Am not sure I can compose a proper ode, but finding a way to express my feelings about this place is proving a bit hard. So...
Ottolenghi - How do I love the, let me count the ways
1) Breakfast,
Lunch and Dinner – you work in different, but fantastic ways for each meal. A
la carte breakfasts, with individual toasters for your breads on the communal
table. For lunch salads sometimes with meats and quiches. For dinner, small plates of freshly
cooked hot dishes and cold salad can be mixed and matched - very trendy, but very appealing
2) Consistency
– every time I have ever been, everything is always fresh and delicious. You
might occasionally use too much garlic on your vegetables but its all healthy
and I secretly don’t really mind that much
3) Seasonality
and Variety – lets take Fennel, my favourite vegetable with I have tried in extremes
but each variation even more wonderful than the last – with lemon
juice, feta (and once some sour cherries) for summer and in the cool of autumn in a gratin
with tomatoes
4) Bringing
salad to life – with cheese, nuts, fruits and garnishes that confound and
delight like buffalo mozzarella & peach salad with pink peppercorns. If I
could eat like this every meal I would be a happy vegetarian
5) Bringing
to life at home – that your column in the guardian sometimes hints at the new
evolution to expect in store and gives insight to your divine philosophy. Its also helped me recreate some favourites
6) Pastry
– walking past the window is an almost religious experience. When I first discovered
it many years ago I stopped, breathless at the colour swirled mounds of
meruinge. The fruit cakes, cheescakes, pastry swirled with prunes and hazelnut, passionfruit curd tartlets, polenta cake, chocolate brownies, granola bars - each one so perfect and tasty that I rememeber them individually (which is a bit pathetic really, but am trying to make a point)
7) Take-away
– not only can all lunches be taken away for gorging in private, you can buy jam & bread too.
8) Catering
– yes they do that too….Im thinking Christmas this year.
9) Teaching
– your classes at Leiths are on my aforementioned list
10) Beverages - mint tea, coffee, organic wines - in keeping with the
theme these too are divine. Maybe one fault here though - no freshly
squeezed juice
11) Timelessness
– in five years of operation these qualities remain strong and true to form,
nothing has been diluted or undercut, you remain in essence just the same
12) You’re a 20
minute walk from my front door
Sigh…
Ottolenghi
Upper Street, Ledbury Road, Holland St
London
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