Thursday, 18 August 2011
Film Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
British film makers seem to offer the best, most intelligent "popcorn movies / summer blockbusters" these days: Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Night) and Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) have shown how to do it, and Rupert Wyatt is following in their footsteps, without being a copy cat. His first feature film "The Escapist", a small independent UK production, seemed to be just another prison break film; it was much more than that though, and despite the underlying action a very emotional and engaging story (8/10 - the best prison film since Shawshank Redemption). Equally, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not just another big Sci-Fi action flick, but indeed a moving story about sickness, death, friendship, betrayal and corporate greed. The best thing is: it works! For fans of the franchise the film offers a "how it all started" account that fits perfectly into the lore, for everyone else it provides two hours of clever entertainment. There is really only one fly in the ointment, which I think can be easily forgiven: why the apes keep flying through window panes completely effortlessly without taking even the tiniest cut is completely incomprehensible. Other than that: Enjoy!! 7/10
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Ratings
I have reviewed and changed some of my previous restaurant ratings - the more reviews I wrote the more did I struggle to apply fair ratings. What I have tried now is to apply ratings that reflect the positioning of a restaurant in it's appropriate segment - for example, Mikuni, a Sushi & Izakaya type restaurant, deserves a 9/10 because it offers great quality and value for money in this category; The Bengal Lounge is the best Indian Restaurant I have been to and probably deserves an even higher score in that category (I will know for sure when I have sampled a few more comparable restaurants), and so on.
Food Review: La Grenouillère
La Grenouillière is a modern French restaurant just outside Montreuil-sur-Mer, a coastal town about 70km south of Calais. Which makes it the perfect destination for a casual lunch if you live in the London area. You might disagree given the myriads of good restaurants one can enjoy in London, but London is London, and France is France! Yesterday was the second time I made the trip with a friend and fellow gourmand and it was just as enjoyable as the first time around, although quite different in some regards.
La Grenouillière dares to be different. Sometimes a little too much so, as I will point out in this review, but mostly in a pleasant and entertaining way. We were curious about what we might expect this time around because last year we had been presented with some truly inspired food experiences such as a little heap of smouldering fresh juniper branches with a lobster tail hidden within (great fresh smoky flavour), a scoop of grass-green ice cream inside a crystal-clear sugar glass ball thrown on to your plate where it would shatter into pieces or, with coffee, a hammer and chisel taken to what looked like a piece of lava rock left as decoration on the dining table and what was really a Turkish Delight-like substance dyed grey through the use of squid ink. In addition, the restaurant had closed earlier this year for a major refurbishment so we were curious what it would look like.
As we arrived we went to sit in the lounge for a drink (G&T at and a glass of Champagne at a rather steep price of €15 each to find the cozy little area mostly unchanged. While we had our drinks we were presented with the menu in form of a crumpled up piece of flimsy A4 paper (one of the less inspired attempts at being different), an idea which was continued in the presentation of the wine list which was printed on the same flimsy paper and folded in half as a collection of loose sheets. While nibbling on some complimentary bread with herb-infused crème fraîche and very young raddish plants (the whole thing, including the still tender leaves - rather pleasant), we decided to go for the 8 course tasting menu for €85 (supplement of €12 for an extra cheese course) and proceeded to the dining area. Last year the restaurant consisted of a number of smaller interconnected dining rooms. This is now replaced by a large open room with a big glass front looking out into the garden, furnished with modern but comfortable light brown leather chairs and ovally shaped tables which also seemed to have a leather top in the same colour. In the middle of the room was a strange contraption which we suspected to be a hoax, or some would perhaps say a piece of modern art. There is also a spaghetti salad of wires hanging under the high ceiling feeding electricity to the small LED point lamps scattered around the room. One corner of the dining hall opened up into the showroom-type kitchen so we could watch the kitchen staff as they prepared our food in a calm and controlled manner, always a good sign I like to believe. The atmosphere of the restaurant has changed significantly since we came last year - a rather traditional French country restaurant (and I mean the premises not the food) has turned into a modern food temple. I have to admit that I preferred the previous setup, so call me old-fashioned!
We ordered a bottle of Pouilly-Fumée Prédilection 2009 from Jonathan Didier Pabiot at €86 and a bottle of Château Soutard Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2000 at €124 (both very good wines and normally priced for a Michelin-starred outfit: both wines retail for around 40-50 Euro), the former decanted and placed in an ice-bucket inside a leather-bag that was hung on the wall and the letter just opened and left to breathe in the bottle - an informed choice by the sommelier as we agreed on later. So, without further ado, here comes the food!
