Christmas 2008 Lunch Menu

Scotch Wild Smoked Salmon , Cornish Crab Meat and Quail Eggs - Lemon Juice , Chives , Black Pepper & Seggiano New Harvest Olive Oil

Roast Coppas Bronze Free Range Organic Turkey , Roast Gloucester Old Spot Chippolatas , Roast Parsnips ,Carrots and Potatoes. Sauted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta. Stuffing - Gloucester Old Spot Minced Pork , Chestnuts , Shallots , Pine Nuts , Veal Stock ,Port & White Wine. Home Made Cranberry Sauce

Colston Basset Stilton with Oval Alberts

Home Made Christmas Pudding with Double Jersey Cream and Brandy Butter .

1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blanc Le Mesnil

2004 Mersault 1er Cru Le Poruzot Dessus Domaine Remi Jobard

1998 Chateau Leoville Barton

Delamain Reserve de La Famille Grand Champagne Cognac

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona (1998)

Best of 2008

Here are my best for 2008 (London)

Best Italian Restaurant : L'Anima

Best Indian : Bombay Palace

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares

Best Chinese : Hunan

Best Japanese : Nobu , Park Lane

Best French : The Square and Pied a Terre

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Fino & Barfina

Best Fish/Seafood : J Sheekey

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope

Best Wine Bar : El Vino , Fleet Street

Best Brasserie : Le Caprice

Best Value Wine List : Andrew Edmunds

Most over rated : The Wolsey , River Cafe and Sketch

Best Butcher : Lidgate , Holland Park and Allens of Mayfair

Best Baker : Baker & Spice , Chelsea

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Glodsmith),Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , St James's

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou , Turnham Green Terrace

L'Anima my new favourite Italian in London

I have been recommending this place to people since the summer simply on the basis of word of mouth from people I respect and specifically from people who know and understand Italian cuisine. The theme here is southern Italian especially Calabria as well as the Islands Scicily and Sardinia.
Today is the day I went and had a perfect, faultless lunch.

I can already say I prefer L'Anima ( Italian for Soul ) to Locanda Locatelli ( great food but portion control gone mad) and Enoteca Tui (where the wine list is the star) - by the way for those who think the River Cafe is a serious Italian Restaurant I suggest you click to another review !

The Pappardelle with Wild Boar Sauce, a great winter dish was perfect as was a stunning Sicilian Rabbit a dish that captured everything that is good about food from that Island.

The contorni were perfect - thin , light and crispy fried Zucchini and perfect lime and chilli infused sauted spinach.

The olives and bread were excellent as was my cheese with hazelnut honey - a superb Pecorino Sardo !

Deserts looked amazing too and the wine list is very well selected not just with the great , Barolos , Brunellos and Super Tuscans but some great value wines from the very serious wine makers like , Haas , Felluga , etc. There are also top class wines from France and Spain.

Esspresso ? well perfeto !

I'm really happy for Fracesco Mazzei who left the clutches of Corbin and King those once great restaurateurs who are unfortunateley ruining their good reputations with poor excuses for restaurants like The Wolsey.

Anyway I shall return to try the Black Pig Pork Belly , Safron and Quail Risotto not to mention the top class grilled meats and fish ! As well as deserts of course.

On the left there are raised tables and stools for a quick lunch/dinner and the restaurant also opens for breakfast - apparently excellent too for the local italian Merchant Bankers who miss their Mamas !

Update June 1st 2009

I have tried to eat in L'Anima at least once a month since it opened and am happy to say that standards remain high and attention to detail is second to none.

Had a wonderful meal here today.

Douglas Blyde had tipped me off that Fracesco Mazzei was away but the kitchen was on top form under head chef Luca Tarraneo.

My objective today was to debrief a very good friend who was not so keen on Italian food and wine . This of course is a challenge in London where good Italian restaurants can be counted on one hand.

I started with Paccheri Amatriciana which was delicious as usual my only quibble is all the pasta starter portions are too small if youhave not had an antipasti.
My Black Pig Slow Roasted Belly with Cantarata sauce was simply sensational.

Steve had the wonderful Papardelle with Duck Ragu and toasted Pistachios followed by Spit Roasted Spring Leg of lamb with Grilled Zucchinni and Roasted Potatoes.

