Hungry Hoss’ 15 Most ‘Memorable’ Meals of the Year

When Bacon On The Beech published his impressive ‘Top 25 Meals of the Year’ (see here), it prompted me to think of mine… but it was not all that easy.

Two food fuelled holidays to Singapore and Barcelona meant that meals in the likes of Waku Ghin, Shinji by Kanesaka, Esquina and Jaan (in SG) and Moments, Tickets, Dos Palillos, ABaC and Pakta (Barça) dominated the list… so I decided to just focus my list in the UK.

Waku Ghin - Abalone with Aonori

Once this decision had been taken, I struggled to juggle good meals in gastropubs, burger bars and authentic ethnic places such as Yuzu with those eaten in places with ‘Michelin stars’.

ABac - Smoked Bread Brittle

So, although overlooking many starred restaurants I have eaten in this year, such as: Apsleys, Galvin at Windows, Seven Park Place, Medlar, Hedone, Simpsons, The Old Vicarage, Pipe & Glass Inn, The Black Swan, Galvin La Chapelle, Lima, Yauatcha, Restaurant Story and Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley… the list that follows may not represent the “best” meals, but for one reason or another, they are my most “memorable”.

Restaurant Story - Bread & Dripping Candle 

15. Mughli – my first and (subsequent meals) at Mughli are memorable because, since taking over the long established family run restaurants, Haz, Shaz, Was, Sax and Mohammad Arshad have made Indian food on Manchester’s Curry Mile sexy again! Star dish: Lamb Nihari (and the ‘street food’ menu).

14. The Samling, Cumbria – this meal was memorable purely and simply because it exceeded my expectations and was great value. Star dish: Roast breast and confit thigh of guinea fowl.

13. Mr Cooper’s House & Garden – whilst The French and Manchester House are undoubtedly Manchester’s finest ‘destination restaurants’, Simon Rogan’s quirky Mr Cooper’s House & Garden is my favourite place for a drink and meal in town after shopping. Star dish: Cumbrian Rib Steak, truffle pudding and purple potato latkes.

12. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road – Gordon may be a bit of a shouty knob but Claire Smyth and her team produce faultless food. Star dish: Salt cod brandade ‘tartine’.

11. Raby Hunt – a fabulous meal in a charming family owned restaurant by one of Britain’s most talented young chefs. Star dish: Razor Clam with samphire, almond, girolles.

10. Dinner by Heston – completely different from The Fat Duck, despite (perhaps because of) high ranking on the World’s Top 50 and second star, Dinner by Heston does have it’s detractors. That said, the Battalia Pye was probably the single tastiest thing I ate all year. Star dish: Battalia Pye.

9. The Ledbury – any meal at The Ledbury is always an enjoyable event. Consistently one of the best restaurants in the UK for the last few years. Star dish: Bacon & Onion Brioche.

8. Manchester House by Aiden Byrne – whilst, I feel Manchester House is yet to ‘fully’ find it’s feet and niche in terms of being able to re-twinkle Michelin stars above Manchester, the food is still a good few notches above what is available elsewhere in the city and each one of my four meals there have had highly memorable elements. Star dish: Braised snails, potato & parsley.

7. HKK – quite simply the best and most beautiful Chinese food I’ve had in the UK.  Star dish: Australian green abalone in Royal sauce.

6. Fraiche – Fraiche is an exceptional restaurant serving exciting modern cuisine; the fact that Marc works alone in the Michelin starred kitchen makes it all the more magical. Mine and my wife’s favourite restaurant for a romantic meal; we are booked in again for Valentine’s Day. Star dish: Scallops with clams, oyster leaf and yuzu.

5. A Wong – the reason I have placed A Wong above the Michelin starred HKK (and Yauatcha) is all down to accessibility, price and expectation. If I lived nearby, I’d be eating here every week. Also, the best desserts I’ve had in any Asian restaurant. Star dish: 100 year old egg in sweet, chilli soya & marinated tofu.

4. The Clove Club / Upstairs at The Ten Bells – I’m a huge fan of Isaac McHale and the Young Turks food, vibe and ethos.  I could split these: The Clove Club is newer and gets most of the plaudits but there is a special place in my heart for the Ten Bells. Star dish: Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Pine Salt.

