イタリアンのチェーン・Jamie’s Italian、BBQ＆ステーキ店のBarbecoa、不運な生い立ちの若者たちをシェフとして訓練するレストラン＆慈善団体のFifteenなど、さまざまな形態のレストランを経営するセレブリティ・シェフ、ジェイミー・オリヴァー。慈善家気取りでテレビ等でヘルシーな食生活をお説教（自分は太めのくせに）、大英帝国勲章・MBE受賞した名声を活かして、レストラン帝国を着々と築き上げた。嬉しいことに、最近はテレビやメディアでもあまり見なくなったが、街を歩くと彼の店が嫌でも目につく。お目当てのレストランがクローズしていたので、以前ここのピザが美味しいと何かの記事で読んだと言うMの強い希望で、彼の店・Union Jacksで嫌々ながらランチした。
「British Classics（伝統的イギリス料理）」を謳う割に、ピザやホットドッグなど、他国の料理も売り物。イギリス産の厳選食材を使っているのでオッケーということらしい。薪を使った窯で焼き上げたアメリカ風ピザ生地は粉っぽくて、取り立てて美味しい訳じゃないけれど、トッピングのトマトソースとモッツァレラチーズは新鮮で熱々。ホットドッグも、オニオンやキャベツのフィリングが多すぎるのが難点だけれど、表面をパリッと焼いたパンに、美味しいソーセージが上手くマッチしている。食材にこだわるだけに、悔しいけれど味の方は悪くない。でもシェフよりビジネスマンと化したジェイミー・オリヴァーはどうしても好きになれないので、もう行かない。
Celebrity chef & restauranteur, Jamie Oliver. He owns different types of restaurants such as Jamie’s Italian (Italian), Barbecoa (BBQ & steak), Fifteen (charity restaurant0 etc. He preaches people on TV how unhealthy they eat, though he himself doesn’t look fit. Using his fame as a TV presenter and MBE holder, he has created his restaurant empire throughout UK and abroad. Yes, I don’t like Jamie as you can guess from my writing. I am happy that I don’t see him on media as much as before, but I see his restaurant here and there when I go out, no matter if I don’t want or not. Unfortunately the restaurant we wanted to go was closed that day, so I had no other choice but going to his British restaurant Union Jacks, as M insisted because he read an article that their pizza was good.
Union Jacks is “all about bringing back nostalgic British classics”, as their website says, though what they sell are not all British, such as their ‘incredible’ pizza and ‘great British’ hot dogs. But it is ok for them as they use ‘artisanal local’ ingredients. In fact, their wood-fired flatbread pizza, came with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella was not bad, though I don’t like that kind of American style dough. Their hot dog was delicious with handmade free-range sausage served in between slightly toasted bread, although the fillings (onions and cabbages) were too much. I don’t want to admit, but their food was not bad. But I don’t come back to Jamie’s restaurants, simply because he irritates me for some reason.
everydaylife.style 