Is a little performance and spectacle a welcome addition to restaurant dining, or just a pain in the neck? It’s not often that I take my seat at a restaurant out of breath and disoriented but the Secret Restaurant prides itself on the punter’s total immersion into the setting – on the night I visited, [...]
What the Oysterage lacks in frills it more than makes up for with its flavoursome, no-nonsense cooking Orford, Suffolk (01394 450 277). Meal for two, including drinks and service, £70 It would be hard to describe the Butley Orford Oysterage as pretty, especially on a deep midwinter’s day when even by lunchtime the light looks [...]
31 King Street, Leeds (0113 242 0628). Meal for two, including drinks and service, £75. On the wall above the semi-open kitchen at this week’s restaurant is the slogan: “Create – where good food and people matter.” Anybody with a healthy disdain for mission statements, sloganeering and the unintentional kitsch of Hallmark greeting cards will immediately [...]
Chicken tikka masala is now an integral part of British culture, but can our curry houses survive the recession – and the government’s immigration policy? It’s a cold, rainy day in Bradford and the balti restaurants and fast food outlets offering “desi” [Asian] milkshakes, have yet to fill up. But close by, the industrial kitchen [...]
Is it your first time hiring a caterer? Or have you done so before and the event didn’t quite go according to plan? Whatever your reasons there are a few things you should consider when choosing your caterer. After all, they all specialise in different areas. So whether it is a corporate function, a Party [...]
Perfect steaks, incredible desserts and a scattering of phone-hackerati… Everything about 34 adds up 34 Grosvenor Square, London W1 (020 3350 2424). Meal for two, including drinks and service, £130 Sitting in a corner by the bar at 34, the new restaurant from the group behind the Ivy and Le Caprice among others, is a [...]
A beautiful, simple Christmassy recipe from Spain 2 tbps olive oil4 partridgeSalt & black pepper2 medium carrots, diced1 medium onion, diced1 tsp pimentón4 gloves garlic, sliced200g chorizo, sliced2 sprigs thyme2 sprigs rosemary2 bay leaves150g manzanilla olives1½ bottles decent wine white3 sticks of celery, sliced, plus the leaves separately In a pot heat the oil on [...]
A vegetarian starter recipe lovingly borrowed from Paul, a chef at Rubicon in San Francisco in the 1990s Paul was my Europhile sous-chef at Rubicon, a restaurant owned by Robin Williams, among others. I was working there the morning after he won his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Good Will Hunting – he came [...]
This tasty home-smoked dish originates in Uttar Pradesh, where it is called galavat ke kebab Serves 4 500g / 1lb 2 oz boneless lamb from the leg, diced100g / 4oz lamb fat (ask your butcher)1 onion, sliced50g / 2 oz cashew nuts4 green chillies1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste2 tablespoons papaya paste½ teaspoon garam masala1 [...]
Two Europeans and one from the other side of the world to test your tastebuds Jean-Luc Colombo “Les Vignes Rousses”, Côtes du Rhône, France 2009 (£5.99 reduced from £7.99, Majestic) Something in the spicy pepper and blackberry flavours of classic Côtes du Rhône fits just perfectly with the chill evenings, fallen leaves and bonfire smoke [...]
