Restaurants - Eat Cook Explore

Sonny’s Kitchen Barnes

May 1, 2013 By London Food Blogger Leave a Comment

Sonny’s Kitchen is hidden away in Barnes and has been a favourite of West Londoners for many years. If you don’t live around here, you probably would not even know of this place. Let me introduce you.

This local Barnes eatery has been owned by restauranter Rebecca Mascarenhas for a long time and she has recently partnered with Phil Howard, a long time local resident.

Sonny’s Kitchen has recently been refurbished and a new team is in place, headed by the super talented Head Chef Tommy Boland. Tommy previously worked at two star The Square with Phil for 3 years. You can see the fine dining influence on the new menu at Sonny’s.

Chef Tommy Boland, Bagpipe Champion

Sonny’s is made up of a an upmarket deli, a stylish cocktail bar and a charming informal dining room with cosy blazing fires. The night we were there, the restaurant was full and the atmosphere was buzzing with conversations reverberating around the hard surfaces.

Our menu for the evening seemed simple on paper but was far from ordinary. We began with a grilled mackerel with fine potato salad, smoked eel and golden beetroot served with a light Montarels Viognier 2011.

Grilled mackerel with fine potato salad, smoked eel & golden beetroot

The next course of a creamy wild garlic velouté served with light and crispy ham hock beignet was an absolute delight. I could happily have a plate of the beignet all by itself.

A taste of spring – a perfectly pan fried piece of pollock served with a vinaigrette of razor clams, barba di frate (friar’s beard) and leek hearts. Lovely firm fish with the contrasting salty bites of the barba di frate. and matched with the Seresin, Chardonnay Reserve – Marlborough 2010.

Pan fried pollock with a vinaigrette of razor clams, barba di frate & leek hearts

We then had the rather dramatically dressed roasted haunch of venison with beetroot purée, creamed cabbage, pickled pear & green peppercorns. A really robust dish of meaty venison offset by the sharp beetroot puree. This course was accompanied by a bold bottle of Gigondas, Domaine du Pesquier – Rhône 2009.

We had a surprise pre desert of a tangy tropical fruit salad with passionfruit, pomegranate and papayas topped with a mango sorbet. A great palate cleanser after the rich flavours of the venison dish.

Then the pudding that was on the menu was served, an unctious crème brûlée with griottines cherries. This was served with a very lovely desert wine, the Ch Fayau Cadillac, 2008 – semillon, sauvignon blanc, muscadelle.

It was a delightful meal with so many surprises. I didn’t know what to expect but the culinary talent behind this restaurant really shines through in the food. The cooking is of a standard that you would expect in the more formal fine dining establishments in Central London but how lucky that West Londoners get to enjoy such refined cooking in an informal setting. Sonny’s is also extremely popular for Sunday lunches and is usually full of local families.

Do visit before the Michelin inspectors find it.

Sonny’s Kitchen

94 Church Rd

Barnes

London SW13 0DQ

Tel: 020 8748 0393
www.sonnyskitchen.co.uk

Eat Cook Explore was a guest at Sonny’s Kitchen

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Barnes, Modern British

Dim Sum at Royal China Queensway

May 1, 2013 By London Food Blogger Leave a Comment

This has been one of our favourite dim sum places in London for the longest time. It was one of the first Chinese restaurants that started serving dim sum in a nicer environment and with better service than the brusque approach in most Chinatown places.

Royal China in Queensway has a very big dining room, with space for many family sized round tables, each with their own lazy susans. The walls are lined with black lacquer screens which is their signature look that is replicated across the chain.

Royal China Queensway Dim Sum

I was there with my friend Fiona to review their dim sum menu which they serve daily. For those who are not too familiar with dim sum and how to order, they have pictures on their menus that help. Fiona asked me to order and this is what we had.

Dim sum being a Cantonese tradition, we had to have a soup as they do make really good soups- a nourishing Seafood coriander soup. As customary, we also ordered a pot of Oolong tea to go with our lunch.

Seafood Coriander Soup

Followed by an appetiser portion of crispy soft shell crab.

Crispy soft shell crab

We had an array of dim sum, most were done well but I found that the cheung fun was not fine enough nor was the skin of the Shanghai dumplings. It does take a very skilled dim sum chef to execute these dumplings perfectly and unfortunately in London we don’t seem to have many that are trained. Besides this, everything else was delightful.

I did like their variation on crispy duck with their crispy duck rolls.

