Category Archives: Publication

Egg-tastic treats for Easter

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Foodepedia on 14th April 2011:

With Easter right round the corner, it’s time for us to bring you a round up of some of the best Easter eggs out there.

Everyday (under £5):

  • There’s no quibble about whether the chicken or the egg came first with Smarties’ chocolate Chicken and Egg. The milk chocolate chicken shell opens up to reveal a chocolate egg, which in turn opens up to reveal a secret stash of Smarties inside. It’s available at all major supermarkets. (RRP £2.49)
  • Carluccio’s have a rather interesting take on the Easter egg with their quirky Uovo alla coque. It looks like a soft-boiled egg but has dark chocolate and hazelnut paste inside and is topped with white chocolate. You can probably serve it up for breakfast. It’s available in-store or online at www.carluccios.com. (RRP £2.95)
  • New for 2011 from Guylian, the people best known for their Belgian seashells, is a trio of hand painted eggs. Made from dark, milk and white chocolate, there’s a hand decorated egg for everyone and no need to share. It’s available from all major supermarkets. (RRP £3.99)

Premium (under £25):

  • Get a real sense of spring with butterfly inspired floral Easter eggs from Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range. Available in dark, milk and white chocolate, each egg stands up all on its own. It’s available only at Sainsbury’s. (RRP £6)
  • Why let someone else have all the fun when you can decorate your own eggs? Stas Temper Temper Make Your Own Egg Kit has all the edible vital parts you need to create an owl, rocket or chicken egg. It makes a Easter great activity for kids. It’s available from Waitrose. (RRP £9)
  • If you’re a Japanophile then the Easter tin from Matcha Chocolat is just the thing to have. Each tin contains eight ganache filled eggs with flavours such as sencha & cherry blossom, matcha & ginger, yuzu and raspberry & wasabi. It’s an eclectic mix of Eastern promises. It’s available from matchachocolat.com. (RRP £9.95)
  • The Real Hen’s Eggs from Rococo is a great surprise treat for praline lovers. Real eggs are blown out and filled with hazelnut praline so while they look like real eggs, they taste divine. So good, you might be forgiven for any pranks you play. It’s available in-store or online at rococochocolates.com. (RRP £12.50)

Super-premium (under £100):

  • William Curley’s eggs can be filled with a section of nibbles including Cinder Toffee, Caramelized Piedmont Hazelnuts, Roast Gianduja Almonds, Crystallized Orange dipped in dark chocolate. It’s available in-store or online at www.williamcurley.co.uk. (RRP £30)
  • You just won’t know where to start with the Glam Egg from Demmarquette. Six assorted mini caramel eggs separate two parts of the main egg. There’s also another six hiding in the base of the egg, ready to be discovered. It’s available in-store or online at www.demarquette.co.uk. (RRP £35)
  • Eggs don’t have to be 3-D with Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini’s reinterpretation. The egg is embeded into a sheet of chocolate which then slides neatly into a shelf of one of his boxes of chocolates. It’s available online at www.marcolini-eboutique.com. (RRP £40 for two)
  • Have your customisable egg and eat it too with a nougatine Easter egg from Godiva. The half chocolate egg shell comes filled with 1.5kg of Godiva chocolates of your choice and if you’re a real chocoholic you will want to add a second shell and even more chocolates. It’s available by order from Godiva stores. (RRP £50)
  • Prepare to be impressed by the Ostrich Egg from Hotel Chocolat. The huge eggs, available in dark or milk chocolate, comes in multiple layers of chocolate and nuts. And if that’s not enough, each treat box also contains smaller chocolate eggs and treats to share or put inside. It’s perfect for a party centrepiece. It’s available in-store or online at www.hotelchocolat.co.uk. (RRP £65)
  • Paul A Young’s exclusive Easter product is a large egg available in either 70% dark, caramelized milk or white chocolate all with silver leaf and inlaid with shimmering purple and gold decoration. Presented in a hand-made box specially designed for Paul each box contains a drawer filled with Paul’s award winning chocolates. A limited edition that’s available from both of Paul A Young’s London chocolateries. www.paulayoung.co.uk . (£75)

Out of this world (£580!!!):

  • The Easter egg has been incorporated into a work of art with the Easter Vegetable Garden from La Maison du Chocolat. The white, milk, dark chocolate piece is scattered with slivers of chocolate and nut vegetables and praline eggs. It’s available only at La Maison du Chocolat boutiques. (RRP £580…!)

The Ebury

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on The Arbuturian on 11th April 2011:

Whispers exchanged between passing Porsches have it that The Ebury counts a Royal-to-be as one of its regulars. The truth is, the well-heeled crowd that lounge in this Chelsea brasserie probably wouldn’t bat an eye if Kate and Wills strolled in arm-in-arm.

