My mom doesn't like watching his cooking shows because she thinks he looks dirty. No offense to Mr. Oliver. The rugged look and casual demeanor just doesn't fly with her John Robert Powers training.
But my generation loves him. I think it's because we can relate - to his easy demeanor, his easy-to-remember recipes and of course the very contagious passion for healthy eating and using the freshest ingredients in cooking. So he was on my "to do" list in London - no pun intended.
"He's more of an advocate now though," my UK-based Danish cousin observed. "Oh. The whole bringing healthy food to public school students movement?" I asked. Whatever. I still wanted to go to a Jamie Oliver restaurant. So in spite of being challenged in directions on the commute, I made my way to distant Westland Place (not Westfield, which is apparently nearer the city) to Fifteen London, Oliver's first restaurant.
In fact it's still an advocacy. It says on the Fifteen London site:
Fifteen was founded by Jamie Oliver in 2002. His vision was to create a professionally run kitchen, serving beautiful Italian food, alongside a pioneering Apprentice Programme. At the heart of the business is a desire to enable young people to believe in themselves, to show them their past can be left behind and persuade them the future is theirs to create.
On the bar you will see the list of "graduates" of the apprentice program. And on a wall are the current apprentices. Oliver isn't around - off taping some show at some distant country, perhaps.
But it's also a good time.
It's a place that serves excellent food at reasonable prices in a relaxed atmosphere. Johnny Cash is in the air, people are in jeans, the staff are efficient, vibrant and funny.
Upon first bite of each dish, the first thing that knocks you off your feet is the freshness of flavors. From the burrata to - get this - the pork (!), there is a lightness in the flavors - without sacrificing depth - that lets you just know that everything is fresh.
Burrata reminds me of kesong puti but more gooey. Here it's with classic Italian mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and as anti-umay, caramelized almonds and slices of orange. A lovely appetizer to share.
The next amazing thing is texture. The menu described their gnocchi as "really light gnocchi" and boy did they follow through on their word. It was just really so so so soft. It was like flakes crumbling gently in your mouth. Then, like rouge on the fairest complexion, the kitchen accented the softness with measured tomato flavors. So pretty.
This pork dish was also to die for. Well, mejo nakaka-impacho sa laki - don't eat here alone! - but it was amazeballs. Aside from the size, the meat was so juicy - juicier than our own lechon, which sometimes has a tendency to be dry inside. Then the skin was sooo crispy, like lechon kawali, but not oily at all. The beans prevent you from getting tired of the pork too soon. 
It doesn't end there. This panna cotta was also beautifully executed. But by this time I was too full to appreciate it fully, only surviving by the smell of espresso from the bar.
I would really love to go back with my family. Also to see what next year or next next year's batch of cooks will have to offer. You can't lose with a restaurant with a mission like this. Oliver succeeds in both feeding hungry customers and hungry young chefs at one go.
Applause, applause.
Fifteen London. 15 Westland Place, London, N1 7LP
