Review: Jamie's Diner

Open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur. 

Or dinersaur in this case. Get it?

That's the theme at Jamie's Diner from the menu to the décor, a dinosaur hangs like a chandelier at the entrance, the walls look as though the painter forgot to come back from his tea break, food is served on plastic, uneven trays, and there's a range of 'vintage' chairs and sofas. I think the main, real point of the diner though is that it uses sustainable ingredients to make a quirky American diner because, let's face it, that's what's trendy nowadays - there's even a takeaway bit next door. This is an important point to remember, which I'll come back to.

I went for the chicken burger - added topping of guacamole, just because I wanted it. A Cucumber Number cocktail (lovely by the way, I could have had more) and shared a pot of crinkle cut chips. It's not the best burger I've ever eaten (that title is still held by Haché) but the brioche bun was pretty soft, toasty and complimentary to the meat. The chicken was actually cooked to my liking, it was slightly over-cooked (nothing more worrying that it being under-cooked) but not to the level of Nandos so I liked that. The only thing was that when I halved my burger, one side was completely chicken-less. Most of the minimal items on the menu comes with homeslaw and a pickle. I love coleslaw but found this one to be a bit bland and nothing to it, and well, a gherkin is just a gherkin isn't it? The chips were good however, we only ordered one portion to share between 2 as the waiter said that it's "the size of a large McDonald's portion" but I thought I could have easily had one to myself.

Before going, I read a lot of reviews on various sites but I wasn't put off by it. Having now been there myself, I feel a lot of the more negative reviews are a bit unfair. I think people assume because Mr Oliver's name is attached to it, it's going to be fine-dining, superb food. It's not. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Jamie Oliver, but just because he's on TV every other night doesn't make him the only great chef in the world and everything he touches will be 'pukka'. People should judge Jamie's Diner on what it is - a quick, convenient and fun place to grab a bite to eat before the theatre or shopping. It's based in Piccadilly Circus on Shaftesbury Avenue so it's obviously a tourist trap, but I went just before 6pm on a Friday pre-theatre and there was no queue whatsoever - lucky for me as there is a no booking rule here. Service was good, prices are also good for a Central London hotspot.

Here is where I go back to my original point, this menu was made because of the ingredients that are used. I don't think it tries to be anything it's not. It never said it was going to be the most authentic and best American diner in the world - it's typically Jamie Oliver - happy-go-lucky, making popular foods using sustainable ingredients. And for this, I think it does exactly that. I don't think people should mistake this place for Barbecoa. It's a bit of fun for the tourists. A bit kitsch. And I for one quite like the trays food is served on and the whole dinosaur/rustic theme. I'd give it a 2.5 stars out of 5.

Although there is one sad thing about the diner, it replaced Adam's Ribs - a fond food memory of mine. I remember my aunt took my cousin and I when we were children visiting London for the summer holidays. I had the hugest portion of fries and spare ribs which was all over my hands and my mouth. But hey, nothing lasts forever in this fickle food industry.

Easy peasy chicken wings

By far the easiest sauce I've made, inspired by Jamie Oliver (he calls it the Gangnam style chicken wings, Gangnam is actually a place in South Korea, and I think these ingredients are more influenced by Chinese cooking).

All you need is:
chicken wings
honey
soy sauce
chilli sauce (if you don't fancy spice - use ketchup and fresh chilli - manly for decorative purposes)
garlic
ginger
spring onion
sesame oil
lemon juice
sesame seeds

I haven't put down amounts because, quite frankly, do it to your taste and how many wings you're cooking and the amount you want on your wings.

Preheat oven at 160 degrees. Give your wings a bit of a wash, and stretch each one so they are not so compact (this will help the wings cook evenly). 25-30mins should be enough but check the meat around the bony areas to double check. If you like your skin a bit crispy, turn the heat up in the oven for the last 5 mins.

Whilst that's cooking, chop garlic, ginger and chilli into tiny edible pieces. In a bowl, mix in all the rest of the ingredients, including your chopped goods - keep tasting to find your perfect match. Remember soy sauce is salty so don't add too much in all at once. I quite like the sweet taste on chicken wings, so I added more honey and chilli to mine.

