Good value Sunday lunch at Miller Howe in Windermere.

Sunday morning i was bored and wondering what i could do in the Lakes.As far as decent choices go then i think i made a fairly good one here.One hours drive and i`m at Miller Howe country house hotel on the fringes of Windermere, a great excuse for a trip into Cumbrias Lake district.They`re everywhere up here , country house hotels around every corner and all knocking up great comforting food just like what we had below.Best thing though is the price – 5 courses for £25 on their website as a “diamond deal”.I think its normally £27/28 and wow….they`re feeders….after all its up North isnt it ? So for the £25 , here`s what you`ll get. A little amuse bouche , a choice of starters , mains and puds ( about 4/5 choices on each course ) and tea/coffee in the lounge…with home made sweet treats….and the view is to die for….have a look at this from the lounge window -

One thing ill also point out is there`s a tasting menu on in the evening as well as the alc.The tasting menu is £55 and i was very  happy to see my £25 lunch choices actually on the alc…No complaints there. Good home baked bread , smiling faces and great service.If anyone`s up in the lakes or simply passing by then calling in here is definitely a good idea.By the way, the Chef done a stint with Raymond Blanc at Le manoir so good pedigree in the kitchens…..and absolutely no sign of John Tovey.

We started with a simple well made cream of vegetable soup.Nothing ground breaking just well made, creamy and as much bread as we needed.

Starter was a generous slice of Ham hock terrine with vegetables in Piccalilly style.

Another starter was a rather large slab of caramelised Foie gras with Gingerbread , Onion tart and sweet red onion.

Good ole Roast beef….and lots of it.Served up with Yorkshire pud , Roasted potatoes and a huge pan of prefectly cooked vegetables.Red wine jus and a stomach full to bursting point.

My main course was the roasted breast of local ducking , duck jus , beetroot and root veg puree , cabbage , potatoes and another very comforting and well cooked dish.

xx

Sunlight into camera still didnt spoil this very sticky n Ooozy traditional Lake district toffee pudding , caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream…always a fave up here.

My dessert was a tad more refined…Caramelised bananas ,parfait ,  caramel sauce , passion fruit sorbet , cherry sauce , angelica , all things sweet and very Aaaaaaahhhhh.I love my desserts more than anything and this one hit the mark for me.x

Miller Howe from the front entrance.

A little walk around the gardens after lunch revealed a wee treasure trove of wild and very edible ingredients.I cant believe chef hasnt bagged the lot up and got them on the menu….Cmon chef , there`s bags of goodness in those grounds. Hedge Garlic / Mustard in full flower and the Ramsons perfuming the air all over the woodland paths.

A set of Miller Howe photos are here on my flickr page.Please CLICK HERE.

Simon Rogan – A Spring lunch at Roganic,London

I think most of you will know by now that i`m ever so slightly potty.I can only blame the Cumbrian air and breeding for that one.Last week i even amazed myself and decided on a whim to make a 14 hour , 700 mile round trip…just to eat lunch at Roganic in Marylebone.Car , train , tube , walk , Taxi , train , car and home again , all in the quest for some of Englands finest foods….So yes , totally nuts…but not as nutty as some people.I`m taking about the “Roganator” here , Simon Rogan the crazy chef from Lenclume in Cartmel.He`s a great lad really but he never ceases to amaze me with the never ending use of totally obscure ,wonderful and wild ingredients combined into his cutting edge cuisine.Chef Rogan is currently working behind the stoves of his London Roganic restaurant and also manages to do the same at his flagship Lenclume restaurant in Cumbria on Roganics closed days.Simon has always been known to use ever so slightly ”strange” ingredients and since Lenclume opened its doors ten years ago i`ve been fed quite a few totally insane ones to be honest….Wild Roots , and shoots of every description ,  ”Mad Barberry bark infusions” , Cep bomb raviolis , Fragrant Myhrr , Frozen sea water cubes ,BBQ Pig with Coca cola gel , ….Yep , over those ten years i`ve watched Rogan grow and flow through his sensible era, to his strange ….to his totally strange , back to the slightly sensible and now in 2012 chef has made his `one off` style of culinary creativity a huge success at world class level…but the man is still as nutty as the nuttiest fruit cake ( in Simons case his fruitcake is infused with Bistort , cow parsley and green Alkanet ).

