Who wants yesterday's papers? John Salt January 13 Review

As we review chefs these days, not restaurants, and this 'restaurant' being the notorious John Salt, I thought I'd actually get a write-up in of this place before leaving it to the heavyweights, who are so slow and fogeyish and Victorian in their olde-worlde printed press, they probably still file their copy by carrier pidgeon before waiting a few weeks in The Punch Tavern on Fleet Street for the print unions to decide whether to even bother arranging the hot metal letters and printing a story at all.. And by that time, whatever it was they were writing about was no longer news, but yawningly out-of-date comment that simply underlines their destiny to the vaults of antiquity.

I happen to be so hip, I get invited before the bloggers, so stick that in your DSLR (which I wish I had, cos my pics are crap). 

I'm so early they are still working things out. Hell, the food isn't even ready yet.

Anyway, there I was at the table, ready to sample what Mr Neil Rankin and his sous-chef pal Luke Finlay (you heard it here first) are doing at DJ Jon Carter's (catch the name drop) Upper Street Bub. Par. Bar/pub. What is it that makes a bar a bar, and a pub a pub again?

I won't hang about, as you all know what the place is all about, as it's been reviewed countless times already. Anyway here we go:

1. Potted Jowl with toast. Tasty, teeny bit under-seasoned but I loved it with the little red onions and chillies it came with.

Jowl

2. Burnt leeks, shiitake, Parmesan & truffle vinaigrette. I loved this, couldn't really taste the truffle though.

Leeks

3. Raw beef, pear, sesame, oyster. Best starter on the table I think, bit of a kick, really tasty.

Beef

4. Baked crab with bisque butter. It might be just me but I found it overly smokey and charred, and I have a personal aversion to baked shell smell. Others who don't care about this will not mind. Please supply some flesh picking implements though!

5. Skirt steak. Good, very rare, but if you eat steak that isn't rare you're a wet blanket anyway.

6. Green chilli poussin. Very tasty indeed, pre-cooked and then deep fried, it tasted to me like a Pizza Express American Hot. I mean REALLY like that. And that's not a bad thing, I absolutely love PE American Hots. Who doesn't?

7. Frites (love the use of French here) with pulled pork, kimchi and cheese or beef dripping. We had both kinds, all very good. I'm not expert on fries, someone at the table said they were like BK fries. Again, not a bad thing.

So that's it. Lots of other bloggers with far better food insight than me (and better cameras) will no doubt tell you much more long winded and elaborate stories, but hell, I'm attempting to get you the info in time for you to actually go and try for yourself, as it'll probably close by tomorrow lunchtime.

N.B. Editors of national newspapers, maybe consult me before sending out the old geriatrics next time, eh?

P.S. Hot off the press, this lot will in a few month's time taking over the kitchens at The Owl & The Pussycat in Redchurch street.

NOTE: I paid for my meal. I got 50% f&f discount.