Once happy, pour the sauce over your chicken wings making sure it goes into every nook and cranny of your wings. You can leave a bit to one side to serve as part of your dish if you want to dip your wings in. Put back into the oven for 5 mins, or until you are happy with the colour of your wings.

Serve with boiled rice and some pak choi.

And as they say at home "sek fan" (literally translated - "eat rice") and tuck in!

Rick Stein's India starter spice set

I don't know about you but come end of August/September I immediately think of Winter, but every cloud does have a silver lining, as Winter is the time to start cooking again (it's been known that I hardly do any kind of cooking during the summer months...unless a barbecue is involved). The dark, chilly afternoons are the best times to have lots of ingredients laid out with great big pan heating up (with a hot chocolate/mulled wine of course - delete as appropriate). So with this in mind, Spices of India, the UK's leading online Indian grocery store, has only gone and created a spice starter pack for us curry enthusiasts inspired by the ledge that is Rick Stein. Who needs Brick Lane ay?

Following the huge success of Rick Stein’s India TV series and cookbook, Spices of India, has pulled together a selection of the harder-to-find spices to create the Rick Stein’s India Starter Spice Gift Set (£39.50). It has been designed with home-cooks in mind, looking to recreate authentic Indian flavour in their kitchen.

The set includes a hardback copy of Rick Stein’s India together with 11 Indian spices and ingredients, which feature extensively in many of the recipes in the cookbook. For more information just visit www.spicesofindia.co.uk The set includes: 

Amchur (Mango) Powder, adds a pleasing sourness to many Northern Indian dishes.

Asafoetida powder – Hing Vandevi, a pungent ground resin which tastes like garlic and onions.

Black Salt (Kala Namak powder), often sprinkled over nuts and snacks.

Black Cardamom, often used in rice and dal dishes and has a smoky flavour.

Kashmiri Chilli Powder, milder than most chillies and adds a rich deep-red colour to many curries.

Millet (Bajra) Flour, the key to making authentic flat breads.

Kokum, a dried fruit which has the same flavour-balancing technique as adding vinegar or lemon juice.

Mustard Oil, very hard to buy in the west and is essential for truly Indian chutney’s.

Mustard Seeds, often used at the spice tempering stage of most curries.

Screwpine (Kewra) Water, a fragrant essence of the pandan leaf which is often poured on rice to perfume it.

Tamarind, used to add a sweet tartness to many dishes.

                                                                                              

Spices of India is listed in Rick Stein’s India as a supplier of spices and ingredients, including the harder-to-find ones that feature in the book and the programme, such as black salt, black cardamoms and chapatti flours, which can be bought online. It's as easy as that.

Also, check out BBC Good Food for a hearty potato and pea curry. 

Review: Bread St Kitchen

Sunday Roasts.

Enough said.

Another mission of mine whilst living in London is to find the best Sunday Dinner.

So far, The Princess of Shoreditch has given me the best 'special occasion' Sunday dinner, and The Water Poet does a lovely veggie roast (okay, so it's probably the only veggie roast dinner I've had, but as a meat eater I thoroughly enjoyed it so that must speak volumes, right?).

Bread St Kitchen at One New Change by Gordo Ramsay himself was a lovely little place to hang out on a Sunday. The first impression of it doesn't quite give it the justice it deserves, 'ooh yes it's fancy', 'Gordon Ramsay ay?' but once inside it's decked out very casually and quirky (like the hanging wires of the lightbulbs over the open ceiling work and vintage lamps), I think the East-ish side of the location probably had an influence. On Sundays, they have live music which was perfect to relax in with a glass of red and bread.

The atmosphere was relaxed and airy. Families (kids get special offers), the elderly, the young uns. The staff were also very friendly, helpful but not in your face.

Most importantly, I got 2 Yorkshire puddings with my beef roast, Friend had the chicken, and I devoured it all including the bread and even had room for a Rasberry Parfait - which was so light and refreshing.

