Otarian

Patrick UK, Vegetarian

Otarian arrived in London to a bit of a fanfare with lots of press talking about how planet friendly the entire operation is. It’s a vegetarian takeaway joint made popular by the US and since I’m always intrigued to see how well the British tend to frown upon American trends, I had to go and see it for myself.

Going along to the one located in Soho, the first thing that strikes you is the bright lights, the neon signs and futuristic plastic chairing littering its location. Feeling like I was an ADD diabetic just given a spoonful of sugar, I found the whole place completely overwhelming to look at and looking at the handful of other people I wasn’t the only one.

Their menu isn’t exactly easy on the eye with everyone vying for you attention. It took me a good five minutes to work out what the different combinations made available to me and what I could order on its own. I ended up settling upon the “Quick Bite Meal”, choosing a toasted burrito wrap with salsa and a vegetable couscous salad combined with a bottle of water.

Otarian’s “inherit the Earth” philosophy is about reducing the number of carbon miles, so as an informed consumer, they label everything with how much carbon is used to produce or transport the meals. To be honest, this number is pretty much meaningless when you have nothing to really compare it to. What also concerned me is given how “Earth friendly” the chain claims, the amount of packaging associated with the meal left me stunned – with a hard cardboard box for the wrap (a simple paper wrap would do!), an even more solid and robust recycled cardbox box (a lighter, paper box would have been fine), each of these then wrapped in another cardboard element describing what it was (how about a pen writing on the wrapper) all then added into a paper bag with plenty of paper flyers telling me how utterly good they are to the environment. Hmmm… I didn’t buy it.

On the plus side, the flavours of the food impressed me with the burrito packing enough of a spicy bite and the salad a decent size I left it for a mid afternoon snack. It’s not exactly the cheapest meal around with their meal deal around £8. Despite joining up for their frequent diners’ club (more plastic!), I can’t say Otarian left an impression that really encouraged me to return. It looks like I’m not the only one who thought so.

Name: Otarian (closed)
Former location: 181-183 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8ZA

Second Visit to Noma

Patrick Copenhagen, Michelin Starred, Restaurants

I count myself amazingly fortunate to dine at the places that I do. When my sister asked if I wanted to return to Noma, of course I said, even if it meant flying overseas to Copenhagen for a weekend break. Last year, Noma had been voted on San Pellegrino’s Top 50 as number 3 only to move up to number one this year.

I have no idea how long it took but we did manage to get a booking for a leisurely Saturday lunch in October. Since they focus on seasonal produce, this journey was a great test to compare how different or similar the dining experiences.

If our first dish was anything to go by, the entire meal was going to be something completely different. Our first dish, Nasturtiums and Snails brought in a flower vase brought edible flowers for us to eat with the small snail. Already deshelled, the snail provided a soft, slightly chewy texture to contrast with the fresh flavours of the flower both providing very subtle hints to the overall dish.

Our next dish arrived on their standard gray plate made up of Sea Buckthorn Leather and Pickled Hip Roses. It reminded me very much of those flavoured fruit strips you might have eaten as a child, slightly chewy, slightly sweet with the hint of sourness provided by the pickling.

Up next was a savory cookie served with blackcurrant paste, “speck” and a spring of pine”. The cookie had salt instead of sugar that served to intensify the Danish cured pork fat sitting on top. I expected the spring to be excessively chewy but surprised me at its softness – much more like a herb than a plant.

Here’s a closer view of the dish:

Next was a dish I remember from last time, and looking at a number of blogs seems to be a signature Noma “classic” whose filling changes depending on the seasons. Served once again on their gray plate, this dish is crispy rye bread, crispy chicken skin filled with a light paste. You end up with some interesting textures in the mouth with each bite and the skin and filling adds saltiness to enhance the strongly flavoured ingredients.

