a rather unusual chinaman

Standing, small plates and happiness: Jose, Bermondsey

2012-05-11T10:00:00.000+01:00

In principle, I am rather fond of tapas restaurants. I like trying a bit of everything, so am ideally suited to the whole sharing plate principle. I also like bars, a lot. And sherry, growing to like that one too. So technically, a tapas bar essentially combines all of these factors in perfect unison, so it would make sense that I would in principle, love them. Which would be true if I wasn't fighting with a horde of others for somewhere to sit and eat my food.

I think my annoyance is perfectly represented by Jose on Bermondsey street. I love the food there. Each mouthful from almost anything you eat there explodes on your tongue. The jamon melts on your tongue, packing your mouth with sweet meaty flavours. The tortilla is tender yet reassuringly eggy. The croquetas are like nothing else you have tasted, smooth filling studded with hidden Iberico jewels. It’s just all so good. And whatever you do, keep an eye on any of the daily specials. Changing regularly in line with what produce they receive/can get their hands on, there are some stand outs which are just not to be missed.

Take the pluma Iberica for example, slices of rare pork from the Iberica pig. Yep, rare pork, challenging for some, but if you consider that these animals are the best you can get, there really isn’t that much cause for concern and you will be handsomely rewarded. The meat is sweet and tender, melting in your mouth like a perfectly succulent steak, just imparting a slightly more mellow porky flavour.

All this and add a rather extensive sherry list, you have all the hallmarks of an excellent restaurant. And that is what it would be if it wasn’t for the hordes of people in your elbow space, all trying to secure some precious real estate to place your multitude of little plates. The thing is, when the food is this good, I can get over my annoyances and just hunker down. Over the past few months, I have seen myself returning over and over again to eat Jose Pizarros food, and that doesn't happen often in Londons growing restaurant scene. And you know what, I don't think I even mind queuing or standing any more. Especially when I know I will be rewarded.

Jose - 104 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB

Sehr gut wurst: Herman ze German, Charing Cross

2012-05-08T22:06:00.001+01:00

There seems to be quite a resurgence in the humble hot dog down here in London town. Big Apple led the way in making them popular, and they've even begun to creep onto restaurant menus (Delaunay, Hawksmoor, Mishkins and MEATmarket to name just a few I have seen recently). Give it a few months, and you will even get a restaurant dedicated to to dogs when Bubbledogs opens some time later in the year. Slightly less heralded is Herman ze German, not strictly a hot dog retailer, but serving German sausages in rolls is close enough for comparison.

Looking past their rather phallic logo, these guys have been round for a few years now slinging curry wurst and all other manner of other wursts for the Charing Cross public. With my German upringing, I can't get enough of a good wurst and have been known to frequent these guys from time to time. The options are limited to a few pork and beef varieties, with a couple of choices of additional toppings such as crisp fried onions and sauerkraut. Carefully douse your sausage in ketchup and mustard and eat in the few seats available, or take it to the streets and make everyone jealous. The bratwurst is my go to sausage, but I have had a taste of all of them and they rarely let you down.

If you fancy something a bit different, get a curry wurst. Opt for one of their sausage choices and then douse it in curry sauce as hot as you dare. Get some chips on the side and you basically have an incredibly filthy but satisfying meal.

I miss a lot of the German foods I experienced as a child, I guess those moments become more ingrained in you the younger you are. Herman ze German is not a place you go for a meal, but a place to get a decent feed and for me, a little bit of nostalgia. There are no bells and whistles, nor arrays of toppings or clever variations, but a bit like Big Apple hotdogs, lets the sausage speak for itself. I love their sausages and I love the curry wurst. And most of all, I love the fact they have the balls (pardon the pun) to have a massive orange penis as it's logo.

Herman ze German - 19 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NE

The Corner Room, Bethnal Green

2012-04-27T18:11:00.001+01:00

Viajante was one of my favourite meals of 2010. Off the wall in places, but comprised of some great dishes in a casual dining room. Getting the chefs to deliver the dishes they had just so carefully tweezered into place straight to your table, and to chat through some of the components was interesting and interactive. It was definitely fiddly food (see previous comment about tweezers) but good food. I meant to go back at some stage and give the full tasting menu a go, but with so many great new places opening every month, never had the pennies saved up to warrant another visit. Two years later, I returned to the Town Hall hotel, not to eat at Viiajante, but to give it's little sister a go. The Corner Room is hidden away in a corner of the hotel, once you've found the carpeted moose head, you know you're there. The whole place is smaller but equally beautiful. Understated, quirky and functional.

Make no mistake, this is not Viajante. The dishes have the unmistakeable Nuno Mendez touch, but the small a la carte menu is less fussy and the lunch menu offers some of the best value in London. At a mere £19, you get three excellent courses, with minor supplements for some of their signature dishes. I'm normally wholly against supplements, but when they are asking a mere £2 extra to get their Iberico pork dish, you're not going to find me kicking up a fuss.

I started with squid, romesco and leeks which came across as a very Iberian combination, unsurprising maybe as Nuno Mendes' Portuguese roots are evident throughout the menu. Although the squid was marginally overcooked and consequently slightly springy, the whole dish was light and delicious. The chorizo crumb was the ingredient which really swung it into the "excellent" territory as it added crunch and seasoning.

My main of Iberico pork (with that paltry £2 supplement) was also a tad overcooked, but the sheer flavour of the sweet Iberico can help you forgive all sins. The Portuguese bread salad was a great accompaniment, fused with paprika and lightly fried. A little too much for the meat, but another dish packed full of punch.

After those two courses, I wasn't sure if we could hit a home run with the third, but what came was probably the most intriguing, and for me, most enjoyable course of them all. I wasn't overwhelmed as it arrived at the table as the whole thing looked a mess, but slowly peeling back the mounds of frozen pannacotta (essentially a slightly more solid creamy layer), all manner of secrets were revealed. The real focus was apple served in 4 ways, arriving in dried slices, roasted chunks, cubes of jelly and a little puree, with each variation adding a different texture and clarity of flavour. A little hazelnut smear rounded off a memorable dessert.

I have said this already, and I will say it again, you are not going to get a cheaper, better value for money meal in London. After a three course menu, service charge, a glass of wine and that supplement, the whole bill still came to less than £30, a frankly astonishing total. Slight overcooking aside, I enjoyed everything I ate and it's not very often I can actually say that about a place. The main thing that astounded me was how easy it was to get a table. Compared to places such as 10 Greek Street and Duck Soup (which are as close as a comparison as I can get) where it can be tricky to get in, everyone should spend their money on a cab fare, head east and eat at the Corner Room instead.

Addendum, it appears the three course lunch is now a princely sum of £21. Still awesome value.

The Corner Room - Town hall Hotel, Patriot Square, Bethnal Green E2 9NF

[In pictures] Feng Sushi

2012-04-23T10:35:00.000+01:00

It's not often I head over to Canary Wharf, but I can't help but feel that this is what London should be like. Tall buildings, wide pavements, modern atmosphere. Everything is made of steel, stone and glass and the streets are clean. Add the dark clouds and the torrential rain I was wading through to get to Billingsgate market, and it felt like Gotham. You could almost here the Batman theme in the background (the films, not the camp TV superhero fest of the 60's). All this was in aid of was a specially prepared menu from Silla Bjerum, the Danish owner and head chef of sushi delivery firm, Feng Sushi.

During the evening, we ate a whole array of seafood in various forms. Feng focuses heavily on sustainability, from the fish they use to the bamboo in the chopsticks, without compromising on flavour. Each course included many of the components they use in their restaurants, and for a man who is still not entirely comfortable with fish, managed to tuck into everything with a flourish. As we got to course 6 or 7 (I forgot), I encountered a big fishy wall, but enjoyed finishing off the meal with some chocolate mochi. Take a look at the whole meal below and expand for more details.