It’s not that it’s ridiculously posh. Well, I suppose it is a bit when you count the number of pearls adorning the necks of cashmered ladies; that is, if you haven’t been blinded by the light reflecting off their diamond knuckle-dusters first. But rather, there’s an overwhelming sense of privacy when you walk in, from the low lighting to the window blinds. You feel sort of safe and just blend in among the crowd, especially if you’re a Sloane. Besides, everyone seemed to be preoccupied with their own business which, for a privacy conscious individual like myself, is just fine.

I arrived first and scoped out a seat in the corner by the window – perfect for people watching or to plot domination of the London food scene in private. At 7.30pm, there’s a real buzz in the air and the place was filling up. For some obscure reason, Jonesy seems to think that it’s an obscenely early time of the day to be having supper, which, while I muse over the menu, I imagine was the reason why he’s keeping me waiting.

I began a slow tap on the table with my left hand, starting at my pinkie and working towards my index finger and then back again. Looking over the menu, I cast a furtive glance around the room for the first time. Considering the furore upstairs that was the joint 21st birthday of Tim and Ed, or some such young guns (who were all dressed in tuxedos, you understand, and smoking cigars, outside of course), downstairs was a mellow sea of families, young professionals and post-nesters. An eclectic mix I’m sure you will agree.

On my ocular exploration I happened to look out of the window. There was Jonesy. He has spotted me too, somehow, through the blinds and waved. I felt slightly duped by the false sense of privacy that the blinds offered – don’t sit by the window if you don’t wish to be seen.

“Have you been waiting long?” Jonesy asked breathlessly. Another one of Jonesy’s quirks is that he refuses to use public transport and instead prefers to either walk everywhere, as in this case, or catch a cab.

“No, I just got here actually” I say as I rose to greet Jonesy. It’s true, it’s only been five minutes.

As we sit down, Jonesy tells me he’s starving and tucks into the bread and butter offered while I stick to my water. I had already decided what I was ordering having looked over the menu at lunch.

Jonesy wants to get a burger.

“I’m not judging you,” I say with an unmistakable tone, “but you know if you get the ox tongue to start and oxtail for main, you would be eating from nose to tail?”

But Jonesy wasn’t having any of it. Clearly the Bohemian spirit from the ICA party the night before had caught up with him and he needed something comfortingly normal. So we both went with the chicken liver and foie gras parfait with grape chutney and toasted brioche to start. I’d like to think that I inspired Jonesy’s choice actually but I’m sure he will deny it. The parfait was great though, perfect you might say. And the grape chutney wasn’t half bad either except I kept imagining that they were mini pickled onions, which of course they tasted nothing like.

For main, Jonesy stuck to his guns and had The Ebury burger while I went for the confit rabbit leg with parmesan gnocchi, roast artichoke and tapenade sauce. I am probably mistaken but I detected a bizarre hint of soy sauce in my main, which in all honesty could have just been the complex fusion between the tapenade and the artichoke. The rabbit was fabulous, as was the gnocchi. It’s been some years since I last had rabbit and all those things you say about meat literally falling off the bone were all applicable here. Jonesy munched his way through that burger in no time at all so I guess that means he’s given it the thumbs up too.

Then it was on to dessert.

I have a mouth full of sweet teeth and Jonesy has precisely none. I was sure he was just entertaining me when he suggested getting a dessert so I could have two. It was too perfect to be true. Not so. Jonesy nibbled at the apple and Guinness fritters, probably so I would feel less greedy, before pushing the barely touched plate towards me. How could I resist? That said, after finishing my rhubarb crumble I was more than stuffed. Still, I made an attempt at it but try as I might, I couldn’t finish it.

In the end, I had to admit defeat and waddle out making extra room for my satiated stomach. No matter how good it was, finishing three whole courses plus an additional dessert was an impossibility for me. That’s not to say that I won’t be back to try again, of course. And next time I might wear my pearls.

The Ebury, 11 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NA. Tel: 020 7730 6784. Website.

Discover the Origin with Matt Tebbutt

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Foodepedia on 9th April 2011:

This week I was invited to a Discover the Origin masterclass with chef Matt Tebbutt of The Foxhunter in Nantyderry, Monmouthshire. The evening took place at L’Atelier des Chefs, a surprisingly large cookery school in the centre of London, where we learnt all about some lovely cheese, wine and port from Italy, France and Portugal.

Discover the Origin is a three year campaign, currently in its second year, which promotes five products that have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status: Burgundy wines, Port, Douro wines, Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Having PDO status means that the products must be produced in a certain region and in a certain way, which in turn ensures their consistent quality.

At the masterclass, we sampled the ingredients individually before going into the kitchen and cooking a three course meal using the Parma ham and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. All under the watchful eye of Matt Tebbutt, of course. Then we had the opportunity to match what we cooked with Douro wines, Burgundy wines and Port.

Here are the recipes from the night:

Parma Ham-wrapped scallops with Marsala and sage

Chicken Supremes stuffed with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Parma Ham

Apple and almond tart

Ultra-glam Searcy’s launch at One New Change

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Foodepedia on 4th April 2011:

It was 5pm on a Tuesday and the perfect time for some champagne. Well champagne and canapés at the glamorous new Searcy’s Champagne Bar launch, that is. And that’s exactly where I was on the 29th of March.

