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The Hedonist

‘Bacchus On A Knife Edge Supper Club’ @ Andaz Studio

August 5, 2016 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Thursday 23rd of June. That was the date when we in the UK voted for Brexit – a vote for separation from our European neighbours. As the final figures came in and the enormity of this decision became apparent an awful sound filled the air, a wrenching and groaning noise the likes of which had never been heard before as the tectonic plates surrounding our nation started to shift. Huge overlapping shards of granite burst out of the sea one after the other surrounding our island nation with an armadilloesque shield until we were completely cut off, alone and isolated. The Channel Tunnel collapsed in on itself and air travel was deemed too dangerous because of the radiation risk from this granite ‘barrier’. The consequences were immediate. The London restaurant scene collapsed almost overnight due to the lack of burrata. Provincial dinner parties were thrown into chaos as gift boxes of Belgian chocolates were no longer available creating social unrest in Penge, Pinner and Padstow. Worst of all, branches of Waitrose were ransacked as people fought for the last bottle of Albariño.IMG_7218In the face of this incipient anarchy there was only one man for the job…Douglas Blyde. Douglas’ cover job was writing about wine for the Daily Telegraph but actually he fronted a secret organisation known only as G.R.A.P.E. and it was in that capacity that he had invited me along with an international band of crack operatives to the organisation’s secret headquarters at the Andaz Studio in the fabulous Andaz Hotel next to Liverpool St station.IMG_7227We looked nervously at the ‘Honour Wall’, pictures of colleagues ‘missing in action’  as Douglas outlined the plan codenamed ‘Bacchus On A Knife Edge’. We would dig a tunnel through to the village of Chablis in France’s Burgundy region using what power tools we had to hand as well as some of the finest cutlery available to man. IMG_7220Fortunately many wine glasses were available for removing the soil. This patriotic mission would guarantee supplies of the finest continental produce to our tables-nothing could be more important. IMG_1942I was so ready…IMG_7222We were to be supported by three of London’s leading supper club cooks at the stoves who would provide nourishment and encouragement as the digging and clearing proceeded. Progress was quick. Within a couple of hours we had reached Dover, hitting the chalk layer that took us speedily under the Channel through to the Loire Valley. Our first stop came when we arrived at the outlying areas of the region with its distinctive limestone-based Portlandian soil. We celebrated with chilled glasses of the ‘Pas Si Petit’ Petit Chablis 2014 from 300 grower-strong cooperative La Chablisienne. IMG_7226We were thoroughly revived by this surprisingly full-bodied aperitif and its citrus/yuzu notes which perfectly matched our Scandinavian-inspired canapés by Martina and Magdelena of NORDISH supperclub- miniature Norwegian fishcakes with a spiky remoulade sauce, and cucumber rolls filled with crab, avocado and mayonnaise.

Digging continued as we moved closer to the hallowed slopes of the Serein River. Exhaustion was starting to hit some of the team so it was clearly time for another reviver.IMG_7228Hana of Pickled Plates excited our tastebuds with patriotic and healthy reworking of fish and chips. Pan-fried whiting was served with tempura samphire and a summer vegetable salad featuring roasted radishes and a  brown butter dressing. Douglas urged us on with glasses of Alain Geoffroy’s 2014 Chablis with its butter and caramel notes as we hit the first traces of Kimmeridgean soil, a melange of limestone, clay and fossilised oyster shells that gives this particular expression of the Chardonnay grape its trademark flintiness. IMG_7230The clay elements of the terroir were proving troublesome and so we used corkscrews from the Geoffroy family’s 1,500+ strong corkscrew museum for essential boring duties. But soon it was time for the final push through to the surface and the ever-glamorous Rosie of A Little Lusciousness provided us with the sustenance for the job with a Japonaise take on the humble chop. Soy and miso-glazed pork chop on the bone came with spring onion rice, Japanese raw slaw, rice vinegar and chilli dressing. Protein levels suitably enhanced we slaked our thirst with Julien Brocard’s  Chablis, La Boissonneuse (also 2014) an oaky ‘biodynamic’ number, a heady concentration of citrus, vanilla and flint.IMG_7233As we broke through to the surface we were met by cheering crowds of Italian producers of Mustard di Cremona, German Schneckensuppe suppliers, and from the Ardèche in France purveyors of the finest Marrons Glacés. Our job was done-Britain’s fine dining establishments and delicatessen’s shelves would be restocked with deliciousness from our European gastro-brotherhood. We celebrated with platters of unpasteurised cheeses from England and France in a cross-Channel curd-off; a Stichleton blue in Nottinghamshire had much more depth of acidity than a Bleu d’Auvergne, a creamy Baron Bigod from Bungay that trounced a Normandy Camembert, and a Parmesanesque Montgomery Cheddar from North Cadbury in Somerset that saw off a rather too young Comté from the Swiss Jura.IMG_7235 Chablis is not  a dessert wine but is wonderful with cheese so we were lucky to be able to toast our success with bottle upon bottle of Premier and Grand Cru Chablis, the veritable apotheosis of the Chardonnay grape within this terroir. We experienced a Domaine William Fevre, Vaulorent, Premier Cru 2012, a Jean Paul et Benoit Valmur Grand Cru 2012, the Clotilde Davenne Les Preuses Grand Cru 2008 and finally the Domaine Laroche Les Blanchots Grand Cru 2007.

