Friday 19 December 2008

Where I ate in 2008...

I'VE looked back at the pages of my diary and compiled a list of my favourite places I have eaten at this year. It's quite remarkable how lucky I have been... Here's to more culinary adventures in 2009.

January: Winner - Mermaid Cafe, Dublin (Dinner) Runner-up - Hotel Du Vin, Birmingham (Breakfast)
February: Winner - Hummus Bros, London (Dinner) Runner-up - Tom's Kitchen, London (Brunch)
March: Winner - Bill's Produce, Brighton (Lunch) Runner-up - Food for Friends, Brighton (Dinner)
April: Winner - First class breakfast on Eurostar (Breakfast) Runner-up - Asha's, Birmingham (Dinner)
May: Winner - Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter (Dinner)
June: Winner - Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire (Lunch) Runner-up - Bank, Birmingham (Brunch)
July: Winner - Brazilian street food, Spitalfields Market, London (Lunch)
August: Winner - Border Grill, Santa Monica, LA (Lunch) Runner-up - Le Petit Quotidien, Santa Monica, LA (Breakfast)
September: Joint winners - The French Laundry, Yountville, Napa (Dinner) and House of Nanking, San Francisco (Dinner) Runner-up - Second Street Grill, Las Vegas (Dinner)
October: Winner - Woktastic, Birmingham (Post-Sushi school lunch) Runner-up - Great British Eatery, Birmingham (Dinner)
November: Winner- City Inn, Birmingham (Dinner)
December: Winner - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (Lunch) Runner-up - Wahaca, London (Lunch)

Where was your best/favourite meal of the year? Let me know please...

5 comments:

Jim said...

Hi Emily,

I didn't realise you could eat at Ikea, maybe I can get the wife interested.

OK, Modern China,

We had a good evening and the amount of choices is superb.

We went when they first opened and were a little disapointed but they have obviously got themselves sorted.

I would reccoment it to anyone Emily. The staff are good and the eating is great.

I've been in Swansea for the last few days, staying in the Holiday Inn at Junc 43. The Harvester next to does really good food, we were all full of praise, good pub grub, my mixed grill was perfect and the rest of the food was just as good.

Emily said...

Hi Jim

Yes, Ikea food is smashing, for the price. Really fresh and good value for money. I recommend the Swedish meatballs with gravy and loganberries. Delicious!

Glad you had a good meal at Modern China. I must try it. Is it a buffet-style set up, or straight menu?

I always enjoy food at Harvester restaurants, mainly because of the all-inclusive salad cart, which I just can't get enough of. It's only 7.15am but just the thought of it has my mouth watering!

Jim said...

It's buffet style Emily, you can imagine the effect on my waist line ;)

I still miss being an ex pat though, nothing I have eaten in the UK matches the mouth watering food in Singapore or Hong kong.

Emily said...

I can imagine. I haven't been to either Hong Kong or Singapore yet (they are on the to do list) but I still dream of the food I ate in Thailand. You just don't find food like that in the UK, or I haven't so far.

I must try Modern China. I went to Dragon BBQ at Broadway Plaza on Saturday night. Sadly we found that the sauces had all been watered down, and they all tasted a bit like sweet and sour regardless of their description. Disappointing!

Jim said...

A place to give a miss then Emily, thanks for the tipp off.