u/TheYorkshireSaint

A recent trip to Frog by Adam Handling.

Tasting menu will set you back £199 plus £40 for the lobster and £15 for the cheese course

The snacks - all served together

Tomato and peach tea

Light and fresh, good tomato and peach flavours that worked well

Not an oyster

An oyster shell cracker, with oyster leaf. Eating an oyster shell was an experience, good oyster flavour without any oyster

Smoked eel donut with finger lime

Deep smokey flavour, pings of freshness from the finger lime

Lamb tartare

Full of lamb flavour, with cumin adding depth

Crab cigarette with green chilli dipping sauce

Lovely crab flavour, packed a lot in for not much filling in the cigarette. Dipping sauce added some nice spice

Bread course

Parker house roll, chicken butter with chicken liver parfait, Cornish salted butter

Good bread, but the standout is the chicken butter. Depth of flavour with the added treat of a parfait in the middle.

Scallop tartare with sorrel sorbet, kohlrabi, buttermilk and curry leaf oil sauce

Slightly sweet scallop, herbaceous sorrel, citrus tartness, creaminess from the butter milk, which added more tartness, rounded out by the curry leaf oil. Lovely dish, nothing dominated any of the other flavours

Lobster in wagyu fat sauce with caviar

Perfectly cooked lobster, with an added richness from the wagyu fat. Slightly spicy sauce, caviar added a nice seasoning and was fairly subtle

Sweetbread, goose liver dumpling, pickled pea, parsnip sauce

Described as a dumpling, but more like a ravioli. Very, very rich. Pickled pea cut through, sauce was luscious

Red mullet, nduja, fennel and green pepper grabiche, lobster bisque foam, saffron emulsion

A modern day version of a bouillabaisse. Subtle aniseed throughout, perfectly cooked fish, great depth of flavour in the foam. Top tier cooking

Lamb and black pudding, summer salad, turnip puree, lamb jus with capers

Stunning lamb, tender yet still had a bite, great flavour. Black pudding was smooth and rich, lamb jus worked well with the capers. Puree didn't add much

The cheese course

Apricot Bakewell, cheese, truffle honey

Soft and delicate Bakewell, worked really well with the melted cheese. Slightly tart cheese, truffle honey added stickiness and sweetness

Desserts

Strawberry sorbet, pandan rice pudding,

Bags of strawberry, very creamy rice pudding with pieces of popping candy as a surprise

Pineapple mousse, strawberry cheesecake and strawberry sauce

Nice flavours but technically not quite there. Such a large piece of biscuit in the middle, that was difficult to break down. Flavours worked but the base made it difficult

The final sweets - all served together

Scone with raspberry jam and woodruff Chantilly cream

Nice scone, tart jam and rich sweet cream

Yuzu meringue tart

A nice "lemon" meringue tart, well made and good flavour

Raspberry and yuzu tea

Crisp and tart, refreshing. Served Ice cold and nice to have at the end of the meal

Champagne chocolate

Really well made champagne chocolate, from their own chocolate shop

Cardiff's only Michelin starred restaurant, had to be on the list for when I visited.

Tasting menu will set you back £135 per person

In summary, there was some great cooking on exhibition here, and a great showcase of Welsh produce. I'd recommend it if you are in the area.

1. Broth from cultured seaweed, bone marrow

Bags of flavour, slightly tart and salty, beefy as well. Got the taste buds going well

2. Buckwheat tart, cured sea bass, turnip cream, pickled turnip, sorrel

Light and fresh, lovely acid hit, tart was crisp and added texture

3. Lobster, chamomile emulsion, trout roe

Good lobster flavour, roe added some saltiness, packed a nice seafood punch with added citrus from the chamomile

4. Potato and garlic bread, local butter with local herbs

A nice bread course, butter well made and flavourful

5. Cured scallop, smoked cream, marigold and fig leaf

Light and fresh, good sweetness from the scallops and fig leaf, slight acidic notes as well

7. Kohlrabi, spruce, laverbread, lovage and pickled green strawberry

Kohlrabi was nice, well cooked and a good canvas for the other flavours. Pickled strawberries added a zip, sauce was deep and flavourful

8. Turbot, white asparagus, elderflower and oregano sauce

Lovely piece of steamed turbot, asparagus added a nice green veg flavour, oregano in the sauce really worked well

