Must try: Wild boar ragout with tagliatelle @Bistrot Bruno Loubet

Have you ever tasted wild boar ragout with tagliatelle? If not - or in case you haven't experienced this dish cooked to perfection - it's a matter of urgency to get to Bruno Loubet's Bistrot and have it there.
You never know how long they keep it on their wonderful menu!

Who is this Bruno Loubet who has created an admirable little gem in London's Clerkenwell? This eatery is so good that famously grumpy Jay Rayner comments: "It's what restaurants are meant to be like" - and All About Eatery couldn't agree more. But let's start at the beginning!

1982 was the year when Bruno Loubet came to the UK, to work as a Commis Chef for the legendary Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire. Let's mark that date in our calendar. In 1985 he was awarded the Good Food Guide's Young Chef of the Year. Bruno Loubet  then worked for Raymond Blanc, as Head Chef at Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford (2 Michelin stars). Leaving Oxford behind,
he returned to London to become Head Chef at the Four Seasons, Inn on the Park. There he earned a Michelin star within one year. His next move - staying in London, brought him to Soho, where he opened Bistrot Bruno. This first Bistrot Bruno earned The Times Restaurant of the Year in 1993. His next Times Restaurant of the Year followed in 1996 with L'Odeon (opened in 1995).

After many very successful years in London, Bruno moved with his family to Australia in 2001, but only to return a couple of years later, in summer 2009.
He came back to help the the chef who market the very beginning of his culinary career - Pierre Koffmann - to run his pop-up restaurant on the roof of Selfridges. Less than a year later we are at the point in time where our wild boar ragout story begins: in February 2010, when Bruno Loubet opened Bistrot Bruno Loubet at The Zetter Hotel.

What's so special about Loubet's wild boar ragout with tagliatelle? Every child knows ragout Bolognese - in its most widespread generic form it's served across the globe. This  dish has nothing to do with wild boar ragout. My very first encounter with wild boar ragout was in a little trattoria west of Napels - a moment I will never forget. Boar has a mild gamey taste and gives the dish a divine (sorry for being so bold) flavour.
Naturally Loubet's ragout is cooked to perfection. The game and tomatoes form a perfect combination and the tagliatelle are absorbing the sauce - exactly as it should be.

The dish is served as a starter or as a main. My advice: if you've never tried it before and are not sure about game, maybe go for the starter size. However if you know you like game and bold flavours, go for the larger portion - otherwise you might be disappointed about not having more on your plate!

Thank you for coming back to London Monsieur Loubet. And please don't take the wild boar ragout with tagliatelle off the menu - don't even think of it - we will come back and ask for more.

Bistrot Bruno Loubet

St John's Square, 

86–88 Clerkenwell Road, 

London, EC1M 5RJ, 

phone: 020 7324 4455 

eat@bistrotbrunoloubet.com 

Skylon - Royal Festival Hall London. Head Chef Adam Gray

Amazing venue - but work to do on the menu

The Skylon is located in the Royal Festival Hall on London's vibrant Southbank. It features two dining options and an amazing bar. The fine dining part is simply called Skylon "Restaurant". The more informal section is referred to as "Grill". I've tested both, but now that Adam Gray has taken over the kitchen is was overdue to re-visit, so we booked a table in the Grill. Skylon Restaurant, Bar and Grill share one gigantic room almost as wide as the entire Royal Festival Hall, with a window front facing the river.

The view this place has to offer is really spectacular - but hey, London has many dining venues with a cool view - the Southbank alone has plenty. Just in case you need some hints - check out the Oxo Tower or even cooler, the restaurant on top of the Tate Modern. But back to the Skylon. We felt welcome from the very first second. Our waitress took us to a window table - that's exactly what I asked for when I made the booking. Overall the service was very attentive, friendly and professional. But we didn't come for the service,... We came because I was curious about Adam Gray's food. The "...Chef that makes people happy through food" (not from me,... this is a quote from Adam Gray's website).

We had three starters:
- Fried duck egg with seared foie gras on toasted brioche with devilled sauce
- Grilled sardines on toast, caramelised onions and Bloody Mary dressing
- Smoked fish board with Lincolnshire smoked eel, Cornish smoked mackerel and locally smoked salmon, served with horseradish beetroot dip and pumpernickel bread. 

