Dessert Restaurant by Sarah Barber at Hotel Cafe Royal

We paid a little visit, which turned out to be a huge visit in terms of waist band (and pocket), to the Hotel Cafe Royal on Regent Street when we heard about the first ever dessert restaurant.

That's not entirely fact - they have savoury dishes so you don't 'overdo' it (highly impossible).

To be honest though, I haven't got a sweet tooth but I just couldn't resist. We were a group of 4 - 2 of us were sweet people, 2 of us not so much, so we had a good equal mix amongst us at the table.

There is a choice of 2 menus - the 3 course sweet OR savoury, the 4 course pick 'n' mix and the all out 5 course Sarah in Wonderland, named after the chef. All comes with wine pairing for a hefty price.

I decided on the spot that I would go for the 'all out' menu - 5 course WITH wine pairing - I'm only going to come here once, let's be honest, so I might as well - as my new motto goes.

Heritage beetroot and Golden Cross - goat’s cheese, wild honey, beetroot snow with Pinot Blanc “Les Barriques”, Domaine Ostertag, Alsace, 2012. I'm not the biggest beetroot fan but mixed with the goat's cheese - it was a match made in heaven.

Wye Valley asparagus - green asparagus, quail egg, truffle mayonnaise with Pouilly Fumé La Rambarde, Domaine Landrat-Guyollot, Loire, 2012. This dish was by far a favourite for us on the table. It was fresh and light and combined perfectly with the mayonnaise. The wine was also very good - we were given two wines for the dish which we weren't too sure about but both were very refreshing. 

Yuzu yoghurt - lemon curd, lemon sherbet, meringues with Côteaux du Layon, St Aubin, Domaine des Forges, Loire, 2013. This created a stir for many diners as the presentation of lego was just too much to take in. How could anyone not be excited by this dish?! However, the overall dish was slightly disappointing - the mousse texture somehow made this taste quite bland and perhaps needed something a bit more - or maybe bigger lemon meringues?

Peach Melba - raspberries, almond custard, peaches with Château Roumieu, Sauternes, 2012. The almond custard came in a squeezy tube which was fun, but the whole dish was rather bland, the textures together just didn't quite work for me and there was not enough almond. I was also not a fan of the sweet wine, even eating the dessert, the wine was just too sweet - it was almost like drinking pure syrup. I think this was the point where I was peering over the edge...

Wham Bam Pow - chocolate box filled with an olive oil biscuit, passionfruit and ginger pate d’fruit, chocolate pop with Akashi-Tai Shirome Ginjo Umeshu, Hyogo, Japan. This was a rather exciting last dish - everything edible and the popping candy is always a fun idea, however, at this point I was almost about to explode and so I just couldn't get through the chocolate mousse (again, what's with the mousse)? The Japanese sweet wine was also quite interesting - it tasted of prunes which was strangely addictive.  

As a bonus, you get these cakes (yes, these are edible) when you pay the bill - if you hadn't had enough sweet stuff already. A good old fashioned victoria sponge but the marmalade was just too much and I could only manage a bite. 

On the whole, it was a fun experience. It's definitely a place you go to for a special occasion and the staff are very friendly and helpful. My 5 course with wine pairing came to £70 which, for me personally, is quite a big dent in my purse for what I had. Don't get me wrong - it's not the quantity that is the problem, but the concept as a whole. It was perhaps a bit too much sweet stuff - and that came from the diner friends who liked the sweets too. The ideas and the themes are great but think the course could be rearranged slightly to allow diners to enjoy the last few dishes more (as opposed to forcing it down because you're almost nearing the end). The lasting thought from the table was that everyone preferred the savoury asparagus dish as the favourite - which tells you that maybe an individual doesn't need all that dessert after all...

Review: Sushi Sambaaaaa!

Sushi Samba, Heron Tower, Floor 38/39, where the giant orange ambiguous sea animal hangs...we decided that it would be a robotic tadpole. 

Sushi Samba is exactly what it is - Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian fusion mixed with London glamour. Don't be put off with the 'sushi' in the title, they do hot, sizzling plates too with cooked meats if you're into that sort of thing, but I would definitely give the raw fish a try. There is so much choice and everything looks so delicious.

The menu is quite extensive so prepare yourselves, but luckily the friendly waiters are all on hand to talk you through each section and recommendations. It basically works tapas/dim sum style, so each person picks 2 or 3 dishes each depending on your numbers and you share. But don't share your dessert, because they are divine, but more about that later.

Pork Belly (left) was also another highlight

The highlight for the table was the DUCK BREAST which had many different flavours. We all had our different sushi picks, so I thought I would just tell it to you through pictures. But each individual sushi is full of different ingredients and flavours that don't overpower each other, so in the end you get an individual explosion of the different elements. My personal highlight was the IBODAI TAMARI - the caramelised brown sugar is unexpected but surprisingly goes well with the foies gras.