Check out the Feng Sushi website to check out if they deliver to you, as their coverage may well surprise you.

*I was invited by the PR to this meal which was a one off event*

Feng Sushi - Various

Unshackled: Alyn Williams at the Westbury, Mayfair

2012-04-13T18:06:00.000+01:00

Procured off the Westbury website

When it comes to fine dining, I actually often find it very hard to put the experiences into words. Most of the time, it is impossible to fault the cooking of the food, but I can't help that the higher up the Michelin scale you get, the higher the chance of the food boring you to death. This is partly why I have never got round to writing up mega-restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay or Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. Both restaurants definitely rolled out course after course of well cooked dishes, with great produce and fantastic service at the core of what it is trying to achieve. Yes they were good, but lacked any wow factor.

Sand carrot/liquorice/foiegras

I had the same concerns prior to a visit at Alyn Williams at the Westbury. I wasn’t worried about the cooking (Alyn is an ex two Michelin starred chef who cooked under Marcus Wareing) nor about the service (Giancarlo Princigalli has been front of house for both Petrus and Marcus Wareing), but where was the excitement going to come from? How was this meal going to differ from any other top end restaurant?

Cotswold white chicken/girolles/smoked egg/charred leek

Starting with an array of mouthfuls including perfect arancini and a rice cracker topped with prawn, each course contained enough playful elements to keep me interested. A foie gras set mousse starter with sand carrot was a way of preparing foie gras I had never experienced before, whilst chicken, leeks, spinach and mushrooms was a brave course to put on a menu, using a smoked egg yolk as a sauce. The dessert was the real star turn, offering a deconstructed cream tea. Apple came in a very clever green and red apple sorbet, apple puree and roasted apple. Paired with a mini scone and a clotted cream mousse, this elevated the whole meal to great heights.

An Apple Cream Tea

Alyn Williams is a classically trained chef unshackled. The quality of the cooking and traditional French techniques are still evident, but in charge of his own kitchen, he has the ability to go a little more left field and add his own personality to his menu. Located in a Mayfair hotel, you need to contend with the horde of tourists and businessmen who are rich enough to stay here, same with the high class prostitutes who solicit the Mayfair hotel bars, but locate the oasis that is Alyn Williams at the Westbury and buckle your tastebuds in. They’re in for a very enjoyable ride.

Alyn Williams at the Westbury - The Westbury Hotel, Bond Street, London W1S 2YF

Santa Maria, pizza to make you smile

2012-04-02T11:47:00.002+01:00

"All men are made equal", but the more I eat and try new food, I realise that those immortal words certainly don’t ring true about food. All food is different. Even the same food is different. For example, take the humble burger, one of the most hotly discussed topic amongst my food loving twitter friends. Open or closed, sauced or unsauced, cheddar or American, pink, how pink? With such a plethora of requirements and protocol around the humble burger, I guess it is unsurprising that many other comestibles have a strict list of points to make it “right”.

Pizza for example. Oh boy, pretty much everyone has an opinion on pizza. Be it the cheese, the types of toppings, dough, sauce, how it’s cooked etc... The opinions are endless and often very polarising. In Naples, the self confessed home of the pizza, the standard is much more straightforward. The dough has to be made with 0 or 00 wheat flour (kneaded by hand), no more than 3 mm high. It must be baked in a wood fired oven. And finally, there are normally only two versions, a pizza marinara (which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil, or the pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil. These are the foundations for proper Neapolitan pizza (check out the video, this guy is committed and the Chaotic Cooks in depth analysis on pizza history). Santa Maria is a tiny bolthole next to a pub which, I think it is relatively fair to say, is located in the middle of nowhere. Walking from the tube to the restaurant, you feel like you’re strolling through the heart of suburbia. It’s pretty handy being located right next to the pub as you’re going to be in for a wait, but when you finally get summoned, every second is worth it. Pasquale (one of the owners) is a staunch Neapolitan and is extremely proud of this product. Every detail in his kitchen from the tomatoes, to the dough to the oven are what he believes would meet the standards of a true Neapolitan. And even for someone who has never been to Naples in his life, it’s impossible to ignore the quality of his pizzas.

One thing that surprised me were the selection of toppings available, not true to their roots necessarily, but essential for business I suppose. Either way, between the four of us, we strayed between the traditional (the Santa Bufalina) and the borderline cretinous (the Santa Carmela with ham and mushrooms which I ordered) with a few other bits and pieces. When the pizza arrived, it looked the business. The slightly scorched crust, the mingling of cheese, and the smell, wow. The first few bites, where the sweet concentrated tomato sauce takes turns with the creamy cheese and the soft yet crisp cornicione (or crust), are heady and memorable. I think I may have even smiled. The rest? Wolfed down in minutes.

As a little pre dessert, we shared a marinara, with flecks of garlic, but a real chance to let those San Marzano tomatoes to speak for themselves. Even then, we soldiered on, finishing off our meal with some ice cream from the ever reliable Oddonos. Replete. Personally, I am not one to buy into this whole authenticity debate. In fact, I have been known to have a pizza with pineapple on it, but like with any food, as long as it makes me happy, it's ok by me. I loved Santa Maria, a lot in fact. The pizzas made me happy. If you want a truly good pizza, regardless whether it is Neapolitan or some other incarnation, this is the place to come to and few things are good enough to make me travel this far West and make me start wondering when I can come back before I have even left.

Santa Maria Pizzeria - 15, Saint Mary's Road, Ealing, London W5 5RA

Duck Soup, Soho

2012-03-28T18:26:00.000+01:00

A fair few years ago, I was taken to a little bar come restaurant by the name of Bar du Marché (I believe). Fresh off the plane after a tour of Afghanistan, one of my oldest friends was prepping himself to do what he did best, drink and meet women. First stop, lubrication with me in tow. We walked in and the tiny place centred around a large wooden bar lined with stools, with seemingly fancy men and women sloshing back wine and pecking at food. Suffice to say, what transpired next is not entirely relevant (and probably appropriate for this blog) but when I walked into Duck Soup, I couldn’t help but draw a few parallels. Firstly, the small room is dominated once again by that central wooden bar, stretching almost the entire length of the restaurant. People casually chatting, drinking and eating, the atmosphere is laid back and jovial. As the years have passed, my focus has been less on debauchery and more on getting fed well, and even though they have a pretty decent looking wine selection scrawled on the tiles, I veer towards a fresh cocktail of fresh apple, quince and vodka. Tart yet sweet and very appropriate for the recent sunny weather.

The food selection of the day is carefully hand written on individual pieces of cardboard, clearly not by someone who has spent the last 10 years agnostic to the belief that a pen rules a keyboard. Split into groups ascending in price, we sit and chat, enveloped in the laidback atmosphere and almost forgetting that we are here for food. The menu is assembled daily and so much appeals that we struggle to reach a compromise on what we can and can’t have, but I reckon you would struggle to pick a bad meal should you just close your eyes and pick randomly.

So much of what we eat is comforting, straightforward and lovely. The quail is cooked perfectly, with juicy flesh and crispy skin, and if you throw in the piquant yoghurt blob and burnt lemon, it all goes very nicely together. Chipirones, or deep fried baby squids, are crunchy and aggressively yet not unpleasantly seasoned. A wonderful little bit of food to keep you going.

The main event was a large bowl of unctuous hare ragu tagliatelle. Hare has on occasion been rather too gamy for me, and after my initial taste, I was a little sceptical if I was enjoying this. But what surprised me is that I kept on going and each mouthful of springy pasta mingling with delightfully rich hare ragu was definitely growing on me. By the end of the bowl, I was struggling hard to offer up the last few scraps to my companion.

