Name: Kouzu Where: 21 Grosvenor Gardens, Belgravia, London, SW1 0JW, http://kouzu.co.uk/ Cost: Starters range from £4.50 to £13, sashimi from £11 to £17.50, and sushi is offered individually, and ‘omakaze’ or chef selection platters ranging from £23 to £60. Cocktails are priced from £8.50 to £12. Entry level wines start from £25 for a Picpoul de Pinet or £22 for a Chilean Merlot. There is a good selection of fine wines with even finer prices. About: Just a stone's throw from both Buckingham Palace and Victoria station, this restaurant opened in November 2014, with Chef Kyoichi Kai (formerly of Zuma and the Arts Club) heading the kitchen.
The restaurant claims to have all-Japanese kitchen staff, but walking past the basement kitchen I could not help but notice a lot of westerners working alongside the Japanese. Not that I mind, but it seems an odd claim to make if it isn't correct.
Housed in a grand historical grade-II listed building dating from the 1850s, the restaurant has an impressive entrance with a massive chandelier, and a glamorous cocktail bar.
It has a Japanese-style simplicity to the design, with dark slate floors, top quality but unstained and unvarnished tables, and restrained cream and grey fabrics for the blinds, benches and chairs, with a few prominent displays of orchids.
What We Ate: From the ‘New Stream Sashimi’ section, we ordered the lime-cured seabass with a green pepper salsa (£13.00) - this was a stunningly presented dish decorated with micro herbs, chervil and pink peppercorns and served with semi-dried cherry tomatoes which worked surprisingly well with the fish. Although I could not taste much lime-curing in the seabass, the dish was very well balanced and one I would definitely order again.
Also from the 'New Stream Sashimi' section, we had the beef fillet tataki (£17.50) - this was a seared fillet cut into fine slices and served with a sauce of soy sauce, mirin and sake, and a generous serving of julienne salad. In fact the serving of salad was so generous that visually it rather obscured the beef. I enjoyed this dish though - the flavours were fresh and the meat was tender and of good quality.
For mains, we had two items from the charcoal grill selection – the lamb chops with spicy miso and the beef fillet. The lamb chops with spicy miso (£12.00), was probably the best dish of the evening and at that price, incredibly good value too. There were two perfectly cooked lamb chops, pink and succulent, served alongside a gorgeous selection of char-grilled vegetables including courgettes, tomatoes, peppers and onion. The spicy miso was a great accompanying sauce with a lot of umami flavour and just the right amount of heat, complimenting the meat and the vegetables without overpowering them.
We also had a 200g beef fillet (£31) that came with a choice two of sauces – an European red wine sauce or a citrus Japanese ponzu dressing served with yuzu kosho (a condiment made from yuzu peel, chillies and salt) - we opted for the latter. Like the tataki starter, the beef was of excellent quality, well cooked, and delicious. My only criticism with it was that rather than being served with yuzu kosho as an accompaniment, I was given a spicy oroshi (a mixture of grated daikon radish and chillies).
To accompany our mains, from the small dish and salad menu, we chose the assorted mushroom salad (£11). This was truly impressive and included a selection of four different mushrooms - eringi, shimeji, shiitake and oyster mushrooms - as well as pine nuts, walnuts, radicchio and green salad leaves dressed with ponzu sauce.
We also ordered a selection of tempura, including prawn (£7.50 for 2), along with aubergine, eringi mushroom and asparagus, but sadly it never arrived. As is customary in Japanese restaurants, a ‘shime’ (normally rice and miso soup) is served to end a meal. To that effect, we were served a chef’s platter of sushi including a maki roll and some nigiri.
The spicy California roll (£8), made from crab, avocado, cucumber, flying fish roe, and spicy mayonnaise was superbly made with a very fine layer of sushi rice rolled in shichimi pepper for the spicy heat.
The nigiri sushi were unagi eel (£4 each), and chu-toro (tuna belly), priced at £6.50 each. These were exquisite, but sadly quite steeply priced.
