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

Just like Papa used to make...

Gordon Ramsay frequently visits troubled restaurants and they seem to have one thing in common. No, I'm not talking about a dysfunctional family unit with no gastronomic experience running the place. I'm talking about a ridiculously extensive menu.
You know the saying: jack of all trades, master of none. Gordon obviously agrees, as the first thing he does is to cut down the menu, find their USP and focus on that.

Paccheri Porcini e Speck

But I think I've found the exception that proves the rule. Pizzeria Papagone in Finsbury Park, north east London, has one of the longest list of offerings I've ever seen. As well as the traditional Spaghetti Carbonara and Spaghetti Bolognese, there are more unusual dishes available, such as Pizza Porcini (with bufalo mozzarella, speck, taleggio and porcini mushrooms). Yes, yes, it's not totally outlandish but I've never seen speck and taleggio together on a pizza before as well as a venison ragu with truffle oil (see below).

Tagliatelle Cervo e Porcini

These creative combinations set a nice tone and the place was certainly buzzing. Although it was mid-week, the restaurant was full and by the time we left, people were waiting for a table. It was also great to see the chefs beavering away in the open kitchen - always reassuring and fascinating to see them at work.

Forgoing a starter, we plumped for Paccheri Porcini e Speck (super large pasta tubes - which were obviously fresh - with a sauce of porcini mushrooms, speck - a traditionally cured Italian ham - shallots and cream). While the sauce was rich and sticky, there was so much food that by the end it felt a little cloying and we couldn't finish it. Our second dish was Tagliatelle Cervo e Porcini, which was pasta in a marinated venison ragu drizzled with truffle oil. This was more tomato-y and felt earthy and healthy, although the portion size was equally ginormous and we ended up taking away doggy bags.

Did this mean we had no room for the celebrated gelato (not ice cream! they are careful to pronounce) - absolutely not! With 19 flavours to choose from, it was a bit overwhelming but we got there in the end, opting for the massive Coppa Cioccomenta - 2 scoops of mint choc chip with 1 scoop of chocolate, covered with chocolate and peppermint syrup and cream and laced with chopped up After Eight mints - minty heaven!

Coppa Cioccomenta

And of course you can't go to a pizzeria without sampling the tiramisu. Unsurprisingly, this was also huge but with a bitter-sweet balance of coffee and cream that we delighted in.

My only criticism is one that I also suspect Gordon Ramsay would also take issue with: the portion sizes. The chefs are certainly serious about living up to their tagline "it'sa nice'a place to stuffa your face".

Although the food was delicious, there was so much of it that your heart sank a little when the servers arrived (with impeccable speed) with your plate. All the basics of flavour, seasoning and creativity are there so I felt that, with a little refining, this place could be out of this world.

But as it stands, with an extensive and reasonably priced menu, there will be something for everyone to enjoy in this cheerful, relaxed pizzeria. If you haven't eaten all day and you're looking for prompt, no-nonsense, delicious Italian food like Papa used to make, this is the pizzeria for you.

Pizzeria Papagone http://www.pizzeriapappagone.co.uk/

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/