Tag: UK
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RESTAURANT REVIEW | Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, at The Halkin Hotel.
The restaurant is situated in Belgravia’s Halkin hotel. The Halkin is one of the hotels belonging to the prestigious COMO group (boasting utter gorgeousness globally).
The “Arzak Instruction” was established by a team of five from Arzak restaurant (who hold three Michelin stars) to deliver the philosophies of a unique and unforgettable cooking style to the Ametsa (currently holding one Michelin star).Rooted in the traditions of ‘New Basque Cuisine’, pairing earthy flavours and techniques of Spain’s Basque region with modern, surprising twists. Fresh, locally-sourced and organic produce from land and sea are Ametsa’s building blocks.
I really recommend you opt for the tasting menu to sample a little of everything that the creative and flavour geniuses have to offer. The tasting menu (£105 pp / £154pp with wine pairing) will have you and your table ooh-ing, ahh-ing with at every dish and with every mouthful inducing your eyes to roll in the back of your head. This is beyond food porn- harnessing invention, elements of nostalgia, exploration and of course, a bit of drama.
To start, a little amuse bouche in the form of a tomato and strawberry chilled soup, served in a shot glass- as tempting as it is to down in one from something in a shot glass, please don’t, far too pretty and tasty to be over so quickly.
The Onion Rock with Marinated Anchovie for me was one of the most visually enchanting dishes, and as an appetizer really does set the tone for the continuing flawless presentation and intricate skill applied to each dish. The “rock” element appearing bizarre in black and tasting like mellow yellow onions, with a coiled anchovie atop soft, silky- exquisite textures against one another.
The Sunflower Seed Cracker with Duck was something like the finest version of a pate on toast, even the crackers appeared to have some form of architecture to them.
A little fruity “pasta” parcel containing the Chistorra – a sweet chorizo-type sausage meat was light and mousse-like leaving you with a tangy tongue.
Scallops at Home- for me this was one of the highlights of the highlights. Served with a seaweed cracker with tiny edible flowers filling its crevices, again the attention to detail is transcendent, and the dish also flashed a nod to the realm of “superfoods” coming with a sweet creamy goji berry sauce. I don’t think a dish has ever made me smile the way that this one did.
The Langoustine on a Bed of Lichens- for me on paper does not conjour any feelings of excitement, especially as a lichen can also mean a skin ailment. However upon delivery of the dish, the langoustine with only its fleshiest of fleshy part (no ugly whole headed aliens on the plate), served with a perched cracker made with crab looking something like a Philip Treacy hat- sweet & stunning.
When you book for the tasting menu, your table is likely to receive different plates / menus from one another when you get the fish and meat section. This was great as we really did get to try a bit of everything, and sharing is definitely caring here.A little minx of a dish, the seductive and smoky Tuna with Cinnamon arrives in all its pinky handsomeness with a glass dome atop the plate encompassing a cinnamon myst. The dome is lifted and savoury woody aromas surround you. The table is also presented with a smoking cinnamon stick- sensory explosion.
For my friend dining, her highlight was the Red Emperor with Beans, with the fish (snapper) cooked ridiculously well and an earthy well seasoned white bean sauce. The plate was decorated with more edible flowers, this really was a regal winner.
The Suckling Pig on Carob Crumbs was a hunky platform of pork with some cracking crackling. An amazing bit of meat, but I did find the dish as a whole far too rich for my palette at this point of the meal. Also I have always had an aversion to anything carob. But as we had been served different meat dishes, it gave us the opportunity to share.
The Beef Fillet with Green Tomato, was another outstanding dish, the meat served as it should be medium-rare, with a light green tomato mousse encompassing the essence of everything fresh. Its flavour can only be described as clean and green. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it and would have quite happily been served the mousse on it’s own.
Before we were served dessert, a little delight came along in the form of a shot glass containing flavour elements of sangria (peel, berry etc), with popping candy. Topped up at the table with Sangria you then delve in with a spoon. I really liked this idea, it brought another fun element and also a little nod to childhood via popping candy. My friend didn’t get on with the Sangria shot and within minutes an alternative had been sent out in the form of homemade gelato which was very well received. All your needs are catered for here.
Clove Custard, Toasted Milk and Pineapple Ice Cream – utterly aromatic and warming flavours making the cooling, light ice cream an intriguing, clever, and undeniably moreish dish. The toasted milk shards (much like a thin wafer) were crisp and reminded me of the chocolate Caramac’s flavour, delicious against the piquant pineapple ice cream.
The service, much like its food is absolute. A flawless stream of perfectly timed new dishes to the table and topping up / changing of the wines to pair each plate. The service does feel orchestrated, and I have seen others refer to it as robotic. However, the tasting menu is a show and I can only applaud these masters of precision and perfection.