Our next dish was new to me, made with very simple ingredients and lots of technique they presented Fried leek with garlic. Only the very bottom of the leek had been fried so you had the mellow earthy tones with your first bite with the rest of the leek providing a natural handle for the dish. I’m guessing their garlic was precooked and rolled into a small ball since its flavour tasted so mellow.

Another Noma signature dish arrived in its extravagant shell, pickled and smoked quail egg. It’s still amazing to see the egg open and get the whiff of smoke wafting off the hay and its flavours impacted on the tiny, perfectly cooked eggs.

For me, the next dish, radish and carrot with soil and herbs tasted better for me. Firstly I knew much more how to eat the dish, using the vegetable to better scoop up the yogurt base and catch more of that tantalising crunchy roasted malt “dirt”. Secondly I think the carrot added another dimension of slight sweetness to the overall dish.

A real heart-winner this dish including its presentation and flavours.

Our next dish, aebleskiver, Danish pancakes with a sardine was intriguing upon first glance. Seeing those tiny fish encased in, what looked like, a small donut first looked amusing and then seemed a bit of a strange combination. Just like all the things here at Noma, it definitely worked as well with the sardine not being overpoweringly salty or fishy.

Our next snack was a sandwich that seemed very close to our previous rye bread/chicken skin dish. This blog describes the dish in much better detail than I can, though I certainly enjoyed every single little bite.

By now, all of the dishes that arrived were all the appetisers that had our outstanding meal off to a good start. Then the bread arrived, this time served with butter and pork fat. I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the pork fat since its flavour was too strong for my liking and perhaps just not quite accustomed to smearing it on my bread.

The bread, on the other hand, I couldn’t stop eating. The sourdough bread arrived in tiny blanket to keep its warmth and with its perfect crunchy crust kept us going back for just “a bit more”. Thankfully other dishes soon arrived that distracted me from gorging too much on the bread.

Next up came Roasted lettuce blended with blanched, flaked almonds. I didn’t think lettuce had that much flavour and so they surprised me by how intense the lettuce flavour tasted when roasted and blended down into such a richly green concentrate. The light almonds added a slightly different dimension and much welcome change in texture to this this.

Looking at our next dish, Dried Scallops, Watercress with Biodynamic Cereals and Hazel Nut looked very impressive though I couldn’t help think that that dried scallops looked much more like uncooked prawn crackers than anything else. Drying the scallops intensified their flavours which went well with the other elements to the dish without being excessively overpowering.

Our chefs made a slight mistake bringing the next dish, The Oyster and the Sea out before we’d finished our next dish. I hadn’t appreciated how much effort it took to time this dish, so when it did arrive I better understood they probably had to make our dishes from scratch again. For this dish, the chefs theatrically arrive at the same time, surrounding the table before they descend with a small, heated pot that they uncover at the table to the sight of wilting seaweeds and a fresh oyster half steamed from the fresh sea scents on top.

Next came a dish showcasing onions of many different textures. On the menu it listed this dish as ‘Læsø’ onion, onion cress and thyme + tapioca + onion broth.

Our next dish got us involved in cooking in and was a really fun experience involving very simply but interesting ingredients. We started off with Hay Oil, some herbs and a small pat of herbed butter.

They then brought a Heated plate to the table.

This dish, labelled, The Hen and the Egg had us frying our own eggs for exactly one and a half minutes. Our chef squirted on the hay oil to each of our plates, letting it heat up. We then cracked our egg, letting it fry, before adding the thyme butter with lovage and spinach to wilt slightly. The chef returned a little later to finish the dish throwing herbs, flowers and little potato strands before leaving us to enjoy our own creations. Note that no one was hurt in this cooking process.

Transitioning into our final course for the tasting menu, we had Deer and Wild Thyme, Red Beets and Red Fruit. Accompanied by a rather oversized traditional-looking knife, the deer was so soft we didn’t really need it after all.

