[jimmy]

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[jimmy]

Gary Rhodes is one of Britain's best known Chefs. Another one of those Chefs to have gone down the Celebrity route but with mixed success. Best known for his championing of British food on his TV programmes and through his books such as "New British Classics".

His latest Restaurant in the UK is "Rhodes South" in Mudeford, near Christchurch on the south coast. Following a similar cooking style as his other restaurants it ploughs a safe furrow in south-east's culinary pasture. We had a Valentine day's lunch there on Saturday mainly as a result of the restaurant not being open on Sunday which was the 14th. A very welcome surprise was the special offer of a three course lunch for the princely sum of £19.95, superb value but I suspect reflecting the current economic climate more than anything.

We had a fillet of Grilled Mackerel and Artichoke Soup to start both perfect though perhaps a little more cooking on the skin for the Mackerel would have then made for perfection. We both followed with a Duck Confit on Champ Potatoes with Red Cabbage, delightful though once again for it to be perfect a crispier skin would have been better. We finished with a Baileys Creme Caramel and Lemon Meringue Pie. The Creme Caramel was a little solid not quite sensual enough for Valentines day and the Lemon Meringue was just right. Overall my feeling was the Lunch time Chefs were perhaps young and playing safe but very good nonetheless.

Service impeccable. Charlie, the Manager and Maitre D' was welcoming, helpful and clearly had the Restaurant and it's success at the centre of all his endeavors. Rhodes South will succeed as there is little competition for what they are offering, quality and refined Fine Dining, not mould-breaking or Michelin but reliable and good. We would would have had one of the cheapest and best value meals in many months except for our indulgence in Champagne and wine with the meal but I was sharing it all with my Valentine!!

7.5/10 Till the next time, James.

http://www.rhodes-south.co.uk

[ajg]

Fishy Fishy,
36, East Street,
Brighton,
East Sussex.
T. 01273 723750
E. reservations@fishyfishy.co.uk
W. www.fishyfishy.co.uk


This was a birthday visit to this new fish Brasserie in Brighton. It opened fairly recently, is owned By Dermot O'Leary, a radio and TV presenter and two friends, James Ginzler and Paul Shovlin. It still seems very new and fortunately still retains enthusiasm from it's, one would assume, new staff. For our time in the brasserie the manager did not make an appearance until part way through the evening and then he acted as a stand-in waiter, I only knew he was the manager because I asked the waiter as we were going who the manager was.

The place is bright, cheery and welcoming, unfussy and helpful we were given plenty of time to make our selections accompanied by drinks. The wine list is as you would expect of a Brasserie, short simple and adequate. Starters included Scallops with chopped chorizo and chilli which actually worked extremely well, the chilli was balanced well so as not to kill the sweet scallop with the chorizo just adding enough paprika to give great interest without joining the chilli in smothering the scallop. Calamari, fried in a light tempura batter as to be expected but served with creme fiche which would not be my choice but okay and we had another scallop this time with chopped peppers and coriander garnished with rocket I was assured this was finely balanced as well.

Moving on to main courses with a second bottle of the reasonable Sauvignon I had the 'Fish and Chips'. Unusually this was presented on a wooden platter and consisted of two pieces of battered fish, a small portion of thin chips and a small ramekin of mushy peas and a serving of Tartare sauce. The piece of battered Pollock was perfect but the piece of battered plaice was somewhat destroyed inside the perfect batter - a shame because the idea is fun and interesting. Fish Cakes made a showing as well and reported as fine, mackerel based and nicely seasoned. between all of us we were very boring and that was all I have to comment on but the menu selection was just as it should have been beyond our choices, a good number without being so many that you know there has to be a bank of freezers at the back of the kitchen!

Our portions were such that a dessert was just not possible but the excellent waiter wholeheartedly recommended the lemon and lime posset, next time! We finished with coffees and a particularly strong mint tea. Overall, a fine fish Brasserie specializing in locally caught fish (Shoreham) in a pleasant atmosphere, there is background music and not too loud though it is a long time since I have heard Bob Dylan playing in a restaurant, so long in fact I probably heard it through a cigarette-smoke haze when everyone knew who Bob Dylan was! In summer there are tables outside, definitely something to look forward to as well.

Just to keep up the idea of scoring! :: 6/10

Tony

[ajg]

Brighton Road, Nr. Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6PS
Restaurant reservations: Emma Farnes: + 44 (0) 1403 892312

South Lodge Country House Hotel


The Pass

Set in the heart of the kitchen, take a seat in the 3AA Rosettes Pass Restaurant and witness all the drama and passion of a world class kitchen whilst enjoying a superior tasting menu that changes daily. Experience the kitchen that serves both restaurants at South Lodge with the team led by Head Chef, Matt Gillan.