With our selection of sushi, we had three slices of yellowtail sashimi, served in a covered glass bowl (£11). Delicious though it was, again we felt this was not great value for money.
For dessert, we opted for the Tart au Mont Blanc with rum and raisin ice cream (£9.50). It may come as a surprise to those who have not visited Japan, but Tart au Mont Blanc is a very popular dessert there. The version on offer at Kouzu reminded me very much of examples I ate in Tokyo, and was superb.
We also had the dark chocolate mousse and apricot brandy sauce with hazelnut ice cream (£10.50), which again showed real patisserie artistry at Kouzu.
What We Drank: We started with couple of cocktails - the Yuzutini (£9), was a delicious variation on a familiar theme with intense citrus notes from Yuzu-shu (yuzu-infused shochu), Russian vodka and lemon. The Smoky Negroni (£11.50) was strong and well made from 12-year old Bowmore whisky, along with Campari, ume-shu (plum liqueur) and orange peel. I liked this Negroni although I felt that the whisky was too overpowering a spirit and I would have preferred it with gin.
To accompany our dishes, we opted for a bottle of Masi Valpolicella Classico Ripasso (£30). This was a straightforward wine, with vibrant red cherry notes on the nose and palate. A light, fruit-driven wine, it had very little tannin or complexity, but was very drinkable.
Likes: A perfect meal at Kouzu would start with one of the ‘New Stream’ sashimi dishes like the sea bass, followed by the wonderful lamb chops in spicy miso, ending with the delicious Mont Blanc dessert. Dislikes: There is a night-club style background music, which seems a little out of place in a restaurant of this quality. The food is very good, but while the waiting staff are polite and attentive, they seem to understand rather little about the food they serve, but these were early days for the restaurant. They also, annoyingly, forgot to bring our tempura. Not all the dishes were served as described on the menu (grated radish instead of yuzu-kosho condiment). Verdict: Great Japanese-European cooking with some inventive ‘New Stream’ sushi and sashimi on offer and fine patisserie. Well-conceived, Kouzu is a new Japanese restaurant in Central London to be reckoned with. Recommended.
Name: May Fair Kitchen Where: The May Fair Hotel, Stratton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8LT, http://www.mayfairkitchen.co.uk/ Cost: Starters range from £7 to £16, main dishes from the grill range from £19 to £55, sides from £3 to £11. There is a small but well considered selection of wines by the glass mostly priced at £11, and by the bottle white wines start at £34 for an Albariño from Rias Baixas, Spain, and reds at £34 for Napa Valley Merlot. About: The May Fair Kitchen is based on the ground floor of the swanky May Fair Hotel, on Stratton Street, between Piccadilly and Berkeley Square. The restaurant is simply but stylishly furnished with dark wood floors and panelling, grey fabrics and white linen tablecloths. The concept of the May Fair Kitchen is to serve the best quality meat and fish, simply grilled and served with a choice of sauces made to order. All the meat comes from Aldens Butchers, a family butcher with over 200 years of experience in sourcing the best quality produce from across the UK and Europe. The fish and shellfish comes from James Knight of Mayfair. The vegetables all come from Watts farm, a family-run business with farms across Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire. A few months ago, I spent a couple of days behind the scenes at the May Fair Kitchen, as well as visiting Aldens and Watts farm to see the quality of the produce first hand - more about that here.
Having just heard of a change of menus at May Fair Kitchen, I decided to pay them a return visit to find out more.
What We Ate: We kicked off with half a dozen oysters (£18), served expertly shucked and cleaned (with none of the irritating fragments of shell that are so often left after opening - a minor pet hate of mine!), and with a classic red wine vinegar and shallot dressing. The oysters were terribly fresh, a very good start to our meal.
For starters, we had the steak tartare (£11) - hand chopped and served with a generous grating of Parmesan and a lovely beaten raw quail egg yolk served in the shell. It was very well seasoned, with a great texture from the hand chopping, and knowing it was from Aldens gave me confidence in its quality and safety.