It’s worth mentioning Ametsa with Arzak Instruction also offer a set lunchtime menu for £27.50.
Reviewed by @LohanJordanADDRESS: 5-6 Halkin St, London SW1X 7DJPHONE: 020 7333 1234PRICE: £££££ (explained)
STAR RATING: ***** (explained)
TIPPING POLICY: http://www.comohotels.com/thehalkin/dining/ametsa-arzak-instruction/reservations
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Man “Exposes” Himself Before Shouting Homophobic Slurs At Passenger
The police are hunting a man who exposed his penis to another man before hurling homophobic abuse from an incident that happened in April.
British Transport Police officers have releaed an image of a man they wish to speak to following a sexual incident at London Bridge Underground station on the 10th April 2015.
According to the BTP the man approached the tail end of the platform when he saw another man at the far end of the platform shouting homophobic language and exposing himself.The man redressed himself and boarded a southbound train.
Investigating officer PC Leslie Dunnett said:
“I’d like to speak to the man in the CCTV image as I believe he may have vital information which could help with the investigation. People have the right to travel on the rail network without being made to feel uncomfortable or intimidated.”
Anyone with any information should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text us on 61016 quoting crime reference number T-SUB/B2 of 17/11/15.”
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RESTAURANT REVIEWS: The Narrow, Limehouse
Cussy-Chops’s (Gordon Ramsay’s) hard graft has been decorated with numerous Michelin stars since 1993 – the Gordon Ramsay group currently own 25 restaurants globally.
For Cussy-Chops, running a nosh-house is much like Karl Lagerfeld designing a red-carpet dazzler – a natural. His top table, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road London, is one of only four eateries in the UK that currently hold three Michelin stars.
Last month THEGAYUK were invited to sample Ramsay’s culinary fare, minus reality-TV cameras, to see if there is ‘Hell’ in The Narrow Limehouse London’s ‘Kitchen’.
In 2007 The Narrow’s doors were first flung open, and it’s clear that was the last time the interior received any TLC. She’s neatly situated by the Thames – from the conservatory, your view to the left is the financial hub of London, and to the right, the Shard beams at you in all its phallic glory. Despite this sophisticated location, there’s a feeling that you could be visiting your great-grandma in her residential home – sun-bleached blue sofas and a complete lack of attempt to hide the B&Q-style window frames.
The gastro pub’s toilets matched the standard of a Wetherspoon’s during the World Cup. Cussy-Chops and his Kitchen Nightmare team should get back on the road and head to Limehouse and address his own flagging decor.
We were seated in the Nana’s glass-house and offered an apéritif – cocktails seemed appropriate.
Devil in Disguise: Leblon Cachaca, Green Chartreuse, Martini Bianco, white Cacao and lemon. A slight undercurrent similar to tequila with herby notes. In the description, the Devil boasts: Our creation to expose chocolate and lemon magnificent compatibility – hm. Got the lemon, maybe they overexposed the chocolate. Refreshing all the same.
Internacional: Bacardi Superior, apricot-infused Martini Rosso and Kümmel. If you could drink a Cuban version of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, this is what it would taste like. An original, heavily-scented imbibe that jabs with potency and flavours of cumin.
Good service in a Ramsay gaff is like buff, topless bar staff at Ku Bar – totally expected. We weren’t disappointed. NoF Words passed our lips – the staff were knowledgeable and treated us as if we were regulars.
To oil the food devouring, our waiter chose a bottle of Gouguenheim Valle Escondido Malbec, Mendoza 2014, from Argentina. A deep red, rich and forceful number – aromas of currants chocolate and cherries with a lasting finish. Malbec-n-marvellous.
To start, from the specials’ board: goat’s cheese and spinach ravioli. Al dente and piping hot – the goat cheese’s strong flavour didn’t overpower but gave a notable presence. Delicious.
Our other starter: Potted salt beef with apple, pickle and sourdough. Think pastrami minus the pepper. A decent pub potted meat.
For a Tuesday night, Gordon’s gaff was simmering with locals who’d come straight from the office or schlepped from their Limehouse pied-à-terres, giving the riverside eatery a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
For our mains: Wye Valley duck breast with port sauce, confit garlic and sautéed potatoes. The duck was succulent and pink in the middle, verging on the sweet side, beautifully mirrored by the rich sauce.
commendation: the 10oz Aberdeenshire ribeye with peppercorn sauce. Ribeye can be riddled with fat, thus spoiling the consumption. This was a quality cut of beef, tender and without a fat infestation. The sauce was light, not too creamy – the corns liquified on the tongue.
