Le Gavroche

Celebrating the new year at Le Gavroche! 

We saw both Albert and Michel there :) how lucky lol 

Albert was having lunch there with a "friend"? and Michel was walking around all the tables checking if everything is OK. 

There's this 52 quid set lunch - incl 1/2 a bottle of wine and mineral water and coffee 

On the whole.. everything was nice and perfectly cooked

Good traditional french food

but I don't feel I was wow-ed as much as Ledbury

and I feel I could get equally good traditional food at Roux at Landau - which doesnt require booking months in advance

but it could just because we had set lunch menu rather than a la carte... 

we thought about having a la carte but there was no price tag next to the plates :p so didnt really know how far the bill would get..haha.. 

so we played safe... 

I would definitely go back one day though.. for a la carte/ tasting menu :)

It's all in French but luckily the waitress helped us out 

pretty plate

I don't really like the atmosphere that much.. 

just like an old hotel's restaurant.. nothing very exciting.  

but the service was good. very nicely decorated with painting and little sculpture which can be sold online on their website at a ridiculous price.. 

they seem to be made of cutlery! e.g. 

lobster

Cruets

Terrine as amuse bouche

There were also some canape as soon as we sat down

didn't take photos of them but they were yummm 

breadwise - they are just nice simple bread - french baguette, rye and country bread.  

Starter

Oeuf a la Reine 

-Brioche stuffed with poached chicken, poached egg with creamy sauce and truffle

I would have hoped more truffle flavour and with a warm crispy brioche instead

but it was nice and creamy... just different from what I expected 

Octopus with chorizo and chickpea

- very flavoursome.. soft octopus 

this is the starter that we like out of the two 

- with painting of Michel Roux 

I wonder if Michel is a little self obsess.. .seem to see pictures of him everywhere

Main course

Mix Seafood with creamy sauce

everything perfectly cooked ... 

grilled/confit rabbit with grilled polenta

very nice and flavoursome

Dessert
- The other option was mixed icecream .. which doesnt sound too appealing
so we both had omelette souffle with rhubarb and ginger

very soft but I had a whole mouthful of grated ginger :S which wasnt very pleasant

yummy petit four afterwards :) with mint choc macaron, candied fruit, crispy sesame cookies and a little cake

Chinese year cake

Happy Chinese New year :-) 

This is my favourite Chinese New year food

I've added  driied 桂花 (Sweet Osmanthus?) to one of my batch :) 

It's so nice! 

材料（2個3.5吋x7吋的長方模）

糯米粉    300 克

片糖     300 克    ( I saw some black cane sugar from Waitrose - I would guess it would work too!)

清水   490克

澄麵   75克

製作

1.  將片糖加水煮溶待凍，待凍後加入椰槳、薑汁用格篩過去什質

2.  加入糯米粉和澄麵中（粉要篩過），用筷子攪勻用隔 2 次，粉會滑一點。直至挑起粉槳即瀉下為合。

3.  倒入已塗油之糕盆內，隔水蒸約 1小時。

Ledbury

We were there as my birthday lunch :) I'm so blessed :)

went there on a weekday so there was the set lunch which only cost 35 quid for 3 course.  

There were 2 options per course.  

one of us went for set lunch and the other had a la carte and we shared everything :p 

Their Sunday lunch offer is quite good value ( though I've noticed they've just pushed up the price!) 

you have more option to choose from and it's 50 quid for 3 course! 

we actually went there prepared (studied the menu online and picked what we want) 

but the menu shown on the day was different ... oh well.... 

foie gras mousse on digestive 

so smoothhhh 

didnt take any photo but their bread was good

there were crusty sour dough + bacon/onion brioche! 

Hampshire Buffalo Milk Curd with Saint-Nectaire,Truffle Toast and a Broth of Grilled Onions

THE TRUFFLE TOAST WAS SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD

amazing presentation

the dep fried grilled onion was niceee 

from set menu - hand rolled macaroni stuffed with crab with ginger/clementine

set menu: spiced pork belly 

very moist and flavoursome 

Roasted Breast and Confit Legs of Pigeonwith Red Leaves and Vegetables, Foie Gras and Plums

- those confit leg on the side is crispy and yum

Roasted breast was rare, soft and moist

set menu : chocolate brulee with malt whisky icecream 

I particularly liked the icecream... 

Caramelised Banana Galette with Salted Caramel,Passion Fruit and Peanut Oil Parfait

What can go wrong with caramel passionfruit and peanut oil!

Petit four