Journal

26th June, 2014

Mugaritz – heartbreak on a 2nd visit

Back in 2011 when I embarked on my global gastronomical tour, the revered temple of gastronomy that is Mugaritz provided me with possibly the best dining experience I’d ever had. There was something quite magical about this trailblazer tucked away in the Basque hills, innovating food and melding it with an almost ironic and existential […]

12th May, 2014

Fera at Claridges, London

When I last met Simon Rogan, it was the summer of 2013. We were at a charity lunch and Simon, along with many other chefs was doing a dish, his signature Beef tartare with charcoal oil. I asked him if he had any plans of coming to London and in his cheeky boyish smile, he […]

19th October, 2012

Lecture room at Sketch

My first memory of Sketch was when it had newly opened and I ended up doing a brief stint in the Gallery kitchen. I had no clue who Pierre Gangaire was, but that he was some big shot French chef who had teamed up with Mourad Mazouz of Momo to open an uber-luxe, decadent space […]

02nd October, 2012

Hélène Darroze at the Connaught

My first memory of the Connaught was of wheeling a very noisy trolley full of ice cream and sorbet mixes from the Claridges to the Connaught to be churned at 4am. I was working the night shift at Gordon Ramsay Claridges and our ice cream machine had broken down, and the closest ally was Angela […]

24th August, 2012

L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joel Robuchon, Paris

Titan, legend, godfather, celebrity…just a few titles that adorn the legacy of Joel Robuchon, a chef who really needs no introduction and who’s empire extends from Las Vegas to Tokyo with a total collection of 28 Michelin stars (4 restaurants having 3) . Needless to say, the man knows what he’s doing and has done […]

22nd August, 2012

The Burlington Restaurant, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire

Driving from Edinburgh to London can get a bit tedious and tiring. A slight detour via Yorkshire seems like a ridiculous idea if you’re trying to get from point A to B as quickly as possible, but quite a good idea if you want to take the scenic route. After all, the Yorkshire Dales are […]

22nd August, 2012

The Kitchin, Edinburgh

For most people August signals peace and quiet, a time when the streets are empty and the restaurants easy to book. Edinburgh, however, tells an entirely different story as a tornado of creativity and energy sweeps through its windy streets, and the world of drama, dance and music descend upon it. One scarcely has a […]

19th July, 2012

Galvin at Windows, Park Lane

Olympics? Bah humbug! In the words of a once great Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses, “I’m not the only one, with whom these feelings I share…” It truly is going to be a whirlwind of madness, insanity and a lot of annoyed Londoners. Walking by the Hilton on Park Lane, one can barely recognise […]

17th July, 2012

Morgan M, Smithfield

For very many years, on the very quiet Liverpool Rd in Highbury, lay a very discreet and quiet restaurant that never seemed to have people in it or for that matter, anyone writing anything about it. I used to always wonder about the restaurant and every now and then, look at the menu and remark […]

03rd July, 2012

Sons & Daughters, San Francisco

It’s almost sacrilege to visit through the west coast, especially San Francisco and not pay a visit to a few trees. By trees I mean the biggest giants rooted on planet earth – the Redwood Sequoias. My adventure took me to Yosemite National Park where amongst the giants was one that stood 240 feet tall, […]