As far as Mr Rogan goes , he`s fed me everything….or at least i thought he had.I booked myself onto the London train ,packed my camera and away i went to the big city to sample the new Spring menu at Simons Marylebone restaurant.It was a gorgeous day , a good 10 degrees warmer than Cumbria and before i knew it i was being welcomed by the friendly Roganic team and into the window seat for my 13 course mini feast…..and my first experience of… ” Coal “…..and so on with the menu.

                                            Smoked Pork and Eel croquettes

ion

                                 Onion biscuit , Nettle cream and Shallot jam.

          Roganic breads – Pumpernickel , Onion Thyme and Wholemeal with Ale.

                 Burnt cream of English mushrooms , Ramsons and Cheese drops.

         Grown up Egg yolk from the Golden egg , Celeriac , Sorrel and Garlic cream.

              Spring broth with Carrot dumplings , Sea kale shoots and Pearl barley.

 So this is where Chef Rogan managed to push the boundaries right over the edge again with his constantly developing cuisine…Cmon , “Coal” ….i seriously had my doubts here.Now before anyone asks , no , Rogan hasn`t bought a Cumbrian coal mine.What he`s actually done is to infuse the flavour of Coal into an organic Rapeseed oil.This is combined with raw diced fillet of Venison , scurvy grass , lightly pickled onion and  what appeared to be Broom flowers ( Gorse ). I have to admit , i was ever so slightly worried that Simon had gone completely AWOL here but hey…..it bloody well worked , infact the result was a total WOW , and one of the best dishes i have ever eaten from the hundreds of Rogan plates that ive sampled over the years.It took me back to childhood grass fires , wood smoke , BBQ coals, Oil products… I had one of my `closed eyes` moments and just didn`t want this one to end…..Amazing and i can say right now , hand on heart , a trip to Roganic just to sample this one dish would be well worthwhile.I`ll look out for more reports over the coming months , i`ll be interested to hear what other diners make of it.

                 Raw Venison in “Coal” oil , Mustard , Scurvy grass and Onions.

                  Crispy seaweed mashed Potatoes , Mace , wild Leek and Fennel.

               Cornish Lobster , Oyster , Apple , pickled Kohlrabi and coastal herbs.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Grilled salad smoked over Embers , Truffle custard and Cobnuts.

                      Five flavoured Monkfish , Razor clams , Vinegar and Hazelnut.

          Herdwick Lamb flank, Sweetbread , Salsify , Hedge Garlic and Velvet caps.

                              Sweet cheese , Water celery , Artichoke and Malt.

                           

                      Rhubarb  with Meadowsweet , cream cake and sweet cicely.

                   Rowan shoot milk shake with Lemon curd brioche donut.

                                  Bourbon biscuit and white chocolate ice lolly.

                                                              The Roganic team

I cannot urge you strongly enough to come up to Cumbria and give the Lenclume experience a go , it`s simply wonderful.If Cartmel is a little too far to travel then go give the Spring menu a shot at Roganic.The food is very similar so at least its a chance to sample Simon Rogans cuisine and have a little taster of what`s happening up at the Mothership restaurant.Thanks also to the team for the constant smiles and awesome service.

Please click HERE to see the full photo package from my Roganic lunch.

Please click HERE to see a recent Lenclume meal from Cartmel.

Hipping Hall – An absolute bargain lunch up north.