These were powerful, confident wines but still displaying that steely quality that characterises Chablis, and it is my belief that it was that steely quality that saw us through our mission, the diversity of expression even within the same year of production matching our diverse team. So thank you to Douglas for allowing us to reestablish our cross-Channel links with La Manche now flowing with fine wine rather than the salty brine of post-Brexit tears.

1901 Restaurant at Andaz – Review

July 11, 2014 by Adrian

1901 restaurant at Andaz                                 Liverpool St

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40 Liverpool St, London EC2M 7QN
020 7618 5000/andazdining.com
 https://www.limeandtonic.com/
ANDAZ 1
Social concierge service Lime and Tonic sets up unique dining experiences, social brunches, creative date activities, pop-up events, and more for its members and they had asked Fiona from London Unattached and The Hedonist to test out their menu deal for 1901 restaurant at Andaz Liverpool Street hotel. At £29 for three courses plus a glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne it seemed like a steal.
 I have some history with the dining room at 1901. The space used to be the ballroom for The Great Eastern Hotel, one of the great Victorian railway hotels dating back to 1884. Sir Terence Conran and his partners bought the building, refurbishing and reopening the hotel in 2000. The restaurant was called Aurora and Received lots of good press including a double-page spread in the Evening Standard from Fay Maschler ). There was a prize-winning bar area in the corridor leading to the dining room presided over by Alessandro Palazzi (now making the best martinis in the world at Duke’s Bar-see our review). I supplied live jazz in the bar which would drift into the restaurant room creating a cool atmosphere for the city boys and girls to kick back to.
Conran and his partners eventually sold the hotel to the Hyatt Group who turned it into one of their Andaz  hotels. Andaz was launched as a high-end ‘eco-brand’ but today it seems to be trumpeting its personalised service rather than trying to save the planet.
As part of the rebrand the restaurant was refurbished, pulling out the beautiful 6 metre long pewter bar which now sits proudly down the road in the Galvin brothers’ Galvin La Chapelle and replacing it with a centrepiece floating bar underneath the original stained glass dome. The jazz went too as did the bar seating in the corridor. A glum looking oriental girl stood at the back of the restaurant playing electric violin to an ambient soundtrack. All in all it was too pretentious and the clientele voted with their feet.
But that was a long time ago now. On returning the bare bones of the room are still the same due to the Grade 2 listing. However it has been dressed in an ‘international hotel spiritual/trendy’ style playing down the natural grandeur of the room. If you want to know how to make a classic hotel dining room look contemporary just visit Berners Tavern. This feels more like a spa…
However the young staff are keen and well trained and a glass of Veuve Cliquot goes some way to soothe my aesthetic anxieties.
ANDAZ 2
The menu is minimal which is to be expected at this price point but there is a meat, fish and vegetarian choice for starters and mains and the bread and butter is of good quality.
ANDAZ 3
The kitchen sent us out an amuse of Salmon tartare that tasted as if it had been mildly hot smoked. It was very good and went really well with our deliciously chewy bottle of Vermentino.
ANDAZ 4
Fiona’s starter was a deep-fried Courgette flower stuffed with feta, a tomato tartare, apricots and courgette purée. It was a lovely summer dish that showed signs of a kitchen with technical ability and ambition.
ANDAZ 5
I began with a roulade of Smoked Salmon, goats cheese, compressed cucumber  pickled beetroot, carrot and shrimp purée. It was beautifully constructed but the salmon was overpowered by the cheese filling.
ANDAZ 7
A fillet of hake came with saffron potatoes, marinated beetroot, samphire, and curried fish cream. The hake was perfectly cooked and the flavours in this dish were delicately balanced. It was of a quality that would happily sit on the a la carte menu.
ANDAZ 6
Stuffed breast of Chicken came with potato fondant, baby broccoli, grilled spring onion and a black garlic purée. It was a deconstructed roast chicken with a really good sauce, veg and stuffing.
ANDAZ 8
Honey Cake was a satisfying construction bringing together a delicate violet jelly, chantilly cream and sponge.
ANDAZ 9
Vanilla Blancmange came with too substantial a shortbread base for the subtle vanilla cream and strawberry topping but was otherwise delicious.
ANDAZ 10
Petit fours finished off what must be one of the best value dinners for the quality available in London at the moment.
I wish the management at Andaz would allow the room to be what it is-a grand Victorian space-rather than pretending we are living in some faux modern alternative universe. Playing dance music at quite a high volume in a room specifically designed for acoustic music didn’t help either as it was intrusive and had a echoing bottom end. However I was really impressed with the food and service and must give kudos to Lime and Tonic for finding an excellent value high quality dining experience for their members.

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