WORDS
HELEN RANGER, JONATHAN WEIGHTMAN
My Taste of London
by Frederick Forster
Ruined Garden
Fez
|
Modern Morrocan
| €40
Garden fork to table fork in the fewest
steps possible: that’s the motto of
gardener-cook Robert Johnstone, the
maestro responsible for this courtyard
paradise in the Riad Idressy. Now fully
restored and planted with herbs and
spices, the garden’s menu is ‘Modern
Moroccan’ – traditional dishes using
pure, local ingredients.
ruinedgarden.com
Ormer
Jersey
|
British
| €50
St Helier’s dining scene welcomes
a seriously smart new addition this
month. This ambitious solo project
from Shaun Rankin, who gained a
Michelin star for local restaurant
Bohemia in 2005, is named after the
local seafood delicacy, also known as
abalone. Its oak-panelled interior will
likely be the setting for some exciting,
eclectic cuisine: typical Rankin flavour
combinations include rabbit with
calamari or lobster and coconut. Yum.
shaunrankin.com
Honra
Lisbon
|
Portuguese
| €35
Set within the stylish Beautique Hotel,
Olivier Costa’s newest eatery – the
fourth in his expanding collection – is
sure to cement his position as one of
the Portuguese capital’s best-loved
restaurateurs. Set menus thrill with
modern takes on traditional Portuguese
specialities, including
açorda
(
fish
porridge) and
alheira
(
game sausage).
thebeautiquehotels.com
R E S T A U R A N T
N E W S
The former Ritz chef, who
recently took up the reins at the
Boundary in Shoreditch, east
London, talks about the welcome
democratisation of his city’s
dining scene
it’s not that fine dining
is dying out, but in
London we’re certainly
seeing more of a fun and
sociable approach to
eating. People like to go
out in jeans and trainers,
but still eat good food.
Personally, I don’t eat in a lot of
high-end places, because I’m
surrounded with that kind of thing
every day. At the weekends, I like to
take my young son to our local
Japanese restaurant, Edo
(
edolondon.co.uk
),
in Crystal
Palace. We’re treated like
family there.
I also love Brixton
Market on a Sunday.
Over the past few
months, it’s gone from
being two or
three
farmers’ stalls to a spectacular array
of wonderful produce. I get fresh
meat from my Lancashire butcher
–
we chat and he cooks meat for me.
As people are more concerned
with what they’re eating, places like
these, which sell fresh ingredients,
artisan breads and international
flavours, are popping up all over.
Borough Market’s a major one, but
even little suburbs like Herne Hill
have markets now. I love having
places like this on my doorstep.
2-4
Boundary Street, London E2;
theboundary.co.uk
1 1 2
V I E W P O I N T S
