london restaurants – ¡Comemos!

The Clock

18th Oct 2020Leave a comment

Having grown up in a small village with no shops and next to no public transport links, getting to any decent restaurant or café was a bit of a commitment. Driving and parking would have to be considered, and so the concept of a regular, local, neighbourhood spot just didn’t really exist.

Fast forward to now, and living in North London, I’ve begun to discover the wonders of having fantastic restaurants more or less on my doorstep.

Although I don’t live in Crouch End, it’s fast becoming one of my favourite parts of London – a lovely, little residential bubble, walking distance from my flat. And it’s in Crouch End that I’ve had some fantastic brunches and dinners in the past 12 months.

It was a evening browse on Deliveroo that led me to The Clock, whose menu looked far too good to be available for takeaway on a delivery app.

On a warm summer’s Saturday night (this is not a novel…), you could be mistaken for thinking we were abroad, on holiday – something which we could only dream of in the months following Lockdown phase one. It certainly didn’t feel as if we were in London.

The Clock has the appeal of being a small, intimate venue, with an understated shopfront (that to be honest, you could easily miss), and a comforting, homely vibe inside. Staff are friendly, but not overbearing, and the menu makes it delightfully difficult to choose from.

I’m actually going to reference two visits here, as I returned within a couple of weeks, having loved it so much. On the first visit, we shared Seared Scallops with Fresh Pea Purée and Hazelnuts. Not only was this beautiful to look at, but the scallops were cooked perfectly, and the pea purée was light, and well-seasoned.

On my second visit, I was particularly impressed by the Sweetcorn and Chorizo Croquettes, where the filling had been blitzed to a smooth puree-type paste. Despite the potential for this to sound slightly like mush, it was incredibly flavoursome and with the crunchy croquette exterior, the consistency of the filling worked really well.

The Salt & Pepper Squid was decent, but not wowing, so for a little salty, snack-style starter, this is a great option.

On to the mains and as much as I should probably save the best until last, I have to go straight in with the Lemon Sole with Samphire. I love those magical moments where you genuinely know you’re eating one of the best things you’ve ever tried. This certainly was my ultimate fish dish. You have to persevere to deal with the bones and forget trying to look elegant when you’re picking them from your teeth but ignore that, because the flavour… Slightly citrussy with a light, flaky texture, this fish is buttery and delicious. The samphire adds a lovely burst of colour, with brown shrimp dotted throughout. A side of equally as buttery green beans with hazelnuts was a nice addition – I should add that the piece of fish is huge, and so you probably won’t want a heavy side.

One of their most featured dishes on social media, and for good reason, is the Cornish Crab Linguine. Served in the Spider Crab’s hollowed out shell, the linguine is freshly-made, with a light olive oil sauce coating with roasted tomatoes. The shell serving dish is a bit of a novelty, but one that I absolutely bought into.

For hungrier bellies to fill, the Double Cheeseburger with thick, juicy patties, cheese and cornichons is a solid option. A mountain of a burger, you certainly won’t be left wonting for more, and the well-seasoned chips carefully straddle the line between fries and chunky chips (something which I’m definitely here for…).

I couldn’t complete my review without mentioning the desserts, despite the fact that I certainly didn’t need one either time. Their Sticky Toffee Pudding is indulgent, with a moist, treacly sponge and a generous helping of vanilla ice cream plonked on top, and you’ll find it paddling in an oozy pool of toffee sauce.

For those who love a boozy pudding with an added caffeine-kick, the Bailey’s Espresso Chocolate Pot is a great shout. It’s super rich and creamy, and the crumbly biscuit topping adds variation to the texture.

This time though, I really have saved my favourite until last, and to top things off, it was so unexpected. The Summer Berry Pudding didn’t necessarily stand out to me on the menu, as I tend to steer towards chocolate or caramelly style desserts rather than fruit-based, but this was the highlight of the meal. It’s a beautifully striking deep red colour, with the sponge completely saturated with the rich berry sauce. A big dollop of clotted cream on top finishes it off perfectly, and helps to balance out the sharp, punchiness of the tart berry flavours.

It’s important to point out that The Clock has since brought in its new Autumn Menu which looks absolutely fantastic, however not all of the dishes mentioned above are still available, so please see below for their current availability:

Scallops with Pea Puree and Hazlenuts – no longer available having been replaced by an alternative scallop starter
Chorizo and sweetcorn croquettes – still available (listed under the ‘bites’ section of the `a la carte menu)
Salt and Pepper Squid – available on the fixed price menu
Roast Lemon Sole – a slightly different variation is available with sea asparagus and herb butter emulsion
Spider Crab Linguine – still available
Double Cheese Burger – available on the prix fixe menu
Sticky Toffee Pudding – still available
Baily’s Espresso Chocolate Pot – no longer available
Summer Berry Pudding – no longer available

I can’t wait to next head to The Clock for another fantastic meal, and to try out their new menu. It has the loveliest atmosphere inside and is perfect for a date night.

With current Covid restrictions, we know that the hospitality industry is really being tested, and so please do head to independent restaurants like this one with your household – not only will you be eating really well, but we’re also helping these businesses to stay afloat. Places like Crouch End are as lovely as they are because of local businesses like The Clock so check out the menu, book your table, and lend your support.*

*households only!