9. Pan fried wild sea bass, preserved mushroom sauce, oyster leaf and onion cream

Meaty sea bass, rich sauce with added sweetness from the onion cream

10. New season lamb, asparagus, herbs and mint hollandaise

Had to be lamb at a Welsh restaurant. Tender flavourful lamb, lovely asparagus, rich deep lamb jus, minted hollandaise added a nice element, akin to lamb and mint sauce

11. Salted buttermilk ice cream, egg yolk jam, strawberry and rosehip jam, burnt bay leaf cream

Tart and salty ice cream, sticky sweet fruity jams, bay leaf cream added a lovely savoury edge

12. Oat custard, apple caramel, raspberry jam

A reimagining of a traditional Welsh dessert. Smooth creamy set custard, with a hint of oats, raspberry added sharpness and apple caramel added fruit and slightly bitter sweetness

13. Pear and earl grey jelly. Almond cakes with Welsh honey, and Barra brith sugar for dipping

Sweet, slightly tart jelly, good pear flavour. Almond cakes were stunning, nice sweetness from the honey, Barra brith sugar added crunch and dried fruit flavours

A trip to Cardiff, so popped down to Penarth to dine here.

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James Sommerlin was on the Great British Menu in 2009, and his daughter was on in 2020. All bar one of the staff was related, and having to ring a doorbell to be let in made it feel like you really were dining at someone's home.

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Nothing groundbreaking in terms of flavours or techniques, but everything worked well.

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8 courses for £145 per person

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1. Lime, cucumber, chilli

Light, zingy and fresh, with a hint of chilli. A nice palate cleanser

2. Snacks

Warm smoked cheese gougere

Pastry parcel with taramasalata and caviar

A version of a Takoyaki, filled with smoked bacon and guinea fowl mousse, black garlic and tarragon

Croustade of beetroot with tarragon emulsion, goats cheese

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The first two snacks were lovely, the cheese and the taramasalata were allowed to shine, without anything overtaking them

The takoyaki was good, subtle flavour. Slight sweetness cut through the rich mousse

The croustade was ok. Tarragon worked well, goats cheese added some saltiness

3. Double dragon beer bread with cultured seaweed butter

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For a fairly standard bread, this packed a punch. Great crisp crust, nice malty flavour. The seaweed butter was nice and salty.

4. Isle of Wight tomato tart filler with cheese custard, semi dried tomatoes, tomatoes dressed in tomato Ponzu and finished with a basil and aged PX vinegar dressing

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Super short pastry, rich cheese custard, nicely complementing the tomatoes without overshadowing them. Basil and PX vinegar cut through all of the dish nicely

5. Smoked pork chawanmushi, smoked pork consume, smoked pork butter, seasonal veg, some of which were pickled

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A subtle smokey taste, compared to the smell from this. Beautifully balanced, some pickled veg to cut through. Very impressive cooking

6. Sea bream tartar, curry leaf emulsion, lemongrass sauce

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Great depth of flavour in the sauce, added fragrance from coriander and rocket. Sea bream carried the flavours well

7. GBM 09. Liquid pea ravioli, crispy serano, crispy sage and parmesan emulsion

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Amazing dish. Perfect pasta, great pea flavour in the ravioli filling, sage and serano added texture and depth of flavour, emulsion added an extra creaminess and savoury edge.

8. Sea bass and mussels, globe artichoke, curry sauce and lem****ongrass

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The fish cooked perfectly, and went well with the lemongrass and curry sauces. Mussels added a depth, and Glo e artichoke went well

9. Local corn fed chicken breast, truffle mousse, asparagus, mushroom puree, black garlic with a vin jaune sauce

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Lightly poached chicken, great flavour in the mousse and the asparagus. Sauce velvety smooth and nice flavour

9b. Crispy fried thigh, red pepper, black garlic and courgette

Served just after the chicken main, meant to showcase using all of the chicken. Batter was great, moist tender chicken. Sauces added a nice hit of flavour without being overwhelming

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10. Cherries - fresh, macerated, chocolate aero, almond delice, cherry snow

Inspired by Georgina Sommerin's GBM dessert. Light and fresh, great cherry flavour, backed up by the almond and chocolate

11. Cinnamon roll with Madagascar vanilla custard

Intentionally served without any cutlery (apart from a fork to dish out), as who eats a cinnamon roll with a knife and fork! Soft sweet bread, great crispy top fresh out of the oven. Lovely sugary cinnamon flavour, with a solid custard for dipping.

