L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Official Site
13-15 West Street WC2H 9NE 0207 010 8600
Set Lunch £25 for three courses; Ala carte £expensive.

Photography is an addiction. The kit lens that comes packaged with a standard digital SLR is never enough, all it does is make you lust after the very best lenses either Nikon or Canon have in their arsenal. I am £400 poorer but oddly enough, feeling good about it. What better way to celebrate this than to lunch at the two Michelin starred, internationally hyped sensation that is L’atelier de Joel Robuchon.

Lunch munch.

As of writing, this is my fourth visit to a restaurant with two Michelin stars. A grand total of seven two star restaurants belong in London (as of 2009) including Alain Ducasse, Hibiscus, Le Gavroche, Marcus Wareing, Pied a Terre, the Capital and the Square. Not all will produce a stunning meal, most will hit a certain standard (as you’d expect) and all will burn a hole in your wallet.

Unless of course, if you’re here to sample the everyman £25 set lunch. I’ll be comparing my Robuchon experience with my visits to other multi-michelin star places, bearing in mind that this cut price meal really represents a preview of a full blown dinner experience. Besides, the head chef wasn’t even in the kitchen on the day.

Interactive Dining

I really wonder about marketing blurb and where it comes from, sometimes its so pretentious, it downright corny. I pulled this off the robuchon website regarding their concept:

“The philosophy of the counter where you dine at L’Atelier is one of interactivity. The eating counter surrounds the entire kitchen where the diners’ food is prepared. Robuchon utilises this format as a chef can actually gauge the reaction of his clients, and even converse with those regulars that wish to participate. In turn diners may watch their food being prepared by consummate professionals in the Japanese inspired lay out”

So it’s an exposed kitchen, and the chef can come up to you and stare you down – if you play with your food – or in my case, stare me down while I photograph my (his) dishes.

The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. The sleek black marble is accompanied by plush red linings, the branding is both memorable and exciting. There is even a whole wall panel of leaves and it looks real, if indeed it is real. With the usual chic chillout music tracks playing in the background, one does feel as if he’s dining out at the capital’s latest and greatest.

Robuchon features table-cloth free high tables and high stools, though I was happy that front of house chose to sit us in the counter area with full view of the exposed kitchen. The bar setting is now adopted by newer restaurants in the city, though, watching the kitchen do its magic is still a wonder to behold, especially a two Michelin starred one.

Starters

On to the food then. The set lunch is £25 for three courses and £19 for two; both my brother and I went for three courses. We did consider the ala carte menu, which looks to me like it’s French inspired Italian/Spanish fusion what with the small dishes to share, each hovering the £15-20 mark. Ouch.

In the end we decided the hefty price tag was just a little outside of our budget, for now.

Le Petit Pois. Pea soup with crusty croutons.

My brother’s first course was a warm plate of pea soup – an underused ingredient – and superlatively incorporated in this dish. The loving mix was milky and creamy with fine graininess and it tasted not unlike a creamy vanilla infused honeydew milkshake. The bubbly soup was umami rich and the concentrated pea flavours amounted to good body in the soup. A clinical dish, very tasty and it suitably opened up appetite.

Les Asperges. Warm white asparagus with french dressing.

Apparently, its in season. I really liked the vinaigrette the delicately cooked asparagus was served with. Bursting citrus flavours against a backdrop of garlic and pepper, it provided for a tender sizzling sensation. Like the pea soup, it wasn’t anything particularly creative, rather it was just juicy vegetables, but very well done.

Mains

I probably should mention that the bread was fantastic but even more so was the heavenly butter which it was served with. It was the salted variety, and it carried a refreshing creamy hit.

Le Saumon D’ecosse. Salmon, spiced honey and curry polenta.

The salmon was cooked well done, I appreciated the oily yet crispy fried salmon skin, though I would have preferred this one just slightly undercooked. It didn’t taste like it was seasoned, a little bland, and really, nothing special about it. On the other hand, the curry polenta it came with was very, very good. In fact, it was so good, we initially thought it was a dollop of smooth scrambled eggs. Just lightly infused with curry, it had nicely rounded aromatic cumin flavours. The highlight was the richness of the mixture and the creamy fine grain was a real treat. Amazing polenta, but with so-so salmon.

L’Onglet. Steak tartar with baby potatoes.

