The Kitchen: Season Change - Autumn

So Paul and his Sous chef Ben thought they would briefly throw down some words on whats going on in the kitchen at the moment regarding the menu and ingredients.....and this is what they gave me:

Peas, feves, strawberries, blueberries, beans and tomatoes are all gone so the arrival of globe and Jerusalem artichokes, kale, pumpkins, squashes and marrows are all now thriving (and if you can afford it truffles, ceps, girolles and trompettes££!!) So it's time to get creative!

At 28-50 we try hard to stick to the seasons and are constantly in communication with our suppliers to what is new in season and available. Recently we've been giving our vegetable supplier a headache trying to get hold of a particular type of squash. First our supplier tried all the local contacts but had no luck until finally finding a farm in Kent (Whitegates Farm in Cambridgeshire) that grows all types of squashes and pumpkins.

So now, with the arrival of the much hunted Harlequin Squash, we have our new dish.........Baked Harlequin Squash, herb risotto, roasted mushrooms and chestnuts...

Bon Appetit!

Paul and Ben

Xavier's view on 28-50's first year

Pre Opening..the restaurant area

The bar and mezzanine

The kitchen prior to Paul getting in!!

A pre opening lunch with cheese and charcuterie with Mgt and friends

Very near to the opening. We were doing 'hard hat' (during construction) parties during this time..very challenging!!

It has been one year already and as we always say, time fly's! this is even more true when you are extremely busy!
Overall, I'm extremely happy and proud of what the team has achieved, I frankly couldn't have asked for more when it comes to the key members of the team at 28-50.

Whoever has opened his/ her own buisness will know the feeling and all the emotions that comes with it.........

STRESS: It's enormous! you are never sure if your idea and location will work (and if you are too confident, it's very likely not going to work).

FUSTRATION: Again enormous! you want everything to happen quickly and without difficulties, problems or delays....... now on my third opening (second for myself) I can tell you without any hesitation that this never happens......even with all the strategic planning, back up systems/plans and safety nets you prepare!....

RELIEF: when you see the first customers walk through the doors. I can tell you this is even more so when you open a restaurant in a basement in June!

Now lets get a bit controversial......(This is where Ed gets nervous and edits as much as possible and we argue for 10 minutes)...

One of the 'hard hat' parties  just prior to opening....could hardly taste the wine with the amount of dust everywhere!!!

There are a few things obviously that annoy me when we do an opening:

Now.... I'm the first person to listen to people...and I do, all the time. I appreciate the importance of listening to customers and their feedback, no matter how big or small. Whether their views are about the wines, the pictures, or the food it sometimes (during an opening it happens more) comes across as though people are doing me a favor.....even if their view is somewhat ?!?!....

Some views I will obviously consider, but not everyone's, otherwise the walls of the restaurant will be blue one day, yellow the next and red the one after!!

Social media has brought an interesting element to the experience. We see a lot of food and wine critics as well as novice bloggers at 28-50. It’s great that so many people want to communicate their experiences here, and it’s a reminder that everyone has an opinion......BUT.....(oh la la) I do feel that there are some bloggers who are trying to make a name for themselves and who are self declared knowledgeable and important (with no proper background on food or wine "I just (drink or) eat out a lot")
They are usually fairly passionate about the subject but not always accurate and fair which is what is so fustrating.

Night before official opening

Night before official opening

I love what I do (you can't not get by in this industry unless you do love it) and I wouldn't change it for the world. I hope that I haven't offended anyone in this blog.....besides......they're only my own personal 'blogging' views?!

Sante!

Xavier (edited heavily by Ed!)

A day in the life of Paul, Head Chef at 28-50

Thought we'd throw down a blog on what a day involves for Paul in the kitchen.

Quick background on the kitchen:

Within the kitchen here at 28-50 we are limited on space. For parties over 7 we ask guests to pre order due to the size of the pass (the hot plate with lights on that the chef's plate the food on) Our's is about half the size of a pub's pool table so can only fit about 5 main course plates on at a time (especially if the food is to be served hot as should be)

In the kitchen Paul has a team of 5 chefs. They all work the same hours from Monday to Friday. Below is a typical day for him:

He arrives to work for around 7:30am and starts taking down all the deliveries that have been dropped off in the morning outside the restaurant
He checks that every item that comes in is up to standard and is what was ordered
He checks all the invoices for the price etc (as has to make sure the prices are what he was quoted as change daily)
He then removes all the stock from the fridges and rotates them (old for new) ensuring everything is labeled up

A few of the boxes from the deliveries to the kitchen in the morning

He starts prepping all the fish and meat and portioning them (cutting and weighing portions) for lunch and dinner that day

Throughout the morning and day he's overseeing the whole kitchen, checking every sauce, garnish etc that is finished: for seasoning, cooking, quality etc constantly tasting

Making sure the chefs are working to time (braising starts at 10:30am), 11am they clean down their sections ready for lunch. They then start to cut the herbs

During the morning Paul comes out and talks with me about bookings, special dishes he's come up with, menu changes, shortages and any problems.

