Eat Well? Indeed I Did!

As a food critic, I'm probably not supposed to have favourites. I should be forever impartial, bestowing equal love on every cuisine, my palate an eternal home for taste in all its forms.

So here's my confession: I'm a sucker for a good Chinese! And my favourite one in north west London is the Eat Well in Eastcote. If you don't mind travelling out to zone 5, I think you'll find it well worth the trip.

One of the main reasons I love it there is because, for a set price, they will bring you exactly what you want - again and again. So it's an all-you-can-eat but there's no buffet; no food congealing under the heater while other people stick their noses in it. You get a menu and you choose what you want and they bring it - promptly and with a smile. And if you want it again, you order it again - at no extra cost.

Ooh La La Du Du!

Com Tam

La Du Du in north west London is a Vietnamese restaurant clearly proud of its roots. The menu informed me that La Du Du means papaya leaf in Vietnamese. And did you know, proclaims a sign on the wall, that Vietnam is the second largest exporter of coffee in the world? Frankly, I didn't - and I'm not sure I needed to but hey ho!

We chose a range of starters: the cha gio (or spring rolls) were deep fried, stuffed with crispy pork, prawns and lettuce. Quite delicious but a smidgeon too oily; I actually wiped mine on a napkin before eating - and it left a massive smear. The muc don thit - stuffed baby calamari - were less familiar but much more tasty, plump with filling that spilled generously when you cut into it. Finallly, to refresh the palate, our final sharing starter was summer rolls (goi cuon) - rice paper wraps enfolding pork, prawns, vermicelli, cucumber, lettuce, coriander and mint. These were light and genuinely reminiscent of summer, setting a high standard for the main course to follow.
From the wide range of entrees, my companion opted for the com tam - pan fried marinated pork chops served with shredded pork skin with roasted rice powder, steamed crabmeat cake with a fried egg on top. Oh and don't forget the mountain of rice that accompanied the dish. And yes it was as mountainous as it sounds. My companion actually considered asking for a doggy bag! While the pork was lovely and tender, the shredded pork skin was disturbingly gelatinous and floppy and we just didn't like it. The crab cake was a real treat though - meaty and fresh and beautifully seasoned. I had the com da ga gion - twice cooked marinated crispy skin chicken with tomato rice. Although this was a bit more usual shall we say, the portion was equally garguantuan and I only ate about half of it, which was a shame as it was delicious - like the best roast chicken you've ever had at a family dinner on a Friday night.

By this point, we were so stuffed that we couldn't even contemplate dessert but we agreed that La Du Du would be a great first date venue as the food provided enough talking points to keep even the most nervous suitor articulate, while the prices were reasonable and the restaurant itself sophisticated enough without being too formal.

Learn more or make a reservation via www.ladudu.com

Oh to be in England...

Oh to be in England, now that summer's here! And what could be more English than to sit in the sunshine of the gardens of one's country pile and enjoy a light meal.

Failing that, what could be better than sitting in the gardens of someone else's beautifully landscaped former home (now a hotel and restaurant) and do the same!

Goat's cheese salad

The Grim's Dyke Hotel in north west London has a fabulous history: it was the home of Sir William Gilbert (the Gilbert from Gilbert & Sullivan) until his untimely death trying to save someone else from drowning in the lake. Following this, the property won awards for its gardens, was a sanitorium and hospital, the site of secret World War II projects, became a film set for Hammer horror films, and the location for many well known TV shows up to the present. In 1996 it underwent a £3 million restoration and refurbishment under the supervision of English Heritage to create the delightful hotel and restaurant it is today. To sum it up, it's the venue little girls' wedding dreams are made of.

Summer Pudding

As you can see, when I visited, the day was absolutely glorious so my companion and I sat outside and opted for the lighter bar menu, although there is an accomplished restaurant on site as well. We shared the appetising but unattractive Thai fish cakes that were slightly spongy and generic, if I'm honest. Far better was the hunk of warm goat's cheese with tangy red onion relish that had been prepared to order on site. I would recommend the chef sticks with savoury dishes that he makes himself as the skill level is definitely there! This was rich, gooey, sweet and sharp all at once.

Cream Tea

Afterwards, I chose the summer pudding, which was beautifully juicy, stuffed full of strawberries, blueberries, redcurrants, raspberries, cranberries and pomegranate seeds. It was summer pudding, Jim, but not as we know it! I've never had one so rich and generous yet at the same time light and summery. It must rate among my top ten desserts ever.

My companion had the homemade scones with cream and jam. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, these scones had clearly benefitted from a great deal of TLC from an expert hand.

