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Le Bouchon Breton

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Foodepedia on 9th August 2010:

Old Spitalfield Market, 8 Horners Square, London E1 6EW www.lebouchon.co.uk

There’s something profoundly old fashioned about Le Bouchon Breton as I discovered on a recent visit with a friend.

With plush red seating and a well stocked high bar, it was the epitome of retro French glamour. Outside, little oases of botany separated deck furniture and a live band played gently in the background, all a part of the Breton’s August jazz nights. It almost gave the illusion that we weren’t sitting on the wooden floored second level of Old Spitalfield Market.

Décor aside, there were also the mannerisms. As we were seated, the wine list was placed in front of my friend, the gentleman. When the waiter explained the menu it was to my friend, the gentleman. The sommelier decided “the lady” required a better matched wine than the gentleman until, that is, he chanced upon one which was equally suited for both. And who else to haver the first sample but my friend, the gentleman?

I suddenly found myself feeling a little bit 50s house wife à la Betty Draper. Or maybe it’s just the city lawyer oozing from my friend.

Naturally, the gentleman choses the fillet steak. He tells me it’s possibly one of the top five steaks he’s had in his life, cooked precisely how he liked it.

Switching from my usual sirloin to try something decidedly French, panfried veal sweetbread with tartar sauce caught my eye, along with a side of fries. For sweetbread virgins, it is the thymus gland of an animal and as offal goes, the veal sweetbread is considered a bit of a delicacy. The sweetbread was very tender with a texture similar to heart or liver but smoother and richer like paté. It also didn’t have the usual strong taste of offal which was rather refreshing.

Confusingly, the sweetbread was served on top of a slice of toasted bread causing a moment of perplexity. Has I misread the menu and order panfried veal on sweetbread? Confusion aside, the sweetbread was certainly different and rather moreish. However, the slice of bread was slightly burnt and very soggy and better fries have been had elsewhere. It seems I had passed on the opportunity of having medium rare perfection to have something that was really quite average.

The wine was brilliantly matched to the food and also very enjoyable on its own so bravo to the sommelier. It would have been nice to know what we were drinking but alas, only the gentleman gets to see the label. Although in fact with the wine separate in its own ice bucket and the glasses regularly topped up by the sommelier, neither of us saw very much of the bottle.

For the summer season, Le Bouchon Breton has also launched a series of ice cream coupes. Having eyed up the coupes on the next table, my friend decided that he could handle one all to himself so a Frozen Mess and a Frozen Smith were ordered. When you spot vanilla seeds in the ice cream, you know that it’s going to be seriously good. Both of the coupes looked spectacular but there was a mountain of cream to get through to uncover the ice cream and even then, as my friend laments, there was an unfortunate shortage of meringue.

Overall, the experience was not unpleasant. The meal was on the pricier side of things but not unreasonable. Perhaps the fabulous wine even made up for it. However, if our seats were the cosy ones inside along with the jazz accompaniment then so much the better. It might have gotten a little heated but that can only add to the authenticity of the atmosphere.

A rum do at No 5

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Foodepedia on 5th August 2010:

I’m drawn to new things like a magpie to shiny objects so how could I resist the opportunity to attend the launch of a very exclusive rum? Especially when there’s the opportunity to taste a bottle of £125 rum?

Monday night saw the launch of the Mount Gay 1703 into the UK at the rather swish No. 5 Cavendish Square. Of course you’ve probably heard of Mount Gay rum before, and why should you not have? Mount Gay’s reputation precedes it, by over three hundred years in fact. They say that it is the oldest brand of rum in existence.

Mount Gay Rum has been around the UK in various award winning guises from the Eclipse to the Extra Old. Now the 1703, a blend of rum aged between 10 to 30 years, has arrived and it is deliciously smooth with an intoxicating aroma. In fact, it smells so good, it’s almost a shame to drink it.

Drinking Eclipse based cocktails and eating canapes aside, there was the opportunity to mingle with the top bar owners and distributors in London town. All in all, it was a jolly good shindig, but perhaps a bit tame by Caribbean standards.

To find out more about Mount Gay Rum, go to www.mountgayrum.com

Pizzas with Fire and Stone

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Published on Foodepedia on 4th August 2010:

To mark the opening of Fire and Stone’s fifth restaurant, I was invited to try out Fire and Stone’s extensive pizza menu. I’ve often wandered past their Covent Garden branch but never had the opportunity to go in; it always looked so busy and I’m always hurrying from here to there. I’ve read reviews that say all sorts about their combination of flavours, but then I wonder how right those are if they’re doing so well all the time. Naturally, I was intrigued to see what they had in store for us.

