Fifteen

Fifteen London
Jamie Oliver's groundbreaking venture in the City was founded in 2002, born of a belief that professional kitchen discipline could help rebuild the life and self-esteem of someone who'd taken the wrong path.  Fifteen does just that, taking on the wayward and neglected and putting them through chef apprenticeships - just 15 young people aged 16 to 24 are selected each year and when they graduate the Fifteen Foundation helps them find a position in the industry.  The restaurant is a commercial business, with a corps of 90 staff, so there is little room for acting out - these students are expected to respect the regimental hierarchy endemic of all kitchens and learn on their feet.  The model has been so successful that there are now Fifteens in Cornwall, Amsterdam and Melbourne.  Say what you like about Oliver, who has attracted his fair share of detractors put off by his cheeky chappie, bish-bash-bosh, pukka persona, but his heart is in the right place and Fifteen is proof that his ideas are not just pie in the sky.  And his passion for fresh, locally sourced ingredients is at the heart of each restaurant.
We arrive after a long Sunday drive across London, crossing Tower Bridge on our way into the City, and passing the uber-hip Spitalfields Market, the re-imagined flower market which is now home to John Torode's multi-level restaurant, Luxe.  That'll have to wait for another day.
I was confused by the Fifteen website and had originally booked for the Trattoria thinking that the Dining Room was closed for Sunday lunch, but on arrival we discovered my mistake and were able to switch.  Imaginative renovation to this former warehouse building has brought plenty of light into the lower ground floor which houses the more formal restaurant, and the long narrow room has been carefully designed to allow for flow and space.  The busy kitchen is glimpsed as we are led through to our table, where we note how many of the other tables are populated by tourists - many young and Oriental - which  reflects both the global popularity of Jamie and the fact that on a Sunday the City suits have vacated and their world belongs to the tourists. 
We munch on some fluffy foccaccia with the most incredible olive oil - so fresh, flowery and peppery it's addictive and, lucky for us, can be bought to take home - while we browse the menu, which is an homage to the many local suppliers and resources for the ingredients.  So many tough decisions this takes a while . . . finally we are ready.  I will have the 'lightest potato gnocchi primavera with peas, broad beans, mint and Pecorino' to start then Porchetta-style pork with puntarelle (a variety of chicory common in and around Rome), braised onions and a salsa di dragoncello - a sauce of chopped egg, bread, capers, tarragon and parsley.  He chooses Orecchiete with mussels and tomatoes with a white wine sauce topped with a chilli, basil and anchovy pangrattato (essentially fried breadcrumbs), followed by loin of lamb with a Roman vegetable stew and wild garlic leaf pesto.  We also choose the 'wine flight light' option which matches wines to the food - 3 glasses for £15 or 4 for £20 which is a bargain, especially as the glasses are a generous pour. 
We wait.  And wait.  Then the Manager appears with apologies and a bowl of meaty green olives as a peace offering - our ticket was lost, so there will be a delay . . . so, so sorry . . . maybe some more foccaccia while you wait?  Yes please, more of the yummy olive oil too - and maybe some balsamic?  The Balsamic is as sublime as the oil, aged for so long that the sharp notes have been mellowed out, it is deep, and sweet and syrupy.  
Our appetizers finally arrive - the gnocchi are truly the lightest I've ever eaten, like little pillows that melt in your mouth, and the spring vegetables are perfectly cooked.  The Orecchiette dish is also a winner, with sweet golden cherry tomatoes mimicking the colour of the mussels (big NZ Green Lips) and, again, everything cooked to perfection.  The wines which the sommelier has chosen are a great match too.  Lunch could have stopped here and I'd have been happy . . .
The roasted meats arrive next though, and I'm glad it didn't stop.    The vegetables get the highest praise when it's announced that he could be a vegetarian if all vegetables were like this. This is not simple food, but it is fundamentally rustic.  Once again the wines hit the right note.
We simply cannot find room for dessert, can we?  Well, maybe a little glass of dessert wine instead.  Ahh, yes.  And we'd better have an espresso to aid the digestion too.
I have to say that this is the best Italian food I've eaten outside of Italy - there's such a depth of flavour and intensity to everything that there's a little dance going on in each mouthful.  The memory of this meal will stay with us for a long time, and we'll be reminded of it each time we use our new favourite olive oil.  So, 10 out of 10 for Fifteen then, JO's great experiment is a win-win, both for the diners and for the budding chefs.
http://www.fifteen.net/
http://www.fifteenshop.net/ to purchase the wonderful Petrolo olive oil.