Review: Oliver's Fish and Chips, Belsize Park

I love fish, I love potatoes and I love mushy peas.

We came to Oliver's mainly for my GFF (Gluten Free Friend) as they have a separate fryer for this option, plus every week they change their oil so we decided to visit on this particular day.

Even though it is advertised as being in Belsize Park, Chalk Farm station is just a 10 minute walk away and I would make this journey again and again if I could.

The fish is as fresh as you can imagine - all from Billingsgate Market, we went for two haddocks and one plaice.

The plaice was huge - the fish that is. Although there are reasonable seats in the 'restaurant' area

The batter was great too - fresh and not too oily, and unlike others, it doesn't overtake the actual fish itself.

The chips were ok - home-made but not as crisp as I would prefer.

Mushy peas were fantastic though.

I haven't found a traditional (and good) fish and chips place yet in London, but Oliver's is close (so is Poppies) - I would probably come back for the fish though.

 

Fresh, non-oily batter makes all the difference

 

Review: Pond, Dalston

We had heard great things about Pond, the Hawaiian restaurant in Dalston (strange but true), so we thought we'll come for a visit on a Sunday for their take on the roast.

To say I was left feeling disappointed would be an accurate description, though I did enjoy their cocktail menu and general bar area.

There was a choice of three on the roast menu - all coming with a combination of sides - here's the menu:

There was a group of us, so between us we ended ordering everything (twice). The major factor in the disappointment was that the smoked turkey didn't actually come with cranberry sauce - apparently the menu changes daily and today was not cranberry sauce day...which is a bit strange as the two go together like fish and chips, or so you would have thought. Anyway, fair enough if that's the case, but we thought on ordering the dish, it would have been good to let us know the sauce would not be available rather than us having to ask after we had been served the plates. 

The other factor was that not all the sides came with the dishes, even though it clearly states on the menu that it "all comes with...". I think it was a matter of managing expectations, as the food itself was generally good. The smokiness of the turkey really added to it (albeit on the dry side), I rather enjoyed the pumpkin, but not too keen on the hushpuppies. They were described to us as croquettes, but it was just really a cauliflower in batter. And the meatloaf was described as pretty good. 

The pumpkin

Turkey, without the cranberry

I'm not sure I would visit Pond again, but most of the positive reviews are for the bar food, so that may be where the good stuff lies - there was a steamed bun option I had my eye on. 

They were pretty good with the GF options and knew their stuff and it was quite a nice atmosphere, it started to get busy later on in the afternoon and I can imagine this would make a quirky, different place to take friends, but I think my experience was marred by the fact the food was not all there unfortunately. 

It's saving grace was a cardboard shark hanging from the ceiling.

RATING: 2 out 5

Make It Easy Cookbook by Jane Lovett

In Make It Easy cookbook, Jane Lovett offers more than 100 delicious recipes that emphasise getting much of the work done ahead of time, so that by the time your guests arrive you can enjoy their company rather than worry about what you should be doing in the kitchen.

Dishes range from baked Vietnamese sea bass to slow-roast shoulder of lamb boulangere, and parmesan-baked fennel to ginger creams with pistachio brittle, these foolproof recipes have been tested and perfected by the author.

This is also a great little go-to for mid-week dinners as a lot of the ingredients can be found in your supermarket, but resulting in some pretty-sounding dishes. Jane even manages to make salad sound appealing.

Jane is an experienced cook who runs cookery demonstrations from her home and around the country. She writes a regular food column in a regional newspaper as well as a regular contributor to various publications. Having trained at the Cordon Bleu in London, she has worked at Leiths Good For and taught at Leiths School of Food & Wine.

www.janelovett.com

Get this yours now (or handy Christmas present) for £12.99

Slow fried lemon and oregano potatoes

We made this easy peasy recipe from Jane's cookbook. I must say it was more simple that I imagined, and very delicious.

OK, so I had some help in the kitchen, but if a novice like him can do it, it should be a doddle

Buttery potatoes on the way

We decided to add some bacon to it, just because, but the recipe was easy to follow, ingredients were not too 'out there' and it tasted so good, we wish we had made more. We had our potato side with salmon, which was a perfect weekday meal. I will be trying out some more extravagant dishes for sure, as they all seem achievable in terms of time, and if the potatoes are anything to go by, simple ingredients can go a long way in flavour! 