Prawn Cheung Fun, Crispy duck rolls, spicy dumplings, roast pork puffs, Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

Our other assortment of steamed and fried dim sum dishes arrived including my favourite, the prawn and chive dumplings. Fiona rather gamely tried the chicken’s feet which a lot of other English friends have balked at. It really is an acquired taste as Chinese people like to chew on the bones which is more flavourful, rather than opting for a large chunk of meat.

Prawn and chives dumpling, chicken’s feet, Vietnamese spring rolls

We had lovely dim sum even though we probably ordered too much for two people. Since it was her first dim sum meal in a long time, it would have been wrong not to have a breadth of dishes. One of the comments was that everything came in multiple of 3 and that made it difficult for 2 people dining.

Dim sum always works better in a bigger crowd as you can order more varieties. On the weekends, they serve a few more special dishes than the menu we had. Dishes like crispy suckling pig is available as a dim sum dish and if you see it on the menu when you visit, you should try it. Don’t forget to get there early on the weekends to beat the crowds.

Royal China Queensway
13 Queensway
London
W2 4QJ
020 7221 2535

Eat Cook Explore was a guest of Royal China

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Chinese, dim sum

Harrisons – A terrific local eatery in Balham

March 26, 2013 By London Food Blogger Leave a Comment

Balham is a part of London that I have not been to before. It is one of those London neighbourhoods where you would benefit from some local knowledge.

I am now deeply envious of the locals in Balham since my recent visit to Harrison’s. They have recently undergone a refurbishment and the new layout has an open kitchen in the middle of the dining area.

Harrisons Balham Review Open Kitchen

On the night we were there, the bar was busy with some local after work crowd and the dining area was filled with early diners. The bistro style menu is not extensive, but has a lot of seasonal choices.It might look like a bar and you would probably expect the usual offerings of burgers and fish and chips but look beyond your usual choices and you won’t be disappointed here.

We sat at one of the banquette seats facing the open kitchen where we could see the chefs assembling the dishes. The central open kitchen separated the dining area from the bar area and all the activity created a lively buzz in the room.

Moving swiftly on to our delicious meal, we started with a very generous plate of lamb belly fritters, not something that you see on menus very often. Nice crispy pieces of meat, well seasoned and a joy to eat. The other starter we had was a very sizeable the crab trifle.

lamb fritters

Chicken liver parfait

For mains, my friend had the Goan fish curry with rice which was again quite substantial. There was a mix of fish in the curry cooked in a light coconut curry sauce and this was served with rice, raita and some side salad.

Goan Fish Curry

I had the day’s fish special which was a very nicely pan fried piece of fish on top of some shellfish and a lovely sauce. It was delightful.

Pan fried fish

On the side, we had the most delicious crispy kale with pickled chilli and this is possibly my favourite vegetable side dishes ever. The kale was still crunchy, slightly sweet with a spicy kick. Seriously sensational. (Not often you can say that about a plate of leafy greens).

With hardly any room left, we shared a lemon tart for pudding. The thin pastry was well executed with a super tangy lemon topping. Superb.

Harrisons Balham Review

The cooking at Harrison’s is very good. It’s not surprising as the menu has creative input from the others in the family like Sam’s Brasserie, The Square and The Ledbury.

What was most impressive is their effervescent General Manager, Jenny, who was super friendly and enthusiastic but has now taken off on a world tour. What a great asset to this restaurant. All the other staff we encountered were very knowledgable and friendly too.

If the fabulous food does not grab you, check out their cocktail bar in the basement. You get there by an almost medieval looking spiral stone staircase. At the bottom, you get a very intimate cosy cocktail bar with dark wood panelling, subdued lighting and a large cocktail menu.

Harrisons Balham Review

It is obviously a real local favourite as it was packed the night we were there. The bar is open until 1am and there is a special deal where you get a free cocktail with your dinner receipt.

If you live anywhere near Balham, do check it out. It is a cut above.
Harrison’s
15-19 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9EX
Tel: 020 3589 2743

Eat Cook Explore was a guest of Harrisons

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Modern European

Taste of Spanish Sunshine at Zorita’s Kitchen

March 4, 2013 By London Food Blogger 5 Comments

London never ceases to surprise me. Every now and then I still find parts of London that are a complete revelation to me. Recently I discovered this stretch of the river just down the hill from St Pauls and in the shadow of the Millenium Bridge. Unless you had business in any of those ugly commercial buildings in the part of the City, you would never know that there are a few very nice eateries and bars along here.

Zorita's Kitchen London

One of these restaurants is Zorita’s Kitchen. It is not so much a restaurant as a wine bar, deli, organic farm shop and a casual dining room hybrid. Zorita’s is part of The Hacienda’s Company who own vineyards and organic farms in the Duero Valley in Spain.

