Meat sweats at 32 Great Queen Street, Holborn

Sometimes the urge to eat beef just takes you. This week, I had one of those moments, where the caveman instinct to consume unhealthy amounts of red meat consumes you, I had to find me a steak. I didn't want to go anywhere I had already been so Gaucho, Sophies and Hawksmoor were off the menu. I desperately wanted to try out Goodman, the new kid on the block, but it appeared that I wasn't the only one and failed to get a reservation. Other options were Buen Ayre (in Broadway Market, too far away) and Black and Blue (alongside a suggestion of Angus Steakhouse, you know who you are) but when I heard that Great Queen Street did a Rib of Beef for 2, I was sold.

Great Queen Street is located on the premises of one of my old haunts, back in the day when I used to work in Holborn. Formerly the Rampage, much has changed. Gone are the TV's and the ghastly wall paintings to be replaced by simple and functional wooden furniture. The ambiance is buzzing and the room is filled with 30 somethings as opposed to the 20 year olds who used to come here for for their post work pint. Sister restaurant to the Anchor and Hope on the Cut, this has one major advantage. Here you can actually book a table.

I ordered a pint of "The Usual" (yes, that really is the name of their ale) and sat down to decide what to eat. The menu is simple and straightforward, showcasing good British produce. The friendly and young waitress expertly reeled off a list of highly appetising daily specials, I think even the fussiest of eaters will be catered for in one way or another. The choice of mains had long been decided, but what else were we going to have?


Globe Artichoke and Vinaigrette - A single cooked globe artichoke is, in my eyes, a thing of beauty. Cooked simply and served with a tangy and sharp vinaigrette, we dove in and started tearing away at the leaves, dipping then stripping the parsimonious "flesh" at the bottom of each leaf, before we finally arrived at the plentiful bounty that is the heart. A really satisfying experience on so many levels.


Pork and Game Terrine with Gooseberry Chutney - A lovely rustic slab studded with pistachio nuts. Served with a really good sourdough and unsalted butter, the terrine was slightly dry, but it was full of meaty chunks with the distinct hammy pieces of pork standing out. The gooseberry chutney, sweet and deliciously sour was the perfect match for the rich and smooth terrine.



Hereford Beef Rib for 2 with Chips and Bearnaise - And here it is, the main event and the reason we came here in the first place. And I am glad to say, I wasn't let down. At £46 for two, this is easily the most expensive thing on the menu but was a thing of beauty. The beef arrived in rare slabs with an actual rib on the side. It was probably a little too rare for me but not so much that I was put off. The meat itself had generous slivers of fat, leaching flavour into the beef and was well seasoned with a healthy char. Slightly chewy, each mouthful was juicy and delicious. The accompanying Bearnaise was a worthy sidekick, smooth with a sharp tarragon tang. Chips, so often a letdown, were also highly accomplished. Soft fluffy clouds of potato encased in a crisp golden shell.

After that mountain of meat, we were all stuffed to the gills. However, my eyes are bigger than my stomach and the urge for something sweet meant that I ended up ordering a scoop of espresso and milk ice cream. Good strong coffee flavour with a sweetness from the milk aspect of the ice-cream. A nice punctuation to a highly fulfilling meal.

When they closed down the Rampage, myself and many of my old workmates were disappointed. After all, one of our old haunts was now out of commission. However, this is definitely a case of an ugly caterpillar blooming into a vibrant butterfly. The Rampage used to serve perfectly decent Thai food, but what we have now is top notch British food, in a comfortable and buzzy environment. I can't wait to come back, this may yet become my local once again.

P.S. In case you were wondering, I haven't become an amazing photographer overnight. My feeble point and click couldn't handle the "ambient lighting" so I stole some off @foodbymark. Check out the rest of his pics here.

32 Great Queen Street, Holborn, WC2B 5AA

Silk Road, A taste of Xinjiang in Camberwell

Who knew Camberwell was such a melting pot of global culture. Today's visit was inspired by a write up in Gin and Crumpets and an endorsement by none other than Jay Rayner, Observer food critic (and my personal food hero).

