A La Cruz

Patrick Restaurants, Steak, UK

There are quite a number of Brazilian grills around London yet not as many of Argentinian ones around. My last time was eating at Buen Ayre several years ago up in Broadway Market. I noticed around the back of Exmouth Market one quite close to where I live that I finally got around to eating at.

When you walk into the restaurant, you notice a slight smoke in the air. This comes from the magnificent Asador or fire pit where you can see a number of meats roasting. We dined there early on during the week so they probably are used to roasting many more meats. It’s definitely an impressive sight to see.

Upon ordering, we got served some nice soft bread. Instead of butter however, we got aioli to spread across the bread. I have no idea if this is a common thing or not, but it tasted pretty good.

We also ordered the mixed empanadas to start with. It’s a bit hard not to enough pastries filled with assorted mixtures.

Here’s the picture of the spinach empanada above. I think the Caprese one was my favourite out of the three that we had. The ham and cheese one tasted strangely like a mini calzone.

We decided to go with for the A La Cruz Tradiciona Parrilladas at a very reasonable cost of £21 per person without the sweet breads. It comes with a whole heap of meat. In fact, there was so much meat that it would have been much more than what I think I’d eat during an entire week. It arrived with boneless flank, pork sausages, black pudding, chistorra, lamb and some other beef cuts. So. Much. Meat. I walked out with a food coma. Fortunately it was all really tasty and well seasoned that it didn’t really need anything else to go with it.

Not anticipating the amount of meat, we also ordered a side of chips (super crisp, fluffy and covered with garlic and parsley) and a side salad of rocket and Parmesan for some greens. Service was okay although our tap water remained unfilled for quite some time and we waited for sometime to flag a staff for the bill (when there were only four tables seated).

Would I return? Yes if I was in dire need of a protein injection. Could I eat that much meat again? Not this year.

Name: A La Cruz
Found at: 42 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HU
Website: http://www.alacruz.com/

Birthday Meal at Patara

Patrick Asian, Restaurants, Thai, UK

I celebrated my birthday when my folks were in town by helping them enjoy some delicious Thai food and one of my more favourite Thai places, Patara. I like Patara because it although it’s not quite as fancy as Nahm yet it’s much better quality than what you’ll find at any of the Thai Square branches or Thai restaurants found in any pubs.

I love how, when you walk into Patara, it feels like you are back in Thailand. Strong scents of lemongrass waft about you and the decor changes drastically from the cold and often gray surroundings of London to brightly coloured walls.

The great thing about dining as a family, Chinese style is ordering a whole heap of dishes to share. Here’s what we ended up ordering.

Satay Trio – A selection of chicken, beef and prawns delicately seasoned with a slightly spicy peanut dipping sauce. They impressed me with the attention to presentation detail with that perfect curl of coconut cream signed into the sauce.

Betel leaf wrapped prawn – I thought we’d ordered the beef wrapped in betel nut leaves, but they brought us a seafood version instead. Not bad but I wouldn’t order it again.

Thai fish and prawn cakes with cucumber salsa – Good Thai fishcakes are often hard to come by, and Patara’s was perfectly cooked – still very juicy and that slightly chewy texture with slightly crisp edges.

Lamb shank in paneng curry – This is one of my major reasons to come to Patara and I find it really difficult to order anything differently. The curry is not overly sweet and has plenty of spicy kick and the lamb shank is so well cooked it literally falls off the bone. The rest of the family has a huge dislike of lamb, yet they all tried it and was certainly impressed by the flavours and its succulence without an excessively strong lamb flavour.

Grilled chicken skewers – This was a special off their menu and was served with a tangy tamarind sauce. The chicken had that slightly smoky flavour from the grill and stayed nicely succulent with each bite.

Deep fried sea bass fillet served with light red curry sauce – This dish looks extremely impressive on arrival with the whole fish deboned in advanced and each piece, deep fried to a crisp and then served with a deliciously spicy red curry sauce.

Stir-fried broccoli spears with shitake mushrooms – Fairly ordinary greens.

Coconut lemongrass pie – Nice to have something warm when it’s so cold outside. The lemongrass flavours comes across rather strongly with the coconut playing a much more subtle role.

Baked banana served warm with vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds – A great combo of hot and cold.