There were a few bum notes, such as a rather drab onion and ricotta dish, but I was on the whole rather surprised. With the main doors opened out to welcome in the springtime sun, I couldn’t think of anywhere I would have rather spent my dinner time. There will of course be comparisons with 10 Greek Street a mere 2 streets away, after all, the ethic and the food are very similar in both establishments, but Duck Soup comes out on top for me. Not only did I enjoy the food more, but my clothes weren’t even tarnished with a suggestion of grease. I wandered off to Gelupo to make the most of our delightful evening. This is London after all, it might be pissing down tomorrow.

Duck Soup - 41 Dean Street, London W1D 4PY

Berwick St newcomers: Banh Mi 11 and Pizza Pilgrims

2012-03-21T10:30:00.000Z

Berwick Street Market is one of the oldest in town, having been established in the area since the late 19th century. Traditionally home to old school fruit and vegetable salesman, you would walk down the narrow street and be met with the cacophany of tradesman pitching their wares. These days, many of these sounds are muted, and although a few of the fruit and veg salesman remain, new residents are beginning to move in.

Banh Mi 11

I have wanted to try these guys for what seems like forever. Sadly, they are normally either based in Broadway Market (at the weekends) or at Eat Street at Kings Cross, all very far away from either my home or my office. Thankfully, they have relocated to a stall on Berwick street selling their banhi mi, or Vietnamese baguettes. Stuffed to the brim with a variety of meats, pate, chilli and pickled veg, you get a gentle mingling of gently contrasting flavours, all pulling together to form one joyous mouthful. I’m not sure if they make their own baguette, an integral part to the banh mi sandwich, but their version is light yet crisp. Their messaging is 11 mouthfuls of heaven, but I don’t think mine lasted more than 9!

Pizza Pilgrims

Now, I don't really need to say a lot about these guys, mainly as I already wrote a brief bit about them HERE, but also because their product very much speaks for itself. Not many people go all the way down to the south of Italy to drive back their Piaggio Ape van from Italy back to England, learning how to make pizza along the way. I strolled over on day 2 for them and they were in full flow, churning out pizzas and learning what the best way to go about things. With rotating specials, one thing remains true on their menu, and that is of the original margherita. Influenced by Naples, made in Britain, these guys are one to watch.

Both are located at Berwick street market, lunchtime until they run out. (W1)

NY chic in Soho streets: La Bodega Negra, Soho

2012-03-18T22:46:00.001Z

If the old adage of "you are what you eat", then right at this moment, I am probably 90% tacos. I've probably overdone it, I admit, but I couldn't help contain the excitement when La Bodega Negra on Moor street finally opened it's doors to the public.With two main areas, a bar and taqueria on the ground floor, and a much more illicit dining room downstairs (located through a fake "sex shop" entrance, it's just a little of the exclusivity and NY buzz that the owners are trying to bring to the place), Serge Becker, an impresario of the New York night life has brought his take on the Mexican taqueria to London alongside Will Ricker, a London restaurateur. With the rich heritage of Mexican food in America, I had hopes.

Guacamole, chips and dips are in my eyes a zesty version of a Mexican amuse bouche. Packed with citrus, onion and chilli, the guacamole was a rougher texture than some places, but then again, I don’t like my guacamole pureed down to baby food. Piled high on the corn chip with tomato salsa and a smoky chipotle salsa, these were incredibly addictive.

The tacos themselves were quite excellent. Ordering a variety of different versions, each with it's own character. The pork pibil, slow cooked and unctuous, came with a hint of a mint salsa. Subtle but refreshing, adding a nice lift to the rich few mouthfuls. Al pastor (marinated and roasted pork) served with pineapples were salty, meaty yet a little bit of sweet. Other tacos of seared steak and hongos (mushroom) were less remarkable but still enjoyable. All served on corn tacos and with a spritz of lime, these hit the spot.

Other morsels eaten included tostaditas of tuna and duck, smaller mouthfuls on crispy fried taco shells, grilled corn and quesadillas. Our chorizo quesadillas with cheese and salsa roja were packed full of cinnamon and spice, a pleasant surprise. Personally, I enjoy my corn without anything on but butter, but the corn at Bodega Negra comes smeared with crema mexicana, some sort of cheesy mayonnaise like sauce, not really my kind of thing.

So all in all, I really enjoyed both visits. I think with all the hype amongst the foodie world, and the attachment of Mr Becker and Mr Ricker, the food is never going to match everyones expectations, and indeed, there were some recent less favourable reports of bad service and sub standard food. However, it is early days, and I received nothing but glowing personable service when I was there, and I have no reason yet not to go back. At about £30 a head with a margarita, it's smack bang in middle cost territory and it's only a matter of time before I discover what lies behind those faux sex shop doors.

More pics HERE

La Bodega Negra - 16 Moor Street, W1D 5NN

Wright (but a little wrong) Brothers, Soho

2012-03-02T17:34:00.000Z

I do feel like a bit of a broken record rolling out the same disclaimer before I write about seafood. I do not really like fish and I doubt that it will never feature highly on my "things to eat before I die" bucket list. All that being said, I am partial to a bit of shellfish, squids and the like and when my sister suggested that she wanted to book Wright Brothers for our traditional family birthday meals, I was not against it and was indeed looking forward to a sumptuous seafood platter as observed on other blogs.

Arriving just before seven was a little odd as the room was bare bar a couple keeping themselves to themselves. After walking all the way through to the back of the restaurant, I managed to locate a few waiters, and after a few awkward moments of just standing there, they finally came over and showed me to our table. The service definitely did improve throughout the evening, although slowly as the place filled up and reaching a crescendo when a rather important looking person in a suit turned up to ask everyone how their meals were (a real pet hate, as if I had any feedback, you would know about it, and the courtesy call just makes me feel awkward and fake).

Sisters and family arrived shortly after, and it didn't take long for us to order a large seafood platter to share. Thankfully our platter comprised of clams, winkles, mussels, razor clams, whelks and a sizeable crab arrived and we were immediately appeased. Each morsel tasted fresh and light, and as a sharing dish, you can't really get more fun. Personally, I focused on the clams (which I have a soft spot for) and treated each individual one like a delicious mini oyster. The winkles were a chore but fun and the whelks were just a little bit too intimidating. Mussels were clean and sweet in flavour, and I left the others to the other morsels as I tucked into the rather excellent bread and butter.

Sadly, that's where the good stuff ends as my main was very disappointing. A special of roast pollock served with morcilla, piquillo peppers and potato sounded exciting and packed full of earthy and sweet flavours of Spain but was sadly let down by a dish so bland I proceeded to douse it with my sisters fish soup and my other sisters liquor from her moules mariniere. The fish itself was delicate and cooked through, but lacked any sort of crunch on the skin. The small rounds of morcilla was essentially a rather bad black pudding and didn't compare to any morcilla I have ever had before. Dry, overcooked and underwhelming. The piquillo peppers somehow packed no punch, and the whole dish lacked any seasoning what so ever.

So even with my seafood prejudices, I gave it a go and found Wright Brothers lacking. I really enjoyed our self assembled seafood platter, which was fresh and a lot of fun, but the rest of the dishes were poor. I am not even just basing this on my dish, but on all the dishes we had that night. Head to Wright Brothers for their excellent seafood platter but I would give anything which requires seasoning and balance of flavours a miss.

Wright Brothers Soho - 13 Kingly Street and G7/G8 Kingly Court, W1B 5PW

10 Greek Street, Soho

2012-02-24T10:30:00.001Z

Following Sohos recent growth from culinary wasteland (relative) to restaurant oasis sees the arrival of 10 Greek Street, another restaurant embracing the British bistro ethic, alongside other recent openings such as 10 Cases and Duck Soup. Unsurprisingly, the focus is on good cooking and good ingredients, and much of what is on the menu illustrates this. The daily menu is scribbled on the chalk boards around the small space, and merely lists a roll call of ingredients. No foams, reductions, jus or fancy language on show, what's on the board is essentially what you get.