He also talks with the events girl (Caitlin) about functions and other menus that day or coming up that week.

Before lunch service (12pm) he checks the service fridges (making sure everything is in place, freshness, enough portions, if the chefs are missing anything)

Tasters are made for him regarding, brullee's, fromage blanc and other desserts etc

He ensures the kitchen is clean and ready before service

Finishing off the grey mullet just before it hits the pass

12pm-Service- During service he:
Makes sure the chefs are prepared (pumped up) ready and set
Makes sure they're on the ball the first couple of checks come on (they should be!)
Ensures all food is cooked properly, consistantly and that the service flows
Checks every starter and dessert that goes out that he hasn't plated himself.
Works closely with me about speed of service, how many tables/checks in at the same time, food coming back, numbers of dishes left
Ensures he is 2 steps ahead of everybody in the kitchen by double checking everything, asking to see and taste everything, getting the chefs to all work together so that the food is all brought up at the same time

The carefully prepared garnish is individually arranged on each plate

Plates nearly ready, waiters poised waiting for the word "Service"....it is always very quiet and intense...very different to the restaurant

3pm the end of service usually comes to a close, he gets the kitchen to clean up, emptying service fridges and cleaning thoroughly (all stove tops, fridges, extract fans etc) and makes sure all food is changed in to clean containers, labelled and returned to the correct fridges.
Following a normal busy lunch, prep lists are written up for the afternoon and prep is started again. This is usually when Paul starts practicing and tweeking dishes/new ideas...or making terrines etc
Knives are sharpened on stones.......
If it hasn't been too busy, the chefs will get a 45 min/hour break and be back in the kitchen for 5pm (staff food cooked and out for staff)

5:30pm and Pauls starts getting the kitchen ready for dinner service as he did at 11:30am.
He talks with me about specials, dishes he only has a couple of (and what he'll replace them with when they do run out)
6pm again he fires up the kitchen team ready for service.
10:30pm and he'll start cleaning down and doing the same as after lunch.
He'll debrief with me about the day, service, feedback from customers etc (this sometimes....often/usually on a Friday...is over a beer across the road)
11pm he'll start the orders for the following day and be checking the kitchen top to bottom inside out.
12pm he'll be walking out the door.

The (important) Friday 11pm de-brief after a hard week

Ed (and Paul)

KITCHEN-THE END RESULT (Conclusion to the first Kitchen blog)

The first kitchen blog was showing how Paul thinks of and comes up with new dishes. He was creating the Watercress vichyssoise with Smoked haddock dish (starter) This is pretty much just to conclude the blog by showing that the dish is now on the menu. Below were the stages and his thoughts:

Initial idea on scrap paper with plate layout etc

The beginning of dressing of the dish, the potato salad is underneath the flakes of smoked haddock and breadcrumbs



Adding the vichyssoise around the garnish for Paul's tasting. At this stage he said it needed more kick in the potato salad as was too light. So he added more wholegrain mustard.



The finished dish. Feedback from customers on Friday (when the dish was put on the menu) has been very good. We've decided due to the style of the restaurant that the customers are to pour over the vichyssoise themselves...otherwise too fine dining.

Ed & Paul

WINE WORKSHOP!: Xaviers quick notes for the week

Spoke to Xavier today to ask him for some notes for the blog and here's what he sent me:

"- unhappy with the new 2010 en-primeaur Bordeaux prices, I really think it is becoming a commodity and they're forgetting what wines are all about...which is DRINKING THEM!
It is a shame as will start to alienate restaurants, even with the softest mark up as we do here at 28-50 ,
we cannot afford to SELL THEM, I just wonder what they are trying to achieve!

Getting excited about the wine fair next week. I always try to go to taste wines from the eastern European countries (the more quirky countries) that I do not get to try during the year. I'm lucky enough to get to try 100's of wines a week but mostly from the well known new and old world countries, the Wine Fair allows me to keep on top of grapes grown and trends of lesser known countries. I'm also looking forward to a debate around natural wines, which for many months, has left me wondering about the quality / novelty ratio! More answers on Monday about this though as am participating in a debate at Borough Market....could get interesting!

- lastly good to see that business at 28-50 has picked up this week after a fairly quiet April, which seems to be the general trend in Central London, having spoken to many fellow sommeliers and restaurateurs."

