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Disappointment

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Renée » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:20 am

Awww ... your sister missed a real treat, Gill! Maybe next time? Mum used to live at the south end until she died a few years ago now, so I was often in the area. I had expected the ice cream to have changed after 50 years or so, but it hadn't.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Sat Jul 29, 2017 11:03 am

The hazelnut ice cream in the Ask Italian restaurants is to live for as well. Nice and smooth with a lovely rich flavour. Not that I have any problems with the nutty texture that I've had in other versions of that flavour of ice cream, which is my absolute favourite. As I don't see it available that often, it's always a treat when I have it.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Gillthepainter » Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:59 pm

Nice of you to mention hazelnut.
It's my favourite yoghurt - but sadly it's calorie loaded more than most.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Petronius » Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:17 pm

Le Manoir. First a bit of context

The values I picked up as a child heap on top of me normally preventing the spending of £171 each, just to spoil ourselves.

But … when a daughter says, 'Dad, hows about you two joining us for lunch for my fiftieth at Manoir …' somehow seems different. We knew we were paying for ourselves …

And I promised to behave and put all my prejudices to one side.

Overall it was a great experience, the service was superb, the care taken with everything to ensure that SiL didn't get any nuts, perfect.

Pre lunch drinks, amuse bouche, perfect.

First course, Garlic soup, lovely, wine – Ruly 1er Cru 2013, Domaine Ponset, Bourgogne, France, delicate and easily drinkable. Fish course, Grilled Cornish mackerel, apple, honey, soy and ginger with same wine. Wrong so wrong.

Now I'm not very good at complaining about how things taste in a restaurant – I don't have the confidence to carry it through. But as everyone felt the same and each of us was paying £89 for four 125ml of wine I felt emboldened.

As with all the staff the discussion with the Sommelier was friendly and she understood, but I couldn't say exactly why it was wrong.

She said she would speak to the manager and came back to thank me because it had been agreed the staff would have a wine tasting to find something more suitable. I gave up.

We are no longer red wine drinkers but daughter etc., certainly are but I know a Boeuf Braisé with red wine essence needs a fairly strong red wine not a light bordeaux.

Both of us love dessert wine but not the one we had.

Fantastic place, lovely staff and the food, apart from the citrus dessert, some of the best I've tasted. Shame I couldn't eat all the different breads they had.

Post lunch coffee and petit fours lovely as well.

The wine? A cheap bottle of Barefoot Rosé would've have done me. :thumbsup

Disappointment.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:03 pm

Shame about the wines Dennis, but I'd still like to go

Back to ice cream
I had a local Hackney Gelato today
I chose the Salted Caramel, unfortunately the caramel was way overdone (apparently they use brown sugar, clearly not understanding the first thing about sugar chemistry). This meant that the gelato though having an almost perfect texture was the colour of coffee ice cream and weirdly tasted of coffee.

I hate anything coffee flavoured, coffee stands alone for me

Will try another flavour some time

W

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Renée » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:56 pm

What a shame about the wines, Dennis and for that amount of money, everything should have been perfect and the fact that four of you felt the same, the fault must have been theirs.

How disappointing about the ice cream, Sue. Obviously they had taken the caramel too far and maybe burnt it.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:05 am

Ditto Sue.
Yesterday was a good day for a little ice cream.

Chose a vanilla boule from the local gelateria - they said it was home made.
Glue-y texture - like a cheap ice cream that has enhancers in it. Not very good.

I'll wait for my next attempt.

Dennis
Thanks for the feedback.
It isn't actually somewhere I dream of going. Probly because we had the first Brasserie Blanc here, and it wasn't great.

As non wine experts, we have to rely on the sommelier.
We've had excellent ones, who get it spot on for us. White, dry, max 12.5%.

I went to a memorable lunch with 2 colleagues "baring their chests" at each other over the wine.
Northern Italy, got to be from the so-and-so region for risotto.

