Author: No Expert

Texture – something good from Iceland!

One definition of the word “Texture” is “the distinctive character or quality of something” and Texture the restaurant is all about character and quality.  Angnar Sverrisson who is originally from Iceland does it all, delivering great tasting, beautifully presented food that has its own distinct personality.

We had our usual debate, should we go for the tasting menu or stick with our original idea of trying the set lunch menu at a fraction of the cost.  Fortunately we opted for the tasting menu with matching wines.  Indeed as soon as we tasted the amuse-bouche, a selection of different textured “crisps” artfully arranged on a piece of slate with a dip and the Pea and Mint iced tea, we knew we had made the right choice.  With every course and every glass of wine,  we echoed that sentiment.  The appetizer was asparagus with parmesan snow and hazel nuts. This was  followed by a sublime pigeon dish with sweetcorn and bacon popcorn. The next two courses were just as good, they consisted of  Icelandic cod with Chorizo and a very refined version of  steak and chips.   Then came the entertainment,  a rather topical looking pre dessert, a green apple concoction set in a bowl of dry ice, that spilled out on to the table like something from a volcano!  We finished with a Mango and Pineapple  dessert and a selection of petit fours that included a crispy variation of a traditional french magdalene which was surprisingly good.

So far we have just mentioned the food, but the wines were equally special. We particularly enjoyed the Californian Pinot Noir and the Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine selections were perfect matches for every course, and very reasonable at £45 for a flight of 5 glasses.

Definitely looking forward to coming back here – a rare treat.

Marks out of 10

 

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The Capital – comforting

Made a lunch time visit to The Capital, to see how it fairs under “newish” head chef Jérôme Ponchelle, compared to my last visit when Eric Chavot was running the kitchen.

It was actually impossible to judge as the set lunch was very different from my last à la carte experience. However that is not to say it was not excellent, it was.  Well worth it, especially the amazing portion of lamb carved at the table. Delicious.

They had a good selection of wines by the glass. Prices were typically between £8.00 and £12.00 a glass, so ordering bottles was a better deal. We got through a very full bodied bottle of Gewürztraminer which went well with the Lobster and Langoustine Bisque and a smooth New Zealand Pinot Noir that was perfect for the Lamb.

The Capital restaurant is actually well worth a visit,  comfortable rather than fashionable, which has to be a good thing.

It did lose its two Michelin stars this year, but that is certainly not going to stop me returning.

Marks out of 10

Food 6.9

Service 6.9

Ambience 6.9

 

Awana – on a quiet day

Experienced Awana in what was probably an untypical situation.  That is, on a bank holiday using an evening standard £15 three course set lunch deal.  Other reviews I have read do indicate that this place is normally buzzing. Today however we were one of only four tables occupied over lunch. Not that I am complaining – I enjoyed the lunch. It was a very good deal and I suspect because the kitchen was not so busy maybe slightly better cooked food than normal.

The scallops in particular were lovely,  subtly flavoured with chilli and lemongrass – really moorish. I joked that they were better than the ones we had at Hibiscus, and realised it was not a joke, as they really were discernibly better. The main course selection was more basic, we had a stir fry and a curry dish.  Neither of which would have been worth the full price (but as part of the deal – were more than acceptable). The desserts were interesting too, I had a lovely dish described as egg custard, sogo coconut and caramel, and my companion had a selection of  ice creams which were much more adventurous than you expect with a set lunch  – including one made from the rather infamous Durian fruit.

We  had a couple of very good reasonably priced cocktails in the bar and I was  pleasantly surprised by the quality and range of their wine list.  As well as a good selection by the glass and several bottles under £30, they had an excellent range of fine wines and champagnes.

 

 

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Chino Latino – Room with a view

For one week only Chino Latino at the Park Plaza Riverbank has a real view.  They have temporarily moved the ground floor restaurant to the 1st floor, where from the Thames Suite you have unrestricted panoramic views of the River Thames and the Houses of Parliament.

Even without the view Chino Latino is always worth a visit, especially if they have a Top Table discount, this time it was only 25% off the a la carte menu, but I have seen deals of up to 50% here too.

However with the view, I have only one word to sum up the experience and that is “WOW!”.  The Thames Suite is just stunning. With live music and well spaced out tables it just had so much going for it.  If this were the normal restaurant, then Chino Latino I suspect would be a top London destination restaurant.  Alas this is not the case – I guess that the Thames Suite as a banqueting room  is probably too big a revenue generator to use as mere restaurant space. I am just so pleased to have been there for this one week only experience.  Who would have thought a refurbishment standby location, could be so spectactular (especially on a wet bank holiday weekend).

The food wasn’t bad either.  I especially enjoyed the duck with kumquats, the cheese stuffed pepper tempura, and the dessert platter.

UPDATE : January 2023

Hotel & Restaurant closed, now a Hyatt hotel, click here to see article for details.

 

 

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What’s coming in May.

Off to Barcelona again – Volcanic Ash cloud permitting!

We have reservations at two of Barcelona’s newest “hot” Hotel based restaurants, run by a couple of Spains top chefs, specifically:-

The W Hotel

“Bravo24” restaurant – executive chef is Carles Abellan who is also responsible for Comerc 24, our No Expert Best of the Best award winner last year.

The Mandarin Oriental

“Moments restaurant” – executive chef is Carme Ruscelleda, from the 3 star Michelin restaurant San Pau in Sant Pol de Mer.

We  also plan to revisit an other Hotel based restaurant, the Roca brothers 1 Star Michelin restaurant Moo in the Hotel Omm.

The other venues on our list include:-

A possible return visit to Inopia – to see if it is as good as we remember.

A return visit to Comerc 24 – to see if it is still the Best of the Best.

A return visit to Moovida, Tram Tram and Cuines Santa Caterina – because we just couldn’t visit Barcelona without fitting them in.

… and if time permits checking out Mon Vinic. Basically we are doing a “gourmet” food marathon.

Plus we will manage to squeeze in a few restaurants in London as well, such as The Capital. It will be interesting to see how it fairs under “newish” head chef Jérôme Ponchelle, compared to my last visit when Eric Chavot was running the kitchen. Other London Restaurants for May include Texture , Murano and the newly opened Bar Boulud.

Zucca – a significant addition to Bermondsey’s burgeoning foodie scene

The Evening Standard and Time Out reviewers really rated Zucca, a new Italian in Bermondsey – see Review of the Reviews

We tried it for Sunday lunch.

It is a modern take on a good Italian Trattoria, in that it is informal and makes no attempt to “tart up” the presentation of the dishes. Which are made from fresh ingredients and beautifully cooked.

For starters I had the Zucca Friters (Pumpkin in batter) and my companion had the Speck (juniper flavored ham) and Pigeon Crostini, both very nice but we had to make use of the olive oil provided with the bread to enhance them. Some pesto or a dip of some sort would have been ideal with my Friters.

There was small selection of  main courses, basically meat/fish with some greens, so if you want pasta you need to order as a separate course.  I ordered Pigeon, it was superb, tasty and moist – actually better than the Pigeon I had in Cibrèo in Florence which is a real compliment.

I would have liked to have tried the Amaretto tart for dessert but they had ran out, so we made do with some home made ice cream.

The wine list included several options by the glass and a range of reasonably priced bottles.

The marketing for Alfies a near neighbour to Zucca, describes Alfies as “a significant addition to Bermondsey’s burgeoning foodie scene”.  That description did not fit Alfies, but does most definately describe Zucca.

Marks out of 10

Food 6.3

Service 5

Ambience 5.9

UPDATE : Zucca has closed.