Sushi came together on a slate

Foies gras

I decided to pick a different dessert to the rest of the table and went for something I have tried in the past and didn't like. The RED CHOCOLATE CHILLI PEPPERS is probably one of the best desserts I have ever tasted. It's different and I was a bit worried beforehand, but once I had that first bite I did not regret it. The chilli is not overpowering, in fact there is just a tangy hint of it in the mousse, and as we all know chocolate and chilli really does go together (said Rydell High). The raspberry sorbet compliments the chilli chocolate mousse oh-so-well and I could have eaten it by the bucket loads.

There's always room for dessert

It's quite a pricey eat out, but let's be honest you pay for the beautiful view of London (when it's sunny of course) and for the whole experience. The food is almost a secondary option. The cocktails are also very good.

I don't have much to fault, except that we had to wait a bit for our sushi after our warm plates but once it arrived all was forgotten. And not too sure on the 'smart casual' dress code they have - I mean, what does that even mean? Service was great, friendly and helpful, plus we had a funny waiter which was a bonus. The dinner experience was a delight.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Orange Tree in the patio area

Review: Beach Blanket Babylon Shoreditch

A last minute Friday decision saw us go for dinner at Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch.  I was quite relieved that there was a table for 2 on Friday at a reasonable time (9pm).

When we arrived we were seated at a table next to the bar, but the waitress offered us another table up in the dining area which we accepted.  As soon as we stepped in, there was such a good atmosphere, the lighting inside was dim enough to create an air of excitement for the night ahead, but light enough to see in front of you.

Menu:
8 Oz fillet of beef (my veggie days are officially over...especially during the weekends), with blue cheese polenta, honeyed turnips, watercress and red wine sauce.
Pan fried fillet of cod, puy lentils, crisp salsify and sun blushed tomato vinaigrette
With side orders of french fries and green beans.
And a lovely bottle of red.

I have to say, I was willing to like this place, I already had high expectations - BBB didn't exactly disappoint but food wise - it wasn't all that.  For that price I was expecting something to 'wow' me.  It was good but didn't make me go 'wow'.  My beef was cooked medium - and I had no complaints, it was good.  My friend's cod however came uncooked in the middle first time round which was a bit of a surprise, but to their credit they did actually re-cook the whole dish (and not just re-heated it as some restaurants do).  When the cod was served second time round, it was good.

The dish did the trick for a late dinner, but of course I couldn't resist the dessert menu.  I had the Rich chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream, and it was rich indeed - but divine.

Service was ok - the waiters were friendly and helpful enough, but not too attentive really.

However, the bar downstairs is where BBB is at its best.  Lively atmosphere, modern and a variety of music courtesy of the DJ, who moves from the dining area to the basement.  Reasonable priced drinks.  All in all a pretty good evening.  The only thing I wished was that it stayed open later than 1am!

All in all, BBB is excellent if you want a night of dancing, or having a party.  Food wise didn't quite match I'm sad to say.

Cookery Book News: Squires Kitchen Guide to Iced Flowers

Squires Kitchen Guide to Iced Flowers by Ceri DD Griffiths...piped and stencilled sugar flowers for cakes, cookies and desserts.

The author, Ceri DD Griffiths trained as a Master Baker and Confectioner at the South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education. After three years of study he achieved his City & Guilds certification, obtaining distinctions for all cake decoration and design qualifications. Ceri’s creations won several categories and acknowledgements at competition level.

This September, Ceri will be releasing his new title; Squires Kitchen’s Guide to Iced Flowers (RRP £12.99). This guide is the perfect introduction to creating floral designs with royal icing. From delicate daisies to pretty poppies, learn step-by-step how to ice 13 impressive decorative flowers.

This comprehensive SK guide provides all the steps needed to help you achieve successful iced flowers, with full-colour photographs and templates throughout. As an experienced tutor, all sugarcrafters will appreciate Ceri DD Griffiths’ clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

Ideal for beginners, this SK guide also offers a wealth of inspiration for even the most experienced of sugarcrafters. From contemporary cake pops to flawless macaroon favours, this guide includes 11 creative

projects that will beautifully showcase your iced flowers. With something for every season and every occasion, Ceri’s guide offers an array of beautiful floral decorations that will never leave you short for inspiration.

Squires Kitchen Guide to Iced Flowers will be published this September and is available from the Squires Kitchen online shop, where you can also get inspiration and lots of innovative baking and cake decorating accessories at www.squires-shop.com. We can't wait to get our hands on it!

Emergency Cupcakes

A simple recipe to use the left over buttercream from Hayley's cake.

Taken from the BBC's Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. Makes 12.

Ingredients
- 110g/4oz butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
- 110g/4oz caster sugar (I used brown sugar just to see the difference, it gives a caramel flavour)
- 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 110g/4oz self-raising flour
- 1-2 tbsp milk
For the buttercream icing
- 140g/5oz butter, softened
- 280g/10oz icing sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- a few drops food colouring

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
4. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
5. For the buttercream icing, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
6. Then add the remaining icing sugar with one tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
7. Add the food colouring and mix until well combined.
8. Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe the icing using a spiralling motion onto the cup cakes in a large swirl.