Our first dessert course started with Hay and Chamomile Ice with Sorrel and Wild Herbs . It worked really surprisingly well and tasted much better than it looks on the plate.

Our final dessert, “Gammel Dansk”, Ice Cream, Milk and Woodsorrel provided a light way to finish off the tasting menu. If you’ve ever tried the terrible Gammel Dansk (Danes have much fun serving it to foreigners), I was surprised to have its strong flavour infused rather modestly into the ice cream. The light, white milk wafers that you see also ended up being very light and added that lovely crispy dimension.

Finishing the meal, with our peppermint tea, we started on the petite fours that followed – definitely worthwhile getting.

First our waiters arrived with some interesting packages and tins.

Inside laid their justifiably famous bone marrow caramel. It’s a strange caramel that has a strong meat flavour and even served in the rounded bone. Not for the faint hearted and wasn’t exactly everyone’s favourite. I really enjoyed this dish though.

Next up was a bitter chocolate covered potato chip sprinkled with fennel seeds. The fennel provided a savoury contrast to the chocolate and the potato chip adding the crunchy dimension.

We finished off the petite fours with the classic Danish Marshmallow coated in chocolate and sat on a small biscuit base. Fortunately not as big as the ones you see around town since they tend to be excessively sweet.

For my second visit to this restaurant, Noma continued to impress. The waiters, who I think also act as chefs finishing off the various dishes buzzed around and helped make us feel really welcome. In fact, when they found out when we were Australian, they went out of their way to make sure every Aussie chef came to say hello (and there were quite a few).

The fire alarm went off just before the end of our meal and so we rushed outside like any good person. Almost immediately, a staff member arrived with a plate full of champagne flutes, ensuring that we were as comfortable as we could be on the windy dock. The waiters and chefs continually chatted to us as we stood around outside waiting for the firemen to make sure the building was safe for us to return (fortunately it was). For me, this is just yet another reason Noma rates so highly for service and its reputation.

Name: Noma
Website: http://noma.dk/
Found at: Strandgade 93, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Gate

Patrick Restaurants, UK, Vegetarian

I remember having very good memories about eating at The Gate many years ago, and I’m glad to report the quality of the food hasn’t degraded over the years. I’m also unsurprised to see that the nonchalant service didn’t really improve either having to ask for some more tap water.

Just like last time I ate at The Gate, we came for dinner though this time it was during the week instead of the weekend. The airy dining room, found in a lofty part of of a church helped brighten the otherwise dark sombreness from outside. The dining room appeared relatively full though with only two waiting staff, it seemed to almost be a seat-yourself service and ask for things to be brought to you when you wanted them. Fortunately the food is worth the wait.

Being in season in September, I always have to order the rather rare stuffed Courgette Flowers when they’re available. The Gate’s version, filled with sweet potato, goats cheese & pine nuts, deep fried in crisp batter & served with puy lentil salsa & garlic aioli (£7.50), though pricey was definitely worth it. The flower was crisp, the stuffing flavoursome and the salsa and aioli generous and a great way to start the meal off.

Although tempted by their well known Teriyaki Aubergine dish, I couldn’t imagine not having their Wild Mushroom Risotto Cake – sautéed girolles, trompettes de la mort, oyster & chestnut mushrooms, served on a truffled risotto cake, with a creamy cep sauce, rocket & parmesan (£15.50). With all of those different types of mushrooms, I’d be terribly disappointed if it didn’t have the deep flavours one would expect – and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint. The risotto cake, slightly crunchy and crackly provided a very different (in a good way) texture to the softness of the mushrooms surrounding it. The creamy cep sauce really adding another level of depth to the dish.

Rounding off the meal, I finished with the Orange and Cardomom Creme Brulee (£5.50). Perfectly creamy, lightly flavoured and unusual from a classic creme brulee, this was the perfect way to finish off the meal.

