Hi,

I am off to Glasgow for a reunion with ex colleagues, can you reciommend somewhere?

I am also in Mardrid for a short holiday later this year, again, any recommendations?

Nev

Thanks for you questions, my recommendations are as follows:
 
They are all reasonably priced except the last 2 in Madrid.
 
Glasgow
Babbity Bowster – 16 Blackfriars St G1 1PE 0141 552 5055
This is a fun place and is good for a gathering traditional Scottish Fare witha French twist.

http://www.list.co.uk/place/19508-babbity-bowster/
 
Re Madrid,
 
Botin, oldest restaurant in the world, walking distance from the grand via, excellent roast suckling pig, suckling lamb. Book now!
http://www.botin.es/INGindex.html
 
For seafood, try
 
http://www.ladorada.es/
 
Used to have Julio Inglesia as a part owner in the 80s. Short taxi ride from Grand Via.
 
 
Or, if you are visiting the Prado Museum (don’t queue downstairs. You can get in upstairs and its a shorter queue) or the Tyssen Museum,
try the garden restaurant in the Ritz Hotel
 
http://www.ritzmadrid.com/web/orit/hotel_ritz_madrid.jsp?c=ppc&p=worldwide&cr=rtz_dynamic&gclid=CIKMuffYiKMCFR4B4wod7zDWZQ
opposite the Museums. This is slightly pricier.
 
To go all out at over €100 plus a head, try Le Terezza de Casino (round the corner fdrom Grand Via). This is serious cooking, the chef was trained at El Bulli (was best restaurant in the world) and the menu mirrors El Bulli – similar to The Fat Duck.
 
Regards
 
E

I am in Cornwall for the week. You have previously recommended Pennypots. Where is it?

Ken

—————————-

Kevin Viner has sold Pennypots (Falmouth) and has started Viners in Newquay.

http://www.vinersrestaurant.co.uk/

Kevin is the first chef to hold a Michelin Star in Cornwall.

I think that he is better and cheaper than Rick Stein in Padstow.

Viners Bar and Restaurant Carvynick, Summercourt, Newquay, Cornwall. Tel 01872 510544

E

June 2010

Where can I get a paella cooking ring? At the moment, I am using 3 hot rings on my stove.

Jill

Try http://saborear.co.uk/catalog/aboutus.php.

E

Hi Eddie,

Angela and I are going to Paris in March. I was wondering if you had any recommendations there?

Regards

Ken

Hi Ken,

Have you booked a hotel?

At the top end, there is George V which will set you back around €700 plus. Then there is The Ritz of Di and Doody fame at around the same price.

However, I have slept in Mandarin’s Paris Hotel which was very good – the problem with Paris is that the romms are really small. I was in the Mercure (2*) for the World Cup and when I laid on my “single bed” and stretched my arms, I could touch the walls on both sides. That was around €100. 

Alas, the Mandarin is no more.

For Hotels just off the top end, I recommend The Meridien Etoile (functional) and just round the corner from the Air France airport bus terminal.

The other ones are Hotel Scribe or Intercontinental both on Rue Scribe, both very central. Scribe has a one michelin star restaurant.

For the middle of the road, I recommend Regent’s Garden  (rue P. Demours T:01 45 7407 30)- small hotel, no restaurant, continental breakfast is included. Pretty good size rooms – go for the top end.

For meals, my first recommendation is Le Jules Verne  – A Ducasse restaurant (book now!) on the first level of the Eiffel tower – private lift, no que. Go for an evening meal and see Paris light up – one michelin star.http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/

There are  loads of 1 mich starred places near the Meridian Etoile. If you stay there, try le Pergolese  (rue Pergolese).

Around Les Halles, try my favourite – Au Pied de Cochon (6 rue Coquillerie). Also, round the corner on rue du Point Neuf, by the river end, there is a restaurant (Kong) on top of the department store (side entrance on Rue du Point Neuf),  There is no need to book for lunch. Its a Japanese fusion restaurant – this is Japanese/French fusion!. I had a serious lunch there during the Rugby world Cup. Its an up market cocktail bar and restaurant in the evening.

I also recommend that you visit Place d’ Italie and try the Vietnam/Cambodia/laos restaurants in Chinatown. Go during lunch. Try Pho.

Anything that is michelin star, you will need to book for an evening meal. If you want a 3 michelin stars restaurant, book now. You will be paying Fat Duck prices.

Best wishes

Eddie

PS if you want a great gastronomic tour in a more compact version (city wise) than Paris, try Lyon, I had a fantastic meal at Paul Bocuse – ten out of ten. Better than Fat Duck and at twice the price.

