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Welcome back to Insta Stories, a column examining the London restaurant scene through the often-problematic medium of Instagram. This week’s filter is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
News of the week
The announcement that Jamie Oliver will close all but a handful of his restaurants met with a flurry of responses from extremely online people this week — not all of them positive. On Instagram, though, things were a little more measured, and a little more celebratory, acknowledging the chef’s influence in developing a generation of cooks — both at home and in his restaurants. Sure, the tagliatelle with black truffle and the lobster mezzaluna at Jamie’s Italian may not have passed critical muster in recent times, but the very fact that a country could go from embracing these dishes to turning its collective nose up at inferior executions in a matter of years shows how significant Oliver’s impact has been. It’s nice to see that there’s space for the heartfelt and the genuine at times like these.
Wholesome internet craze of the week
Post-Momo (not that one, or this one, but this one), stuff doing the rounds on the internet has developed a fairly toxic reputation. So three cheers for the hashtag #7favouritecookbooks, which encourages Instagrammers to share their best-loved and most influential tomes, and provides a fascinating insight into the books and cooks that make other cooks tick. Anyone leaving The Very Hungry Caterpillar out of their list needs to take a long hard look at themselves.
Dinner of the week
To Rochelle Canteen, for a dinner celebrating Samin Nosrat and attended by a host of other industry faves. Nigella Lawson! Diana Henry! The Hendersons! Meera Sodha! Claire Ptak! Sorry, Ellen Oscars selfie — there’s a culinary contender in town.
Accessory of the week
One for the Donnie Darko heads?
Condiment hue of the week
One for the Austin Powers heads?
Check-in on burgeoning trend of the week
Yep, still a thing.
Week of the week
It’s a testament to @londoneater’s prowess that his own home-cooked dishes can stand up to fare from two of West London’s hottest new tickets and one of Paris’ most beloved three-star joints. Although does a hungover weekend cheese toastie chez London Eater mean Cathedral City and Tabasco on Warburton’s, or Delice de Bourgogne and piment d’Espelette on Poilâne?
Dish of the week
Bao down.
Shot of the week
#Paris-Blessed.
