Ramsey? At the London?
That was a bit subtle wasn't it? I kind of just dropped into my first blog entry the fact that my wife and I ate last weekend at Ramsey's, well, "forming" restaurant at the London Hotel in West Hollywood. I say "forming" because I'm not entirely sure exactly what Gordon Ramsey expects this place to be. First and foremost, out in front, I am a BIG fan of Chef Ramsey. His books (especially 3 Star Chef) are fantastic. They are a World away from the brash, arrogant, obnoxious character you see on TV. Gordon Ramsey (as anyone who has read his fantastic autobiography - Humble Pie - will know) is NOT that charicature that you see on Hell's Kitchen, especially NOT the US Hell's Kitchen which frankly my wife and I have stopped watching it's so crap. He is a chef of the most articulate nature, every single element of every dish is placed for a reason and the taste exceptional and based around making simple cooking the best it can ever be. There's really very few tricks or disguises, it's all there on the plate, just done to a quality unmatched before.
I have to admit that my only 'other' experience of Ramsey restaurants (opposed to his book, resume, etc) was Plane Food at London's Heathrow Terminal 5. That sounds pathetic until you understand that Plane Food is NOT just a Wolfgang Puck joint at SeatTac - it's a proper Ramsey restaurant with the quality required very evident. The menu is based around quick turnaround passengers, but there is no compromise to the food because of it. I've eaten at Plane Food twice, once for breakfast, once for lunch. Breakfast featured the most perfect English breakfast I've ever encountered - especially the eggs which resulted in a fifteen minute conversation about how eggs can be that perfect - to my lunch of an incredible fois / chicken liver pate followed by the most perfect roast chicken I've ever encountered. Food in airport isn't like that. It can't be. Well actually it can - I'd almost fly to Terminal 5 just to eat. Which place am I reviewing again? Oh yeah, at the London.
So as we always do, tasting menu, seven courses (sorry, can't do nine) - wine pairing for one (so we can both sample). The food started out with an Amuse Bouche that frankly highlighted the issue with the restaurant. Shitaki mushroom chawanmushi - beautiful Japanese custard (the chef, Andy Cook, is from Ramsey's Japan restaurant in the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo, the sous chef a 6' 2" Japanese man raised in France!) with an incredible shitaki base, bonito broth and sprinkled chives. Two issues. One - WAY too big. Not an egg cup, a cup. Too much. Tasty, yes, but very, very Japanese. Odd, to me, in a Ramsey restaurant in Los Angeles.
Next came the scallop carpaccio. OK, truth be told, no idea how they got such perfect slices of a scallop. Absolutely stumped, but that, appropriate salt, caviar, absolutely divine. It was a triumph. One of the dishes I have zero complaint with.
It was followed by a pressed fois gras (oh heaven) with fresh black truffle (not fair, my wife got a MUCH bigger vein of truffle than me), braeburn apple (multiple presentation) and a toasted brioche (delicate beyond belief). Unreal. The wine pairings were very good all round, this was probably my favorite course - Amy, my wife, probably put it second which as a closet (ex) vegetarian is crazy. Every little element on the plate just sang.
The favorite of our dishes was next. Tiger prawn ravioli, creamy fennel puree, light lobster bisque. LIGHT LOBSTER BISQUE??? No, absolute heaven. Oh my, it was like eating - I've no idea, no lobster has ever tasted that good. Best dish for both of us. Everything was perfect, Amy isn't even a great fan of fennel at all - but it blended it to perfection.
Then it went downhill. Surprisingly to me. Surely the main course would be unbelievable after that - but no, it reverted to Ramsey but without Ramsey - for me. You have a choice at the main, I chose short rib, my wife black cod. The rib was nice, good, but not spectacular. Braised Kobe beef short rib, baby winter vegetables, horse radish pomme puree. Comfort food? Yes, absolutely, as homey as his roast chicken at Plane Food. But interesting or spectacular? No, really very pedestrian. The cod - pacific black cod with honshimeji mushrooms, braised leeks (leeks or green onions . . . really?) and kalamansi lime broth. Again yummy, but frankly you'd get it at any decent mall in Tokyo. I was very disappointed at this point, the almost nervy quest for a high note took a massive dive, as if the chef got confused at some point.
On a low it didn't take long for Chef Cook (at this point I'd stopped thinking of it as Ramsey at the helm, it just isn't his food) to come back to form. A greek yogurt white chocolate panna cotta (wonderful) next to a fennel ice cream on a biscuit (too soggy to be honest) rang absolutely true. It took any gloom over the main course away, despite the texture of the biscuit not ringing true.
But that was just pre-desert. Shortly afterward a Chocolate cream savarin with malted milk (oh yes, seriously, oh yes) emulsion arrived with a touch of salted caramel ice cream that was perfection. It was a wonderful and beautiful ending to a meal that had SO many highs but a low or mid point that didn't sing Ramsey at all. Nice petite fours arrived . . .after our coffee which was the only low point of the service which on the whole was exceptional - fantastic Kiwi server looked after us, and furnished us with an extra take home serving of the incredible bacon bread for breakfast, Service, top notch.
All in all a wonderful, wonderful night. But I'd say Chef Ramsey - pay a visit. Chef Cook is doing stuff that's, well, just not you.