Bar, Nectarine - thin slices of raw fish, very thin slices of fresh nectarine, a drizzle of olive oil and a little bit of pepper. Nice, a good start.
Eau de Mer, Avocat - a cube of ripe avocado flesh with a thin slice of raw fish hidden inside and some sea water (I would say it was water flavoured with Wakame algeas, salt and olive oil - then again, maybe it was really sea water). Good, not great.
Courgettes, huîtres - a massive half oyster shell (haven't seen them that big since Hawaii) with a raw fresh oyster inside, a thin slice of courgettes and some other green bits I can't quite remember now... Very good flavours, great presentation, but don't make the mistake we made: we were only given forks or spoons up to this point (and for the rest of the lunch as we realised later on), no knives, so in the effort to be good sportsmen we tried eating with the fork only. While you got away with that until now, you really needed a knife to cut the oyster and courgette at least in half so you can enjoy them together (unless you want to risk choking on them). We reckon that what was until then used as a butter knife (which was unusually sharp and big for that purpose anyway) was meant to be used as our all-purpose knife for the day. That is an attempt at being different that I find rather daft to be honest.
Petit pois - four types of peas: pea gnocchi, pea shoots, pea jus and pea powder (!!). The most inspired dish so far, quite clever!
Saint Pierre, épinard fraise - the latter is a spinach-like plant carrying tiny little berries which look more like raspberries than the strawberries lending their French name. This was cooked very briefly and served with a small filet of John Dory: a very nice, well rounded dish. Unfortunately did the little red fruits provide much more colour than flavour - the eyes were pleased but the palate somewhat disappointed. Therefore a little anti-climatic and not one of my favourites of the day.
Vachette ferrée, salicorne - the only meat dish in the menu was reminiscent of a dish that was served last year, too: then, a plate with many little leaves of different herbs was served (to achieve the "what the f..." effect I suppose), shortly after followed by some flash-grilled thin slice of marbled beef served from a carving board. This year, the herbs were replaced with some samphire, the meat and the presentation were the same. The beef was tasty and cooked rather rare, a good simple dish.
Les fromages - a selection of good cheeses, not the best I have seen, but absolutely fine. No frills (fruit, honey, chutneys, nuts, etc) attached, a little disappointing given the restaurant's ambitions.
Marjolaine, citron - lemon curd, arranged in a cigar-shape on the plate, with lots of marjoram-sprinkled mini-merengue sticking out of it. Original, very yummy, great dish! The best in my opinion since the more you tasted it, the more you wanted to have more of it!
Pêche, lait de vache - wonderfully sweet and aromatic peach wedges with a milk based cream, milk powder and some whipped cream on the side. A seemingly simple but rather clever combination of best quality fruit and varied textures of rich milky flavours. Right up there in my top three dishes of the day.
"Deux Espresso et deux Cognac" (each coffee charged at €5.50 and each Cognac at €18) were accompanied by some slightly different petit-four: one being absolutely brilliant, little fresh rhubarb sticks covered in and served sticking out of a bowl full of crushed almond dragées, and a quite overpowering generous portion of what looked like tiramisu but was really rather rubbery chocolate-streaked marshmallow...
All in all a great day out, a nice lunch but in comparison to last year less ingenious and occasionally even a little pretentious at what seemed to be noticeably increased prices (I believe then menu last year offered ten courses at just under €80 and drinks seemed quite a bit less pricey, too). Maybe La Grenouillière was listed a little too early in the Top 100 Restaurants of the World (ranking at 78)...
I find it difficult to apply my rating - last year it was certainly a 9/10, with mostly lovely food, brilliant ideas, a great atmosphere and providing very good value for money. This year I must take it down a notch. 8/10, mostly still that high because of the very friendly and charming service.
La Grenouillière dares to be different. Sometimes a little too much so, as I will point out in this review, but mostly in a pleasant and entertaining way. We were curious about what we might expect this time around because last year we had been presented with some truly inspired food experiences such as a little heap of smouldering fresh juniper branches with a lobster tail hidden within (great fresh smoky flavour), a scoop of grass-green ice cream inside a crystal-clear sugar glass ball thrown on to your plate where it would shatter into pieces or, with coffee, a hammer and chisel taken to what looked like a piece of lava rock left as decoration on the dining table and what was really a Turkish Delight-like substance dyed grey through the use of squid ink. In addition, the restaurant had closed earlier this year for a major refurbishment so we were curious what it would look like.
