Kuala Lumpur is a sometimes overlooked gem. It’s
overshadowed by its glitzy cousin, Singapore, but this city has
its own vibrancy and a unique character that deserves to be promoted.
It’s not just a stop-over en route to some rather nice beaches, it can
be an exciting and exotic destination in its own right.
It’s the federal capital and most populous city in Malaysia with an
area of 243 sprawling square kilometres (94 sq mi) and has an estimated
population of 1.6 million. It’s the official residence of the Malaysian
King and has played host to many international, sporting and cultural
events over the years including the Commonwealth Games and the Formula
One Grand Prix. Even those of us who have not the slightest interest in
excellence on the track for either man or machine will surely know that
Kuala Lumpur is home to the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers.
The ground floor entrance to the Grand Hyatt is imposing, spacious and
airy and what one would hope for in this standard of Asian hotel. Its
sweeping staircase, pond and a crescent-shaped sculpture which is
symbolic of Brunei and Malaysia, is the centrepiece. A circular
coloured glass art feature inscribed with a classic welcoming verse
from the Quran, “A thousand dinar,” stands near the entrance to the
ground floor restaurant.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is a 39-storey hotel that officially opened on
August 24, 2012. Its location is superb in every regard. Those towers
decorate the view in the most impressive fashion from the hotel lobby -
that is the Sky lobby for check-in, on the top floor. One has a sense
of height and space when one looks towards the towers.
This well-appointed hotel has spacious accommodation that includes 370
regular rooms and 42 suites. Those suites are remarkable in both style
and facilities, and equal, in this traveller’s opinion, to the best you
will find anywhere. The floor-to-ceiling windows give views over the
city or to the Towers, making the panorama quite memorable when
appreciated from the vantage point of a roomy, round, marble bathtub.
It’s a pampering and sensual experience.
The hotel is aware that many of its guests must work. Its proximity to
the Convention Centre assures many business visitors who would,
doubtless, much rather be lounging in the bath-with-a-view than
working. The desk is substantial with every connection for
entertainment and communication that a budding executive might need.
Kuala Lumpur has a wealth of dining options and luckily one of the best
can be found on the ground floor of this very
hotel. JP teres showcases the most iconic of Malaysian dishes in a
contemporary restaurant and terrace. The open kitchen adds to the
atmosphere, which attracts both hotel guests and locals alike.
JP teres features some of the most traditional of Malaysian dishes.
There are both indoor and outdoor dining areas set amongst lush
greenery and trickling water. The ambiance is tranquil and cool but the
food is vibrant and exotic.
I love Asian food in general and I find that Malaysian cuisine offers
so much that is exciting in this culinary region. The food ranges from
the spicy and addictive to the mild and comforting. Desserts are not
forgotten and they take advantage of local ingredients to produce
confections that will gladden the heart of anyone with a sweet craving.
Samosa - Potato, peas, Indian spices are familiar to every lover of
Indian food but they are a popular snack or starter in Malaysia, which
is a country of ethnic diversity, and that has added to the complexity
of cuisine and breadth of dishes on offer. Indian food is well
represented at JP teres, which has an imported tandoor, and the Chef de
Cuisine Azman Ahmad, although a local lad, draws upon his
sub-continental heritage.
Pilihan aneka satay - barbecued skewers – must be the
national dish. In Malaysia those flavourful kebabs are served with
cucumber, onion and compressed rice cake, along with the peanut sauce.
Otak otak is one of my favourite dishes from the Malay peninsula. It’s
a peranakan dish and is made by mixing fish paste (most often mackerel)
with spices. The resulting fish mousse is usually wrapped in a banana
leaf and cooked. It’s a must-try for any visitor.
Curry laksa - Yellow noodles, tofu, shrimp, fishcake, beansprouts, mint
and chicken in a curry broth is a classic and ubiquitous dish …and
moreish.
Nasi lemak – Coconut rice, fried chicken, egg, crispy whitebait,
cucumber, peanuts, sambal – is a leaf-wrapped parcel that is often
consumed for breakfast but is popular at any time of the day
Murgh makhani – tandoor-oven roasted chicken, tomato and kashmiri
chilli – is a dish from India and is one of the most popular across the
globe.
Rendang daging - Braised beef, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric leaf,
spices and coconut combine to make one of the most delightful dishes in
the region. The meat is cooked to tender perfection in an aromatic
sauce.
Carrot cake - White radish, shrimp, chilli paste, pickled vegetables,
sweet soy sauce make this unique dish. That white radish is in fact
mooli or dikon that cooks with rice flour to give a type of vegetable
pasta. Don’t miss this one.
Pandan Chiffon Cake is beautifully impressive. It has the texture of an
American Angel Food Cake but that pandan is the key ingredient. It’s a
leaf that is used extensively in this region and it gives an
unmistakable flavour and colour. A light cake to enjoy with a cup of
tea.
Chendol is a refreshing dessert of shaved ice, coconut milk, pandan
jelly and gula melaka (palm sugar). I find this far lighter than
regular ice cream and it’s difficult to replicate at home as the ice
shavings are very fine, so try it here. The gula melaka is an essential
part of the dessert and brings an almost caramel sweetness.
Pineapple tarts – bite-size shortbread-style cookies (biscuits) that
are topped with pineapple jam. The fruit is cooked down to a soft paste
with a golden hue, with a sweet and mellow flavour.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur offers accessible luxury laced with Asian
charm and attention to detail. The staff are professional and friendly
and will make any weary traveller feel at home. The hotel location
makes this one of the world’s greats.
JP teres
Hours:
Daily, 11:30am – 11:00pm
Reservation:
For more information phone: +60 3 2182 1234 extension 2333
or email jpteres.kuagh@hyatt.com
Dress: Smart casual
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
12 Jalan Pinang
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia, 50450
Phone: +60 3 2182 1234
Fax: +60 3 2182 1288
Email: kualalumpur.grand@hyatt.com
Visit Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur here
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit
MASholidays here
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
here
Dukes Hotel Bar for
Martini
“The hotel bar
which some say concocts one of the world’s best Martinis” - New York
Times
There are many great hotels in London. There is a host of memorable
boutique hotels in London. There are several with stylish bars in
London. There is only one Dukes Bar in the whole world.
One finds Dukes Hotel tucked away in a courtyard off a quiet side
street in St James’s. It has the best of addresses, nestled between St
James’s Palace and Piccadilly. It’s a beauty in red brick. It’s an icon
of period architecture, and even a first glimpse will encourage the
visitor to expect something special within; they won’t be disappointed.
The doorman will usher you into a surprisingly small bar. One might
expect a venue with such a reputation to be the size of an aircraft
hanger, a well-appointed aircraft hanger, admittedly. No, Dukes Bar is
bijou, intimate and timeless with dark wood and charcoal-grey
upholstery. The bar is well-stocked but it’s the goods on that unique
trolley that will focus the mind of all serious Martini aficionados.
One takes a seat (best to reserve) and peruses the extensive menu of
classic cocktails, but it would be a gross oversight
to order anything, at least on the inaugural visit, other than a
Martini – and the tutored will want to try the Vesper Martini. Shortly
you will be joined by a barman in a white linen jacket and if you are
blessed it will be Alessandro Palazzi who, in his field, is as
celebrated as the hotel itself.
This bar was once the favoured watering hole of famed author Ian
Fleming. He is most remembered for being the creator of dashing James
Bond. There is a rumour that his very name is derived from this corner
of the capital: near Bond Street and in St James’s. Not sure how much
store to set by that tale, but it leads me to wonder if Miss Moneypenny
first drew breath at the stock exchange? Was Dr No inspired by a
dodgy practice in Harley Street?
Dukes Bar is said to be the inspiration behind the classic request,
'shaken, not stirred', although a Martini here will never be shaken.
That would be far too brash and noisy …and it would dilute the alcohol!
The aforementioned trolley will park next to your table and it’s a
chariot laden with decanters, fruit, bottles of frozen spirits and
frosted glasses. The theatre of pouring begins.
Those glasses are standard for this libation in all its delicious
chilled guises. The distinctive design is said to have developed to
allow the drinker to hold a stem rather than the bowl of the glass,
keeping the beverage at the lowest temperature for the longest time.
The cone is thought to give the optimum surface area to encourage the
maximum bouquet from the spirits and to prevent the ingredients from
separating as the drink rests; and this is a cocktail to be savoured
rather than gulped.
Alessandro mixes several hundred martinis each night so he has a
practised eye and a deft hand. A speciality is that signature ‘Vesper’.
No, dear illiterate reader, that isn’t a reference to the nifty Italian
motor scooter but obliquely to the time of day – it’s Latin for evening
– and absolutely in homage to Vesper Lynd, a character featured in Ian
Fleming's James Bond novel Casino Royale. The Vesper Martini gained
popularity after the novel's publication, and gave rise to the famous
‘shaken, not stirred’ catchphrase immortalised in every James Bond film
thereafter. The actual name for the drink, and the recipe, is mentioned
on-screen for the first time in the 2006 remake of Casino Royale.
The Vesper is a heady melange of No. 3 London Dry Gin, Lillet Blanc,
Angostura bitters, and Potocki vodka. This is a Polish vodka, in
keeping with the Iron Curtain-swishing heroes of Fleming’s
alter-universe. The dry vermouth is brewed exclusively for Duke’s by
Sacred Microdistillery on a residential street in Highgate, a north
London neighbourhood. Ian Fleming was evidently a skilled practitioner
of the art of tippling and we are the lucky recipients of both his
dedicated study and the charm of Alessandro Palazzi. (Interview to
follow).
Bar opening times:
Monday to Saturday - 2pm to 11pm
Sunday and Bank Holidays - 4pm to 10.30pm
Dukes Hotel & Bar
St. James's Place
London SW1A 1NY
Phone: +44 (0)20 7491 4840
Fax: +44 (0)20 7493 1264
For further information and reservations phone: +44 (0)20 7491 4840
Email: bookings@dukeshotel.com
Visit Dukes here
Majestic Malacca
Tourists are creatures of habit. They tend to stick to the
familiar and that is very much the case in Malaysia. There are fabulous
beaches and the city lights of the capital, but there is charm and
history waiting to be discovered in Malacca and it’s only a few hours
drive from Kuala Lumpur.
According to 16th century Malay historians, the city was founded by
Parameswara, a Palembang prince who, fleeing from his Japanese enemies,
eventually found himself on the west coast of the Malay peninsula.
While hunting near the mouth of a river called Bertam, he rested under
a tree and spotted a white mouse-deer. This timid animal kicked one of
his hunting dogs which fell into the river. The prince was so impressed
by the deer's brave attack that he decided to build a new city on the
banks of the river. He asked one of his servants the name of the tree
under which he was standing and was told that the tree was called
Malaka. Parameswara named his city after the tree.
By the first decade of the 16th century Malacca was a noteworthy
international seaport and a centre for the trade of silks and spices
from both China and India, and this inevitably attracted the attention
of foreign powers. The Portuguese under the command of Afonso de
Albuquerque arrived first in the early 1500s and after taking the city
by force he constructed the massive fortification of A Famosa on the
coast to deter any future counter-attacks. A small part of the fort can
still be seen today, although it’s now a little further away from the
sea due to modern land reclamation.
A Famosa remained until 1641, when the Dutch invaded Malacca after an
eight-month siege which left the city in ruins. They rebuilt it over
the following 150 years but in 1795 Holland was captured by French
Revolutionary armies and they handed Malacca over to the British to
avoid its capture by the non-revolutionary French forces. Malacca
changed hands several times over the following years due to its
strategic location, but from 1826 the city was ruled by the East India
Company. It was, along with the rest of the peninsula, occupied by the
Japanese from 1942 to 1945. Independence from the British government
was not achieved until 1957 with a proclamation of independence by His
Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Malaysia's first Prime
Minister.
Chinese, British, Portuguese, Dutch, Thai and Arabs have
come to trade or invade over the previous centuries and
each one of them has left their distinctive mark on Malacca. It is
considered Malaysia's most historically significant city and it’s easy
to see why. The rendered walls, painted doors and windows, tiled roofs
combine to give a very particular ambiance. It’s a living and energetic
city but there are those charming architectural features that remain,
allowing the visitor to take a peek at the past.
The Majestic Hotel in Malacca provides all that the discerning
traveller might want. It’s unique and nothing like the usual 5* hotel
which although well-appointed will have a degree of familiar sameness –
yes, very comforting but one might awake wondering if this is Brussels
…or Bratislava, as the drapes are the same. No, The Majestic is
bespoke, polished and full of local character.
