In case you have all forgotten it’s Father’s Day this Sunday, but don’t panic this weeks Foodie Friday has a round up of what is going on in and around London.

Best real ale pubs in London

It’s safe to say most dads like beer so why not take your old man out for a jolly good pint. Real ale pubs are disappearing fast, and the best of British pubs are somewhat hard to come by nowadays however our friends at Time Out have compiled a round up of the best real ale pubs London has to offer:

• Carpenter’s Arms
• Jerusalem Tavern
• Pineapple
• Royal Oak
• Southampton Arms
• Wenlock Arms
• The White Horse
• Antelope
• Priory Arms

To see the full list and Time Out’s reviews click here.

If you’re busy this Sunday there are still many activities on offer across London over the next few weeks…

 Selfridges Bulldog Sessions

Try your hand at Mixology this Father’s Day with the Bulldog Sessions at Selfridges. A pop-up Bulldog gin bar will be opening in the Technology Hall for just two days – on Friday 19 June from 5.30pm to 9.00pm and Saturday 20 June from 5.30pm to 8.00pm. A top mixologist will talk you through four national prize-winning cocktails from start to completion. Free master-classes will be available every half an hour on the hour from 5.30pm. www.selfridges.co.uk

Taste of London Festival

For all the foodie dads out there, why not treat him to tickets to Taste of London Festival. Savour dishes from London’s top restaurants, see world class chefs live on stage and explore fine food and wine from world class producers. Tickets are £21 in advance and £25 on the door. www.tastefestivals.com

24-carat Gold Lauge Jensen Motorcycle at 1 Lombard Street

One for the motorbike enthusiasts…

This 24-carat gold motorcycle was just one of the beauties on show at the Lauge Jensen motorcycle event, held at 1 Lombard Street Wednesday night. The City dining institution hosted a fabulous evening of drinks and canapés, with champagne being quaffed whilst guests could peruse, touch, and buy the stunning bespoke Danish-made bikes.

Rumours spread of who might purchase the gold motorcycle adorned with £100,000 worth of diamonds, with a cool £550,000 price tag. The ‘Cigar’ motorcycle however, which featured bespoke tartan travel bags, was quickly snapped up by a nameless buyer on the night. Appropriately for the City venue, a bespoke ‘pin-stripe’ bike was also on display.

1 Lombard Street, owned by former-banker Soren Jessen, served miniatures of their signatures dishes- including steak tartare and quails egg with asparagus, as guests partied into the evening. Motorcycle enthusiasts and smartly dressed City workers came en masse for a glimpse of these beautifully crafted bikes.  This year see’s the restaurant celebrating its 15^th Birthday.

 

From Left: Uffe Lauge Jensen (Creator) Anders Kirk Johansen (Owner) Frank Banke Troelsen (CEO) and 24 Carat gold motorcycle.

Dad’s beef, mushroom & mustard pies

The perfect Father’s Day recipe…

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 300g stewing beef , cut into chunks, fatty bits and sinew removed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 500ml beef stock
• 140g chestnut mushrooms , quartered
• carrots and broccoli to serve (optional)

• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 300g plain flour
  • 100g light suet
  • 50g cheddar
  • 1 large egg , beaten

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 mins. Meanwhile, season the beef and toss with the flour and mustard powder. Push the onions to the edge of the pan and add the beef. Brown the meat, then add the purée and cook for 2 mins more. Add the remaining filling ingredients, except the mushrooms. Season, stir well, then cover and simmer for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook without a lid until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick gravy, about 10 mins. Leave to cool while you make the pastry.
3. Tip the flour, mustard powder, suet, cheddar and ½ tsp salt into a food processor. Blitz until there are no visible lumps of suet, then dribble in all but 1 tsp of the egg (you’ll need this for glazing the top) and enough water, 1 tbsp at a time, to bring the mixture together as a dough. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Remove ¼ of the pastry, wrap in cling film and set aside. Divide the remaining pastry into 2 lumps, on a lightly floured surface, roll out to approximately 0.5cm thickness, and use each piece to line a 500ml pie tin, leaving some pastry hanging over the edges. If you want to cook the pies now, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
4. When the filling has cooled down, divide the mixture between the 2 cases. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out 2 lids to fit, saving the trimmings. Brush the inside edges of each pie with a little egg, then press on the top. Trim the overhanging edges and crimp to seal. Brush the top of the pies with more egg and cut a small air hole in the top of each one. Use the pastry trimmings to decorate.
5. Put the pies on a baking tray, and bake for 45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot. Alternatively, cover the uncooked pies with cling film and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen at 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6 for 1 hr. Serve with carrots and broccoli, if you like. 

 

Today happens to be National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (we didn’t know it existed until today either – but we’re not complaining!). So what better way to celebrate this mouth-watering day and this week’s wonderful weather with an ice cream themed post?

Ice Cream History

Ever wondered where ice cream comes from? In the Persian Empire when the weather was hot, people would pour grape juice concentrate over snow and have this as a tasty treat – quite unlike the chocolate laden ice cream we eat today! However, it was perhaps Arabs who started using milk as a major ingredient in the production of ice cream. They flavoured it with rosewater, dried fruit and nuts and by as early as the 10^th century ice cream was wide-spread across Arabic countries.

Modern-Day Nitro Ice Cream

From the 10^th Century to the 21^st, ice cream has come a long way. Ice cream made using liquid nitrogen is the latest and most exciting thing the ice cream world has to offer.

 

 It is created by hosing liquid nitrogen into a metal jug and then mixing it with the ice cream mix. An ice cream parlour in Camden called Chin Chin Labs creates ice cream in this innovative way; they believe it creates a better quality of product. So who knows, maybe in the future we will see our ice cream parlours turning into science labs!

Latest Scoop

Ben & Jerry’s van is on tour at the moment and is in London today until the 15th (contain your excitement!).  If this isn’t good enough, they’re giving out free scoops of their latest flavours: Peanut Butter Me Up and Blondie Brownie in Truman Brewery, Spitalfields and Covent Garden. Check their Facebook page for more details, and head on down for pure ice cream heaven!

Although it is chocolate ice cream day, we thought we’d celebrate the day with a more summery and creative flavour, taken from Melt by Claire Kelsey (if you picked up the Metro on Thursday it’s also in there).  This recipe is great as it doesn’t require you to have an ice cream machine or spend hours laboriously stirring the ice-cream as it freezes.

Makes 1 litre

100g wholemeal bread
70g soft dark brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1 tbsp icing sugar
400g Seville orange marmalade
350ml double cream

 Heat the oven to 170C (gas mark 3). Process the bread to make breadcrumbs. You want them quite coarse, so stop when they resemble rubble. Spread the crumbs on to a baking tray and mix in the sugar. Bake for about 15min, until they are dry and crisp. Leave them to cool.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl. When they start to form soft peaks, add the icing sugar and continue to whisk for another minute until they turn glossy. Stop before the meringue becomes stiff. Mix the marmalade into the double cream, then whisk into soft peaks. Again, stop before it becomes too firm, otherwise you won’t be able to fold your mixtures together.

Fold together the meringue and marmalade cream. Use your largest bowl and a spatula or very big spoon. First, add a little of the meringue to the marmalade and cream, then add the rest into the bowl using a folding motion, turning the bowl as you go. The idea is to retain as much air as possible in the mix. Scatter the crumbs over the top and repeat the folding and turning, mixing the crumbs through the cream. Put the mixture in a tub, cover and freeze overnight. This is scoopable almost straight from the freezer.

By Emily Marten

Chelsea Flower Show opens its doors next week (May 21^st-25^th) so we thought we would celebrate its centenary with a floral themed Foodie Friday. For one hundred years the Chelsea Flower Show has enjoyed Royal patronage and this year will be no different.  Prince Harry has collaborated on a show garden for his charity Sentebale which is set to be a “forget-me-not” garden using flowers native to Lesotho, where his charity supports children with HIV.

 

Gnome hard feelings- the ban on gnomes has been lifted!

 

 

After a century in the wilderness, the Royal Horticultural Society has finally lifted its ban on gnomes. Officials had previously come under fire for branding the somewhat kitsch gnomes as tacky. Gnomes have not been alone in this ban, with balloons and bunting also banned. The RHS has fully embraced the gnome this year auctioning off gnomes decorated by celebrities for charity. Campaigners against the discrimination of gnomes can’t get too excited though, as the ban will be reinstated next year.

 

Chef Tom Aikens hosts lunch with flower arranging package

 

 

To mark the arrival of the Chelsea Flower Show, chef Tom Aikens has teamed up with London florist Wild at Heart to host a specially developed lunch menu where guests are also invited to try their hand at flower arranging.

Hosted at his Chelsea based restaurant, groups of up to eight people can experience the Lunch In Bloom package which includes a 3 course specially crafted lunch menu put together by the Michelin- starred chef, alongside a two -hour arranging session, where guests can create their own bouquet under the guidance of the Wild at Heart team.

The package costs £120 and includes lunch, the class, a bouquet to take home and a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne.

Booking is essential and can be made by emailing: info@tomaikens.co.uk

 

Lima restaurant develops a Chelsea Flower Show inspired menu

 

 

Inspired by all things floral, Lima has devised a specially created menu in keeping with the annual event. The delicate menu uses the finest seasonal produce to create Peruvian dishes with a flowery twist. Dishes include mushroom ceviche charapita with aji sweet potato; orange and pisco lobster salad; steamed fillet of halibut and a perfectly tender slow-cooked lamb rump.  Guests can either choose from a three course menu for £60 which includes a Chelsea Cocktail of melon and pink Champagne or dinner from from the a la carte menu.

 

Our pick of London’s flower markets

If all this floral talk has inspired those of you with green fingers to get involved and try your hand in the garden, we’ve picked out London’s top two flower markets which should help you to get started.

Columbia Road flower market

 

 

Each Sunday morning, the road which runs through Tower Hamlets in London, comes alive with a rainbow of colours and sweet aromas released by market stalls loaded with beautiful flowers and plants. Complete with 52 market stalls, each selling mainly locally-grown plants, trees and shrubs from Essex, the Columbia Rd flower market (close to Old Street tube station) runs from 8am until 2pm .

 

New Covent Garden Flower Market

 

 

52 weary-eyed stall holders set up shop in the middle of the night to target dedicated florists before their shops’ open! The good thing about New Covent Garden Flower Market for you is that the flowers and plants on offer are available at wholesale prices. Open from 3am until 11am during the week, and 4am until 10am on Saturdays, this popular market, based closed to Vauxhall station, sells a beautiful variety of flowers, plants and foliage both from the UK and abroad.

The temperature is carefully controlled and set to 12 degrees, so make sure you wrap up if you’re planning a visit!

 

Seasonal recipe, Rose panna cotta with damson and lavender Viennese shortbread, Frances Atkins

Aside from Chelsea inspired menus, the use of flowers in food is an ever increasing trend, and something chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi have been advocating for a while. Here is a recipe that got us all at Sauce salivating.

 

 

Ingredients:

For the Rose panna cotta:

570ml of semi skimmed milk

285ml of single cream

2 tbsp of sugar

4 1/2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water

2 tsp of rosewater

 

For the Viennese shortbread:

170g of plain flour

55g of cornflour

55g of icing sugar

220g of butter

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

1 tsp of lavender flowers, extra to garnish

damson jam

100ml of whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

 

Method:

For the panna cotta, bring the cream and milk to the boil, remove from the heat and add the sugar a rose water. Whisk for a minute to dissolve the sugar, before adding the softened gelatin. Pour into 6 moulds and place in the refrigerator to set

Pre-heat the oven to 175˚C/gas mark 3. To start the shortbread, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift in both the plain flour and corn flour until just combined. Put the mix into a piping bag and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes

Remove the piping bag and allow the mix to soften slightly before piping 8cm lines of the mix onto a lined baking tray. Refrigerate for a further 10 min to set. Bake in the oven at for approx. 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Once cooled, layer with damson jam and cream

To plate, submerge 2/3 of the panna cotta moulds 1 by 1 into very hot water. This will help to remove them from the mould to the plate. Place the Viennese shortbread around the pudding with a small sprinkle of the lavender flowers

 

By Laura Henderson and Lauren Hill

This week Sauce loves Sandwiches! Believe it or not, the time of year has finally arrived to celebrate the staple of British lunchtimes, the humble sarnie. Be it dripping with bacon or served soggily with the inevitable bag of crisps, the sandwich has apparently earnt the right to be honoured by a whole week of celebrations next week.