As we arrived we went to sit in the lounge for a drink (G&T at and a glass of Champagne at a rather steep price of €15 each to find the cozy little area mostly unchanged. While we had our drinks we were presented with the menu in form of a crumpled up piece of flimsy A4 paper (one of the less inspired attempts at being different), an idea which was continued in the presentation of the wine list which was printed on the same flimsy paper and folded in half as a collection of loose sheets. While nibbling on some complimentary bread with herb-infused crème fraîche and very young raddish plants (the whole thing, including the still tender leaves - rather pleasant), we decided to go for the 8 course tasting menu for €85 (supplement of €12 for an extra cheese course) and proceeded to the dining area. Last year the restaurant consisted of a number of smaller interconnected dining rooms. This is now replaced by a large open room with a big glass front looking out into the garden, furnished with modern but comfortable light brown leather chairs and ovally shaped tables which also seemed to have a leather top in the same colour. In the middle of the room was a strange contraption which we suspected to be a hoax, or some would perhaps say a piece of modern art. There is also a spaghetti salad of wires hanging under the high ceiling feeding electricity to the small LED point lamps scattered around the room. One corner of the dining hall opened up into the showroom-type kitchen so we could watch the kitchen staff as they prepared our food in a calm and controlled manner, always a good sign I like to believe. The atmosphere of the restaurant has changed significantly since we came last year - a rather traditional French country restaurant (and I mean the premises not the food) has turned into a modern food temple. I have to admit that I preferred the previous setup, so call me old-fashioned!
We ordered a bottle of Pouilly-Fumée Prédilection 2009 from Jonathan Didier Pabiot at €86 and a bottle of Château Soutard Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2000 at €124 (both very good wines and normally priced for a Michelin-starred outfit: both wines retail for around 40-50 Euro), the former decanted and placed in an ice-bucket inside a leather-bag that was hung on the wall and the letter just opened and left to breathe in the bottle - an informed choice by the sommelier as we agreed on later. So, without further ado, here comes the food!
Bar, Nectarine - thin slices of raw fish, very thin slices of fresh nectarine, a drizzle of olive oil and a little bit of pepper. Nice, a good start.
Eau de Mer, Avocat - a cube of ripe avocado flesh with a thin slice of raw fish hidden inside and some sea water (I would say it was water flavoured with Wakame algeas, salt and olive oil - then again, maybe it was really sea water). Good, not great.
Courgettes, huîtres - a massive half oyster shell (haven't seen them that big since Hawaii) with a raw fresh oyster inside, a thin slice of courgettes and some other green bits I can't quite remember now... Very good flavours, great presentation, but don't make the mistake we made: we were only given forks or spoons up to this point (and for the rest of the lunch as we realised later on), no knives, so in the effort to be good sportsmen we tried eating with the fork only. While you got away with that until now, you really needed a knife to cut the oyster and courgette at least in half so you can enjoy them together (unless you want to risk choking on them). We reckon that what was until then used as a butter knife (which was unusually sharp and big for that purpose anyway) was meant to be used as our all-purpose knife for the day. That is an attempt at being different that I find rather daft to be honest.
Petit pois - four types of peas: pea gnocchi, pea shoots, pea jus and pea powder (!!). The most inspired dish so far, quite clever!
Saint Pierre, épinard fraise - the latter is a spinach-like plant carrying tiny little berries which look more like raspberries than the strawberries lending their French name. This was cooked very briefly and served with a small filet of John Dory: a very nice, well rounded dish. Unfortunately did the little red fruits provide much more colour than flavour - the eyes were pleased but the palate somewhat disappointed. Therefore a little anti-climatic and not one of my favourites of the day.
Vachette ferrée, salicorne - the only meat dish in the menu was reminiscent of a dish that was served last year, too: then, a plate with many little leaves of different herbs was served (to achieve the "what the f..." effect I suppose), shortly after followed by some flash-grilled thin slice of marbled beef served from a carving board. This year, the herbs were replaced with some samphire, the meat and the presentation were the same. The beef was tasty and cooked rather rare, a good simple dish.
Les fromages - a selection of good cheeses, not the best I have seen, but absolutely fine. No frills (fruit, honey, chutneys, nuts, etc) attached, a little disappointing given the restaurant's ambitions.
