tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40175560333038587942024-02-21T07:52:25.872+00:00Dinnerathon.Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-48449452837467264542015-01-21T14:23:00.001+00:002015-01-21T14:23:14.378+00:00Smoking Goat: Inspired<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since the summer of 2007, smokers have had to stand outside, shielding their glowing embers from the sideways rain, a true British summer experience. But inside kitchens all across the Capital, there has been a growing trend to cooking the campfire way. Josper's shares must have gone through the roof - charcoal is in high demand. Others have turned to wood. But I have never before seen coal used on a menu. Step forward Smoking Goat, a restaurant serving BBQ with the flavours of Thailand, with their "coal roast aubergine salad". Similar to those smoked aubergines you can pick up in Istanbul. But with extra smoke. A mound of mint leaves. A soft boiled egg. And a drenching bristling with chili, lime and fish sauce. No one in Thailand may ever have eaten this. But I bet they wish they had.<br />
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All of the chit chatter had been about the crab which was sadly not available on my visit. So, chicken wings it was. After burgers and hot dogs, chicken wings have been a staple in London for longer than perhaps they should. As with any food trends, so many of the late arrivals are sad imitations. Not Smoking Goat. They'll see your smoked chipotle or gochujang and raise you some fish sauce. Salty, crispy, spicy, these were inspired.<br />
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Next up a yellow curry with clams - perfectly balanced flavours, generous clams - this on its own would merit a trip to Smoking Goat.<br />
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Back to another food trend sadly often ruined - ribs. In place of pork or beef: lamb. We had nothing to worry about. Cooked to the right side of tender, smoky from the wood: sweet and sticky on their own, they were transformed by a quick dunk in a dipping sauce straight out of Chatuchak.<br />
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The only things which didn't quite hit the mark were the som tam, a little carboardy and lacking in punch, and the rice which arrived late and was underdone. Still minor aberrations in what was otherwise an incredible meal.<br />
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Décor is non-descript, a few of those low-flying bulbs to hit your head off, bare wooden tables. So understated in fact that a father and son came in while waiting for sisters and mum. They didn't eat a thing, assuming I suppose that it was just a quiet pub, a place to grab a quick pint. I was tempted to beseech them to stay - at least for a portion of those chicken wings - but as soon as they arrived, they were gone, a swift pint down the hatch and back outside to the madding world of Soho.<br />
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Smoking Goat opened about the same time as <a href="http://dinnerathon.blogspot.co.uk/2014_11_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Som Saa</a>, and with both focussing on Thai BBQ, comparisons were always going to be made. But I am not sure that is all that fair. They are both absolutely fantastic, each in their own way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1893008/restaurant/Covent-Garden/Smoking-Goat-London"><img alt="Smoking Goat on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1893008/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-28213176775888384502015-01-10T09:47:00.001+00:002015-01-10T09:47:29.896+00:00The Bonneville: Clapton on the move<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before we go any further, lets get the toilets out of the way. If you've never been to the London Dungeon, and lord knows why you would unless you have visited as a hapless tourist, you need no longer even consider it. Put that £17.50 back in your pocket; <a href="http://www.thebonneville.co.uk/#firstPage" target="_blank">The Bonneville</a> has it covered. <br />
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Some might call it naff, it probably is, but I liked it. Descend the stairs and the dry ice gets to work: "smoke"; a cobbled street; all very spooky. Its like you've been on the Delorean with Doc Brown, transported from hipster heaven to Queen Vic's London, you could imagine Jack the Ripper walking past, dipping his cap, on the way to his latest misadventure. It all makes for quite a dramatic place to take a pee.<br />
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But back to upstairs: here things are much more Clapton 2014. Walls are stripped, men are mustached, braces are abundant. Despite this it feels cosy, a place you want to be. There is a lever espresso machine in the corner (a La Pavoni I would proffer), resplendent in brass. Beers are served by the 2/3 pint, a good selection of local craft, a pisco sour was lost in the making, just too sweet.<br />
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While the Bonneville may be very Clapton 2014, the menu is from a hidden brasserie in the Bastille. Resolutely Gallic. There are snails, but they lack the necessary punch. Where is the butter, let alone the garlic - they should be drowning. Here they feel like they've been on one of Channel 4's fat camps; transformed into a health food. <br />
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The tartiflette is much better, but still lacked a certain oomph. <br />
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We get to the cassoulet and at last the Bonnville starts singing. The beans have done their job, rich and creamy, excellent sausage and bacon. This is what many look for but can often no longer find in Paris' never-ending brasseries; honest, rich, hearty, French cooking. The green salad is spiked with tart French dressing; a perfect bedfellow for the rich cassoulet. <br />
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There is also steak and frites: its fine, but hardly a destination dish.<br />
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There is no doubt you can eat better French food in London at a similar price. But the Bonneville has something: it makes you want to snuggle up for the night. Outside is a place you don't need to confront for a while. For you are safe in the arms of the Bonneville, another glass of red wine? Oh, okay, why not. Outside can wait a little longer.<br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-49268476376419116212014-11-16T09:46:00.000+00:002014-11-16T09:46:58.254+00:00Som Saa: worth the wait!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love a queue. I really do. I see a restaurant surrounded by baying "foodies" and I want to go. I will stand in the rain, the sleet and the snow, just to get whatever it may be: a burger; some ramen perhaps. I waited 2 hours for a burger from #Meateasy, as they then were, in New Cross Gate. Call me boring, but the great thing about a queue is that it is orderly, you may be climbing the culinary equivalent of Everest, but the summit is in sight: you know how many breathless steps you have got to go to get there.<br />
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Men with clipboards, however well meaning, are a slightly different prospect. You are assured of 45 minutes, that comes and goes. Others, who arrived after, seem to be sitting down earlier (perhaps the joys of eating in a three). One table, almost empty other than for a few portly gentleman, offers hope, a false dawn; no that is the owner who needs nine seats for him and his chums. An hour arrives, still no luck. Another quarter, nope, still waiting.<br />
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We get to 1 hour 35 and at last we sit down, a little weary, murmurings that "it had all better be worth it". But see that's where <a href="https://twitter.com/somsaa_london" target="_blank">Som Saa</a>, the latest pop up at <a href="http://www.climpsonsarch.com/" target="_blank">Climpson's Arch</a>, gets you. Because it is. Despite the disorderly seating system, the mislaid snacks which turned up 30 minutes late and the general lack of organisation, the food is, in the main, very good indeed. You have traveled through purgatory and arrived in heaven: a heaven heavy-laden with chili, drenched in fish sauce and full of lime-smacked smiles. In London it is perhaps only second to The Heron in delivering that collision of flavour that only Thailand can.<br />
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Some snacks got us through our wait, cashew nuts tarted up with Kaffir Lime and chili, some fermented pork, sour and spicy. There is the usual som tam, here served Bangkok or Isaan style (a little heavy on the salt, but vibrant).<br />
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Grilled pork neck makes the most of the wood-fired oven at Climpson's Arch - hot, sweet, sour, and salty in equal measures, it is everything Thai food should be.There is a curry which, to my palate tastes similar to a Massaman, although it is given a much more interesting name here.<br />
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Juicy prawns are simply grilled, served with a dipping sauce in which to get your fingers grubby.<br />
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And fish, perhaps the scariest looking sea bass you ever will see - I was waiting for fireballs to roll forth from its nose! It may look overdone, but the flesh was perfect, the skin crispy. A triumph on which to end.<br />
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The wait and the queuing system at Som Saa may be frustrating, the food is anything but. Head early or late, gorge on some of the best Thai food around and leave laughing. I'll be the one at the bottom of the clipboard, waiting for my hit.<br />
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*Thanks to the kitchen for the extra serving of prawns to make up for the wait, much appreciated!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1798678/restaurant/Hackney/Climpsons-Arch-London"><img alt="Climpson's Arch on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1798678/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-2612762152908709452014-05-18T10:10:00.002+01:002014-05-18T10:10:58.481+01:00Chotto Matte: Nikkei cuisine with a side of glam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chotto Matte is a restaurant in Soho. It serves Nikkei cuisine. Obviously. A heady mix of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, think sashimi with giant corn, it is a cuisine made for London in 2014. Peruvian, heralded as the saviour last year, has become a slow-burning success (Ceviche has two branches, Lima a star). Japanese, and especially Japanese "fusion" (how I do hate that word), continues to be a popular amongst the chattering classes.<br />
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There is graffiti, but not any old graffiti, Chotto Matte has anime graffiti. Of course there are the Soho chandeliers - the hanging light bulbs of Babylon. There is a winding staircase and a gaggle of glamorous people waiting to greet you. This place has been designed to fit around the stylish set of Soho - a quick look on the website reveals no less than 190 photos of people who I am sure I should know, but don't, all looking just fantastic. Designer heaven set against a backdrop of anime. </div>
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This is not really my style - I prefer a more simple set up. But I digress, I shouldn't be so shallow. Can they cook? Do they manage to blend their sashimi with their ceviche? That is the important thing. </div>
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Emphatically, yes. I know, I am as surprised as you. Often when this much attention has been spent on cultivating such an on-trend look, restaurateurs forget that they also have to serve up half decent plate of grub. No such loss of focus at Chotto Matte. Bar a couple of slightly less impressive dishes (the gyoza were simply fine, the ox heart a little chewy), we are served plate after plate of food that will make you smile. Beautiful food. Tasty food.</div>
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A trio of raw seafood to kick things off: limey scallop with jalapeno, yes please; seabass with that giant corn, crispy and boiled; and yellowtail and yuzu. Fresh fish, bang on flavours, it all worked. And, to boot, it was all just so darned pretty!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea bass, sweet potato and corn </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Things continued with some crispy softshell crab and beef heart in a "traditional" marinade - a rousing mix of panca and amarillo peppers, unctuous is the word I think. There were also gyoza, crispy one side, punctuated by garlic.</span></div>
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We finished with a couple of tostaditas. Now maybe this is what Nikkei cuisine is - I have eaten well in Peru and Japan, but I don't profess to be an expert - but it certainly felt as if we had headed a couple of thousand miles north to Mexico when these came out - think the beach at Tulum. Crispy tortilla topped with beef fillet "tataki" (not sure that we had enough of a sear to get us to tataki, but nice nonetheless), and black cod with miso. Great snacking food. <br />
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Does it serve up genuine Nikkei cuisine? Probably not. Does it matter? Probably not. Chotto Matte is like a student on their gap year, let loose with an STA round-the-world ticket: some truffle from Italy, a stop in Mexico for supplies, a lengthy stay in Peru to "help the locals", followed by some culture in Japan. You know what though, I enjoyed my gap year. And I enjoyed Chotto Matte too, so there!</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1773117/restaurant/Soho/Chotto-Matte-London"><img alt="Chotto Matte on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1773117/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-49494990942360342702014-03-29T10:07:00.000+00:002014-04-01T08:17:55.889+01:00Top Taste: Liaoning in Bethnal Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe taught us anything (putting aside the deeply religious connotations for just one second) it is that it is good to walk through strange doors. No really, imagine if they hadn't gone through the wardrobe. No story, just four kids from London on an adventure in the countryside. Okay Enid Blyton did well enough out of that with her bands of adventurers, five famous ones, seven secret, but you get my point. CS Lewis's novel is nothing without that first step over the threshold.<br />
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And so back to restaurants. Sometimes it's easy to go in. Candles flickering, white linen table cloths and a maitre d' waiting to take your coat. Why would you stay outside? But Top Taste (terrible name, but in fairness it is a direct quotation from the Chinese, liao wei feng) is harder. From the outside it looks like a cross between a terrible Cantonese takeaway and a herbal remedy store. It doesn't conjure images of a secret wonderland: you wouldn't think that Narnia, Aslan and Mr Tumnus were behind that door. But, you'd be wrong. Because behind that exterior are all the delights of northern Chinese cuisine (sadly I am no expert in the difference between the flavours of Xingjiang, Szechuan and Liaoning): sichuan pepper, mounds of chili and barbecued meats.</div>
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I was encouraged to take that first step into Top Taste thanks to a great article by <a href="http://www.fuchsiadunlop.com/the-long-march-of-chinese-regional-cooking-in-britain/" target="_blank">Fuschia Dunlop</a> on regional Chinese food available in London. While she might have missed out the best of the lot (Silk Road in Camberwell - a haven for Xinjianese cooking) she did have a number of other great recommendations - definitely worth a read.</div>
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The menu at Top Taste is split into Chef's specials, the Liaoning food I suspect, and various other generic Chinese dishes. With the restaurant full, we spent ages trying to guess what others were eating, before eventually settling on some dry fried green beans, stir fried lamb chop with chili and twice cooked pork with chili.</div>
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Green beans arrived first - a smack of chili, stirred through with minced chicken (this is not a place for veggies), salty with soy sauce, a heady mixture.</div>
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Next up was the highlight, lamb chops. You certainly wouldn't call them french-trimmed, but they were all the better for it. Slow-cooked over what must have been hours, then flash fried before being served, they were crispy and soft, like some kind of Liaoning take on southern fried chicken, but with lamb and laden with chili.</div>
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The only disappointment of the night was the twice cooked pork - the belly meat was a little dry in places, the szechuan pepper so liberally used that it didn't work for me.</div>
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Given the mounds coming out of the kitchen, we also had to try one each of the squid, beef tendon and BBQ lamb skewers. With a heavy dusting of cumin powder they worked well, but I am not sure if I would order the plate of 15 like others were.</div>
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Finally, and without any need given the volume of food consumed, we had a "pan fried garlic chive pancake pocket". Now it may look like something from Findus, but this was great, lightly fried with a crisp shell, the filling was joy of chive, egg and garlic.</div>
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So take that step, get over the drab exterior and walk inside. Top Taste will reward you with a feast of chilies and barbecue. Oh and the beers are only £2.50, what's not to like.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1825420/restaurant/Bethnal-Green/Top-Taste-London"><img alt="Top Taste on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1825420/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-62803952526975554732014-01-25T09:10:00.000+00:002014-01-25T09:29:49.281+00:00Kench and Bibesy: they are at least trying<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What do you say to someone who has tried their very, very best, but just not quite reached whichever pinnacle they had set their sights on? The Olympic sprinter who, after training for four years, all those early mornings, sweat and tears, gets knocked out in the semi-final after having been paired in race full of Jamaicans. Do you say, try, try again - take a leaf from that man Robert the Bruce and his eight legged friend? Or do you just smile, say well done, but you're just never going to be able to quite do what they do - you can't match the Jamaicans: the Clove Club, the Beagles, the Ten Bells of this world.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kenchandbibesy.com/" target="_blank">Kench and Bibesy</a> is the new(ish) place from the people behind The Evans and Peel Detective Agency in Earls Court - a prohibition era style bar where you need an "appointment with a detective" to get a seat. I've not made the schlep over London to get there, but it sounds fun. The prohibition-era vibe continues with Kench. Downstairs, behind a secret wall (the waitress will show you if you ask nicely), is a great little bar. We settled on a Oenological Manhattan, made with wine tannin infused rye whisky, and a Lapland Collins, a heady mix of Kamm and Sons (that darling of the London drink scene) with Cloudberry Liquor. Expertly made, served with a smile and a promise of a refund if we didn't like them, a Jamaican one, two three, was looking unlikely. Kench was coming up on the inside.<br />
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And so, with a warm glow from the cocktails, we made our way back upstairs to the restaurant, a slice of Soho in Smithfields (in a good way). But this is where those pesky Jamaicans starting having their way - it became clear that Kench and Bibesy was going to be the eternal semi-finalist. Silly names aside (Bellypops; Return of the Tail!?!) the menu reads like Isaac McHale has had his grubby (but rather clever) little hands all over this place: rare breed carrots, sorrel hollandaise, buttermilk and black pepper - it's straight out of the Clove Club. But the problem is, he hasn't. It is not that wizard Isaac behind the stove, it is someone who has been to one of his restaurants, who can cook rather well, but gets a little too carried away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carrots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bellypops"</td></tr>
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Take the "Pigeon, Fancier": what comes is perfectly cooked pigeon breast, nicely pink. But alongside it is chocolate barley. Now pigeon (and venison for that matter) can work with a dusting of cocoa - the bitter cocoa and minerally meat combine well. Chocolate barley does not work, no matter how nicely you cook the pigeon breast that goes along with it.<br />
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And so it continued, slow cooked ox tail was what it said, but the potato was plain and the pickled grapes plain weird. Jerusalem artichoke and truffle pate was pungent stuff, a bite was nice, two too much - the spelt crackers were excellent though.<br />
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Much, much better was the Scotch egg, perfectly crispy with gooey yolk - one of the finest around, made even better by being offered as a buy two get one free. Yes, we had three Scotch eggs. Oh dear...<br />
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So what to make of Kench and Bibesy? A lot of effort has gone into this place, many hours of thought, days of planning. Drinks-wise it is on the podium, and that is not said lightly. It blows the original cocktail pioneers nearby, such as the Worship Street Whistling Shop, out of the water - it reminded me of the drinks served up at Viajante's ever so clever cocktail bar (no mean feat!). And there is endeavour in the food. Chef Michael Harrison is trying something - he did not take the easy route and serve steaks in the heart of the Capital's meat market. That is to be applauded, and, do you know what, he is not far off. A little less adventure (not something I would ever normally say), and this place could be very good indeed. Sadly, at the moment, it just didn't quite work for me. I'll definitely be back for cocktails and Scotch eggs though.<br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-25154152468358166852013-11-30T10:46:00.001+00:002013-11-30T10:46:49.950+00:00The Green Man and French Horn: offaly good..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Cosy. On a cold November's eve, the wind blustering, the Christmas lights shining (why oh why so early?), we needed a restaurant to warm our cockles, to provide comfort from the Outside. So it was to France we turned, specifically the Loire - stepping inside <a href="http://greenmanfrenchhorn.co/" target="_blank">The Green Man and French Horn</a>, you leave the Outside well and truly behind. A warm welcome, soft lighting and a hallway of a restaurant that somehow makes you feel that it's not just that, we were set up for a night of jollity.<br />
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Now I had high hopes for Mr Green and his horn, he is backed by the kind of people who know how to run a restaurant. People who have done this before, well. Take <a href="http://terroirswinebar.com/" target="_blank">Terroirs</a>, a split level restaurant just by Charing Cross serving two different menus, everything excellent. <a href="http://dinnerathon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/everyone-needs-bit-of-brawn.html" target="_blank">Brawn</a>, another of theirs, may have run out of their namesake last time I was there, but my oh my did the rest of the menu make up for it. Needless to say I hardly came to this most strangely named of former pubs without expectations.<br />
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And I am glad to report that there is no need to draft in Mr Blonde, Mr Blue, Mr Brown or any of the others just yet, Mr Green is doing just fine. A raft of small plates were on offer: London's favourite, rilletes; Jerusalem artichokes, that oh so windy of veg; leeks with brown shrimps. You could make a meal out of these and leave very, very happy.<br />
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We decided to get a few to share: "Fresh cheese" was an undressed burrata, resplendent in its nudity; duck egg and salty anchovy soldiers, umami heavy, was a combo to be repeated at home; Game terrine, rich with the weight of venison; sweet and soft Rillon (pork belly), with bitter endive leaves and the punch of mustard. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fresh cheese"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Duck egg with anchovy soldiers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game terrine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Rillon and endive</td></tr>
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Of course, being in "France", we had to indulge in some snails - tender little morsels with a subtle parsley and garlic sauce, interspersed with the crunch of croutons and fried hedgehog mushrooms, a real highlight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snails</td></tr>
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So onto the main course we marched and I did my usual thing. If there's offal, I'll have it - I just can't help myself. At least this time I knew what I was getting into, despite the kindly look of concern from our waitress. Andouillette - a French sausage like no other. I first had it in Edinburgh when out with a group of mates following one too many pints of IPA (Deuchars, of course), it was described to us as a sausage made with belly. We assumed, belly pork, the meat. No, no, no, you need to go a little deeper than that - it is essentially chitterlings (small pig's intestines), mixed with tripe and wine, encased in more offal. It is pungent stuff, but once you get over the wiff, it is something to be treasured. And none more so that at the Horny Green Man's place, it may not be from the Loire, but they have it nailed down. Splendid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andouillette with mash and mustard sauce</td></tr>
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Others went for mussels and clams (both tasty, but a little measly), a rather pricey piece of sea bass (£23 for a smallish portion), and the skate - pan fried, the whole wing was served. All eminently serviceable, but not up to the same highs as the starters.<br />
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On to something sweet - others had the poached pear and salted caramel sauce, "winemaker's tart", and the rice pudding. All great, but the pudding was the star; it enveloped you, a great big bear hug of a dessert. As usual, I had the cheese - limited choice, but what we had was great.<br />
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By this point we had worked our way through a little of their rather splendid wine list (which focuses on small scale French producers), and had warmed up sufficiently to contemplate the Outside. Sad as we were, it was time to venture back out into the bluster, leaving behind only memories of a thoroughly enjoyable evening. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1707859/restaurant/Covent-Garden/Green-Man-French-Horn-London"><img alt="Green Man & French Horn on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1707859/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/108371/Green_Man_and_French_Horn?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Green Man & French Horn"><img alt="Square Meal" height="125" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/108371/get-blog-review/image/large.png" width="230" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-46403939370005406982013-11-16T09:17:00.001+00:002013-11-16T09:17:22.091+00:00Dinnerathon Goes to Mexico: The Yucatan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Cancun, baby! Spring Break, pool parties and long, long beaches. That's pretty much all I knew of the Yucatan. Not somewhere I would have thought to visit. But, recently, I did. And, yes, from the state of the people getting off the plane from the UK, I am sure that Cancun is all of those things. But, as I found out, the Yucatan is so, so much more.<br />
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We headed straight for a taxi on landing, down the coast to Tulum (two hours drive south, a very reasonable $100). Tulum town itself it is a little disappointing, a strip stretched along the main highway south. But it is not the town you go for, it is the beach. Now I am not a beach person at the best of times, fill a beach with people and I will be even less enthused. But our hotel,<a href="http://www.tulumhotelpez.com/" target="_blank"> El Pez</a>, was situated on a point, an empty beach on both sides, waves crashing outside our wonderful room as we slept. Delighted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paradise at El Pez</td></tr>
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So to the serious task of eating. Tulum is set up for tourists. There is no getting away from that, so options for the real deal are limited. But the food at <a href="http://eltabanorestaurant.com/main.htm" target="_blank">El Tabano</a> was excellent, and the steak at <a href="http://www.casabananatulum.com/" target="_blank">Casa Banana</a> was great. One place of note is <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g150813-d1952766-Reviews-El_Camello-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula.html" target="_blank">El Camello</a> in Tulum itself, a ramshackle place at the end of the strip, it serves mountains of fantastically fresh ceviche. although the tacos were less impressive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ceviche at El Camello - super fresh!</td></tr>
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In terms of things to do, the impressive Mayan ruins on the coast take a day, and the Grand Cenote is certainly worth a visit. We went by bike to both, the best way to get around, but ensure your bikes are fine before you set off. Cycling with a flat tyre is no fun, as we found out. Other than that, there's not much to do, but that seems to be the point. It is a place to leave the world behind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayan ruins at Tulum</td></tr>
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So two books and a great deal of sleep later, we reluctantly left Tulum. We had intended on getting a bus to Chichen Itza, but there was only one space left. A taxi for £40 for a two hour ride seemed eminently reasonable, so we went with that instead. For proximity to the ruins we stayed at Hotel and Bungalows Mayaland - a vast place, full of tired rooms and some of the worst food I have had, anywhere. The hotel was set up for large tours, my idea of hell. One night would have been more than sufficient. However, one perk of the place is that it has its own entrance to the ruins, allowing you to be the first one in. Quite a special experience standing at the foot of the main pyramid, sun rising, not another soul around. The Cenote nearby is also absolutely worth a visit, but get there before one to avoid the hoards.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The (one and only) benefit of staying at Hotel and Bungalows Mayland<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cenote</td></tr>
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From Chichen Itza we moved on to Merida, again by taxi. Yucatan's largest city. Merida is the administrative and cultural centre of the Yucatan. On a recommendation from <a href="http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/p/about.html" target="_blank">The London Foodie</a>, we stayed at the<a href="http://www.hotelhaciendamerida.com/index_eng.html" target="_blank"> Hotel Hacienda Merida</a>. Situated in a colonial townhouse, this hotel was one of the highlights of the trip. Beautiful room, a stunning pool and some of the friendliest staff I have ever come across. It was a real oasis from the hustle and bustle outside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Hacienda Merida</td></tr>
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Food in Merida was a mixed bag, the stalls at Mercado Santa Ana served up some of the best slow-cooked smoked pork I have had, <a href="http://lachayamaya.com/index.html" target="_blank">La Chaya Maya</a> the worst food of the whole trip (old fish, pushed on us in an attempt to shift it almost made me sick - to be avoided at all costs!). <a href="http://www.rosasandxocolate.com/restaurante-bar-dup/restaurante.htm" target="_blank">Rosas y Xocolate</a> had an interesting take on Mexican fusion, albeit in rather cold surroundings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best slow-cooked pork I have ever had from Santa Ana Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilies in Merida Central Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortilla making in Merida</td></tr>
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But our favourite places of all in Merida had to be <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaNegritaMerida" target="_blank">La Negrita</a> and their sister bar <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Iafundacion" target="_blank">La Fundacion</a> - both full of locals and without the usual tourist tat that seemed to be the mainstay of so many places in the middle of Merida. La Negrita is an old cantina. a place men used to go to escape the world, given a lick of paint and more than a hint of style. We ended up going so many times, the barmen got to know us. Local artisan beers, some of the best bar snacks I have ever had, and a great laid back vibe. La Fondacion is more a late night place: an impressive selection of mezcal and live music make for a great night out watching the locals try to out dance each other. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bar at La Negrita - a Mexican Dalston</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkuK7rD6UpOLvxuWDqS7xFTkjNWc5AiPGO4Rv-HqWnUMebR5BmnLw5SmrFhUrYQT27afoAuHPE8Ll8SN3y0gnzJTrrBWhFSzK9QMdlGe4LHErn9FKJ5Hk7wF3iI_gR1jouPHS8bU8vmIO/s1600/P1000022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "snacks" at La Negrita - the "ticames"(I think) at the front right was incredible fresh!</td></tr>
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The Yucatan had been fun, but now we were off to Oaxaca - holy mole, I couldn't wait.<br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-30051230713035079432013-09-29T09:30:00.001+01:002013-09-30T12:19:16.087+01:00Grain Store: can I go back already?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Surprise!", well that's the name of the menu we had. But it shouldn't really have been. Grain Store is Bruno Loubet's new place. Of course it was going to be good. I just didn't know it was going to be this good. This generous. This fun.<br />
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King's Cross is growing up. The teenage years of all night raves seem a distant memory. Gentrification is working its wily way. Gone (almost) are the sleazy bars and warehouse clubs (much to Mr Meantime's disappointment). In their place, plush flats and restaurants. Set in a large warehouse next to (the rather disappointing) Caravan, is Grain Store. It's all open plan New York warehouse, the kitchen stretches along one side, colanders for light shades, friendly waiters a hive of activity. No table cloths, lots of smiles - no pretence. I was hooked by the time I had the first sip of my truffle martini (okay, so maybe there's a little pretence).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The courtyard outside The Grain Store: gentrification in motion</td></tr>
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You can either choose from the menu or go with whatever Bruno has decided is best that day - the "Surprise" menu. It's not a tasting menu, you share four different starters, then each have the same main and desert.<br />
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Up first: tender octopus; peppers; punctuated with coco beans. Rich with smoked paprika, it may well have introduced itself with an "Hola" and demanded a cerveza. I loved it. There was also yoghurt flat bread topped with carrot spread and grated carrot. Not something I would have chosen from the menu, but it worked.<br />
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There followed a hulking whale of an aubergine, chopped in half, the middle scooped out and stuffed with tomato sauce and lamb: a novel moussaka. And no, that's not a mirror, it was a half an aubergine between two; a whole aubergine for the table of four. We also had girolles and (wood-scorched) leaks. Simple, bold flavours - although I wish they had left a bit of the "scorch" on the leeks - they were peeled, tender, but they had lost a bit of that smoky oomph!<br />
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We were starting to think that the moussaka and mushrooms had been mains - we were filling up. But no, there was much more to come. Christmas had arrived early. On a plate. Roasted partridge replaced the turkey. Baked celeriac the brussels. Pickled red cabbage brought snow drifts to mind. A roasted greengage - summer fruit eaten in the depths of winter. It made me want to snuggle up with a wood fire and a dram - cosy food. <br />
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Finally we were brought a chocolate and red bean pudding, with ginger ice cream. The fiery ginger made for some of the best ice cream I have ever had. Sat alongside, a rich chocolate pudding surrounded by crumbs of what tasted like oreos, and a rich bean sauce. "I don't really like chocolate" I said. The plate was licked clean.<br />
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Before we left Grain Store, we booked our return visit - a group of twelve this time. We are all going for another "Surprise!". I, for one, can't wait! </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1748924/restaurant/Camden-Town/Grain-Store-London" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grain Store on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1748924/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/109149/Grain_Store?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Grain Store"><img alt="Square Meal" height="125" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/109149/get-blog-review/image/large.png" width="230" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-16641829808049918452013-09-21T09:23:00.000+01:002013-09-21T09:23:26.923+01:00Jubo: London's love affair continues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just when you think London may be slowly falling out of love with American fast food, when sensible, grown-up, dare I whisper it, healthy, restaurants are opening to fanfare, you are again faced with chicken strips. Okay, so <a href="http://jubolondon.com/" target="_blank">Jubo</a> isn't quite in the same mould. Its Manhatten via Seoul. Nevertheless, the American influence weighs heavy. <br />
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Nestled into the corner of the ground floor in the <a href="http://www.bedroom-bar.co.uk/whats-on/" target="_blank">Bedroom Ba</a>r, Jubo serves food to eat while drinking. There are wings, chicken strips, and steamed buns of various sorts. Kimchi slaw. A beef-stuffed sub. Perfect food after a few cocktails. <br />
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The "Yangnyeom Tongdak" (Korean-fried) chicken came winged or stripped, with soy or hot and sweet. We went for the strips, three of each. I am reliably informed by my trusty companion Wikipedia that the difference between American and Korean fried chicken is that the Koreans are not happy with frying their chicken once. No, theirs is double-fried for extra crunch (cue Heston's next show, triple-cooked chicken). And, sure enough, the chicken was super crunchy, but still juicy and tender inside. The hot and sweet ones with sesame seeds slipped down a treat.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We also got the Bulgogi (Korean-marinated) beef sub - a tasty roll, but nothing exciting. Kimchi slaw was disappointing - the fermented hit lost in a sea of mayonnaise.</span></div>
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Hirata buns, one filled with slow-cooked pork and sriracha, the other with portobello mushroom, were rich, the mushroom heavy with umami. A couple of years back, they would have been exciting. Now they were just a little disappointing, at least when compared with those on offer at places like Yum Bun round the corner. Still, not a bad effort, and certainly fine to nibble on while drinking with friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mushroom hirata...</td></tr>
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And that's where I end up with Jubo. If you are going expecting a revelation, you will be disappointed. If you are meeting a few drinks and want some tasty bar snacks to sit alongside your cocktails, Jubo will do just fine.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1772732/restaurant/Shoreditch/Jubo-London" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jubo on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1772732/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-58168326995979511872013-09-08T11:34:00.001+01:002013-09-23T09:20:23.062+01:00Auntie Naan: definitely an improvement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before Auntie Naan (what a name!) opened there was only one option for spice on Broadway. Joy. It may well have been called Misnomer. Recommended by a friend of a friend from whom no further recommendations were sought. It served the worst food I have ever eaten. It was like they had established an Indian restaurant based solely on Tesco club card points and a microwave, by someone who was quite happy to take your money and then smirk. Everything about the place was utterly awful.<br />
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So you can imagine my scepticism when Joy closed down and a new Indian "concept" restaurant popped up in its place. Was this the old place with the same owners, but with a lick of paint and some trendy old beaten up furniture? It is entirely possible it is, I forgot to ask. But, if it is, you can rest assured that more thought has been put into a single dish at this re-opening than the entire menu at Joy. It's all Indian-British fusion - spicy fish fingers, "Bombay" wedges and a few samosas, bhajis and curries thrown in for food measure. I was intrigued enough to give it another shot.<br />
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First to the five stars, you walk in and feel like you are on holiday. Roughly sawn wooden floors and walls, brightly painted chairs and tables, a superb outside garden area and a generous helping of random Indian signs. It may not be like the cafes I have experienced in India, but in this case that is a positive. Someone has clearly spent a long time working out how this place will look.<br />
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Turning to the food, it is a mixed bag. The onion bhajis are things of splendour - sweet onion, crispy on the outside with a hit of fresh chili, I could have munched a whole bag of these. The wedges and samosas were fine (if a little toned down), but both needed more crisp - a little anaemic, I suspect they were rather hastily warmed up.<br />
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I liked the idea of the fish fingers, but the crumb needed more spice and the fish inside was slightly overcooked. Minor points, but the difference between fine and good. Nothing really to right home about. What was exceptional was the curried mayo which came alongside - sweet and sour with a hit of tamarind, this was no ordinary mayo.<br />
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The only real let down was the chaat salad - a mixture of chickpea, radish and cucumber. With just a little lime, chili and seasoning this could have been the perfect accompaniment to the rest - as it was, it was just a little underwhelming.<br />
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So no more Joy. But happiness instead. The food won't blow you away, but it's not bad. Auntie Naan brings something different to Broadway - some fresh flavours and a great new place to meet with friends for something light to eat. <br />
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<strong>Update (23 September 2013): having only been open for some three weeks, Auntie Naan has shut down (well at least it is closed at the moment for what appears to be a name rebrand).</strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1769498/restaurant/Hackney/Auntie-Naan-London"><img alt="Auntie Naan on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1769498/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-81011074664459067482013-08-11T10:23:00.000+01:002013-08-13T12:17:46.726+01:00Flesh and Buns: Izakaya arrives in London <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.fleshandbuns.com/" target="_blank">Flesh and Buns</a> is the new offering from those clever people behind Bone Daddies. Having taken the ramen world by storm, they have now decided to introduce London to the joys of Izakaya dining. What, you've never heard of Izakaya? Really? Neither had I. But, given that it is essentially Japan's answer to a pint of bitter and scampi fries (with the bitter replaced by sake and the scampi by sushi), I thought it was something I should explore. <br />
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The restaurant is gigantic, a large high table stretching all the way down the middle. Think Wagamama, but much, much cooler. The menu is made up of snacks, small hot and cold plates and "flesh and buns". Everything is for sharing. <br />
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We kicked things off with some "chips and dips" - tasty homemade rice crackers, shiso avocado (essentially guacamole, I struggled to detect any shiso) and tomato jalapeno (for which read salsa). I loved this take on Japanese/Mexican fusion.<br />
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Tuna tataki was seared on the outside, served with a tart grapefruit, chili, coriander. If this is food to drink by, pass the sake. Beautiful to look at, even better to eat, this was a splendid dish - all of the flavours balanced perfectly.<br />
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Then came the "flesh". A hulking great lump of pork belly, mustard miso sauce and the fluffiest buns you will find anywhere in London. Our waitress tried to pull the pork at the table, sadly for her, she ended up in a bit of a wrestling match - moist on top, it had dried out a little at the bottom, pork has pulled easier before. That said, once she had put her all into it, it came apart fine, with a dribble of the fiery mustard miso and some pickled apple, the buns were devoured in record time. <br />
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Surprisingly filling, we probably didn't need anything else. But of course we had done our usual of ordering one more dish than the staff recommend (when the Fashionista is on form, and snacking food is the game, it is quite incredible how much can be devoured). And so we ended up finishing on some chicken yakitori - grilled skewers of perfectly moist, marinated chicken interspersed with crunchy spring onions. A great end.<br />
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So let's get back to the premise of Flesh and Buns. Food to accompany sake- there is a great selection (sadly, given it was lunchtime and we had a busy afternoon stretching ahead of us, we didn't get involved). It does that admirably. But to relegate the food to a sideshow would be harsh in the extreme - it's far more deserving than that. I, for one, can't wait to round up a few mates and head there for a sake-fuelled session of Izakaya. The scampi fries may at last have found their match!</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1763926/restaurant/Covent-Garden/Flesh-and-Buns-London"><img alt="Flesh and Buns on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1763926/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-79923178277623839882013-08-10T09:33:00.000+01:002013-08-14T09:42:42.615+01:00Hawksmoor Spitalfields Bar, A Special Place<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When you go out not intending to eat, let alone drink double shots of mezcal, but leave somewhere feeling full, smiling, you know the place you've been was special. And, so it was, last Thursday I was going for two beers, then home to enjoy the treats my lovely neighbours had given me to celebrate the end of Ramadan. So, two turned into three, it always does. Then of course we had to finish the round. The Italian suggested a cocktail at<a href="http://thehawksmoor.com/spitalfieldsbar" target="_blank"> Hawksmoor's bar</a>, underneath their Spitalfields restaurant. Okay, just one more then...<br />
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Who was I kidding? Walk into a Hawksmoor and not eat? That was never ever going to happen. One step into the achingly cool bar (the de rigeur metro tiles have even been aged!), I knew my Ramadan feast was going to have to wait for another night.<br />
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So let's get one thing straight, there are no steaks - if that's what you're after, go upstairs. But there are ox cheek nuggets (I was sold!), burgers, pulled pork rolls, chili dogs, wings and ribs - need I say more.<br />
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We opted for a burger, pulled pork roll, ox cheek nuggets and pig's head poutine. And a cucumber and watermelon salad also turned up - we weren't complaining, respite for the arteries.<br />
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As you would expect, the burger is good. Very good. Rich, juicy beef, perfectly cooked medium-rare, topped with cheese in a beautifully soft brioche bun. Best of all, it is only £8.50. That is the same price as GBK. One can only imagine GBK's margins are significantly larger. Seriously, £8.50? It is an absolute steal! The Italian had the pulled pork which went down a treat.<br />
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The sides are where things started to get really exciting. I had no idea what poutine was when I ordered it, I was lured in by the pig's head. Turns out it is a perfect dish for two Scots to devour following a night on the beers. Originating in Canada, it is made up of chips, cheese (yes, okay, not the holy trinity of mozzarella and two types of cheddar you get at BBQ Kings in Glasgow, but good nonetheless) and gravy. Not content with that, Hawksmoor have added pig's head. Filthy, yes. Healthy, no. Worth it once in a while, absolutely.<br />
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We also had the ox cheek nuggets - slow-cooked cheek, encased with some mozzarella in breadcrumbs, with some kimchi dipping sauce. I could have eaten these all night long. <br />
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And, to freshen things up, a salad of large chunks of cucumber and watermelon, with a touch of ginger, chili, garlic and, I think, some fish sauce - this was a refreshing counterbalance to the rest of the meal. Excellent in its simplicity.<br />
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So the bar is cool and the food is great, but it is the drinks, or, more specifically, the barmen, who really make this place really stand out. Excellent cocktails (butter infused bourbon old fashioned anyone?) served up by a tag team from Turkey (Mr Pinky, you know who you are!) and Wales - we were kept in stitches for most of the night. If you like fun, go. If you don't, well, that's your loss, this place isn't for you.<br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-51592227961886423872013-07-28T10:52:00.000+01:002013-08-14T09:41:39.981+01:00Sushi Tetsu: an eency weency corner of Japan in London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have a problem with<a href="http://sushitetsu.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank"> Sushi Tetsu</a>. Although in fairness the problem lies more with me than them. I was going along quite nicely, enjoying sashimi from Itsu once or twice a week after the gym as a light, protein-rich, lunch. I always knew it wasn't great, not real sushi, not like I had had in the fish markets of Tokyo, but it was fine. Quite enjoyable actually. No longer. I can't stomach it anymore. Not since I was reminded what sushi should really taste like. <br />
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Now what's quite special about Sushi Tetsu is that its not the first time I have tried to seek out the clean refreshing flavours of "proper sushi" in London. I have travelled the lengths of the Piccadilly line in search of sushi - out to Ealing to Kiraku, one of the best in London according to Japanese friends. But, while it was great, it didn't hit me like Sushi Tetsu. In Kiraku I was in a very nice Japanese restaurant in Ealing, stepping through the curtain into the tiny seven seat sushi bar at Sushi Tetsu, I was in Kobe.<br />
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The menu is made up of sashimi, sushi and various sushi rolls. Unfortunately the Omakase (chef's choice) has to be booked in advance so it was up to us to do the honours. That said, we were expertly guided through the menu by Harumi, our wonderful host. Some sashimi to start, some mackerel (Chef Toru's speciality) then onto the Chef's choice of sushi.<br />
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We opted for the medium fatty tuna, sea bass and spear squid. Toru got to work, preparing fresh wasabi from the root, treating the fish with a reverence rarely seen, the end product was one of the most beautifully presented plates of sashimi I have seen. Rich tuna; squid, beautifully scored, provided bite; fresh sea bass - all framed by fruity shiso leaves. <br />
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Then came the mackerel - lightly cured, skin flash roasted by blow torch, surrounding by sprinkles of Japanese seven spice (shichimi) and cucumber. This was one of those dishes you just know you are going to remember. Everything about it was perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7wpXW0YATYMO5n5GPwdxT6fv6wi6Cylixawc3_uJgBNEgcd5mMJyi3CD8BMU1wmwA5t0YyCZdMP9Bn0FbIv31b0wR0I-1BMOirdMFmHjQrWkJ7XVkif08G8FOfQbKPsTiPcHj91sr69L/s1600/photo+(18).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7wpXW0YATYMO5n5GPwdxT6fv6wi6Cylixawc3_uJgBNEgcd5mMJyi3CD8BMU1wmwA5t0YyCZdMP9Bn0FbIv31b0wR0I-1BMOirdMFmHjQrWkJ7XVkif08G8FOfQbKPsTiPcHj91sr69L/s640/photo+(18).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We were then left in the hands of Chef Toro. Hand-pressed rice, topped with incredibly fresh fish, we were encouraged to devour them in one mouthful. Each one better than the last, we had tiger-like salmon, sweet and juicy prawn, lightly scored squid, delicate sea bass, rich tuna... on and on it went, none disappointed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kr_y2zS6hn0K5ukuz7ibKjPOoq_b5SAYvpKBOI6lAjORPTgjVyXJ0MNnh5JqPIaKFXuyt_1-I4XGrNWDjOpoCtIz_roFLJSsz5v06QJn0hEVQNb6Y054XyoqYKg6a_dFlpNbJr4dgRzR/s1600/photo+(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kr_y2zS6hn0K5ukuz7ibKjPOoq_b5SAYvpKBOI6lAjORPTgjVyXJ0MNnh5JqPIaKFXuyt_1-I4XGrNWDjOpoCtIz_roFLJSsz5v06QJn0hEVQNb6Y054XyoqYKg6a_dFlpNbJr4dgRzR/s400/photo+(16).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9slKp6_xD8F1hqN8S-qQzp4HL9ibzjUmBQPtRu5iL0zBYVPuM_RLLFvP7tmKH8kzP-unmNJJ-0kAR-tkm-x8obtCkKo8ghkDGauOy-YTLsMeZEMgyJ9X8xnzd1PPjPbaErus9r8iXfpi/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9slKp6_xD8F1hqN8S-qQzp4HL9ibzjUmBQPtRu5iL0zBYVPuM_RLLFvP7tmKH8kzP-unmNJJ-0kAR-tkm-x8obtCkKo8ghkDGauOy-YTLsMeZEMgyJ9X8xnzd1PPjPbaErus9r8iXfpi/s400/photo+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWecFfBcRaeXysq4oNTy3mmjRqciXwqOsYB50iF1zimrjH7CCOV-yr2FtCjHlORe_a-DmSUILzMgkzoZ8R1ho8321NZPAD4EsPYCI_0JrYMU3G3evxZxI-7pFbbKrWuDIBqtFNP1a5Q6ad/s1600/photo+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWecFfBcRaeXysq4oNTy3mmjRqciXwqOsYB50iF1zimrjH7CCOV-yr2FtCjHlORe_a-DmSUILzMgkzoZ8R1ho8321NZPAD4EsPYCI_0JrYMU3G3evxZxI-7pFbbKrWuDIBqtFNP1a5Q6ad/s400/photo+(13).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY8EeLEjb7MVNK26dkP-QJznv98RWt9hjbBkaOdVdtda3puwSUn0UwPVF4DwhHeg7WYxVpxbi0mRcxZ4d_uF42iibj6DXrPmISvrt9wABHhzQIwctQh7ZMrf-2GdfrmCvtBE6I9kimrek/s1600/photo+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY8EeLEjb7MVNK26dkP-QJznv98RWt9hjbBkaOdVdtda3puwSUn0UwPVF4DwhHeg7WYxVpxbi0mRcxZ4d_uF42iibj6DXrPmISvrt9wABHhzQIwctQh7ZMrf-2GdfrmCvtBE6I9kimrek/s400/photo+(14).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black bream (I think!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_StzO4LTuukaQ99QEK3p8w0E_B3ETmftR7vLKbpxXh_Ss5sXO0CSm3AI0uHyKgQUO-5GLcVXKypianzFP5jtFWelxCOLzpV8dzj60ziG1tbrC3RZjca-alJBb4xetWLdwmguemTPDfAeR/s1600/photo+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_StzO4LTuukaQ99QEK3p8w0E_B3ETmftR7vLKbpxXh_Ss5sXO0CSm3AI0uHyKgQUO-5GLcVXKypianzFP5jtFWelxCOLzpV8dzj60ziG1tbrC3RZjca-alJBb4xetWLdwmguemTPDfAeR/s400/photo+(15).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turbot (I think!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7f7J19P2W_VuutAi0PqAkm-h0ZJfsDoc4lyKr9RemMeoX6ysB-37ZycM7hYKuhm_canhDICghk0EB6aTgozqwbtc4zSghWO7ebMxFtX8_QJzVrkuhsyR_UUBDxXM_Mvdx6DvCt2rIEz1P/s1600/photo+(17).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7f7J19P2W_VuutAi0PqAkm-h0ZJfsDoc4lyKr9RemMeoX6ysB-37ZycM7hYKuhm_canhDICghk0EB6aTgozqwbtc4zSghWO7ebMxFtX8_QJzVrkuhsyR_UUBDxXM_Mvdx6DvCt2rIEz1P/s400/photo+(17).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea bass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUitbX4UolBzIiCtI3dciRSbs-rRbvKbHPX3BvUb0WrbRbs_ndQjrLvvdHtyKBrYqTU0Iv8WS4dhVnCufEzdGpzoQK6BEavRo5smUXZSNrXW2Y-Us5hwhlKU0uSf0Msjnf2npky7n0QkdP/s1600/photo+(19).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUitbX4UolBzIiCtI3dciRSbs-rRbvKbHPX3BvUb0WrbRbs_ndQjrLvvdHtyKBrYqTU0Iv8WS4dhVnCufEzdGpzoQK6BEavRo5smUXZSNrXW2Y-Us5hwhlKU0uSf0Msjnf2npky7n0QkdP/s400/photo+(19).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prawn tail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fjloklyewLSxcxefTX0X5vBVwXf2ybKNNzZdRrMvvBKJbwanxysVH9HtUDibF31kg8KcZaKTpdPHTRnGJN9bBccsQEhetcXSpNIPLx_SUrK7Phr6zRWo6evfdRyUSKqMxr2_hmCygVi1/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fjloklyewLSxcxefTX0X5vBVwXf2ybKNNzZdRrMvvBKJbwanxysVH9HtUDibF31kg8KcZaKTpdPHTRnGJN9bBccsQEhetcXSpNIPLx_SUrK7Phr6zRWo6evfdRyUSKqMxr2_hmCygVi1/s400/photo+(12).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Tuna and salmon rolls with some more of that seven spice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Its probably clear by now that I didn't exactly dislike Sushi Tetsu. It is quite simply the best sushi in London. Hands down. No quibbling. No debate. The fact that it is served in such a wonderfully intimate and friendly seven seat restaurant just makes it all the better. If you want to go, though, you had better be quick. They often book out for the following month on the morning the tables are released. Needless to say I have a reminder for the 1st of August to try and get a space for September. Not many restaurants warrant such organisation, Sushi Tetsu does. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1690613/restaurant/Clerkenwell/Sushi-Tetsu-London"><img alt="Sushi Tetsu on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1690613/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/109559/Sushi_Tetsu?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Sushi Tetsu"><img alt="Square Meal" height="90" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/109559/get-blog-review/image/medium.png" width="170" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-650277206384943172013-06-16T11:24:00.000+01:002013-06-20T17:33:26.136+01:00Rotary Bar and Diner: bad, really bad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was always going to happen. Such is the proliferation of American BBQ diner food in London, one bad egg was always going to get through. A cynical attempt to jump on the band wagon, to cash in without putting in the hard yards. I just didn't expect it to be now, here, at the <a href="http://www.rotarybardiner.com/" target="_blank">Rotary Bar and Diner</a>. This place has pedigree. It's owned by the Rushmore Group, the same people as Giant Robot and the Player Bar, both of which are great. <a href="http://www.rotarybardiner.com/" target="_blank">Rotary Bar and Diner</a> is not. In fact it's not just not good. Its really, really bad. <br />
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The bar itself is fine, good place for a few drinks. The menu looks enticing - everything seems to be in the right place. There are wings, devilled pig skin, burgers and ribs. What could go wrong.<br />
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We started with the chicken wings. They were cooked. But that is about the extent of the positives I can muster. Greasy, they tasted like they had been slathered in butter. And not in a good way. Even worse were the pork scratchings (sorry, devilled pig skin) - they tasted only of old oil. And finally, the smoked chicken salad. I think they may have popped out to Subway for the sauce, the chicken was barely smoked. Worst of all, in the midst of it all was chicken skin. Not lovely, crispy, salty chicken skin. No, a slimy, limp dishcloth of a piece of skin. Horrible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-SWWA7QjSAfeC__cwT1hsKWc7jjd6rg031kBnM8iI4A_aXgmZQ3cCu523XaRlNkLsMcmgigqT9e7IWKAkZf8_205qskTDyGdRpWYhWey9cDV-1jZKP4yp4a8DQlc9okKQ8m9_Oh4gIPO/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-SWWA7QjSAfeC__cwT1hsKWc7jjd6rg031kBnM8iI4A_aXgmZQ3cCu523XaRlNkLsMcmgigqT9e7IWKAkZf8_205qskTDyGdRpWYhWey9cDV-1jZKP4yp4a8DQlc9okKQ8m9_Oh4gIPO/s400/photo+(1).JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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After being all smiles and sunshine to start, our waitress turned sour when we said that we had not wholly enjoyed our starter. And we were still on our best behavior at that point. I mean yes the starters were awful, but we still had chicken, ribs and steak to come, things were about to look up. Right?<br />
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The chicken and ribs came covered in "BBQ sauce". Sickly sweet, this was everything BBQ sauce should not be. Here is my plate when I started.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRThXXHLeB-ayt_Nazp70BBh6w10TEC1SPwp3S0olDb-WkvLUrMAU3T7Q3RUPAIBbqqyHi9og-T3ztxPdErFWRLyequBhxpfRfxb35oVkVOg2hybOlviRXFVrll1k4XDYaxYq5CRZpZJ5/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRThXXHLeB-ayt_Nazp70BBh6w10TEC1SPwp3S0olDb-WkvLUrMAU3T7Q3RUPAIBbqqyHi9og-T3ztxPdErFWRLyequBhxpfRfxb35oVkVOg2hybOlviRXFVrll1k4XDYaxYq5CRZpZJ5/s400/photo+(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is where I finished.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwh_Lzot2PHXuskcnaUYt4B9cpi0ArDFfCGLFTm3B2aiq91-6-olGRQJZwAh6b6mJh5OJYXPfofCVDnDRxW8pANO76ObGjg6oXa2WQhlRyQOe8tGTap76ebgZyGZ-7reYOJ_s7Ah4Lrf2/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwh_Lzot2PHXuskcnaUYt4B9cpi0ArDFfCGLFTm3B2aiq91-6-olGRQJZwAh6b6mJh5OJYXPfofCVDnDRxW8pANO76ObGjg6oXa2WQhlRyQOe8tGTap76ebgZyGZ-7reYOJ_s7Ah4Lrf2/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I couldn't eat it. That is not like me, as my friends and waistline will attest. I love food, I never leave things. I have been brought up on "waste not, want not". But I just couldn't eat it. Neither could the Brand JD manage the dry chicken, again covered in that sauce. But wait, there was a corn muffin. Surely that must have been good. Well, it might have been a corn muffin at one point, but by the time it made it onto my tray it would have been better used as a cricket ball. One bite was all I could manage.<br />
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The steak at least did not come drenched in sauce. It had been well-aged and reasonably cooked. But it looked lonely on the plate with only a side of over-cooked and over-buttered cabbage to accompany it.<br />
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By this point our waitress was steadfastly ignoring us and a young Parisian took over. We were being less well behaved by then. The complaints rained down on him. I felt a little sorry, it wasn't his fault and, as he rightly pointed out, he had not cooked any of it.<br />
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I really hate writing negative reviews, you've had a bad meal and now you need to relive it. Often I don't bother, why go through it again. But in this case it was so bad I felt I had to. In fairness they did give us 25% off the price. But then, if I had paid full price for what I had just eaten, I would have been upset, really upset. It would have been over £25 a head with one beer. For that money you can eat seriously well in London. Just not at Rotary Bar and Diner. Don't go.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1734036/restaurant/Shoreditch/The-Rotary-Bar-Diner-London"><img alt="The Rotary Bar & Diner on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1734036/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-76462466554747197612013-06-16T10:37:00.002+01:002013-06-16T10:37:53.737+01:00BBQ Whisky Beer: A Ronseal Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You'd never guess what the lovely people behind London's latest pop-up do. Well okay you might. Its not all that subtle. Its called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bbqwhisky" target="_blank">BBQ Whisky Beer</a>. And that is exactly what it does. Very well indeed. <br />
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Set in a Young's pub called the Lord Wargrave near Edgware Road, I wasn't holding out for much. Apart from being able to transport myself to the karaoke bars of Thailand down the narrow stairs at the Heron Pub nearby, Edgware Road doesn't normally feature as a destination.<br />
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Hardly unique, the Wargrave is an identikit London boozer. That is until you look at the back wall. Thereon lies the first difference. Row upon row of neatly written names. Like a roll call of former club captains, their ages written neatly alongside. Mr Laphroaig, 18 years. Mr Glenrothes, 21 years. Mr Talisker 25 years. It goes on, I need not. You get the picture. This place is serious about its whisky, so am I. Suddenly I feel like we could become friends. (On Saturdays they do "Flight Club" - there are even rules - various flights of whisky with ever increasing ages (and prices), well that's at least one Saturday night spoken for in the next few weeks!).<br />
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On to the second limb of this triumvirate. The beer. Reasonable selection, nothing to get excited over. It's tied to Youngs. Would love to see a few more of the smaller London breweries included, London Fields, Hackney Brewery, Redchurch Brewery, all great and all local. Still, not bad.<br />
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Now the real reason I was here. The BBQ. While it is easy (relatively speaking) to become London's whisky bar, to top its BBQ leader-board is a taller task. Places like Pitt Cue Co, and more recently Climpsons Arch have really taken BBQ up a notch.<br />
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We started with a couple of things from the snack menu. A plate of Chip Bits (you know those little crispy things at the bottom of the chips, the best bits) with Pulled Pork. This took "dirty" to a whole new level. It may have taken at least a couple of minutes off my life, but it was good, really good. Excellent pork, tart BBQ sauce, crispy chips. Like chips and gravy, but much much better. This should become Scotland's national dish - perfect alongside the whiskies.<br />
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We also had chicken wings - sticky, with blue cheese dipping sauce. Like the Monkey Fingers at Meat Mission, although maybe slightly better, bold.<br />
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Given that the "snacks" were larger than most main meals (think American-sized), we were struggling a little. A short break then some ribs and the "Beef Royal" burger. The ribs were spot on - tender meat, great sauce. <br />
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The burger itself was great: loosely-packed, well-aged meat, seeded bun. But it was just too big - burger plus onion rings plus beef rib meat plus mushrooms. There was no way of getting your mouth round it - I took the onion rings out. That aside, very good indeed - and in fairness they do do a burger without all the toppings, so maybe that will just teach me. Special mention should be made of the short rib off cuts - these deserved to be more than a topping - they should be a dish in their own right. Celebrated. That good.<br />
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The market for American BBQ in London is keen, as is London it appears. Burgers are debated, I wouldn't be surprised if someone has come to blows over whether Pitt Cue or Duke's Brew and Cue serves up the best ribs. So where does BBQ Whisky Beer fit into this. On the whisky front they are so far out ahead there is no competition. On the beer, a little behind the pack. So by all accounts the BBQ should be smack bang in the middle. But it is a little better than that. Those ribs were as good as anywhere, with a little tweaking the burger could be too. The perfect accompaniments for my induction to Flight Club. <br />
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Follow them on twitter @BBQWhiskyBeer<br />
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<i>*All drinks and food were provided courtesy of BBQ Whisky Beer, thanks guys.</i><br />
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-65320518128988793382013-06-02T11:48:00.003+01:002013-06-03T10:16:55.774+01:00East London in the Summer: a veritable posse of pop-ups<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Cometh the sun, cometh the pop-up. Places, which only weeks before would have seemed highly improbable locations for restaurants, are transformed - abandoned rooftops reworked, work yards receive a makeover. And the arches by London Fields station, it appears, is the epicenter of this culinary explosion. Not a bad place for food at the worst of times (think Broadway Market, E5 Bakehouse, Buen Ayre), come summer your options multiply.<br />
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On the rooftop of Emigre Studios is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Coppalondon" target="_blank">Coppa</a>, the new outpost of Lardo (a great little Italian round the corner serving up seriously good pizza from their disco ball oven). Serving cicchetti - Italian tapas - the menu is concise, we ordered at least one of everything. There are fresh chickpea and celery salads, unctuous nduja-laden arancini and rich caponata. Less impressive were the spiedini - little skewers of tough lamb, grilled bread with cheese or prawn (note the singular - for £4!). There were various other fried things - zucchini chips, proscuitto tomato and mozarella calzone fritte (and to think people scorn the Scots for deep fried pizza, although that's maybe because we add a healthy dollop of HP sauce!). All perfectly fine, but not really worth searching out. Great place for a beer and arancini, but would stick to that.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Literally round the corner (it was one of those kind of days) is a collaboration between Climpsons Coffee and Lucky Chip (here, Licky Chop - see what they did here) - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/climpsonsarch?group_id=0" target="_blank">Climpsons Arch</a>. Housed in the arch used to roast coffee beans, most of the place is outside, a yard surrounded by a couple of meters high metal fence. Not the most inviting of spaces you might imagine. But, as with another newly opened railway arch restaurant, Beagle, Climpsons and Lucky Chip have made the most of what they've got. </span></div>
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The menu is made up of my kind of things - oysters (the ones with tapioca pearls are quite possibly the best I have ever had), bone marrow on toast with a smoked anchovy spread, onglet steak (there it is again!) and even a whole roasted pigs head, medieval! We opted for the bone marrow - roasted hunks of bone with sourdough, could have done with an extra slice of toast though. The hake with cocoa was also good. <br />
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A sun trap (well at least on the day we visited) serving interesting food and great drinks (you've got to try the bottled rhubarb cocktail) - I think I can forgive them that fence. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/561579/restaurant/London/Climpson-Sons-Hackney"><img alt="Climpson & Sons on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/561579/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a> <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1699043/restaurant/Hackney/Lardo-London"><img alt="Lardo on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1699043/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-74861215143875162732013-05-27T10:10:00.001+01:002013-05-27T10:10:37.719+01:00Beagle: a place you'll want to stay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Perhaps it was the fact it was a bank holiday weekend, perhaps it was the glorious evening sun streaming through the windows making the food glisten, or maybe, just maybe, <a href="http://www.beaglelondon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beagle </a>was as good as I remember. Set in three railway arches - one bar, one restaurant, the other kitchen -Beagle is the new home of James Ferguson, formerly of La Rochelle. It is a great little bolt hole from the hustle and bustle of Shoreditch and, despite the fact that trains rumble their way towards Liverpool Street only meters above you, surprisingly serene. <br />
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The food is very much on trend, but it does not feel trendy. It doesn't feel like its trying too hard. Yes they sell smoked cod's roe (a favourite of the St John's empire). But not in a "what you haven't tried smoked cod's roe, seriously?" kind of a way. It's far friendlier that that. There is English asparagus with fried egg and a salad of courgettes, tomatoes and feta (I am sure this was more interesting than it sounds), but we opted for the cuttlefish with aioli and the grilled lamb's tongue (a new one on me) with beets. The tongue was soft, the beets sweet. The cuttlefish was perfectly cooked, just enough bite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lamb's tongue and beetroot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuttlefish and aioli</td></tr>
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With the sun beating down, the forerib for two or the mutton with pearl barley would have been too much - I went instead for the pork belly. Salty crackling, melting meat with sweet onions and rich lentils - this is the kind of food that works well in July and January. The onglet steak (by the frequency with which this cut is now served in London you could almost be led to believe that there is no other!) was cooked rare and seasoned well. The duck fat chips were the only disappointment - not crisp enough for me, although the Fashionista thought they were tops.<br />
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With no space left for dessert, we sauntered off. Yes I went on a sunny summer evening, yes we'd enjoyed a beer in the sun before, but I have this sneaky suspicion that I will be just as comfortable in Beagle come winter - snuggled up in the archway watching the snow whirl outside. This is a restaurant for keeps. This is my kind of place.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1732141/restaurant/Bethnal-Green/Beagle-London"><img alt="Beagle on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1732141/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-61765728473555648582013-05-25T09:16:00.002+01:002013-05-25T09:16:36.089+01:00The Square: exactly what you would expect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sometimes a restaurant can be ruined by expectation - Heston's<a href="http://dinnerathon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/dinner-top-ten-perhaps-not.html" target="_blank"> Dinner</a> is a prime example, nothing wrong, just not all that! But sometimes it can go the other way - when the Fashionista first dragged me to Honest Burger in Brixton back before it became the sensation it now is (they <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/10/honest-burgers-team-up-with-true-blood-for-limited-edition-louisiana-burger-3755095/" target="_blank">are even tying up with television shows</a> these days!), little did I expect that I was about to eat my all time favourite burger. So what was I expecting from <a href="http://www.squarerestaurant.com/" target="_blank">The Square </a>- technically excellent cooking, a little flair (but not too much, we were in Mayfair after all), and faultless service. And what did I get? Exactly that - not much to excite, but everything just so.<br />
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Phil Howard has been round the block - he knows how to run a restaurant. You don't keep two Michelin Stars for as long as he has if you don't. On the Wednesday night we visited, most guests were brandishing their company cards come payment time. That is not a bad thing, but it is a reality. And it has an impact on the atmosphere of the place - just a little sedate.</div>
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But enough of that, on to the food. We started with a wafer cone filled with foie gras and some rice crackers and taramasalata - all spot on. Then another pre-course of "scrambled egg" - I have no idea what was in this, but my it was tasty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The "scrambled egg"</td></tr>
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While others went for the signature crab lasagne with champagne and shellfish foam, I was drawn to the trotters. I always am. There is something about the gelatinous, sticky, loveliness that I keep coming back to. Served wrapped in Pata Negra ham with peas and a light broth it was excellent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trotter</td></tr>
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To follow I opted for the Pot au Feu of pigeon with asparagus, morels and barley and hazelnut dumplings. The pigeon melted, the dumplings like the best ever gnocchi, the morels rich - heavy umami - the broth was just too salty for me though. I ended up battling valiantly to avoid the liquor - I should have been wanting to swim in the stuff.</div>
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Moving on to sweeter things, the chocolate souffle looked suitably impressive and was consumed in silence, but for the odd mmm and ahh - the sign of a good dish. Being not much of a desert man I opted for the closest thing to their (very impressive looking) cheese trolley - cheesecake with sheep's milk ice cream. The cheesecake was fine, the sheep's milk ice cream good, but not a patch on Isaac McHale's at The Clove Club. But the dessert had a secret super ninja trick up its sleeve - a small dark blue blob that, when pressed, revealed all - dark blackberry, sweet, delicious, like a Rowentrees' Fruit Pastille (come on, none of us would go for any flavour other than blackberry if we had a choice!), but better - that good! And with that, the dish was pulled to another level - delicious.<br />
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There followed many sweets, jellied and choclatey, all very nice (some were struck silent mid sentence by the salted caramel chocolates!) and a good selection of Plantation rums - it would have been rude not to. <br />
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So back to that expectation thing. I got what I expected. That is not to say I didn't like it - the place has two stars for goodness sake - I was expecting a lot. Would I go back? With a group, with work, unequivocally yes. The food was, in the main, delicious. For a meal for two? No, it just doesn't strike me as that kind of place.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/570283/restaurant/London/Square-Mayfair"><img alt="Square on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/570283/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-10427230092260527872013-05-12T10:14:00.002+01:002013-05-12T10:16:14.148+01:00Towpath: Perfectly Formed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A walk along Regent's Canal has many highlights - winding from the whoops of the monkeys in Regent's Park in the West through the mayhem of Camden in the North, you will eventually find yourself in East London. Home to Broadway Market and the magnificent (at least since the Olympics swung by) Victoria Park. But take a few steps back. There is less obvious treasure on the canal. Just by Whitmore Bridge (about halfway between Broadway and Angel), is the <a href="http://towpathcafe.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Towpath Cafe</a> - an eatery, hewn out of four recesses in the wall.<br />
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Set up in 2010 by Lori de Mori, Towpath is always packed to the brim at the weekends - hipsters recovering from the night before, now yummy mummies regaling pre-infant conquests - East London in a recess. We had tried to come before, but had always failed to get a table.</div>
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So, with the sun shining one Sunday (albeit briefly as the rain has now returned) we set up stall and waited to see what all the fuss was about. The menu is varied - from standard brunch (sausage sandwiches) to full-on lunch plates (there was pork loin on the menu the day we went along). But we decided to keep it light - a sausage sandwich and a plate of Monk's Beard and Bottarga to share.</div>
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Two huge slabs of toasted sourdough encased wonderfully meaty sausages, drenched in homemade Tommy K - all sausage sandwiches should be like this. </div>
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But the real treat was the Monk's Beard and Bottarga. I have to confess, I had had neither of these ingredients before - Monk's Beard, a long thin leaf from the chicory family, with a season lasting only five weeks, and Bottarga, cured fish roe from Grey Mullet. Drenched in lemon juice and olive oil, we were meant to be sharing, but I almost wolfed the whole lot. A seriously tasty plate of food. </div>
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Along with excellent coffee and freshly squeezed juice, Towpath made for a delightful place to while away a Sunday morning. Small it certainly is, perfectly formed, perhaps.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1556127/restaurant/Hoxton/Towpath-London"><img alt="Towpath on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1556127/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-40837221524714279862013-03-10T11:00:00.000+00:002013-03-10T11:09:51.871+00:00The Clove Club: I always knew I would...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I knew I would. I just knew I would. When I heard at the back end of 2012 that Isaac McHale (of Young Turks fame) was at it again, I knew that I would love it. From the top of a car park in Peckham to the Upstairs of a pub in Spittalfields, McHale has been setting London's culinary world alight for years. But nowhere has been permanent. Even Upstairs at the Ten Bells was set up as a pop up, albeit that it now appears to have an air of permanence with Giorgio Ravelli behind the stove.</span></div>
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But t<a href="http://thecloveclub.com/" target="_blank">he Clove Club</a> is different. This isn't some fad, an eatery for the throw-away generation. This is permanent. A proper grown up restaurant. It is housed in the old Spitalfields Town Hall, a magnificent building with soaring ceilings. At the front there is a bar serving "snacks" (but don't expect boring pimped up sausage rolls and Scotch eggs here - this is proper fine dining, it just so happens to be in a bar) and their very own cocktail list. But we were here for what's hidden behind, a small restaurant, kitchen on show, serving a tasting menu of Isaac's own making.<br />
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But back to the start - a Oaxacan "Old fashioned" - tequila, mezcal and agave syrup, with a sliver of orange rind. Brilliant - it all worked so well together.<br />
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We were then moved through to the dining room next door. You can tell the Clove Club has only been open a week - everything is still a little "hard" - like the dining room of St Johns but with elevated ceilings that make the place rattle. Still, as I said, this is the first week, I am sure it will settle into its surroundings.<br />
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The menu is split into the snacking section (I would hate to apply the term hors d'oeuvres to these dishes, they are way more fun than that!) and the more grown up mains. Every dish is brought to you by one of the chefs - excited and happy to explain what you are about to devour.<br />
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There are dishes that anyone familiar with Upstairs will recognise - those chicken nuggets (in the best way possible) and pine salt. But also new plates: raddish with toasted sesame powder and gochuchang (a spicy Korean paste made with chili, fermented soya beans and glutinous rice powder). The sesame powder was simply outstanding - we quizzed McHale for tips on how to make it, Japanese toasted sesame (apparently doing it yourself just does not come up with the same results) and salt - I will be trying this at home! There was also a cheese crisp with curds, fine but didn't do much for me.<br />
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Next up we started moving through the larger plates. And when I say larger, I mean it. This is a tasting menu for people who like to eat. I do. Five plates to fill your heart and belly, and a tea cake to finish things off.<br />
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We started with the warm fennel, seaweed and walnuts. The fennel retained a little bite, salty fresh seaweed and crunchy walnuts. The balance of crunch and smooth, salty and sweet which is hallmark of McHale's cooking. This was the Fashionista's least favourite of the night, but I still loved it.<br />
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Following this, a whole leak, its body split in two, spilling entrails of sweet, juicy mussels. I loved the way this looked, seemingly so simple, yet so tasty.<br />
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Now for the meat. Rib of beef from a cross-bred herd of cattle (between Hereford and Charolais) with Ramson (a type of wild garlic leaf) and potatoes. Hawksmoor had better watch out. This piece of rib was by far and away the best I have had in London. Beautifully caramelised, full of flavour. And those potatoes. I have never had anything like them. Some way between a chip, a roast, and mash. Tubes, soft on the inside, cooked crisp on the out.<br />
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I was starting to get full by this point, but I needn't have worried, the cider and ginger mousse floated down. Apples and spice, light as can be.<br />
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And to the final full plate, a triumph of technique, of contrasting colours, flavours and textures. It looks heavy, it was not. McHale consistently makes light, fluffy deserts that leaves you wanting more, even at the end of a feast. Tart blood orange segments, strips of blood orange jelly, aniseed from the fennel granita, sour sheep's milk foam and milk crisps. I am not a desserts man, I always go for the cheese. Not at the Clove Club.<br />
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Finally we have a chicory tea cake - better than the best Tunnocks could produce, but I wish it hadn't been sold as "chicory", I couldn't detect much of that.<br />
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Nothing about the Clove Club surprised me. Normally that would not be good. But seeing as I have fallen for McHale's cooking before, if I had been surprised that would have only been a bad thing. Different, exciting, delicious, there is a new "kool kid" on the block. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1733161/restaurant/Hoxton/The-Clove-Club-London"><img alt="The Clove Club on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1733161/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-53733405711132602242013-03-02T09:47:00.000+00:002013-03-02T09:47:07.794+00:00Dinner: Top Ten, Perhaps Not<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The problem with any award is that, while its nice to receive at the time, expectations are elevated. <a href="http://www.dinnerbyheston.com/" target="_blank">Dinner</a> is not only Heston Blumenthal's outpost in central London, but it is also now ranked ninth in the world by the San Pellegrino restaurant awards. That is higher even than the Fat Duck. So, with all that in mind, I was expecting a real treat. Frankly I imagined being blown away.<br />
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I am never a fan of restaurants in hotels - they always seem a bit like an extension of the lobby. Places that are perfectly fine for waiting, neutral, but not exactly somewhere to thrill. While Dinner does suffer a little from this, the porcelain jelly moulds on the walls bring just enough of a touch of Heston to the proceedings. <br />
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The kitchen is open, allowing you to marvel at their pineapple roasting machine. Necessary for the creation of Tipsy Cake so we were told - a desert you need to order on being seated due to cooking times, we didn't bother.<br />
