tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82318788617401503962024-02-20T18:42:37.772+00:00ivy eats again.Eating food, Tasting recipes, Sipping tea, Drinking wine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-25794600314806372822017-08-03T22:06:00.000+01:002017-08-04T00:42:01.295+01:00XU 許儒華苑, LondonIt all started with the humble Bao street food stall 3-4 years ago. Which gained a cult following with that Taiwanese street food of "gua bao刈包" and it spread a popular trend in many restaurants. When it comes to Taiwanese cuisine, I could only count a handful of restaurants within London. Taiwan is more hidden dragon than crouching tiger with influences from all part of China regions and Japan. Yet you think you know it, with that "made in..." imprinted on millions of electrical products.<br>
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Xu 許儒華苑, the full cognominate in mandarin does sound rather posh with the literal of Xu's teaching court. In reference to Xu being the late grandfather of Erchen Chang, who runs the business with her husband Shing Tat Chung and his sister Wai Ting Chung.<br>
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Stepping into Xu is like travelling back into the 1930's of Taiwan, lots of smart, dark, elegant wood, languorously whirring fans, marble bars and delicately decorated screens. Cinematic transportation to Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love". At the entrance stands a lacquered wooden kiosk where drawers of fine Taiwanese oolong teas are awaiting hot water expertly prepared by a tea master.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilled Clams 醃蛤蜊</td></tr>
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Clams in a chilli marinade with a basil oil granita. Differentiating from the classic into a version of similar concept to eating oyster with some additional flavours. Traditionally the clams are frozen for four hours, shell starts opening up when they get too cold. Drowned in a soy sauce, chilli, garlic and rice wine marinade for one to two days. Both classic and the new interpreted version are equally enjoyable, especially when the weather is hot.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Numbing Beef Tendon 滷牛筋</td></tr>
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Lost in translation. It is easy for one language to be lost in another language. For me, 牛腱 is beef shin and beef tendon is just beef tendon or 牛筋. 滷 (pronounced lǔ) is a slow braising Chinese cooking technique that uses a master spiced stock and slow cooked for long hours. This remastered version is transformed into a tendon terrine with chilli vinaigrette and coriander. Imagined as thinly sliced beef shin/tendon and covered in a sauce similar to that of the Sichuanese cold chicken with chilli sauce aka saliva chicken. The closest I can described it as since I am lost in translation for words and senses.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">XO Carabinero Prawn XO紅蝦</td></tr>
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A crossover of Mediterranean to Hong Kong. Beautiful large deep-sea red prawn with succulent meat and delicacy flavour of the head that should not be wasted. Grilled and smothered in XO sauce that lacked kick of spiciness, and the prawn wasn't particularly fresh. XO sauce actually hailed from Hong Kong and the name comes from fine XO (extra-old) cognac. It is a spicy seafood sauce made of roughly chopped dried seafood including scallops, dried fish and shrimp, and subsequently cooked with chilli peppers, onions and garlic. My mother actually home makes the sauce and I always have a jar sitting in my fridge, she's more Cantonese these days than her formative Taiwanese youth.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Coin 金錢鵝肝</td></tr>
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A dish that I can't pin my head to a related dish in Taiwan. And that lightbulb moment, realising this could be the reminiscent version of a dying old school Cantonese dish called gold coin chicken or money chicken or 金錢雞, for sure it has chicken liver. So this gold coin is made of layers of mini spring onion pancake, foie gras terrine, red dates and shaoxing wine jelly. Two bites, and it disappeared into anonymity.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xian Bing 豬肉餡餅</td></tr>
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Always associated xian bing as a northern China speciality. But I guess each region has its own version? This pan fried aged pork pancake with a vinegar & chilli oil dipping, reiterating as a gigantic gyoza/jiaozi since it uses the same dumpling dough for the skin and cooked the same method just different size and shape. A true taste of home.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taro Dumpling 煎水晶餃</td></tr>
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Taro dumpling stuffed with Taiwanese sausage and kow choi oil dressing, unsure about the originality of this dish but Google told me it was a hakka-Chinese cuisine of a dumpling like to that of har gau skin filled with minced meat, shaped triangular, boiled and eaten in a broth. Interestingly incorporating taro to the dumpling skin, it tasted like a 芋頭糕 taro cake similar to 蘿蔔糕 turnip cake but made with taro instead with this pan fried version. A little too gooey for my liking and slightly underwhelmed by it.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Pancake 牛髓夾餅</td></tr>
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Was told by the waiter this was a reinvention of the usage of spring pancake春餅, the same type of pancake eaten with crispy duck. So instead of duck, the pancakes are filled with short-rib & bone marrow topped with potato crumb, pickled daikon, pickled cucumber and spring onion. Nice to have something other than duck to be served with spring pancakes with the smart presentation but sad to see it has lost its history behind it.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilli Egg Drop Crab 蛋花辣蟹</td></tr>
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White & brown crab meat with salmon roe, egg drop sauce, red chilli, fermented shrimp & garlic. I assumed this is an adaptation of the Singapore chill crab, a non messy version. So intense crabby flavour, and somewhat spicy that one needing for a drink. That sauce, can have another four bowls of rice given how ridiculously small size it was. This, you can assumed I really liked.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Char Shui Iberico Pork 叉燒豬頸</td></tr>
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Not your traditional Cantonese roast of char siu, using Iberico pork collar marinated in char siu sauce with leeks and sesame. Unsure why an iconic Cantonese dish is on the menu of Taiwanese cuisine, char siu literally means "fork burn/roast" (siu being burn/roast and char being fork, both noun and verb). Possibly the best char siu I have had in London, correct use of the right cut of pork, pork collar or also known as pork shoulder outside of UK. Intense charredness flavour, slightly overpowered the char siu marinade, pink in the middle retaining tenderness and juiciness. It can be fattier for me the pork, but that is down to personally preference.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oyster Congee 芋頭蚵粥</td></tr>
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This oyster congee is not the congee I had in mind, with it being more like xi fan稀飯, as in more of watery rice rather then the gloppy stuffs that I grow up with. But this style is actually more of a Teochew thing where there are fair amount of Teochew descendants in Taiwan, the congee is actually decent with the oyster flavour and cubes of yam.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lard Onion Rice 豬油拌飯</td></tr>
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Guilty pleasure, with rice mixed with pork lard and soy sauce. This was a poor man's food back in the 60's and 70's where the poor could not afford to buy meat, they would buy fatty pork pieces and turn that into lard. Hot rice nourished in dripping, it does not sound the most appetising to spoon into the mouth. With that fragrant flavour, it is so satisfying except this version was rather bland.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chin Shin Oolong</td></tr>
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Of course we had to drink tea with the meal, still have not figured the Chinese name for "chin shin oolong". From the Jade Mountain picked in 2017, this is a lightly oxidised high mountain oolong with a light, fresh character and a floral sweetness that lingers after the tea has been drunk. Also on show is a tamshui cocktail involving Asian Pear, butter, Chinese basil and Champagne.</div>
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Being half Taiwanese and half Hong Kongers, it does not make me an expert in Chinese cuisine. I feel like I only know a tiny fraction of it. So not all the food reached heady heights. A few things either over or under seasoned here and there, flavour is westernised where the Asian would not be able to find their home comfort and the meaning is lost in translation. Even though the plating is superb and instagram friendly, I was hoping to find all those nostalgic night market hits similar to what they have brought out Bao to be.<br>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com030 Rupert St, Soho, London W1D 6DL, UK51.5111359 -0.13261699999998231.081063399999998 -41.441210999999981 71.9412084 41.175977000000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-50262732938895033382017-07-11T23:26:00.000+01:002017-07-12T00:24:35.560+01:00TĀ TĀ Eatery, LondonTwo chefs, pairing European ingredients and Asian attitude in a inventive way. TĀ TĀ eatery started out as a street food stall and found a permanent home at Curio Cabal café in Haggerston some time of last year. Chef Zijun Meng and Chef Ana Gonçalves, who met through Nuno Mendes restaurants, where a bowl of rice struck them together.<br>
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TĀ TĀ means “he and she”, the food sprinted out from their street food style of "ricewichs" and Korean chicken wings. Followed by a sold out pop up at Newman Arms which I heard so much praised for their brunch where the food style developed to what it is today centring on rice.<br>
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This was an interesting take on a spring roll using inari, Japanese deep-fried tofu 'pockets' as the skin and stuffing it with curried alfalfa sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and crispy vermicelli. The tofu skin gives a sense of sweetness whilst marrying the curry and earthy tone, the play of texture from the vermicelli imitating the crisp for spring roll. Thoroughly needed more than one plate of it.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus Temaki</td></tr>
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Temaki without rice? Using crispy spring roll skin to echoed the cone-shaped piece of nori of a hand rolled temaki sushi. Singing in a harmony of dance with smoked octopus and sofrito plus aioli swirling in that tender moment. Unusual idea but executed in a few mouthfuls of delightfulness.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9DrMuF8w4EY/WWU821kkc1I/AAAAAAAAVg4/uwi03cfK9To1YZtX8VjiyF1SiOY_dRHTgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1416333620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9DrMuF8w4EY/WWU821kkc1I/AAAAAAAAVg4/uwi03cfK9To1YZtX8VjiyF1SiOY_dRHTgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1416333620.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ox Cheek Wrap</td></tr>
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Classifying the wrap material as an unidentified flying object, so familiar but unfamiliar simultaneously. With little alien like of ox cheek and bone marrow flavoured by XO hidden inside holding sticks of apple floating on a sheet of crispy chicken skin. A clever war fighting internally of the sweet and savoury, with a defeat of chopsticks punching through.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tutllwXK7cU/WWU8ymBg3oI/AAAAAAAAVg0/Mz4RIwfFN7QeOAtGFVIqf9eQrmWdPl5-ACHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1434490747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tutllwXK7cU/WWU8ymBg3oI/AAAAAAAAVg0/Mz4RIwfFN7QeOAtGFVIqf9eQrmWdPl5-ACHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1434490747.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amaebi Tartare</td></tr>
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The only Chinese influence I see from the menu is in this dish. Using a fermented cabbage which tasted similar to that of Chinese pickled mustard plant stem "zha cai", it robbed the sweetness away from the amaebi sweet shrimp in the flow of wasabi and shiso. Nice to have the tobiko giving that popping candy playful texture to a rather unconventional passable dish.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8UjioT-z4Ok/WWU8_cvtOcI/AAAAAAAAVg8/kEhejiyBpyUJDqhAeKFrEH-Gm5Wlnb4ZgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image--154068511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8UjioT-z4Ok/WWU8_cvtOcI/AAAAAAAAVg8/kEhejiyBpyUJDqhAeKFrEH-Gm5Wlnb4ZgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image--154068511.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Dived Scallop</td></tr>
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One big scallop, raw, chopped into many pieces, in a creamy yuzu dressing surrounded by cucumber and lemon balm, which I don't know what it is. A subtlety dish lacking performance.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jKrIwGqe3fo/WWU9cPzU2lI/AAAAAAAAVhI/uXwI5bQ6wOktcEtaVJrc1_JwAmIRngGXwCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1169156833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jKrIwGqe3fo/WWU9cPzU2lI/AAAAAAAAVhI/uXwI5bQ6wOktcEtaVJrc1_JwAmIRngGXwCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1169156833.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cod Collar</td></tr>
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Special dish of the day, cod collars. Initially it had the Cantonese yellow bean sauce(磨豉醬) taste to the dish, upon asking the fish was smothered in the deep earthy note of miso, sake lees and chilli that would have gone so well with a bowl of plain rice. Felt slightly conned by the price of the dish, £29 for fish collars, an underrated cheap cut that not many favour for and bare minimal cooking technique.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OUvZ4cuJa74/WWU9IS1vTZI/AAAAAAAAVhA/yEiMhFmkl28UzGShrSye_Vs6foj98BlYQCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-2138322212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OUvZ4cuJa74/WWU9IS1vTZI/AAAAAAAAVhA/yEiMhFmkl28UzGShrSye_Vs6foj98BlYQCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-2138322212.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Rice Bowl</td></tr>
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And who would have of thought I would be eating natto mixed with the shiitake, king oyster and wood ear mushrooms in a saucy rice bowl of soy and egg yolk swirling a waltz in my mouth. Bravo to myself - because this natto lacked the stringy appearance, powerful smell, strong flavor, and slimy texture. Sometimes you can overcome a fear of something as long as it does not look like the original state<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DJJIVxawP8/WWU9q9bs2YI/AAAAAAAAVhQ/Cnck3OH0yygO8k-FYzJId65uN8Dbt1DcQCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1030634143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DJJIVxawP8/WWU9q9bs2YI/AAAAAAAAVhQ/Cnck3OH0yygO8k-FYzJId65uN8Dbt1DcQCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1030634143.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galician Beef Rice Bowl</td></tr>
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The secret at tātā is their amazing raw smoked sirloin of Galician blond beef dotted on top of Japanese rice, with calçot onions made into a paste to a taste similar like yuzu kosho and also an egg yolk. The meat is stripped to wafer thin, so when mixing with the hot rice it cooks at the same time, releasing the fat and flavour. The meat is from a Galician beef, a fat old cow aged over eight years old that gets to graze on the grass for a long time, giving that marbling of fat to mature and a distinctly deep flavour. The cows get old and fat just as we get old and fat. In other words, we are used to eating Channing Tatum but are starting to appreciate Gérard Depardieu.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mwCpEEQO48Y/WWVLyZ52EbI/AAAAAAAAVhg/1BwcquMP4O4lfttmyibLtL_6Mm3VHqaDgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1615825974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mwCpEEQO48Y/WWVLyZ52EbI/AAAAAAAAVhg/1BwcquMP4O4lfttmyibLtL_6Mm3VHqaDgCHMYCw/s640/blogger-image-1615825974.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee Icecream</td></tr>
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They don't have a digestif or spirit menu quite yet, nor a cocktail menu but they do have a rather small good selection of wine and sake. We opted for a lager and an IPA, both Portuguese craft beer that never been seen around. Whilst darkness descend on us, awaken by caffeine from the coffee ice cream. Airy light whipped mascarpone covering the ice cream, hidden within are the tapioca balls - like you'd get in bubble tea. My friend was shouting "tapioca tapioca" which had me thinking of a different type of tapoica. It felt like a needless addition texture of chewy and flavourless but chewy with already the crumbs on top for something better.<br>
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The outdoor seating is a living carpenter work in a garden whilst the inside is dark wooden furnishing with an unfinished touch portraying a very low key and chilled vibe. Food is interesting twist of mainly Japanese influence crossing over to Mediterranean techniques. Each small offering is a delight to the taste buds. Very clever, imaginative and innovative food combinations. Nothing to note on service, waiters need to be more attentive and food should not arrive so slow. If food is 'your thing' this is well worth a visit, albeit far from cheapest haunt in East London.<br>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/curio-cabal-dalston" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Curio Cabal, Dalston and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Curio Cabal Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6121771/minilogo" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;"></a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/curio-and-ta-ta?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Curio & Tā Tā"><img alt="Square Meal" height="15" src="https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMSmall.aspx?restaurant=66da596c05134b538059ec699fa0f33f" width="104"></a><br>
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<a href="http://tataeatery.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://tataeatery.co.uk/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-43730434711684684872016-04-11T23:19:00.001+01:002016-04-12T02:23:48.030+01:00Barrafina Drury Lane, LondonIsn't it funny, how life can suddenly take a wrong turn? All the plans became a blow of dusts and you are left bewildering what to do or what is ahead. Then there are some people that wants to ruin your life for some unknown selfish reasons. Along the way, you lose some friends as well, that used to be your so called "best friends". When life hits your hard, it may not be easy to keep your head above the water. The storm is rough, but it does not last forever. After a storm comes a rainbow, one would say one would become stronger afterward. But what I would say is fake being strong till you make it. It's the only way not to drown.<br>
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At the meantime, even if you are weak you still have to eat to survive. Why have crappy food when you can have Barrafina? It took me awhile before making it to the restaurant, I always wanted to go but the queue is always insane. I finally had a reason to go without queuing, and it was for a post theatre meal. Surely there would not be a queue at 10pm? So one evening after "The Book of Mormon", me and the not so nobleman totted to Drury Lane which was the third branch of Barrafina (they've a Michelin starred one in Soho and another one in Adelaide Street in Covent Garden). Guess what, there was no queue.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5HEEqPOSy3E/VvMUoeSmnvI/AAAAAAAANA8/Pz3LSSV84w0/s640/blogger-image--994718550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5HEEqPOSy3E/VvMUoeSmnvI/AAAAAAAANA8/Pz3LSSV84w0/s640/blogger-image--994718550.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diver Caught Scallop Ceviche</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffed Courgette Flower</td></tr>
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It always excites me when there are counter seats and watching the chef sereniting the kitchen, that's the simple set up of Barrafina. No frill and no fuss. Another point is that watching the chef plating up a dish that looks good makes you want to order more food or going "I'll have one of those too".</div>
