[UPDATE: Pierre Koffman is extending its run from 1st Nov to 27th Nov 2009]

I never had the pleasure to dine at La Tante Claire, the Chelsea based establishment which started in ’77 before moving to the Berkerley Hotel in ’98 where it stayed until its swansong in 2002. In that time, Pierre Koffman brought glory to trotters and had captured the highest accolade of the culinary world – the coveted three Michelin stars. Of course much of this is a bedtime story to me, taking place before my gastronomical awakening so to speak. Pierre had left behind a legion of hungry followers, for those who remember their LTC experiences can only heap high praise toward Koffman’s genius. And now Koffman has come out of retirement – albeit temporarily – with a pop-up restaurant on the rooftop of Oxford Street’s most famous department store. Originally a six day event to coincide with London restaurant festival, the response has of course been overwhelming and he is extending the already sold out spectacle till the end of October.

Since popping up, there has been a flood of internet buzz building around it. Those stuffed trotters are no longer just urban legend, for a fleeting moment in time, you could taste the Koffman genius once more. Given the occasion, I’d imagine many of the gastro fanatical would be in attendance. Along with my partners in crime Athos, Porthos & Aramis – we made reservations for a Monday evening.

From a dedicated lift (by Chanel in the perfumery department on the ground floor), I jetted up to meet the musketeers who were already seated at the propped up rooftop. Upon arrival, I noted the makeshift cream coloured tent and scanned the duotone decor: black bowler hats lining the white walls, black chairs on white table cloths, coloured by the antler-like light fittings casting a brown tint on the entire venue. The dapper scenery amusingly brought out the ten year old in me as I gave my dining partners two bigs thumbs up as I arrived. Perhaps it was the exclusivity, but we were delightfully buzzing out of our skin even when we were presented with the set menu with a £75 price tag hung around it. We kicked off by washing down our inevitable financial setback with a round of cocktails.

Amuse bouche was Pig’s head and celeriac remoulade. A mellow truffle infusion. We agreed to try a different dish from the menu in an effort to sample everything. This one was all about rejoicing ‘stead of reprimanding.

My starters was a game pie (I forget the posh name for it), a buttery yet crisp pastry and an almost pate like stuffing. Basic as it was, but very well executed. The rest of the starters all look wonderful to me. We stole small portions from each of our plates and every spoonful brought out ear to ear smiles, especially Euwen’s lobster bisque – it was like slurping on puffy clouds, magically sourced with a special cloud sucking device.

As we finished the starters, we decided on a 06’ Pinot from Pillot which the sommelier described as being feminine, a little tannic at first but slowly became round and soft by the time our mains arrived, which is to say that they took a while.

Ah yes, first things first: the famed sweetbread stuffed trotters.

Pillowy & intense, I was slightly disappointed it didn’t taste more exciting but it did remind me of Chinese style hotpot trotters which exhibit similar qualities with regards to taste & texture.

My selection was roast cod.

Fish was perfectly cooked, intensely salted with a buttery smooth mash –it was damn good fish & mash but not show stopping.

On the other hand, after sampling a forkful of it – I was tempted to reach over to gobble up Euwen’s duck breasts which I thought was really delicious.

Accompanying the set menu were also the specials prepared by whoever the guest chef was on the night. Bruno Loubet was cooking during our service and I chose to finished my meal with his pear and chocolate mille feuille which came with an oozing chocolate centre and a deep dark chocolate ice cream on the side.

But again, I was envious of Euwen’s pistachio laden souffle and ice cream. We looked on as the waiter filled the heart of the souffle with the ice cream. I gave up on my mille feuille as I went all puppy dogs watching Euwen lap up his majestic pudding. Eventually, I tried a spoonful and decided to end my meal with that memory.