The imposing frontage of The Majestic hints at the quality
and style within. Its painted shutters and shady veranda hark back to a
gentler time of rubber plantations and unabashed style. The original
section of the hotel was built in the 1920s as a private home and only
later became a hotel. It was purchased by YTL Hotels in 2007 and
reopened as The Majestic we see today with its 15-floor extension
creating 52 sumptuous rooms and suites.
The ground-floor reception and bar offer dark wood and
tiled floors which are original. It’s the attention to detail in the
public spaces that points to the accessible luxury throughout the
hotel. Jars of local sweets and treats tempt the visitor to linger but
more awaits in your room.
Dark wood and swathes of silk fabrics help to create an exotic nest for
the guest. Bathrooms are big here in every regard. Claw-foot roll-top
baths partner spacious showers, and those facilities become part of the
bedroom when the wall shutters are slid back. Rooms at the Majestic are
designed for those who expect and appreciate the best.
But tourist cannot live by unadulterated in-room pampering
alone. There is also a celebrated spa for those who can drag themselves
away from charming private opulence, and a restaurant that should be on
the list of must-experience culinary delights to be enjoyed by hotel
guests and Malacca residents alike.
Chef CK Pow presents a Nyoya or Peranakan menu and its dishes are
memorable. One can dine, or one can learn at one of the regular cooking
classes. The dining room is beautifully appointed and the perfect spot
in which to sample some of the iconic dishes of Asia’s original fusion
cuisine. It’s a tasteful melange of Chinese and Malay spice palates:
Pie Tee are crunchy pastry shells filled with vegetables and shrimps –
they make a popular Peranakan starter. The Laksa in Malacca is unlike
the more common Malaysian varieties as it’s a coconut curry-base with
fish cakes. Kuih are Peranakan cakes or desserts and are a must-try;
Onde Onde are rice dough balls filled with liquid palm sugar and coated
in coconut shreds. Bright blue Pulut Tai Tai are delicious sweets, and
isn’t blue food novel?
The Majestic Hotel in Malacca is a diminutive resort in
its own right. There is a small
library for those solitary sorts who relish the quiet of
that veranda out front. There is a pool for cooling dips on sultry
afternoons, a gym to work off those Kuih, and don’t forget that spa for
recovery after the gym. This hotel has polish and panache but it
remains cosy with the lingering ambiance of the original home.
The Majestic Hotel is a destination within a destination. Don’t miss
either.
The Majestic Malacca
188 Jalan Bunga Raya
75100 Malacca
Malaysia
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit
MASholidays here
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
here
Park Regis – Singapore
Singapore is blessed with hotels of every comfort hue.
There are a few
cheap and cheerful (if you are lucky) small
hotels and a wealth of high-end spots to lay one’s travel-weary head.
But as with property of any kind, it’s location, location, location
that adds the word ‘memorable’ to ‘comfort’.
Park Regis Singapore is centrally located
in the heart of the city and that’s just where you will want to be, and
especially if your break is a short one. There is so much that is
within walking distance, and that’s ‘easy’ walking distance.
Chinatown will likely be on your must-see
list and it’s only 10 minutes away. There are more
souvenir shops than one could shake an ornamental chop-stick at, and
dozens of restaurants offering anything from dim sum on which to snack
to full Szechuan banquets over which to sweat.
Park Regis has a metro station just across the road. Clarke Quay MRT
serves the eponymous neighbourhood just a short walk away, with its
restored warehouses which are now forming a hub of Singapore nightlife.
Set on the Singapore River this is a
tranquil spot for a coffee during the day, but it comes alive when the
sun goes down.
That handy metro stop offers Park Regis guests fast, clean and safe
transport to all Singapore attractions. It’s just a few
stops to the remarkable Marina Bay Sands complex with its iconic three
hotel towers. That’s right next to Gardens by the Bay with its huge
metallic trees. Little India has a metro station – go here for some
stunning fabrics. Orchard Road is all about tempting shops and
boutiques, and the metro will take you directly into its largest
shopping mall.
Yes, Park Regis is a well-placed base from which to explore the city
but you will want a haven from the rigors of sight-seeing and you will
find it here. The service is impeccable and friendly and that’s welcome
after a jet-lagging flight that will have you longing for your room.
This is a fairly new hotel so everything is pristine and smart. Plenty
of dark wood but rooms are light and airy and ours had windows on three
sides. There is broadband internet access, 42" LCD TV, cable TV with
plenty of channels and Interactive TV (IPTV) and movies on demand,
although it’s unlikely you will find time for much viewing. The
individually controlled air-conditioning is a necessity as are the
spacious shower, crisp sheets and a good night’s sleep.
Park Regis has its own restaurant and several bars but breakfast here
is a treat. Hotels in Asia can be a joy for food lovers. They cater to
both western and eastern tastes and so present guests with lots of
early-morning grazing opportunities. There are the usual traditional
goods such as mounds of bacon, sausages (these were chicken), eggs and
potatoes but so much more. The omelette station was popular with both
Asians and Europeans but there were also steamed buns and dumplings and
congee for anyone looking for a
Chinese start to the day. Japanese guests had miso soup and there was
also a simmering pot of Laksa with its array of condiments for those
who want a taste of Malaysia.
So you have had a substantial breakfast and roamed the city for hours
and now it’s time to unwind. Park Regis has its own
pool in which to cool. There is a fully equipped gym for anyone who
needs a bit more exercise, and you will never be far from a snack or a
drink. For those unfortunates who must work, there is a full-service
Business Centre providing secretarial services. There are iMac
workstations with complimentary broadband internet access. Rental of
mobile phones and laptops and private meeting rooms are available.
Park Regis ticks all the boxes for this traveller. Yes, its location is
unbeatable but it’s that combined with all the other elements of
comfort and kindness that makes this one of my favourite hotels in the
area. It’s cosy, charming, practical and good value.
Park Regis - Singapore
23 Merchant Road
Singapore 058268
Raffles Hotel - Raffles
Courtyard for a taste of Italy
Tell anyone that you have just returned from Singapore and
the question on their lips is bound to be ‘Did you visit Raffles?’ They
don’t have to dignify that name with any appendage: everyone knows that
there is only one Raffles and that’s the hotel.
One walks down Beach Road and there is only one thing missing. The
beach. First opened in 1887 Raffles Hotel did indeed have a sea view
but years of much-needed local land reclamation has left this iconic
hotel around 500 metres from the sea.
It doesn’t need to have its name prominently displayed for one to
notice Raffles. It’s gleaming, ornate, imposing and there is that very
human and charming trademark – the Sikh doorman, who does command
respect even from the hotel’s well-heeled guests.
The hotel was established by two Armenian brothers
from Persia and it was remarkable, in those days, for accepting guests
of all races. Singapore was occupied by the Japanese during the Second
World War, and at the end of the conflict the hotel was used as a
transit camp for prisoners of war. In 1987 the Singapore government
declared the hotel a National Monument.
Raffles has been around long enough to have legend embroidered into its
very fabric. It’s reputedly where the last surviving wild tiger in
Singapore was shot, under the billiard table. In fact the probable
truth is that the tiger had escaped from a nearby circus and the poor
unfortunate was dispatched under the building that housed the billiard
table. That was back in 1902.
Another call to fame from this most iconic of Singapore institutions is
a much less violent event. That’s the invention of the Singapore Sling.
This cocktail was devised by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon between 1910 and
1915 and has remained a favourite ever since.
There are fifteen restaurants and bars at Raffles and all of them have
their own personalities and histories. The latest is
Raffles Courtyard and it provides an al fresco venue for casual Italian
meals at a very reasonable price. Tourists will be surprised to learn
that they can afford a meal at Raffles and enjoy at least some of what
the hotel guests are offered.
The Courtyard is beautifully appointed and gleams with
tropical, colonialesque style. Mediterranean cuisine doesn’t seem
incongruous served here. One has the sense that this could be Cannes on
a fine day, although the service is guaranteed to be better here. There
is plenty that gives a nod to traditional Singapore, though. The
tropical palms and exotic plants add their own Asian ambiance, but that
ice cream vendor’s cart and the brick oven raise expectations of a very
Italian bill of fare.
The Courtyard opened on 14th January 2013. The Italian specialities
have been created by Deputy Executive Chef Nicola Canuti. He has a
creditable culinary pedigree having been Executive Chef at
Restaurant L'Albero in Moscow. I am betting he prefers the
weather in Singapore. Before that he could be found as Executive Chef
for Alain Ducasse Group at the Dorchester London and other locations.
Visitors can choose to have a light lunch and an hour or two’s quiet
during the heat of the day, or a leisurely dinner in the evening when
the Courtyard beckons those who want a memorable experience that won’t
break the bank.
The menu offers light and leafy salads, freshly made
pizzas from that aforementioned brick oven as well as classic pastas.
The dishes are authentic, delicious and create a perfect marriage of
European culinary heritage with that charming Raffles
architecture. This isn’t fusion but rather comfortable companionship.
My favourites from this Italian extravaganza are many.
The salads are well-balanced, the pasta sauces are rich and moreish,
and the pizzas are as good as you will find anywhere (including
Italy). It isn’t food to hurry but rather linger over with an
amphora (yes, they serve wine in terracotta jugs) of good red wine. Do
as the Italians do and people-watch, consider the day’s adventures, and
perhaps sample another pizza.
The must-try dishes at The Courtyard are:
Carpaccio di Carne Con Rucola e Parmigiano (beef carpaccio served with
rocket salad and Parmesan). Freshness is the key with this dish.
The beef was tender, the leaves were peppery and the cheese gave that
distinctive salty tang.
Vitello Tonnato (thin slices of loin of veal with a tuna sauce and
capers). This might sound an unlikely combination of ingredients but
they all work together marvellously in this classic preparation. The
sweetness of the meat finds a counterpoint in the fish.
All the pizzas here are light, crisp and traditional. A simple Pizza
Margherita would be delightful with perhaps a chilled prosecco but the
signature pizza must surely be Pescatore made with fresh tomatoes,
clams, shrimps, calamari with a sprinkling of vibrant green parsley.
This is a pizza for adults with discerning palates and it’s a million
miles away from anything you would have encountered at home …unless you
hail from Italy.
Pasta will be high on many an Italian dinner wish-list and The
Courtyard won’t disappoint. Linguini Con Pesto (linguini garnished with
basil pesto) is a summery plateful and this deserves a rustic red wine
alongside, but the star of the pasta selection must surely be Spaghetti
Con Vongole Zucchini E Botarga (spaghetti with clams, courgette and
botarga). Yes, I am suggesting seafood again because it is
famously good here in Singapore. The sweet clams are marvellously
complemented by the remarkable flavour of the cured fish roe. Just a
little grating of this transforms any seafood dish.
Save some space for the frozen desserts. The menu is short but none the
worse for that. These are artisanal ices that have remarkable flavour.
The sorbets in particular are outstanding. Try Sorbetto Alla Fragola
(strawberry sorbet) or Sorbetto Alla Pera (pear sorbet) for the
refreshing taste of real fruit.
The Courtyard at Raffles Hotel has something deliciously Italian for
every taste. All the dishes are reasonably priced so a meal at Raffles
is accessible to everybody.
Opening hours:
Raffles Courtyard is open daily from 12 noon to 10pm.
Gazebo Bar Cocktails: 11:00am to 10:30pm
For reservations, contact Dining Reservations at +65 6412 1816 or email
dining@raffles.com
with Executive Chef Massimo
Pasquarelli and Executive Pastry Chef Terence Pang
The Ritz-Carlton Singapore is one of my favourite comfort
destinations. It’s a delight
to stay there but also to visit and enjoy on Sundays when work is over,
or when one needs a civilised sit-down garnished with stunningly
delicious food. They are famed for their Sunday Brunch, which must be
on every traveller’s Bucket List, but they also present a seasonal
Sunday Afternoon Tea.
Spring Weekends Afternoon Tea is held in the striking Chihuly Lounge
(named after the artist whose impressive glass sculpture graces the
wall), and those seasonal teatimes are destined to become as famed as
the aforementioned copious brunch. The Ritz-Carlton does whatever it
does well, with flair, innovation and good taste.
Executive Chef Massimo Pasquarelli works with talented Executive Pastry
Chef Terence Pang to present this Cheese-themed Tea. That might conjure
images of a menu comprising a hefty selection of cheese sandwiches,
cheddar as main ingredient for cheese on toast, an individual macaroni
cheese, and perhaps a traditional cheesecake
to follow. Yes, it’s difficult to see how cheese can be incorporated
into sweet confections in any quantity. But I was expecting something
special – this is The Ritz-Carlton, after all.
