Author: No Expert

Tamarai – gets it right again

This was our second visit to Tamarai.  It’s always interesting to make return visits to the places where you have had an especially good culinary experience, to see if they are consistent.  For our first review see:-

We had the same toptable deal of 50% off the tasting menu, the contents of which  had not changed since our last visit. This was not a problem as we had really enjoyed that menu.  It’s a well thought out selection of beautifully balanced dishes, with the little extras you typically get in high end restaurants, i.e., the amuse bouche and the palette cleanser.

We found on this visit, that the food and the service were just as good as the last time.  So it’s full marks for consistency, and for having regular top table deals. This place is now firmly on our list of venues to return too.

Marks out of 10

Food 7

Service 6.8

Ambience 7

 

Boho – clock it

Found an interesting cafe/bar in the Canterbury called Boho – it is right in the middle of the tourist area, but is still quirky enough to be interesting.

The decor in the back room is fun, very eclectic. I particular like the wall of retro clocks. They also have a small garden area.

The menu is quite diverse, tea/coffee and cakes, a selection of wines, and dishes that range from typical veggie/vegan fare to omnivore food like Chicken liver.

 

 

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Eddie Gilberts – reasons to leave London? (Closed)

Will Eddie Gilberts do for Ramsgate what the Sportsman has done for Whitstable?

Does it give gourmets a good reason to leave London?

Well, it is most definitely a find, already fully booked weeks in advance, and serving up top notch food that puts a lot of London Restaurants too shame.

Getting there is really easy now too, 1 hour 16 minutes on the high speed train from St Pancras to Ramsgate then a 5 minutes taxi ride.

It is located on Ramsgates’ King Street. Not the most salubrious of locations as it is a few streets away from the more attractive harbour area. However as soon as you part the chainmail curtains at the entrance to the fishmongers on the ground floor you just know this place is a quality establishment.

To start we had the scallops and what is fast becoming Eddie Gilberts signature dish,  duck egg and smoked eel soldiers, both delicious. Then came the main courses, we went for the turbot and the cod with chorizo, another two stunning dishes.  All the dishes were well cooked with nicely balanced flavours. You do get the impression that you could choose anything on the menu and not be disappointed.

We were also pleasantly surprised by the quality and presentation of the desserts. The only weak spot if we were being picky was the limited choice of dessert wines, from an otherwise fairly impressive wine list.  The Trimbach Pinot Gris was a good match for the dishes we chose.

This restaurant deserves the plaudits it has received from the national press. We certainly plan to return.

Marks 7/10.

 

UPDATE : August 2011, added a few more pictures from a return visit.

UPDATE: May 2013 – Sad to hear that Eddie Gilberts is closed, see Thanet Gazette article.

 

 

 

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Peyton & Byrne – false economy

Made a pit stop at Peyton & Byrne in St Pancras Station. I just do not get it. What is the point of building up a brand as something a bit special, then cutting corners.  Mass market coffee shops like Starbucks and Cafe Neros for example do not resort to using paper cups and plastic crockery for non take away customers, so why somewhere more bespoke like Peyton & Byrne has to, is beyond me. Invest in a dish washer or two please.

Marks out of 10

Food 4

Service 3

Ambience 3

 

 

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Michelin Star list for 2010

The new Michelin star listings came out this month, see:-

Glad to see that Le Bristol retained its 3 stars, see post:-

But  there were a couple of surprises there too:-

Surprised that L’Astrance and Hibiscus kept all their stars, both are over rated in my view, see posts:-

Surprised that El Celler De Can Roca got promoted to a 3 star, see post:-

Shocked that Parc des Eaux Vives lost its stars – not that the food has gone down hill, see post

It is just that this wonderful restaurant is closed.  So glad we had the chance to experience it twice.

For more on the Michelin star system see post:-

The Wapping Project – Hardens Reporter evening

Attended the Hardens Reporter evening at the Wapping Project, one of my favorite venues.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and informal. We were in excellent company, indeed I think I talked more than I ate.

The evenings  program included :-

Canapés prepared by Philippe Saint Romas (former pastry chef to Jacques Chirac and from the world renowned kitchens Les Ambassadeurs, Le Crillon and L’Ambroisie ) accompanied by an apéritif of Rémy Martin Coeur de Cognac

A two course ‘eat together’ menu of fresh seasonal food and wine from Wapping’s head chef Cameron Emirali.  The starter, an Octopus salad was particularly delicious.

Dessert by Philippe Saint Romas served with a digestif of Rémy Martin Coeur de Cognac. The dessert (pictured) was very interesting, like a deconstructed key lime pie.  I also had far more than my share of the lovely chewy nougat served with the coffee.

An opportunity to meet Philippe Saint Romas – he sat at the head of table and happily answered questions throughout the evening with the help of his translator.

An opportunity to view the current Wapping Project installation ‘A French Picture Show’, introduced by Dr. Jules Wright (curator/director of The Wapping Project) – who also explained the Wapping Projects relationship with Rémy Martin.

For more on the Wapping Project, see our earlier post:-

Wapping Project at the Hydraulic Power Station

UPDATE : Restaurant Closed

 

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