 

National Sandwich Week 12-19^th May

In case you’re looking for contenders for your sandwich features, we have put together a hot list of Sauce sandwiches… which are far from your average tuna mayo (with or without sweet corn)!

 

The gourmet sarnie:

Newly opened Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill at The Savoy has a sandwich fit for a king, with their Lobster Club Sandwich-succulent lobster, avocado and home-made mayonnaise.

 

 

The exotic sarnie:

For those of you who like things nice and spicy, The Beirut sandwich is the one to go for. Cabana Brasilian Barbeque restaurant brings a Brasilian zing with a toasted Syrian flatbread filled with their signature Malagueta chicken, chilli mayo and melted cheese.

 

 

The traditional sarnie:

Fortnum and Mason afternoon tea selection at their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, serves a range of dainty and delicate sandwiches, such as cucumber with mint butter; smoked salmon with lemon dill butter and coronation chicken . No crusts included.

 

 

The controversial sarnie:

Cocomaya’s egg sandwich on home-made seeded bread. Perhaps the most anti-social sandwich of the bunch, and likely to offend colleagues on the desk next to you with its distinctive aroma. Delicious nonetheless.

 

 

Record breaking Sandwiches

To celebrate the Great British institution of the Sandwich the British Sandwich Association are organising a Guinness world record attempt. So if you are a sandwich fanatic or just happen to find yourself foot loose and fancy free on the 14^th May, then head on down to Salford, where they will be trying to slice through the current world record, by getting 800 people simultaneously making sandwiches.

 

Searching for specialist sandwiches?

Then why not try out the recently opened Kiosk in Kings Cross. It can be found in the heart of King’s Cross Station, just metres from St Pancras International. KIOSK serves home-cured, hot roast meats – turkey, pork or salt-beef – freshly carved and stacked into delicious artisan breads, beautifully packaged and served with delicious, rich coffee.

 

 

If your tastes run to the more exotic, how about trying to make HMasha’s Spicy Prawn and Avocado Mayo?  It certainly got all of us here at Sauce excited.

 

Total prep and cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• teaspoon cumin
• teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound medium shrimp or about 40 shrimp (I use cooked frozen)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 mayo
• 1 chipotle pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4  french baguette rolls (of any kind of bread you desire)
• 8 leaves of romaine lettuce

Directions:

1. put frozen shrimp in cold water to thaw
2. combine cumin, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chili powder, and olive oil together in a bowl
3. once shrimp is thawed dry and put in the bowl with the mixture and make sure each shrimp is coated
4. pit and dice avocado and combine with mayo, chipotle pepper, lime juice, and salt in food processor. pulse until smooth
5. then just put avocado mayo on bread as much as desired, followed by shrimp and a couple leaves of washed lettuce and enjoy!!!

In other foodie news: Opening today is the First Kumsi tea shop in London.

 

 

For 146 years, Kusmi Tea has been developing a wide range of delicious blends, carefully selecting

the origin of its teas in order to creating exclusive blends. Within this new temple dedicated to the brand, there is a unique a tea salon where you can indulge in tea and cake.

by Tash Barry & Laura Henderson

Bank holidays always create lots of excitement at Sauce HQ and with Monday 6^th May slowly edging into sight, this week’s Foodie Friday will focus on what the first bank holiday weekend in May has to offer us.

Whilst we can’t guarantee that the sun’s going to shine, there are still plenty of other things going on to keep us occupied over the three- day break.

Here’s a breakdown of a few foodie things that we think might be worth checking out:

 

London’s Brewing

 

 

This first-time festival is heading to The Brewhouse in Hackney from the 4^th – 5^th  May. Beer lovers will be happy to hear that there will be over 100 different beers on offer which have all been carefully crafted by 40 different London breweries. All the beers entered at the festival will also compete for prizes in their categories.  For those keen to step away from the pints, local food produce, live bands and DJ’s will also be on hand.

Tickets range from £5 for festival entrance up to £20 for the full package which includes  nine beers.

londonsbrewing.co.uk

 

Forage for a Feast

 

 

This unusual feast is for anyone looking to turn their own finds into something tasty. The day-long event sees foragers meet at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park at 10.30am on Saturday 4th May for a quick introduction to wild food, herbs and the art of foraging. After that, everyone will have the chance to take a wander around the park hunting for unusual ingredients. During the afternoon, everyone will head to the kitchen along, with their haul, to be taught how to turn their finds into a tasty meal.

Tickets cost £50.

www.lovemycourse.com

 

Afternoon Tea at The Modern Pantry

 

 

For anyone who’s lucky enough to have the Friday afternoon off as well as the Monday, The Modern Pantry in St Johns Square is offering a six- course afternoon tea (where each course comes with a specially paired tea.) The quaint pantry will be serving up a selection of pastries, sandwiches and toffees. Be quick, as this is only available on the Friday as the Pantry is closed for works on the Sunday and Monday.

Tickets cost £38 and also include a jar of Lalani & Co tea.

www.themodernpantry.co.uk

 

Dorset Knob Throwing and Food Festival

 

 

Despite having a rather elusive name, this event always draws in the crowds. On Sunday 5^th May, people flock to Cattistock near Dorchester, Dorset to try their hand at Knob throwing. Under a strict set of rules which have been developed over the years, people are encouraged to throw the knob (a large biscuit made from dough and lots of sugar) as far as they can and compete to break the record set in 2009 by Philip German – Ribon, who managed to hurl the knob a whopping 26.10 metres.

www.dorsetknobthrowing.com

 

3 nights for the price of 2 at the Priory Bay Hotel, Isle of Wight

 

 

For anyone looking to make the most of the Bank Holiday weekend and head away for a few nights,   the beautiful Priory Bay Hotel on the Isle of Wight is offering 3 nights for the price of 2.  Head Chef, Oliver Stephens and Sommelier, James Trevaskis have both returned to Priory Bay after travelling the world and have developed a delicious menu which guests can enjoy in their magnificent Island Room restaurant over- looking the Solent.

www.priorybay.co.uk

 

 

By Lauren Hill

On 28^th April, the inaugural Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards will announce the world’s tastiest food items as selected by top food bloggers from over 30 countries. Hosted by actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong and supported by Coca Cola, the event will be held at East London’s Village Underground and is set to be one of the most exciting foodie events of the year.

Taking entries from the Chowzter app, which shares the best fast feasts in over 100 categories from over 100 countries, Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards will announce the best of the most popular categories ranging from Pizza and Dumplings to Tacos.

Top food bloggers, nicknamed ‘Chief Chowzters’, from each country will oversee foodie communities in over 100 cities, selecting what they consider to be the seven unmissable dishes in each category, namely pizzas, burgers, curry, fried  or roast chicken, sandwiches, dumpling and tacos.

Winners will be chosen by the Chowzter team, who are travelling the globe tasting and testing the entries, as well as the bloggers themselves who will battle it out to argue the case for their personal favourites via online debate. Top London food blogger Niamh Shields, for example, is representing London and has carefully picked what she recommends as the best dishes in the capital.

The Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards are open to the public and tickets are on sale now, priced at £25 per person.

However, we have two pairs of tickets to give away to two randomly chosen people who enter their details below:

The draw will be made on Friday 26th April at 3pm and the winners will be contacted by email.

Good luck and we hope to see you on Sunday!

Name:

Email:

This week, Foodie Friday takes a look at one of the hottest trends this year-the Street Food revolution. No longer does the extent of street food consist of a greasy burger and chips. One can now find a vast array of delicious, healthy and tempting foods sold from all manner of vans, carts and wagons. The craze of street food has blossomed across the country, in particular the capital, so look out for the next van/stall near you and keep a close eye on this ever-growing global food trend.

 

 Chowtzer World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards

 

 

On Sunday 28^th April, the inaugural Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards, will announce the world’s tastiest food items as selected by top food bloggers from over 30 countries. Hosted by actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong and supported by Coca Cola, the event will be held at East London’s Village Underground and is set to be one of the most exciting foodie events of the year to which everyone is invited. Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards will announce the best of the most popular categories ranging from Pizza and Dumplings to Tacos. Nominations will be revealed next week so follow @Chowzter7 on twitter to find out! Tickets are on sale now, priced at £25 per person.  For ticket sales go to www.chowzter.com/awards

 

 

Shake Shack opening this July in Covent Garden

 

 

Get ready London! Shake Shack is on its way! Born in New York City’s Madison Square Park in 2004, Shake Shack will be opening their first ever UK shack this July, located in the historic Market Building near the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden.  Shake Shack is a modern day ‘roadside’ burger stand serving the most delicious all-natural burgers, flat-top dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. The menu will showcase all the Shack classics, as well as a selection of location-specific items using fresh, simple ingredients. From its ingredients and employment practices, Shake Shack puts great emphasis on its environmental responsibility, design and community investment and aims to serve high quality food at a great value. A fun and lively community gathering place, Shake Shack has earned a cult-like following around the world and we predict London will be next!

This Monday, Sauce and Shake Shack will be attending Burger Monday to sample some mouth-watering burgers, created by Blueprint cafe’s head chef Mark Jarvis. We will let you know how we got on in next’s weeks edition.

 

 

 Street Feast London

 

 

Tonight marks the first night of Street Feast London, a celebration of all things street food, right in the heart of the Capital.  Each Friday between now and June, the street food market will take over the former Travis Perkins builders Merchant Yard on Kingsland Road and play host to over 200 people celebrating the start of the weekend.

Open from 5pm until midnight, the Merchant Yard in trendy Shoreditch will be packed out and selling food from all corners of the globe from the chicken on offer at Mama’s Jerk Kitchen to the Big Dog at Big Dog Hot Dogs all washed down with an array of cocktails and drinks.

Find out more here: www.streetfeastlondon.com

 

 

The Street Food Revolution- It’s a Dine of the Times

 

When people think of street food, they wouldn’t be wrong if packed out markets and bazaars across Asia, India and South America spring to mind. But thanks to the likes of festival food stalls and a need for cheaper, fresh food on the go, street food is now an ever- growing trend across the UK, with food stalls popping up in almost every city across the country. So, it may be worth forgetting the idea of formal sit-down restaurants in favour of eating with a plastic fork off a napkin, as it seems like it’s a foodie trend here to stay.

If you look outside of London, you can stumble across some real treats. Manchester and Bristol are both cosmopolitan cities and could be great places to start. Guerrilla Eats runs regular street food events across Manchester with a great range of foods on offer from colourful paella to wood- fired pizzas. www.guerrillaeats.co.uk

And for those in the heart of the South West, join the queue at College Green, Bristol every lunch time when a familiar yellow and red umbrella is wheeled onto the green marking the arrival of Meat & bread, Bristol’s best street food. The stand is responsible for keeping the city’s people well -fed with massive sandwiches filled with delicious flavours like their favourite beef Jamaican curry. meatandbread.co.uk

 

And finally…

 

Even Sainsbury’s have got in on the act. 

Sainsbury’s rolls out street food range, 8^th April

The UK retailer is set to launch a range of on-the-go lunch options in a bid to tap into the demand for street food in the country. The chilled range will comprise wraps, salads and flatbreads inspired by food from the around the world, the retailer said today. Products will include Jamaican Jerk Chicken wrap and Pad Thai King Prawn and Chicken Street Salad. Sainsbury’s street food will range between £2.80 and £3.50 and will be in-store from 29 April.

 

 

By Florence Clarke and Lauren Hill

 

This week’s Foodie Friday is written with summer in mind, albeit at the very back of our minds. As the clocks ticked forward last weekend into British summer time we couldn’t help but notice (as a snow flurry drifted past our window yesterday afternoon) that there is a major lack of the crucial element- the sun! So with that in mind, this week we’re trying to muster up our spirits in another way, by talking about the best in British food.

 

The Guardian, What A Load of Pollock, James Meikle 

 

 

The food scandal continues but this time it was the turn of the nation’s favourite seaside dish, fish and chips. The popular family favourite was ‘rocked’ earlier in the week as it emerged that around 7% of all cod sold in fish and chip shops could actually be cheaper fish like pollock, whiting or haddock.

