Richard Bagnold

I have always wanted to see what The Dorchester’s Chinese restaurant is like as it’s reputation has been very good over the years and so it was great to see for myself today. The set menu at lunch for £27.50 which included a glass of red or white was very good value for the Dim Sum, three duck pancakes and (fillet) beef noodle dishes. The Dim Sum was fair but did need bringing to life by the rice vinegar and chili oil and sauces (both well done); the duck pancakes were very good although a little strange to have 6 pancakes with only three pieces of duck (explanation was that they came in a pack so not the best sign there) but the plum sauce was home made and very good and finally the steamed vegetables with oyster sauce were great, only let down slightly by the bland sauce that came with the beef slices. However, overall and with the additions of the chili and soy sauce, it was still perfectly reasonable food and pleasing.

The only surprising aspect was the fact that the front of house (who I assume was the head maître d’ being in his suit at the entrance / exit) seemed to engage in a one-upmanship contest with me on my way out, after I said thanks at the end and offered to leave this website address so the management knew where I would be writing (in case they were interested in what someone was writing about them in the public domain).

The only surprising aspect was the fact that the front of house (who I assume was the head maître d’ being in his suit at the entrance / exit) seemed to engage in a one-upmanship contest with me on my way out, after I said thanks at the end and offered to leave this website address so the management knew where I would be writing (in case they were interested in what someone was writing about them in the public domain).

On the whole, the service inside the restaurant throughout the meal today was very attentive and although not the quickest (not even half the covers were taken at lunch today and yet the staff seemed to be working almost uncomfortably hard), the bit that let the meal down the most was having to engage with a passive-agressive head greeter on leaving. Shame, as this was notable and has obviously caused me to write about it here, but ultimately the food was still a very good show and has passed the set menu lunch hurdle with flying colours; certainly enough to make me say that another visit to try the main Peking duck dish would be highly worth it at some point – hopefully the front of house will be less pedestrian on the revisit.

https://major-foodie.com/china-tang-park-lane/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

It was great to finally come in to The Wolseley and see for myself what a lovely place it is. It’s high vaulted ceiling and open plan with classic uniformed waiting staff and all day dining combine to produce a happy and bubbling atmosphere, which makes it an entirely safe bet option for virtually any scenario.

Not exactly a calorie-free selection that I went for, in my choices of quails eggs on mushroom and flaky pastry with hollondaise sauce, eggs benedict (small size), welsh rarebit and a Portugese custard tart, however it was treat day and I can confirm that they were certainly done in a pleasing way. The welsh rarebit toast was a little too hard and tough for my liking and the muffin for the eggs benedict was quite large, but on the plus side all eggs were perfectly runny and I liked the addition of paprika on the hollondaise sauce which gave just hint of a kick to make a little more interesting.

So that was all fine and I liked the consistency of the custard within the tart. But, surprising aspects which are worth a mention, were the fact that it took just under 15 minutes for the dessert to arrive (after a slow delivery of the savouries) and the fact that there was an unexpected addition of a cover charge of £2. Not the end of the world, but as I wasn’t sure what this was for I asked. It has taken quite a bit of digging, which has been a surprise, but the answer has finally come back, post dining and instead of me attempting to translate, it is probably safer for me to attach as verbatim from The Wolseley:

Our cover charge policy is designed to create two tiers of marginally different dining pricing, without the need for two menus, so that we can make the restaurant as accessible as possible. The idea is that if someone does come in of a morning or afternoon to eat and just has, for example, a main course then it will be cheaper for them to eat off a more casual unclothed table with place mat than if they were sitting for lunch or dinner at a clothed, full service table. It means that the off-peak diners or ‘snackers’ get a cheaper deal, as do people who drop in without a reservation and are seated in the Bar or in the Salon to the left of the reception desk.”

So there you go, that’s the rationale for the £2 cover charge which is on the menu and which, I had initially missed seeing. My own take on this however, is having things such as table cloths and full service are frankly things I would expect to have in a restaurant anyway and I would not normally see it as a bonus to not be charged this extra amount. That’s my own opinion, and I will simply let you to make up your own mind on this one…

That aside, it was a lovely lunch and I was very well looked after throughout and it is clear to me that The Wolseley is one of those established instituitions that you can depend on being what it is and reliably always there, with good food served in a very comfortable and alluring setting.

https://major-foodie.com/the-wolseley-piccadilly/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Always a nice occasion to be at the Oxo Tower which I have been to many times over the years on both sides (the brasserie and the restaurant) but is the first time I have looked on with formal ‘food eyes’. The first thing to say is that the brasserie has much more of a casual and vibrant atmosphere as it appropriately so in comparison to its sister that sits immediately next to it and this, with the London river-skyline view it holds will never fail to be an attractive setting for any romantic or celebrationry occasion. The staff were extremely accommodating and friendly even though it felt like they were having to spin a few too many plates for their own real comfort.