3. The French by Simon Rogan – as alluded to earlier, Simon Rogan is one of the most innovative and exciting chefs working in the world today (this is why Claridge’s have bagsied him to replace Ramsay). The fact that I can eat L’Enclume style food just twenty minutes from my house in the grand and historical setting of The French at The Midland Hotel makes every meal there a memorable one. Star dish: Spring offerings: vegetables, herbs, flowers, lovage salt.

2. Bubbledogs Kitchen Table – Bubbledogs KT had been on my ‘to do’ list since it opened; cruelly and bizarrely overlooked for a Michelin star I feared it would fail to live up to my high expectations… it didn’t! I love the ‘set up’ here and the way James manages to show creativity without compromising the purity of fabulous produce - truly one of my most memorable meals of the year. Star dish: Scallop, Raw Ginger Mayo, Smoked Roe.

1. L’Enclume – the cooking at “the UK’s Best Restaurant” may have received a perfect 10/10 score by The Good Food Guide but its more than just the ‘food on the plate’ that makes L’Enclume my Number 1 – as much as the creative dishes they create with the ingredients, for me, the ‘farm to table’ and British produce ethos is a huge part of the experience.

The Cumbrian village setting is also wonderful - no trip would be complete without visits to Cartmel Cheeses, Cartmel Coffee and a swift half in the Pig & Whistle.

People of the North West are so fortunate to have a truly world class restaurant such as L’Enclume on our doorsteps… if you haven’t yet been, make 2014 the year you do! Star dish: Cod ‘yolk’, sage cream, pea shoots, salt and vinegar.

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Lunch at The Ledbury

A lunch at The Ledbury is one of life’s simple pleasures - 2 Michelin stars, 8^th in the Sunday Times / Harden’s “Food List”, 9^th in the UK Good Food Guide’s Top 10, 10^th in the Elite Traveller Top 100 Restaurants in the World and the 13^th Best Restaurant in the World on the S.Pellegrino 50 Best list.

Food:

Canape: Gruyere and Poppy Seed Tartlet

Bread: Malt Bread, Sourdough and Bacon & Onion Brioche

Flame Grilled Mackerel with Kabu Turnips, Celtic Mustard and Shiso

Breast and Leg of Quail with Chestnuts, Chanterelles and Crispy Kale

Fillet of Sea Bass with a Grilled Leek, Truffle Purée, Cockles and Potato Butter

Slow Cooked Suckling Wild Boar and Root Vegetables, Pear and Lardo di Colonnata

Fig Leaf Ice Cream with Crushed Figs, Olive Oil and Citrus Beignets

Selection of Sorbets

Cheese from the Trolley

Coffee & Petit Fours

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Hungry Hoss’ - Best of 2011

Inspired my Twitter friends ‘The Critical Couple’ and their ‘Best of 2011’ post (see here) I decided to put together my very own ‘Best of’ to create my ultimate dégustation.

For me, 2011 has been a seemingly nonstop fabulous foodist adventure and deciding which dishes belong on this menu was not an easy task. I have eaten some wonderful food at some amazing restaurants this year - my trip to Singapore was phenomenal (we hope to return in 2012) and the magical meal at Mozaic in Bali was momentous as the place where I decided to start this blog.

In May, Hungry Hoss was born. I find it hard to believe that I have had this ‘hobby’ for only nine months! Through the blog and my Twitter account I have met many good people who have supported, encouraged, inspired, advised, fed and entertained me.

Someone deserving a particular mention, as one of my biggest champions, is Franco (@sausagemaking). Not only does Franco regularly ‘re-tweet’ my posts to his foodie followers, his kind invitation to his @ChromaKnives Charity Supper Club (and subsequent events) remains one of the highlights of the year. At Franco’s, as well as meeting his lovely wife and family, I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of other foodie types, such as @ThomHetheringto(n), TV’s @GizziErskine and @GordoManchester  from @mcrconfidential.

Also present at the supper club, I’d like to thank for feeding me (and looking after me) on several occasions throughout the year (and I’m sure next year too) the 2011 MFDF Manchester’s Best Chefs, Mary-Ellen (@_aumbry) and @Laurence_Tott from Aumbry; Monica and Aj from @TheSpiceClub and the hugely talented @aidenbyrne and his partner @SarahBroadleyW from The Church Green.