Dr G had a serving of hand-dived scallops with smoked British ham and bean emulsion with fine herbs (£13). This was well made and tasted great, but at that price tag, we had hoped for more than one and a half scallops.
My main course was grass-fed, 28-day aged, single rib steak, 20oz (£35), with a Bernaise sauce (£3), real chips (£3) and a Niçoise salad (£4.50).
These were magnificent, with superbly tender and well-flavoured beef from Aldens, this was as good as it gets!
The Bernaise was also well made and with just the right acidity. The triple fried chips were also excellent - chunky and crisp.
Dr G opted for the turbot (£38) with a sauce vierge (£3), samphire and ginger (£4.50). The fish was wonderfully textured, and the sauce vierge beautifully flavoured with chervil, but the side serving of watercress was completely undressed, un-seasoned and slightly on the yellow side of green.
For dessert we had a selection of cheeses from the cheese trolley (£12). The choices of cheeses were somewhat limited and a tad uninspiring.
This is such a pity as some restaurants' cheese trolleys in London have legendary status - think Chez Bruce. The cheese course, if offered, should be one of the most exciting courses of the entire meal.
Lovely grapes, but where is the cheese?
We also had the warm flourless clementine and chocolate cake (£8), served with Cornish clotted cream and winter brittle. We wanted to love this, but again, the dish did not quite deliver as a whole.
What We Drank: While we were deciding on our menu, we enjoyed a glass of very well balanced Moet et Chandon 2006 (£15). We opted for a glass of Albarino (£11), with the fish dishes, with some lovely elderflower notes. For the meat dishes, we shared a bottle of La Serra Negre 2012, a carignan - garnacha blend from Herencia Altes, Spain (£50). A concentrated, purple-tinged wine with plenty of blackberry fruit and cedar notes, this lovely wine was balanced by plenty of tannin, and had great length and complexity.
Likes: The meats were superb - well sourced, richly flavoured and expertly cooked. Dislikes: Service was friendly and attentive, but on the busy evening we were there, was a little forgetful at times - for example not offering bread or butter when we wanted it, then taking it away prematurely. Verdict: May Fair Kitchen offers some of the best grilled steaks, fish and seafood in London. A perfect meal here starts with a platter of freshly shucked oysters, followed by the Iberian spiced chorizo and garlic tiger prawn skewers, finishing with their 20oz, grass-fed, 28-day aged, all singing, all dancing, single rib steak, heaven! Recommended.
I always wondered what all the fuss is about where truffles are concerned. A luxury food item only a few can afford, does the particular flavour and aroma this fungus brings to a dish justify its exorbitant price tag? Or is it all about the bling?
An invitation from Celebrity Cruises fuelled my curiosity – I was to accompany their executive chef John Suley to Alba, the Italian capital of white truffles. There I would learn about this magical fungus, cook with it, eat copious amounts of it, and even bid for it, but more of that later. So this is what happened.
1 kg white truffle piece auctioned at the World Truffle Auction in Alba
The town of Alba is in the northwestern Commune of Piedmont (or Piemonte in Italian), one of the 20 regions of Italy. As the name suggests, Piedmont (at the foot of the mountain) is a hilly, mountainous region that is completely landlocked. Perhaps because of this, Piedmont is not one of the most well known regions with most foreign travellers preferring to stay put in Liguria’s neighbouring stunning Riviera.
But this all changes when Alba’s white truffle season is on. Between the end of September and January each year, gourmet travellers from around the world flock to Piedmont in search of the seasonal fungus, with the International Alba White Truffle Market and the Annual Auction in November as the highlight events of the season. The white truffles of Alba are available everywhere, from the simplest trattorie (family-run cafes) to the most sophisticated Michelin-starred restaurants, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The International Alba White Truffle Market takes place over 6 consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sundays only) between October and November each year. In its 84th year, this is a great place to learn about and savour the local delicacy, meet and talk to the hunters and buy their finds directly from them at a better price than you would find in the local shops.
