Riverplate Restaurant / The Bunk Inn

It’s a hectic time. Workers scurry everywhere glassy-eyed in a state of frenzy, attempting to push work to a reasonable conclusion before the year end. We’re firmly on the Christmas conveyor belt. From here on in, it’ll be one long office party and the dash to buy. I seem to have eaten little but fillet steak over the past few weeks and as decadently enjoyable as this is, I am worried; worried for the health of my heart, worried for the state of my waistline, worried for the state of my gut. Still, musn’t grumble. There’s nothing quite like that post steak glow.

Riverplate Steak House
36 – 38 The Calls
Leeds
LS2 7EW
01133912792
www.riverplatesteakhouse.co.uk

Riverplate professes to be Leed’s best source of a good steak. Initially we turned up at the hour of 4pm on a Saturday – neither lunch nor dinner time – and were kindly requested to return at the more reasonable hour of 7pm. We wandered the streets of Leeds for three hours, Zombie like and managed to bump into the England Rugby League team. It was all very surreal. The welcome at the anointed hour was certainly warm, wafts of steaky smoke emanating from the open grill at the far end of the room. The shi-shi set of Leeds are here; groups of oranged girls gaggle whilst muscled males treat the missus to a slap-up dinner.
We neglect the starters and dive straight into the mains of Fillet and Riverplate’s take on Surf n’ Turf – an 8oz Sirloin alongside Tiger prawns with a spicy salsa. We add in sides of chips, salad and buttered new potatoes but I’m disappointed to find they don’t do onion rings. “You won’t even ask the Chef? No onion rings” What Chef can’t turn out up a couple of onion rings on request? “You’re not full, will you ask them? No?….OK, I’ll have a grilled tomato though please. You only do those on the £40 Porterhouse to share? You can’t put one on my plate for an extra £1.50?”
I’ll leave the contrived mock conversation there but you get the point. I keep replaying this exchange over and can accept I’ve probably put my own spin on it through it’s repeated playing in my head. The waiter was polite and attentive, but why wouldn’t they even ask the Chew? Even maintaining the charade of going off to ask would have sufficed but no. Who’d have through it; no onion rings or grilled tomato in a Steak joint. I think they’re trying to maintain their image.

When it arrived, my Fillet was freshly rested but the merest shade overcooked (I ordered blue). I can forgive this as it was only a shade. The flavour was good but we were all in agreement that this wasn’t the best steak we’d ever had and that we’d regularly eaten better in London (***cough*** snobs). The surf and turf looked good but seemed lacking in the aforementioned salsa. When we ordered more we were told the prawns were already dressed in it and the additional ramekin which was provided seemed to offer little more than sweet chilli dipping sauce. The chips and salad were fine but nothing special. The whole meal was OK and mostly tasty. The place has a good atmosphere but it was all somehow a little underwhelming.

The Bunk Inn
Curridge Village
Thatcham
Berkshire
RG18 9DS
01635200400
www.thebunkinn.co.uk

This was my second visit to ‘The Bunk’ and I have already been again since this particular visit. Needless to say it is currently in vogue with the set from work. Again I ordered the Fillet (with bone marrow jus, sides of chips and salad) but I also took a starter of Venison Carpaccio. The food at The Bunk is very good. I already know this and the numerous positive reviews will chime with this constant in the world. When you couple this with good wines, a great atmosphere and good service you hit the golden mean.
The Carpaccio was wonderful; thick slices of meat lain under a tangy dressing of red onion and caper. The dense flavour of the gamey meat stood well against this formidable combination. Meat like this has a definite umami quality.

The Fillet was similarly stunning. What can only be described as a dense ‘brick’ of meat stood perfectly cooked (blue again) in a red wash jus and was topped with tapioca-like globules of bone marrow. I have eaten bone marrow on previous occasions but not in this way. When coupled with the steak, it gave the meat a quality of flavour which I have never previously experienced. It was excellent and I am ashamed to say I could not finish it. The chips were also worthy of a specific mention. Huge – ‘steak cut’ – as they were they were some of the crunchiest examples I have ever eaten. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were quadruple fried and doubt if the Chef will ever part with the secret of his particular technique. We washed all of this down with several bottles of good French Pinot Noir (Bourgogne, AC, Latour 2009), great value at £22.

