Portland (Restaurant) London, England, United Kingdom

Having a Michelin Guide of major European cities at home we had studied it and found Portland, which we thought would be a perfect and modern fit during our recent visit to London in July/August 2017. My fiancé and I reserved a table for Monday lunch in July 2017.

The restaurant opened in January 2015 and feels beautiful and inviting while offering modern British cuisine. The head chef is Merlin Labron-Johnson, who was only 24 then and had 9 months later earned a Michelin star.

As the name implies the restaurant is located on Great Portland Street with an unassuming shop front. We nearly overlooked it by ourselves. There were no obvious signs this is a Michelin stared restaurant, so by simply walking in front of the restaurant by chance one wouldn’t necessarily know.

The dining room was bright and understated with an open kitchen.

The lunch service wasn’t very busy. Our fellow diners were couples from thirty onwards.

We were warmly welcomed by James, the Maître d’. He was warm and friendly and had a lovely English accent – like Hugh Grant in “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

Having provided our dietary requirements during the booking process the staff was already aware of them. James told us we could pursue the whole menu, since none of the items we are allergic to had been used.

The lunch menu is a real steal in our opinion. 2 courses are priced at 34 GBP (ca. 38.40 Euro / ca. 43.90 USD) or 3 courses are 39 GBP (ca. 44.05 Euro / ca. 50.30 USD). It includes still or sparkling water, freshly baked sourdough bread, hand churned butter, coffee and petit fours.

We started off with a summer cocktail, the Japanese Garden with Monkey 47 Gin, Midori infused with Shiso, Yuzu and lime, which we loved.

The greeting from the kitchen [Amuse-bouche] – carrot and ricotta - arrived soon afterwards with the bottle of still water, the sourdough bread and the hand churned butter.

The carrot was sweet and crunchy. It went well with the saltiness and softness of the cheese.

The bread and especially combined with the butter were excellent.

Studying the menu we wanted to try the snacks. We were advised they aren’t suitable for sharing, so we had each our own portion.

It was very well worth it to pay 6 GBP (ca. 6.80 Euro / ca. 7.80 USD) per person.

It was a trio of crispy chicken skins, liver parfait, candied walnuts and Muscat grapes, smoked cod’s roe tartlet with young peas and Parmesan biscuit, grilled corn, gooseberries and black garlic jam.

They were delightful.

It was amazing how intense the flavors were.

Our absolute favorite were the chicken skins, but we would love to eat them all again. Superb!

We had decided on a three course meal. As a side dish we ordered the famous husbandry salad.

His starter was the Isle of Wight tomatoes, stracciatella, raspberries and Kombu. Mine was the mackerel, dill, yogurt and cucumber.

My fiancé’s dish followed the newest food trends. Isle of Wight tomatoes are some of the best in the country – they can be bought at a few London Farmer’s Markets - and stracciatella cheese has grown in importance too.

All two dishes were delicious.

His dish was colorful too.

The main courses were smoked Ricotta tortellini, Fava beans and preserved lemon and Cornish cod, Sutton Farm artichokes and Blue Potatoes.

The tortellini were light.

The fish was melt in the mouth and pairing up well with the potatoes and artichokes.

The husbandry salad was fantastic too with mixed leaves, candid walnuts and the citrus dressing.

Our desserts were green gooseberries, elderflower, meringue and puffed barley and strawberries, yogurt cake and cashew nut praline.

The combination was sometimes a bit unusual, but all was of a high standard and very tasty indeed.

The coffee came in individual cafetieres. It was very mild, subtle and smooth, together served with a miniature jug of milk.

The petit fours were sweet-savory muffins with courgette, walnut and rosemary. Again unusual, but seriously enjoyable and memorable at the same time.

The invoice was 120.38 GBP, ca. 136 Euro or ca. 155.20 USD.

We would return again, because the staff is very kind, the food is experimental, fresh and of high quality and the value outstanding in our opinion.


©2017

VAU Berlin, Germany

During my fiancé’s birthday travel in April 2016 we decided to have lunch at VAU. It has one Michelin star and is just off the Gendarmenmarkt, where the Franzoesiche Dom and Deutscher Dom are located, on Jaegerstrasse in the heart of Berlin, Germany.