This menu is evidently a melding of mind and skill. Both Chef Terence
and Chef Massimo have respect for ingredients, and an afternoon tea
allows them to show those foods to delicious advantage, introducing a
little culinary whimsy to the proceedings. They have devised thirteen
desserts that contain cheeses, such as Baked Vanilla Camembert Cheese
Cake, Cheddar Raisin Scones, Citrus Cream Cheese Rolls (tangy and
fruity and unmissable), and Coffee and Soft Guanaja Mascarpone Cheese
Cream (guanaja gives the final product a more intense chocolate
flavour).
But one does need savoury to act as a warm-up for those memorable
lactic sweets, and there were plenty of canapés on offer, all of
them laced with Chef Terence Pang’s evident Asian influence. Cucumber
and Cream Cheese Sandwiches started that cheesy homage, but there was
plenty more on those non-dessert tables: Beef Pastrami with Pickled
Gherkin in a Mini Croissant; Salmon Confit with XO Sauce and Salmon Roe
was a triumph; and Scallop Sushi topped with Japanese Mayonnaise and
Tobiko was luxurious. That shellfish made a second appearance with
Steamed Scallop Siew Mai. These and a host of other ‘starters’ would
have been sufficient to fill even the most practised of post-meridian
grazers but we had strolled by those desserts at the entrance and it
would have been rude not to try a few.
I asked Chef Massimo how he devised the theme for this unique Spring
Afternoon Tea. ‘We change the theme four times a year, which follow the
seasons. For Spring, it was based on the life of the cow, sheep and
goat. In the Winter the animals stay indoors and are fed on just dry
grass. In the Spring they are let out and they start to eat fresh grass
again. I have a childhood memory of the first 15 days of March when the
flavour of the milk was
totally different. I remember two desserts: one was bread with sugar,
and the second was milk – my grandmother collected the milk in a
cast-iron pan and scooped the mousse from the top, and added sugar.’
Cheese is a traditionally European ingredient: how does Massimo
reconcile that with working with such a talented Asian pastry chef as
Terence Pang?
‘We started work on the menu in November. Terence is someone who is
very passionate and it’s been very easy to get ideas together. Before
we are able to offer this menu to the guests we need to have it clear
in our own minds. If we see that there is excitement about the theme
then it means that it makes sense.’
At the Ritz-Carlton Singapore the Sunday Brunch and the Tea have an
Asian accent. I wondered if that was a difficult step for this very
European chef. ‘I went back to basics. At the end of the day it’s all
about passion, whether the chef is French or Chinese, and even if he
doesn’t speak English, you can see it in his eyes, you can see how much
of himself he puts into his food. That’s how I got into Chinese cuisine
– I followed those Chinese master chefs, looked at their benchmarks,
and came back to the kitchen to see how we could
improve what we were doing here.’
Having planned this Spring Afternoon Tea late last year, Massimo and
Terence must now be planning the next season’s theme. ‘Yes, first of
all we have to define Summer, and come up with a new concept. After the
Cheese theme, the next one I want to present is a sunny Summer
landscape, perhaps with a corner of blue sky ...something with coconut,
maybe. Every quarter I want to come up with something different, with
the theme coming first and then the recipes.’
These two executive chefs have formed an enviable culinary partnership.
They creatively and comfortably straddle both Europe and Asia in a
fashion that transcends that rather hackneyed description ‘fusion’.
They combine the best of ingredients from across the globe and offer
their guests plates of extraordinary culinary artistry and imagination,
and the results are harmonious and memorable. Their handiwork is almost
too delightful to eat. Almost.
This cheese-themed Spring Weekend Afternoon Tea can be
enjoyed between 2.30pm and 5pm on Saturdays and
Sundays from 2 March to 26 May
2013.
Priced at $52 for adults
and $26 for children (six to twelve years).
Singapore is special in so many ways. It’s many-faceted
and presents the food lover with temptations at every turn.
Opportunities for vibrant casual eating abound but there are also those
restaurants that present the visitor with delicious
memories along with unadulterated gastronomic pampering. The
Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch at Greenhouse in The
Ritz-Carlton is iconic and unmissable.
Sunday brunch is now available in every city across the
globe. One can expect a brace of egg dishes and a couple
of
roasts
and a fish option. There might be a nod in
the direction of vegetarians with roasted vegetables in a sauce, and
there is bound to be a dessert or two. But then there is The Ritz
Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch at Greenhouse and that puts the gilding
on brunch, and those other meagre impostors in the shade.
It’s Sunday and we want to relax with friends and family. Perhaps it’s
a celebration, although every Sunday brunch here seems festive. Folks
arrive in their Sunday best with ladies sporting floral finery, and
every shoe and child is polished. The guests bring their own touch of
charm to the occasion and they will be rewarded for their trouble from
the moment they arrive in the high-ceilinged, light and airy salon.
Sunday Brunch at The Ritz must surely rate as one of the finest of its
genre. The smart-casual event is famed. It’s not stuffy and muted. The
staff are friendly and helpful. There is a buzz of conversation from
groups of guests enjoying good company along with that unbeatable food.
It offers an excuse to dress up a little and to indulge a lot.
Younger members of the party will be eyeing the ice-cream station by
the entrance, while more mature grandparents are drawn
to another ice display which offers seafood. There are eight
types of oysters and all shucked to order and served
with red wine vinaigrette or lemon. It might be a couple of years
before the kids appreciate those but they will surely
be tempted by some prawns.
Moët & Chandon vintage Champagne fills the flutes of all those
who haven’t chosen an expertly muddled Mojito or shaken exotic cocktail
from the bar. The champagne is unlimited and
marvellously complements the aforementioned chilled
crustacea – every class of shellfish seems to put in an appearance at
this brunch. One might consider moving on to a more
robust red to pair with a traditional roast with all the trimmings. It
is Sunday, after all …but a more exciting one than usual.
Yes, it’s Sunday but this is Asia so the bill of fare here offers a
wider tapestry of taste than one might find in a European or North
American restaurant. Diners are free to mix Mediterranean tapas with
Japanese sushi, cooling leaves with spiced pork ribs. The Ritz-Carlton
Sunday Brunch contrives to represent the very best of all that
Singapore food has to offer, and that is the best available from every
continent. Diners can travel the world by stepping from one counter to
the next, from nigiri garnished with delicate green wasabi and shreds
of pink ginger (there are trays of various sushis), to slices of
traditionally roast meat with glazed orange carrots (there’s always a
choice of several roasts).
A cheese board is very much a part of any self-respecting Sunday brunch
but I confess I had not expected to find one in Asia
and more to the point, I hadn’t expected a restaurant in Singapore to
have the best selection of cheese I have ever come across on one table!
Yes, it’s true that I have found equally magnificent arrays of artisanal
lactic
goods
in Europe but only in specialist shops. The striking
international cheese selection features over
50
different cheeses from Australia, England, France,
Italy, New Zealand and Switzerland and there is even Port
available
at
the bar. That’s a marriage made in heaven.
The kids may well have grazed on desserts all through brunch, but those
sweets are sophisticated enough for the most discerning palates. The
beautiful confections are created by Executive Pastry Chef Terence Pang
and they range from Kuih - a broad term which includes
Chinese cakes, dumplings, puddings and biscuits - to European pastries.
There is plenty of choice for those chocoholics as well. If cheesecake
or crème brûlée is your passion then
you
won’t
be disappointed. There is also fresh fruit to help you feel
noble, and ice cream if the kids haven’t finished it!
The Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch is served from 12 noon to 3 pm in a
single sitting and is priced at S$168 per adult, S$84
per child (6-12 years) or S$42 per child (3-5 years). It includes
unlimited Moët & Chandon vintage Champagne,
house
red
and white wines, selected cocktails, chilled
juices and sparkling mineral water. Prices are subject
to
10%
service charge and prevailing government taxes.
For dining reservations
Call Restaurant Reservations on 6434 5288
or
email rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Phone: +65 6337-8888
Fax: +65 6338-0001
Visit The Ritz here
Majestic
Restaurant Singapore
There is good food to be had all over Singapore. It’s
famed for it. One can sit with the locals and enjoy a bowl of laksa at
one of the numerous, cheap and buzzing hawker centres. There are small
side-street restaurants specialising in steaming bowls of congee for
breakfast through to hot, grilled skewers of meat after the sun goes
down. There are fusion fine-dining restaurants, and Japanese cuisine
has taken hold in a big way.
The Majestic Restaurant offers a stylish departure from the mostly
rustic options of the majority of Chinatown restaurants. It’s
Cantonese, it’s refined and it’s contemporary. There are indeed
traditional Chinese accents to the decor but they are manifested in a
memorable etched bronze sculpture and a striking geometric Chinese robe
motif on the back wall. There is a colourful trishaw parked at the
front, which adds to the eclectic mix.
The restaurant doesn’t need to persuade you of its Chineseness with
displays of red lanterns and dragons around every corner. Nothing wrong
with those traditional decorative devices but they wouldn’t work in The
Majestic with its clean lines and artful use of dark wood. Yes, The
Majestic is confident and modern and is housed in the New Majestic
Hotel which is stylish, unique, tasteful and delightfully retro.
There is a remarkable architectural feature and that’s the ceiling: it
sports holes. These are not decorating oversights. It’s not
energy-saving low-tech air conditioning. They are in fact portholes set
into the bottom of the swimming pool above. They shed a soft and
dappled light onto tables below and provide a memorable experience for
both diners and swimmers.
Opened in January 2006, this award-winning restaurant
seats 100, and has four private dining rooms, one of which
has
views into the kitchen. Owner/chef Yong Bing Ngen and his team
present a Cantonese fine-dining menu in an equally refined setting,
making a meal at The Majestic a treat for all the senses.
Chef Yong Bing Ngen has already had an impressive career. His
professional biography reads like a directory of must-visit spots in
Singapore: Executive Chinese Chef at Hai Tien Lo restaurant in the Pan
Pacific Hotel; Chef de Cuisine, the Empress Room, Raffles Hotel;
Executive Chef for Jade restaurant in the Fullerton Hotel. That history
will lead one to expect remarkable food. Chef Yong Bing Ngen won’t
disappoint. He has many deserved awards under his belt including one
for the Majestic Restaurant - Asian Cuisine Restaurant of the Year
(Singapore Category) at the World Gourmet Series Awards of Excellence
2012. That is a worthy accolade when one considers the standard of the
competition.
The dishes here are inspired, with a definite nod towards Cantonese.
Put aside any prejudices you may have developed through years of
over-indulgence at your local Chinese take-away – the sign over the
door might boast that the food is Cantonese but in truth it’s unlikely
to be authentic and I can guarantee that it will bear absolutely no
resemblance to the fare at The Majestic.
The subtle and aromatic dishes are plated in European style and include
signature dishes such as the combination platter of
crispy wasabi prawn and Peking duck served with pan-seared foie gras,
braised lobster in a creamy milk and lime sauce, grilled lamb chop in
Chinese honey. You’ll likely not find these on your high street. I
would also suggest that your first taste of the ‘celebrated’ durian
should be here. The chef transforms this much-maligned fruit into
confections that allow its distinctive characteristics to remain but in
a fashion that will be appreciated by nervous Westerners.
The wine list is creditable, offering a good selection from the New
World as well as Europe. There are wines by the glass for those who
would like to taste different vintages to complement each course. There
are wines here to suit every taste and every pocket.
The Majestic Restaurant should be on the Singapore restaurant list of
any traveller who wants to try some imaginative modern Chinese food
that pushes the culinary envelope, while still remaining true to its
classic flavour palate.
The Majestic Restaurant
The New Majestic Hotel
31- 37 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089845
For reservations
Phone: 6511 4718
Email: restaurant@newmajestichotel.com
Visit The Majestic Restaurant here
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday
Lunch: 11.45am to 3pm. Last lunch order 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm to 11pm. Last dinner order 10.30pm
Owner/Chef: Yong Bing Ngen
St Ermin’s – Winter
Wonderland Afternoon Tea
St Ermin's Hotel has changed. It was always a classic
hotel and the history was always evident in the very
brickwork. But in 2011 it closed for half a year and a £30
million refurbishment, and was totally transformed into the modern
4-star hotel that we see today. It retains much of its character but
it’s now contemporary and light.
It’s what you might describe as a ‘prime location’. Hard to argue with
that: it’s just a few yards (that isn’t an estate agent yard) from St
James’s Park Underground station which houses the entrance to the HQ of
London Underground, so bound to have trouble-free transport. That
iconic Art Deco ticket hall introduces the visitor to the notion of
architectural excellence, but take that short walk to St Ermin's and
you’ll finds one of the most striking red-brick hotels in London.