At Franco’s I also met Niamh Shields (@eatlikeagirl) the author one of the UK’s leading food blogs and the fabulous cookbook Comfort & Spice. Other bloggers who I’d especially like to thank for their support this year are Alan (@sped98) who took the time early on to give me camera and picture advice; @FFTBYD for sharing local knowledge; @laissezfare for including me in his blogroll and supporting my work via re-tweets and, the aforementioned, @CriticalCouple for their inspirational posts.

So after much deliberating, I’ve managed to whittle the menu down to a reasonable fourteen courses:

Canapé: L’Enclume – a delicious Stichleton Sablé biscuit with a silky, smooth Avocado Crème (I have yet to complete my write up from my most recent visit to L’Enclume but I’ll be working on my ‘Top 3’ in the New Year!)

Amuse bouche: The Box Tree – bias aside, the Celeriac Espuma with Bacon Foam that I cooked whilst working at The Box Tree as ‘A Chef for a Day’ was simple, yet packed with flavour.

Bread: Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor – the bread selection at Simon Radley’s restaurant is second to none. Full sized breads in an amazing array of flavours: Sourdough; French Baguette; Stoneground Farmhouse; Bavarian Rye; Lancashire Cheese & Onion; Boddingtons & Mashed Potato; Fig & Walnut and Cottage Granary.

Vegetarian starter: Sketch – simply called Tomato this dish was so full of flavour. Having enjoyed Sketch so much, in 2012 we plan to visit Pierre Gagnaire’s eponymous 3-starred restaurant in Paris.

Fish starter: The Ledbury – such a light and summery dish, the Thinly Sliced Courgettes with Hand Picked Crab, Wakame Oil & Frozen Parmesan sums up our wonderful al fresco experience enjoying Bret Graham’s phenomenal two starred food in the sunshine.

Meat starter: James Lowe of The Young Turks – as part of The Fat Duck charity reunion meal at Aumbry, James’ Raw Hereford Rib with Oyster & Wild Watercress was one of the nicest things I’ve eaten all year. When I visit London in 2012, wherever James and his crew are cooking, I will be there!

Fish main: The Fat Duck – again, prepared at Aumbry as part of The Fat Duck charity reunion by Heston Blumenthal’s Head Chef Jonny Lake, the Sound of the Sea was every bit as good as I remember it at his three starred temple of gastronomy.

Meat main: Aumbry – served at the Chroma Knives Supper Club, the Slow Cooked Cumbrian Boer Goat, Pearl Barley, Cauliflower & Smoked Shallot was undoubtedly the star dish of the evening.

Meat main (2): Les Amis – Les Amis, in Singapore, is one of Asia’s and indeed the world’s most prestigious restaurants. The Chargrilled Wagyu Rib Eye cooked in hay, Sunchoke, Spinach & Sauce Périgourdint has to be considered my most supreme steak of 2011.

Cheese course: Le Gavroche – as well as visiting the International Cheese Awards at Nantwich this year, I have had some wonderful cheese boards in restaurants and found some great cheese shops and suppliers, such as the excellent Cartmel Cheeses (see here). Of all the cheese boards Le Gavroche’s was by far the most comprehensive and the Plateau de fromages included the wonderful Boulette d'Avesnes.

Pre dessert: Fraiche – one thing that I am certainly looking forward in 2012 is the publication of Chef Marc Wilkinson’s first cookbook; mostly because he assures me that it includes the recipe for his amazing signature pre dessert, the Lemongrass & Vanilla Panna Cotta with Sour Cherry.

Dessert: Aiden Byrne’s British Grill – of all the desserts I’ve had this year, Adien Bryne’s Triple Chocolate Mousse with Gingerbread & Warm Cherries may not be the most ground breaking or intricate; but what it lacked in terms of theatrics, it more than made up for in flavour! The gingerbread was simply perfection!

Petit fours: Café de Paris (Malaga) – brought out as part of the ‘tapas’ upgrade: a chocolate macaron; an iced orange bonbon, a sticky sweet financier; a passion fruit cheesecake and a dusted chocolate rock. All were great – my favourite the passion fruit, a great intensity of flavour.

The final decision is where to eat this perfect meal? Winning hands down, the paradisal lush, tropical gardens of Chris Salans’ Mozaic in Bali.

Here’s to 2012!

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