Feb 2010

Hi,

I am visiting Hong Kong and Singapore in January. Do you have any recommendations for restaurants?

Ken H

Reply:

Hi,
Just checked my records. I have  2 recommendations for Singapore
 
1. Doc Cheng @ Raffles is one of the best SE Asia fusion cooking that I have ever eaten. Do not try the world famous “tiffin” – its not that good but do have a Singapore Sliing in the Bar within Raffles Hotel. There is a dress code (no shorts) in the main bar but not in the long (tiger) bar. 

http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RHS/Restaurants_Bars/Doc_Chengs.htm
 
2. The Chinese in Goodwood Park (Hotel) is also very good.
http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/

Or try Clarke’s Quay – its the dining district.

Re Hong Kong, the recommendations are as follows:
 
For views:
 
Peak Tram restaurant – top of the hill, 3 restaurants, suggest that you try the European (steak) which is less noisy than the Chinese.
 http://www.thepeak.com.hk/en/home.asp
Hutong (Peking Rd) – amazing view, really good. Pricy.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hongkong/D55084.html
 
Its on the Kowloon side – very difficult to get in, book now!
 
For peking duck, beggars’s chicken and sweet and sour fish,try 
Spring Deer (Moody Rd). You have to book at least 2 days ahead. Huge portions.
This restaurant is on the 1st floor (2nd in HK and USA). The entrance is shared with a block of flats!  
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hongkong/D44600.html
 
For dim sum – lunch only, try the City Hall, be sure to arrive before 12 or there is a long wait. They have over 100 varieties by trollies.
 
My favourite European Restaurant – you can still get 60s cooking here which nobody in the UK serves any more e.g. chicken kiev, steak diane…
 
Jimmy’s Kitchen (2 branches, in Kowloon as well as Central)
 http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hongkong/D44635.html
 
 
Or choose your own:
 http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hongkong/78_inddin.html
 
Last, Snow Garden : this is the place for shanghainese cooking in Causeway Bay – suggest that you take the tram and get off around SOGO the Japanese dept store.
 http://www.snow-garden.com/en/location.php
 
 
Eddie

Submission type: Ask Eddie

Subject: Top London Restaurant for Romantic Meal

Text: Dear Eddie,

For our wedding anniversary last year my husband and I went to the top floor of Smiths of Smithfield in London which was amazing both in terms of service and quality of food. We are looking for a restaurant of a similar quality in London to go to this year but don’t want to go to a restaurant in a hotel. We would like British/French food. 

Any suggestions?

Many thanks,

laura Richards

Hi Laura,

Your previous place seemed to have offered ambience, views as well as good food. If John Torode reads this column, he should be very proud of the Top Floor at Smiths of Smithfield.

I am goiung to assume that you are happy with £50 a head without drinks

Lets start with 3 restaurants with views:

Oxo tower Restaurant – Oxo Tower Wharf , Barge House St, London SE1 9PH. T: 0207 803 3888 o

http://www.harveynichols.com/output/Page128.asp

This place gives you a great view across The Thames.

Next,

Galvin at Windows, The London Hilton, Park Lane, W1K 1BE 0207 208 4021

http://www.galvinatwindows.com/

 This gives you a view across Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.  I know that you said no hotels but increasingly, top chefs operate out of Hotels on a “rental” basis and its not the same kitchen as room service. This is modern British cooking with a twist.

Another place is Gary Rodes’ Rodes 24 at Tower 24, Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ, T: 0207 877 7703. This is on top of the Gerkin and Rodes is always reliable.

http://www.rhodes24.co.uk/

All three places offers great food and views.

However, if you would prefer diner followed by a West End show, try Marco Pierre-White’s

The Criterion, 224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP T:0207 930 0488

Don’t expect to see him. He has given up cooking but he has good chefs working for him. The art deco restaurant is one of the most interesting in London and you are right next door to Piccadilly Circus.

Finally, if you simply wish to look into each other’s eyes with minimal distractions, try

Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR, T: 0207  408 0881. This is managed by the other Masterchef  judge Michel Roux Jr. There is no better classic french restaurant in London.

http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk/

Hope this is what you want.

Eddie

30 November 2009

Subject: Restaurant Recommendation

Dear Eddie

Some ex work colleagues are gathering in Reading for a meal out next month.
What would be your recommendation for a good value for money evening out. It would need to be fairly central
Look forward to hearing from you
tobymilner66@googlemail.com

Eddie replies:
Reading is fast becoming a hot spot for an evening out. The centre is now well served by restaurants. When I was a student here, there was only a choice between Berni Inn (George Hotel) and Reading Steak House (no longer exist).