Silk Road is a Chinese restaurant located in the heart of Camberwell, but it probably isn't like most Chinese restaurant's that you may have visited before. Serving the cuisine of Xinjiang, a northern province of China bordering Mongolia and Kazakhstan, it's residents are mostly Muslim and the menu is dominated by noodles and broths with a spicy kick, with a few pork dishes to keep the locals happy.



I have walked past this place many times and never thought to venture in. Unassuming in appearance, it has endured various transformations over the years but always with a simple bright communal dining space. So, it was about time I tried it.


Lamb Skewers - The best lamb (in my eyes) comes from Tayyabs in the form of their charcoal spiced lamb chops. This may seem like quite a statement, but if you haven't been before, go and give them a go yourself and make your own opinion. When I can't go to Tayyabs for my lamb fix, I'm going to start coming here. Skewers of tender spiced lamb interspersed with nuggets of lamb fat. Make sure you eat these when still hot, otherwise the tender chunks of fat turn into unappetising rubbery grease balls.


Beef and Onion fried dumplings - 10 of these for £3? Seriously? Steamed and then fried on one side, nice dumplings, but insane value.


Special Lamb Noodles - Not exactly sure what makes these qualify as special but the homemade noodles were thick and immersed in a tomato based sauce, packed with greens and steeped in chilli. Small slices of tender lamb turned a good dish into a great dish. A good hearty meal with a slurp!


Home style Chinese greens - After all that meat, we needed some sort of veg to balance it out. Simple stir fried greens in soy and garlic. Simple and actually very good. The greens had been cooked quickly so it had plenty of bite but long enough so it retained some of the flavour of the sauce.

Silk Road, what a find. Simple, tasty food, served at an unbelievable price. I think you would struggle to spend more than ten pounds a head. Well worth a trip down to Camberwell, but I secretly hope you don't bother. Its a great neighbourhood restaurant and it would be lovely if it stayed that way.

Silk Road - 49 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR

Pierre Koffmann, Restaurant on the Roof

Pierre Koffmann, a legend. Head chef of La Tante Claire, amongst others, he reigned supreme in London's culinary heyday, gaining a coveted three Michelin stars alongside his contemporaries of Michel Roux and Marco Pierre White. It has been quite some time since Pierre has actually been behind the stoves, but for a limited time only, to tie in with the London Restaurant Festival, he opens Pierre Koffmann on the Roof. Located on the roof of Selfridges, it's a "pop-up" like no other. With stunning views and a dedicated lift taking you up all the way, its quite an experience from beginning to end.



Locating the lift itself was quite a mission, but after careful text and tweet coordination, my group congregated on Chanel and there was the lift. Guarded by a woman who had the air of an angel bereft of her wings, it really was a case of "if your name's not down, you're not coming in". Luckily mine was so up we went. Stepping out of the lift, the ethereal theme continued. Bright white lights, lace patterning, simple but elegant wall decorations. We were greeted by name, the staff seemingly telepathically informed that we would be arriving and were shown to our seats.



The restaurant itself is housed in what can only be described as a "fancy marquee". We were slap bang in the middle of the room, perfectly seated to take in the hustle and bustle of all that was going on around us. I really thought the setting was elegant and not overly fussy with nice touches (such as the antlers for chandeliers and bowler hat light fixings). It was hard to imagine that this was not a permanent structure although the vibrating floors were a constant reminder that this was not the case.



Cocktails and wine ordered, we were sent an amuse bouche, a few slivers of pigs head meat, adorned with truffles, sitting atop a mound of celeriac remoulade. Very simple but highly enjoyable. I really don't understand the addition of truffles sometimes and the few slivers here didn't really add too much. The salty pigs head had a light herb dressing and was perfectly complemented by the creamy remoulade.

