Beyond Bread Gluten free bakery & cafe

Being 'gluten-free' seems to be a trend for the last few years, however there are some plus sides to this. Having friends who are genuinely on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons, more and more restaurants are creating separate menus (that aren't just omitting the bread or half a page menu) for Coeliacs - Dishoom has a great gluten-free menu I've been told. And here's another one to add:

Official opening: 5^th January 2015

2 Charlotte Place, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1SB

Beyond Bread, a 100% gluten-free Bakery and Café, will open its doors to an eager and hungry crowd from 15^th December 2014. The Bakery is set to become the ultimate hangout for foodies and a gluten-free hot spot for Londoners.

Beyond Bread is a new culinary concept to create familiar tastes through gluten-free foods. Innovating and creating, leading and not following, the team is keen to promote gluten-free past any misconceptions of it being a passing fashion fad.

The new opening has already captured the attention of the gluten-free fraternity, as well as foodies and fans of delicious new British food ventures. The number of social media enquiries has been unprecedented and the team has worked tirelessly to get Beyond Bread ship-shape in time for a pre-Christmas opening.

The Food

Beyond Bread offers a tasty range of gluten-free products, many of which are also vegan, wheat-free, dairy-free and egg-free. Everything is clearly labelled and the team will always be on hand to answer your questions. Innovation, health and nutrition are intrinsic to recipe formulation at Beyond Bread. Input from customers will be vital to the development of the menu too. The healthiest, finest ingredients are selected to boost the flavour and health benefits of products such as lemon and chia muffins (right) and pastries packed with cocoa nibs.

Sandwiches will be freshly prepared daily, as well as breakfast goods, cakes, biscuits, quiches and pies, pastries and pasties and, of course, a range of delicious gluten-free breads.

Mince Pies!

Mincemeat (no actual meat was used in the making of these mince pies):
300g mixed dried fruit/cranberries/dried peel (whatever takes your fancy)
1/2 cooking apple (or same amount as dried fruit)
80f unsalted butter - softened
cinnamon stick (remember to take out before dividing up!)
1/2 teaspoon all spice/mix spice
1/2 grated lemon zest
1/2 grated orange zest
200g light brown sugar
200ml (or however strong you want it) of dark rum (or brandy)

Pastry (I used the BBC Good Food easy to make pastry recipe):
225g of unsalted butter at room temp
350g of plain flour
100g caster sugar
pinch of salt
However much mincemeat you like (but don't overfill)
1 small egg
icing sugar to dust
some melted butter to line the tins

Basically for the mincemeat, chop and combine everything together. I placed mine in leftover soup pots for around 2 weeks in a dark, dry place. Occasionally moving them around so the moisture doesn't all stay at the bottom.

For the pastry - follow the instructions. I chose this BBC Good Food recipe because I'm not the greatest at pastry, especially shortcrust. I'm probably as impatient as you can get and believe me when the comments say NOT to add liquid to your pastry. It really does work. Perseverance. It should end up like this:

The key is do exactly as it says. Even when you think it looks a mess!

Alcoholic mince pies. Done!

The first batch - left it in the oven a few minutes more. I'd recommend checking up on them 5min before they're due

Here's some that didn't make it...still tastes delicious though!

Review: Tramshed

Chicken or steak?

No really, the website is chickenandsteak.co.uk. If you're still confused as to what food they serve here, then I'm afraid I can't help you. To be fair, for a place that is renowned for chicken and steak, I'm impressed they had a pescatarian and vegetarian section, when some places don't bother. Mark Hix really knows how to sell to people.

The famous Cow and Chicken sculpture. You can't miss it.

Firstly, I have to say the staff are brilliant. On a Friday night in Shoreditch, My Diner Friend (MDF) and I rock up unannounced around about 9pm. Tramshed has been on my hit list for a very long time and I thought I would try my luck. As luck would have it, 2 people were just leaving the bar which we were more than happy to sit by and eat. The waitress suggested we go for a drink nearby and come back in 10 mins while they clear up...15 or so minutes later, we arrive back...to be told that we've been given a table instead. That isn't luck, that's just very good service.