Add the spinach at the end for a slight wilt - it looked rather like the photo in the book.

Ta-da! Yum.

Biteappy

It's all about apps nowadays and Biteappy lets you, well, Bite Happy.

This is perfect for anyone with food intolerances or allergies. Biteappy is the first and only app to comprehensively address all dietary requirements when eating-out on a worldwide basis.

Biteappy has a comprehensive search directory of restaurants with suitable menus for people with dietary issues and/or allergies such as gluten free, vegans, nut free, dairy free, MSG free, preservative free and other lesser known ingredient free requirements, such as celery and mustard, as well as speciality foods including Kosher and Halal.

Biteappy users select their dietary requirement and cuisine criteria, plus geographical location, and the app will identify all the suitable restaurants in the area. The app also includes a translation card with over 25 languages so users can use it abroad.

The app is created by Caroline Oldham, a coeliac with an additional lactose allergy:
"I have always found it a challenge to eat out especially when abroad and being able to feel confident about [food allergies] being taken seriously. Whilst a lot of apps allow for a gluten-free search there is nothing that collectively brings all allergies together so Biteappy helps with the many people with multiple allergies.
"My aim is to help others like me who have struggled over the years to start to have the confidence to eat out again."

Biteappy is available to download for free from the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Your Food Diary 2016

Some handy diary dates for ya - the whole year of food-related ocassions! You never need to make up an excuse ever again!

Check it out here.

My favourite is National Tripe Day. I do love tripe. 

London's Luxury Risottos

I love a good risotto, but finding the right one can be difficult, especially as everyone's tastes are so different when it comes to this ricey dish. Now Christmas is coming up, why not treat yourself to a luxury risotto?

Top Five Luxury Risottos. If you do try any of them, let me know what your thoughts are!

1. Bella Cosa - Prosecco Risotto. Prosecco you say? Sold! This risotto is made with Ferrari Sparkling Wine, langoustine, Bisque and Autumn Truffle - £19. This restaurant is set to become the hottest new addition to London's Italian restaurant scene in South Quay at Canary Wharf with some spectacular cityscape views to go with it.

2. Bocca di Lupo in Soho - Pumpkin and Amaretti Risotto, butter and sage from Lombardia, Italy - £18. Pumpkin is ALWAYS a good choice.

3. Zafferano - Risotto Zafferano (aka Saffron risotto) - at a pricier end at £22.50.

4. Locanda Locatelli (Michelin Star, Sicilian cuisine) - Risotto all'anatra e finferli scozzesi, duck and Scottish Girole Mushroom Risotto - £18.50. Tempted...

5. Murano (Angela Hartnett, Michelin Star) - Carnaroli Risotto, butternut squash, goats curd, pumpkin seeds - a set lunch menu of two courses at £28 - bargain!

Review: Gatti's Ristorante, City Point

A beast of a menu was on offer for Zomato's meet up courtesy of Gatti's, mainly known to myself as 'the Italian restaurant near Broadgate Circle that I always walk past to get home but never quite remember to stop and look at the menu'.

Gatti's has recently opened a new branch in the office-centric location that is Moorgate which seems ideal.

Welcomed with lobster and avocado blinis; salmon and cream cheese blinis; and a couple of champagnes, the unsuspecting exterior can be mistaken for, well, anything but a restaurant, but give it a go. The place used to be a nightclub so you can imagine how it used to be set up, but that means, downstairs there is a wondrous room filled with a dance floor of booth seating, small round tables and a small bar, with the kitchen tucked away.

A selection of bruschetta - cured ham and artichoke, Percini mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes with basil. Not being a fan of mushrooms, I had it anyway and wasn't completely disgusted by it. I thought the flavours of each complemented the bread very well. 

Those breadsticks aren't just for decoration...

This had to be my joint favourite of the menu - Rigatoni al Pomodoro di Campagna. Simply divine. The pasta was cooked to perfection - it wasn't just al dente, it was fresh, soft but strong. You can really taste the freshness of the whole dish with the organic tomatoes. I would eat this everyday if I could.   

Here comes the main attraction...

Branzine al Sale, also known as, baked whole sea bass in salt crust. Just look at that! If only you could smell it too. 

