From mini Golf course to worlds best restaurant with three Michelin stars, El bulli tonight served there last paying guests!
The iconic restaurant is closing for three years to reopen as a culinary think tank in 2014.
Ferran Adria and business partner Juli Soler have remained single minded in changing the face of modern cooking, whilst operating at a loss each year. Some say that el bulli put Spain on the culinary radar, is that true? Well it certainly helped, but Spain has a culinary history as long and proud as those two culinary powerhouse neighbours France and Italy, perhaps even without the pretencions.
What was so special about el bulli, well to be honest i wouldn't know i never managed to secure a reservation. With 2 million requests for 8000 places each six month season (el bulli closes for the remaining six months for new dishes to be developed),a lot of people were never going to eat there. It was reported in the Observer food monthly a few years back that Ferran Adria's own mother couldn't even manage to book a table for dinner. El bulli bought the culinary world to attention with his new textures and cooking methods, he introduced the heavily abused FOAM to every Chef with a siphon. Ferran Adria labelled his cusine de-constructivism others labelled it Molecular Gastronomy a term he does not use alongside others like Thomas Kellar. His cuisine is innovative, inquisitive and forward thinking. Dishes were deconstructed - taken apart and reassembled to look and taste different while still keeping the essence of the dish. Not only did Ferran, Juli and his brother Albert, along with a handful of trusted full time staff change the way modern chefs looked at cooking they also changed Restaurant service with multi course menus taking the place of a la carte. Tapas was reborn into 30-40 small courses that mixed the sweet and savoury worlds leading to Avant Garde creativity, they have also played a hand in training some of the most exciting kitchen talent of the 21st century, think Rene Redzepi(NOMA), Jason Atherton(MAZE) and Andoni Aduriz(MUGARITZ) to name but a few. Most of these chefs worked as stagaires for free for the chance to learn from probably the most creative kitchen team in world. All is not lost as el bulli hotel remains open just outside Seville. Ferran Adria's Two Michelin starred La Alqueria restaurant situated within the hotel, serves dishes from season's past menus. Also in the hotel they reportedly serve the worlds best breakfast!
Interestingly on Yahoo's news page there is an article about the closure, with some rather interesting comments, most from people who spend most of there time writing anonymous half assed comments on subjects they know nothing about! Most commenter's had probably never heard of el bulli before tonight's Yahoo headline. Ferran Adria and el bulli were not to every one's taste, and this was well known, but hardly anyone alive can claim to have started a new cuisine and to have pushed the boundaries to new heights with a lot more to come.
Showing posts with label RESTAURANTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RESTAURANTS. Show all posts
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Saturday, 17 October 2009
LE CHAMPIGNON SAUVAGE
Birthdays, believe it or not this one time of year that most thirty plus people dread need not be such a time for depressive episodes or those sleepless nights staring into space that even sheep counting cannot pacify, tossing and turning whilst worrying about wrinkles and such. Use this magical time in your life as an excuse to visit a top restaurant, this is exactly what we did recently. The restaurant in question Le Champignon Sauvage just happens to be an all time favourite of ours, so much so that it could possibly leave us in danger of not visiting any other establishments for the foreseeable future. I do not feel for this reason that i can give an unbiased account of our meal this time or on the previous visits but what i can do is tell you about the wonderful experience that Le Champignon Sauvage offers, the beautiful cooking, the warm welcome and great ambiance.