Just feast your eyes, and as far as country house hotels go then this one is a little gem of a place to go and hide out at for a weekend treat…or even simply an overnighter on the  journey up north.It`s called Hipping Hall country house hotel and sits on the border of Cumbria and Lancashire near Kirkby Lonsdale.Surrounded on four sides by the picture perfect scenery of the The Eden Valley, The Lake District, TheYorkshire Dales, and the Trough of Bowland its really well situated for the countryside explorer.The house dates back to the 15th century and years ago was the home of the Tathams , a family of local Blacksmiths and was ideally situated to cater for an old pack horse route from Yorkshire over to Cumbria.Now, totally renovated by Chemist turned Hotelier Andrew Wildsmith Hipping hall boasts Great Halls clad with balconies and huge beams, roaring fires, immaculate gardens , Gothic arches and 9 designer bedrooms which all balance perfectly together to create a wonderful package for the foodie destination traveller.
The restaurant headed up by Brent Hulena serves menus consisting of locally sourced food.New Zealander Brent and his ‘rustic but sophisticated’ cuisine takes the food at Hipping Hall to another level.The 28 year-old has been at the 15th Century country house hotel for three years and was promoted following the departure of Chef Michael Wilson.Brent hunts out the best Northern ingredients, sourced locally and cooks them to perfection.“I look at what’s in season, whether it’s meat, fish or vegetables, and once I’ve got the focus of the dish I concentrate on adding flavour and texture,” says Brent,“I want our guests to sit down to a plate of food and to be able to identify what the components are. Then I want them to experience flavours and textures they thought they could only dream of.

The cooking at Hipping Hall has won many awards, from the Good Hotel Guide’s Country Hotel of the Year to Lancashire Life Hotel of the Year 2007.The 2012 Good food guide rates Hipping with a 4  and this years AA guide carries a mark of 2 rosettes.
As far as pricing goes then i`m singing their praises from the treetops , £27.50 will bring the diner an Amuse buche ( home made sausage roll ) , a starter , main , dessert , a coffee with sweet treats and also a glass of well selected house wine….How good is that whilst sat in those surroundings ? Three courses turns out at £49.50 and that includes Canapes, Coffee and Petit Fours.The Tasting menu is also well priced at £65 and is backed up with a selection of matched wines at £35.

      Little treats always start off in the lounge with these tasty wee sausage rolls

One of the delicious breads on offer – Hipping hall Grain Mustard seed bread.

                             Potato , Cheese , wild woodland mushrooms.

                           Woodland Pressing of Foie Gras and local game.

                             Morcambe bay Shrimp Risotto, Cayenne Foam

                                               Pork 3 ways for sunday lunch 

                                                Pork 3 ways for sunday lunch

                              Salmon , crispy skin , Beetroot , pea shoots

                                               Local Lamb Sunday roast

         Poached Breast of Goosnargh Chicken, Peas, Broad Beans, Mashed Potato,

              Crispy Pork Belly, Apple Puree, Spinach, Black Pudding Bonbon

          Honey Comb mango Parfait, Milk Chocolate mousse , MangoLocal Plum crumble and ice cream….Classic.

                                                 Caramelised Apple tart.

                                                                   Treacle Tart

                                                                         xxx

Martin Wisharts Tasting menus in Edinburgh , Scotland.

Foodies have been singing from the Edinburgh rooftops for years about Martin Wisharts food yet it was a restaurant that i`d never quite managed to get around to trying.It was always on my list along with Tom Kitchin , The Witchery and 21212 so when an opportunity came my way for a weekend break in the city i seized it by the horns and phoned up to book.Unfortunately six weeks prior to my visit i found out they were totally booked up so i went on to the waiting list for a table.One week prior to my trip i phoned the restaurant  to check again and was offered a choice of 2 time slots… 6.00 ( too early ) and 9.30 ( too late ) I really didnt want to miss out on this golden opportunity so i reluctantly chose the 9.30 slot thinking i could push half an hour and turn up at 9.00….Oh no way.

I arrived at the restaurant just before 9.00 and as soon as i stepped out of the taxi i could hear the hearty laughter from inside…it was jam packed , it was England v Scotland weekend hence the thousands of extra visitors to the city and a restaurant which was full to capacity.I made my way into the tiny reception area apologising for my early arrival and asked if i could get a drink whilst waiting for a table.I was apologised to by the maitre`d and asked to pop next door to the pub for half an hour as there wasn`t one seat in the house…it was madness and in full swing and the staff were totally flat out…and had been all day.I then went into the pub next door and discussed with my partner over a beer if this really was going to be a good idea or not….i had a bad feeling inside.