This is how I like my fish - cooked whole. The presentation of it got us all rushing over like paparazzi. 

The fish is served. This is my other joint favourite. The sea bass had just the right amount of salt and almost melted in my mouth. Strangely, the basil sauce was quite addictive and reminded me of garden peas.

A break of lemon and prosecco sorbet. One must. 

Our fantastic host.

I spy some meat

By this point I was getting pretty full, but I got as far as I could with this meaty roast, or as the Italians like to call it  - Costata di Manzo arrosto. The Scotch rib of beef I was served was perhaps a bit too rare for my personal taste but the gravy that came with it was lovely. Not too thick and not too runny and most importantly not too salty, just the right amount of flavour.  As a Yorkshire gal, I was also very impressed with the Yorkshire puds - delightfully homemade. Almost as good as mine ;)

OK, so by this point, I was almost unconscious with the amazing food  I had just gobbled up. I did try the Dolce dello Chef selection - home made tiramisu, panna cotta with winter berries, cheesecake and profiterole. If I was picking one of these as a whole dessert I would go for cheesecake - which was really light and had a crunchy biscuit base. I don't like coffee and not keen on panna cotta but you can sense that everything is made to perfection. 

The service from the staff was exceptional - the chefs are all real Italians and it had a very 'home feel' to the place - including the decor. It felt as though we had just invited ourselves round for dinner which makes you feel at ease all at once and not worried about the food they served up. Gatti's really stepped up in terms of Italian dining for me, it really was some of the best Italian foods I had eaten in London. The prices seem reasonable, especially when you know you will be served with the most attentive, friendly and genuine staff. They even gave us a gorgeous Limoncello at the end (they also have Frangelico - I checked. Apparently served with lemon).

I would say this is an 'in-between' restaurant - a classier joint without the extortionate prices, it's obviously a slightly more fancy and dearer place than your average meal out, but you pay what is rightly deserved. The food was exceptional.

The only thing now is for them to open at the weekends if there is enough demand for it, and I'll be there!

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

No more soggy vegetables!

Finally! I am probably one of the worst offenders for not being able to time my foods properly but at least now I can get my vegetables perfect with this veggie time sheet courtesy of Larks and Larks!

Review: Bleeding Heart restaurant, Clerkenwell

I first made a visit to the French Bleeding Heart bistro a few years ago where I tried snails for the first time. They reminded me of mushrooms which I'm not too keen on, but apart from that the rest of the meal was great, with fantastic service and atmosphere.

I recently came back to the courtyard in Clerkenwell - but to the restaurant. I must say that the atmosphere and vibe is very different between the two places. The restaurant is a much more formal affair. Our dinner was booked fairly early and so it was very quiet, and smaller than I had imagined in my head. That said, I very much enjoyed my evening there, the staff are very welcoming and helpful. 

Good things come in three's...and butter

We booked the mid-week offer of 3 courses and a glass of champagne for £35 (FYI - the restaurant isn't open on weekends) plus some extra bits in between presumably to 'cleanse the palette'. 

A beef on crisp. Who knew the two combined would compliment each other so well? Okay, so it was a bit more complex than that, but it was exceptionally tasty.

I started with Cornish Mackerel with beetroot, crispy curly kale and horseradish cream. I'm a big fan of mackerel so this was always going to be great, not overly convinced with the trio of beetroots but fish was very well cooked. 

Roast partridge with Savoy cabbage, glazed chestnut, parsnips and blackcurrant sauce.  This was probably the first time I had partridge and it was very nice. Probably not my favourite meats but it was a good dish on the whole. It was a very light  dish and each component added to each other. 

Desert time! White chocolate marquise dome with passion fruit sauce and salted caramel was divine. Give me more salted caramel! 

I had to take a picture of the other dessert as it looked pretty swish even though it's a cooked fruit which I'm not a fan of. Poached Poire Belle Helene with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. 

All in all, it was a very delicious, high end menu. Everything was cooked wonderfully with lots of flavour. I do think I enjoyed the ambience of the Bistro a bit more, but the service is all the same - very attentive, friendly and not at all 'snooty'. If money was no obligation, I would come back for the full menu as there were a few particulars I had my eye on but the set menu is a very good deal for those who can't splash out all the time. 