I think that there is very little I can add to the plethora of reviews already floating about and which have delivered a positive verdict so far. In the end, my experience was a good one, Claire – Pierre’s partner – and the rest of the staff made us all feel right at home. Food was mostly believable but I hardly think that it was three stars blow-your-mind-up great, nothing made me weep or sing. However to echo Euwen and Silverbrow’s sentiments, I really had fun and the chance to sample a meal by a past master was well worth the entrance fee. I was glad to see Chris again (we bump into each other alot, even though I no longer follow him on Twitter (yes handslap for yours truly) ), and I was also especially glad to see Tim Hayward and Silverbrow among the diners, though I was positively estatic when Jay Rayner sat down behind us. It was nice to see the flesh behind the words (Tim looks exactly like his twitter avatar, very cool beard) and in hindsight I wish I had mustered up the courage to have at least walked across and say hello.

Ah well, I’m a pretty shy guy, but I’m sure there will be a next time.

The Pierre Koffman Pop-up restaurant will be at the Selfridges Rooftop until 31st October 2009, dinner service is all booked up but lunch is probably still available, deets here.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Why not subscribe to my feed updates for free. Alternatively, You can subscribe via email.

I’m a real sucker for quirky things. I like eating in total darkness and I jumped at the chance to sample a mozzarella bar cheekily tucked away in the middle of the women’s clothes floor inside Selfridges. Before you pass judgement over the author – I’m not a bird watching freak – I’m really here to sample the finest Italian dairy delights.

A brief history of the white stuff

The word is Obika fly in the white stuff three times a week from Italy, ensuring total freshness and the highest quality. These guys are mozzarella purveyors of the highest order and claim to only supply the very best quality controlled (D.O.P. man) mozza from the best Italian Buffaloes. The food is pretty much as advertised – it’s a cafe/bar that serves mozzarella with other stuff on the side.

The cheese comes in four flavours in order of intensity: Paestum (deliciate), Pontina (stronger) , Smoked (very strong) , Stracciatella di Burrata ( sweet and creamy )  . After much deliberation with my very Italian waiter – he suggested I go stronger as it’s just strong enough to let you savour the flavour but still clean enough to taste totally pure.

Premium cheese at premium prices

I ordered my strong flavoured blob with only the finest parma ham on the side (£13) and a big bread basket (£1.75 pp). The cheese itself wasn’t particularly big, but it did come with quite alot of ham. Drum roll …. it wasn’t spectacular. It didn’t taste any better than the £3 sainsbury finest’s stuff of the same dairy family and yeah it did taste really fresh but not so dazzlingly good that I was jumping around. Maybe it’s because I’m a fan of brie which is the completely opposite style to the mozzarella. In place super stinkiness and ultra mushroomy creaminess, the mozzarella at obika is as fresh and tastes as pure as the most matured and stinky bries.

I was glad that the parma ham was sweet, nutty and jammed packed with flavour to help complement the flaccid cheese, otherwise it would have made for such a bland meal, I could have mistaken it for a reformed protein – sans seasonings.

At least there’s Gucci?

This will perhaps be my shortest review ever – because there’s really not much to talk about: the best mozzarellas are clean tasting, full stop. I think I probably should have tried the smoked stuff or the Stracciatella, maybe they would have raised an eyebrow or two – but the delicate stuff is just too bland for me and I just kept thinking how I could have easily prepared this myself and it would have only cost half the price (if not less). Plus a bottle of coke, the meal came to £20 – I was scratching my head as this was meant to be a quick (cheap) bite ,  £20 gets me a three course lunch at arbutus, a little top up gets me two courses at Robuchons and for very much less, it gets me a big bowl of fresh hand pulled noodles at Baozi Inn and I can get a cheese flight (plus wine) at the local cheese parlour for £14.

For sheer novelty factor – it’s not that novel, for great cheese – it’s abit unspectacular, for value, it’s astronomically expensive, but you do get a good view of designer brands.. if you’re into that sort of thing.

It does make for a great idea for a quick lunch at home though: Find a great local Italian grocery (Alimentari, Kilburn) , get a bag of baby spinach and get the finest parma ham in the food hall downstairs and set it up for an intimate valentine surprise (with candles).

The Gist of It.