Now I'm aware that this blog hasn't been the most informative or interesting but I will eventually get 10 mins with Xavier to ask him opinions on things like mark up's, his wine list's, his likes and dislikes etc...if you would want to find out about something related to him, let me know as would be more than happy to ask him.

In the mean time, I've emptied my phone of photos and thought that I'd ask Xavier to look through at some of the wines that in the last year we've opened and comment on some of the best...so here we go:



Xavier's first tasting of Laville Haut Brion "just an amazing wine that deserves the reputation he's got"




One of many blind tasting dinners that we did with some wine lovers that was outstanding, we just needed to make sure the numbers matched the bottles!



A bit of History here as it was one of the very first Vintages of Tignanello "unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.." (I've quoted slightly more politely than was said!)

Next blog I'm thinking of doing will be around service....thinking cap is on!

A plus et Sante!

Ed (and Xavier)

The Kitchen-Creating New Dishes

A work in progress 'Watercress Vichyssoise with Smoked Haddock'

So, over the last 12 months, once or twice a week, Paul (Head Chef) has excitedly walked in to the office asking for some scrap paper, usually followed by "quickly!".
Then throughout the week he produces these lists of ingredients that he has seen and wants to use. He often asks whats missing, or "it just needs something else....what about this herb, or that vegetable?". There is also always a drawing of his idea and how he sees the dish plated. So today I'm going through with Paul his process from start to finish on how he comes up with dishes for his menu.

Pauls ideas come from previous dishes he's done, seen, eaten or just an ingredient he wants to use. They of course depend on a number of factors; seasonality, availablity (if it goes on the menu, he needs to make sure it's available everyday) and of course, price. He then phones a number of suppliers to get the best possible price, and samples sent to him.

This is when he gets his scrap piece of paper and starts coming up with ingredients that would go well with it.
He also starts thinking of how to plate it (all dishes are dressed a certain way, the waiters are trained to put them down the way Paul plates the dish), the service of it (does it need a jug or a specific bowl, whilst taking in to account that Xavier doesn't want it too fine dining in style) etc

A tester of the dish, usually in the afternoon, is then cooked off which he gets all the chefs to try in order to get feedback from them. He decides what he likes and doesn't, what needs to change, be added or removed. Once he's happy with it he then has to price it per portion to ensure that it fits in with our pricing and concept.

Following this, he teaches the chefs how to execute the dish. This involoves creating a recipe to make it consistant, how to actually cook it, mis en place they need prior to service, quantities to order, show them how it should look, taste and really get them to understand the dish.

Quite often during this process Paul will test the dish by selling four or five of them as specials to regulars to get their feedback before he puts it on the menu.

Once this is all done, it is then worded for the menu and programmed on to the system.

The photo at the top is his latest idea. A starter of Watercress Vichyssoise with Smoked Haddock for the lunch menu.
He wants to replace the French Onion Soup that is now too heavy for this time of year. Its nearly there. We're just discussing (politley arguing) how to serve it!....He can't let go of his 3 star background!



Below are photo's of another recent dish he did, a Pithivier of pheasant with braised baby gem lettuce. He did some as a main course and the day after smaller starter sized portions. He confit'd Pheasant legs (meat stripped off the bone) and mixed with chopped mushrooms and herbs. This was wrapped in pheasant breasts then wrapped in spinach which was wrapped in a pancake and cooked off in puff pastry. It's a true pleasure working here watching Paul creating dishes (and tasting them!)

The Tasting (best Bit)

Six Special Pithivier Main Courses for lunch



The Finished dish

 Ed (and Paul)

The 28-50 Blog

Our first ever blog. Why? I do think that people would be interested in what Xavier has to say on wine (as our customers are always asking) and also on how Paul comes up with his dishes and menu(his constant sketches and scrap pieces of paper with ingredients everywhere fascinate me).  People ask why we are called Wine Workshop and Kitchen. This is pretty much why. The amount of work it takes to keep changing the 30 wines by the glass and also our Collectors list is huge. Paul doesn't use a recipe book or copy other menus etc...he looks at what the market is offering, whats in season and what he can afford and then works out how to put it all together.

So the 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen blog will I hope be that. I will try to extract from Xavier his views on current wine trends, tastings he's been to (almost daily), competitions he's judging on, wines that are drinking well....and those that are not. I will try to document Pauls ideas and recipes from his initial ingredients list to his sketches of how it should be plated.

I myself have never written or published anything. Don't expect perfect English. I don't even know if this will be interesting to anyone other than myself (and maybe my mother who loves Pauls food and is constantly asking for recipes) but without giving it a go who knows. I mean anyone can blog...can't they?

Ed