zest which sounds absolutely amazing.  I have a thing for bone marrow and a completely separate thing for oxtail anything, so this is pretty much heaven except for one thing.  I cannot fathom being that much of a glutton that I can eat bone marrow not on bread, just with a spoon.  It seems just too Edwardian.  So I instead order the Baby squid à la Basquaise.  Charlie goes for the Organic Egg: Frisée, walnuts and blue cheese.   

  

The squid dish is rather wrongly named as its more A la Basquaise with Squid. In case you are unaware (as I was); à la Basquaise means it is a dish whose ingredients will include mostly tomatoes and sweet peppers. This could be great except that I am not a fan of peppers and my culinary ignorance has gotten me into a pickle once again.  But wait, I really enjoyed it.  I thought the squid was too sparing and a little tough but I absolutely loved the Basquaise bit.  Charlie’s egg was, well, an egg but a beautiful and delicious orange-yoked egg and damned right at £10 (please excuse the "before and after" pictures but the yolk colour must be documented it).

The Mains: For the mains, I went with the Monkfish bourride: Fennel and clams and Charlie chose the Plats du jour which was a skate wing with a side of ratatouille.  This was pretty daring on my part as I consider myself a fish novice and rarely order it in a restaurant for a) fear of being disappointed, b) offending the restaurant, c) embarrassing my dining companion or d) all of the above.  As a fish Charlie’s skate looked pretty scary (to me, not a normal person), but it was apparently very good and the ratatouille excellent. My decision, however, was genius.  “Wow” was the first word out of my mouth and (sorry Mom) I hadn’t even finished chewing yet.  The monkfish was adequately rested and tender and the clams were juicy and flavourful but it was the sauce that tipped the balance for this dish.  Since the bread embargo prevented me from sopping it up I was forced to use a spoon.

Closing thoughts:  The décor wasn’t exactly my taste but I loved eating at the bar and watching the chefs cook. That being said it can get a little awkward when one of the sous chefs or line cooks (I can’t tell, definitely need to brush up on kitchen hierarchy) gets yelled at or burns himself (both happened while we were there). We didn’t take dessert but were offered a beautifully presented ball of sorbet on a block of ice.  Hopefully the traffic gets a little heavier and the place fills up, but it should as the food is really very good.  One last thing, maybe it was the star-studded cast (Charlie, not me) or the fact that we were almost alone in the dining room but I felt a little stalked by the wait staff; a little bit eager to please.

Silverware: Standard issue.  Nice and sturdy.

Silverspoons: 7.5 / 10

Damage: £40 per person (no wine)

Detox Day #6

 

Jak’s

77C Walton Street

London SW3 2HT

+44 207 584 3441         

website

So what do you do when you are on a detox and a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with asks you to lunch? Do you decline? Force your choice of restaurant on her? Or just hope for the best? I chose door number three.  I was secretly hoping she would choose a restaurant that served exclusively bacon cheeseburgers but alas it was not to be.  We met at Jak’s on Walton Street at 1:30 for lunch.  It is said that lunchtime in a recession is one of the hardest seatings to fill.  Not so in Jak’s. The place was absolutely bursting.

The deal is that you show up and gaze upon a case of beautiful looking salads and just start pointing.  I was a novice and they took advantage of me by suggesting five salads was the magic number when I had already stopped at three (turns out both three and five are options). I would complain for the rest of lunch that they were forcing me to overeat as I happily spooned down every last morsel on my plate.  They also have an a la carte menu should you desire something warm and what looked like very nice desserts (I wasn’t going to let the wheels come off completely) and fresh vegetable and fruit juices (picture above shows the spread).  It was some good detox-approved food.  Perhaps they are right when they say the Mediterranean diet is the most health promoting.  Needless to say I will be returning detox or not and I will not falter at three salad options but take five without hesitation.    

The Commander

The Commander

47 Hereford Rd
Bayswater, W2

+44 207 229 1503

website

 

 

Background:  We had been meaning to go to the Commander for a while.  I asked Pascal on Friday afternoon what he would like to do for the evening.   He replied “Have a dinner at 9pm.”  Now imagine a fuming, “With whom?” email.  I was mad, it’s Friday night, what dinner! I am always grammatically correct when I am mad.  Turns out I read it wrong and it said “Have dinner at 9pm.” Ok, that’s better, phew!  So I set my sights on The Commander: Porterhouse and Oyster bar. It sounded like the makings of a good Friday night dinner. 