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Having been a fan of Michael Caines for some time, it was good to see him open a restaurant in London, which made it easier for me to be able to visit.

Awarded 1 star by Michelin earlier this year, after opening late last year, the restaurant at The Stafford had all the opulence you'd expect from a 5 star hotel. Service was top notch, friendly yet remaining professional

Snacks

Chicken liver parfait with blood orange

Light parfait, nice bitterness from the blood orange

Truffle gougere

Super rich and creamy filling, lovely cheese and truffle flavour. Light crisp gougere

Parker house roll with caramelised onion, Lincolnshire poacher and thyme.

A nice bread, recommended to keep some for the sauces to come.

Scallop ceviche

Light and fresh, nice sharp clean flavours. Scallop wasn't lost, caviar added a nice pop of salt

Duck

Nice terrine, with good duck flavour. Pickled apple needed to cut through, and worked well together as a dish

Turbot

Perfectly cooked turbot, contrast on texture with the mousse was great. Deep flavour in the mousse, both mushroom and scallop.

The sauce was deep in flavour, well balanced and went well with the fish (and the bread)

Pigeon

Confit leg was good, nicely cooked and had a good flavour. The breast was tender and subtly flavoured, and went well with the sauce and puree.

Stand out was the fillet, tender and flavourful

Lamb

Beautifully cooked best end, great herb flavour in the coating and the accompanying puree. Belly added richness, as did the Boulanger potatoes. A lovely showcase of lamb

Strawberry - Strawberry mousse, strawberry jelly, strawberry sorbet, vanilla foam.

Lovely balance, sweet and fruity, with nice vanilla. Herbaceous notes from the lemon balm

Confit orange

Rich chocolate spiked with orange. Confit orange sorbet added sharpness. A lovely end to the meal

Petit fours - Chocolate and hazelnut financier with salted caramel, Coconut marshmallow

Both well made and flavoured well

Fairly expensive for one star, at £185 without drinks, service or additions, but a lovely experience and great cooking

My first official 2 star experience (I've been to The Hand and Flowers before but they only had one star then)

What an experience. From the very start, the service was top notch and super friendly. The menu was well structured, with flavours that were familiar but still exciting. Nothing too spicy, really well balanced.

The snacks

1. Green apple, cucumber and chilli shot

Lovely kick off chilli that lingered, clean crisp apple. Good palate cleanser

2. Oyster emulsion with chilli and ginger, coriander oil

Nice oyster flavour, heavy bits of chilli and ginger yet also cooling as well

3. Mango tulle with mango powder, coriander and fermented chilli

Light and crisp tuile, great flavour of mango, coriander and a hint of spice

4. Apple macaron, spiced beef tartare, duck liver parfait

Gently spiced beef, added richness from the parfait, a great one bite

5. Crumpet with curried crab and burnt apple gel

Soft crumpet, nice crab and a hint of spice but nothing overwhelming

6. Cured sea bass, grapefruit, puffed rice and mango sauce

The spice in this built and built, balanced nicely with the sweet mango. Another perfectly spiced dish that doesn't hit you too hard but lingers beautifully

Course 1 - Pakora

Shiso, trio of chutneys - classic green, mango and cultures yoghurt

Like the best poppadoms and chutneys you've ever had. All three dips balanced nicely, lingering heat, good flavour in the shiso itself as well

Course 2 - Marag

Perfectly cooked asparagus that shone with the other flavours playing supporting roles. Onion chutney added sweetness and a bit of spice, cooling mint and coriander sauce, black and wild garlic added depth of flavour

Course 3 - Badami Korma

Scallop, Indian XO, vadovan spices, korma sauce

Stunning. Perfect cooked scallop, lightly spiced with a cracking sauce. The XO added punch

Course 4 - Aloo Tuk

Potato

Who knew potatoes could taste as good? Absolutely stunning. Slight spice, tamarind and mango, different textures of potato. There is something special about this dish that I can't quite explain

Palate cleanser - Spiced passion fruit with mango and lime

Fresh and cleaned the palate well

Course 5 - Amla Tok

Sea bass, sea bass head sauce seasoned with Indian gooseberry

Nicely cooked fish, skin nice and crispy. Depth of flavour in the sauce was impressive, spiced and fishy. Pumpkin and prawns added little surprises