What makes me instantly like this place is that the Hacienda Zorita organic farm is committed to the preservation of rare and endangered species like rare breed like the sheep like curly haired Mangalita pigs. The meat from these animals costs 10 times that of the iberico pig and are used to make lomo but not the ones we were tasting that day.

Zorita’s occupy a stunning location overlooking the Thames and across the bridge from the Tate Modern and of course with spectacular river views. (Tip- a great place for lunch if you are off to see a show at the Tate Modern).

The “restaurant” is dominated by a semi circular table in the middle of the room which is where they do wine tastings. One wall is lined with a selection of their own organic wines, other Spanish wines and organic produce from their farm like this organic olive oil and cheese.

32-Zorita's Kitchen London (12)

Sheeps milk cheese aged 6 months in Syrah

Dotted around the room in a casual fashion are rustic zinc topped tables in keeping with the rustic style of the food and what they term “farm cooking”.

Zorita’s Kitchen has a menu that is a showcase of the all the best produce from the region. There are a lot of choices of their special cheeses and cured meats. In addition to that there are a few hot dishes and a menu for Tostas, hot toasted bread with a variety of toppings.

We kicked off with 2 platters, one of cured meat and one of cheese. My favourite was the delicate lomo followed by the meltingly soft and piquant chorizo.

Chorizo, jamon, salchichon and lomo from free range Iberico pigs

Artisan raw milk cheeses : From the top, Payoyo, Torta de Dehesa, Queso Curado, Syrah and Tomillo served with some quince jelly.

Then followed a bowl of warming beans and chorizo.

39-Zorita's Kitchen London (8)

The most delicious dish was this combination of ingredients which came in the form of a ripe figs, jamon and goats cheese, dressed with a balsamic vinegar glaze. Fresh flavours, perfectly balanced.

42-Zorita's Kitchen London (6)

Just to make sure we had a sample of every section of the menu, we also had a Tosta Hacienda Zorita which is toasted bread topped with tomato, garlic, olive oil, torta de dehesa soft ewe’s cheese and jamon.

Tosta with jamon, goats cheese and ripe figs

For pudding, we had the specially flown in Torta de Santiago, an almond cake which is a specialty of the region and difficult to reproduce with the required authenticity outside of the region. We also had a crema catalan ice cream and a glass of Pedro Ximinez to finish off the meal with a flourish. The chef Pedro had a little chat with us on the menu and it was clear that all the staff were passionate about the produce that they were working with. It reminds me of In Parma that I review recently.

Zorita's Kitchen Spanish

Torta de Santiago

Besides the wine tasting and dining room on the ground floor, the 1st floor houses their new member’s lounge for their Wine Club, tasting rooms and also the offices for their parent company’s wine business.

Zorita’s Kitchen are about to revamp their menu with a little help from Michelin starred chef Victor Guttierrez who will bring the soul of the Duero Valley to London.

Zorita’s Kitchen
Broken Wharf House,
2 Broken Wharf,
London EC4V 3DT
Tel: 020 7429 3253

Thanks to Zorita’s Kitchen for hosting our delicious lunch.

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Mangalita pigs, Slow Food, Spanish, Wine Club, Zorita's Kitchen

Hearty Pies and Real Ales at The Foundry Camden

February 19, 2013 By London Food Blogger 5 Comments

Camden Town, is the land of endless kebab and fried chicken shops and where there really aren’t many real restaurants at all. Then there is The Foundry, which is a nice little restaurant off the main stretch and away from the crowds, on Delancey Street.

Walking in off the street, your in the bar area which also incorporates the casual dining area. The portraits of jazz musicians on the walls hints at the theme of this restaurant and live music venue. This rooms leads onto a buffer space with a glass roof and a living wall which then opens up into the auditorium built for classical music performances. This “The Forge” which is run as a non profit organisation to gives young musicians a venue to showcase their talents.

The Foundry Camden

Upstairs, there is a spacious restaurant space with windows that can be opened up for the nights when there are live acts performing. The walls are clad in sustainable wood and like downstairs, more jazz singers watch over you as you eat.

Now on to the pies. The Foundry recently introduced Pie Day on Fridays where they will have a variety of pies on the menu.

A group of cold of hungry bloggers were ushered into the kitchen where the head chef did a quick demo on how they make their steak and ale pies and a sweet pear tart. The meat in the pie is slow cooked for about 2 -3 hours in a veal jus, Meantime real ale and a variety of aromatics until tender before it is used to fill butter puff pastry cases.