We shared a couple of sides: creamy spinach and rosemary hand-cut chips. The spinach was fluffy and the chips were crisp, but seemed to have detached themselves from the rosemary.
Belt loops by pud time were feeling the pressure – but we soldiered on.
We shared a banana sticky toffee pudding with Purbeck salted caramel ice cream and, from the specials, a vanilla creme brûlée. Our waiter, who had a slight touch of the Robert Downey Jr’s about him, urged us toward said sticky pud – we were jolly pleased he did. The velvety sponge brimmed with banana and flattered the premium south-west ice cream.
The brûlée slipped off the spoon like gazpacho – it wasn’t set. A good crunch to the head and the vanilla pulled through.
Finally, a couple of espresso martinis to aid our navigational system for the journey home – more ice-lolly than flat-white – lush.
Dear Cussy-Chops, take some spondoodles out of your ever-expanding bank account and spruce up The Narrow- one facelift and you’ll have yourself a pretty respectable gastro pub – just sayin.
REVIEWED BY: Thabian Sutherland
ADDRESS: 44 Narrow Street, London, E14 8DP
TELEPHONE: +44 (0) 207 592 7950
EMAIL: thenarrow@gordonramsay.com
WEBSITE: https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/the-narrow/
RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
PRICE: ££££ (explained)
Tipping Policy: A discretionary service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill.
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34 Per Cent Of Young Lesbian Gay And Bi People Tried To Commit Suicide Last Year
A new report from LGBT mental health charity PACE shows that 34 per cent of young LGB people have tried to commit suicide in the last year.
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RESTAURANT REVIEW | Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham
Last night, I went on a palatable trip to Spain with Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham, restaurant of which was started by the passionate and Spanish food enthusiast Omar Allibhoy.
Tapas Revolution has been around since 2010, with three existing restaurants in London, and now Tapas Revolution Birmingham has made a grand opening in the second city, and boy – what a gem it is!
Specialising in Spanish food, in particular Tapas – food that is prevalent in most regions of Spain where various dishes are displayed to share and sample at leisure, this restaurant combines tradition and modernity within a contemporary setting, with an oval-shaped bar where you can grab a sneaky dish, to a spacious dining area with view to the whole of Grand Central, adorned with quirky wooden features, that made you feel at Spanish home. In this space, we had a table to fit all of our Tapas choices.
I went along with my Spanish friend, who was slightly dubious about authentic Spanish food situated in Birmingham, but with a warm welcome from the service team, and a later introduction from Omar himself, we succumbed to the pleasant atmosphere. My partner’s face lit up as soon as he saw La Socarrada on the menu which is a beer renowned for its rosemary and honey tones, but it was a close match between that beer or the ‘er Boquerón’ famous for using sea water during the brewing process, so after all this, I knew he had been won over.
We ordered few Tapas, all of which were priced below the £6.00 mark, and in fact all Tapas come under this price, which makes it flexible to have fun and be unashamedly creative when choosing different combinations. We went for: Torreznos con mojo dulce (crispy belly pork, with spicy sauce), Croquetas de Bacalao (béchamel croquettes with deep-fried cod), Pulpo a la Gallega (steamed octopus with paprika potatoes) and Patatas Bravas (deep-fried potatoes with spicy tomato and alioli). All dishes were sublime and tickled the taste buds: the winner for me was the crispy belly pork in spicy sauce which was perfectly cooked and seasoned to the point of being able to order five dishes of Torreznos.
When our Tapas arrived, we were greeted by the friendly and bubbly Omar who took pride in asking us about our thoughts and took time to share his story of how Tapas Revolution came about. The most surprising fact learned was that Tapas Revolution is the only restaurant in Grand Central to have cooks start at 6am to have the finest food prepared and made for the opening time.
I was so impressed with the whole experience, from the atmosphere, the service, and was extremely inspired by the Omar’s hard-work and dedication to his restaurant, as he told me that he comes up and down on a weekly basis to cook, manage and serve Tapas to the highest standard and at a very modest price.
I am already forcing my colleagues to go and visit, and picking dates on my diary to go back!
Reviewed by: Alex Da Silva | @AlexMDaSilva
Address: Tapas Revolution –Grand Central, 68A East Mews, Birmingham, B2 4XJ
Website: http://www.tapasrevolution.com
Star Rating: *****
Cost Rating: ££
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34 Per Cent Of Young Lesbian Gay And Bi People Tried To Commit Suicide Last Year
A new report from LGBT mental health charity PACE shows that 34 per cent of young LGB people have tried to commit suicide in the last year.
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G-A-Y Club To Hold One Minute Silence For Paris Victims Before Show Tonight
One of the UK’s biggest gay clubs, G-A-Y at Heaven will hold a one minute’s silence before its show tonight.