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First arrived was the scallop ceviche, the dressing that came with it was unlike the ceviche dressing from a Peruvian catering. The balance of zing and sweet with the melt in the mouth texture of scallop, a moment in life where you want it to carry on in your mouth. Then there was the stuffed courgette flower, stuffed with goats cheese and drizzled with honey. That strong cheese flavour was so on point, a marriage for a cheese lover. We also had the roast peppers, anchovies & pan de coca which I unfortunately demolished half before realising the photography. It's a classic tapas dish of a piece of toast topped with roast peppers and anchovies. I was too hungry and it was heavenly with the sweetness of the pepper and the saltines of anchovies and a added crunch from the toast. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKgpES7QIsI/VvMU3T0ASgI/AAAAAAAANBU/Q9YtkgtFDjYXutLgsnbIMT6gvuHH4zvmQ/s1600/blogger-image-553666233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKgpES7QIsI/VvMU3T0ASgI/AAAAAAAANBU/Q9YtkgtFDjYXutLgsnbIMT6gvuHH4zvmQ/s1600/blogger-image-553666233.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab Bun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Artichokes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brill, Potato, Garlic</td></tr>
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Perhaps, the crab bun is undoubtedly the signature dish here. That poppy seed topped soft bun and that creamy abundance crabby concoctions (mixed with some asparagus I think for more texture), I think my heart just skipped a beat. If only I was not allergic to crab, we could have munched on another easily. From the special board, we had the baby artichokes which was deep fried I believed. Artichokes are not about the appearance, but the flavour. And with an aiöli sauce on the side. I never understood the people that does not like artichokes, seriously I don't and I think it is an underrated vegetable. Last was the brill, potato, garlic dish. The delicate flesh of the brill was cooked to perfection, the potato was soft and mopping up the sauce. All topped with huge amount of crispy garlic and parsley. I may have turned into a pescatarian for the night, I would happily do it for anytime when in Barrafina again.<br>
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It was late at night where we could not stop the laughter, a wise choice of not cracking a bottle since we probably could not finish it in an hour or secretly maybe we can. We happily went with my suggestion of a glass each of Rioja, Hacienda del Ternero Blanco 2013. Nose of yellow fruits with some flowers. The palate is very balanced, good acidity and sweet stride.</div>
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I strongly believe with good company and good food, it equates to a good time, I could not ask for more. The food at Barrafina was faultless and certainly did not disappoint, every bites you have the taste gets better. More butterflies goes dancing in your mouth, it's full of explosions. You know you are in for a good meal when you go to Barrafina.</div>
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Score Rating: 5/5.<br>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/barrafina-1-covent-garden" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Barrafina, Covent Garden and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Barrafina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17877145/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/barrafina-drury-lane?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Barrafina Drury Lane"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=3671ecf0dea145c5b0731e574602af45" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://www.barrafina.co.uk/restaurants/drury-lane">http://www.barrafina.co.uk/restaurants/drury-lane</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-51097633603123696822016-04-04T23:45:00.000+01:002016-04-12T01:20:23.549+01:00Superstar BBQ, LondonSitted by the floor to ceiling windows, bronze lampshades and baubles hanging above at irregular lengths, tapping away on my phone whilst waiting for my friend. The failed moment when your friend stood outside by the window trying to grab my attention by making silly faces, but the fact is I never took a notice of it. Lifting my head, I turned and saw my friend Burcu standing outside. With the most confusing expression on my face, wondering what the hell is this girl doing not coming inside and would rather be out in the cold. I have a lot of silly friends that always trying to play their humour side when being with me. Be warned, I am a joke killer. Do not expect to me to laugh, because I will just kill it unexpectedly.<div><br></div><div>Korean BBQ has always been an on and off trend. In fact this is my second Korean BBQ in London throughout living here so long. Burcu never had Korean cuisine before so this was a surprisingly interesting introduction to her. Located in St Giles Piazza, <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Superstar BBQ is a new Korean joint from the mini chain of Bimbimbap. T</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">he stretch of St Giles Street and Tottenham Court Road is fast becoming the second Korean Town (after New Malden in South London) with many new establishments opening up.</span></div><div><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_QtWuPlGY5AFmNpeuc1JnAcxhp0-69j_96qULbXSCxyfZ0glf1Gw-B349be4CVu7IhyqYQVt8g2YUXV-NTXIs2KcMpO6xZ24kMq1rw-2fQK6wQFTiWKglnSHl6M90NyYd6bp8m77OIw/s640/blogger-image-574980169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_QtWuPlGY5AFmNpeuc1JnAcxhp0-69j_96qULbXSCxyfZ0glf1Gw-B349be4CVu7IhyqYQVt8g2YUXV-NTXIs2KcMpO6xZ24kMq1rw-2fQK6wQFTiWKglnSHl6M90NyYd6bp8m77OIw/s640/blogger-image-574980169.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fallen Angel in Busan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FHCOkd1vKTU/Vu4LmX7_CuI/AAAAAAAAM_Q/XfuWQMHyf64/s640/blogger-image-1564567256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FHCOkd1vKTU/Vu4LmX7_CuI/AAAAAAAAM_Q/XfuWQMHyf64/s640/blogger-image-1564567256.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Star Queen's Peach</td></tr>
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<br>Both cocktails used soju (Korean distilled beverage) as the base of its alcohol. It tasted very nice, just a touch of overly sweet for mez<br><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banchan (namool & kimchi)</td></tr>
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<br>The menu is just as what you would expect for a Korean BBQ, full of different marinated meats. With our indecisiveness, we opted for the set menu no.3, for £35 each. When one hear the word BBQ, it will linger to the taste of smoke over hot coals, the dimension of charred on food. Due to the strict UK health and safety, it will be a rarity to play with fire. In place is an electrical grill fitted in every table. </div><div><br></div><div>An array of banchan proceeded, side dishes of fermented and seasoned vegetables. The kimchi was well made, enough spiciness for those that can not tolerate spicy and still had a crunch to it. <br><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pa Jeon (seafood pancake) and Traditional Mandoo (dumplings)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_KaEFAMjTZXfQiGYPOREsF7X4cglYqOkR3wwIYKa2EO4XOXqDPtUcIgNnSNVCnGQFFv0BYz-V-mmlNVqjCunzF1io0YUKc_8fIzqwPrzZ3c-gWxMrjh27cwOMcO0KvYKhBzKoxzaePM/s640/blogger-image--690402310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_KaEFAMjTZXfQiGYPOREsF7X4cglYqOkR3wwIYKa2EO4XOXqDPtUcIgNnSNVCnGQFFv0BYz-V-mmlNVqjCunzF1io0YUKc_8fIzqwPrzZ3c-gWxMrjh27cwOMcO0KvYKhBzKoxzaePM/s640/blogger-image--690402310.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuk Hwae (beef tartare)</td></tr>
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<br>The pa jeon, a thin batter pacake studded with seafood lost its crispness. The traditional mandoo, fried dumplings are just what you'd expected. What stood out was the yuk hwae, the Korean version of beef tartare. It is usually made up of julienned strip of the most tender part of the beef, seasoning and egg yolk, mixed with julienned Korean pear and pine nuts for freshness and crunch. Another first for Burcu for tasting raw beef, thumbs up for the brave girl.<br><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-grVlpqISybw/VvLvkvcbv2I/AAAAAAAANAg/sg9XPyCI4YY/s640/blogger-image-1506919436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-grVlpqISybw/VvLvkvcbv2I/AAAAAAAANAg/sg9XPyCI4YY/s640/blogger-image-1506919436.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean BBQ </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squid</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a7wfjVWGQng/VvLvaAVA-fI/AAAAAAAANAU/XQ0qleMm7MQ/s640/blogger-image--1974873275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a7wfjVWGQng/VvLvaAVA-fI/AAAAAAAANAU/XQ0qleMm7MQ/s640/blogger-image--1974873275.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rib Galbi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fx_Z4Oeqe28/Vu4LsfvsJPI/AAAAAAAAM_U/x2hYlHOFCD0/s640/blogger-image-213738086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fx_Z4Oeqe28/Vu4LsfvsJPI/AAAAAAAAM_U/x2hYlHOFCD0/s640/blogger-image-213738086.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine Pork Belly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aEVjLfGteNI/VvLvWeoLo5I/AAAAAAAANAM/8Oa95JhLyzg/s640/blogger-image--1765376084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aEVjLfGteNI/VvLvWeoLo5I/AAAAAAAANAM/8Oa95JhLyzg/s640/blogger-image--1765376084.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sesame & Garlic Sirloin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C-8qF8fm18o/VvLv1ZC4pnI/AAAAAAAANAo/jbYOHzul6_w/s640/blogger-image-283358461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C-8qF8fm18o/VvLv1ZC4pnI/AAAAAAAANAo/jbYOHzul6_w/s640/blogger-image-283358461.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>The parade of meat and seafood for the BBQ was set up after the starters. I had to swap the tiger prawns for squid due to my allergy. We were presented with squid, rib galbi (de boned short rib), wine pork belly, sesame & garlic sirloin and vegetables. According to the instruction, it would take around 3 minutes for the grill to heat up which was misleading. We could not get any caramelisation on our squid, the grill was simply not hot enough to cook yet. For rest, it did not go into incineration. On hands with the BBQ was some cabbage leaves, spring onion salad, gochujang (hot pepper sauce) and salt & sesame oil dipping sauce. How do you eat it? Simply use the cabbage leaves like a wrap. Add some cooked meat, salad and sauce to it, then dunk it into your mouth. If you're feeling lazy, skip all those steps and just eat the meat/seafood/vegetables.</div><div><br></div><div>Considering it is food for two, more came along with a small bibimbap and miso soup. Honestly we were too cluttered up by now, I still tested the bibimbap out and sipped on the soup. <br><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobQiY6_OHZA8SFARv5pdlHbcg_nwLKE9gJ6eJ4SFiHK4I6-2Vi6XcoNgfm4Vayg8zlvX5HSDxbsIFxZrpiizeQicDoYgyrK2J5VRtCXSt9u-VE5psG1v7h1KpgRTJMZxpLfLLRAG0ETE/s640/blogger-image--1419617333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobQiY6_OHZA8SFARv5pdlHbcg_nwLKE9gJ6eJ4SFiHK4I6-2Vi6XcoNgfm4Vayg8zlvX5HSDxbsIFxZrpiizeQicDoYgyrK2J5VRtCXSt9u-VE5psG1v7h1KpgRTJMZxpLfLLRAG0ETE/s640/blogger-image--1419617333.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seasonal Fruits</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGwZR4Ti7xI/Vu4Lw3BAuuI/AAAAAAAAM_g/0jRoNABY5VsoybXBy1VonY3DsvKo7g_-Q/s1600/blogger-image--2025409372.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGwZR4Ti7xI/Vu4Lw3BAuuI/AAAAAAAAM_g/0jRoNABY5VsoybXBy1VonY3DsvKo7g_-Q/s1600/blogger-image--2025409372.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Quince</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>Dessert was a platter of season fruits acting as a palate cleanser and also a chilled honey quince drink which had a very intriguing taste.</div><div><br></div><div>Superstar BBQ is a fun interaction food venue for a Tinder date or a group of friends. Food is met with novelty of self cooking, but once the fun is worn off it is lacklustre. Service was friendly and all staffs spoke fluent English.</div><div><br></div><div>Score: 2.5/5<br><br>
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/superstar-bbq-bloomsbury" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about SuperStar BBQ, Bloomsbury and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="SuperStar BBQ Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18072136/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://superstarbbq.co.uk/">http://superstarbbq.co.uk</a><div><br></div><div><i>I was invited to review, as always opinions are my own.</i></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-75598962256905551202016-03-30T00:00:00.002+01:002016-04-12T01:20:51.167+01:00Adam Handling at Caxton, LondonOne day, I will enter Masterchef when my cooking skills are just maybe on par with the professional level. I love cooking, at the same time I love trying new restaurants and sampling and learning different cuisines. I don't have talent like Adam Handling, he was a contestant on Masterchef: the Professionals. A show for the up and coming professionals showcasing their skills and pushing boundaries and flairs. Unlike me, I am just an amateur and love eating foremost.<br>
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I never really got into watching the Masterchef: the Professionals, I am a sucker for the amateur version (and it is a better show). It was not until another blogger mentioned that we should try out Adam Handling at Caxton that with my slow train thought, to realised who he was. Handling was a runner up in Masterchef 2013, but have also won numerous other awards since. With his name hanging on the restaurant of St Ermin's Hotel in St James, one may thought this was a popular restaurant not. Location wise is not a bustling area, just across the road from New Scotland Yard so definitely in a safe hand.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wbbUivekVb8/VtYMYFby4QI/AAAAAAAAM9U/Sd7CXETu4V8/s640/blogger-image--2125823875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wbbUivekVb8/VtYMYFby4QI/AAAAAAAAM9U/Sd7CXETu4V8/s640/blogger-image--2125823875.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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What Adam showcased on the show was his own distinctive flairs and technical skills which reflects on the European menu with a touch of Japanese essence. We went for the barginous set meal of 3 course plus a glass of wine each that was booked through "bookatable".<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B4xEP8UtouE/VtYJdiFamTI/AAAAAAAAM8g/Ar0CbsO5_v4/s640/blogger-image-1776128466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B4xEP8UtouE/VtYJdiFamTI/AAAAAAAAM8g/Ar0CbsO5_v4/s640/blogger-image-1776128466.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread with Olive Oil and Chicken Butter</td></tr>
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Bread came in a very small loaf, unsliced. We had to saw through the crust, I tried and struggled. I felt like needing a chainsaw for the job, so I left that job to my company Tom, from <a href="http://foodanddrinksnoob.blogspot.co.uk/">Food and Drinks Noob</a> blog. Beside the hard crust, it was decently soft inside with a chicken butter. It tasted like chicken, chicken skin to be more precise and the thought of it is heart attacking but too precious to go to waste. Also on displayed was a Spanish olive oil for dipping, which apparently Handling produced. All I can say is I had better.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JN6zDhLWzF8/VtYKKsMsc6I/AAAAAAAAM8w/yQnaIguDOJs/s640/blogger-image--1274057831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JN6zDhLWzF8/VtYKKsMsc6I/AAAAAAAAM8w/yQnaIguDOJs/s640/blogger-image--1274057831.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nitro Salmon, Snow Peas, Wasabi, Blossom</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlEDCorYpdPGRKU3ZX88kMv5cSI41MVEvF_o64KadEn58cU-o8QRl4fP6JD3eVeYoCc4uub-lhHDT4iP9p9P1nqx9RffF70VGrpbtc3jW-JPZu5vlB93OXzoYf8D5nlew9ULrXeqLnTc/s640/blogger-image-186743224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlEDCorYpdPGRKU3ZX88kMv5cSI41MVEvF_o64KadEn58cU-o8QRl4fP6JD3eVeYoCc4uub-lhHDT4iP9p9P1nqx9RffF70VGrpbtc3jW-JPZu5vlB93OXzoYf8D5nlew9ULrXeqLnTc/s640/blogger-image-186743224.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Pork, Pineapple, Lovage, Parmesan</td></tr>
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The nitro salmon was a theatrical show, spiking it with nitro smoke. The presentation was spot on, crafting a colourful mosaic. I can see the Japanese influence in this dish with the use of wasabi but I did not really get that hit of wasabi in the form of an oil with the fresh salmon and the greeness of peas. <a href="http://foodanddrinksnoob.blogspot.co.uk/">Tom</a>'s starter was interestingly covered with Parmesan snow, balanced by the smoky aroma of the pork and offseted by the sour note of the pineapple. I preferred my salmon dish. We had a glass of house wine each with it and frankly it was gone before the main course arrived.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OiWlY6mjA3c/VtYJ7xtEioI/AAAAAAAAM8o/Zzjpj4Uv2io/s640/blogger-image--1614746242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OiWlY6mjA3c/VtYJ7xtEioI/AAAAAAAAM8o/Zzjpj4Uv2io/s640/blogger-image--1614746242.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb, Artichokes, Garlic, Sour Cream</td></tr>
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For main, we both chosen the lamb. The lamb looked tender but my first cut of it was tough, so much hard work of sawing through it that it lacked excitement. The dish was playing too safe, all classic well complimented flavour. Not much I can fault beside the meat being on the tough side.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q_GhCtOJeAU/VtYKUa0GYvI/AAAAAAAAM80/MEg9tNiPoug/s640/blogger-image--641025807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q_GhCtOJeAU/VtYKUa0GYvI/AAAAAAAAM80/MEg9tNiPoug/s640/blogger-image--641025807.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre Dessert</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBRZFbuLxRJKs82SpCt21mdvvHLkIsrzCj3Wy-vZwvwqM3Jj8RtrQgvnp6-adabdc8UUNhCcNzY3LJPagWfAzkkTCS0yfNMi_F0LuDMEIaLnJalxbTeGu4PwvoRzfyZwbq2c6V_WGWsg/s640/blogger-image-1253958901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBRZFbuLxRJKs82SpCt21mdvvHLkIsrzCj3Wy-vZwvwqM3Jj8RtrQgvnp6-adabdc8UUNhCcNzY3LJPagWfAzkkTCS0yfNMi_F0LuDMEIaLnJalxbTeGu4PwvoRzfyZwbq2c6V_WGWsg/s640/blogger-image-1253958901.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple, Tonka, Elderflower, Coconut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OubqczvRBh8/VtYJBThn1MI/AAAAAAAAM8c/HotooFdtpzc/s640/blogger-image-247027395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OubqczvRBh8/VtYJBThn1MI/AAAAAAAAM8c/HotooFdtpzc/s640/blogger-image-247027395.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandarin, Yuzu, Lime, Choux</td></tr>
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The pre dessert was a mini wafer cone with a custard ice cream. I was left out of words with the lack of imagination. <a href="http://foodanddrinksnoob.blogspot.co.uk/">Tom</a> had the apple dessert, which was clean and fresh. Whilst I had a giant choux filled with mandarin creme patissiere, it had a looked of a pineapple bun (bo lo baau) and a crunchy texture. It was more crunchier than a normal choux pastry. There was a lot of element to this dessert and I have to give an applaud to the sugar work, what a skillful job.</div>
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I can see the potential of Adam Handling, a very young chef with a contemporary and elegant style that has Michelin aspirations. The meal showed techniques and thoughtful combination of flavours but it just lacked excitement, and can be a bit dull within a hotel environment unless you're a businessman or a visitor in the saturated hotels area of St James Park.</div>
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Score: 3/5.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/adam-handling-at-caxton-st-ermins-hotel-westminster" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Adam Handling at Caxton - St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Adam Handling at Caxton - St Ermin's Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6109494/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/adam-handling-at-caxton?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Adam Handling at Caxton"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=8d06525608e4473cb668981adcbe412c" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://www.caxtongrill.co.uk/caxton/adam-handling/">http://www.caxtongrill.co.uk/caxton/adam-handling</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-74251603921374157762016-03-26T22:12:00.000+00:002016-04-12T01:22:01.447+01:00Spring Feast with Lisa Faulkner #CurrysOnHotpoint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-haYGFPyfhN8/Vvb2CC2MrAI/AAAAAAAANEg/TOwcJklrZjI/s640/blogger-image--548361798.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-haYGFPyfhN8/Vvb2CC2MrAI/AAAAAAAANEg/TOwcJklrZjI/s640/blogger-image--548361798.jpg" width="480"></a></div>