Name: The Gate
Found at: 51 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QL
Website: http://www.thegate.tv/

Hand and Flowers

Patrick British, Gastropub, Michelin Starred, Restaurants, UK

What’s better after a five hour country walk than to sit down for a nice long pub lunch? That’s what we thought too and after the long Henley to Marlow walk, what better pub lunch than the Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers that I remember being so good (and popular) when I worked in Marlow.

Making a reservation is definitely recommended for any weekend visit and I counted ourselves lucky for getting a table outside. The dark and storm weather threatened to cause further trouble to our dining experience although nothing multiple golf-sized umbrellas and our waterproof jackets couldn’t handle. Our walking gear prepared us better than the outdoor table of four nearby, whose shrieks indicated ineffective umbrella coverage.

After ordering, the waitresses brought out warm bread from the oven and some of the largest white bait fish I’ve ever seen. My favourite was the warm soda bread with its super crisp crunch and delicious crumb the perfect start to our meal.

The umbrellas above helped keep us dry (when we expanded them of course).

The special dish for the day was prepared for the Great British Menu and represented a take on the classic Scotch Egg though made with much finer ingredients including a quails egg and then surrounded by crayfish meat instead of standard sausage meat.

We definitely needed rehydrating after our long walk, and there’s nothing that Pimms can’t fix on a “summer” day like this.

Here’s the beautifully presented Crayfish Scotch Egg on a bed of, what I think was, watercress made to look like a golf ball lost on a golf course. They served the egg with a tiny bucket filled with mayonnaise.

Above is the picture of the interior to the scotch egg.

I ordered the fish as my main, and served with a brown butter sauce was delicious, if not a little bit heavily seasoned.

Fortunately the amazingly green pea soup helped add some warmth and vibrancy to the entire meal.

Name: Hand and Flowers
Found at: 126 West Street, Marlow, SL7 2BP
Website: http://www.thehandandflowers.co.uk/

Tom Aikens

Patrick British, Michelin Starred, Restaurants, UK

I managed to get a really great deal which effectively meant paying almost half price for dining at Tom Aikens well respected restaurant.

Located in South Kensington down a quiet street, the interior is stark and modern. Unlike many other places in London, tables aren’t jam-packed together and perhaps that’s really in anticipation of the enjoyable meal to come.

The bread serving was quite impressive with a selection of six or seven different types – not that we tried all of them. I particularly enjoyed the olive bread although they had a polenta bread, buttermilk bread, sesame bread, and sundried tomato. I think they came around two or three times to offer us the wonderous little rolls.

The amuse was a trio of different things including a little cheese croquette, shot of basil and tomato soup and a gel filled with something I cannot remember.

The starter, effectively a ceviche, yet labelled as Marinated Scallops, lemon oil, lardo crudo was lovely. All very thin delicate wisps of food, and despite not being a fan of lardo, its creaminess really worked well with the delicate scallop flavours.

Next up, Cured Foie Gras, pickled mushrooms, foie gras mousse, Sauternes jelly was a wonderous combination of many earthy flavours. I particularly liked the mushroom jelly that was so small yet really strong flavoured.

The next course, John Dory Fillet, roast cauliflower purée, brown butter, smoked eel came impeccably cooked. The fish flaking lightly as a just-cooked fish should be and, me, always a sucker for smoked eel enjoying every single last bite.

My sister enjoyed the Sea Bass poached in black olive oil, pickled fennel and artichoke, black olive crumb although I don’t think it was impressive as it could have been.

My main, Loin of Rhug Estate Lamb marinated in ewes cheese, aligot potato, dried green olive was perfect. Nicely cooked, pink and tender with a really enjoyable plate of food.

Although offered a cheese course, we started noticing how full we were from the richness of the food. So we moved on to dessert, the first being Fresh Coconut, coconut crème, watermelon, mint syrup. It was a refreshing dish, with a subtle coconut flavour and summery flavours and textures.