The Foundry Steak and Ale Pie

The sweet pear and frangipane tarts are made with a puff pastry base and filled with frangipane cream and topped with slices of pear before being baked for 15 ins in a medium oven.

Each pie we tasted was paired with a real ale from Meantime Brewing Company, the 2nd largest craft beer brewery in London. Rob from Meantime, a passionate beer brewer, shared some great historical stories on beer and how they make their beers and what inspires them to create their new beers.

meantime brewing company

When we sat down for the tasting, the first pie was an unexpectly robust vegetarian pie made with mushroom, spinach, parmesan and cream, seen here drenched in their delicious onion gravy.

Vegetarian Pie

This was paired with the London Pale Ale, made from an original Victorian recipe.

Meantime brewing company

Then we had a chicken pie which was paired with the Light Indian Pale Ale. This one had a fruity flavour and a citrusy tang. This was my favourite of all the beer we tasted that night as it tasted more like a soft drink than a beer.

Lastly, we had the steak and ale pie with the rich succulent slow cooked meat, crispy buttery pastry and lashings of onion gravy. Rich and unctious. Delicious. They paired this with the Meantime stout which is derived from the London Porter beer. which has a dark brown colour which has a slight balsamic flavour, with burnt toast and chocolate notes.

The Forge and The Foundry Camden

For pudding, we were served the Frangipane and pear pie that we saw them make earlier. A very light and crispy pastry and not overly sweet. The chocolate porter sweet beer they served with this complemented the sweetness of the pudding. This is one of the more modern beers that they make and was brewed using some secrets tips including using chocolate in the brewing process unlike some others who add in chocolate syrup or chocolate essence to an already brewed beer. There are hints of raisin and coffee flavours. Quite interesting.

If you fancy some great tasting home made pies, you must try the steak and ale pie. It is well worth the trip to Camden. Better yet, buy a few to takeaway too. Fridays are pie days at the Foundry.

The Forge has a full programme of musical events and there are some that include a dining option too. Check it out on their webstie.

The Forge and The Foundry
3-7 Delancey St London
London NW1 7NL
020 7387 5959

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: British, Camden, Meantime Brewing Company, The Foundry

In Parma By Food Roots Fitrovia

February 6, 2013 By London Food Blogger 8 Comments

The best thing about London is the never ending choice of great places to eat. Once in a while, we come across restaurants that are truly unique with delicious honest food that you just want to tell all your foodie friends.

Recently, I had the great pleasure of experiencing the food at In Parma by Food Roots in Fitrovia. This unique Italian restaurant is tucked away on a small quiet pedestrian lane parallel to Charlotte Street. Unusually, this place was conceived as a business idea while the owner was embarking on his MBA and was not dreamed up by an aspiring chef. As all Italians, they are passionately loyal to their own local region, foodwise and we are so lucky in London that they like to share their abundance produce and specialties.

In Parma Fitrovia Italian Restaurant

In Parma is not a very big restaurant. At lunch time, it doubles as deli where you can buy food to takeaway too. It’s not a very big space, the room is dominated with a bar on the right, a cosy nook in the window and a few smaller tables at the back. The back wall is dominated by a revolving slide show of happy customers drinking their lambrusco, served in the traditional way in a bowl.

The decor is contemporary with a rustic twist, hams hanging from the ceiling and unfinished woods shelves to emphasise the artisanal nature of their food. The menu is like a culinary tour of the best of small producer in and around Parma in Italy. They have handpicked the products that they serve in the restaurant and most have the PDO or PGI designation. At first glance, the menu might seem to be dominated by just cheese and cold meats but they do have a selection of hot dishes which are changed daily.

The wine list is eclectic and is also hand selected from small producers with prices starting at £20 and quite a few are served by the glass too.

After a lengthy explanation of the concept and the menu, our meal kicks off with a selection of aged Parmigiano which is served on a wooden tray and is arranged by age, from 12 months to 36 months. I love my aged Parmigiano and this tasting included a sublime example of the rarer cheese made with milk from the red cow.

Selection of Aged parmiggiano

We then had an antipasti plate of salamis and ham. On this plate we had my absolute favourite, Culatello which is not that easy to find in London. It is the most prestigious of the salumi from Italy and after maturing, its sweet musky flavour tastes a lot more complex than your average ham and makes the others seem so mundane. We also had some Parma ham and slivers of thin, melt in the mouth lardo of pure pig fat. Pig heaven! This was served with toasted bread and some pieces of Mostarda, candied mustard fruits, normally eating with boiled meat.