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Ever since I started blogging, I get invited to all sort of different food related events. My most recent invite was with <a href="http://techtalk.currys.co.uk/kitchen-home/try-lisa-faulkner-s-scrumptious-spring-recipes">Currys and Hotpoint</a> to an exclusive Spring Feast dinner where I would be cooking with the Celebrity Masterchef 2010 winner Lisa Faulkner. </div>
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<div>Spring is coming soon, a new seasonality of food is appearing on the menu. We should be following the seasonal food and supporting the local produces. The lovely Lisa rustled up scrumptious two course meal where the bloggers had to replicate afterward at the Hotpoint Design Centre. This was a chance to try out all the latest Hotpoint kitchen gadgets. The centre was a serious kitchen porn, being an amateur cook I dreamt of having a kitchen like this.</div>
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It was not about an evening of just getting fed, we had to get dirty on hands to prepare for our own supper. We were divided to cook up either the main dish or dessert. I am always a savoury person, in no decision I volunteered for the main. </div>
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After a lot of confusion and some careful choppings, the main was put into the Hotpoint Openspace oven to bake away. This new design oven has a special feature of <span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">double oven flexibility in a single oven space with the intelligence and innovation of Luce</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Openspace. A simple divider creates two individual cooking zones with independent timers, controls and lightings. A dream oven if you have a small kitchen.</span></div>
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Menu of the night:</div>
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<li><a href="http://techtalk.currys.co.uk/media/794151/hotpoint-recipe-card-pr-final-edited.pdf">Lemon Sole En Papillote</a> - so simple and tasty, the fennel added some strong aniseed flavour to fish. A brilliant balance to such a delicate fish. With sides of potatoes and greens, too much food to digest.</li>
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<li><a href="http://techtalk.currys.co.uk/media/794151/hotpoint-recipe-card-pr-final-edited.pdf">Upside Down Pineapple Pudding</a> - an old school retro dessert, it may even drew back up school dinner memories. Another very simple recipe with the all in one method of just blending everything together. It was served with custard, prefect ending to such a wonderful evening.</li></ul></div>
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<i>Thank you Lisa Faulkner!</i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-24412982858502700562016-03-01T00:11:00.001+00:002016-04-12T01:21:34.637+01:00Noble Rot, LondonOnce upon a time, the Princess and the Prince Charming lived happily forever after. That did not happen to me, ended rather tragically but one thing that it lead me into is the world of wine or some may called it alcoholism. So much so, when I asked the mighty world of Twitter for the best wine bar in London, Noble Rot was one that got mentioned the most along with couple of other names. I remembered talking to someone at Handford Wines before Christmas, they were saying how good the wine lists was. Anywhere with a good wine list will most definitely attracts me.<br>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb%27s_Conduit_Stree" target="_blank">Lamb's Conduit Street</a> is a fascinating street, a historic street with all different quirky shops. Sitting on this street is a new wine bar from the chaps of the wine magazine <a href="http://noblerot.co.uk/magazine" target="_blank">Noble Rot</a>. It feels like it's been there forever, which it has since 1973 before a change of ownership in the late 2015.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BkBexwpYhYw/VsI2aCv7jII/AAAAAAAAM8A/drnc44dntIA/s640/blogger-image--2143612581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BkBexwpYhYw/VsI2aCv7jII/AAAAAAAAM8A/drnc44dntIA/s640/blogger-image--2143612581.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lopez de Heredia, "Tondonia" Tinto Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2003</td></tr>
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The menu reads simplicity, at the helm of the kitchen is Paul Weaver who previously worked at the Michelin starred <a href="http://www.thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Sportsman</a> and<a href="https://www.stjohngroup.uk.com/spitalfields/" target="_blank"> St John Bread & Wine</a>. With consultant assistance from the man himself, Stephen Harris of <a href="http://www.thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Sportsman</a>. The wine list is even more impressive and is organised by a mix of geography and grapes variety. If you know your wine well, you can spot few bargain bottles below the retail price.</div>
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A start with a sip of <a href="http://www.bbr.com/products-32272-2003-vina-tondonia-tinto-reserva-bodegas-r-lopez-de-heredia" target="_blank">Lopez de Heredia Rioja 2003</a>, full of juicy ripe fruit flavour. Along with the wine was a cheese plate (Reblochon, Sant Andrea, Beauvale), I got too excited looking at the cheese that I forgot about the photo. Before I know it, the cheese was already demolished.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Ham</td></tr>
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I do realised that I started with a dessert first, well cheese for me is more of an appetitser. There's no right or wrong order for food, eat what you love and drink what you appreciate. The duck ham has no relation to the animal piggy, it is thinly sliced smoked duck breast. The oiliness cut through the second bottle of wine, a Shiraz that is very different palate to the initial bottle of Rioja. (I cannot seem to find the Shiraz on the wine list afterward, forgive me again no photo).<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comté Tart, Pink Chicory & Pickled Walnuts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confit Duck Leg, Puy Lentils & Aioli</td></tr>
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Tonight, I found a new love in the form of a Comté tart. Comté is one of my favourite cheese. This is like a savoury custard tart. That intensive cheese flavour and slight gooey melt in the mouth texture, no amount of words can describe it to the point that I have ignored the duck. The salad that went with duck had a slight bitterness but a tang with the dressing making it refreshing to eat. Whilst the duck was good, meat falling off the bone paired with a hearty puy lentils. The dish was simply over shadowed by the brilliant Comté tart. </div>
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Noble Rot is indeed very good, fantastic food and exceptional selected wine list. It met up all the hyped that I heard and excelled in my expectation. Quality food with a bistro fare and quality wine with price tag that does not break the bank. What is not to love about it? With delicious food comes great wine, more importantly is the company that you attended with. With an amazing company, it made this meal even more brilliantly. A word of advice: drink on caution! </div>
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Score: 4/5</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/noble-rot-bloomsbury" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Noble Rot, Bloomsbury and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Noble Rot Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18171857/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/noble-rot?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Noble Rot"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=d15bb1af29564f7ea197934ad0884e8a" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://noblerot.co.uk/wine-bar">http://noblerot.co.uk/wine-bar</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-80553503121721066292015-11-26T17:00:00.000+00:002015-11-27T00:41:21.425+00:00MUGA, LondonThe day is getting shorter, the weather is getting colder. Days like these are when you want to be slurping a bowl of hot sizzling ramen. For me, ramen is not a seasonality food. I like it through out the year whether it's in the summer or winter, it is a comfy food.<br />
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I am no expert in ramen but I do know what I like in ramen and am able to spot a good bowl of it. MUGA, just off Piccadilly in the heart of theatres land is a Japanese ramen bar. It's particularly pleasing seeing that there is no queue. No queue for a ramen, that is questionable.... Well, who would want to queue up in the cold weather?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toyo Bijin Junmai Ginjo Sake</td></tr>
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I started to learn about sake (Japanese rice wine) this year, before that I always thought sake was a strong spirit drink. I was totally wrong and now becoming a sake enthusiast ever since my first <a href="http://www.ivyeatsagain.com/2015/03/sake-tasting-chotto-matte-london.html" target="_blank">sake tasting</a>. Reading the sake list, I still get seriously confused like being in a unknown territory. We went for a half bottle of Toyo Bijin Junmai Ginjo sake. Aroma is rice, koji and fruity citrus with flavour of sweet rice and alcohol. Finish is sweet and lightly boozy. Nice but not great.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agedashi Tofu</td></tr>
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Sometime I feel sceptical that somethings that are supposed to be street food snacks appearing on a restaurant menu. For instance, I find it weird whenever seeing takoyaki on a menu. You are supposed to be standing on the street munching it and not seated in a restaurant with cutlery. Decent takoyaki, ball shaped batter usually filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and Spring onion; then brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise. I definitely had octopus, not too sure whatelse was in my takoyaki and very generous in the dried bonito flakes. The agedashi tofu was tasty, lightly dusted silken tofu deep fried and served in a dashi with grated daikon and bonito flakes. A simple classic Japanese dish that is light in flavour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafood Delight Ramen in Shio Based Broth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charshu Max Ramen in Tonkotsu Based Broth</td></tr>
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The ramen menu at MUGA is different compared to other ramen joints. Here, it involves pick the soup base, spicing it up (going large essentially) or adding additional toppings. There is always a lesson that I never learn and neither does Mr. T. Greed is never good and it is damn to be wasting food. </div>
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We both spiced up our ramen, meaning the toppings of our ramen was beaming to the edge. The waiter recommended one of us to try the shio based broth as MUGA is the only ramen joint in London that does it. Shio means salt and this is traditionally the way ramen soup is flavoured. The salt doesn't affect the appearance of the broth and therefore shio soup tends to be light in colour and the flavour can be a tad saltier. It is usually made with chicken broth then seasoned with salt, in this case I'm not actually too sure but it is not as salty as you would expect. Spiced up with a seafood delight toppings, a mixture of seafood and vegetables. I can never seem to opt away from tonkotsu. The broth is of great standard, rich in taste but light in heart (still not comparable to my favourite Kanada-ya). It was a mistake to spice it up with the chashu max topping, so much chashu and vegetables. Good flavour chashu and not too lean, but the vegetables was a bit oily and we both prefered our noodles being hard (or al dente).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Ice Cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorayaki with Sesame Ice Cream</td></tr>
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Not that we wanted to stuff our face, how can you resist desserts when it is offered to you? Mr. T had the green tea ice cream and I had the dorayaki (two pancakes sandwiched with azuki bean paste) with sesame ice cream. Decent green tea ice cream, given any day I would prefer sipping matcha than having green tea/matcha flavour dessert. Dorayaki is my childhood snack, made famous by the anime/manga Doraemon. To me dorayaki is a snack (traditionally Japanese sweet confectionary), not a dessert so even with a sesame ice cream it does not work as a dessert. The sesame ice cream was good, I think it can be more nuttier the flavour. We could barely move by this point, just overly too much food that we had.</div>
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I am not sure how I bypassed MUGA beforehand, it is pretty unknown to the foodie world. Is it more or less authentic to the other ramen joints? I have no idea. If offers a good solid ramen selection and the noodles are made onsite. They have a selection of sake with decent price to accompany the food. Price is very friendly too with all ramen being under a tenner, unless you spice it up to a super size bowl. What I also like too, there's no queue. That plays a huge factor for me, whether I want to try a place or not. This is a place that I will sure come by if the queue is too long at my all time favourite ramen joint (kanada-ya, no one can beat you yet).</div>
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Score: 3.5/5</div>
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Price: £10-15/head</div>
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<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was invited to review.</span></i>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/muga-soho" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Muga, Soho and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Muga Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17944441/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://bloom-dining-london.com/">http://bloom-dining-London.com</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-5344801884267317352015-11-24T23:55:00.000+00:002015-11-25T01:11:52.444+00:00Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food The South American Way<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way by Luiz Hara</td></tr>
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<br />
It was not until the end of last year that I started to notice a type of cuisine called Nikkei when there was a boom of Nikkei restaurants opening in London. It is not a new cuisine but one where not many people known of it. The word Nikkei is derived from the Japanese word nikkeijin referring to Japanese people who migrated overseas and their descendants. It is fascinating to know Brazil has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, with the arrival of about 800 Japanese in 1908 to the present of 1.5 million Japanese living in Brazil.<br />
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The author <a href="http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/p/about.html" target="_blank">Luiz Hara</a>, is a food writer, the man behind one of the top London food blog "<a href="http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/" target="_blank">The London Foodie</a>" and the hugely successful <a href="http://www.ivyeatsagain.com/2015/11/nikkei-cuisine-japanese-food-south.html" target="_blank">Japanese Supper Club</a> from his home. The author's grandparents migrated to Brazil and he was raised in the Brazilian city of São Paulo. He moved to London 20 years ago working in investment banking before moving on to his dream of training at the culinary school of Le Cordon Bleu.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep-Fried Chicken Nanban / Nikkei Piri-Piri Poussi</td></tr>
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Here, the Nikkei cuisine refers to the cooking of the Japanese diaspora with the usage of local ingredients but cooked in the Japanese way. For over the century, the cuisine has evolved megering the best of two cultures. Now with a popularity of Nikkei cuisine restaurants in London, maybe it is time to explore cooking Nikkei food at home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Aubergines with Miso Dengaku & Mozzarella</td></tr>
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I am fortunate to know the author himself personally and have sampled his supper club food on different occasions many times. His food never failed to amazed me. Predominately the food is home style cooking with a touch of French classic technique. The book features over 100 recipes, with interesting blend of Nikkei twists on traditional recipes to more simple and complex to salivating the page. The book is broken down into sections of small eats, sushi, tiraditos & ceviches, rice & noodles, soups & hotpots, mains, vegetables, salads & tofu and finally desserts. </div>
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There will definitely be a recipe that will tempt you into making it. I decided to recreate a dish that I had at his supper club (above photo) before which is a clever twist on a very classic Japanese dish, Nasu Dengaku. It is essentially grilled aubergines with a miso glazed, what Luiz did was he added mozeralla on top and it was like a marriage in heaven (I am over exaggerating but it works brilliantly).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My interpretation on Luiz's grilled aubergines </td></tr>
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<h3>
Grilled Aubergines with Miso Dengaku and Mozzarella</h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> (serves 4)</div>
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2 small aubergines (eggplants)</div>
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1 tbsp vegetable oil</div>
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1 tbsp sesame oil</div>
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100g ready-grated mozzarella cheese</div>
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1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds, to garnish </div>
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<b>For the dengaku miso paste:</b></div>
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4 tbsp brown miso paste </div>
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4 tbsp mirin</div>
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4 tbsp water </div>
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4 tsp sugar</div>
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<ul>
<li>First, prepare the dengaku miso paste by mixing all the ingredients in a pan, warm until the sugar has dissolved and all the ingredients are well combined. Then set aside, the sauce can be made days in advance and keeps for weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge.</li>
<li>Wash te aubergines (eggplants) and pat them dry. Cut them lengthways, without removing the stems, into equal halves. Using a sharp knife, make criss-cross incise into the flesh of each half without tearing through the skin.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and preheat the grill (broiler) to hot.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, in a larger frying pan (or skillet) (with a lid), heat the oils until smoking hot. Lower the temperature to medium, place the four aubergine (eggplant) halves on top (flesh side down), cover with a kid and fry for 5 minutes. Turn the aubergines (eggplants) over, re-cover the pan and fry for a further 10 minutes. The aubergine (eggplant) halves should be very soft by this stage; use a wide spatula to transfer them a roasting tin (this time, skin side down).</li>
<li>Apply a thin layer of the dengaku miso paste over the cut side of the aubergine (eggplant) halves using a knife or teaspoon. Cover the aubergine (eggplant) halves with the grated mozzarella and reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the aubergine (eggplant) halves from the oven and transfer straight under the hot grill (broiler) for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and browned. Served immediately with a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds.</li>
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My interpretation of this recipe is slightly different with the use of Korean Doenjang which is similar to Japanese miso paste since I only had that on hand at home and omitted the sesame seeds which I did not have any. Nevertheless, it was still very tasty.</div>
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<div>