Everything on the board seems pretty in season and as with all good menus, posed the conundrum of multiple appetising options. After a quick perusal of the items marked between £5 and £7 (there are no starters or mains here), we opted for octopus carpaccio, caper berries, chilli and lemon which sounded as perfect as it comes. When it arrived, the dish looked like a mosaic of sliced octopus circles, all carefully arranged next to each other, with each piece delicate and full of delicate octopus, lifted by squirts of lemon. The little bursts of heat from stray mouthfuls of chilli, and sour salty bursts from the caper berries enlivened the palate as we discussed how this dish was presented with such precise alignment of octopus rounds.

The good start was somewhat diluted by the rather lengthy wait for our mains. Although we munched on good bread and olive oil, all I really wanted was to get my chops around was the wood pigeon I had ordered. Sadly, when it finally decided to turn up, I was disappointed. The kale and jerusalem artichoke they were served with were perfect. The kale still vivid green and buttery, the artichoke cooked through retaining some bite. The pigeon looked perfect, and as I had never eaten a whole carcass before, attacked it with great gusto. The minute I struggled to get my fork into it, I knew I was in trouble. Hacking my way around the meat and trying to get away some of the meat off the carcass was a real chore as the whole bird seemed woefully overcooked and tough. We did debate sending it back, but at this stage, I had already been waiting for more than an hour and was pushed for time as I needed to return to the office. I struggled through the firm mouthfuls and lamented what seemed to be a waste of what was still a fairly decent tasting bird. My companions venison had no such issues, being perfectly pink and served on a bed of red cabbage and luxurious, perfectly balanced truffle mash.

We had wanted to try the quite lovely looking desserts, but sadly an hour and a quarter later, we were eagerly awaiting to pay and it was over an hour and a half before I had returned to my desk, a mere 5 minutes away. 10 Greek street is not a bad restaurant, far from it, but there were just too many things which really annoyed me.

Firstly, the staff are lovely, but having booked two hours earlier over the phone, the front of house was unable to locate our booking upon arrival. Luckily there were a few spare tables, otherwise we would have been some rather peeved punters. Secondly, it was very slow, and sadly for a lunch time crowd in Soho, the turnover really needs to be faster. For three dishes taking over an hour from ordering to turning up (one being a cold dish), this is pretty unacceptable. Thirdly, if the main ethos of your cooking is fantastically sourced dishes, put together simply, please make sure you don't ruin the main protein. Overcooking a wood pigeon where 5 minutes of hacking yields a thumbsize portion of digestible meat does not constitute an enjoyable lunchtime. Finally, and probably my biggest gripe, sort your extraction system out, as by the time I left, we were straining through a haze of animal fat and I left smelling tantamount to a greasy kebab shop.

All being said, I thought most of what I ate at 10 Greek Street was very good, and has all the hallmarks of a good restaurant. I saw enough to make me want to return, but for me, there were some serious issues that need attention. Next time, please don't lose my booking, please make sure you don't ruin my meat, and most of all, please don't let me leave your restaurant smelling of a bad chip shop.

10 Greek Street - 10 Greek Street, London W1D 4DH

Cheeky Preview: Pizza Pilgrims, Soho

2012-02-22T14:59:00.001Z

We all know street food is kind of a big deal at the moment, and rightly so. Everybody discerning Soho worker loves a big blow out on a slap up meal, but this is normally restricted to dinner times (unless you are a media guru with a wanton disregard of your companies expense budget and/or afternoons). Being able to pick up something cheap and delicious that you can enjoy on the go/at your desk is never that easy a task and is often disappointing, but can you imagine a world where you can get a delicious pizza quickly and cheaply as a takeaway lunch? Me neither.

That is until I met the Pizza Pilgrims. Two brothers who spent a few months travelling around Italy eating and learning about pizza, only to return to London to set up their own company. Jacking in their careers in media, and joining up with a 3rd "pilgrim", they created their travelling pizza oven on the back of an old three wheeled Piaggio van and are planning to bring hand held pizzas to a street side near you.

I was invited along to a pre-pre-launch tasting to see if they could make their pizzas better, and oh boy, those boys have got it nailed. First up was an ingredients test, trying out some Laverstoke Park buffalo mozzarella versus their cheese of choice, an imported Italian fior de latte, both unique in their own ways, but equally delicious raw. Best of all was a taster of their scamorza (or smoked mozzarella) which had a subtle oaky flavour. Finally, a shot of san marzano puree and a taste of their cooked dough. So eager was I to taste the final product, that I reconstructed their deconstructed pizza. And good it was too.

So there it is in all it's beauty, the finished pizza. Looks good doesn't it? Upon the first bite, the quality of the ingredients were clear. Even as the slow dribble of molten cheese slowly made it's way down my chin, burning everything in its path, I couldn't help but stick it out and savour the sweet mingle of dough, tomato and cheese. As I finished up that slice, more just kept on coming, just different variations on cheese and even one flecked with nduja that was top notch.

Whilst we digested the frankly obscene amounts of pizza we had just consumed, we had bowl of buffalo milk ice cream drizzled with flecks of salt and olive oil, another taste sensation (seriously, you should all try it). I love what these guys are doing, and the fact that they were already producing a top notch product out of the back of what is essentially a robin reliant, which can rival any high street pizza restaurant is just madness. Or genius. Keep an eye for updates via either their twitter account or their website, but expect an announcement over the next few weeks to find out where you too can get your chops around their pizzas.

Pizza Pilgrims - TBC (but Soho)

The French(ish) Table, Surbiton

2012-02-16T11:00:00.002Z

(taken off the French Table website)

Resolutions are a bit rubbish aren't they? For a month, you're on this, that and every diet, vowing to lay off every fatty food known to man and go to the gym 8 times a week. Give it a few weeks, maybe even make it to the end of January if you have a strong resolve, but the fact is that very few of you will last into February. I just find it not to bother at all these days.

However, one thing I wanted to do more of last year was to eat more outside of London, and to be fair, I was pretty rubbish at that too. I did manage trips to LA, San Francisco and a holiday to Italy (they don't count), as well as a rather incongruous visit to a Beefeater in Telford. A few days in Cambridge and Birmingham saw me visit Alimentum and Purnells, as well as managing another trip to the Sportsman, so not a total loss.

As a final throw of the dice in order to bring this resolution to some sort of respectability, I headed out to Surbiton (not strictly out of town, but on the edge of zone 6, so might as well be) and sat down with my family at the French Table for one big blow out before the New Year. I've always found French cuisine a little on the predictable side, and in doing so, rather dull, but was quite surprised with what was served.

The gruyere and bacon bread we were given as we were perusing the menu was amongst the best bread I had ever eaten. Delicate slices packed with nuggets of bacon and packed with subtle cheesy flavour. It had my taste buds fizzing and had to resist myself from asking for more. The menu itself was undoubtedly packed with French influences and techniques, although there were typical external European influences included too, all the hallmarks of a modern "French" English restaurant.

The menu itself covered all the main food groups, ranging from scallops and trout to venison and pork. Between my family and I, we managed to consume most of these. My starter consisted of a pastry topping over a broth of smoked fish, seafood and a creamy white wine reduction, absolute bliss. Other starters of scallops and pheasant were perfectly cooked and paired with foreign influences. The scallops came packed with Japanese influences of black radish, ginger and yuzu whilst the pheasant was more "Franglais", being served with flavours of chestnut and celeriac.