So, we already started off on the right foot, and the rest of the time we were there, we were not disappointed. We started off with the Cock 'n' Bull croquettes (meat and potato) which were divine, we both said we could have just had that as main course, we also tried the Moons Green Beer Stix of meat - turns out it's a bit like Pepperami...only a lot more gourmet style.

The 'Stix'...interesting

Meat or chicken is the next big question - we went for the rib on the bone (rib-eye) to share amongst two (I'm a big fan of the fat). Note - if ordering the chicken, it comes with feet attached - for someone who comes from a Chinese/Asian background, this is no biggie, but if you're squeamish then...deal with it. Rare to medium is how the steak is cooked. This also takes 40minutes, I must admit, I did get a bit impatient waiting but that's only because the people around us ordered separate meals and not a great big chunk of meat, so they came and went, and the staff were great in explaining that meat must not be rushed (I should have known this). Waiting was worth it however, the waiter will be more than happy to cut your meat up for you. We had this with chips and a side of broccoli. The meat was exquisite; it worked pretty well, as I went for the fattier cuts of meat and MDF went for the lean steak. We took the meat directly on the bone home however. The chips were decent, however the bowl it came in was a bit oily and the broccoli was still crunchy (which is how I like it).

We were then too full for dessert, but I kept on dreaming about the meat. It looked and smelled fantastic, it tasted even better. It was cooked to perfection and you can tell it was just a great quality of beef. It may just be the best steak I've ever had.

THE MEAT - it may have been bigger than my head

It's quite pricey, of course it is, but for quality steak then you would have to expect to pay a bit more than your average meal. It's a great place to come with a groups of friends as the sharing plates on offer are great value for money.

Drinks on offer are great. The atmosphere is fun but serious about meat, everyone seems to be on the same wavelength in that they want quality, whether it be service, food or price. By the time it reached midnight, I was disappointed to be leaving, in all honesty I could have sat there for longer and smelt more meat go by.

If you are vegetarian or a bit squeamish about meat, then this place probably isn't ideal, but I would definitely come back here again.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 (I'm a mean critic)

There's even a nod to the cartoon, Cow and Chicken on the wall, which I thought was a great touch.

TRAMSHED REVISITED - August 2015
I went for the chicken to share...mainly because it came with feet attached. The chicken was served comically and was cooked perfectly, if a little too much for two people, but I managed to force it down anyway. I was a bit disappointed with the skin (my favourite bit) as it was way too salty, but I guess that was for the benefit of having crispy skin. The gravy however, was on point. Delish once again!

 

I could murder a burger

So burgers are all the rage at the moment, trendy thick layers of sweet, soft bread, thick juicy mince (medium-cooked of course), a bacon strip possibly, salty melting cheese, slice of tomato, a crisp lettuce leaf, a smattering of relish and/or GARLIC MAYO.

As you can tell, I've had my fair share of burgers, some great, some not-so-much. For me, burgers will never be out of fashion. Here is my rundown of top and some not-so top burgers in London that I have tried and want to try.

Kua'Ana
This small Hawaiin burger joint off Carnaby Street is amazing. Expect queues (like all the rest of them) but the burgers are well worth waiting for. A few to choose from including extra toppings. Messy but delicious. Some proper meat involved. The coleslaw was also very nice and homemade.

Shake Shack
I wanted to see what the fuss is about with this place, so I saved myself and had a Shake Shack burger with crinkly fries in New York City. I can confirm it was good. The cheese is slightly on the salty side, but all in all I really enjoyed the take-out burger on the train from Grand Central on the way to the New York Botanical Gardens. The crinkly fries are refreshing amongst all the straight laced fries and I would give the London version a try, but I'm not sure if I want to ruin a good thing.