The book is available to buy on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikkei-Cuisine-Japanese-South-American/dp/1910254207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441194269&sr=8-1&keywords=nikkei+cuisines" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, published by Jacqui Small.</div>
<a href="http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781910254202/Nikkei-Cuisine.html">http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781910254202/Nikkei-Cuisine.html</a>
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<small><i>I was sent a copy to review by the publisher Jacqui Small.</i></small>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-45054789926382631562015-11-05T15:50:00.002+00:002015-11-06T14:42:15.462+00:00Arbutus, London"Wait, you never been fine dining before?" I was surprised to hear from my friend that he'd never been to a high end restaurant. I knew I had to take him somewhere, a place that would not break our wallet. What's more, he is leaving me behind in London and moving to Chicago. It needed to be a leaving celebratory meal.<br>
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It was not easy to pick somewhere that would not cost the bomb, finally settling on Arbutus for their valued set lunch deal. What's more, Arbutus is a one star Michelin restaurant in central London of Soho focused on modern European cooking from the brainchild of Anthony Demetre and Will Smith (not the huge Hollywood star) of Wild Honey and Les Deux Salons. I may have not heard much about Arbutus before, but I am one of those people that will studied the menus in advance. Going for a set menu, usually meant there are less choice but that is fine with me when the prices are so much reasonable than the not so affordable a la carte menu.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread</td></tr>
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It is not really fine when there is no amuse bouche. I love amuse bouche, I love the surprise that you get and it is always so tasty. Some places gives a lot of amuse bouche and some gives you nothing, it is underwhelming. You always expect surprise from a high end restaurant given that you are paying for so much and it is a showcase of what the chef can offers. The bread was good, so good with the butter that we had a second plate of it.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LTQ3g_xbu3c/VaWGLDsnZcI/AAAAAAAAK0s/oV5Xvs89xBY/s640/blogger-image-570614333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LTQ3g_xbu3c/VaWGLDsnZcI/AAAAAAAAK0s/oV5Xvs89xBY/s640/blogger-image-570614333.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pressed Confit of Rabbit, House Made Pickles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon Tartare with Cucumber and Olive Oil</td></tr>
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<br>It wasn't until Mr. T told me, his pressed rabbit dish was plated like a rabbit shape. I was having a blonde moment there, not that I am blonde. He liked it, saying the flavour was good just not an outstanding dish. Whereas the salmon tartare that me and Calvin both ordered was overwhelmed by the olive oil taste which totally overtook the salmon taste. The cucumber gave it a good crunch and I loved the crispy salmon skin. It tasted just like those deep fried crispy fish skin you get in congee or noodle shops in Hong Kong (having a bit of nostalgic moment).<br><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C2HXOnT32vM/VaWF8WiA3UI/AAAAAAAAK0E/SCCwJ57B0RE/s640/blogger-image--1444414749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C2HXOnT32vM/VaWF8WiA3UI/AAAAAAAAK0E/SCCwJ57B0RE/s640/blogger-image--1444414749.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinly Sliced Creekstone Black Angus Beef, Smoked Aubergine and Peanuts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e4YB1yCklUw/VaWGFF24i-I/AAAAAAAAK0c/-ZhH5PUCVvg/s640/blogger-image--1405662921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e4YB1yCklUw/VaWGFF24i-I/AAAAAAAAK0c/-ZhH5PUCVvg/s640/blogger-image--1405662921.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cod simmered in Salted Butter, Necteraines, Fresh Peas, Romanesco</td></tr>
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<br>I knew I should of have went for the beef as my main, just look at that piece of meat. The boys went for the beef, it was so tender, juicy to medium rare and full of flavour. It was not really a thin slice not that anyone was complaining. It took us a while to work out what that greyish slab of thing was on the plate which was aubergine as it didn't have much taste to it. Looking at my fish, it was definitely in the shadow. The cooking of the cod was perfect, but overall the dish was lacking bold flavours even though nectarines and cod miraculously somehow works together.<br><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hAF-db5CXWw/VaWGCHpeYXI/AAAAAAAAK0U/PThPSy2ek9k/s640/blogger-image--1904763211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hAF-db5CXWw/VaWGCHpeYXI/AAAAAAAAK0U/PThPSy2ek9k/s640/blogger-image--1904763211.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Berries, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4ShjIbELWPSluQGxNmue61V9OFTnGjIVruVA0ZNWhSHxamdj3GbHggxjW4fSEIveCzKifrQHz0GT35kWGuQBEwoHNvmRgqvIirRl_97NA_LLUfauuKEzhXQdKZ-O46h5JyqUkjygoyM/s640/blogger-image--964501673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4ShjIbELWPSluQGxNmue61V9OFTnGjIVruVA0ZNWhSHxamdj3GbHggxjW4fSEIveCzKifrQHz0GT35kWGuQBEwoHNvmRgqvIirRl_97NA_LLUfauuKEzhXQdKZ-O46h5JyqUkjygoyM/s640/blogger-image--964501673.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive Oil and Pistachio Soonge, Peaches, Yoghurt</td></tr>
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Sometimes, you don't need a fancy dessert to end the meal. You would want something hearty and something that taste good. The desserts was simple but made with skills. Seeing how Mr. T was licking every spoonful of his summer berries and vanilla ice cream, you know it was very good with the chocolate soil. The dessert me and Calvin both opted had an aquired taste, the olive oil sponge had a sponge texture that you'd never had before and it was slightly on the dried side. Without the sponge, the peaches and yoghurt (it was like a sorbet) was perfect. I think I can have a bowl of it on its own, just minus the sponge.<br><br>We went on a Sunday lunch and the restaurant was quiet and empty. We didn't order any drinks knowing it would had bump the cost up marginally as we were trying to keep it as low as possible. Although a glass of Pinot Blanc would have been perfect with the fish. The service was very much tailored to your table, given there was only like 3 other tables with diners. The food was uninspiring, it tasted perfectly wonderful just missing the enjoyment and surprises. £25 for 3 course would be a fantastic steal if the food was truly amazing. Arbutus is definitely miles better compared to my own western cuisine cooking. I felt there are better cookings from lesser known and not award winning restaurants but probably not at this price. </div><div><br></div><div>Score: 3/5</div><div>Price: ~£30/head<br><br>
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/arbutus-soho" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Arbutus on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6103599/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/arbutus?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Arbutus"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=f2271702cfe04772a5b4fa18db906ac0" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/">http://wwww.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-31202521863940827352015-10-28T09:00:00.000+00:002015-11-06T14:41:35.364+00:00Mas Q Menos (Soho), LondonI do love Jamón Ibérico, and if I can I would love to buy the whole leg of it to take home. Whenever I feel like nibbling, I can carve thin slices of it. It does taste better when the ham is freshly carved or sliced.<br>
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<a href="http://www.masqmenos.co.uk/">Mas Q Menos</a> is a tapas bar in Soho (also with branches in Holborn and City), the name translating to <i>more for less</i>. Before stepping inside, I was not aware how well known <a href="http://www.masqmenos.com/">Mas Q Menos</a> is in Spain. With over 30 Tapas bars as well as another 11 <a href="http://www.cacheirorestaurants.com/restaurantes-barcelona/cacheiro">restaurants</a> in Barcelona owned by the Cacheiros family. I knew I was in ham heaven when I saw legs of Ibérico hanging on the wall.<br>
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<tr><td><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7iU8t8M8xXU/VfYE8rFwFRI/AAAAAAAALgk/iqHYZkfpp4Y/s640/blogger-image--1738183435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7iU8t8M8xXU/VfYE8rFwFRI/AAAAAAAALgk/iqHYZkfpp4Y/s640/blogger-image--1738183435.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Blue Devil & Bloody Mary </td></tr>
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We started with two cocktails for the night. Mr. T has a tendency of trying out Bloody Mary at every available places, and somehow it also made me turn into a tomato juice person (I hated tomato juice before). Two decent cocktails I would say.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TlwXY1aFUkI/VfYFNXoe_lI/AAAAAAAALhM/h-PStNLkG9s/s640/blogger-image--1962010424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TlwXY1aFUkI/VfYFNXoe_lI/AAAAAAAALhM/h-PStNLkG9s/s640/blogger-image--1962010424.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamón Ibérico </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamón Croquettes </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I am not self proclaimed expert on hams, but I know a good ham when it tasted good. Mas Q Menos pride themselves on their quality of Jamón Ibérico. What gives that rich flavour taste of the jamón ibérico is the free-range pigs diet of only acorns. A good ibérico ham has regular flecks of intramuscular fat, and that fat is good for health. The ham is machine carved, it takes years of training to be able to carved nicely by hand. It's much oily when freshly carved, and it melts in the mouth along with artisan bread spread with tomatoes and bread sticks. The waiter recommended the Jamón Croquettes, glad I listened to him. It was crispy with potato and ham oozing out from inside.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CtH-xBHYKE0/VfYFKQQdpzI/AAAAAAAALhE/9-FKUs76w3o/s640/blogger-image--1854541906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CtH-xBHYKE0/VfYFKQQdpzI/AAAAAAAALhE/9-FKUs76w3o/s640/blogger-image--1854541906.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galician Style Octopus “Pulpo Gallego”</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-arBx54_2f1U/VfYFG-Qf1_I/AAAAAAAALg8/NgpXwXfvH_A/s640/blogger-image--431170826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-arBx54_2f1U/VfYFG-Qf1_I/AAAAAAAALg8/NgpXwXfvH_A/s640/blogger-image--431170826.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Anchovies in Vinegar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z-USbK0OUos/VfYFD8aISqI/AAAAAAAALg0/i99iW-n4L9o/s640/blogger-image--94175871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z-USbK0OUos/VfYFD8aISqI/AAAAAAAALg0/i99iW-n4L9o/s640/blogger-image--94175871.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foie Gras served with Figs Jam &Toast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Pulpo Gallego, a simple octopus dish with olive oil and speckle of sweet Paprika. Tender pieces of octopus and nicely seasoned. Anchovies is something that I cannot resist, and you rarely see it as a dish on its own on the menu. Good acidity to the anchovies, not overly pungent. I feel wrong eating a slab of foie gras, but for Mr. T it is his devil's dish. I wish it was actually toast that came with it rather than bread sticks which was left clueless.<br>
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We didn't have dessert, feeling full already and I do not remembered much of that evening beside the tasty jamón ibérico. Service was friendly and casual but lacking attentiveness sometimes, it was made up be their knowledgeable skills. It is definitely a place for drinks and a plate of jamón ibérico to share.<br>
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Score: 3/5<br>
Price: £30/head<br>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was invited to review.</span></i><br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/MasQMenos" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Mas Q Menos, Soho and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Mas Q Menos Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6126210/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a><br>
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/mas-q-menos-soho?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Mas Q Menos Soho"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=6793d9b4288d44fabaf3ad24218417a4" height="27" width="160"></a><br>
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<a href="http://www.masqmenos.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.masqmenos.co.uk/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-18480823035081457642015-10-27T16:03:00.003+00:002015-10-27T16:15:07.193+00:00Take Eat Easy - Food Delivery Service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Everyone has a moment in life where they are too lazy and tired to cook at home, right? You reach out for your phone, dialled the number for a greasy takeaway. Hold that thought for now. A new food delivery service has arrived in London, Take Eat Easy and it is also taken by storm around Europe. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_9TRw-WQis/Vi-TCLijnmI/AAAAAAAAMNI/5KF-j_m6OHI/s1600/8JzUmRS6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_9TRw-WQis/Vi-TCLijnmI/AAAAAAAAMNI/5KF-j_m6OHI/s1600/8JzUmRS6.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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No more greasy food, but a premium restaurant food delivered to your home. Launched in 2013 in Brussels by four childhood friends set out on a mission to find a better way of getting food delivered from independent restaurants to people's homes. Delivering food can be a complicated system. Take Eat Easy goes a step further by allowing customers to follow their courier in real time and to know the exact arrival time of their food. The unique dispatching algorithms developed by the team, allow the company to deliver meals in as little as 17 minutes. What's more, it is all delivered by a team of cyclists. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Np5_nKziiU/Vi-Tzpyf-VI/AAAAAAAAMNU/PtTeaX73Zuc/s1600/take-eat-easy-london.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Np5_nKziiU/Vi-Tzpyf-VI/AAAAAAAAMNU/PtTeaX73Zuc/s1600/take-eat-easy-london.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I thought living in central London would have meant I had a lot of choices. There were only two restaurants delivering to my post code. Plan B, have it delivered to my work where East London seems to be a bustling food scene at the moment. I was swamped with choices and found it difficult to pick. </div>
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I opted for Chinese from Sichuan Folk, specialised in hot and spicy Chinese food from the Sichuan region. I don't usually order rice for takeaway since I prefer cooking that myself.</div>
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The website was easy to use. Once the order was made, an email and text will confirmed that the order had been received. I received another text with a link to track the order once the restaurant had acknowledged the order. </div>
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It was fun being able to track your food on a real time map, when it left the restaurant and how far away. I was surprised to see the courier using bike to deliver the food, but then again it is easier to get around London with bikes. My food arrived within 30 minutes, hot and fresh. Tasted very good too.</div>
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bBHhtZYh7g/Vi-TzS80ttI/AAAAAAAAMNQ/KMpZ2bPkafs/s1600/take-eat-easy-application-mobile-1.png" width="480" /></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">HOW IT WORKS:</span></b></u></div>
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<li><b>YOU ORDER</b> - Order from one of your favourite restaurants on their website or mobile app. Enter your address, pick a restaurant, select your dishes and confirm your order in just a few clicks.</li>
<li><b>RESTAURANTS PREPARE YOUR FOOD</b> - Take Eat Easy has partnered with the best restaurants in your city. They will prepare each of your orders with love, and pack them carefully.</li>
<li><b>THEY DELIVER</b> - Bike couriers are fast, passionate, and just the nicest. Your courier is assigned to your order in real-time, through a custom mobile app. On average, Take Eat Easy couriers deliver your food in ten minutes, from the restaurant to your door.</li>
<li><b>YOU ENJOY</b> - They believe mealtimes are special moments of the day, made to relax and simply enjoy. Moments that should be about great food, great company, and nothing to worry about.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food</td></tr>
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Sorry for my terrible photo of the food, I ordered a lot of food. The food tasted great and the service was fast and reliable. If you are in the catchment area, it is a delivery service that I would highly recommend. Even better, they're offering free delivery charge until 2016 and by clicking <a href="http://www.takeeateasy.co.uk/en/referral/reduction/5YAI13">here</a> you can get £10 off with your first order.<br />
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Maybe I should cheekily order something now after writing about it....<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was invited to review.</span></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.takeeateasy.co.uk/en/referral/reduction/5YAI13" target="_blank">http://www.takeeateasy.co.uk</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-79106654914479241622015-09-09T08:00:00.000+01:002015-09-09T08:00:01.001+01:00The Fire Station, LondonThe Fire Station is a long standing institution, at Waterloo. Back in the late 80's The Fire Station was one of the first gastropubs. To many commuters delight after an one year extensive refurbishment, it has re-opened. The vintage fire station memorabilia sets the finishing touches to the fabulous refurbish. There is no fireman's pole that you can slide down, but with details such as vintage fire extinguishers, fire hose chandeliers, tap coat hooks, and a wall panel of the 1666 Great Fire of London.<br />
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The small menu feature highly on the current food trends of wood fired pizzas and sumptuous burgers. The drink menu is interesting, with in house smoked cocktails and if cocktails are not your thing, there are of course wine and craft beers available too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-miS8ErgPJZE/VaaRmIySl8I/AAAAAAAAK1U/8QPaO9GaB8A/s640/blogger-image--960824565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-miS8ErgPJZE/VaaRmIySl8I/AAAAAAAAK1U/8QPaO9GaB8A/s640/blogger-image--960824565.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glazed Short Rib</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--_cnOhxFRlg/VaaR0CXFT7I/AAAAAAAAK18/7srVwPEqz3Q/s640/blogger-image--64057994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--_cnOhxFRlg/VaaR0CXFT7I/AAAAAAAAK18/7srVwPEqz3Q/s640/blogger-image--64057994.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-49CrcLSvrVw/VaaRxsDUklI/AAAAAAAAK10/TfTSA7EaYd8/s640/blogger-image--301658496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-49CrcLSvrVw/VaaRxsDUklI/AAAAAAAAK10/TfTSA7EaYd8/s640/blogger-image--301658496.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black & Gold</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V7wDr5Pghuc/VaaRqNMgZ2I/AAAAAAAAK1c/bcR0PSJuGqg/s640/blogger-image--1780308157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V7wDr5Pghuc/VaaRqNMgZ2I/AAAAAAAAK1c/bcR0PSJuGqg/s640/blogger-image--1780308157.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Mackerel, King Prawns, Confit Garlic Butter Base, Marinated Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Rocket, Soft Boiled Egg</td></tr>
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I was the odd person out, ordering the pizza rather than the burgers. It really did put me off when I heard the burgers are done well, not medium rare. I don't like my meat to be tough and dry, at least retain some moisture in the meat. My pizza was palatable, the downside was being ultraly thin and crisp. With all the soft textures of the topping, it sort of work against the crispy base. I do perhaps want a bit more chew to my base.</div>