The little demonstration took place at the new restaurant at Old Spitalfields Market. Of course by little, I mean something quite impressive really. The key ingredients that went into making Fire and Stone pizzas were laid out across three tables, akin to that of a farmers market except I was without a basket. To the right, is a sample of meats from big joints of beef to minced lamb; across the middle is a selection of cold meats, cheeses and olives; and to the left is a selection of vegetables and fresh herbs that would make Jamie Oliver proud.

Clearly Fire and Stone felt that simply looking at the ingredients wasn’t enough to tickle the senses and I’m inclined to agree. As they guided us through the ingredients, the very polite staff offered us a selection of pizzas from their menu for tasting.

Two of them stood out for me, Acapulco and Koh Samui.

The Acapulco is really a beef burrito in a pizza and it works. Imagine a tortilla wrap loaded with incredible chilli beef, mozzarella, sour cream and guacamole; except you don’t have to worry about it falling out the other end because it’s all flat. Perhaps I’m just biased because I’m all about the burrito.

The Koh Samui sounded quite dubious when I was browsing the menu. As a pizza traditionalist, curry sauce on a pizza just sounds like it should not happen. Admittedly it’s a bit like a vegetable korma with naan but it’s so incredibly fresh that the vegetables still have bite.

Maybe I’ve cheated a little by choosing two pizzas that are basically a re-hash of other dishes, the way that I always imagined pancakes and French toast to be interchangeable ingredient-wise. But however questionable the ingredients, potatoes included, it actually taste pretty good. I am a little disappointed by the lack of rocket on the menu though. After the assault on my taste buds, it would be quite nice just to have a simple smoked salmon and rocket pizza. But then again, I suppose that’s not really what Fire and Stone had set out to do with their pizzas.

After a small tour to see the dough boys rolling out the bases, we were invited to get stuck into making our our favourites from the menu. Head Chef Stuart made one to demonstrate, but it was exponentially harder when the time came to make our own. While chomping on my hard labour, I also sampled the desserts on the menu as well as a selection of wines, smoothies and milkshakes. Given this all took place before 11.30am, a whole two hours since I had breakfast, I was feeling more than a little nauseated.

Luckily I was able to escape with my barely touched pizza and a bag of Fire and Stone ingredients without too much damage. I am happy to report that back at the office at a suitable lunching hour, the pizza wasn’t half bad.

To visit the new branch and see the restaurant opening offers, head to 4 Horner Square, Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EW www.fireandstone.com

Afternoon Tea at Dean Street Townhouse

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Published on Foodepedia on 31st July 2010:

69 – 71 Dean Street, London W1D 3SE www.deanstreettownhouse.com

At Dean Street Townhouse, you will find the afternoon crowd lunching alfresco, slowly displaced by more mature guests inside the restaurant as evening approaches; all well heeled of course. It’s an easy walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station, but just out of the way enough to create a sanctuary from the hustle of Soho. Inside, the décor is traditional but subtly stylish, transporting guests back to a bygone era. It may also be the only place where the French waiters are polite.

Aside from the impressive menu in the all day restaurant, the Townhouse also upholds the quintessentially British tradition of Afternoon Tea. Served between 3pm and 5.30pm everyday, the menu consists of a selection of scones, cakes, pastries and finger sandwiches, of which I selected the Townhouse Tea.

As with traditional Afternoon Tea, the bottom tier of edibles was finger sandwiches, perfectly cut and without crusts. Given the popularity of triangular sandwiches, it’s rather surprising to find rectangular ones on the plate. At first, they seemed a little odd; the ham sandwiches were especially out of place next to the smoked salmon and egg and cress. In hindsight, the savoury selection probably helped to balance the sugar rush from the top plate.

As pleasing to the eyes as they are sweet on the tooth, the prime location of the top tier is occupied by a selection of mini cakes and pastries. Classics like the strawberry tart take the pride of place but there was also a fine array of cakes and pastries to accompany, like the Battenberg or the chocolate éclair.

I, for one, found the custard tart to be achingly good and full of surprises. Tapping open the caramelised crust, as you might on a crème brûlée, will reveal a deliciously smooth custard and at the centre of it, a raspberry filling skilfully hidden away until the last moment. It’s disappointing how quickly the custard tart disappears but then there’s the mini black forest gateaux to temporarily satiate your sweet tooth.