 

British Food Producers Festival 22^nd – 27^th April 2013

 

 

The Royal Garden Hotel is spending a week celebrating the best of British food in celebration of St George’s Day. The event will showcase top quality ingredients from some of Britain’s leading producers over five exciting nights. Each evening commences with a masterclass presented by one of their selected suppliers, illustrating the path of their produce from source to dinner table. The presentation is followed by a lavish six-course dinner featuring ingredients from each supplier, specially designed by Executive Head Chef Steve Munkley, with accompanying wines and beers to complement the dishes. Masterclasses start at 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Tickets are priced at £59 per person tickets are £59 per person including a 6 course gastronomic dinner and masterclass with Executive Head Chef Steve Munkley.

For more information about each of the evening masterclasses and to book today, simply follow this link.

Sauce Communications are giving one lucky person the chance to win two free tickets to attend the event on the night of their choice. To enter simply send your contact details to natalie.b@saucecommunications.com

 

BBC, Best in Season

 

 

In April, we typically celebrate all things fresh and at their best. Those foods topping the in-season bill at the moment are:

Crab:

The crab season runs from now until November and, if possible, it’s generally best to buy crabs whilst they’re still alive. The crabs to go for are the heaviest, as they will contain the tastiest meat!

Lamb:

When choosing lamb, look for firm, fine-grained meat with a velvety texture; it should be moist, rather than dry or slimy and any fat on the outside of the lamb should be white.

Spring Onions:

The best spring onions to choose are firm, unblemished with plenty of green fresh leaves.

Watercress:

Watercress is at its best between now and September. All of the leaves and stems are edible; just steer clear of any tough roots.

Garlic:

Now is the start of the fresh garlic season, an indispensable ingredient especially in Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Jersey Royals are just coming into season now and with their season only lasting around two months we recommend you get in their quickly!

 

BBC, Seasonal recipe, Angela Hartnett

 

 

As lamb often features heavily on the dinner table during the Easter period, we thought  we’d mix it up a bit! Angela Hartnett’s crab cakes recipe makes a refreshing change using ingredients which are at their most fresh at this time of the year.

Prepare the fishcakes in advance and chill. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, and fry just before serving.

 

Ingredients

For the crab cakes

• 2cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled
• 2 red chillies, seeds removed
• 250g/9oz white crabmeat
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 free-range eggs
• 7-8 tbsp breadcrumbs
• plain flour, for dusting
• 25ml/1fl oz olive oil

To serve

• sweet chilli jam
• few handfuls salad leaves
• olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Place the ginger and chilli into a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. In a bowl combine the chilli and ginger with the white crabmeat, coriander and spring onions. Crack in one egg and mix well, then stir in 4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs.
3. Divide the crab cake mixture into 6 equal portions and mould into patties. Place on a tray and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
5. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with one tablespoon of water to make an eggwash. Place some plain flour and the remaining breadcrumbs in separate shallow dishes.
6. Dredge a crab cake in the flour, then dip into the egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Shake gently to remove any excess breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining crab cakes.
7. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the crab cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown all over. Transfer the crab cakes to a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
8. Serve the crab cakes with sweet chilli jam and a mixed leaf salad, lightly dressed with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

By Lauren Hill

After recently coming back from the vegetarian kingdom of India to a world where beef is horse and horse is beef, I’m tempted by the herbivore’s life. And reading the foodie news this week, it seems I’m not the only one. This week’s Foodie Friday takes a look at whether suspicious sausages and baffling beef have affected conversions to vegetarianism. And we look to the rest of the world and their vegetarian ways, from the very vegetarian India, to confusions over whether pork is a meat in China.

 

The Guardian, Horsemeat Scandal Sparks Rise in Sales of Vegetarian Alternatives, Sarah Butler

 

This week, The Guardian reported that Quorn, the UK’s biggest vegetarian ready meal brand, has seen a rise in its sales since the horsemeat scandal which, in case you missed it, dominated every single newspaper and headline for what felt like about 87 years. Other vegetarian brands have seen 30% sales rises and huge demands for non-meat products as more people are now keen for the greens.

 

The Times of India, US Food Giants Turn Vegetarian in Gujarat, Chitra Unnithan

If vegetarian food was a country of people, India would be their king. Quite simply a vegetarian haven, India arguably offers the most diverse and exciting range of vegetarian foods in the world. It is no wonder, then, that fast-food powerhouses with branches in India have extensive vegetarian options on their Indian menus. This week, we discovered that Subway has taken this one step further by opening a completely all-veg outlet in Ahmedabad.

 

The Moscow News, Veggie Tales, Kirsten Blyth

Over in meat-enamoured Russia, a bold Korean-influenced vegetarian chain has opened its doors with the claim that they do not cook “anything with a face” (fish do not count).  The restaurant, Retseptor, specialises in pescatarian options for diners, aiming to tempt locals away from their beloved beef borsch and stroganoff, and over to the face-less feasts of fish and veg.

 

The Guardian, A Vegetarian Tour of Shanghai, Frederika Whitehead

In China, if you order vegetable noodles, you may get noodles with beef. If you say you’re a vegetarian, the waiter brings you pork. This is what Frederika Whitehead discovered during a tour around Asia in search of vegetarian cuisine. Vegetarianism simply doesn’t seem to exist. Navigating around the meat in street food stalls in Shanghai, Whitehead finally finds some vegetarian delights. One such interesting veg dish is qingcai baozi, a steamed bun with a bok choi, mushroom and tofu filling. If you’re going on a trip to China and you’re not a carnivore, then watch out for some tofu that is marinated in pig’s blood, and check which eggs you’re picking up, as some are fertilised boiled eggs with foetuses inside…

 

The Daily Mail, Lily Cooper Apologises to Fans After Outraging Animal Rights Activists Pledging Slaughter Pig for Comic Relief, JJ Anisobi and Kimberley Dadds

Lily Cooper has been causing a stir amongst animal rights activists and vegetarians alike after announcing that she would be slaughtering a pig for a Twitter follower in aid of Comic Relief. In a unique event for Red Nose Day, Cooper is giving twitter followers the chance to donate money and then be picked at random to have a pig named after them, and then slaughtered or spared for them depending on their dietary preferences.

 

BBC News, Pig Rearing School ‘Bombarded’ by Protest Emails

Pig activities have been wreaking further havoc where it was discovered a primary school in Suffolk was having children look after pigs before they were sent to the butcher. The school has received hundreds of emails protesting against this meat lesson for children, with the school responding that it had “100% support from parents.” Given that my Mum told me that we only ate animals that were already dead when, at the age of 6, it dawned on me that the piggies snuffling around in the fields were possibly being killed to be put on my dinner plate, I imagine this school lesson could be enough to make any child go veggie.

 

And finally…

Sauce is proud to introduce the Great Northern Hotel which is re-opening its doors after 12 years to the public this April.  Fully restored to its former glory, Great Northern Hotel occupies a prime position between St Pancras International and King’s Cross stations, the busiest rail transport hub in Europe. The privately owned Grade II listed building has been thoughtfully restored by owner-operator Jeremy Robson of Ram. The signature dome of the new Western Concourse at St Pancras International and King’s Cross station is designed to fit the crescent shape of the hotel itself and is also just 18 metres away from the main Eurostar entrance to St Pancras International.

Originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, the Great Northern Hotel opened in 1854 as the first of the new generation of Victorian railway hotels. Reflecting its architectural heritage, the 91-bedroom hotel has been sensitively refurbished and its interior design exudes a timeless elegance with a hint of modernity. The intention has been to evoke the romance of rail travel from a bygone age and to preserve a sense of history and style. David Archer and Julie Ann Humphryes, co-founders of Archer Humphryes Architects (Hakkasan, Sans Souci Hotel Vienna), were commissioned to execute the concept and interior design of the hotel. The hotel houses a destination restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk and the glamorous GNH Bar.

Feast on fine food and wine in the glamorous heart of Soho, and support Comic Relief 2013!

MASH Steak House, with its iconic art deco interiors, is hosting an evening of fun and opulence

in aid of Comic Relief 2013

Where: MASH, 77 Brewer Street London W1F 0RH

When: Monday 11^th March

Bookings: Available from 17:30 – 23:00

Tables can be booked for 2 – 24 persons

MASH has created a delicious 3 course menu at £50 per person, which includes signature dishes, such as Danish rib eye and Uruguay New York Strip steak 

£20 of the proceeds will go direct to Comic Relief 

You are invited to bring your own favourite wines, to drink or trade with other guests and in the spirit of the evening MASH is also looking forward to sharing their favourite wines with you (including their own bespoke brand 2011 “No Bull” Syrah)

Follow this link for more information and click here to view the menu in full.

To book a table please contact MASH reservations on:

E-mail: reservations@mashsteak.co.uk

0207 734 2608

Please quote “Menu Relief” at the time of booking

*If you know the wine you will be bringing, and even better, a wine you would like to trade it with;

please let the MASH team know at the time of booking!

MASH London team up with Red Nose for a special foodie fundraiser

On Monday 11^th March, MASH restaurant in Piccadilly, London will host a one off night celebrating wine and food as part of Red Nose Day’s brand new Menu Relief, to which everybody is invited.

To accompany a specially created three course menu, guests will be invited to bring and swap their own favourite bottles of wine on the night for which no corkage fee will be charged.  MASH’s team of ten expert sommeliers led by MASH’s head sommelier Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen will be on hand to guide guests through the array of wines which will on offer to drink throughout the night.

For £50 per person, guests will be able to enjoy a three course menu with £20 of the proceeds going direct to Comic Relief.  The normal price of this menu is £55 and will feature dishes such as the restaurant’s signature 250g Danish rib eye and Uruguay New York Strip steak together with fries and sauces to share followed by MASH’s classic cheesecake with strawberry sorbet.

MASH, which is noted for its rare and developed wine collection particularly from the Americas, will be showcasing their own wine including their bespoke 2011 “No Bull” Syrah blend over the course of the night.  The wine will be sold as individual and magnum sized bottles at a special price of £33 and £70. A donation of £10 for all single bottles sold and a donation of £20 for each magnum will be made to Comic Relief.  MASH will be offering glasses of their two favourite wines over the course of the night for guests to sample.

Menu Relief from now until the end of March. By dining out and donating to Comic Relief there’s an opportunity to help

people living in unimaginably tough lives across the UK and Africa.  To find your nearest Menu Relief restaurant go to www.rednoseday.com/menurelief

 To book a table please contact: MASH on 0207 734 2608 and quote “Menu Relief” or E-mail: reservations@mashsteak.co.uk

 

Notes to Editors:

• A three course vegetarian menu will also be available priced at £40.00 plus a 12.5% service charge of which £10 will be donated to Comic Relief
• MASH stands for Modern American Steak House and combines the informal Danish approach to eating and drinking with the sophisticated modern American steakhouse in elegant and comfortable surroundings
• MASH London is based at 77 Brewer Street, London W1F 9ZN
• For more information about Red Nose Day  please visit: wwwwrednoseday.com

 About Red Nose Day:

• Red Nose Day 2013 is heading your way on Friday 15th March when the great British public will once again be asked to Do Something Funny for Money
• Raising cash this Red Nose Day can help to change lives forever. That’s because Comic Relief spends the money raised to help change the lives of poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa
• Comic Relief was launched on Christmas Day in 1985, live on BBC One.  At that time, a devastating famine was crippling Ethiopia and something had to be done.  That something was Comic Relief.  The idea was simple – Comic Relief would make the public laugh while they raised money to help people in desperate need.  Before too long, Red Nose Day was created and the first ever event in 1988 raised a staggering £15m
• This year, 2013, marks the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day which has raised over £600m and helped to change lives both in the UK and Africa
• Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)

 Please drink responsibly.  UK Chief medical Officers recommend that men do not regularly exceed 3-4 units daily and women 2-3 units daily.  Avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive.  www.drinkaware.co.uk

To book a table please contact MASH reservations on:

E-mail: reservations@mashsteak.co.uk

0207 734 2608

Please quote “Menu Relief” at the time of booking

For more information about MASH please contact:

Jess@Saucecommunications / 020 8600 3600

When I lived in Japan (1996-97 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa-ken) a ramen was the equivalent of a kebab, the drunken pit-stop on the Friday night stagger home. Serried ranks of steamed-up salarymen and gaijin hoovering up the good stuff like Noo-Noo with his hose in a bowl of Tubby custard. Never pretty, always good.