If you're at a loose end one afternoon on a lovely warm day and you fancy some reasonably priced posh nosh (the Summer Pudding was only £6.00, and the Goat's Cheese Salad was £9.50) in a beautiful, tranquil environment (which FYI has free wifi!) the Grim's Dyke Hotel is for you. It is truly a place that summer was made for.

For more information on the Grim's Dyke Hotel, visit http://www.grimsdyke.com/

What's in an egg?

I love food. I especially love food that other people have prepared for me. Ergo, I eat out. A lot. And I write about it. But I don't want you to think that it's all about dining out. Oh no. Sometimes it's about seeing what's in the fridge and using it up before it expires. (Oh come on - we've all been there!)
The humble egg can be used to create so many dishes: think of flaky pastries, airy souffles and crunchy meringues. From the ostrich to the duck to the quail, there's an egg for everyone. And I wanted to take it back to basics. Sometimes you just feel like scrambled egg without smoked salmon, or poached egg without hollandaise...

Now imagine an omelette. The best omelette you could possibly conceive. Oh look - there it is!

And here's how to do it:

Whisk two eggs. Pour slowly into a pre-heated frying pan, ensuring even distribution on the bottom of the pan. Cook on a low light. Depending on your taste, add breaded ham, sliced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, green olives, cheese, salt, pepper and Italian herbs. When the egg is cooked through, fold over and serve.

Easy! And it only takes ten minutes! (I can almost hear Homer Simpson complaining "Ten minutes? But I want it now!).

Haute cuisine it's not. It's not even pub grub. But it's quick and easy home cooking of the highest order. I dare you not to like it!

My other favourite use for egg: egg soup (think Chinese restaurant) - so easy to make at home and so yummy!

Using chicken stock to make a soup (ideally fresh but frankly any will do), add finely chopped spring onions  and heat over a low light. Whisk an egg. Just before the soup boils, slowly pour in the egg, stopping frequently, while stirring the soup so the egg cooks on impact, and makes a beautiful swirly pattern and tastes fluffy and delicious. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lots of people add noodles, chicken, prawns, beef, onions, sweetcorn and all kinds of things. The secret is in the pouring of the egg - you can't be too heavy handed and dump it all in as a big blob (that would be an unattractive poached egg) and you must make sure to stir the soup so you can thing strands of egg.

This is also an incredibly easy, quick dish to make but it looks and tastes great!

Perfect for a Summer's Evening: A Taste of Italy in Hatch End

Sea bass

With the improved weather, I was recently looking for somewhere in north west London where I could sit outside and enjoy good food in the sunshine.
Hatch End is a small quiet town (if it's even big enough to be called a town) with a high street that features more restaurants than anything else. I think I counted eight Italian restaurants alone! With so much local competition, my companions and I thought that the quality must be high.
 

Prawn cocktail

Established in 1982, Fellini prides itself on a friendly, family ambience and, sitting under the awning, protected from the sun but enjoying the warmth it provided, this was very much in evidence as we were encouraged to take our time to choose from the extensive menu. While making up our minds we were offered some complimentary crudites (moist olives, cucumber and carrot with a refreshing dip) and fluffy, fresh bread, which went down very well.

Frogs' legs

For our meal "proper" we chose a range of starters, from the traditional to the unusual.

On the less adventurous side, the prawn cocktail was fresh with a tangy Marie Rose sauce that was unapologetically synonymous with the 1970's. Similarly, salty parma ham set off the accompanying sweetness of honeydew melon with a perfect familiarity that let us relax into our meal, like a comfy old jumper, knowing that everything was going to be alright.

Roast duck

On the other end of the spectrum, one of my companions tried frogs' legs for the first time. I know what you're thinking - frogs' legs? In an Italian restaurant? But, in a tomato sauce, they are also a delicacy in the northern Italian Piedmont region as well as in Tuscany. With a fishy texture and tasting like chicken, the frogs' legs dish was made sweet by the almonds and fresh cherry tomatoes in the creamy sauce. As you might be able to see in the top left of the photo, the one slightly off-putting thing was the pair of legs looking like they had just jumped into the sauce...
Next up, our amiable servers brought us another range of dishes. On the high comfort level side this time, we had old favourite spaghetti bolognese. Piping hot, laced with hunks of beef, the flavour was subtle but strong. It had clearly been cooked to order - no less, frankly, than I would expect for such a staple, and the pasta was perfectly al dente.

Confettura della nonna

Not impressed? Well, haven't we all made spag bol at home! How about grilled sea bass with fennel seeds and balsamic vinegar? The fish was fresh and meaty and slightly translucent, with a sweetness from the balsamic drizzle and a wafer-thin crunch of skin (see top photo). Or what about crispy roast duck with sticky sweet cherry sauce? The only critiques would be that there was a supplement for the duck and, as you can see, the portions were generous. Perhaps the cost could be lower if a little less food was served... In addition, we felt that the salad that accompanied the food was a little superfluous as there was just so much already, none of us touched it.

