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DINING OUT IN LONDON
Everyone knows how expensive London is and a recent survey published by Mercer Human Resources, confirmed this; the city ranked as the world's second costliest in the world. Moscow was first. New York City, which served as the basis for the survey, ranked 15th. A few months later, Zagat, the restaurant rating company, revealed its results of the most expensive cities in which to dine and not surprisingly, London took the crown! The average meal costs just over $79. Paris ranked number two at $72 and New York was 15th at $39.

THE DORCHESTER GRILL
My dad loves food but, like many Americans, held the misconception that you can't find good eats in London. I just had to show him differently! We dined at two of London's best restaurants. Of course, neither was cheap but both were perfect for those special occasions. We pulled up to the five-star Dorchester Hotel. Nestled just off the lobby is the Dorchester Grill. Walking into the dining room actually made me gasp. The regal decor had tartan-patterned chairs mixed with mahogany-framed seats with vivid red cushions and lampshades. All of this is centered around a monster bouquet of red roses. The room is breathtaking to say the least. We started off with a small portion of onion soup with cheese, compliments of the chef. On the side was foie gras, dipped and rolled in sourdough breadcrumbs. I'm not a fan of foie gras but it was actually pretty good. The waiter was waiting for our approval so I had to down it!

My appetizer was a little piece of braised chicken accompanied by fluffy and light, cheese-filled cannolis. My heart-conscious dad had a salad topped with edible flowers. I didn't try one of the chef's signature dishes; one was roasted Cornish scallops with white truffle and white chocolate risotto. It sounds delightful, doesn't it? But I'm not into scallops. Instead, I had the parmesan macaroni with spring vegetables and pea puree, a fancy name for expensive mac and cheese. However, my dad said his steamed Dover sole, served with cauliflower flan, smoked eel and horseradish, was the best ever. The wait staff was from all around Europe and one was from Brazil. None were stuffy, including the captain who was an Italian man who's been living in England for 40 years. When I told him we had an 8:30pm play to attend, he looked at his watch, ran into the kitchen, returned and said, "Don't worry, you are now our priority!" Sure enough, we were and we made the play on time. We even managed to indulge in the peanut butter and chocolate opera dessert with banana ice cream and profiteroles; my favorite was the fudge, then the white chocolate green tea. BTW: My dad had the English raspberry with yoghurt sorbet and gauffrette biscuit dessert, which sounded so good but it cost $21 and there were just three raspberries! The Dorchester Grill, Park Lane; tel.: +44 (0) 20 7629 8888.

AVENUE Q
Even though my dad can't hear too well, I wanted him to experience theatre in London. It's my favorite thing to do in this city, so I arranged tickets for the musical Avenue Q. Neither of us had seen it, I'd heard good reviews and on Friday and Saturday nights, the show begins at 8:30pm which is perfect for someone who's just arrived from America. This way, you can get dinner in advance, see the show, take a quick walk around the West End, then go to bed at a perfect hour to ward off jet lag. Avenue Q was funny. The actors all had puppets, probably because it's the only way they could pull off tackling such controversial topics like racism, sex and homosexuality. Our seats were awesome. I got them in advance from Keith Prowse who have sold tickets to theatre, sports events, concerts and special events for more than 200 years in London. These guys also sell the parliament tour tickets. They started in London and now have offices around the globe. They don't have incredible deals, necessarily, but when you want to see a certain performance, front row and center, they're the ones to go to. If I didn't have my heart set on a late show or Avenue Q, I would have taken my dad down to Leicester Square and rolled the dice to find a discounted play. That's where theatergoers can find inexpensive tickets, though not every show is available and the seats might not be great. Many shops sell tickets, though none is more popular than TKTS, the same company as in Times Square. FYI: The Noël Coward Theatre where Avenue Q was playing was hot as can be. There was no A/C and since my dad couldn't hear well, we left after the 15-minute intermission, about an hour into it.



FOLIAGE AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL
The following night we indulged again, this time at Foliage in the Mandarin Oriental. This restaurant has been awarded, for the sixth consecutive year, one Michelin star, a prestigious award for a restaurant. The glass plates. For lunch (£29) and dinner (£60) they offer a four-course, tasting menu or a menu surprise (£75). We went with the latter and when the waiter asked us what we don't like my dad said, "Onions." I wish I had that palate. I gave a long list that included seafood, goat cheese, lamb, liver, olives, foie gras, carpaccio … You know the chefs David Nicholls and Chris Staines were thinking, "What the heck?! Who is this guy?" Menu highlights include: Tomato with watermelon, feta and basil. Sea bass with blood orange, red pepper and cucumber. Chicken with purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and hazelnuts. We enjoyed six courses and dinner lasted four hours. The wait staff could not have been any more alert. They knew everyone's name and address you the moment you walk in. Water glasses never run low and God forbid your napkin falls off your lap; they put a new one on you immediately. They even guide you to the bathroom (the urinal has a splash guard) through the happening bar filled with beautiful women. Foliage, 66 Knightsbridge, London; Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7201 3723.

NICHOLLS SPINAL INJURY FOUNDATION
I also had a chance to meet the executive chef David Nicholls who is not only a famous cook but also a wonderful person. After his son suffered a spinal injury while swimming in Australia, he created The Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. To promote it and to raise money he published a book Off Duty with 48 other acclaimed chefs (including Thomas Keller and Jean-Georges) full of interviews and 144 recipes.

VIDEO
Here's a short Johnny Jet video of our trip to London. It's also on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, my dad and I put our RailEurope passes to good use by hopping on a train and traveling to another country!

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Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

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All information presented here is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Please confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

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Note: This trip was sponsored by Visit Britain, The Milestone Hotel and Apartments, Kensington Palace, RailEurope.com, Dorchester Grill, Foliage.




Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.