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Moving on to the burgers, I do love a good burger. The expectation was sadly not met. Presentation wise, the burgers looked awfully lifeless. The bun is often overlooked, in this case it certainly was overlooked as it was uninteresting. The meat patty was overcooked, the buttermilk chicken was forgotten. To have a winner burger, meat needs to be medium to medium rare and a decent bun like demi-brioche. You can't go wrong with that recipe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JC7qfZuFbbk/VaaRheqstWI/AAAAAAAAK1E/KYGrt2Hqw4s/s640/blogger-image--595342403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JC7qfZuFbbk/VaaRheqstWI/AAAAAAAAK1E/KYGrt2Hqw4s/s640/blogger-image--595342403.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Coleslaw</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uXESfm2JJ0o/VaaRvFi9UEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/_nivEp9qROw/s640/blogger-image-99341966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uXESfm2JJ0o/VaaRvFi9UEI/AAAAAAAAK1s/_nivEp9qROw/s640/blogger-image-99341966.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Fries</td></tr>
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The sides played a less important role to the point it felt meaningless. It was pretty average, not like we wanted to demolish it like a hungry beast.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zU1EiPGl0mI/VaaRjxtqkDI/AAAAAAAAK1M/Ll_4b0vDmQs/s640/blogger-image-1457949544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zU1EiPGl0mI/VaaRjxtqkDI/AAAAAAAAK1M/Ll_4b0vDmQs/s640/blogger-image-1457949544.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Duchess</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RS9tzEKj8kA/VaaRsqT7_bI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gF9caYgQqv0/s640/blogger-image-1214704996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RS9tzEKj8kA/VaaRsqT7_bI/AAAAAAAAK1k/gF9caYgQqv0/s640/blogger-image-1214704996.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pineapple & Black Pepper Margarita</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lxIPgY3TDBo/VaaRfMap2tI/AAAAAAAAK08/P7z8S1_9kUk/s640/blogger-image--2050564643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lxIPgY3TDBo/VaaRfMap2tI/AAAAAAAAK08/P7z8S1_9kUk/s640/blogger-image--2050564643.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Château Cruzeau, St. Emilion Grand Cru, France 2010</td></tr>
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The best thing about the pub, are the drinks. Who would not like the smoked cocktails? I didn't have a chance to try the smoked cocktails but the cocktails that I drank was decent enough just wished they'd filled up the whole glass. We also had a Bordeaux wine from St. Emilion region. Full bodied with a nose of plum and at £45 per bottle, not bad at all.<br />
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Overall, I felt let down by the food especially the burgers are overpriced. In terms of value, it's good especially for the drinks and given the area that it is in. I would come back from drinks and may give the food a second chance if I'm in the area again.<br />
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Score: 2.5/5<br />
Price: £10-15/head<br />
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<i>The meal was complimentary for soft launch.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/the-fire-station-1-waterloo" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for The Fire Station on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17944445/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/the-fire-station?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of The Fire Station"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=428f06d082fd4e97bf62a2aa90ef13a9" height="27" width="160" /></a>
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<a href="http://thefirestationwaterloo.com/">http://thefirestationwaterloo.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-50244572679077078242015-09-08T08:00:00.000+01:002015-09-08T00:00:28.834+01:00Crab Tavern, LondonHow much do you know about crab? Did you know the collective name for a group of crabs is a cast? When a crab lose its claw, it grows back easily? The two things that I know about crab, it is very delicious and it gets very messy eating it.<br />
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Given the name, there's no prizes for guessing what a lot of the dishes will feature. Crab Tavern is an all day seafood restaurant, with an American surf and turf concept tucked in the redeveloped Broadgate Circle in the City of London. It is rare to find crab on the menu in London's restaurant with the crab meat still intacted with the shell. So, it is time to get our hands dirty...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VphMmA4M7es/VaV6tdJng5I/AAAAAAAAKyo/dNoi6Ev2dO4/s640/blogger-image--718693998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VphMmA4M7es/VaV6tdJng5I/AAAAAAAAKyo/dNoi6Ev2dO4/s640/blogger-image--718693998.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oysters Of The Day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oYeJd8_VGDo/VaWDG_764uI/AAAAAAAAKzA/_Q-UwoTvajk/s640/blogger-image--526073494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oYeJd8_VGDo/VaWDG_764uI/AAAAAAAAKzA/_Q-UwoTvajk/s640/blogger-image--526073494.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Chopped Steak Tartare with King Crab</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-sUf9VNaUNmnENLmI5rujmNv-o9vHyvUnMnpr37LB4s-J6jNZJye9gme2sUte2Pqm1kWvJWmPyIcBZulcCBVr6ir2NIcxwNwYaq5YovUp0GwLLtGfHNYsnPrCLmxz3AsRf1QSeASANI/s640/blogger-image--341733724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-sUf9VNaUNmnENLmI5rujmNv-o9vHyvUnMnpr37LB4s-J6jNZJye9gme2sUte2Pqm1kWvJWmPyIcBZulcCBVr6ir2NIcxwNwYaq5YovUp0GwLLtGfHNYsnPrCLmxz3AsRf1QSeASANI/s640/blogger-image--341733724.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Coast Clam Chowder</td></tr>
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For someone like me and my friend Ronson, we are like a newbie when it comes to removing the shell of the crab. Meanwhile, Mr. T would proclaimed himself to be an expert especially in hairy crabs (a speciality crab from China). It was on Mr. T's hand to do the dirty job of decluctering the shell for us.<br />
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Before that, we shared the starters. Not too sure what kind of oysters it was but it was good, lovely natural sweetness. Because we are in a seafood restaurant, we opted to add king crab meat to the beef tartare. It does not make any difference when mixed together beside the price, you can't really taste the crab meat as the beef have overpowered the whole dish. Nevertheless, it is a tasty beef tartare. The clam chowder had a lot of chunky seafood over swimming the plate, so much so it was lacking the soup. It was decent, not mesmorising.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPiIwOMgU-zstoJ_XO-VfMEN5IHaeAcKowiWMb13iY5EvFvSJlD5LN-TmjgHS7eDLC-k_wK6aRvMtQW3JcBuhS-YRBCuxfMPMTPe4_DVN41_p8SvCPeATg6UdqXk8b8YXYjTuEwT5GWA/s640/blogger-image--1768180012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPiIwOMgU-zstoJ_XO-VfMEN5IHaeAcKowiWMb13iY5EvFvSJlD5LN-TmjgHS7eDLC-k_wK6aRvMtQW3JcBuhS-YRBCuxfMPMTPe4_DVN41_p8SvCPeATg6UdqXk8b8YXYjTuEwT5GWA/s640/blogger-image--1768180012.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore Crab</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Legs in Town</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moules Frites</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JJFnPk4jq_A/VaWDLw1f55I/AAAAAAAAKzQ/xTiZXn44ywg/s640/blogger-image--906926952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JJFnPk4jq_A/VaWDLw1f55I/AAAAAAAAKzQ/xTiZXn44ywg/s640/blogger-image--906926952.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Fries</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KhzEQNIR4dwNM2HjJzREwtez4b0TfplDf-SaLx5FQVDIR7KFPTkghjv1VdMVQUNAYkaY-Ks11E4J4BgXwwWyXkFjFXeSgaWrVKJwcsQFLTMh6oGQgWBG3m34KYkSh7mcXl_6GSWToKI/s640/blogger-image--468292796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KhzEQNIR4dwNM2HjJzREwtez4b0TfplDf-SaLx5FQVDIR7KFPTkghjv1VdMVQUNAYkaY-Ks11E4J4BgXwwWyXkFjFXeSgaWrVKJwcsQFLTMh6oGQgWBG3m34KYkSh7mcXl_6GSWToKI/s640/blogger-image--468292796.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm Asparagus & Green Beans</td></tr>
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If you never had Singapore crab, this imitation may pass your mark. If you had the real deal in South East Asia, this definitely have failed it. The crab should be stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato and chill based sauce. In no way is the crab coated in the sauce, it was more like the crab sitting on a tomato dressing and no hint of chilli. The crabmeat itself was creamy and rich, along with the crabmeat from the leg of king crab. Which you don't get a lot of legs, given there's not a lot of meat on them. The moules frites, aka mussels and fries was so forgotten, we barely touched the dish. It is something that you can whacked up at home easily and taste more delicious. All you need is mussels, butter, shallots, white wine and parsley. Simple as that, or you can always add some garlic to it.</div>
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Too immersed in our conversation, we only had mojito, Bloody Mary and a peroni. That is as far as I can remembered.</div>
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We went during the soft opening, I will not blame the staff for their lack of knowledge of the food and drinks. Service is fine, what you'd expect from a typical restaurant. The big question is the price, is it because it is in the city where all the big businessmen would come dine and drink that you can put a ridiculous price tag on some dishes. Not all dishes are overly expensive and I don't think the price justified for the execution that was received. Crab tavern does have a unique selling point and London does lack restaurants that focus on crab. You can have restaurants that focus on lobster, why not crab? It is still early day, too early to see the foresight.</div>
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Score: 2.5/5</div>
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Price: ~£40/person (50% soft launch, ~£90 for 3 people)<br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/crab-tavern-city-of-london" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Crab Tavern on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17760615/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/crab-tavern?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Crab Tavern"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=1deb8ef87bd047c9849ab0f15617c981" height="27" width="160" /></a>
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<a href="http://crabtavern.co.uk/">http://crabtavern.co.uk</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-47916959885373044102015-09-04T15:42:00.002+01:002015-09-06T23:27:14.213+01:00Cigalon, London"We can't define anything precisely. If we attempt to, we get into that paralysis of thought that comes to philosophers... One saying to the other; you don't know what you are talking about! The second one says: what do you mean by talking? What do you mean by you? What do you mean by know?"<br>
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- Richard Feynman</div>
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Brilliancy is not for bragging. If you're talented, you will get noticed with reward. I think I have found the restaurant that shine the brilliance. <a href="http://www.cigalon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cigalon</a>, name for crickets in French is a restaurant specialised in Provençal cuisine. Tucked in among lawyer's office, mainly businessmen dining on the day. With high ceiling, natural light shining in (perfect for photos), discreet pink banquette booth and potted olive trees. The décor was welcoming.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXWc_cRhC7fA0oEMXg5JQP8Hdk74L9XZNAbsbRoKTrFpPw5YTS8q7K3_yWRtP_Qc_CRyPSGE3KRsdQrmnK9z43X4n5fh6rW0GQHS27XmVvXcwH1PAdYcUrQAmAvhyphenhyphen1A84Vh3_4wBtrI8/s640/blogger-image--884901459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXWc_cRhC7fA0oEMXg5JQP8Hdk74L9XZNAbsbRoKTrFpPw5YTS8q7K3_yWRtP_Qc_CRyPSGE3KRsdQrmnK9z43X4n5fh6rW0GQHS27XmVvXcwH1PAdYcUrQAmAvhyphenhyphen1A84Vh3_4wBtrI8/s640/blogger-image--884901459.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champagne Cocktail</td></tr>
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I have no doubt on the culinary skills, from the mastermind of the Michelin <a href="http://www.clubgascon.com/about.php" target="_blank">Gascon</a> team. We choose to dine for the excellent valued star deal set menu from <a href="http://www.bookatable.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bookatable</a>, 3 course and a cocktail for a fantastic mere £20. Champagne cocktails was served upon arrival, it was a rather sweet drink but delightful.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6zw8LJK1YuU/VeT8oqRrNjI/AAAAAAAALMU/4sAMALtj-lg/s640/blogger-image--1670101964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6zw8LJK1YuU/VeT8oqRrNjI/AAAAAAAALMU/4sAMALtj-lg/s640/blogger-image--1670101964.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread Selection with Tapenade</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OpPCWAzF9R4/VeWi5D8tOSI/AAAAAAAALNo/HZAThMVv9ig/s640/blogger-image-1324600378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OpPCWAzF9R4/VeWi5D8tOSI/AAAAAAAALNo/HZAThMVv9ig/s640/blogger-image-1324600378.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon, Cured Ham, Ricotta & Rocket Salad</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEYO7IG-24vw-pPwMUXlV1GR7MqgUU7vz6XnDzcLyd_fwmZDi9PPKLhoHQ4avscQbjBctfHS9VXOFP4nMjZgalSnWEvcMImlN3xxobg3GHHoBqqTi_0fiqunC7R3-XWtJlo5M0Y8l6qM/s640/blogger-image--433596566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEYO7IG-24vw-pPwMUXlV1GR7MqgUU7vz6XnDzcLyd_fwmZDi9PPKLhoHQ4avscQbjBctfHS9VXOFP4nMjZgalSnWEvcMImlN3xxobg3GHHoBqqTi_0fiqunC7R3-XWtJlo5M0Y8l6qM/s640/blogger-image--433596566.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Mackerel, Fennel Salad & Sauce Vierge</td></tr>
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Whetting the appetite was bread selection with punchy tapenade, a change from the usual butter and reflecting on the Provençal side. My companion had the watermelon and cured ham which he wasn't too keen on. It was the watermelon which he thought did not go with the ham. On the other hand, I thought it was paired differently from the usual melon and it worked. My grilled mackerel was cooked nicely with a crispy skin, acidity coming from the sauce vierge and all balanced by the fennel salad.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o7rt2w3eUqo/VeWjbj5i9sI/AAAAAAAALNw/Njgen58i7eg/s640/blogger-image--1032619547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o7rt2w3eUqo/VeWjbj5i9sI/AAAAAAAALNw/Njgen58i7eg/s640/blogger-image--1032619547.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy Suckling Pig Belly, Roasted Squash & Grapes</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ik9lY-nEijc/VeWi0nt122I/AAAAAAAALNg/htgeFdEJsCY/s640/blogger-image--582947975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ik9lY-nEijc/VeWi0nt122I/AAAAAAAALNg/htgeFdEJsCY/s640/blogger-image--582947975.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Leaves Salad </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wifwVkr9SwI/VeT81rqzOZI/AAAAAAAALMc/FxvanVMSgIY/s640/blogger-image--1579074539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wifwVkr9SwI/VeT81rqzOZI/AAAAAAAALMc/FxvanVMSgIY/s640/blogger-image--1579074539.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black “Niçoise” Olive Mash</td></tr>
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We both had the same main, crispy suckling pig belly with perfect crackling. I can still remember that bite of the crunch, the meat was melt in the mouth texture with a big chunk of cooked squash. Needless to say, it was delicious. The photo does not show how big the pork was, but it was a decent size that we over ordered on the sides thinking it would not be enough. Nicely dressed vinaigrette on the mixed leaves salad. It is a first for me, to have black olives in a potato mash giving extra flavour and dimension. I liked it, what I liked even more was the mini staub bowl that was served in.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XhQ-Ml_mw3w/VeT86iL-mGI/AAAAAAAALMk/hnVTGBsA720/s640/blogger-image--830923890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XhQ-Ml_mw3w/VeT86iL-mGI/AAAAAAAALMk/hnVTGBsA720/s640/blogger-image--830923890.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darjeeling Tea</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-77Ym0L-cU6s/VeWkIikj38I/AAAAAAAALOQ/86bCqaodFdc/s640/blogger-image-301199303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-77Ym0L-cU6s/VeWkIikj38I/AAAAAAAALOQ/86bCqaodFdc/s640/blogger-image-301199303.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Madeline</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIRVUXuzC1rNgnsXS_oZf7RJFBdQKamb9sriV_5FWb-GObcWgtOxXLb1Qqgj_3bP7PHBX3TfO5OyAiYMoWL8_BBb3kwQgrCvwX5Ob4_N0IYMuGb1XB97VvOPT8yg6BtzVfNVmYX6HY2s/s640/blogger-image--1506888599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIRVUXuzC1rNgnsXS_oZf7RJFBdQKamb9sriV_5FWb-GObcWgtOxXLb1Qqgj_3bP7PHBX3TfO5OyAiYMoWL8_BBb3kwQgrCvwX5Ob4_N0IYMuGb1XB97VvOPT8yg6BtzVfNVmYX6HY2s/s640/blogger-image--1506888599.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon Panna Cotta & Red Berries Compote</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RSsz7m_Nj-g/VeWkC5vyJXI/AAAAAAAALOI/3p4vNB84WWk/s640/blogger-image-579555515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RSsz7m_Nj-g/VeWkC5vyJXI/AAAAAAAALOI/3p4vNB84WWk/s640/blogger-image-579555515.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charred Tome de Brebis & Black Cherries </td></tr>
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We shared a pot of Darjeeling tea with complimentary mini madeline that was still warm. The tea is from <a href="http://www.laviadelte.com/" target="_blank">La Via del Tè</a>, an Italian teahouse based in Florence. It is not the best Darjeeling tea but still drinkable. Honestly I was already full by now, knowing I somehow needed to make room for the dessert. The lemon panna cotta was creamy, not too sweet and the sharpness of the red berries compote was spot on. The Tome de Brebis is a semi-hard ewe's milk cheese and it has a wonderful, sharp and salty taste. I love cheese, I really do and I really like the Tome de Brebis with thin slices of toasted bread and the tangy black cherries. This was more than enough, that I wanted more cheese.<br>
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With the meal, we had a carafe of Domaine de la Citadelle "Le Chataignier" 2014, Luberon. Fresh and fruity, brilliant with the fish and surprisingly it worked with the suckling pig too. The palate is medium bodied, silky and full of apricot and with a crisp, dry finish.</div>
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This is a hidden little gem, the food was slick and talented. The star deal set menu proved to be a bargain, £20 for 3 courses and a cocktail and can easily be booked via <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: black;"><a href="http://www.bookatable.co.uk/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);" target="_blank">Bookatable</a> by choosing the set menu choice rather than a la carte. Service was top notch attentive and warm. I had no complaint, well maybe a little too much food I ate. I must say if you are good at doing something, you will get noticed soon and perhaps more people will start noticing this restaurant.</span></div>
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Score Rating: 3.5/5</div>
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Price: ~£30/person</div>
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<i>I was invited to review.</i><br>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/cigalon-city-of-london" target="_blank" title=""><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Cigalon on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6114102/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a><br>
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/cigalon?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Cigalon"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=f9326c01d6f046298f52ad240afab240" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://www.cigalon.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.cigalon.co.uk/</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-704581679085579682015-09-03T17:17:00.002+01:002015-09-04T15:48:25.426+01:00Vinothec Compass, LondonThe sounds of mixing golf and gastronomy seemed like a brilliant idea and it was. I never actually swung a golf club before and the disastrous thought of missing my first hit haunted me. I am not the most sporty person, and thankfully no one laughed at me because I hit every balls at the right direction and distance. Reluctant to think that I am actually better than I thought, maybe it is time to go for a golf course? Before that, we need food...<br />
