Noma

November feels like such a long time ago. Well that was when the we scored a booking at Noma as a special birthday treat – Hooray Hurrah Yippee! and YES this was on my Foodie To Do List whilst in London not just a spontaneous random weekend to fork out $$ that I could have spent on a bag.

After some negative publicity – 63 diners receiving food poisoning just a month before and some not so flavorsome (get it?) reviews from friends who dined earlier I primed myself to not expect the “spectacular” or what would be deemed as conventional fine dining.

So off we go on a 7am flight, lack of sleep & sniffling noses – we weren’t going to let this get the better of us!

Driving up to Noma, the surrounds are pretty much industrial with barely any people, buildings let alone civilization. We are met with 3 or 4 front of house waiters eagerly waiting our arrival – we felt kind of special (and so we should)!

Nice sunny day isn’t? Too bad it was so cold!Pike Perch and Cabbages Verbena and dill – LOTS of fish roe! I’m definitely not complaining!Beef Rib and Lingon Berries – Yes the remainder of the beef rib goes to the staff for their “lunch break” –  jealous much?Moss & Cep! Yes it’s edible and crispy tooPotato & Duck Liver – Fried crispy potato squiggles encasing smooth duck parfait with trompette mushroom dustHaw Flakes! No not really – its caramelized brown cheese, shortbread and sloeberries

and here’s a few more dishes that were delicious, inventive and didn’t leave you with a sense of heaviness or food coma after!

Perfect – now time for Dinner!

Speculoos Love

What is Speculoos? It is THE most delicious concoction of Gingerbread & Cinnamon goodness in a spread liken to Nutella but less rich & heavy. It can be spread or spooned onto almost anything or in my most common experience, eaten with your own fingers then licked off slowly but surely. Whichever way it is consumed, it is my little tipple after a hard day at work or if I need that sugar hit after a savoury meal – it satisfies all cravings.

Speculoos comes in all shapes and sizes and brands but my favourite is the lotus brand which also does cookies (both plain and dipped in chocolate). I have also seen Speculoos in gelato form at Amorino and I have also experimented with mixing crushed Speculoos biscuits and spread in Carte D’or Vanilla ice-cream which is so heavenly delectable that I can finish half the tub in one go.

Please go try it – ask people travelling to Belgium or France to bring back for you or rummage through high end Waitrose for the last jar at the back of the shelf. If you don’t, you’re doing yourself an injustice 🙂

Snyders Honey Mustard Pretzels (aka Mutzels)

OK – so my favourite savoury snack in the world are Snyders Honey Mustard Pretzels, affectionately named “Mutzels”.

It all started 4 years ago on a trip to Hong Kong, I was rummaging through City Super and came across this interesting gold & brown bag, it was a tight little size so I decided to give it a try. From then onwards, I never looked back. I came across it again when I was in Shanghai for a holiday in the French Concession area and then again when I was in New York (in abundance). I was a happy little vegemite.

But you know what takes the cake? I was having a meander around London Chinatown, I was walking towards my bus stop and decided to stop by a convenience store on the corner which surprisingly sold a huge assortment of American snacks, on the right I see oreos, candy corn, peanut butter M&M’s and on the left I see my beloved Snyders Honey Mustard Pretzels! Mind you this is the only flavour worth trying (ok I’m slightly biased), the lightly salted flavour lacked flavour and the Jalapeno left you with a lingering aftertaste that was still haunting me the morning after.

Why are Mutzels so addictive?

1)      Different shapes and sizes – when you open a bag, don’t expect thin anorexic pretzels with barely any flavour, instead say hello to chunky pieces of Pretzels at least 1 cm in thickness broken off at different angles similar in size to gnocchi. The different angles work to collate the honey mustard seasoning allowing it to really stick to each bite size morsel for an explosion of salty deliciousness added on by that full on crunch factor (liken to the thrill of biting into a double fried crisp, say Kettles, but not just an ordinary crisp, think about THAT twisted folded over crisp – so you get almost 4x the crunch). Just imagine that but with every mouthful!

