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Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Posted in Eating, NQN's most memorable moments and meals, Outside of Sydney

When a chef has a restaurant named simply after himself, you know that a) he’s pretty famous b) you’ll have some rather exceptional food. This much I did expect. What I didn’t expect that walking through The Dorchester to the restaurant was walking through a cornucopia of lush greenery and rich tapestries, luxe carpets in a rose pink that make you feel like you’re on the set of a movie.

When we walk into the Dorchester, a stunning hotel by anyone’s definition, we are greeted by this lovely sight. My pulse quickens immediately and we are guided towards the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Gordon Ramsay’s idol and accomplished French restaurateur.

Inside it’s breaktaking, the work of French designer Patrick Jouin and partner Sanjit Manku, frequent collaborators with Ducasse on many restaurants. It feels so….lush and honeyed, as if the stars and the moon descended and bathed the room in the palest silvery light.

The view of Hyde park is echoed in the opposing wall with a palette of green and cream silk covered buttons all in different heights simulating a Seurat-like painting of a garden.

The private dining room is actually not in the kitchen but within the main restaurant curtained off by a shimmering silver fringed curtain that appears like falling rain and when the lights dim at 9pm the shimmering silver fringe curtain lights up. The tables are large and each features little touches, you know were expertly and explicitly picked.

Service is personal and inviting, we are shown the private room, the decorations and have a visit to the wine cellar, a imposing looking temperature controlled room-if only we were big wine drinkers!

Paprika and herb Gougeres

While we are looking at the menu, some paprika gougeres arrives, warmly golden and puffed, some with a mildish chili powder coating, some rolled in herbs. They’re deceptively moreish and before long the bowl is gone. The menu has a choice of either an entree + meat+fish+ dessert for £95 or an entree+meat or fish + dessert for £75. The specialties of the house are marked with a leaf symbol although these most often incur a supplement of £10.

Add comment | December 4, 2008 - 7:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Benihana Japanese restaurant, Kings Road, Chelsea London

Posted in Eating, Outside of Sydney

Entrance to Benihana, Chelsea

If you’re American, Benihana needs no introduction.You’ve already probably been to a Benihana at some time in your life. If however you’re not American, you may have heard of Benihana through popular culture references -it was mentioned on “The Office” U.S. version as an “Asian Hooters” and model/actor Devon Aoki’s family owns it.

Benihana’s Wall of Fame

Benihana, named after a red safflower, was started by the smiling man-permed Rocky Aoki (the perm reportedly done to make him look more distinctive), a former wrestler who sadly passed away recently. It features a carving fork and knife wielding chef on a Hibachi (or Teppanyaki grill as we know it in Australia) who chats and jokes with guests, while cooking the food and perhaps throwing it at you.

Matching full lips!

Celebrities flocked here as attested to by the feature wall, even the Kings Road branch in Chelsea features pictures of George W. Bush, Angelina Jolie (with a similarly fulled lipped waiter) as well as other famous bodies.

We had booked into Benihana for a quick meal before seeing the Broadway Musical Wicked, at the Apollo Theatre (one of the highlights of our trip). We were told that there would be absolutely no problem with the 7 course menu and leaving early for the theatre. Walking in, we’re struck with how large the entrance steps are and how much it looks like a casino interior. We get the feeling that it’s definitely seen better days.

They have lost our reservation but no matter, the place isn’t full. The waitresses english is very limited and we are told that for the 7 courses there is no menu but what we did get (on the poster outside) is as follows below:

7 courses for £18:

Onion Soup A La Japanese
Benihana Salad with Ginger Dressing
California Roll
Hibachi Vegetables
Hibachi Rice
and a choice of any two from the following six: steak, chicken, prawns, salmon,black cod and seabass

Onion Soup A La Japanese

Since there are 3 of us, we opt to try each of the 6 meats/seafood. Before we know it, the soup has arrived, a delicious broth full of beef stock and onions and small pieces of mushroom and other unknown tasty but sparse morsels.