Patty & Bun
I took my burger-loving cousin and burger extraordinaire to Patty & Bun over the Easter weekend...he took on bite and said: "This changes everything". We waited for over an hour on James St but it was well worth it. As soon as we got inside, we just forgot about everything else. It's quick, noisy, rustic dining so if it's gourmet and relaxation you're after then this isn't it, but the burgers are definitely gourmet. The meat is thick and juicy, the bread is slightly toasted and not soggy, the sauce was oozy. We went for the Smokey Robinson and Ari Gold, but it was a tight call between those and the special which included duck, chicken and beef in it. The chips were also very fresh and perfectly seasoned. I can't say whether it is my favourite but it's definitely Top 3 material...well worth a visit even with the queues.

Smokey Robinson. Delicious.

Indeed.

Hache Burger
By far the best burger I've had in London (so far). I've been here far too many times, read my full review here. But the fact is the meat is great quality and there are lots of choices to choose from, as well as your choice of bun. A couple of my fellow diners have said Hache has been a better burger than some of the ones they've had in America.

Honest Burger
I really enjoyed both visits here. The burgers are made medium - if a little on the reddish side - but of course you can ask for them to be cooked a bit more. Simple menu but what you see is what you get. Rustic, simple and great tasting. I really enjoyed the rosemary salted chips - if a little too much, it's definitely well-seasoned. There can be queues in the Central London branches but don't let that deter you. Rumour has it, there are more branches planned.

Honky Tonk
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a disappointment. It looks good on the outside but it's definitely more bar than it is restaurant I'm afraid. The medium burger I asked for was quite overdone, the bun was stale and my sweet potato fries were very soggy and not appetising. I visited the Chelsea branch and I must say the service wasn't all that great and everything about that night just went a bit wrong (for them and us). Won't be coming back here again.

Burger & Lobster
Yes, £20 for a lobster is a bargain, but £20 for a burger?! Give it a try though, you won't be disappointed. You do get a mass mound of meat and comes with all the same sides. It was pretty good, but compare it to the lobster...no competition really.

Five Guys
Guys, seriously, don't believe the hype. Not to be mean, but it's basically a glorified McDonald's only a lot more money. Yes, you get to choose every single bit of your burger (sauce, toppings etc), sides, pour your own drink but it's not really worth it if I'm being honest. It cost me over £10 for a 'quick lunch' (it's not that quick due to the masses of people crowding round the collection point), the chips are way over spicy when they say cajun, and my burger came out a bit damp and sweaty. However, I've been told the branches in New York are a lot better, and the prices are like this as they've just swapped the dollar sign for a pound sign. Will definitely try the US version some day.

Meat Mission
Again, a bit disappointed. The decor is the interesting bit of this Shoreditch branch, but the food isn't overly great. My bread was quite oily and it was nothing special. I kind of liked the fact they serve you food on trays with no cutlery but all in all, for a place called Meat Mission, it just didn't meet my expectations. Cocktails, however, were great - I expect the drinks is where its forte is.

BRGR
I went for the Burger Afternoon Tea - basically three mini burgers with different fillings and meat, small pot of fries, several sweet desserts and bellini. I have to say the novelty of it was so much fun - I don't know why anyone hadn't thought of it sooner. Although there was a slight flaw in that the other two mini burgers were sat getting cold and soggy bottom-ed while I ate the first burger. The bun wasn't all that either. However, I would definitely come here again for a full size burger. The beef is Australian/corn-fed or something or another and whatever it is - it tastes DELICIOUS. I'd probably just sack off the afternoon tea and just go for a full burger.

Places still to try:
Dirty Burger
Burger Co
Tommi's Burger Joint - London (I've tried the one in Berlin which was excellent)
Meat & Shake

G&T cupcakes

It was my friend's birthday recently and one thing she really enjoys is a good gin. So what better way than to celebrate than with some gin & tonic cupcakes?! This is a recipe that needs tweaking, so check back here for alterations in the future, my icing needs a bit more work!

