Hunan - Mr Peng is the Master

Mr Peng the Chef Patron is a genius who does not compromise on quality. He hails from Taiwan but has been taught to cook superior Pan Chinese cuisine with a focus on Taiwanese versions of the best from mainland China0 by a fellow gastro black belt.
Mr Peng has passed on his knowledge and skills to his son Michael and together with Mrs Peng they run a superb operation.
The food is superb and cooked with a light delicate touch despite the fact that Garlic , Ginger, Chilli and Corriander prevail.
There is a well chosen wine list to compliment the food - try the outstanding Feluga Pinot Grigio.
There are a couple of menus but just ignore them and put yourself in Mr Pengs good hands and he will just keep sending a barrage of small dishes.
Circa £35-£50 per head ex wine depending on how much and what you eat.
If you are looking for the standard Cantonese heavy MSG food with lots of rice and noodles stay clear of this place.

I have been coming here for over 17+ years and highlights include an 11 hour meal - lunch at 1pm blended into dinner and we left at midnight - I blame Dan P for this gastronomic encounter :-)

Spaghetti a la Putanesca

Alistar Little recommended in one of his early books that you should always have the ingredients ready for this dish in you larder.
There are as my good friend Umberto once said as many recipes for this dish as puttanas in a certain streel in Naples !
Also there are several theories about the origins of the Putanesca sauce some involving the oldest profession and others not . Wikipedia covers most http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttanesca
Any way here is the one I follow and adore !

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
10 anchovies -
8 whole garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 medium San Marzano tomatoes, chopped & seeded with juice, or one can San Marzano tomatoes
12 Kalamata olives, pitted & halved or chopped to taste
3 tsp capers, drained
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
400grams of Dried Spaghettini/Fedelinni or even Linguini, for example Di Martino or your favourite artisan brand , personally I always favour pasta di Gragnano and the Di Martino or Faella brands . The rougher exterior of Gragnano pasta seems to embrace sauces in a unique way. This sauce is better suited to long thin dried pasta (do not use fresh pasta) .

In skillet, heat olive oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes and anchovies (stiring and crushing into the oil) cook for 90 seconds then add chopped garlic . Cook until garlic begins to brown a bit and anchovies fall apart. . Add tomatoes, olives and capers. Simmer sauce 8-10 minutes.Add some of the pasta water to the skillett just before the pasta is ready to serve say half a cup.

Add a bit more chopped garlic, parsley and basil. Simmer a few minutes more. Serve on cooked ( al dente of course ) pasta and then 1/3 of a cup more pasta water when you mix everything up. (No Parmigiano Reggiano or any other cheese for that matter are required to this dish )