South lodge is a Country House Hotel near the town of Horsham in West Sussex. South lodge was built in the nineteenth century by the Godman family, successful tea planters creating the estate that is now the hotel of the same name. When the Hotel was first established in the 1980's it achieved a Michelin star but not very long after it was lost and now South Lodge is looking to regain that star with Matt Gillan at the helm and we think it has a strong chance after our evening there recently

We were recommended to the The Pass by two friends who haven't always quite 'hit the mark' with their suggestions but on this occasion it was for us, one of the best evenings of the year. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary on this evening and we were welcomed with the appropriate congratulations by our excellent Maitre D'. The restaurant is arranged down one side of the kitchen with all the sections of the kitchen in full view and for those guests with their back to all the action South lodge have a row of screens on the wall behind the tables scrolling through the activities at each section. A novel idea but when one of your party says, " Look at how he's doing that, it's never going to work!", there is still the drama of trying to turn the revolving seats to get a better view. You see, the seating is all raised, the banquettes against the wall on a step up and the revolving chairs like bar stools, so if you a little challenged in height like me then spinning round in the chair you can run the risk of ending up in the kitchen rather than just looking at it.

The menu was arranged as a choice of three options of 5, 7 and 9 taster courses with the further option of glasses of specially selected wines with each course. Sadly on this evening were driving so we choose the 5 course and selected a bottle of Australian Viognier from the extensive and fine wine list. Prices tended to be on the high side but this perhaps reflects the Hotel more than anything. Our selection was £35 per head and after two hours we felt well fed so the full gastronomic option would definitely have required an overnight stay.South Lodge do offer room and restaurant specials among the many 'offers' available.

The food experience was exquisite. We were told of their rosettes being awarded and their ambitions for that elusive Michelin star and on our experience they are well on the way. We started with a pea veloute with a piece of poached trout. The veloute was perfect freshened by the addition of fresh crushed peas, the intense flavour I would guess to have been enhanced by reducing the pods as well, a fine start. The Prawn bon-bons to follow, again perfect, accompanied by finely prepared vegetables. Delicate flavours finely balanced but for that star just a little more refinement perhaps. Our meat course was a confit duck serving prepared as a ballotine. Not something I would have done as I think a finely served confit is perfect on it's own but, this was delicious, full of flavour and excellently complemented on the plate. For us the star was the dessert course - a sherry trifle. It sounds innocuous but in the fashion of dismantling dishes into their constituent parts this was reduced to several layers of cake and custard in a glass with cream etc. but the flavours superb and intense including a surprise hint of star anise. We finished with coffees etc. very satisfied and very happy.

The experience of being in the kitchen was memorable, it's not a new idea, we first experienced this concept many, many years ago when Terence Conran first reopened Quaglinos but South Lodge have shown that it can still work and well. I can only complement the service, it was of the highest order and for the present impeccable but for the 'star' little things like not overfilling the water glasses just to clear the bottle might have to be tidied up. Just to complete the evening we were given a complimentary box of their chocolates to take home and enjoy and we did!

Not cheap but high quality in food and setting.

9.5/10

[ajg]

The Half Moon pride themselves on their home cooked food with a good selection of daily specials. As well as serving a good selection of real ales including Harveys Best, Old Speckled Hen, Ringwood best and weekly guest ale.

The Half Moon is a Grade II listed brick and stone pub dating back to the 18th Century. This picturesque part of Sussex gives us the ideal location to build a pub with a friendly atmostphere, no children under the age of 14 and juke-box free.

Our Opening times are;
Monday - Saturday 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30 - 11pm
Sunday 12 - 10.30pm

Food served;
Mon - Sun Lunch 12 - 2 pm
Mon - Sat Dinner 6 - 9.30 pm
No food service Sunday evening

For more details call 01444 461227
or email info@thehalfmoonwarninglid.co.uk

The Half Moon in Warninglid is actually not very far away from our main office and is used occasionally by all of us and we felt it was time we recognised the quality of business that we have so close to hand.

This quality was made very apparent recently when returning home late after a very difficult day we decided to eat out on a basis of sheer laziness and self-indulgence we went to another nearby food-centred pub. It was very quiet despite the superb weather, that should have told us something! After a couple of drinks we decided to stay and eat, this ended when the two people in front of us who had decided on the same thing were greeted by the comment from someone passing through the bar with "Yes I suppose so but there will be at least an hour's wait on the food". restaurant only half full, eight o'clock in the evening on a Friday!!! The Half Moon beckoned but with some anxiety as on a Friday it is not normally possible to get a table.

By the time we arrived at the Half Moon it was close to nine o'clock. The car park had one space left, the restaurant area and garden was full and we nearly left but thought well, it was late someone might be going. This time the greeting was "Of course, we'll sort out a table, what would you like to drink, here's the menu. Oh, and there may be a slight delay on the food"

What we just experienced was the difference between a successful business run by people who know what a customer wants and will always succeed and somewhere where the customer is almost an inconvenience and will, in this climate surely fail.

Food review on this occasion is limited because we both had their traditional 'Fish and Chips'. Excellent fish cooked to perfection with the crispiest beer-batter, home-made chips again cooked to perfection, mushy peas fresh and elegant and Tartare sauce. We have rarely been disappointed at the Half Moon and although we were warned of a long delay on the food, all credit to the kitchen, we were served in no more time than we would normally have expected had we booked and the restaurant was half-empty.

So, this review is slightly short on detail but high on recommendation for the Half Moon, Jaimie, his wife and all the staff do a wonderful job and long may they continue, at some point in the future we will do a more formal review but in the meantime just travel out to this country pub and you will enjoy a memorable evening of fine food, charming atmosphere and a delightful piece of Sussex English countryside.

NB If you are going there during the summer months of 2010 and enjoy the Half Moon as much as we do you can vote for them in the "Sussex Food Awards" of which we will have more to say soon.