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I have eaten at many places, but definitely not in a restaurant overlooking over a golf course. <a href="http://wwww.vinotheccompass.com/" target="_blank">Vinothec Compass</a> is co-founded by wine extraordinarie's Arnaud Compas and Keith Lyons, menu overseen by two Michelin trained experience chefs Jordi Rovira Segovia's and Daniel Rodriguez Navas. They've set to change the experience of golfing at this new state of the art 60 bays driving range (featuring a panoramic view of the Thames and Canary Wharf at North Greenwich) to including a gastronomy journey. What's more impressive, it has a cellar boosting more than 600 wines emphasising on the taste and not the price tag or region itself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7lmjRfgVgtOcX_ScztmMY68WufUqqNeokeRuk16jYt8giAHSkujbfFFcKD5BI-tLNrskl8B1WkurV1emZ9RDTVqLISFTsEQd20oQuQS2u7FNAA3279xv8U64zbNsHNzEdHmaEGAGO8E/s640/blogger-image--455238741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7lmjRfgVgtOcX_ScztmMY68WufUqqNeokeRuk16jYt8giAHSkujbfFFcKD5BI-tLNrskl8B1WkurV1emZ9RDTVqLISFTsEQd20oQuQS2u7FNAA3279xv8U64zbNsHNzEdHmaEGAGO8E/s640/blogger-image--455238741.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pol Roger 2004</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lm8fhmXsXCo/VeSEnUJRk9I/AAAAAAAALHw/eIxDukl6ddo/s640/blogger-image-564180719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lm8fhmXsXCo/VeSEnUJRk9I/AAAAAAAALHw/eIxDukl6ddo/s640/blogger-image-564180719.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pol Roger Reserve</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1hCxswvuhN0/VeSJtMTehYI/AAAAAAAALIo/WjZ4IXX_QMI/s640/blogger-image--1064199816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1hCxswvuhN0/VeSJtMTehYI/AAAAAAAALIo/WjZ4IXX_QMI/s640/blogger-image--1064199816.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Chorizo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQizRr8JQPI/VeSMK2HBIoI/AAAAAAAALJc/SQCNsnYo9HE/s640/blogger-image-704540699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQizRr8JQPI/VeSMK2HBIoI/AAAAAAAALJc/SQCNsnYo9HE/s640/blogger-image-704540699.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Artichokes</td></tr>
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Before swinging the golf club, we sipped on flutes of Pol Roger champange and snacking on some pintxos (chorizo and artichokes). Can't help to imagine, so close to the city and there's an unnoticed place to play golf. The Greenwich Peninsula golf driving range host 60 bays, with private seating and entertainment on offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPoPuglF65_vQbvJNiFfYmh61qrYXfZOiJkMre1gYeGuzlIPmN7MWzMEkSJs_2-g5Fc5Hp0F178THS5YE6bQRP1BuNT0tFf9vxsoqt1Q0niiAAiOsctD3qScFyTTuEVw5xTJ_YX04BIk/s640/blogger-image-1130181133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPoPuglF65_vQbvJNiFfYmh61qrYXfZOiJkMre1gYeGuzlIPmN7MWzMEkSJs_2-g5Fc5Hp0F178THS5YE6bQRP1BuNT0tFf9vxsoqt1Q0niiAAiOsctD3qScFyTTuEVw5xTJ_YX04BIk/s640/blogger-image-1130181133.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champagne over golf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pogBNAOEguE/VeTh7HqP0WI/AAAAAAAALJw/VSzS2GW-S58/s640/blogger-image--1616468806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pogBNAOEguE/VeTh7HqP0WI/AAAAAAAALJw/VSzS2GW-S58/s640/blogger-image--1616468806.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blogger <a href="http://www.vi-vian.com/" target="_blank">Vi Vian</a> playing golf</td></tr>
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Blogger <a href="http://www.eatcookexplore.com/" target="_blank">May</a> from Eat Cook Explore, sheiss definitely an expert and swing her club fiercely. Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.vi-vian.com/" target="_blank">Vi Vian</a> a novice hitting her first golf ball.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ezsZgg5EF-c/VeSJ8IcMReI/AAAAAAAALI4/-AgEsqq8lv8/s640/blogger-image--494847517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ezsZgg5EF-c/VeSJ8IcMReI/AAAAAAAALI4/-AgEsqq8lv8/s640/blogger-image--494847517.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tU5IthB15TAQRfeuiI3GsXzdsWgFBs2nPCU0znsHt4UJ-JPGw2cr8RyKGOqS_r4rl7ydfd1a0cV0ADHGt20b5Gbb23BG_aakfv58nPHk7wdhZQLEvzYxRGrYSrq7yBXsw20rud9nj2s/s640/blogger-image--2118798981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tU5IthB15TAQRfeuiI3GsXzdsWgFBs2nPCU0znsHt4UJ-JPGw2cr8RyKGOqS_r4rl7ydfd1a0cV0ADHGt20b5Gbb23BG_aakfv58nPHk7wdhZQLEvzYxRGrYSrq7yBXsw20rud9nj2s/s640/blogger-image--2118798981.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Squid, Tomato and Coriander</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aEf5kPx90H8/VeSC78tSeCI/AAAAAAAALHc/9BvoFRYSpyY/s640/blogger-image-1803123648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aEf5kPx90H8/VeSC78tSeCI/AAAAAAAALHc/9BvoFRYSpyY/s640/blogger-image-1803123648.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chardonnay, Château Burgozone 2012, Bulgaria</td></tr>
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After some golfing fun, we went on a Catalan influenced journey of small plates paired with a selection of wines. Watching the chef in action with a simple flash cooked baby squid complimented with a ripe skinned tomato, garlic and olive oil with a small piece of coriander. The baby squid was cooked perfectly and the garlic went so well with it. Paired brilliantly with a Bulgarian Chardonnay 2012, Château Burgozone. It was light and crisp with a note of apple and pear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tfqs0usAxxU/VeSGs0aMakI/AAAAAAAALIE/CgS10wn1i1E/s640/blogger-image-883197806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tfqs0usAxxU/VeSGs0aMakI/AAAAAAAALIE/CgS10wn1i1E/s640/blogger-image-883197806.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Trout Salad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lt1hmB4xM34/VeSC2xRIaII/AAAAAAAALHU/gyozgsWEOfI/s640/blogger-image--1111918088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lt1hmB4xM34/VeSC2xRIaII/AAAAAAAALHU/gyozgsWEOfI/s640/blogger-image--1111918088.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volubilia 2013, Morocco</td></tr>
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Back to the table, a smoked trout salad with fish roe, olives, asparagus, pea shoots and labneh stuffed in grilled leek. A lot was happening on this dish, maybe a bit too much. Paired with a wine from a country that I did not know it produces wine. A lovely pink hue Moroccan rosé, Volubilia 2013 with a slight tannin and fruity taste of wild strawberries. Goes very well with the oily smoked trout and it cuts through the saltiness of the olives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OqNfeJ0k72U/VeSJQfOT9TI/AAAAAAAALIY/ArMIoSMw3dQ/s640/blogger-image--1222314501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OqNfeJ0k72U/VeSJQfOT9TI/AAAAAAAALIY/ArMIoSMw3dQ/s640/blogger-image--1222314501.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suckling Pig, Piquillo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VbEVEs7HO6I/VeSMG3R_Z4I/AAAAAAAALJU/o-DqUsA1pMQ/s640/blogger-image--262410265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VbEVEs7HO6I/VeSMG3R_Z4I/AAAAAAAALJU/o-DqUsA1pMQ/s640/blogger-image--262410265.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convent des Jacobins 2005, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru</td></tr>
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The crackling on the suckling pig was amazing, thin and crispy with a juicy layer of fat and meat falling apart served with apple and piquillo pepper drizzled with a balsamic glaze, Hard to resist just to have the piece of pork in one mouthful when the flavour complimented each other with an old world wine. A 2005 Bordeaux Grand Cru from Convent des Jacobins, Saint-Emilion. Wonderfully aged textured wine with a plum flavour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1ZQOGenJmvNQiEt6X9n4yqX10tc9J4OVDnbV1q9q0F2mhrkD_QVOxPpRVc0VzJCGPCs2E1eHszrNQ4oZ1M3P8HZlPibmHjPruRFyRjWaaO8HaZP_vY7oZK9Gh0ItzJIRgu02GbNyBpM/s640/blogger-image-918754180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1ZQOGenJmvNQiEt6X9n4yqX10tc9J4OVDnbV1q9q0F2mhrkD_QVOxPpRVc0VzJCGPCs2E1eHszrNQ4oZ1M3P8HZlPibmHjPruRFyRjWaaO8HaZP_vY7oZK9Gh0ItzJIRgu02GbNyBpM/s640/blogger-image-918754180.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cod Confit, Romesco Sauce</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vv8QJImh9SoNgSJY-GfRAor90N9kXrper7upNrp1rtZsaqdUx5IHm_ghc2nBsrpZi3_s3kdrG24ELFICnTuPjHEDlXvbb_7yYJXaa6PRzynx7EOXbK2hVbt_gw6zlcZxmilFL5QRVWE/s640/blogger-image--808214754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vv8QJImh9SoNgSJY-GfRAor90N9kXrper7upNrp1rtZsaqdUx5IHm_ghc2nBsrpZi3_s3kdrG24ELFICnTuPjHEDlXvbb_7yYJXaa6PRzynx7EOXbK2hVbt_gw6zlcZxmilFL5QRVWE/s640/blogger-image--808214754.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dido 2013, Montsant</td></tr>
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A playful dish of cod confit with a subtle and nutty romesco sauce. The white fish was beautifully firm and still retaining its juiciness with a hint of salt running through it. Washing down with a Catalan blend of Macabeu and Grenache, Dido 2013 from Monstant. A elegant full bodied wine with a tropical fruits palate and a lush, lovely finish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k8GHJKl9mno/VeTiKjQ9gEI/AAAAAAAALKA/EY6m5qyMKgM/s640/blogger-image--679007387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k8GHJKl9mno/VeTiKjQ9gEI/AAAAAAAALKA/EY6m5qyMKgM/s640/blogger-image--679007387.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longhorn Onglet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PaWTfXgTA_g/VeSL-SUy9VI/AAAAAAAALJE/BdrvCR-2msY/s640/blogger-image--1085124253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PaWTfXgTA_g/VeSL-SUy9VI/AAAAAAAALJE/BdrvCR-2msY/s640/blogger-image--1085124253.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpha Estate 2010, Greece</td></tr>
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Star of the evening, the Longhorn Onglet. Onglet is a cut of beef that is not used widely and served rare with a shallot of its juicy seeping out, potato slices and a jus. The Onglet was a perfection, not easy when you have to prepare and serve for 30 diners simultaneously. Paired with not what was originally on the menu, ad-hoc Greek Xinomavro 2010 from Alpha Estate. The future of Greece may be uncertain, but the future looks set fair for Greek wines.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFgdiGEm2kOgaPce3pdjAr0ycAxdvYkDXNNJCf_W7k1cL4vTD-4C8sWJOClfH42LVWQgsWtzJ0J1akv6w4MKYXS0OIStomEkLmwQWi3R80BQJmKiORKfGjPC0miKyiF065lSF8TGoMP4/s640/blogger-image--62232601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFgdiGEm2kOgaPce3pdjAr0ycAxdvYkDXNNJCf_W7k1cL4vTD-4C8sWJOClfH42LVWQgsWtzJ0J1akv6w4MKYXS0OIStomEkLmwQWi3R80BQJmKiORKfGjPC0miKyiF065lSF8TGoMP4/s640/blogger-image--62232601.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinothec Cheesecake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jmyhsC5zyMo/VeSJVShHHyI/AAAAAAAALIg/ONYcPHws7-8/s640/blogger-image-1953339614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jmyhsC5zyMo/VeSJVShHHyI/AAAAAAAALIg/ONYcPHws7-8/s640/blogger-image-1953339614.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Domaine Sainte Lucie 1971, France</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The disappointment of the sumptuous quantity of the de-constructed cheesecake served in an espresso cup made with Brillat-Savarin. Presentation wise was not the best, it tasted more exciting on the palate and I enjoyed it despite the 75% fat content in the cheese. All is well, I can never resist cheese and paired with a Riversaltes 1971 from Domaine Sainte Lucie. It was a taster menu we sampled, in respect your meal would be a bigger portion than the photos.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://wwww.vinotheccompass.com/" target="_blank">Vinothec Compass</a> is a place to for celebratory golfing experience if you managed to swing perfectly everytime, followed by matching food and wine. My only complain is the location being on the Greenwich peninsular, which is a tad far for me. Otherwise, there is no where else in London where you can find such a unique golf and gastronomy journey together.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Score: 3.5/5</div>
<div>
Price: £30-40/person</div>
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<br />
<i>I was invited to review.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/vinothec-compass-north-greenwich" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Vinothec Compass on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18073056/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.vinotheccompass.com/">http://wwww.vinotheccompass.com</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-6735888332320575192015-08-10T10:00:00.000+01:002015-08-12T15:04:47.759+01:00Oriental Spicy Sesame Chicken Salad (with Lee Kum Kee)Opening the fridge, you will found tens or twenties jars of different sauce. That is the kitchen of a Chinese family. Not only just in the fridge, also the cupboard too. Even a simple bottle of soy sauce, you will few bottles of different variations. When it comes to buying Chinese style sauces or condiments, Lee Kum Kee is the trusted brand to go for.<br />
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As part of <a href="http://www.lkkcarnival.com/" target="_blank">Lee Kum Kee Europe‘s summer carnival BBQ</a> campaign, I came up with a quick, simple and healthy recipe to satisfied everyone. Oriental Spicy Sesame Chicken Salad, a refreshing salad that goes brilliant with a sunny BBQ day or a lunch time meal or as a side for dinner. It can easily be turned into a vegetarian salad by replace in the meat with other colourful vegetables.</div>
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A selection of handy sauces was sent to me, they are all used very typically in Asian cooking and I always had some in my cupboards. The oriental sesame dressing is a new product from Lee Kum Kee, a pungent sesame dressing with a hint of chilli in the background. I was intrigued to using this new product and created a simple delicious recipe.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DtFMGl1Pnp4/VcnftWWkdHI/AAAAAAAAK6E/X-cgQOpdpOo/s640/blogger-image--317603903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DtFMGl1Pnp4/VcnftWWkdHI/AAAAAAAAK6E/X-cgQOpdpOo/s640/blogger-image--317603903.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee Kum Kee Sauces</td></tr>
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<b>Oriental Spicy Sesame Chicken Salad (for 4 serving)</b><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 chicken breast, sliced half and flattened (or any leftover chicken pieces)<br />
1 carrot, julienne<br />
1 small red onion, julienne<br />
1/2 cucumber, julienne<br />
coriander, chopped<br />
roasted sesame seeds<br />
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Salad dressing:<br />
3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee oriental sesame dressing<br />
1/2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee chiu chow chilli oil<br />
1 tbsp peanut butter<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
1/2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar<br />
1 tbsp light soy sauce<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<ol>
<li>Grill on the BBQ or heat a griddle pan, oil the chicken breast and put into the pan once it is hot. Turning occasionally until it is cooked. </li>
<li>Leave to cool and tear the chicken breast into small pieces.</li>
<li>Julienne all the vegetables and chopped the coriander.</li>
<li>Mix the salad dressing to desire taste.</li>
<li>Add the chicken, vegetables and salad dressing together mixed well.</li>
<li>Sprinkle sesame seeds and coriander for decoration.</li>
<li>Served as one large plate to share or small individual plates. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
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The Lee Kum Kee products are available in all good supermarkets.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lkkcarnival.com/" target="_blank">http://www.lkkcarnival.com/</a></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-18802936065660245202015-07-31T16:56:00.001+01:002015-08-03T22:32:43.841+01:00Raspberry and Banana Muffins (with British Lion Eggs)I have forever been using this recipe for making my most trusted popular muffins since the days of university. I guess it is time to share my secret, not only it taste fabulous, it is also healthy. The raspberry can also be changed to other type of berries, equally delicious too.<br />
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When choosing to buy eggs, I always go for eggs that has been stamped with <a href="http://www.egginfo.co.uk/" target="_blank">British Lion</a> mark. This is a mark that can be stamped onto eggs by producers who are signed up to its Lion Quality Code of Practice. When you see the Lion logo on the egg shell or box, it means that the hens are British and have been protected against salmonella and that there is full traceability of hens, eggs and feed. And British Lion egg producers also print a "best-before" date on every single egg to ensure freshness.<br />
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Find more <a href="http://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition" target="_blank">egg nutrition info here</a><br/>
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<b>Raspberry and Banana Muffins</b> (for 12 servings)</div>
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300g plain flour</div>
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4 tsp baking powder</div>
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1 tsp bicarbonate of soda</div>
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120g sugar, extra from topping</div>
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50g porridge oats, extra for topping</div>
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2 medium ripe banana</div>
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300g fat free natural yoghurt</div>
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5 tbsp sunflower oil</div>
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1 egg</div>
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150g raspberry</div>
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Method:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.</li>
<li>Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and oats together in a large mixing bowl</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Add the oil, yoghurt and egg into the mashed banana until evenly combined</li>
<li>Tip the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, mix together with a wooden spoon until lump-free.</li>
<li>Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, then sprinkle the tops with sugar and oats.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.</li>
<li>Cool completely before enjoying the muffins.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Find more <a href="http://www.eggrecipes.co.uk/" target="_blank">egg recipes here</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-29910840897904205832015-07-21T17:46:00.000+01:002015-11-27T00:40:19.177+00:00Jubo, LondonSo lately, I have a thing for KFC. I don't mean the fast food chain, Korean fried chicken is like the fashion of the moment at least in the Korean world and I do love a finger licking fried chicken. Jubo, meaning canteen in Korean is the second branch to open at Exmouth Market. I have always been told, New Malden is the Koreantown of London and it is where the benchmark is set. Yet, I have not made it so far and I will just stick to what I can found in central London for the time being.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZTLxEKfIRUw/VX9aqMZX-yI/AAAAAAAAKsE/-Dw8_zUxbxI/s640/blogger-image-1887320696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZTLxEKfIRUw/VX9aqMZX-yI/AAAAAAAAKsE/-Dw8_zUxbxI/s640/blogger-image-1887320696.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f4HXXeF4d2Y/VX9anOqYa0I/AAAAAAAAKr8/4WDWBGhWHUg/s640/blogger-image-1496433970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f4HXXeF4d2Y/VX9anOqYa0I/AAAAAAAAKr8/4WDWBGhWHUg/s640/blogger-image-1496433970.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yangnyeom Tongdak" Koren Fried Chicken (Soy Garlic / Hot)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The menu is centred around K-town staples with the like of fried chicken and buns. Korean inspired cocktails are served here as well as the local Korean Hite beer and soju. I am not too keen on the fact that they only serve draught beer in half pint, and pricing it to similar price of a full pint. Our main business of the evening, was the fried chicken wings. We went half soy garlic and half hot flavour, it is not as spicy as expected which we could have gone for the volcanic hot. Deep fried to amazing crunchiness and sticky coating. It is the best I had in London yet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7pU3MN8Ly0A/VX9a2jiOtCI/AAAAAAAAKss/qqIfqwCH25w/s640/blogger-image--1086293199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7pU3MN8Ly0A/VX9a2jiOtCI/AAAAAAAAKss/qqIfqwCH25w/s640/blogger-image--1086293199.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yaka Mein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhgHefdxNTb_7179jzWTKcegIMJ-cdibHzBzPCsthFXpDCZe727AaVAp3t77jOy8wAYrIy9wp061l7ZlQS-fTIUZ7SWslJdzrFmFq5_qokwjTL4VnOgN57Byn88BxK9jX9_W6cEClHj0/s640/blogger-image-220123664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhgHefdxNTb_7179jzWTKcegIMJ-cdibHzBzPCsthFXpDCZe727AaVAp3t77jOy8wAYrIy9wp061l7ZlQS-fTIUZ7SWslJdzrFmFq5_qokwjTL4VnOgN57Byn88BxK9jX9_W6cEClHj0/s640/blogger-image-220123664.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulgogi Rice Bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rest of the meal was less impressive. Yaka mein is an US export commonly found in many Creole and Chinese restaurants in New Orleans, a beef noodle soup with a cajun seasoning in the broth. Meat was on the dried side, it is a interesting bowl of noodle just not spectacular. The bulgogi rice bowl was better, it is a tad sweet the meat and I added Sriracha sauce to mild down the sweetness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S025BPsOPuA/VX9asfrsfSI/AAAAAAAAKsM/kSJHUaHeURM/s640/blogger-image-1535592151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S025BPsOPuA/VX9asfrsfSI/AAAAAAAAKsM/kSJHUaHeURM/s640/blogger-image-1535592151.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kimchi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-59zZafpBtIQ/VX9a56K_HnI/AAAAAAAAKs0/LwhizNlSUc0/s640/blogger-image--1191098735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-59zZafpBtIQ/VX9a56K_HnI/AAAAAAAAKs0/LwhizNlSUc0/s640/blogger-image--1191098735.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eoh Muk Jeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_r0zp2LMFJw/VX9a0YHol1I/AAAAAAAAKsk/wfxY337FEBI/s640/blogger-image-1919858665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_r0zp2LMFJw/VX9a0YHol1I/AAAAAAAAKsk/wfxY337FEBI/s640/blogger-image-1919858665.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ojing-Eo Tuigim</td></tr>