First a little background Le Champignon Sauvage is located in Cheltenham - Gloucestershire, nestling on the edge of the delightful Cotswold's. The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team with a very small brigade in the kitchen and two extra staff front of house. The couple are probably one of the most respected in the restaurant industry, due to there dedication to there restaurant with David never missing a kitchen service since opening. Helen his wife deserves equal credit for the way she runs the front of house. With two Michelin stars , 8/10 in the good food guide, 4 AA stars, Cateys,chef of the year and a list of awards and achievements too long to list, this is a serious restaurant at the top of it's game but without a hint of attitude. As paying customers you are made more than welcome. The meal will start with elegant little Gougeres, lovingly handmade at the restaurant, then a shot glass of soup with a froth or foam on top. Pea and coconut is just one of the few we have had. These two amuses are as much a part of the restaurant as the two michelin stars. Breads are too die for, normally presented in 3 -4 different variety's, and all hand baked on the premises. There is a choice of two menus one priced at £25 for two courses and £30 for three courses, which allows you to substitute a cheese course for dessert or cheese as a separate course for £9 supplement (cheese comes with handmade biscuits and bread ,made on the premises).The second menu is priced at £45 for two courses, £55 for three courses or £64 for three courses and cheese. The second menu naturally makes use of more expensive ingredients such as scallops. Coffee and petit fours are £3 per a person and really showcase the skill that this establishment operates at. Mini rum baba, chocolates and nougat can be found among the offerings. The style of cooking is French with inspiration coming from across the globe. Although the cooking has it's roots in the Terroir modern methods are embraced but not abused, and clever use of wild and foraged foods abound. This restaurant proves that good ingredients, skills and knowledge can produce exceptional food from sometimes humble ingredients. On my last visit to start, i ordered a Thai vegetable broth with lemongrass oil which actually tasted of Thailand rather than a miss matched grouping of south east Asian ingredients, for main course i had lamb with Moroccan spices and a chick pea puree, which had been elevated to new heights.
David Everitt Matthias is perhaps one of the only truly world class chefs that Britain has produced as not many can claim the level of skill, knowledge and expertise across all departments in the kitchen and not forgetting skills in wild foods and butchery. I like to think of David Everitt Matthias as Britain's answer to Thomas Keller, but as the saying goes behind every great man is a women and this truly is the case. What would Le Champignon Sauvage be with only excellent cooking, the whole experience is not just based on food alone. The service from the start to finish is truly great with everyone made to feel a part of the restaurant experience.
But the one question i have and i do know others often ask, is why do they only have two Michelin stars? Is it because thirty staff are not on hand? The cooking is of three star quality and the service can match. It is about time Michelin gave this restaurant the credit that is so deserved.
First a little background Le Champignon Sauvage is located in Cheltenham - Gloucestershire, nestling on the edge of the delightful Cotswold's. The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team with a very small brigade in the kitchen and two extra staff front of house. The couple are probably one of the most respected in the restaurant industry, due to there dedication to there restaurant with David never missing a kitchen service since opening. Helen his wife deserves equal credit for the way she runs the front of house. With two Michelin stars , 8/10 in the good food guide, 4 AA stars, Cateys,chef of the year and a list of awards and achievements too long to list, this is a serious restaurant at the top of it's game but without a hint of attitude. As paying customers you are made more than welcome. The meal will start with elegant little Gougeres, lovingly handmade at the restaurant, then a shot glass of soup with a froth or foam on top. Pea and coconut is just one of the few we have had. These two amuses are as much a part of the restaurant as the two michelin stars. Breads are too die for, normally presented in 3 -4 different variety's, and all hand baked on the premises. There is a choice of two menus one priced at £25 for two courses and £30 for three courses, which allows you to substitute a cheese course for dessert or cheese as a separate course for £9 supplement (cheese comes with handmade biscuits and bread ,made on the premises).The second menu is priced at £45 for two courses, £55 for three courses or £64 for three courses and cheese. The second menu naturally makes use of more expensive ingredients such as scallops. Coffee and petit fours are £3 per a person and really showcase the skill that this establishment operates at. Mini rum baba, chocolates and nougat can be found among the offerings. The style of cooking is French with inspiration coming from across the globe. Although the cooking has it's roots in the Terroir modern methods are embraced but not abused, and clever use of wild and foraged foods abound. This restaurant proves that good ingredients, skills and knowledge can produce exceptional food from sometimes humble ingredients. On my last visit to start, i ordered a Thai vegetable broth with lemongrass oil which actually tasted of Thailand rather than a miss matched grouping of south east Asian ingredients, for main course i had lamb with Moroccan spices and a chick pea puree, which had been elevated to new heights.