Half an hour later we ventured back into the restaurant , it was just as busy and we were shown straight to our table for two , the menus arrived and the nibbles came almost immediately.Apologies as I can`t honestly remember what they were as i was pretty well stressed out at this point and not relaxed at all.I could barely hear myself speak let alone hold a conversation and concentrate on a menu choice. I decided to have the 6 course tasting menu ( £70 ) and my partner went for the 6 course Veggie tasting menu ( £65)

Here`s the two tasting menus , the Vegetarian and the Meat and fish.Photos aren`t the usual standard i`m afraid but at least they give an idea of what`s on the diners plate…enjoy.

                                               Beetroot and Horseradish Macaroon

Banana chip

Amuse Bouche

Vegetarian course – Jerusalem Artichoke veloute , Potato , Truffle and Chestnut puree.

Ox tongue and Norwegian stone Crab , Celeriac Veloute.

Vegetarian course – Salsify , Pickled caulifower and Peanut Mayonnaise.

Ceviche of Gigha Halibut , Mango and Passion fruit.This is one of the restaurants signature dishes, really fresh flavours and very enjoyable.Best dish of the night for me.

Vegetarian course - Emmental Souffle with Soubise Spinach.

Veal sweetbreads and Langoustines , Orange glazed chicory, Sauternes and curry.

Vegetarian course - Risotto of Spelt grain with Celeriac and Black truffle.

Roasted Orkney Scallop , poached Squid , winter cabbage , Truffle cream…beautiful.

Vegetarian course – Wild mushroom Ravioli , buttered cabbage and Mushroom bouillon.

Wagyu beef blade and Oxtail Pastilla , Choucroute , sauce Gribiche.This was my first experience of Wagyu and i found the flavour really unusual , quite gamey and very rich.I`d love to try a different cut in the future but is it worth its price tag ?..Jury`s out.

Comice Pears with Caramel , Hazelnut and Praline…pudding time , gorgeous.

Valrhona dark chocolate cylinder , Guanaja chocolate cremeux and coffee ice cream.Enjoyable flavours but hurried presentation with no finesse.

Little chocolate and fruit puree treats with coffee.

So what did i make of Restaurant Martin Wishart and would i go back ? ……Mmmnnn well not just yet , my first experience wasn`t a good one or an enjoyable one compared to other places ive been.Far too noisy , far too rushed , no customer pampering as it was simply far too busy in there.The food was “ok” , i`m more than certain that if i`d gone when it was quieter then it would have been a million miles apart from what i`d experienced.The flavours were there , the technique was there…but on that night nothing came together and i left pretty well disappointed.Martin Wishart is one of Scotlands top chefs and from all of the other internet trip reports ive seen some fantastic food on the plates but on this occasion with the Rugby weekender i obviously picked the wrong time to visit….Next time it`ll be somewhere a lot quieter… Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond for certain.

The full set of photos from my meal can be found HERE

“Rhubarb” at Prestonfield – another hidden diamond found.

A wee hop over the border for an Edinburgh `chill out` weekend break and i`m rewarded with another sparkling gem  to add to my culinary crown. We`re all quite familiar with Edinburgh`s best eateries by now…Martin Wishart ( report to follow soon ) , Tom Kitchin , The Witchery , Castle terrace , 21212 etc .I was expecting to load my weekend dining up with a trip to those places but the opportunity arose to stay and dine at Prestonfield house just a small haggis throw from the city.( £7.00 in a taxi ). A friend had suggested to me that i might be pleasantly surprised at the quality of food in the Rhubarb restaurant situated within Prestonfield house so i decided to use the hotel as the base for my foodie weekend.Friday nights dinner would be at The Tower restaurant above the museum of Scotland. Saturday evening I`d dine at Martin Wishart in Leith and then finish off with Sunday lunch at the `Rhubarb restaurant`,  Prestonfield house.Which now brings me around to explain the restaurants strange name….” Rhubarb “. I wondered where the the restaurant name had actually come from… “Rhubarb”…bit of a strange one there but simply explained -  Sir Alexander Dick , one of Prestonfields first owners was the first person to introduce Rhubarb seeds to the UK after a trip to China.The plant was first planted in Scotland at Prestonfield in the 18th century and still grows there today in the garden.I would have loved to have seen a Prestonfield signature dish on the menu showcasing the wonderful fruit but also took my hat off to chef for sticking firmly with seasonal produce and leaving the Rhubarb roots tucked up under their pots in the garden for a couple of weeks longer….I shall return for the Rhubarb tasting dessert selection at a later date.