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<br />
The kimich was alright, missing the pungent kick of sourness and heat. Eoh Muk Jeon is a Korean flat style fish cakes with sriracha drizzle, lightly pan fried. Non memorable. Ojing-Eo Tuigim is baby squid calamari which they forgot the sweet mayonnaise and was just edible. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHCXC9cur3Y/VX9ayNxTQ_I/AAAAAAAAKsc/yiMA1mfHP6s/s640/blogger-image-1658214129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHCXC9cur3Y/VX9ayNxTQ_I/AAAAAAAAKsc/yiMA1mfHP6s/s640/blogger-image-1658214129.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Galbi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The beef galbi were not too bad, chargrilled lateral cut 24 hours marinated short ribs accompanied with a kimchi slaw. I thought it needed more smokiness and the meat could be more tender, it was still enjoyable and I don't remember tasting the kimchi in the slaw. It's a decent crunchy creamy slaw. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to food, it may seems like I am very picky. If it is good, it is good. If it is bad, it is bad. If it is edible, it is edible. Well at least I am still alive after so many trial and error. The Korean fried chicken were truly the most tastiest of the night or just about in central London. For the rest, not the best and not the worst. I think I had the misfortune of attending the first day of soft launch and experienced shocking service. A very big miscommunication, different staffs told us different items was unavailable on the menu which got us confused what was actually available on the menu. Lastly, waited 15 minutes before the wings arrived and a horrid of more than 45 minutes until next arrived, unacceptable to the point nearly wanted to walk out to so many other fantastic options in the area (not that I did). If I can get the wings for take away, that is what I will do next time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Score: 2.5/5</div>
<div>
Price: £20/head (50% soft launch, ~£30 for two people)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/jubo-clerkenwell" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Jubo on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17848311/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/jubo-exmouth-market?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Jubo Exmouth Market"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=9ee341999c60454e92762ff61c95764b" height="27" width="160" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jubolondon.com/">http://jubolondon.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-4696443026376343752015-07-20T18:06:00.000+01:002015-07-20T18:09:52.878+01:00The Trading House, LondonUnless you work in the city, surrounded by many grand looking buildings can feel alienated. Located at the former site of Bank of New Zealand. The grade II listed building now has been masqueraded as a mock Victorian colonial trading house. "Frontier importers and exporters of particular and peculiar eccentricities, curiosities and antiquities" revealing stuffed white peacock on the bar, antlers on the walls, puffer fish on the side. It's a paradise for antique explorers.<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gm_O5Z0gWpk/VX756J4xEQI/AAAAAAAAKqY/DUZ3hgQFm9Q/s640/blogger-image--757886876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gm_O5Z0gWpk/VX756J4xEQI/AAAAAAAAKqY/DUZ3hgQFm9Q/s640/blogger-image--757886876.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon Martini and Spiced Cumin Mary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>You know you are in for a serious game when the beer list comes in natty booklet of an extensive range of global craft beers. The drinks list was also impressive, selection of spiced-twist cocktails, a traditionally British G&T list and amongst others. Seeing that big piece of watermelon, it has to be the refreshingly cooling watermelon martini. I hope this count as one of my one of 5-a-day fruit and vegetable allowance. Both me and Mr T thought the spiced cumin Mary was superb, a different take of the traditional Bloody Mary with kick of cumin spice.<br><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV70a_m5UcIMomV-qTTmHpDoILvwA8b2IUhBbvf3jDupmEQQ1V0Kc68X5l8XDCNS46seWukKD4tg1COkFkyaxdgZoHHCce0Bssc97mtgam4OMLLfwkpwMZZHutaBFLh5YSN6R5h5smj4/s640/blogger-image-1916234811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV70a_m5UcIMomV-qTTmHpDoILvwA8b2IUhBbvf3jDupmEQQ1V0Kc68X5l8XDCNS46seWukKD4tg1COkFkyaxdgZoHHCce0Bssc97mtgam4OMLLfwkpwMZZHutaBFLh5YSN6R5h5smj4/s640/blogger-image-1916234811.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calamari</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZu2oqnly4vDcYYl1IyKARvQnPRx-j2H5jse8DvoXI_Zkbw-Dzmon1xHCgwPReGv51UcwK4U2BJmhlhJVe6DCiMbEkmRsjY3sFlA5TH8nI-eGDyAC6rrxHtxTqHLBHbNpyifQVhT17EA/s640/blogger-image-577417421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZu2oqnly4vDcYYl1IyKARvQnPRx-j2H5jse8DvoXI_Zkbw-Dzmon1xHCgwPReGv51UcwK4U2BJmhlhJVe6DCiMbEkmRsjY3sFlA5TH8nI-eGDyAC6rrxHtxTqHLBHbNpyifQVhT17EA/s640/blogger-image-577417421.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan Fried Garlic Mushrooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus Soup</td></tr>
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<br>The food offered is inspired by the deli, rotisserie and BBQ. We may have over ordered on the starters. Crispy calamari with lemon mayonnaise, light and not memorable. Pan fried garlic mushrooms with crusty bread and truffle butter, it was an easily forgotten dish eventhough it tasted nice just nothing special. The asparagus soup was good, creamy and thick.<br><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steak and Stout Pie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Kebabs</td></tr>
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<br>A pub classics, steak and stout pie. Rusty mashed potatoes, mushy peas and thick gravy (I seriously do not like thin gravy). The pastry case is thin and the meat is tender. It's a good pie and mash, big portion too just missing a spark from it.The beef kebabs was an eye of dramatic presentation. The kebabs was indeed hanging, drizzled with a sweet chilli sauce glazing the meat with the juice and sauce trickled down onto the chips. The meat was supposed to be medium cooked, it was tending towards well done and making it tough and dried. Contrary the vegetables were all very nice and sweet.<br><br>The trading house is an impressive venue with live music playing every night. So good so Mr T have returned many times for drinks. It may not be the best pub food, it is definitely worthwhile for the extensive drinks or on the looking out for banker bachelors.<br><br>Score: 3/5<div>Price: £20-30/head (50% soft launch, ~£30 for two people)<br><br>
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<a title="Read Square Meal's review of The Trading House" target="_top" href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/the-trading-house?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link"><img width="160" height="27" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=4730207e3a124119ae3a6490a8d80973" alt="Square Meal"></a>
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<a href="http://thetradinghouse.uk.com">http://thetradinghouse.uk.com</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-6381936563085594152015-07-15T23:02:00.000+01:002015-07-15T23:04:37.492+01:00Lobos Tapas, LondonThe newest to join the tapas war in London is Lobos ("wolves" in Spanish) Tapas in the heart of Borough Market. There's a threat to the Spanish scene of Borough Market, coming from three Brindisa alumni who are now operating the new Lobos Tapas. This new joint has a big focus on meat, specifically Ibérico pork - said to be the king of pork. Also featuring classic tapas dishes and lots of Spanish drink too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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I do apologise for the photos being so dark, I was in a wolves cave. More precisely, a narrow dimly lit tunnel with bare filament bulbs hanging and trains raffled overhead. It seems a fitting for the name of the restaurant "wolves" and it is partly set within a railway arch on a mainline into London Bridge station.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3AWIX3oG_aM/VX8IjsPxBXI/AAAAAAAAKqw/EmLyOLV7qQQ/s640/blogger-image-853551639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3AWIX3oG_aM/VX8IjsPxBXI/AAAAAAAAKqw/EmLyOLV7qQQ/s640/blogger-image-853551639.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padrón Peppers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus Vinaigrette</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ham, Chorizo & Cheese Board</td></tr>
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Padron Pepper seems like a safe bet, really it is a game of roulette. No one hit the jackpot, it was seasoned just right and made it ever so moreish. Tender pieces of octopus and crunchy onion salad with a right note of acidity to the vinaigrette. The ham and cheese board consisted of Ibérico Bellota ham, spicy chorizo, manchego cheese, breadsticks and ciabatta from Bread Ahead bakery at Borough Market. Ibérico Bellota ham is what top prime ham should taste like, oily (healthy fat of course) and rich, melt instantly in the mouth. What's missing is maybe a glass of sherry, that would have completed the board.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Salad</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ribeye and Foie Gras</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secreto Iberico, Mojo Chips</td></tr>
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Playing the health card before the rise of cholesterol, a green salad which is after all just a salad with a good sharp dressing. What is rising the cholesterol level? F-o-i-e g-r-a-s, sitting on a scrumptious ribeye steak cooked medium rare with caramelised onion sauce. This whole thing just melt in the mouth. Billed as the "hidden" cut of the Ibérico pork, secreto refers to the cut from between the shoulder blade and the loin (I believed the Chinese would refers to this as the neck end).Fantastic flavour and marbled with fat on the surface resulting in juicy tender meat. Mojo is a freshy herby sauce with enough garlic to knock your head off, so much garlic it gives a little heat in to it and was drizzled over thinly sliced fried potato or what they called it as chips which will erroneous a lot of people.<br />
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Lobos is on top of its game for their meat, it is a heaven for carnivores. It is a small cosy place with great atmosphere and friendly knowledgeable staffs. Prices are not cheap, I wouldn't mind paying for the quality of Spanish cooking and I know I would be returning soon to have more Ibérico pork.<br />
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Score Rating: 3.5/5<br />
Price: £30/head (50% soft launch, £36 for 2 people)<br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/lobos-london-bridge" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Lobos on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17854340/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/lobos-meat-and-tapas-bar?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Lobos Meat & Tapas Bar"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=2a65b1b24fe4423cbe093f76cd0520c4" height="27" width="160" /></a>
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<a href="http://lobostapas.co.uk/">http://lobostapas.co.uk</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-92032888913342925752015-07-09T17:00:00.001+01:002015-07-09T17:17:01.784+01:00Grim's Dyke Hotel, LondonI rarely leave central London and I mean stepping outside of zone 1. One Saturday, we took the metropolitan line to North London, Harrow-on-the-hill and then a taxi whizzed us to the historic grade II* listed country house on the London/Hertfordshire border. The urban side of London can really easily suck you in and forgetting there is still a greener side not so far away from you.<br />
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A glass of bubbly, a book to read, a sun beaming on you and maybe a few lips to chat to, wish that was life everyday that I can relax to. Minus the bubbly and the book, I was definitely here to relax for the afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former home of W.S. Gilbert</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back</td></tr>
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We were given a tour to this remarkable grand building, Grim's Dyke Hotel. The building itself is best known as the home of W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert & Sullivan, who died on the grounds attempting to help a local girl who had got into difficulties swimming. Lady Gilbert continued to live at the house until she passed away. Since then, Grym's Dyke was used as a rehabilitation centre for tuberculosis sufferers and it was transferred as a hotel in 1970 and still is a hotel now. The hotel itself is a popular wedding and private function venue. It also played host for numerous well know films and TV shows. I am not surprised, it's not easy to find such beautiful surroundings in London.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kitchen Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Gilbert's Room</td></tr>
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The hotel is surrounded by stunning gardens and woods with hiking trails. If I did not remind myself, I would of have forgotten that I was still in London. It feels wonderful for once and awhile, to feel the fresh air of the countryside, hear the bird singing and enjoying the sun. The hotel's kitchen has it own little garden growing herbs, fruits and vegetables. Using seasonal ingredients to create the restaurant's menu.<br />
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We also had a peek of Mr and Lady Gilbert's rooms, now used as hotel suites but most features had remain from the original design.<br />
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Closing the tour was a sumptuous spread of afternoon tea delights in the formal dining room, thank you to the hotel's generosity. The portion size was something different to central London hotels, everything was so much bigger or just me used to seeing the fine dainty elegance. Nevertheless, it was hard to keep our mouth drooling and our hands away from the plate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandwiches</td></tr>
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A selection of favourite sandwiches, home-smoked scotch salmon on walnut & raisin bread with cream cheese, free range egg mayonnaise with mustard cress on homemade bread and cream cheese & cucumber on a finger sandwich. I particularly liked the walnut and raisin bread, with a hint of sweetness.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato and Pesto Tart</td></tr>
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The tomato and pesto tart may not have the best look, but it was fantastic and the tart case was like paper thin.<br />
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What is afternoon tea without scones? Freshly baked fruit and plain scone with strawberry preserve and Cornish clotted cream. It is just how I like my scones, light and fluffy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fanciers</td></tr>
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As tempting as getting a sugar rush from the fanciers (rich chocolate macaroon, strawberry tarts, raspberry shortbreads and swan choux buns), I only managed to disintegrate the swan choux bun, and the choux bun was light and thin. So good I ate a whole one. What I heard from the others was the macaroon was excellent too. I was already too full to finish the three tiers</div>
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Guess what, this is a fraction of the cost compared to central London prices and who does not like a bargain. It's perfect for a quiet weekend away, only 30 minutes from London immersing in the stunning serenity presence and rich history of Grim's Dyke.<br />
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Price: £15.95/head</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I was invited to review the afternoon tea at Grim's Dyke Hotel.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/gilberts-restaurant-grim-s-dyke-hotel-harrow" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Gilbert's Restaurant - Grim's Dyke Hotel on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6127956/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.grimsdyke.com/" target="_blank">http://www.grimsdyke.com/</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-19710987045839340532015-07-09T13:33:00.000+01:002015-07-09T13:33:13.822+01:00Balls & Company, LondonWalking down the street, you can find burgers & lobsters on the left and chicken & steak on the right. Further down will be cereal café, around the corner is porridge café and more. Now to make the appearance of the perhaps a craze of ultra focused restaurant is the humble meatball. Balls & Company, Soho’s first gourmet meatball gaff.<br />
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Behind the brain of the kitchen is Australian-born chef Bonny Porter (a finalist on Australian Masterchef, who has worked at The Arts Club and Village East). The restaurant itself will seat 30 on the main floor and 20 downstairs which also have a basement bar. There was a small queue on the day I went, the turnaround time is actually quicker than expected.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special Menu</td></tr>
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The concise menu does exactly what it says on the tin, offering the choice of five varieties of ball served in <a href="http://www.mauviel.com/" target="_blank">Mauviel</a> copper pans (eyes were shinning on the pans constantly) using the highest quality produces. A selection of sauces to choice from to accompanied the balls and of course seasonal sides and desserts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberry Cuba Libre and Blueberry Fizz</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snack</td></tr>
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Tasty cocktails to start the evening but wished the alcohols was stronger and some snack to nibble on. The snack is sort of between crispy and poppadom, slightly salted,<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wagyu with Tomato </td></tr>
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Go for two plates of ball or if you're very hungry like us, three plates of ball between two carnivores . We can in fact eat for the nation. All balls are served in portion of fours with a sauce. Coarsely minced Wagyu beef meatballs cooked medium rare with the classic tomatio sauce, it was good and packed with meaty flavour. It is hard to complain to Wagyu, so keeping it simple is the best way to eat it. The pork is flavoured with ricotta, parmesan, milk bread, pine nuts, basil and sage. We went along with the waiter suggestion of pesto with the pork. It worked brilliantly, soft balls and garlicky pesto. Lastly was the salmon mixed with dill and seeds, with a creamy ricotta and parmesan béchamel sauce. I don't know if it was supposed to be slightly uncooked in the middle or not, indeed our salmon balls was still pink in the middle. It did not bother us much as we loved raw fish. It is hard to go wrong with fish and white sauce, which they did spot on. The consistency of the béchamel sauce is much thicker than normal but it made a good presentation on the balls and tasted lovely. All the balls we had was delicious, the sauces did not over flavour the balls itself. Equally the balls would have been fantastic on its own without the sauce as it was so flavoursome, the sauce is a great addition with the sides. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Polenta Chips</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heirloom Tomato with Balsamic Pearls</td></tr>