The final dessert, a Passion Fruit Jelly, vanilla pannacotta, passion fruit granité was definitely my favourite. Creamy panna cotta, tangy passionfruit flavours and a final refreshing granité.

It’s definitely worthwhile enjoying their petite fours. As you can see there were so many different pastries and combinations to enjoy.

They were just as decadent with their chocolate selection as well. I was surprised at how empty the restaurant was for a Tuesday evening but our meal and accompanying service made us not even take notice.

Name: Tom Aikens
Found at: 43 Elystan Street, London SW3 3NT
Website: http://www.tomaikens.co.uk/

Vanilla Black

Patrick Restaurants, UK, Vegetarian

I’ve know about the vegetarian friendly Vanilla Black restaurant for some time. When it first appeared on the dining scene several years ago, it had some really great reviews focused on fine dining that’s vegetarian friendly yet using very modern techniques and presentation to raise the game of vegetarian cuisine.

We went as a group of seven with a booking on a Friday evening. When I arrived at the restaurant for our 7pm booking, it wasn’t particularly busy, but then the tiny hidden street Vanilla Black sits on isn’t one visitors simply stumble upon. Thus, I’m glad to see this restaurant still operating after many years, a good sign of excellent patronage.

When asked for a drink before dinner, a few of us were surprised they didn’t have a cocktail list, or even a very extensive drinking list. They seemed to have basic house spirits, wine and beer.

After deciding on what we’d like to order, they quickly brought out an amuse bouche, that ended up tasting like a bloody mary shot, a spicy tomato soup, served warm in a shot glass. A nice touch and a great way to warm the palette.

They also served fresh bread rolls up until our appetisers. The bread, soft and slightly warmed went well with the fresh butter they served although they also had olive oil and balsamico for those included..

My first dish, Cream of tomato soup with lemon and lime, served with crispy bread and parsley arrived. You can tell immediately it wasn’t a classic creamy soup with the tomato flavoured broth sitting beneath the creamy, slightly foamed cream on the top. Around the top of the cream, they dotted lemon and lime oils, the fragrance immediately noticeable when it first arrived. As far as soups go, this was such an extraordinary and exciting experience.

Choosing a main was easy, Poached duck egg and Ribblesdale pudding served with hickory smoked potato croquette and pineapple pickle. Admittedly I wanted to try many of the other creative and interesting concoctions, particularly the baked mushroom duxelle that proved particularly popular with our table. I had no idea what a Ribblesdale pudding was but the waiter explained it as something similar to a upside down soufflé. The dish was very well presented, perfectly composed and went down just a little bit too easy.

The final dish of the night for me was the olive oil and vanilla roasted pineapple served with chilli syrup, mango puree and white chocolate ice cream. I figured this was one of the lighter desserts despite wanting to try their popular peanut butter and chocolate parfait with iced banana and butterscotch sauce. Once again, I was thrown off by the interesting combination of flavours that worked so well together – the vanilla bringing another dimension to an already sweet fruit, only to be offset by a sudden kick provided by the chilli in the syrup. This rollercoasting sensations then quelled again by the freshness of the white chocolate ice cream.

I really enjoyed the meal at this restaurant. For three courses at £30 (not including service), I think it’s a bargain for the experience and flavour sensations you get.

Name: Vanilla Black
Found at: 17 Took’s Court, London EC4A 1LB, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.vanillablack.co.uk/

Hibiscus

Patrick Michelin Starred, UK

It’s a long time ago (late June) since I ate at Hibiscus, but seeing as we had a great meal and it’s a Michelin starred restaurant, it’s definitely worth a write up. Hibiscus is a gem of a restaurant, tucked away down a side street off the hustle and bustle of Regent Street. In fact it’s right just down the road from the Goodman steakhouse which I must visit one day.