It is in a quiet area and VAU has as a direct neighbor the Greek Embassy. The classic building has a vibrant color and a Mediterranean feel.

The interior was designed by Meinhard von Gerkan. He was also responsible for Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg, where we had lunch only a few days earlier. Please see our review.

There are some things both restaurants have in common: The chairs and the use of wood. Otherwise Le Canard Nouveau is understated and Japanese/Asian, while VAU is inspired by the sunnier climates of Southern Europe.

VAU is divided into two spaces. One at the back, which contains the most of the tables, and another, bright space where ca. 10 people can sit. The window is very large, and reminds us more of a show window of a shop which lets in lots of natural daylight.

Another reason was the personality of the chef Kolja Kleeberg. He is very creative - not only in the kitchen. He is a musician and actor as well.

The first thing, when entering, we encountered was the bar, which looked stylish and right out of the 1930s.

We were warmly welcomed and brought to our table near the window.

There was an elderly couple already enjoying their lunch. Later a group and a single business man arrived. The atmosphere was good and the staff made us immediately feel welcome and at home.

The table was covered with a white linen cloth and had a flower in a vase as decoration.

We were offered Seltzer water, which was included in the price of the lunch, and asked if we would like to have an aperitif. We checked if they had alcohol-free cocktails. The bartender came to us and asked if we wanted a classic or modern one. We decided for the latter. It was made with Matcha green tea, lime, grape juice and soda and was served in a Martini glass. We both loved it. The combination was just right, not too sweet and not too dry.

Next bread and salted butter were brought to our table which we enjoyed, a good start.

We chose from the lunch menu and decided on three courses. Our starters were roasted cod, onion tarte fine, rocket salad and anchovies and asparagus ceviche, elderberry, pomelo and watercress.

It was followed by crisp pike perch, spinach, brown butter, almonds and pink grapefruit and pink fried duck breast with wild broccoli and radicchio trevisano.

Desserts were Piedmont hazelnut cake with cream praline and sea buck thorn and Tarte Tartine with rum raisins and walnut.

My fiancé wanted to try the other non-alcoholic drink with orange juice and Sun-bitters. It came in a long ball glass and was decorated with skewered orange pieces. The "classic" was equally memorable as was the "modern" non-alcoholic cocktail we enjoyed earlier.

With the choice of our coffee, Cappuccino, which was also included in the meal, we received Canele, the same pastry as we had at the FG Restaurant in Rotterdam, The Netherlands earlier during our travels. Please see also our review for more.

The menu was well prepared, the flavors balanced and fitting to the ambience of the restaurant.

The invoice came in at 115 Euro / ca. 130 USD.

The service was attentive, warm and very well aware of our allergies and dislikes.

The lunch was delicious, of high standards and beautifully presented, beside this we enjoyed the location and service, plus the overall setting of the Restaurant VAU.

When in Berlin, we would eat here lunch or dinner again in our future.

©2016 

Purnell's Restaurant Birmingham, England, Uninted Kingdom

When planning our travel through the UK in October 2015 we wanted to have lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant in Birmingham. There were two choices for us we liked to pursue on this particular visit to the city: Purnell’s Restaurant or Adam’s. 

Purnell’s Restaurant was longer on our list, so we decided to reserve a table there.

 

Glynn Purnell was born in 1975 in Birmingham on a council estate, so Brummies are very proud of their “son”.

His first cooking experience was preparing meals for his siblings.

 

The building itself is unassuming and understated. Only a few signs with a big P on the wall indicate that Purnell’s Restaurant is located there.

The interior is totally different. It’s modern with a bar in the front and the dining room at the back with a colorful carpet and tapestry.

There is also a small window, allowing guests to spy on the chefs or vice versa.

When we entered we were warmly greeted, asked for our name and our coats were taken.

The table was ready and we were invited into the dining room.

 

It was already relatively full with a group of businessmen and women, couples and another small group.

The atmosphere was convivial, upscale and upbeat, all this matched the setting in harmony.

Our table had partial views into the kitchen. I sometimes had the luck to spot Glynn Purnell and his brigade.

We were asked if we would like to order some drinks before being presented with the menu.

I asked for an alcohol free cocktail and was re-assured that it was possible and no problem at all. My fiancé ordered a glass of Billcard Salmon Rose Champagne.

