Strawberry Tart
Opus

Opus

54 Cornwall Street, B3 2DE, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Steak • Vegan • British • European


"located in the cornwall street in the business district of the city, is opus, a restaurant known for its dedication to sustainability, social responsibility and community engagement. on Tuesday night we have selected three courses from the market menu, so called that the menu is joined after what is good and plentiful on the market. food with a basket of (cold and dry) brot we washed our appetite, we went directly into the pflasterhof pork terrine. presented on an elongated shape plate, similar to the terrine plate itself, the meat was surprisingly dense with little gel. with aromen remembering a Hog-Rost, the accompanying apfelpüre became artistic, but spearly around the plate dotted along with some fruity spicy vegetables including green flower cabbage. next we were treated with a turned-off menu plate from pan roasted scallops. a personal favorite of me, they were delicious, fresh, juicy and plump. my slow braided blade of bark was a very generous part of soft, fat meat, which was greatly improved by the accompanying jus. the star of this teller was the hearty horseradish monkey. meanwhile, my ess mate chose brixham market fish of the day, confit fenchel, steamed kartoffels and autumn green. the Béarnaise sauce has the juicy and as promised, market fresh fish that is considered cod. dessert was a citrus potset (creamy and intensively smooth,) with fruit salsa (tart) and short brot and icy blackberry parrot with poached brombeer; both were fresh, lively and delightful. the service was quiet so it was to curious diners like us to ask about the more unusual ingredients on the plate. price at £15.50 for three courses, the market menu offers exceptional value for money. on the menu a la carte are starter £7 £10, mostly are £10 £20, and most desserts are £7. overall a firm favorit with the smart deal that was eating conservative with few surprises. the quality of the raw components is clear and the aromene are left clean and uncomplicated according to the purpose to allow them to shine through. I would say, opus is a safe bet for diners, the qualitatiw high quality food with provenance at one of the smartest addresses of the city."

Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien

46 Hampstead High St, London, NW31QG, United Kingdom

French • Belgian • Bakeries • American


"LPQ is a shadow of its former self. Like so many companies, it has been hollowed out after running into trouble pre Pandemic and then being sold to a private equity majority company in 2020. The wooden tables and chairs are the only remaining vestiges of the LPQ I knew and loved. The coffee and bread and pastries are still good but everything feels pre prepared and not fresh or made with care. I ordered the Shakshuka. The eggs were rubbery and overcooked, as though it had been precooked and then reheated. The waiter took them back when I explained the problem and said they would make them again, however the dish she brought back was identical. She explained that the chefs ‘just press a button which has the correct time they should cook’. This is not acceptable for a dish costing £13. Scrambled eggs on a previous visit were similarly rubbery and poor. I’m not sure if they are precooked or it’s the way the microwave cooks them but they are not nice. I think people have forgotten what properly cooked food tastes like and will accept and hand over cash for any old rubbish! I’m not complaining about the staff, who are clearly overworked, understaffed and almost certainly underpaid. This is demoralising. They can take no pride in their work or their service and this filters down to the customer experience. I wish there was a directory or accreditation for owner run food businesses I could then avoid these zombified businesses like the plague!"