A hearty meal for two

Nat Alexander, who is looking forward to claiming his prize of a trip to New York after winning The Evening Standard Gourmet Competition 2005, asked if we could eat out to discuss his ambition to be a restaurateur.

We met at a fairly new restaurant and bar (converted pub) in Fulham called Meum Cor. I'm glad he doesn't envisage his future as a restaurant critic as Meum Cor, which translates from Latin as My Heart, might have put him off. It was unfortunate that a shortage of staff, ie only one waitress, meant that the attractive restaurant on the first floor was out-of-action and the restaurant menu was being offered in the bar.

Irish rock oysters were unavailable, as was the apricot-stuffed pork fillet wrapped in Parma ham served with mixed greens, parmentiere (sic) potatoes and cider cream sauce. None of us minded too much about that pork dish.

Meum Cor's chef is Daniel Bodimeade, who has worked at Quaglino's and cooked at The Settle Inn in Battersea, when it won Evening Standard Pub of the Year. What an Evening Standard gathering it was. From the first courses the mushroom soup, more like a mushroom purée, was much liked.

But it was thought that the seared Hastings scallops served with black pudding - a fashion that must be near the end of its natural life - and minted pea purée could have been a good deal fresher. Just a bit more seasoning would have pepped up peppered beef carpaccio with celeriac remoulade.

In the main course, more time in the oven and pan would have benefited rack of lamb, potatoand-apple gratin and French beans; all underdone. Steak and chips were fine, but green and white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce - a first course eaten as a main course - was execrable. Why serve asparagus out of season and then make Hollandaise like Bird's custard?

Nat said his mother made a better banoffee pie than the one here but I gather that his mum is a wonderful cook. Service was sweet and friendly.

I'd go back for the Sunday lunch of various roasted meats and huge bowls of roast potatoes served all day. In the meantime, Nat and I have planned to meet up at his favourite local, Viet Garden, in Islington.

Meum Cor
308-310 North End Road, SW6