2)      Flavour – Ok so I know it’s not all natural, hey perhaps barely any of it is natural, but what MSG can do to you nothing else can! On those wintery nights in front of the television – that’s where the addiction begins, like the hand movement of a smoker tucking into every one of his cigarettes, each dip into the bag of never ending Mutzels works to enhance that addiction, you don’t want the taste of the saltiness to dissipate, it needs to be replenished and so you tuck into another and another. What is it that makes it so incredibly satisfying and moor-ish? I’m not really sure but I have discovered it and now there’s no turning back.

The Table Cafe

After watching a titillating performance of Forever Crazy, what better way to finish off the evening than by making a late night rendezvous at The Table Café.

It’s open plan with clear glass panes, modern with a comfortable array of long wooden benches and high bench tables for seating. We are greeted by whom we realise later to be the owner, the warmth, knowledge & charisma exuded by our host set a undeniably positive tone for the evening.

After some well thought out recommendations from our host, we opt for 2 starters and 1 main.

 

The fish stew was the standout, full bodied reduction of prawns, mussels, shellfish with gems of well cooked seafood – moorish and perfectly accompanied with toasted sour dough bread.

The mussel chickpea pasta was perfectly al dente with plump mussels scattered abundantly throughout.

I thorough enjoyed the experience and after the impressive soiree of brunch reviews I was eagerly awaiting my return several weeks later to sample the brunch menu.

I had been warned by both the manager and numerous reviews that it was preferable to arrive on a weekend before 11am, so as the deadline loomed – we luckily arrived 10 minutes past the hour and only had to wait 5 minutes to obtain a bench table. As I was leaning towards a more savoury brunch item we opted for the following:

Sweetcorn fritter and poached eggs – Sweetcorn fritters with char-grilled tomato compote, baby leaf spinach

On arrival I was met with rather flat deep brown fritters smothered in an insurmountable dousing of hollandaise, mind you I do enjoy  a small dollop on eggs benedict however in proportion to the size of the fritter, it did seem a bit heavy handed. As I slowly cut into the fritter I could tell the consistency was a lot heavier & doughier compared to the Workshop version, instead of seeing specs of corn jutting out it was instead rather flat and lifeless with the sheen of the oil from being pan-fried gleaming back at me.  The double dose of poached eggs is generous but slightly too rich when accompanied by the hollandaise.

The Table Stack – Chorizo and ham hock baked beans on a toasted bagel with two poached eggs and hollandaise

The Table Stack was definitely more successful – when it appeared, I was impressed, the height, the colour, the smell & also the creativity. The ham hock baked beans really excited the taste buds that usually take a while to wake up on a Saturday morning, it was salty braised fall apart ham infused in baked beans that I would happily lap up every morning for breakfast on toast, muffins or mixed with scrambled eggs. It was definitely a genius move to layer this with a toasted bagel. If this wasn’t enough – why not top this with two more poached eggs and a heavenly dollopping of hollandaise. For me personally, one poached egg minus the hollandaise would have been the perfect balance.

10 Greek Street

Was it 1 or 10 or 40 Greek street? I couldn’t remember the number but I could remember it’s name, its reputation – oh yes and appearance on numerous top 10 in London restaurant lists. Ok – time to finish work and hustle over.

Cosy & unpretentious it was, open kitchen at the back saw a few curious chefs looking back at me. The menu was casually written on a blackboard opposite me.

We chose 2 starters, 1 main & 1 dessert:

 

Queen Scallops with chorizo – Rather small in appearance, due to this the caramelization wasn’t apparent nor was there a sufficient level of infusion of flavour by the chorizo. Chorizo was over cooked hence I would liken it to black pudding which did nothing to enhance the flavour of the scallops.

 

Sweet potato gnocchi with burnt butter and sage – The gnocchi itself was slightly bland, maybe not enough seasoning or it could be that the premise of the dish is that each mouthful should be accompanied by a generous lashing of burnt butter and crispy fried sage. But surely the essence of the flavour should have be infused in the main component of the dish.

