Author Archives: Grace

Haozhan

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It has taken us quite some time to test out Haozhan in Chinatown. Haozhan, which apparently translates to “A great place to eat” was added to the mix in about June 2007 – tough it has felt less like less time than that. One of the main reasons I’ve never visited was that Haozhan is not what I would typically expect of a Chinese restaurant with its bright green and black colourings and modern look – I’d never even really looked at the menu! However, my taste London card currently offers me 2-for-1 on meals so why waste an opportunity like that.

The menu is quite different to anything I’ve seen at any other modern Chinese restaurant and that includes places such as Hakkasan and Plum Valley. Offerings include Scallop Kataifi, Prawn Baguette, Coffee Ribs, Marmite Prawns and Haozhan Cream of Pumpkin for dessert. Those who with less adventurous palettes also have more traditional favourites such as Crispy Duck, Lemon Chicken, and Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Patrick and I got the menu and were like wah! We want to try everything! However we settled for the following dishes:

Jasmine Ribs. Patrick loved this dish. Perfectly soft and the right level of sauciness without having that stewed consistency. This would probably be ordered again (although I would try the coffee ribs next time first just to try it out – we were tempted to get both but that would have just been greedy!)

Chilli Quail. I don’t think I’ve tasted quail which has been cooked quite as perfectly as this dish. The quail itself was moist and tender and the garnishing of spring onion, salt and chilli was simply divine. Don’t be misled by the fact it looks a right mess in the picture.

Assam Prawns. I must admit if I hadn’t seen the picture of this one on the menu it wouldn’t have occurred to me to order this. The most gigantic prawns I’ve ever seen in a special Malaysian curry sauce (supposedly made with a blend of thirty ingredients!) served in a big bread bowl. So filling!

Golden Honey Cod was up next for us. This was a baked black cod with sweet honey glaze sauce served on a bed of asparagus. Okay so it wasn’t so much a bed of asparagus as a couple of sticks but we could forgive it because the cod was so good. Pretty decent portion, so meaty and so very tasty.

Seafood Fried Rice which we were hoping was the saucy kind but it wasn’t 🙁 Still tasty though.

And finally, the dish I’d been waiting for – the Deep Fried Ice Cream. I was eating this however full I had. Both Pat and I ordered it and the waitress was like – would you like to order different desserts so you can taste different ones? Both Pat and I immediately said no. heh heh. We wanted one each! It was nearly exactly what I was hoping for though the tomato sauce on it was a bit strange – must remember to ask for topping and no tomato sauce next time! It was supposed to be a strawberry sauce!

Price-wise you could definitely accumulate a giant bill at Haozhan but also I think it was fairly reasonably priced for the portion sizes and quality of the food you get. If you go for all the expensive dishes like seafood and wagyu beef then you shouldn’t be surprised at the massive bill. Prices for appetisers averaged around £6-£10 and main meals £10-£15 rising to £15-30 for seafood. Interestingly service was applied to our bill after the discount so our total bill was even cheaper

I was really impressed with Haozhan. The service was excellent and very friendly. A sign of a really good restaurant is that when they cleaned the table they didn’t just sweep the food to the floor but swept it to on to a plate. Additionally, food wasn’t rushed out and they didn’t try to put too much on the table at once. They even tried to help us out on menu choices which was nice. We felt we could actually take our time eating which is pleasant especially when you order as much food as we did. Water came out quickly and was topped up regularly without us having to ask.

I like!

Saturday evening at Edgware Road

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I met Akh and Batool at Edgware Road for dinner tonight. As usual Edgware Road was a buzzing hive of activity and though I get the feeling it was not as busy as usual – it was busy enough so that we couldn’t get into Akh’s favourite restaurant for dinner! Still – its not like there isn’t a large range of restaurants up and down the block so we just went next door! Heh heh.

After dinner, however, we found some spots outside of the restaurant free so we sat down for some shisha. Akh’s mate was there, actually he just knows him from way back when Akh used to hang around during Uni, and at the end he was trying to get me to say thank you in his language. But I’m a bad student – I’ve forgotten already!

Thanks too for Batool for lending me her Twilight book!