The Grade II listed Victorian building started life as one of the early
mansion blocks in London. The brick and stone combination is typical of
buildings of the design known as Queen Anne style. They were the
forerunner (although very high-end) of modern apartment blocks. The
apartments were converted to a hotel in the 1890s, and it went on to
enjoy a rich and intriguing history. It was a meeting place of the
British intelligence services, as well as the Cambridge Five
double-agents Kim Philby and Donald MacLean, who met their Russian
handlers at St Ermin's.
St Ermin’s is offering a delightfully seasonal afternoon tea called
Winter Wonderland. It does indeed showcase some
wintery
ingredients
but
perhaps
the
chef
should
consider
having
this
as
an option all year. It would be ideal for men, who seldom enjoy those
pretty and multi-coloured light mousses that are the norm.
Winter Wonderland has the traditional format of sweet and savoury but
the components are unique. The selection of sandwiches gives a nod to
Yuletide, including turkey on cranberry bread, ham and pickle, cheese
and onion with a garnish of chutney as an open sandwich, and smoked
salmon and cream cheese as another open rye bread sandwich. All of
these remind me of Boxing Day and delicious leftovers. The staff are
more than happy to replenish the sandwiches on demand so they are fresh.
Tuck into the warm scones next and enjoy these with the usual garnishes
of strawberry jam, clotted cream and honey. The clotted cream is thick
and rich and replaces the butter. Devon and Cornish folks have
different ways of spreading their scones. One puts jam on first and
then the cream and the other puts the cream on and then a spoon of jam
…but I can never remember who does what. If you are from the West
Country you will likely know, and if you aren’t then it won’t matter.
Mulled apple cider jelly with apple cream could be your next sweet
treat and this is truly exceptional. The jelly is bright and light and
full-flavoured. The sweet cream is an inspired topping and gives the
tall shot glasses the air of a Christmas candle.
German spiced Lebkuchen, Pumpkin passion cupcakes and Brunsli (Swiss
brownies) constitute the cake complement and are truly old-fashioned
and just right for the weather – not over-sweet but with that adult
mixed-spice flavour that goes well with some tea. And there is a good
selection of that at St Ermin’s, as well.
Call 020 7227 7777, 0800 652 1498 or email info@caxtongrill.co.uk to
book your table for tea.
St. Ermin's Hotel
2 Caxton St
London SW1H 0QW
Phone: 020 7222 7888
Think about Old London and what scene comes to mind? Fog,
intertwined alleys and hidden courtyards, probably. Iron
railings, warm brick, brass plaques. And hotels: yes, every Edwardian
writer seemed to talk about hotels. They were the acceptable places in
which to meet friends and to dine, when restaurants were less numerous
than they are today. But those hotels must surely have been swept aside
by samey modernity, by cold grey cement and sheets of plate glass.
Well, the fog has gone, but Dukes is still standing and still sports
those classic features, and it overlooks its own courtyard behind St
James’s Place, off St James’s Street. It was opened in 1908 although
the courtyard dates from the 1500s, and the hotel still retains that
authentic air of class and propriety, although this is far from a
starchy establishment. It’s celebrated for its Martini Bar and for
mixing the original James Bond cocktail – shaken, not stirred – and the
Champagne Bar is a cosy retreat from the throng of Mayfair.
Thirty Six is Dukes’ restaurant and was opened in September 2011. It
has contemporary grey walls but it fits well with the traditional feel
of the hotel as the architectural features have been retained, the
tables are well-spaced, the upholstered chairs are in muted terracotta
and there are dramatic black accents from lampshades. The silver
chargers and classic cutlery have hand-made colour-marbled glasses as a
striking counterpoint.
Chef Nigel Mendham offers British cuisine but with all the charm and
flair that one would expect across the Channel. His menu takes
advantage of seasonal British ingredients and a lot of imagination. The
descriptions hardly do justice to that with which you will be served.
Nigel seems to add value at every turn with a demitasse of soup here,
some savoury spoon bites there, a pre-dessert when one thinks it is
almost over, and then there are decadent petit fours to round off the
extraordinary event.
Red Mullet and ‘All things Nicoise’ was my choice of starter and the
reality exceeded my expectations, which ran along the lines of a bit o’
fish atop a French salad. The mullet was the best I have tasted, being
moist and flavourful with a crispy skin which adds so much to the dish.
The ‘Nicoise’ elements were little vignettes of the eponymous salad and
were indispensible ‘sides’ to the mullet.
Rare-breed Pork braised Cheek, Langoustine and Granny Smith Apple was
my guest’s starter. Offal and those previously discarded cuts of meat
are appreciated these days although they often need greater care in
preparation and cooking, but it’s worth that effort. Nigel has combined
deliciously savoury pork with delicate langoustines, and apples have
always been a partner to porcine products. My companion was delighted
with his elevated ‘surf and turf’.
Goosnargh Duck, Sweet Potato, Chestnuts, Duck Samosa and Charred
Sprouts was my main course and it was substantial. The duck was
presented medium-rare and it was perfect – pink and tender. The
miniature samosa and turned potatoes added texture and sweetness to the
tapestry. The sprouts were going to be my nemesis but they were a
revelation. The charring gave flavour and the vibrant green vegetables
still had bite; there was no hint of that unpleasant sprouty taste that
has spoilt many a decent Christmas dinner.
John Dory, Aubergine, Spiced Mussels with Herb Quinoa took the fancy of
my guest. This was a wonderfully attractive plate of yellow hues. The
fish was mild and simply grilled, the aubergines were tender and smoky
and the quinoa was nutty and well-textured, and an inspired
accompaniment. It’s an ancient grain that is becoming more popular,
although it has been appreciated in South America for thousands of
years.
Pear Savarin, Poached Pear, Almond Custard and Pear Sorbet was my
guest’s dessert – or more accurately his dessert served with two
spoons. Savarin is a yeast-sponge cake that one often finds in the
guise of over-sweet and sticky Rum Baba, but Nigel offers this cake as
a lightly soaked confection that
didn’t upstage the fruit. The poached pears had distinct flavour and
the sorbet was refreshing. That extra spoon made impressive in-roads
into the dessert.
Chef Nigel Mendham (interview shortly) has a marvellous stage for his
very evident talents. Dukes has been famed for its Martini Bar and it’s
no surprise that this restaurant, Thirty Six, offers commensurate
quality. It’s a joy!
My first taste of self-catering was as a 7-year-old and it
did rather taint my expectations of that style of holiday for the
following half-century. It was a ‘chalet’ (3-metre square prefab) in
Sackets Grove. It had a wealth of ornithological interest, being
situated next to Clacton’s municipal dump which was the feeding ground
for seagulls.
Ivy Roost Cottage is a world away from that first experience. This
idyllic place has modern luxury writ large. It is thoroughly
contemporary but retains its 400-year-old charm. It sleeps up to 9
people which make this an ideal retreat for a large family group, or
for several couples who want to enjoy all the tranquillity of the New
Forest.
The New Forest is an expansive and ancient area of woods, heath and
pasture in the south of England and isn’t ‘new’ at all. It was a royal
hunting estate and was created in 1079 by William the Conqueror, who
won the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was first recorded as "Nova
Foresta" in the Domesday Book in 1086.
Those historic acres begin just beyond the garden wall. A cattle grid
keeps the famous roaming ponies and cattle away from the roses, and the
views of unspoilt heath are memorable. There is truly nothing between
you and the wildlife, and the rejuvenating country walks start at the
front door.
Ivy Roost is a large thatched cottage dating back some 400 years. It
has secluded gardens that are immaculate with lawns, borders and fruit
trees. There are paved terraces for sitting and taking traditional
afternoon tea, corners for enjoying some sun in the company of that
best-seller, and a delightful al fresco dining room shaded by a leafy
pergola. A swing will be fought over but the losers of that
confrontation can cheer themselves with a soak in the hot tub. That’s a
worthy consolation prize!
This cottage has been extended and restored to the highest of
standards. It takes advantage of all its original features and they add
so much to its character. There are beams, doors and alcoves that have
remained part of its fabric throughout the centuries but there is
nothing gloomy and dusty here. The walls are an oyster-white and the
woodwork is in various shades of pale heritage neutral colours. Yes,
contemporary finishes but they work so well with the rustic walls and
windows in the older parts of the cottage.
One might worry that all those guests would feel a little confined in a
cottage. There are no such concerns here. It has a
wealth of rooms to suit every purpose, even on those days when the
weather does not cooperate. The younger members of the group will
gravitate to the first floor: the upstairs living room is light and
bright with doors onto a striking furnished roof terrace with the best
views in the house. That terrace will allow you a closer look at the
iconic thatch. The kids might not be so interested in the scenery when
they realise that there is a play station indoors, with a library of
games.
There is a study on the ground floor for those who can’t afford full
work disconnection. The cottage has wireless internet access so you
will be able to keep a finger on the business pulse, although the view
of the garden from the desk will tempt you away from emails.
Next to the study is an intimate sitting room that will be the magnet
for adults on chilly evenings. Ivy Roost is a cottage for all seasons.
It has an inglenook fireplace and a box of logs. There is nothing like
the flicker of a real fire to create a calming ambiance and sense of
wellbeing, but there is fully functioning state-of-the-art central
heating in this and all other rooms. This ‘snug’ provides your
after-dinner late-night-film-watching sanctuary although it’s likely
you will be dozing before the end credits roll. There is a
surround-sound system for the TV, DVD/CD, iPod dock and radio tuner.
You will have cooked the aforementioned dinner in one of the
best-equipped and most thoughtfully designed kitchens. I
am a food writer as well as a travel writer and I was taking notes:
high-end appliances, practical features and plenty of space. The two
ovens, a microwave, a 5-ring hob, dishwasher and full-height fridge
make this a kitchen to give joy to even seasoned food professionals.
The dining table seats a dozen and is at the heart of what makes this
cottage work. It has triple-aspect windows looking over the garden, and
a high beamed ceiling. This is a true entertaining dining room
providing a venue for your most memorable celebrations.
So you have had some lovely walks and enjoyed all that the local
villages have to offer. You have tucked into a sumptuous cottage-cooked
dinner and it’s time to retire. All of you will have well-appointed
bedrooms; there are four of them and each one is different but all are
stylish and comfortable.
The master bedroom has views over the New Forest, a dressing area and
en-suite shower room. There are two further double rooms with their own
shower room on the first floor, as well as a three-bed room and full
bathroom on the ground floor. Everything has been carefully chosen to
create rooms that are attractive and restful.
Ivy Roost Cottage sets the benchmark for self-catering accommodation.
It has quality of furnishings and attention to detail that is hard to
find even in 5-star hotels. It presents a luxurious home-from-home for
relaxing and entertaining, and I recommend it highly.
Info:
Ivy Roost Cottage is found on a quiet country road in East Boldre in
the New Forest, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. East Boldre has
a village shop, an organic butcher and farm shop, and two excellent
pubs are within easy reach.
It is only 90 miles from London and the journey is usually accomplished
in about 1½ hours.
The Isle of Wight ferry is 5 minutes away.
The cottage is only a short drive from the small town of Lymington on
the coast.
Beaulieu village and Motor Museum are just a few miles away.
This is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt corners of
the British Isles. The New Forest is an area in southern
England with an expanse of open pasture, heath and forest and it covers
south-west Hampshire, south-east Wiltshire and on to east Dorset.
The New Forest was created as a royal hunting ground by William I, the
chap who came over in 1066. His dedication to sport has allowed these
acres (380 km2) to remain relatively unchanged, and the roaming cattle
and horses add to the charm. Yes, those animals are fearless in the
face of traffic, adopting a strategy of making eye contact with car
drivers whilst continuing to nibble the grass verge with a minimum of
two hooves on the tarmac.
Two of the top hotels in the New Forest National Park have been awarded
the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2012: Careys Manor &
SenSpa in Brockenhurst and its sister hotel The Montagu Arms in
Beaulieu have both received that honour, and one can see why.
The Careys Manor we see today was built in 1888 on the site of former
buildings named after John Carey, who was given the original Manor in
the mid-1600s by Charles II as a reward for his service. The present
owners bought the hotel in 1975 and
later the pub at the front of the hotel which was renovated and
transformed into Le Blaireau, the French Bar and Bistro, giving hotel
visitors even more dining choices.
This casual dining option tempts locals as well as hotel guests. Its
menu offers French classics in an informal setting that will raise a
smile. The walls are covered with Parisian tiles, the tables are
marble-topped, there is a 2CV embedded in the wall, and an alley from
Marseilles has been imported for your Francophile delight.