The food quality is probably worth its price tag - I mean it's not the most expensive meal I've had, but I wouldn't call it on a budget. But overall, I would definitely come again, even try out the bar downstairs. Nice little place to hang out at the weekend - it's not full of City workers for one thing, so you're certain to get a seat.

4 out of 5

Review: Heliot Steakhouse, Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square

If there was one thing I missed as a vegetarian for a month, it was steak. And I mean a good piece of steak, so when I heard about the Heliot Steakhouse I just couldn't resist.

Lovely Argentinian wine was served

What we had:
Starters: 
Smoked salmon with avocado and crab
Tomato mozzarella
Main:
Rump steak
Sirloin steak
hand cut chips
Dessert:
Chocolate pudding with strawberry shake
Lemon creme brulee



The casino wouldn't have been my first choice when choosing steak to be honest, but the best places are always the ones where you would least expect it. We started with cocktails, which were made especially to our personal tastes, RR, my dinner date for the evening, had a lovely little glass of something with cucumber, which was perfect in the warm Sunday evening. Being a Sunday, the place wasn't full but there was enough people around to feel the quiet, unassuming atmosphere with a hint of excitement as a few small groups rubbed their hands and blew a kiss for good luck on the tables below. The Steakhouse has a choice of tables - quieter areas or ones overlooking the whole casino.

My starter of smoked salmon was absolutely divine. It tasted quite fresh, and was a decent size for the first course. I have a bit of an obsession with avocado at the moment and it had just the right amount of seasoning to complement the crab and salmon.

Presentation was very 'pretty'

Next, RR went for the sirloin - well done, and I had the rump - medium cooked. We both agreed that the steak was just right to our liking. My steak was juicy, chewy; I had mine with red wine sauce which was a great combination. The sizes were more than generous, and for that price, I thought it was well worth it. I've been to more 'well-known' steak houses where the meat portions and quality really don't represent the price. How did I know that it was a good quality meat? Because you don't need your plate to be covered when you already start to feel full but want to carry on eating all at the same time.

The rump steak and red wine sauce

For dessert, both waitresses recommended the chocolate pudding, so of course we had one of those, and it was easy to see why it was their favourite. The strawberry milkshake came in a kooky little jar with straw.

RR and her dessert

My dessert, however, was not the best. I think starters and steak is where the Heliot really excels. All in all, the Heliot Steakhouse was a success. I like the fact that it is in a casino and is a place you wouldn't automatically think to go for just a quality meal if you are a local Londoner, but on the right days of the week, this could be a 'right little gem' just to eat. The prices are reasonable for its quality and location, I've seen higher marked prices for steak, but the Heliot is definitely worth your money. You do have to be over 18 to even enter the Hippodrome but that's reasonable. Service and hospitality was friendly and helpful but not too much of a bother to your evening which I like. I'd definitely come here again for a good bit of steak...and possibly for a cocktail or two.

Steak - 4 out 5.

The mozzarella starter

Seafood Banquet anyone?

When Chinese people say they're going to celebrate with a meal, what we really mean is a banquet, a 14 course banquet across several large round tables with the turning table in the middle.

I thought I'd say it with less words for this post. Enjoy. I certainly did.

1: the cold seafood platter - crispy pork, chicken, octopus, seaweed

2: Bird's nest (edible of course), chinese veg & squid

2 & 3: 2 different types of cooked scallops 

4: 'Shark fin soup' (crab substitute of course)

5: LOBSTER!

6 & 7: Sea mushrooms and veg & Chicken

8: the fish course

 9 & 10 were the noodles and rice courses but you've seen them all before.

11: CAKE!

12: There's always the fruit course 

13: Mango and coconut jelly cubes

14: Chinese buns with egg yolk filling

THE END. Phew.

Elderflower Crunch Cake

Elderflower Crunch Cake - adapted from BBC GoodFood

Loaf:
175g softened butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
140g self-raising flower
85g ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Ginger extract (optional)
100ml milk

Elderflower drizzle:
4 tablespoon elderflower cordial
4 tablespoon sugar

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan. 
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder and milk until smooth.
4. I added a few spoonfuls of ginger extract at this point - don't be afraid of the strong smell - turns out ginger in cake is a good thing (only if you're a fan of ginger that is). 
5. Pour into the tin and bake for 40 mins until golden, risen or just when the skewer poked in the centre comes out clean.
6. As soon as the cake has come out of the oven, prick it all over with a skewer. 
7. Mix together the cordial and extra sugar, then pour all over the cake.