City workers will probably have noticed a new shopping venue slowly emerging out of the rubble, after months of building works, at One New Change. The new Searcy’s Champagne Bar is right at the heart of it on the first floor, and it is ultra-glam. The decor channels 70s chic with floor to ceiling glass, plush armchairs and a granite bar all designed by Interbar.

Of course the venue is nothing without the champagne and connoisseurs will not be disappointed.

There’s a very extensive selection of vintage and non-vintages, with offerings from some 25 different champagne houses. And with single flutes starting from £8.50 to vintages costing £600 a bottle, there’s definitely something for all budgets.

Aside from having the most extensive champagne list in Europe, it is also the first bar in the UK to decant champagne. That’s right – they will decant a bottle of champagne, of your choice and at your table, into a crystal champagne decanter from Riedel for you to savour. Supposedly this helps to bring out the more complex characteristics of champagne, just as it does fine wine.

The bar also serves a selection of cold dishes, chosen specifically to match the champagnes available. And if the foie gras macaroons and beetroot with orange and ginger canapés I tried is anything to go by, your taste buds will certainly be tantalised.

I’m told the venue is open from 7am to 11pm which means that it’s probably perfect for every kind of occasion – from champagne breakfast meetings to a quick after work drink or perhaps just a break from shopping.

Searcy’s Champagne Bar at One New Change is open now and can be found at 1st Floor, One New Change, London EC4M 9AF www.searcys.co.uk

The Fountain Restaurant, Fortnum & Mason

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on The Arbuturian on 22nd March 2011:

“You must not,” Jonesy tells me sternly, in a manner befitting a school headteacher, “talk about the food. Under any circumstances.”

And like a naughty school girl, I defiantly enquired: “What, then, should I be talking about in a restaurant review? Surely food plays a major part?”

“Talk about the history.”

“Ah yes. As an English institution, Fortnum & Mason certainly has a wealth of history for me to explore. Like when William Fortnum moved into Hugh Mason’s house with his family in 1707, and thereby facilitated their meeting and future partnership. Or perhaps when Fortnum began to amass a small fortune from sales of reconstituted candles that later funded the first Fortnum & Mason store. Or even all those times when Fortnum & Mason first introduced new products to the British public, products which later became staples, like the humble baked bean.

But alas, I’m no Andrew Roberts and waxing lyrical about history just isn’t my bag. Besides, the Fortnum & Mason website does it perfectly well so there’s really no need for a fool like me to stumble over the facts.”

“Talk about cashmere and pearls then.”

“Nothing to talk about there. While it is true that guests are encouraged to ‘lean more towards ‘elegance’, but that doesn’t surely mean I have to dig out those pearls and make like my mother? Charlotte and I mused over the dilemma of cashmere and pearls. Naturally we wouldn’t want to appear out of place amongst the well-heeled crowd. And going Stepford could almost be exciting, if you really enjoy irony. But it was fashion week and anything short of ‘this season’ with a dash of opulence just simply won’t do. So in the end, fur and Tiffany’s won out over cashmere and pearls.”

“Fine, talk about the jazz.”

“Indeed, we were at The Fountain to enjoy a jazz brunch so I suppose the jazz bit is rather important. And pleasant it was too in that quintessentially British way that gets you saying quaint a rather lot.

Two smartly dressed gentleman sat to one side of the restaurant and played a gentle lull, creating a very soothing backdrop to the conversation. You almost don’t notice that they’re there, except when they stop playing.

At first you won’t even realise it. Then slowly but surely, the feeling that something has gone amiss will creep up on you. You can’t quite put your finger on it but you know it’s there. Your breath becomes shallower, faster, and there’s an increasing sense of anxiety in the air.

But then they start up again and as if a dream upon waking, all dark clouds disperse and you are reunited with that sense of well being. So you sort of carry on like nothing has happened and continue tucking into your food.”

“Oh, there you go talking about the food again.”

“But, Jonesy, food is what I know. Surely people would be desperate to learn about the precise degree of piquancy of the steak tartare? Oh, how that yellow yolk exploded over it when I dug in – it was a moment of pure delight. And the sourdough toast was just the sort of equipment you needed to mop up any excess juices. Of course then there’s the scrambled eggs on toast that came up top as Charlotte’s eggy breakfast of the week.

Jonesy, wouldn’t you much rather hear about the rich, moistness of the chocolate cake with a filling akin to luxurious ganache? Okay, that one was strictly speaking off the menu until 3pm when Afternoon Tea is served. But the sticky toffee pudding I had was every bit its match…”

All that not talking about food has left me quite ravenous. I think some tea and cake is called for before I continue with this imaginary conversation about the review I should be writing. Or perhaps this conversation makes the perfect antidote to my usual lengthy explorations of food because, aside from the Jonesy bits, all other observations are factual. But wouldn’t you much rather me dote more on the sauce for that sticky toffee pudding?

The Fountain Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER. Tel. 0845 602 5694. Website.