David Everitt Matthias is perhaps one of the only truly world class chefs that Britain has produced as not many can claim the level of skill, knowledge and expertise across all departments in the kitchen and not forgetting skills in wild foods and butchery. I like to think of David Everitt Matthias as Britain's answer to Thomas Keller, but as the saying goes behind every great man is a women and this truly is the case. What would Le Champignon Sauvage be with only excellent cooking, the whole experience is not just based on food alone. The service from the start to finish is truly great with everyone made to feel a part of the restaurant experience.
But the one question i have and i do know others often ask, is why do they only have two Michelin stars? Is it because thirty staff are not on hand? The cooking is of three star quality and the service can match. It is about time Michelin gave this restaurant the credit that is so deserved.
24-28 Suffolk Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 2AQ
- Tel . 01242 573449
Open for lunch and dinner tuesday to saturday.
Monday, 31 August 2009
CASAMIA - RESTAURANT WESTBURY ON TRYM
Finding westbury to the north of Bristol was not in its self a big problem, finding Casamia proved to be a little harder. Set back from the high street behind a wrought iron gate you find a rather quaint alley leading to the entrance door of the restaurant. Casamia is a family run restaurant with Dad front of house and the two sons in the kitchen, originally a main stream Italian but now following the Molecular gastronomy route with ultra modern cooking. Italian influences are still evident amongst the menu which recently helped the restaurant and cooking to achieve a coveted michelin star in the 2009 guide.
With two different menu's on offer this lunch time, we opted for the lunch menu as time was not to our advantage, this menu was then offered at £20 for three courses. On being seated we were presented with a small loaf of bread cut into five slices, apart from the odd number and ensuing argument as there was two of us and five slices, the bread was exceptional , moist, warm and great textured, a real treat, seeing how two of our Michelin 3 starred restaurants buy there bread in!
Although a little slow to start with, the service gradually improved once the wait staff eventually ceased handing out little glasses and showing off with isi syphons, although not a part of the lunch menu some tables were seated after us and received the gas drinks while we were seated empty handed. For first courses my partner had the pigeon and i opted for the beetroot risotto with pickled fennel, pistachios and iced yogurt. The risotto was flavourful if a little pungent, resulting in a good cough on a couple of occasions. The dish was good but the very small portion size, made it a struggle to eat, with all of the accompaniments a deeper beetroot flavour would have been more welcome. Second courses arrived with my partner opting for slow roast pork and salisfy, myself olive oil poached salmon, chicken wing and Jerusalem artichoke puree the salmon had benefited from the olive oil poaching no doubt sous vide leaving a very agreeable moist piece of fish that deserved recognition, as for the inclusion of the chicken wing was it there to make up the numbers we shall never know. My partner's slow roast pork was succulent and a little try of the salisfy was a first for us both, on too dessert i opted for the chocolate tart with beetroot ice cream, it struck as strange in a restaurant cooking at this level to have principle ingredients repeated, although the ice cream had a wonderful texture and good flavour, sadly you needed a magnifying glass to spot the chocolate tart. The chocolate tart was fair showing good technical
skill, but sadly did not pack a big enough punch to warrant it minuscule size. On the other side of the table an angelica ice cream with mango was duly finished and so i am told was rather good.
Not a bad meal but not exceptional either, while far better than any offering in my home town of Plymouth. Following the route of molecular gastronomy is not an easy path. Judgments become clouded, portions become small and sometimes you just want something to eat! This establishment has great potential, and maybe i have lost my patience with Ultra modern cooking, but flashes of brilliance are most definately in the background with the bread and the salmon, while the presentation could hold it's own in any establishment in this country!
We paid approximately £60 for two with two bottled beers and one glass of house wine. At present the lunch pricing is slightly higher starting at £25 per head. Two menus are offered with vegaterian dishes on request.