Su Yin’s BBB Birthday

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I haven’t been to BBB (Beach Blanket Babylon) for over a couple of years now even though its in my neighbourhood! I was glad that Su Yin chose it for her birthday drinks for exactly this reason – so I could stumble home afterwards …

Su Yin has been in London just probably about 18 months or so (not very long at all) but somehow she has amassed a giant number of friends. I met her at the tube at the start of the evening and when we got to BBB we were probably the first to arrive however it wasn’t very long that friend after friend after friend arrived to greet her. Though there was almost a revolving door of people coming to see her with people coming in and going out I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying that between maybe around 8 and 11 she probably had upwards of 30 people around at any one time.

Drinks-wise we had a waitress who looked kind of like Heather Locklear, she was very pretty, but she was very very good at taking orders. Now bearing in mind that there were a lot of, shall we say, people from far east asia here tonight she did well being able to find the owner of whatever drink people had ordered. She even remembered my order from the start of the night to the end of the night (yes I behaved and limited myself to two drinks).

Su Yin very generously put her card as a bar tab. I shudder to think just how large the bill would have been tonight! I saw her tucking money into her top (heh heh) but I doubt what people gave her would have covered it! At any rate it was clear that Su Yin had a wonderful time tonight – Happy Birthday Su Yin!

Putney Pop Up: Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant

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Before I talk about tonight’s event I’d like to clarify something from my previous post on the Putney Pop-Up. I mentioned not being sure about where the money for the alcohol went – Rebecca confirmed tonight that all money made in excess of costs, including that on wine, will go direct to the charity. I also noted that the information on the raffle had been updated:

So, on to tonight’s event: the master of seafood Rick Stein ably supported by Sam’s Brasserie and Harrison’s. Yonks ago I was in Padstow and miss out on being able to dine at The Seafood Restaurant. I was quite bummed but am hoping to be able to visit soon in the future. I was very much looking forward to tonight’s experience and I must say that I wasn’t disappointed.

We had a slight hiccup to start with when we were first seated as no waiter/waitress came to serve us for quite some time and we had to actually ask for the menu where other tables seemed to get it as they sat down. We didn’t really mind but felt it was a strange blip in the service. However, the waitress who was taking care of us for the night was actually pretty good at other things like topping up our water with being asked (always a good sign), being quite attentive and responsive, and also being friendly. Champagne was offered for the aperitif but I declined due to my allergy. Oh to be able to enjoy having a nice glass before/with dinner!

The menu tonight surprisingly did not contain any options. I think this was kind of a good way to do an event like tonight because it allows the chef, who knows best, to present a menu with dishes which are well balanced and complimentary. On the other hand the kitchen was also flexible enough to provide alternatives such as for one of the diners tonight who apparently had a shellfish allergy.

Pleasingly the dishes served tonight are exactly the kind of thing that is cooked at The Seafood Restaurant. In fact, it was almost like being in Padstow at his restaurant with ingredients as fresh as those that he would normally use – apparently the seafood arrived at 3am this morning! A perfectionist!

The Roast Langoustine with Pernod and Olive Oil Dressing was first off:

Can I say it was divine! Even without the dressing (which I wanted to take home and bottle it was so good) the langoustine had this lovely barbecue almost smoky flavour to it. It was cooked perfectly. The only downer was that I didn’t know how to tackle the claws! We were given little bowls of warmed water with slices of lemon which seemed to indicate we’d need to use our fingers at some stage but I couldn’t break the claws open. What a nong I am – I must learn how to eat langoustine!

Fish and Shellfish Soup, Rouille and Parmesan was next up. A very simple looking dish this one. I quite liked the touch of being able to blend in the rouille (or the harissa) to add heat to the soup. I thought the soup itself might have some chunky bits in it but the texture was provided by the cute croutons which were well toasted.

My photo doesn’t really do justice to Brill in the next dish (Braised Fillet of Brill with Truffle, Slivers of Potato, Mushrooms and Truffle Oil) but it was definitely there. Quite a decent portion I felt. I don’t think I’ve had brill before but if tonight’s dish was any indication of how it normally tastes I will be sure to look out for it. Its not at all fishy tasting but somehow meaty and sweet at the same time. The dish was an example of how not to overpower fish.

Finally for dessert a perfectly baked Hot Chocolate Fondant:

Tonight was a little less theatrical than our experience with Phil Howard last Thursday but I think it’s merely a reflection of the two men’s style. No less enjoyable that’s for sure and another wonderful night in aid of charity. Oh and this time around our coats were waiting for us as we left! Heh heh!