Gin & Tonic cupcakes

For a more gourmet style - you could try different flavoured gins (Summer Gin anyone), but for a classic - I'd recommend Hendrick's or Monkey 47 Dry Gin and Fever Tree do great tonic water (both simple and flavoured).

Sponge:
175g unsalted butter - unrefrigerated
175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
3 medium eggs
4 tablespoons of tonic water (but dependent on taste)
2 tablespoon gin (again, dependent on how strong you want it - but make sure you get the liquid/dry ingredients ratio right)

Icing:
250g unsalted butter - unrefrigerated
500g icing sugar
Juice of one lime (or lime juice)
4 tablespoons gin (again dependent on how strong you want it)
Vanilla extract - optional (see below why)

A lime to decorate!

Pre-heat the oven to around 170 degrees celcius and line your cupcake tin.
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and creamy (work through the stiff bit if mixing by hand - elbow grease is all it takes)!
Add the eggs one at a time and making sure it is well combined before adding the next one.
Sift in the flour and fold the mixture, making sure not to over do it.
Stir in the tonic water.
Divide the mixture into the cases to just about over half way.
Bake for approx. 20minutes, or unit golden and the skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool on a rack and while still hot pierce each cupcake several times.
Here comes the fun bit - brush as much gin as you want onto your cupcakes, make sure you get all edges!

For the icing, soften the butter with the whisk, add in icing sugar and whisk in carefully (don't do what I did, get carried away and get icing sugar all over my kitchen)
Squeeze in the juice of a lime and add gin. Whip until soft and light (again elbow grease and patience required). I found the lime to be a bit too overpowering here, so I added some vanilla extract to sweeten it up a bit (and possibly some more gin).
Pipe onto your now cooled cupcakes.
Add a slice of line and zest to decorate and voila!

I must admit, I need to work on my presentation (note there is a 'J' icing cupcake for my friend's personalised cake).

Review: Champor Champor

Champor Champor in London Bridge describes itself as a mix of Thai-Malay Asian dining experience. And I would have to agree that that's the only way to describe it.

On arriving at the restaurant I could see the exterior and the diners through the window, but finding the correct door was another matter - FYI, it's just a plain black door that looks like someone's front door. It's quite a cosy and intimate restaurant - especially the opening room, it's more like someone's living room.

I was seated next to the hatch where the food comes down from the kitchen, which wasn't a particularly great seat as it was quite a tight spot in the corner, but luckily they have a cloakroom.

Even though the menu doesn't look too extensive, the ingredients in each dish are so interesting and peculiar that you would want to spend some time mulling over your choices. Pasta appears on some of the dishes too which is quite unusual.

I went for the starter of the Green papaya, crispy tofu, pomegranate somtam and cashew nuts just because I really craved some tofu. The tofu are more like croutons, and it was very spicy! Lucky that the papaya helps to cool your mouth down. My Diner Friend (DF) went for the pate and prawn crackers which was an interesting dish.

But the main courses are really where Champor Champor excels. Honestly, every dish sounded so appealing I was almost tempted to order it all (if it wasn't for the price). I went for the Roasted monk fish, spinach and ricotta ravioloni, mango puree red curry with sticky rice - and it was absolutely delicious. It was a mild curry which made up for my sizzling starter, and exactly what I needed. I do have to admit the single big ravioli type concoction in the curry was a bit strange, and found the ricotta to be too overwhelming within the curry, but it was interesting nonetheless. It didn't put me off completely. The fish was lovely though. My DF had the King prawns green curry, asparagus & butternut squash, which looked like this:

Look how big the prawns are!

At least you get your money's worth when they say King Prawns. They were huge. And the batter wasn't too heavy either which was great.

We were then too full to go for dessert.

But I have to say the curries we both had were really great and tasted fresh. It's quite pricey though. And when we visited, it was a busy night (I recommend you book in advance) and the service was not too great. We waited quite a long while for our main courses to arrive, and my DF almost had her prawn crackers fall over her lap as they slid off her plate when being served them!