Meeting and talking to truffle hunters at Alba International White Truffle Fair
Prices vary according to the quality grade and size of the truffle - this could be anything from €150 to €250 for 100g. Having said that, I did buy two 50g pieces for €100 after haggling for a discount, so do ask!
There was a large number of stalls selling other regional products as well as truffle-based ingredients including pasta, salt, oils and biscuits, truffle-infused honey, fresh salami and cheeses with truffles.
This part of Piedmont (Langhe and Roero) is famous for its hazelnuts (one of Nutella’s key ingredients) used in the local nougat known as ‘torrone’, and also for cheeses particularly the Toma and Sabauda, all of which were on sale at the fair.
All truffles being sold at the fair were inspected by a team of judges, so whatever you buy is guaranteed to be at the peak of freshness. An added service provided by the fair organisers is the possibility of having your purchases examined by a judge.
I took my two pieces of white truffle to an Italian judge who assessed them for me, and pointed out that although they were both of great quality, they were very different in aroma and flavour – one being much more garlicky and heavily scented than the other. She pointed out was that both were quite firm which is an indication of freshness or ripeness, and explained that softer or crumblier truffles are usually past their best.
Chef John Suley of Celebrity Cruises shaving truffles for our lunch at the Alba International White Truffle Fair
As with most regional cuisines in Italy, the Piemontese have strong opinions on how their ingredients should be prepared, and rightly so as they have been using them for centuries. In Piedmont, truffles are never cooked (unlike in France). Truffles can be washed but not peeled; they are finely shaved but never grated over cooked food. The lifespan of a truffle is rather short – 7 to 10 days maximum, and it should be stored wrapped in kitchen paper in an airtight jar, with the paper being changed every other day.
In Piedmont, there is a handful of ingredients that are commonly used to partner with truffles - these include eggs, cheese, pasta and raw meat. Most restaurants will serve their own interpretation of dishes using these very same ingredients, with only a few daring to do anything remotely different.
Simplicity is best when it comes to partnering truffles with other ingredients
I enjoyed ‘Fonduta’, the rich Piemontese fondue made from Fontina cheese, egg yolks, milk and butter with shavings of truffles served on top. Fried eggs and plain buttered pasta are also excellent in combination with truffles. We had a few of these dishes at the white truffle fair itself.
Fonduta - the creamy Piemontese fondue with shavings of white truffle
Celebrity Cruises’ executive chef John Suley cooked one of the best truffle dishes I ate on this trip at a truffle cooking demonstration at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, a great learning institution, but more of that later.
This was a magnificently creamy risotto with roasted quail, mushrooms and plenty of white truffle shavings, and was quite different to anything we had tried so far in the various restaurants of Piedmont. I enjoyed this immensely and it was one of the dishes I recreated using the truffles I had bought at the international Alba white truffle fair when I got home.
The truffle cooking demonstration by John Suley was followed by a fantastic lunch cooked by the man himself. Of note was his silken cauliflower cream soup with crispy pancetta, mascarpone cheese and croutons, whose recipe I replicate below. The soup was delicious and I thoroughly recommend cooking this at home with some excellent quality Italian truffle oil in lieu of the fresh white truffle shavings.
Fantastic cauliflower soup by John Suley of Celebrity Cruises (recipe at the end of post)
This was followed by a refreshing salad of warm artichoke hearts, fennel, tomatoes and greens with a gorgeous burrata cheese topped with white truffle shavings.
Another noteworthy dish was John’s braised veal cheeks on a bed of soft polenta, served with mushrooms, rapini (turnip greens), Parmesan cheese and white truffle shavings. The meat was wonderfully tender and richly flavoured partnering well with the polenta but sadly overpowering the subtle aroma and flavour of the white truffle.
For dessert we had a light olive oil cake served with ricotta, lemoncello sorbet and caramelized Piemontese hazelnuts, which ended our meal on a high note.
If you haven’t been on a truffle hunt, this is a must-do activity when visiting the region during the white truffle season. Headed by a Trifolau (truffle hunter in Piemontese dialect) and his highly trained dog, this can be incredibly exciting, especially when truffles are located. On our expedition, we (or rather the dog) found two white truffle pieces - a 10g piece and another - a whopper 150g nugget!