Obika, official site
400 Oxford Street W1A 1AB +44 (0) 870 837 7377

Verdict: Good ingredients, but for £20: NO.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Why not subscribe to my feed updates for free. Alternatively,  You can subscribe via email.

The selfridges food hall is still a thing of wonder ladies and gentlemen. It’s been there for quite a while now -square pie I mean- and it’s continued to grow. Having said that, there are still only just six outlets to eat the pie which is so good, it’s square. I wonder why that is because the pies are affordable and taste really good. Maybe it’s because they are breaking too many rules. In addition to squaring the pie – they recommend you eat their pies with mash, mushy peas… and gravy.

Alright, alright, you want to see the pie don’t you?

Oh, that’s abit of a long shot, you want a close shot do you?

Before we zoom in, I was wondering if you were familiar with ‘unboxing pictures’ . Forgive me if I’m being patronising: whenever a new mac product gets released the whole web ( flikr and facebook rather ) starts clocking up bandwidth with lots and lots of pictures of customers uploading literally unboxing pictures of aforementioned brand spanking new mac product. Here is an example. They also tend to stick a ‘first impressions’ commentary on how much saliva has trickled since they opened their new toy.

I would like to apply those mechanics to this box.

The journey begins. I ordered steak and guinness on the meal deal, £6.99 with mushy peas , mash and plenty of gravy. Everything looks amazing upon opening the box, the steam rising from the food, the gravy smells hearty and warm. Great for winter.

Before I black out, I need a sip of my cappuccino since this pie is also breakfast for me as I’ve woken up too close to midday.

I can’t vouch for all branches, but the one at selfridges boasts monmouth company coffee, whom are the critically acclaim borough market coffee brewing masters. It’s obvious their coffee does not travel well ( even if it’s just a few miles from london bridge to bond street ) , mine tasted abit watered down if I’m being honest.

Alright, let’s take another look at that beauty from another angle….. ok I can’t resist anymore, I need to cut into it.

It’s excruciating, I’ll have you know. If you hadn’t noticed, all I’ve done is have a sip of my coffee and not taken a bite yet…. I’m starving, but I’m commited to my ‘craft’ … I need to get the ‘shot’.

In this case, the ‘shots’.

Here is proof that I’ve not touched anything yet. When I cut into the pie, the loving gravy poured out from the pie and I could see the steam rising from inside. Oh gosh, anybody seen Twilight yet? Remember that scene when Edward tries to kiss Bella and tells her to hold still because he’s afraid he might eat her because she smells so good. ( I’m not going to give it away, just go watch it, it’s funny )

Well that’s what I’m doing, I’m kissing the pie and trying hard not to eat it.

Folks, I’m going in….

Oh. So. Good. I love a great pie and this square thing is great. The steak cubes are chunky and soft, the pepper gunniess sauce/gravy is full of flavour and tantalisingly appetising. Most people don’t seem to understand mushy peas but I just love that stuff. It’s like a great mash, except it’s green and it’s more fibrous. The mash is chunky here. It’s not smooth, it’s not delicate, it’s chunky and full of potato-ey flavour and you know what – it’s damn good. It’s not haute cuisine here, it’s just a well cooked pie with full flavoured dollops on the side.

Ladies and gentlemen, it seems, we have come to the last bite. Before I finish of this little parcel of savoury goodness, I just want to say, this has been a good pie. Nay, a great pie. Yes it’s weird, it’s square afterall, and it’s got stuff on the side and you have to eat it with a knife and fork. This reminds me of the last time I ate a cornish pasty -with a knife and fork- in Pembroke with two blokes from Darlington; Ivan did say he will never understand us southern fairies.

And on that note. I hope you enjoyed this little ‘unboxing’ of a review.

Now go out and eat one.

The Gist of it

Square pie , Selfridges 400 Oxford Street W1A 1AB, 020 7318 2460
Closest tube is Bond Street tube station
£5 per pie , £6.99 meal deal with mash, gravy, mushy peas and the whole nine yards.
Verdict: Good things come in strange shapes, like a square.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Why not subscribe to my feed updates for free. Alternatively,  You can subscribe via email.