For a group (say 6 to 10), I would recommend …

•    Sweeney Todd (pie and beer)
•    Dolce Vitae (Continental/Greek)
•    Pepe Sale (Sardinian - Italian)
•    China Palace (Chinese)
•    La Parada (Tapas)
•    A Taste of Siam (Thai)

All the above restaurants can cope with large p[arties and you would get away at under £20 a head + drinks. There are also a range of restaurants from Piri Piri chicken to sushi at the riverside (Oracle) but I am not aware that they have large tables for big crowds to sit together. There is a new LSQ2 opening near the cinema. I have not been but the old LSQ2 (Green Park) was excellent for a quick bite before football or rugby at the Madjeski.

For curry afficiandos, I recommend Bina or Standard Tandoori. Both of these are in Caversham – 20 minutes walk and if you must have pizza, try Pizza Express which has the lowest amount of saturated fat – according to the Sunday Times.

Afterwards, there are plenty of bars that stay open into the early hours in the morning – Revolution, Sakura….. However, these places seem to attract the under 30s.

Eddie

Melanie asks :  Do you have any good organic wine recommendations? 

 From Eddie:

There are increasingly more and more organic growers. I’ll do some research and come back later. In the mean time….

The one that stands out is Chateauneuf-du-Pepe (Chateau Beaucastel). They have been doing it for years (both white and red). They also practice biorhythm re their various activities. The red is excellent with duck or game. Expect to pay around £30 per bottle for a decent vintage.

Further comment from Eddie:

Apparently, organic viticulture has been in practice in France (agriculture biologique) for some time. In 1991, the EU introduced regulations which cover a range of crops etc including wine production. California took to it much later and believe it or not, the Australians took to it even later.

The intresting thing about organic wine is that the regulation isn’t confined to soil management, it also applies to the use of sulphates (antioxidation and sterilization) as well as fining agents as well as the use of wild yeast.

The best producers of this type of wine in France are: Ch de Beaucastel of Chateauneuf-du-Pape , mas de Daumas Gassac of the Languedoc and Domaine de Trevallon of Provence. In the US, the pioneers are Fetzer, Gallo, Wente Brothers, Bunea Vista and Mondavi. In Australia, the early pioneers are  Gil Wahlquist and Penfold. There are an increasing number of smaller growers (worldm wide) that practice this approach.

I have only tried Penfold, Beaucastel and Buena Vista.

Eddie

Updated on 16 November 2009:

Just discovered that the following “Great Vineyards” also practice Biodynamic Viticulture:

Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Leroy in Vosne-Romanee, Chapoutier in Hermitage and Huet in Vouvray.

Liz asks: a bit ago a friend brought me back a bunch of Saffron from Thailand.  I’ve never cooked with it and I’m not sure what to do with it, it’s so different from all of my other spices.  Any suggestions?

Eddie replies:
Hi Liz

Thanks for posting a question.

Saffron is one of the great spices in the world and is used regularly in Spanish, Moroccan, Persian and Indian dishes. It’s used in both sweets and savoury dishes.

I have never heard of Thai saffron so this is a first.

Saffron is very powerful so use it in small amount. The traditional way is to put a small pinch (about 15 strands) in a mug and pour about 20mls of boiling water over it. This is then allowed to infuse for 10 minutes before use – this is enough for a main course for 4. Be careful. Saffron in this undiluted  state can cause a major stain and if you get it on the table linen or clothes, you will have major problems in getting it off.

You introduce this suspension – strands and water into what ever you are cooking. Wash the mug out with another 20 mls of hot water and introduce this also into the receipt as part of the added liquid.

Saffron is best used in curries – it adds colour – and spicy stews. Another way of using this is to add it to a plain white sauce (seasoned) and cook meat or vegetables in this.

Saffron rice is also very nice. To make saffron rice, wash rice, add about the same amount of water or diluted chicken stock to it in a pan (including the saffron mixture). Bring to a boil, lower the heat to minimum, put a lid on the pan and leave it for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave it for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy.

Damian Stafford asks: are there any Hispanic restaurants in London or the south east that you’d particularly recommend?

Eddie replies:

This is a difficult one. What do you mean by Hispanic? Do you mean Central American and Mexican – Tacos, Burritos etc. Most of them are actually Tex Mex and are not authentic. Wacha in Covent Garden is ok.

If you mean South American, it boils down to Cuban, Argentinean and Brazilian.

Argentina is well served by El  Gaucho – a chain of expensive up market steak houses. Re Brazilian, try Rodizio Rico on Upper St in Islington, its a meat eater’s paradise. Re Cuban, try La Bodeguita del Medio  in Kensington.

Personally, I like the Brazilian. It’s not easy to get in!