Desicritics Category: Culture: Restaurants

A Lunch at Claridges - Gordon Ramsay's Chef's Table

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Sun, 3 Aug 2008 01:00:23 EDT

Received an invite for lunch in the city, so figured that it will take about 30 minutes to get there, 1.5 hours for lunch, 30 minutes to get back and we are done with it. Little did I know what was in store for me.

I have been to Claridges before on many occasions but I was puzzled by a term on the invite. It said, "chef's table". Hmm, very curious indeed. So off I toddled over to the hotel and asked the concierge, where on earth is this thing called as a Chef's Table? He pointed me to the Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Gordon Ramsay, for those who live on another planet, is a famous foul-mouthed and very good chef who is supposed to be the bees knees of cuisine and gastronomic delights. Here's another bio of this great man.

Anyway, I went in and met my very gracious hosts and colleagues, had a few drinks at the bar and then were led into the restaurant. We did not stop there but were guided into the kitchen itself. In a tiny corner off the dessert section, was an alcove, with sufficient seating for about 5 people comfortably.

And then the gastronomic journey began. One by one, the various chefs would bring their creations to the table, and wine would be served to complement the palate for that particular dish.

We were taken for a trip around the kitchen. It is no less than a factory, with the most delicious olfactory sensations. You start with the basics, then go up to the broth (huge vat of the most interesting and piquant bits bubbling away), then to the fish, then to the meat and over the other side, is the dessert place.

Its tiny, cramped, hellishly hot, and it is all coordinated - one person cooks the vegetables and other the fish and another the sauce and they start shouting out the time left for the main meat/fish and then everything comes together in a master stroke of timing and epicurean pleasure.

They invited us to cook one dish, the sea bass one. An amazing amount of coordination is required. I think we all messed it up but still it tasted delicious. We had to unfortunately leave before the cheese came around but till then, it was brilliant. I should have taken the afternoon off!!!! Our host took some photo's of the event which are here.

Here's the menu:

Chilled beetroot soup,

Smoked Childwick cheese, cured coppa ham

Salad of Cromer crab and carrot a la greeque,

ginger and carrot dressing

Mosaic of Label Anglaise chicken, foie gras,

leeks and toasted brioche

Pan fried stonebass, green olive, crusted potatoes, provencale vegetables, basil viege

Assiette of Cumbrian veal; confit shoulder, roasted rack, poached and roasted loin, pomme purée,

roasted vegetables, grain mustard lyonnaise

Selection of British and French cheese

Vanilla cheese cake with strawberries

Honey crème brûlée with hazelnut sablé, raspberry sorbet

Coffee, infusions and chocolates

And here's the wine list:

Marsanne, Ibarra Young Vineyard, Qupé Winery,

Santa Barbara Count, 2005

Grüner Veltliner, Grande Reserve,

Anton Bauer, 2006

Chardonnay, “Art Series”, Leeuwin Estate,

Margaret River, 2005

Solengo, Tenuta Argiano, 2003

Château La Tour Blanche, 1995

All in all, a great afternoon indeed. I do not think I have ever had such a huge taste explosion in one day ever. That was a shame, so many new flavours and tastes, it all was jammed in one day, I wish it could have been spread out so that I could have enjoyed it longer.

Technorati Tags: London, Food and Cuisine

The Purity Of An Idli

Deepti Lamba — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:06:09 EDT

Idlis have special meaning for me. My grandfather was the one who taught me how to eat idlis the wrong way. He'd put sambhar and coconut chutney on top of the piping hot idlis, smash it all up and eat like rice. Even now thats how I like to eat my idlis- smashed, sticky and ever so divine.

I can eat idlis at all times - breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time, post snack time- just about any time. Idli is the ultimate comfort food for me. Idlis somehow even in their bland taste remind me of innocence. How wrong can one go with idlis?

Its all in the batter, the further its made away from South India the more diluted its taste becomes. At least in Delhi, despite visiting the best South Indian joints. I could never get the kind of Idlis that we get down South.

The melting softness and the tangy sambhar can only be enjoyed here. If you have the urge to eat idlis the best place to enjoy them is at a nameless little shop in a small lane in Commercial Street. Ask any Bangalorean and they will take you there.

They serve idlis during evenings and they are positively swoon worthy.

Looking back, the best idlis I remembered eating when I was young were made by my dad's friend's wife. I was less than five years old and barely reached the kitchen sink. I remember Aunty showing me how idlis were made. I was in awe. My mom never made idlis.

Her delicate fingers indented the idlis with ghee. I remember her patiently answering my questions. And when she sneaked me an idli ahead of everyone waiting in the living room, I was in heaven.

