You can read my review of a '2 starred' restaurant in Hagendorf on the Michelin website (and on my blog), I wrote it after our second dining experience there and unfortunately I will not recommend it again.
1 starred Restarurant Sihlhalde in Gattikon is well worth the visit though! ( www.smoly.ch )
Will MC get better than this
It was amazing how many professional chefs made basic errors in hygiene.
chocolate = good = fine dining
At least John Torode is a chef and I quite liked seeing exactly what it is he cooks this series.
Not Greengrocers....you may as well ask me or you.
I don't see any reason someone's profession (e.g. being a greengrocer) should disqualify them.
One of my main gripes is that newspaper restaurant critics are often, first and foremost, journalists not necessarily food lovers. Nonetheless, many of those critics do over time develop an interest and expertise.
Does Greg Wallace convey some enthusiasm and care about food? Yes. He's not judging the MoF competition, just Masterchef in its current format, so that's OK.
(Hey . . . thanks to everyone for saying you'd trust my judgement! I'm flattered.)
he is actually a kiwi not australian...
As usual, a program comes on that is enjoyed and then the subject is saturated (before it was property programs).
The other thing that surprises me is that (certainly in UK) some chef becomes a celebrity and everyone flocks to his restaurant when there is probably a 95% chance that he would not have cooked your meal.
The other thing (again a problem with UK citizens) is that they go to a restaurant, probably not because they particularly enjoy the food or atmosphere, but so that they can tell people they have been there.
In France and Italy, you go to a really dingy looking restaurants with old oak tables and chairs but wow the food is delicious and the service is professional and fantastic.
While in England you go to a restaurnat that looks totally futuristic, techy, modern but when you look closer it is made of MDF and plastic; the food is tiotally cr&p and is served up by students working part time on minimum wage that couldn't give a hoot.
You can find it here
Come on! Tell us about Sihlhalde!!
lol! hope you weren't referring to anything horrible on my blog! That restaurant does have a beautiful setting but failed on service and food, so sad that it happened.
On to Sihlhalde:
As I mentioned I would recommend eating there, its a family run restaurant with the son having taken over from the father. The father acts as maitre'd and I believe still spends some time in the kitchen. The food was fabulous, with hubby wanting to (literally) lick the plates clean right from the starter course (squid and calamari). Here's pics of the main courses (I usually try and sneak in a pic or two when we eat out).
The service was brilliant as one would expect. We sat in their garden area, it was clean, bug free and we were not neglected nor did we have to wait ages for our food, wine, water or bill. On that note, we didn't find them too expensive either; sure more expensive than your local Stube but not that of the 'other' restaurant and certainly not that of Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road (which I would also highly recommend!!).
Hope this gave enough insite for you, now go forth and reserve!!
Thanks for the Sihlhalde write up.