My Food Adventure
Discussion
I'm a very lucky boy, my life is not normally like this but I've got a very foody month planned.
Last Saturday I was at Murano in London, this Sat I have lunch planned at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, next weekend I have 15 on Friday, Steins Cafe on Saturday and his Fish course on Sunday. On the 29th I'm booked into the Hindshead to sample Hestons pub lunch and celebrate my parents wedding anniversary.
So Murano, A Gordon Ramsay restaurant with Patron Chef Angela Hartnet and Head Chef Diego Cardosa. The food was italian influenced and very good indeed. The venue is swish but understated, tables well placed and comfortable. We were early arriving but had no problems getting to the table and ordering drinks. We opted to go for the tasting menu, my wife asked to swap out the main course and had no issues changing to any other course on the main a la carte menu.
Often the Foie Gras is a pate but this was the real thing and just the right size. It matched the wine to perfection. Next came the pasta course, I opted for risotto and again this was excellent. Fish next, then the mains - lamb in my case, cooked very pink I think would have been a problem if my wife had ordered it but the flavour was out of this world. The first of the deserts was sharing ice cream for the table. 10-12 small (marble sized) balls of flavour. Guess the taste was the game here but the best of them was the very unexpected basil flavour - brilliant.
Final course (we skipped the Cheese) was a souffle which had risen 100% it's orginal size and the waiter broke the top to pour choccy sauce in. It needed this as the souffle itself was a little light and bland.
Seven courses were advertised but I think we had about 10 all told.
Well worth a visit, great place and much better than Claridges. We were also impressed that both Chefs I mentioned above were in the Kitchen so not just names on the website.
I'll post up reviews of the rest of these days out when I get back. Time to go - eating out Zero Degrees in Reading tonight followed by Star Trek!
Last Saturday I was at Murano in London, this Sat I have lunch planned at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, next weekend I have 15 on Friday, Steins Cafe on Saturday and his Fish course on Sunday. On the 29th I'm booked into the Hindshead to sample Hestons pub lunch and celebrate my parents wedding anniversary.
So Murano, A Gordon Ramsay restaurant with Patron Chef Angela Hartnet and Head Chef Diego Cardosa. The food was italian influenced and very good indeed. The venue is swish but understated, tables well placed and comfortable. We were early arriving but had no problems getting to the table and ordering drinks. We opted to go for the tasting menu, my wife asked to swap out the main course and had no issues changing to any other course on the main a la carte menu.
Often the Foie Gras is a pate but this was the real thing and just the right size. It matched the wine to perfection. Next came the pasta course, I opted for risotto and again this was excellent. Fish next, then the mains - lamb in my case, cooked very pink I think would have been a problem if my wife had ordered it but the flavour was out of this world. The first of the deserts was sharing ice cream for the table. 10-12 small (marble sized) balls of flavour. Guess the taste was the game here but the best of them was the very unexpected basil flavour - brilliant.
Final course (we skipped the Cheese) was a souffle which had risen 100% it's orginal size and the waiter broke the top to pour choccy sauce in. It needed this as the souffle itself was a little light and bland.
Seven courses were advertised but I think we had about 10 all told.
Well worth a visit, great place and much better than Claridges. We were also impressed that both Chefs I mentioned above were in the Kitchen so not just names on the website.
I'll post up reviews of the rest of these days out when I get back. Time to go - eating out Zero Degrees in Reading tonight followed by Star Trek!
Bullett said:
I'm a very lucky boy, my life is not normally like this but I've got a very foody month planned.
Last Saturday I was at Murano in London, this Sat I have lunch planned at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, next weekend I have 15 on Friday, Steins Cafe on Saturday and his Fish course on Sunday. On the 29th I'm booked into the Hindshead to sample Hestons pub lunch and celebrate my parents wedding anniversary.
So Murano, A Gordon Ramsay restaurant with Patron Chef Angela Hartnet and Head Chef Diego Cardosa. The food was italian influenced and very good indeed. The venue is swish but understated, tables well placed and comfortable. We were early arriving but had no problems getting to the table and ordering drinks. We opted to go for the tasting menu, my wife asked to swap out the main course and had no issues changing to any other course on the main a la carte menu.
Often the Foie Gras is a pate but this was the real thing and just the right size. It matched the wine to perfection. Next came the pasta course, I opted for risotto and again this was excellent. Fish next, then the mains - lamb in my case, cooked very pink I think would have been a problem if my wife had ordered it but the flavour was out of this world. The first of the deserts was sharing ice cream for the table. 10-12 small (marble sized) balls of flavour. Guess the taste was the game here but the best of them was the very unexpected basil flavour - brilliant.
Final course (we skipped the Cheese) was a souffle which had risen 100% it's orginal size and the waiter broke the top to pour choccy sauce in. It needed this as the souffle itself was a little light and bland.
Seven courses were advertised but I think we had about 10 all told.
Well worth a visit, great place and much better than Claridges. We were also impressed that both Chefs I mentioned above were in the Kitchen so not just names on the website.
I'll post up reviews of the rest of these days out when I get back. Time to go - eating out Zero Degrees in Reading tonight followed by Star Trek!
Sounds like a great, if slightly fattening month, but a very enjoyable way to go about it. I really recommend the H&F, I haven't been for a few months but I love the fried whitebait in newspaper given as a little snack at the start.Last Saturday I was at Murano in London, this Sat I have lunch planned at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, next weekend I have 15 on Friday, Steins Cafe on Saturday and his Fish course on Sunday. On the 29th I'm booked into the Hindshead to sample Hestons pub lunch and celebrate my parents wedding anniversary.