CASAMIA
38 HIGH STREET
WESTBURY ON TRYM
BRISTOL
BS9 3DZ
ENGLAND
TEL : 0117 959 2884
http://www.casamiarestaurant.co.uk/
With two different menu's on offer this lunch time, we opted for the lunch menu as time was not to our advantage, this menu was then offered at £20 for three courses. On being seated we were presented with a small loaf of bread cut into five slices, apart from the odd number and ensuing argument as there was two of us and five slices, the bread was exceptional , moist, warm and great textured, a real treat, seeing how two of our Michelin 3 starred restaurants buy there bread in!
Although a little slow to start with, the service gradually improved once the wait staff eventually ceased handing out little glasses and showing off with isi syphons, although not a part of the lunch menu some tables were seated after us and received the gas drinks while we were seated empty handed. For first courses my partner had the pigeon and i opted for the beetroot risotto with pickled fennel, pistachios and iced yogurt. The risotto was flavourful if a little pungent, resulting in a good cough on a couple of occasions. The dish was good but the very small portion size, made it a struggle to eat, with all of the accompaniments a deeper beetroot flavour would have been more welcome. Second courses arrived with my partner opting for slow roast pork and salisfy, myself olive oil poached salmon, chicken wing and Jerusalem artichoke puree the salmon had benefited from the olive oil poaching no doubt sous vide leaving a very agreeable moist piece of fish that deserved recognition, as for the inclusion of the chicken wing was it there to make up the numbers we shall never know. My partner's slow roast pork was succulent and a little try of the salisfy was a first for us both, on too dessert i opted for the chocolate tart with beetroot ice cream, it struck as strange in a restaurant cooking at this level to have principle ingredients repeated, although the ice cream had a wonderful texture and good flavour, sadly you needed a magnifying glass to spot the chocolate tart. The chocolate tart was fair showing good technical
skill, but sadly did not pack a big enough punch to warrant it minuscule size. On the other side of the table an angelica ice cream with mango was duly finished and so i am told was rather good.
Not a bad meal but not exceptional either, while far better than any offering in my home town of Plymouth. Following the route of molecular gastronomy is not an easy path. Judgments become clouded, portions become small and sometimes you just want something to eat! This establishment has great potential, and maybe i have lost my patience with Ultra modern cooking, but flashes of brilliance are most definately in the background with the bread and the salmon, while the presentation could hold it's own in any establishment in this country!
We paid approximately £60 for two with two bottled beers and one glass of house wine. At present the lunch pricing is slightly higher starting at £25 per head. Two menus are offered with vegaterian dishes on request.
CASAMIA
38 HIGH STREET
WESTBURY ON TRYM
BRISTOL
BS9 3DZ
ENGLAND
TEL : 0117 959 2884
http://www.casamiarestaurant.co.uk/
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
RESTAURANT GORDON RAMSAY
Amongst many people i know, the mention of Gordon Ramsay fields mixed reviews. A lot of people know him as the celebrity chef with lots of restaurants, and a big mouth, but not many in my circle realise the level that he cooks at, or should i say the level of cooking that his establishments strive for! Gordon Ramsay currently holds the third highest amount of Michelin stars in the world, which puts him in double figures with an empire that stretches from the far east to the US via Europe and South Africa. Gordon Ramsay's flag ship restaurant is where we found ourselves recently, situated in the heart of London's Chelsea amongst the six figurered price tag properties - with a wine list to match the wealth of the area and a well heeled clientele, hence Mr Ramsay's jacket required dress code. Being made to wear a jacket was not a good start for me as i am not and never will be a fan of wearing a jacket to lunch or dinner, so i was praying at the least for something spectacular. Now i must say in top restaurants there will normally be at least one embarrassing incident and not always the other half's fault, but for once this was plain sailing! With the wealth of experience and professionalism front of house, we were put at ease and made to feel more than welcome! The old saying first impressions count certainly rang true, but what is unique is the fact that this restaurant realises you have travelled to be there, realised that you have saved up for this meal and that there is every chance that it is a special occasion! These little touches are what make this establishment worth every little penny that