Marjolaine, citron - lemon curd, arranged in a cigar-shape on the plate, with lots of marjoram-sprinkled mini-merengue sticking out of it. Original, very yummy, great dish! The best in my opinion since the more you tasted it, the more you wanted to have more of it!
Pêche, lait de vache - wonderfully sweet and aromatic peach wedges with a milk based cream, milk powder and some whipped cream on the side. A seemingly simple but rather clever combination of best quality fruit and varied textures of rich milky flavours. Right up there in my top three dishes of the day.
"Deux Espresso et deux Cognac" (each coffee charged at €5.50 and each Cognac at €18) were accompanied by some slightly different petit-four: one being absolutely brilliant, little fresh rhubarb sticks covered in and served sticking out of a bowl full of crushed almond dragées, and a quite overpowering generous portion of what looked like tiramisu but was really rather rubbery chocolate-streaked marshmallow...
All in all a great day out, a nice lunch but in comparison to last year less ingenious and occasionally even a little pretentious at what seemed to be noticeably increased prices (I believe then menu last year offered ten courses at just under €80 and drinks seemed quite a bit less pricey, too). Maybe La Grenouillière was listed a little too early in the Top 100 Restaurants of the World (ranking at 78)...
I find it difficult to apply my rating - last year it was certainly a 9/10, with mostly lovely food, brilliant ideas, a great atmosphere and providing very good value for money. This year I must take it down a notch. 8/10, mostly still that high because of the very friendly and charming service.
Location:Montreuil-sur-Mer, France
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Film Review: Mad Men (Seasons 1-4) Blu-Ray
OK, I admit it - at first I didn't get the whole hype about Mad Men. I watched a few episodes of Season 1 last year and, fair enough, the reviews were right in that the show was very stylish. But every single character on the programme was somehow... well, kind of horrible. And the whole idea of a programme about a marketing agency just seems alien, unless it would be done by Ricky Gervais. So after three episodes or so I gave up.
And then a few days ago I started over. And gave it a bit more time. And as the first season progressed it was getting better. The show looks great, the production value is fantastic and the USA of the early 60s come to life on your television like never before in a contemporary programme. But that's not it - the weird thing is that the apparently horrible characters over time just prove to be damaged people, flawed, weak, sad and sometimes just misled. And that is what makes these characters real - behind the façade of the smart creative director, his beautiful wife and so many other characters you discover people who you can't help but care for, not despite of but because of all their faults. The show has a few funny moments which are not very obvious and not laugh-out-loud funny, but it's mostly serious drama you're in for. An investment worth making though, stay with it into the second season and you will be hooked, too. 9/10
And then a few days ago I started over. And gave it a bit more time. And as the first season progressed it was getting better. The show looks great, the production value is fantastic and the USA of the early 60s come to life on your television like never before in a contemporary programme. But that's not it - the weird thing is that the apparently horrible characters over time just prove to be damaged people, flawed, weak, sad and sometimes just misled. And that is what makes these characters real - behind the façade of the smart creative director, his beautiful wife and so many other characters you discover people who you can't help but care for, not despite of but because of all their faults. The show has a few funny moments which are not very obvious and not laugh-out-loud funny, but it's mostly serious drama you're in for. An investment worth making though, stay with it into the second season and you will be hooked, too. 9/10
Monday, 18 July 2011
Film Review: Unknown (Blu-Ray) - and The Tourist, in one half sentence
Unknown is everything what The Tourist probably tried to be: It's elegant, suspenseful and filmed 50 years earlier could have fit in seamlessly with the best of Hitchcock's thrillers. Liam Neeson leads the cast as Dr. Martin Harris, a Biologist visiting a conference in Berlin with his wife (rising star January Jones from Mad Men and X-Men: First Class). After an accident he loses his short-term memory and nothing is the same anymore. The whole film takes place in Berlin and was shot on location and in the Babelsberg studios. It manages to keep you interested at all times and moves at a good pace while keeping you guessing what is actually going on. Other than Neeson and Jones, the cast includes the German actors Diane Kruger (playing a woman from Bosnia - you may remember her from Inglorious Basterds, the two National Treasure flicks, Troy and The Piano Player), Bruno Ganz (actually Swiss, but led the cast in many German films from Wim Wenders' classic The American Friend to Downfall - Der Untergang) and Sebastian Koch (The Loves of Others) as well as Aidan Quinn and Frank Langhella. The film is reminiscent of some of Hitchcock's work such as North by Northwest or Torn Curtain, but in a modern packaging. 7/10
Film Review: Eat Pray Love (Blu-Ray)
I'll be brief - very much unlike this film: Eat Pray Love was the first film in quite a while that I didn't finish watching. After about an hour I gave up. And even then did I make it through the last 30 minutes or so merely hoping that Javier Bardem may finally appear in a desperate attempt to save the film - he never showed (well, not within the first hour anyway). I wonder whether part of the problem was the casting - Julia Roberts does not fit into the role of the somewhat annoying high maintenance lead character. Julianne Moore or Julia Dreyfuss could have given this film a different perspective, the former with a much more edgy presence, the latter with her trademark sardonic sense of humour. Don't get me wrong - I love Julia Roberts in films such as Erin Brokovich, but this one doesn't work. Give it a miss. 3/10
Monday, 13 June 2011
Food Review: Porters, London
Porters is supposedly one of the London institutions; situated smack in the middle of the West End, only a few paces from Coven Garden and Leicester Square, it promises "traditional English food at it's finest". Well, it only partly delivers.
