by ext212

May 31, 2005

From journal London Bites

Fifteen
Westland Place
London, N1 7LP
Telephone: 0871 330 1515

If you watch the Food Network, then you know who Jamie Oliver is. He's always cooked with a camera in tow. Perhaps this is the reason why the foodie audience is evenly divided into camps that either hate him (jealousy?) or love him (that accent!). After producing books of his favorite recipes and successful TV cooking shows, he started the Cheeky Chops Foundation to help disadvantaged young adults learn the ins and outs of running a restaurant kitchen. The name Fifteen refers to the number of new staff the restaurant accepts each year from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

We ventured out to Old Street the day we were to leave London for a final brunch. The sun was actually out bathing the restaurant in light. The dark wood and pink highlights stood out as soon as we entered the restaurant. It was the end of February, so I started with the gnocchi and oxtail stew, following an Italian tradition to have pasta at the 29th of each month to usher in good luck. It sounds like a hefty dish to eat at noon, but surprisingly, it was just light enough to whet the appetite rather than satiate it too early. Even after a night at St. John [see separate entry], nothing was going to stop me from ordering the grilled rib-eye steak that had been hung for 21 days. Grated horseradish added a pleasant bite. Some bitter purple sprouting broccoli gave me an excuse not to feel guilty about the porcini butter sauce. My boyfriend opted for a lighter dish of seared yellowfin tuna served with spicy caponata. Dessert was a very pleasing pannacotta with soft rhubarb.

For a restaurant that is always getting media attention, there was a notable absence of pretense amongst the staff. Everyone was extremely welcoming and helpful with their recommendations.

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