If you want to have a lovely evening out and want to make a contribution to charity while your at it check out the Putney pop up site for availability. Looks like you can still make it to Helena Puolakka of Skylon on Thursday and Patrick Williams (Patrick’s Kitchen) and Toby Leigh (Age & Sons) next Monday.

The Sanderson Hotel

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The Sanderson Hotel is SUCH a funky hotel. I love it. After afternoon tea this afternoon Su Yin and I and our cameras took a quick tour around.

You have the funky seats in the bar and the conservatory:

The cool toilets!

The reception area including the video panels at reception desk

Random light fixtures:

The billiard room:

And don’t forget the lips!

Curioser and Curiouser: Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at Sanderson

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Capitalising on the recent release of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton the Sanderson were: “[inviting their] guests to “tumble down the rabbit hole” and enjoy the wonderful world of [their] Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea. The chefs here at Sanderson have toyed with traditional British afternoon tea in the same way that Lewis Carroll played with logic in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; creating an afternoon tea filled with numerous gastronomic adventures.”

Sounds promising no?

We couldn’t get a weekend booking it was apparently so popular, even considering the Sanderson had extended the menu for another month! So, Su Yin and I left work early to make a 4pm booking. When I was making the booking we were warned that we’d only have until 5pm to enjoy the afternoon tea but other groups were still turning up after this time to partake in it. Guess the hotel thought that as long as people were buying they’d be supplying!

When we arrived for our booking we were very surprised to see that the place was packed. Yes with women but we were wondering shouldn’t these women have been at work. Ha ha! Yes I know we ducked out from work early but hey we didn’t leave THAT early. Ladies wot Afternoon Tea!

Service felt a little slow and slack – a pace which was set from the outset. Our waiter took an age to come and greet us after we’d been seated, then the tea took a while to come out, then the afternoon tea tier took its time making its way to our table and they never really made an effort to top our hot water. When we asked a waitress it took her at least 20 minutes to remember to come refresh it. This was the bad. The good was that they got my hint that it was Su Yin’s birthday so they passed the message on to the chefs to decorate one of the plates and put a lit candle in the cup cake.

Disappointingly from a tea perspective the Sanderson didn’t have a unique tea list. Well, it was this or our waiter just couldn’t be bothered getting gone?

But anyway where is the Mad Hatter’s theme you ask?

It was in the rainbow coloured finger sandwhiches which was supposed to consist of (from back to front): Egg mayonnaise and cress on brown bread; Cucumber and Black pepper on beetroot bread; Smoked salmon with cream cheese on green spinach bread; and Ham and English mustard on yellow saffron bread. The colours were very subtle but the flavours were not.

It was also in the Chocolate and Raspberry Crackle (with popping candy!) cupcake and Hazelnut and Passion Fruit Tart topped with White Rabbits pocket watch. Unfortunately they must have run out of the Queen of Hearts Tea Cake. The substitute instead was cup made of chocolate filled with strawberry foam (nooo!!! Foam!!!).

Finally, it was in the Pineapple Lollipop (which turned our mouths from hot to cold) and the Mint Choc-Chip Ice Cream Lollipop (which literally exploded in a single bite).

I really dug the concept of this afternoon tea and I felt it really did quite suit this funky and cool boutique hotel. Apart from the hit and miss service Su Yin and I had a wonderful afternoon.

Legion

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This movie promised so many things from the trailer but I think Pat’s comment as we left the cinema said it best: “There wasn’t anything else on”! Actually, I would change this comment into “Even if it was the only thing showing at the cinema I wouldn’t watch it”. Yes this movie was bad – even if it was free courtesy of Pat’s vouchers.

The movie tells of an apocalypse where God has forsaken the world and decided that mankind has had enough changes and needs to be gotten rid of. Michael is given the order to kill a baby which, if it survives, is mankind’s only hope for a future. However, unlike God, Michael still has faith in mankind and descends to earth to save the baby. In essence “Noah’s Ark” meets Terminator for the 2000s, only with scary angels and possessed people rather than scary robots and flooding.

The first half of the movie progresses okay with some thrilling moments and action and then it all falls apart. The “bad people” in the movie end up being pretty ineffectual, though somehow the “good people” keep on dying. The movie tries to be too many things – thriller/horror, action, deep (what’s with the “character moments”) and blockbuster. Sadly it falls short. Well short.