The changes didn’t stop with the bistro. In 2004, the Health Club
underwent extensive updating and was transformed into the award-winning
SenSpa. It has a pronounced Thai theme with teak carving and mirrors in
the exercise studio, black fabric and bamboo in the areas dedicated to
meditation and quiet. One doesn’t even have to move far from the
swimming pool to enjoy authentic Thai food: the Zen Garden Thai
restaurant has hand-decorated columns and exotic foliage that will
convince the visitor that they have stumbled upon a rather classy
corner of Bangkok.
Back in the main hotel, the Manor Lounge has a wood-vaulted ceiling and
was added to the main building in 1983; it is the area of choice on
cold wintery days. The huge fireplace and soft sofas make the lounge
perfect for, well, lounging and reading the papers, and possibly dozing
near those blazing logs.
The main entrance of Careys Manor is just what one would hope for in a
former Victorian hunting lodge. Its reception is oak panelled with an
inviting open fire. The imposing staircase sweeps guests up to their
rooms, which are well appointed with all the amenities befitting the
Manor’s 4-star status. The Victoriana is picturesque, but one will
appreciate the electricity, TV, hot showers, and all the other benefits
of the 21st century. There is something comforting about staying in a
country house hotel: one finds a timeless quality and a genteel
elegance. Careys Manor is one of the finest of these characterful
hotels, and it’s the attention to detail that has guests returning.
Quality continues in the dining room. Low ceilings, cornice mouldings
and wall-lights contrive to make this an intimate experience. The
tables are well-spaced, the service friendly but unobtrusive, and the
food is outstanding. The menu changes frequently to take advantage of
the freshest of local produce from land and sea, and all dishes are
presented with flair and a touch of innovation. This is British food
with a little French je ne sais quoi, each dish prepared by executive
chef Chris Wheeldon, who deserves his two AA Rosettes.
Careys Manor is a hotel for all seasons and for all occasions. Its
setting in the New Forest is ideal for long walks and for visiting
Beaulieu and other historic villages, as well as Lyndhurst with its
traditional high street and tea rooms. But the Manor has the advantage
over other hotels in the neighbourhood: it has its celebrated SenSpa
which is a destination in its own right. I have visited many excellent
spas in the UK, Europe and Asia but SenSpa is outstanding with its
pool, steam rooms, treatment rooms, and gym. It’s available for the
enjoyment of hotel guests but it’s also appreciated by non-residents
who just want day membership.
Careys Manor is whatever you want it to be – relaxing,
vibrant,
healthful, or indulgent. Its setting is striking but it will
be hard to pull yourself away from these superb facilities; so come for
a few days and then you might even find the time for an outing to visit
the wildlife.
The New Forest is a beautiful and ancient area in the
south of England and is in fact very far from ‘new’. It was a
royal hunting estate and was created in 1079 by William I. You will
likely know him as William the Conqueror who took possession of that
tract of land and everything else in England after that celebrated
Hastings battle of 1066.
It was first recorded as "Nova Foresta" in the Domesday Book in 1086.
This was a survey of all the king’s possessions including people and
other livestock. It is the only forest that the book considers in
detail, indicating its significance.
The unique forest still maintains many of the benefits given to local
people by the Crown hundreds of years ago. There are pasturing rights
for the locals, known as commoners, to graze their ponies, cattle, pigs
and donkeys in the open forest.
Palace House was begun in 1204 as the gatehouse to Beaulieu Abbey, and
has been the ancestral home of the Montagu family since 1538, when it
was bought following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII.
It was extended in the 16th century, and again in the
19th. The Beaulieu River runs through the estate and is one of the few
privately owned rivers in the world.
The Montagu Arms is on the Beaulieu Estate but not owned by it, and was
built around 200 years ago. Since the 16th century there has been an
inn on the site of this hotel, which would originally have been a
meeting place for those aforementioned commoners. It held timber
auctions and a cattle market, which took place at the inn until 1809.
The original building front was demolished in 1887, with the new
building, incorporating Monty's Inn, being completed in 1888. In 1925
the building was extended to its present size.
The front of The Montagu Arms is classically English and somehow frozen
in time, but park around the back and enter through the garden and you
see another facet of Englishness. Tight planting of traditional shrubs
and annuals with small manicured lawns welcomes the guest who might be
staying over or just on a visit for the celebrated Afternoon Tea.
The reception area is cosy and a vision of dark oak panels. A wide sweeping
staircase
leads
guests to the first floor and 22 stunning bedrooms and
suites. Our rooms consisted of a sumptuous bedroom with leaded windows
but contemporary furniture accented with antiques. The bathroom was
huge, light, bright and far from anything experienced by guests 200
years ago; that would probably have consisted of a bucket. I love
modern amenities.
The adjoining private sitting room was stylishly furnished, with coffee
and tea-making facilities (although there is a wake-up-cuppa service
for those who need a bit of morning encouragement). This space is ideal
for after-dinner unwinding. The turn-down service will have been in
while you dined and will have closed the curtains and puffed up the
cushions. A break at The Montagu Arms isn’t a thing to be hurried. Take
your cue from the ponies: graze and wander and enjoy the quiet.
The Montagu Arms is blessed with a Michelin-starred restaurant. The
Terrace is presided over by Chef Matthew Tomkinson. He has a passion
for local and seasonal produce. He respects it and presents it with
innovation. He can confection a simple soup that you’ll still be
talking about when you are sipping coffee in your private sitting room
– how often can you say that a soup has held your attention?
The Terrace is wood-panelled and has a 1920s feel about it. The tables
are well-spaced to allow for relaxed conversation. The menu changes
with the season and there will always be a new slant on even the most
common of vegetables. The food is what you might expect to find in
France but it is truly British. It’s a myth to suppose that we need to
cross La Manche to find a spectacular dinner.
Cannelloni of Braised Rabbit with Glazed Spring Vegetables, Black Pudding
Puree
and
Mustard Sauce was my starter. Take the opportunity to try
bunny. It’s a healthy meat and flavourful without being over-gamey. The
sauce added an aromatic heat.
We were served a little amuse bouche of beetroot soup with goats curd.
This was almost too beautiful to eat; the culinary equivalent of that
ruby-red cut-glass from Eastern Europe. Beetroot is becoming more
popular and is now seen fresh in supermarkets, and is being treated as
a sweet vegetable rather than a pickle reserved for Sunday teatime.
Saddle of Welsh Spring Lamb with Confit Belly, Crispy Sweetbread,
Glazed Potatoes, Goat’s Curd and Capers was outstanding. Sweetbreads
are often mistakenly believed to be the dangly bits of an animal. In
fact, they’re two separate glands - the thymus (from the throat) and
the pancreas (from the heart or stomach) that can be taken from calves
or lambs. I love them and can honestly say that there is nothing not to
like. It’s offal but it’s mild in flavour and usually with a soft and
comforting texture; here Matthew adds a crunchy coating. A must try
dish on this menu.
Assiette of Pennington House Apples with Apple Sorbet and Butterscotch
Sauce
was
dessert. This was a medley of apple sweets, and was a
showcase for Matthew Tomkinson's skill. Yes, it’s only apples as the
star ingredient but it’s a dessert that illustrates why that Michelin
star has found a home here. This as well as the rest of the menu
offered a few ideas that I might try at home. OK, there was plenty that
was cheffy but there were elements that would work in a domestic
kitchen with a regular home cook at the range.
The Montagu Arms takes cheese seriously. It has a proper cheese trolley
which is a fast-disappearing vehicle. It rolls around the restaurant
offering a full complement of cheese, giving guests the opportunity to
taste some of the carefully chosen selection.
The gastronomic delights continue with breakfast. Matthew and his staff
keep chickens and those free-range eggs are used to great advantage at
breakfast. Those and the fresh vegetables are delivered to the kitchen
daily, and sometimes more frequently than that. Excellent produce
transformed into Michelin-standard meals, and all in this idyllic and
historic corner of the New Forest. The Montagu Arms is just what you
would hope it to be.
The Montagu Arms Hotel
Beaulieu
New Forest
Hampshire
SO42 7ZL
Phone: 01590 612324
Visit The Montagu Arms Hotel here
The French Horn at
Sonning
Sonning! It sounds ancient and smart and indeed it is just
that. It’s a chocolate-box pretty spot that is so quintessentially
English and timeless.
St Andrew's Church, in the centre of the village, was founded in Saxon
times - probably by Birinus, first bishop of Dorchester-on-Thames. The
historic parish of Sonning, originally extending from Sonning Common to
Sandhurst, was one of the great packages of land given to the Church in
the 7th century.
The French Horn isn’t quite that old but was built in the 1880s and has
all the character that one would hope. It’s a hotel and restaurant,
although it considers itself a “restaurant with rooms”. It sits on the
banks of the River Thames next to the Sonning Backwater Bridges at
Sonning Eye, Oxfordshire.
Close to The French Horn is The Mill at Sonning and the hotel has the
original mill cottages as part of their property; in fact those
cottages now constitute the majority of the guest accommodation. It’s a
perfect terrace of small houses with lawns down to the river. Guests
can enjoy a patio, sitting room, comfy bedroom and a bathroom the size
of which makes it ideal for holding a tea dance. The cottages offer
privacy, with even breakfast taken, if you wish, in the cottage rather
than the main hotel building.
But it’s that main building that will draw you like a magnet. It’s
charming from the roadside but step through the garden gate and you
will see the grounds in all their glory. Summer offers bright
flowerbeds with a tapestry of annuals. The sun lights the willow trees
to a citrus-green hue. The river is the garden boundary and some diners
take advantage of that thoroughfare to arrive by boat.
The hotel entrance is reminiscent of the country pubs that were once so
common but are sadly now replaced by modernity and tat. The French Horn
seems little changed since it was first constructed: dark wood and
welcoming bar with a huge fireplace which is, in reality, an annex to
the kitchen. The spits slowly rotate with their cargo of ducks which
are a speciality here and always on the menu. The flickering glow of
those burning logs would be irresistible on a cold winter night but if
you stayed snuggled there you would miss a memorable meal in the room
next door.
The dining room is grand and formal and an addition to the original
hotel building; it was constructed by the present owners, the Emmanuel
family, who have been sympathetic custodians for decades. The windows
enjoy those aforementioned garden views which are floodlit at night.
Yes, it’s every inch a classic restaurant, but it reverberates with
conversation and conviviality. Who would, after all, want dinner in a
hushed library? Folks who have enjoyed The French Horn include the film
director and restaurant critic Michael Winner (who has used the
location as a film set), and also the late Princess Diana.
The decor is classic and so is the food. Chef Josiane Diaga offers not
only that roasted duck but a full and creditable menu of meats, fish
and shellfish. The wine list is striking and the cellar is lovingly
filled by Michael Emmanuel who has a discerning palate for wines that
cover the whole spectrum and fit every pocket. They do also offer a set
menu here which is great value for money, allowing many more visitors
the chance to experience one of the area’s most successful restaurants.
It’s difficult to define exactly what constitutes a fine restaurant.
It’s an amalgam of many qualities and The French Horn has just about
all of them. It exudes old-fashioned rightness, service and polish and
it’s no surprise it’s lasted 40 years. I trust the Emmanuels are
grooming the next generation.
The French Horn Hotel
Sonning-on-Thames
Berkshire
RG4 6TN
Phone: 0118 969 2204
Email: info@thefrenchhorn.co.uk
Contact The French Horn here
Ashdown Park Hotel
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of heathland about 30
miles (48 km) south of London in East Sussex. It was
once a medieval hunting forest created soon after the Norman conquest
of 1066. The Forest continued to be used by royalty and the nobility
for hunting into Tudor times. King Henry VIII, the monarch who had a
run of bad luck with wives, had a hunting lodge at Bolebroke Castle,
and courted the unfortunate Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle.
Ashdown Forest is famous as the setting for the children’s (and
adults’) Winnie-the-Pooh stories, written by A. A. Milne. The first
book featuring Winnie was published in 1926 and the second book, The
House at Pooh Corner, was published a year later.
The first grand house was erected on the present site in 1815 either by
Thomas Bradford or by Rear Admiral The Honourable Jacob Henniker. In
1867 the estate was bought by MP Thomas Charles Thompson and he
demolished the original building and built the Gothic Victorian manor
house which remains as part of this striking hotel. Later owners
of the house included G K T Fisher who inherited the estate but was
killed during the First World War. The house later became a
convent and remained in church hands for the next 50 years. Nuns had
their small cells in the East Wing and lived in typical nun-like
simplicity.
