Roganic

Welcome back to London

Salt baked celeriac, enoki, whey

5 years later, Roganic, by Simon Rogan is back in London again as a permanent restaurant, located in Marylebone, where the Michelin starred L'autre Pied used to beat. I first experienced Simon's cooking in his pop up back in 2013 and it was such a mind-blowing experience, his style of cuisine was so unusual and made humble ingredients such as carrots and spring onions taste like heaven. I was so happy when I have discovered Roganic is back in town and I wasted no time in booking a table. The restaurant offers put tasting menu on the central stage, with snacks after snacks before the main courses, followed by multi courses of desserts, just how I like it.

The Royal Oak

Top class gastropub

Dressed Crab, Blood Orange, Radicchio and Sorrel

I got to admit, without watching Masterchef the Professional, The Royal Oak would never come to my attention. Craig Johnston, who works at the Michelin starred gastropub is the winner of the 2017 edition and he seems like a real talent with some speculator dishes showcased on the TV show, one after another. Looking at the menu online from The Royal Oak's website, the menu appears to be modern British with a hint of European touch, what I really like is that it retains some classic British essence with items such as black pudding and pie on the menu, but of course, done in a very refine manner.  

Nut Tree Inn

Not your average pub

Roast loin of venison, truffled sprout puree, parsnips, red wine sauce

Every once a while I need a city escape and traveling to the Cotswolds from London for a long weekend has fast become a regular activity for me. In true Michelin guide fashion, I have started to do some detouring for lunch or dinner on my way to the Cotswolds, and sometimes those meals can be the highlight of my weekend trip. On the edge of Oxford, the Michelin starred pub the Nut Tree Inn is one of the stands out places I have been to from my latest trip, this is my second time visiting this cozy gastropub, and we opted for the a la carte menu.   

The Oxford Kitchen

Oxford's finnest?

Squab pigeon, confit leg, celeriac purée, pear, pigeon gravy

My recent London escape was a trip to Oxford, and it turned out to be a mission to find a top-level fine dining restaurant in the city. After some extended research online, it appears The Oxford Kitchen is a solid choice with some fantastic reviews from the media, Executive Chef Paul Welburn used to be the head chef at the Michelin starred Rhodes W1 and in typical modern fine dining fashion, it has an a la carte menu and a tasting menu for dinner, and a short lunch menu at a very affordable price (£27.5). The restaurant is located in an area called Summertown, a classy neighborhood on the edge of Oxford, about 10 minutes bus ride from the Oxford city center. 

Pint Shop

Sunday delight

Pig in blanket Scotch egg

For my long weekend trip to Oxford, one thing that was on top of my to-do list was a nice Sunday roast after a long day of shopping, Pint Shop came to my attention thanks to its "hipster" branding, with a wide range of craft beer on taps and a really attracted range of food offering, from classic fish & chips to more modern dishes like salt baked celeriac and devilled lamb shoulder, the menu won't out of place in a proper restaurant. The restaurant also offers an amazing value for money Sunday roast, with 3 courses at £25, with a choice of 3 roasts for main and you can pick any starter and dessert from its all-day menu.