Wulli Bulli
We all love a good moan but some people have it down to a fine art. But, this time I'm 100% with Geoff who doesn't want to accompany his sister to 'The Ivy' on her 40th birthday.
It's impossible to relax and enjoy a meal when it's costing a fortune, the ambience is pretentious and the temptation to indulge in celeb spotting is irresistible?
What's wrong with 'Wetherspoons', a curry in Rusholme, 'Cafe Rouge' courtesy of Tesco tokens or English Tapas at 'La Tasca' on Deansgate?
By coincidence, there was an article in yesterday’s paper (don’t read it - it’s bollocks) about ‘El Bulli’ which has been voted the best restaurant in the world for the last 3 years. Apparently it’s just round the corner from where we stay in Spain - a simple fishing port/seaside resort where people seek out the wildlife rather than the wild life.
I haven’t even seen ‘El Bulli’ from the outside as it’s up one of those gut churning twisty roads with a sheer drop into the sea on one side.
Gourmet visitors book over a year in advance and pay £125 to eat a 32-course ‘taster menu’. You eat what you are given during a 4 hour session.
A foodie writes:
“A tartare of cuttlefish was sensual with black ink and brown foie flavours to overload the senses. Risotto a la Milanese was made with chopped bean sprouts, creamy froth and a separate saffron slick. The freeze-dried, shaved foie gras with consommé and tamarind was extraterrestrial. The bar code of different vegetable jellies was a hilarious colour-coded guessing game. The cauliflower couscous was so aromatic and aromatherapeutic that I felt healthier than ever after one bite”
So what’s your choice on your birthday - Curry or El Bulli? KAZ
posted by KAZ at 6:57 am
30 Comments:
When I used To Teach in Bradford (The Yorkshire one~ Not the wee Place in Manchester) I ate a lot of curries.The rule of thumb was that the scruffier the place the better the food.It usually works...for example MUMTAZ is the best known but frankly over priced;oversalted;& over here..........
Wereas the ones without tableclothes;knives+forks; dead goldfish swimming in the ornamental aquarium are usually delicious.................
El Bullishit if you ask me. I'm happy with me chips 'n' curry sauce. That's wot won the war,
When I saw the title of your latest post on my sidebar listing I thought you were writing about "Bullseye"
A quick look at the link to the restaurant and it talks about an avant-garde approach to food - OK as an approach to art but when I'm hungry I just want something to eat!
That cauliflower couscous sounds like miracle food.
But I'd have to get a cab there - I don't do drops into the sea.
I wish we lived near Rusholme.
That reminds me - I've got a knitting pattern for a cuttlefish that I haven't made yet...
reminds me of Padstow and Rick Stein. . .
my preference would be for somewhere I could go on the spur of the moment, without too much - if any - advance planning (other than wondering where I'd put my comfortable shoes); altho I do like a good cup of coffee to finish a meal of with
off
(oh! now I'm thinking about it - mushy peas!!!)
32 courses??!!!! That would do me. Tapas or not Tapas, that's the question.
I'm dissapointed there has been no mention of Sam the Sham and the Pharoes.
I had a disappointing curry yesterday.
Do you deliver?
Call me old fashioned but I would be satisfied to just hang out with a few good friends at the Playboy Mansion.
Tony:
So true about the scruffiness.
Trouble is - in Rusholme the scruffy ones are all disappearing to be replaced by pleasure palaces like the Mumtaz or Halal Takeaways.
I used to go to love the old Shazan.
Garfer:
Putting curry sauce on chips should be punished by death.
Gerald:
So you rushed over to look for Jim Bowen didn't you?
'When I'm hungry I just want something to eat! - spoken like a true Yorkshire man.
Geoff:
Can you imagine the drive home after a few Chateauneuf-du-Papes?
Rusholme's great but not as good as it used to be.
Stitch:
The word cuttlefish always makes me think of budgies.
You're going to turn into Nelly in that 'Noah and Nelly' cartoon.
View:
I don't eat meat - but I love fish and seafood - though not the special effects type.
And mushy peas would go well plus (of course) a cold glass of Sauvignon.