I opted for the special of the day for my main, beef with chanterelles served with a deeply flavoured red wine jus and mash, comfort food to the max. I mopped up every dreg of sauce. Mains of rack of lamb and hake were more classic, although the venison was probably the most adventurous, paired with a parsnip canneloni and wrapped in bayonne ham.

As always, once you've made your way through so much rich food, desserts are often an afterthought, but in my family, never forgotten. Much of the menu circles around tarts and gateaus, all far too rich for me, so I went for the rather more interesting option of a marshwallow mousse, cacao tuile and raspberry sorbet. What is marshmallow mousse you say? Good question, I am still not too sure, but what I got was sticky and sweet. Although the tuile was slightly over done, it added a nice nutty contrast in texture and the raspberry sorbet was sweet yet tart, clearing the palate ready for the next bite.

Spending time with my family can be taxing at the best of times, but one thing we all appreciate is good food. I can thankfully report that there were no disagreements and we even managed to distribute bites of each others dishes to each other without so much as a hiss or a look of disdain. The French Table does an excellent job uniting the flavours of Europe on the edge of London using French techniques, and although seemingly confused, they somehow pull it off. It's definitely not cheap, but affordable enough and based in the heart of the commuter belt, I guess that's no surprise. Surbiton is a mere 20 minutes by train from Waterloo and comes highly recommended.

The French Table - 85 Maple Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 4AW

Mini Bites: It's not a whole New World, Chinatown

2012-02-13T11:00:00.000Z

When I was younger, my family and I would follow a very familiar weekly/fortnightly routine. With me and my three sisters in tow, we would make sure we would all be ready to leave the house bright and early, to arrive in Chinatown around 11am. We would head straight for New World and if we had arrived on time, we would head straight to one of the tables on one of the three floors. Any time after 12 and queues would form and you would be handed a little brightly coloured raffle ticket. My father would pass me the ticket and I would be the one to get us our table when our number was called.

After we had eaten, we would stroll down Gerrard street, to either Loon Fung or New Moon supermarket to stock up on provisions for the week ahead. If we had behaved, we would be bought white rabbit sweets and haw flakes for the long journey home. As you can expect, I look back fondly at those trips and reminisce what it was like to be that kid. Really happy times.

Sadly New World hasn't really stood the test of time. We stopped making those trips into Chinatown, a consequence of the birds flying the nest, and any family meetups are at the more south friendly Dragon Castle. I went back once a few years ago and the food was poor. The fried goods were extremely greasy and left a slick down your throat, whilst the dumplings were devoid of flavour and were basically balls of stodge.

It was pretty disappointing on that occasion, but I wasn't willing to just give up on it. I recently returned for what I hoped wasn't the last time with a friend, and thankfully it wasn't terrible. The trolleys were still out in force. It enables you to check out the goods before you try, and you get served as soon as you sit down, great stuff. The food isn't great, but it was far from bad. The dumplings were heavy but actually tasted of more than just MSG. Old favourites of roast pork went down well, and they are one of the few places I know that sells affordable and decent plates of suckling pig.

The best thing for me was the fact that it still sold almond beancurd with fruit cocktail, a dessert which seems to have faded out of existence across other dim sum restaurants, and one I frankly cannot get enough of. Nothing like ending a trip down memory lane on a rather enjoyable high. New World is one of those places which will always hold a fond place in my heart, even if it isn't my number one dim sum destination. It's not terrible, just rather average which is about the best endorsement I can give it. For nostalgia, I'll probably just grab a bag of haw flakes next time.

New World - 1 Gerrard Place, London W1D 5PA

Strolling Maltby Street and 40 Maltby Street

2012-02-09T11:30:00.002Z

(This one's from @grobelaar)

Personally, I've always tried to avoid Borough market. Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that it is packed full of many great things, but you only need to glance at the queue flowing down the street at Monmouth to see everything that is wrong about Borough market. Yes the coffee is good there, but is it worth waiting waiting over thirty minutes to satisfy your caffeine kick. Is it worth fighting past the throngs of people to just get to the end of the queue. Are you actually satisfied with your cup of coffee once you have have got it in your hands? To summarise, I hate queues, I hate large crowds and I hate working hard to get something I can get more easily elsewhere.

Maltby street market is a short hop away from Borough and is everything that Borough isn't. There are fewer stalls, less people, and is far more sparse, but for me, is a much better Saturday option. You still get the same spread of stalls and you can buy a huge amount great produce too. With Monmouth and Neals Yard based in the Maltby Street arches, you're not going to be deprived of your cheese or coffee needs, and the queues here are far more amenable.

Alongside these two London food goliaths are a few other well known names. St John bakery is actually also based out of these arches, and you can get their full range of loaves and cakes, and if you get there a little earlier, you can get your lips around a famous St John custard donut. Get there before 12 if you don't want to be disappointed as these unsurprisingly sell like hot cakes (as opposed to the actual hotcakes, which are also just as good).

Next door you have Beas of Bloomsbury and her wonderful cakes, as well as Rachel of Catalan Cooking making her cod doughnuts and a variety of Austrian delights, from goulash to cured meats. Dotted around, you will find an arch stacked to the brim with vegetables, the guys behind Kernel brewery (who are also based somewhere in the arches), as well as an expert butcher supplying top quality meats (check out @naththebutcher). Round this off with a few more cheese and meat stalls and what you have is an hour or so of enjoyable perusing, where you will more often than not return home with an excellent haul.

Once you're done getting you're weekly shop out of the way, head on down to 40 Maltby street for a glass of wine. Based in the vaults of a natural wine cellar, every week they rotate their wines (one red and one white by the glass) to serve alongside a small menu. The space is small and comfortable with plenty of space to perch or eat. When I ambled along towards the end of the market (all stalls shut at 2pm), most of the dishes had sold out, but all we were looking for were a few bites to tidy us over.

A chicken broth was packed with herbs, lacing the broth with tarragon and chervil, as well as mint and parsley. Chunks of croutons added a nice texture and the whole dish was light and refreshing.

Alongside, we opted for a simple dish of boiled ham and mustard which was as delicious as it was straightforward. Heap loads of excellent butter on equally excellent bread and we had exactly what we needed to hit the spot.

Maltby Street is everything which Borough Market isn't. Small and personable, without the crowds (yet) and great produce. One part of Borough I do love is the array of food stalls where you can grab handfuls of food you can walk on the go, although I am sure it is only a matter of time before Maltby St spreads and more people start to move in. I for one appreciate what it is for now, and you will be far more likely to find me ambling the arches of Maltby Street than ploughing through the crowds of Borough.

Maltby Street market and 40 Maltby Street - 40 Maltby Street, London SE1 3PA

Mini Bites: The Ship, Wandsworth

2012-02-05T23:24:00.001Z

In an effort to catch up and generally seem less lazy, I will be bombarding you with a whole load of mini bites over the next few weeks, and maybe some proper blog posts too.

First up is the notorious Ship in Wandsworth. Stuck round the back of a massive roundabout in Wandsworth (containing a rather strange and rather large spherical structure), in between a bus garage and a McDonalds you walk down Jews Row to be confronted with a frankly odd looking but fabulous pub. With three different bar areas (including the one outside), it's perennial jovial atmosphere make this place an ideal drinking establishment. Drinking by the river has always been one of London's favourite pastimes, and roll up over any weekend with a hint of sun and you will normally be faced with hordes of people ready to party.

Not only is this a great pub for drinking, but it's also a great pub for eating. Spending some time looking through the menu, you can see that a lot of thought has gone into the menu here and I guess it's no surprise that the Ship has become a blogger favourite, hosting events and feeding us to the gills.