Prestonfield house is a five-star boutique hotel located in the Prestonfield area of the city of Edinburgh.The house was originally known as Priestfield and was once a monastery founded in 1150 by the Earl of Northumbria.Throughout the next few centuries, the estate changed hands many times until it was unfortunately burned to the ground by Protestant students in 1670.The family had the house re designed and built again by architect William Bruce and then renamed Prestonfield.The newly built estate stayed in the Dick family’s possession for many generations and over the years they continued to modify and improve the estate, adding more rooms,  paintings, and a grand new staircase.In the years to come the new generations of the family spent less and less time at Prestonfield and this resulted in the preservation of the decor and character of the house remaining intact for the present day visitors to enjoy….it really is a trip back in time.

In the 1960s the house went through the conversion into a hotel and as it carried such an interesting history it began to attract and welcome quite a medley of  well known and wonderful names….Margaret Thatcher , Sean Connery , Elton John , Catherine Zeta Jones and many many more.In 2003, the hotel was bought by James Thomson OBE , who also maintains the acclaimed – The Witchery by the castle, The Secret garden ,  and The Tower above the museum of Scotland.The bedrooms are to die for and simply put ….  “lock the room door , crack open the Champagne , feast on the chocolates and just don`t come back out again” – apart to eat of course.The rooms are straight off a movie set and create the scene right from the starting post…..guaranteed to impress.

Executive Chef John McMahon is pretty well known in the Edinburgh area for creating Madonna’s wedding breakfast as well as heading up the Prestonfield kitchens around the clock.Breakfasts play a big part of the overall Prestonfield experience and i have now cast aside the the great English to rate the Scottish brekky as the “worlds best breakfast” …..Two free range eggs , grilled tomato , grilled Portabello mushroom , Cumberland sausage , Dry cure back bacon , Slices of Haggis , Ramsays Black pudding , Fruit pudding and Tatie scone….but where were the beans ? I`m more than sure that all i needed to do was simply ask and it would have been there.As for portion control…Whoaaaaaaa , this was a proper working blokes breakfast….I loved every morsel of itThe breakfast menu was enormous , so much choice.I have to admit that i`ve never seen a better selection in anywhere that i`ve ever stayed. i just didn`t know what to pick so over the two nights stay i just decided to plough through as much as possible …a proper man v food moment. I had to try the real Scottish Porridge.The organic Alford Oats are cooked slowly and gently throughout the night and served with the 3 traditional Scottish accompaniments…Salt , Heather Honey…..and Home made Lemon curd.I tried all three seperately but definitely favoured the sweeter Honey version.

The Kedgeree although rather tasty wasn`t my cup of tea …well not for breakfast anyways.I would have liked to see more smoked fish , chopped egg and a richer fruity curry sauce to accompany it….richer and a smaller portion.Saying that , i was in Scotland and as hearty breakfasts go then it was definitely a stomach filler.

The Eggs Benedict was amazing  – Two soft poached Duck eggs on a home made potato scone , Honey roast Ayrshire gammon and wilted baby leeks lightly bathed in a wonderful buttery Hollendaise.

Fot the health conscious…or not there`s always the freshly baked pastries selection…or even a fresh fruit salad….Nahhhh

Breakfast  fayre aside  , i was here to sample the fine dining and was very eager to see exactly what Chef John was all about. As far as the basics go the hotel uses only the very best seasonal and wild ingredients to produce modern, seasonal, sustainable,Scottish cuisine…just how i like my food , rich and luxurious with classic influences.The kitchen team hang all their own meat and game, buy fish whole to portion it perfectly themselves and also utilise an expert forager to supply the wild fungi, seaweed, berries and herbs.Scallops come from Guy Grieve in Mull, Lobster from North Berwick, Strawberries from Perthshire, Glamis for Asparagus, Loch Duart salmon, local free range eggs and organic vegetables…the list goes on and on.They also grow the Rhubarb, tomatoes, baby leeks, lettuce and herbs in the grounds and pick wild garlic and elderflowers around the woodland”….sounds too good to be true , this place is a foodies dream hideaway….Which brings me finally around to the food….feast your eyes on this lot , and also compare the prices to their equivalent in London.