I made the reservation via OpenTable for 9pm and was looking forward to my meal.  A couple hours before I was meant to arrive I received a phone call saying that they, The Commander, had received my reservation and were looking forward to my arrival but they were a full house and there might be a little bit of waiting at the bar.  I hung up the phone and was confronted with mixed emotions.  Are they hedging against making me wait?  Do they just want me to know they are full? Whatever the tactic, I still showed up at 9pm anticipating that I would have to wait at the bar, whether or not my table was ready (Pascal, when on time, is 15 minutes late).

I walked into a bustling scene, straight out of New York.  A smile passed over my face.  I love restaurants with noisy bars and good food; I was itching to love this place, call it my home and move in at least once a week. 

 

The Starters:  It seemed pretty obvious that we were going to go for some combination of seafood and steak.  Given that Oyster Bar is in the name of the restaurant you would expect a fairly substantial raw bar in that respect so I was surprised that they only had two types of oysters on offer; Fin de Claire and Maldon rock oysters.  You already know that I am from New York.   What you don’t know is that Pascal is obsessed with oysters.  (I am slightly less obsessed but love them just the same.) On a recent trip to New York, we ate almost exclusively at restaurants that served oysters.  Among them, my favourite (and ex-local) fish restaurant; Aquagrill, which serves up to 25 types of oysters on a given day (not Monday, of course) and has a repertoire of nearly 200. But the small selection didn’t faze Pascal; he ordered 9: 3 Maldon and 6 Fin de Claire.  I went for the Crawfish Cocktail: Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise and Baby Gem.

 

 

The oysters were fine although badly shucked, which can ruin the experience if you are always picking shell out of your mouth, and they were presented on one of those dumb elevated zinc trays on a bed of ice.  I hate those.  So many places use them, but still.  The crayfish cocktail was good, there was a good saltiness to the dish and I was pleased with my order. It did come in a martini glass, in typical English fashion, but with no plate underneath so when finished I had no idea what to do with my fork.

 

 

The Mains:  While the menu for the starters is pretty clear, the menu for the mains comes in two parts.  The part attached to the menu and a supplementary part which looks like it’s reserved for specials but is really just meat and fish.  This differentiation exists because The Commander has a retail business running along side in a cobble courtyard next door with a fish monger, florist and butcher etc.   We ordered off this menu.  It was almost difficult not to as you are basically told the name of the cow that provided you with your steak, let’s call her Gladys, and the method by which your fish was caught.  All of this was offered simply prepared with your chosen sauce.  Strangely the porterhouse was not on my menu but I opted for the rib eye, with all THREE sauces (Green peppercorn and shallot jus, Bloodymary butter and another one, I forgot). The waiter was aghast but I prevailed in the end. Pascal, a sucker for whole fish, went with the sole with some sort of compound butter (prawn, parsley and garlic, I think).  His fish was very good, fresh and unfussy, exactly how it was supposed to be.  My steak was, well, a steak; nothing special, no knockout flavour.  Let’s just say that Gladys let me down.  The sauces were good although, they weren’t the right ones and I had to ask for clarification but, in the words of Yoda, "a sauce does not a good steak make."

 

 

Closing Thoughts:  I wanted so badly to love this place, but it was not to be.   While the décor was really pleasing and the bar a great added addition, there was a funny and intermittent luminescence coming from the open kitchen.  We finally realised it was the heaters for the dishes awaiting service but it was extremely distracting from the meal.  Despite there being no less than six servers wandering around at one time, no one took ownership of our table and we were left to wave the passing waiter down to ask for things like a peppermill or a dessert menu.  On receiving the latter, we decided against ordering anything and the waiter himself laughed and said, “and it took you 30 minutes wait to even get a look at the menu!”  With that we paid and left.

 

Silverware:  Folded into a tea-towel-like napkin, neither fancy nor offensive.  Good simple cutlery.