All three starters were delicious, but none of them was really exciting. The overall winner - and it should turn out, not just of the starter section, was the duck egg. You cant really go wrong with this combination. The egg yolk was nice and runny, a decent slice of seared foie gras on toasted brioche. Lovely. However, there was hardly any devilled sauce - they could have been a little more generous with that.

The grilled sardines on toast had the nice rustic flavours you'd expect, but the Bloody Mary dressing could have been more generous again. It turned out to be more of a cool sounding item on the menu than something that really adds to the dish. The smoked fish board was very straight forward - not much culinary finesse but it was pretty much exactly what you'd expect. One exception though - the bread was not pumpernickel (see picture).

Moving on the the main courses: We tried the tuna steak with mashed potatoes, buttered tarragon carrots and the risotto.

The tuna steak was presented nicely, with half a lemon and garlic and herb butter. Cutting a tuna steak to thin is a very dangerous thing to do. The thinner the cut, the higher the risk of ending up with a piece of dry fish, burned at the outside and dry in the centre.

This particular example here came with an almost bitter taste from the grill marks, in fact the undefined grill flavour overpowered everything. There's not much more to say about the tuna steak, except that in addition to the the cut being too thin, it also wasn't of the quality you'd expect in a place like the Skylon.
The mash and carrots ordered as a side were decent, but couldn't compensate for the disappointment of the tuna. The mash was creamy and the carrots nicely buttered - no negative surprise there, except for the unmotivated presentation. If a portion of mashed potatoes comes at a price of £4.50, one might expect the rim of the little pot wiped clean before it's being served - but let's not get picky.
I usually don't complain about the cost of a particular dish, however £27.50 for the tuna steak and the two sides doesn't feel right though, given the quality.

Nothing major was wrong with the risotto. The presentation was very clean and without unnecessary garnishes. The perfect texture of a risotto is to some extent a matter of individual preference. Some like it more soupy, some less. The risotto served in the Skylon grill is less dense and has more residual liquid - but this is not a negative. The rice was almost perfectly cooked, maybe a little bit under. Overall, it had a nice creamy texture. Nothing serious to complain about there.

For desert we shared an apricot tart and Earl Grey sorbet. Both was ok, yet not exciting.  
In a nutshell, the menu needs more work. Maybe the meat options are more refined than the tuna steak - maybe we simply picked the wrong (Friday) evening. This time the food didn't make us happy - but the Skylon is definitely a place I will re-visit.

SKYLON
ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
LONDON SE1 8XX
020 7654 7800

skylonreservations@danddlondon.com

http://www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk

Shanghai's M on the Bund ranks 12th on the Daily Meal's 101 best restaurants in Asia 2013 list

Congratulations! The M on the Bund - one of our favorite eateries in China - makes it to the 12th place on the Daily Meal's best restaurant in Asia list.

Well deserved! They scored higher than any other restaurant in Shanghai. The even bigger surprise is that their sister restaurant, the Capital M in Beijing made it to the 5th place!

The entire list with Asia's best 101 restaurants can be found here. The Daily Meal consulted 50 food experts who either live in Asia or regularly eat their way through Asia's amazing and incredibly diverse food scene.  On a more disappointing note, they did not consult All About Eatery - well, we're open for requests to become a judge in next year's competition. The 50 experts, per the Daily Meal's website "restaurant critics, food and lifestyle writers, and bloggers with wide restaurant-going experience — supplemented by The Daily Meal’s well-traveled editorial staff" were asked to nominate a shortlist of 202 restaurants and then they had to evaluate them country by country. The result can be fond on the Daily Meal's website.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-restaurants-asia

M on the Bund
7/F, No.5 The Bund ( corner of Guangdong Lu )
Shanghai 200002 China
中国上海市外滩广东路20号7楼
邮编 200002
Tel (86 -21) 6350-9988
Fax (86-21) 6322-0099

 

El Celler de Can Roca is the new Number 1

The title went back to Spain! This year obviously not in soccer - but that's a different story. El Celler de Can Roca, run by the Roca brothers is the world's new Number 1 eatery - and we do hope that at one point in time we will be able dine there.