 

Hake, celeriac remoulade, braised chicory & tomato relish – Well cooked fish but nothing amazing in terms of preparation of flavour combination, the chicory was rather sour in flavour so I left that to one side. Healthy it was but outstanding it wasn’t.

 

Pear and Cinnamon, Amaretti & Date ice cream – This was my highlight, I’m an avid lover of ice-cream, in all its flavours, textures and preparation styles.  I liked that these flavours were unique yet not off putting, undoubtedly hand-made with large chunks of fresh dates, pear and cinnamon cannot go wrong when combined with a rich creamy ice cream base.

I was grateful to have tried what is touted by Timeout London as the top no reservations restaurant in London, however I was left slightly disappointed. Could the weekly changing menu be to blame? I shouldn’t make excuses – if we follow the Michelin standard, ultimately consistency is the trademark of a top restaurant.

 

Mandarin Kitchen – Lobster Noodles

“You have 10 people you should get 3 lobsters” – I immediately thought really, will that be enough? Ok I trust our waitress with the sing-song voice, she was entertaining & happy. I liked that – very rare for a Chinese restaurant. So after months and months of people raving about Mandarin kitchen for Lobster noodles we decided to go and try for ourselves. After our incredibly dismal service at Royal China earlier in the day, my expectation for service was extremely low however my appetite for lobster was high.

Look. At. This – Have you started salivating yet?

 

Perfectly portioned between all 10 people, the sumptuous meaty lobster sections were evenly distributed, one leg, one claw etc.

The noodles were the egg variety, I was slightly disappointed it wasn’t Yi-Mein however this was soon overcome by the glisten of the lobster infused sauce which had coated and soaked the noodles, it was the perfect amount of sauce to induce a slurp. The flavour of ginger, scallions, spring onion penetrated through the entire dish with a delicious aroma providing  a perfect culinary end to a winter evening.

It was a perfect entrée to the rest of the banquet we had, tofu hotpot, drunken chicken, sweet & sour prawns/pork, steamed fish etc

Bistro Bruno Loubet

Having walked past this restaurant numerous times en-route to Waitrose, Workshop or Modern Pantry, I was excited to try the culinary delights of Bistro Bruno Loubet.

Walking in, the natural light generated by the clear glass windows surrounding the restaurant gives you a feeling of airy spaciousness, particularly with the courtyard view outside, the ambience eludes sophistication but without trying too hard.

 

Beetroot ravioli, rocket salad, fried breadcrumbs and parmesan – I was definitely wow-ed by the presentation, the colour, symmetry and the playful take on ravioli with the unconventional filling of purple beetroot. Flavourwise it worked beautifully, the parmesan mixed with breadcrumb added the saltiness and textural contrast to offset the ravioli, the beetroot was not overly acidic and combined well with the rocket and balsamic vinegar surrounding the rim of the plate.

 

Baby squid stuffed with prawn paella, sauce vierge – Amazing colours and vibrancy with specs of grapefruit to complement the squid, this was a delight to eat. It was playful, colourful and a lighter take on paella as most would view to be rather heavy. The chewiness of the squid combined with the creamy paella combined with the vierge showed skill in every department and a complex profile of flavours.

 

Pan fried fillet of cod, leek and courgette cannelloni in a light fennel sauce – Unfortuntately I didn’t have a chance to sample however I have included for aesthetic purposes.

Tonka bean creme brûlée, pineapple and passion fruit salad – Delicate layer of sugar producing that much sought after crack when tapped with a spoon. Underneath, was what you would expect from a brûlée, rich creaminess with the delicious sensation of vanilla coating your palette

Beard to Tail

Really? Is it what the name elicits. Upon perusing the menu online beforehand, interesting items caught my eye in a I’m not so sure sort of way. Undoubtedly the inclusion of trotters, ears, faggots (not in the crude sense) are not as tempting or drool inducing as other normal menu items, but as the premise of this restaurant suggests, they use all parts from beard to tail so who am I to question.