Guy Grieve`s hand dived Scallops , Cauliflower puree , Lovage , Chorizo , Apple and Truffle dressing , Confit Lemon.£18.50

Cured Foie Gras , Duck croustillant , Gizzard and Orange salad , Macadamia nuts , Madeira wine Jelly. £15.50

Isle of Kintyre wood Smoked Cheddar royale , salted Beetroot , Basil , Port and Pine nuts.£8.95

Seared and Poached Skate wing , capers , smoked tomato and Lemon butter sauce – Priced as part of the £16.95  two course set menu.

St Brides free range Chicken breast , Leg and Wing , braised Puy lentils , Hazelnut paste, Kohlrabi, Amontillado sherry jus.£25.00

Gressingham duck , roasted breast and pan fried liver, Plum sauce, Leeks, Turnips and Dauphine potatoes.£27.00

Lemon Caramel – set Vanilla custard , caramelised sweet pastry , confit Lemon , Pineapple and Fennel seed. £8.95

Valrhona chocolate , Aerated Cinnamon chocolate , Caraibe 66% dark chocolate mousse , spiced Plums , crème fraiche ice cream and Lime toast. £9.95

Bramley Apples with Rosemary , Caramel mousse , Black sesame seed paste and Granny smith jelly. £8.95

                                        Coffee , Macarons , Fudge and Fruit jellies.

Prestonfield Macarons.

 So i don`t really need to say a lot about Prestonfield house…I think you`ll agree that the photos tell the story for themselves…..There`s an airport , a train station and a motorway….enough said.

To view the full set of photos from my Rhubarb at Prestonfield lunch please CLICK HERE

The Ritz Sonata menu – Top class food, fine wines – and James Bond.

The finest foods in the land matched up perfectly with amazing wines and served up in one of the Worlds most exclusive hotels by a highly skilled team of professionals……and in the background….  James Bond , surely a match created in the heavens ? Well for us guys it was.It was a dream ending to another of the dodgy duos trips to London….”Sunday lunch in the Ritz hotel”. The food served up at The Ritz is my type of cuisine in a nutshell , Classic old school cooking but modernised  to suit the current trends.Head chef Adam smith ( follow on Twitter ) runs the Ritz kitchens under the long serving executive chef John Williams.  Adam recommended that we skip the set Sunday lunch and go for the Sonata menu instead…how could we refuse ? We had already eaten the Alyn Williams 18 course on the friday , 10 courses at Alain Ducasse on the Saturday so finishing off with the 10 course Sonata tasting menu at Tha Ritz would put our weekend tally at 38 courses….a couple of pastry shops , Macarons and a  Big Mc…. Yeah no problem – bring it on. So it was The Ritz visit number 2. Our first lunch there in 2011 was a total treat so i had a feeling that this one was going to be even better.

When deciding what to eat then there`s a number of choices for the Ritz diner.The cheapest way to experience the place would definitely be the excellent value classic Sunday lunch priced at £45.You`ll get a 3 course meal with a little pre-starter and a pre dessert  treat inclusive.An extra £5 will get you coffee, tea and a taster of 6 Ritz petits fours. Service is also included in the price.There`s a few choices on each course and during my 2 visits they`ve had the Sunday roast Beef on , carved expertly at the table with all the accompaniments. Another option is the a la carte with several choices on each course which are all individually priced. The Sonata or tasting menu is priced at £99 and this one showcases the best of the Ritz and changes with the seasons. There was however another choice during our visit….The Truffle menu….Ohhhhhh dearie me….Starters , fish , meat and puds…All incorporating the Black Truffle……Satan get thee behind me…..No ..No….erm well go on , maybe just a little taster then. The menus were offered for our perusal but swiftly whisked away under chef Adams orders.Obviously not wanting to give the game away and add that air of excitement and surprise to what we were about to eat….along with lots of Ooos …Aaaaahs as each course returned our open mouthed and very happy response….and so the meal began.