Oh, and the reasons for the question marks in the title? Well for all its quality it doesn't feel like Gordon Ramsey. It feels like Andy Cook's. Nothing inherently wrong it that, Chef Cook is superb at his best, but decor aside, it certainly ain't English. The other question mark is because the London is a new and little known hotel, and frankly everyone I've told about the place had no idea that Gordon Ramsey had a gaff in Los Angeles. Marketing needs work, as does the way too asian flair.
I have to admit that my only 'other' experience of Ramsey restaurants (opposed to his book, resume, etc) was Plane Food at London's Heathrow Terminal 5. That sounds pathetic until you understand that Plane Food is NOT just a Wolfgang Puck joint at SeatTac - it's a proper Ramsey restaurant with the quality required very evident. The menu is based around quick turnaround passengers, but there is no compromise to the food because of it. I've eaten at Plane Food twice, once for breakfast, once for lunch. Breakfast featured the most perfect English breakfast I've ever encountered - especially the eggs which resulted in a fifteen minute conversation about how eggs can be that perfect - to my lunch of an incredible fois / chicken liver pate followed by the most perfect roast chicken I've ever encountered. Food in airport isn't like that. It can't be. Well actually it can - I'd almost fly to Terminal 5 just to eat. Which place am I reviewing again? Oh yeah, at the London.
So as we always do, tasting menu, seven courses (sorry, can't do nine) - wine pairing for one (so we can both sample). The food started out with an Amuse Bouche that frankly highlighted the issue with the restaurant. Shitaki mushroom chawanmushi - beautiful Japanese custard (the chef, Andy Cook, is from Ramsey's Japan restaurant in the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo, the sous chef a 6' 2" Japanese man raised in France!) with an incredible shitaki base, bonito broth and sprinkled chives. Two issues. One - WAY too big. Not an egg cup, a cup. Too much. Tasty, yes, but very, very Japanese. Odd, to me, in a Ramsey restaurant in Los Angeles.
Next came the scallop carpaccio. OK, truth be told, no idea how they got such perfect slices of a scallop. Absolutely stumped, but that, appropriate salt, caviar, absolutely divine. It was a triumph. One of the dishes I have zero complaint with.
It was followed by a pressed fois gras (oh heaven) with fresh black truffle (not fair, my wife got a MUCH bigger vein of truffle than me), braeburn apple (multiple presentation) and a toasted brioche (delicate beyond belief). Unreal. The wine pairings were very good all round, this was probably my favorite course - Amy, my wife, probably put it second which as a closet (ex) vegetarian is crazy. Every little element on the plate just sang.
The favorite of our dishes was next. Tiger prawn ravioli, creamy fennel puree, light lobster bisque. LIGHT LOBSTER BISQUE??? No, absolute heaven. Oh my, it was like eating - I've no idea, no lobster has ever tasted that good. Best dish for both of us. Everything was perfect, Amy isn't even a great fan of fennel at all - but it blended it to perfection.
Then it went downhill. Surprisingly to me. Surely the main course would be unbelievable after that - but no, it reverted to Ramsey but without Ramsey - for me. You have a choice at the main, I chose short rib, my wife black cod. The rib was nice, good, but not spectacular. Braised Kobe beef short rib, baby winter vegetables, horse radish pomme puree. Comfort food? Yes, absolutely, as homey as his roast chicken at Plane Food. But interesting or spectacular? No, really very pedestrian. The cod - pacific black cod with honshimeji mushrooms, braised leeks (leeks or green onions . . . really?) and kalamansi lime broth. Again yummy, but frankly you'd get it at any decent mall in Tokyo. I was very disappointed at this point, the almost nervy quest for a high note took a massive dive, as if the chef got confused at some point.
On a low it didn't take long for Chef Cook (at this point I'd stopped thinking of it as Ramsey at the helm, it just isn't his food) to come back to form. A greek yogurt white chocolate panna cotta (wonderful) next to a fennel ice cream on a biscuit (too soggy to be honest) rang absolutely true. It took any gloom over the main course away, despite the texture of the biscuit not ringing true.
But that was just pre-desert. Shortly afterward a Chocolate cream savarin with malted milk (oh yes, seriously, oh yes) emulsion arrived with a touch of salted caramel ice cream that was perfection. It was a wonderful and beautiful ending to a meal that had SO many highs but a low or mid point that didn't sing Ramsey at all. Nice petite fours arrived . . .after our coffee which was the only low point of the service which on the whole was exceptional - fantastic Kiwi server looked after us, and furnished us with an extra take home serving of the incredible bacon bread for breakfast, Service, top notch.
All in all a wonderful, wonderful night. But I'd say Chef Ramsey - pay a visit. Chef Cook is doing stuff that's, well, just not you.
Oh, and the reasons for the question marks in the title? Well for all its quality it doesn't feel like Gordon Ramsey. It feels like Andy Cook's. Nothing inherently wrong it that, Chef Cook is superb at his best, but decor aside, it certainly ain't English. The other question mark is because the London is a new and little known hotel, and frankly everyone I've told about the place had no idea that Gordon Ramsey had a gaff in Los Angeles. Marketing needs work, as does the way too asian flair.
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