Enter the Young Guns: The Young Turks

There was a time when French techniques ruled the pass. When the likes of Marco Pierre White and more recently a certain Gordon Ramsay brought French techniques and haute cuisine to London restaurants. Those guys are still knocking around, one selling stock cubes and the other working hard to promote his TV career, but it seems quite clear that their time has come and gone. Now is the time for the new breed, of new food and of innovation, and London is where you are going to find it.

A supper club way out west: The Montpelier Basement, Bristol

I've never been a big fan of writing about Supper Clubs. The thing is, the majority are borne out of somebodies passion for food, and you never want to say a bad word against someone else's endeavours. Taking that, and the fact that most of the Supper Clubs I have attended are run by people I consider friends, I always dread being in the position where I may want to say something bad about them.

Thankfully, I have never been put in that situation as all the Supper Clubs I have attended have been excellent. Last weekend in Bristol, visiting the Montpelier Basement was no different. Run by two lovely twitter (and real life) friends, Dan and Elly, they put together a beautiful menu of local ingredients which wouldn't have looked out of place in a high end establishment. An amuse, scallops for the fish course, palate cleansers? Not your everyday supper club at all.

Baked diver caught Cornish scallops with a tarragon crumb

I was really impressed by how professional it all was, and even when the oven refused to play ball when trying to cook the frankly excellent steak and kidney suet puddings, they handled it like pro's with a calm demeanour. If you get to Bristol (or if you already live in the neighbouring area), you would be a fool not to reserve a place. Get in early, and at a mere £25 a head, you are guaranteed great local food and local hospitality from Dan and Elly.

For more pictures, check out Flickr here.

Montpelier Basement - Email montpelierbsmt at gmail.com for more details

Tudor Road Supper Club: What a chef does when he is on holiday

Professional chefs work bloody hard. Long hours, hot kitchens, churning out food day after day with little reward other than the knowledge that others might be enjoying what they have produced. Professional kitchens are nothing like the domestic kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I haven't worked in one, but knowing a few who have, it sounds like hell on earth which would totally take away the joy of cooking.

Ben Greeno is one of these chefs. Having worked in some of the worlds most established restaurants (including Restaurant Sat Bains, Noma and Momofuku), he is taking a well earned rest after returning from a short stint in New York. Well, I say rest; Ben has decided to set up his own supper club in his home for a few months before he embarks on his next adventure, so I decided to pop along with a few friends, a second best to actually heading to Noma and eating there.

Some supper club purists may have an issue with Ben's set up. After all, he is a professionally trained chef with years of experience behind him, surely this isn't fair on the multitudes of other non trained supper clubbers? Personally, I go for the experience and the food is normally a secondary concern. As long as I have a good time and don't get food poisoning, I am pretty pleased. In this case, we bundled into Bens flat, straight into his living room where the one singular long table is set up and had a glass of cider thrust into our hands, with another table filled with radishes, bread and dips were waiting us. The basil emulsion (mayonnaise) and roasted pepper dip had us constantly dipping and munching, whilst we mingled with the guests on the balcony as they arrived. Good start.

As we sat down, I seemed to have hit the jackpot when it came to dining companions. Along with the people I came with, I had Rob Martin, an American chef and also Noma alumni, sitting next to me and a group of lively food loving Singaporeans a little further down the table. The night was getting good. We started chatting and chowing down on some delicious bread spread thickly with nasturtium butter delivering little salty bursts, as our first course of "carrots" was served. Looks simple, but the combination of poached carrots, raw carrots and cherries soaked in dashi gave the dish an almost sweet and sour quality. Delicious, but the size had me concerned. If all the dishes were this dainty, how the hell was I going to be full by the end of the meal?

Next up was raw mackerel, challenging for a fish hater like me, but I dove in anyway. I needn't have worried, the mackerel was super fresh and the tart sauce made from jostaberries (a cross between the gooseberry and blackcurrant) went with the creamy mackerel well. The "scrumped" apple from a nearby garden added texture, with the bitter leaves building another level of flavour. Simple but clever.