Each day, one of Koffmanns old proteges are invited to cook alongside him. The list is quite phenomenal, including the likes of Guy Chavot (The Capital), Tom Aikens, Tom Kitchin, Helena Puolakka (Skylon) and on this occasion, Bruno Loubet. I hadn't heard of him before but with a little research, I discovered that he is an extremely highly regarded chef back in Australia where his restaurant Baguette holds a coveted Michelin star in Brisbane. Fine dining all the way from Oz. The menu is varied and every dish reads so well that the words are enough to start making you salivate. Amongst the standard dishes, the guest chef adds his own and it was with one of these dishes that I decided to start the meal.



Langoustine Bisque with a herb creme chantilly - Simple and elegant, the smell was intoxicating. Dining with keen photographers, it took every ounce of my patience not to dive straight in. A simple quinelle of the herb chantilly was slowly melting its way through the bisque. Once I was finally allowed a sip, the deep concentrated seafood flavours danced over every millimetre of my mouth. Not as sweet as lobster but every ounce as satisfying, the bisque really benefited from the herb cream, mellowing out the extremely savoury flavour. The herbs were an excellent addition, adding another dimension to the overall taste. Coriander microshoots? Not sure, but it helped bring a bit of pepperiness to the overall dish. An amazing start to the meal.



Challans Duck and Salsify - I'm a sucker for duck, I simply love it. After the noble pig, the duck is next in line. Here, we were given a few slices of tender perfectly cooked breast in a light jus, with a confit of the leg for company. Alongside, a baton of salsify and some mixed vegetables. The slices of breast were so tender and pink, and the leg meat just fell apart with tasty morsels of duck skin. No fireworks here but why mess with great tasting products, this duck had not died in vain. Tasty but extremely straight forward.



Pistachio souffle with pistachio ice cream - I think my favourite thing in the entire world has to be pistachio ice-cream. I love it. Ask my friends, and that is all I ever go on about and it just isn't that easily found in the UK. So the minute I saw this at the top of the menu, I closed it. My mind was made up. When it arrived, it had majestically risen, a sizable collar having formed above the ramekin. I wanted to stop the waiter from plunging the ice cream deep into the heart of the souffle, but I thought I better stick to convention and let him do it, after all, it looked like he was enjoying himself. The whole thing was so light, it was like eating beautiful pistachio flavoured clouds. I handed spoonfuls of this round to my dining partners and two of them choked on it, not expecting its consistency being closer to mist than that of mousse. Personally, I think it was just an excuse to have another taste.

My meal was fantastic, start to end. I know that some people had not enjoyed the food as much as I did, but I think that is down to the choices and personal tastes. For example, I tried the famous pigs trotter and was totally non-plussed whereas I know some people were bowled over by it. Other standouts for me were the Royale de Lievre (hare) and the pressed leek with langoustine.

One of the hot topics of conversation regarding this pop up was whether it warranted the price tag? After all, £75 for 3 courses is a lot of anybodies money. I think what you have to appreciate here is that you are not just paying for the food but for the occasion. Yes it has its failings. The service was patchy although always friendly and eager to please and the food was delightful but hardly warranted such a steep price tag. But here you're paying for the chance to sample Pierre Koffmanns cooking again, for the chance to experience the food of a "guest" chef and for an amazing view over London from the roof of one of the worlds oldest and most recognised department stores. The dining room was truly buzzing, packed with minor celebs of the food world and bloggers galore. What you are paying for here is the package, the food is just one component.



During the meal, Pierre's partner Claire was doing an excellent job at front of house, chatting to everyone and making sure they were happy. She remarked how Pierre was so surprised to see such a young crowd, and how he had fully expected the room to be full of his old customers. Although there was a good mix of younger and older in the room, Pierre Koffmanns reputation precedes him, hence the draw of the younger generation of food lovers, myself included.

I scarcely remember enjoying myself so much in any restaurant. If it were to remain open, I would certainly like to go back, just not at those prices. But I am proud to say I was part of this event and had a cracking good time to boot.

