Post 2: The Restaurant Series 3, episode 1 review

Wikipedia hasn't yet provided me with the names of all the contenders, so the descriptions are going to be fairly loose and limber.

Raymond made his introductions, welcoming the nine couples saying they'd done very well to get that far, from the thousands of applications. Surely this was not the nine couples in the country who want to run a restaurant and are most likely to succeed. It's just a guess, but I reckon people who really really want to run restaurants who have the necessary cooking and business skills are either already doing so, or wouldn't need Raymond's help.

First drop out of the series were the couple attempting to make a fruit salad with coconut mouuse. Clearly a coconut is a big solid thing, and takes a bit of opening. But even a child would know to hold a knife by the handle and not the blade. I was really scared for them. Funnier - because it wasn't quite so scary - was attempting to use a massive professional chef's knife as a tin opener. Not really any surprise that these were the first to leave.

And in a surprise, there were a second pair of dropouts. I can almost feel an episode coming on where Raymond just can't decide and gives everyone another chance coming on.... But as for the second drop-outs, maybe it was harsh editing - but the guy didn't know what he would call his restaurant. He can't really have not thought about this - Raymond asks this every year. He was either clueless or nervous. In either case, it might be an idea for him not to expose himself to such stressful restaurant naming situations again.

For the others, many can think themselves lucky the bar was set so low. Even at this very early stage, it's difficult to see quite a number of the couples lasting much longer:

• The picnic food boys might wink Raymond into sacking them
• The Packet-of-salmon couple seem really nice; but I'm not sure I'd go round their house for raw food
• There's 'badger' from the army who doesn't quite know what he's going to do yet but thinks he'll be fine in an Army town; Army lads being well known bon-viveurs.

I'm yet to spot the this year's model of Chris and Caroline; I do so hope a couple emerge in their daft-as-a-brush-but-loveable mould.

Sarah Willingham declared herself satisfied with the quality of the field. I'd be far more worried about that statement if it were my money going in any of their restaurants. She is though probably right to be satisifed with the entertainment quality of the contestants: roll on episode two.

Post 1: BBC Restaurant in your home

Last night was the first edition of 'Restaurant in your home'. Sadly it won't be the last. Where to start....
1) Who on earth would choose to go to a restaurant in someone's house as opposed to going to a proper restaurant?

2) The 'experts' didn't really seem all that expert to me. Certainly they weren't very expert at rubbing along with either themselves as a couple or the new-to-restaurant-in-home couple. When Gordon Ramsay does this sort of thing, there's a whole load of contrived shouting; but you do get the feeling he's trying his very best. Mike Pemberton stated he hated the new couple; which is a bit strong for a pair you've only just met

3) Borough Market is a lovely place, I've been there a number of times. It wouldn't be my first choice to go shopping for basic grocery vegetables though. I'd hope I'd be able to find somewhere easier to navigate my way around and a whole lot closer if I lived in Hackney. This whole shopping interlude seemed pretty contrived.

4) Where on earth do you find 14 people who are willing for pay an average of £42 per head for a meal which requires them to bring their own booze? The star-crossed couple thought people might come back!

5) According to the BBC's web site "Cooking just doesn't come any funnier than this". I remember a bit of friction, a load of stress, an unlikely success - but no laughs.

All in, pretty poor. Will I watch Restaurnat in your home again? possibly, but only because it's not Eastenders.