The building was acquired by the Elite Group in 1993 and beautifully
presented as a 4-star hotel, retaining original features but with the
benefit of modern technology. The grounds are impressive with
landscaped lawns, mature trees and deer strolling (or is that trotting)
around even close to the hotel building. The drive to the front door
entices the visitor with the expectation of something special: Ashdown
Park Hotel is not only special but delightfully unique.
This large imposing building exudes classic charm but there is nothing
stuffy or stiff here. It has all the polish and more of a 4-star hotel
but the friendliness of the staff makes one feel that this could be a
family-run B&B – admittedly the largest and best appointed you
would ever find, but it’s that personal touch that is so welcoming.
We arrived at Ashdown Park Hotel on a cold and blustery afternoon. The
reception introduces the guest to the style of the hotel: a wide,
sweeping staircase, rich soft furnishings, paintings, a piano and an
open fire. We were escorted to our room via a veritable labyrinth of
corridors. These were evidently cloisters in the building’s previous
incarnation and were lined with leaded windows of obscured glass,
perhaps so the novice nuns would not be distracted by the excitement of
a tree or a squirrel with bare ankles.
Our room was huge, with another piano in one corner. The remaining
space still left sufficient room for a game of carpet bowls. Double
doors in oak and panels in the same wood were evocative of another age.
The four-poster bed was made up with huge fluffy pillows and a duvet
that was both light and warm, and crisp white sheets that would later
be turned down by attentive staff. The bathroom was in marble with a
selection of Molton and Brown toiletries. These are some of the best soaps
and gels around and their inclusion in the hotel package shows a
no-corner-cutting approach to guest comfort.
Room facilities included satellite television with radio, direct dial
telephone with voicemail, digital clock radio, broadband internet
access, tea and coffee making facilities, personal safe, trouser press,
hairdryer, mineral water, fluffy towelling bathrobes, slippers and a
pile of books. These were Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens and just
right for this location, as their novels always described a grand house
with a four-poster – although these days we can enjoy the benefit of
central heating.
It could be tempting to snuggle in the warm but there is plenty to do
without even leaving the grounds. A golf course is here, which will
suit the beginner as well as the enthusiastic frequent player. It’s an
18-hole, Par 3 course which I am sure will mean something to the sporty
set. Anyway it’s a healthy walk around a stunning park.
For the rest of us who are content to gently unwind Ashdown Park offers
exclusive spa treatments by Kerstin Florian, who specialises in using
natural elements including mineral water, mud, algae, herbal extracts
and essential oils. You can be pampered into a contented doze. Guests
at the hotel can make full use of the club's facilities, which include
an indoor heated swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna and steam room.
Revitalise Spa Salon opening times:
Sun – Wed 09.00 – 18.00
Thurs – Sat 09.00 – 20.30
There is a wealth of character here to remind the guest of the
building’s history. The chapel still exists but it's now an
event space that hosts society wedding parties. There is a mezzanine
floor which doubles the space and can accommodate large functions in a
self-contained area with its own bar.
The walls of those cloister hallways are hung with sepia pictures of
nuns going about their duties in this very building. Granted, it was
spartan in those days but I don’t doubt that those nuns would have
looked after the fabric of the building better than any other group.
There is crispness about the architecture here alongside the
sympathetic modernisation. Stained glass glints and wood glows, and
it’s as if time stood still round about 1930.
The word Anderida is Roman in origin, meaning ‘hunting ground’, but
it’s also the name of the destination restaurant at Ashdown Park. It
has 2 AA rosettes: just one glance at the restaurant and you will be
assured that they are well deserved.
The Anderida is classically beautiful with high windows giving views
across the lawns to the lake with its fountains. White linen is snowy
in contrast to the gold of the upholstery and walls. The tables are
laid with fine china, glasses and tall elegant white candles. Yes,
that’s the word, elegant, and that quality is reflected is both
furnishings and food. This room has doubtless changed considerably
since those days when the sisters glided around
the rooms, although you might still see the occasional little black
dress. The right colour but just lacking those extra yards of fabric.
Executive chef Andrew Wilson (see interview here) describes his food as
Contemporary British. He sources his fresh produce locally whenever
possible but his presentation is modern and his combination of
ingredients is inspired. The arrangement might be 21st century but
service here harks back to a gentler age when dining room etiquette was
de rigeur. Main dishes arrive domed, with these covers being
simultaneously raised for every diner at the table. I have always loved
the theatre of that flourish.
.
Those domes might be covering Gressingham Duck Spring Roll, Seared
Squid, Oriental Fillet Dumplings and Ginger. That’s one of Andrew’s
signature dishes although he is not keen on that term. He prefers to
say that it’s the one of the dishes that is always on the menu.
My starter was a Pithivier (‘pithivier’ is a round, enclosed pie)
filled with duck on a bed of greens. The duck was moist and flavourful
and the pastry flaky. A delicious parcel with potential to be a main
course if one used a saucer instead of a tumbler-sized cutter.
Andrew had recommended the Beef Wellington as he is particularly proud
of the beef, which is hung for 30 days or so. This was real Beef
Wellington rather than the increasingly popular deconstructed version
of separately cooked pastry and beef. Andrew is a Wellington purist: a
fillet of beef with a layer of paté and then wrapped in pancakes
before being encased in puff pastry. The centre of the beef was rosy
and just rare enough not to ooze red juices. Don’t miss this if it’s on
the menu.
Another nod to timeless tradition is the trolleys. A cheese trolley is
a rarity these days but it’s a sight to savour. The Anderida offers a
selection of British cheeses and a guest local cheese accompanied by
homemade bread, relishes, celery, grapes and apples; and it’s been a
long time since I have seen a silver box containing crackers.
Taking cheese here is an event.
For those with a sweet tooth there is the dessert trolley. You will
likely have been admiring this during the course of your dinner. You
might even have made up your mind which of these confections has your
name on it, even before it is steered in your direction.
The top shelf held a glossy chocolate gateau. It’s the type of
centrepiece that takes courage to order. Nobody wants to be the first
to take a slice and ruin its divine symmetry. The rest of the trolley
groaned under the weight of strudel, fruit pie, mousse and also fruit
salad for those who have rather over-indulged in the previous courses.
Ashdown Park Hotel offers accessible refinement from the moment you
drive through the gates, to your last sip of breakfast tea. The guest
is made to feel welcome and important. The service is second to none
with those old-fashioned touches that make a difference. An Elite hotel
indeed.
Dinner
Sunday to Thursday: 7pm – 9:30pm
Friday and Saturday: 7pm - 10pm
Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club
Wych Cross,
Nr Forest Row,
East Sussex
RH18 5JR
Phone: 01342 824988
Fax: 01342 826206
Visit Ashdown Park here
Andaz London for
Afternoon Tea
Originally designed by Charles Barry and his son, Charles
Edward Barry, the hotel opened in 1884, after ten years in
construction. It was extended in 1901 by Colonel Robert Edis.
It’s this date that gives its name to the restaurant and wine bar.
The Great Eastern Hotel, for that was its original name, had its own
dedicated railway tracks and sidings connecting to the adjacent
Liverpool Street Station, which it used for provisioning the hotel. The
London station at Liverpool Street was opened to traffic in 1874. Every
large railway station had its hotel in Victorian times: they were very
much like airport hotels of the 21st century and reflected the iconic
style and opulence of those times.
The hotel was closed in the late 1990s while it underwent a seventy
million pound renovation under joint owners Conran Holdings and Wyndham
International, but the reconstruction retained its Victorian features
such as the marble staircase. In 2006 the hotel once again changed
hands and was bought by Global Hyatt Corporation and in September of
2007 the hotel was re-branded as the Andaz Hotel by Hyatt (‘andaz’
means personal service in Arabic).
1901 at Andaz Restaurant has an 80-seat capacity with plenty of space
between tables. The high moulded ceiling and the striking stained-glass
dome add still more to the light. A classic space retaining all the
charm of the original turn-of-the-century (19th to 20th, that is)
features, but the contemporary elements like the central dark marble
console bar enhance rather than mar the impressive Victoriana. Set in
what was once the Great Eastern Hotel’s ballroom, this magnificent
Grade 2 listed room offers the best of another era.
It’s the Queen’s jubilee year so we took ‘The Diamond Queen’ afternoon
tea at Andaz. It was one of the best teas I have had in London in
months. It incorporated foods that reflected the reign of Queen
Elizabeth II, acknowledging the England of the 1950s and the
Coronation, but everything we ate reflected the dining fashion of the
Britain of the third millennium.
We started our experience with the speciality cocktail of Earl grey tea
stirred with Dubonnet, Bombay Sapphire gin and bitters. The Queen, like
her mother before her, has Dubonnet as her tipple of choice, even
though it’s not British. The fortified wine with herbs and quinine was
invented in 1846 for a competition instigated by the French Government
in order to find a way of encouraging French Legionnaires to drink
bitter quinine to combat malaria. It soon became all the rage with
those out of uniform as well. The Queen enjoys a Dubonnet and gin every
day before lunch. The cocktail at Andaz was a delicate rose colour,
refreshing and possibly addictive. A selection of sandwiches was served
with that cocktail.
The afternoon tea presentation at Andaz is inspired. Yes, there are the
traditional 3-tier stands but they are smaller than usual, the first
stand bringing the savouries and the second the sweets. Very
attractive, and this also has the advantage of allowing the tea-taker
to enjoy fresh sandwiches to be nibbled in a leisurely fashion, without
the fear that the cakes and scones are drying out on the other levels.
Coronation chicken on white bread was a take on a dish that was popular
in 1953 when the Queen was crowned. It’s made of diced chicken bound
with a Madras curry sauce or mayonnaise. Here it’s presented as a
mounded open sandwich. A little taste of Anglo-India.
The Queen has always loved fishing so Andaz presents a cured trout
sandwich with leek and onion marmalade. These were outstanding: a
change from salmon, and the leek marmalade added sweetness and colour.
Mini sweetcorn fritters were a departure from the regular sandwich
format but they were fluffy and delicious. There will
be different sandwiches and fillings and savouries with the other
themed teas, but I don’t doubt that they will all be good quality and
inspired.
The next stand to arrive contained a selection of pastries. I was
particularly pleased to see this display. The chef and managers have
taken old-fashioned favourites and given them a twist. So many hotels
and restaurants offer mousse-based desserts rather than pastries –
delightful, but not traditional.
Scones with butter, clotted cream, jams and marmalade are the ones with
which to start. Enjoy these while they are still warm. They are good
enough to eat with just a schmeer of butter ...although that rich thick
cream is tempting and I am sure the fruit in the jam constitutes one of
your 5-a-day.
Trifle is quintessentially English and here at Andaz it’s served
layered in a port glass: fresh fruit, custard, cream and sponge. Then
there’s the Millionaire shortbread for those in need of a rather smart
chocolate and caramel fix. But you will have to pace yourself to take
advantage of the top tier of miniatures. Iconic Victoria sponge, tiny
carrot cakes, caramel éclairs, chocolate macaroons are all
tempting and look almost too good to eat.
Andaz for afternoon tea ticks all the boxes. The restaurant is
stunning, the ambiance is calming (as it should be for this event), the
transport links are hard to beat. It’s ideal for ladies who don’t want
simply to lunch, for those looking for a location for a classy business
gathering, and for tourists who want to experience authenticity in a
memorable setting. A winner.
Traditional English afternoon tea can be taken in 1901 Restaurant from
Monday to Saturday from 3pm, with last sittings at 4.30pm.
Singapore is perhaps my favourite spot on the planet. At
least I can say it’s the most wonderful place I have visited to
date. Its climate, cuisine (that should be plural), its architecture,
history and also its people make this an unmissable city vacation.
It’s a shame that Singapore is so often viewed as just a stop-over.
Folks are likely to stay for just a day or so; they love it but then
move on. For me it’s a destination in its own right, with hotels and
restaurants to fit every pocket and plenty of things to do when one
isn’t either sleeping or eating, although dining is a 6 times a day
hobby in this region.
Innotel Hotel Singapore ticks boxes for comfort, quality of service,
location and price. It’s new with contemporary design, light and bright
and described as a boutique business hotel. It’s appealing to business
travellers as well as tourists, an intimate hotel but with personal
service that one would likely only have experienced in a 5* classic
chain.
The jet-lagged guest will be glad of the warm welcome. They will be
seated at a desk to check in, escorted to their room, and their bags
delivered. Each room has the following facilities:
Complimentary broadband internet access
Complimentary Wi-Fi in all rooms
Complimentary drinking water (that’s an important
extra in this climate)
TV with cable channels
DVD player in some suites
Tea- and coffee-making facilities
Electronic in-room safe
Bathroom toiletries
Hair dryer
Mini fridge
iPod / iPhone docking station in some suites
You will enjoy a shower and some sleep, but once you are revived you
won’t be lost in an anonymous crowd. You will be a name at Innotel.