Selva nera

As we sat outside, letting our food go down and drinking our wine, we pored over the extensive dessert menu. Finally, starting to feel a little chilly and overwhelmed by the amount of choice, we relocated inside and looked at the gelato station and other desserts on offer. This is a great feature because, athough there were pictures on the dessert menu, we all changed our minds after seeing the desserts in the flesh, as it were.

Frutti di bosca

I had an adorably presented confettura della nonna or creamy fruits of the forest frozen yoghurt while my companions opted for something a little more substantial! One of them chose the frutti di bosco - a light sponge smothered in tart fruit accompanied by slightly whipped cream. For an extra 50p, we added a densely cocoa'ed scoop of chocolate ice cream (well for 50p, why not!?) - imagine freezing a cup of cocoa - it was that kind of intensity. My other companion opted for a hunk of selva nera (think black forest gateau) filled with cherries and chocolate cream, adding a scoop of mint choc chip ice cream. The peppermint freshness was a delight after a long indulgent meal, especially as it didn't include uniform choc chips - some were shavings some were chunks, so it was great fun to eat with every spoonful different.

We had a wonderful summer evening at Fellini: the place looks great, the food is even better and the service was warm. With the outdoor seating, this is my summer find and I cannot recommend it enough.

Fellini http://www.felliniacaffe.co.uk/

Belgo's: A Taste of Belgium in London

I recently went to Belgo's Centraal in Holborn for the first time. I had no real preconceptions about what Belgian food would be like but I suspected it would be quite dull. France occupies the fine dining arena; Germany is known as the down-to-earth beer and sausage expert; so what space is there for Belgium? Isn't it just the culinary poor cousin?

Actually, no! From the moment I descended into the basement restaurant area, atmospherically decked out as a deutsche Bierhalle, I had a good feeling.

A kilo of mussels

The house speciality is mussels, available with a variety of sauces from the traditional white wine, celery, garlic and onion to the unusual Thai (lemongrass, chilli, ginger, Kaffir lime, coconut and coriander) and familiar and earthy Provencale with rich tomato, herb and garlic.

My companion had not had mussels before and was unsure whether to take the plunge; after all, they come by the kilo so you have to be quite dedicated to even make a dent in the portions.

With a menu including rib-eye steak, duck breast and crisp pork belly, she wasn't worried about finding something she'd like, but was also keen to get the full experience.

Belgian waffle with chocolate sauce

Our server (who incidentally, like his colleagues, was dressed as a Belgian monk - very random!) could not have been more helpful: after we told him our dilemna, without hesitation, he brought out a small dish of mussels for my companion to try before she made her decision. She plumped for the mussels in classic sauce (the traditional sauce with added cream) - need I say more?

What could we do next but follow our mussels with a warm Belgian waffle smothered in ice cream and chocolate sauce! Deliciously stodgy and rich, with a much-needed lightness from the vanilla ice cream, this dish effortlessly combined hot and cold.

Ninkeberry beer

The other thing about Belgo's that I want to mention is the unbelievable range of Belgian beer on offer. We had great fun sampling and sharing a wide variety of beers - possibly too many! With a choice of white, blonde, dark and amber beers, among others, my recommendation would be to take advantage of the more unusual beers available: have you ever tried chocolate flavoured beer? What about honey, or raspberry? Or - my favourite - ninkeberry, which we later learned was passionfruit?

Whatever you like to eat or drink - in this convivial atmosphere with friendly service - I guarantee you will have a great time.

A Jamaican/Nigerian Celebration

OK so it's not haute cuisine, and I didn't make it myself. But as I imagine most people have limited exposure to West African and Caribbean food, I figured the unusual and exotic nature of it might generate some curiosity.

I recently went to the wedding of a Nigerian/Jamaican couple. With over 200 of their extended family present, many of whom had travelled from the Caribbean and Africa, the event was by turns joyous, serious and humorous. But what did we eat? I hear you cry. The short answer is - a lot of food! Always a good start!

Although I live in London, righfully proud of being one of the cosmpolitan, multi-cultural capitals of the world, I have not eaten a lot of this kind of food so I was determined to try a bit of everthing.

From spicy curry goat (which was ever so slightly tough and chewy but instantly forgiven as it's also very tasty), I moved to caramelised, squishy sweet fried plaintain. Can you tell I adore plaintain?!