¡Comemos!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Bao

26th Sep 2020Leave a comment

In recent years, the light and fluffy Chinese delicacy that is the baozi, or bao, has found its way into restaurants and kitchens across the globe. Their being steamed, combined with the yeast within the dough, makes for a soft and delicately spongey texture, quite unlike any other kind of baked bread or steamed dumpling.

Our lexical disclaimer for today is here to inform you that ‘bao’ in itself translates as ‘bun’ in Mandarin, and so the commonly-used Western phrase ‘bao bun’ is grammatically redundant, literally meaning ‘bun bun’, in the same way that in Hindi, ‘Chai tea’, actually means ‘tea tea’.

Generally baozi are a filled ‘bun’, with the dough gathered together on top, sometimes leaving a small hole for steam to escape, and complete with either a meat or vegetable filling. One of the most popular is the Char Siu Bao, filled with sticky barbecued pork. Other variants include the xiaolongbao, with xiaolong referring to the bamboo steaming basket in which they are cooked and served., This bao is filled with a hot soup, and is sometimes referred to as a dumpling. The final type of bao that I’ll touch on is the gua bao, which comprises of a flat, open steamed lotus-leaf bun, with a meat (often pork belly) filling.

As ever with Chinese food, it’s very difficult to generalise, as regional cuisines across what is such a huge country vary so significantly. Whether we’re talking baozi, xiaolongbao or gua bao, these may be more prevalent in certain provinces, or be made differently in others, and so defining such a specific part of incredibly complex and diverse cuisine is pretty tricky to do in a few hundred words!

…….

Career changes, and COVID combined meant that my dreams of heading to China this year were scuppered, and so I’ve never tried these dreamy little buns in their homeland. Living in London does mean however, that there are a million one street food stalls, Chinatown restaurants, and chains that serve up these little beauties, although of course I’m unable to comment on their authenticity.

Interestingly, many of the places in which I tried bao/baozi weren’t actually Chinese-influenced, and include Malay, Vietnamese and Japanese-inspired food businesses to name a few. The very first time I tried baozi was years ago at a little independent restaurant back in Nottingham, called Yumacha, which describes itself as serving up ‘an eclectic mix of the Far East’s favourite dishes’. These kind of ‘Asian fusion’ restaurants seem to be on the rise, combining Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indonesian cuisine plus a whole lot more. I had no idea what I was eating at the time, with the concept of a steamed bun seeming completely alien to me – I have to say this was many years before my foodie instinct really kicked in, and my knowledge of the food I was eating was minimal. Despite this, I loved the unfamiliar, cloud-like texture of the buns, along with their punchy flavoured meat fillings.

Fast-forward a good 5+ years, and I’ve tried a fair few variations. Popular Vietnamese Keu Deli in London serves up a giant baozi, which definitely wins points for the lightest, most satisfying bao texture. BaoziInn in Chinatown is a solid bet for quality baozi, which were slightly flatter in my experience, and fillings include the pork-patty-like stuffing that I tried.

Admittedly, I’ve yet to try xiaolongbao, possibly because I’ve distanced them from the baozi that I love, as they do tend to resemble dumplings, and the hot broth filling has never appealed to me as much as a juicy meaty filling.

Gua bao , however, might be my favourite, based on those that I’ve tried. They have the most wonderfully smooth texture, and oddly, more filling seems to be packed into these open bao than stuffed within the closed, larger baozi.

My favourites so far were from Thai-Malaysian street food stall Satay Street ,where I was lucky enough to win a competition for two free portions. I tried a curried chicken bao and a satay chicken bao, both of which were great, with the satay flavour being particularly delicious.

I have to admit that the first gua bao I ever tried was actually from Wagamama – I think they’d just added it to the menu, as they were giving away samples outside with a pulled beef style filling, and it was pretty good. There’s only been one occasion where I’ve not been able to finish a gua bao, and I won’t name the business, but it was the filling rather than the bun that I couldn’t stomach – I can only hope you never stumble across it yourselves!

DIY BAO

Baking your own bao at home seems like such a daunting exercise, and I have had varying degrees of success. The first time I tried it was a BBC GoodFood recipe, with a pork belly filling, and whilst the filling with sticky and sweet, as you can see, my buns failed entirely, ending up flat as pancake, stodgy and generally quite grim. Whether this was the recipe, my techniques, or dodgy ingredients I couldn’t tell you, but it didn’t bode well for future attempts.

That’s why I was so surprised when I tried Queen Nadiya’s recipe for spicy tuna bao, and they turned out excellently. From her ‘Time to Eat’ cookbook, this is a recipe I would 100% recommend – there’s definitely a little effort required, but with such impressive results, it’s worth it. The buns are super filling but the tuna itself is light, fresh-tasting, and umami, and when a recipe like this goes to plan, there’s a real sense of achievement waiting for you on the other side.

I’m sure there are a huge number of people who still have never tried any form of bao, and if you’re one of them I really urge you to do so. I can’t think of a single other food that compares in texture to these perfect little buns, and with fillings being so varied, there’s bound to be something to suit all tastes.

¡Comemos!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Pecan Pie

15th Aug 2020Leave a comment

So far on our global culinary journey, I’ve covered some of the world’s greatest (and lesser-known) savoury dishes, but it’s time for a change. With its sticky, nutty, booze-fuelled filling, Pecan Pie is surely one of America’s greatest desserts, and it’s about time I dived into some sweeter culinary classics.