Just sit in reception for a moment and you will be recognised and asked
if you need anything. Would you like directions? Perhaps some advice
about a favourite restaurant? Staff here want you to enjoy both
Singapore and your stay in Innotel.
It’s hard to find a better location for one’s stay: just a short walk
to Orchard Road and a few yards to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station (the
Singapore equivalent of the Underground). That might not mean much to a
first-time tripper to Singapore but this station puts you between
Chinatown and Little India, and within striking distance of every other
attraction in this city-state. Chinatown and Little India are the two
iconic neighbourhoods that you will want to visit, though. Both have
retail therapy opportunities aplenty as well as restaurants in which to
relax, and temples in which to contemplate. This is the Singapore of
vibrant colour and flavour.
Innotel Hotel is designed with the busy business traveller in mind. It
has all the technology one would want to maintain
contact with local and international clients. Staff here can assist
with your every communication need; cabs can be called and faxes
forwarded.
This hotel has a café attached. PappaMia Bistro and Bar is on
the ground floor and the place for your nearest breakfast. You might
consider that option on your first morning while you are still getting
your bearings. Do try a local speciality, Kaya Toast: this is a sweet
spread made with coconut. Have this with a cup of coffee or tea or as
part of an Asian breakfast of steamed buns and dim sum. Breakfast is
served between 7 am and 9.30 am daily. The bistro is open throughout
the day till 11.30pm for lunch and dinner and all-day delicious grazing.
Innotel Hotel Singapore gives great value for money. But more than
economy, this boutique hotel offers a positive impression of the city.
The location is hard to beat but the staff are its strongest asset. You
might not remember the smart wallpaper but the charm, smiles and
courtesy of the staff will assure your return to Innotel.
Innotel Hotel Singapore
No. 11 Penang Lane,
Singapore 238485 (@Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Tel: +65 6327 2727
Fax: + 65 6645 0808
Email: reservations@innotelhotel.com.sg
Visit Innotel Hotel Singapore here
Stoke Park
It’s the kind of country-house estate that we believe has
disappeared. How can there be anything this magnificent so close to
London (only 35 minutes from the capital and 7 miles from Heathrow
Airport)? But here it is in all its splendour. In fact it’s such an
icon of classic British architecture that it’s been featured in films
such as Bridget Jones’s Diary and several James Bond films. The scene
in Goldfinger where Odd Job decapitates a stone statue was filmed just
outside these very buildings.
I can’t understand the thrill of golf but I guess if you must whack
balls then Stoke Park is the place to do it. It’s been a country club
for over a hundred years and the Mansion still rings with evocative
music of the 1930s during dinner. But the estate existed a long time
before the advent of plus-fours and flapper dresses.
Stoke Park’s history dates back over 1,000 years to before the Domesday
book, in which everything from a ham to a hamlet was recorded. After
the Norman Conquest of 1066 the estate was inherited in a direct line
of descent for over 500 years until it was sold to the Crown in order
to pay the outstanding debts of Henry Hastings, the 3rd Earl of
Huntingdon. Francis, his father, was Commander in Chief of Henry
VIII’s army and it’s he who commissioned the building the original
Manor House in the mid-1500s. About a third of this still exists, a
short distance from the present Mansion.
John Penn, whose family gave its name to the US state of Pennsylvania,
built most of what we find at Stoke Park today as his private family
home. The newly-founded Government of the United States paid
£130,000 for the 26 million acres of land in Pennsylvania that
the Penns had owned, and much of that money was used for the project.
Stoke Park is a name-dropper’s dream. The Mansion was designed by
James Wyatt (architect to George III) who worked on the development of
The Mansion and surrounding monuments from 1790 to 1813. It’s a Grade I
listed building and that ensures its preservation, although that status
does bring its own problems: the kitchens are a warren of small rooms
in the basement; but there are moves afoot to extend onto the ground
floor.
The parkland is the result of an alliance between two of Britain’s most
celebrated eighteenth-century landscape architects. ‘Capability’ Brown
planted trees and designed sweeping grassy swathes that were later to
give way to the prestigious 27-hole golf course of the modern Stoke
Park. It’s considered one of the finest parkland courses in the country
and was created by renowned golf-course architect Harry Shapland Colt
in 1908. It hosted the first PGA Matchplay tournament in 1910.
Humphry Repton, the second gardening genius, is the architect of the
romantic bridge across the lake that one can see from the Mansion. It
is lit at night and one has a unique vantage point from the restaurant
which is also called Humphry's, paying homage to the man who did so
much to make Stoke Park the stunning estate that we can all enjoy today.
The hotel offers three dining options: the relaxed and elegant
Orangery; an Italian brasserie called San Marco's; and Humphry’s, which
has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes. It offers Modern British cuisine with a
bit of delicious innovation from Chef Chris Wheeler’s signature dishes.
The food, decor, service, ambiance and even the music make this
restaurant a destination in its own right. It’s open to hotel guests
and non-residents alike.
The Mansion
Within the 50,000 square foot building are the Mansion’s
21 traditional bedrooms, Humphry's fine-dining restaurant,
President's
Bar, Orangery, and various function rooms. A stay here
offers that classic experience of which memories are made. The public
spaces are sumptuous, with corners for settling with the Sunday papers
or that good book you have been saving for a quiet afternoon. The
winter months, and this year most of the spring, will find open fires
blazing, which add still more to the impression that you have been
transported back in time.
Although the bedrooms are described as traditional it’s unlikely you
will have anything like these at home. The Pennsylvania Suite was
featured in the hit movie 'Bridget Jones's Diary'. But we stayed in The
Coke Room which is named after Edward Coke, whom you will all remember
from your history books. No, he wasn’t the man who invented a dubious
carbonated beverage but was the prosecutor of Guy Fawkes and his fellow
conspirators, tried and convicted within the one day, January 26, 1606.
Guy Fawkes had been discovered in the cellars beneath the Houses of
Parliament. He had with him enough gunpowder to make a mess of the
building, and the Jacobean equivalent of a box of Swan Vestas to seal
his fate. Tickets for the trial changed hands like seats for the Cup
Final, with Sir Edward Coke describing the attempt at political mass
murder as: “the greatest treasons that ever were plotted in England.”
As a reward for his services he was first knighted and then made Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas. Coke died on 3 September 1634, aged 82, as
a result of a horse falling on him. He didn’t die in this bedroom, as
he would have been living in the original house, the remains of which
can be seen from this 18th century mansion.
The Coke Room is a splendid example of romantic English furnishing,
with a high four-poster bed with large fluffy pillows, a sofa with
large fluffy cushions, and a bathroom (big enough to accommodate a tea
dance) with large fluffy bath robes. Stoke Park is mindful that however
much you might appreciate being wafted back to a gentler time there is
still going to be the need for communication that only technology can
provide. Wi-Fi access and a flat-screen TV will also be yours, along
with an open fire which will provide a much more calming picture.
The Pavilion
Completed in 2002 the Pavilion is very much the younger
sibling to the Mansion but there is no mistaking its pedigree.
Stonework and sympathetically designed windows match the Park
perfectly. This new hotel complex houses a state-of-the-art gymnasium
and sports facilities. There is an indoor swimming pool (kids have
their own times for splashing about), spa and steam rooms, San Marco
restaurant for casual family meals, and supervised crèche and
under eights' playroom. All hotel guests have access to these
facilities.
In 2008, 28 new luxury contemporary bedrooms were launched along with
the Garden Lounge on the first floor of the Pavilion. The bedrooms here
are all individually furnished and decorated – film posters along with
four-posters here, mirror-finish desks, and shelves of modern novels
just in case you forgot that good book. These rooms have a totally
different ambiance from those of the Mansion, but quality provides
continuity.
Take advantage of great offers this month. Relax, enjoy the spa and try
your hand at some tennis.
Overnight accommodation
Three-course Dinner
Full English breakfast
Complimentary use of Health and Racquet facilities
(indoor swimming pool with hydro-seats,
state-of-the-art gymnasium, multi-surface tennis courts, steam rooms,
dance and fitness studio)
From £150 per person per night based on two people sharing a
Superior Room. Standard upgrade charges apply. If you would like to
book, call reservations on 01753 717171.
Available Friday nights in May, subject to availability.
Sunday Afternoon Decadence
Why not make your Sunday a little more special with a
relaxing break at Stoke Park? Take Afternoon Tea with sandwiches,
cakes, scones and clotted cream, along with your choice of a wide range
of teas and coffees. Yes, afternoon tea is available all over London
but here you have a backdrop of stunning views of the estate. Visit the
Health and Racquet Pavilion with its tennis courts and gym or unwind in
the award-winning spa.
The Sunday Package includes:
One night’s accommodation
Full English breakfast
Late check-out at 3pm (subject to availability)
Traditional afternoon tea for two
Complimentary use of Health and Racquet facilities
(indoor swimming pool with hydro-seats,
state-of-the-art gymnasium, multi-surface tennis courts, steam rooms,
dance and fitness studio)
From £198.00 per room
(Offer based on two people sharing a Superior Room. Normal supplements
apply. If you would like to book, please call reservations on 01753
717171 and quote 'SUNTEA'.)
Valid until Sunday, 30th December 2012
(Excluding 3rd, 17th & 24th June, 29th July, 5th, 12th & 26th
August)
Humphry's is open to all
for:
Lunch: noon - 2.30pm
Dinner: 7.00pm - 10.00pm
Stoke Park
Park Road
Stoke Poges
Buckinghamshire SL2 4PG
Phone: 01753 717171
Email: info@stokepark.com
I am an unashamed supporter of The Dorchester. It’s iconic
and has endured – it’s been around for decades, since the start of the
1930s, and its façade still reflects those striking and
chiselled architectural features of the Art Deco era. The Dorchester is
a vision of pale grey but its colourful and ever-changing front garden
softens those sharp lines. Spring presents local and tourist alike with
a swathe of yellow daffodils and purple-blue pansies. Manicured,
immaculate and welcoming, as one would expect.
It’s not just the planting that gives a welcome. Dark wood and brass
are a-gleam with old-fashioned solidity but the staff at The Dorchester
is the element that will assure your return. True, it’s unlikely that
any of them have worked here since 1931 but they are each instilled
with an old-fashioned hospitality ethic that’s hard to find these days.
Guests entering The Dorchester are immediately introduced to the
impressive Promenade which must surely be one of the most photographed corners of any hotel. A lesser
establishment would have installed a viewing gallery. The Promenade was
refurbished in 2005 by Thierry Despont, and he has presented a
sumptuous and classic space that is perfect for afternoon tea. In fact,
The Promenade changes that typically British culinary institution into
an event.
That last phrase isn’t just a poetic exaggeration. Afternoon tea at The
Dorchester is considered THE venue of choice for those with an
appreciation of genteel class. It’s an ideal spot for birthday
celebrations (the piano player will gladly oblige with “Happy Birthday”
if tipped the wink) and even the smartest of Hen Parties. The
Dorchester is high-end but thoroughly accessible.
The tables are spaced to allow for private conversation. A gentle hum
of chatter keeps the Promenade alive but one is never burdened with
snippets of others’ lives. You really don’t care if Abner broke his leg
on the cruise over. He is doubtless a fine man but he is not yours.
Equally Abner's wife isn’t interested in your horrendous electricity
bill, though she would likely sympathise. No, the Dorchester Promenade
is discreet, but it’s not a dusty library.
“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished
by a nice cup of tea.”
- Bernard-Paul Heroux and my grandmother.
Tea refreshes like no other beverage. It has the unique ability to heat
in cool weather and cool in the heat of summer. It quenches the thirst
but the very process of ‘taking tea’ creates calm. Add plates of
sandwiches and some delicate sweet fancies and that simple pot of tea
is elevated to the status of a light meal.
The Dorchester is serious about its tea. It offers an excellent range
of carefully selected leaves that are not available elsewhere. I had previously enjoyed The
Dorchester Blend, a melange of Sri Lankan Ceylon and Golden Assam teas
– a bright tea with a malty character and just a slight hint of
caramel. It presents a brew best enjoyed with milk and was my tea of
choice for breakfast a while back. This time I was looking for
something that would complement the savoury sandwiches as well as those
desserts from the top tier of the traditional stand.
Single Estate Greenwood 2nd Flush Assam (strictly limited) is one of
the finest Assams from the Greenwood Estate, established in 1839. Do
take the opportunity to try this rare tea. I would suggest that you
don’t add milk. You will enjoy this tea’s qualities au naturel or with
just a slice of lemon.