It was hot, soft and soulful. I was in love with the idli and awed by the idli maker. Its funny how I barely remember what she looked like, except that she was slim, delicate, and in my nostalgic mind - pure like the idli she made.

Related Article : Dal Makhani: The National Cuisine By Shantanu Dutta

The £5.50 Chinese Monkey-Picked Tea

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:11:39 EDT

I went to a swanky restaurant in London the other day and after a great cocktail, some very good Argentinean red wine and English rose (yes, I kid you not, it was very nice), an excellent thick rare 700 gram steak, sat back and thought about having a good port and a nice cheese platter, when my eyes fell on this item on the dessert menu.

Monkey Picked Tea: Monkey picked tea is the rarest tea available. According to legend, monkeys were once trained to harvest tea from otherwise inaccessible cliffs but today the term monkey picked refers to the tea's rarity and the hard work put into its production.

It was for £5.50 if I am not wrong, and being the sucker for new and innovative things that I am, I went for it. First of all, my boss took the piss out of me unmercifully by saying, you have simply ordered PG tips, and the restaurant is taking you for a ride. Mainly because of the Monkey bit which advertises the bloody PG Tips. You can buy all kinds of PG Tips monkey stuff here. But more on the end result later.

I took a photo and then came back to look it up. The basic story is simple and I quote:

This rare Chinese tea is carefully picked by specially trained monkeys in a remote mountain region of China. Legend has it that monkeys were first used to collect tea ten centuries ago, because upon seeing it's master trying to reach some tea growing wild on a mountain face, the monkey climbed up the steep face and collected the tea growing there and brought it down to his master. This wild tea was considered so delicious that other people began to train monkeys to collect this rare wild tea. Nowadays the practice of monkeys picking tea has all but died out, except in one small remote village where they still continue this remarkable tradition.

This video seems to be showing a monkey which the zoo commentator claims to be a tea picking monkey. All I can hope is that I hope the bloody monkey washed his hands after picking its nose but before picking the tea leaves.

Here's an example of the pack. And here's an interesting discussion on this tea.

But I was a bit suspicious because nobody actually mentions the type of tea leaves, all this monkey picking business is good and fine, but what is the actual name of the tea plant? I then found it. Can you purchase this? Well, here it is. I quote the product description:

These finest grade tightly hand-rolled leaves are bursting with flavor and have a lingering fruity aftertaste. This is perhaps the most fabled tea in China, prized for its complexity. This lot was grown in Fujian Province. Legends relate the story of how the tea is named after Kuanyin, the goddess (or bodhisattva) of compassion. This tea is greener than other Tieguanyins, in the style which is popular throughout China.

The often-used term "Monkey Picked" comes from another legend: Local monks convinced monkeys to climb the tall, wild tea trees and bring them the new leaves from above. This tea is one of the few that holds up well to up to three infusions, and produces a rich golden liquor with a spicy aroma and semisweet aftertaste. We recommend this tea as a high quality everyday tea. It goes well with most foods and is good with cakes, scones and the like.

But I am afraid the tea was absolutely horrible, it was musty, dusty and tasted like the tea was made by actually dipping the original old monkey in hot water rather than tea leaves. It was golden all right, but no, I am going to give this a miss.

And this left my boss and rest of the gang rolling around on the floor looking at my face and expression. Still suffering from that incident, every time I ask for a tea or coffee in the office, somebody shouts PG Tips or makes those monkey noises. Sighs, life sucks.

Technorati Tags: Humour, Agriculture, History, Personal

Restaurant Review: Via Milano, Bangalore

Deepti Lamba — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:18:54 EDT

What makes a restaurant a success? Food alone does not cut it but the ambiance and service are of equal relevance. While the food in Via Milano, a Bangalore-based Italian restaurant run by Italian expats was reasonably good, it had an impersonal feel to it and the service sucked.

The Salmon was subtle and tasty. The spaghetti and shrimp were good but there was no accompanying bread basket with the main course. We had to remind the waiter to serve it and by then we were already midway through our meal.

The waiters were completely spaced out. We had to be on the lookout to catch their eye to get even basic needs met. What bugged me was the socialist mentality of waiters hovering over the 'gora' tables while 'naturally' ignoring the desis. One table had three waiters grouped around it. How hard was the decision making?

Once we had finished dinner, our plates were taken in a rather haphazard manner; a few taken by one waiter and another returning to look under napkins in case the side plates were left behind. I was weirded out.

Our coffee orders were mixed up and far from feeling at home at their pristine white 50s-style lounge, I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Which by the way took another fifteen minutes since they forgot to return our bill till we reminded them that we had been waiting for a long time for the card and check.

Instead of Via Milano, I recommend Fiorano in Koramangala where the service is far better. Another place is Magnolia which despite being crowded on weekends offers impeccable service and awesome Thai food.