Benihana Salad with Ginger Dressing Read More

14 comments | November 22, 2008 - 7:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Sushi Samurai at Neutral Bay

Posted in Eating, Sydney - North

My husband has abandoned me. To go sailing at Airlie Beach to be precise. So what choice do I have but to fill my schedule with dinners and outings with friends so that I don’t feel completely socially isolated. Tonight, I’m catching up with Queen Viv and Miss America at nearby Sushi Samurai in Neutral Bay where there are several Japanese restaurants located. It’s a place that has been recommended to me several times, for the freshness of their sushi and sashimi, huge serves and reasonable prices. And like most places that are popular, you need to make a booking, which we are slightly late for.

There are tables outside in the cold as well as tables inside the warmly lit dark wood furnished room (thanks must go to Queen Viv for the photography assistance in the dark room!). It’s packed to the brim with customers and tables feel quite tight and close together. It takes a while to get drinks and give our order as the staff fly furiously fast past the tables carrying all manner of enticing looking dishes.

Appetitser: deep fried wholemeal pasta spiral: a bad start

The night starts with an odd note, deep fried uncooked wholemeal pasta spirals with seasoning comes with our drinks. It’s like eating crunchy string and we leave this behind hoping that it’s not a sign of things to come.

We choose mainly from the specials menu as they look the most unusual and enticing although Miss America baulks at the whole stuffed squid grilled sushi. I’m glad to see Tokyo favourites like Oden and Nankotsu appearing on the menu. It’s all incredibly good value with a sashimi platter for 3-4 people at only $25 and the only thing we have difficulty with is narrowing down our choices. There are little Japanese touches on the menu like signs pointing to dishes that are “So Yummy!”, “Good Value!” and “Our Best!”.

12 comments | September 18, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Borough Markets, London

Posted in Eating, Outside of Sydney

For Christmas this past year, my sister gave me a book on Borough Markets. I flicked through it eagerly going first to the recipes and even made a couple of them. I didn’t realise that only a 6 months later I would actually be at Borough Markets sampling some of this very fine produce that I was reading about. Borough Markets are London’s oldest markets, incredibly since Roman times when they built the London Bridge, they have been at this location for 250 years and is a market steeped in history and pride of the storekeepers. Artisanal is a term that comes to mind when walking through these stalls (although I hope Artisanal is not a term that become abused as I suspect it might, look out for McDonald’s “Artisan burger” )

Fresh pasta made 15 hours ago

Various cheeses on offer

Mmmm sausages!

Various baked goods

The day after arriving, our first stop is here. We’re taken by my sister’s friend Candy who is an expat from America who has lived in London for 4 years. She shows us around Borough Markets, which are huge, much bigger than I ever envisaged. There are throngs of people everywhere. It seems that either half of London is on holiday or that the neighbouring offices house a great number of people that pour out into the markets every lunch time to wait in long queues to eat delicious home grown locally made produce.

Huge slabs of chocolate and truffles

Pick your own truffles

Nuts, dried fruit and chocolate coated goodies

Prices vary but on the whole they’re generally at a premium. Most of the providores are artisans proud of their produce and there are many samples proffered to the waiting public in an attempt to seduce.

Huge mounds of butter

Slices of cakes, eclairs and strudels

Delicious sounding jams

Along with picture perfect fruit and vegetables, there are vividly coloured flowers and a range of seafood, some of which I’ve never seen before like the long cylindrical clams.

Wild things!

Seafood on offer

Huge lobsters

Big crabs with fat claws

Impressive mushroom medley

Different kinds of tomatoes

How perfect do these tubs of redcurrants look?

Even French food gets a look in

“Harry Potter No. # 3 filmed here” You didn’t think I’d miss the chance for a Harry Potter moment?

There’s even a sign near the pub saying that a scene from Harry Potter was filmed here-one look at the pub and you can definitely see that it could have been.

