Foodle

This was frankly on another level and well worth the 7 hours on the train from Kansas to Chicago in order to have the quality of this meal.  This is my 19th 3 Michelin starred restaurant to try and based on these so far, this was comfortably in the top quadrant of these based on the purity of some old favourite flavours and the joy of the new at the same time.  Things that shouldn’t have been possible were made possible and the fun experienced in the food was backed up and steered by utterly superb service.  I shan’t be forgetting this meal in any hurry and I would say there are only a few of these sorts of places in the world.  Overall bill worked out as £252.71 all in for food, wine, tax and tip which, in my view, for this kind of experience was a total no brainer.

First up, the menu was handed in the form of a crossword puzzle with the guest needing to try and find the dishes in the jumble.  Frankly I lost interest in this as I was getting more concerned about getting the ‘stuff’, but this was a playful way to start the proceedings.  Each dish had a name and so I will outline these as I found out their names at the end of the meal.

First up, the menu was handed in the form of a crossword puzzle with the guest needing to try and find the dishes in the jumble.  Frankly I lost interest in this as I was getting more concerned about getting the ‘stuff’, but this was a playful way to start the proceedings.  Each dish had a name and so I will outline these as I found out their names at the end of the meal.

The amuse bouche came in the form of a hand-carved ice bowl and was called ‘Ice’.  This was char roe, pineapple sorbet and passion fruit cream with citric gel on the side which you can probably just make out on the right side of the photo.  This was a strong play of salt and sweet with clear thought to texture as well and was ultimately very refreshing.  The glass of Montrachet was not as creamy as most I’ve had but it was young and was a very clear cut mouth wash for the sweet langoustine and salty roe.

Next came ‘Crunch’ which was rouille & nori.  The black cylinder of nori (Japanese seaweed) was tough but sweet and this was filled with a wonderful gooey interior and spicy concentration of the puree’d rouille (sauce of olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper).  This was acoompanied by ‘Paper’ which was a crisp made out of langoustine with bouillabaisse sauce and olive oil.  When the bouillabaisse was poured over the langoustine it turned the langoustine crisp in to perfectly made noodles whcih were sweet and refreshing.  The bouillabaisse was perhaps the sweetest tomato based consomé I think I’ve ever had and the dish was clever and beautiful at the same time.

Next came a starter trio:  ‘Contrast’ which was cider, orange & maple within a chestnut iced soup; ‘España’ was served with sherry vinegar foam, pear, paprika & jamón iberico and finally ‘Swirl’ was yuzu with apple and lemon balm inside.  There were such delicate spices with the sweets of sherry vinegar foam and I particulalry loved the chestnut soup served with its chestnut ‘snow’ with jelly spices which was great for the senses.  Perhaps this was the most wonderful savoury ice cream I’ve had.  The only aspect I didn’t like particulalry was the Swirl, as I found the lemon balm much too sharp and acidic at the same time, but the texture of the yuzu was perfect.

The next dish was the ‘Thai Coconut’ which was brainchilded following a recent trip of the Alinea head chef to Phuket.  The actual ingredients included pompano (a subdued form of mackerel), rambutan (sweet, lychee like fruit) and kuzu (vine like vegetable).  Overall this was a dish that will remain in the memory banks as a knock out as it was the creamiest and lightest Thai fish curry one can think of, heightened by the Thai plants surrounding the bowl, which increased the senses as the nitrogen crystals allowed the aroma of the lemon grass scent to maximise the freshness of the dish.  Essentially this was the most exquisite Thai green curry I have ever had, with Yuzu meringue and cucumber spheres that made it especially wonderful.  It was spicier than expected but I forgot this would be utterly authentic at the same time (most western versions of classic Asian dishes are toned down in spice to cater for western Palates) and was frankly wonderful.

Next up was ‘Yellow’ which was pork belly pieces with curried banana.  This was the most tender pork on record with spiced banana cream served with a creamy, soft saki.  It’s rare to have genuinely new food experiences and this was one such moment and as crazy as it sounds, it was one of the finest combinations with the finest balances I think I have had on record.  ‘Glass’ was essentially a mushroom dish with blueberry shards, lapsing souchong and the highly sought after Japanese maitake mushroom.  This was vibrant and as clean as they come.  ‘Branch’ was  a biscuit made with the resin from mastic trees and was a pleasing snack to acoompany.

Next up was essentially a savoury orio called ‘Toast’ made out of gruyère cheese as the cream filling, a gel on top made out of black truffle and a  pumpernickel biscuit base.  Nothing really to not love about this, with the fragrant, creamy, pleasantness of this dish coming through in spades.  The base had an utterly incredible crunch with the soft flavours coming through from each part.

Then came the main ‘Smoke’ of wagyu bone marrow meringue to be torched at the table which was toned to perfection as a creamy spicy soft snack.  This was prior to the beef short rib itself which was delectably soft and possibly the most immaculate beef had as well.  However, I found the aromats of the sauce difficult to enjoy here as the gel and jus of bitter cocoa and cassis were too agressive and strong to fully enjoy for me.  That said, it was still an utterly unique dish.  The red that accompanied was a light and a fair pairing with the beef itself.