Located down the road from Callooh Callay, inside there is extensive use of wall to wall light brown wood panelling with wooden fold out chairs reminiscent of Riding House Café but significantly more friendlier to your derrierre.

We are met with a homey friendly mother like waiter similar to those you would see on Route 99 at a Diner, Drive-in or Drives (shows I watch a lot of Food tv eh)

Onto the food, we selected 3 starters to share and 1 main each.

Baked Bone Marrow with herbs and flat bread – We’re met with two pale white pillars of bone filled with what looked like a miniscule amount of marrow but upon lifting up the base alas revealed an enslave of marrow. Taste wise it was quite moorish, garlic-y and accompanied well by 3 triangles of toasted flat bread (which would have been better with 3 more pieces)

Copperhead Ale mussels and smoked bacon – After sampling mussels in Belgium, size wise – these did not inspire or ooze out the wow factor, however they were delicate little morsels with an abundance of flavour.

 

Beard to Tail Kentucky rye steak steak tartare – Tartare is not normally my 1st choice  however based on the spoonful that I did try, it was a premium grade of beef enhanced by a touch of acidity from the gherkins offset by the quails egg.

 

Full rack bourbon BBQ ribs with grilled corn on the cob – I had high hopes, I still had high hopes with it appeared in front of me smothered in sauce revealing a deep brown shiny glazing however when I cut into it I knew it wouldn’t be the meaty fall off the bone ribs that I had at Pitt Cue Co, albeit twice the length, there was probably more rib than meat, slightly crispy – lingering on burnt towards the ends and a touch of dryness. It was good but not amazing.

 

Braised pork cheeks, ginger, dill pickles – Compared to the ribs, these lacked flavour and also that fall apart consistency I always expected when the B word precedes a meat item.

 

Sweet Potato wedges – When they appeared on the table, they were big and oh did they provide me with the wow factor, however as I placed my fork into the wedge I knew it was lacking that crispy crunchy exterior and inside remained quite raw and crunchy.

Dinings

Dinings is indeed a delectable dichotomy of flavours influenced by a Japanese Peruvian persuasion unheard of in even the more fusion of municipalities

How do these Nobu chefs do it? Branch out on their own, inject a twist of brilliance & therefore subvert the culture which had cultivated their skills. Hence once a sacred genre of food becomes a playful twist on your palette generating feelings of awe and surprise, whilst leaving you with a memory which will hopefully be your first but never the last.

Counter seat is a must – whether it be on request make sure you make that second call to remove the chance of potentially sitting in the hidden bunker style arrangement of the lower floor.

I had prepared myself with a selection of dishes, on this rare occasion I had a no questions asked / I knew what I wanted approach:

First came the assortment of tacos presented on novel silver showpieces specifically designed to showcase the delicacy of the scallop, Cornish crab or whatever filling you chose.

Scallop with Jalapeno sauce – soft buttery melt in your mouth, the texture was liken to small globs of silken tofu teasing your palette with the unexpected hint of Jalapeno towards the end.

Soft shell crab roll – ample soft shell inside, burnt orange in colour, delicately crisp demonstrating a freshly fried exterior tingling the tongue with each mouthful, on this rare occasion the filling to rice proportion was perfectly balanced.

Eel and Foie Gras sushi – I had been expecting something exceptional however this was rather plain, perhaps foie gras lovers would appreciate this however for me, the addition took away from the salty soy infused flavour of the eel.

Seared wagyu with truffle and ponzu jelly – Absolute winner with the delicate truffle undertones melding well with the wagyu, offset by a touch of acidity generated from the Ponzu

Nasu Dengku – Have tried this in numerous so called Japanese restaurants hidden away in tiny off-streets of Piccadilly Circus, this one stood out not only because it took an extra 10 minutes longer than other dishes to prepare, but the choice of aubergine was top grade, big bottom small top, deep enough to greedily scoop several spoonfuls on your plate with the miso deeply infusing the aubergine to create a creamy smooth explosion of deliciousness.

Service was efficient & attentive, it was western hospitality meets eastern precision.