We shared the wonderful sauteed Spinach (with a hint of chilli and lemon rind) and London's best Deep Fried Zucchini.

For desert I had the light and subtle Gianduia cake and Steve opted for the stunning Chocolate Truffle.

Wines ( we went for it - had to be done)

Frans Haas Mana Cru 2007 - Alto Adige
Barolo ‘Le Cinque Vigne’, Damilano 2002 , Piedmont
Ben Rye , Passito Di Pantelleria , Donna Fugata , 2007

The espresso was perfect as usual and it was great to meet and discuss wines with French Sommelier Nicolas Verhoye.

The long trek to West London was a sobering experience !

The Giaconda Dinning Room

This is a great restaurant that serves very good food made from excellent well chosen and sourced ingredients.

The restaurant has about 32 covers and is likely to expand into some unused space at the rear.

It is clear that Paul Merrony the chef and co owner has a very specific food philosophy and has not only had a top (cooking) education that includes Le Gavroche London, La Tour d'Argent in Paris and top restaurants down under but has chosen to apply his superb technique to serving Franco/Italian bourgeois/home cooking with the addition of the odd British classic.

I plan to eat my way through the menu over the next few weeks.

But based on my first meal I was thoroughly impressed.

Artichoke vinaigrette was perfectly cooked , served and presented.

The simply grilled rib eye steak served with some sliced tomatoes that actually had taste was excellent.

I also tasted a good pork chop ( probably Gloucester old spot or Tamworth) and a remarkable pigs trotter starter.

The wine list is mainly French , Italian and Spanish with for London minimal mark ups ( a bit like Andrew Edmonds)

My guest had a prune compote with creme anglaise and ice cream that was stunning whilst I had a very good Stilton from Neal's Yard

Negatives for me were the bread - Ciabatta and the chips. I expected the latter to be hand cut real chips but the restaurant had either run out or always serve Brake Bros or even McCains. I appreciate the restaurant staffed by one front of house and Paul + an apprentice in the kitchen cannot do everything but if you are going to buy in bread than I would recommend something a bit more crusty form say Baker & Spice (wholesale). As for chips no excuses !

This is exceptional cooking at very good value.

11/06/09 Update

I have continued to regularly visit The Giaconda Dinning Room since my first visit and am happy to report that the excellent value and exceptional cooking continues. Paul is very much like his namesake Smith who is famous for classics with a twist.

For example today I had the Rigatoni Putanesca ( normally this is Spaghetti and the addition of Parmigiano a total no no) , Vitello Tonnato ( here radicchio , boiled egg and new potatoes are layered with the thinly sliced veal tonnato) and to finish perfect Eaton Mess with the addition of a poached Peach. Generally the twist tends to work !

It was also good to see Simon Hopkinson a man whose Palate , cooking and writing I greatly admire and respect, enjoying his Lunch here with a couple of friends. I have been lucky enough to eat food cooked by Simon at both Hilare and Bibendum.

I also noted that proper and very good chips were back :-)

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Best of 2007

Here are my best for 2007 (London)

Best Italian Restaurant : Enoteca Turi

Best Indian : Bombay Palace

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares

Best Chinese : Hunan

Best Japanese : Nobu , Park Lane

Best French : Gordon Ramsey , Royal Hospital Road

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Fino & Barfina

Best Fish/Seafood : J Sheekey

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope

Best Wine Bar : El Vino , Fleet Street

Best Brasserie : Le Caprice

Best Value Wine List : Andrew Edmunds

Most over rated : The Wolsey , River Cafe and Sketch

Best Butcher : Lidgate , Holland Park

Best Baker : Baker & Spice , Chelsea

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Glodsmith),Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , St James's

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou , Turnham Green Terrace

The Joy of English Asparagus

The Asparagus is in season and the warmish late April and May seems to have produced a bumper crop.

Steam them and eat cover with some quality butter (from France) or steam and then grill - serve with simply grilled tuna or some of the outstanding salmon trout that is around at the moment.

Champions League Final 2008

Very stressful to watch.

We were too cautious in the first 40 minutes but after scoring just before half time we totally controlled the game during normal time and extra time. In fact we were the team most likely to score from the 45th minute onwards.

Then came the penalty shoot out ! This is a lottery no one to blame !

It was not to be.

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