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Josh's Reviews: London and the UK
 Each link includes the first part of the review. Many of the reviews also include pictures of the individual dishes.
2011
The Fat Duck, Bray, UK
Thursday, July 7
The Fat Duck is Heston Blumenthal's masterpiece. The chefs he works with share his passion and dedication. He also has 2 pubs in Bray and I highly recommend the one closest to his restaurant. The Fat Duck is about a 50 minute drive from London, depending on traffic and well worth the journey. Heston Blumenthal is also the owner of the London restaurant Dinner (recently reviewed in our blog), where his former executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts is now executive chef. This was my second visit to the Fat Duck and the experience was as good or even exceeded the first experience. We also received an intriguing tour of the lilliputian kitchens.
London Restaurants (4): St John
Thursday, July 7
We were inspired to enjoy a meal at St. John by co-owners Trevor Gulliver and chef Fergus Henderson, when they were our guests in Toronto. Unfortunately, the day we chose to dine was the opening of their new hotel and they were unable to join us. But, we were well cared for by this restaurant's highly professional staff. This was my second visit to this restaurant pioneer of "nose to tail" eating. It never fails to satisfy my cravings.
The London Restaurants (3): Hix; Racine; Cassis; Cheyne Walk Brasserie
Thursday, July 7
Hix
Heirloom pork crackling with Bramley apple sauce, a flavourful crunchy nibble to begin.
"Heaven and earth" blood sausage with mustard horseradish gravy, simmered slices of apple and potatoes. This was a very good dish for lovers of blood sausage.
Racine
I sat down to recognizable quality. Very good crispy baguettes and a tub of Echire butter. We began with a classic soup de poisson with rouille, gruyere cheese and garlic toasts. It had good flavour but lacked the layers of rich flavour and complexity of Toronto's Pastis resto. However, unlike the hesitant entrenched Rosedale version at Pastis, this was classic Marseillaise rouille, redolent of garlic!! Loved that!!
Cassis Bistro
I came to Cassis to try their bouillabaisse. It was served, as traditional, with rouille and gruyere cheese. The stock was rich tasting and presented with mussels, clams, an some whitefish. However, once again, the soup was not as good as the one I enjoy at Pastis. Further, the rouille was disappointing with the unpleasant consistency of dense mashed potatoes making it closer to a skordalia rather than a rouille. All of the fish and shellfish were perfectly cooked.
Cheyne Walk Brasserie
Cheyne Walk Brasserie is a place for simple comfort food and easily accessible to the Chelsea crowd. It is only open for dinner and is always full. The fowl and meats are grilled over an open charcoal fire. On my first occasion there, I was the guest of a good friend who lived close by. It is his family's "go to" spot for a simple good meal.
London Restaurants (2): The Ledbury; The Gilbert Scott
Thursday, July 7
The Ledbury
The Ledbury has developed a world wide reputation and I must say that after this experience, I agree it is well deserved. Head Chef and co-owner Brett Graham comes from Australia but has lived in the UK, for the best part of his life.
The Gilbert Scott
The Gilbert Scott Restaurant is in an historic, visually spectacular landmark building. It is a restaurant owned and supervised by one of london's great chefs, Marcus Waring. The menu is composed of dishes inspired by the comfort food that originated in the late 19th and early 20th century and given a current touch.
London, UK (post #1), "DINNER" Restaurant
Wednesday, July 6
Dinner Restaurant has been anxiously awaited by the food community for quite some time Dinner, developed by Chef Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck, resurrects the culinary past of English cuisine. Each dish is listed on the menu with the date of it's origin, ranging from the late 14th century to the early 19th century. Blumenthal and his long time executive chef at The Fat Duck, Ashley Palmer-Watts (now in charge of the London restaurant), have used contemporary techniques and devices to update each dish to give them a current spin.
Dinner Restaurant, London, UK
Wednesday, June 15
Dinner Restaurant has been awaited by the food community for quite some time, a resto developed by Chef Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck that resurrects the culinary past of English cuisine. Each dish is listed on the menu with the date of it's origin, ranging from the late 14th century to the early 19th century. Blumenthal and his long time executive chef, now in charge of his London restaurant, Ashley Palmer-Watts, have used contemporary techniques and devices to update each dish and give them a current spin.
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