The next dish of pork cigar, slowly caramelised onions and slow poached egg was rather grey, with purple edible flowers lifting the whole dish. The flavours though, were far from grey. Meaty rich pork cigar, the sweet sweet onions and the slow poached egg (gelatinous, having been poached at a consistent 62 degrees), textures, flavours, a symphony of sensations.

You know I was worried about the size of the dishes earlier? Yeah, I was starting to fill up and we were nowhere near the end. The "main" was probably the nearest dish we had to what most would call a conventional one, slow roast lamb belly, a berry jus (I forget which) and parsnips two ways (roasted and pureed). Simple but great flavours.

Ben (if his biopic is correct) jointly headed up the pastry section at Noma, so you can probably say he is a dab hand with desserts. What arrived was a deconstructed lemon meringue pie, with shards of rosewater meringue, blobs of lemon curd and dehydrated ginger biscuits carefully arranged on the plate. Kernels of sweetcorn and a smattering of blackberries added additional sweetness. So good, I was caught licking my plate, and you know what, I didn't care.

I was full and satisfied. Throughout every course, there was much banter and the atmosphere was just perfect. Loads of chatter, laughs and stunning food. Ben had been an excellent host and the food was all I had hoped it would be. He came and joined us with the coffees and chatted with the guests. Coffee with toffee truffles turned to wine, which turned to more wine and, well, turned into a very late night. We chatted about many things, but one included his exciting next steps in his culinary adventure. Go before he stops cooking and if/when you do go one word of advice. Don't load up on the delicious bread early like I did, you will regret it later.

Ben Greeno's Tudor Road - Somewhere in Hackney. It may be on Tudor Road...

A few more supper clubs, The Secret Larder and Comida Divertida

One of the best things about starting this blog is the amount of people you meet. I have been lucky enough to meet chefs, journalists and PR's, but most importantly of all, I have met many many people who just love food. Two of these people are James and Charlie.

Both of these guys love their food, but have taken their passions one step further than just cooking and writing about it. James, or Rambo to his mates (pecs of steel), spent a few months out in the wilds of Ireland at the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School and now spends his days writing about and cooking food. Charlie, or simply Nels, is a chef who has spent time peeling veg in the kitchens of the Fat Duck and huddled over the stoves at Hibiscus, and now spends his living designing stuff for a food related magazine. Both their lives are entrenched in food and now you get a chance to try some of it.

I was a late sub at Rambo's Secret Larder. Some poor unfortunate souls were struck down with some sort of lurgy or another and two spaces made themselves available. Me being gainfully unemployed and my little sister being a student studying for her finals are grateful for any sort of distraction and were more than happy to make up the numbers. Seating 20 split onto 3 separate tables, we all started nattering to each other. It is inevitable that a few groups come together but I was seated with a lovely bunch of old Edinburgh uni students and had a great time. Asparagus, pigs cheek and mackerel were all on the menu and all extremely enjoyable.

Charlie, on the other hand, opted for a menu based firmly in Mexico. Being his first supper club, it was a night for experimenting. Having a margherita thrust upon you as you enter the flat is not the worst way to start an evening and with homemade nachos on the go, we began to mingle with the rest of the crowd. We were then led upstairs where we were introduced to the main dining area. Again, there were about 20 of us and this time split onto 2 tables. Various delights rolled out of the kitchen and the supper club soon descended into a full on party.

Supper clubs are popping up ten to the penny at the moment, but there is good reason for this. There is a dearth of great chefs out there looking for an outlet, and like any other “business”, if they aren’t any good, they will struggle to survive. I enjoyed myself thoroughly at both of these and would happily go again, and with a donation of £25 suggested, it’s not likely to break the bank. Personally, I say long live the supper club and long live to dining with new friends!

The Secret Larder – Somewhere in Holloway.

Comida Divertida – Somewhere in Shoreditch.

More pics this way...

