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.

• http://www.lechampignonsauvage.co.uk/

24-28 Suffolk Road

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL50 2AQ

• Tel . 01242 573449

Open for lunch and dinner tuesday to saturday.

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/

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/

FAT MAMMA'S BURGER BAR

Tucked away in a small premises on Drakes circus, with little frontage to do this business justice, walk through the doors of what was once a record shop you may be pleasantly surprised.
"THE WORLDS GREATEST BURGER" as proudly displayed in the small window is serving as the name would suggest- well burgers! The burgers are not the worlds best, but there is no harm in selling your product, you have to survive in this day and age with the bankers living on there fat cat pensions and the rest of us struggling to survive, you can be forgiven for selling and thinking big, it's the only way to go!
What these burgers do have is realism! Yes you heard it here first -real burgers in Plymouth. I witnessed with my own eyes these being made! What a revelation, beefburgers being shaped by the gloved hands of the one guy behind the counter, this is just getting better! Being the only customer at the time, another 4-5 we would have been struggling to sling the proverbial cat, the place is small, but welcoming with the guy behind the counter happy to discarded his disposable gloves to take my order. Now the menu board is up high, very well placed for the Plymouth raiders basketball team or those with good vision, but still manageable for the rest of us, let us not forget space is an issue here! With a choice of burgers all at £3.50 and wraps from £3.95, the menu is more than adequate. I decided on the English burger. A beefburger that is topped with bacon and an egg. Very British indeed with a side of beer battered chips with choice of dips.(Sides from £1.50, Coffee 95p)
As i waited for my order i had a good scan of the premises, it didn't take long but i liked the set up. For those with a liking of nostalgic signs you will be catered for. There are of course other burgers on offer, amongst them i noticed the Swiss, American, lamb and mint and of course the Hawaiian burger topped with the old favourite of the pizza shop the "the pineapple slice".
My order arrived wrapped in white paper and handed over the counter, good to go or if you like make use of the seating, which i did, as time was not of importance on this day
The first bite was good the second better, a nice burger at an acceptable size that screamed well made(i hate massive burgers). The burger being topped with a thick slice of bacon and an egg, plus the usual salad, that hid a lovely little surprise, a wonderful cornichon. Now most of us know this is the secret weapon of the high street burger chains, but it amazes me that hardly anyone else serves these with their burgers. Take the cornichon out of high street fast food burger and what are you left with, a pretty dismal beef pattie that cost next to nothing to make plus a couple of limp pieces of salad and a clump of mayo. If we were to do the cornichon test on the average Burger king or McDonald's customer, most when faced with a cornichon would probably run a mile let alone taste one, yet they don't question the actual taste that makes ,what they eat palatable. This has nothing what so ever to do with the big companies promise of wonderful ingredients, it is a unique secret weapon that i am glad to say has found it's way into the better burgers that can be found at Fat Mamma's. At £3.50 i would much rather spend my money here, and get the real McCoy, than give the big corporations my hard earned cash and grease the palms of the nasty fat cats. My only gripe with Fat Mamma's is that they need a menu placed outside. I have stopped on many occasions and walked on because i couldn't see what was on offer, i am glad that i did venture inside, and i will be back!

FAT MAMMA'S
DRAKES CIRCUS
NORTH HILL
PLYMOUTH
PL4 8AY
TEL: 0781 9615097

PLYMOUTH AND THE CHINESE BUFFET

Now let me tell you a bit about my home town, being situated at the start of a peninsula and being the last city of any size, although small, by most standards, we are the last big population of the south of England. Due to our geographic location we always seem to be the last place that branded businesses set up shop. With this in mind we also seem to be the last or at least a few years behind other cities in culinary concepts.

If i remember rightly it took a long time for the fast food chains to set up shop, first one then lots throughout the city. We only got Starbucks 2 years ago, now we have two maybe three along with the other coffee brands. Now we come to the point of the post- The Chinese buffet.