And Bob's your uncle.  Moist cake to be eaten. 

Recipe: Millionaire's Shortbread

It's all about the layers

Shortbread:

115g butter

56g caster sugar

170g plain flour

Caramel:

115g butter

115g caster sugar

4 tablespoons of condensed milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Topping:

170g plain chocolate

By far the easiest thing I have made this year, and even better, all the ingredients – bar the condensed milk – I already had leftover in the cupboard from previous bakes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

First, break up the butter and caster sugar in a bowl, then add in the flour to make a firm pastry. 

Line a tray with baking paper, and press the pastry firmly into the bottom.  Then cook in oven for around 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Leave to cool.

To make the caramel, put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Watch the pan, as it boils quite ferociously and careful not to splash yourself.  Once it is at a thick-ish consistency, pour over the top of the shortbread and leave to cool. 

Melt the chocolate in a bowl.  If you are melting it in the microwave, do it in short bursts as to not burn it.  Once smooth, pour over the caramel, and leave to set. 

And you're done. Easy peasy! 

Tip: Once the chocolate has set, take the biscuit out of the tray and cut squares into the biscuit before putting it in the fridge.  Trying to slice through hardened chocolate makes messy presentation (if you’re a perfectionist like me, you’ll know how heart breaking it is to serve Millionaire’s Shortbread with crumbled bits of chocolate everywhere).  

Definitely my cup of tea

For those tea lovers, I recommend a place called Amanzi Tea.

Situated on New Cavendish Street, W1G 8TG, behind the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, this place is a real gem in Central London.  It's got everything from hot tea, cold tea, tea based mocktails, coffees, frappes, bubble tea, tea bags, tea leaves, teapots, nibbles and a cosy lounge area downstairs (although you can't purchase the furniture).  The extensive menu gives you a variety of choice and all at extraordinary good prices.

Amanzi Tea launched in February 2013 and is its first international tea bar and retail space in London, having found success over in America.  It is definitely a high quality drink with great, new and a lorry-load of choices.

Menu

As you walk in, you will notice the 40 different teas attached to the wall covering ceiling to floor, with choices of tea leaves, tea bags, or just a smell of what Lychee and Pomegranate could be like.  The shop itself spans over two floors, the ground floor offers the bar, retail shop and quirky Victorian tile flooring.  The basement features a cosy lounge area perfect for a bit of 'quiet time'.

The downstairs lounge

For those who want to escape the chaos of Oxford Street for a while and want to have some proper tea that is value for money - I totally recommend Amanzi Tea.  Spread the word.

The tea wall

A fact for you: did you know, amanzi means 'water' in the Southern African dialect of Zulu?

Amanzi Tea will be open Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Competition closed. A trip to Foodies Festival, Hampton Court Palace.

The Little Kitch have a pair of tickets to give away to the Foodie Festival that takes place this May.  And if you don't get these tickets then we have a promo offer for those who are booking online.

Save the date:

Hampton Court Palace – Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May 2013

Foodies Festival is delighted to return to Hampton Court Palace this May.  The UK’s largest celebration of food and drink will see visitors flock from the surrounding areas to feast on the vast array of culinary activities for the fifth consecutive year at Hampton Court Palace.  Foodies Festivals also take place at Brighton, Tatton Park in Cheshire, Clapham Common London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Battersea Park London and Oxford.

Top chefs, including Ed Baines of Randall & Aubin, TV’s Gennaro Contaldo of Two Greedy Italians, Martin Blunos of Iron Chef fame, Michelin-starred Steve Drake of Drakes, Gary Lee of The Ivy as well as Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi of Caldesi restaurants and cook school will cook their signature dishes live in the Chefs’ Theatre and explain how amateur cooks can prepare the same dishes at home.   The theatre will be compered by Shelina Permalloo, winner of Masterchef 2012.