After this protein marathon I had little room for further indulgence but my compatriots ordered the Eton Mess, Cappuccino Crème Brûlée and Cheese Board for dessert. The Eton Mess came brimming over the sides of a glass which can only be described as well proportioned and was the sort of desert to inspire a feeling of “I wish I’d ordered…” in even the most full of diners. An incorrectly flavoured Crème Brûlée is a dish which will inspire genocidal thoughts in even the calmest of diners but this example of the genre was well executed, with exactly the right ‘crack’ emanating when it was assaulted with a teaspoon. The Cheese Board didn’t hold anything unexpected (a blue, a cheddar, a French goat) but was well executed. What more can you say. Well done ‘The Bunk’.

I urge you to visit if you are ever in the vicinity of West Berkshire.

Fifteen

15 Westland Place,
London
N1 7LP
020 3375 1515
http://www.jamieoliver.com/fifteen-london/

 As promised, I FINALLY made it over to Jamie’s ‘Fifteen’ on Westland Place. It’s around the corner don’t you know? We’re practically neighbours. Sick.
To tell you the truth, I’m actually finding this a difficult one to write about. There’s been almost one whole week of mental procrastination and no small amount of ‘what’s my angle’.
We all know Jamie Oliver can cook. This is an objective statement. When you venture into the bosom of a place like Fifteen (not unique but certainly ranking higher than the McItalian chain) you start to wonder if this matters. More pertinent a pondering might be; can he successfully employ a Head Chef and Restaurant Manager, set in train an ethos, and then stick his nose into the menus often enough to ensure the place is worthy of him. All whilst SIMULTANESOULY CONQUERING THE FOOD WORLD AND APPARANTLY TAKING ON HALF OF THE USA AS CHIEF OF THE FOOD POLICE. Come on, he’s practically beaten Jean-Paul to beatification.

I took the olds – it was Pops’s birthday so to eat we did go.
Fifteen is split in two. Above ground the Trattoria is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The open kitchen – probably the height of ‘scene’ back in 2002 – looks good. The sight of chefs scurrying, heads down, filling diners with pre-antipasti confidence. We’ve already eaten with our eyes and it looks good. It’s Spinach & Wild Garlic Risotto, Beef Ragu Tortellini, and whole baked Fish of the Day. And oh joy, bench seating for a drink at the bar, because yes of course we’re eating downstairs but now you’ve taken our coats, we’ll gladly take a drink first.
I knocked back a delicious Fennel Sour – grappa, home made fennel liquor with a nice piquancy. A refreshing Elderflower number also received noises of approval. The olives provided to stave off hunger were some of the largest, greenest I have personally ever seen and provided a flavour which I’m still not sure I can Identify. Could this have been my first un-salted, un-manicured, un-adulterated Olive?

Below decks in the Restaurant, things have a more intimate feeling. Shown to our table we were knowledgably recommended menu highlights and took the advice like the medicine it was. Following the Sea Salt Focaccia, starters were a double portion of Beef Carpaccio with dressed beets, rocket & parmesan shavings and Fresh dressed Dorsetcrab with fennel and pea. The Carpaccio was perfectly succulent and the dressed beets cut through the thick flavour of the raw meat perfectly. Flavours were most perfectly balanced with the Crab, where its dainty flavour was still present, even against the fennel and the pea.
An excellent 2010 Valpolicella Classico arrived and after a decent pause so did the main course. We dined on Fillet of Pollock wrapped with courgettes served with a pea puree, Fifteen’s Sicilian Fisherman’s stew with Pollock, Langoustine, Squid, Mussels & Clams and Pot Roast Rabbit with lentils. The Rabbit was filling and hearty but not overly ‘gamey’ and the Fisherman’s stew – as well as being feast for the eyes – delivered on flavour thanks to the perfectly seasoned broth (must have taken them hours…) Favourite of mine was the Pollock, the slick of pea puree being the most delicious and delectable ‘posh mushy peas’ I have ever eaten – this is no small compliment. The atmosphere worked, the bouquet of flavours worked, the conversation worked. Hell, the waiters worked double time!

It’s at this point in a review that you realise you’ve moved from general thought statements on whether you ‘liked something’ to wider emotional statements on the nature on the enjoyment of an evening and personally, I think JO would take that as the greatest possible compliment. It’s not the wine; it’s not necessarily the flavours, the well sourced ingredients or the knowledgeable waiters. It’s that when you finally weigh all these elements together and get them right, they disappear and are replaced with enjoyment. Well done Jamie and well done Head Chef Andrew Parkinson. Bravo.
Having actively avoided many of the overdone stereotypes of Italian cuisine for some time I’m planning a little renaissance. If it’s good enough for Mussolini and Berlusconi… 

Anything which wasn’t up to scratch?
The delightful Sommelier never called – I’d passed her my number on the way out.

You can’t win them all.

BoF.