                   Halibut Dauphine , Smoked Oyster mayonnaise with Caviar.

                       Venison Tartare , Parmesan bread and Black Truffle.

                                                 Croque Monsieur with Truffle.

                                            Roasted Langoustine , Sauce Marie.

Dressed Devon Crab roll , Avocado , spiced apple puree , confit ginger,   Charentais  Melon.

Terrine of Goose liver , Port glazed Spiced Fig , Gingerbread and Marsala jelly.

Seared Scottish Scallop , Smoked Eel , Bacon , pickled Shallots  and Watercress.

Hard to believe….all of these glasses actually got filled…Sunday lunch…tut tut tut.

           Braised Cornish  Turbot , Chestnuts ,Artichokes ,  Cep  puree and Truffle.

Peppered Venison loin , Smoked sausage , Pumpkin and cabbage.

I think that around this point in the meal we stopped to gather thought…the food was absolutely top of the tree, amazing luxury ingredients cooked to perfection.The wines and champagne were matched to a tee….wouldn`t we just cap it all off if the pianist could play James bond themes ? I didn`t hesitate for a second and on the way to the gents i passed a quiet word “Any chance of some 007 tunes please ? ” The pianist simply answered “Name that tune” and on my return i was greeted by “From Russia with love” followed by “You only live twice”…. Mr Bond…..wow , it was definitely our day.

The Tunworth cheese course arrived next and was definitely the highlight of the meal for both of us.It arrived ceremoniously at our table wheeled in on a trolley with a little entourage of Ritz waiters by its side.What looked like small bread rolls was infact a herbed salt crust pastry case baked until it resembled bread fresh out of the oven .

It was presented to us just like this and then set out on to the trolley where a small lid was expertly and delicately carved out of the top of the roll by our Maitre`d.

We were still non the wiser until it was put in front of us and the lid was lifted open.The most beautiful aroma filled the restaurant… Truffle and warm scented cheese wafted up and into the air around us.I peered down and i was greeted by a wonderful sight of Black and yellow…Truffles and melted Tunworth cheese…Liquid gold and black diamonds of the Perigord.

The waiter offered me a bread roll to accompany the cheese.I was quite full by then so i politely patted my stomch and declined the offer. ” But sir , it`s special bread….it`s black Truffle bread , have a little look inside”

 I cracked open the freshly baked hot bread roll and once again the smell hit me clean in the face…Truffles “again”….lots of them studded into the bread…..The poshest soldiers in the world….Oh and what a treat.

Here`s a little look at what exactly comes out of the salt bread….and i have to say at £28 for this course alone it has to be worth every penny just for the taste experience.

                      Lime and Vanilla sorbet , poached Rhubarb , Muesli.

Mont Blanc , Caramelised Pear and Clementine sorbet inside a milk chocolate dome , Rum baba , Marron glace , Chestnut Chantilly cream.

So from the bottom – Caramel sauce , Milk chocolate dome containing the caramelised pear pieces and a Clementine sorbet.Topped with a tuille biscuit.Rum baba is placed onto the biscuit and then the Chestnut chantilly cream is piped around.A chocolate square is placed on the top followed by the Marrons glace ( candied chestnut ) and finished with edible Gold and a beautifully moulded and very fragile caramel decoration…. Desserts just dont come any better than this world class piece.

                                                                   The Ritz coffee and Petits fours.A trip into the kitchens of The Ritz.On the boards,  each course of the menu is photographed and detailed exactly how it is to be presented.Each and every component of the dish is described for the staff to learn in detail.

                                                         And just to finish off the day…..The Laird, my trusty minder….always prepared to defend me to the death poses with a strange gathering of tourists outside his second home,The grand palace of Buckingham…note that even celebrity rapper “Tiny Tempa” muscled in for a pic with “The Laird”,complete with the latest “nite glow” footwear…..and just incase it kicked off -The Jewelled sabre of Northumberland down the sweaty sock lies in wait.