René Redzepi and his legendary Noma held the title on the very top of list of the world's 50 best restaurants for three years - a very respectable achievement. Before Redzepi's Noma, the title was in Spanish hands - the now unfortunately closed El Bulli of head chef Ferran Adrià held it for 4 years  (2006 - 2009) and El Bulli was also the number 1 when the british "Restaurant" magazine first published the world's top 50 restaurants list in 2002:

2013 El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
2012 Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
2011 Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
2009 El Bulli, Roses, Catalonia, Spain
2008 El Bulli, Roses, Catalonia, Spain
2007 El Bulli, Roses, Catalonia, Spain
2006 El Bulli, Roses, Catalonia, Spain
2005 The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, England
2004 The French Laundry, Yountville (Napa Valley), California, US
2003 The French Laundry, Yountville (Napa Valley), California, US
2002 El Bulli, Roses, Catalonia, Spain

Joan and Jordi Roca are running the best restaurant on the planet. The El Celler de Can Roca has been chosen as the best restaurant of the world. Joan Roca, as head chef  and his brother Jordy as pastry chef. Well, there's a third brother involved, although he's not in the kitchen. Josep is the head sommelier and runs the front-of house operation. Congratulations to the the trio.

When the list of the world's top 50 was first published it was probably more a marketing stunt than anything else. Not to imagine that it would be recognised or gain any influence inthe culinary world. Now, a little more than a decade later it can be said that the list is highly influential although it remains controversial.

And for all those who wonder how the Noma scored this year, well, no big drama there, it's just down one place. The Noma is the official number 2.


El Celler de Can Roca
C/ de Can Sunyer, 48,
17007 Girona,
Spain

Phone:+34 972 22 21 57

 

M on the Bund restaurant, Shanghai

Michelle Garnaut's  M on the Bund in Shanghai opened its doors in 1999. It's one of two sister restaurants of her legendary M at the Fringe in Hong Kong, which has unfortunately closed after 20 successful years.

The M on the Bund overlooks one of Shanghai's most spectacular views, The Bund - hence the name. If outside temperatures allow, one should always go for the terrace, with it's breathtaking views - especially at nigh.

 

It should be mentioned that the M on the Bund conveniently has one of Shanghai's most spectacular bars in the same venue, the M Glamour Bar. So you can get all it takes for a fantastic night out in one and the same place!

The M on the Bund serves modern international cuisine, deeply rooted in traditional European cooking techniques. Executive Chef Hamish Pollitt demonstrates great passion for experimenting with locally sourced, as well as imported ingredients.

If "experimenting" sounds like  molecular cuisine, or smears of deconstructed pea puree on variations of horseradish and apple gel, well then this is a misunderstanding. Hamish Pollitt's experiments are more focused on getting the best flavor and texture results out of the perfect ingredients, seasoning and highly skillful cooking techniques.

Two great examples of what these experiments result in, are his Head-To-Tail Terrine and the Crispy Suckling Pig (see pictures).

The title "Head-To-Tail Terrine" reminds me of Fergus Henderson's philosophy of Nose to Tail Cooking - a most suitable approach to the concept of terrine. The terrine itself has a great texture with chunky bits and pieces and a perfectly seasoned gelatinous body, hitting the right balance of flavor and acidity. This is terrine how it should be - served with pickled cucumbers and toasted sourdough bread. All in all a rare treat.

The Crispy Suckling Pig is absolutely delicious. If you don't have reservations against eating baby animals, this is pork at it's best. A classic European dish, served in the culinary environment that took crispy pork skin to perfection. The pork itself is moist and perfectly seasoned.

A very fond memory I have of the M on the Bund perfectly illustrates the quality of the service. I've been dining there with friends, and after the waiters realized it was one of my friends' birthday, they produced a lovely surprise birthday cake for desert. Something like this has never happened to me in a London restaurant. The team there is obviously passionate about their work and they'll do whatever they can to create a memorable dining experience - with the food as the core event but service and the scenery are not falling short. Highly recommendable! And don't forget to check out the bar...

M on the Bund
7/F, No.5 The Bund ( corner of Guangdong Lu )
Shanghai 200002 China
中国上海市外滩广东路20号7楼
邮编 200002
Tel (86 -21) 6350-9988
Fax (86-21) 6322-0099


M Glamour Bar
6/F, No.5 The Bund (corner of Guangdong Lu)
Shanghai 200002 China
中国上海市外滩广东路20号6楼
邮编 200002
Tel: (86-21) 6329 3751

100 years Clärchens Ballhaus Berlin

Just to be clear, Clärchens Ballhaus in Berlin is much more than a restaurant. It's an iconic venue, named after Clara Habermann, who established the "Ballhaus" in 1913, in East Berlin's Auguststraße 24–25, together with her husband Fritz Buehler. In 2013 Clärchens Ballhaus celebrates its 100th birthday and over the last couple of years it has clearly regained its original shine - if not more...

