French restaurant in Richmond

 We've been to Chez Lindsay with S&S a couple of times before, but this is our first  visit since before the pandemic.  When we'd booked online there was plenty of choice of dining times, but when we arrive at 1.45pm all the other tables were taken.  There's a nice warm feel, and a definite French atmosphere. Our table is in the middle of the restaurant, but that's fine as there aren't really any views from the windows. They still have the socially distancing screens around the tables, but this isn't an issue either.

We order the Viognier (£26) and ask for some water. The wine arrives promptly, but we have to ask three times for the water.  Very French waiting staff. 

One of the reasons for coming back is that S and B like the crab as a starter. This time everyone but for me orders it. They are seriously sizeable beasts, the body about as big as your hand. Nutcrackers and other tools provided.  All tasty as you'd expect, requiring time and concentration to get all the meat out. I have the fish soup, complete with croutons, rouille and cheese. This is warming and comforting, with a good peppery undertone.

S&B both have sea bass (bar) as main course, having chosen it filleted rather than on the bone. This comes with salad and new potatoes. Very nicely cooked. S2 has the calves liver and bacon with mash and seems very pleased with that. I've pushed the boat out and ordered Tournedos Rossini, the most expensive thing on the menu at £35. I've gone with the waiter's recommendation of "medium-rare", but when it comes I think it should have been more rare.  Still, it is a lovely piece of steak with a (politically incorrect, I know) good piece of foie gras, on toast (not really a crouton as advertised) and a rich but not cloying red wine sauce. Plus good chips. And a bottle of Cahors Malbec (£28) to go with it. We also have some spinach and tomato and onion salad to go with the mains.

We're all quite full, but tradition demands we order a crepes Suzettes to finish. Attractively presented, with flaming brandy poured over it at the table, it is a dramatic and tasty finale. 

The menu also covers lots of galettes and cidres so you don't have to go for the full meal.

The room is nothing special, but the sounds of everyone enjoying themselves and French exchanges between the waiters give a nice atmosphere, untroubled by music as far as I recall. With a second bottle of Viognier and two coffees, the bill comes to just shy of £300 for the 4 of us. Not cheap, and not up with Chez Bruce or TFT, but definitely a fair price for what we had. 

RETURN TO LOCAL CHINESE

 

It’s farmer’s market day and we’re considering where to go afterwards. The last few times at Gordon Bennett were a little disappointing, so it’s a change of scene. We think about Boat, a local Japanese, but we haven’t researched the menu enough to know whether that will suit. So we go to Naturally Chinese, on a corner nearby, where we had eaten only once before.

Now, I’m not against technology per se, though I have been falling behind a bit lately.  Here, they expect you to pull up the menu on your smartphone using a QR code. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. So they lend us a tablet to scroll through the menu – and then write down our order on a paper pad! Technology is fine if it improves the experience: ordering beer from an app in a crowded Twickenham pub was good as you avoided the scrum at the bar; a touch-screen table-top menu was less successful, as it had become greasy. Here, the menu is laid out well-enough, but unlike with a paper menu you couldn’t get a simple overview of what was on offer.

Anyway, we knew we wanted dim sum, which they advertise as a speciality. When we came before, the selection had seemed very limited, but now there is a good choice. We order two classic steamed dumplings - crabmeat and pumpkin, crystal prawn – and also steamed Shang Hai dumplings (pork in a “soup pocket”, with spoon provided). All fresh and interesting, not too much pumpkin. These were preceded by pork spring rolls in rice-paper – more like little sausages – and salt and chilli squid, good and crisp. We also had “thousand shreds” prawn – prawn wrapped in crispy kataifi patry, served with salad cream – which is impossible to eat politely, as you scatter pieces all across the table.

All the dim sum have been good, but we do feel we need a little more. So we decide on Singapore noodles and a beef dish (without looking again at the tablet). The friendly waitress talks us through the beef options, and we opt for ginger and spring onion. The noodles is a large portion, with plenty of chicken and shrimps, and a rather dominant curry flavour.   Beef rather ordinary.

We’ve had a couple of bottles of SA Chenin Blanc (£22.40 each), so the total has crept up to  £120 – a bit more than we’d normally pay for a dim sum lunch. But it has been enjoyable (attentive service, prompt arrival of dishes) so I’ve no doubt we’ll be back.