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When you think of meatballs, spaghetti would come up next in the thought. We had spaghetti for our sides, and being more adventurous with polenta chips rather than chips. They were both overly seasoned, too heavy handed with the salt beside that the polenta chips was very crisp and the crust is thicker than chips. Not ordering some sort of greens is just not me, we also had a side of heirloom tomato salad. The tomato was unbelievably different to the tomatoes found in the supermarket, it is juicier and stronger in tomato flavour. The balsamic pearls added extra fun to the dish.<br />
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By now, I'd lost the plot on how full I am already and still went ahead with a dessert. The irresistible brownie with Persian fairy floss and Purbeck vanilla bean ice cream. It feels like a kid again having candy floss (or fairy floss, hi Australian). Persian fairy floss (pashmak) is a variation of candy floss made from sesame and sugar, and resembles sheep's wool so look wise is different. The texture of the brownie is on the gooey side and not that crumbly. Hidden underneath the floss is a scoop of ice cream. It was a good satisfying dessert, not so good my waistline I know unfortunately.</div>
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With all these new ultra focused restaurants, some are stepping out as winners and I think Ball & Company is a success. It's a new restaurant and improvements are needed on the service, overall it was friendly and attentive. The small menu means it can focus on the quality of the ingredients and play on the creativeness on making delicious ball (minus the salt). Who knew meatballs can be so playful?</div>
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Score: 3/5</div>
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Price: £20/head (50% soft launch, £38.76 for two people)</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/balls-company-soho" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Balls & Company on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17831062/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/balls-and-company?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Balls & Company"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=df444dd6f1584e1cba21fcbddae44efb" height="27" width="160" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.ballsandcompany.london/" target="_blank">http://www.ballsandcompany.london/</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-28528771220974534312015-06-24T22:39:00.000+01:002015-06-24T22:54:26.975+01:00Ceru, LondonIs there a time you feel like escaping the bustling city without stepping outside the city? I certainly do, it is the laziness in myself that gets in the way. Look no further to river Thames. Step into the summer oasis that is London Riviera, bringing the ridiculousness of Miami and the sophistication of the French Riviera to the Southbank (outside City Hall). Sipping cocktails on the sun lounger, plastic flamingos under the scorching sun (if the weather permits) and the beautiful view of Tower Bridge.<br />
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Ceru, a pop up restaurant residing at the London Riviera from now until the end of summer brings the vibrate flavour of Levant to the sun. Before today, I would not have know what Levant was. Levantine cuisine, a merge of Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern so think hummus, flatbread, slow roasted lamb shoulder with shawarma spices and all sort of yummy colourful food. I heard rave reviews on Ceru when they were poping up at other places, I know it was time to make a intrigual visit.<br />
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During one lunch time, I decided to take the bus from one side of the city to crossing the river just to sample the Levantine food and it was worth every effort of it.<br />
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Unbuttoning the top button of my trouser, releasing the extra inch of hidden waistline. Oh yes, I did indeed devoured the dips with pitta bread, salad and wrap all by myself. Freshly baked pitta bread with pancar (roast beetroot, yoghurt, garlic and pistachio nuts), the dip was not something I tasted before and the beetroot was not an overpowering flavour with the pitta bread, simply good. Crisp apple, pomegranate and mint salad (with green chilli, lemon and roasted pine nuts) was a winner salad for me. Who would have thought apple in a salad can be so tasty, so fresh and so additive? Shredded pieces of tender shawarma spiced lamb with wilted spinach and tahini wrapped in a flatbread was equally delicious, the depth of flavour was incredible. I wished these sort of work lunch was available to me everyday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W_ovRtAwy8A/VXw7_8RLYWI/AAAAAAAAKpc/ohp61LNTs30/s640/blogger-image-455014002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W_ovRtAwy8A/VXw7_8RLYWI/AAAAAAAAKpc/ohp61LNTs30/s640/blogger-image-455014002.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Still Lemonade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u8sJNyPrms8/VXw79Hd8unI/AAAAAAAAKpU/_kY7szvbefc/s640/blogger-image--2054615296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u8sJNyPrms8/VXw79Hd8unI/AAAAAAAAKpU/_kY7szvbefc/s640/blogger-image--2054615296.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon Juice</td></tr>
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Unwillingly to return to work, I felt like I was on holiday chilling out on homemade still lemonade and watermelon juice. The food was enjoyable and the vibrate colour suited the healthy vibe perfectly, colourful vegetables, mostly using olive oil rather dairy, halal meats, gluten free and many options for different diets requirement. Sad to know, I needed to return back to work after the greediness in me consuming so much deliciousness. Good to know, I took the leftover to munch on at work.</div>
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Score: 3/5</div>
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Price: £5-15/head</div>
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<i>I was invited to review.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/ceru-london-bridge" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Ceru on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17831064/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/ceru?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Ceru"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=c850c8eeb46b4bd6a3af7a214ba9f6c6" height="27" width="160" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.cerurestaurants.com/">http://wwww.cerurestaurants.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231878861740150396.post-73034234769740624852015-06-23T22:40:00.000+01:002015-06-24T22:48:40.267+01:00Kitchen W8, LondonUnlike other Michelin starred restaurants, Kitchen W8 main brief is to bring affordable priced food to the local community. The word "affordable" certainly ticked the box for us, being a relatively somewhat cheaper than most of the michelin starred restaurants that I have encountered. Kitchen W8 seems to be unknown to the public, located just off Kensington High Street. <div><br></div><div>This would be a place that I know would not sort of take a massive whack on my bank account to treating Mr. T's birthday celebration. The restaurant is bright and modern, white table lining cloths that is not overly too posh but still filled with well-dressed manner clienteles, it was mainly couples on the night and also a large group of another birthday celebration. Perfect ambience for a intimate talk sharing the love of food and wine without the noise or trying too hard to impress.</div><div><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9t7XiQEngm8/VWJKRrcbVMI/AAAAAAAAKUc/BFuqOZarwT4/s640/blogger-image-1661111478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9t7XiQEngm8/VWJKRrcbVMI/AAAAAAAAKUc/BFuqOZarwT4/s640/blogger-image-1661111478.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting Menu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEaFmQIsIPoDHId6n4OaLMeK8g5H7E5sTa-ohQnoTfQ8MDTUh9Z9cAFqWAFp2kNxiHLw1p0fwRQf2NqzOMIijJmuSL91V4yHIvFg8Poncly0TSl-TMJau9IJElbTA5EaGAenj7Cf1jWg/s640/blogger-image--1308938812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEaFmQIsIPoDHId6n4OaLMeK8g5H7E5sTa-ohQnoTfQ8MDTUh9Z9cAFqWAFp2kNxiHLw1p0fwRQf2NqzOMIijJmuSL91V4yHIvFg8Poncly0TSl-TMJau9IJElbTA5EaGAenj7Cf1jWg/s640/blogger-image--1308938812.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amuse Bouche - Cripsy Thins with Pea Purée and Mint Oil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SOJ0Ox1lYg0/VWJIxQk18EI/AAAAAAAAKTY/7Zh3zZpCNr0/s640/blogger-image-860736491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SOJ0Ox1lYg0/VWJIxQk18EI/AAAAAAAAKTY/7Zh3zZpCNr0/s640/blogger-image-860736491.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sourdough Bread</td></tr>
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Let me start by stating a birthday tradition of ours, dining at a top notch restaurants for their tasting menu and not forget about the unassumptious amount of alcohol of wine pairing with the meal. Bread and amuse bouche was bought to the table, I do not know if I should count the crispy thins as a amuse bouche if so it was very uninventive. The sourdough bread, it smelt fantastic and it looked very well baked, airy, light and an excellent crust. I missed the opportunity to try it as I'm trying to cut down on my bread consumption, my companion enjoyed the bread every bit of it (obviously he did not eat the whole loaf).<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ctBZleMH-baJYOd-r-U8agzWfbdSgxKEHl9LDc4dtOAoDCdaAamZRPpHaiP9fQBTYcVn8AvVjF9bFYeMcKfoATN13VFsV5y8dGuFS3PLXVNIf_-1Xp8eabRHckyejkH4qmRupJIxnig/s640/blogger-image--1896926897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ctBZleMH-baJYOd-r-U8agzWfbdSgxKEHl9LDc4dtOAoDCdaAamZRPpHaiP9fQBTYcVn8AvVjF9bFYeMcKfoATN13VFsV5y8dGuFS3PLXVNIf_-1Xp8eabRHckyejkH4qmRupJIxnig/s640/blogger-image--1896926897.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Season’s Norfolk Asparagus with Italian Egg Yolk, Hazelnuts and Organic Quinoa</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bSBBTM7REwY/VWJKPhMu9JI/AAAAAAAAKUU/F9-3qd8mzY4/s640/blogger-image--631059204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bSBBTM7REwY/VWJKPhMu9JI/AAAAAAAAKUU/F9-3qd8mzY4/s640/blogger-image--631059204.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grüner Veltliner ‘Rosenberg’, Anton Bauer, Austria 2013</td></tr></tbody></table><br>If you had to pick a vegetable to be a star of its own show, asparagus would be my first choice. Swapping it to green beans or broccoli, certianly that will not work. The first course is asparagus with Italian egg yolk, hazelnuts and organic quinoa. The egg yolk is made into sort of a dipping sauce, it has a thick consistency so it is probably cooked in a water bath for some time in low temperature. Topped with crispy hazelnuts and deep fried quinoa for extra texture. I do wish I get more than two stalks of asparagus as it was cooked to perfection. Personally for me this was the best executed dish of the night which was a shame when the first dish brings you to the high and exponentially declined for rest of the night. Paired brilliantly with the Grüner Veltliner 'Rosenberg' (RRP ~£10).<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoPbZAXrtEoMuQOU4Os-iwoN6rD1PWZFvvvdFbVetigNZQEodJ0KyCUoxHWlasWgBVQutc11xvPZVpi_vCdV-xoK-bNXAhhMost6UMU5k7czt5qMbZ53A6Dnp_8Jlm0dtdrli6gDadoY/s640/blogger-image--749152535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoPbZAXrtEoMuQOU4Os-iwoN6rD1PWZFvvvdFbVetigNZQEodJ0KyCUoxHWlasWgBVQutc11xvPZVpi_vCdV-xoK-bNXAhhMost6UMU5k7czt5qMbZ53A6Dnp_8Jlm0dtdrli6gDadoY/s640/blogger-image--749152535.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinly Sliced Rump of Veal with Hazelnut, Morels, Parmesan and Spring Peas</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pGjAh7nqZm0/VWJItjLYF4I/AAAAAAAAKTI/pdw2Zr7K2sk/s640/blogger-image--864864440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pGjAh7nqZm0/VWJItjLYF4I/AAAAAAAAKTI/pdw2Zr7K2sk/s640/blogger-image--864864440.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maranoa Verdelho, David Traeger. Victoria, Australia 2010</td></tr>
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<br>Slices of tender meaty veal with hazelnuts, morels, Parmesan and spring peas. Not too sure where the hazelnuts and Parmesan comes through the dish. It is a well cooked dish but feel as though it lacks a sauce, it can seemed a bit dried. Paired with a lovely glass of Maranoa Verdelho (RRP £14.95), citrus aromas with ripe apricot and fine crispy acidity.<br><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r59hSVRme88/VWJKLchxqiI/AAAAAAAAKUE/t-p4hRgUWr0/s640/blogger-image--1413190892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r59hSVRme88/VWJKLchxqiI/AAAAAAAAKUE/t-p4hRgUWr0/s640/blogger-image--1413190892.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confit Sea Trout with Smoked Eel, Watercress, New Potatoes and Pickled Beetroot</td></tr></tbody></table><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--x4P_SmHoUc/VWJI4f0fdFI/AAAAAAAAKT4/aq4EshxfTb0/s640/blogger-image-1638821536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--x4P_SmHoUc/VWJI4f0fdFI/AAAAAAAAKT4/aq4EshxfTb0/s640/blogger-image-1638821536.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chardonnay, Quartz Stone, Glen Carlou, Paarl, South Africa 2012</td></tr>
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<br><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I've not had confit fish before, the confit sea trout it had the appearance of raw fish and inbetween the texture of a fish that is not fully cooked so it is still rather slimy but not like raw fish. I love raw fish (noticeably sashimi) but this dish did not work for me at all. The texture of the fish was just weird, with a bland watercress sauce and the new potatoes and beetroot was shadowed by the fish. Mr T. seemed to have liked this dish a lot and even demolished rest of my plate. I guessed this was down to personal taste. At least the wine was so much better than the dish, Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay (RRP £18.49), rich and luscious mouth feel of peach and tropical fruit flavours and a lingering of oak finish.</span><br><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qYikDylT6K4/VWJKZFG_dAI/AAAAAAAAKU0/wEa6yA7hyJ8/s640/blogger-image--2023929179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qYikDylT6K4/VWJKZFG_dAI/AAAAAAAAKU0/wEa6yA7hyJ8/s640/blogger-image--2023929179.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">55 Day Aged Middle White Pork with Smoked Celeriac, and Charred Pear</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bHNWbDcJc6Y/VWJIvfqwzqI/AAAAAAAAKTQ/PqAau2aVNKo/s640/blogger-image-1643482467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bHNWbDcJc6Y/VWJIvfqwzqI/AAAAAAAAKTQ/PqAau2aVNKo/s640/blogger-image-1643482467.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinot Noir, Ma Maison, Leung Estate. Martinborough, New Zealand 2011</td></tr>
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<br>Last of the main, white pork with smoked celeriac and charred pear. Lovely pieces of pork but tending towards driedness and could have benefited with a bit more pinkness to it. The cooked lettuce bought sweetness into the dish along with the pear, it is a well balanced dish. Hitting on a high note with the Ma Maison Pinot Noir (RRP £22.74), black cherry aromas with hints of spicy oak, good balance of tannis and youthful acidity.<br><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iCebEJREu7Q/VWJIqIGEwfI/AAAAAAAAKS4/jpFpgtpYB0Q/s640/blogger-image--216850097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iCebEJREu7Q/VWJIqIGEwfI/AAAAAAAAKS4/jpFpgtpYB0Q/s640/blogger-image--216850097.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla Parfait with New Season’s Mango, White Chocolate and Lime</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EADFDp2E7to/VWJIr1kHnHI/AAAAAAAAKTA/qqYhsfVFYdk/s640/blogger-image--2069992954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EADFDp2E7to/VWJIr1kHnHI/AAAAAAAAKTA/qqYhsfVFYdk/s640/blogger-image--2069992954.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muscat Saint Jean de Minervois, Domaine Simon, Languedoc, France 2012</td></tr>
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<br>Anything to do with mango and I am sold just like this brilliantly executed dessert. The parfait so airy and smooth balanced with sweetness of mango and a hint of lime from the cream. In contrast, the white chocolate set off a crunchy texture. The palate of the muscat is sweet and medium bodied, with a very pure fresh fruits flavour which went very well with the dessert.<br><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WcNBrMnmQhg/VWJI05gMZPI/AAAAAAAAKTo/MCzmn7fn0hA/s640/blogger-image-1712373466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WcNBrMnmQhg/VWJI05gMZPI/AAAAAAAAKTo/MCzmn7fn0hA/s640/blogger-image-1712373466.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Pavé with Salt Caramel Ice Cream, Hazelnut Milk and Lime</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I2KL8XvPeOY/VWJKWmtwHgI/AAAAAAAAKUs/MSblklgl0sk/s640/blogger-image--1712612392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I2KL8XvPeOY/VWJKWmtwHgI/AAAAAAAAKUs/MSblklgl0sk/s640/blogger-image--1712612392.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maury Red, Mas Amiel. Languedoc, France 2012</td></tr>
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The second dessert was similar to the first dessert that was served which was a disppointment as you would expect something different. The texture and and the presentation was the same, the only differences are the colour and flavour. Chocolate pavé, essentially chocolate mousse in a rectangular form with salted caramel ice cream that was so divined and hazelnut milk (a flavoured cream?). It's good but I wouldn't want the same dessert twice in two different flavours. Maury Red is new to me, said to be rival of a good LBV Port. Mas Amiel Maury Red (RRP £13.95), deep ruby/purple colour with full riped fruits and Grenache's trademark black pepper to balance the sweetness.<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-voq2E2vsriE/VWJI2p6OtuI/AAAAAAAAKTw/WWTErqwUkeE/s640/blogger-image--1535190143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-voq2E2vsriE/VWJI2p6OtuI/AAAAAAAAKTw/WWTErqwUkeE/s640/blogger-image--1535190143.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday gift - Dark Chocolate Truffle</td></tr>
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Finishing the meal with a little gift from the restaurant, sinful dark chocolate truffle that melts in the mouth. There was no petit fours unless the truffle counts as it and tea/coffee was not offered, which could have have been a perfect finish to the meal.</div><div><br></div><div>There's something about this restaurant that's missing a star for me. The food is very skilled but not always to taste and perhaps can be more adventurous. The wine was paired brilliantly. I can see why the locals would love it, there's a casualness to it without the pretentious of high class. The service was right on spot most of the time, attentive and friendly. What it did not hit the spot was the failure of serving the food and wine while one was away from the table and not returning to for explanation to the other person. The lack of care to details can be a frustration. Kitchen W8 is a steal for affordable fine dining for a Michelin starred restaurant, especially for the set lunch which you will leave with a massive smile on the face.</div><div><br></div><div>Score Rating: 3/5</div><div>Price: £25-100/head (~£220 for 2 people)<br><br>
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/kitchen-w8-kensington"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Kitchen W8 on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6113691/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;"></a>
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<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurant/kitchen-w8?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Kitchen W8"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/Views/DynamicImages/BlogSMBig.aspx?restaurant=4db040eafd184e61ad13d72eefa119f5" height="27" width="160"></a>
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<a href="http://www.kitchenw8.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kitchenw8.com/</a></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07973135367802838803noreply@blogger.com0