I can't do posh

RobDavies · July 2015

RaymondLin said:

Although I guarantee you, after all that (18 courses), you will not go away hungry.

Funnily enough, after a couple of these, I don't go away hungry either....

jonnyburgo · July 2015

My mate is a chef in Didsbury which is a relatively upscale part of Manchester, his place does get full of air kissing luvvies and he detests them, as do the front of house staff, in the winter they rock up with their botox, perfect hair and teeth and privately educated spawn in their £60,000 4x4s looking like they've just come off the piste at Klosters in £500 expedition jackets that have never seen a mountain.

He's not bitter though.

HAL9000 · July 2015

RaymondLin said:

HAL9000 said:

Back in Blighty now and calmed down somewhat. TBH I was probably overreacting somewhat (and exagerating slightly) with my original post and in need of a bit of a rant - certainly the portions were nothing like as small as those pictured in RaymondLins post but were still enough on the tiny side to make me feel hard done by at the time (but can laugh now).

However, it was still a case of emperor's new clothes, some customer's feeling it was their duty to treat the staff as something that they'd accidentally stood in, and a general feeling of being ripped off.

I honestly do appreciate that preparation and presentation count for something, but the value for money, in my opinion, simply wasn't there.

Trust me, that meal that I had was value for money.

The next day I had steak and mash potatoes from Hard Rock cafe was not.

Sorry if I gave that impression but I'm certainly not doubting that your meal was value for money. The food in your pictures looks far better prepared and presented than our meal the other evening. I agree with yourself and others here that a meal out is not just about sustenance - it should be an experience.

I'm also not knocking people because of their wealth. It's the way people behave towards their fellow human beings that ultimately counts and there are great people and total knobheads in all levels of society. It's just when people use their wealth or social status to put others down that I get all hot under the collar.

jonnyburgo · July 2015

At the end of the day it all goes to make a turd, and they all fucking stink.

chillidoggy · July 2015

mgaw said:

well i worked here...Marco Pierre Whites the canteen and his 3* when it was at Hyde Park, Le Gavroche, Gordon Ramsay in the early days at Aubergine....fucking unbelievably hard work....huge attention to detail...loads of stress and shit money...these restaurants make a fortune by selling an extrmemely high quality product CONSISTENTLY to customers discerning or otherwise.

It is a complex beast a restaurant and those who thrive do so by being single minded and multi talented individuals who not only need to be able to cook superbly well but also

understand and source produce
train manage staff
be an accountant
a cleaner
a handyman
a wino
a PR man
a smoozer and a broozer
a diplomat

you get the picture so in most cases a restaurant michelin starred or not that delivers above reasonable expectation day after day to a paying public is built on the proverbial blood sweat and tears...my advice would be to always seek out the once on the rise

bon appetit

I could do the wino bit, but I'd be shit at the rest of the criteria.

mgaw · July 2015

you know some people are undoubtedly arseholes...for me after running 2 restaurants i certainly will miss the nice ones...the majority but the pretentious food snobs did my fucking head in.....just so you know i am not in the tiny artful portion brigade but well judged so as to satisfy the majority. Some people judge a place by how full they are and how cheap it is that is their perogative..my placdes wopuld not have been for them. I did dine at the Fat Duck some years ago with its 19 course extravaganza apart from some total bollocks i would have to say that the food was quite incredible, but each to there own, i personally cant bear the bloke when hes on tele as it is amongst the most self indulgent irrelevant tosh i have had the misfortune to watch. Tom Kerridge is worth checking out for most..very tasty very honest grub.....as a footnote i must point out that the service in the vast majority of the top restaurants has always been excellent i have rarely come across these snotty waiters some are talking about.

Sassafras · July 2015

Much as I like my food and will eat pretty much all I'm given, I draw the line at putting anything in my mouth that's been prepared by Heston Blumenthal.