As is often the case with ‘traditional’ dishes, tracing their origins is pretty tough, but with pecans native to the southern states, pecan desserts such as this one are most commonly associated with the south. New Orleans is a particular hub for the famous pie, with some believing that it was invented by the French, shortly after they settled in the city.

Nowadays, in the US, corn syrup is the most common ingredient used to get the deliciously sweet and sticky flavour and texture, however, prior to the invention of corn syrup, and in Pecan Pie recipes not of direct US origin, molasses, treacle, syrups and maple syrup are all used as alternatives.

Closely linked to Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, there are a number of variations of Pecan Pie, the most common being with the addition of Bourbon whiskey – another product which is also symbolic of the deep south. Occasionally, chocolate or chocolate chips are added to the pie, although this seems to be less ‘traditional’.

My first couple of experiences of Pecan Pie were both in London, the first being at Christopher’s, an American-influenced restaurant in Covent Garden, and the second, a new menu item created by Claire at my favourite street food stall, A Pie Party. The Christopher’s pie slice was delicious – warmed through and served with ice cream, and was slightly more cakey (and without a traditional crust) than Claire’s version, which is definitely more conventional. I was apprehensive when I first bought a slice from A Pie Party, as unlike the Christopher’s version, this one was flavoured with Bourbon, and I’ve never been great with boozy flavours in desserts. Unsurprisingly, I had nothing to worry about, as Claire had got the balance spot on – a definite punch of whiskey flavours without it overpowering the whole dessert. The pecans were definitely more the star of the show in this second version, with no cakey filling – simply a classic pastry filled with a sticky, non-dense pecan mixture. Both were very different, but equally as delicious.

Having had New Orleans on my mind for the last couple of years, I was lucky enough to spend a few days there earlier this year, precariously close to when all travel was put on hold due to Covid-19. Of all the places in the world to try this dessert, I was going to land in the epicentre of Pecan Pie greatness. It was tough trying to narrow down exactly where I would indulge in a slice of the classic pie, with it generally being a staple on most menus, but after conducting a little of my own research, casual dining restaurant Mulate’s seemed like a good shout.

It felt like the most American place I’d ever step foot in – the kind of setting you’d see the Teen Mom cast being filmed in, talking over their latest dramas. It’s a weirdly large place, with endless tables and super high ceilings, and your typical uniform all-smiles service. And to be quite honest, it’s got a pretty down-market feel. However… this is precisely the reason you don’t judge a book by its cover (not that there’s actually anything wrong with the interior), because the Pecan Pie… oh that Pecan Pie. A sensation. I definitely made the right shout having it warmed with a dollop of ice cream – as the ice cream melted into the gooey, sticky filling, it was honestly heaven on a plate. Of all the Pecan Pie slices mentioned in this post, this one definitely takes the top spot.

So when I touched down back in the UK, I felt inspired by the tastes of NOLA, and had bought many sticky pecan related goodies to cook with. I actually already had the Jamie’s America (Jamie Oliver) cookbook and there’s a whole section in there on New Orleans, including a Pecan Pie recipe.

Looking at the results, the pastry case definitely shouldn’t go up as high as this did but this was due to the pie tin that I used combined with significant excess pastry based on the recipe quantities. I’d say overall it’s a decent recipe. The filling tasted good, full of sticky pecans without an overwhelming Bourbon flavour, however, the pastry on the other hand was slightly underwhelming. It didn’t have the lovely crisp, buttery texture that I was hoping for, but how much of that was down to my cooking (and shit, overpowering oven) I can’t say.

Pecan Pie is a dessert that really does deserve to go global. That sticky, nuttiness with a hit of Bourbon to the back of the throat is certainly a more adult taste, but because of that, if you’ve ever thought you didn’t like it, I’d recommend going to back it a few years down the line (our tastes really do change over time…).

It can be a bit pricey to recreate at home, but if you still want your fix without all the effort, there are so many restaurants and bakeries out there that can sort you right out. If you can’t quite justify crossing the Atlantic for it, definitely visit Claire at A Pie Party, or Christopher’s in Covent Garden for two solid New Orleanian efforts.

¡Comemos!

Mac and Wild

21st Jul 2020Leave a comment

Hard to believe it’s been around four months since my last dining out experience. Never could we have conceived of a global crisis in which every restaurant, bar, pub and café in the country would be closed, what that would mean for our social connections, and more significantly, what that would mean for the thousands of businesses out there, thrown into such an uncertain scenario.

I’d avoided venturing out for the first couple of weeks following the easing of lockdown rules – in my head, I pictured rowdy raucousness throbbing through the streets, and despite a little of that going down in places, it didn’t seem as intense as I’d expected. So when I did finally decide to book that much-anticipated first restaurant visit, it had to be somewhere special.

Scottish restaurant Mac and Wild was that place, having sat firmly atop my restaurant bucket list for two years, ever since drooling over a photo of their ice cream-topped sticky toffee pudding on Instagram.