I love the Ship and even though it doesn't need my endorsement, I give it a big thumbs up. Under Osh, Phil and the rest of the crew, you couldn't get a nicer bunch of people manning one of the busiest pubs in London. And if you are fed up of drinking in a pub with a roaring fire when it's cold, or enjoying an ice cold beer on the riverside terrace when the sun is out, feast your eyes on some of the quality food they roll out of the kitchen.

Fancy something decadent, a little foie gras perhaps?

Maybe partial to an excellent Sunday roast.

Probably a bit much, let's just settle for a frankly mindblowing burger.

Or maybe some seafood, will scallops do?

Yup, maybe just some old fashioned booze. Dark and Stormy coming up.

The Ship - 41 Jews Row London SW18 1TB

Union Jacks - "We're not in Italy any more..."

2012-01-18T13:53:00.001Z

Jamie Oliver, love him or hate him the little scamp. Personally, I am stuck right in the middle of this rather complicated equation. I love rustic Italian food with strong clean flavours, and much of the food that Mr Oliver serves at Fifteen (his first solo venture) falls firmly into this category. Jamies Italian, his subsequent chain of Italian restaurants, still hits the spot if all I am craving is a well put together bowl of pasta (ignore the other stuff like the “worlds best olives”. They’re not bad, but definitely not the best and the rest of the menu is lacking). Now we have Union Jacks, which, at the insistence of our server, does NOT serve pizzas but very British flats.

This emphasis amused me a lot, but I kind of understand why. The amount of times where I have declared that a pizza was good, only to be castigated by an Italian friend telling me that these pizzas could never be good, as they aren’t real Italian pizzas. Too much sauce, the wrong dough, bad mozzarella, the list goes on. Best to play it safe. Jamies rendition of an English "flat" is definitely not that far removed from the Italian pizza, but tasted pretty good in my eyes.

Taking along a few of my colleagues, we managed to give most of the flats a run out. My personal favourite was the Woodman which was essentially a mixture of mushroom, cheddar and herbs. The chervil and tarragon were a nice touch, with hints of licorice cutting through the rich mushrooms and the pickled red onion adding a little pep to the rich earthy flavours.

Out of the other flats, the Red Ox (ox tail, brisket, red Leicester) was the surprise hit for colleagues who were a little wary of oxtail (but grew to enjoy the deep beefy flavour), where the Chilli Freak and the Old Spot weren't too bad either. The only real disappointment was the slightly wet ham hock terrine, even though it arrived looking the part.

Geographical origin aside, I enjoyed the flats, and although the space is rather large and oddly shaped, there was a nice hum around lunchtime, even if the staff seemed to be rather haphazardly running around and chatting to each other as opposed to tending to their tables. I guess I would be the same if I knew I had to spew the same "these are not pizzas" spiel every time somebody sat down. Even so, embrace the flats and swing by for some tasty treats on dough.

Union Jacks - 4 Central St. Giles Piazza, LONDON WC2H 8AB

Food trends, BBQ and Burgers (and Lobster)

2011-12-21T17:44:00.000Z

Every year at about this time, there is always a little talk about what the newest food trends are going to be. Of what everyone will be eating and what to expect in the restaurants. I was pretty confident about my prediction of American based food last year, and I was mostly not let down. What we really wanted was some good old American BBQ and we certainly got that from the little silver bullet under Hungerford bridge in Pitt Cue. Barbecoa was less sucessful, but mainly for trying to cater en masse and the intention was there. Letting pre prepared mounds of meat to stew do not lend well to BBQ.

Burgers were also a huge part of 2011, with Meat Liquor opening and a dozen other places rising to prominence in the burger game such as Lucky Chip, Honest burgers and the Admiral Codrington. Burgers have always been a popular comfort food, so I guess it's rise once and for all was not too much of a shock.

What did surprise me was how well the street food scene has taken off this year. It's always been there in drips and drabs, but really just needed someone to grab it by the balls and get pitches. Petra Barran and her eat.st movement have been fundamental in making this happen, and we now have a burgeoning street food scene growing in London.

Personally, I don't envisage much of a slow down in the street food scene in 2012. In fact, I definitely see a significant growth in the New Year. With the success and growth of markets such as Brixton Village, Netil Market and the Long Table this year, I would be extremely surprised to see independents in decline. Even with some of the bigger boys entering the fray soon (rumours abound for a Jamie Oliver van, or even one from Pizza express), I don't think they will be able to cope. What these places have in their favour is that they specialise, and what they do they do well. I really think this specialisation is not only going places in the street food scene, but in the bricks and mortar scene too.

Only last week, I was lucky enough to pop into the new kitchen of Pitt Cue to sample some of their delights. Working amidst a building site (they hope to be fully open in early January), they managed to knock up the most amazing smoky little pulled pork bun. Adorned with some homemade pickles, each bite was bliss and before I knew it, it was gone. Then I tried a little of their beef cheeks and pickled shiitake and I was back there again, in that little meaty happy place. Pitt Cue aren't going to be messing about, they are going to stick to what they know and do it well. Pulled pork, ribs, pickles and a few little experiments when they have a little bit of time. Nice.

Which brings me to Burger and Lobster. There is so much I can say about this place already, but I will keep it short. I love it. The only menu they have is for the bar, and you merely get the choice between a lobster or a burger. At £20 each, they both arrive with fries, salad and condiments (pickles or a butter sauce). Although the burger may be veering towards the pricy end, the whole lobster is exceedingly good value. Only other menu additions are a lobster roll (at £18 I believe) and two mousses, chocolate and lime. I see myself developing a bit of a lobster addiction in the near future.

So there you have it, a few long winded (yet brief compared to what is actually going on in my head) thoughts on the year and what we may expect from the next. As with any trends, you are never truly able to know what is going to happen, but where we have seen food heroes made out of people such as Mark (aka The Ribman) and Abiye (aka Mr Big Apple Hot Dog), expect a few more in 2012. Embrace specialisation, after all, there is nothing wrong with actually being rather good at a few things.

*Pitt Cue will be located at 1 Newburgh street and is due to open in early January. I was also a guest at a dry run for bloggers at Burger and Lobster.*

Burger and Lobster - 29 Clarges street, Mayfair London W1J 7EF

My Toptable Top 5

2011-12-14T11:30:00.001Z

I've never been very good at rating stuff. I normally abstain from giving my write ups a rating and would hope that anyone who may read anything I write would use it as a guide and nothing more. When I was asked to narrow down my 5 favourite places to eat this year, I actually found it remarkably easy to choose. No ratings to refer to, just good honest enjoyable memories. Take a look below at what I thought, and here's the link to the other eleven bloggers thoughts.

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Hedone – A restaurant so good that the only bad thing I can say is that it’s in Chiswick and miles away from the center of town. Pairing simple but pure flavours, with excellent cooking and amongst the friendliest service you’ll get in London. It’s hard to beat for a night where you want to eat, relax and be happy. I haven't got round to writing it up yet (lazy), but here is a link to all the pics.

Roganic – Led by the excellent Ben Spalding, the food here is innovative, and is as beautiful to eat as it is to look at. With a few little known ingredients on each plate prompting conversation with the exceptional staff, the atmosphere is highly convivial. Add some wine matched by the lovely Sandia Chang and you have yourselves the ingredients for a top night out. My write up is here.

Hawksmoor 7D – opened at the end of last year, I find myself going back for the wonderful steaks, the devilish bar menu comprising of lobster rolls, burgers and hot dogs and of course THAT cocktail bar. Even though the license instigates no booze without food, book a spot and settle in, the knowledable bar men will happily guide you into a lively drunken buzz. I've never written about 7D, but here's a bit about the original Hawksmoor on Commercial street.

Sushi of Shiori – Responsible for my “OMG” moment of the year, this little eight seater just off Warren street introduced me to the world of sushi. After a few bites of their expertly crafted toro (or tuna belly), I fell instantly in love and haven’t looked back. Here's my write up.

