Viajante, Bethnal Green
Jay Rayner, The Observer
“When you find yourself... wanting to shout: Who put all the bloody mushrooms in my pudding?”, you know you’re in trouble. And despite some “eye-achingly clever” culinary ideas and “blimey” moments during the meal, the work of this “dark-eyed, intense, uncompromising, eager” chef leaves Jay cold. “Deliciousness is too often forced to give way to cleverness” and pricewise “it’s not on nodding terms with cheap”.
Quo Vadis, Soho
Quo Vadis, Lisa Markwell, The Independent
Much of the article is taken up by “deafening” PR buzz surrounding this relaunched classic, which “has simply been pared down further from its already quiet elegance”. “Bright and crisp” service draws praise, as does the elegant menu and “steal” of a set deal. All the food gets the thumbs up and although it “might be tricky to get a table right now... do persevere: ... a dining experience this good is worth a little wait.”
My Sichuan, Oxford
John Lanchester, The Guardian
“It's always exciting when you make a find” [hasn’t he read his copy of Harden’s!], says the Guardian’s man, who has found “the promised land… a Sichuanese place in Oxford”. (Perhaps it’s relevant that he grew up in Hong Kong.) His recommendation is nothing to do with the decor (“a couple of underfurnished rooms” with “half-hearted” trinkets), nor the service (“well-meaning”, but with “patchy” English). Despite avoiding some of the more “crazily, near-psychotically” spicy dishes, his meal is a “zinging delight” and “he can’t wait to go back”.
Quo Vadis, Soho
Nick Lander, The Financial times
After a brief plug for his forthcoming book (The Art of the Restaurateur!), Nick discusses the art of hiring chefs: relevant as chef Jeremy Lee here has been at the Blue Print Café for the last 16 years. With the hire “the Harts seem finally to have addressed the major challenge... when they took over QV” to make stop it being “too formal, too smart” and make it “as lively as the rest of Soho” (in which he feels they’ve succeeded). The room has undergone some “immediately obvious” design changes and now shouts “Welcome to Soho by the Mediterranean”. “Lee has settled immediately into a culinary groove” producing food that’s “exciting, vibrant and fresh”.
Olive Branch, Clipsham
Giles Coren, The Times
Giles heads for Rutland, and after lunch at The George (where “the combined age [of the diners] would take you well back to the middle of the Jurassic era”) he heads to this “very Cotswolds” pub. Despite a menu that’s “a bit 2003” the cooking is “very decent”, and some dishes are “stunning”. All in all you get “lovely hospitality” and “wonderful value”.
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