Your pot of selected tea will arrive and so will a plate of assorted
sandwiches. These are of the refined sort with crusts removed. The
various fillings are surrounded by complementary flavoured bread which
is apparently made by an artisan baker. It’s one of the few items that
The Dorchester doesn’t make in-house or more accurately in-hotel: they
prefer to source this essential ingredient from a specialist.
The usual form is to have the sandwiches served on that three-tier
stand and that always looks impressive but it does have its practical
drawback: that aforementioned bread can dry out as you socialise. The
waiters at the Dorchester bring around a plate of sandwiches for you to
select a few at a time; once you’ve enjoyed those the attentive waiter
will supply you with some more. Sandwiches here can be
appreciated at their freshest: cucumber with cream cheese on caraway
seed bread, egg mayonnaise with shiso cress on white bread, chicken
with wholegrain mustard mayonnaise on basil bread, smoked salmon on
granary bread. Yes, you can pick your favourites and graze till
you are suitably semi-packed with savoury, leaving a nook of space for
all that is to follow.
What should follow, if you want to stick to the teatime rule, are warm
scones served with homemade strawberry jam, or a jam that changes with
the season, and Cornish clotted cream. The scones here are
two-bite-size, moist and moreish. The joy of The Dorchester is that you
can ask for more and the baked goods will arrive warm to your table.
The plate at the summit of the stand will tempt you. These are mostly
mousse-based desserts with a layer of shortbread here or a square of
brownie there. They are dainty and exquisitely moulded. They remind one
of the glittering jewellery that one might have noticed in display
cases on the way into the hotel. Small and marvellously decorated,
these are gems that are almost too beautiful to eat... almost.
The Dorchester offers various styles of Afternoon Tea and also the more
substantial but equally traditional High Tea. There are some tempting
Occasion Teas throughout the year: soon the Chelsea Flower Show will be
here and they pay homage to that very well at The Promenade.
Chelsea Flower Show Rose Garden Afternoon Tea
SUNDAY 20 MAY - SUNDAY 27
MAY
Enjoy a multi-sensory feast of delicious cakes, Laurent-Perrier
Cuvée Rosé, floral arrangements by award-winning garden
designer Arne Maynard, and evocative scents by master perfumer Roja
Dove.
The ‘Rosé Garden Afternoon Tea’ includes white and pink rose
chocolate mousse flower heads, raspberry tart with crystallized rose
petal garnish, chocolate macaroon with passion fruit creamaux and
orange marmalade, and Earl Grey chocolate mousse with gold leaf, and a
selection of finger sandwiches and scones complemented by Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé served in an
elegant cherry-blossom design glass.
Garden designer Arne Maynard will transform The Promenade into a
representation of the Laurent-Perrier Bicentenary Garden designed for
this year’s show. Using a variety of roses and delicate plants known
for their floral fragrances, the garden will explore the theme of
scents and is The Dorchester’s pastry team’s inspiration for the tea
cakes.
Working together with Arne, world renowned perfumer and leading
fragrance ambassador Roja Dove has created a limited-edition candle,
using one of the world’s rarest floral oils, which will be lit during
tea service to further enhance guests’ ‘scent’ experience. Inspired by
the Laurent-Perrier Bicentenary Garden, the candle features the scent
of the rare Rose de Mai.
£54 per person including a glass of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée
Rosé
£49 per person including a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut NV
Five sittings daily: 1.15pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm, 4.45pm, 5.15pm
Prices are inclusive of VAT and exclusive of service charge at 12.5%.
London restaurant review: The Dorchester
Park Lane, London W1K 1QA
Dukes boutique hotel is tucked away in a quiet courtyard
in London’s stylish St James’s. It was the winner of "England’s
Leading Boutique Hotel" at the World Travel Awards 2011 and it’s no
surprise. Whilst its salubrious location
is part of the charm it still stands apart from much of the local
competition. It has quality in every gleaming fingerplate, every vase
of fragrant blooms and every reflection in polished dark wood. It’s
been enjoyed for over a century by those who expect and appreciate good
taste in both furnishings and food.
Afternoon Tea here is a classic affair. The Lounge offers a quiet
idyll, a comfy mix of contemporary seats and sofas with prints and
paintings, and intimate nooks in which to unwind. Perhaps this is the
most ideal spot for quiet conversation. It’s not a stuffy lounge with
silent waiters in squeaky shoes but rather a place to pause the day and
recharge batteries. We settled in a corner with a view over the Cognac
and Cigar Garden. This is a covered court with couches on which to
recline while puffing a fragrant Havana after dinner. It’s open from
8pm.
Afternoon Tea at Dukes is traditional and substantial. Overseas
visitors might appreciate some advice about an English teatime. If one
is only slightly peckish after a good lunch then perhaps a Cream Tea
would be in order at 3pm. This consists of scones, clotted cream and
jam. A Devon native will have a slightly different order of application
than one from Cornwall. An inhabitant of one of these counties puts the
cream onto the scone first and the jam second, and vice versa, but I
can never remember who does what. Be assured that your scones will be
delicious spread in either fashion.
Clotted cream is another mystery. The name suggests something lumpy and
unappetising but the reality is rich and memorable. Clotted cream
(sometimes called Devonshire cream) is thick, yellow and made by
heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then
leaving the milk in a shallow dish to cool slowly. The cream rises to
the surface and forms a thick layer. Cornish clotted cream was given a
Protected Designation of Origin in 1998 by European Union directive, as
long as the milk is produced in Cornwall and the minimum fat content is
55%; so leave your diet at the door.
A full Afternoon Tea includes that aforementioned cream tea but also
savoury sandwiches and other sweet treats and traditional cakes. The
Dukes’ tea arrives, as do most other hotel or restaurant teas, on the
3-tier stand. The top plate offers a selection that would have been
familiar to Victorians. They would have enjoyed those toasted teacakes,
warm scones and slices of fruit cake just as you will. Teatime is about
continuity.
The middle plate is the savoury layer of filled sandwiches. There are a
lot of sweet temptations on a tea-stand so those salty diversions will
help you stay the course. This isn’t a snack to be rushed. An Afternoon
Tea worth its name is a hearty meal and one over which to linger. We
enjoyed finger sandwiches, naturally sans crusts, filled with ham,
beef, salmon or cream cheese and these, we were told, would be
replenished on request.
The lowest layer will be the one you will have had your gaze fixed upon
since its arrival. This is a plate of fancies and all made in Dukes’
kitchen: miniature chocolate éclairs, Madelines, brownies, and a
chef’s special that changes with the season and is mostly fresh
fruit-based. The pièce de résistance was the individual
lemon meringue pies. They looked almost too good to eat ...almost. The
case was light and delicate, the filling tangy and fresh and the
topping was soft Italian meringue that was deftly torched around the swirls.
You will obviously want tea with your Tea and there is a good selection
from which to choose. I always enjoy Earl Grey on such occasions
as the citrus hint of bergamot works as a foil to the sweetness of the
pastries. It’s a tea to take without milk for it to be truly refreshing.
Dukes is a hotel with an unsurpassed reputation for class. It offers
the discerning guest a tranquil oasis in the centre of London and just
a short distance from all of the best that the capital has to offer.
It’s appreciated by tourists and locals, and its timeless quality is
prized by all.
Afternoon Tea available daily from 3pm-5.30pm
DUKES Champagne Afternoon Tea £34.50
A glass of Champagne
Selection of finger sandwiches
Assorted cakes and pastries
Traditional fruit cake
Warm fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam
All served with your choice of tea
DUKES Afternoon Tea £24.50
All of the above without the glass of Champagne
Champagne by the glass £12.00
Selection of finger sandwich £10.25
Warm fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam
£8.50
Assorted cakes and pastries £6.50
English fruit cake £6.50
Dukes Hotel
35 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NY
Area: St James's
020 7491 4840
Visit Dukes here
www.dukeshotel.com
Radisson
Edwardian Grafton Hotel - London
It’s the location of The Grafton that is part of its
appeal. Many hotels boast “good transport links” but The Grafton could
hardly have a better position. Some guests at the hotel might be
fortunate enough to have a suite with a view over an iconic London
Underground station. Warren Street tube is right next door and there is
a veritable fleet of red buses on the doorstep to enable the tourist to
travel like a local.
The Grafton is close to the theatres of the West End, as well as
museums, the vibrant Camden Market and thousands of shops for clothes,
shoes and every other element of sartorial elegance. This neighbourhood
of London offers a base from which to explore near and far.
The Grafton has the ambiance of a small boutique hotel even though it
has 330 rooms and suites. It’s been sympathetically refurbished to
retain many of the original features of the oldest part of the hotel,
that dates back to the start of the 20th century. It won’t take the
visitor long to notice the ornate ceiling mouldings, the occasional
pillar and a striking staircase in the lobby. There are still the dark
wood and leaded glass hall doors on the upper floors, as well as some
stained glass.
The owners have not been content to just freshen the paint. They have
made a striking design statement with lavish use of tasteful Asian art
in all its guises. One is welcomed by a couple of black woolly llamas
with magnificent golden heads. The dining room has a wall swimming with
gold and silver fish, and every hallway has frames filled with
jewellery and carvings. There is a lot of Asian objets d’art but its
display is subtle.
The Grafton is a 4-star hotel that is full of amenity. It
appeals to business travellers – each room has a practical array of
sockets and even provision of 110 volts for US appliances. There is a
well-equipped business centre with computers and printers for those
travelling light. There are 14 meeting rooms for groups of varying
sizes and demands, and this is an ideal hotel for conferences and
events, able to accommodate up to 110 people.
The Aston Bar and Restaurant was our wintery evening refuge and it’s
impressive with the largest pewter (or is it zinc?) bar in London. The
counter is original and tactile and reminds you why people turn to
drink. It’s an event just to pull up a high stool and lean on that
silver-grey metal and sip a signature Martini. Be transported back to
the buzzing 1930s when this spot was the HQ for the Aston Martin Club.
This is smart casual dining, in surroundings that
encourage lingering. Mirrors, columns, vibrant upholstery, textured
walls; high ceilings combine to create a light and airy dining room
that reflects both contemporary and original opulence.
The restaurant offers a seasonal British-inspired menu. There are
twists on old favourites but lots of unadulterated traditional fare
that will appeal to local and tourist alike.
Kidderton Ash goat’s cheese panna cotta, with apple and walnut salad
and beetroot dressing was my guest’s choice of starter. A delightful
presentation of creamy mild and slightly tangy cheese complemented by
that beetroot dressing which gave both colour and sweetness. It seems
to be the ingredient of the moment and finds its way into both savoury
and sweet preparations in some of the best restaurants just now.
Roast butternut squash, Jerusalem artichoke and red pepper salad, with
chestnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds and a honey dressing was my light
starter. The squash and artichoke were both tender and flavoursome and
it’s good to see Jerusalem artichokes showcasing in something other
than soup. Well-balanced dressing and crunch from nuts make this a
must-try.
My guest is a man who is developing a taste for offal.
It’s becoming more popular in restaurants as prices of regular meat
cuts increase, and we are driven to at least sample some of those
almost-forgotten frugal dishes of yesteryear. Grilled calves liver with
thyme and onion purée, mashed potatoes, and grilled back bacon
was my guest’s choice and it honestly was delicious. I am not often
drawn to liver but calves liver doesn’t have any of the oft off-putting
pungency of other livers from older and more mature animals. This was a
hearty old-fashioned dish and a must-try for those who want to taste
liver for the first time. If you eat meat then surely you will agree
that we should be eating and enjoying every cut from nose to tail.
I don’t usually choose steak but this was a special Rib-eye steak (aged
for 28 days) from Northern Ireland, served with grilled vine tomatoes,
chips and peppercorn sauce. A simple piece of meat with unfussy garnish
is comfort food and a treat. That hanging does develop flavour and the
meat was meltingly tender. The chips were chunky and just the sort to
eat sans cutlery.
Baked thin apple tart and toffee sauce was the flaky, light and
deliciously decadent dessert. One must always be drawn to a pud that
requires 20 minutes’ notice. Every individual tart is cooked to order
and these are moreish. It’s that classic combination of hot fruit and
cold ice cream that adds to the pleasure; and remember that The Grafton
does have a Gym!
Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel is full of character and plenty of
facilities. The location makes this popular lodgings for family fun as
well as business. The newly refurbished rooms are comfortable with a
very individual charm that one would not expect from a chain hotel.
There are plenty of restaurants in the area but The Aston can face that
competition with confidence.
Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel
130 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 5AY
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7388 4131
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7387 7394
resgraf@radisson.com
Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel here