Madame Tuyet's Chicken Skewers

When I received a parcel from Hello Fresh a few weeks ago with ingredients to try 3 different recipes, the chicken skewers with rice was my favourite one.  Its original title is “Madame Tuyet’s Chicken Skewers with Ginger Rice“, but typical me – I didn’t properly read the recipe and added the ginger to the marinade rather than the rice.  The result was very delicious indeed:  beautiful tender chicken immersed in an South-East Asian inspired marinade on the most light and fluffy rice I have ever managed to make.

Here the recipe as of Hello Fresh with a few little changes a la Ute.

Cooking Time: 40 min

Amount: for 2 people

Ingredients:

1. First off, soak your kaffir lime leaf in a cup of warm ]]>  

Madame Tuyet's Chicken Skewers

When I received a parcel from Hello Fresh a few weeks ago with ingredients to try 3 different recipes, the chicken skewers with rice was my favourite one.  Its original title is “Madame Tuyet’s Chicken Skewers with Ginger Rice“, but typical me – I didn’t properly read the recipe and added the ginger to the marinade rather than the rice.  The result was very delicious indeed:  beautiful tender chicken immersed in an South-East Asian inspired marinade on the most light and fluffy rice I have ever managed to make.

Here the recipe as of Hello Fresh with a few little changes a la Ute.

Madame Tuyet’s Chicken Skewers with Ginger rice

Cooking Time: 40 min

Amount: for 2 people

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 200 g basmati rice
• 150 g of tenderstem broccoli
• half a medium-sized onion
• 1 kaffir lime leave
• 1/2 tsp of five spice
• 1/4 tsp of tumeric
• 1/4 tsp of paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 10 g of fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of dried coconut
• 4 bamboo skewers

1. First off, soak your kaffir lime leaf in a cup of warm water to soften it.  Next, put your bamboo skewers in some water and let them soak for a while. The water will stop them from being incinerated when you put them under the grill later.  Pre-heat your grill to the highest heat.

2. Peel and finely chop your garlic and ginger and dice the onion very finely.  Clean your broccoli and cut off the ends.  Mix 2 teaspoons of coconut powder with one tablespoon of warm water and chop each chicken breast into about 8 pieces, removing fat and tendons.  Finally slice your kaffir lime leaf into extremely thin shreds.

3. In a bowl mix the chicken with the coconut mixture, diced onion, sliced kaffir lime leaf, the spices, half a teaspoon of sugar, the garlic, the ginger and the soy sauce. Cover and put this in the fridge.

gorgeous marinade for the chicken (and I need a knife skills course)

4. Put one tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan on medium heat.  Add in the rice and cook for around 5 minutes until it becomes a nice golden colour.

5. Turn the heat to low and add 300 ml of water to the rice. Cover the pan with a tight lid and leave it to cook for 10 minutes before resting off the heat for a further 10 minutes.  Don’t peak under the lid until 2o minutes are up!

6. Take your chicken out of the fridge and thread it onto your skewers.  Put the skewers onto a backing tray and grill them as close to the heat as possible for about 9 minutes, turning them a couple of times to cook evenly.

off into the oven

7. Boil an inch of water in a pan and place a colander on top.  Put your broccoli into the colander, cover it with a plate and steam for 3 minutes.

8. Fluff your rice using a fork before serving it onto plates.  Put the chicken skewers on top and some broccoli on the side – Enjoy!

so easy and very good

Category: Bistro (££+)

I had Peruvian food only at a few occasions and enjoyed it a lot, so I was excited to meet my friend Uyen at Ceviche for a girly lunch.

Contrary to our expectations, our experience at  Ceviche felt like entire kitchen crew went off to the pub and left the kitchen help and the girl who washes the dishes to fend on their own.  I strongly suspect that this must have been the case considering the wealth of positive reviews that Ceviche has received since its opening.  Out of the 7 dishes we tried, only 2 passed the mark, 4 were undistinguished and 1 actually disgusting.

Category: Bistro  (££)

The decision to give a very positive review to the all day breakfast/ tartine/French boulangerie place Cuisine de Bar by Poilane just off busy King’s Road is largely based on the fact that I am absolutely in love with their Australian Tartine (?£8.5).  Ripe mashed avocado is generously layered onto a slice of deliciously fresh crisp artisan brown bread which has before been spread thinly with vegemite, the Australian version o f marmite.  Together with the chilli flakes sprinkled on top, the result is an enticing mixture of salty and hot and creamy and I just absolutely love it.  I think it’s the best hangover food ever, as it gives you everything you need to recover from having had one glass too many.

It’s served with a little lovely side salad, tres French!

Side Salad @ Poilane

The other tartine I tried came with tomato and mozzarella was not very successful.  It was baked in the oven and I don’t know if it hadn’t been done long enough or if the tartine had been standing around before arriving at our table, but the mozzarella was melted and cold, which as you very ]]>

Australian Tartine @ Poilane

Category: Bistro  (££)

The decision to give a very positive review to the all day breakfast/ tartine/French boulangerie place Cuisine de Bar by Poilane just off busy King’s Road is largely based on the fact that I am absolutely in love with their Australian Tartine (?£8.5).  Ripe mashed avocado is generously layered onto a slice of deliciously fresh crisp artisan brown bread which has before been spread thinly with vegemite, the Australian version o f marmite.  Together with the chilli flakes sprinkled on top, the result is an enticing mixture of salty and hot and creamy and I just absolutely love it.  I think it’s the best hangover food ever, as it gives you everything you need to recover from having had one glass too many.

It’s served with a little lovely side salad, tres French!

Side Salad @ Poilane

The other tartine I tried came with tomato and mozzarella was not very successful.  It was baked in the oven and I don’t know if it hadn’t been done long enough or if the tartine had been standing around before arriving at our table, but the mozzarella was melted and cold, which as you very well know results in an unpleasant texture which can only be accepted once in a while when eating cold pizza the day after.

Cuisine de Bar by Poilane is similar to Le Pain Quotidien in many ways (just more charming) and just like at the omnipresent Belgian boulangerie chain, you can order a good value bread basket with spreads at Cuisine de Bar by Poilane.  Their salty caramel spread with the gorgeous fresh bread was very moreish indeed.

Forest @ Poilane

The room is fantastic:  Bright and airy with a skylight and light wooden furniture it gives you the impression of space and calm.  I think the (real) tree in the middle of the restaurant is rather lovely and so is the smell of freshly baked bread that fills the room.

King’s Road is one of my favourite shopping destinations, and usually find it very difficult to go for a coffee in this area if I don’t fancy any coffee chain or overpriced pretentious place.  Poilane is a welcome addition and invites to linger, drink coffee, read the paper, eat some Australian tartines and then switch to wine.  And you can even take some fresh bread away with you!

Gorgeous Bread @ Poilane

By the way, Cuisine de Bar by Poilane does not have a website, unbelievable actually.

•  Food: 7/10
• Ambiance: 9/10
• Service: 7/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Chances of Returning: 75%
• Verdict: One can never eat enough Australian tartines…

Scotch Braddock White duck’s egg with Wye Valley asparagus soldiers £12.50

I was invited to HIX At The Albemarle and this review is not anonymous.

Category: Brasserie (£££) 

Love Leluu, The Skinny Bib and I met up for a belated birthday dinner and as it happened to be the end of the month we gladly took advantage of an invitation to sample the food at HIX at the Albemarle.

It was a first HIX for all 3 of us and we were intrigued.  Mark Hix, the established London chef and restaurateur, started his small restaurant emporium 4 years ago and has since established himself as one of the ambassadors of British food.  Of course he cannot be everywhere at once, so the head chef at Hix at the Albemarle is Lee Streeton, while Mark Hix still act as the “Director of Food” (whatever this may mean).

HIX at the Albemarle is located in London’s supposedly oldest hotel, Brown’s Hotel, a site where history was made.  Rudyard Kipling completed his most famous novel, The Jungle Book, there; Alexander Bell made his first successful phone call from Brown’s Hotel and if you are an Agatha Christie fan you know that Miss Marple liked ]]>  

Scotch Braddock White duck’s egg with Wye Valley asparagus soldiers £12.50

I was invited to HIX At The Albemarle and this review is not anonymous.

Category: Brasserie (£££) 

Love Leluu, The Skinny Bib and I met up for a belated birthday dinner and as it happened to be the end of the month we gladly took advantage of an invitation to sample the food at HIX at the Albemarle.

It was a first HIX for all 3 of us and we were intrigued.  Mark Hix, the established London chef and restaurateur, started his small restaurant emporium 4 years ago and has since established himself as one of the ambassadors of British food.  Of course he cannot be everywhere at once, so the head chef at Hix at the Albemarle is Lee Streeton, while Mark Hix still act as the “Director of Food” (whatever this may mean).

HIX at the Albemarle is located in London’s supposedly oldest hotel, Brown’s Hotel, a site where history was made.  Rudyard Kipling completed his most famous novel, The Jungle Book, there; Alexander Bell made his first successful phone call from Brown’s Hotel and if you are an Agatha Christie fan you know that Miss Marple liked to stay at Bertram’s Hotel, which was modelled after Brown’s Hotel.

The artwork at the back wall is a Tracy Emin, in case you were wondering

The enormous dining room with its wood panelling feels elegant and old-fashioned, if a bit subdued, particularly as on a Tuesday evening the place was not even 25% full.  Walls are covered with modern art of prominent British artist, such as a piece by Tracy Enim (which we didn’t like at all) and by Bridget Riley.

@Hix at the Albemarle

The food was technically perfectly executed, but it certainly lacked the oomph.  Nice, comforting food but nothing that would distinguish it from similar places and absolutely nothing to justify the exorbitant pricing.

My biggest issue with HIX at the Albermarle was the menu.  It was the hugest menu I have ever seen in a high end place.  In fact its extent competes with that of cheap Chinatown Cantonese restaurants, if you know what I mean.

If I was in charge of HIX, the first thing I’d do is cut down the menu by 80% and have a couple of daily specials.  How can you have fresh ingredients for 14 starters, 7 fish dishes, 4 seasonal asparagus dishes, and 8 meat dishes?  Particularly when the restaurant is not exactly heaving?   A smaller menu would have totally changed my impression of HIX.

Shaved asparagus, fennel and radish salad £9.25

Woolley Park Farm quail with pickled white cabbage and caraway £11.50

Possibly the best of the starters was the Skinny Bib’s duck’s egg with Wye Valley asparagus (£12.5), with nicely oozing egg yolk and asparagus spears used as soldiers.  The asparagus was cooked a bit too long for my taste. but was flavoursome and a good representation of the asparagus season.  My Shaved asparagus, fennel and radish salad (£9.25) was fresh but utterly undistinguished and lacking flavour.  I assure you, I have made better asparagus salads at home.  I only got a small bite of the Woolley Park Farm quail (£11.50), not enough to judge it really, but Love Leluu happily ate it.

Pan-fried fillet of Cornish cod with clams and laverbread £22.75

Dorset scallops with braised oxtail and whipped potato £27.50

Also with the mains, The Skinny Bib with his Dorset scallops with braised oxtail (£27.50) was the clear winner.  The combination of the nicely cooked scallops with the tender oxtail in a rich sauce worked surprisingly well and was the most exciting dish of the evening.  Not much excitement with my Pan-fried fillet of Cornish cod (£22.75).  I chose it because it was advertised to come with laverbread (which is the poor man’s nori) and I, since I was forced to live in Wales for a few months last year, still am very intrigued by this unusual ingredient.  Sadly, the laverbread was mixed into a potato mash and its salty taste of the sea got almost completely lost.  The fish was cooked well and there was nothing wrong with the dish as such, apart from the boredom that took hold of me while eating it.

Love Leluu, who chose the Torbay lemon sole pan-fried (£29.50) enjoyed the fish but was disappointed that it came with nothing on the side, not even a slice of lemon or parsley leave for decoration.  For almost 30 pounds one could expect some extras really.

Cox’s apple crumble (for two) £13.50

We shared a Cox’s apple crumble (for two, £13.50) which I did not particularly enjoy.  The apples were tart and flavourful, but the crumble top was too doughy and the vanilla custard served on the side was underwhelming.

The British farmhouse cheese board (for two £16.75) consisted of 3 good cheeses, but can I please draw your attention to the presentation: the 3 different cheeses are heaped almost on top of each other, so when I tried the goat’s cheese, half of it was contaminated by the much stronger blue cheese.  Seriously, that’s a very poor way to serve cheese!  Particularly considering this enormous cheese board…

British farmhouse cheese board for one £10.50 for two £16.75

I had a lovely evening due to the exceptional company but I would not go back to HIX at the Albemarle for the food.  I love old-fashioned cuisine once in a while and don’t always need experiments, but I want to be wowed, experience great flavour and taste the touch of a chef who doesn’t play too safe.

We met an ancient guy from Jersey on the way out who told us this is his favourite restaurant in London and he only goes there when he comes to London twice a year.  I can see HIX at the Albemarle appealing to this clientèle.  To fill the dining room however,  the current performance is just not good enough.

• Food: 6/10
• Service: 8/10
• Ambiance: 7/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Chances of returning: only when the menu is reduced by 80%!
• Verdict: Decent but uninspired food – considering you can get mind-blowing dishes for less money at many other restaurants in London, it’s just not worth it.

Hello Fresh “ is the smart way to prepare easy and healthy meals for yourself and your family. Say goodbye to unhealthy fast food and repetitive meals and rediscover the joys of cooking.”

Curious?  I shall explain to you how Hello Fresh works:

1. You get a box of ingredients with recipe cards delivered to your door once a week (you can choose a 3 or 5 meal plan and also a vegetarian option is available)

2. All the ingredients are measured for the respective meal, so there is no wastage at all (apart from plastic wrappings that is)

3. All you have to do is the chopping and the cooking, and there is your home-cooked meal without having to think about what to prepare or having to go shopping before.

Hello Fresh send me a free 3 meal package (retail price 39.00 with free shipping) to try.  It is very exciting when you receive the box with all the fresh ingredients and the surprise recipes…

What is going to be in the box?

I cooked the 3 meals on 3 consecutive days and was overall impressed.  I love the concept of Hello Fresh.  It is for ]]>

Recipe Card @Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh “ is the smart way to prepare easy and healthy meals for yourself and your family. Say goodbye to unhealthy fast food and repetitive meals and rediscover the joys of cooking.”

Curious?  I shall explain to you how Hello Fresh works:

1. You get a box of ingredients with recipe cards delivered to your door once a week (you can choose a 3 or 5 meal plan and also a vegetarian option is available)

2. All the ingredients are measured for the respective meal, so there is no wastage at all (apart from plastic wrappings that is)

3. All you have to do is the chopping and the cooking, and there is your home-cooked meal without having to think about what to prepare or having to go shopping before.

Hello Fresh send me a free 3 meal package (retail price 39.00 with free shipping) to try.  It is very exciting when you receive the box with all the fresh ingredients and the surprise recipes…

What is going to be in the box?

I cooked the 3 meals on 3 consecutive days and was overall impressed.  I love the concept of Hello Fresh.  It is for people like me, who are very busy and are not very confident in the kitchen but enjoy delicious home-cooked food.  My boyfriend was happy too, I cooked in a week what I usually just about manage in a month…

A welcome aspect of the Hello Fresh experience is that I have tried different recipes that I would not usually cook (for example, I never made a burger before) and I attempted new techniques. Being pushed out of my culinary comfort zone has certainly increased my confidence levels when cooking and I have a lot of  new ideas for my own creations.

The Ingredients:

• As the name suggests, they were good quality and very fresh and indeed kept for almost a week, as advertised on the website.
• There is a lot of plastic wrapping, I wonder if at least some could be replaced with recycled (and recyclable) cardboard?

The Recipes:

• Inventive and mostly healthy (not sure about the wholesomeness of the burger…) recipes taking inspirations of different ethnic cuisines, all accompanied by at least one or two for your five a day.
• On the downside, you can’t choose your recipes and you have no idea what to expect.  If for example, one week the recipe would contain peppers, pineapples, celeriac and dill I would be screwed. Totally.
• The recipes were overall easy to follow, although there were scattered mistakes and some the cooking steps were not very clearly explained. I don’t think the small pictures that you can hardly see are necessary, I would prefer a more clear description of processes.  It would also help to e.g. mention in the beginning of the recipe to preheat the oven…
• I felt the Asian style dishes were to adapted to the British palate.

 Day 1 – Stir-fried Pork and Prawn Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms

This was the first dish I tried because it sounded the best to me. This noodles stir fry was however the least successful of them all and definitely needed some extra zing.  It was supposedly Vietnamese, or at least Vietnam inspired (it had fish sauce…) but tasted too mild and ended up being too dry.  The chilli that came in the box was mild and should really have been spicy.  I would have used double the amount of fish sauce and some Asian cooking oil should have been added to the recipe, as cooking with olive oil for a stir fry is somehow weird.

The ingredients for Day One

The dish was certainly edible and with some tweaking I would cook this recipe again.

Stir-fried Pork and Prawn Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms

Day 2 – Chorizo and Toasted Pine Nut Burger with Red Onion Marmalade

I really enjoyed the recipe that I cooked the next day, a Chorizo and Toasted Pine Nut Burger (recipe below, with some adaptation).  My boyfriend is American, which means that he was born with the ability to cook the perfect burger.  He liked this Hello Fresh recipe but strongly criticised the lack of fresh lettuce in the burger.  He almost had a heart attack when the recipe suggested to cook the corn for 15 minutes.  I learned that fresh corn should not be boiled for longer than 2-3 minutes and if it’s a bit older 5-6 minutes are the maximum. I cooked the corn for the recipe for 5 minutes and it was perfect, I don’t even want to imagine what a 15 minutes cooking time might have done to this poor vegetable…

Day Two @Hello Fresh

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 200g mince beef
• 50g Shredded Chorizo
• 15g Pine Nuts
• 1 Baby Gem Lettuce
• 1 Corn on the Cob
• 100g Cherry Tomatoes
• 150g (1 medium sized) Red Onions
• 15 g (1) Spring Onion
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp of Ketchup
• 1 tsp of Dried Oregano
• 1 Ciabatta Loaf

Ingredients

1. Chop cherry tomatoes in half, coarsely chop baby gem lettuce and cut spring onions into diagonal slices.  Cut red onion in half through the root and then cut it into very thin, crescent-shaped slices.  Lastly remove any skin from the chorizo and chop really finely.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on low heat in a non-stick pan.  Add in the red onion with half a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 10 minutes, ad in two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and continue slow cooking for around 20 minutes until you have prepared the rest of the meal

3. To make the burgers, simply mix together the mince meat, pine nuts, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, the dry oregano, the shredded chorizo and the ketchup.  Work the mixture thoroughly with your hands for a few minutes.

4. Bring a pan of water to boil, add your corn and a pinch of salt.  Gently boil for about 5 minutes, drain and keep to the side.

5. Divide burger mixture into 2 portions and gently press each one into burger shape.  Heat a non-stick pan with some olive oil and cook burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on your liking.

6. In a bowl, mix together 2/3 baby gem lettuce, the spring onions and 2/3 of the tomatoes (keep some aside to put into burger if you like) before drizzling over two teaspoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar/

7. Cut the ciabatta in half and then slice each piece in half again so that you have four burger baps.  Put these in the toaster (or under the grill if they don’t fit into your toaster) to lightly toast them.

8. Serve the burger with the side salad and top with sweet slow-cooked red onion marmalade (as well as fresh salad and tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard – however you like).  Chop corn in half  and serve with a knob of butter and sprinkle with some salt.

Chorizo and Toasted Pine Nut Burger with Red Onion Marmalade

The last recipe will be presented in a different post, it was lovely…

More bloggers’ opinions on Hello Fresh from Bread et Butter and Love Leluu.

It’s this long-awaited rhubarb time of the year, and there is nothing better than desserts based on this tangy vegetable combined with something smooth and sweet.

The good thing about rhubarb, even when transformed into a high-caloric dish, is that is has been shown to have substantial health benefits.  It is rich in antioxidants protecting against cancer and apparently baking the rhubarb for 20 minutes INCREASES the concentration of  substances that are good for you (Dr Gordon McDougall, Food Chemistry, 2010). (there is no mention however in this publication of added health benefits of custard or cream, I am sorry to say).

Rhubarb itself is one of the vegetables with the least calories (almost justifying making it into crumble, right?) and boasts of vitamin A + C (good for your eyes and immune system) and vitamin K.

I made this Ottolenghi based rhubarb recipe for my last dinner party and it was very well received.  So I thought I share it with you.

Amount: 4 people

Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

Category: Brasserie (£££)

Bistro Bruno Loubet is a distinctly French restaurant located in stylish boutique hotel The Zetter in the middle of the Golden Restaurant Triangle that is Clerkenwell/Farringdon (within a short walking distance you also find the excellent restaurants The Modern Pantry, St. John’s Restaurant, Vinoteca, North Road, Fox and Anchor and St. Ali).  The dining room is bright and generous, the waiters as Gaelic as can be (ours looked and talked like taken straight out of a French movie actually) and the food is delicious.

The Bordolaise Bruno Loubet has left his native France behind early and has been cooking in London since the 1980s, earning a Michelin star as a head chef at the Four Seasons restaurant.  More down to earth is the food he cooks at Bistro Bruno Loubet (opened in 2010), which offers modern and sophisticated French cuisine combined with influences of Spain, Italian and British (I even spotted a Scotch egg on the menu) as well as the Far East.

The result is nothing short of stunning.

Bread @ Bistro Bruno Loubet

I could not resist the toothsome white onion bread and dark loaf and ate ]]>

Beetroot Ravioli @ Bistro Bruno Loubet

Category: Brasserie (£££)

Bistro Bruno Loubet is a distinctly French restaurant located in stylish boutique hotel The Zetter in the middle of the Golden Restaurant Triangle that is Clerkenwell/Farringdon (within a short walking distance you also find the excellent restaurants The Modern Pantry, St. John’s Restaurant, Vinoteca, North Road, Fox and Anchor and St. Ali).  The dining room is bright and generous, the waiters as Gaelic as can be (ours looked and talked like taken straight out of a French movie actually) and the food is delicious.

The Bordolaise Bruno Loubet has left his native France behind early and has been cooking in London since the 1980s, earning a Michelin star as a head chef at the Four Seasons restaurant.  More down to earth is the food he cooks at Bistro Bruno Loubet (opened in 2010), which offers modern and sophisticated French cuisine combined with influences of Spain, Italian and British (I even spotted a Scotch egg on the menu) as well as the Far East.

The result is nothing short of stunning.

Bread @ Bistro Bruno Loubet

I could not resist the toothsome white onion bread and dark loaf and ate far too much of it, covered with finger-thick spread of creamy butter.  It’s always a good sign when the bread is a winner – it always surprises me how many restaurants mess up this first crucial step.

At first I was a bit dubious about the beetroot ravioli (8), as I thought they could be too sweet, but little did I know.  These little parcels of delight were filled with still crunchy slivers of beetroot with only a subtle touch of sweetness, the pasta dough was thin and perfectly al dente and combination with the peppery and strong rucola and the salty parmesan shavings worked a dream.  This all was immersed in slightly browned butter, beautiful.

Braised Beef Indochin @ Bistro Bruno Loubet

Surprisingly successful was the Braised Beef Indochine (17.50), in fact this was the best “Asian fusion” dish I have eaten in years.  The name was misleading though, as I did not taste a huge amount of “Vietnamese” in this dish.  It was rather a delightful combination of  hot and cold, crunchy and melting, tangy and sweet: South East Asian herbs (lime leaves, coriander, mint, lemon grass), slices of ripe and juicy mango and beautifully soft and tender beef  in a rich and warm sauce of honey, soy and sesame.

Nice but by not as successful was one of the specials, the Duck.  There was no doubt that the meat was cooked to pink perfection and the honey infused sauce went stunningly with it.  I also like the contrast of sweet with the fresh pak choi.   I was however far from convinced by the accompanying sweet potato cake which did not taste of much really, not even of sweet potato.

Duck @ Bistro Bruno Loubet

Bistro Bruno Loubet

I like the food at Bistro Bruno Loubet very much, and I will almost certainly be back for more.  It is not cheap but in the end it’s worth for what you get.  Also, the wine list is extensive and very reasonably priced with good selection of wines below 25 pounds, Bruno gets Hungry in London brownie points for this!

• Food: 8/10
• Service: 7/10
• Ambiance: 7/10
• Value for Money: 8/10
• Chances of returning: 80%
• Verdict:  Inspired and delightful French food in pleasant and not too stiff surroundings

Category: Bistro (££) – Bar and Taqueria 

La Bodega Negra brought to London by the New York restaurateur, “cultural engineer” and nightclub owner Serge Becker is certainly a welcome addition to London’s food and drinks scene and has taken the London foodie world by storm.  We all like places that are relaxed, reasonably priced and serve a mean margarita, right?

margarita for lunch @ La Bodega Negra

There are 2 Bodega Negras, of which one is a Cafe and Taqueria (this is the one I went to and which is reviewed here) and the Restaurant.  As far as I understand, these two are in the same building, just one (the restaurant) with an entrance to Old Compton Street and the other one opening on Moor Street.

La Bodega Negra

La Bodega Negra  is a very charming place indeed.  It consists of central bar area surrounded by blue bar stools which definitely invite to sit down, drink and linger.  The black and white tiled floor and the tiled walls contributes to a Mexican atmosphere without appearing tacky, and parts of the walls are plastered with colourful Mexican posters. It feels very hip without trying ]]>

La Bodega Negra

Category: Bistro (££) – Bar and Taqueria 

La Bodega Negra brought to London by the New York restaurateur, “cultural engineer” and nightclub owner Serge Becker is certainly a welcome addition to London’s food and drinks scene and has taken the London foodie world by storm.  We all like places that are relaxed, reasonably priced and serve a mean margarita, right?

margarita for lunch @ La Bodega Negra

There are 2 Bodega Negras, of which one is a Cafe and Taqueria (this is the one I went to and which is reviewed here) and the Restaurant.  As far as I understand, these two are in the same building, just one (the restaurant) with an entrance to Old Compton Street and the other one opening on Moor Street.

La Bodega Negra

La Bodega Negra  is a very charming place indeed.  It consists of central bar area surrounded by blue bar stools which definitely invite to sit down, drink and linger.  The black and white tiled floor and the tiled walls contributes to a Mexican atmosphere without appearing tacky, and parts of the walls are plastered with colourful Mexican posters. It feels very hip without trying to hard.

La Bodega Negra

La Bodega Negra

The food was, although enjoyable, not as convincing as atmosphere and drinks.

Heart of Palm Salad @ La Bodega Negra

The Heart of Palm Salad (8.5) was a nice and wholesome, consisting of mixed fresh leaves, palm hearts in slices and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. Very lovely was the Tostada with Tuna Chipotle (3), with the raw tuna, avocado and jalapeno peppers bedded on a crisp toasted tortilla.

I admired the presentation of a very small dish on a very big plate…

Tostada (3) @ La Bodega Negra

Taqueria is the Spanish/Mexican word for Taco shop, and indeed there are plenty of Tacos on the menu (you can choose between 6 different ones).   3 tacos come for £6 and when you add beans and rice, this adds up to £10.5.

We asked the waiter for his taco recommendation and he suggested for us to try the Al Pastor Roasted Pineapple.  This might no have been the wisest choice.  The filling (or is it topping?) was lukewarm with the pork underseasoned and together with the fresh pineapple this dish was too sweet and didn’t do it for me.  More green sauce would have gone a long way and adding the spicy condiment that was on our table, almost saved the dish.  The rice however was great – light and fluffy and infused with fresh coriander.  The beans with chorizo again lacked seasoning and kick.  The chorizo tasted boring and the sauce could have done with some chilli or at least salt.

Tacos Al Pastor Roasted Pineapple @ La Bodega Negra

Even though I was not blown away by the food, my impression of La Bodega Negra was a largely positive one.  I can see myself meeting a friend there at 5pm and falling out of the door at 11pm after having had a great time, with my blood containing more tequila than haemoglobin.  I am intrigued to try the La Bodega Negra restaurant as well, which is more expensive than the café but has a more extensive menu.

• Food: 6/10
• Ambiance: 9/10
• Service: 6/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Chances of Returning: 90%
• Verdict: Pleasant Mexican staples beyond quesadillas and sour cream and excellent margaritas!

Some divergent opinions about La Bodega Negra:  A Rather Unusal Chinaman went back twice and The Perfect Through very much enjoyed food and cocktails.  Gourmet Traveller doesn’t understand all the fuss about La Bodega Negra and also Fay Maschler has eaten better Mexican.

Birch, pine & malt @ North Road

Category: Haute Cuisine (££££) 

My birthday dinner at North Road , a high end Danish restaurant in Clerkenwell, was fantastic. The Danish chef Christoffer Hruskova (interviewed here) has, since his opening in 2010, achieved a Michelin star with his clean and precise Nordic cooking – very much the flavour of the moment.  Noma in Copenhagen has won the Best Restaurant of the World award for two years running and Jay Rayner describes Hruskova’s cooking to be “about as close as you’ll get to Redzepi’s (Noma’s chef) without buying a plane ticket”.

I have not been to Noma (yet!) and my experience with Scandinavian cuisine is rather limited.  I however tremendously enjoyed the simple and local ingredients  (all the produce used at North Road are from the British Isles – apart from the limes, the lemons and the coffee (but even this is roasted in Britain))  used and put together so cleverly that the result tastes so effortless and yet so sophisticated.  It is refreshing to sample food that is stripped down to few main components and tasting Hruskova’s dishes sent shivers of happiness and pleasure down my spine.

We chose the 5 course tasting menu (£60, £67 ]]>  

Birch, pine & malt @ North Road

Category: Haute Cuisine (££££) 

My birthday dinner at North Road , a high end Danish restaurant in Clerkenwell, was fantastic. The Danish chef Christoffer Hruskova (interviewed here) has, since his opening in 2010, achieved a Michelin star with his clean and precise Nordic cooking – very much the flavour of the moment.  Noma in Copenhagen has won the Best Restaurant of the World award for two years running and Jay Rayner describes Hruskova’s cooking to be “about as close as you’ll get to Redzepi’s (Noma’s chef) without buying a plane ticket”.

I have not been to Noma (yet!) and my experience with Scandinavian cuisine is rather limited.  I however tremendously enjoyed the simple and local ingredients  (all the produce used at North Road are from the British Isles – apart from the limes, the lemons and the coffee (but even this is roasted in Britain))  used and put together so cleverly that the result tastes so effortless and yet so sophisticated.  It is refreshing to sample food that is stripped down to few main components and tasting Hruskova’s dishes sent shivers of happiness and pleasure down my spine.

We chose the 5 course tasting menu (£60, £67 for 7 courses) with wine pairing (another £40, £49 for 7) – so this is clearly a special occasion restaurant.  Despair not though, North Road does a lunch and pre-theatre menu for unbelievable £25 for 3 courses.  There is almost no excuse at all not to immediately pay North Road a visit.

Amuse bouche - smoked potatoes @ North Road

The 3 amuse bouches were all successful putting us in the right mood for things to come.  Little smoked potatoes lying snugly on a bed of fresh thyme leaves were gorgeous in their subtle smokiness.  The incredibly crispy pork skin melted in my mouth and the pickled quail’s egg (pickled for at least 24 hours in vinegar and sugar) convinced with their oozing egg yolk and a light acidity.

Amuse bouche - pork skin @ North Road

Amuse bouche - pickled quails' egg @ North Road

It is not often that I dream about butter, but the butter at North Road is a revelation.  Heated and then cooled, the salted butter caramelises and this nutty and malty gorgeousness is alone worth the visit.  The accompanying tiny rolls made of white or dark flour were unexciting, but then again they were the perfect butter vehicle.

Dorset Shrimp @North Road

Let’s not talk about the presentation of the first dish of the tasting menu, Dorset Shrimp or also called “The Sea”.  It was resting on an unattractive cooled parcel of water and sea weed which was not very nicely sealed and was not to be eaten, therefore of questionable relevance.  The main thing is the food though and this consisted of beautifully tender raw shrimp topped with a salty mussle foam and sea purslane leaves, a glorious composition of flavours evoking pictures of the Nordic coast in front of my mental eye and I could almost smell the rough sea.  This dish was accompanied by a light and fruity Arcese Bianco, Italy 2007 from the Piemont.

Wild and cultivated Kent vegetables @ North Road

Portrayed to us as the most Danish dish on the menu this was my favourite of the evening.  The Danish component was the hay smoked cheese, which doesn’t look that appetising but was absolutely stunning. Smoky, creamy and strong it was an excellent partner for the Wild and cultivated Kent vegetables of still crunchy carrots, leeks and radish with wild garlic and black mustard leaves.  It was well complemented by a St. Veran Les Mandeliers, Domain Combier 2009.

English rose veal tartar & dried vinegar @ North Road

The first meat dish was English rose veal tartar & dried vinegar, lovely and fresh hand-cut veal covered by potatoes and dill as well as oyster mushrooms, a perfectly balanced dish.  I usually hate dill, but luckily it was so subtle in this dish that it was hard to pick up as a single flavour.  It came with my favourite wine of the evening, the Austrian Blaufraenkisch Nittnaus, 2008.

Cheshire kid & carrots @ North Road

Cheshire kid & carrots consisted of exquisite and tender medium rare mutton in a rich and flavourful goat butter.  The carrots were cooked in 3 ways – raw, pan fried and boiled and the combination of the sweet carrots with the intense flavour of the meat and the summer truffle shavings was superb.  The wine match for this dish was a smooth red,  Chorey-Les-Beaunes, Domaine Laleur-Piot, France 2009

Birch, pine & malt @ North Road

Maybe the least convincing but somehow fun was the dessert course, Birch, Pine & Malt or “The Forest”, which was totally not sweet.  Birch parfait came with frozen pine and malt crumbs and definitely challenged my view on desserts… My sugar craving was sated with the petit fours of salted caramels (absolutely stunning) and some white chocolate things (not very good).  I had not eaten cotton candy for about 25 years and was surprised how much I enjoyed the cotton candy trees together with the edible soil.  A surprisingly playful ending for a restaurant that takes its food very seriously.

Cotton Candy @ North Road

Petit Fours @ North Road

I loved our blond and baby-faced Danish waiter who was attentive and knowledgeable about food, ingredients, wine and preparation techniques and did not have the over-the-top behaviour of waiters that you often encounter in high-end restaurants and that can really spoil your evening.

Having said all that, it was a Saturday evening and the North Road was two thirds empty.  Why?  I have no idea.  It might be the hefty price tag or the fact that Danish is not to everyone’s taste.  I hope Londoners discover this gem and may it be around for a long time!

• Food: 9/10
• Ambiance: 7/10
• Service: 9/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Chances of Returning: 100%
• Verdict: one of the best meals I have had this year

 More praise for North Road by The Skinny Bib and The London Eater, and not so much praise by Nordic Nibbler.

Hawksmoor Bar

Category: Bistro (and Bar) (££) 

The carnivorous Hawksmoor family consisting of 3 steak-centred and critically highly acclaimed restaurants (Spitalfields, Guildhall and Seven Dials) has got an offspring.   The Spitalfield Bar in the basement of Hawksmoor Spitalfields is a worthy member and highly recommended for an (almost) budget Hawksmoor experience.  The bar is dark and cosy, pleasantly small and manages a perfect balance between chic and edgy.  The waiters, all male at our visit, were handsome and tattooed, and posed a striking contrast to the dark wood and shiny brass walls.

Are they there for the waiters?

The older I get and the less time I have to linger in bars all night, the more I appreciate places that serve interesting cocktails, have a boozy bar atmosphere and serve great food at the same time, which basically is the best of all worlds.  If you can appreciate my reasoning, The Spitalfields Bar will be the place for you.

If you got yourself a reservation (I don’t know if you would be lucky to get a table just turning up, I would book) I would advise to (1) don’t take vegetarians unless you want to make them cry (2) don’t ]]>  

Hawksmoor Bar

Category: Bistro (and Bar) (££) 

The carnivorous Hawksmoor family consisting of 3 steak-centred and critically highly acclaimed restaurants (Spitalfields, Guildhall and Seven Dials) has got an offspring.   The Spitalfield Bar in the basement of Hawksmoor Spitalfields is a worthy member and highly recommended for an (almost) budget Hawksmoor experience.  The bar is dark and cosy, pleasantly small and manages a perfect balance between chic and edgy.  The waiters, all male at our visit, were handsome and tattooed, and posed a striking contrast to the dark wood and shiny brass walls.

Are they there for the waiters?

The older I get and the less time I have to linger in bars all night, the more I appreciate places that serve interesting cocktails, have a boozy bar atmosphere and serve great food at the same time, which basically is the best of all worlds.  If you can appreciate my reasoning, The Spitalfields Bar will be the place for you.

If you got yourself a reservation (I don’t know if you would be lucky to get a table just turning up, I would book) I would advise to (1) don’t take vegetarians unless you want to make them cry (2) don’t take teetotalers unless you want them to hate you forever and (3) if you are female take your girlfriends to enjoy some eye candy.

you won't get your 5 a day here.

The menu is compact and doesn’t accommodate the main Hawksmoor menu (the kitchen apparently is too small).  I gladly threw my usually health and grease conscious eating habits overboard and indulged in the star of the evening, Shortrib Nuggets (6).  These little fried nuggets of happiness were filled with the most tender and juicy pork and lusciously melting cheese.  Served with a mindblowlingly spicy “Kimchi Ketchup” they reserved themselves a spot in my culinary hall of fame.

Shortrib Nuggest (6) @Hawksmoor (and candidate for the worst photo of the year

Good also the rather exotic Tamworth Laab (6), a minced pork salad seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, herbs and a lot of chilli originally stemming from Laos.  It is eaten scooped onto the green lettuce and was interesting as well as enjoyable.

Tamworth Laab (6)

The Cheese Burger (8.5) was the least convincing of the three savoury dishes we ordered, which could be due to the fact that my taste buds were at this stage accustomed to very spicy, so the burger tasted a bit lame in comparison.  No doubt though that the meat was good and I also liked the brioche bun.

Cheese Burger (8.50)

The Chocolate Malt Tart (7) was a humongous and rich piece of cake, which we hardly managed to finish between the two of us.  It was a solid performance, but certainly not among the best chocolate tarts I ever had.

Chocolate Malt Tart (7)

If I may pose one wish – could you, lovely Hawksmoor people, please put a couple of fresh, healthy and vegetably dishes on the menu to offset the meat overload?  I just never feel fully satisfied just on meat, so pretty please?

At this occasion I did not try the cocktails but I have the feeling that I may have to return to do some more research on this aspect of The Spitalfield Bar (maybe this time with some vitamin pills in my pocket).  I owe this to you, don’t I?

• Food: 7/10
• Service: 8/10
• Ambiance: 8/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Chances of Returning: 60%
• Verdict: a place where you can have it all… Drinking and dining for grown ups.