It's worth mentioning that the original name is indeed written without apostrophe - as it's German, so the Berliners spell it "Clärchens"! If you're after a posh fine dining place, this is definitely the wrong location for you!  Clärchens is a vibrant, glamorous & very 1920s "Ballhaus", so basically the mother of all dance halls - and one of very few left, if not even the last original one of its kind.

It's like a little miracle that the Clärchens has survived World War II and Communism! After the reunification of Germany it changed owners and was closed down for refurbishment. The main hall on the ground floor level has been tastefully refurbished, but the real gem is the mirror hall ("Spiegelsaal") on the first floor. The new owners have been well advised not to change anything here, so the mirror hall still has all of it's original features and is used for special events. Claerchens attracts a broad range of audiences. Julia Regehr's PastaOpera with its delicious set menu - naturally set in he mirror hall - is more for the culinary inspired opera lover, whereas the regular Gipsy Restaurant with live band has an atmosphere on its own, with the a la carte food not being the main event.

It's always worth checking the program to find out if there's any special event scheduled. The website also tells you what music will play on a particular evening. And there's always music and someone dancing at Clärchens.

Not much has been said about the food so far, which is not fair. Although this wonderful place is clearly not a temple of culinary heights, it provides honest comfort food a la carte and delicious set menus that match the occasion.  Clärchens cuisine can be described as German-Italian with a modern twist. Although it's in Berlin and not Vienna, the Wiener Schnitzel with warm potato salad is to die for and probably my favorite. The weekly menu can be downloaded here. Let's hope that Clärchens Ballhaus survives at least another 100 years - may the dance never end.



Clärchen's Ballhaus
Auguststraße 24–25
10117 Berlin

http://www.ballhaus.de/

Dada Bistro, Buenos Aires

The Dada Bistro in Buenos Aires is one of these places that you come across in the most unexpected moment and post hoc you realize that the germ has never been really hidden. In fact it's one of Buenos Aires most frequently recommended places for locals and foreigners.

I accidentally ended up in the Dada when killing time in Buenos Aires on a Saturday evening... Sounds strange, but sometimes you can't take any more tango shows, have done too many museums and even more shopping. All you're looking for is a nice place for a decent dinner and maybe a little cocktail afterwards. This is usually the moment to give TimeOut, TripAdvisor or in more ambitious moments the Michelin guide a read - hoping to find something nearby. Something in walking distance from the hotel would be great...   - you're getting my point.

The Dada comes highly recommended. TimeOut Buenos Aires lists it as "Critics' choice", which is probably a serious thumbs up. Trip Advisor has it in the top percent of all restaurants in Buenos Aires. When last checked, the Dada ranked #57 of 1,624 restaurants in Argentina's capitol.

This place achieves a wonderful mixture of almost über casual  atmosphere, with highly qualified bartenders and very attentive yet  definitely not formally trained service and simply amazing, mouth watering food.

Argentina is famous for beef, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the Dada serves amazing variations of lomo (beef loin). The quality of the food served here clearly exceeds the expectations set by the easy going interior design, dominated by the bar, with only a handful of bistro tables and the cool waiters. This is bistro cooking to a very high gastronomic standard. The lomo I had was simply divine, cooked exactly to the point and came with mashed potatoes and a rich unfashionably creamy sauce - perfect comfort food. And a good foundation for the cocktails that are served here.

The bartender keeps producing just a little bit too much of every cocktail ordered, so he has enough left for samples that go to all the lucky guest sitting at the bar! It should be mentioned that the bar is the place to be anyways. It's perfectly fine to eat at the bar and you will not end up as the only one. The later the evening, the hotter the tiny little kitchen and the more packed the room.

So just in case you hang around in Buenos Aires and fancy a cool evening out with delicious local food and a couple of highly qualified cocktails - the Dada is the place to be. And BTW,
this place is suitable for Ramones fans, the waitress likes them too!

San Martín 941, 

Retiro, Buenos Aires, 

Argentina

Transport Subte C, San Martín/bus 93, 152

Phone 011 4314 4787