   

Review: Sophie Thompson - My Family Kitchen cookbook

This lovely book of cookery delights landed in my little kitchen a while ago, and having done that thing where you give it a flick through to begin with and look at all the pretty pictures of food, I then flicked through it again - this time reading all the recipes on offer. I then looked at this properly, Sophie Thompson, Celebrity Masterchef 2014 winner, and brilliant actress' first ever cookbook. I then went back and post-it-noted all the dishes that appealed to me.

Sophie describes that "For me, cooking has always been about sharing and spending time with pals and family, luring them in with tasty morsels so they'd want to stay all day...These recipes have been handed down, invented, begged and borrowed and ultimately made my own."

I finally found some time to cook one of the dishes - I went for the Paella because I love paella, and the last time I tried to make it, it turned more into a risotto and took about 4 hours... but Sophie specifically says that her version is quick so I went with it. Here's what happened (with a few amendments/missing ingredients as explained below):

Serves 4

Prep time: 20min

Cooking time: 40min

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp chilli oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 skinless chicken breast fillets

1-2 tsps sweet smoked paprika

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

150g chorizo, chopped

1 small red pepper, sliced

1 small yellow pepper, sliced

300g paella rice
300ml dry white wine
500ml hot chicken stock
Large pinch of saffron
100g fresh/frozen peas, defrosted
225g prawns
Few stalks of thyme or rosemary
300g mussels (optional)
Salt & pepper

So I had full intentions of getting all these ingredients, but one of the problems with living where I live is that there are only small supermarkets available and some ingredients just don't appear on any of the shelves...and also the fact that I was a bit slow and forgot to do some vital prep - I had forgotten to defrost the chicken I had (but I prefer chicken thighs with skin on - much tastier), I would definitely always go for mussels, but I couldn't find any, neither was there saffron, I thought I had stock but I hadn't (I used water instead, and to be honest, I personally prefer it as I find ready made stock quite salty anyway). So I basically made a chorizo and prawn paella...

Spot the differences...

Prep all done! I found some tomatoes in the fridge too - not conventional, I know, but I thought it helped make up for my lack of ingredients to star with...

Let's get some cooking done!

Heat the oils in a large, wide sauté or paella pan (if you don’t have any chilli oil, use a little more vegetable oil). Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes over a medium heat until golden.

Toss the chicken [if you've got it] in the paprika and add to the pan. Sizzle and stir for a few minutes until it is browned. Add the chopped garlic, chorizo and peppers then stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat well. Add the wine [and smell the alcohol steaming off the pan], stock and saffron, give it all a good stir, then leave to simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to stir it again – in Spain, a slightly crispy layer of rice on the bottom of the pan is known as socarrat and is completely authentic.

Scatter over the peas then push the prawns, thyme or rosemary stalks and mussels, if using, into the rice. Discard any mussels that do not close when tapped sharply. Season to taste.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil (to allow the mussels to steam) and cook for a further 7-8 minutes. Take a peek to make sure everything looks cooked – you may need to add a little more stock. Remove any mussels that haven’t opened then turn off the heat and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving. 

As tempted as I was to start prodding and stirring the concoction, I followed the instructions of not touching it, so I found something else to do to distract me from looking underneath the lid. 

And this was the result:

It (kinda) looks like paella! Hoorah!

I can confirm it tasted delicious, even if I didn't have some of the ingredients, but the fact is, the recipe was really easy to follow. I like Sophie's little stories and notes that go with the recipe, it makes it feel genuinely something she and her family would cook at home, and so nothing is too over complicated or confusing, and everything is described as it is and on point. The paella is definitely a go-to recipe for me from now on. 

Next up is Salted Caramel Cookies I've had my big, fat post-it note on...

Sophie's cookbook now lives happily on my shelf next to its new, and slightly greasy friends. 

Gluten Free November

So some of you may remember that I decided to do an experiment a few years ago and 'turned' vegetarian for the month.

This year, I've decided to 'go gluten-free' for the month.