Pitt Cue Co – Not really a restaurant but my nominee this year for the burgeoning street food scene. Think boxes of pulled pork and ribs, matched with slow cooked beans or a cooling coleslaw and pickles, served with a slice of the finest sour dough. A real one to look out for, especially with a planned restaurant opening at the end of this year. Here is my write up for their residency under Hungerford bridge.

Please feel free to let me know your top 5, I would be pretty interested to hear.

Mishkins and a little about burger fatigue

2011-12-11T20:59:00.001Z

London has gone burger mad, and sadly, I have not. I LIKE burgers, however, I do not LOVE them. I often felt a little bit of a weirdo as all my burger hound friends around me regale at how their last burger was perfectly medium rare, how the cheese melted perfectly coating their exceptionally balanced patty like a snug yellow blanket. I wasn't always like this, I just think I have reached my fill for now. Living so close to the Meatwagon (in all it's incarnations) for such a long time has probably spoiled my immediate desire for "proper" burgers, a serious case of "too much of a good thing".

There have been a few recent run-ins which have worked towards semi lifting me out of this burger funk, one of which can be attributed to the diminutive 3oz steamed beef patty at newly opened Mishkin's. It may be small, but packs a deeply beefy punch, smothered in a delicate coating of cheese (Swiss) and sat atop the onions they were steamed on. Add a perfect little bun and you get a perfect little burger.

The rest of Mishkin's ain't too shabby either. Loosely based around a Jewish American diner, you can get a variety of dishes inspired by Jewish favourites (such as the matzoh ball soup and salt beef sandwiches). As with all Russell Norman led projects (he of Polpo and Spuntino fame), the focus is very much around the casual diner, a space which is alive with atmosphere, and plentiful with booze. The formula is straightforward, bar at the front, seating space out the back, good food throughout. Mishkin's definitely feels a little more spacious than any of the Polpos. Sat in a big booth on my first visit, and in the rather cute little radio box on my second, it never felt crowded or over noisy.

Other must orders for me include the Reuben and the meatloaf. The Reuben is quite a beast of a sandwich. Stuffed with mounds of pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese, with a smear of the in house Russian dressing, the whole experience is enjoyable from first bite to last.

When I think of meatloaf, I normally think of a huge hunk of ground meat in the shape of a loaf of bread, almost akin to a very dark loaf of rye. Not really the most appetising sounding meal is it? Mind you, my school canteen was certainly no Mishkin's, and the version here is a much more delicate affair. Slicing into the moist spiced meatloaf in a tiny bread tin yields the reward of a perfectly soft boiled egg. More like a meat-scotch-egg-loaf. Whatever it is, each rich mouthful is normally followed by an approving gurgle.

I guess it's no surprise that I enjoyed Mishkin's. A lot. It might even be my new favourite of the Norman empire. The big bar (serving a number of gin based drinks) lends itself more towards a comfortable casual drink, or even the solo diner (I am one), and the vibrant restaurant space past the bar where you can lounge in the comfortable banquettes whilst enjoying your meal. Round off your meal with a bowl of bananas foster (caramelised bananas with a dash of rum and vanilla ice cream) and go home happy. I know I did.

*All credit for these photos go to Paul Winch-Furness, photographer extraordinaire. It's his job, and he's rather good at it. It was quite dark, rendering my camera helpless*

Mishkin's - 25 Catherine Street. London, WC2B 5JS

Pizarro: An ode to sitting down

2011-12-06T11:30:00.004Z

I'll be the first person to admit that I don't really enjoy Jose on Bermondsey Street. It's nothing personal, it's just that I don't enjoy tapas restaurants in general. The thought of being crammed into a small space with a host of other people, where the noise is deafening and I am forced to eat standing up. Sadly, the old curmudgeon in me can think of nothing worse.

Having said that, I enjoyed all the food at Jose and when I heard that Pizarro, a sit down version of Jose, was due to open, I was pretty excited. I could finally "enjoy" my food. And open it did and with a 4 day soft opening period announced (offering 50% off), this was an offer not to be missed.

Pizarro is a lovely restaurant. The kitchen is open, much like Jose and many tapas restaurants so you can see the chefs beavering away and there are plenty of seats at the bar to drink sherry and watch the chefs cook your food. The menu is much more conventional with the first section split into more "tapas" size dishes which you can adopt as a starter or order a few to share around. The ham croquettas are as good as up the road (unsurprisingly) but it was the other dishes we ordered that surprised me.

Jerusalem artichoke soup with a dash of truffle oil and little garnish of crisp ham is finely balanced and moreish. Sweet, salty and rich from a whiff of truffle. The other starter of squid, potatoes and allioli was simple, but mostly simply delicious. Delicious strands of squid perfectly cooked and coated in a subtle allioli. I would liked a shade more potatoes but merely whimsy as opposed to a criticism.

No matter how good those dishes were, the mains were properly stand out. As much as I would normally shirk away from ordering fish from any menu, hake is a fish I quite enjoy. Solid flesh, good texture when cooked right, pair it with some black cabbage and some clams and you have a dish that just cries out "Order me!". So order it I did. The hugs slab of hake filet was perfectly cooked with a crisp exterior and meltingly soft in the middle. The dish tasted like the sea in the best possible away.

However, the Secreto Iberico with piquillo peppers and olive oil mash was on another level. Imagine a generous portion of perfectly executed iberico, still slightly pink in the middle, and a slightly caramelised layer of fat, with a smear of slightly grassy olive oil mash and just when you thought it was slightly too savoury, the zing of sweet pepper. This was up there with the best thing I have eaten this year.

Whatever you do, make sure there is space for some dessert. Alongside a spiced clementine rice pudding which felt like Christmas had come early, was an odd ensemble of toast, chocolate gan-ousse (somewhere between a ganache and a mousse) and a ball of caramel ice cream. With a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, this strange mash up of ingredients felt like heaven on the tongue.

Pizarro was only 3 days old when I visited and if the food continues to be produced to this standard, it will inevitably be the first visit of many. I only had one tiny quibble. Whilst the service was warm and friendly, I struggled to communicate with our waitress (who I believe was Spanish) on multiple occasions and ended up doing a lot of pointing when ordering, and getting general blanks when asked if they served tea. Still, just minor quibbles, Pizarro is going to be a triumph whichever way you look at it, and I can't wait to go back.

Pizarro - 194 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ

I'm back! Dim Sum at Phoenix Palace

2011-12-02T13:47:00.002Z

So, I have been on a mini hiatus recently as any regular readers might have been able to tell. In the past, the blog has taken over many facets of my life, but over the last few weeks, my real life has wrestled the blog away from me and I just haven’t found the time. Fear not, I have eaten at many lovely places, and I will try to add a few words to each over the next few weeks to let you know about all the delicious details.

So let’s start at the most recent, which was a dim sum trip to Pheonix Palace organised by the one and only Mr “F*cking” Noodles. Now, I hadn’t heard of Pheonix Palace before, but it is a popular haunt of Mr Noodles and I trust his judgement in the minefield that is the London Dim Sum restaurant. First impressions are strangely comforting. The place is absolutely massive and is adorned with large walls covered in Dragons and red & gold paint. Match that with marginally excessive Xmas decorations and parachuting santas and you get the picture. I love it, the absolute seeming chaos exacerbated by the frantic staff and the high chintz rating are amongst all the things that endears me most about Chinese restaurants.

The first thing that struck me was that the prices seemed quite steep (about £4 a dish) which is far more than I am accustomed to paying, although I guess the prime real estate (right next to Madame Tussauds) semi justifies it. No matter, as it doesn’t seem to have dissuaded the punters. Even in the huge space, it soon filled up quickly.