In Parma Fitrovia Italian (18)

We then shared a plate of pasta with walnut pesto and a plate of polenta with ragu from their daily specials. The walnut pesto made with crushed walnuts, cream and parmesan was a total delight. Quite simple yet packed with flavour. I am not a big fan of polenta as it is usually a soggy and tasteless mess. The polenta here was nothing like that and served with a slow cooked rich meat ragu was the first polenta dish that I might order again.

In Parma Fitrovia Italian

For pudding, they make a wicked tiramisu and the not-to-be-missed chocolate salami. They also make a mean machiatto that only the Italian can.

Chocolate Salami

tiramisu

In Parma is a little jewel of a restaurant. It’s really refreshing to find something like this in London. On the night we were there it was buzzing with a few cozy couples and a big office party. There was a nice buzz in the room, with terrific food, friendly service, all in all a fab local Italian.

You must go and feast on the Culatello, aged red cow Parmigiano and if they have it the walnut pesto pasta. One visit will not be enough.

In Parma By Food Roots
10 Charlotte Place London
London W1T 1SH
020 8127 4277

Eat Cook Explore was a guest at In Parma

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Fitrovia, Food Roots, In Parma, Italian

New burger joint BRGR Soho

December 24, 2012 By London Food Blogger 2 Comments

Another week, another new burger joint. This time it is BRGR in Soho. It is an expansion of a chain from Lebanon, strangely enough.

I was there on the first week. There was a queue at the door and a buzzy if cramped dining room. There are a few casual tables as you walk in, an open kitchen on the right where the burgers are cooked and second dining room at the back. There are also a few seats in the window to maximise the seating in this small space.

BRGR Soho Burgers

I dropped by for a quick lunch en route to a meeting. They squeezed me into the last free seat by the window felt by being wedged in by a shoe horn. There is no where to hang your coat or a handbag which is a big minus in my books. It felt like I was practically sitting on top of the tables behind me. Must have been uncomfortable for them.

I promptly ordered the 6oz Gourmet Signature BRGR (6.95 without the extras) and a Lebanese home made lemonade. The waitress informed me that the meat for the burgers are from the Duke of Buccleuch estate in Scotland. This sounds grand but doesn’t tell me much about breed or welfare. I guess at this price range, that could be asking for too much.

The head chef from Lebanon came over to train the new brigade in “brgrology” and to mix up their secret recipe for the burger patties which is made up of their bespoke blend of cuts. The meat patties are made up of hanger steak, rib eye, etc although this is not disclosed on the menu.

BRGR Soho Burgers

I didn’t order any sides as they were all enormous and way too much for one person at lunch time. They had a choice of chips, cheesy chips onions rings, the usual stuff.

BRGR Soho Burgers

The meat, served in glazed brioche, was served medium rare and was quite nice and chunky, good meaty flavour, well seasoned but drips all over the trendy tray that it is served on as you eat it. As far as burgers go it’s not bad, unlike the opinion of other reviewers on the net. Maybe because the boss was in the kitchen.

For the price I prefer Byron.

187 Wardour Street,
London W1F 8ZB

Filed Under: Restaurants, Reviews Tagged With: BRGR Soho, Burger, soho

An Interactive Cookery Evening at Aveqia

November 12, 2012 By London Food Blogger 5 Comments

If you ever thought that you could never cook like those top chefs on Great British Menu and cooking shows featuring Michelin starred chefs, think again. I found out recently that you really don’t need to attend a culinary school to be able to recreate stunning Modern European fine dining dishes.

I was invited along to an evening of Interactive Cookery at Aveqia, after hearing about them from the Visit Sweden team. Aveqia is a Swedish restaurant concept imported to London and has set up home near Ludgate Circus, down the road from my old office. I know this area around Fleet Street quite well as I used to slave away as a desk slave just up the road and there was a dearth of good restaurants nearby.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

Aveqia is part cookery school and part restaurant. The converted space has been transformed into a bar and two large kitchens equipped by Gaggenau and Siemens and all the kitchen gadgets that a foodie would want to fill their own kitchens with.The design is contemporary, with cleans line and quirky wall paper adding a touch of kitsch but the stunning kitchens dominate the eat/cook space.

On arriving to cook our 4 course meal, we were offered Krug champagne (another partner) and some canapes. The founders, Johan Kadar and David Berggren, introduces us to the concept and the 2 chefs/teachers for the night.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

Both the chef who were teaching our groups have impressive CVs which include several Michelin starred kitchens across Europe. Our group of 12 people were then split into 4 teams to tackle each course, led by one of the two chefs.