changes hands, not an obnoxious waiter in sight or a snivelling Sommelier trying not too laugh at our poor choice of wine which incidentally was one of the cheapest on the list at £30 a bottle. Menu options were presented by the Maitre D - Jean Claude Breton along with general small talk about our visit and if a special occaison was being celebrated, which it was my birthday! We settled on the lunch menu at £45 per three courses. First we were presented with an amuse of sun dried tomato consomme with summer vegetables and langoustine which had a great depth of flavour, but a clean taste. First courses arrived shortly after with the Diane opting for a gratin of ceps and salad and myself a saffron rissotto with seafood, presented by three waiters and sauced at the table. Main courses of Daurade royale, navet carrots ,radish, baby gem lettuce and artichoke barigoule and slow roast pork belly with apples and Madeira jus followed quickly. The pork wonderfully tender and moist with the jus perfectly complimenting the dish. After declining the invitation of cheese(£8 supplement) we moved on to dessert. Rum baba ,gariguette strawberries ,lemon balm with vanilla ice cream was very good, but deep down i was envious of Diane's Banana parfait, passion fruit and salted caramel ice cream which looked delicious and sublime and of which i was duly informed was in fact excellent. On to coffee and chocolates and an unexpected surprise. White and dark individual chocolates presented on little spikes mimicking a tree of sorts were clever and very well made, these were closely followed by a small container spilling dry ice which contained white chocolate covered strawberry ice cream. Then a birthday surprise from the kitchen a little raspberry sorbet with a candle which was very novel and much appreciated but best of all you could taste the essence of raspberry. This was a nice touch from the restaurant as little thoughts like this do not cost much, but last forever in memories. As for embarrassing incidents we left unscathed apart from the the photo session, and a trip to the kitchen to meet the extremely talented head chef Clare Smyth.
In this day and age of odd flavour combinations that for the most part do not work and chemistry labs replacing kitchens and not forgetting the need for the periodic table on a plate, this was a welcome experience even if i had to wear a bloody jacket. The cooking is outstanding and the service excellent, with well executed and thought out dishes, presented nicely without the need for interference from picasso. Recent articles and reviews in cyberspace nod towards the vibe that Royal Hospital road is dated and not adding the wow factor, while this may be true for some, for others the cooking is excellent, classical and refined with enough modern touches to keep up to date with the avent garde of today.
Set lunch £45 - 3 courses
A la carte £90 - 3 courses
Menu prestige £120 - 7 courses
12.5 % gratuity on top of bill
Opening times: 12-2.30pm
18.30 - 23.00
Address: 68 Royal hospital road
London
SW3 4HP
TEL: 020 7352 4441
FAX: 020 7352 3334
Reservations on above number up to 2 months in advance, or 1 month on new online reservation system (lunch bookings only)
Dress code: Jackets preferred- no jeans
Restaurant website: http://www.gordonramsay.com/
In this day and age of odd flavour combinations that for the most part do not work and chemistry labs replacing kitchens and not forgetting the need for the periodic table on a plate, this was a welcome experience even if i had to wear a bloody jacket. The cooking is outstanding and the service excellent, with well executed and thought out dishes, presented nicely without the need for interference from picasso. Recent articles and reviews in cyberspace nod towards the vibe that Royal Hospital road is dated and not adding the wow factor, while this may be true for some, for others the cooking is excellent, classical and refined with enough modern touches to keep up to date with the avent garde of today.
Set lunch £45 - 3 courses
A la carte £90 - 3 courses
Menu prestige £120 - 7 courses
12.5 % gratuity on top of bill
Opening times: 12-2.30pm
18.30 - 23.00
Address: 68 Royal hospital road
London
SW3 4HP
TEL: 020 7352 4441
FAX: 020 7352 3334
Reservations on above number up to 2 months in advance, or 1 month on new online reservation system (lunch bookings only)
Dress code: Jackets preferred- no jeans
Restaurant website: http://www.gordonramsay.com/
Friday, 10 July 2009
FOODIE WEEKEND - EATING THE MICHELIN GUIDE
My birthday has been and gone yet again. Every year seems shorter and shorter, Not only are the years gaining fast, but maturity, although kept at bay for many years has made that appearance. No longer do i drink the bar dry on this day that would in years gone by be eagerly awaited, only to deposit 30 quids worth of booze down the toilet pan or even worse the neighbours garden.