One of the reasons I think you are better off with many pubs in the area is the selection of Real Ales. Although there are some interesting bottled ales, if you want draught you have the choice between Fuller's London Pride (which I actually like, although not my favourite) and... Fuller's London Pride! The menu looks reasonably appealing with a good choice of pies and some classics such as Lamb Shank, Fish & Chips, Steak & Kidney Pudding and traditional puddings (=desserts if you're from abroad) such as Spotted Dick (playfully dubbed as "not what you might think" on the menu) and Eton Mess.
When my Steak, Guinness and Mushroom Pie arrived I was impressed with the towering puff pastry covering the somewhat small bowl containing the dark brown stew. Appearances can of course be misleading and the pastry was big but not really all that special (the pastry covering my Steak & Ale pie I enjoyed at the pub right next to the Tilford Cricket Green the other day - the name escapes me right now - was much more delicate and "fluffy"). The stew was alright but not plentiful and with an overpowering almost mouldy undertone of old rosemary. My friend ordered the lamb shank which was massive and the meat pleasantly tender and nicely flavoured, but unfortunately the gravy was not unlike the thick Chocolate Custard that covered the Chocolate Pudding that my friend ordered to fill him up proper - in other words very rich and strangely sweet. The chips were average (even my local Chip Shop - The Big Fry in North Camp, Farnborough - can do better than that) and the veggies were plain and boring.
When we got there (8pm) the place was full and noisy (I would guess mostly pre-theatre guests if I had to wager a bet), then got rather empty and quiet only to get busy and noisy again around 9.30pm with what seemed to be predominantly Southern European tourist who made the best of the "kids eat for free" offer - I think there were more kids than adults in the group! Four of them actually shared a table between themselves and I was strangely haunted by images of "Lord of the Flies"... All kids only drank tap water, so you get the picture why I am saying that they made the most of the offer...
3/10 - You can do better than that in the West End, just pick almost any random restaurant in Chinatown...
One of the reasons I think you are better off with many pubs in the area is the selection of Real Ales. Although there are some interesting bottled ales, if you want draught you have the choice between Fuller's London Pride (which I actually like, although not my favourite) and... Fuller's London Pride! The menu looks reasonably appealing with a good choice of pies and some classics such as Lamb Shank, Fish & Chips, Steak & Kidney Pudding and traditional puddings (=desserts if you're from abroad) such as Spotted Dick (playfully dubbed as "not what you might think" on the menu) and Eton Mess.
When my Steak, Guinness and Mushroom Pie arrived I was impressed with the towering puff pastry covering the somewhat small bowl containing the dark brown stew. Appearances can of course be misleading and the pastry was big but not really all that special (the pastry covering my Steak & Ale pie I enjoyed at the pub right next to the Tilford Cricket Green the other day - the name escapes me right now - was much more delicate and "fluffy"). The stew was alright but not plentiful and with an overpowering almost mouldy undertone of old rosemary. My friend ordered the lamb shank which was massive and the meat pleasantly tender and nicely flavoured, but unfortunately the gravy was not unlike the thick Chocolate Custard that covered the Chocolate Pudding that my friend ordered to fill him up proper - in other words very rich and strangely sweet. The chips were average (even my local Chip Shop - The Big Fry in North Camp, Farnborough - can do better than that) and the veggies were plain and boring.