In central London this winter ramen has been all the rage, with hipsters and foodies alike queuing round the block to dive into a bowl of hot stock and noodles. Waiting does, I’m afraid, slightly defeat the object. A steaming  pool of savoury delights should be under your nose three minutes after ducking under the noren to a rousing ‘Irrashaimase!’ and plonking yourself down onto a stool. Standing around in the cold comparing beards may well whet the appetite, but it is not for me.

This mad ramen rush is a spin-off kodawari, the obsessive pursuit of perfection, which noodle-nuts will know well as the focus of their very own movie, Tampopo (1985). The food scene has become all about doing one thing well – roast chicken, burgers, whatever. So while I appreciate the craze, I avoid the queues, and the reviews below reflect my aversion to waiting – when I am hungry, I am like a bear with a sore head, a gun, and an unexpected tax bill.

There are many types of ramen on offer, the standard bases of shio (salt), tonkotsu (pork bone, from Kyushu in Japan’s south), Shoyu (soy) and Miso (from Hokkaido in the north) with their traditional partnerships of cha-shu (roast pork), menma (marinated bamboo shoots), beansprouts, boiled egg, green onions, kamaboko (fish bits) and nori (seaweed) to brighten your bowl. There are other additions which are either right e.g. sweetcorn, or wrong e.g. chicken.

I haven’t eaten every bowl on offer – I’m greedy, not mental – but I have been to a bunch of outfits that are pretty authentic and a couple that aren’t e.g. Wagamama’s. Final point – a food that is based on a massive greasy boiling cauldron of pig, fish and other bones and is eaten by sticking your face into a huge bowl and inhaling the contents is neither refined nor subtle and probably not suitable for first dates. There needs to be a slightly seedy edge to a good ramen bar – the filth factor. Bowls come in around the £10 mark. The results, in reverse order:

 

Wagamamas (ubiquitous) – Feeble stock, like the liquid after washing up a roasting pan. Noodles lack bite, too many additions to bowl in the Wagamama ramen e.g. mussels, pork, chicken, prawns and a tea-stained egg! Chilli beef ramen best as actually tastes of something and disguises poor construction of base and noodles. Ramen – 2/10. Filth Factor – 0/10. Boring bowl of bollocks.

 

Tonkotsu (63 Dean St) – Excellent massive steaming cauldron of piggy stock in window. Queues likely, not much elbow room inside. Ramen good quality, stock a little greasy but rich and flavoursome. All other types of ramen on offer and decent sides – gyoza, salads etc. Ramen 7/10. Filth Factor 5/10. Ma-ma desu.

 

Shoryu (9 Regent St) – Queues inevitable after 6pm. Gyoza textbook, but minced ginger everywhere. Kimchee and tofu side weird as expected, like chilli jam on ice cream. Shoryu ganso Tonkotsu ramen a mix of tonkotsu and miso broth making for a less fatty and thinner stock but holding good flavour. Pork slices excellent, boiled egg nice and soft. Correct stock/noodle/bits ratio, with added garlic and spinach. But gari (pickled ginger) has no business on a ramen! Draft Kirin always welcome. Ramen 9/10. Filth factor 4/10 (rather ‘nice’ inside). Umai desu, but lay off the ginger!

 

 

Bone Daddies (30 Peter St) – Atmosphere deliberately seedy. Bloody noisy. Good pickles, tasty sides of fried chicken, soft shell crab. Bowl was well constructed and noodles just so, stock firm and punchy, but a little too neat and slightly on the small side. Ramen 8/10. Filth factor 6/10. Too cool for school.

 

Ittenbari (84 Brewer St) – Friendly, small and genuinely scruffy place. Never a queue, cash only. Mini cha-shu don for £3 arrived in 2 minutes. Excellent shoyu ramen arrived in 3 – deep inky stock, perfect noodles with bite, correct placing of seaweed, egg and juicy pork slice. No nonsense, good and tasty – the unwashed cousin of Mitsukoshi. Ramen 7/10. Filth Factor 9/10. Perhaps a bit too filthy.

 

Mitsukoshi (14 Regent St) – Small, cosy ramen bar with limited menu. All staff Japanese. Gyoza good and savoury, not too big and nicely cooked. Fried karaage chicken mouth-watering and authentic, lots of salt and pepper. Value ramen in soy base did the job. London ramen same, saltier stock and no sweet corn. Egg, pork, beansprouts all good. Ramen 9/10. Filth factor 8/10. The real deal – WINNER!

 

David Makinson is a man of the world who was once moved to tears by a particularly good dinner and gets visibly angry in the presence of bad food.

We are looking for a bright and experienced account manager with experience in food, lifestyle or travel PR to join our growing PR team.  If you are a creative and enthusiastic foodie with excellent media contacts within the food and lifestyle sector, we would love to hear from you.

Candidates should have exceptional writing skills, be accustomed to working within a team and managing an account executive as well as being confident leading client meetings.  You would be expected to hit the ground running as the agency is busy and fast paced but Sauce has an exciting portfolio of restaurants and is one of the most highly respected food and drink PR and Marketing agencies.

For more information or to apply, please contact: info@saucecommunications.com

This week’s Foodie Friday is getting loved-up in time for Valentine’s Day, so we’ve had a look at how you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with perfectly romantic, foodie treats…

Whether you’re loved-up, flying and always smiling, or single, think all that’s naff and just up for a laugh, you’ll know that Valentine’s Day is around the corner. The whole city is brimming with teddies hugging hearts, red banners declaring their love to passers-by, heart-shaped balloons swaying contentedly in the crisp, February wind, and the sound of a satisfied sigh somewhere down the tube.

For some fine dining around our romantic capital, we bring you some special Valentine’s Day meals hot off the Sauce HQ press, exclusively for your heart-shaped eyes only…

1 Lombard Street

Iconic City restaurants 1776 and 1 Lombard Street are teaming up with the luxurious lingerie brand, Agent Provocateur, to create a truly seductive treat for their loved-up diners. All ladies dining at the restaurants on the 14^th February will be given a naughty-but-nice goody bag worth £55. The truly indulgent Dégustation menu at 1776 offers lovebirds decadent dishes including black truffle risotto and caramelised black cod. The menu is priced at £90 per person or £140 each with matching wines. The three course menu at 1 Lombard Street is priced at £48 per person and features the wonderfully romantic pink champagne risotto, and the fantastically indulgent fillet mignon with foie gras.  

 

 Launceston Place

Valentine’s Day is all about spoiling your loved ones, and Michelin-starred Launceston Place has devised the ultimate treat for romantic foodies this February 14^th. Head chef Tim Allen will create a bespoke menu for each couple, based entirely around your lover’s favourite foods. Whether your other half has a flaming desire for three chocolate courses, or a menu that is an unadulterated celebration of cheese, anything goes. To make the evening extra special, diners will also be presented with a special bouquet of beautiful Valentine’s Day flowers. To top it all off, you get to eat your uniquely tailored meal in the chef’s private office, where you can watch the kitchen action through a live television link. Reality TV just got interesting…

 

Sauterelle

A diamond is forever, right? To truly wow your loved one, treat her to Sauterelle’s six-course Valentine’s Day menu. The mouth-watering choices include scallops served with caviar d’Aquitaine, buttermilk panna cotta with Lincolnshire rhubarb and Champagne granite.
Not enough? Well, to truly make it a night to remember you will receive a one-carat Ashoka-cut diamond ring with 62 facets, surrounded by a further 0.55 carats of round, brilliant-cut diamonds on a platinum band.

We bet she will never forget this Valentine’s day!

 

Take a peek inside the Evening Standard which lists Launceston Place and Sauterelle as their “Most Exclusive Table” and “Most Expensive Dinner” respectively, in their Ideas for a Valentine’s Day Blowout.

 

Inamo

 Groundbreaking pan-Asian restaurants Inamo and Inamo St James are making technology romantic this Valentine’s Day. Happy couples will have the chance to customise their interactive tables with images of their choice, creating a unique ambience for each couple. The specially created four-course menu is a romantic foodie heaven, including brand new dishes such as heart-shaped salmon and avocado maki rolls, and Szechuan carpaccio of beef. The menu is priced at £35 per person, and is available until 16^th February: the perfect excuse to extend the delicious combination of food, fun and romance!

 

 

Union Jacks

Over at Union Jacks, celebrate Valentine’s Day the good, old British way with the Great British Valentine’s Day menu. Enjoy winter-warming iron bark pumpkin soup, and succulent Scottish hake fillets in the relaxed, retro atmosphere of this fantastic Chiswick joint. The meal is priced at a tantalising £30 per person.

  

Valentine’s Day Great British Menu

Thursday 14^th February  2013

 

On arrival

A Cornish Champagne cocktail for the Jills or UJ’s Hedgerow Sling for the Jacks

 To start choose between either

 West Mersea Oysters served 3 –ways

Adnams  Bloody Mary Sauce – old school shallot & red wine vinegar –crispy bacon & a dash of Lea & Perrins

~

Roasted Iron Bark pumpkin soup

and marjoram oil..

 

Then for your Main Course

 

Slow Braised Hereford Ox cheeks

with creamy “herby”  mash and loads of rich red wine and port gravy

~

Scottish Hake fillet

served with lemon butter sauce, toasted hazelnuts and heritage Jersey potatoes

 

And for pudding

 

Homemade spiced plum sorbet with twice baked fennel and hazelnut biscuit

Washed down with a  mini British Plum Daiquiri

~

Food fight British cheese plate (£3 supplement)

with a glass of Berry Bros & Rudd St James’s finest reserve port

 

Then finally, your choice of tea or coffee.

 

£30 per person

 

FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL THE RESTAURANT ON 0203 6179988 OR DROP IN & RESERVE YOUR PLACE IN PERSON.

MANY THANKS FROM ALL OF US HERE AT UJS.

217-221 CHISWICK HIGH RD , CHISWICK , W4 2DW 

 

 

 

 

With all these exciting dining experiences going on, we took a look at some food that has been getting the Valentine’s touch too, such as this enamoured egg from www.thefrisky.com…

So whilst we cut curves into our sandwiches, and swirl hearts in our coffees, we thought we’d take a look at how Valentine’s Day has inspired food around the world…

 

Time, Japanese Cafe Offers Chocolate Face Truffles as Valentine Gifts, Yue Wang

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate, and the tradition holds that women should present their male friends or partners with chocolate. Time reveals that Fab Cafe in Tokyo took this one step further this year when they offered to make bespoke chocolate moulds… of your loved one’s heads.

 

From Argentina With Love, Heart-shaped Alfajores for Valentine’s Day, Rebecca Caro

Entering the world of spice and Latino love, in Argentina, we found some Valentine’s inspired Alfajores, a sweet, honey and almond cake, which is a lovely, easy-to-make gift to delight anyone’s taste buds.

 

Time Out, Derrière

And lastly, getting classy and chic in the City of Love, Paris, we found this quirky restaurant that lets diners get a little more intimate over their dining… by eating in the restaurant bedroom.

We hope you enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

 

 

Lidia Szmid, Charlie Mundy and Elena Toselli

 

This Foodie Friday is a Foodie Freakshow 

The Times - Chef is Toshio Tanabe happy to dish the dirt on his staple ingredient – earth, Kyoko Onoki and Richard Lloyd Parry 

From snail porridge to black pudding Nutella, top chefs are always trying to find new ways of shocking our palates and our ears. Chef Toshio Tanabe has quite literally stumbled onto the newest shocking culinary ingredient. The new cuisine being served in Tanabe’s French-style restaurant in Tokyo is right beneath your feet: soil.

Other restaurants have previously created dishes containing faux soil made of organic ingredients to give the appearance and texture of soil, but not the taste. Tanabe says, “I know of no other chef who actually cooks soil.” The soil cuisine began by Tanabe experimenting with incompletely washed organic vegetables in salads. The soil used in his restaurant Ne Quittez Pas is provided by an agricultural soil supplier who has already been tested for safety. The process consists of baking the soil, boiling it in water, then passing it through three kinds of filters to remove sand, grit and particles. He then mixes the remains with gelatine to produce a smooth, creamy mud. A full soil menu is offered at his restaurant for £70 for those willing to dig into dirt.