Some of you might get feel a little squeamish with tartar, essentially an uncooked mince beef burger, though, I love steak tartar (I like my food just alittle too raw..). Anyway, the mince was grounded down a fine grain, so the texture was very smooth indeed. The typical shallot-caper-pepper flavours were noticeable, and appetising; I also detected zingy heat on the palette as well – perhaps down to a few drips of tabasco sauce. Technically speaking, it’s a perfect tartar, just like the ones you would have in Paris or Belgium, but I guess that almost means that it’s nothing spectacular either. Thankfully, much like the polenta, the potatoes and beans on the side were superiorly cooked. Salty, toasty and full of roastness – the warmth from the vegetables was a perfect contrast to the smooth steak paste. A seemingly simple dish, well executed. The tartar was so smooth, it was spreadable on bread and I thoroughly enjoyed this as a light lunch.

This is just a preview, no?

Pudding du jour was a rather imposing looking chocolate tart, with gooey chocolate sauce smothered over it, served with a rum sorbet of sorts on the side. Sadly, the ganache underneath the sauce was much too dry, so much so, it took several swipes of the fork to finally cut a piece out, which by then looked as if Hannibal Lecter had a go at it. Oh, and it tasted pretty dry as well, and the rum sorbet was much like frozen flavoured water; looked great but sadly the pudding didnt show up. I opted to finish with a slither of Brie de Meaux served with a cranberry compote on the side. The cheese was so well matured, I could taste a mushroom explosion, and my brother nearly fainted as I told him that – very smelly, indeed. A good sign I’m sure.

This was a favourable experience. It was pretty clear that this set menu was a cut down version of its fancy ala carte; the dishes were simple, straightforward and classic recipes, nothing particularly outstanding. My first reaction: underwhelming. Being a two michelin starred restaurant, there was nothing spectacular in the set menu to suggest its heady reputation. To its credit though, I actually enjoyed this set lunch, which was simple, classical food, but very well executed.

A light lunch that did the trick, without resorting to tricks. If this were a meal at a ‘normal’ restaurant, I would have been singing louder praises, but being a two star place, one expects extra-special even if it’s just the set. I was rather curious as to why there was an obvious lack of freebies. Comparing contemporaries: The similarly priced Hibiscus set lunch was awe-inspiring, with two amuse bouches and some of his signature stuff as one of the courses. Marcus Wareing offers his £35 set with his famed egg custard pudding, complete with two in between amuse bouches and petit fours for you to take home. So in comparison, Robuchon is clearly none too bothered with the budget fine dining market. Clearly, the set menu pales in comparison with the ala carte, so much so, that I get the feeling the set menu is much like a herald to get diners to throw money at his ala carte. Hmm, not a nice feeling.

In closing, this review really, is more of a preview (maybe I should start doing previews…) because it’s no way an accurate representation of a true Robuchon experience (for the purists among you), hence I will need to revisit to get more bang. Shame I’ve already spent most of the buck on my camera…

The Gist of It.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Official Site
13-15 West Street WC2H 9NE 0207 010 8600
Set Lunch £25 for three courses; Ala carte £expensive.

Verdict: Robuchon is a signature name, so you can’t go wrong. Its a solid set lunch for the money, although, for the money there are significantly better budget fine dining lunches around.

National Geographic Pincho Cafe official site
83-97 Regent Street W1B 4E1 0207 0256960
Pinchos £4 each

Pinchos: Spanish inspired small dishes that allow for instant gratification….oh wait isn’t that otherwise known as Tapas?

An invite to try the cafe at the brand new National Geographic store in Regent steet; folks, the window light was brilliant and I brought my best camera lens. Can I interest you visual feast?

I am a Photographer

There is something special about photo galleries. It means even more when its a commission of the National Geographic society. To me, a photograph is like a window to another reality completely frozen in time with the soul, the temperament and the moment captured. Natgeo photographs are almost always breathtaking, one can only aspire to perfect composition – oh will I ever take photographs with such grandeur, I wonder.

On the other side of the ground floor gallery is the café area. I’ve always been curious since it looks like quite a relaxing area, but never really got the chance for a sit down – its almost always packed out on weekends, whenever I’m viewing the galleries.

Yes, I jumped around abit when I got the invite to try it.

As I alluded to earlier, the café serves tapas style small dishes, brandishing them with a new moniker but still small dishes nonetheless. I must admit, I initially approached the café thinking it was yet another well-oiled franchise machine serving up signature panini-cappuccino sets…. Oh how wrong was I.

This is interesting: Chef Miguel Espinosa is a true Pincho Chef and he was pinched from ‘Café Rioja’, located in the Spanish town of Calahorra in the La Rioja region, which of course is famed for its wines. At risk of coming across as a yuppie, I must say I’m impressed with Natgeo’s manpower sourcing.

Right on to the food.

iberico

By the way, I love Spanish food – it is my most favourite cuisine, I love the rustic qualities, the octopus, the rich vibrant flavours, the potatoes, the paprika, and above all I love Spanish ham.