Aveqia London

My team was allocated the second course, Blackened reindeer with flamed pork belly, chanterelles and a brown butter and lingonberry vinaigrette. I think it took about 5 minutes to explain all the cooking processes required for this dish and it involved using the blow torch, the foamer and a multitude of pots and pans. So the background of Abba tunes, our team set off to conquer our list of tasks with the help of the very talented Celine who devised the dish.

First we had to smear a layer of honey and blacken the juniper smoked belly pork with the blow torch

The reindeer from Northern Sweden is spiced with rosé pepper, juniper, thyme and garlic, then seared in a pan and finally roasted on a low heat in the oven
Meanwhile, part 1 of the chanterelles were cleaned and pan friend with butter and thyme until golden brown
Chanterelles part 2 was made into a cream to create the “foam” by frying the chanterelles as before, then adding the thinly sliced potatoes, stirred, reduced, pass through sieve and put into a siphon

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

A mixture of pickled vegetables were next. Onions sliced, cabbage rounds cut out, boiled for a minute. Add chanterelles and onions in pickling liquid, add cabbage just before serving
Make porcini crackers -Cut out 12 circles from the brick sheets. Melt the butter. Brush the circles with butter and sprinkle with porcini powder, salt and thyme leaves. Bake under pressure in the oven at 200°C until the crackers are golden brown (5 min). Phew.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

Blackened reindeer with flamed pork belly, chanterelles and a brown butter and lingonberry vinaigrette

This is the finished dish plated up: (Looks pretty fancy doesn’t it?)

The portion was quite big for a second starter but the unctuous chanterelle cream pulled together the flavours of the reindeer, the contrasting texture of the pickled vegetables and the highly flavoured porcini cracker really well.This dish was voted the favourite on the night.

Each dish was paired with a different wine chosen by the chef.

The dishes that the other team prepared were:

First Course – Smoked perch with lemon cured scallop, bouquet garni, lovage and consomme. Watching them prepare this, learnt another lesson. You can make a work of art out of ordinary vegetables like leek, seen here with piped in with mayonnaise.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

Third Course – Scotch Beef Sirloin with truffle potato puree, sous-vide brisket, late summer vegetables and deep-fried potato peel. The truffle potato puree served with the beef was sensational, smooth creamy, buttery mash with that unmistakable truffle flavour softly permeating your tastebuds, heightening the pleasure of this dish.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

For pudding, we had Chocolate cream with bergamot, fresh and dried meringue and sea-buckthorn sorbet. I saw the other team painstakingly piping those little meringues dotted around the plate. A multitude of textures, aromas and flavours ran through this dish, but not one overwhelming the other. The sea buckthorn sorbet was not as sharp as I expected and added a tart contrast to the rich chocolate cream. I think that team did a great job in making this dish look sensational too.

Aveqia London Swedish Restaurant

The Aveqia experience was brilliant fun and I came away with a great sense of achievement. I can see how this can be a great team building activity and also a very good alternative to client entertainment too. If you would like to try your hand at creating some inspired Swedish/Modern European food, book in for an Active cooking session.

Aveqia are doing a Christmas menu from 19th November.

AVEQIA London costs £155 per person for 8-12 people (including their own chef, kitchen and dining room, sparkling wine and two Amuse-bouche per person, wine whilst cooking, four courses and an AVEQIA apron) and £95 for individual bookings (including sparkling wine and amuse-bouche on arrival, four courses, and an apron)

AVEQIA London
2 St. Bride street
London EC4A 4AD

Tel: 020 3651 2972

http://www.aveqia.co.uk/

Slow Food Kitchen was a guest of Aveqia

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Aveqia, Cooking Class, Reindeer, Swedish

Thai Oyster Festival at Suda Thai

November 2, 2012 By London Food Blogger Leave a Comment

Oysters, some love them, some won’t even get near them and some have never tried them.

I love oysters, especially those large platters that the serve in Parisian brasseries with your choice of different species, shapes and sizes.

Oysters with Thai flavouring are a whole different way of enjoying fresh oysters. Instead of the usual lemon, tabasco or shallot vinaigrette, instead you add a few slices of lemongrass, some crispy shallots and a thai vinaigrette. It is delicious and complements rather than overwhelm the taste of the oysters.

This is what we had for starters at a recent meal at Suda Thai. These were Maldon Rock Oysters and were fresh, plump and succulent.We shared a plate, 3 each, could have had quite a few more but there was more food to come.

