Gordon Ramsay interview: Michelin stars, overtaking the French and why his new restaurant, Le Pressoir d’Argent, is something special November 9, 2016 “If I’d tried to open this restaurant 15 years ago, I’d have been shot, hung upside-down and had my bollocks put in that thing over there, the pressoir d’testicle.” Finally, I thought. So measured – serene even – was the Gordon Ramsay sitting opposite me, I’d started to wonder if his famously filthy lyricism had [...]
My inspiration: Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin on his favourite cookbook, Memories of Gascony by Pierre Koffmann November 9, 2016 When I was a young apprentice cook, I was working at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. It was very traditional and I was very raw and working in a rough kitchen. We used to talk about London like it was a distant land, the other end of the world, but there was a book out [...]
Christmas sandwiches tested: which have been naughty and which are nice November 8, 2016 We filled a basket with the first crop of Christmas sandwiches – find out which ones we thought worthy of your lunch money and which to avoid like the Grinch. Pret Christmas lunch ★★★★☆ Too much going on here – piles of slightly-too-dry stuffing and a clumping of fillings in the middle. But saved by [...]
Nobu interview: the sushi tycoon talks about family, Robert De Niro, and how his new Shoreditch hotel will be a game-changer November 8, 2016 According to Madonna, you can tell if a city is going to be fun by whether there’s a Nobu in it. The brainchild of Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro – or just plain “Bob” – the brand has an uncanny knack of courting the beau monde. Even after 22 years, in which time more [...]
2,100 jobs could go as Marks & Spencer close 53 international stores and 30 in the UK November 8, 2016 Marks & Spencer will consult with 2,100 staff in its international stores as it seeks to close 53 unprofitable branches overseas, it was announced this morning. In a bold move new chief executive Steve Rowe, who came into the top job in April, said 30 clothing and homeware shops in the UK will also be shut over the next [...]
“There truly is no god”: How social media reacted to the Toblerone tragedy November 8, 2016 Fans of the popular nutty, triangle-shaped chocolate bar Toblerone are bitterly disappointed after the company revealed a change to its design. Mondelez International, who makes the product, has increased the gaps between the triangles to reduce the weight of two of its bars in the UK. This is not OK, fans say. This tragedy has not [...]
Toblerone bars in the UK have changed shape and no one is happy about it November 8, 2016 Fans of the Toblerone are bitterly disappointed after the company revealed a change to the shape and size of its popular chocolate bar. Mondelez International, who makes the product, has increased the gaps between the triangles to reduce the weight of two of its bars in the UK. It claims this is due to a rise in [...]
These are the seven best fish and chips in London, and I’ll hear no more on the matter November 1, 2016 1. Golden Union 38 Poland St, London W1F 7LY Fish are basically the potatoes of the ocean. And potatoes are just a kind of fish that lives in the dirt. When these two edible stewards of the underworld come together we call it fish and chips, and nowhere is the pairing better exemplified than at [...]
Working Lunch review: Coq d’Argent has created a tasting menu using truffles and posh French mustard November 1, 2016 Coq d’Argent No. 1 Poultry, EC2R WHAT? This brasserie has become a stalwart of boozy business lunches in the heart of the banking district. Famed for a menu and wine list that’s positively croaking with French classics, it’s just launched a truffle-themed tasting menu in partnership with upmarket mustard brand Maille until 30 November. WHERE? [...]
Working Lunch review: Roma restores Ancient Roman cuisine to the City of London on the site of an old fort October 31, 2016 Roma 14 New London St, EC3R 7NA WHAT? Do you remember Harper’s, that bland, beige wine bar down an alley by Fenchurch Street station? No? Just as well because it’s been given a marbled makeover and now it’s a culinary tribute to the glories of Ancient Rome. Expect hefty cuts of meat and an empire-spanning wine [...]