Spanish selection, Jamon Iberico, Lomo, Chorizo, Salchichon £11

We started with a selection of iberico hams, served with breadsticks from the charcuterie and it was excellent. The most critical item on the platter was of course the Jamon Iberico. I believe they are sourcing quite high quality stuff, perhaps closer to 12/18 month but it certainly was not the 36 month variety as it didn’t quite exhibit the nutty, silky and superior sweet flavours. I would be surprised if they did, considering this platter was laid on for £11. For the price, it was definitely a robust selection of Spanish hams. Not quite Brindisa standards, but still surprisingly pleasing. Off to a good start then.

Shiver me Tuna

I should take this opportunity to talk abit about the setting. The first impressions are that of a really comfortable cafe. It is helped by the huge windows letting in gorgeous light (on a good day) and the black painted interior provides a sort of calming contrast to the busy streets outside. Plus its got high ceilings. Being a Natgeo store, you’d expect all sorts of interesting dangling bits and it evokes that feel of a diverse multicultural cafe. I did feel like I was on the set of the next Indiana Jones movie, with a fedora, reliving my childhood explorer fantasies. Whip!

Seared Tuna served on a bed of wild rocket and tomato with balsamic glaze £5

A simply refreshing dish served with a tangy rocket salad, the pan-fried asparagus was welcoming. While the tuna was nicely seared, it was cooked to the core. Personally, I think that tuna should almost always be served medium, it’s juicier and the raw centre gives it a nice bounce in texture. Overall, a nicely executed dish, they weren’t kidding about small portions either, this one was miniscule.

 
Artichoke and Ham Cake £6

The next thing we tried was off the specials menu, and something a little more inventive, in the form of an interesting savoury cake. Apprehension was quickly erased as I found this dish quite eye opening. Surprisingly moist and juicy on the palette, with a creamy and fragrant texture – the hearty artichoke flavours blended beautifully with the ham, giving way to a comforting finish. A savoury cake shouldn’t taste good, but this one dazzled the senses. Very well done, and I appreciated the simplicity of the dish.

Mini Wagyus

Legend has it that Kobe beef tastes great because a) the cattle drinks a lot of beer b) they bath them in sake c) they laze around, a lot. And so whenever I see Wagyu anything on the menu, it’s a must-order, though in this country, Wagyu beef is likely to have been air flown from Australia rather than Japan.

Wagyu mini burgers with caramelised onion and crispy chip £8.50

Yeah, I once had Byron’s mini burgers (which I believe is now a kids choice menu item) and it was utterly disappointing. I think that burgers are one of these things you just can’t shrink. Maybe its just psychology in the lack of satisfaction when chewing down a penny sized burger, though I think it loses juiciness in the process of frying such a small piece of meat.

Anyway, the wagyu burgers were quite abit bland. The sweet caramelised onion was alittle overpowering against the (lack of) beef, and I just didn’t taste any beefy flavours coming through at all.

Chocolate Ravioli

Ravioli of Cardon (Thistle) drizzled with Chocolate £4

Ravioli Chocolate immediately stood out for me, I just had to order it, this one was again, surprisingly good. It was much like a warm and savoury rice pudding with a bursting of juices from the cardon. The chocolate sauce did not overpower, and this rather curious looking dish tasted much better than it looked.

Pinchos, the new Tapas?

At the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food at a store cafe. The simplicity of the recipes were indeed refreshing and the balance of flavours were inviting and appetising. Coupled with some rather unique ideas, on the whole, Chef Miguel’s adaptation of the pinchos concept is successful. Price wise, it’s certainly pleasing to see the small dishes hover the £4, albeit they are tiny, I would not attempt a dinner here (if indeed it’s open for dinner..) but as a relaxing cafe to grab a small bite – it ticks all the right boxes in that respect. The only howler were the mini wagyu burgers, which – respectfully – I didn’t quite agree with, but everything else sizzled with serious intent. It’s not going to mount a serious challenge agaisnt say, Barrafina, but its nearly half the price, food is almost as good and the atmosphere is cool in a very hectic central London. The last dish of the day was £3.50 worth of mini Japanese azuki bean pancake, yeah its sweet and I found the cream overkill amusing rather than tasty, still at £3.50, its cheaper than a scone at Sketch. It did not detract from the overall experience, which was definitely a positive one.

The next time you visit the Natgeo gallery, don’t be afraid to give the pincho cafe a try, you should be pleasantly surprised.

The Gist of It.