 

Silverspoons: 5/10

 

Damage: £60/person

Chez Bruce

 

Chez Bruce

2 Bellevue Road

Wandsworth Common

SW17 7EG

+44 208 672 0114

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Background: I originally hail from New York and for us Zagat is God.  I have also introduced Pascal to Zagat, and therefore, it should not be a surprise that when choosing a restaurant for my birthday this is where he would turn.  A 29 for food is absolutely shocking.  There are only two in London with this rating; the other one is twice as expensive.  And fair enough, neither of us knew where Wandsworth was before we ventured out to the restaurant, but still.  Not sure how we even got a reservation but hey Tuesday isn't exactly date night.  But the location is beautiful, just off the common, and surrounded by cute little shops selling French linens and stuff; so far so good.  Now I had read on Cheese and Biscuits and gen.u.ine.ness that the room can be cramped and loud, so I was expecting that.  Pascal, however, had some inside tips and booked a table upstairs in a smaller room which had ample space and wasn’t the slightest bit noisy.  Once we were seated, Pascal notices a far better table by the window overlooking Wandsworth common, we ask and are given this table, a nice little upgrade.

 

The Starters:  Pascal, not unexpectedly, orders the Foie gras and chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche and I have the Wild garlic risotto with English Asparagus and parmesan.  I usually get a little nervous when asparagus goes into risotto as it has a tendency to overpower the dish, but I had been meaning to pick up some wild garlic since it started sprouting and hadn’t had the opportunity, so I couldn’t resist.  Happily the risotto was a lovely and gentle dish with the wild garlic doing its fair share of the talking. 

 

 

The foie gras was exceptional.  It’s a whipped creamy goodness served in a crock. We learned later that is one of their signature dishes.  Now I appreciate having chosen well but when we were asking what to order, this would have been great advance knowledge.  Even so, the foie gras is served with a nice big piece of brioche that we quickly plowed through.  Pascal requested another piece and our wish was granted.  We think it’s a two brioche dish; apparently “normal people” don’t usually finish it because it’s so rich.  Maybe that is because they only get one brioche and don’t want to ask for more; maybe not, but just a thought.  

 

 

The Mains:  Following our server Brad’s, advice (we got along quite well by the end), I opted for the Pot au feu of duck with ravioli, stuffed cabbage and tarragon, Pascal went with the Roast rib eye of beef with hand cut chips and béarnaise sauce.   Now the Pot au feu was not exactly a Pot au feu in traditional terms, for which I am quite grateful.  Pot au feu, French for “pot on the fire”, usually ends up looking more like a stew and everything is boiled beyond recognition, this one was more of a trois façons.  There was the duck breast, the confit and a cabbage roll filled with a mousse de canard (sounds way better than duck mousse). Fantastic.

The rib eye was also good and the chips, apparently fried three times, were great; a very crunchy exterior without losing the actual potato inside.  The steak itself was well cooked and very good, but it was still not the American-style steak we are seeking, it came with its own glaze making it clear that the béarnaise, not the best out there, was best used with the chips. 

Dessert and Cheese:  While I had room for dessert, Pascal did not (given his above choices would you?), so he went with the cheese course instead.  Looking back, as you will see, it is clear that the dessert is by far the lighter course.  Still in an effort at lighter fare, I went for the Passion fruit soufflé with coconut sorbet and mango.  It was a beautiful thing.  If you have made a soufflé and it has fallen you also know what a beautiful thing soufflé can be.  It was accompanied by a passion fruit sauce as well as the coconut sorbet and mango.  The sauce was probably overkill as the soufflé itself was so much already the embodiment of passion fruit that I needed the coconut sorbet just to cut the flavor. 

The cheeses, however, were great.  There was a huge selection and it was clear that a lot of thought and care had been put into their selection.  We were allotted six ample portions.  I was excited.  I will spare you details of each cheese, unless you ask for it, but let’s just say it was a good mix.

 

Closing thoughts:  I really enjoyed myself.  The service was great, not intrusive yet effective and well-timed. The sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and didn’t automatically shoot for the bottom of the page.  The upstairs room was great and, as I mentioned, didn’t offer any of the inconveniences of downstairs, but if your reservation is on the late side, as ours was (9pm), then you might feel as if you are closing down the place by the time you are done.  The value for money is exceptional and even the champagne by the glass is good and reasonable. The cab ride back to where ever you came from is certainly a bummer (unless you are a local, in which case lucky you) but if given another opportunity I will happily dine Chez Bruce again. 

