Sushinho,London

Sushinho opened its doors for the first time this week. The question I am asking myself is, why did they bother? Even before Sushinho had served what turned out to be our Worst Dish of the Year, this lacklustre new fusion restaurant in Chelsea did enough to make even the most fizzing festive spirits nosedive into the pits of despair. A shame! For - in theory at least – their Brazilian/Japanese hybrid food sounded quite exciting. ... read more

Charlie`s Dead,London

Beef and ale pierogi with a fried duck egg, both sitting in a rich little stew of caramelised onions. Rich, dark and savoury, it is just the kind of thing to kick start a midwinter lunch. The kind when you are going to have a lie down afterwards and get up again in February. What kind of person, I wonder, would cook a winning and yumsome dish like this? ... read more

Bocca Di Lupo, London

There many, many good things about Bocca di Lupo. This morning’s delivery of fresh porcini. Our cheerful and funny waiter. A big glass vase on the bar, stacked full of glossy artichokes. The way diners can order small or large portions of every dish, enabling them to try lots of things. Best of all, however, is having lunch at the big marble counter right in front of the kitchen. Eating one delicious dish as you watch the chefs cook your next delicious dish is restaurant heaven for the giddy of mind and greedy of heart. S and I share a plate of crispy fritto di mare - a fresh, sweet tangle of soft shell crab, prawns and squid, each frilled with a tempura-type batter – as our next course is prepared before our eyes. The chef thickly slices a few fat porcini, and sizzles them until they are etched with gold. A chunk of sunshine yellow polenta is heated on the charcoal grill. When both are cooked through and piping hot, they are set on a plate. Gossamer sheets of lardo di Colonnata are laid on top, much in the manner of shrouding the family Chippendales in muslin. The lardo clings and melts to the round caps of mushrooms and the edge of the polenta, leaving a ghostly, salty richness in its wake. The result is whimperingly delicious. This is not really a dish, it is more of an assembly, yet it encapsulates everything that is good about Italian cooking and notable about this new restaurant. Individually, the three elements are of terrific quality. Only someone who understands tradition and proper practice would put them all together. Simple things, done well, sourced well and cooked well, are the cornerstones of culinary excellence. ... read more

goodman, london

Dark brown restaurants are unappetising in the same way that dark brown stews are unappetising. There might be good stuff in there. It might be nutritious and tasty.  But you’ve got to tread carefully through the murk to find any lurking goodies. ... read more

Credit Crunch Lunches

Is it boring going on about the credit crunch? In the restaurant industry, it is hard not to. Everyone is obsessed. Important questions are asked, over and over again. What is going to happen? How has Tom Aikens got the nerve? Can Le Bouchon Breton possibly survive deflation? And when is my pudding arriving? ... read more

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