The sgian-dubh (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [s̪kʲɪnˈt̪uh]; often Anglicised as skean dhu /ˌskiːən ˈduː/) is a small, singled-edged knife (Gaelic sgian) worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt. It is worn tucked into the top of the kilt hose with only the upper portion of the hilt visible. The sgian-dubh is normally worn on the right leg, but can also be worn on the left, depending on whether the wearer dresses to the right or left.

So …in a nutshell – Adam done us proud , lovely guy and a fantastic chef with a great future.I haven`t experienced the grand Parisienne 3 star Michelin restaurants yet but this is exactly the picture that i have in my mind what it would be like…and i`d come back a happy man.I can`t honestly see us going to London again without eating at the Ritz….It really is that good.

As always the full set of photos from this wonderful meal can be found HERE.

Alyn Williams at The Westbury Hotel.

Another trip down to London and three more fantastic restaurants arranged for our weekend.First night would be the tasting menu at recently opened Alyn Williams at the Westbury hotel.This would be followed by Truffle tasting at Ducasse and Sunday lunch tasting menu at the Ritz…fantastic. The critical couple had been raving over Alyns cooking for quite a while so it seemed sensible to go with their recommendation and head over there as our first port of call on the friday evening.So first impressions…Beautiful , totally brand new and well thought out moody lighting set the scene for the food. The tables were lit from above so the food was put under the spotlight as it should be.

The tasting menu is currently £55 and the 3 course alc is £45 , very good value and i believe it will stay at this price for a while.Wine pairings are available to suit the tasting menu along with quality wines by the glass.One thing to note however…the photo of the wine cooler on the left….top bottle on the right.It`s a Dom Perignon Rose 1996 vintage and will cost approximately £1,562 per glass…or you can buy the full bottle for £35,000 …or the empty one for £20,000 as it`s  actually dipped into Rose gold….Scary but it`s a replacement for the one that was purchased last year by a Russian billionaire….Next time Alyn .

So on to the Chef and the food – Alyn williams ,the chef of the moment in the city and as far as pedigree goes then working at Le champignon sauvage , sous chef at Gordon Ramsay Royal hospital road, Head chef at Petrus and Head chef for two years at The Berkeley under Marcus Wareing.CV`s don`t come much better than that. Lavender champagne in the Westbury lounge led us on to the tasting menu and the instruction “Tell Alyn we will eat whatever he cooks…feel free , we eat anything”…not realising that would spur chef on to an 18 course feast…..as follows.

Selection of Amuse bouche – Gougeres / Crispy salmon belly / Tom yam shrimp / Little truffle risotto balls.

Cauliflower Pannacotta , Acorn , Cream cheese wafers.

Smoked Egg , Perigord Truffle soldiers.

French Onion Consomme , Crab , Lyonaisse.

Lobster , Fennel custard skin , Eel.

Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Lime , Frozen yoghurt.

Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Sand Carrot.

Beef Tartare , Catalonia , Gribiche.

Snails , Soil , Pickled Onion , Scarlet Elf cap.

Chicken wings , Perigord Truffle , Lemon , Ramsons.

Grilled Plaice , Ink , Cuttlefish , Ricotta , Puntarella , Mojamo , Lardo.

 Cod cheeks , Snouts , Tongue , Beach vegetables , Cockles.

Venison , Acorn , Cima di rape , Rosehip vinegar , Mandarin.

Cheese selection.

Pear creme catalana , Pear , Pine.

Cows curd cheesecake , Passion fruit , Honey , Flapjack.

Blood Orange,Crystal Malt ice cream,Dried Milk,Toasted white Chocolate.

Chocolate , Peanut butter ice cream.

Fantastic meal and wine in a stunning restaurant.Food was very well sourced and cooked.Alyn , great guy , down to earth and all smiles. ( sorry we kept you back so long ) and a visit to the Westbury would be well worth it.

And finally…The dregs of the night are escorted to the front door….Mr Cumbriafoodie ( no , Im not pregnant ) , Chef of the moment Mr Alyn Williams and my personal minder and private bodyguard The right honorable Laird Bell o the Borders.

All of the photos from the meal can be viewed on my Flickr account HERE.