Drinks at the bar before dinner produced a very nice result in the vanilla vodka and white ‘mozart’ chocolate liqueur was quirky and fun. It’s so similar to that which I had a City Social, it’s hard to say which one came first, but I’m afraid if there had to be a winner, there is no doubt it’s the City Social version hands down on this little battle.

Drinks at the bar before dinner produced a very nice result in the vanilla vodka and white ‘mozart’ chocolate liqueur was quirky and fun. It’s so similar to that which I had a City Social, it’s hard to say which one came first, but I’m afraid if there had to be a winner, there is no doubt it’s the City Social version hands down on this little battle.

The food was perfectly doable on the starters of boar on one side (rich, smokey mediteranean undertones with nice, layer of accompmanying cheese on top) and my cream of cauliflower velouté was asbolutely exquisite – I was genuinely surprised and pleased with this (surprised as I know the rough feel for the food already). The soft shell crab was perfectly pleasant with wasabi, although the heat of the underneath sauce was such that I didn’t think it needed the large bed it was given so I left some of this aside. All of this was followed by sharing the trio of chocolate, vanilla and toffee ice creams which, was difficult to say whether the ice cream was made on the premises or not, however the result was creamy and just about satisfying.

Overall, I would say that the Oxo Brasserie remains one of the most gorgeous venues available in London and that those that go are really going for the view and location as opposed to the food. The food itself is pleasing but should not be confused with high end cooking (no real pride in the bread, rock hard butter at the table and a simple petit four in wrapper from a box as examples) but actually, to its credit, the Brasserie is not trying to be anything it is not – as long as one is prepared to have simple food and not expect anything else, it is a treat for the eyes as an experience with accompanying pleasing dishes.

https://major-foodie.com/oxo-tower-brasserie/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

What a treat for the mouth. Now finally done, I can confirm that Simon Rogan’s Fera at Claridge’s, which, replaces Gordon Ramsay’s hold on the main dining room after 10 years, comes with a refurbished facelift, is a stylish and unpretentious establishment serving very well designed dishes that frankly, would not be out of place at any 2 Michelin starred venue. An intricate and highly impressive lunch that showed exceptionally good value for money for the quality of the food.

I’ll come on to the food in more detail shortly, but there were a couple of aspects that I was surprised (in a negative way) about this visit, having actually never atually been in Claridge’s after all this time. Claridge’s is practically a national institution and very popular with affluent tourists who wish to be immersed in the label however, on entering I was immediately approached by one of three bouncer-esque security men who were hovering in the open foyer with ear pieces. Surely, I thought, it can’t be kicking off here every weekend(?), but the fact that the hotel feels it necessary to have such a presence of guards in their foyer would suggest that they may very well have quite a few unsavoury people to deal with – either way I was immediately hit by the lack of charm in that way, in spite of the oppulant interior. It felt a little like I had to explain myself on entering as my path was blocked before I could proceed so I asked for the bar and was reluctantly escorted to the obscurely hidden entrance to the side bar underneath the staircase. Oh dear, not a very welcoming start.

I’ll come on to the food in more detail shortly, but there were a couple of aspects that I was surprised (in a negative way) about this visit, having actually never atually been in Claridge’s after all this time. Claridge’s is practically a national institution and very popular with affluent tourists who wish to be immersed in the label however, on entering I was immediately approached by one of three bouncer-esque security men who were hovering in the open foyer with ear pieces. Surely, I thought, it can’t be kicking off here every weekend(?), but the fact that the hotel feels it necessary to have such a presence of guards in their foyer would suggest that they may very well have quite a few unsavoury people to deal with – either way I was immediately hit by the lack of charm in that way, in spite of the oppulant interior. It felt a little like I had to explain myself on entering as my path was blocked before I could proceed so I asked for the bar and was reluctantly escorted to the obscurely hidden entrance to the side bar underneath the staircase. Oh dear, not a very welcoming start.

After being served by a pleasant bar lady who took a note of our table reservation (for our drinks to be placed on the same bill), another unfortunate episode occured: the bar man who delivered the drinks felt the need to check my name twice for where the bill was to go to in an expressionless and almost suspicious manner. The bar itself was quite small and that, with the fact that the ‘Flapper’ (signature Claridge’s champagne cocktail with cremé de cassis and strawberries) was nice but not worth the £18 and the snooty (almost surly) attitude of our barman instantly dropped the experience down notches.

Perhaps they are simply now used to almost anyone coming in off the street and behaving innapropriately – who knows. All that it did do, was show me not to bother returning to the bar again and probably be more direct with their staff from the outset and be taken straight to Fera – a shame to need to be prepared for this and something you may wish to be prepared for too.

However, once inside Fera it was a totally different experience. We were greeted by very happy and polite front of house staff and the new design had the customary nod to the rolling countryside of Cumbria (vegetation and country décor). The lack of white tables cloths and stylish simplicity was very nice visually, extending to a giant wall decoration of endless blades of grass which, initially looked pretty bare, but once informed on closer look that an artist was flown in from New York to hand paint the entire wall, one can understand why they would probably not want to cover this up with paintings. There had also been changes to the door ways and entrance points and the private dining room will shortly have a back-room access for the kitchen so that it is completely sealed off with sliding doors if necessary.

So, on with the show: canapés were a blue cheese cream on wafer thin crisps with elderflower gel blobs that had a subtle and refreshing flavour – they practically disintegrated in the mouth and were a lovely start. Next came rabbit within onion flakes that were deep fried and just divine – extremely good. Just when I thought the pre-nibbles were over, we were then given seaweed crisps with mackerel and then our amuse bouche of warm cheese emulsion with caramalised onion bits which was another lovely warm up addition – almost like a long period of stretching before the main work out! What a wonderful treat to have and especially on a set menu.

The rye bread was fluffy and totally fresh, served warm with a very smooth home-made butter and this was almost a course in itself, such was the care and attention given to it. The set menu was explored on this visit and the starters of salmon as one and artichoke as the other were both highly fresh and pure in their delivery. The salmon won hands down but purely to see the different styles, I elected to do every opposing dish to my guest. The mains of pork belly and cod were extremely well done – both meat and fish were succulant and impressive in design with interesting textures provided by the supporting vegetables. There was clear skill shown in these simple dishes and as set menus can vary on the quality of the food (hense being cheaper on the set menu), I was most impressed with the overall result and quality of meats that went in to this set menu; portion sizes were, understandably slimmer than the average size as a result though.

A pre-dessert of chocloate nitro-flakes was served and apart from being quite fun (exhaling nitro vapours as a result of chewing this pre-dessert), it was very refreshing – at that temperature it couldn’t not be! Our desserts of passion fruit sponge and sorbet on one side and peanut ice cream and chocolate on the other were also very good return on investment in skill and flavour. The meal was wrapped up nicely by just the right amount of petits fours served on a small drum of a tree trunk and it concluded a highly satsifying food experience. A quick tour of the restaurant afterwards revealed the lengths that had gone in to the redesign of not only the restaurant but also the kitchen which has been ‘lowered’ (ceiling brought down) to accommodate more room to grow plants and vegetation above used in the cooking. Crates of flowers and plants were also sourced in on a weekly basis having been picked in the Lakes up north and foraged in the nearby surroundings of Simon Rogan’s base in Cartmel as well as various Southern English farms being carefully selected for his ingredients.

Overall, this was an impressive meal that was not only highly skilled and visually pleasing, but also had genuinely delicate flavours and remarkable value for money on the set menu (£30 pp before drinks), all encompassing extremely fresh and well-sourced ingredients. I would recommend going here before it possibly gains a second star which I think it has all the hallmarks of doing, causing the reservations going from the current 3 month wait to much longer. Feet firmly established in London now I would say and well done Mr Rogan!

https://major-foodie.com/fera-at-claridges-mayfair/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

A very pleasant occasion to enjoy the hospitality of this boutique hotel where we were looked after to an impeccable standard. Tucked out of the way of the bustle from outside and inside, I also enjoyed the bar on this occasion which was absolutely lovely in itself.

The a’la carte was experienced this time and the light salmon amuse bouche was perfectly fresh and pleasing. Bread was a little surprising to be so dense in texture and not warmed, but the home-made quality was there. The butters had the perfect consistency, although I was hoping for a bit more impact with the pepper butter. Seared foie gras for one starter with poached pear was never going to be not liked but I did think it would have benefited with a touch more seasoning and the quail, foie gras (cold) and sweetbread other starter was also very good with a tangy and beautifully clear, orange jus.

My seabass with a garlic hollondaise and cabbage was perfectly fresh and no problems whatsoever with technical skill; I was only slightly dissapointed with the hollondaise – the garlic being a little too overbearing for my taste but the red wine jus was absolutely sublime. The venison as the other main was beautifully cooked with a commanding potato puree to accompany and was by far the better of the two dishes. The dessert course however, took the crown overall. This was the banana parfait, glazed banana and banana ‘dulcey’ which was an instant victory – the sauce was creamy but not heavy, the parfait smooth and luxurious and the butter-banana quinnel dulcey was one of the nicest additions to any banana dessert I have ever had – that alone salvaged what would have been a low score for a 1 Michelin a’la carte.

All in all, it was an authoratative meal in its skill and I certainly did not leave feeling let down; I was simply hoping for a bit more joy in terms of the flavours. Nevertheless, it remains a wonderful place for intimate occasions with truly accommodating service and utterly safe bet cooking.

https://major-foodie.com/7-park-place-76/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

This is my fourth visit to Mr Blumenthal’s Dinner and I have to say it is still absolutely exquisite in its products. Once again the service was very welcoming and the highlights for me this time were electing for the set menu which had the treats of buttermilk to go with my fish and also a gorgeous beetroot sauce to go with the salmon. I don’t particularly like beetroot but this version was most pleasing. The cucumber ketchup and seaweed ketchup to go with the dishes opposite me were asbolutely fantastic. The ice cream trolley was ‘deployed’ once again to much fun effect and my earl grey tea biscuit with ganache to go with tea at the end of the meal finished everything off perfectly. Another triumph and it remains a special food venue in London. Had it not been for the bone that was discovered in the seabass I would have given well above 90% but have had to tone it down for that reason. I also deduct an experience point in that one of the waiters did rather choose to wade in (ie. interrupt straight away when he arrived at the table as he was in a hurry). However, the food remains truly wonderful. Going on pay day is recommended here.

Food Grade: 89%

https://major-foodie.com/dinner-by-heston-blumenthal/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

My second visit to L’Autre Pied was much better and this time it was very good to see an amuse bouche (a nice artichoke mousse) and the parmesan cheese bread was extremely good. The braised deer was lovely as was the pig and subsequent rhubarb. The white chocloate and grand marnier petits fours were splendid and rounded off a very good set menu lunch. All in, with tea and service charge came to £37 which could have been less, had I opted not for the tea but still ticks the good value for money as it technically meant five diferent courses at Michelin starred level. Fuller notes on the food is at the below expansion button.

What the restaurant loses points for, in my overall esteem however, is the fact there was a hair in my tea which was clearly visible through the lemon clarity of the lemon tea and the hospitality. Dealing with each one in turn, the latter can happen and it was replaced but I was surprised that a little something was not taken off the bill or more petits fors were given for example as a gesture – sending anything back is a big negative for a Michelin starred reestaruant so it was a bad dissapointment that this did not register more with them.

What the restaurant loses points for, in my overall esteem however, is the fact there was a hair in my tea which was clearly visible through the lemon clarity of the lemon tea and the hospitality. Dealing with each one in turn, the latter can happen and it was replaced but I was surprised that a little something was not taken off the bill or more petits fors were given for example as a gesture – sending anything back is a big negative for a Michelin starred reestaruant so it was a bad dissapointment that this did not register more with them.

The second negative was the dissinterested nature of the front of house Maitre d’ on greeting and pleasanties after the meal – no checking of whether the meal was enjoyed or even eye contact and was a very poor effort on the part of the front of house here. This was a shame as the waiter had done a very good job of looking after me throughout the meal.

Overall, the food was a very good, but the hospitality requires a lot of attention. A very reasonable venue if you are willing to deal with some care-free handling and do not require an atmosphere.

https://major-foodie.com/lautre-pied/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Another chance to sample their products and the food on this occasion seemed somehow even better. The salmon starter had a lovely roulade sauce however I felt the addition of the dense, sour bread (which was very nicely prepared) was actually a little heavy and overpowered the salmon. The 55 day-aged pork was a triumph with the perfectly balanced and sweet carrot puree and the aerated white chocolate with fennel-based sauce was truly lovely. All other aspects of the restaruant were the same however the service on this occasion was notably well done all round.

Food Grade: 81%

https://major-foodie.com/alyn-williams-at-the-westbury-71/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Having heard from my parents going to this restaurant many years ago and saying how wonderful the service was I felt it my duty to go here whilst in Bangkok and see if it was still living up to the previous standard. I was delighted with the result, which was that not only was this still very much the case, but the sommelier was possibly the most charming and hospitable I have ever had – unassuming, witty and genuinely considerate, he and the others seemed to enjoy serving as much as I enjoyed receiving this menu. Several chats were had over the pop-up that the Waterside Inn did here recently and was very pleased for them that Diego had been at the helm on this little venture which I imagine was a huge success.