Free range Basque Pig Salami

Enough of this browsing, we’re ready to eat and it seems so are most of the markets as the queues stretch out long for most of the hot food. We tried to get a table at Tapas Brindisa to no avail so we settle with one of their Chorizo rolls (a double with two sausages £4.75). I line up at another stand whose name escapes me, just look for the queue, and get a roll filled with Wild Boar sausage and a Devils on Horseback roll filled with cumberland sausages wrapped in bacon and prunes (both £4.00 for large £3 for small). The Wild Boar sausage was guaranteed at least 90% meat which is a refreshing change for English sausages from what we’ve seen on The F Word.

Brindisa’s stall-for those who can’t get a table at the restaurant, which is… everyone

Brindisa’s Chorizo roll (double sized) £4.75

The chorizo roll is small-ish although the double amount of chorizo is good for chorizo lovers like me. It’s a good sausage although I feel as though something is missing from the roll. My husband and Candy however are thoroughly impressed by it.

Devils on Horseback roll £ 4

The Devils on Horseback roll with cumberland sausage wrapped in bacon and prunes is very good and absolutely enormous filled with caramelised onions and salad. The roll however is very floury and we find ourselves leaving the roll behind and eating the filling.

Wild Boar sausage roll £4

The Wild Boar sausage on a roll, also filled with onions and salad is a strongly flavoured and very meaty as promised. Adding a cranberry sauce to it helps to sweeten it and ease off the intense edge off it.

We dust the flour off our face and hands, stomachs full of all sorts of exotic goodies.

Borough Markets

Southwark Street London SE1 1TL
In front of London Bridge subway station, use “Borough High Street” exit.
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/
Thursdays: 11am - 5pm
Fridays: 12pm - 6pm
Saturdays: 9am - 4pm

20 comments | August 27, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

NQN Competition: Win a Herbies Comfort Food or Aphrodisiac Gourmet Spice Kit!

Posted in Competitions

**THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANKYOU FOR ALL OF YOUR ENTRIES. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS**

I’ve heard that there was a time in Australia when the only seasonings or flavours used were salt and pepper. To me, that sounds unfathomable and a little frightening. Where would we be without the rich scents of the herbs and spices that routinely feature in our recipes today? It goes without saying that Herbies herbs and spices are the best in Australia. If ever there was an area to splurge it’s on good quality herbs and spices. They only cost you a dollar or two more than other but are well worth it as they contain no fillers, starches, MSG, free-flow agents or additives of any kind. Just pure unadulterated spice. I often see Ian Hemphill from Herbie’s on TV in the morning and he often shows how to use these herbs, his knowledge shining through.

This month, we’re giving away two Herbies Spice Kits worth $30 each. For those of you still battling the cold weather (me included), we have one Comfort Foods Spice Kit - Seven spices and blends (ground rosemary, mixed spice, Baharat spice mix, tagine mix, chipotle chilli powder, samber spice mix and thyme) with recipes for Apple Crumble, Bean Mash with Rosemary, Lamb Tagine, Smokey Vegetable Soup, Slow-cooked Ox Cheeks, Sambar and Farmer’s Potato Bake.

For Lovers and Wannabe Lovers we have one Aphrodisiac Spice Kit- Six aphrodisiac spices (Pasilla chilli powder, nutmeg, cardamom, saffron and cumin), plus Za’atar which you could team up with known aphrodisiacs like oysters, olives, artichokes and figs in recipes for making Oyster Soup, Bruschetta with Artichoke Puree, The Bird Stripped Bare, Pears with Saffron Jelly,and Spiced Figs. I’d say these will get you some action better than the phrase “I’ll do the dishes tonight honey, you relax!” or “Go ahead and buy that new Chanel bag, it’s worth every cent!”

All you have to do is tell me “What is the difference between a herb and a spice?” and which kit you’d prefer. Email me on: nqn.herbies.comp@gmail.com with your name, email and postage details. You can enter once daily but because the prize is food, I’ll have to keep the entries within Australia -we don’t want the precious spices to get caught at overseas customs! The competition ends midnight AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday the 30th of September so you have plenty of time!