What really took my fancy was the residents on the middle tier. Perfectly placed at eye level were four fruit scones, toasted, warm and crumbly, served with clotted cream and a selection of jams. It would have been enough to drive anyone into gluttony.

A word of warning to those calorie counting, this menu is designed with every indulgence in mind. The rich, creamy luxury is certainly not for the faint hearted but if you are lactose intolerant, arrangements can certainly be made to accommodate your needs. As an alternative, Dean Street Townhouse also offers a High Tea menu which serves a selection of savouries, including a disturbingly good chicken liver on toast.

Incidentally, those who take pleasure in taking Afternoon Tea will agree that it is as much about the edibles as it’s about the tea and conversation. Loose tea leaves are allowed to infuse in generous tea pots and then served with a strainer and matching china cups. When you serve tea in pots, you are always in danger of the tea becoming too strong by the second cup. In this case, even the fourth cup was as refreshing as the first and you can certainly taste the quality of the leaves.

My guest found the number of staff walking around rather disconcerting, although one supposes this contributes towards the efficiency. Despite this, the laid back anonymity in the atmosphere certainly helped liberal conversation. Of course if you do suddenly discover that you’ve spent far longer at tea than you had intended, you could always stay for dinner.

Goldfish, Gresham Street

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Published on Foodepedia on 20th July 2010:

46, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7AY

Given the mix of ramens and bentos with the dim sums and noodles, you could be forgiven for thinking that Goldfish, City, was just another pan-Asian restaurant. In some respects, it is. But it promises to serve modern Chinese cuisine and dim sum on their menu, a curious combination you might think. So just how “modern” is the latest offering from the Goldfish family?

Well, all the usual Chinese restaurant classics seemed to be present and correct but there was also a European twist about them.

Being particular about my Chinese, it wasn’t hard to whittle down the menu to a select few dishes. Not that the menu doesn’t offer a decent selection though, especially if you’re just popping in for lunch. The set menus were turned down for being too standard restaurant Chinese as I wanted to try anything that looked, well, different.

First up was the “Chew Yim” calamari. This bit of Cantonese meant nothing to me until a quick google told me that it’s the done thing for hip Asian restaurants these days. It turned out to be squid fried in super light batter tossed with a mix of chillies and spring onion. That’s right, they’ve put an Asian twist on the calamari by making it spicy and it was clearly done very well. Each piece invited me to eat another, savouring its subtle flavour cooked to tender perfection.

The calamari was polished off pretty quickly so it’s just as well that the dim sum platter came in a timely manner. I have to say that it wasn’t quite what I was expecting and I felt a little duped. The selection offered three dim sum choices, all prawn based. The anticipation for Char Siu Bao in the dim sum platter got me excited but I was disappointed to discover the lack of variety. The calamari was a hard act to follow and the dim sum platter just didn’t do it for me.

Can mocha ribs, stir fry chicken, green fry rice with eggs and yuzu juice, or seasonal greens turn it around?

Well the green fry rice with eggs was just your bog standard egg fried rice with spring onion and coriander. There’s really nothing alien about the green bit although it does take the egg fried rice to the next level. The seasonal greens worked well as a side and the stir fry chicken was a little on the salty side.

The mocha ribs are what I really want to talk about. Red meat with chocolate sauce I know and love, coffee sauces match desserts splendidly, but mocha ribs? This was something new and it certainly brought intrigue to the table. Despite having eaten plenty of ribs before, sampling these felt like an initiation – I was entirely unsure of what to expect.

At first bite they tasted just like standard ribs: meaty, juicy, delicious. But hang on, where was the mocha? I felt cheated. Is this yet another ploy by those cunning marketeers?

I tried another just to make sure there was no “mo” or “cha”. There wasn’t.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the lemonade. Just then I got a little something, a hint of bitterness or just something unexpected, something that’s not quite the same. This warranted another examination of the sauce. Yes, there was definitely something, but is it mocha? Soon I had made my way through half a plate of ribs with the sole purpose of finding that elusive flavour on my taste buds. As it turns out, those were rather addictive in their own right. So what does it matter anyway?

All in all, Goldfish has done well. The modernity is perhaps only demonstrated through the westernised menu but the flavours aren’t bad at all. And if it’s good enough for the vicars of the local cathedral sitting behind me… One thing to note, if you’re considering lunch in an hour then expect to be asking for the bill before you finish the starters.