My mocktail was made with cranberry and pineapple juice and elderflower. It was very well balanced, not too sweet and not too bitter.

The Maître d’ commented on the Champagne and said rose was a good choice, because it had a more intense flavor.

We ordered from the three course lunch menu and had a bottle of still water with it.

The greetings from the kitchen were potato balls with curry mayonnaise from the Brummie Tapas menu.

They were tasty. The presentation was Asian inspired. The mayonnaise was served in an understated black stone dish. The potato balls were finger food. They came with two little white rolls on a white porcelain plate. We were advised by the waitress not to eat the white rolls, since they weren’t edible. We wondered what they were. We found out with the help of “magic”. Another waiter came with a pot of boiling water and dowsed the balls in it. They suddenly grew and turned into hand towels.

A fresh loaf of bread was served too. It was really delicious, one of the best we had in a longer time and again we were told by the Maître d’ that it had a good flavor.

Our first course was the Beetroot Escabeche. It was very enjoyable and colorful.

Our main meal was Brixham cod with pumpkin puree and carrots. This was one of the best fish dishes we had. It was pure melt in the mouth.

Originally we expected as dessert a macaroon, checking the online menu, but it had changed. Instead we had a chocolate banana cake with frozen yogurt. Normally I’m not a big fan of this, but this one was gooey, chocolaty with neither the banana nor the chocolate overpowering and very satisfying. The flavor was full on. The cake looked more like a tart.

As a dessert wine he ordered the Legacy of the Barossa from the Dandelion Vineyards with 30 year old Pedro Ximenez. He loved it. It was syrupy and sweet, but not cloyingly.

Later the Maître d’ had some more time to chat with us and wanted to know where we were from. He recommended we should visit Patrick Gilbaud, a two Michelin starred restaurant, or Rustic Stone by Dylan McGrath, when he heard we were from Ireland.

By now we have eaten at Rustic Stone, but not managed Patrick Gilbaud so far. We were very happy with his suggestions.

The staff is a great asset to the restaurant too, very caring, friendly, attentive and knowledgeable.

A visit to the bathrooms is unusual. You enter a totally different world. The floor is covered in jungle wall paper and there are birds tweeting in the background. There’s also a full view through a glass door to the kitchen. My fiancé was lucky and was greeted by the complete brigade.

Too soon it was time to pay and leave this memorable restaurant.

The bill came in at 120 GBP (ca. 152 Euro or ca. 170 USD).

We loved our lunch experience at Purnell’s. 

 

©2016

 

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland

Being under way in the city of Dublin, Ireland we were hungry and decided spontaneously to go to Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill on Dawson Street. Dawson Street is near Trinity College and just off Grafton Street.

We were arriving at a time when it was quiet, so getting a table without reservation wasn’t a problem, but we had to vacate it within 2 hours.

The restaurant is beautifully designed with monochrome colors in black and white, classic chandeliers, a huge flower arrangement and lots of photographs. Guests can also sit outside.

We were brought to our table inside and given the a la carte and value menu and the wine list. The value menu was attractively priced. A one course cost 16.95 Euro (ca. 19.10 USD), a two course is 21.95 Euro (ca. 24.70 USD) and a three course 26.95 Euro, ca. 35.35 USD.

After some discussion we ordered a large bottle of still Irish water. He had the three course, while I chose the 2 course menu.

Before our appetizers arrived we received a bread basket and butter.

He started with Bayonne Ham and melon, while I had the Caprese Salad.

The melon was juicy and the ham delicious.

The tomato – some of them were rarer like Baby Plum Tomatoes and Grape Tomatoes -, basil and mozzarella combination worked well.

His main course was Chicken Milanese, served with chips and a rocket / parmesan salad.

My grilled Sea Bass came with a large mixed salad and samphire.

We shared his dessert, a Valhrona chocolate and peanut butter cake with ice cream and biscuit crumbs. The only criticism would be about the crumbs. They didn’t necessarily enhance the dessert and could be left out. The thought behind it could have been, though, to add more texture or a decoration. Otherwise the cake and ice cream were decadent and moreish.

The whole meal was very enjoyable.

He had also a Chateaux Jolys dessert wine to round up the late lunch. He liked it and described part of the notes as apricot or peach and the wine as very light and refreshing.

