London Restaurant News and Gossip

 

This web site appeared in the Guardian on the 9th June:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1793596,00.html

 

as one of the top 10 food resources and blogs on the net.  This was very pleasing, even if the journalist felt that my blog did not have a fully 21st century feel in style.  Surely not?  I will spend some time overhauling the look and feel of the site over the summer.

 

Andrew Turner has left 1880 for the countryside, and there is a new front of house manager.  A previous sous chef, Sharon, is in charge but they are looking for a new head chef as I write this. 

 

It is also all go at Orrery, with a new chef and completely new front of house team.  This is worth leaving for a while until the new team settles down, based on my meal there in June 2006.

 

Awana is a pleasant up-market Malaysian restaurant in South Kensington, with smart surroundings, classy satay though some timidity in its use of spices.

 

Nobu Berkeley continues the fashion for up-market Asian food, following the well-trodden path of the Nobu at Park Lane.  This is very smart but there are a couple of problems: the food is inconsistent and well below the standard of the main Nobu, and there are no reservations.  In practice this means that you are left on the bar for over an hour with drinks at £4.50 for a small beer and £10.50 for a cocktail, a cynical touch – the place was packed with 30 something hedge fund managers and women who want to meet 30 something hedge fund mangers (and Lucy Liu on the night of our visit).   

 

The American Gourmet magazine reckons London is now the food capital of the world, and who am I to argue.  Certainly in terms of variety this view seems good – of course there are some great restaurants in Paris, but where would you go for a curry there?

 

In October 2004 I completed visiting every 3 star Michelin restaurant.  A story about this on page 3 of the Metro has travelled widely, to France of course, but has also popped up in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age, and publications as far as Qatar, India and China.  The most coverage was in France, where it made it to Le Figaro, and I was interviewed on national television (Channel 2). 

 

 

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