The menu is as you would expect in any self respecting dim sum restaurant. Arranged neatly into steamed, baked and fried, you can get a good steer on how much you're (over) ordering. I normally like to aim for three to four dishes a person, and throw in a plate of noodles too. The noodles we ordered were unlike anything I had tried before. A beef brisket steeped lo meen, or thin egg noodle was intensely beefy and came with a little bowl of plain soup to lubricate your mouth and the noodles. Very nice.

We also ordered a few of the seemingly perennial "specials" (which are normally as prevalent on the menu as the sale at DFS) and thankfully they were indeed quite special. The suckling pig (only available at weekends) had a lovely crisp exterior, with shards of crackled pig skin sitting proudly on top of a decent portion of warm, juicy pig. Really lovely. The wasabi proven dumplings came green (more from food colouring than wasabi) but packed an enjoyable sinus clearing feeling deep within the succulent prawns.

Everything else was pretty decent, not mind blowing but nice enough. I normally judge a dim sum restaurant by their sui mai (dense and ok), their wu kok or taro croquettes (best served boiling hot, these were lukewarm and a bit claggy) and the char siu so or BBQ pork pastry parcels (which were excellent). When the bill arrived, we forked out £25 a head which is much more than I am accustomed to, but hardly in the nosebleed territory for such a filling and enjoyable meal. I liked Pheonix Palace and if I am ever lured north of the river again for my dumpling fix, I will be more than satisfied if the choice happens to be Pheonix palace.

Pheonix Palace - 5 Glentworth Street London NW1 5PG

MEATLiquor 11.11.11

2011-11-02T12:56:00.001Z

Just a short note about something many of you may already know about.

Yianni, he of Meatwagon fame, is about to open his first bricks and mortar venture. It will have his signature burgers, it will have all the other stuff he has sold from the #Meateasy (and his wagon), plus the addition of a few other mysterious items including Dirty Fried Chicken, Kurrywurst and "I am Lomo".

Alongside, expect lots of booze, and even desserts (Knickerbocker Glory Hole sets the tone).

Expect loud decor, expect love and hate in equal measures, but most of all, expect it to be busy and expect to eat one of the best goddamn burger you have ever had.

Keep an eye on their website, MEATliquor coming soon...

Roganic: A little bit about Ben

2011-11-01T11:00:00.002Z

It seems like an eternity ago that I tasted some of Ben Spaldings food for the first time. I have been rather slack all things considered in the blog department, whilst the eating has not abated (not without good reason, but all will be revealed soon enough). In that time, I have sampled menus which had been cooked by Ben twice, totalling about 23 different courses from this man. Ben is a mere 24 years old and has already had experience in some of the country’s finest restaurants, including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, L’Autre Pied, Gary Rhodes W1 and of course L’Enclume. Now he is heading up the chefs at Roganic, Londons L’Enclume in residence, and man with skills in the kitchen belying his age.

Roganic is technically a “popup”, although this is mainly down to the 2 year lease. It’s small, cosy and comfortable. Even though some had accused the room of lacking a bit of atmosphere, the staff are so on it, that every minute under their care is a pleasure. Courses after course comes out, never rushed and you never feel like you’re waiting. Led by the wonderful Sandia Chang and Jon Cannon, the team is polite, efficient, knowledgeable and eager to share what they know about the food and wines on offer. My kind of service and never a dull moment.

The food itself was equally good. From the first few bites of chickpea fritter with cheese and herbs amuse bouche, to the opinion splitting spiced bread and smoked clotted cream dessert, your palate is assaulted with new flavours and new ingredients. In all fairness, “assaulted” would be an inappropriate description, more like caressed as each plate is exceptionally balanced.

I may be coming across like some kind of fan boy, but I guess that is exactly what I appear to have become. Take the much lauded dish of seawater cured Kentish mackerel, orache, broccoli and warm elderflower honey. Firstly, it’s beautiful. The attention to detail is astounding, from the wavy unbroken patterns of the broccoli puree, to the little broccoli “trees. Even the little broccoli shavings dotting the honey like tiny emeralds, just so colourful. As we all know, the proof is in the tasting, and the combination of the honey, broccoli and the mackerel, albeit a seemingly strange one, just works.

Another dish which had “wow” factor written all over it was the deep fried mayo. Yep, DEEP FRIED MAYO (sorry for the caps, it just felt appropriate). Adorned with cobnuts and apple, the little croquettes of mayo were rich and smooth, and most importantly, not weird at all. It was another combination of strange ingredients which ended up finely balanced, and more importantly, really goddamn delicious.

I left Roganic comfortable without feeling absolutely stuffed, and was already looking forward to eating Ben's food again. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long as I had been invited along to one of the Critical Couples chef dinners in their own home, with that man again in the kitchen. Supporting Action against Hunger, I was invited along as a guest, but donated to charity as "payment". Instead of the standard Roganic menu, Ben had devised a whole new 13 course adventure, with a bit more free reign to experiment. What we got were laughs, invention but mainly, lots and lots of great food.

First “nibbles” which set the tone for the rest of the day. Think self cured salmon “from a jar”, served with loganberries, mini spoonfuls of beef tartare doused with shavings of bitter chocolate and duck sweetbreads served with oxtail ragu and orange marmalade. Somewhat interesting combinations, all packing punch and tasting fantastic, and those were just to start.

There were flashes of invention and intrigue dotted throughout the evening. For example, take the massive decanter set in the middle of the table, covered in a red slush which slowly dripped down into the main receptacle (this was to become our tenth course "cleanser", comprising of what seemed to be grape juice). The tweeted picture of a strange looking puff ball a few days in advance of the evening, teasing us with what it actually was (turns out to be a mushroom called a pom pom). The chicken liver parfait served on a caramelised brick, or the "make it yourself" cookies and cream deserted served in a shovel. Style counts for nothing without substance, but yet again, each dish failed to disappoint.

The final meat dish of veal was probably the most normal, even though it was presented to us as a huge chunk of meat before slicing and serving. Even without all the theatrics, what we got was a delicate, perfectly cooked piece of meat with some greens and some gravy. Who could ever turn that down?

Ben Spalding is a serious chef. He's a man packed full of clever combinations and knowledge of so many ingredients that I have never heard of before, let alone eaten. The clincher is that he doesn’t mess about with all these ingredients for the sake of it, but for the taste of it. Each of his myriad of dishes is well composed and uncluttered. I love this approach. Some might say that these dishes are Noma-esque, with focus on regional products, incorporating natures larder wherever possible. I'm sure it won’t be long before dishes such as these will be likened as Spalding-esque.

Roganic - 19 Blandford St, London, W1U 3DH

More Roganic photos
More Ben Spalding at Critical Couple photos

Mini Bites: Scooter Caffé, Waterloo

2011-10-28T13:00:00.000+01:00

I went along to a great little place last night, and all you lot should really know about it. Hidden away at the Westminster end of Lower marsh is a tiny little café with a pretty novel idea. Packed to the hilt with scooter memorabilia, from a full blown scooter in the window to number plates all over the walls, it sells drinks. Yep, just drinks. From Monmouth coffee to all sorts of booze, you are welcomed to rock up, enjoy the internet and have a few drinks. The atmosphere is laid back and it kind of feels you’re in your own living room. There are even the addition of a few cats running around.

The clincher for me is that they welcome you to bring in your own food. It’s a pretty novel concept in my eyes, and I like it. Bring food, drink their drinks, do work, enjoy with friends. Scooter Caffé is what you want it to be. I love the lax atmosphere and more importantly, free wifi. Take into consideration the little events they hold like Monday night film nights, open mic and cartoons, and you have a pretty great place to hole up and chill out. Love it.

Scooter Caffé - 132 Lower Marsh, South Bank, London SE1 7AE