On this visit I had the 5 course tasting menu lunch which was actually much better value for money than the a’la carte or enhanced tasting menu on offer and the dishes served were absolutely cracking. The amuse bouche was the only minor disappointment as the cheese puff didn’t feel right in its cold state (maybe I had it in my head it was going to be warm) and the artichoke truffle was a little bland but the apple and celery bonbon was a very good pick me up.

On this visit I had the 5 course tasting menu lunch which was actually much better value for money than the a’la carte or enhanced tasting menu on offer and the dishes served were absolutely cracking. The amuse bouche was the only minor disappointment as the cheese puff didn’t feel right in its cold state (maybe I had it in my head it was going to be warm) and the artichoke truffle was a little bland but the apple and celery bonbon was a very good pick me up.

It was a lovely treat to be able to have Puligny Montrachet by the glass and the sommelier’s recommendations on the other white tried and the dessert wines were superb. The frogs legs ravioli, truffle and artichoke cream soup and halibut with mustard foam and fennel cream sauce were all beautiful; I was in heaven on these and the chicken and foie gras sauce was similarly never in danger of not being liked but was glad to see that it was very well balanced (the sauce was not too rich but viscous and powerful enough to make one simply want more….which of course I asked to be made so).

The sweet trolley was, however on a different and even better level as every dessert lover’s dream. Imagine a restaurant’s whole dessert menu on a trolley explained and shown in front of you and then you are able to have a small piece of as many of them as you wish….well, this was that. They were all classic and lovely in their own right and so I opted for the apple and cinnamon spiced pastry, the lemon cheese cake and caramel mousse with signature chocolate sauce.

Every one of these was off the charts lovely in their completely unpretentious but powerhouse way: the pastry was delicately light and sumptuous with the wonderfully light apple and cinnamon; the lemon cheese cake was not too heavy or acidic but as good as it could possibly be with the right texture and the thickness of the base and the caramel mousse with chocolate crunch discs and chocolate sauce frankly produced fireworks. By this stage I was the only one left in the restaurant which was fine with me, waiting for my flight, as I was like a pig in manure with the food I had and the waiter also wanted to give me a master class in making the petals in the chocolate sauce after I asked how this was done.

Finally, after the meal I had a bit of time to kill and there was a grand piano just sitting there and as my flight back to the UK wasn’t for a few more hours, I asked if I could have a tinkle and the staff were generous to a fault and allowed me to have a play which, dare I say they seemed to actually enjoy as they prepared for evening service. It finished what I can only describe as a rather spiffing lunch and afternoon in general. The food here was simply delicious and would recommend anyone going to Bangkok to squeeze this in if they can at any stage, lunch or dinner and also recommend getting the boat to the Mandarin Oriental hotel for additional charm.

https://major-foodie.com/le-normandie/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less

Reviews and word of mouth alike hail this venue as the best for Thai food in Bangkok, therefore I obviously needed to try it whilst over there on a stop over from my recent holiday in Sri Lanka. Thankfully there was space on a Monday evening, but not that much and that was the slowest part of the week, therefore if you are wishing to go here on your visit and want to go anywhere near a Fri or Sat in advance I would book via email well in advance. It was a great place to visit and for its modern and upbeat take on the Thao dishes is thoroughly recommended.

I only had enough space for three starters and went for the chicken and buffalo satay, the pan fried foie gras with parsnip puree and tiger prawns. The satay was delicious although there was a meagre amount of sauce provided so that was rectified shortly after receiving and I didn’t really see the point of the warm toast slices that came with it but tried all together as that was the intention – the toast wasn’t necessary but the satay was superb; succulent and powerful in flavour.

I only had enough space for three starters and went for the chicken and buffalo satay, the pan fried foie gras with parsnip puree and tiger prawns. The satay was delicious although there was a meagre amount of sauce provided so that was rectified shortly after receiving and I didn’t really see the point of the warm toast slices that came with it but tried all together as that was the intention – the toast wasn’t necessary but the satay was superb; succulent and powerful in flavour.

The foie gras was beautifully done and balanced well with the supporting puree which helped with the viscous and sweet jus that came with it. The tiger prawns with strip of chicken within each prawn were nice but I was surprised the pastry was so thick – this wasn’t necessary and had it been a lot thinner and crispier, I would have rated it far more.

A very pleasant meal with some sumptuous sauces and I am glad I made the effort. That said, I had probably one of the nicest chicken noodle soups of my life with crushed peanuts, sugar and fish sauce at a street stall earlier that day for 70p whilst waiting for a foot massage which does make one re-evaluate what is available (photo included). However, if one wanted decent Thai food and at a safe bet level, it is worth a visit.

https://major-foodie.com/blue-elephant-bangkok/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less