Every one of their selections was sweet wine. Bleeeeeurgh.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Aug 06, 2017 5:46 pm

Happy to report that the Hackney Gelato Cherry and Almond flavour is absolutely scrumdelicious, :yum

More cherry than almond

And he gave me a huge portion :)

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Gillthepainter » Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:14 am

Good man!

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:20 pm

Not Ice cream related but possibly a much bigger disappointment.

Monday was our 52nd wedding anniverasry. M took me to a favourite and quite posh local restuarant where formerly a friend was chef. However he left earlier in the year to open his own place.

We were really shocked. the place is still owned by the same person, but only one former member of staff remains. The whole place, which was fairly trad, ie proper table cloths fresh flowers etc and elegant, has been "done up" with. to us disastrous results.

The worst bit though was the food. It was the same price as formerly but totally lacking in finesse. The new chef has a hell of a lot to learn so why are customers having to pay over th odds in order for him to do so???

Very very sad. We have gone here since 1981. First when the third generation of the founder was chef/patron, then when he retired the new patron and another chef who has been there for quite a long time. The point is that this restaurant was as popular with locals as with tourist but I can't see them being any happier than we were.
:crying1 :crying1

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:01 pm

Oh dear what a shame!

The only place around here that has lasted 36 years is Macdonalds :-(

And what was regarded as the best independent restaurant around here has apparently gone rapidly downhill.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Gillthepainter » Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:14 am

Sorry to hear that Joan.

You can certainly do better at home, but that's not the point.

We had the same.
A guaranteed special night out was the Indian restaurant here that Rambo and Rick Stein rave about. Fine dining really.

Went for my birthday and it was less than mediocre
Started taking pics, but stopped at the popodums that weren't so great.


Adios, St James.

We struggle every special occasion as I've had so many recommendations that have failed us locally.
Oh you must go there - turns me cold now.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Aug 10, 2017 11:42 am

Interestingly after I posted a very sad report on Trip Adviser Up popped another local reviewer who was even less positive. Looking back the only recent enthusiatic reveiws have been for tourists who are so blown away by the whole place that I think thier judgement goes up in smoke.

I also contacted the old chef , who is a friend, he says he too has heard some very negative things from other people wo know the restaurant and now seem to prefer coming to his new place. He said he would say that wouldn't he but is feared it would happen because the patron is more about making money in the summer when he can and will probably close down in the winter months.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Aug 10, 2017 1:55 pm

That's a real shame Joan, happens

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Re: Disappointment

Postby jeral » Thu Aug 10, 2017 2:53 pm

Congratulations Joanbunting on surviving together for a good couple of years now :)

Does your chef friend work his magic at another establishment, or maybe if not he'd do you a home special if you said pretty please?

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:19 pm

Thank you Jeral. Yes Mannu has opened his own restaurant which is lovely - but closed on Mondays the day of our wedding anniversary. We wanted to go out that day because it is my birthday the next day and as the family are here we wanted a party for them ans some good friends.

We had a lovely evening, the food came from the local traiteur - birthday people don't cook on they special day in our family.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby jeral » Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:50 pm

Yes definitely shouldn't cook - nor wash up either!
Glad the food was as good as expected for your birthday party, for which belated best wishes. What cake did you choose?

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Re: Disappointment

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Thu Oct 26, 2017 6:22 pm

I bought the first of the 2017 C-word BBC Good Food magazine today, mainly for the calendar. I stopped subscribing to it back in 2015 because I was getting uninspired by it. I wish I hadn't bothered buying it now, because only 5 recipes stood out at me. Sigh, gone are the days when I used to salivate whilst reading my copy. :(

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Gillthepainter » Fri Oct 27, 2017 8:05 am

Oh dear. I shall give it a miss.
I used to look forward to publications in November, as the Christmas ideas were great.

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Re: Disappointment

Postby Renée » Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:21 am

I'll probably get the Sainsbury's magazine with the calendar, because it's only £2!

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