Sunday Brunch at the St Regis Beijing

Anyone who knows me will know that I cringe at the mere thought of eating at a buffet restaurant. Its not that I am a food snob you understand, although I think I may be, it is more the fact that the food on offer is woefully substandard. It all looks so very unappetising, dry and far too often, simply awful.

Many a year now I have wondered, “can it really be that difficult to have high end, quality buffet eating”. Well rest assured my followers I have finally found such a place. My recent visit to the Sunday buffet brunch at the St Regis in Beijing has shown me that there is a way to combine the buffet concept with good quality cooking.

I went with high hopes of having me prejudices regarding buffets quashed and I was certainly not disappointed. As you enter you are greeted by an array of tables and cooking stands all proudly displaying some of the best fish, pasta, cold meats, Chinese delicacies and desserts that you could ever hope for. Every item looked fresh and inviting. All was presented in a manner that enticed you in, drawing you back for more and more. Once you turned away from one stand or dish you were immediately greeted by another that looked just as nice as or even better than the one you had just selected.

The layout follows that of a typical meal. At the front of the room are starter type foods, which then give way to the main course then dessert. The shear range on offer is mindboggling. I started with some delicious Italian hams and salamis; followed with some lovely lobster, king prawns and sashimi tuna and salmon. After that it was time for some freshly made pasta and then some Beijing Duck pancakes and spring rolls. To finish with, I had a selection of fresh fruit before finally succumbing to a chocolate soufflé. To partner the food we partook in the free flowing Veuve Cliquote that was on offer along with a rather nice bottle of Chianti.

With the amount of time I am spending in Beijing seemly increasing by the month at the minute I shall defiantly be back. In fact, I may even set up camp there every other Sunday. When you consider its just £35 (or £45 if you want Veuve Cliquot on tap all afternoon) it would be a shame not to.

Five Great Australian Wines

I thought it was time I wrote about a few of my favourite new world wines. As I was lucky enough to live in Australia for three years on a work assignment what better place to start than our cousins down under.

As a self confessed Bordeaux addict I was forced to widen my wine horizons in Australia, if for no other reason that they charge huge amounts of tax on anything imported into the country. The effect of this being that a very average bottle of anything from France is equivalent in price to the national debt of a small African dictatorship.

With these financial constraints in mind I threw myself into the Australian wine industry with vigour and was resolutely determined to seek out the good stuff. What took place over the next three years was one of the best overall wine experiences I have had to date. Vineyard visits, wine making education, special tastings and some great wines that will live long in the memory. If ever you find yourself in Australia commit the list below to memory and try a bottle, you won’t be disappointed. You don’t even have to travel half way around the world as some are even available in the UK now. Go on, give them a go!

Yerringberg Chardonnay
The first wine I ordered in a restaurant when I arrived in Australia. A small winery in the Yarra Valley, Yerringberg produces a crisp Chardonnay that remains one of my favourites. Whenever I’m back in Melbourne I always order a bottle with dinner.

Penfolds Bin 707
Famous as one of Penfolds best and righty so as well. Australia’s best example of Cabernet Sauvignon. In a good year comparable to a good quality Bordeaux. A bottle was had one Christmas Day at the Observatory Hotel in Sydney. It made Christmas feel that bit more homely on the other side of the world.

Peter Lehman Stonewell
A Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Dark, brooding and full. Everything you would want from a good quality Shiraz. This was one of my favourite reds when I was in Australia. I sent a case home from Australia only to come home and find you can now buy it in Waitrose.

Lakes Folly Chardonnay
Lakes Folly is a small winery in the Hunter Valley that produces one of Australia’s best Chardonnays. It’s so good that you will struggle to find any in a good year. If you are able to source some its worth enjoying it with something special, it’s that good.

Leuwin Art Series Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Everyone knows about the quality of the Art Series wines from Western Australia. I really enjoyed the citrusy freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc. It was my perfect summer day wine. The Chardonnay produced here is a serious wine which develops a lovely caramel like quality as it ages. A great wine to accompany any fine dining experience

Favourite Five Restaurants

My top five restaurants of the moment:


1) Quay, Sydney Australia
Peter Gilmour’s glorious cooking, spectacular Sydney Harbour, the perfect restaurant

2) Marcus Waring, London UK
Much deserving of its third Michelin star. It can only be a matter of time

3) Helen Darroze, London UK
Just keeps getting better and better with every visit

4) La Sponda, Positano Italy
Perfect summer dining venue over looking the Mediterranean

5) City Zen, Washington DC USA
Wow, no other word for it


If you get the chance try out one or all of them. You won’t be disappointed.

Quay Restaurant - Best in Class

I was asked the other day by a colleague of mine, “What is your favourite restaurant in the world?”. My answer seemed to shock them. I think they expected me to cite some three Michelin starred Mecca of cooking. However, when I confidently declared my favourite to be Quay Restaurant in Sydney Australia I was greeted with an astonished “Really!!!” by my colleague. I felt I had to justify my choice and why I hold Quay in such high regard.

To begin with, it’s the location. On the first floor of the passenger terminal in Sydney harbour its perched on the edge of Circular Quay with the harbour bridge to its left and opera house to its right. Located in the middle of these two great landmarks in the worlds most beautiful harbour there can be no other location to match it.

In a setting such as this it’s easy to get carried away and neglect the food for the sake of the view. However Peter Gilmour’s cooking is not only a compliment for the views across the harbour, it rivals them, no, surpasses them. There are many restaurants dotted around Sydney Harbour, however Quay is the only one where the view takes a backseat to the food. Dishes combine modern Australian cooking with some Asian influences and a few unexpected twists which keep the interest levels ticking over.