Ironically, I didn’t end up trying that very sticky toffee pudding (which probably means I’ll have to make a return visit one day), but here’s how the rest of it went…

With Fitzrovia all booked up, we arrived at their Devonshire Square branch, having booked one of the lovely-looking socially-distanced huts, complete with a seating for up to 4, and your very own self-serve drinks cabinet. In my head, I’d pictured these being outside, but their three, I have to say it as it is, sheds, were opposite the bar inside. Nonetheless, they still created a sense of privacy and intimacy, shielded from other diners. Had I booked one of these huts outdoors in winter, complete with blankets, and heating, I think it would’ve been beautiful – both atmospheric and cosy, but as it were, dining in one of those indoors in 27 degree heat, it was a little on the sweaty side.

Being a Scottish restaurant, there are a number of haggis-inspired dishes on the menu, including their Haggis Pops, which we ordered to start. I should also mention at this point that their menu was limited, compared to what their Devonshire Square-specific online menu stated they had. I had been so desperate to try their Venison Scotch Egg, but it was nowhere to be found, so settled for the Haggis Pops.

Never (ashamedly) having tried haggis before, it’s difficult for me to judge, as I’m not familiar with the standard flavours and textures, however, the pops came as little fried bites, the meaty haggis filling encased in a crunchy shell. Whilst I enjoyed the outer crunch and the flavours, the texture wasn’t necessarily to my liking – oddly, despite being meaty, it had the texture of a potato croquette filling, and I’ve expressed my views on potatoes here before… To accompany the pops there’s a cranberry-mustard, or ‘Red Jon’ sauce. We spent a good few minutes trying to pinpoint what exactly the sauce was comprised of, intrigued by the sharp and sweet notes, before reluctantly giving in when ‘mustard’ was all we could come up with, and resorting to consulting the ingredients list.

Once again, when it came to ordering mains, I was disappointed to see that amongst the side dishes, the Haggis Mac and Cheese I’d set my heart on didn’t feature. Luckily, they were still offering their Truffle Mushroom Mac and Cheese, which I chose to accompany their signature ‘Venimoo’ Burger. The Venimoo features beef and venison patties, with Béarnaise sauce, cheese, pickles and caramelised onions. The burger was very good. Juicy patties, full of flavour, with a sharp, tanginess from the pickles and the warming, creaminess of the Béarnaise sauce and melting cheese. I can’t say it was mind-blowing (I’ve unintentionally ended up with pretty sky high standards), but the quality and flavours certainly made it worth ordering.

Interestingly my highlight was the Truffle Mushroom Mac and Cheese. Despite not being a speciality dish of theirs, I loved the consistency – a super creamy cheese sauce, without the overwhelming sickliness that truffle can sometimes bring. The mushrooms were cut into large cubed pieces, which I surprisingly enjoyed, cementing its place amongst the best mac and cheeses I’ve tried in London.

As previously mentioned, I didn’t get round to trying the Sticky Toffee Pudding in the end, which only calls for a return visit, however, I’ll be sticking to the soft drinks next time, as the cheapest bottle of white wine came in at £36, despite the drinks menu on their website listing white wine prices as ranging between £20 and £74. For me, this was the most significant issue; service had been good, the food was good to excellent, but for those of us not rolling in money who fancy a drink, £36, when you know full well the bottle isn’t worth that, hurts. It feels almost wrong to say anything negative about businesses that are fighting to survive right now, but having been furloughed myself, and seeing a drop in income, I can’t ignore such limited options when it comes to drinks pricing, particularly as the food prices are very reasonable, which just makes the wine list prices seem even more out of place.

Having said that, I’m so glad to be back eating out, and sharing my thoughts, having enjoyed months of home cooking and takeaways. There’s just something that can’t be beaten about the whole restaurant experience, from the social aspect, to holding a physical menu in front of you and spending an unnecessarily long time indecisively asking the waiters for another 5 minutes to decide.

Restaurants need our support now more than ever, so if you’re craving a high quality burger and wonderful Mac and Cheese, Mac and Wild is a solid choice.

¡Comemos!

Lockdown DIY

14th May 202015th May 2020Leave a comment

Let’s just get something straight, this is DIY like you’ve never seen it before. No flat packs, toolboxes or storming off in frustration, this is the kind that leaves your belly full and your taste buds tingling.

The Coronovirus has obviously affected all of us to quite extreme extents, and the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit. Restaurants and businesses have therefore had to come up with innovative ways to keep trading and continue engaging with their customers.

This is where DIY comes into it. It’s the latest trend to have emerged from lockdown, providing those of us at home with all the tools we need to recreate our favourite restaurants’ signature dishes.

I’ve rounded up my favourites, both sweet and savoury, plant-based and meat feasts, complete with content, prices and delivery locations.

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried all of these, so am basing my list on those that stand out the most. This list is not exhaustive and there are so many more great kits out there that you can buy to help to support small businesses.

Patty & Bun – Lockdown DIY Kit

What to Expect: This has to be the exception to my ‘in no particular order rule’ as this is the first DIY kit I ordered and it was incredible. Patty & Bun have you recreating their famous ‘Ari Gold’ and/or ‘Smokey Robinson’ burgers all from your own kitchen. They’ve even introduced a vegan version more recently. Kits include 4 patties and brioche buns, and fillings, depending on which burger you opt for include cheese slices, chipotle mayo, caramelised onions, pickled onions and bacon. Their meat is from HG Walter and is fabulous. They really will be the juiciest burgers you’ve ever made from home.