All in all, the food was very good. I'm not overly keen on the cosy interior however but by the sounds of things, Champor Champor have no trouble packing in the diners so it must be a winner. I would say it was quite expensive for just a meal out, it's definitely a place where you'd go that was a bit 'special', but would definitely make a visit here again to try out all the other dishes!

RATING: 4 out of 5.

Hakkasan Hanway Place review

Hakkasan has been on my hit list for a long time, ever since I read about it in some celeb magazine actually. I know, it's very superficial but I wanted to find out for myself whether it was worth the hype (and the money).

Dim Sum Sundays are the way forward. It's a sort of taster menu for dim sum - and a great way to spend your Sunday after a Halloween night out.

As you may or may not know, I can be quite snobby when it comes to Chinese food. Having grown up with real home cooked Chinese food, I have found it quite difficult being impressed with many restaurants in London. I wouldn't usually go for the 'luxury' option as the first port of call, it's usually the ones with fast service, sharing tables that offer the best authentic food, but living in the Western world, I would like to find that quality of food in a restaurant I can sit for hours in, and order some good cocktails while I'm there.

I must admit, Hakkasan was pretty good overall. Entering the Hanway Place restaurant (the original) it's very unsuspecting behind the Primark on Tottenham Court Road, however once downstairs, the smell of incense takes over and the blue reception desk is like stepping into a hotel.

Inside dining tables

Let's get to the food though, it was very good. Remember, I have very high expectations when it comes to dim sum, but from a commercial vs authentic angle, it was very good. I enjoyed the food. The warm duck salad was a favourite on the table, light and refreshing. Steamed dim sum was full of meat and fish, which is great as they don't just give you minuscule portions. The pastry also tasted very fresh. The fried dumplings were not too heavy. The squid wasn't overdone, and fried in a light batter which is always a positive. The fish was delicious however, cooked to perfection with a very tasty outside, tender fish in the middle. And the meat just fell off the bone.

Fried dumplings section

One thing is that if you think there's not enough food, you're wrong. The menu starts with the salad, then the steamed dumplings, and sweet fried pieces, which for me personally, I usually save until the end of the meal. Then comes the hot plates, and rice. What I did like, was that it came with a plate of veg, which is a must in my household, if there's no rice, meat, fish and veg, it feels incomplete.

The dessert was a bit much for me, I had the orange chocolate and it was very rich. So anyone who is already feeling pretty stuffed, I wouldn't go for that one! I did like the black slate it came on however.

Hakkasan printed dessert

The drinks are immense. Cocktails are quite strong, but there is a lot of whisky involved, which is not my favourite, and quite an odd combination with dim sum. We went for the £58 menu which included half a bottle of champagne, cocktail plus an after dinner one. We were a table of 4 so shared and swapped the tea version, for £8 a teapot, it's very pricey but the set menu is definitely worth it overall.

One additional note, the staff were very friendly, no snobbiness and helpful when it came to cocktails and explaining the menu to us. They also serve the portions on each plate to the diner, which is great as that's what happens at a banquet, but maybe not so much when everyone's feeling very hungry!

All in all, it was enjoyable, we stayed over a maximum 2 hour stay and didn't feel like we were pressured into leaving. The decor is quite intimate and you feel as though you can talk without worrying about other people. Obviously, for its price, I won't be making a trip here all the time, but for special occasions I can see that I may take my parents here one day in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Sea bass

Thanks a Brunch.

I'm going on a Brunch Mission. Brunch is such a London thing to do, we're in London, why not?