The atmosphere is one of relaxed confidence. The front of house team really does need to be applauded for creating an environment where customer enjoyment of the whole experience is paramount. Everything is assured and refined without being cocky or arrogant. I guess when you are this good in such a location you don’t need to try and be something you are not.

The wine list has it all. Australian classics, the lesser known local wines, New Zealand, American, South African etc etc. There are also the obligatory French big hitters if you want to hammer your finances. One of my favourite wines that I had here was Lakes Folly Chardonnay. One of the best Australian Chardonnays there is.

Finally, Quay has my favourite dish ever. The pork belly with shitake mushrooms, abalone and silken tofu is just mesmeric. I have been back to Quay time and time again and cannot stop ordering this. It has to be tried to be believed. It’s a simple dish yet the various flavours and textures compliment each other so well.

Summing up, Quay has it all. Great quality, interesting and creative cooking, faultless wine list, the perfect backdrop of Sydney harbour and an atmosphere that I have not come across in any other restaurant around the world. It simply is perfect. There’s no other way to describe it.

By the time I had finished explaining why I chose Quay my colleague was in the process of applying for visas and airline tickets to Australia!

Favorite Five Hotels

My top five hotels of the moment:


1) The Westbury, London UK
Art Deco at its best just off Bond Street. The Polo Bar is fantastic with one of the best Champagne by the glass lists in London.

2) Le Sirenuse, Positano Italy
Absolute perfection. There is nothing else to say.

3) The Oriental, Bangkok Thailand
An absolute classic. Try afternoon tea in the Authors Lounge or one of the magical evening buffets by the riverside

4) The Connaught, London UK
Fantastic refurbishment. Great rooms, bar, restaurant, service, what more could you need. Pure refinement.

5) Shangri La Kerry Centre, Beijing China
Great business hotel. Everything the travelling executive could want. One of the best and liveliest bars in Beijing.


Go on, treat yourself to a long weekend or week in one of them!

What's in a Wine List?

When I was younger I was always slightly daunted when handed a wine list in a restaurant. I didn't really know what I was looking at and therefore tended to stick to what I thought I knew. This had the effect that I tended to order the same wines time and time again, never really taking the opportunity to explore what was on offer. It was only as I became older and I began to engage with the sommelier more and more that my love of wine developed. From this point on my understanding of wine grew confidently and I actually learnt how to navigate my way around a wine list.

These days, wine lists range from a simple piece of cardboard on a table which can be glanced through quickly, to something resembling a door stop sized hard backed fiction. The later would probably require you to set aside a couple of hours to go through it in any realistic detail. I have always been intrigued by the size of a wine list. This is one time when biggest is defiantly not best. Of course, the bigger the list the more choice you undoubtedly have, but in earnest how long can you spend choosing a wine when you are in a restaurant. When it comes to top level fine dining a voluminous and expansive wine list is expected, almost demanded, but this should really be a one off occasion. For more day to day eating out a single side of A4 should be more than sufficient.

Personally I like to see a bit of variety in wine lists. Yes, there should be some classics there, as well as the staples, but it is always nice to see a few intriguing choices as well as a couple of relative unknowns. As long as it’s clearly laid out with some sense of logic you should be able to select a bottle with relative ease. Whatever you do, never feel pressured to make up your mind what it is you should choose. Take your time and if you aren’t sure don’t be afraid to ask the sommelier for advice or a suggestion. After all, he or she is there to help you.

I must admit that as a Bordeaux lover I do have a bit of a tendency to over analyze what is in this section of the list. I think that this maybe my OCD side coming out. Note to self that I must remember to keep it in check. That said, there is nothing really that wrong with spending 45 minutes or so pouring over the varieties of Pomerol, Margaux, St Emillion etc is there!

Victorian Country House Splendour (and the best value wine list around)

Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of a thing for English country house hotels. I’m not sure what it is exactly about them, but I cannot think of a better way than spending a weekend in one of them along with some great food and wine. For me, an English country house hotel is one of those things that you just can’t find anywhere else. Have travelled to almost every civilised country on the face of the earth I can safely say that English country house hotels are a tradition that we desperately need to maintain. Many countries try to copy them, but unfortunately most fail miserably.

One of the best value around has to be Horsted Place in East Sussex. Nestled in the tiny hamlet of Little Horsted, just outside Uckfield, its unassuming entrance hides a real gem of a property. The red brick gothic exterior draws you in to an entrance foyer with stunning Victorian tiles that gives way to a grand Pugin staircase sweeping its way through the centre of the hotel.

In wintertime fires are lit which give a lovely warm glow to the place. In summer the doors in the drawing room open out onto an outdoor terrace and croquet lawn. No matter what time of year you visit you will not be disappointed. Staff here exhibit that rare quality of real warmth and friendliness which ensures a calmness pervades across the hotel. Rooms are furnished in the quintessentially English country house style. The pick of which has to be the Neville Suite, named after previous owners.

The restaurant serves up good modern British cooking with a few neat twists on some classic dishes. Pan fried Scallops with bacon are a favourite for a starter, with venison and noodles a popular main. The cooking is uncomplicated and precise. Sunday lunch is an absolute steal at £28.50 per person. The hotels wine list is great value. In fact it must be one of the most reasonable priced wine lists available in the UK. If you want first growths at prices that don’t require a second mortgage then this is the place to go. I have enjoyed many an evening in the restaurant here with various vintages of Lafite, D’Angludet, Palmer, Conseillante and Mouton Rothschild. If Horsted place can supply quality claret to their customers at sensible prices I don’t know why other places of similar ilk can’t.

I actually spent the Christmas period at Horsted Place this year and enjoyed a few incredibly relaxing days along with some great food and wine. It won't be long before I am back there again. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed and like me will probably return again and again!