The pre-dessert of ‘Rock’ looked exactly as if it was made with sweet potato, chocolate and miso.  This was sweet, crunchy, salty, gooey, pleasant and nutty all at same time and I loved the perfectly judged chocolate inside the rock shell.

‘Nostalgia’ came in the form of bubbegum ice cream and cake with an edible banana sorbet and sherry shard on top which genuinely was a reminder of childhood done very well and with brilliantly powerful but not sharp banana sorbet.  Then came a balloon to the table which was connected to a banana and and apple string.  The balloon itself was bouncy sugar which I was instructed to give the balloon a kiss – the result was the sugar stuck to my lips and as I inhaled I realised that the balloon contained helium producing an obviouly fun moment.  Although this was superb craftsmanship  I actually found the sugar balloon itself a little too sticky as it pretty much clamped my jaws shut and was so so with flavour, but I loved the edible string and ultimately it was definitely one of the most imaginative desserts and dishes I have ever had.  Finally a praline with edible gold was a lovely, simple bite to finish on.

All in all this was one of the finest meals I have had and the $274 (approx £220 at time of writing) for the food alone (incl tax and service) is something I would pay in my sleep for a meal of this nature.  Some sublime dishes here with a couple of aspects I did not fully agree with, but overall, the quality of this venue was among the best you can get on this planet.

https://major-foodie.com/alinea-chicago/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Dinner at the opening night of Tom Aikens new restaurant, Muse by Tom Aikens in a former pizzeria in Belgravia. Spread over two floors with two open kitchens with counters plus tables, this opening has been eagerly anticipated by some. Some, including myself consider that the golden era of London favourite Pied a Terre was when Aikens was heading up the kitchen there, so since closing his fine dining restaurant in Chelsea (Now Phil Howard’s Elystan Street) we have waited to see what he will do next.
Even with the benefit of soft openings where family and friends are invited, the first night of paying customers is always going to be a little iffy and perhaps just an idea of what the restaurant can be in months to come. Having said that, the service and overall experience was great. Paced very well, with confident chefs presenting all the dishes and a very relaxed and friendly vibe thanks to a perfectly judged play list and the confidence that Aikens radiates to his team.
About the food, I can’t complain, it was good but maybe not the kind of cooking that really gets me very excited. There were no dishes that stood out to me as exceptional, but none that stood out as bad. It was interesting to see so much influence and tribute so easily identified. For example the dish entitled “The love affair continues”, which is a dish of turbot and duck sausage but with a firm tip of the cap to Pierre Koffman and the late Joel Robuchon (Aikens has worked with them both) in the form of his classic pomme purée that is a signature all around the world (although Aikens says he has reduced the ratio of butter to ratte potato from 50/50).
Other elements that sent my mind rushing back to other meals I have had were the triple cooked chip (Heston Blumenthal) on a dish of retired dairy cow (Faviken) and a dessert of corn flakes and milk that took me straight back to DiverXO where Dabiz Munoz has a signature called ‘corn, lulo, vanille and the left over milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl’ which immediately sprang to mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to snidely insinuate that these are rip offs. They are absolutely not in my view. I mean, how many hundreds of restaurants now triple cook chips? That’s not a rip off but the result of technique moving forward and a whole generation of chefs getting on board the triple cooked chip train, because they are better cooked that way.
Asking Tom about his plans to develop the menu, the way that it is worded allows him to change dishes in and out as they develop and as the seasons pass. This is good news for repeat customers. He says he will further develop a couple of the dishes to become permanent signatures.
Perhaps one criticism would be that putting six people at the upstairs counter is quite a squeeze. I found myself banging elbows a fair amount with the diner next to me and the wall as I was on the end. However, when booking, make sure to book upstairs as this is the main hot kitchen where Tom is doing his thing and schmoozing the punters. Down stairs seems very much like the cheap seats with just a small pastry/ cold section also with counter seating. So if you want some hot Aikens action then book upstairs for sure.
Overall good, I’ll probably head back in 6 months. Less

As I was travelling nearby at lunchtime, this was the perfect stop off to jump in to try and is virtually equadistant to Swindon, Tidworth, Andover and Upavon if you happen to have work stations near these locations.  It is a refurbished Inn and caters very well for notable lunches and dinners alike for the surrounding villages and areas but the chances are you will need either a generous friend to drive or an advance-booked taxi, owing to its slightly out of the way location.  Once there, I found this to be a very hospitable venue with warm service and with some perfectly sastisfying food; it’s forté was perhaps not over-complicating and I enjoyed elements of its presentation.  A very safe bet location and well worth dropping by if near.