Murph:
32 courses but most of them just a 'bite' or a spoonful.
I'll order you a large T-bone.
My title was intended to give Sam the Sham a bit of recognition.
mj:
I think it was Elvis who had someone fly his private jet over to Rusholme for a curry.
Or perhaps it was Colorado for a burger.
Donnn:
Only OK if you take Mrs Donnn and me along too.
I take umbrage at that comment.
You'll find yourself at the sharp end of my plastic fork if you aren't careful.
I'm happy with a middle of the road Italian or a nice Chinese personally (and their eateries ain't bad either, boom, boom!)
If there were a chain of 'The Curry Coward' I might frequent it, but don't tend to like spicy stuff as a rule.
Gadzooks Garfer!
Plastic forks at dawn.
Fight to the death.
Vindaloo and chips for the winner.
Laura:
Somehow a 'middle of the road English' doesn't have the same ring to it.
Sainsbury's give their curries a heat rating. They have 1,2 or 3 red chillies on the packet.
It used to be the local curry house but that's gone down hill, then it was the local Italian (which is down the hill) but recently it's been the local Tapas bar which is really rather good (and up the hill).
I've only once been to one of those really expensive/exclusive restaurants and, like you, just kept thinking about how much it was all costing. Not worth it.
Definately El Bulli. Even with the bizarre name.
I'm curious, what's English Tapas? Bite sized toast and beans?
NiC:
Tapas in England definitely have their ups and downs. But I think they beat a cardboard pizza any day.
Pete:
I see you like the high life - get your name down for next year.
English Tapas are just like Spanish Tapas cooked in England and modified a little to suit the English palette.
The photo shows what we ate in Manchester last month.
Delicioso.
Will do.
One thing though, the only way to eat olives is if served in a martini.
Curry. With chips. No contest.
What happened to the art of compromise? Everyone go off to The Ivy after making sure Geoff has a blanket over his knees, and bring him a curry on the way home.
sensual with black ink????? My printer broke today and I'm bloody covered in black ink to the point of being senselessly F8cking annoyed with black ink - does that count?
I like a nice curry take away (the one in our village is fab) and to eat it with a nice cold beer whilst watching House.
*Thinks* well that's supper sorted - thanks Kaz!
I'm definitely for the curry. At least if it's disappointing, you're not going to be hugely out of pocket. Can you imagine if you're disappointed in a £125 for a meal? Plus, you'd never get me up that mountain. Nooo way.
Pete:
Do you like them stuffed?
Steve:
Curry with chips no.
Curry and chips (on different days) yes.
Do you remember 'half and half' - curry with half rice and half chips?
Arabella:
Can I stay with Geoff please?
But I want to know all the details and all about the celebs when you call in on the way home.
Ziggi:
You're welcome Ziggi - I'll bring my own glass of mild.
Roses:
I wholeheartedly concur!.
Even if someone else was paying I'd feel bad if I didn't really enjoy it.
The mountain?
One day we were driving up one of those hills with a sheer drop and I yelled 'Stop', got out and walked home.
No, I actually don't like olives. Not at all. However I can tolerate them in Martinis.
That's about it.
I quite agree,I wasn't a fan at all of English Tappas until someone almost dragged me to our local one which is really rather good....by far the best I've had outside of Spain.
I was rather hoping to have fish and chips out of newspaper, while walking on a beach in Ireland on my birthday.
Unfortunately I was inland and it was raining, and I don't think they have fish and chip shops.
You get my drift though.
Pete:
I think you should learn to like olives as you are definitely missing something.
The small green ones with the stone still in are the best.
NiC:
I still haven't had a decent paella in England - but the tapas (tapes in Catalan) can be great.
And if you don't like one of them - there's always more.
Dave:
Never mind - just think of all the cholesterol you didn't eat and how much healthier you'll be.
Good to have you back.
El Bulli please, if someone else will pay. You gotta find out what alla da fuss is about.
Mopsa:
Just watched the professional Masterchef final.
Even that was overkill.
But I agree about the curiosity factor.
Post a Comment
<< Home