Asked first for an aperitif, I asked for a gin and tonic and was then asked to choose what sort of gin (out of four) and what sort of decoration (lemon, etc) I wanted. My dining companions asked for a classic martini of which they then had a bombardment of questions (gin versus vodka, type of vodka, shaken/stirred, olive, etc). Impressive but surprising to be asked all of these. I’m not quite sure it was that necessary.

Before we decided, they brought a selection of small appetisers to the table – including fried polenta balls and some cheesy puffs, but really delicious since they were warmed through.

Next up we had a palette cleanser which tasted like a pineapple juice shot mixed with fresh soda. I can’t quite remember what it was but it sure was tasty. The texture felt like it was slightly jellified with a bit of fizz.

Opting for the summer seasonal menu, our first dish, surprisingly was a fresh pea soup with a pea puree centred around it. They poured the soup around at the table and it’s nice to see such a rich green colour.

Next up was a small piece of pork, served with some fresh green beans and a nice jus.

I remember the next dish amazingly since they brought some amazing looking knives to the table, all with distinctive pearl-like handles all opulently coloured differently. It wasn’t really needed though because the beef with stewed tomatoes and a potato cake literally melted away into your mouth. All you really needed was a fork in the end.

There’s the knife above. Lethal looking huh?

Finally we started on the round of desserts – this first one was a light fruit salad topped with custard.

Our final dessert was a deconstructed tiramisu and the highlight of the desserts so much I wanted seconds but it was far too rich for that.

And of course there was the obligatory petite fours with the tea and coffee. With a bottle of wine and 12.5% service, our meal ended up costing £125.06. A fairly expensive but reasonable deal given the quality of the food we had.

Name: Hibiscus
Found at: 29 Maddox Street, London, W1S 2PA, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk/

Hawksmoor

Patrick British, Steak, UK

When Wes and Stacey came down from Aberdeen they wanted to go to a place that did a really good steak and Hawksmoor was my immediate answer to their request. We had a booking for 7pm and they warmly greeted us at the door, taking us to our table.

I’ll admit we took our time ordering although party of that was because our waitress didn’t seem to be around by the time that we’d decided. I ordered the smoked eel as a starter which went really well with the greens. The piece of fish was also a really decent size and slightly warmed enhancing its smoked flesh.

Although easily tempted by the fame of their burger, we were here for steak. I didn’t want to go too large, so avoided the gigantic proportions offered on their chalk board and ended up ordering 400g fillet. This still ended up being a really large piece of meat and given all the delicious sides, made me not want to have desserts.

I didn’t think service was really that great throughout the night. I ordered an apertif and it didn’t arrive until half way into my appetiser. Kristy also ordered some ginger beer, and there ended up two ants floating in it (who knows why). They did make this up by giving us a free dessert – their deliciously sweet cornflake ice cream.

Name: The Hawksmoor
Found at: 157 Commercial Street E1 6BJ, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.thehawksmoor.co.uk/

Chez Bruce

Patrick French, Michelin Starred, Restaurants, UK

For my sister’s birthday, we joined her friends, Nate and Caro for dinner at the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce. I took this as a bit of a surprise, particularly considering that French’s isn’t exactly my sister’s favourite and Chez Bruce is quite far from where we both live, but I guess a special occasion to dine at this well accomplished restaurant is still a good reason.

We’d booked ourselves in for a 7pm dinner, and due to unpredictable baby arrangements, our other fellow diners ended up slightly late. This was the first test of the restaurant, to see whether or not they would push us to hurry (which they didn’t) and if they took care of us in the meantime (which they did).

Chez Bruce isn’t a very large restaurant. On first guesses, it would hold about forty of fifty covers excluding the private dining room upstairs. It reminded me much more of Cambridge’s Restaurant 22 that appeared more like a family home that a restaurant, and I mean this in a good way. This could be changing soon since they’re undergoing some sort of refurbishment as I write this.

Whilst we waited, we were served a deliciously light and crumbly parmesan cracker dotted around the edges with black and white sesame seeds. I think we also had some bread served with butter although I don’t remember the selection being particularly snazzy. I guess my lack of pictures is one indicator of it.