The Castle sits in one of the most spectacular settings in Langhe, with breathtaking views of the city of Alba. It houses the “Cavour Regional Enoteca” (a wine emporium) where the best Piemontese wines and grappa can be purchased and the one Michelin starred restaurant “Ristorante al Castello” by chef Alessandro Boglioni.
Ristorante al Castello by Chef Alessandro Boglioni - we had one of the best truffle meals there
Only a very limited number of tickets are available for the annual World Truffle Auction and these are carefully allocated to potential buyers, politicians, artists and local businessmen. As a potential buyer Celebrity Cruises was sold a handful of these coveted tickets, which allowed us access to the auction, followed by a wonderful lunch at Ristorante al Castello.
One of two lots won by Celebrity Cruises in the World Truffle Auction
John Suley bid and won 2 of the 6 lots in the auction for Celebrity Cruises. Each lot included a large truffle of about 500g, plus magnum bottles of vintage Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
The lots were snapped up for €5,000 and €10,000 respectively which appeared absurd amounts of money to pay until the big daddy, the final lot of a 1kg truffle, was purchased for €100,000 by a buyer in Hong Kong, bidding via satellite!
The big daddy 1kg truffle piece being brought in by Miss Smile!
Interestingly, a similar sized white truffle of Alba was auctioned at Sothebys in New York a month later fetching only around half of that amount, about €50,000. Piedmont: Beyond The Truffle There is more though to Piedmont than its white truffles, for it is also home to one of the most iconic wines of Italy or indeed the world – Barolo. But the region’s claim to international fame does not stop here – Piedmont is also where the chocolate company Ferrero SpA – the makers of Nutella and Ferrero Rocher is based.
Surprisingly, the company is still privately owned and run by the Ferrero family. The company’s current CEO Giovanni Ferrero is Italy’s richest man, or so I am told by Nicoletta, our all-rounder Italian interpreter, organizer, time-keeper, money-lender and friend. Nicoletta’s enthusiasm and knowledge for her home region and its produce made this trip to Piedmont very special.
Hotel Castello di Santa Vittoria occupies the grounds of the eponymous castle dating back to the 14th century in the minute village of Santa Vittoria d’Alba. It is a beautiful hotel offering breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys and vineyards.
View from my room at Hotel Santa Vittoria d'Alba
This was home for the duration of our trip and was a good base to explore the nearby towns of Alba (6 miles) and Bra (5 miles). The hotel has a fantastic selection of regional wines for sale and friendly staff who could not have done more to make our stay as comfortable as possible. If you plan to visit the region, Hotel Castello di Santa Vittoria is worth checking out (http://www.santavittoria.org/).
A few minutes walk from the hotel was Osteria della Pace, where I headed for my first taste of Piemontese cuisine in this trip. This is a simple, family-run restaurant offering home-style cooking at surprisingly reasonable prices.
I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Osteria della Pace, particularly their risotto with Dolcetto red wine and Toma cheese (€7) – this is a traditional Piemontese dish, more commonly made with Barolo wine. Toma cheese is another great ingredient of the region; it is a PDO, full flavoured and creamy cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. If you think the combination of red wine and cheese as a base to flavour risotto is an odd one, you ought to try this dish. It was a revelation! (Osteria della Pace, Via Bertero 10, Santa Vittoria d'Alba, Italy).
Next stop was a visit to the winery Fontana Fredda, one of the region’s state-of-the-art wineries, with over 150 years of history. We were given a grand tour of the cellars, wine shop and what seemed like every nook and cranny of the place until we finally sat down for a tasting.
Vineyard Fontana Fredda
Even though Turin is the capital of Piedmont, Alba is the heart of the region when it comes to wine making. A huge generalization, but one that I always remember, is the order in which Piemontese red wines are placed in terms of importance, elegance and price – ascending from Barbera to Dolcetto, then Barbaresco and finally Barolo. Dolcetto and Barbera are both grapes making wines bearing the same name, whilst Barbaresco and Barolo are made from the Nebbiolo grape. Another important Piemontese grape is Cortese, from which Gavi white wine is made. Moscato (muscat) is also used for sparkling Asti Espumante in the region.