Price: £25

Location: Nationwide

Doughnut Time – DIY Home Kit

What to Expect: As well as the option to order their 6-packs of doughnuts for those in London, Doughnut Time have created a number of DIY kits so that you can come up with your own creations at home. For full creative licence, opt for the Design-Yo-Own Kit, which comes with 4 blank canvas ring doughnuts along with coloured icing piping bags and mixed confectionary including Smarties and Freddos. If you’d rather go for a classic, The Favourites Kit gives you everything you need to recreate 2 Sia Later (red velvet) doughnuts and 2 Ice Ice Bae Baes.

Price: £20-22

Location: Nationwide

Where the Pancakes Are – Chilled Pancake Boxes

What to Expect: Where The Pancakes Are’s online store not only sells the individual ingredients to jazz up your pancakes, i.e. Canadian maple syrup and their own pancake flour mix, but also has a couple of kits to keep you entertained at brunchtime. The feast box comes complete with bananas, blueberries and bacon, whilst the more modest survival kit adds maple syrup to your staple ingredients.

Price: £22-29.50

Location: Central London postcodes

The Good Egg – Bake-your-own-Babka kit

What to Expect: The chocolate tahini Babka is a fan favourite at The Good Egg, but now you can enjoy it in your own kitchen. Whilst you’ll need a few bits and bobs of your own (milk, loaf tin etc.), the kit provides you with the flour, salt, butter, eggs and flavourings to master the Babka yourself.

Price: £23.98

Location: London only (select postcodes)

Burger and Beyond – Bacon Butter Burger Lockdown Kit

What to Expect: The burger joints are really killing it this lockdown, and Burger and Beyond are no different. With deliveries going out every Saturday, the kit comes with 4 demi Brioche buns, signature 35 day aged minced beef blend, pancetta bacon, American cheese, burnt butter mayo and pickled onions.

Price: £25

Location: London, Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester

La Pepiá – Arepa Kits

What to Expect: For some Latin vibes in the kitchen, La Pepiá have created their own make-at-home arepa box, full of colour and flavour. Arepas are traditional South American corn buns, which can be filled with vegetables, cheese, beans and meat. You’ll receive 5 rainbow arepas, 5 Venezuelan chorizo sausages or a block of halloumi, 2 avocadoes, green salsa and spicy salsa.

Price: £33-35

Location: London (free delivery)

Pizza Pilgrims – The Frying Pan Pizza Kit

What to Expect: With two deliciously doughy mozzarella pizzas waiting to be whipped up, Pizza Pilgrims’ kit contains two 48 hour proved dough balls, marinara sauce, fior di latte, olive oil, fresh basil and parmesan. If you’re cooking for one, the dough and the marinara can be frozen for you to enjoy another time. At present only one kit can be purchased per order.

Price: £15 (plus £10 delivery)

Location: Nationwide

Lina Stores – Pasta Meal Kits

What to Expect: Both fresh and dried pasta meal kits are on offer from the delicatessen-cum-restaurant Lina Stores. The kits include enough ingredients for a whopping 8-10 plates of pasta, with the dry kit featuring 3 different types of pasta, 2 sauces, olives, capers, artichokes and Parmesan. The fresh kit comes with a beautiful artichoke and truffle green ravioli, 2 other fresh pastas, 2 sauces, butter and Parmesan.

Price: £32

Location: London

Chin Chin – Starter Kits

What to Expect: Chin Chin are known for they wacky, creative flours and ice cream dessert concepts, so it’s no surprise that at present, they’re sticking to some of their tamer creations to send out to us at home. As well as selling loads of their dessert toppings and snacks individually such as Bee Pollen Honeycomb and Sourdough Cinnamon Toast, you can get your hands on their Hot Chocolate and Griddled Cookie Dough Starter Kits. Both intensely indulgent, these are definitely worth investing in.

Price: £8.95-9.95

Location: Nationwide

Crumbs and Doilies – Cookie and Cupcake Kits

What to Expect: For another sweet treat, why not try Crumbs and Doilies cookie or cupcake kits which look as beautiful as they taste. With a load of flavours on offer including red velvet, double chocolate and birthday cake, the kits are packed with either cake mix, icing sugar, oil and cupcake cases, or all the fillings and flavourings you need for a batch of cookies – just add your own butter and eggs.

Price: £15.50-18.50

Location: Nationwide

Lahpet – Coconut Noodle Kits

What to Expect: Not much is yet known about the latest kit to be hitting the restaurant scene, with its release still somewhere on the horizon, however, you can be sure that Burmese restaurant Lahpet’s DIY kit will be bursting with all the spice you need to create your own deliciously creamy noodle bowl.

Price: TBC

Location: TBC

Mac + Wild – Venimoo Burger Kits

What to Expect: As well as opening up their online butcher, selling everything from burgers to sausages, venison to ‘white pudding’, Scottish-based restaurant Mac + Wild have now created their own DIY kit based on their ever popular Venimoo Burger (a burger that’s been on my bucket list for a very long time). Stepping it up from its other burger competitors, this box contains enough for 4 Venimoos, including 4 brioche buns, 4 beef patties, 4 venison patties (yep, it’s double stacked), 8 cheese slices, lettuce, gherkin, Red Jon sauce, Béarnaise and mustard. See – here’s one where you don’t even have to provide your own relish, and it’s barely a penny more.