The bill came in at 58.65 Euro (ca. 66 USD).

The staff was friendly and attentive.

We would return again based on the good experience.

©2015

Sanguine Brasserie @ The Oslo Opera House, Norway

After having completed our guided tour of the Oslo Opera House (See also review.) We went to Sanguine Brasserie at the Opera House, where we had reserved a table.

The design of the restaurant was understated with stunning views over floating artwork "She lies" and the Oslo Fjord.

Materials used were steel and glass.

The color scheme was white, while the orange flowers on each table added a nice contrast in red vases.

The Maître d' greeted us warmly and brought us to our table directly at the largest glass curtain in Scandinavia.

The cuisine served is modern, experimental and Norwegian. It changes with the seasons.

Checking with our waitress we found out the house Champagne is Taittinger. We took two glasses. Beside Champagne we ordered two small bottles of Acqua Panna, two Cappuccinos and two three course meals.

There are also a la carte and up to five course meal options available.

Our starters were Arctic Char with yellow cherry tomatoes and avocado mousse.

The char was very tender and the plate colorful.

Our next courses were different. He had the beef brisket with beetroot and Jerusalem Artichoke, while I had the baked hake with dill butter, potato mash and cabbage.

The beef brisket was melt in the mouth and was a perfect match with the beetroot and artichoke.

The fish was moist. I liked the combination of the soft mash and crunchy cabbage.

Our dessert was strawberry soup with cardamom ice cream, goats milk pudding and jelly.

It hit the right spot between tangy, spicy and sweet.

Everything was delicious, high quality and the correct portion size.

Special mention goes to the coffee cups. They have a groove on top of the handle and the coffee floods in. We thought it might not work, but the grip was extremely comfortable and we didn't burn ourselves.

All the staff was attentive and friendly.

The bill came in at 1438 NOK (ca. 170.32 Euro or ca. 190 USD).

When we are back in Oslo we would love to make a stop at the Sanguine Brasserie again.


©2015

The Kitchen Table @ The W Hotel Bangkok

Before going to Bangkok we planned also to try out The Kitchen Table at the W Hotel Bangkok.

Having good experiences with the W Istanbul, where we have stayed, and the W Hong Kong, where we stopped for a snack, we were looking forward to the sister property in Bangkok.

We were impressed by the grounds, the former Russian Embassy, which is now used for events, and the newly built tower containing the hotel.

The lobby was bright and modern and the lady of the gift shop was so nice to direct us to the elevators and the right floor.

The decor and design is stylish and contemporary. We liked it.

Unfortunately our dining experience wasn't exactly what we imagined.

We were warmly greeted and brought to our table. The restaurant was already buzzing.

Soon the menu arrived. There were a la carte choices or a two course or three course lunch with a soft drink included.

Having had two course options previously it meant for us either a starter/main course or main course/dessert combination.

Not so at the Kitchen Table. The waitress explained to us we had to order an appetizer and a main course or take the three course to have dessert.

In the end we decided to have the three course, even so we already knew we weren't that hungry. Thinking about it now, it would have been better to forgo the set menu completely and order a la carte.

We ended up with one mocktail (The Conscious), a mango juice, a large bottle of Voss water and two Sprite, one Caesar Salad, one paprika corn soup, two gnocchi in tomato sauce and goats cheese, one espresso tiramisu and a plum tart with vanilla ice cream.

The Caesar Salad, tiramisu and The Conscious were the best.

The salad was made with anchovies, which my better half and I love. It added a nice flavor to the salad.

My soup was good, but got a bit too one flavored after a few spoons. I was only able to taste the paprika.

The gnocchi were fresh, the sauce and the goats cheese tangy. Overall we were happy, but it was slightly too salty.

While his dessert was excellent, mine wasn't perfect. The plums and vanilla ice cream were in fact outstanding, but the tart crust was very hard and had been spiced with anise and wasn't what I really liked.

The staff was very friendly, efficient and concerned, because we couldn't finish our meal.

The price for the lunch was 1989 THB (ca. 46.60 Euro or 62.40 USD).

Considering our experience we wouldn't go back to The Kitchen Table for lunch, but instead go to the Woo Bar, enjoying cocktails and the dessert buffet instead, or enjoy coffee.

©2014