Suda Thai Covent Garden

We then had a couple of the other starters that our server recommended, the guay-teow Luisan (their signature SUDA fresh rice wrap with braised duck and Thai herbs) and the delightfully named Pratad Pu Cha (Suda crab and chicken fire cracker).

Suda Thai Covent Garden

Crab Fire Crackers

Suda Thai is the more casual outlet of the Pattara family of Thai Restaurants. They are staffed by Thai Chefs and use authentic Thai ingredients for the items on their menu, resulting in authenticly flavoured Thai food.

At this point, I should mention their extensive cocktail list. We tried a couple of fruity, icy drinks while waiting for the next course.

For mains, we had some crispy sea bass, lightly battered and deep fried, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. I was expecting a whole fish and not in pieces and the sauce was quite sweet.

Suda Thai Covent Garden

We also had some Roast Duck Red Curry, coconut milk based curry with tender pieces of duck and hidden in there are a few lychees and grapes. To balance the meal, we had a plate of stir friend morning glory or as their menu calls it, Chinese water spinach stems. We had these mains with a bowl of red rice.

Suda Thai Covent Garden

The portions were very generous and we couldn’t manage pudding. On a previous visit, we did have the banana fritters which are highly recommended.

Suda Thai has a prime position in the newish St Martin’s Courtyard, set back from Floral Street. It is a street with some boutiques and other eateries like Jamie’s Italian and Italian Wine Bar Dalla Terra. The main restaurant is on the first floor and has a wall of windows overlooking the courtyard. It’s a great place to people watch.

Repeating my previous review, I like the food here as it is authentic and standards have been maintained even after a long break between visits. The menu has variety and not just the more common Thai dishes that some other places offer. Prices are moderate and you can get a simple lunch for less than £10 and a more complete meal for about £20. One of the better casual places to eat in Covent Garden.

SUDA Thai Cafe Restaurant
St Martin’s Courtyard
off Upper St. Martin’s Lane
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9AB

Tel: 020 7240 8010

http://www.suda-thai.com

Slow Food Kitchen was a guest at Suda Thai.

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: covent garden, Rock oysters, suda thai, Thai, Thai Oyster Festival

Phil Howard of The Square Launches New Book Savoury 1

October 30, 2012 By London Food Blogger Leave a Comment

Phil Howard is one of Britains most respected chefs and he has been at the helm of The Square which he owns for 21 years. With Phil and his head chef, Rob Weston, leading the team at The Square, they have built up an excellent reputation and are continuing to delight their customers with their seasonal fine dining menu.

The Square Phil Howard

The fact that he is still very much hands on in the kitchen, maintaining the high standards, must play a large part in the team being awarded 2 Michelin Stars and holding them for 15 years. At the recent National Restaurant Awards, Phil won the Chef’s Chef of The Year title.

For the launch of his new book, The Square: The Cookbook, Volume 1: Savoury, a group of us were invited to enjoy their tasting menu and to meet Phil.

My first visit to The Square was a while ago when they were still at Kings Street in St James. It was one of the trendy new contempary restaurants in London then and blazing the trail of modern British cooking and that meal was truly memorable. I have not eaten at The Square in the last few years so I was very much looking forward to this evening.

Phil Howard’s aim at The Square is to use seasonal ingredients and delivering dishes that are both “delicious and nourishing to the soul” as he says in his new cookbook. The mantra of “seeing the dish as what it is and not how it came to be” defines the style of food that they serve here.

Comfortably ensconced in their private dining room, we started this epic meal with several amuse bouches(?) starting with a cone of foie gras mousse then a pumpkin and cepes arancini and then the most delightfully light squid ink rice cracker dipped in taramasalata. This was the beginning of our journey into the amazing flavours and textures, as done by The Square.

The Square Phil Howard

Continuing with an Autumn Minestrone with a Slow Cooked Quails Egg, Montgomery Stock, Tarte Fine of Savoury Onions and Cepes. The soup was lightly flavoured by the cheese, not overwhelming, lovely soft quails egg but the accompanying Tarte Fine was divine.

The Square Phil Howard

Next, the Rillette of Smoked Cornish Mackerel with a Vinaigrette of Poole Prawns, Oysters, Sea Water Jellies, Cucumber and Caviar. A combination of several balanced components of creamy rillettes, fresh prawns, oysters contrasted with the textures of the sea water jellies and cucumber. Light on the pallete and quite refreshing.