I'll be updating this post as I go along so keep checking back if you ever fancy some brunch ;)

1. Flesh and Buns, Covent Garden
http://www.bonedaddies.com/flesh-and-buns/
Bottomless brunch from the Bone Daddies group. Technically this is more than just a breakfast or lunch, or even breakfast and lunch. All I can say is that it's worth the money. Great food, great staff. Read the full review here
RATING: 4 out of 5

2. Kupp, Paddington
http://www.kupp.co
Newly opened Scandinavian influenced all-round bar/dining/meeting area/hang out place. As someone who works in Paddington this is a welcome addition to the area. Paddington is known for its station and bear, but behind the main street is 'The Basin' aka Marks & Spencer HQ, but now it's much more. This is an airy, trendy place and I could have easily hung out there for the whole morning. Breakfast was fresh, I went for some mackerel on sourdough, and was actually pretty filling, lasting me until lunch. Service is a little bit slow but service made up for it. The lunch and dinner menus also look very appealing too.
RATING: 3 out of 5

Also love the teacups and mini milk bottle

3. Granger & Co, Notting Hill, Clerkenwell (now open)
http://grangerandco.com
Not East London, but it's nice to occasionally pop over to the 'other side' and experience the life. Today it was Granger & Co, aka Bill from Bill's. We came here on a morning before work so it was an early wake up call but it was worth doing as the place starts to get very busy by 8am. The place is very clean and crisp. It was a place for trendy young professionals, family morning get togethers, lone worker with a laptop, elders with a paper and neat dog. The food was delicious. The egg can only be described as a perfect, eggy mousse. It's a little pricey but for that price you get a wonderful, lovely morning treat and atmosphere. All the usual brunch dishes are there with a slight Aussie Granger twist - all making a very wholesome breakfast. The toilets are also pretty funky too.
RATING: 4 out of 5

I went for smoked salmon, radish sourdough

Look at the egg! So smooth.

4. Dishoom, Shoreditch, Covent Garden, Kings Cross
http://www.dishoom.com

I went for the Bun Maska just to try out on the side, simplified, it's a bun with butter that you dip into a chai drink. I must admit it was quite strange to eat, and there was waaaay too much butter for my liking. For my main I went for the Bacon Naan Roll, which I had read was one of the best breakfasts in London. It was good, it was fun to have your English breakfasts mixed in with the Indian spices and specialities, but to be honest it wasn't anything special. I think dinner at Dishoom is where it's really at. The decor in Shoreditch was really quirky though, Indian-traditional via Shoreditch trendy. I'd go once for breakfast for the 'novelty' but I wouldn't say it was anything special unfortunately.

Cool lamp

RATING: 2 out of 5

Bacon Naan Roll

5. Blues Kitchen, Camden and Shoreditch (I went to the Shoreditch branch...obvs)
theblueskitchen.com/
Formerly Bar Music Hall, this venue is great. Lots of space, decor is quite quirky, live bands and great food. We came here on a Sunday afternoon and although quite busy, we were seated and served pretty quickly. I went for the American Breakfast - I did want to go for some of the 'healthier' options but when the breakfast is a mix of Mexican and an American pancake on the side then who could resist? It was a proper brunch and I felt very satisfied afterwards, although I admit I only managed half the sweet pancake. I was eyeing up other diners plates as they arrived and the burger looked like it was a hearty portion - also check out the Burger of the Month as they sometimes use more unique meats. It wasn't overly pricey either. Nothing felt too greasy though and it had a very 'cool' vibe to the whole place that it made me want to come again in the evening for a bit of live blues (they had a Stevie Wonder night recently), though I'd recommend booking way in advance as this place tends to get very busy. A pretty awesome place to bring your friends.
RATING: 4 out of 5

6. Bills - few locations but I went to Hoxton Square branch
http://bills-website.co.uk
Yes, it's a bit of a chain, but the decor at the Hoxton branch is kitsch, in the fact that it is a lot bigger than it looks on the outside. The rustic feel is perfect for a relaxing Sunday. The food menu is your standard lot, but is cooked with its own special Bills flourish. I went for the Eggs Royale and Breakfast with sourdough, which was simple but delicious. The other good thing is that it is lot more filling than you realise - ideal really. The super green smoothie is also pretty fantastic too. Prices aren't too bad for what it is, I'd probably recommend this place as somewhere to go with friends to chill out for the whole morning, or there's the quieter end at the back where couples can sit. RATING: 3 out of 5