Pierre Koffmann, Restaurant on the roof (website) - Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB

Its a family affair at Cafe Anglais - Bayswater

Birthday's in my family are often tricky occasions. I have 6 in my family so we celebrate one every other month or so. It's tricky to decide what to buy, demanding on the wallet but mainly, it's the frustration on where we are going to go for the birthday dinner that causes the most issues.

It's my dads turn and he is your standard chinaman. He wants no fuss and doesn't really care for presents. In fact, he has a special cupboard where we know most of our presents go, often totally unused. He does, however, like to eat. After perusing the menu at Cafe Anglais, I decided the vast food options had enough to cater for everyone tastes.



Located inside the Whiteley's shopping centre, the dining room is simple but elegant and a lot larger than I expected after entering through the rather unassuming shopping center entrance. Owing to roadworks, everyone else had trouble getting to the car park, so I munched on bread and radishes until everybody eventually arrived. Over 30 minutes later, everyone had arrived and we were finally ready to order.

Ordering a mix from the set menu and off the main menu, I will run through what I had a taste of, but if you want to check out the rest of the pictures, please have a look at them here.



Parmesan custard and anchovy toast - One of Cafe Anglais signature dishes. Anchovies and me do not agree but I gave it a go. They still don't agree but dad and erste schwester (who adore strong flavours) wolfed it down. Gone in about 3 minutes flat. Highly recommended, but not by me.



Cold roast venison, celeriac remoulade and pickled damsons - My single favourite dish of the evening, and probably in my top 5 of the year. The cold roast venison was absolutely packed with flavour, slightly gamey in taste but beefy in texture. The damsons added quite a strong sweet and sour dimension and the crunchy celeriac remoulade acted as a binding agent, mellowing out all the contrasting flavours. Even the watercress wasn't an unnecessary addition, adding a peppery layer to the end dish.



Rabbit terrine - Zweite Schwester's starter deserves a special mention. Smooth rabbit terrine served with thin, crisp toast and additional roast fennel. The slight gamey flavour of the rabbit was highly evident, with subtle undertones of star anise. Light and very very moreish.



Breast of veal, spinach and garlic stuffing - My main and *oof* it was a beast. A rolled breast of veal which was stuffed with a spinach and garlic stuffing. A fairly average dish which felt more like a chore eating it. The first mouthful was pleasurable but it was so heavy that after half had been consumed, I just had to stop and would definitely benefited from being smaller, and containing less stuffing. Close, but no cigar.



Chocolate and banana bread pudding - Banana cake, one of mankind's finest inventions. Made right, it is light, sweet and you just never want it to end. This version was heavy and the addition of the chocolate didn't really add too much to the flavours of the banana. It also felt quite dry and dousing it in the cream added a much needed moistness to the dish. Again, this was average and simply wasn't banana cake.

A meal of highs and lows. Most dishes were well executed but in parts slightly ill conceived. The starters (on the whole) hit the spot and got the meal off to a great start but the mains and desserts just didn't maintain the high standard.

I did feel the service was overbearing at times. We were enjoying our meal and taking our time, after all, my family doesn't get that many chances to get together. However, I felt the staff kept hovering around us, removing plates as quickly as possible as if to hurry us on without coming out and actually saying it. I may be being paranoid but I certainly didn't feel comfortable.

On the whole, everyone had a great time. All my dishes may not have hit the spot, but my family were very happy and everyone had a good time. My dad is a hard man to please, but for once, he really had no complaints. I now have another reason to visit Bayswater other than Chinese food and lobster noodles.

Le Cafe Anglais (website) - 8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB

Leongs Legend II, the return of Siu Long Bau, China Town

Leong's Legends, continued. Sounds a bit like a martial arts movie, doesn't it? Well it turns out its just another restaurant amongst the thousands others in Chinatown, this time peddling dishes based out of Taiwan. As the name suggests, this is the second in a series of restaurants, the first based on Macclesfield street.

