Sunday 18 November 2012
I'm taking the Piscos
A slightly unprepossessing entrance lead one through the busy bar and on to the our table. When Ju and Yi arrived we looked to Ti for guidance and thus ordered wonderful Pisco Sours. They had exactly the right balance of flavour and strength and saw us merrily through the whole meal. The snacks Ti chose to go with round 1 were superb and then on to the serious business of Ceviche. Mine was as good as anything I've eaten for a long time and I could have quite happily stuck with Ceviche all night. The skewers were delicious and the salads complimented well. By then I could have stopped but the Piscos kept coming so what the heck.
The only bum notes were the very loud ones coming out of the speaker above our first table but the friendly and unassuming staff soon fixed that. I will go again and I give 8.75/10
Deliche!
Those South Americans have discovered a great taste combination - pisco sours and cevich-ed fish!
We opted to go with the sours instead of wine with our meal, and very delicious (and potent) they were too. The tequenos were a delight - cigarillos of fried corn dough filled with spicy chicken or cheese.
Between us we pretty much journeyed through the whole menu, but the highlight for me was the 'Don Ceviche': a perfect mound of generously chunky bass in a perfectly balanced 'tiger's milk'. Gorgeous.
The skewered steak was also lovely...
Ceviche is a delightful discovery, one to re-visit. I'll give it an 8.5.
We opted to go with the sours instead of wine with our meal, and very delicious (and potent) they were too. The tequenos were a delight - cigarillos of fried corn dough filled with spicy chicken or cheese.
Between us we pretty much journeyed through the whole menu, but the highlight for me was the 'Don Ceviche': a perfect mound of generously chunky bass in a perfectly balanced 'tiger's milk'. Gorgeous.
The skewered steak was also lovely...
Ceviche is a delightful discovery, one to re-visit. I'll give it an 8.5.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Reisz, that was nice !
Jason Atherton does one proud but it costs !
A spacious, comfortable dining environment with muted colours, crisp linen, your neighbour at a respectable distance and attentive staff who can provide reading glasses. Leisurely beginning with a Rumbullion - sweet, sour, strong and sharp; just as a cocktail should be and accompanied by a very large pork scratching with a lovely apple and parsnip (?) dip. Good start. Excellent bread and butter although they tried to take it away after the first course. What is this hideous habit one finds so often in English restaurants - bread's not just for starters ! I began with crab in a coriander vinaigrette with nashi pear; a flavoursome combination but the alleged "frozen peanut powder" was sadly absent. My next course was roast red mullet with cockles, prawn and a kind of catalan rice which was rich and delicious. All washed down with some excellent albarino wine. For desert, I enjoyed a goat's milk rice pudding with mango sorbet and passion fruit sorbet. And with this, I had a glass of muscat de rivesaltes - is there anything more heavenly than a first rate sweet wine ? No, I say ! You are probably thinking that I over-riced in this meal. Perhaps I did, but I enjoyed it all. I did think our meal was very expensive and so I didn't get that tingle in the taste buds you get with great food and good value. So I give it 7.5/10
A spacious, comfortable dining environment with muted colours, crisp linen, your neighbour at a respectable distance and attentive staff who can provide reading glasses. Leisurely beginning with a Rumbullion - sweet, sour, strong and sharp; just as a cocktail should be and accompanied by a very large pork scratching with a lovely apple and parsnip (?) dip. Good start. Excellent bread and butter although they tried to take it away after the first course. What is this hideous habit one finds so often in English restaurants - bread's not just for starters ! I began with crab in a coriander vinaigrette with nashi pear; a flavoursome combination but the alleged "frozen peanut powder" was sadly absent. My next course was roast red mullet with cockles, prawn and a kind of catalan rice which was rich and delicious. All washed down with some excellent albarino wine. For desert, I enjoyed a goat's milk rice pudding with mango sorbet and passion fruit sorbet. And with this, I had a glass of muscat de rivesaltes - is there anything more heavenly than a first rate sweet wine ? No, I say ! You are probably thinking that I over-riced in this meal. Perhaps I did, but I enjoyed it all. I did think our meal was very expensive and so I didn't get that tingle in the taste buds you get with great food and good value. So I give it 7.5/10
Sunday 11 March 2012
Great Expectation
I had high hopes of PSS having read rave reviews of both this restaurant and the cooking skills of the chef/patron. We were met at the door by friendly, slightly distracted staff and were lead to our well-placed table. The room was pleasant enough without setting the pulse racing and this was indicative of the whole experience. The cocktails were all top class and we were treated to an excellent amuse bouche which we scoffed with superb homemade bread. My scallop starter was well crafted and tasty without really reaching the highest heights - a little under seasoned I thought which was true of my lamb main course - very well put together but just not quite as great as I'd hoped. My desert was also perfectly good but not out of the very top drawer. All in all a perfectly good meal but in the end a littler underwhelming. I give 7.75/10
Spring Pollenation
To's choice - Jason Atherton's latest venture is in an alley just off Oxford St. PSS has a large and sumptuous interior, with a nice rather than exciting atmosphere - which somehow sums up an evening which never quite took off.
We started with excellent bread and appetisers of pork scratchings served with brandade and something gingerey, washed down with some unusual and complex cocktails. My 'thyme traveller' was exquisite, although I am at pains to remember any of its ingredients.
My starter of tiny squid cubes in velvety cauliflower puree, surrounded by a rich seafood consomme was clever and divine. This was followed by melting ox cheek, shoulder and sirloin served with gorgeous horseradish mash.
Pud was apple, puff pastry and calvados cream - which I finished off without complaint.
Very attentive (and predominantly Eastern European) staff, though sadly none who's English could be accurately interpreted.
Ok, I'll give the restaurant 8/10.
We started with excellent bread and appetisers of pork scratchings served with brandade and something gingerey, washed down with some unusual and complex cocktails. My 'thyme traveller' was exquisite, although I am at pains to remember any of its ingredients.
My starter of tiny squid cubes in velvety cauliflower puree, surrounded by a rich seafood consomme was clever and divine. This was followed by melting ox cheek, shoulder and sirloin served with gorgeous horseradish mash.
Pud was apple, puff pastry and calvados cream - which I finished off without complaint.
Very attentive (and predominantly Eastern European) staff, though sadly none who's English could be accurately interpreted.
Ok, I'll give the restaurant 8/10.
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