 

Daily Mail - What’s the best posh new choc: wasabi, bacon or haggis?, India Sturgis 

As if chocolate wasn’t delicious enough on its own, confectionery companies are constantly adding unusual flavours to keep us interested. This has resulted in booming sales of upmarket chocolate, proving we like our treats with an extra kick of something different. But have chocolatiers taken it a flavour too far? New flavours include spicy wasabi chocolate for a tingling taste, bacon chocolate for those needing an excuse to have chocolate for breakfast, and even a bar of haggis chocolate. Luckily the chocolate bar isn’t stuffed with meat but is instead mixed with a smattering of Scottish haggis spices such as cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, salt and black pepper.

 

The Guardian - Restaurant: Bo London, London W1, Marina O’Loughlin

 Marina O’Loughlin braves the chilly granite cave of Bo London to try “Demon Chef” Alvin Leung’s latest creations. His “X-treme cuisine” has been brought from Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Bo Innovation to London’s Mayfair. Leung’s most famous dish, Sex on the Beach, aims to give diners a happy ending to their experience. The dish consists of a pink condom fashioned from starches on biscuit crumb “sand” with a condensed milk sauce and gives proceeds to the Elton John AIDS charity.
Apparently the spherified molecular dumplings and tomato marshmallow aren’t the scariest experience to be hand in the restaurant. According to Miranda, the hardest and most terrifying thing to swallow in Bo London was the bill.

 

The Independent – It’s time to mug up on your microwave meals, Richard Ehrlich

Since the microwave became the newest trend in the global home cooking scene in the 1970s, few households have been without them. No longer the earth-shatteringly exciting new gadget they once were, the trusty microwave oven has become demoted to the role of leftover-warmer and depressingly tasteless meal for one blaster. Until this week, that is. Microwave-fan Richard Ehrlich has broken away from the ready meal brigade, taken a coffee mug out of the cupboard, and created a range of miniature microwave miracles. With savoury recipes including egg florentine, meat loaf and fish curry, will this microwave mug meal crusader defeat the defrosted diet cottage pie ready meal?  Or is the concept of microwaving prawns until they become fluorescent, and then eating them out of a scrabble mug, the most depressing thing to be achieved in a modern kitchen?

 

The Guardian – Hogget recipe, Rosie Syke’s

Never heard of hogget? Nor had we, but Rosie Syke’s Breast of hogget and pease pudding recipe just sounded too Shakespearean to be true. Here’s the weird and wonderful recipe for any intrepid eaters amongst you. Good luck! Oh and to satisfy your curiosity: it’s a young sheep, aged between 12 and 18 months.

A rolled breast of hogget

Serves 4
For the hogget
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 leek, chopped, including all the green portion
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 hogget breast (about 2kg)
1.2 litres boiling water
1 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Splash of flavourless oil
Salt and black pepper

For the pease pudding
Splash of flavourless oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, trimmed and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
500g green split peas, soaked overnight
1 bayleaf
A few mint leaves and stalks
1 tbsp cider vinegar
30g butter

1 Preheat oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 3.

2 Make a bed of the vegetables, bay leaf and thyme in a large roasting tin, scatter over the peppercorns and put the hogget on top. Pour over the water, cover tightly with foil, put into the oven, and leave to cook for 2½ hours.

3 Take out of the oven and leave covered until cool enough to handle. Lift the meat out and put on a tray in the fridge overnight.

4 Strain the vegetables out of the stock and discard them. Put the stock in a jug in the fridge overnight.

5 About 1½ hours before you want to eat, take the meat and stock out of the fridge. Skim any fat from the stock and keep it to cook the vegetables for the pease pudding. Lift any rib bones out.

6 Now make the pudding. Heat a heavy-based pan with a splash of oil and hogget fat. When it is hot, add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the leek and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.

7 Separate the mint leaves from the stalks. Strain the split peas and add them, the bay leaf and stalks to the pan. Stir, then turn up the heat. Once it begins to sizzle, splash in the vinegar and stir until the liquid has evaporated.

8 Now add enough hogget stock to cover the peas, bring to the boil, skim any scum from the top and leave to simmer over a gentle heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally until the peas are soft. If they have absorbed all the stock but are not ready, add a little more liquid and keep simmering.

9 In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put the lamb skin side up in an oven tray and paint with a layer of Dijon mustard.

10 Mix the crumbs with the parsley and some seasoning and press on to the mustard. Drizzle with a little oil and put in the oven. Cook for about half an hour until the crumbs are crisp.

11 When the peas are soft, taste for seasoning, lift out the bay leaf and mint stalks if you can, roughly chop the mint leaves and stir in along with the butter cut into small pieces. Any remaining stock can be used as a light gravy. Slice the meat and serve atop a pile of minty pease pudding.

 

Alessandra Brian and Charlie Mundy

 

After an amazing 2012 in the foodie world we are looking forward to see what trends 2013 has in store.

The Huffington Post: Food trends for 2013, Joe Satran

 

 

Popcorn: New frontiers in gourmet popcorn – unusual flavours, thoughtfully-sourced ingredients

Tea: Some people think tea is the new coffee, and that we’re likely to see more varieties in the future

Cured Meat: Chefs and Meat processors are still finding new ways to produce scrumptious varieties of salumi and charcuterie beyond thing like prosciutto and pancetta.

Gochujang: A Korean hot sauce that some think could soon supplant sriracha as the red Asian condiment of choice

Chicken: With the price of beef, lamb and pork soaring restaurants have increasingly looked toward luxurious preparations of chicken as a viable meat entree on moderately-priced menus.

Winter Veggies, Served Fresh: Especially at high-end restaurants, vegetables that grow in the winter, like squashed, kale and turnip have been served more frequently in preparations that are lighter and fresher than old staples like roasting and stewing

Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce: Like barrel-aged bourbon or wine, except hot sauce

Chef Collaborations: Chefs are increasingly coming out of the kitchen to make new kinds of food in concert with other chefs or with food companies.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: As younger diners, pregnant women and non-drinkers visit high-end restaurants more often, they increasingly look for beverage options that don’t include booze but nonetheless taste interesting

Artisanal Bread: Restaurants and bakeries alike have been putting more effort into their bread baskets of late

Fermentation: Foods like kimchi and sauerkraut have become extremely prominent due to their unusual meld of umami and sour tastes

Vegetables as Main Courses: Chefs bored by the same old seared pork chops and braised short ribs have been experimenting more and more with putting vegetables at the centre of the plate rather than forcing them to play supporting roles, much to the delight of vegetarian diners

Smoke: Smoke is being used to preserve and flavour ingredient food and drinks far afield of standbys like trout and salmon: potatoes, bourbon, creme fraiche and even water, to name a few.

 

The Independent: Ingredients trends for 2013, Sudi Pigott 

 

 

Moghrabieh: Unreservedly the new polenta. Found throughout the Arab world, it is small pearl-like balls of rolled semolina cooked over an open flame. Moghrabieh has considerably larger grains than couscous and retains more bite when cooked.

Fennel Pollen: It may be the third most expensive spice after saffron and cardamom, but fortunately a little is transformative with a subtle, yet haunting, fragrance. Fennel Pollen is single-handedly turning chefs on to its charms in dishes from venison carpaccio to wild salmon, even mixed with breadcrumbs to coat green-lipped mussels and in fishcakes.

Sumac: A dark red/purple berry (known as a sumac bob) that grows in spiky clusters on small wild trees, it is picked when the “bobs” are dry and hard, crushed by hand and has earthy, fruity notes with a distinctive citrus tang and is frankly addictive. It can be added to everything from scrambled eggs to hummus.

Tonka Bean: The wrinkled seed from a flowering South American tree, the tonka bean’s taste is linked strongly to its aroma with notes of cherry, almond, cinnamon and vanilla. Contrary to what some assume, it is not a cheap substitute for vanilla, which is more floral while tonka has distinctive fruity, earthy tones, though both are good in ice-cream

Chervil Root: Long fashionable on French menus, chervil root is gaining currency as a more intriguing root alternative to parsnip, with a delicate flavour closer to artichoke and chestnut with notes of aniseed and a lovely fluffy texture

Beef Round Heel: Beef round heel pot roast “has absolutely stonking depth of flavour”, according to chef Ben Spalding, definitely “a haute in trainers” new culinary force to be reckoned and increasingly renowned for cooking challenging and playful dishes at pop-ups around London and beyond. He braises the round (from the back end of the cow) for up to a day to make it incredibly tender, yet it remains still lush and pink. Already more popular in the US, after butchering, beef round heel is often reserved for making beef stock, a waste of the new brisket, according to Spalding.

Choucroute: Ripe for revival and already proliferating on chef’s menus, it’s billed as sauerkraut, too, and perhaps subliminally influenced by the ever-growing gastro excitement about all things kimchi/Korean. Pierre Koffmann waxes lyrical about “choucroute’s beautiful, hearty flavour yet silky texture” and adds that it is good for the stomach and digestion. Koffmann buys his cabbage raw and fermented from Rungis market. In the kitchen it is rinsed, sautéed in pork fat (or goose or duck), layered with onions, carrots, bouquet garni, peppercorns, juniper and Alsace riesling and simmered for a minimum of two hours.

Grimsby Haddock: This is like no other smoked haddock, both in its taste and story. Cooking it at home for a simple lunch, you will be was blown away by its moist, still translucent texture that flakes away and, most importantly, is not over-smoked. The Grimsby haddock tradition goes back to the mid 1880s. Fillets are brined and drained on long metal rods called spreats and cold-smoked overnight in the tall, tar-lined chimneys of Jaines & Sons’ listed-building smokehouse. 

Capers: Capers are essentially flower buds, harvested by hand because they are so small (the most sought after and tiniest are called sanpareil), sun-dried and pickled or salted. Sudi Pigott favours those grown on the volcanic Aoelian islands of Pantelleria and Lipari, close to Sicily. 

Gorgonzola:  It’s made from cow’s milk, the salted curds injected by an intriguing multi-needle Heath Robinson-style machine with a culture native to the Po Valley, Penicillium glaucum, which allows the air to enter and helps the development. They spend three days in bikram-yoga humidity and temperature “purgatory” and are aged for 90 to 110 days before being wrapped in foil to retain moisture.

 

Hot-dinners: Restaurant trends for 2013, Catherine Hanly 

 

Fay Maschler; Restaurant critic for the Evening Standard

• The small plate scam will be blown open.
•  Cured, brined, pickled, fermented ingredients will turn up on menus.
• Coconut oil with its various health benefits will be the new extra virgin olive oil.
• Customised marshmallows, doughnuts and éclairs will usurp macaroons and cupcakes.
• A mild backlash against unhealthy fat-drenched food and also the sheer cost of first-class protein.
• Baby boomers, the reliable source of disposable income.
• More microbreweries will open and their products feature increasingly strongly on drinks lists.
• If Islington, once a deadbeat area for restaurants, can change and improve then maybe the same could happen to Clapham. Doubtful but possible.

Mark Hix; Restaurateur – Hix, Tramshed

• I think the growth in South American food will probably continue following the opening of restaurants like Lima and Ceviche this year.
• There are also pockets of London that people will now travel to eat.
• Balthazar and Shake Shack will absolutely cement Covent Garden’s resurgence as a credible central London neighbourhood after years in tourist doldrums – Russell Norman

Russell Norman: Restaurateur – Polpo, Spuntino, Mishkin’s

• I do know that the first half of the year will be dominated by two NY imports: Keith McNally’s Balthazar in February and Danny Meyer’s Shake Shake shortly afterwards

Mike Palmer: Brand Concept Consultant

• Front of House kitchens – Cool examples include Revel in Fremont, Sitka and Spruce in Seattle, Chicken Shop in Kentish Town which has a similar dynamic albeit slightly more distant and Pollen Street Social where the dessert chefs are out front working at the bar.
• More smoked foods.
• Noodles.
• Thai - Real Thai food is about to break out. Look out for the US Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok , recently opened Naamyaa, Pubbelly, PingPDX, Good Girl Dinette.

Ewan Ventners: CEO – Fortnum  & Mason

• We’ll see top end chefs continue to create formats which are more accessible – for example Mark Hix and Tramshed.
• High end casual dining markets set to continue to grow as consumers demand better quality but better value.
• Afternoon tea.
• Learning to make cool cocktails at home to compliment the cooking revolution over the last few years.
• Flavour is going to be the new word in food. Providence, local and organic as words to describe food will be superseded by the word flavour as a reminder to foodies and cooks alike that the food we buy must have flavour above all else!

