Did I spend a delightful day with Paris Hilton yesterday? Obviously no but I did spend lunchtime at the wonderful Reading Hilton over on Kennet Island dining at the same table as the Mayor of Reading amongst others.
I always expect quality at Hilton Hotels and this new addition to the global chain doesn't disappoint. The entrance is a big spacious area nicely decorated with the reception to the left and the lounge bar and restaurant to the right. It has a grand hotel feel to it but at the same time it's quite understated and businesslike.
While there I got to meet the hotel manager who was delightful (a far cry from the manager I encountered at the Hilton Watford all those years back when I was a 14 year old pot washer) and I was also sat next to the director of the Hilton in the community foundation. We had a great chat about all the things they do for the many charities they support and it was really nice to know that a big company like Hilton hotels are so active and enthusiastic to be involved in such things.
So anyway onto the event and the food......
The event was a charity gala lunch to firstly of course to raise money but also to launch the two food festivals that are happening in Reading town centre over these next four days. The Oracle shopping centre (who themselves have a charity foundation) are hosting the Fresh Food Festival which opened today on the Riverside and continues tomorrow with cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs James Martin and Lesley Waters as well as many other things which you can catch up on here.
The 2nd food festival is Eat Reading Live and for those who are reading this blog for the first time I'm personally much more involved in this one and you can catch up on what I've written about it so far by backtracking through my recent blogs.
For the meal itself we were treated to a 5 courses cooked by some of the towns top restaurants and the standard was impeccable considering there were around 160 diners to cater for and this must have taken the chefs well out of their comfort zones.
Starter was from Myalacarte and chef Loic Gaultier had prepared a Spring salad with house dressing. It was a very basic dish but beautifully presented and so fresh to taste. It perfectly balanced french style with wonderful English produce and that's what Myalacarte as a restaurant is all about. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now !!! Stand out dish of the day for me on a very impressive menu.
Next came a fish course from L'ortolan. Although executive chef Alan Murchison wasn't there himself he'd sent along sous chef Nick Chappell to fill in and he did a wonderful job. The Salt Cod Brandade with pickled fennel was a great combination of flavour, texture and style again representing this Michelin starred restaurants ethos perfectly.
Tony Cole from LSQ2 was up next with their Roasted pork belly, scotch quails egg and their very own XO sauce. It was always going to be difficult serving up a dish like this to 160 people because of the precise cooking needed for each component. Even if you were in your own kitchen let alone one being occupied by 4 other chefs and their respective teams this would be a challenge however to LSQ2's credit Tony and the team did very well. The use of King prawns in the scotch egg was inspired!
Next up was a selection of dishes from Tutu Melaku and her Ethiopian table. On the plate was a tender chicken leg with a rich tomato spiced sauce, an (intentionally) slightly sour pancake with spinach and garlic then also a small pot of spicy lentils. These lentils were absolutely to die for! I could easily eat these everyday for my lunch. This was real family dinner table cooking and a wonderful use of spices and ingredients. Tutu must have been terrified at the thought of cooking for 160 people but she did an amazing job, truly amazing.
To finish the Hilton Reading's own executive chef Martyn Watkins had prepared a trio of Reading strawberries and when they say Reading strawberries they mean it because each one used in the dessert was hand-picked locally just the day before. The dish comprised of a strawberry sorbet topped with basil sugar, a strawberry tart with the most delicate and buttery base and an individual cheesecake using Huntley & Palmer biscuits for the base.
Overall a very impressive meal showcasing perfectly what Reading has to offer in the way of dining and produce.
Myalacarte & L'Ortolan delivered the exceptionally high quality that you'd expect for a restaurant voted in the top 50 of a recent national poll and one with a coveted Michelin star respectively showing that Reading can provide exquisite fine dining.
The Hilton showed that it can cater for large functions and corporate events in terms of fantastic facilities, great management and an extremely good kitchen.
LSQ2 represented the restaurants we have in town that offer extremely good brasserie style food from a range of world cuisines at affordable prices and of course Tutu and her Ethiopian table represented both family and culture through her wonderful food.
Lets forget about the football and stand up and say a big YAY for Reading's food. It's only going to get better too and that is something we can all be proud of :-)
Toodlepip xx.............
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