National Geographic Pincho Cafe official site
83-97 Regent Street W1B 4E1 0207 0256960
Pinchos £4 each
Verdict: Good food, relaxing atmosphere and its in a skillfully decorated Natgeo store with lots of things to see.

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After a long morning staring at that spreadsheet or coming out from yet another mind numbing meeting with the powers that be, you are greeted by yet more paper pushing. You are very much looking forward to a quiet lunch at your desk, to double check those numbers perhaps and maybe steal a quick minute to catch a daily dose of your favourite foodblog updates. For some apparent reason, you have landed upon this site and are five seconds away (from getting frustrated by my reminder of yet another morning in the bland and soulless climb up the corporate ladder) from hitting Google on your bookmarks…

Wait.

I’m about to give you ten reasons why you should keep reading this.

A Prelude

Today, one of my entries made it to Tastespotting and I’m tearfully proud. To see my sushi platter( well technically, its sushi hiro’s platter) among all the delicious photographs filled me with a sense of achievement.

Cue fist waving.

If you hadn’t noticed, I am still a learner of the great art of food pornography photography porntography. Though I don’t have a studio and rarely shoot in controlled situations, I do go hand-held when in search of that dish. I may have cast London Eater as a restaurant reviewer but hiding behind that moniker is my true intention to celebrate food. Like the graceful spring wind reproduced ever so beautifully by the genius of Lang Lang, I want to use my best abilities to paint a flowing portrait of the culinary excitements I come across so often in the city I live in. Words only do so much because they cannot fully capture the essence, the soul and all the passion & life which has been so lovingly poured into a recipe. That is why we foodies supplement our gastronomic disquisition with portraits.

As I said, I am but a mere mortal in the magnificently colourful world of food and like you, grasping my usual ham & boiled egg baguette firmly in hand, I push that mouse ever so gently to revel in the (digital) grace of the food pornotography gods….

Ready?

TasteSpotting

Sarah the tastespotter accepts food photo submissions from anywhere and everywhere. Think of it as a greatest hits album which gets updated on a rolling basis. If all you ever want to do is feel hungry while websurfing then TasteSpotting might be the spot for you.

James Starmer – Food

If ever there was a foodblog where I could feel comforted and lazy. Starmer is daringly clean and his pictures are as sumptiously breezy as his posts. Make your favourite brew and settle down for a lazy afternoon with James Starmer.

delicious days

delicious days has won the adulation of the blogosphere and the traditional press in the three years it has been live. Maintained by Nicky who (simply) loves to cook. This gem of a foodsite is featured in Time magazine’s top 50 coolest. Trust me, you’ll like this one. Certainly made my days delicious indeed.

eatshow&tell

I love Sydney. Its beautiful harbour is matched by the myriad of excellent restaurants dotted across the urban jungle. There is nothing in London that comes close to the freshness of Makoto Sushi and I am delighted that Howard and co have decided to eat show & tell us all about the greatest eateries from the land down under and from a site design so crisp you want to literally lick it clean. Oh, did I mention the pictures? They’re awesome.

Zesty cook

Macro, high contrast, rich colours and just intense. Cory the Zesty cook is stylistically refreshing, each of his posts almost aims to saturate your screen with amped goodness supported by robust recipes and  photographic step-by-steps so that you watch, and learn.

IDEAS IN FOOD

The imaginative experiments in the kitchen of chefs Aki and Alex make for a refreshing read as I am constantly blown away by their latest creations. If you are searching for inspiration and some Ideas in food , scroll down, keep your eyes on the right side bar till you hit photo albums and then be prepared to feast your eyes…

Still Life With…

Still life with… is dedicated to food styling and photography. The photos are naturally a cut above and L frequently mixes her food with a dash of photographic tips. If you want to learn about how the pros do it then make a date with still life…  

smittenkitchen

I could sit at my computer all day and read every single post at smittenkitchen.com , rustic recipes with photos that seemingly capture the lovely creations in the smitten kitchen. If I had to pick one , this would be it.

Baking and Books

Ari’s personal collection of past times is literally one of the sweetest foodblogs you will find around the web. Becoming exclusively vegetarian since June ’07, her collection of recipes will have you sniffing out for freshly baked cookies even if it’s just words & pictures leaving your sensing tingling.

Scrumptious Photography

Last but by no means least, to round off this list perfectly is Kim’s scrumptious photography which is simply about food, photography, food photography.. and well, you get the picture.

Before you go

I hope you find this list an interesting read. I’ve only been more than delighted to pass on some of the most delicious food pictorials around the web and I do hope they bring a smile to your face as it does mine. Well, that’s my take – now it’s your turn, what’s your favourite food photo site?  

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