Comments on: The World’s Top 50 restaurants… now for auction on eBay. http://londoneater.com/2009/04/23/the-world%e2%80%99s-top-50-restaurants%e2%80%a6-now-for-auction-on-ebay/ a gastrocentric survival guide for Londoners Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:07:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: St John: Where in the world top 50? [Review] — LondonEater http://londoneater.com/2009/04/23/the-world%e2%80%99s-top-50-restaurants%e2%80%a6-now-for-auction-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-5739 St John: Where in the world top 50? [Review] — LondonEater Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:59:04 +0000 http://londoneater.com/?p=5843#comment-5739 [...] John is currently the 14th best restaurant in the world (2009). Yes, ‘Worlds’. And I can confirm, they don’t use San Pellegrino. Apparently, the [...] [...] John is currently the 14th best restaurant in the world (2009). Yes, ‘Worlds’. And I can confirm, they don’t use San Pellegrino. Apparently, the [...]

]]> By: A Girl Has To Eat http://londoneater.com/2009/04/23/the-world%e2%80%99s-top-50-restaurants%e2%80%a6-now-for-auction-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-4472 A Girl Has To Eat Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:15:19 +0000 http://londoneater.com/?p=5843#comment-4472 Hi Londoneater, thanks for the mention. The awards were really fun to attend! Hi Londoneater, thanks for the mention. The awards were really fun to attend!

]]> By: gen.u.ine.ness http://londoneater.com/2009/04/23/the-world%e2%80%99s-top-50-restaurants%e2%80%a6-now-for-auction-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-4375 gen.u.ine.ness Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:43:17 +0000 http://londoneater.com/?p=5843#comment-4375 Kang, I disagree - I think that what Britain needs is LESS Gordon Ramsays. Food is a personal thing - it should be about the chef expressing himself, giving his own identity to his food. As you pointed out, Ramsay never ever cooks at his restaurants. Geez.. even his cookbooks are partly written by Mark Sergeant (speaking of... he is going to be at Waterstones Piccadilly at 12.30 pm signing some books although I honestly think he should instead head to his Chelsea restaurant and do some cooking) The whole Gordon Ramsay empire however is all about profit within a rigid business model. Ramsay, like Robuchon and Ducasse, have obviously figured out a formula to churn out Michelin stars wherever they decide to open restaurants with sometimes some very average food. The whole GR experience feels very much like you are being processed - with table turnover times even at some of his higher end restaurants. If I want fast-food, I go to McD's. Take for example Jason Atherton's Maze which was highly successful. GR decided to milk the cash cow by opening a branch in Prague although the food was nothing like the food Atherton produces. Not surprisingly the restaurant bummed badly and he has since sold it. Similarly, his other branches in Hollywood and Paris also struggled badly. Also many critics have stated that were it not for being part of the GR restaurant family, chefs like Mark Sergeant and Angela Hartnett would not hold a Michelin star in their own right. Read what you want of that, but it does give food for thought. What about Clare Smyth (head chef of the 3* Royal Hospital Road) - how much creative input does she have? Above her is GR who is chef patron and Mark Askew who is executive chef. Even on the GBM, one of the dishes that she produced (lobster, potato, caviar) was demonstrated by the potty mouth one on Hell's Kitchen previously. I want to see Clare Smyth (and other chefs) as the chef that she truly is... not a robot cooking Ramsay's food. re: the boil in the bag + bought in fish cake fiasco. I honestly think it is blown out of proportion, but at the same time it really is pot calling the kettle black for GR especially as frequently appears on TV (Kitchen Nightmares in particular) chastising restaurants if they don't prepare everything on site. And before the whole scandal broke out, I was reading my copy of Olive where he proudly stated how he despised pre-prepped food and how it was so easy to make a simple fresh stir fry. Oh and if you were watching GBM yesterday, Clare was giving Danny a hard time re: his sous vide beef shins... So in short, less Gordon Ramsays, more Phil Howards. Kang, I disagree – I think that what Britain needs is LESS Gordon Ramsays. Food is a personal thing – it should be about the chef expressing himself, giving his own identity to his food. As you pointed out, Ramsay never ever cooks at his restaurants. Geez.. even his cookbooks are partly written by Mark Sergeant (speaking of… he is going to be at Waterstones Piccadilly at 12.30 pm signing some books although I honestly think he should instead head to his Chelsea restaurant and do some cooking)

The whole Gordon Ramsay empire however is all about profit within a rigid business model. Ramsay, like Robuchon and Ducasse, have obviously figured out a formula to churn out Michelin stars wherever they decide to open restaurants with sometimes some very average food. The whole GR experience feels very much like you are being processed – with table turnover times even at some of his higher end restaurants. If I want fast-food, I go to McD’s.

Take for example Jason Atherton’s Maze which was highly successful. GR decided to milk the cash cow by opening a branch in Prague although the food was nothing like the food Atherton produces. Not surprisingly the restaurant bummed badly and he has since sold it. Similarly, his other branches in Hollywood and Paris also struggled badly.

Also many critics have stated that were it not for being part of the GR restaurant family, chefs like Mark Sergeant and Angela Hartnett would not hold a Michelin star in their own right. Read what you want of that, but it does give food for thought. What about Clare Smyth (head chef of the 3* Royal Hospital Road) – how much creative input does she have? Above her is GR who is chef patron and Mark Askew who is executive chef. Even on the GBM, one of the dishes that she produced (lobster, potato, caviar) was demonstrated by the potty mouth one on Hell’s Kitchen previously. I want to see Clare Smyth (and other chefs) as the chef that she truly is… not a robot cooking Ramsay’s food.

re: the boil in the bag + bought in fish cake fiasco. I honestly think it is blown out of proportion, but at the same time it really is pot calling the kettle black for GR especially as frequently appears on TV (Kitchen Nightmares in particular) chastising restaurants if they don’t prepare everything on site. And before the whole scandal broke out, I was reading my copy of Olive where he proudly stated how he despised pre-prepped food and how it was so easy to make a simple fresh stir fry. Oh and if you were watching GBM yesterday, Clare was giving Danny a hard time re: his sous vide beef shins…

So in short, less Gordon Ramsays, more Phil Howards.

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