Name: Patara (Oxford Circus branch)
Found at: 7 Maddox St., London W1S 2QB
Website: http://www.patarathailand.com/london/

Where’s the good coffee? Ginger and White

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

I have to admit I get a bit lazy on weekends, tending to walk to get my coffee, rather than go out and venture beyond zone one to explore. Hence, my ever growing list of places to go and visit to try their coffee. Fortunately I had a brunch invitation one weekend and suggested we meet at a place sitting on my list for probably the last year and a half, Ginger and White.

Sure, it’s located in the rather posh Hampstead area so I already had fairly high expectations, though it’s located down a narrow alleyway and isn’t a very large shop. The Sunday we went ended up being rather wet and since the cafe opened so early, we were lucky to get a table under one of the awnings outside. At least it wasn’t too cold.

Ginger and White is definitely more cafe than restaurant. Apparently they don’t really have an extensive kitchen which is why their brunch menu focused on sandwiches, cakes and pastries and not very much hot food at all. Fortunately their coffee is good, once again a great place supplied by the wonderful Square Mile Roasters.

Drinking two flat whites (pictured above) was just too easy. Feeling like I wanted something a bit more warming than a heated croissant, I opted for the unusual soldiers and toast. I say unusual because it’s not something many places offer, probably because it is so ordinary, yet I thought it’d be quite appropriate.

What arrived what two eggs, one of them covered in a cosy knitted egg cosy and nicely toasted granary bread fingers to dip them in. I felt very British and it felt strangely appropriate given the inclement weather. While service wans’t the most efficient when we wanted the bill, I found it refreshing to be in such a popular place without feeling rushed or pressured to leave. I’d like to see what it’s like during the week, when you can avoid the manic weekend crowds.

Name: Ginger and White
Found at: 4a-5a Perrin’s Court, Hampstead, London NW3 1QS
Website: http://gingerandwhite.com/

Michael Caines at Manchester Abode

Patrick British, Manchester, Restaurants, UK

Manchester isn’t exactly well known for its strong foodie cuisine with none of its restaurants yet gaining a Michelin star. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t great places to get some nice grub – it’s just that you need to dig a bit deeper and do a bit more background research to do so.

One such find is Michael Caines’ restaurant at the Manchster Abode Hotel. Conveniently located as you walk into the centre of town from Piccadilly station, I was surprised to find such a nice restaurant located where everything seems to be a chain offering.

Their restaurant does a fantastic deal with three courses for only £13 or £22 with matching wine. Why wouldn’t you?

The bread basket arrives at the table, steaming from being freshly heated, making it easier to melt the creamy butter. The variety below includes a sourdough, a tomato bread and a mini french style bread. A delicious start and a great way to warm up from the cold outside.

First up was a pumpkin soup topped with some melted cheese and a toasted crouton. It smelt amazing and you could smell it from quite some distance as they brought it to the table. It wasn’t a very big cup but it was so packed with flavour it didn’t really matter.

Next up with a venison dish, served with brussel sprouts and some caramelised onions.

Finally I had the creamy mango pannacotta accompanied by vanilla pineapple (wicked combination!) and a scoop of coconut ice cream.

I’m pleased that I managed to grab a table – it’s particularly busy on weekends and definitely worth booking ahead. Service was prompt and courteous and the entire meal a very enjoyable experience.

Name: Michael Caines
Found at: Abode Manchester Hostel, 107 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2DB
Website: http://www.michaelcaines.com/restaurants/manchester

Soho Breakfast Club

Patrick Brunch, Restaurants, UK

I’ve walked past The Breakfast Club in Soho on weekends and the line just continues to stretch out every weekend. That’s why I find it a great place to go when I need to meet someone for breakfast during the week and I happen to be near our Holborn office. It’s just that much less frantic and the food is just awesome.

Take the Pancake and Berry Stack. It’s absolutely stunning and huge. Not to mention perfectly fluffy, and a very hearty way to star the day. Not everyday, mind you. Just sometimes. Best part about it is that the prices are really reasonable as well (this for well under a tenner).

I felt a little bit greedy with my dining companion, deciding to up the protein stake, ordering the Pancakes with bacon and a side sausage. Perhaps my eyes were much bigger than my belly.

They do a reasonable coffee as well – maybe just a little bit too milky and they have plenty of smoothies and juices for those wanting something a little bit healthier.

The soho branch feels really rustic and reminded me of the many Canadian diners I ate in on my weekends in Calgary. Awesome food, very reasonable prices and a fun, casual atmosphere. There’s a good reason it’s so busy on weekends.

Name: The Breakfast Club (Soho Branch)
Found at: 33 D’Arblay Street, London, W1F 8EU
Website: http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/

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

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/