Scott Collins: Co-owner of MEATliquor, Wishbone

• My prediction for 2013 is that more big money players will be opening places that ‘pay homage’ to operations already opened by inventive independent operators

Maureen Mills: Director/Owner of Network London PR

• Vegetables will have more prominence on menus.
• Fatigue over non-booking restaurants and queues to eat.
• Is fine dining over? Reports of quiet dining rooms in fancy places continue every week, who has time for the 3 hour lunch? (Sad but true). Bistros and brassieres and cafes are 2013… 

Will Beckett: Co-owner of Hawksmoor

• If 2012 seems to have been about burgers and chicken I think pork might well be the next big thing
• I think we might start seeing a few ‘losers’ in London rather than the constant stream of ‘winners’ that we’ve had for the past few years.  London seems a bit saturated at the moment in a few areas (steak is one of them!)
• I’d love to see bars get a bit more fun.  There seems to be a choice between quality or fun and that seems to be a false choice to me.

Marina O’Loughlin: Restaurant critic for The Guardian

• We’ll also see a lot of popcorn. And crisped chicken/duck skins. And more ‘designer’ pizza (sourdough, slow-proved etc). The new flash-trash food – Marina O’Loughlin
• I reckon sour notes are going to be huge, as an antidote to and foil for all the big fatty flavours are so now.
• Plus we’ll see more butch things that beardy boys like to do: in-house butchery, smokers, home-made charcuterie (see Lardo etc).

Christine Hayes: Editor, Olive magazine

• I think service is going to get better.
• I also think that Blueprint Cafe is going to get lots of attention – new chef Mark Jarvis is doing good things there: classical cooking in a very British environment but with a few Scandi touches that he may have picked up when he worked with Aggi Sverinsson at Texture.
• And I imagine there will be more and more chef collaborations – established chefs inviting the new guard into their restaurants as a way of increasing the audience for both.

Jonathan Downey: Founder and director of The Rushmore Group – Milk & Honey, Redhook

• Cheerio Vodka – Gin is it and will continue to be during 2013 thanks to all the great new gins fighting for back bar space.
• A Proper Bar – Someone is going to open a really great place to go and have a beer and a shot with music and your mates.
• Grown up pizza – Someone is going to open a really good, easy eating pizza place for grown-ups with good beers and wines and a nice easy vibe.

Hot Dinners

• The trend for dirty/trash food will certainly continue to be hugely popular and spread away from central London (already seen with Chicken Shop in Kentish Town and Wishbone in Brixton). But we also expect a reaction to this, with many chefs looking to drag the focus away from burgers as they attempt to nudge us towards a slightly healthier diet.
• We’re looking forward to more inventive bar food this year – to go with all the great cocktails and craft beers.
• We’ll bet on a big name chef finally opening at Claridges, taking over from Gordon. We hear there are plenty of key names in the running, but whoever comes top will have one of the biggest openings of the year.

Hazel Henbury

The last Foodie Friday of 2012 is here and we have some cracking stories to finish off the year. We will be back in January to indulge you with some more fantastic foodie fun so until then Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

The Guardian: So the world didn’t end but what would you have put in your survival kit? Dave Drummond

 

The Mayan predicted Armageddon has gathered a lot of media coverage resulting in a vast number of businesses using this as a cunning marketing tool. DT Kirby’s burger joint in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana launched the “end of the world” burger with the thought if it’s going to be your last meal it ought to be something special.

A shop in the Siberian town of Tomsk ahead of the buildup started selling what they called “apocalypse kits” stocked with items they believe you might need for the ending of the world including vodka, sardines and buckwheat. The obvious choice would be foods with a long shelf life, but if the world is really going to end surely a tin of spam wouldn’t be your first choice. So what would you have as your last EVER meal? We asked the Sauce office…

“Mine would be glazed orange duck breast with mash and panacotta.. And a good bottle of malbec!” Irina Banciu

“Definitely slow roasted pork with LOTS of crackling, sage and cheddar mash and buttery vegetables followed by cheese and biscuits with a vintage port or some of my homemade sloe gin” Hazel Henbury

“Garlic and chilli prawns hot off the barbeque to start. Followed by my mum’s venison and chestnut casserole with celeriac mash, with a Whiskey Mac on the side, and some dark 80% chocolate for pudding …and a piece of hot marmite toast with a cuppa as I couldn’t leave the world without one last bit of marmite.” Alexandra Wardall

“Oysters followed by fresh ravioli with sage, butter, lemon and Parmesan with freshly baked sourdough bread and really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar followed by a very bloody rare steak from Hawksmoor, fat chips and truffle macaroni cheese and then Fergus Henderson’s eccles cakes with Lancashire cheese (and maybe some really good coffee ice cream and hot chocolate sauce)” Laura Tovell

“Bruschetta with peas, broad beans, mint, goats cheese and bacon and loads of olive oil. Roast pork belly, super crispy crackling, roast potatoes, sage stuffing, roast fennel, parsnips with honey and thyme, apple sauce. Chocolate fondant with ice cream and raspberries and a sticky toffee pudding on the side with double cream” Florence Clarke

“Pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syrup (breakfast)French bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and oil (starter)  Beard to Tail’s pigs trotters with my honey-roast gammon and trimmings or roast gammon with the gorgeous sauce that my Grandma/Mum make (main)Beard to Tail’s Sundae Bible – gingernut cheesecake, milk ice cream and Southern Comfort syrup (dessert). Lots of mulled cider and mulled wine to go with it, followed by vintage port and baked camembert with more French bread and chopped carrots (so I can see in the dark in my after-life).  N.B. I will be eating the crusts of all of my French bread so that I have a curly afro in my next life…” Lizzie Scanlan

The Daily Mail: Sherry is back in fashion and its all Downton the nation’s favorite TV drama, Deborah Arthurs

Once considered the tipple of grandmothers and elderly aunts, sherry is now back in fashion and it’s all thanks to TV drama Downton Abbey. For many years, sherry has been regarded as the preserve of the pensioner, a Christmas aperitif for the older generation or at best a key ingredient in trifle or to spice up a sauce.

Now though, thanks to its starring role in the ITV show, sherry has shaken off its dated image and is emerging as the pre-dinner drink of choice for all ages. Marks and Spencer has reported a 15% rise in sales over the past three months, an increase experts are putting down to the ‘Downton effect’.

 

Evening Standard: Drinks trends for 2013, Richard Godwin

 

Plenty of cocktails have been enjoyed in the last couple of weeks around London but what will we be sipping on in 2013. Richard Godwin a cocktail enthusiast reveals all in the Evening Standard.

• “Disco Drinks”, modern twists taken on classic drinks such as an Almond Pina Colada created by Tony Conigliaro.
• “Kitchen Tables”, with chefs tables being so popular in restaurants the emergence of a similar concept is set to hit the cocktail scene of London with kitchen sized tables where customers can sit alongside barmen sharing and discussing different drinks and spirits.
• “Keeping it Simple”, unfortunately novelty drinks don’t stand the test of time so 2013 will see less fussy drinks on menus.

 

The Daily Mail: Introduce your children to pear-pa pig and banana bear! Supermarket serves fresh fruit in animal shapes to encourage healthy eating, Lucy Waterlow

 

Parents all over the world struggle with the battle to get their children to eat their five-a-day, so an organic supermarket has come to the rescue by working with designers to create fresh fruit that is more appealing and fun to youngsters, Fresh ‘N’ Friends priced at £2 each.

They have created ready-to-eat packs of fruit salad presented in the shape of animals, flowers and tractors all in the hope that the designs will encourage more children to eat healthy snacks instead of sweets and chocolate.

 

And finally…

 

The Daily Mail: Rejoice this Christmas as Roquefort could be good for your heart, Emine Sinmaz

 

When you settle down to the cheese board this Christmas, try not to feel too guilty. It turns out some of the wedges we’ll be spreading over the crackers could actually be good for us. Scientists have found the blue cheese Roquefort, known for its mould and blue-green veins has anti-inflammatory properties which could help guard against cardiovascular disease. The cheese, which is aged in caves in the South of France, could be among the reasons why the French enjoy good health despite a diet high in saturated fat a situation dubbed The French Paradox. A process that occurs as the cheese ripens is good for a healthy gut, helps slow arthritis, and can slow the signs of ageing, such as cellulite, according to Cambridge-based biotech company Lycotec. So perhaps we could ditch the fancy face creams and just tuck into a good plate of cheese and biscuits.

Hazel Henbury and Alexandra Wardall

With ten days to go before Christmas, this week’s Foodie Friday kicks off with a corker story about Champagne prices ranging from a fizzy £10 to an explosive £121,060.50, read on to find out more as well as other interesting food stories

The Evening Standard: The London Cocktail Line, Richard Godwin

 

 

With the festive season in full swing the Evening Standard have created a Tube map Inspired by the recent restaurant map produced by the food blogger Cheese’n’Biscuits (cheese’n'biscuits), to find the most characteristic bars of the capital, from the Sloaney hangouts of the west to the opulent hotels of the centre and the scuzzy speakeasies of the East. Each tube line has been appropriately been renamed to match the boozy theme.;

- Liquorloo Line
- Mentral Line
- Mortal Line
- Pissedrict Line
- Hammered, Sloshed & Squiffy Line
- Cosmopolitan Line
- Naughty Line
- Pickledsilly Line
- Wreckedoria Line

 

The Guardian: The Pielympics, officially the games of the XXX OlymPIEad, or more commonly known the World Pie Eating Championship, Martin Wainwright

Desperate Dan from the comic The Dandy Photography; DC Thompson

This week saw the return of the World Pie Eating Championships hosted at Harry’s Bar in Wigan. Competitors are challenged to eat a very pleasant smelling range of 12cm by 3.5cm pies with a maximum side angle of 15 degrees and at least 66 percent meat content excluding pastry in the shortest amount of time.

The world record is held by Civil Servant Neil Collier, who two year ago did the business is an impressive 29.19 seconds! However like any other great sporting event controversy surrounds this remarkable effort which resulted in “sweepers” having to be employed to check the floors for any sneakily discarded material. There was also a photo-check of the initial heats when Collier was accused of starting to grab his pie before the pie master’s yellow starting stick had fallen.

Some participants are taking inspiration from London’s Olympic Games and have created the “Pie-bot” where they act out holding an invisible pie in two hands in front of their mouths, a craze they’re hoping could sweep the nation like the “Mo-bot”.

 

The Times: Player wins big on the tables but looses on the bubbles, The Times

 

We all like to splash out around Christmas time but Dexter Koh, who owns a public relations company in Shoreditch went a little over board. After a big win on the poker tables Koh decided to spend his wining at Aura Mayfair and racked up a staggering bill of £121,060.50.

 

The Evening Standard: No food poisoning cases recorded but Westminster council presses on with rare burger crackdown, Jonathan Prynn

 

Restaurants offering rare or medium-rare burgers face a grilling after Westminster council decided to crack down on the dishes for safety reasons.  Restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill and Soho house run by Nick Jones might be affected. Westminster safety chiefs were then accused of a “massive overreaction” after admitting there has been no recorded case of food poisoning from eating rare burgers in the West End. The disclosure provoked disbelief in London’s restaurant scene where rare and medium rare burgers have been taken off menus after council inspectors ordered a St James’s wine bar to change the way they cooked them.

And finally…

The Evening Standard: Hard times can’t dampen our appetite for champagne, Andrew Neather

 

Five Christmas party seasons into this recession and our national appetite for champagne remains astonishing. Last year we shipped 34.5 million bottles of the stuff, down only about 11 per cent on the last year of the boom, 2007. It seems the supermarkets are helping us to enjoy the bubbly stuff this Christmas as they engage in price wars. This Christmas you can pick up a bottle of Champagne from leading supermarkets for under £10 however don’t except to find the likes of Veuve Clicquot at this price.

 

Hazel Henbury and Alexandra Wardall

It was the week that saw new twists and extremes in food sustainability and sourcing, and the price for Christmas food reached new dizzying heights.

The Guardian: Squatters are not home stealers, Steve Rose

 

A more positive side to squatting has been seen, after a couple in their twenties moved into an abandoned plant nursery near Heathrow airport and created a small community to grow and sell organic vegetables. They rely on wind turbines and solar panels for energy, and therefore have virtually no carbon footprint. Joe Blake and Reuben Taylor have named the scheme ‘Grow Heathrow’ and also put on workshops for the local community.