Price: £28

Location: Nationwide

The Vurger Co – Vurger Meal Kit

What to Expect: One for the plant-based lovers out there now, you can get your hands on either 2 or 4 of The Vurger Co’s Big New York Melts with kits enabling you to recreate them at home with Beyond Burger patties, vegan brioche buns, vegan cheese slices, lettuce, gherkin, tomato, a bottle of burger sauce, and wait for it, this one even comes with a hefty portion of skin on fries for the complete burger experience.

Price: £17.95 for 2, or £34.95 for 4

Location: Select London postcodes

Le Swine – DIY kit

What to Expect: One of the first off the mark when lockdown began was Le Swine offering a delicious make-at-home bacon butty experience. Opt for kits to feed 2 or 4 featuring bacon, duck eggs, bacon butter, signature milk and onion buns, fresh sage and homemade ketchup. If you’re looking to go all out, you can even upgrade to their Ultimate Brunch Kit for 4 which adds on both chipotle and mushroom ketchup, 1l of Virgin Mary Mix, a tin of olives and a voucher for later use when their Spitalfields market location reopens.

Price: £12-35

Location: London

A Pie Party

What to Expect: Finishing with one that doesn’t quite fit the bill, but that I just couldn’t exclude. A Pie Party is my favourite small business ever, dishing up incredible pies, brownies and other sugary treats that are unlike any other. Claire isn’t offering DIY kits, but why bother when you can have full-sized pies and ready-made cookies and brownies delivered straight to your door, for you to devour with no delay.

Price: £18-39

Location: Nationwide

Supporting businesses like these at this v dodgy time is so important if you want to see them back in business when ‘normal’ service resumes. There really is something for everyone, from minimal to maximum effort, covering a range of budgets. Check out their websites or Instagram accounts for further information and mouth-watering shots from each of these fab restaurants and businesses.

¡Comemos!

Meat Me Halfway: Week 6

23rd Feb 20201 Comment

It’s been an odd one this week. I love having a week of plant-based food to look forward to, but genuinely, this week I’ve felt so bloated and heavy, and that in turn has really negatively affected my mood. That’s part of the reason I was so frustrated by the Game Changers documentary – the idea that eating a 100% plant-based diet makes you suddenly feel amazing just isn’t true for everyone.

This week I’ve possibly eaten more vegetables than I ever have done before, and long term I’m sure my body will thank me, but it’s still been a struggle to feel good about myself when my stomach is literally ballooning as a result.

Despite that, I’ve still followed some decent recipes and eaten some good food, so here’s week 6’s lowdown…

First up is an exciting one. My favourite thing about selling old junk and clothes on eBay is that whatever money I make ends up collecting in my PayPal account which I use purely to spend on myself, working my way through my personal wishlist. A couple of weeks ago I used some of this cash to buy myself a Vonshef waffle maker, and although it was cheap (£22 I think), the results so far have been great. I tested it out on Rachel Ama’s Spiced Chickpea Waffles with Hummus and Tomatoes and although I wish I’d cooked the waffles for slightly longer, it worked perfectly and was so easy to use. I was most surprised about how clean it was – after removing the waffles there was absolutely no residue on the machine; it looked as if it hadn’t even been used. The waffles themselves had a hint of spice with a lovely seeded crunch, and the smooth, thick hummus made for a filling topping. I’d definitely recommend trying to make your own waffles as it’s so much more satisfying than store-bought, and you can make them vegan!

As I mentioned, I felt so heavy on more than one day this week, and so I changed up my food plan quite a bit. One evening after work, instead of cooking up a hearty main meal, I decided my body couldn’t handle it, and instead made Rachel Ama’s porridge. Topped with banana, blueberries and granola, there was enough to it to make it a nutritious dinner, and actually I could easily eat porridge 3 meals a day – it’s all in the toppings. Add enough sweetness and crunch and it’ll taste and feel amazing.

My lunches this week felt super healthy. Recipe-wise, it did end up being a bit of a Rachel Ama fest, and the main component to my lunch boxes was her Loaded Breakfast Burrito. This wrap is filled with spicy scrambled chickpeas with red pepper, a tomato and onion salsa, and spinach. I particularly loved the extra flavour that dry toasting the wrap on the hob added.

To make sure my lunches were really filling and therefore I didn’t feel the urge to snack, I also made her Butternut Squash and Beetroot Salad on the side. This is packed with loads of ingredients, including lentils, pomegranate seeds and rocket as well. I wasn’t such a huge fan of this dish on the whole, but I have to admit it was filling. I probably would make it again minus the lentils. The beetroot and butternut squash were enough in themselves and provided all the flavour and substance that I needed.

Next up is a simple recipe of my own. I used to hate cauliflower but now I’ve found so many ways to cook it so that I love it. Curried cauliflower is one of the best, and I made the most of some curry spices I had leftover from Guadeloupe, along with coconut milk for extra creaminess. I served it with brown rice, which I’m really starting to enjoy, and will definitely try opting for brown instead of white rice as much as possible now.

A highlight to my week has to be the fact that I received at least £50 worth of free sushi from Itsu due to my job. Lots of it was vegan and so avocado and green bean maki rolls, edamame beans and sticky rice have been a key feature on my menu this week. Honestly, their avocado rolls are delicious and I’m really not even a fan of avocado.