Before you throw your arms up in rage, I'm doing this, or rather not doing this, for several reasons:
- Supporting my GFF (Gluten Free Friend)
- See what it's like to eat out without any gluten so I can understand

This is my planned diet schedule:

Breakfasts:
At least two varieties (for weekdays and weekends)

Lunch:
Five recipes

Two brunch places

Dinner:
Two restaurants
Four home cooked dishes - preferably quick/easy plus one that is edible with non glutens

Sweets/desserts

Snacks:
Endless supplies (mainly savoury for mid-morning/for long walks but also cheeky sweet afternoon treat)

As a starter for ten, there's this really useful link with where to buy ingredients for gluten free foods
http://londonist.com/2015/03/where-to-buy-gluten-free-food-and-ingredients-in-london

Bake Off champion comes to Foodie Festival Christmas!

Baking Champion Nadiya Will Bake for her London Fans for the First Time at Foodies Festival Christmas at Truman Brewery 27-29th November!

Nadiya commented.... 'I am so excited to be taking part in Foodies Festival Christmas this year and meeting my London fans. I will be baking some of my favourite festive bakes which the audience will be able to recreate at home and wow their friends and family with. I am also looking forward to checking out the festival and getting into the Christmas spirit with street food and a trip around the Artisan Christmas Market.' 

Festival founder Sue Hitchen said... 'We are delighted to be joined by Nadiya for our Christmas festival. We are big fans and followed her journey throughout the Great British Bake Off, so we can't wait to watch her in action and get a slice, or two, of her cake.'

Acclaimed London chefs and celebrity cooks will join Nadiya in the Chefs Theatre, sharing their favourite recipes and top tips to help visitors create the perfect Christmas banquet. Confirmed chefs include:

Adam Simmonds - Great British Menu & Michelin starred Chef

Ian Cumming - 2015 Great British Bake Off Finalist

Ben Tish - Salt Yard
Steve Drake - Drakes (Michelin starred)
Omar Allibhoy - Tapas Revolution
Kim Woodward - Savoy Grill
David Degiovanni - Union Street Cafe
Tony Rodd – MasterChef Finalist 2015
Emma Spitzer – MasterChef Finalist 2015
Dhruv Baker - MasterChef Winner 2010
Matt Robinson - Bluebird, Chelsea
Michael Weiss - Quiglanos
Jesse Dunford Wood - PARLOUR
Richard Kirkwood - The Wright Brothers

Other features of the festival include:

Retro Recipes in the Cake & Bake Theatre 

Artisan Christmas Market 

A Vegan area in the Christmas Market 

London Gin Theatre  - hiiii

Street Food Courtyard

Just like Christmas day there is lots of post-feasting fun to be had with live music, local choirs singing carols and entertainment throughout the day. Visitors can enter the Chilly-Eating Competition (the winter version of the famous chilli contest), register their team to compete in the Christmas Bumper Quiz and have a group Christmas jumper picture taken in the photo booth. 

Review: Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen, Soho

Sometimes I just really fancy some noodles - warming, fun and delicious - whats not to enjoy?

I took What The Cook to Tonkotsu one Friday evening for ramen and was seated straight away. I had heard there may be queues but luckily we got in just in the nick of time, as the queuing started as we left.

I was starving, to put it lightly, so we went for sides - tofu and salt and pepper squid. The Hiya Yakko Tofu was simply served fresh and cold, with a light dressing - the chilli oil wasn't too overbearing either. It was possibly on the tad expensive side at £4 for a block of tofu that had a few spring onions laid on top but 'when in Rome', as they say.

The tofu with bits of green on top.

Then came our ramen bowls, which I was rather excited about. Tonkotsu have their own noodle machine and you can really tell that the noodles are fresh, they were the perfect elasticity.

We both went for the signature 'Tonkotsu' bowl which featured pork stock, thin noodles, pork belly, half a soft boiled egg and various veggie bits.

The Tonkotsu signature bowl

I was pleasantly surprised at how not overly salty the soup was, everything seemed genuinely homemade and fresh, the noodles were fantastically elastic (I may have mentioned that already), I'm not sure what they soak the egg in but it was appetising whatever it was. I think I could have had another bowl. 

I had high expectations as I'm a big fan of Bone Daddies ramen, but I think although Bone Daddies has a lot more excitement and flair (and bigger portions), Tonkotsu is a bit more authentic and homely - and again - the noodles were great. 

It didn't end up being as 'cheap and cheerful' as I had expected but I would definitely come here again, if anything for the noodles. 

RATING: 4 out of 5