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To start we knew we were going to have the "meat fruit", chicken liver and foie gras parfait dressed up as a mandarin. But Strakattak and I were torn between two of the remaining starters: would it be the "rice and flesh" or the hay-smoked mackerel. We just couldn't decide. Our waiter came up with a solution: he could do us a platter of all three. Sold! Sadly, he failed to tell us that we wouldn't be getting three slightly smaller portions as a platter, rather three full size plates, with consequent cost. Misleading and, if it all hadn't been so darn delicious, I might have complained about it. As it was they were all wolfed down.<br />
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So rarely does a hyped-up dish deliver - the meat fruit does. Tart "peel", rich chicken liver and foie gras parfait- looked wonderful, tasted better.<br />
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The rice and flesh was "aged rice" (to give it a pronounced nutty flavour), served al dente (undercooked?) as a risotto, with soft calf's tail, laden with saffron. Not something I would rush back to, but nice to try.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The mackerel came smoked but raw, with an anchovy heavy "</span>Gentlman's<span style="text-align: left;"> relish". Fresh, punchy, my kind of starter. </span></div>
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Following the starters was always going to be hard. I had the collar of pork with spelt, ham hock and Robert sauce. The pork was incredibly tender, I suspect the use of sous vide, but the Robert sauce (a mustard sauce derived from the classic Espagnole sauce) was just a little too salty for me. A plate of food I was happy devour, but not something I can say will stick in my mind. <br />
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Strak had the ribeye, well-cooked, fine. The triple cooked chips were, quite frankly, the best chips I have eaten. Ever.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pork collar with Robert sauce </td></tr>
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To finish, I had the "brown bread ice cream", salted butter caramel and malted yeast syrup. Yes it was malty. Yes I could see why it was called "brown bread" ice cream. Yes it had salted caramel, a food sent from above. But would I clamour for more? No. Remove the reference to brown bread and what you have is a malty ice cream with some salted caramel. Nothing to get worked up about. <br />
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Strak<span style="text-align: left;"> had the "chocolate bar" with passion fruit jam and ginger ice cream. The ice cream was mind-blowing, a hit of spicy ginger, the chocolate bar rich with passion fruit. Cleverly presented, this was far more exciting than the headline-grabbing "brown bread" ice cream. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Finally we were presented with a small pot of rich chocolate and tea </span>ganache<span style="text-align: left;">. Served with a crisp biscuit studded with caraway seeds, I loved it. It had enough going on to be a desert in its own right. Caraway and chocolate, a great combination.</span> </div>
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So what to make of Dinner. Yes there were high points. The meat fruit lived up to all I had heard, the mackerel was a real treat, and that chocolate bar had a great balance of flavour. Did I think it was deserving of its title of ninth best restaurant in the world? No. In fact I wouldn't even put it in my top ten in London. Some of the dishes were really quite ordinary, dressed up in Heston hype. Fun to try, but don't think I'll be back.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1568588/restaurant/Knightsbridge/Dinner-by-Heston-Blumenthal-London"><img alt="Dinner by Heston Blumenthal on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1568588/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-9232355479907725732013-02-15T16:33:00.002+00:002013-02-17T16:25:10.693+00:00Wapping Project: A Front Runner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is not much to tempt people to Wapping. Yes you might fancy a stroll along the Thames. I suppose you might even be lucky enough to own one of the converted warehouses that are dotted along the bank, a studio in Gunmakers' Wharf, a pad in Tobacco Wharf - a throw back to when the East End was a hub of international trade. That apart though, there is really not much there. Well at least that's what I thought.<br />
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On a random Friday off work the Fashionista suggested we visited the Wapping Project. An art installation in a former hydraulic power station, with a restaurant. I thought it was worth a shot.<br />
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The building is incredible, the generators are still in situ, post industrial chic. Of course with any place like this, there are hints at pretension - in amongst those incredible feats of Victorian engineering were TVs showing cars driving through tunnels on loop. Nevertheless, I loved the vibe - perhaps I have been living in East London too long.<br />
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We were meant to be having a cheap lunch. Sadly the Wapping Project is not that. Starters hover around the nine quid mark, mains come closer to twenty. Although tempted by the tandoori octopus, we opted for the veal tartare - this came cupped in radicchio leaves. There were the usual capers, more interesting, however, was the introduction of pickled mustard seeds. They worked alongside the mild veal. We had started well.<br />
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Next up I had the cod, almond sauce, lemon confit, radicchio and anchovy sauce. It was achingly beautiful, a plate of petals dissected with a clean line of pure white cod. Stunning. And boy did the flavours live up to expectations. Soft cod, bitter radicchio. The almond sauce was a real treat, almost like an almond hummus. Brought together perfectly with the salty anchovies. Seriously good stuff.<br />
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The Fashionista had the potato and Ardrahan knish with watercress salad. I had never come across knish before - a Jewish pastry parcel snack - and maybe this just wasn't a great version of it. The Ardrahan was hardly present - in effect it was mashed potato wrapped in pastry, not something I will be searching out anytime again soon.<br />
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I loved the venue, veal and cod. If we had had only that I would have left the Wapping Project, got straight on the blower, and gathered a group to come and celebrate a new favourite. But that knish - a carb on carb fight - left me with doubts. Still, maybe Wapping does now have something to tempt people to visit, other than the glorious views of Canary Wharf. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/571545/restaurant/London/Docklands/Wapping-Project-Tower-Hamlets"><img alt="Wapping Project on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/571545/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-42289865407887979772013-02-02T11:21:00.001+00:002013-02-02T11:21:49.310+00:00Meat Mission: Meat Liquor, but fun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been following the MEAT franchise since the days of New Cross Gate. Many an hour I have whiled away standing on the streets of South East London, then later in behind Oxford Street. And yet, while I used to be a devout follower (it is incredible how the Meat brand attracts an almost religious fervour), I was left feeling empty by my last trip to Meat Liquor. The music was too loud - when Metallica invades your personal space to such an extent that you feel you are sitting inside one of Lars Ulrich's bass drums, something is wrong. The service brusque. And worst of all, the food was a major let down. Overcooked burgers and a terrible Philly cheese steak roll. This was not the #MeatEasy I had fallen for. <br />
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So, when they opened their next venture, Meat Market, I let it pass me by. But then came a third, <a href="http://www.meatmission.com/" target="_blank">Meat Mission</a>, and the feeling returned. I remembered the good times, and I decided it was worth one final shot. <br />
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Once a great place for a beer, but barren for food, the restaurant scene in Shoreditch has had somewhat of a resurgence in recent years. First came the big boys (Busaba Eatthai, Byron), then more recently Brindisa opened its latest outpost, Tramontana. Now the MEAT guys have moved on.<br />
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Set off the main drag, MEAT Mission is a cavernous place - only half of it was open on the evening we were there. And, ironically enough, you can book. No more queuing for me. The atmosphere is everything MEAT Liquor is not - friendly, welcoming, egalitarian. I felt comfortable once again.<br />
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The menu is similar to the other outposts - I went for the Dead Hippie, the original MEAT burger combo. Rare, sloppy, delicious - this was a return to form. Back up there with the Lucky Chips of this world - a proper dirty burger. The Fashionista had the cheeseburger which was equally good.<br />
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Alongside the burgers, we got some of their Monkey Fingers - battered chicken with a hot pepper sauce and blue cheese dip. These have been getting rave reviews - but I was left nonplussed. They reminded me of the kind of soggy sweet and sour chicken people seemed happy to devour growing up in Scotland in the 90s. That said, the blue cheese dip was some finger lickin' stuff.<br />
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MEAT Mission has restored my belief in what the MEAT guys are doing. Proper dirty burgers up there with the best of them. But I think I will stick East to get my MEAT fix, maybe I am getting old, but MEAT Mission is just so much nicer. MEAT Liquor feels like a teenager trying to be something, MEAT Mission has got through the angst and knows what life's about.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1720869/restaurant/Hoxton/MEATmission-London"><img alt="MEATmission on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1720869/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4017556033303858794.post-28089051298732436662013-01-23T07:07:00.003+00:002013-01-23T12:31:30.319+00:00Avenue: not your typical Mayfair haunt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I struggle with restaurants around Mayfair. Perhaps it is my general distrust of places who spend more on ensuring that their linen is whiter than white than on the provenance of food. But, Avenue is a little different. Part of the D&D Group (formerly of Terrance Conran), <a href="http://www.avenue-restaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">Avenue </a>is a large open space, clean lines and what looked like modern food, supposedly built on seasonal British ingredients. I was optimistic.<br />
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There was pork and hare terrine, with lightly pickled green beans and toasted almonds. Rich terrine, tart veg, a good combination. Others had scallops with cauliflower and chorizo and the smoked salmon with horesradish cream - both received positive murmurings.</div>
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Mains included cod with a Thai veloute and a special of homemade spaghetti with lobster. All were well reasonably well received. After a couple of weeks of curry-filled endeavors in India, I decided to go for Haddock and Chips - given the apparent focus on British classics, this should have been a walk in the park. It was not.</div>
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The chips were better than fine, crispy and fluffy, everything they should be. But the fish. Or, more accurately, the batter, was soggy, undercooked, floury. I have no idea how they could get it so wrong. It was abysmal. Without a shadow of a doubt, without trying to be melodramatic, the worst I have ever had.</div>
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A restaurant that cannot serve crispy batter worries me. Perhaps that tasty terrine was a fluke. I hope not, as Avenue could be a real breath of fresh air in the Mayfair restaurant scene. Sadly, that fish was so bad I do not think I will return to find out. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/560662/restaurant/St-Jamess/Avenue-Restaurant-and-Bar-London"><img alt="Avenue Restaurant and Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/560662/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Ally Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384960802372418111noreply@blogger.com1