The original supper club comes to town: Jim Haynes @ Fernandez and Leluu

Last week I was invited to go along to a very special Qype event in conjunction with After Eight. First thing they told me was that, for one night only, they had managed to get their hands on Jim Haynes. Recognisable as the rather debonair man fronting the new After Eight commercials , he is widely known as "the Godfather" of supper clubs. A softly spoken American, he has hosted parties every weekend (bar the weeks of the Edinburgh Festival, of which he is a great fan) for the last 30 years in his Paris apartment. Originating from an impromptu offer to repay his goodwill with food, his supper club continues to sell out every week and has fed over 130,000 people in its time.

The second thing they told me was that this was to be hosted by Fernandez and Leluu. Having met Simon and Uyen at a largely enjoyable wine fuelled evening not so long ago, I was keen to go and visit their supper club. I am rather lazy and am yet to secure a booking, but this was a perfect opportunity to try out their well lauded food and hospitality.

Shying away from a more formal sit down affair, 40 people from Qype and the blogging world mingled and chatted and drank a variety of cocktails made by the rather fantastic barman. I'm a big fan of sitting down, but as Jim says in the adverts, this generates much more of party feel and certainly didn't take long for everyone moving from person to person for a quick chat.

After a short introduction by Simon (Fernandez), the first course was unleashed upon us. With ruthless efficiency, each guest was presented with a plate containing not one, not two, but FIVE delicious bite size dishes. Everything tasted seriously moreish, but highlights for me were the generous chunk of pork terrine on toast and an excellent Summer roll, packed to the brim with pork, prawns, veg and something rather crisp, adding that extra textural dimension.

Almost as efficiently as they were delivered to us, the plates were whisked away and we were free to continue mingling. I thought I would take this opportunity to go and visit the kitchen, and what I discovered really startled me. Instead of the chaos you would associate with having to prepare for 40 people downstairs, it was an oasis of calm. Some of Simon's "team" were relaxing, having some wine, whilst slicing the beef carpaccio that was to be part of our main course. Simon himself was simply pan frying some mushrooms in white wine, a simple but tasty combination. I chatted for a little bit, but was astounded with how calm and how well everything was going. Yes, much can be pre-prepared, but it still takes skill to pull it all together at the last minute. I returned downstairs impressed, but most importantly, eager to devour the mains.

Sure enough, I didn't have to wait long. Once again, small plates were distributed amongst the guests with ruthless efficiency and I steadied my fork to dig in. Ruby red slices of beef accompanied some lightly toasted bread, with those mushrooms and some garlic mash served in its skins. Arguably a smaller portion than the first course, but no less delicious. The beef was excellent, but I really enjoyed the creamy mash and hoovered up my mushrooms.

Our pre-dessert was a few interesting stories from Jim and a Q&A. It is easy to see how his dinner parties became so popular. With the whole room huddled around him, we hung on every word as he explained the birth of his parties, as well as punctuating it with interesting little nuggets of information about himself. A few questions and we were headed into the home straight. No pic of the dessert, but it was based on a bread and butter pudding, crammed with berries, cream and a slug of alcohol. Disappeared in a flash.

And so it came to an end. As people slowly filtered away into the night, it had been quite some evening. I caught up with old friends, whilst making some new ones. I had eaten some excellent food and enjoyed cocktails of the highest order. As I made my way out, I elbow bumped Jim (as "handshakes are so boring") and bid my goodbyes to Simon and Uyen. We may not have been in Paris, but I am sure that we all made Jim feel at home with the vibe that he has been accustomed to for so many years.

Thanks to Qype, After Eight and Fernandez and Leluu for organising such a fantastic evening!

Lex cooked and we ate

Sometimes I despair that I started this blog. I dream of the days that I can go out and enjoy my meal without worrying about whether I have remembered my camera or whether it is fully charged. I remember when I once howled in anguish upon discovering that I had forgotten my camera completely and bugged me throughout a rather excellent meal at Trinity (I rectified it and returned to give it the write up it deserved). Bad times.