The Square Phil Howard

The next dish I absolutely loved: Roast Foie Gras with Crab Apple Glaze and Toasted Hazelnuts. The rich sensual flavour of the foie gras cut through with the tanginess of the caramelised quince and the crab apple tart. The crunchy honeycomb topping gave yet another contrasting texture. A sip of the Castelneau de Suduiraut Sauternes served with this dish just rounded it off perfectly.

The Square Phil Howard

Sauté of Scottish Langoustine Tails with Parmesan Gnocchi and an Emulsion of Potato and Truffle. Decadence on a plate, firm pieces of langoustine with a umami rich mouthful of parmesan gnocchi, all heightened by the aroma of the truffle. This dish was matched with a Bourgogne Chardonnay 2010.

The Square Phil Howard

The Square Phil Howard Bourgogne Chardonnay 2010 Thomas Morey Burgundy

Onwards with another finely executed dish: perfectly cooked Fillet of Turbot with Autumn Truffle and Walnut Pesto and a Smoked Celeriac and Bay Milk Purée, served on a bed of Hispi cabbage. Loved the crunch of the nuts with every mouthful of turbot and the puree added another layer of flavour, totally awe inspiring. They selected a Chorey-Les-Beaune 2008 to go with the Turbot, fruity and light.

The Square Phil Howard

The Square Phil Howard Chorey-Les-Beaune 2008 Domaine Mailard, Burgundy

The Breast of Grouse with Turnip and Celeriac, Pearl Barley, Pancetta and Blackberries was not to everyone’s taste. I love the gamey flavour of grouse and here it was cooked in 2 different ways, a roasted breast, served pink and a little croustillant filled with the leg meat which I loved, and the jus that was on the plate was rich and immensely flavourful.

The wine paired with this was a rich and spicy Chateuneuf du Pape, Domane La Roquete 2004.

The Square Phil Howard Roast Grouse

Two blue cheeses followed: Perl Las and Barkham Blue Cheese with Quince and Walnuts, served with a crabapple pastry. The blue cheese defeated me as I find the flavours overwhelming, yes, even after the grouse.

The Square Phil Howard

The first of 2 sensational puddings was then presented : a Brillat-Savarin Cheesecake with Currants, the name of the dish does not do it justice. It is actually a cheesecake made with Brillat-Savarin topped with a redcurrant glaze, a blackcurrant ripple ice cream and a swiss roll topped with a dome of blackcurrant jelly. Loved the lightness of the cheesecake and the acidic flavours of the currants was a great palate cleanser after the last course.

The Square Phil Howard Blackcurrant cheesecake

To top off the tasting menu, we had a Plum Soufflé with Almond Ice Cream. Wonderfully light souffle with some plum conserve on the bottom and nutty toasted almond ice cream.

The Square Phil Howard Plum Souffle

We can’t leave this meal without mentioning the petite fours, an array of highly flavoured jellied fruits that will put a smile on anyone’s face and a plate of salted caramel honeycomb truffles. A total delight.

The Square Phil Howard

Did the Square deliver delicious food and nourishing to the soul? Absolutely, in spades.

The Square

10 Bruton Street,

London W1J 6PU

Tel: 207 495 7100

Review of Phil Howard’s new Cookbook

The Square: The Cookbook, Volume 1: Savoury

This cookbook is really massive and has taken Phil about 10 years to write, he tells us. He has written it to be a tangible documentation of his 21 years of service.

The book is a short biography of his culinary career. We follow him through the trials and tribulations at various kitchens that shaped him into the chef he is today. His early career was shaped by forays working for the Roux brothers, then at MPW’s Harveys and then Bibendum.

The recipes might seem a bit too cheffy at first but Phil has written them with full instructions to allow a reader to recreate these dishes at home. You might not have all the equipment necessary to make all these dishes but you can definitely use the ideas as inspirations of creating facsimiles of the dishes at home.

Phil was keen to emphasies that it is not a dumbed down version of his recipes and something that enthusiastic cooks can learn from.

In the beginning of the book , there is a basics section which covers making stocks which is a French technique that is basis of so many of the dishes in the book.

Every recipe has 4 sections, an overview, what to focus on, the components and most importantly the timings of each part. This really helps you envisage what is needed to recreate each dish. The photography is absolutely stunning and I think it is a great book to have to refer to and I am already inspired by some of the dishes and I know it will push me to try out some of the more complicated dishes that I have avoided cooking before.

You can buy The Square: The Cookbook, Volume 1: Savoury from Amazon at 36% off.

In conjunction with the launch of the cookbook, they have created some accompanying media where you can watch and listen to Phil Howard on Kitchen Foundation. Catch the podcast here and watch the videos here.

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