I kid you not.  I am one who often remains skeptical about restaurants in fine hotels.  However, I urge everyone reading this post to call (+44 870 400 8200) the Randolph Hotel here in Oxford and make a reservation (I'm not making commission for writing this).   For around £18 (without wine) you can have the most stunning 3-course dinner (since they're having  a 2-for-1 promotion right now).  It ends tomorrow, but I hope they extend it.  Friend, colleague, and fellow food lover Srin organized an outing for eight of us.
For starters, I had the most beautifully presented and divine smoked halibut and prawns.  It was a purée of sorts, with a touch of dill.  It was topped off with what tasted like a blend of crème fraîche and creme cheese.  And sprinkled all around were capers, along with some shreds of greens and cucumber.  Amazing.  Just amazing.
For my main dish, I had one of the best lambs I have tasted.  So tender.  The moment your fork hit the meat, it just allowed the meat to collapse.  It was so beautifully cooked.  The reduction was equally delightful and thrilling.  The glazed carrots and potato purée were a perfect complement.
Lastly, my dessert was decadent (Bailey's ice cream with a very rich chocolate truffle), but the queen of desserts was chosen by a few other friends.  It was the poached pear served with a red wine syrup, along with pear sorbet, and pear parfait.  We're talking about one of the greatest pleasures of my life to taste this pear sorbet.  I found a recipe by the great Jamie Oliver, and my next project is to make a four-gallon tub of pear sorbet to last me for a long-time.
Posted by Yannis Mameletzis at 12:04 Doesn't sound very S.Beach to me :)

28 January 2009 at 20:55 well other than the carbs from the potato puree ;)

ti na kanoumai?
em prepei na ksefigoumai ligaki.

29 January 2009 at 06:53
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