I was about to do the unthinkable. Having booked a place at Lex Cooks, you eat, run by a lovely trio of Aussies (although Lex herself has strong Romanian roots ;) ), I was considering leaving the camera at home, grab a bottle of wine and just go and enjoy myself. I just couldn't do it and brought it along anyway.

I think it's testament to what a fun night I had that I ended up with very few photos. The ones I did take were early on and before the hazy fug of the red wine mist descended upon my photography skills. Sharing a table with Carla from Can be bribed with food, Fernandez and Leluu and guests, a really enjoyable evening ensued. Starting with some pesto popcorn, we soon dug into a homely bowl of sweet potato soup with caramelised onions and a herb pesto. Sweet and light, all mopped up with some homemade bread.

The conversation flowed as did the wine, and by the time the main of duck stuffed with amaretti and blood orange salad arrived, the party was in full swing. This is the thing I love about supper clubs. You get to meet new people, you get to chat to the chef and I think the experience is second to none.

By the time the trio of desserts arrived, we were all stuffed although I still somehow managed to stuff my face with about three portions of the walnut and sour cream cake. A great fun night and comes highly recommended!

Lex cooks you eat - Somewhere in NW London.....

Going underground at Sheen Suppers

I was nervous. Twenty four hours ago, I was given an address and simply told "bring money". A strange sequence of events had found me traipsing through the dark lonely back streets of East Sheen, seeking shelter from the intrusive Autumn weather and my body craving sustenance. I checked the map, we had arrived at the assigned destination. A bright pink house standing out from the mundanity of this suburban road. Tinged with fear, high on anticipation, I knocked...

I had arrived at Sheen Suppers, one of the rapidly growing movement of supper clubs or underground restaurants. Essentially, they are a restaurant run in somebodies home with a suggested "donation" to cover costs. Some are run by ex chefs trying to keep their skills sharp, whereas others are run by enthusiastic home chefs who use them as a vehicle for indulging what is essentially a hobby.

Lara (chef proprietor) falls into the latter category and runs Sheen Suppers very much like a local restaurant. Many of her guests live in the area and learn of her supper club through word of mouth. Having "met" her myself over Twitter, I finally got round to booking in my table, and I tell you what, I was so glad I did. Serving a four course meal with matched wines, what ensued was one of my most enjoyable dining experiences this year.



By the time the first course arrived before us, "Maino" (partner and Maitre'D) had managed to ply us with a fair amount of wine. This did not detract from the glorious pate placed before us. Prawn and pancetta, a strange combination for a pate I thought, was quite delicious. Smooth, with more of a consistency of a rillette, came with cornichons and toasted bread.



The mains of beef shin ragu and homemade gnocchi again hit the spot. By this stage, I wasn't surprised I was enjoying my food so much, the food had been carefully prepared and was good hearty restaurant quality food. The gnocchi , in particular, caught my eye. Small fluffy potatoey balls of goodness and a perfect foil for the rich ragu. Oh, and the wine. This time a red, I really shouldn't forget the wine.



The cheese interlude was a small break from the loveliness that was to punctuate our meal. Good cheese, a blue with a cheddar and a brie, all with a smattering of oat biscuits.



But the dessert, wow. As Lara put it, this was proper filth, in the best possible way. What we were presented with was a light orange sponge with a decadent chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream and a very naughty chocolate orange cup. Polished off within seconds with a lovely port to accompany (as well as some of Maino's private stash, to keep us ticking over).

I do feel a bit odd about commenting on what is essentially someones hobby. Yes, we paid for the privilege but I cannot expect that Lara made much if any profit on the evening. I think I drank the "donation" in wine alone. Criticising the evening would be like leaving an unnecessary acerbic comment on somebodies blog, but even so, thankfully Lara and Iain gave me nothing at all to criticise.

It had been a fantastic night with great a value meal of the highest quality, all topped off with a serving of warm hospitality. I may seem gushing, but I only reserve it for the places that deserve it and even the schlep back to central London in the wind and the rain had not put me off. I will make the journey back to East Sheen, the sooner the better.

Sheen Suppers (website) - In East Sheen somewhere. Pls contact Lara for details.