So Murano, A Gordon Ramsay restaurant with Patron Chef Angela Hartnet and Head Chef Diego Cardosa. The food was italian influenced and very good indeed. The venue is swish but understated, tables well placed and comfortable. We were early arriving but had no problems getting to the table and ordering drinks. We opted to go for the tasting menu, my wife asked to swap out the main course and had no issues changing to any other course on the main a la carte menu.
Often the Foie Gras is a pate but this was the real thing and just the right size. It matched the wine to perfection. Next came the pasta course, I opted for risotto and again this was excellent. Fish next, then the mains - lamb in my case, cooked very pink I think would have been a problem if my wife had ordered it but the flavour was out of this world. The first of the deserts was sharing ice cream for the table. 10-12 small (marble sized) balls of flavour. Guess the taste was the game here but the best of them was the very unexpected basil flavour - brilliant.
Final course (we skipped the Cheese) was a souffle which had risen 100% it's orginal size and the waiter broke the top to pour choccy sauce in. It needed this as the souffle itself was a little light and bland.
Seven courses were advertised but I think we had about 10 all told.
Well worth a visit, great place and much better than Claridges. We were also impressed that both Chefs I mentioned above were in the Kitchen so not just names on the website.
I'll post up reviews of the rest of these days out when I get back. Time to go - eating out Zero Degrees in Reading tonight followed by Star Trek!
If you have any spare time in your schedule and haven't been before, you really should grab a table at the Yew Tree Inn, very casual with fantastic comfort food.
I am green with envy. I adore eating out but we have just moved house and therefore are putting pennies in to soft furnishings.
If you go to Padstow again try No 6 next door to Stein's cafe. It was fabulous.
http://www.number6inpadstow.co.uk/
If you go to Padstow again try No 6 next door to Stein's cafe. It was fabulous.
http://www.number6inpadstow.co.uk/
Yew Tree Inn that's Marcos right?
The Hand and Flowers is waht you expect an old pub to be. Low ceilings, exposed beams and wood everywhere. Tables are simple but functional if a littel bit crammed in. Lunches are currently on special at £10 for 2 courses or £13.50 for 3 which is a total bargin, you'd struggle to get a cheaper meal in the town centre chain places, as such the place was full of eager diners.
Starting with the Pork Pie was a good choice, the meat was good and chunky and the pasty thin and crispy. The accompanying picalili was just piquant enough to satisfy and matched the mains well. Wife went for the other option on the bargin menu Salad Nicose which whilst tasty was a little on the small side and served in what looked like a tealight holder. One of my other companions opted to go off piste and started with the smoked eels from the al la carte which he recommended.
For mains the options of 3 different dishes was very tempting, wife went for lasagne. A rich tomatoe sauce coated the shreaded steak and the topping complimented it nicely giving a rounded experience. I opted for a Bavette steak, the waitress was very clear and almost defensive about this cut saying it only comes rare as it can be chewy. And indeed it was, but full of flavour and an excellent match to the free range fried egg and pickles onions that accompanied it.
I also have a new 2nd favourite chip maker. These used to be Hestons triple cooked chips at the hindshead but I have had to promote these perfect chunky potato pieces to that position. No1 will forever be the chips server at Poule et Pot in London.
Dessert was Rum baba for me and Lemon posset for everyone else. I'm a savoury man rather than sweet so the rum baba was a good choice and very rummy! The lemon posset came up to expectations being both creamy and tart with a great texture.
If I had to be critical the service was a little slow and forgetful with a bit too much of 'who ordered the steak' for a stared restaurant. However at £10 a head this is a great introduction to top end eating and can't be beaten. I'd be back every week if I could.
The Hand and Flowers is waht you expect an old pub to be. Low ceilings, exposed beams and wood everywhere. Tables are simple but functional if a littel bit crammed in. Lunches are currently on special at £10 for 2 courses or £13.50 for 3 which is a total bargin, you'd struggle to get a cheaper meal in the town centre chain places, as such the place was full of eager diners.
Starting with the Pork Pie was a good choice, the meat was good and chunky and the pasty thin and crispy. The accompanying picalili was just piquant enough to satisfy and matched the mains well. Wife went for the other option on the bargin menu Salad Nicose which whilst tasty was a little on the small side and served in what looked like a tealight holder. One of my other companions opted to go off piste and started with the smoked eels from the al la carte which he recommended.
For mains the options of 3 different dishes was very tempting, wife went for lasagne. A rich tomatoe sauce coated the shreaded steak and the topping complimented it nicely giving a rounded experience. I opted for a Bavette steak, the waitress was very clear and almost defensive about this cut saying it only comes rare as it can be chewy. And indeed it was, but full of flavour and an excellent match to the free range fried egg and pickles onions that accompanied it.
I also have a new 2nd favourite chip maker. These used to be Hestons triple cooked chips at the hindshead but I have had to promote these perfect chunky potato pieces to that position. No1 will forever be the chips server at Poule et Pot in London.
Dessert was Rum baba for me and Lemon posset for everyone else. I'm a savoury man rather than sweet so the rum baba was a good choice and very rummy! The lemon posset came up to expectations being both creamy and tart with a great texture.
If I had to be critical the service was a little slow and forgetful with a bit too much of 'who ordered the steak' for a stared restaurant. However at £10 a head this is a great introduction to top end eating and can't be beaten. I'd be back every week if I could.
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