Home The 1% Club Podcasts Editorial News Picture Gallery Two Views Sommelier Chef's Table Front-of-House Features Book Reviews Travel The Guides Michelin Guide Relais & Chateaux National Guides Europe 25 Contact |
Home The 1% Club Podcasts Editorial News Picture Gallery Two Views Sommelier Chef's Table Front-of-House Features Book Reviews Travel The Guides Michelin Guide Relais & Chateaux National Guides Europe 25 Contact |
Staines Delivers without a Blemish. (June 2004)
by Daniel Darwood, Co-Editor
If asked what is the greatest meal I have ever eaten, my
reply would be Marco Pierre White's gastronomic menu
at The Oak Room: Ballotine of Salmon with crayfish tails
and caviar; grilled lobster with sauce mousseline; breast
of Bresse Pigeon with foie gras and pomme puree; brie
with truffles and feillantine of raspberries with sauce
Cardinale. The quality of these luxurious ingredients, the
precision of the cooking and the intensity of the flavours
made me return several times to indulge in these
heavenly creations, or others from the Carte. However
the Oak Room closed abruptly and all foodies must
lament the passing of this great restaurant and of
Marco's inimitable style of cooking.
And yet his legacy is still evident on the national eating
scene, not just in his surviving restaurants - Criterion,
Quo Vadis, Belvedere, et al - and in the phenomenon that
is Gordon Ramsey, but also in more quiet, understated
but equally talented proteges.
Chris Staines is an excellent example of this. He used to
be Sous Chef at the Oak Room and has succeeded
Hywel Jones as Chef at Foliage, in the Mandarin Oriental
Hotel. Indeed many of the staff from the Oak Room
joined Foliage when the Oak Room closed. With one
Michelin Star to its credit, but deserving of more, this
restaurant is the natural successor to The Oak Room in
the quality of its cooking, value for money, and efficiency
of service, if not in the grandeur of its setting - No oak
panelling, grand chandeliers or Louis XV style chairs.
Nor are they needed. The food speaks volumes.
Everything is top notch, from the salted or unsalted butter
offered, the trio of canapes - which included a deep fried
frogs leg with curried mayonnaise - through to the pre
puddings and petits fours. Attention to detail is
immaculate in all the courses, which often embrace five
or six components. Consider, for instance, my starter: a
dome of exquisitely light scallop mousse topped with
truffle, encased in an open raviolo of perfect freshness,
was surrounded by seared scallops of caramelised
sweetness and three plump, freshly cooked
langoustines. Tiny al dente asparagus spears and a
foaming artichoke veloute completed this magnificent
dish. Similar skill and care was lavished on the main
course of saddle of rabbit with wild mushroom pithivier,
Alsace bacon and vanilla cream. Pot roasting the rabbit
retained its moistness, whilst the accompaniments
enhanced its natural blandness. Overall the dish was a
triumph of tastes and textures. The puddings are
architectural in structure but harmonious in their
combinations. The tangy dentelle of lemon and passion
fruit, a caramelised citrus tart and mascarpone sorbet
proved a refreshing final course.
This is serious cooking of the very highest order and
reasonable prices for the West End (£50 for three
courses for dinner). I hear the set lunch including wine is
a steal at £32. My only - minor - grumbles are chairs
without arms and mineral water at £5 a bottle.
Nevertheless, Foliage deserves much more recognition
than its fashionable but noisy neighbour, the Bar, and the
hotel itself, both of which have attracted more publicity.
All those involved in cooking and serving are to be
congratulated on maintaining what must be one of the
best restaurants in London, and certainly the best hotel
restaurant in the capital.
by Daniel Darwood, Co-Editor
If asked what is the greatest meal I have ever eaten, my
reply would be Marco Pierre White's gastronomic menu
at The Oak Room: Ballotine of Salmon with crayfish tails
and caviar; grilled lobster with sauce mousseline; breast
of Bresse Pigeon with foie gras and pomme puree; brie
with truffles and feillantine of raspberries with sauce
Cardinale. The quality of these luxurious ingredients, the
precision of the cooking and the intensity of the flavours
made me return several times to indulge in these
heavenly creations, or others from the Carte. However
the Oak Room closed abruptly and all foodies must
lament the passing of this great restaurant and of
Marco's inimitable style of cooking.