Their main restaurant has quite a selection of dim sum, whereas "continues" has a bit more of a focus on more traditional Taiwanese dishes. One of their specialities is their Siu Long Bau, known under many guises. Some call them Shanghai dumplings, some call them soup dumplings, these are steamed pork dumplings which contain and release a sizable broth when bitten into. A personal favourite, these had to be ordered.



Served in portions of eight for under a fiver, I thought that was pretty decent value already. Biting the top off, they did indeed contain plenty of "soup" although I was disappointed by how strong the overall taste of ginger was. Not bad, but not great.



So then we cracked onto our main meal where we ordered a hotch potch of dishes. Feeling we really should order some veg although both not really being in the mood, we compromised with some spicy aubergine. Simply fried in a viscous gravy, it had a strong chili kick, probably from the dried chilli's. Delicious with rice, actually better on its own.



We also ordered a chicken with rice wine, whilst a delicious dish, was more of a distraction for what was to come. Although we didn't finish it, I did rather enjoy it and would definitely order it again.



So there it is, in all it's glory, a whole crab. Many of you who read this blog know of my aversion to most seafood and crab in particular, so it was quite a departure for me to commit to this. And you know what, I rather enjoyed it. Doused in garlic and those dried chilli's again, it threatened to overpower the subtle taste of the fresh crab, but instead added just the right balance. The sweetness of the crab had occasional burst of flavour as you bit into each nugget of fried garlic and finished off by that slow gentle burn of the chili. I was surprised to enjoy this, but I think it had a lot to do with the apparent freshness of the produce.

A good meal, although as usual, we ordered a little too much. Reasonably priced, but probably on the upper scale in Chinatown terms. I would definitely try it again, but I think I need to give the original place a go first. After all, where would a sequel be without the gig that kicked it all off in the first place?

Leong's Legends continues, 26-27 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA

Wish you were here...Newburgh Quarter Market

The Newburgh Quarter Market. Sounds very NYC, doesn't it? "Wish you were here" is a cross Atlantic initiative where 30 independent boutique shops trade places between the Lower East side in NYC and the Newburgh quarter just off Carnaby street.

As part of this event, our very own @eatlikeagirl relocated her Covent Garden market stall to peddle some American based wares at a special one of "market". Mac and cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels and homemade pizza's were all on the menu. Alongside were various other stalls including some great ribs from Bodeans, chocolate sundaes from @chocstar, salt beef sandwiches and a whole hog roast.

A few photos of the day are below:






For more information on "Wish you were here...", please visit their website here.

Trekking over to La Trompette, Chiswick

West London is very much alien territory to me. I have nothing against it, per se, it's just wholly inconvenient for a South Londoner such as myself. London transport is designed to go up and down and left and right, try going from south to west and you might as well give up now. In fact, the furthest I am normally willing to go is as far as Queensway and that's only because roast duck, char kway teow and lobster noodles beckon.

So when Londoneater suggested a trip down to Chiswick, I was somewhat reluctant. Then my ethos of "try new things" kicked in. Something else I can tick off my list. "Brave West London" - Tick!

So that's how I found myself at La Trompette, a charming neighbourhood restaurant which just so happened to have earned itself a coveted Michelin star. We are here for lunch and at face value, their lunch menu is outstanding value. A mere £23.50 for three courses of Michelin starred cooking. I realise that the lunch menus aren't necessarily the best quality the kitchen can offer, often using the more affordable cuts of meat and simpler preparation methods. However, in my eyes, they are a more affordable window into the competency of the kitchen, a window into the restaurants soul, if you like.

So, what did this window look like, and more importantly, taste like? Considering it's a set menu, the options are plentiful. With 6 options under every course, it caters for all tastes. Here's how it went for me:

Salad of Endive, Roquefort and Poached Pear - The old me wouldn't have touched this with a barge pole, but this is the new me, willing to try anything including blue cheese. I must admit, the roquefort was a little hard to get used to, but once I did, I fully appreciated its strong but smooth flavour. The pears were poached to perfection, just enough that it retained its bite whilst taking on the flavours of the poaching liquor. Endive added that extra bit of crunch. A simple dish comprising of good ingredients.

Poulet Noir, chorizo risotto, lemon, garlic, parsley and courgette fritters - Chicken, not exactly the most exciting meat in the world, is it? But there must be a reason why we eat so much of it, and this dish really helped to fight for the chickens cause. The poulet noir, the Rolls Royce of the chicken world, was simply prepared. Beautifully moist with a crisp skin, it was dusted with a finely chopped gremolata. Seasoning was at an absolute minimum but the chicken was given a bit more punch by the saffron laced chorizo risotto it was perched upon. Courgette fritters added a bit of crunch. Not bad at all, but nothing to set my tastebuds alight. It was enjoyable, nothing more, nothing less.

Creme Brulee, Apple Compote, Granny Smith Sorbet - Underwhelming. I'm a great fan of creme brulee but combining it with an apple compote just didn't go. The granny smith sorbet was tart and very refreshing. More successful was Kang's Rum baba with glazed strawberries. A delicate rum soaked sponge packed with creme chantilly sitting on a bed of strawberries. Delicious simplicity.

La Trompette is a perfect example of what can be achieved by the simple preparation of good ingredients. You cannot fault the cooking but I was slightly underwhelmed with the actual food. I think this was probably more to do with my choices than the food itself. I know Kang was very happy with his food and all the bits I snaffled off his plate were certainly very good (read his review here). Good enough to make me brave West London again, but not enough to rave about it.

La Trompette (website) - 5-7 Devonshire Road, W4 2EU

Singapore slinging at Selfridges

This week, Singapore invades Selfridges, flooding the food hall with various tastes and brands imported over from Singapore. Being located so close to Malaysia, much of its food mirrors that of the peninsula, with strong Indian, Malaysian and Chinese influences in its cuisine. A few bloggers and I were invited (and guest "blogger" @foodbymark) to taste a bit of food, check out the food hall and enjoy a Singapore Sling or two.




Nice selections of canapés were brought round, punctuated by a tiny laksa with a fierce kick. After a little bit of mingling (where I met @sulineats of Tamarind and Thyme and managed to miss @bribedwithfood) we were introduced to the High Commissioner of Singapore and chatted about why food is so important to Singaporeans. The general consensus was that it was a very important reminder of home, although for my family, food acts as a binding agent. At 7pm every day without fail, my family (all six of us) would sit down together and eat dinner. It gave us a chance to talk and find out about each other's days, something I honestly miss.



We were then led down to the food hall where it had been decorated with over 500 lanterns. First we came to the Yeo's products. Chrysanthemum tea, lychee juice and soya bean milk, all drinks of my childhood.



Next up was something that was new to me, a selection of biscuits from BengawanSolo. I had never heard of this brand before, but apparently they are quite well regarded in Singapore. I can see why, they were delicious, I couldn't stop myself from trying the wide variety available. Even the high commissioner was getting involved. The principal of many of these products is if they do well this week, Selfridges will retain them. Although on the pricy side, I hope these do well.



There were a variety of other products on show (including a do it yourself Hainanese chicken set in a box!) and eventually we found ourselves at the live display. With various cooking displays on every day during the festival, they each use some of the ingredients found on the shop floor. On this occasion, fried rice with flavours and ingredients I had never experienced before. I mean, no egg?? Strange and not my cup of tea, but others were happily devouring it.

The Taste of Singapore is on in the Selfridges food hall until the 7th October. If you fancy a sit down meal, a special Singaporean menu can be found in the Gallery. The highlight? The specially imported Singapore Sling in a bottle (from True Heritage Brew), selling it's wares outside of Singapore for the first time. Modelled on the original Raffles recipe, you can't fault it for authenticity.