Ageing wines in huge oak barrels at Fontana Fredda
Tasting at Fontana Fredda, those spittoons mean business!
Back at Fontana Fredda’s tasting room, I enjoyed their 2010 Barolo Serralunga D’Alba (£30/bottle), a magnificent Barolo aged for 3 years with an intense red colour, notes of red cherry and pronounced but fine tannins. According to DOCG regulations Barolo must be made from 100% Nebbiollo grapes and be aged for at least 2 years in barrel and 1 year in bottle or tank, so a minimum of 3 years of aging (http://www.fontanafredda.it/web/en/home/).
Founded by the Slow Food Movement (http://www.slowfood.org.uk/) this is a stunning international university offering both undergraduate (3-year Gastronomic Science degree) and postgraduate courses. These are taught in English, and include a Masters in Italian Food and Wine Culture, as well as food entrepreneurship and tourism related courses.
Adjacent to the university is La Banca del Vino (The Wine Bank) founded in 1835 originally as the headquarters for viticulture experiments for the royal estates of Savoy. Today, this beautifully restored building is a co-operative and museum where special Italian wines are selected and stored, and tastings and workshops are offered.
English speaking guided tours and tastings are available to the general public from €6 to €18. For more information, visit their website on www.bancadelvino.it.
So to return to the question I first posed, there clearly is an element of bling associated with the consumption of truffles, and whether its price tag is justified or not depends on a personal perspective. Truffles have a unique flavour and aroma, and personally I love them. Having been on this trip, I am even more interested in learning about, cooking and eating more truffles. A visit to Piedmont during the white truffle season is a fantastic opportunity to experience the region and its food and wine, and to snap up some truffles at the International White Truffle Fair, at well below the UK rate.
While I cannot vouch for the level of culinary accomplishment on Celebrity Cruise ships (as I have yet to go on one), I found the initiative of bringing the magical funghi of Alba to the ships’ menu commendable. Judging by the excellent food I ate, cooked by Celebrity Cruises’ executive chef John Suley, passengers on Celebrity Cruises will be in for a treat, if the truffles are to be served up there. For more information about Celebrity Cruises visit their website at http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/. Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Pancetta, Mascarpone Cheese, Croutons By John Suley of Celebrity Cruises Ingredients: 3kg cauliflower florets 400g sweet onions, diced 200g shallots, diced 100g garlic, chopped 3ltr chicken stock 1ltr double cream 400g unsalted butter 400g mascarpone cheese 10g thyme, chopped 10g parsley, chopped For the croutons: 100g pancetta ham, diced 1 ciabatta loaf, cut in cubes 200g butter 10g parsley 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 100g fresh white truffle (optional) White truffle oil Method: Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and shallots and reduce heat to medium. Cook and stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and then add the garlic. Cook for around 3 to 5 minutes and stir until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Stir in the cauliflower and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for around 20 to 25 minutes until cauliflower is very soft. Slowly blend the ingredients in a blender for at least 3 minutes until very smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in a few batches. Then season to taste with salt and white pepper before finishing with freshly chopped thyme and parsley. Add mascarpone at the end to get the best results. Serve with some homemade croutons: Cook the diced pancetta in a frying pan until crispy. Then take the cubes of ciabatta and rub them in a mixture of olive oil and parsley. Place them on a baking tray, add the cubes of butter and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 220 degrees to give them a nice colour. Once cooked, drizzle with white truffle oil and add shavings of the white truffle (if using) to garnish.
Many thanks to Celebrity Cruises for inviting me along to this truffle adventure!
Ex-Banker, turned Le Cordon Bleu trained Chef, Great Taste Awards Judge, Author of Nikkei Cuisine & The Japanese Larder, Travel Writer, Supperclub, LGBT, London
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