And yet his legacy is still evident on the national eating
scene, not just in his surviving restaurants - Criterion,
Quo Vadis, Belvedere, et al - and in the phenomenon that
is Gordon Ramsey, but also in more quiet, understated
but equally talented proteges.
Chris Staines is an excellent example of this. He used to
be Sous Chef at the Oak Room and has succeeded
Hywel Jones as Chef at Foliage, in the Mandarin Oriental
Hotel. Indeed many of the staff from the Oak Room
joined Foliage when the Oak Room closed. With one
Michelin Star to its credit, but deserving of more, this
restaurant is the natural successor to The Oak Room in
the quality of its cooking, value for money, and efficiency
of service, if not in the grandeur of its setting - No oak
panelling, grand chandeliers or Louis XV style chairs.
Nor are they needed. The food speaks volumes.
Everything is top notch, from the salted or unsalted butter
offered, the trio of canapes - which included a deep fried
frogs leg with curried mayonnaise - through to the pre
puddings and petits fours. Attention to detail is
immaculate in all the courses, which often embrace five
or six components. Consider, for instance, my starter: a
dome of exquisitely light scallop mousse topped with
truffle, encased in an open raviolo of perfect freshness,
was surrounded by seared scallops of caramelised
sweetness and three plump, freshly cooked
langoustines. Tiny al dente asparagus spears and a
foaming artichoke veloute completed this magnificent
dish. Similar skill and care was lavished on the main
course of saddle of rabbit with wild mushroom pithivier,
Alsace bacon and vanilla cream. Pot roasting the rabbit
retained its moistness, whilst the accompaniments
enhanced its natural blandness. Overall the dish was a
triumph of tastes and textures. The puddings are
architectural in structure but harmonious in their
combinations. The tangy dentelle of lemon and passion
fruit, a caramelised citrus tart and mascarpone sorbet
proved a refreshing final course.
This is serious cooking of the very highest order and
reasonable prices for the West End (£50 for three
courses for dinner). I hear the set lunch including wine is
a steal at £32. My only - minor - grumbles are chairs
without arms and mineral water at £5 a bottle.
Nevertheless, Foliage deserves much more recognition
than its fashionable but noisy neighbour, the Bar, and the
hotel itself, both of which have attracted more publicity.
All those involved in cooking and serving are to be
congratulated on maintaining what must be one of the
best restaurants in London, and certainly the best hotel
restaurant in the capital.
Low Profile but High Powered. (June 2004)
by Simon Carter, Co-Editor
It wasn't so long ago that Marco Pierre White was a
'meteor hurtling through the firmament' at Harveys (now
the site of Chez Bruce). We saw the precocious
would-be-rock-star preparing 'semi-reality' televised
meals for each of his mentors - Raymond Blanc, Albert
Roux, Nico Ladenis and Pierre Koffman. A rare young
talent taught by the best, destined to become the best.
And there, in his kitchen, he barked his orders to
"Gordon", a lad who would follow, in turn, to Michelin
Three Star greatness.
You may not see Chris Staines doing a 'Hell's Kitchen' or
a fly-on the-wall but this media shy talent does share
something with these bastions of the art - Chris has
served an apprenticeship with the best. Time in the
kitchens of Nico Ladenis and Marco Pierre White and
time well spent. When Marco 'gave back' his Three Stars
at The Oak Room, Chris was instrumental in regaining
two of them.
In March 2002, at the tender age of 27, he took over from
Hywel Jones at Foliage and has subsequently pushed
the restaurant to the verge of a second Michelin Star.
I've always associated The Mandarin Oriental Hotel with
travelling celebrities, particularly from the music industry,
looking for a fashionable retreat. This impression is
reinforced by the media as well as the loud, trendy and
high profile Mandarin Bar.
The irony is not lost as you walk through this din to get to
Foliage (and again each time you take a comfort break).
The contrast is exaggerated by the open archway to the
hushed gastronomic dining room.
On this occasion we were running late after a torrid
journey on the M4, thankfully a table was provided at the
furthest point from the bar. The new Assistant Manager
(Nick Liang) organised a much needed drink while we
considered the menu.
I started with a brandade of frogs legs raviolo, poached
langoustines, shallot tempura and a vegetable nage.