The plot has more holes and inconsistencies in it than a really really really old pair of underwear. Don’t even get me started on the ending. I couldn’t even say the movie was so bad it was good.

Where’s a good flood when you need it …

Launceston Place

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Probably one restaurant that doesn’t have a Michelin star but deserves is Launceston Place near High St Kensington. I fell in love with Launceston Place just under two years ago when I tasted the “Roast middle white pork risotto, crackling with apple sauce” served at the Taste of London festival. Its been on my to eat at list ever since. Finally today I can officially tick it off my to do list and I can say that I was pretty impressed though I felt the service was just a little bit off.

Today my lunch date was Jo. She arrived a few minutes before me and impressively the restaurant gave her a paper to read whilst she waited. Nice touch. On the table was also some chilli crisps (parsni possibly though Jo wasn’t sure what they and they were put on the table before I got there) tied up in Launceston Place logo bearing ribbons.

Our amuse bouch was a cauliflower soup and truffle mousse which we were told to drink like champagne. Normally when I dine my dining partner and I will get to the amuse bouche straight away but Jo was still going on her bread and crisps so she left it sitting there for a bit. Strangely one of waiters came along and started to either take it away or insisting that we needed to put it to the side. We couldn’t understand why because its not like they were bringing our food just yet. I think he confused our table with another as our food came about 10 minutes later – plenty of time for Jo to finish her food.

We were on a set menu deal of 3 courses for £20 which was pretty good value (though they do suggest you supplement your main meal with a £5 vege side …) We had a pretty decent choice of starters and mains (three each) and though desserts had three options too – but one needed both diners to select it (apple tart and home made clotted cream) and one was a £10 supplement (cheese).

My starter of Beef, Beetroot and Wild Garlic Risotto looked like this:

I know right? What the heck threw up on my plate! Very nice flavours by you didn’t really want to look at the plate too long otherwise you’d throw up from the plating. Sorry Launceston Place but what were you thinking! No doubt, however, its one of the most colourful dishes I’ve had in recent times. I’m not too sure where the risotto was but I liked the beef.

Jo had the Mushroom and Wild Herb Cappuccino as she was intrigued by the concept of a cappuccino which wasn’t coffee.

Cute dish but does it look familiar? Yes, very much like our amuse bouche. Its always a danger to go for a starter which is described as “Cappuccino” because you know that there is a very good chance that its going to be very similar to the amuse bouche, even though the flavours are not exactly the same!

The main was my very favourite part of today’s event. The Gloucester Old Spot Pork, Parnsips and Parsley was perfectly cooked. Great crackling and though the pork was extremely fatty (nearly an inch of fat!) the whole pork was very tender and juicy and tasty. On the other hand was not a fan of the side: a potato cake with bacon, appeared to have been deep fried and the bacon/ham had that distinctly stinky pork flavour that I don’t like.

I got a bit excited by our pre-dessert and ate it before I took a photo! It was a creamy orange and dark chocolate mousse. Actually it looked a bit like our amuse bouche. How odd!

Dessert, Banana sticky toffee pudding, Guinness ice cream, was delicious. Jo, however, was not a fan of the Guinness ice cream.

I felt that Launceston was a little up and down today from the food (weird and odd presentation on my starter but a most amazing roast belly pork dish that I could have eaten over and over again) to the service (like that waiter trying to rush Jo to finish her amuse bouche for no good reason but then the added touch of giving Jo a newspaper to occupy her whilst she waited for me). Overall, however, I would be happy to come here again. Pretty decent value for money.

Las Vegas Warm-Up

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The alcohol test run tonight for Las Vegas did not go very well at all. Oh – don’t doubt that I didn’t have a good time tonight/last night as I most certainly did but I was very disappointed that taking anti-histamines didn’t stop my body rejecting the alcohol! Laney invited me over hers to try and help me conquer my alcohol “allergy”. She thought – anti-histamines, safe environment, pretty cheap alcohol (we could buy the bottle and mix our own drinks), greasy food, a couch for when I pass out!

It didn’t work 🙁

Laney said I was a really awful drunk. I don’t know what I did that was particularly bad though I do recall asking Jonny to strip … don’t think that was supposed to be on the agenda! I think I also worshipped the porcelain goddess a few times. Maybe that’s why Laney wasn’t impressed – because I couldn’t keep up!

I think it was doing three shots in a minute that did me in …