The second part of our revisiting of mature Bordeaux wines, all from the great 2005 vintage, was generously provided from the cellar of Richard Jackson. What a treat for those fortunate members of IWFS London Branch who attended! Regrettably, Richard was not even able to be there himself this evening, although his two sons were with us on his behalf. …
Lunch at Roux at the Landau
Roux at the Landau restaurant is at the Langham Hotel in Portland Place, and has received consistently excellent reviews since its refurbishment a year ago. Members of London and St James’s branches enjoyed lunch in its elegant airy surroundings. The menu is overseen by Michel Roux Jnr. The Head Chef is Nicolas Pasquier, and the desserts are created by Andrew …
A Sous Vide Masterclass for London Branch
From time to time London Branch arranges Masterclass events, typically given by leading chefs on methods of preparing particular ingredients. The latest was on Sous Vide (‘under vacuum’). A few of us had already used this technique in our own kitchens; others of us were complete beginners, curious to understand what it was all about and how it worked. With …
A Tasting of Wines from Moldova
Did you know (I didn’t, until London Branch’s wine tasting) that Moldova has renamed its capital international airport Wines of Moldova? Or that winemaking is its main agricultural activity, measuring 25% of agricultural exports; that it has the highest per capita production of wine in the world; and that 5% of the country is under vine, with 150,000 hectares of …
New Year Celebration Dinner at Tredwells
London Branch held a celebration Dinner at Tredwells – its website by-line: “relaxed contemporary dining restaurant in Covent Garden” – to celebrate New Year, an excuse to lighten up what can often be a drab two or three weeks following Christmas. We had the mezzanine floor to ourselves, seated at two long tables. London Branch members and guests were pleased …
A Wine Dinner at the Cavalry and Guards
London Branch is very fortunate in having a number of members with superb cellars of mature wines that they are happy to share with Branch members from time to time. Lancelot Jaundoo is one of these, and this time it was 1988 Bordeaux. But instead of a conventional tasting he decided upon a wine dinner, and LB member Julian Ellis, …
A Special Lunch for Andrew Brodie – The Wines of Napa Valley
Andrew Brodie was an ex Chairman of London Branch, and a member of the EAZ Committee. When he died suddenly on 30th August, he was working with Jack Rubyn of Marin County Branch on a special lunch at the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre Restaurant in London, showcasing wines from the Napa Valley. Jack suggested that we continue with the …
IWFS Restaurant Award for Andrew Wong
Andrew Wong’s restaurant in London’s Wilton Road has been described by Jay Rayner as a relaxed space in which to enjoy serious food. And it has established itself as one of London Branch’s favourites. Andrew spent several years touring China and studying its various regional cuisines before setting up here, and the result is something quite unique, away from the …
London Branch at The Frog
Adam Handling will be well known to those who watch TV programmes like Masterchef and Best of British. He cooked a great meal for London Branch in 2015, when he was at the Caxton Grill, so when he set up his own restaurant, The Frog, near Spitalfields, we were naturally keen to try it. He brought a lot of his …
Welcome to Sake, by Kanako Takahashi
On 14th June, we gathered at Double Tree Hilton in Victoria and had 12 Sakes from western Japan to taste, accompanied with excellent tidbits cooked by former Matsuri St. James’s chef Mr Sudo, currently Akindo Food Catering. I introduced categories of premium sake, what is written on the labels, and some sake basics. Note that the polish ratio is defined …