Little nibbles at the start of the meal came in the form of olives in a mini jar and these were as one would expect, nice and fresh albeit simplistic.  More interestingly was what appeared to be a ration pack of spam or dried corned beef – something I am very used to seeing and otherwise known as Menu ‘B'(!) when in the field.  Thankfully this was not the usual splat of dried out meat that has the added bonus of giving 100% guarantee of constipation; this was a piece of Tuna Nicoise with black olives which was fresh and with pleasantly warmed sour bread but was just a little awkward to eat in the shape of the tin, fun as it was to see.

Little nibbles at the start of the meal came in the form of olives in a mini jar and these were as one would expect, nice and fresh albeit simplistic.  More interestingly was what appeared to be a ration pack of spam or dried corned beef – something I am very used to seeing and otherwise known as Menu ‘B'(!) when in the field.  Thankfully this was not the usual splat of dried out meat that has the added bonus of giving 100% guarantee of constipation; this was a piece of Tuna Nicoise with black olives which was fresh and with pleasantly warmed sour bread but was just a little awkward to eat in the shape of the tin, fun as it was to see.

Next up as the main was red mullet with carrot purée, pea purée and sea salt peniwort leaves, the latter being bitter sea leaves which balanced the sweet and absolutely lovely, fresh fish.  I also loved the way the carrot puree was slightly curried to make more interesting and yet all the surrounding components didn’t overshadow the straight forward beauty of the fish.  This was also actually more pleasant to eat than the red mullet had in 3 Michelin starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester as the former wasn’t trying to be too modern and forgetting the final flavour.

Quail was next and this was served with a wonderfully soft and creamy celeriac purée and plenty of quail which was cracking to see with a rich, game jus.  Some very good doses of just what you want here but personally I prefer the skin on game like this to be to be crunchier than how it inevitably has to be when pot roasted, but the dish in itself was a pleasant combination nonetheless.

This was followed by what I can only guess is a chef’s favourite and long-standing design of the ‘egg and soldier’.  It was obviously not that and was a smooth meringe as the egg white with mango curd inside to replicate the yolk.  I was worried at first that the mango yolk was going to be too sickly sweet, but thankfully this was toned down sufficiently.  Petit fours of rum cake coffee cream, chocolate mouse praline, fudge, clementine parfait and white chocolate and passion fruit mousse with pink macaroon.  All these were of relative satisfaction but the alcoholic cherries were far too drenched making the sour tones overpower the mousse.

All in all, this was a pleasant meal and in a homely setting that had simple and neat presentation.

https://major-foodie.com/the-harrow-at-little-bedwyn-marlborough/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Dinner at the opening night of Tom Aikens new restaurant, Muse by Tom Aikens in a former pizzeria in Belgravia. Spread over two floors with two open kitchens with counters plus tables, this opening has been eagerly anticipated by some. Some, including myself consider that the golden era of London favourite Pied a Terre was when Aikens was heading up the kitchen there, so since closing his fine dining restaurant in Chelsea (Now Phil Howard’s Elystan Street) we have waited to see what he will do next.
Even with the benefit of soft openings where family and friends are invited, the first night of paying customers is always going to be a little iffy and perhaps just an idea of what the restaurant can be in months to come. Having said that, the service and overall experience was great. Paced very well, with confident chefs presenting all the dishes and a very relaxed and friendly vibe thanks to a perfectly judged play list and the confidence that Aikens radiates to his team.
About the food, I can’t complain, it was good but maybe not the kind of cooking that really gets me very excited. There were no dishes that stood out to me as exceptional, but none that stood out as bad. It was interesting to see so much influence and tribute so easily identified. For example the dish entitled “The love affair continues”, which is a dish of turbot and duck sausage but with a firm tip of the cap to Pierre Koffman and the late Joel Robuchon (Aikens has worked with them both) in the form of his classic pomme purée that is a signature all around the world (although Aikens says he has reduced the ratio of butter to ratte potato from 50/50).
Other elements that sent my mind rushing back to other meals I have had were the triple cooked chip (Heston Blumenthal) on a dish of retired dairy cow (Faviken) and a dessert of corn flakes and milk that took me straight back to DiverXO where Dabiz Munoz has a signature called ‘corn, lulo, vanille and the left over milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl’ which immediately sprang to mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to snidely insinuate that these are rip offs. They are absolutely not in my view. I mean, how many hundreds of restaurants now triple cook chips? That’s not a rip off but the result of technique moving forward and a whole generation of chefs getting on board the triple cooked chip train, because they are better cooked that way.
Asking Tom about his plans to develop the menu, the way that it is worded allows him to change dishes in and out as they develop and as the seasons pass. This is good news for repeat customers. He says he will further develop a couple of the dishes to become permanent signatures.
Perhaps one criticism would be that putting six people at the upstairs counter is quite a squeeze. I found myself banging elbows a fair amount with the diner next to me and the wall as I was on the end. However, when booking, make sure to book upstairs as this is the main hot kitchen where Tom is doing his thing and schmoozing the punters. Down stairs seems very much like the cheap seats with just a small pastry/ cold section also with counter seating. So if you want some hot Aikens action then book upstairs for sure.
Overall good, I’ll probably head back in 6 months. Less