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/