Author Topic: a restaurant review I enjoyed  (Read 49814 times)

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #125 on: 26 May, 2019, 10:13:05 am »
Enjoyed todays https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/26/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-ashburn-sw7

He does manage to remain reasonably - balanced ? -while absolutely trashing the experience.

ian

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #126 on: 28 May, 2019, 06:12:01 pm »
It's pretty much the cooking by supply chain I maligned somewhere re my Frankie and Benny's experience which included a similar dismal salad: a deathbed of leaves, half a flabby bacon rasher that had probably been precooked some weeks before (I was born), an avocado that had decomposed into a green slimy mush that might have been the fate of the first attempted teleportation of a frog, covered with a spittle of overly sweet dressing that tasted of chemicals having a fundamental disagreement at the molecular level. I don't believe anyone at any senior level in the conglomerate behind F&B has tasted that salad. The only pleasure to be had from such a meal is for someone gazing at a distant spreadsheet, and even then I suspect they could do it cheaper and better for less money, but it doesn't fit the business model where they don't care that a meal is bad, just that it's uniformly bad.

While he F&B salad wasn't as bad the 'Mexican' chicken experience that I also documented so you don't have to experience, but at least I felt like someone had tried with that one. Unfortunately, a someone who really should have never, ever been let even close to kitchen.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #127 on: 29 May, 2019, 10:57:30 am »
Enjoyed todays https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/26/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-ashburn-sw7

He does manage to remain reasonably - balanced ? -while absolutely trashing the experience.
I enjoyed that one too, all the more because it was requested.  :facepalm:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #128 on: 29 May, 2019, 11:08:45 am »
I think maybe his balance is from him taking things apart and explaining what is wrong, and also from apportioning blame and praise to particular positions (he praises the waiting staff) rather than the whole institution. Anyway, fun to read!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #129 on: 29 May, 2019, 11:15:00 am »
Just for the hell of it (OK I was bored in a conference call - a normal state of affairs) I clicked through the article to the website. Now, IHG are not my favourite chain after they expired the 30,000 or so of my "loyalty" points (earned mostly in Crowne Plaza since you ask), I now make a conscious effort not to use them. But this takes not just a biscuit but a jammy dodger and two shortbread fingers:

Quote
24 Hour Reservations
0871 942 9094
Calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

They fucking charge you to make a reservation by phone! Jeez.

ian

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #130 on: 29 May, 2019, 01:26:59 pm »
Enjoyed todays https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/26/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-ashburn-sw7

He does manage to remain reasonably - balanced ? -while absolutely trashing the experience.
I enjoyed that one too, all the more because it was requested.  :facepalm:

I think that's an exit interview in real life. The sort of thing you do (if you're me) with the final email as you move on to greener and more remunerative pastures.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #131 on: 29 May, 2019, 02:24:27 pm »
Enjoyed todays https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/26/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-ashburn-sw7

He does manage to remain reasonably - balanced ? -while absolutely trashing the experience.

"He literally asked for it."

Yup! Great review. A well-deserved and well-argued takedown.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #132 on: 29 May, 2019, 05:41:15 pm »
I do wonder how much of an effect the review will have, mind - the hotel presumably has a fairly captive audience of expense-account customers, and if anything I suppose it will make people aware that there's actually a restaurant ('restaurant') there...

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #133 on: 29 May, 2019, 06:42:30 pm »
Enjoyed todays https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/26/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-ashburn-sw7

He does manage to remain reasonably - balanced ? -while absolutely trashing the experience.
I enjoyed that one too, all the more because it was requested.  :facepalm:

I think that's an exit interview in real life. The sort of thing you do (if you're me) with the final email as you move on to greener and more remunerative pastures.

