Restaurants
- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at Arros QD at Arros QD
Cheesecake , forest fruit syrup, biscuit icecream & almond paper
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My next stop in London was a quick lunch at @qiqedacosta ‘s newish restaurant @arrosqd
Dining alone I was unfortunately unable to try the house specialities of arros, paella and wood-fired cooking but instead sampled a few of the smaller dishes
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Michelin... More
Cheesecake , forest fruit syrup, biscuit icecream & almond paper
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My next stop in London was a quick lunch at @qiqedacosta ‘s newish restaurant @arrosqd
Dining alone I was unfortunately unable to try the house specialities of arros, paella and wood-fired cooking but instead sampled a few of the smaller dishes
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Michelin Guide -
OAD -
W50Best -
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#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #iphonexsmax #michelinguide #foodlepro #influencer #oadtop100 #londonfoodies #eaterlondon #londoneater #arrosqd #quiquedacosta #paella #arros Less
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A hugely enjoyable lunch at Michael’s Local Bistro in Liman, Northern Israel last year. Having run a successful restaurant in Tel Aviv, chef Michael Grotofsky uprooted to the North of the country to establish this warm, welcoming & rustic farm-to-table bistro. Stunning and hugely flavourful dishes were enjoyed by the whole gang Hisato Hamada (Wagyu... More
A hugely enjoyable lunch at Michael’s Local Bistro in Liman, Northern Israel last year. Having run a successful restaurant in Tel Aviv, chef Michael Grotofsky uprooted to the North of the country to establish this warm, welcoming & rustic farm-to-table bistro. Stunning and hugely flavourful dishes were enjoyed by the whole gang Hisato Hamada (Wagyu Mafia), the king of Southern Thai cuisine ‘Ice’ Supaksorn Jongsiri of restaurant Sorn in Bangkok, Puppup the most well travelled foodie I have ever met, Alejandro Alki, Stella Alikov, Abram Plaut (Ramen Beast), The Hungry Tourist David Califa (who organised this fantastic trip), Israel’s @meatcurator Ruben Maislos, @eitan3690, Sinan Hamamsarılar , Oliver Swan and myself, aka “Two sacks ????” (don’t ask??♂️)
Highly recommended ? Less
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Lunch at Gemibaşı Restaurant at Gemibaşı Restaurant
Having returned back to Turkey I took the 5 hour drive from Antalya to Bodrum to be introduced to what the city has to offer food wise by my friend Cem Orkut and I have to say it was definitely worth the trip (thanks for driving most of it Sinem Soykam ?)
This was one of our lunches followed by some fairly legit cocktails just a couple of doors down... More
Having returned back to Turkey I took the 5 hour drive from Antalya to Bodrum to be introduced to what the city has to offer food wise by my friend Cem Orkut and I have to say it was definitely worth the trip (thanks for driving most of it Sinem Soykam ?)
This was one of our lunches followed by some fairly legit cocktails just a couple of doors down in the main marina. A very telling sign was that Gemibasi was packed when we arrived and every other place on the marina was completely empty (most people do lunch on the beach or by the pool). Definitely worth a look if you happen to be in Bodrum. Less
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at Orfoz Restaurant Bodrum at Orfoz
Dinner a couple of weeks ago at Orfoz in Bodrum. An endless parade of delicious and expertly cooked seafood in a beautiful setting overlooking the marina with Sinem Soykam and Cem Orkut. Diabolical photos towards the end of the meal due to zero light other than a single candle at our table.
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Lunch at Aman da Bravo at Aman da Bravo
A wonderfully simple and delicious lunch near Yalıkavak at the BoHo hotel where Amanda Bravo has popped up for the summer. Amanda Bravo was one of my favourite meals in Istanbul so I jumped at the chance to try their food again while on a weekend trip to Bodrum a couple of weeks ago with Cem Orkut and Sinem Soykam.
The bottarga pasta was one of the... More
A wonderfully simple and delicious lunch near Yalıkavak at the BoHo hotel where Amanda Bravo has popped up for the summer. Amanda Bravo was one of my favourite meals in Istanbul so I jumped at the chance to try their food again while on a weekend trip to Bodrum a couple of weeks ago with Cem Orkut and Sinem Soykam.
The bottarga pasta was one of the tastiest pasta dishes I can remember eating in a very long time.