 

Daily Mail: Here comes the Christmas veg – and it could get ugly, Paul Sims

 

Supermarkets are to relax standards and sell ‘ugly’ vegetables for the first time after bad weather and flooding left many crops small and misshapen. Stores, including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, are making the change in order to support struggling farmers. It’s a great development in food sustainability and waste issues, as previously farmers have been throwing away up to one fifth of their produce because it didn’t meet supermarket guidelines.

 

 ‘i’: The Only Masterchef in the Village, Samuel Muston

 

 

Swedish chef Daniel Berlin has taken food provenance to new heights, by only using produce that comes from Skane, his childhood hamlet in rural Sweden. The Swedish chef creates an exquisite 12-course tasting menu, and finishes by personally driving people back to their hotel. Berlin, who previously won the San Pellegrino Cooking Cup and is the rumoured heir to Rene Redzepi’s legacy, produces dishes such as steak tartare with smoked beetroot and marrow, and iced goat cream with blackberries and jam.

 

The Daily Mail: The Early Bird Catches the First….Bird, Sean Poulter

 

M&S has announced that for the first time in its history it will be opening storesat 12am on Christmas Eve morning in a bid to lure last minute shoppers. The chain will open over 160 stores across the UK at this early time joining a number of supermarkets who will have been trading around the clock in the build up to Christmas. The decision came after Chancellor George Osborne refused to allow large shops to extend Sunday opening hours on the 23^rd of December, typically the busiest day of the year for food shopping.

 

World’s most expensive Christmas dinner costs £125,000…but would you eat beef heart wrapped in gold, and cat poo coffee? Martha De Lacy

 

 

Turkey, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and a handful of tangerines are on most people’s shopping lists this Christmas. But then chef Ben Spalding of Roganic isn’t most people. On his list this year you’ll find dry ice, caviar, truffles, Wagyu beef heart, gold leaf, a £37,000 bottle of Champagne that pre-dates World War One (served, naturally, in diamond-studded champagne flutes), a limited edition Japanese watermelon costing £2,600 and beans of coffee berries excreted by the Asian Palm Civet cat. Spalding has set himself the task of creating the world’s most expensive Christmas dinner, available for just one group of four for an eye-watering total of £125,000.

 

And finally…

 

The World’s Most Expensive Mince Pie, Alistair Foster

 

Do Mr Kipling’s mince pies no longer quite cut the mustard? Well, The Salt Yard’s Executive Chef Ben Tish has created the country’s most expensive and most luxurious mince pie for charity- coming in at £3, 500. Decadent it may be, but Ben’s ingredients were carefully chosen to make the perfect tasting festive treat. Foie gras replaces the traditional beef suet for richness, whilst rare manuka honey, brandy-soaked goji berries and sherry-soaked mixed fruit add moisture and the necessary boozy touch. White truffle and white truffle essence balance the sweetness. The necessary accompaniment is a dollop of brandy butter, and a rare XIII cognac, that costs £800 a shot no less. For that final festive touch, Ben decorated the finished pie with gold leaf. The mince pie will be part of the mince pie raffle at Taste of Christmas, which opens today at Excel London.

 

Hazel Henbury and Alexandra Wardall

Having stalked @wishbonebrixton’s Twitter feed for several months, we were so keen to feast on the free-range fowl we even braved the scrum of the first Friday night. Scrum it certainly was – the upstairs hadn’t opened yet and we were packed in wing to wing, but service struck just the right balance, and exceptional brandy sours and punchy Czech lagers made the wait for a table pass in a gentle alcoholic haze. A soundtrack of 90s hip hop added a certain something to the occasion too.

We had Korean fried wings which were herb fragrant down to the bone, zingy juicy Thai style-thighs with shallots and mint, and Buffalo wings which were delicious, but could have been hotter, though that is personal of course. A ‘hot mess’ of fries, cheese, pickle strips and jalapeno slices is also recommended if you think two millimetres of chilli oil left at the bottom is the mark of a good dish (and I do).  I will be going back for the ‘salt and pepa’ thighs, deep-fried mac and cheese, and classic fried chicken.

Of course the place was still finding its feet. You can’t visit a restaurant two days in and complain that they don’t have everything on the menu, or that staff are still wrangling with the till system. What we ate and drank was largely brilliant, the staff are clearly experienced. Within a short space of time, the operation will be as slick as the design, and Wishbone will have assumed its place on the vibrant and brilliant value scene at Brixton Market.

@wishbonebrixton

Wishbonebrixton.co.uk

Supper last week was a piscatorial delight.  It had started to rain and the dark, wet streets around Oxford Circus were stuffed with scurrying bodies all with heads down, marching forwards to get under cover. So it was with a huge sigh of relief that I escaped the throng and stepped inside the tiny white clap board clad shack that is Bonnie Gull

Born from a pop-up seafood shack in Hackney last year and with the successes of further projects (The Bonnie & Wild and the Bonnie-on-Sky) under their belts the folks there have decided to take things up a step and open up a full-time permanent restaurant on Foley Street, just off Great Titchfield Street.

The menu is simple and sweet. Two large suitcases brimming with glistening crustacea sit behind the bar, reminiscent of chests of Pirates treasure. We duly sampled the oysters, Isle of Lewis mussels with Aspell cider, creme fraiche and bacon (so good I was drinking the glorious liquor from the enamel pot after all the mussels had gone), Beer battered North Sea haddock chips, mushy peas and onion rings and special mention should be made of the Bonnie Mary – locally infused vodka, roasted clamato juice and served with an oyster. Super cute and very delicious – much like the restaurant itself!

By Laura Tovell

www.bonniegull.com

21A Foley Street
London
W1W 6DS
Book a Table: reservations@bonniegull.com

 

London’s love of the ultimate fast food brings Scandinavian legend to town

It really does amaze me, as I write my first blog post in my new position at Sauce Communications, that the people in London are still absolutely mad about burgers!  And I use the term ‘absolutely mad’ in the best possible taste, as it probably was never considered a trend that would set the London food scene alight.

We’ve had burger vans turned restaurants, major chains rising from modest beginnings in a very short time, and even world renowned Michelin starred chefs making room on their menu for minced meat in a bun.  Next on the list for London burger fans is the legendary Tomas Tómasson, who boasts an impressive career as restaurateur, burger eater and globe trotter with his Burger Joint in Marylebone.  While only being open for a few days, the social media buzz for Tommi and his take on the burger has already turned a few heads!

Walking into Tommi’s joint transported me back into my childhood tree hut (the one that I always imagined), with hand written signs coloured in with “felt tips” and James Bond posters on the walls as an ode to the person ‘I wanted to be when I grow up.’

Before ordering, eyes are drawn to the huge framed picture of a grey-bearded man, which turns out to be the man himself, Tommi.  With facial hair that thick I’m sure a few drops of tomato ketchup or mustard have found themselves lodged once or twice over the past few years.  Ordering from the menu is easy, and what I really find pleasing is that this place isn’t trying to be a burger joint disguised as a restaurant, it’s proud to be a burger joint! A burger joint that doesn’t need to disguise itself as anything else.

So to the main event: the burger.  I went for the standard cheese burger with chips, and when it arrived, wrapped in paper with a side of chips, together as one in its 50s diner-style wooden basket, it certainly didn’t disappoint:  easily unwrapped, perfectly sized for even the most modest of hand spans and the full force of the flavour you would expect from a gas-grilled beef burger, with well-matched burger accompaniments of lettuce, onions, tomato and a special house cocktail sauce.

What really is apparent when tucking into one of Tommi’s Burgers is the dedication to select great quality meat, which is tender, juicy and full of flavour; everything you would want form a top-quality burger.  At under £10 for a burger, fries and a drink, I reckon this will prove to be a popular place for the London burger craze to continue.  One thing’s for sure, I will be back very soon to try the steak burger with cheese and béarnaise sauce, and hopefully fit in a board game or two while I am at it.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TommisBurgerJoint

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BurgerJointUk

By Ryan Bartley

 

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This is a quick round up of some of the mind bogglingly brilliant places my two sisters and I ate and drank at in New York earlier this month…

PDT

PDT is the hot-dog joint for grown-ups.  Accessed through a vintage phone booth within Crif Dogs, a fast food joint known for its deep-fried frankfurters, PDT (aka Please Don’t Tell) is a lot of fun.  Don’t be thwarted by the obstacles to getting inside: the tiny space, rules of beahviour, the fact the earliest you can make a reservation is 3pm on the same day, not to mention then actually finding the booth hidden inside a hot dog joint, just think of it as a grown up’s equivalent of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and you magically appear the other side and into the perfect little speakeasy.  It just works.  The staff were lovely and the cocktails were smashing.  Mixologist Jim Meehan (formerly of Gramercy Tavern and Pegu Club) clearly knows his stuff and likes to whip up unusual seasonal concoctions such as an Old Fashioned made from bacon infused bourbon and maple syrup. It’s a fun spot just make sure you leave time to eat at Momofuku Ssam Bar nearby afterwards…

PDT113 St.

Mark’s Pl. , New York, NY 10009
nr. First Ave.

The Breslin Bar and Dining Room

We enjoyed a stonkingly good dinner at April Bloomfield’s latest gastro-grub outlet, The Breslin, an English style pub from the forces behind popular West Village gastropub The Spotted Pig and housed within The Ace Hotel which opened late last year on West 29^th  St.  The staff wear t shirts and tattoos, the booths are dark and leathery, the tables covered in butcher paper.  There’s plenty to drink (a seven page wine list) but it’s the meat which meat is the main event here.   The protein heavy menu includes heart stoppingly unctuous terrines, crispy sweetbreads, ham, pig’s foot and steak.  We snacked on curly salty fried pork scratching served in little paper bags, then a Scotch Egg, followed by a small but perfectly formed intensely flavoured beef and stilton pie and the hit char-grilled lamb burger served with tangy feta and sweet potato triple fried chips and a pot of cumin spiked mayonnaise ($17). We failed to make room for puddings and judging by a quick snoop at some of our neighbouring tables this was an error.  Next time…

The Breslin Bar and Dining Room
Ace Hotel
20 W. 29th St.
New York, NY 10001

Momofuku’s Ssam Bar

For our last night in New York we opted for David Chang’s insanely popular Momofuku ssäm bar (“lucky peach” in Japanese), I was practically drooling with excitement having heard nothing but great things from the likes of Rene Redzepi and Heston Blumenthal (it’s #37 on the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best list if you’re counting). The bar is casual and the food inventive: here Chang fuses Korean, Southern and Soul cooking with extraordinary results, his flavours really pack a punch.  You can’t book but we were lucky enough to nab a table by the kitchen, the room was throbbing with hungry chattering New Yorkers. The constantly changing menus display a familiar fondness for pork (“We do not serve vegetarian-friendly items,” says the menu at Momofuku Ssäm Bar) the menus revolve around country hams, raw bar items and “off cuts”. From Monday – Friday the ssäm bar serves an all-rotisserie duck menu for lunch.  Small dishes average about $10 and bigger dishes $12-26. The bar next door, Booker and Dax is open late but let’s face it, it’s all about the food. We had:

We had:

naked cowgirl oysters – ham powder, lime, satsuma
spanish mackerel – black garlic, strawberry, lime
steamed buns – pork belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions
bbq bun – crispy pork belly, coleslaw, smoked mayo
chili soft shell crab – avocado, tomatillo, mole
poached chicken – sticky rice, maitake mushrooms, spring onion
spicy pork sausage & rice cakes – chinese broccoli, sichuan peppercorn
tri-star stawberry sorbet – celery root, ritz crunch

Reservations are only accepted for the bo ssäm pork shoulder (serves 6-10 people) and the whole-rotisserie duck (serves 3-6 people)

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 second ave @ 13th street
New york city
http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/ssam-bar/

By Laura Tovell

One could be forgiven for not noticing La Bodega Negra at the end of Old Compton Street. Disguised as a sex shop from the outside, I am sure it has resulted in quite a bit of confusion for unassuming diners. Dimly lit with edgy decor, the cushioned bonkets made for a welcome and comfortable change from Soho’s recent influx of new on-trend restaurants. The underground restaurant is deceptively large with seating areas hidden around corners and in nooks and crannies so the likes of Keira and Kylie can enjoy their tacos away from prying eyes.

