Restaurateur
Saveliy Libkin

Within last six months I have given endless quantity of comment s and interviews about trends in «our» restaurant business… After my next trip to the restaurant capital of the world my opinion about Ukrainian restaurant the present and the future didn’t changed but it allowed me to have doubts again in the efficiency of some of my own prejudices.

So:

In the sphere of gastronomic fast food. The average check in the restaurant Napket which is 20-25 pounds doesn’t determine the level of gastronomic features but it already exceeded much the price 8-10 pounds for Fish and chips in rather normal atmosphere. The frankfurters can be served with rather refined sauces, for example with mustard horseradish sauce or with truffle cheese Gruyère. But the location of the same Napket at the most expensive quarters of the megalopolis clears up somehow the price not only by the quality of muffins and cut-glass chandeliers.

Compact restaurants of a small size with 9-12 tables are in fashion. The huge restaurants quit the stage. Meanwhile the restaurants in the hotels which have very considerable dining areas aspire to be or to become fashion and even popular.

The focus is on the «purity» of the products which are delivered to the kitchens of London restaurants – their origin, observance of the production rules, and factor of seasonal prevalence. They attach value to the usage of products from «own producers», that, as you understand, must guarantee their not spoilt freshness. It is clear that nothing is grown in London, but they indicted in the menu the name of the nearest to the city farm where from a lamb or for example a parsnip was delivered.

A democratic, first of all from the standpoint of prices, restaurants are valued highly… Thereby the so called bistro for everyday eating — restaurants with comfort atmosphere and full-fledged and sometimes even de luxe menu – have got rather great spreading. Their comparative democratism is provided on account of that the courses are cooked not from the most expensive products there but meanwhile the very gastronomic direction and production methods don’t suffer at all and stay on the proper high level. The so called «secret restaurants» which appeared recently can be rated as democratic ones also. As a rule these restaurants are opened by the young chefs who want to try their business skill on the guests- volunteers.

Attention to details for 99% of fellow citizens is possible only regarding their own peson… And exactly attention to details distinguishes successful and well-established markets. The shoe salesman who tells about old Russian knot, half shoehorn, a pile of paper as a demo stand, as well as 100% chocolate cake without sticky pie shell tell me 1000 times greater about London then Big Ben and queen.

View from Odessa.

I have reserved the restaurants Le Caprise, J.Sheeky and The River Café. Also I have got to the restaurant Golden Dragon in Soho and traditionally to The Wolseley for breakfast without reservation.

At Le Caprise and J.Sheeky everything is good in principle and there are no reasons for questions.  There is a queue at Golden Dragon always; it is very delicious and moderate theer. At The Wolseley, as always, tourists examine silver teapots under surveillance of 15 waiters and supervisors in the respectable suits. Also there are no vacant seats at The Wolseley as always. They pour tea into the one-litre teapot for two cups exactly and besides they forbid even to take the camera as well as in the J.Sheeky which is pretty well covered  by the mold of traditions in everything beginning from very old staff and up to as much old façade and menu.

Restaurant The River Café which is situated in rather dull district of the city impressed by the understandable tastes of simple, in fact Italian by the sense and implementation dishes and also by artless and even naïve sociability of all the staff. Most likely those things that aliens like we interpret as «naïve sociability» is called in a different way at this restaurant. And most likely it is achieved as a by-effect of the highest team spirit and unification of everyone with similar values around the owners and chefs in one. And of course by that fact they don’t have to select managers who are fated to imitate the ideas and values of the owners.

Further information I have specified during the conversation with sous chef and waiters. The owners are Richard and Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray in the immediate past. Richard Rogers (it is known without conversations with staff) is one of the most famous British architects and the owner of architectural office Richard Rogers Partnership which has branch offices in Tokio, Madrid and Barcelona and he is Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.  Besides Richard Rogers is a Baronet lifelong Peer at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth. Аnd also he is the author of high tech style in cooperation with Norman Foster.

The chef of the restaurant, Ruth  Rogers is not young at all lady who imparted Italian traditions to British gastronomy as far back as in 1980-s. The restaurant River Cafe was planned in 1987 as a dining hall of architectural office on the bank of Thames. However not only office workers but also their friends and relatives came to have a lunch at River Cafe. in 2008 after the refurbishment, expansion of the area and placing of Tuscan and as they said very expensive wood-burning oven the café turned into full-fledged, rather expensive, even according to London measures, Italian restaurant which has 120 seats with summer terrace, this fact disprove the theory about women who supposedly can keep only small restaurants. Ruth and Rose (in the past) have shot a number of TV programs and have written multitude of cookbooks according to British tradition.

There isn’t uniform among the staff of the dining room. The kitchen can be seen in full form any table in the dining area. The check with wine is about 100-110 pounds, without wine 55-60 pounds.

The chef’s reception is placed in the dining area of the restaurant and exactly Ruth or sous chef release each dish to the dining area personally. I have observed for a long time the process of inspection of the dish. It doesn’t resemble a formality; it is rather resemble customs inspection at our airport in the nineties. That is why it is necessary to reserve a table two-three weeks before dinner.

On the waitress’s advice I ordered fantastic pork in the milk and then I was shown this pork in the refrigeration chamber and told that it went from Scotland. Besides, the guests at our table ordered ravioli with spinach, sea salad with crabmeat, risotto with porcini. I was recommended pannacotta with raspberries.  The sous chef shared that the pannacotta has so special tenderness because of enough quantity of grappa and minimal quantity of gelatine. Also an amazing fragrant, greenish and thick olive oil has stayed in my memory. Later I got to know that exactly this oil people buy to take away. The menu isn’t big; it fits into A4 paper and is changing daily. Only a few the most selected dishes including Calamari al Ferri stay invariable.

Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London, W6 9HA (Hammersmith)
Tel.: 020 7386 4200
www.rivercafe.co.uk

http://www.stuartforbes.com/index.html

http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work

The photos I will post from when I will be in Odessa. I need to sort them out .

Odessa

London.

PR and competent product placement do marvels делают …
In the result the shoes made in Bologna costs  in London begining from 600 pounds per box.