I started with the brandade fritters with vegetable escabeche, chorizo and aioli. Although tempted by a number of the other appetisers, I’m really glad I ordered this dish. The batter was light and crisp and the brandade (effectively a salt cod mix) worked perfectly without needing any additional seasoning on top. Perfectly formed aioli brought a richness to the dish with the escabeche brining that slight heat.

As far as French dishes go, the blanquette of pig’s cheek with boudin blac, roast fillet, choucroute and crackling looked a bit of a mess on a plate. However as far as taste and variety went, this dish went in all sorts of directions with the boudin blanc (white pudding) a soft, slightly oily texture contrasting with perfectly crisp pork crackling. The meaty pork fillet providing heart to the dish only to be compared to the softest part and tenderest part of the pig – the pork cheek. Each of the spring vegetables brought even more flavours and complexity to the dish and did well to stick to classic French ingredients.

Strangely enough they brought out our truffles before our dessert although perhaps that might be because we ask for our tea and coffees at the same time. Verging on the point of being full, I skipped tasting any of them, despite there being enough for almost two each.

My dessert, hot chocolate pudding with praline parfait was abnormally large, for what I’d consider a French style dessert. Wickedly deep in flavour and excessively rich, I savoured every mouthful with the warm contrast of the pudding against the icy coolness of the parfait and then surprised by the crunch provided by the praline scattered about.

I’ve got some great pictures of the other dishes as well, but can’t really comment on the flavours. Here they are for completeness sake:

Appetiser: Roast calf’s sweetbreads with truffle velouté, mushrooms, spätzle and peas (+£5.00)

Appetiser: Gazpacho Andaluz with buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Appetiser: Foie gras and chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche

Main: Sea bream with provençale vegetable relish, grilled baby squid, sauce nero, gnocchi and almonds

Main: Duck magret with borlotti beans, raviolo, foie gras, tarragon and sherry vinegar

Main: Lamb rump with Sicilian stuffed courgette, meatballs, artichokes and cherry tomatoes

Dessert: Dark chocolate delice with salted caramel sauce and clotted cream

Dessert: Pimm’s jelly with strawberries, cucumber and mint

Dessert: Crème brûlée

As far as service goes, I wasn’t as pleased with them as a number of other Michelin starred restaurants. We had to ask twice for our tap water jug to be filled and although they brought dishes and whisked them away in a timely manner, the attendants didn’t seem to be around, even for catching they eye when we needed to (like getting the bill).

Still, I really enjoyed the food there and given it’s a great value £42.50 for three courses (excluding service and drinks), I would definitely head all the way out there for another great evening meal.

Name: Chez Bruce
Found at: 2 Bellevue Road, London SW17 7EG, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.chezbruce.co.uk/

Where’s the good coffee? Look Mum No Hands!

Patrick Coffee, UK, Where's the good coffee?

The latest edition of coffee shops to spring up, Look Mum No Hands, is a welcome addition to the east end of London. Based on the combination of a bike store and a coffee shop, they have the space to offer a great experience for both your bike and also for you. Unlike many other places around London, this cafe-bike store combination isn’t really hindered by space. They’ve even expanded to a small outdoor area where you can nibble on your pastries, muffins or sandwiches outside.

Inside there are also just as many tables to sit at, and a counter top where you can enjoy the coffee or other foods they make on the premises perusing through the many cycling magazines scattered around. They apparently have plenty of events as well all, of course, centred around a cycling theme.

Better yet, they also do a mean coffee although the latte art isn’t anything to be proud of (below). For a measly £2.10, you can get a nice flat white to have in. They use Square Mile so you’re generally assured a pretty good cuppa assuming a decent barista is around.

Name: Look mum no hands!
Found at: 49 Old Street, EC1V 9HX
Website: http://www.lookmumnohands.com/