Devious! That hadn't occurred to me at all  ;D

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #134 on: 21 August, 2019, 12:32:07 pm »
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/aug/16/parrillan-n1-restaurant-review-grace-dent

Expensive London restaurant where you pay to cook your main dish!!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #135 on: 14 November, 2019, 06:51:47 pm »
Quote
The only way they have been able to get to that price is, of course, by covering the damn thing in, yes, you guessed it, gold leaf; a precious metal which will only pass through you, and turn your bodily product into something sparkly you might briefly consider hanging on the Christmas tree.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/nov/14/civilisation-on-its-last-legs-25-pound-kitkat-christmas-conspicuous-consumption
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #136 on: 22 November, 2019, 11:24:18 am »
I won’t be going back to Tapas Revolution, either, not after the churros they served me: sad, tasteless turds of dough, deep-fried in jaded oil and served with a jar of separated cocoa and water masquerading as chocolate dipping sauce.

from the Guardian. Not holding back there.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #137 on: 19 January, 2020, 10:24:59 am »
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/19/mereienda-edinburgh-good-in-parts-restaurant-review


https://twitter.com/jayrayner1/status/1218820933814751234?s=20


Food Fight! 


Edit: the restaurant has now deleted the tweet in which they suggested Jay might have been "overly refreshed"  :-D


Grace Dent can be a little brutal as well... https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/17/silo-london-e5-restaurant-review-grace-dent



Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

ian

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #138 on: 19 January, 2020, 06:24:09 pm »
Bah to small plates, I say. Meals that start with the debate of how many to have: you want five, you know you're going to need five, but ordering five will result in a dramatic and judgemental intake of breath from the waiter (plus the table is always teeny so they won't fit). So you order three and your stomach growls that you were right. There's also the battle of indecision because your ordering process is now manifestly more complex, you're basically ordering three meals. And the bill, the bill, because each of those decisions inflames the cost and you marvel that you managed to consume £9 in two bites.

Oh, and the wine topping-up thing. I hate that.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #139 on: 19 January, 2020, 07:08:22 pm »
I thought it was fairly mild compared to some of his reviews...
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #140 on: 19 January, 2020, 07:17:32 pm »
Whitbread's eating houses are pretty meh but their sharing platter starters are good value for money and throw in much more food than acouple of individual starters.
We're having a meal with David's astronomy society at a Harvester. Every starter appears to be crumbed, deep-fried grease. The organiser tells me that they won't serve me soup, even if it's listed on the main menu on their website.
Meh!

ian

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #141 on: 20 January, 2020, 09:33:35 am »
I thought it was fairly mild compared to some of his reviews...

I'm not sure picking a social media fight with the one for more famous (and respected) restaurant critics shows the best judgement.

And he's right about blue food.

As for Harvester, was the started listed as crumbled, deep-fried grease ('delectable morsels of finest British grease, deep-fried in vintage oil')?

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #142 on: 20 January, 2020, 09:54:12 am »
Comparing Jay Rayner's instaphots with the published shots, you can see why they send a professional photographer round to make pix for the papers. And food sounds like it should be so easy to photograph! Maybe they should send the photographer round to take photos of the actual meal while they're eating?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #143 on: 20 January, 2020, 12:27:38 pm »
I thought it was fairly mild compared to some of his reviews...
I'm not sure picking a social media fight with the one for more famous (and respected) restaurant critics shows the best judgement.
And he's right about blue food.
As for Harvester, was the started listed as crumbled, deep-fried grease ('delectable morsels of finest British grease, deep-fried in vintage oil')?

The menu writers are nearly as creative but not as witty as your esteemed self, ian.

I see chicken 'goujons' have now become 'tenders'.

ian

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #144 on: 20 January, 2020, 12:45:50 pm »
Putting aside the fact that they order these things in frozen from the usual catering suppliers (when really, how difficult is it to slice up a chicken, dip in some beaten egg, and coat with seasoned breadcrumbs), it's the fact they still can't cook them, a process that involves heating oil to the specified temperature and dropping in the frozen whatever for the defined amount of time.

Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #145 on: 01 February, 2020, 01:02:45 pm »
Well we won't be holding the annual YACF bash here.  https://www.hot-dinners.com/202002019236/Gastroblog/Latest-news/the-square-restaurant-administration     Bailiffs close a place down while they are serving lunch.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: a resturant review I enjoyed
« Reply #147 on: 04 February, 2020, 05:15:34 pm »
Well we won't be holding the annual YACF bash here.  https://www.hot-dinners.com/202002019236/Gastroblog/Latest-news/the-square-restaurant-administration     Bailiffs close a place down while they are serving lunch.
An annual YACF bash would be a good idea though. Why don't we start in Liverpool?  ;)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark