Griddled asparagus

Ok I know I'm a bit late in the season to be writing about asparagus but have to share this one as I hadn't tried it until recently.

This is barely a recipe, it is so simple, but so delicious and gives a totally different flavour from the usual blanching method. That way you lose a lot of the flavour to the water, this way you retain it all.

Firstly, get a griddle pan on the hob to heat through. Snap the woody ends off the spears. Place the trimmed, tender stems on a plate and drizzle with an extra virgin olive oil. Season generously with salt and black pepper, and mix it all together.

Cook them in a hot, dry griddle pan for about 5-6 minutes, but this will vary depending on their thickness. Use your head.

I've been eating them as a canape with a glass of white wine...

Preto, Brazilian Churrascaria, Victoria.

So it has been ages since my first blog! And my only excuse is that life got in the way. However from now on I am going to update everyone at least once a week with a review or a recipe so please accept my apologies, normal service is now resumed!

I shall start by saying that if you are a vegetarian, simply do not go to this restaurant. Despite there being a good enough selection of dishes to keep you happy, the sight of whole cuts of rump, topside, legs of ham, the thighs of 10 chickens and the hearts of twenty, all cooked on a gigantic metal skewer over an open flame may make you feel uneasy. Being an omnivore with carnivorous leanings, this does not bother me in the slightest. I actually get rather excited about the whole thing.

The way it works is thus: you go in, sit down, order a drink, go to the buffet to get some token sides then return o your table. Then a torrent of meat is upon you. It is all brought round to your table and pieces of dar succulent meat are carved and sever straight onto your plate. The only thing stopping you is your own will power and a small paper disc on your table. On one side it is green with 'sim' written on it (Portuguese for yes) the other is red with 'no'. Turn this over only when you can handle no more because if you flip too soon, you will regret it. It is like accepting defeat and swiftly being robbed of your weapons; plate and cutlery are whisked away. You fought well but you must now gracefully accept defeat.

This is an experience to be tried by all, even if you don't have an expandable stomach as the quality of the meat really is very good. The cooking is not so much an issue at there is usually some part of the joint that you will want - the outer bits will be closer to well done, the further in you carve the more juicy and tender the meat will be.

The place is just as good for couples as it is groups of 8 or more, although that said it is no first date venue! You can have the downstairs to yourselves if your party is large enough and it is only a five minute walk from Victoria station.

Preto, 72 Wilton Road, SW1V 1DE. 020 7233 8668

My first review - Charlotte's Bistro, Chiswick, London

Having heard great things about the original Charlotte's place in Ealing and had many an assured word about the quality of dining to be experienced there, it was not long before I wandered along to their new offering on Turnham Green Terrace.

The decor has changed from the Fishworks restaurant that was its predecessor, the layout is the same, and there is still the roof light that allows the summer sun to warm you, should it ever grace our isle with its presence again.

I arrived before my two fellow diners, and was shown to my seat by the perfectly pleasant waiter. I couldn't help but think that given they were less than busy, an offering to hang up my coat would not have gone amiss. I busied myself with the menu during the short wait for my company to arrive.

To start I chose the pear and Roquefort salad, the latter being a favourite of mine, and the quality of the cheese did not disappoint. The pear it was served with was rather lacking in texture and flavour. The beetroot might not as well have been on the plate aside from the fact it brought a bit of colour. Thankfully the bottle of Beaujolais we had ordered surpassed expectations as had the bread, although there was an annoying £1 cover charge for this.

On to the main event, a supreme of chicken wrapped in wild garlic leaves and Parma ham served with dauphinoise potato and spinach, dressed in a morel mushroom sauce. Although this dish did take longer than it needed to, it was worth the wait. The garlic leaves and Parma ham went very well with the chicken and gave it a good seasoning. The cooking was spot on. The dauphinoise soft and creamy within, golden brown on top, the spinach tender and the sauce made with Marsala and chicken consomme, complimented the dish very well. It is in the sauce that my only real gripe with the main course lies. It was not a morel mushroom sauce. There were two tiny pieces of morel in the sauce. Not enough to give flavour or reason to call it a morel mushroom sauce. Having recently seen morels at £50/kilo I can understand why, but it is my belief that morels are at best situated on the menus of fine dining restaurants, where the chef can afford to be generous with them, not on bistro menus just for show.

To close the evening's proceedings, I chose the creme brulee. It is a favourite and I consider it the omelette test of the dessert world. It arrived in the perfect flat, round dish. The creme was of the right consistency and flecked with vanilla seeds, the only thing I could critique was the fact that the brulee part was a bit thin towards the edges. That did not stop me from eating it all though.

The service throughout was good, if at times a little over enthusiastic (they always ask if everything is ok just when you have your mouth full don't they?), but good enough for me to forget about the coat.

I look forward to going back and seeing how the menu changes with the seasons and to see if the restaurant has relaxed into itself a bit more, all in all a pleasant dining experience.

Charlotte's Bistro, 6 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, W4 1QP, 020 8742 3590.