Course 6 - Wazwan

Hogget kebab was amazingly cooked and seasoned, nice spice in the side dish that went well with the paratha. Nice touch to have a sauce on the side for sipping

Course 7 - Saagwala

Guinea fowl soft and tender with a light mousse, thigh kebab had more spice which worked well. Spinach was perfectly spiced and cooked

Pre dessert - Buckwheat sable, long pepper ice cream, textures of Yorkshire rhubarb

Cleansing which was needed. Sweet, yet a little savoury, nice pops from the rhubarb

Course 8 - Seb

Sweet spiced apple samosa, brown butter ice cream, white chocolate tuile, apple granita

Well balanced, sweet without being too sweet

Course 9 - After Eight

Chocolate parfait, mint fondant, pepper mint ice cream, chocolate shards

Rich chocolate, light fresh mint. Reminds me of an after eight as intended

Mithai

A good canele and Madeline to finish. Nothing that stood out

Petit Fours

Banana caramel chocolate

Mango and lychee pate de fruit

Coconut chocolate

Nicely made, good flavour and a great end to the meal

The second restaurant I picked for my recent trip back to Chester, and a short taxi ride outside.

Restaurant Next Door is Michelin recommended, and a great seasonal menu. £90 for 9 courses, but this included the bread as a course, and the financier which was more of a snack

Dish 1 - Preserved tomato sorbet, polenta tuile

Nice tomato flavour, added crunch from the tuile, slight aniseed from the dill but not too heavy. A good start to the meal

Dish 2 - Beef tallow financier, honey and caviar, topped with seaweed

Soft and slightly warm, nice beef flavour, caviar added saltiness and honey added needed sweetness. A nice light bite

Dish 3 - Bread course - Poppy seed and rapeseed bread, lacto fermented mushroom butter and a whipped butter

Ok bread, but a bit dry. Butters were nice but not memorable

Dish 4 - Charred spring onion, pearl barley cooked in wild garlic butter and onion stock

Deep and rich flavour, full on onion and garlic in a lovely way. Banger.

Dish 5 - Chalk stream trout, charred leek, sprouting broccoli and buttermilk sauce

Well cooked trout, charred leak added an edge, as did the tartness in the sauce. A well balanced dish

Dish 6 - Slow cooked egg yolk, Ragu of morel and spinach, asparagus and old Winchester cheese

Rich Ragu, rich egg and rich cheese, yet didn't seem too much. Full on umami, rich and creamy. Delightful

Dish 7 - Loin of lamb, confit shoulder, hispi cabbage, black garlic jus and salsify

The loin was nice, tender and well cooked. Shoulder was unfortunately dry. Hispi had a tartness to it which cut through the rich lamb and jus. Nice, let down by the shoulder

Dish 8 - Compote of rhubarb, kefir sorbet, ginger granita

Tart and fruity, refreshing with a nice subtle yet lingering heat from the ginger

Dish 9 - hay baked apple, lacto fermented granny smith, whey caramel sauce, creme cru ice cream

Sweet sauce, tart ice cream and granny smith added a nice difference

A revisit to Chester and a revisit to this restaurant. Still great value but missed the mark on a couple of dishes, the menu felt very heavy. The tasting menu costs £75

Dish 1 - Asparagus

Lovely asparagus, right in season. Balanced with the charred onion and onion marmalade nicely

Bread course

Sourdough was good

Focaccia was well flavoured and well baked

Dish 2 - Short Rib

Rich tender short rib, great depth of flavour in I the sauce. Crispy tempura enoki on top added texture

Dish 3 - Skrei Cod

Nicely cooked cod, rich risotto. Added pop of flavour from the shrimp and samphire. Crispy seafood was a nice touch if a bit bland

Dish 4 - Beef Fillet Rossini

Beef fillet was good, foie gras didn't add much and was

unnecessarily rich. The dish was made by the sauce, deep flavoured, glossy and went well with the hash brown and spinach puree

Dish 5 - Rhubarb and custard tart

Missing the tartness you'd expect, and want, from the rhubarb. Fairly subtle dish, but did the job of cleaning the palate

Dish 6 - Chocolate Fondant

Rich and chocolaty, lovely fondant. Nice level of salt to cut through the richness