When we got there (8pm) the place was full and noisy (I would guess mostly pre-theatre guests if I had to wager a bet), then got rather empty and quiet only to get busy and noisy again around 9.30pm with what seemed to be predominantly Southern European tourist who made the best of the "kids eat for free" offer - I think there were more kids than adults in the group! Four of them actually shared a table between themselves and I was strangely haunted by images of "Lord of the Flies"... All kids only drank tap water, so you get the picture why I am saying that they made the most of the offer...
3/10 - You can do better than that in the West End, just pick almost any random restaurant in Chinatown...
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Film Review: X-Men - First Class
After the somewhat disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this film is really showing the origin of the X-Men: after an introduction, that is practically identical to the first scenes of the first X-Men movie, we learn about how the friendship between the young men Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) begun. This film pretty much does what it says on the box: it "reboots" the X-Men franchise by introducing younger actors, new characters and therefore provides the opportunity for another few X-Men sequels. Most of the special effects are of the usual high quality, the story is engaging but not without some lengths, and the cast assembles a lot of talent from different generations: The youngest include the wonderful Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), the lovely Zoë Kravitz (Californication - and yes, she is Lenny Kravitz's and Lisa Bonet's daughter - and I predict she is someone who we will see rather frequently on the big screen), "veteran" actor Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, A Single Man) and the All-American butch Lucas Till. The 30-40 generation is represented by the leading men, Scotsman James McAvoy (Atonement, Wanted, The Last King of Scotland) and Londoner of German/Irish descent, Michael Fassbender (Band of Brothers, 300, Inglorious Basterds) as well as the voluptuous January Jones (Mad Men, Love Actually, The Boat that Rocked) and the great Rose Byrne (Damages, Knowing, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine). The 40+ generation finally is led by the brilliant Kevin Bacon and a great support cast including Oliver Platt, Rade Serbedzija, Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) and Michael Ironside. Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass) directed a typical American popcorn movie and, despite the partly British cast, unfortunately failed to re-create the brilliant mix of American production value and pop culture with a quirky English sense of humour that made Kick-Ass such an enjoyable film.
6/10 - Good summer popcorn movie, watch this if you enjoyed X-Men 1-3 or Heroes
6/10 - Good summer popcorn movie, watch this if you enjoyed X-Men 1-3 or Heroes
Food Review: Shanghai Blues, London
Shanghai Blues comes highly recommended as a top-notch place for authentic Dim-Sum and fine Chinese dining in London. It's just a short walk from Holborn tube station and when it comes to the food certainly delivers the goods! I went on Sunday lunchtime for a Dim-Sum lunch and wasn't disappointed. If you are a constant reader of this blog (and judging by the feedback there are only three of those, the famous Trinity of Me, Myself and I) you can imagine that the next question has to be how Shanghai Blues compares to my benchmark Dim-Sum restaurant, Hakkasan.
The long and short of it that Hakkasan's position on the throne was never threatened! While the food at Shanghai Blues is very good, Hakkasan's is yet a little better. The biggest differences are found elsewhere though: Hakkasan is about perfection which they pretty much achieve. Hakkasan's ambience is classy, like a great film set; Shanghai Blues is a strange combination of different styles and while not unpleasant somehow "off". I normally start my lunch at Hakkasan's with a fine cocktail (great Martini variations); at Shanghai Blues, the cocktail menu was rather unappealing. One offers perfect service, the other just good service (one good example is that Hakkasan serves your Dim Sum in manageable rounds while Shanghai Blues just plunked all seven dishes on my table as they came out of the kitchen). Soy sauce was only served after I asked. No spoon. Paper napkins. I rest my case.
Back to the food: in addition to some of the classics (Cheung Fun, Ha Gau, Char Siu Bao) there are some less common dishes to be found, such as Salmon Dumplings with Gold flakes (the latter look good on the dumplings but are of course completely pointless offering no taste or nutritional value), Shanghai Shui Jiao in Exotic Chilli Sauce (nice spicy dish served with green leave veggies), Chicken Dumplings in Superior Spicy Soup (very good, very spicy and not recommended if you don't like hot chillies or garlic) and Tai Chi Dumplings, Ying/Yang patterned large steamed dumplings with a pleasant duck-based stuffing. There is a decent selection of teas, which is served in rather small tea pots and tiny tea cups, but constantly refilled with fresh hot water.