There were also two types of rice, which is typically fairly bland in the UK - but not here!
The traditional starchy, well-seasoned Jamaican rice and peas (despite the name, I've only ever seen it as rice and kidney beans although apparentlly the dish refers to any combination of rice and legume - anyone who knows why it's always called rice and peas regardless, please let me know!) was the more familiar. (see picture below)

However, I opted for the less well-known Nigerian Jollof rice (see picture above), which I am reliably informed was appropriated from neighboroughing Ghana (although are African national boundaries just a Western construct? A conversation for another time in another place...), and is also known as benachin, meaning "one pot" in the Wolof language. It is now a popular dish in many parts of West Africa, spread by the members of the Wolof ethnic group.

There are many variations of Jollof rice. The most common basic ingredients are rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt, and red pepper. It is cooked by using oil to fry finely-chopped onions, tomatoes and ground pepper, combining with stock and cooking the rice in the stock so it becomes plump and flavoursome. The rice takes on a characteristic orange colour from the mixture.

There was also a choice of chicken: falling-off-the-bone chicken stew,made with thyme, garlic, pimento, scotch bonnet pepper and chicken stock or blackened Jamaican jerk chicken. Neither really need any further description except to say that the jerk had me reaching for my water glass! Almost tipped the balance from pleasantly tingly sensation into I-think-I've-just-killed-my-tastebuds - but not quite! I loved it!

There was also a Jamaica vs. Nigeria battle of the fish. Faced with a choice between Nigerian fish stew (fish seasoned with herbs and cooked with peppers, chilli, onions and tomatoes) or Jamaican Run Down (a mild fish curry cooked with herbs, spices and simmered in coconut milk), of course I had to try them both! I couldn't tell the type of fish used, except to say I suspect it was a white fish of more local origin, the sweet, delicate coconut milk won the day for me.

Overall verdict: spicy, sweet, robust. It's not fine dining, but it was a solid, satisfying and healthy meal and I can't wait to try it again.

Taste of London - To The End...

After attending this event for the first time ever on Thursday, it says a lot that I returned again on Sunday, the last day, happily humming Food! Glorious Food! under my breath as I squelched through the mud of Regents Park in London.

Could the last day possibly live up to the first (see blog post below)? In a word, yes.


Stuffed courgette flower (Opera Tavern)

A few days ago, I was intent on sampling as many Michelin starred dishes as possible; the event is so big that I just hadn't been able to try everything I wanted. This time, I determined to explore more of the event.

I sat in on a couple of cookery demonstrations and learned some interesting factoids; for example, did you know that the wok was introduced to Thailand from China, or that chilli is not native to Thai cuisine but was introduced by Portguese settlers around 450 years ago? (Thank you Blue Elephant for that information)


Snail croquettes (The Savoy)

Or what about the fact that the best wasabi is grated on shark skin and that if wasabi is bright green, it's poor quality and made mostly of raddish and food colouring? (Thank you Wabi team for those insights)

But back to the food: I was thrilled to find Opera Tavern as I'd wanted to eat their courgette flower stuffed with warm goat's cheese and drizzled with honey earlier in the week, but hadn't had time. And what a stunning dish! The courgette stalk straggled the gap between between al dente and soft with ease and the flower oozed with salty goat's cheese, brought back into balance by the fine clear honey. A dish that was at the same time a starter and a dessert, and yet neither, I cannot place it but I cannot fault it for that; some flavour combination defy definition, and need to be accepted as such.  


Steak (Gaucho)

However, today, the Savoy River Restaurant really shone for me. The crisp-coated snail croquettes oozing with parsley sauce were rich and indulgent and have made me an unswayable fan. Snails are never straight-forward: if they are not well prepared, they can be gritty; and if they are not well cooked, they can be tough and bouncy. These were as perfect as I have ever tasted, and I used to live in France, the snail capital of the culinary world.

Lindt chocolatier

Although this was my dish of the day, for a solid hunk of meat, I need to give another shout out to the Gaucho team, whose infectious high spirits added to the eating experience. Their steak was tender, succulent and perfectly pink inside and the char grill really made this a wonderful caveman dish, elevated by the humita cake and smoked garlic hollandaise.


Chocolate Fondant
(British Airways)

This was also a day for desserts. I couldn't resist the most chocolate-y of chocolate fondants prepared by Simon Hulstone and the British Airways team. Surrounded by candied hazelnuts, digging into it revealed a salted caramel sauce that flowed shamelessly from the core and really saved the dish from being too rich.

I had heard that by the end of the event, Taste of London can seem to run out steam: after four days, the people working there are understandably tired. But I saw no evidence of that. There was dancing and music at every turn, laughter and even a game of ping pong in one of the bar tents.

If you didn't come to Taste of London 2012, all I can say is: you missed out. This is a joyful, inclusive and friendly event, suitable for even the most amateur gastronome. I can't wait till next year.


Blue Elephant cooking demonstration

Malaysian carved melon display

Brazilian dancers and samba band