Ed Baines commented:  “I’m really looking forward to Hampton Court Foodies this year. Not only will I be sharing my favourite recipes in the chefs’ theatre, I’m bringing my restaurant to the festival to give all Foodies ticket-holders a taste of what we do. If you love good food this is the place to be!”

Now in its eighth year, Foodies Festival has introduced new elements to all events in 2013.  These include a spectacular Bake and Cake Theatre in association with Electrolux incorporating a ‘bake-along’ with members of the audience invited to participate.  Doyenne of British sugarcraft, Lindy Smith, will demonstrate her unique, cutting-edge cake designs. 

2013 also sees the introduction of a dedicated Chocolate Theatre to showcase the world of chocolate and confectionary with daily demonstrations from David Greenwood-Haigh of Divine Chocolate.

Last year saw the successful introduction of Street Food Avenue to all Foodies events.  In 2013 the Hampton Court crowds can again enjoy the huge selection of ready-to-eat hot and cold food from around the world including hog roasts, exotic meats, tapas, churros, burritos, Moroccan tagines, South American prime beef, sausages, pizza, Jamaican and Thai street food.

This year’s Children’s Cookery Theatre will be operated by local cook school Kiddy Cook who will run a series of workshops incorporating gastronomic experiments.  Kiddy Cook director Nikki Geddes said:  “We’ll get the children making carbon dioxide rockets and bread bubble bombs to show them the chemical reaction that makes bread rise. They’ll learn the difference between taste and flavour and think about the effect sound has on their ability to eat.”

For more ticket information go to:

www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111.

Opening times: 10am until 8pm. 

Terms and Conditions: One entry per household. One pair of tickets will be given away to one winner.  The prize will be sent to the winner within 2 weeks of the closing date.  

And for those who want to take advantage of the early bird promotion just type in this code:

Ready to Wok & roll?

 

Kate & Hayley's visit to School of Wok (brilliant name), cookery school in Central London. 

The following post may include parts which may be unsuitable for people with a nervous disposition...or vegetarians.

Unsuspecting right in the heart of London is this place.  From the outside it looks like some sort of homeware store, very neat and clean, except for the group of adults all sat round a big square wooden table on wheels, making chinese lanterns. 

Hayley the Spice Kitchen...

We were lucky enough to be invited to go to one of the Chinese New Year workshops put on at the School of Wok.  We arrived just in time to see the lanterns being made - ready for the next part of the workshop - cooking.

On the menu today:
Crispy Gold Bucket Wontons
'Longlife' Lobster Noodles with ginger and spring onion
Braised Fortune Mushrooms with pak choi
Chilli and garlic 'Wealthy Clams'

The prep involved all standing round with cleavers and vegetables - simples.  Jeremy Pang, Head Chef and Founder gave us all some handy tips on using knives and small chef skills to improve everyday cooking.   Did you know, for example, it is less wasteful to peel ginger with a spoon?  It's surprisingly easy, and garlic literally pops out of its skin by dipping it in just a bit of water.  Easy peasy.

Arguably, the most exciting part of the day was when the lobsters were brought out.  I was surprised to be honest that we were to be allowed to effectively (and kindly) kill and cook, not one but two, lobsters.  I mean, they're high end stuff, I only ever have lobster at special occasions.
  

The quickest and least painful way to effectively prep the lobster.

Next came the cooking in the 'spice kitchen' on the snazzy hobs (much more modern than The Little Kitch's), and to round it off - the feast round the table with our fellow cooks.

Showing how it's done. Good luck everyone...

For those who really want to hone in on some Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese foods, then the School of Wok is the place for you.  They have a whole kitchen full of different classes and even dim sum making ones.  Can't make up your mind?  No worries, they have demonstration classes - for free.  It's an authentic and genuine place, where you get to really be hands on with what you are doing.  The facilities are great, and you do come out of their feeling like you've just accomplished a great menu, and of course, feeling full.  I think it's well worth the time and price.

Kate cooking up a storm

Chef's turn

Feast time!

Clams and wontons

Taster wines introduced by A Grape Night In