Usually I would tell you to go to Hakkasan and forget about this place. Here's why I would still recommend Shanghai Blues for two reasons:
1) If you're on a budget, use the special offer on Saturday lunch times and all day Sundays: 50% off the food bill!
2) If you are getting a bit bored with Hakkasan's fairly static Dim Sum menu, this makes a good change once in a while - and you will appreciate Hakkasan's aim for perfection even more!
6.5/10 - Before you risk a random Dim Sum experience in Chinatown, come here on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday and get very good food for about the same money.
The long and short of it that Hakkasan's position on the throne was never threatened! While the food at Shanghai Blues is very good, Hakkasan's is yet a little better. The biggest differences are found elsewhere though: Hakkasan is about perfection which they pretty much achieve. Hakkasan's ambience is classy, like a great film set; Shanghai Blues is a strange combination of different styles and while not unpleasant somehow "off". I normally start my lunch at Hakkasan's with a fine cocktail (great Martini variations); at Shanghai Blues, the cocktail menu was rather unappealing. One offers perfect service, the other just good service (one good example is that Hakkasan serves your Dim Sum in manageable rounds while Shanghai Blues just plunked all seven dishes on my table as they came out of the kitchen). Soy sauce was only served after I asked. No spoon. Paper napkins. I rest my case.
Back to the food: in addition to some of the classics (Cheung Fun, Ha Gau, Char Siu Bao) there are some less common dishes to be found, such as Salmon Dumplings with Gold flakes (the latter look good on the dumplings but are of course completely pointless offering no taste or nutritional value), Shanghai Shui Jiao in Exotic Chilli Sauce (nice spicy dish served with green leave veggies), Chicken Dumplings in Superior Spicy Soup (very good, very spicy and not recommended if you don't like hot chillies or garlic) and Tai Chi Dumplings, Ying/Yang patterned large steamed dumplings with a pleasant duck-based stuffing. There is a decent selection of teas, which is served in rather small tea pots and tiny tea cups, but constantly refilled with fresh hot water.
Usually I would tell you to go to Hakkasan and forget about this place. Here's why I would still recommend Shanghai Blues for two reasons:
1) If you're on a budget, use the special offer on Saturday lunch times and all day Sundays: 50% off the food bill!
2) If you are getting a bit bored with Hakkasan's fairly static Dim Sum menu, this makes a good change once in a while - and you will appreciate Hakkasan's aim for perfection even more!
6.5/10 - Before you risk a random Dim Sum experience in Chinatown, come here on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday and get very good food for about the same money.
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Film Review: The Way Back (Blu-Ray)
After a seven year break, Peter Weir returns to the big screen with a film that is reminiscent of some of his best work - unlike his previous film of 2003, "Master and Commander", which was unusually loud and fast paced. Weir's greatest films include, in my opinion and in this order, Fearless, Witness, The Truman Show and Dead Poet's Society and The Way Back fits right in as yet another captivating, beautifully shot character drama. Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell and raising stars Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones, Hanna) and Mark Strong (RocknRolla, Body of Lies, Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass) lead the cast in a story about a group of men who escape Gulag 105 during WW2 and their 4000 mile walk to India. There is some dispute whether the story is actually based on real events or not which is actually irrelevant for the enjoyment of the film. The first half of the film is dark, bitter and strangely claustrophobic, spaninng the arc from introducing the characters to escaping the Gulag and making their way to Mongolia. At this point, the film visually opens up, colours brighten and the second half is truely breathtaking, with some of the most beautiful cinematography (courtesy of Russell Boyd who also filmed "Master and Commander") I have seen in the last few years. Many directors would have pushed helicopter shots and a bombastic soundtrack à la "Lawrence of Arabia" down your throat, but Peter Weir maintains his almost underplayed style and sticks to quiet, intense scenes, carried by the exquisite cast which holds its own against the magnificent backdrop of the Mongolian wastelands, the Gobi Desert, the Chinese Wall and the Himalayas.
The Blu-Ray does the beautiful images justice and is worth every penny. Extras include a Making of, Interviews and some Deleted Scenes.
7.5/10 - Peter Weir is back to top form and this Blu-Ray should be in every good collection.
The Blu-Ray does the beautiful images justice and is worth every penny. Extras include a Making of, Interviews and some Deleted Scenes.
7.5/10 - Peter Weir is back to top form and this Blu-Ray should be in every good collection.
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