The Observer
For the second successive week, Jay turned his attention to a venture catering to the well-heeled international tourist market at an ‘iconic’ attraction – this time, Jason Atherton’s new hot dog concession in Harrods.
Oh dear. These hot dogs, from an “otherwise esteemed chef”, do not match the standard of hot dogs sold at, for instance, the Yankee baseball stadium in New York, despite costing between £19 and £22 a pop. They have a “weird, rough, grainy and very dry texture. The casing is wrinkled and hangs off them like an oversized old sock”, while “the buns are dense and claggy and undersweetened”.
Can things get worse? They can: “The online menu promised chips, but Harrods won’t let them have a deep fat fryer and apparently an air fryer didn’t work. So instead, there are tater tots for £7.50, which do have the authentic ‘mum’s been to Iceland’ crunch.” As for drinks, the wine list offers two of each colour: “The cheapest white is a Picpoul at £50 a bottle. It’s available online for £9.79. That’s a mark-up by a factor of five.”
Jay did find something nice to say: “Let’s hear it then for the sweet salty spiced corn ribs, the best thing on offer here.”
Jay Rayner - 2024-10-06