Back in 2005 we had a small Chinese buffet in a dank basement in the student area of the city, although the food was certainly not of any note, it was a new concept in Chinese dining at the time, a chance for people to taste the different dishes on offer with out breaking the wallet. This place was eventually superseded by another small buffet in Cornwall street which appeared for a time to have the monopoly on buffet dining, until 2008 when two super size buffets opened within the city - Water dragon and Buffet city.
Water dragon easily has the edge of the two but is certainly not serving much in the way of great food.
What is the point of the Chinese buffet i ask? Is it so that you can try lots of dishes of a different cuisine or a chance to be a glutton of mammoth proportions.
Seeing how the Chinese food that we eat in this country, or should i say the food that is cooked for the westerner, bears little resemblance to the food of china or the depth of skill that Chinese cooks reach. Then why are these places full, is it so that people feel they are receiving a bargain or is that we have gone the way of most of the western world and need to eat as much food as possible in one sitting. Quantity over quality appears to be the order of the day.
Plymouth has always had it's share of Chinese restaurants, some not so good, and others serving slightly better, but this not London or any of the other size able cities,but a small city with a reasonable Chinese population. It would be nice to see a Chinese open one day that went a little more authentic than dishes that all taste the same with liberal use of MSG. If the buffet restaurants are making a claim what hope is there for that special little Chinese restaurant to open where you have to actually pay a reasonable amount for good quality well cooked food with a little imagination behind the stove and plate.
For those that have tasted high end Chinese it is in a completely different league to what is served as the normal British Chinese restaurant fare. Maybe it's me or maybe I'm wrong, but the chance to go out in this city and eat real Chinese food would be as welcome as a big win on the lottery. Chances are neither will happen!

Note;
This is in no way intended to offend or upset anyone, it is just an honest account of how i see things at the moment! If and when things change you can bet i will be the first comment!

QUICK GUIDE TO DINING VIENTIANE

Thinking top dining destinations, I'm sure Vientiane does not even enter the list, well think again as all this could change in the coming future!

Ok, so London,New York,Tokyo and Paris first come to mind, but this charming south east Asian capital has more to offer than first meets the eye! When thinking south east Asian you automatically assume the cuisine of the big culinary destinations in this part of the world and rightly so with the vast array of delights to be had in Singapore, the fragrance of Thailand or the depth of flavours associated with Vietnamese cooking, Laos being a minor cousin, and often overlooked is stating it's claim as fast as the country embraces democracy and peace.

All of these country's have there famous dishes, but Lao's national dish laap pronounced larp is probably little known outside of the country or the Laotian community's that have settled in the USA. With tourism and the high numbers of Aid workers on the increase it could even grow in popularity world wide. Laap is a dish of minced meat normally pork, but can be made with fowl or fish,which is then tossed with lime juice,garlic, roasted sticky rice(that is ground to a powder),scallions,mint and chillies. Authentic laap is made with raw pork that is then minced, but to cater to different tastes you will normally be served the pork at least cooked. Laap can be fiery hot, but most restaurants will tone down the mak phet(chili) to western palates.
Laap is served on a salad of leafs, normally consisting of lettuce with lao sticky rice being the normal side order, Another favourite lao dish is papaya salad. Lao cuisine is very similar to Thai in its use of fresh ingredients that are balanced to achieve healthy and delicious meals that can be a little too hot for the western palate, but still achieve that perfect balance of sweet,sour,salty and hot. Vietnamese and Chinese influences are to be found throughout Lao with the noodle being a firm favourite, but Laotian food is not only confined to eastern influences with the french making an impact during there colonisation of french indo china. Not only are there french restaurants of note in Laos but the humble baguette is big on the agenda often being eaten for breakfast with condensed milk and throughout the day with lao pate( think pork luncheon meat). Baguettes can be found from street vendors throughout the day. For exceptional baguettes along the river front you will find PVO opposite the BCEL bank they have some of the best in town, along with tasty spring rolls. Full size baguettes are cheap and very filling. Bakeries are good and have a loyal following throughout the city with some great eats on offer and tasty pizzas.

A good place to ease your self into the complexities of Lao cuisine is Ban Lao beer garden on Th Francois Nginn, with a menu consisting of Lao staples with the odd western dish, the food is honest fare over seen by villay and her female cooks. With many dining options to choose from on this street, you could eat modern tapas at the Full Moon cafe, then head next door to stickies for a modern take on food that would not be out of place in the trendiest of eateries. Along the street you can dine on a mix of Lao and french fare at Douang Deuane or eat barbecue Lao style at the entrance for 50 cents a piece. For a drink in good company head further along the street to the Hare and Hound pub where john will keep you amused with his good humour and tales of south east asia, and his graceful wife will feed you if your hungry, good for imported steaks and British fare. Tasty Indian can be found around town with the Taj mahal being a popular choice and very reasonable on price, just be careful with the rice, somtimes it moves!

Dining options are endless in Vientiane with good lao food from vendors and the riverfront providing sun set dining from the numerous restaurants along the mighty Mekong. Word on the street being Le Belle Epoque is one of the best options for fine dining with other good french restaurants about town, La Vendome and Le Cote D'Azure being very popular with ex-pats. You can find Japanese, Korean, Italian, Chinese and most cuisines in some shape or form in the capital. A quote from an ex-pat living in lao and written in a top guide book, read as " Dollar for dollar the best dining in the world" He is not far wrong!

