Review Of Jamie's Restaurant in Oxford

I visited a book store in Oxford today .. mainly to introduce myself and to drop a BLAD in. It's pretty local to me bordering on Northamptonshire. I took advantage of being there and my friend and I lunched at Jamie's in Oxford. ( It's a chain owned by Jamie Oliver ) . Before going to the original first ever Jamie's, I googled it. . I felt rather humble in my intentions to write a review of this restaurant following the likes of Giles Coren from The Times and Tracey Macleod from The Independent and Jasper Gerard from the Telegraph. The restaurant reviews described Jamies as a great mid market dining option, another pointed out the great value pasta options for students, whilst another suggested that the raw brick walls made her feel too old to be eating there! (How peculiar)

As the first of many Jamies this one could be described as the prototype. Prima. Before I go into a restaurant I like to look in through the window. I could see a girl making fresh pasta by hand. Whole Daniele hams hang from hooks in the window and solid wooden tables with comfortable red chairs seating a good wide variety of customers, all chattering and smiling as waiters and waitresses weaved through the tables. I am enticed. The smell is unmistakable - Italy. It feels comfortable, and I am happy to be walking in. Tuesday lunch and there is a buzz and a slap of Jamie in the feel.

The menu is clearly written. Dishes are well described and it is easy to navigate. The sound is a perfect level. Not too loud - the sort of level that keeps the atmosphere at a level making for good conversation. We choose. Starters from the specials board- Spaghetti Con Granceola, fresh spaghetti with Devonshire crab, garlic, chili, capers , parsley, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice. Surprisingly the first taste is sweet with the capers leading the way, followed by garlic, then chili and to finish the crab. It’s a good combination with each flavour having it’s moment of attention. The pasta is cooked to perfection and topped with a generous tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan. (£6.50)

For the main course - Burger Italiano. Ah the simple burger. It’s a wondrous thing if it’s right, but I have rarely found a great burger outside of my kitchen. I ordered medium rare. It was perhaps the best burger I have eaten, I kid you not. British beef, with crispy salami, onions, pickled chilies. ( £11.25) I couldn’t resist the funky chips with garlic and parsley. (£3.25) Heaven. Utterly scrumptious.

Finally to the desserts. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice-cream with butterscotch sauce and honeycomb topping. (£4.50) This was the only slight let down. Not through lack of taste. No - the chocolate was deep and wholly hit the mark, whilst the strawberry fragrant on not too sweet, but neither really blew me away – not like gelato in Italy. I thought afterwards that perhaps because, in comparison to the presentation of the previous courses, this was less generous. It lacked the finish I expected.

As we paid I had the chance to speak to the (Italian) manager Francesco. He explained that Jamie Oliver's friend and mentor Gennaro Contaldo had been heavily involved in restaurants concept. He smiled and said he would like me. Chattering away he recounted one night when two ladies sitting together complained that the pasta he’d cooked was too hard. (Yes .. I was somewhat wide eyed .. the hand made pasta has a delectable softness to it!) So Gennaro slightly over did the next one. The two ladies sent this one back too complaining that this time to was too soft! (Now being a half Italian chef myself I appreciate the temper brewing.) Gennaro, he went onto say, took a large plate of uncooked pasta and delivered it to the table himself. Presenting to the two grumbling ladies with a flourish, he said there was no charge whatsoever, however, seeing as he was unable to please them in anyway, perhaps they would like to take the uncooked pasta home with them and cook it to their liking themselves, before returning to the kitchen. Fantastic ! I’m not sure he would like me - but I can say right now - that I would certainly like him !

In essence Jamie's is a translation of Italy on the main beaten track in Oxford. It works. It’s got passion and atmosphere. The restaurant was spotless, the food was beautifully cooked, fresh and generous; we left, as my friend pointed out, not feeling soporific, as is often the case following a leisurely three-course lunch - but up beat. This is Jamie's. It's great and I will be going there to eat again. With the launch of Prepped I shall have the perfect excuse to pop back .. soon.

NB This article was later published by Jamie Oliver's team on his website !