G-A-Y boss, Jeremy Joseph tweeted that a decision had been made to show “respect” to victims of a terror attack in Paris yesterday by holding a minute’s silence before tonight’s show starring Fleur East and Seann Miley Moore.
The French capital of Paris was the scene of chaos last night as 8 reported terrorist members of ISIS killed scores of people and injuring at least 100.In a chilling statement where the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the atrocity, the Bataclan concert hall, where nearly 90 people were killed, was chosen specifically because “hundreds of idolaters were together in a party of perversity”.Islamic State have stepped up their executions of gay men, or men accused of being gay in 2015 in the regions in which they are in control. In the past ISIS has branded gay people ‘the worst of all creatures’.In a flash poll 43% of our readers said that the terror attacks on Paris made them worried about going out socially, raising questions about whether LGBT venues are safe from terror attacks both in Europe and in the UK.THEGAYUK reached out for comment from Mr Joseph on whether extra security measures would be taken.Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for counter terrorism, said:“We have been strengthening policing on the street. People may notice some changes at events at big cities across the country.
“We will constantly keep that under review in the forthcoming days and weeks but we can’t let the terrorists defeat us by becoming fearful and withdrawing from the streets.
“The term I would use is ‘to be alert, not alarmed’.
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LGBT Helpline Distances Itself From Gossip Journalist Dan Wootton
The recently re-branded Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline has sought to distance itself from journalist Dan Wootton after “odious” Hollywood HIV article.
© ITV Photographer: Tony Ward The UK’s largest helpline for the LGBT community “mutually” ended Dan Wootton’s patronage of the charity back in June but after an article in which he alleges a Hollywood actor has HIV was heavily criticised for it’s “scaremongering” language and taking reportage of HIV back to the 80s, has sought to distance itself from the controversial writer.
Dan Wootton, 32, who writes for The Sun and is the showbiz reporter for Lorraine on ITV alleges that an unnamed Hollywood actor has HIV and insinuates that he has “a host of high-profile sexual partners”, which includes “an award-winning actress, a religious movie star, a top Hollywood personality with a controversial past, a TV star, a media personality and a glamour model.”
A statement released by the Helpline charity reads,“Switchboard brought Dan Wootton on as a Patron during our re-brand in June 2015 to provide media support. Following the re-brand we mutually agreed to end our relationship and Dan has had no involvement with Switchboard since that time.”
Daniel Browne, the founder of LGBT charity Push Projects, writing for THEGAYUK, called Wooton’s reportage “odious” and said,
“Let’s begin with the fact that regardless of this person’s fame, everybody has a right to privacy and confidentiality, particularly when it comes to something such as medical records. Running this story is an absolute invasion of privacy.”
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Man Dies After Becoming Ill In Newcastle Gay Sauna
A man has died in hospital after falling ill at a gay sauna in Newcastle.
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THEATRE REVIEW | Lovesong Of An Electric Bear
Alan Turing’s life is told, with the help of his teddy bear, in the new play ‘Lovesong of the Electric Bear.’
Yes, you read it right. It’s a teddy bear called Porgy (Bryan Pilkington in a teddy bear suit) who guides Turing (and the audience) through the events in his life. From his life as a young boy in France, where he was a bit different from the other boys, to his time in Bletchley, where he created his machine which broke the German code during World War II. It’s a strange and unusual little show, currently playing in the small studio upstairs in the Arts Theatre on Great Newport Street, redesigned to look like a codebreakers bunker.
It’s a true story, written by the late Andrew Wilson. Turing evidently did have a teddy bear, and it’s the teddy bear in the opening sequence who awakens Turing from his deathbed and takes him through the journey of his life.
It’s an incredible journey, a journey we all know very well from last year’s hit film The Imitation Game, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing. Not much new information on Turing is provided in this production, but it’s the viewpoint of the teddy bear giving advice and opinion on every move Turing which makes is interesting to say the least. And it’s quite funny, and surreal, especially when Turing (played stoically and confidently by Ian Hallard) starts ‘dating’ Joan (an excellent Laura Harling), and he takes her to meet his parents, but it’s always the bear who is in the background giving advise and musing about Turing’s wrong decisions. And it’s also the bear who advises Turing to get far away from the rent boy (Chris Levens, very good in all the roles he plays in this show) that eventually brought upon Turing’s downfall. And of course we all know how it ends, and that’s the sad part, there was nothing the bear could have done for Turing, in the play and in real life. Turing’s was a life cut too short, he was a man too far ahead of his time.
Lovesong of the Electric Bear is playing at the Arts Theatre until November 21, 2015