We decided to kick off with some refreshing mojitos and guacamole with sesame tostadas before moving onto a selection of starters and mains to share. The crab tostadita was a delicious mound of meaty crab with mango and lime, contrasting the crunchy tortilla and making for a satisfying starter when paired with chorizo tacos which packed a serious punch with plenty of chorizo, squash and sweetcorn. The white bean and chorizo side was moorish but a tad runny. However, it complimented our seafood and rice main which had plenty clams, mussels and prawns; a Mexican paella if you will. I imagine the white bean side would have mixed in nicely with the green rice to make a substantial and tasty main. Our potatoes with mole negro sauce came as an un-ordered extra but turned out to be the star of the show with a rich chilli, chocolatey sauce and crispy potato wedges to dunk. With churros off the menu, we decided to bypass pudding and go for another classic mojito to cleanse the palate and round off our Latin American feast.

With the buzzing atmosphere and friendly knowledgeable service at La Bodega Negra, this new underground restaurant is sure to be a hit with the Soho crowd.

www.labodeganegra.com

Laura Urquhart
Food and Restaurant PR

 

After a rather entertaining Friday night in Clapham a month ago, a friend and I felt the need for a hearty pub lunch.  We chose to walk the taxing 200-metre journey from where we were staying to The Railway Tavern (18 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UR).

There are tables outside, perfect for people-watching when the sun is out but on this stereotypically rainy, British day we opted for the warmer option.  Inside has a very quirky, art deco look, which I love.  There is a vintage feel about the furniture with many mismatched retro/antique-looking tables and chairs both downstairs and upstairs.  From my first experience here I have decided that it is, in my mind, the ultimate place to eat out for a relaxed weekend brunch.  They serve great gastro pub grub at extremely good prices and as an added bonus they have board games aplenty – perfect for an afternoon of recreating childhood memories with your friends.  To eat, I had a delicious meal of Gloucester Old Spot sausages,  mash made of cabbage and potato mixed together and a  red wine gravy.  WOW!  I can honestly say that it was definitely the tastiest sausage & mash that I have ever had.  I have to get my hands on some of those Old Spots!

I returned to The Railway this weekend (Sunday 6^th May) but unfortunately my favourite S&M dish was nowhere to be seen on the menu. I have since discovered that this was because we were looking just at the Sunday Menu, so I need to return on another day of the week to enjoy my new foodie obsession of Gloucester Old Spot sausages.  On this second visit, to replenish my body after a big 1940s themed night at the Blitz Party in Shoreditch, I chose their gourmet burger.  It was giant;  one of those that needed a thick wooden cocktail stick to keep it all together.  Crispy streaky bacon, lettuce, mayo, a slice of chunky beef , oozing cheddar cheese and a crispy white bap made up this gem of a burger.  It went down a treat and was only £9.75!

This time we made the most of the board games on offer and so our food was accompanied by an epic game of Cranium.  One table next to us braved The Game of Life with a bit of Scrabble on the side; they were either Railway Tavern veterans or maybe just a tad over ambitious.  Nevertheless, it seems that good pub food with board games on the side is a popular combination.

So, if you are looking for somewhere to go for brunch the morning after an eventful night out then The Railway Tavern near Clapham North station is the place to go. I have two visits under my belt and have loved them both but my relationship with this place, and in particular the Gloucester Old Spot sausages, has only just begun…

www.therailwayclapham.co.uk

By Lizzie Scanlan
Restaurant PR

What an evening!  As a Fortnum’s first-timer, aware of its astounding reputation, I was expecting big things at the launch of the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on Thursday 26^th April; and Fortnum’s did not disappoint.  The elegance of the David Collins Studio interior design combined with the classic Fortnum & Mason pale blue was a beautiful sight.  Guests were flocking in even before the event’s official start time – obviously eager to sample some of Fortnum’s delicious Battenberg cake, macaroons and chocolate Sacher cake accompanied with a gorgeous, old fashioned glass of champagne.  The exquisite playing of the pianist enhanced the atmosphere with classical favourites from Einaudi, Hans Zimmer and even Coldplay – there was something for everyone.

Whilst on a wander around the room I noticed a table of guests being educated and entertained by one of the Fortnum’s tearistas who had a tray of various flavoured tea leaves with him and was expertly pouring tea for the entranced onlookers to sample.  I myself was mesmerised and stopped my room-amble to watch the spectacle.  When he had satisfied the table with his tea knowledge and brewing skills, he received a well deserved round of applause, in which I was quick to join.

The evening seemed to whizz by and even when it was almost 8 o’clock the guests didn’t seem to want to leave.  Would Fortnum’s offer an all night lock-in I wondered?!  People did start to leave fairly soon after this thought entered my mind though and when they were leaving they couldn’t stop praising the event.  When I asked one man what he thought of the evening he commented that he hadn’t had a nice evening, he had had a fantastic one!  All 350 guests received a gorgeous Fortnum’s goodie bag on their way out with some jam and loose tea included and, as you would imagine, these went down a treat.

As my first Fortnum and Mason’s experience it was everything I hoped it would be and more.  I can’t wait to take some of my visiting Australian friends in order to showcase a store that, since the early 18^th century, has been one of a few London-based department stores to epitomise British culture.

By Lizzie Scanlan

Restaurant PR

 

….take place in less than two hours. Will NOMA hold its place or will Spain’s Mugaritz or El Cellar de can Roca topple the Danish crown? Watch this space….

This bread is ridiculously easy to make and comes from the lovely people at my favourite bakery and chocolate shop: Cocomaya. It requires no more effort than simply mixing together copious amounts of uber healthy seeds, some wholemeal flour, buttermilk, honey and whacking in the oven. You can then have it simply toasted and buttered or jazzed up with some sumac cream cheese and smoked salmon…

For the loaf: Makes one 18cm seeded loaf

55g whole meal flour

55g white bread flour

5g baking powder

5g salt

35g oat flakes

20g sesame seeds

20g poppy seeds

20g sunflower seeds

20g linseeds

170g buttermilk

15g sunflower oil

50g golden syrup

 

Handful of extra seeds for the top

 

To finish:

75g smoked salmon

6 slices seeded loaf

Sumac cream cheese

 

For the sumac cream cheese:

200g cream cheese

3tbsp double cream

1tsp ground sumac powder

1/2tsp mint chopped

2tsp red onion finely diced

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4tsp salt

For the seeded loaf:

Pre heat the oven to 180 C, 160 C for a fan assisted oven, gas mark 4.  Spray and line the long sides and the bottom of an 18cm loaf tin with silicone baking paper.   In a large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, salt, oat flakes and all the seeds In a different owl mix together all the wet ingredients.  Make a well in the centre if the flour and pour in the wet ingredients, mixing quickly with a large fork to form a soft dough.   Pour the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle with some seeds.   Bake for 60minutes in the pre-heated oven until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf.   Remove from the oven and let cool for a while before unmoulding.  Leave to cool completely before slicing

For the sumac cream cheese: In a mixing bowl soften the cream cheese with the double cream to a more spreadable consistency.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Check for seasoning, you might need some more salt and lemon juice

To Finish: Lay the slices of seeded bread on your chopping board and spread a layer of sumac cheese on each slice.  Divide the smoked salmon between three slices and cover with the remaining slices of bread. Then eat heartily….

Laura Tovell

Food and Restaurant PR

Just before Easter, some of us were lucky enough to have a caipirinha masterclass from Rio born Brasil enthusiast David Ponté from CABANA.  Deadly but delicious, David proved that an authentic Brasilian caipirinha can be made in under three minutes.

Ingredients:
1 lime
2 tsp granulated sugar
A handful of ice cubes
Cachaça Rum (conveniently sold at Waitrose)

 

1. Cut one lime into quarters and put in a tumbler with 2 tsps granulated sugar. Using a small rolling pin (or similar utensil) squeeze as much juice out of the lime as possible.  
2. Bash a few ice cubes into medium sized pieces, not too small, and add.
3. Top up to the brim with cachaça, stir, and enjoy

 

Tip: David says the secret to a good caipirinha is in the ice, try not to crush into too smaller pieces or it will melt too quickly. Drink without a straw.
www.cabana-brasil.com

By Laura Urquhart

I recently visited Trullo (300 – 302 St Paul’s Road, London N1 2LH) which is located just by Highbury and Islington station. It opened last year and serves Italian food. The head chef is Tim Siadatan who trained at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen.

I went on a Saturday lunch time and the restaurant had a really nice buzz, it wasn’t too packed. The clientele was quite young – 30 somethings and it seemed to be a local crowd. The room was very pleasant – wooden floors and navy blue furniture and walls. It was a nice sunny day so even though it’s quite a small restaurant, it felt airy and spacious. They have a mezzanine which is where we sat, but they also have nice tables along the front window – good for people watching. The waitresses were quite young and trendy, and were really nice and helpful. Our waitress talked us through the dishes and seemed to have a really good knowledge of the menu.

I ordered butternut squash fritters which were delicious, but maybe a little too oily after you’ve eaten a few. My guest had spaghetti with a lemon and pepper sauce which was really good. For main, we both had roast lamb which came with sautéed aubergine and was delicious! The lamb was cooked really nicely. We were super greedy and ordered three desserts to share as we both wanted to try their salted caramel ice cream which was amazing! We also had caramel pannacotta and chocolate and quince tart – both were fantastic and the dessert was definitely my favourite course. Price wise it’s quite reasonable for a smart restaurant – starters are around £7, mains £16 and desserts only £5. Definitely worth a visit!

By Syamala Upham

 

 

On a little island of quietness situated between the Friday night hub of Regent Street and Golden Square sits So Japanese. Its fringe Soho location marries well with the understated feeling of quality and calm as you walk in, greeted by several smiling faces waiting to serve you.

There is seating for 35-40 in addition to the sushi bar on the ground floor and further tables downstairs. We were offered some crunchy pickled cucumber to assist with our pondering of the drinks menu, I chose a slightly underpowered Lychee Martini whilst my guest ended up with a gin, melon and lemonade concoction which looked as though it had been syphened straight from a tube in Wonkas factory but was not offensive.

Edamame beans were presented with plenty of salt and the fried tofu was delicious. The aubergine was good enough for us to order a second plate as soon as my guest misunderstood my request to share the last fifth of our original order. According to my guest the tuna Tataki was sensational. Five little melt in the mouth squares of tuna seared around the edge, beautifully soft and flavoursome.

Giles Coren has been known to eat at the bar for lunch on more than one occasion and it is easy to see why. The sushi was well put together and beautifully plump and fresh.

So Japanese is worthy of more than a fleeting lunchtime visit. The staff move at less than a quick pace but at the same time the food is delivered well before you’d begin to wonder at what stage the preparations may be. Fairly priced, a fantastic little find and seemingly much more staying power than the various frantic alternatives in the south westerly corner of Soho.

By Natalie Dunbar

Jose, the first of Jose Pizarro’s two Bermondsey restaurants, opened in May 2011 and is yet another small, no bookings place (groan). Since that is where so much of the exciting, best value food is to be had at the mo, I sighed and sucked it up. Or rather, I found a sneaky way to get round it, by going at midday on a Sunday – we were the first ones in the door. 40 minutes later it was full with a queue…

The venue itself is perfectly pitched to the after work, often creative crowd  in the area: pretty pared down, only bar/counter/stool-based seating with some barrels serving as occasional tables. The lack of comfy seating doesn’t encourage lingering, which I suppose is fair enough given that it’s tapas,  but given the quality of the cooking itself, some might prefer a cosier atmosphere in which to enjoy it. Having said that, service was very attentive, meaning that dishes were served in succession and potential plate pile-ups were avoided.

Now for the food. Moreish, indulgent plates ranged from elegant to in your face (in the best way possible). Braised lamb shoulder with white beans was gutsy and warming on a freezing day, ham and blue cheese croquetas melty and salty and well-balanced, charred squid with chilli, aioli and capers a punchy standout dish I would go back for again and again. Tortilla was squidgy perfection and an unusual chocolate tart finished with salt and olive oil rounded things off nicely.

Dishes are very well priced, and entry level wines and sherries by the glass equally affordable. Our bill came to about 70 for two, but that included a greedy seven or eight dishes and several sherries, you wouldn’t need to spend anything like that to eat and drink well.  As for the ultimate test of whether I would spend my own money there? For sure. Another raging success story for Jose… but then you knew that, didn’t you?

by Jenny Goss