Posted in June 2008

Marco Pierre White

Source: Tomo
Tuesday 24th June 2008, 4:13pm

A meal in Criterion Restaurant

I had a great week last week...even better considering it was topped off by a meal at Marco Pieere White's Criterion Restaurant.

Located smack bang in the middle of Piccadilly Circus (next to Lillywhites) the place was buzzing!

A great looking eatery, fantastic long restaurant, great decoration and some cracking music too!

I had Sardines to start with followed by a ribeye steak (on the menu as "Ribeye of Aberdeen Angus à la forestière") - the forestière basically means it has mushrooms on top. It was amazing! - really, really good.

For desert i had a a wicked choicalate thing...can't remember exactly what but it was awesome...the wine had started to effect!!

It was a cracking meal and was very reasonably priced too. Halfway through Esta Ransen walked in (a list or z list i'm not sure but hey!)

The only let down was the waitress...i'm sure that employing French nationals is a great marketing ploy by these restaurants to build the atmosphere and the genre of the establishment, however i would think it reasonable to ensure they speak English!

This waitress was unsure of the number of puddings i ordered - apparently 2 until i clarified that just one was enough! Not to mention that she coughed right over my table without covering her mouth!

Apart from the waitress it was a brilliant evening and i would definately make another visit to Criterion Restaurant.

Off the subject of this restaurant i found this website that i bought a fridge freezer from. The most useful bit for me was the "how to choose" section...thanks fridge freezer guide!

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ROKA Japanese - London

Source: Tomo
Tuesday 17th June 2008, 4:41pm

Fabulous!!!

I was lucky enough to be taken out to dinner last night...and what a place to be taken! (http://www.rokarestaurant.com/roka/roka.html?roka_london)

Charlotte Street in London is pretty wicked for food anyway so i knew i'd be off somewhere nice!

ROKA is covered in wood, having visited Japan i'm not so sure this is a Japanese influence, but it created a blooming nice atmosphere!

Once we had got to the ordering stage it was like hitting a brick wall...so much choice and like with many eastern menu's i'm not 100% confident that what i've chosen will be good. So the waiter chose for us...i have no idea what we ate but the bits i remember (yes there was a fair amount of red wine involved) was amazing.

3 of the probably 9?! courses we had we sushi, soft shelled crustations and an amazing black cod wrapped in what i think was a sycamore leaf...this cod litterally fell apart...definately worth a try, i will be having it again!

From what i understand the restauraunt is pretty busy and gets booked up well in advance so its worth doing some planning...but let me assure you of one thing - the wait will be worth it.

All in all a good evening and fabulous food.

ROKA: i recommend you!

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Golden Lion - Stithians, Cornwall

Source: Tomo
Monday 16th June 2008, 11:39am

WOW - check this place out!

8 of us made a visit to the Golden Lion Inn in Stithians, Cornwall (near Redruth)...quite simply wow! absolutely amazing food!

http://www.golden-lion-inn.co.uk/

At first when you walk in you may think "oh hell" - peeling paint!

Then you get the sniff of wood burning stove - oak smoke...yum!

Then have a wonder through to the retaurant and still there's nothing that wows you...the food though, will blow you away!

I had beep fried brie (well, cheese, can't remember exactly what but a soft cheese) followed by a Beef Wellington and a mass of veg.

I honestly have never tasted a BW like it, completely amazing! The staff are brill too.

Highly reccommended - get down there! Oh, and they've been pub of the year for a few years too!

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Le-Monde Bristol...OH DEAR...

Source: Tomo
Saturday 14th June 2008, 4:17pm

What an earth has happened?!

First, I’ve been away for a week so no posts...

Just before i left i popped into Le-Monde in Bristol (on the Clifton Triangle - www.le-monde.co.uk)

I used to love this place, nice atmosphere, good food and reasonably priced. Last Friday i visited with a couple of friends and was disappointed to find that the fabulous deli style coolers where you pick your food from (fish, mead, salad bar) were, well, awful.

No salad bar...meat and fish counter were nearly empty and the produce in the didn't look remotely fresh.

In the good old days the waiter would come round and take the drinks order then would direct you up to the counter to choose exactly what you wanted to eat...this time we had a menu and to be honest i wish i just chose off it and didn't look in the deli bit on my way to the loo!

...And should i mention the clientele in the restaurant?! - I think i will...absolutely terrible, regardless of where you go you should at least look decent...there were people in there who hadn't showered in 3 weeks...

The cherry on top was the fact that it took them 1hour 40 minutes to serve a main course, two rounds of drinks and a desert...shall i be going there again!?...hmmmm...

rant over...has anyone else been there recently?!

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Sandwiches

Source: Tomo
Thursday 5th June 2008, 10:39am

Motorway service food!

Motorway service food has been regenerated recently with the wonderful introduction of M&S! wow! quality service station food - not that single option of a greasy fry up served by a equally greasy person!

My favourite has to be the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches or the M&S club sandwich...

They also do some great smoothies - usually seasonal - i remember a really nice christmas time one with nutmeg in...now of course its summer and the obvious summer fruits are on the shelves - not that i'm moaning because theyr damn nice. (by the way i bought a smoothie maker from here but i can't replicate theM&S ones!!!)

My advice: get down to a M&S motorway servcice station and try one of the above - my favourite anyway!

Pasty's - i'll get to those soon don't worry your little head off!

Until next time, bon appetite!

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Food...The First

Source: Tomo
Wednesday 4th June 2008, 2:15pm

What i really like (and i guess recommend) from my travels around the country!

I'm going to start down in my home county of Cornwall...

Probably a little biased but my local pub - Tricky's does a corking Ham, Egg and Chips - pretty good washed down by a pint of Doom...my favourite cheap, local and easy lunch!

Of an evening at the same establishment i'd go with the Mexican Beef - it comes in a crispy wafer bowl...i prefer the mild one, again a pint of Doom seals the deal!

Those are the best at Tricky's and get my vote any day!

Until next time, bon appetite!

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