Raymond Blanc & Eating my words in Oxford

I am sitting at my computer wondering if my day could have been any better. No.... Today was one of the best days ever.
For our 10th wedding anniversary my husband promised to take me to any restaurant of my choice. My first thought ran to Le Manoir, Raymond Blanc’s place in Oxfordshire. It was fully booked. The receptionist seemed genuinely sorry, but she was also delightful, suggesting that we try instead Le Brasserie Blanc on Walton Street, Oxford. I will admit I was a little disappointed not to get in at Le Manor, however I took the opportunity to book for my birthday in November. Looking the Brasserie Blanc up online, Raymond says

I am often asked what a Brasserie Blanc really is, well if the Manoir is a delicate waltz then the Brasseries are the Can Can.

I pictured a rambunctious French cafe, and thought it was hardly likely to be found in England no matter how hard you try. Now, you must remember that, I have spent years in France , and I know French Cuisine. I am not fooled by francophiled English food and bad British service.. so I arrived highly sceptical of a good meal.

The instant we arrived the waiter greeted me like an old regular, and to my childish delight there was a balloon wishing us happy anniversary on the table. The room was light, airy and spacious, without feeling crowded, and yet intimate even at lunch time. I looked around with an ever critical eye. The place was spotless.

Two glasses of real champagne arrived, unbidden, along with some French bread. Ah ha. They never get the bread right I told Al. I ate my words - literally. The starters arrived; my chicken liver parfait was just that. Parfait. With toasted bread the warm crunch, buttery softness and sweet mellow onion chutney was an absolutely sublime marriage of texture and flavour.
The lamb shoulder was aromatic and tender with just the right amount of seasoning. I expected the vegetables to have suffered the fate of death by long cooking process. Not so. The carrots, in particular, were tender, bright and fresh. This meal was, so far, faultless.
The view by the window seats meant we could watch the world going by.
Observing the staff interacting and serving other customers I was stuck by their professionalism. These waiters and waitresses were seriously in tune with everything going on at every table, in a totally discrete manner. Nothing went unnoticed, except them.

Feeling somewhat relaxed and unwilling to finish my meal in any hurry we ordered a sweet. Alastair was enjoying the meal, more than he normally does, perhaps partially down to the fact that I had nothing to find fault with for once. This is a new experience for him. I am a nightmare to take out. As a former chef and one time waitress, there is nowhere I am more critical than in a restaurant.

The Chocolate soufflé and pistachio ice cream arrived. It looked seriously impressive. The top was caramelised, and dusted in icing sugar, the middle soft and voluptuous and the bottom dense and gloriously chocolaty. Eaten with the pistachio ice cream the flavours blended creating a perfect contrasting combination of cold cream and oozing warm chocolate. It was a superb sweet, don’t get me wrong.. but it could be improved on. The soufflé could have done with a tad more sugar. Not much .. just a little. The ice-cream was, on its own single dimensional. My suggestion would be that a cardamom base behind the pistachio would take it up another level and add some top notes between the chocolate and pistachio, and finally, I was a spoon of ice cream short .. just a tiny bit more needed next time

I finished the meal acknowledging that Monsieur Le Blanc had indeed done what I believed impossible. He has brought a real French brasserie to England, every tiny detail and aspect, right down to the apron and even the attitude worn by my waitress.

As I asked one of the waiters for a copy of the menu, as I wanted to write up the meal on my blog, assuring him that it was indeed a wonderful meal we had eaten. He smiled and suggested I tell Raymond myself. There... eating a meal right behind us was Raymond Blanc, his beautiful partner, Natalia and guests. You can imagine my absolute delight as the waiter interrupted Raymond’s meal to ask if I might say hello and Raymond sign a menu? I grinned insanely at my unbelievable luck and chattered nonstop in a jabber of nervous French .. explaining, without pausing for breath, that I am writing a book, and that I follow him on twitter, ( yes.. I honestly said that .. Duh!) and that I will be visiting Le Manoir in November. I did forget to tell him about the variety of pumpkin I grew that he recommeded.

Despite having his family lunch interrupted unexpectedly, Monsieur Le Blanc was charming..... No.... He was more than charming, he was the perfect French gentleman, asking his colleague to take a photo of us and writing good luck with the book and à bientôt on my menu. Can you dream up any better ending to Lunch ? Parfait. À bientôt.