  

Silverware: Heavy, scalloped, with a bevelled knife.  The sauce spoon did not go unnoticed.

Silverspoons: 8/10

Damage: £40 / person prix fixe for three courses

Le Cercle

Le Cercle

1 Wilbraham Place        

London SW1X 9AE

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Background: Daylight savings plus living within the Arctic Circle (i.e. London) means that even in mid-April the days feel ludicrously long, which I consider a good thing.  It just so happened that on Saturday night at around 8pm Pascal and I decided to make reservations for dinner (clearly neither of us thought it was 8pm). So I went through all of the restaurants that I have tagged from various sites and blogs and came up with Le Cercle.  Expecting a denial, I sheepishly called for a reservation.  Success! So now this makes me both happy and nervous at the same time.  Either way we decide to give it a go.  Located off of Sloane Street, we approach and see the entrance, Pascal asks light-heartedly, “You didn’t sign us up for a £300 dinner, did you?” Upon inspection of the menu posted outside it seems not, so we proceed.  We are greeted at the door and then asked to make our way downstairs.  So now I am annoyed because I hate eating in basements/dungeons but thankfully the room has very high ceilings, is well laid out and did not at any point make me feel as if I am eating underground. We are seated at what seems to be one the best tables for two in the house, so I am happy.

The Dinner: Le Cercle is self-described as French Tapas.  The menu was divided into four sections: Vegetal (vegetables), Marin (fish), Fermier (from the farm), and Plaisirs (things that make you fat and are more expensive).  Following our waitress’ suggestion we ordered four plates each, one from each section.  There was also a tasting menu for £35 or £50 with wine, but we opted for a la carte to try more options. 

Vegetal course: We had the Ravioles Barigoule and the Niçoise Salad.  The Niçoise salad was very good and well-balanced with more finesse and flavour than the usual niçoise. The Ravioles, however, were delicious.  Tiny little parcels swimming in a green broth.  There was a lot of foam (see below picture) so again nervousness ensued, but it was delicious. 

Marin course: I had the Cured Tuna & Pork Tempura Béarnaise; Pascal opted for the Roasted Sea bass, Ratatouille & Watercress Pesto.  Both were delicious but mine was exceptional melt in your mouth amazingness.  Pascal’s was pretty good too, so while I am not such a fan of aubergine, the fish was excellent.

Fermier course: I had the Wood Pigeon, Spicy Caramel and Pastilla and Pascal, the Tartare de Boeuf Charolais.  This was our least favourite of the 4 menus.  Pascal is a connoisseur of Steak Tartare so unless it’s of “knock your socks off” calibre, it gets a "good".  The pigeon as a dish was good but the pigeon was too rare for me (my fault, as usual, I was warned), the accompanying broccoli was extremely flavourful, in a good way, as was the pastilla.  I would reorder the dish for those two alone.

Plaisirs course: Roast Sturgeon Bordelaise for Pascal and the Cochon de Lait Trois Façons, Chou Croquant.  See what I mean about making you fat.  Also they are about twice as expensive as the other courses which run about £7.  I am a huge pig fan and very much enjoyed my pig three ways, but was getting quite full at this point.  The sturgeon has reclaimed itself at the top of my favourite fish list (Gramercy Tavern in NYC still holds the prize for best sturgeon ever, thanks Nick!).

Closing thoughts: The dinner was great.  For me, four courses were too much and I didn’t have room for cheese or dessert which was a bit annoying, so I would opt for three on the next visit.  The service was impeccable and almost had us feeling a little rushed at the end but it turned out just to be attentiveness rather than a desire to kick us out.  When we first arrived it looked like maybe the economic times might be taking a toll on the reservations but it seems we were just early, by 10pm the place was full and happening.  We will definitely be back even if its for only a course or two and a coupe of champagne.

Silverware: Nice and simple. Heavy. Dutifully changed after each course.

Silverspoons: 8/10

Damage: £80 / person