My eating out this week has been slightly less extravagant than normal. I’m starting to find that my 4-course-plus crazy indulgent, once-a-week new restaurant experiences aren’t as easy as they once were as my metabolism is slowing and my bank account emptying. Having said that, I did still manage to find room to try out a couple of new places.

First up is Egyptian street food café Koshari Street. I first heard about the dish Koshari in a Lonely Planet: World’s Best Street Food guide, and followed a recipe in there to make it at home. It was very straightforward, with a base of lentils, macaroni and shredded noodles and topped with chickpeas, crispy onions and tomato sauce. I wanted to compare the ‘real thing’ with my homemade attempt and actually, I think I did a pretty good job. I opted for their Classic version, and found the sauce rich, with the dish full of veggie protein. It’s great to see less-talked-about cuisine such as Egyptian breaking out on to the London food scene, and I’ll be starting a new blog series soon on some really interesting global dishes, Koshari being one of them, so stay tuned for more cultural background info.

Saving the best for last, during the lunch break of the travel writing workshop that I attended on Saturday, I finally made it to Redemption Bar in Covent Garden. It had been the sight of their toasted banana bread with coconut cream on Instagram that had captured my interest, but I didn’t end up ordering it, instead going with their Banoffee Pie. That was after my light and healthy main dish of Sweet Potato Hummus Toast, which came on a seeded bread with edamame beans and red pepper. It looked beautiful, with its vibrant colours popping from the plate but don’t expect too much magic. It is exactly what it sounds like – toast with hummus. There’s not much more to it flavour-wise, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great dish. The dessert was the star of the show though. The base of the pie was quite stodgy and difficult to cut into, but actually, in my mouth it didn’t feel stodgy at all. It had a lovely sweetness from the dates, and the coconut cream on top was light and fluffy. The cacao nib topping finished it off perfectly with a bitter crunch. Redemption is a really classy place that I’d definitely recommend trying, particularly for brunch, whether you’re vegan or not.

That’s all for this month’s vegan menu. The novelty of trying new plant-based dishes both at home and out in London honestly isn’t wearing off, and yes, it’s true that my body doesn’t actually feel better for it, but I do trust that the long term benefits of eating slightly less meat and dairy are aplenty.

Do check out Redemption if you’re in London, and for easy lunchbox prep, the Loaded Breakfast Burritos are the ones to try this time round. Easy to whip up the individual elements on a Sunday afternoon, and then assemble each morning, this recipe will please everyone, from the kids, to the boyfriend, to the best friend.

I’ve decided that this will be my penultimate Meat Me Halfway post. Although I’d planned it to be a year-long series, having arrived at this halfway point, I feel that I’ve covered enough bases, from the best plant-based recipes to ingredients, to restaurants and cafés, to justify bring it to a close. This will also allow me to focus on a load of other ideas that I have for new series’, so expect an overall round up in next month’s edition, with a reflection on how the whole process has been for me.

See you next month then for the final instalment of plant-based goodness!

¡Comemos!

Burger and Lobster

19th Jan 202019th Jan 2020Leave a comment

Haven’t done a review for a while so here we go… This review actually should’ve taken place a couple of years ago, except for the fact that I got confused, and booked a table at the underwhelmingly shit Steak and Lobster, instead of Burger and Lobster.

Before I dive into the actual review, just for comparison, Steak and Lobster has a near identical (although slightly less interesting menu), obviously is based around the same ‘surf ‘n’ turf’ concept, but the interior is weird and sterile, the service was a bit shit, and the food was dead. Literally of course, the steak and lobster were dead, but going beyond that. Dead af. Bland and uninspiring. I’m not sure I could paint a less glowing picture.

So after this unintentional restaurant visit, I’d been pining for the real deal. Pining for two years in fact. And today was finally the day that I got my Burger and Lobster.

I can probably concede that the only thing Steak and Lobster did better was the lighting. I have a thing about poorly lit restaurants. Really does my head in, and the Burger and Lobster in Soho at least was like this. That is, however, pretty much where the negativity ends.

To start, the three of us shared the Lobster Croquettes. These were super creamy with a lovely level of spicy flavour from the bed of Chipotle mayo. The little avocadoey blob on top doesn’t add much but it does look pretty. These aren’t cheap. You get 4 croquettes for £9.50, and you can bet that we divided that last one up between us into incredibly precise thirds. But at the end of the day, it’s a lobster restaurant, so if you’re on a budget, just don’t bother in the first place.

I’d always thought that I’d end up having the Lobster Roll here, but ultimately after some intense social media stalking, I decided that the B&L Beast Burger looked exciting. It consists of a thicccc AF beef patty (medium rare ofc) with a solid chunk of lobster meat on top, gooey melting Brie, truffle and tarragon mayo, fennel and Chinese cabbage. It is such a satisfying burger. Part of me thinks the flavour of the lobster gets a bit lost when it’s served like this, but despite that I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. It really is a bit of a beast.

I was super tempted by the melty Gruyere Spinach on the side, but decided to be slightly less naughty, and opted for the tenderstem broccoli instead. As far as veggie sides go, it was nice and buttery, but obviously there are more interesting options. I did however, have to try one of my friend’s Truffle Chips of course. I was surprised that they were proper thick cut chips rather than fries, and if I’d known I might have been tempted myself, although we all agreed that despite the truffle smelling quite strong, there wasn’t much actual truffle flavour from them.