Now as i have come of age, well the last couple of years really, we seek out high end food, experiences that will be remembered, hopefully for years to come. The weekend was planned weeks in advance, phone calls were made- a table for two at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, a table at Casamia in bristol and lunch on the way home in my all time favourite restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage. The idea was to experience a 3 michelin star restaurant for the first time, we have eaten in two starred restaurants and a handful of 1 stars, we have even managed a couple of entries in the worlds 50 best restaurant category. The idea was to take our Champagne tastes on beer money budget through the michelin stars, 1-3 in four days, then disaster struck.
A couple of days prior to leaving we needed to make a reservation for Le champignon sauvage, to find that on the tuesday we had planned they were closed for 3 weeks for summer holidays.
A quick scan of available 2 stars in the area, came up with some nice options, but being a little stubborn it was Le champignon sauvage or nothing, my birthday my choice!
The weekend started with a 3 course meal in bristol at Casamia (Review to follow), a restaurant that is family run with the distinction of winning a michelin star in the 2009 guide, then on too swindon to our base for the weekend and one of my favourite places to eat - my sisters.
Sunday was a day of rest, in prepartion for our first 3 * dining experience, monday came with a short train journey to london and a long walk from Paddington to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (review to follow), then a stroll along the the Chelsea embankment to the houses of parliment.
Not knowing London too well, as Heathrow is normally my first and last stop, we headed for Harrods with only one department on the agenda - you probably guessed right the food hall!
The hunt for a reasonable quality Balsamic vinegar and a small bottle of Truffle oil, finally came to an end at the checkout, before heading back to paddington, via Notting Hill on a reconnaissance mission to find the location of two bookshops Books for Cooks which was closed mondays and the Travel bookshop. A great four days with a couple of small mishaps Le Champignon Sauvage being closed for holidays and Books for Cooks not being open! I am sure next birthday we will try again, but be sure it will be better planned!
Now as i have come of age, well the last couple of years really, we seek out high end food, experiences that will be remembered, hopefully for years to come. The weekend was planned weeks in advance, phone calls were made- a table for two at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, a table at Casamia in bristol and lunch on the way home in my all time favourite restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage. The idea was to experience a 3 michelin star restaurant for the first time, we have eaten in two starred restaurants and a handful of 1 stars, we have even managed a couple of entries in the worlds 50 best restaurant category. The idea was to take our Champagne tastes on beer money budget through the michelin stars, 1-3 in four days, then disaster struck.
A couple of days prior to leaving we needed to make a reservation for Le champignon sauvage, to find that on the tuesday we had planned they were closed for 3 weeks for summer holidays.
A quick scan of available 2 stars in the area, came up with some nice options, but being a little stubborn it was Le champignon sauvage or nothing, my birthday my choice!
The weekend started with a 3 course meal in bristol at Casamia (Review to follow), a restaurant that is family run with the distinction of winning a michelin star in the 2009 guide, then on too swindon to our base for the weekend and one of my favourite places to eat - my sisters.
Sunday was a day of rest, in prepartion for our first 3 * dining experience, monday came with a short train journey to london and a long walk from Paddington to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (review to follow), then a stroll along the the Chelsea embankment to the houses of parliment.
Not knowing London too well, as Heathrow is normally my first and last stop, we headed for Harrods with only one department on the agenda - you probably guessed right the food hall!
The hunt for a reasonable quality Balsamic vinegar and a small bottle of Truffle oil, finally came to an end at the checkout, before heading back to paddington, via Notting Hill on a reconnaissance mission to find the location of two bookshops Books for Cooks which was closed mondays and the Travel bookshop. A great four days with a couple of small mishaps Le Champignon Sauvage being closed for holidays and Books for Cooks not being open! I am sure next birthday we will try again, but be sure it will be better planned!
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