7. The Breakfast Club - a few locations
http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/
For anyone who hasn't been yet, this is probably one of those 'must do once' things. I've made a visit to the Hoxton Square branch a couple of times, almost made it to the Spitalfields one (see below) and the original location in Clapham/Battersea. It's quirky, too cool for school, American, good breakfast food. I'm not sure whether it justifies the queues that regularly form from quite early on, but I know when it gets a bit chilly, they may give you some hot chocolate while you're waiting. The food is always pretty good - Eggs Royale/Benedict, choice of fry ups and good vegetarian options, but I have to say the bacon, pancakes and maple syrup is where it's at. A more than enough portion served in a plastic bowl, with extra syrup on the side just in case; it's a winner. The smoothies are also very tasty. It's not that I don't like it, but it's probably one of those places that has been hyped up to the point where you expect nothing but extraordinary. It's not a secret that a SMEG fridge resides in the Spitalfields one which is actually a door to a basement bar. It's probably quite fun but again you'll probably have to wait a while to get in or go very early. RATING: 3 out of 5

8. Graveney and Meadow - Tooting Broadway. SW17 9NA
http://graveneyandmeadow.com/
If you're ever in the South-West London area I recommend this place for brunch and cake. They have a pretty good selection of sweet things out on display you can choose from as well as the standard brunch choices. It's quite a big place, with lots of very 'East London' furniture and decor. It's the type of place you can hang out in for a while with your laptop or book (yes, there's free wi-fi too). I went for the smoked salmon muffin with lovely hollandiase sauce which was brought out to me fairly quickly. And my mint tea used real mint leaves rather than a teabag in a cute teapot. RATING: 3 out of 5

9. Giant Robot - Clerkenwell. EC1M 5RS (sadly, this is no longer around...)
http://www.gntrbt.com/

This trendy place isn't all that giant it turns out, but that's not a bad thing, in fact, far from it. We were treated with old-school style and rustic decor, nothing was matching but that added to the charm of the place. I went for the 'Smashed Advocado' - grilled sourdough, plum tomato, feta & balsamic, with added bacon of course, all for an extra 99p. ED went for the 'Eggs & Smoked Salmon' on a NY bagel. The portions are decent sized - don't be fooled, we were pretty much done by the time we left. Service was friendly and quick, the layout of the place is very open which I like. This place also does a mean dinner and cocktail menu, opens 7 days a week (unusual for the Farringdon area) - so everyone's a winner! RATING: 3.5 out of 5 

10. Potato Merchant - Exmouth Market. EC1R 4QL
http://thepotatomerchant.com/ 
This was actually a spur of the moment decision to come here...stepped inside and turns out I've been here before, only back then it was Bincho Yakitori (read the review - the Soho branch is still running). So, brunch at Potato Merchant is interesting. The potato grilled bread is the thing to try here and the Merchant Breakfast (big portions)...unfortunately I didn't have either of those so can't make a fair comment, but the table next to us did and it smelled and looked delicious if that helps. I went for the scrambled egg and salmon. I have to say you get a generous amount of salmon for £7ish, although I thought the one piece of toasted bread was a little bit stingy. My pot of tea was lovely, ED would have quite liked her coffee in a mug and not teacup. Water came in a square, glass milk bottle which was awesome. Service was average - I didn't think they were overly friendly. Prices reasonable. The layout of the menu doesn't do it justice either - I thought everything described on it sounded a bit 'plain', like 'Bacon or Sausage Sandwich' or 'Roast Lamb' but don't let that put you off - it is definitely worth a second visit. RATING: 3 out of 5

Foodies Festival time for Christmas!

Foodies Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of food and drink, are delighted to announce their inaugural Christmas instalment ‘Foodies Festival Christmas’ to be held at the Old Truman Brewery, November 28,29,30 this winter.

Foodies Festival Christmas sees a range of culinary activities take place in the surroundings of the Old Truman Brewery, with London’s top chefs cooking live in a new open air Chefs Theatre for all to enjoy. Visitors can learn from the experts how to prepare the perfect Christmas feast with a full range of produce available to buy in the artisan market.

As well as traditional mince pies, mulled wine and roast chestnuts, the festival boasts a huge selection of new features including a Whiskey Arena with a range of whiskeys and malts for sale and a Ski Bar serving après ski cocktails, off-piste snacks including crepes and toasties and live DJs to create a chilled out St Anton vibe. These are complemented with a Soda Bar and food and drink matching masterclasses with experts in the Drinks Theatre; who will advise on the best champagne and wines to buy this season.

The Christmas Feasting Table takes centre stage at the festival, where visitors can sit at communal banqueting tables under twinkling fairy lights and festive decorations with friends and family and tuck into foods served from the surrounding Street Food Avenue, Pop-Up Restaurants, Coffee Corner and Cheese Village with cheese makers from the UK, France and Italy.

Visitors should visit the Producers Grotto where they will discover a Craft Beer Market and pop-up breweries, highlighting London’s top craft brewers. Visitors can enjoy a hot toddy while browsing local artisan produce to enjoy or have gift wrapped as gifts to take home. A Pudding Hall is a haven of sweet treats with pâtissiers and chocolatiers selling eggnog tarts, marzipan bonbons and macaron; as well as a life-size Gingerbread House serving warm ginger beer and roasted ginger marshmallows. There are also hands-on masterclasses in cake decorating and icing, where participants can personalise eatable treats to hang on the Christmas tree at home.

Just like Christmas day there is lots of post-feasting fun to be had with entertainment throughout the day. Visitors can register their team to compete in the Christmas Bumper Quiz at 5pm daily, have a group Christmas jumper picture taken in the photo booth, sing carols and learn how to dance the Gay Gordon with ceilidh dancing and live music from the Entertainment Stage.

For the little ones, an Elf Cookery School invites children under 12 to bake snowballs and decorate gingerbread men, cookies and cupcakes to leave out for Santa. There are also live reindeers to pet and snow balls fights to be had in the courtyard.

For more information and prices visit: www.foodiesfestival.com 

Amalfi Coast, Italy

I know this is a London-based blog, but I pretty much just like writing/showing off about food. So here's a photo food journal of my dinners during my trip to the Amalfi Coast, where nearly all our dinners were based in a small village called Praiano.

Nothing beats fresh, homemade and local food.

Homemade fresh lemonade on arrival at Casa Colomba - the hotel with 199 steps to the main reception area

Peach? Breakfast on the terrace

First night meal - we decided to head to the first restaurant we saw: La Strada. Homemade pasta, with shrimps, lemon and courgettes (or zucchini as they're known there)

Local wines available in half bottles

My local fish and seafood steamed broth in a plastic bag at La Tramonto D'Oro

Aubergine 'flakes'  and fish at La Tramonto D'Oro

Mint chocolate ice cream 

Bread and more local wine for starters

Pizza Napoli from the family-run Pizzeria Rosticceria Da Asporto - possibly one of the best pizza bread's I've ever had

One night on the hotel balcony with a takeaway pizza and limoncello is a must!

This place - La Dolce Vista, a bit more upmarket so only had full bottles of wines available. Amazing views though.

Free bruschetta to start

Lemon, shrimp risotto - delicious

Homemade seafood pasta

Lemon cake we didn't really need but the gluttonous side of us said yes!

And again...

Even the salads are fresh, refreshing and large! The pizza is definitely recommended from Che Bonta Restaurant (the tables are on the steps)

All sorts of limoncello in interesting bottle shapes

My final night dinner - we went back to La Strada and sat upstairs. It was well worth it. This was my favourite dish of the holiday. Seafood pasta with all sorts of tasty flavours!