When I got to London, I was hustled off to L'Autre Pied  where a young, 27, chef called Marcus Eaves, veteran of several Michelin starred kitchens, was producing scintillating fashionista cooking, the kind that comes with sous-vide, beignets and foams.

We booked for a Friday and were given a 7pm slot and could we leave by 9? OK.

Service was brisk: we loved the huge pale and mild  green olives but the waitress didn't know their name - however she went and found out where we could buy them.  I kept wondering whether the poached egg cooked for two hours sousvide really tastes any different from a regular poached egg, but I do know it tastes wonderful with  morteaux sausage puree, crushed peas and smoked butter emulsion. That is to say the serving is so small that I swallow two delicious mouthfuls in less than a minute. This is food that literally slips down -- teeth are redundant.

But the appetizer that really juiced us  up  was the button mushroom and smoked bacon duxelle garnished with two intensely musty French wild mushrooms,  girolle veloute and trompette de la mort. Just had to hold your breath and hope the forager was an expert.

The entrees were all tempting --  a superb loin of Gloucester Old Spot Pork with smoked pureed potatoes, glazed white beans and a dribble of majoram jus packed an aftertaste that dwarfed its small size, and ditto cornish lamb with zucchini puree, confit tomatoes, a dab of polenta and black olive jus. Nothing wrong with the roasted hake with baby squid, fennel, basil crushed potatoes and Gazpacho consomme....you do have to work hard  though to identify the complex flavours.

Price;  appetizers around $18 and entrees from $36 to $45, and very good wines by the glass start at $10 for 125ML.  We went way past 9 as one guest was late but the staff made no fuss although there were people drinking in the pub across the street calling in to see when their table was ready.

And what a relief -- no music on the menu. Instead, people still talk to each other in restaurants over here .