Like the amuse-bouches before, this proved luxurious,
labour intensive, generous and understated. As with
great artists, something so apparently difficult and
complicated was made to feel easy - in this case the
sensation was delivered to, rather than from, the palette
- a natural harmony of ingredients executed perfectly with
a touch of genius in the collaborations on the plate.
Bresse pigeon with foie gras, puy lentils, Savoy cabbage
and vegetable confit followed. This was similar to a dish
I had at the Oak Room in its hey day (the combinations of
pasta and shellfish on the menu also remind of Marco).
Here, the pigeon and generous slab of foie gras were
steamed and wrapped in a blanched cabbage leaf. An
inspired coupling of textures with the richness balanced
by the earthy cabbage and puy lentils.
For pudding I opted for the concoction that included a
chocolate fondant - I was not disappointed. This
section, like the rest, was on form.
All in all, a truly memorable experience. A modern spin
on classical French cooking with a theme of understated
bold brush strokes that mask the complexity from the
customer. The hallmark of a master of his trade;
everything natural and just so...
Media profile or no, Chris Staines and Foliage can look
forward to Two Michelin Stars, and for what it's worth, my
patronage for some time to come!
by Simon Carter, Co-Editor
It wasn't so long ago that Marco Pierre White was a
'meteor hurtling through the firmament' at Harveys (now
the site of Chez Bruce). We saw the precocious
would-be-rock-star preparing 'semi-reality' televised
meals for each of his mentors - Raymond Blanc, Albert
Roux, Nico Ladenis and Pierre Koffman. A rare young
talent taught by the best, destined to become the best.
And there, in his kitchen, he barked his orders to
"Gordon", a lad who would follow, in turn, to Michelin
Three Star greatness.
You may not see Chris Staines doing a 'Hell's Kitchen' or
a fly-on the-wall but this media shy talent does share
something with these bastions of the art - Chris has
served an apprenticeship with the best. Time in the
kitchens of Nico Ladenis and Marco Pierre White and
time well spent. When Marco 'gave back' his Three Stars
at The Oak Room, Chris was instrumental in regaining
two of them.
In March 2002, at the tender age of 27, he took over from
Hywel Jones at Foliage and has subsequently pushed
the restaurant to the verge of a second Michelin Star.
I've always associated The Mandarin Oriental Hotel with
travelling celebrities, particularly from the music industry,
looking for a fashionable retreat. This impression is
reinforced by the media as well as the loud, trendy and
high profile Mandarin Bar.
The irony is not lost as you walk through this din to get to
Foliage (and again each time you take a comfort break).
The contrast is exaggerated by the open archway to the
hushed gastronomic dining room.
On this occasion we were running late after a torrid
journey on the M4, thankfully a table was provided at the
furthest point from the bar. The new Assistant Manager
(Nick Liang) organised a much needed drink while we
considered the menu.
I started with a brandade of frogs legs raviolo, poached
langoustines, shallot tempura and a vegetable nage.
Like the amuse-bouches before, this proved luxurious,
labour intensive, generous and understated. As with
great artists, something so apparently difficult and
complicated was made to feel easy - in this case the
sensation was delivered to, rather than from, the palette
- a natural harmony of ingredients executed perfectly with
a touch of genius in the collaborations on the plate.
Bresse pigeon with foie gras, puy lentils, Savoy cabbage
and vegetable confit followed. This was similar to a dish
I had at the Oak Room in its hey day (the combinations of
pasta and shellfish on the menu also remind of Marco).
Here, the pigeon and generous slab of foie gras were
steamed and wrapped in a blanched cabbage leaf. An
inspired coupling of textures with the richness balanced
by the earthy cabbage and puy lentils.
For pudding I opted for the concoction that included a
chocolate fondant - I was not disappointed. This
section, like the rest, was on form.
All in all, a truly memorable experience. A modern spin
on classical French cooking with a theme of understated
bold brush strokes that mask the complexity from the
customer. The hallmark of a master of his trade;
everything natural and just so...
Media profile or no, Chris Staines and Foliage can look
forward to Two Michelin Stars, and for what it's worth, my
patronage for some time to come!
| Copyright fine-dining-guide.com 2004-2005. All Rights Reserved. |
