Sometime all the chips fall in the right place. A perfect summer evening, a room with a view atop the Royal Festival Hall and a meal cooked by Claude Bosi of Hibiscus in an intimate yet sociable room of about 18 people. Yes, indeed, all these chips did fall into place and the setting sun streamed into the glass dining room, reflecting off St Pauls and glimmering on the Thames and it all started with champagne, gougeres, black olive and garlic croquettes. Claude’s light and delicate handling of flavours was perfectly matched by light and delicate wines and the mirth and laughter spread across the singular table we were all seated at to make it a night to remember.
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July 24, 2012
Claude Bosi at The Cube by Electrolux, Southbank
July 19, 2012
Galvin at Windows, Park Lane
Olympics? Bah humbug! In the words of a once great Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses, “I’m not the only one, with whom these feelings I share…” It truly is going to be a whirlwind of madness, insanity and a lot of annoyed Londoners. Walking by the Hilton on Park Lane, one can barely recognise the hotel with all the tents and banners and Olympic-ness about it. I even got stopped for a pass. A pass? No sir, I want to go eat at the restaurant – gastronomy is my pass and it had better work! Apparently, today was the last day any public would be allowed into the hotel until the games finish as the entire hotel is being taken over by Olympic personnel and the restaurant, Galvin at Windows is now off lmits. So, whilst being lucky to have the last meal of the summer there, I echo my initial sentiments, bah humbug!
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July 18, 2012
Origins: Olive Oil
There’s rarely a kitchen without it! Olive Oil. Great to cook with, great for your skin, really good for your hair and I’m surprised Cleopatra didn’t have a bath in it! A few months ago I was in Mendoza, Argentina sampling their greatest produce across several vineyards when I was given the chance to go and visit a local olive oil producer. Now most of us attribute olive oil to the Mediterranean without a second thought to the possibility that all the way on the other side of the world there is a place producing some very high quality oil! After all, a place that’s good to grow wine, has the weather to grow olives! Whilst my visit to the factory, a small producer in the foothills of the Andes, was during off-production period, it was fascinating to see, nonetheless, how the worlds most popular oil is produced.
July 18, 2012
The Anchor and Hope, Waterloo
As far as gastropubs go, The Anchor & Hope is no stranger to London. Not known entirely for its range of ales and beers, it’s a place where one can always be guaranteed a good crowd, fantastic service and incredible food. I find Anchor does what others cannot really do with as much ease – cook good food at a most basic, simple level, and cook it with a 100% accuracy, precision and balance. What I also love about the place is that on a Monday they could get a whole pig in, butcher it up, and have a porcine-tastic menu for the rest of the week, or they’d get a quarter cow and dutifully set about deriving every dish under the sun with a bovine stamp on it.
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