Finally we come to dessert, which I had told myself I wouldn’t have. But why stop myself if I change my mind? Gutted I didn’t get there last Easter for their Creme Egg Cheesecake, but rather than going for their plainer White Chocolate Cheesecake, I was taken by the Cranberry and Hazelnut Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream.

First off, it definitely ticks the gooey box. It was super soft and melt-in-the-mouth. The hazelnuts and cranberries were both really nice additions, both in terms of texture and flavour. My only complaint would be the warmth of the brownie. Normally when something is served with ice cream on the side, it’s so hot that the two kind of melt together, and the hot-cold contrast works beautifully. With this dessert, the brownie seemed to be kind of lukewarm in the first place so that delicious contrast wasn’t quite there.

Service was great, super friendly, and the menu has a decent selection of mains combos.

There is probably a gimmicky element to the lobster craze, which accounts for the high cost of the food, but if you’re willing to look past the food as a trend, for me at least, it was a good quality, tasty meal. £25 for a burger with a small amount of lobster in isn’t ideal, but I’m in London, I know what I’m getting myself in for, so there’s no use in complaining.

As I often tell people with a sickly sweet smile at my place of work when they scoff at the pricing,’It’s fine, you don’t have to buy it.’ 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

So if you want to, do, and if you don’t, don’t.

🙂 🙂 🙂

¡Comemos!

Yaalu Yaalu

8th Nov 2019Leave a comment

Back to my individual restaurant reviews, and this one, lucky for me, is just down the road.

I think sometimes I neglect places super close to me, instead favouring restaurants in Central that keep appearing on the social media scene and are very hyped up, whereas actually sometimes it’s good to take a step back and have a look at what you actually have on your doorstep.

Yaalu Yaalu is a Sri Lankan restaurant on Green Lanes, nestled amongst the huge number of fantastic Turkish places. It stands out along the high street with it’s light blue and white exterior and interesting decor. I had walked past it a fair few times and thought that it looked pretty nice, but it was my flatmate’s suggestion to go for her birthday dinner that finally got me there.

We went on a Thursday evening so it was pretty quiet, but there were still other people in there. It’s so lovely on the inside, and clearly a lot has been put into the restaurant’s presentation.

We decided to share all plates as they aren’t huge portions, but the price reflects this. We also ate our starters and mains together, but there are clearly labelled starters and mains on the menu.

First up with one of my choices, I was intrigued by the ‘Yaalu Gives You Wings’ coconut oil-infused chicken wings. I wouldn’t normally order chicken wings but the coconuttiness was what appealed to me.

Apologies for the quality, and sometimes lack of, photos. The lighting wasn’t idea for photo-taking, added to the fact that I just wanted to get some quick snaps so that we could enjoy our meal without me spending ages rearranging and rephotographing everything.

I feel like you can look at these wings and get an idea of how flavoursome they are just from their appearance. They did have a pretty spicy kick to them, but that always works for me. Would definitely recommend these.

Next up is the okra, or ‘Ladies Fingers’, which is one of my favourite vegetables, if not my absolute favourite.

To be honest I wasn’t blown away by this okra. I feel like it didn’t have a huge amount of flavour and it wasn’t as ‘meaty’ in texture/substance as okra I’ve had before so it didn’t soak up flavours as well. It wasn’t unpleasant at all, and is still a nice side, but nothing exciting.

For my own side, I got a coconut roti which I didn’t get a picture of. It wasn’t soft, but had been divided up into almost pitta chip-like pieces. It wasn’t amazing but was a really good way of scooping up all the sauces, and the little coconut sambal style chutney on the side was sweet and tasty too.

This next shocking image is of the chilli paneer and aubergine dish (‘Humble Moghuls’). The sauce and flavours here were really good, and you can see how creamy it is. This was another really good dish, with a fair bit to share around between us.

My absolute favourite dish, I sadly don’t have a photo of. Although it was much nicer than it looked. I chose the ‘Wilding’, wild boar in a spicy (flavour-wise rather than in terms of heat) and it was beautiful. Such tender meat in a salty, cuminy curry style sauce, and there was a decent amount of meat served up in small chunks. This definitely was the most impressive thing we ordered and I’d urge anyone who visits to try it.

This final dish slightly defeats the object of the photo as you can’t actually see the fish wrapped in the banana leaf but you get the idea. This is the ‘Catched…Wrapped…Sealed.’

This sea bass took a little longer to come but that was fine as they told us in advance and good to know it’s being cooked to order. I’ve been thinking recently about how I always neglect fish dishes in restaurants – I’ll often order seafood like mussels, lobster, prawns etc but fish I too often ignore so I was excited to try this sea bass. To be honest I wasn’t that fussed by it. It was nice but again, I wasn’t getting a huge amount of flavour so I’m not sure it’s something I would order again here but it was good to try.

Overall though I really enjoyed the meal. There was so much on the menu that I wanted to try but just couldn’t with only having three bellies to feed! The service was great, overall price such good value for money, and it was just a really nice dining experience overall.

I definitely think it’s worth making a trip to Green Lanes to try, and the chicken wings and wild boar dishes are top of my recommendations.

Sri Lankan cuisine is not one that gets much airtime, so let’s change that and…

¡Comemos!