coolography

mooli’s

Posted on: 3 December 2009

The curiously named Mooli’s opened with slowly building fanfare a week or so ago, with local twitterers abuzz over their special opening offer of a free wrap, or ‘mooli’ to any passer by. With London’s Soho a regular coolography haunt, it was trivial to pop by Mooli’s Frith street location to see just exactly what the fuss was about – and what a fuss indeed! Lines scores deep fully exceeded our expectations for both Soho dwellers’ curiosity and their eagerness for a free meal.

A  beautifully simple preposition – Mooli’s offers Indian style wraps in 5 different flavours. And that’s about it. A menu this short is both refreshing and frustrating; one would expect such a limited menu to offer ease of choice, yet we found ourselves deliberating at length over the varied quintet on offer. Eventually settling for the Goan pork with pomegranate salsa, we were not disappointed – slow, tender pork emanated a deep spice and sultry heat, punctuated perfectly with sweet, crisp and refreshing bursts of pomegranate. A creamy yet light and sweet mango lassi tempered the feisty wrap, rounding off the quick meal and marking Mooli’s firmly in coolography’s ‘return visit’ mental pile… continue reading »

texture

Posted on: 1 November 2009

coolography loves collaborations. Usually these are limited to the realm of fashion, music, and art, but rarely do we come across this in things gastronomical. In this case, Texture grabbed our attention with their bold claim to be the first restaurant founded by both a top chef and an award winning sommelier. The formidable pairing in question is Agnar Sverrisson (formerly of Gordon Ramsey’s Petrus, and head chef of Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons), and Xavier Rousset (once UK sommelier of the year and also head sommelier at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons). The two respective experts in food and wine’s joint venture has already garnered a flurry of recognition and newcomer awards – so naturally, we felt it was our duty to see what the fuss is all about…

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artisan

Posted on: 12 August 2009

Located in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair district, the Westbury Hotel’s self proclaimed combination of ‘..modern luxury and comfort with timeless style’ would be looked upon with sheer cynicism if it wasn’t so patently true. Having recently gone a £25 million refurbishment, every penny of it shows, with the decor oozing earthy, luscious textures, with natural tones bathed in warming, golden amber glows. A hypnotically inviting atmosphere for those, like us, seeking respite from a torrential downpour – unusual weather, even for our much maligned British summer. Though at that point, retiring into the comfort of, say, the Westbury’s 7th floor, 1,213 sq ft penthouse suite would certainly have been welcome, our real concern, was the attraction that is Artisan, the Westbury’s ground floor restaurant. Headed by former Roux scholar Andrew Jones, the Artisan menu makes for reading as opulent as its surroundings. With promises of service and cuisine worthy of a 5 star hotel, we dried off and settled, with relief, into our centrally located dining room table… continue reading »

jean-georges

Posted on: 20 July 2009

On a recent coolography expedition to New York, the sheer depth and breadth of culinary options left us daunted. Much like London, New York is a premier international destination with a wide multicultural heritage, and as a result, every taste, whim, and adventurous craving can be satisfied with ease. From the humblest street vendor to the most awarded establishment, we wanted to taste it all. With time unfortunately not on our side, we made it a point to sample the very best New York had to offer.

Looking no further than the Michelin guide, the revered culinary bible, we shortlisted the four New York restaurants blessed with 3 stars – the highest accolade possible. Though famed establishments such as Le Benardin, Per Se, and newcomer Masa all have their own merits, we could not ignore Jean-Georges – the eponymous flagship of celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. With 12 Michelin stars and countless other awards under his belt, it struck coolography that this man, with a near villainous name, knew a certain something about diabolically good food.

With no reservations, we made reservations, and prepared ourselves for a meal at one of the best restaurants in the world… continue reading »