You should definitely pop in if you are in the area or when they pack up and head back to Istanbul ? Less
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at The Square Restaurant at The Square
A perfect end to a fabulous meal at The Square
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My next stop was a visit to @thesquaremayfair where chef @clementleroy has an evolutionary approach to modern haute cuisine. Getting stronger and stronger every time I visit this is now a must visit London restaurant in my view
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️
OAD - 157
W50Best -
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#achefabroad... More
A perfect end to a fabulous meal at The Square
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My next stop was a visit to @thesquaremayfair where chef @clementleroy has an evolutionary approach to modern haute cuisine. Getting stronger and stronger every time I visit this is now a must visit London restaurant in my view
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️
OAD - 157
W50Best -
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#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #iphonexsmax #michelinguide #foodlepro #influencer #oadtop100 #londonfoodies #eaterlondon #londoneater #thesquarerestaurant #clementleroy Less
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Lunch at Narisawa () at NARISAWA
A pleasant lunch at ⭐️⭐️ and former #1 on the Asia 50 Best list, Narisawa in Tokyo
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at KyoAji at 京味
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at Xixi Shidi at Xixi Shidi
Another spectacular meal that I have neglected to post was at Xin Rong Ji Private restaurant in Hangzhou, China. This was in November last year during a 5 day trip based around a second visit to ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai. In China, in this kind of restaurant, you really need to go armed with a group of people to really... More
Another spectacular meal that I have neglected to post was at Xin Rong Ji Private restaurant in Hangzhou, China. This was in November last year during a 5 day trip based around a second visit to ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai. In China, in this kind of restaurant, you really need to go armed with a group of people to really get to appreciate as much of the cuisine as possible, and we did just that. An elite team of hardened food enthusiasts including Benjamin Yong, Abram Plaut, Truong Rukawa, David Califa, Jane Zhao and Vidya Santyoso came armed to the teeth with enormous appetites. The private rooms here are stunning and the service is impeccable. Most of the seafood you see here is alive in tanks just around the corner (see video). I have absolutely no chance at remembering the names of any of the dishes but if any of the gang who were there can then please feel free. Highly recommended if in Hangzhou. Less
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- Neil Walker added a new meal Dinner at Ernst at ernst
Last week I managed to secure a reservation at Restaurant Ernst in Berlin which, from what I had been hearing, would be worth the 4 hour flight from Turkey. I was not disappointed.
Canadian born wunderkind Dylan Watson-Brawn was previously cooking for just six people from his Berlin apartment (at the age of 19!!) under the project name ‘Jung, Grün... More
Last week I managed to secure a reservation at Restaurant Ernst in Berlin which, from what I had been hearing, would be worth the 4 hour flight from Turkey. I was not disappointed.
Canadian born wunderkind Dylan Watson-Brawn was previously cooking for just six people from his Berlin apartment (at the age of 19!!) under the project name ‘Jung, Grün & Blau but has now opened a 12 seat counter around his open kitchen in the area of Wedding. He was awarded his first michelin star last year and I am certain that more accolades will follow, including (I predict) him breaking into the W50 best list. Not that he really cares about such things. Speaking to him during the thirty course meal, which is served by the five chefs and one sommelier who represent the entire staff (no pot washers here), he made no bones about expressing his opinion about such things as the Guide Michelin, Opinionated About Dining and Worlds 50 Best. His opinion is not necessarily one of disdain but more one of indifference. His and his team’s focus is very clearly within the four walls of the restaurant during the four services they perform each week or out in the fields, woods, farms and forests with their multitude of suppliers whom they spend time visiting when the restaurant is closed. There is a name and a relationship that comes with each ingredient you are served. The first salad of the year is from David (the names have been changed to protect the innocent, and because I can’t remember them) down the road and is served with the colostrum of Mary’s cow on a plate made by Matthias etc etc.
The focus lies on seasonality and quality and not necessarily locality with Mangalitza pork from Austria and some other ingredients coming from Sicily, but you can bet that there will be a very close and personal relationship between the restaurant and that supplier no matter where in the world they are.
Some more local ingredients are donated because other restaurants simply don’t use them but the supplier thinks that rather than throw them away, let’s give them to Dylan and his team who crave not the fashionable and for show ingredients but whatever is excellent and tasty in that moment. The salad I referred to was the first of the year and pulled from the ground a couple of hours before service. Hence the ever changing menu and a service that is more like jazz than a fully orchestrated affair. Dishes can change during service as the menu evolves before your eyes. They come thick and fast but you never feel rushed in any way as each chef presents each plate in a friendly and relaxed way. They chat to you as they cook and within minutes you feel totally at ease and more like you are at a friends house than a michelin star restaurant.
There is certainly an air of arrogance to Dylan, who is now only in his mid 20’s, but I think it is refreshing to talk to a chef who cuts straight through all the crap and tells you exactly what he thinks with no filter. At one point during the meal he overheard me and my dining companion wandering out loud how exactly they make any money when they only serve 48 covers per week. He came over and said “This isn’t London Neil, I pay xxx euros per month in rent....that’s how we can make money”.
It was a factor that we had not considered, the area of Wedding, where the restaurant is located, is....erm...’colourful’ to say the least. Gentrification certainly has not reached Wedding. As I walked to the restaurant from the nearest station I strolled past three riot vans full of police gearing up for something and the restaurant is surrounded by boarded up businesses and graffiti. I was escorted from the restaurant to my taxi by one of the chefs at the end of the evening which was very kind, if a little emasculating.
There is not a huge amount of dining in Berlin that is worth a special journey, but Ernst may be one of the first Berlin restaurants that people will get on a plane to travel to. A restaurant that will be the centre piece to their visit to the city with the rest of the trip planned around this one focal point.
I guess you can see that I like the place. I do. You should go. Soon. Less
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