PHOTOS FROM MAKPHET TRAINING RESTAURANT -LAOS

Makphet training restaurant,Vientiane Laos.

Front sign with a description of the restaurant.

"Yum mak nee" Banana flower salad with grilled pork

fillet,tamarind and chili.

Coconut lime cake with "mar not" sorbet and Red hibiscus

flower syrup.

"Mar not" Sorbet

MAKPHET TRAINING RESTAURANT -LAOS

Modern Lao food for the uninformed can take many guises, but none more so than at Makphet restaurant in Vientiane Laos. I chanced upon Makphet after leaving the restaurant next door, although not dissapointed with what i had just eaten, deep down i was a little annoyed at not having found Makphet an hour previously. I made a note to have lunch there the following day, as a sign outside informed the public that they were to shut the day after for a ten day break!

Makphet translated as Chili in Lao language is very unique in that it serves as a training restaurant for former street children. The restaurant is overseen by the teachers with the former street kids cooking and tending front of house. Students and teachers alike are adorned in identical green t-shirts with the Makphet motif and respective grade adorned on the front.


Makphet is overseen by a charity Ngo called Friends international, a charity committed to helping former street children and there mothers through training in the hospitality industry and the making of handicrafts. http://www.friends-international.org/laopdr.html

Friends international have a similar set up in Cambodia with training restaurants in the capital Phnom penh. Makphet has a second floor that sells handicrafts made by parents with 70% of the profit being retained by the crafts person, while the other 30% is injected back into the enterprise.

The very modern menu with it's culinary roots ingrained in Lao cooking and culture is a revelation. The menu you are handed by your Laotian waitress is given with a gracefulness that could hail from the former royal courts, only this is a former street child with the determination to make good fortune of one self. If other restaurants could put the thought into the design, that has taken place with the menu you are handed at Makphet i'm sure there clientele would be back for seconds! The menu itself could hail from a Sydney cafe at the height of fashion, only this comes from a training restaurant. You are handed a lime green coloured professionally designed booklet with amazing food photography and delightful writing that describes the dishes on offer. With dishes starting in the range of 40,000 kip and ranging to 55,000 kip for mains, and desserts starting from 30,000kip(exchange rate at time of meal 8,500kip to the $) this is a little bit on the pricey side for Vientiane but offers extraordinary value for money once you have sampled the goods on offer, if you could sample food of this quality in a major western city you would be sure to pay a small fortune!

The food on offer is inventive sounding with good use of local ingredients. I opted for a banana flower salad, grilled pork fillet and chili and tamarind called yum mak nee. The dish it's self was lovingly presented, without the need to be pretentious. A nice background of sweet sour flavour with a gentle kick of chili, this salad is tantalising to the palate with the pork fillet beautifully cooked and moist with a succulent bead of crisped fat still attached. For dessert i found it rather more difficult to choose as they all jumped out to grab your attention and shout EAT ME!!!

Dessert is a big let down in south east asia with many desserts in the asian repertoire, a lot of places offer some abomination not native to the region, when all most people want to eat is authentic cuisine! For my dessert i was faced with a task of mammoth proportions-what to order! The selection starts at 30,000 raising to 35,000 kip, with Red Hibiscus,Passion fruit sorbet with Meringue and Pineapple in Palm Sugar Caramel with Coconut Gelato and chili amongst some of the selection on offer, i opted for Coconut Lime Cake,Hibiscus flower syrup and a sorbet made from a local fruit called Mar not. While not over the top with the presentation, enough effort had been taken to plate the dessert but the taste was Divine, overshadowing the presentation by a long way. The sorbet with a taste i can only describe as being somewhere between Mango and Passion fruit, was technically perfect and would not be out of place in a Michelin starred kitchen, and i would say probably the best i have ever eaten yet, the lime coconut cake was a good texture, moist and full of flavour. A sauce of Hibiscus flower syrup remained in the background ,but was a welcome taste although the dish could stand alone, if needed.

My view might read as biased, but this a genuine review and i am in no way associated with Friends International or Makphet restaurant. The food is really of exceptional quality being served from a rare little gem of a place, with happy smiling faces serving and not a hint snobbery to be found!

One main course, one dessert, a side of Laos sticky rice and two coffees 109,000kip, approx £12.50/$20 us

If you are fortunate to be visiting Vientiane be sure to drop into Makphet, and don't forget to leave a jolly good tip!!!

Makphet is located down a side street off Th Francois Nginn, next door to Ban vilaylac restaurant, directly behind Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan. Open monday to sat for lunch and dinner.