The French(ish) Table, Surbiton

(taken off the French Table website)

Resolutions are a bit rubbish aren't they? For a month, you're on this, that and every diet, vowing to lay off every fatty food known to man and go to the gym 8 times a week. Give it a few weeks, maybe even make it to the end of January if you have a strong resolve, but the fact is that very few of you will last into February. I just find it not to bother at all these days.

However, one thing I wanted to do more of last year was to eat more outside of London, and to be fair, I was pretty rubbish at that too. I did manage trips to LA, San Francisco and a holiday to Italy (they don't count), as well as a rather incongruous visit to a Beefeater in Telford. A few days in Cambridge and Birmingham saw me visit Alimentum and Purnells, as well as managing another trip to the Sportsman, so not a total loss.

As a final throw of the dice in order to bring this resolution to some sort of respectability, I headed out to Surbiton (not strictly out of town, but on the edge of zone 6, so might as well be) and sat down with my family at the French Table for one big blow out before the New Year. I've always found French cuisine a little on the predictable side, and in doing so, rather dull, but was quite surprised with what was served.

The gruyere and bacon bread we were given as we were perusing the menu was amongst the best bread I had ever eaten. Delicate slices packed with nuggets of bacon and packed with subtle cheesy flavour. It had my taste buds fizzing and had to resist myself from asking for more. The menu itself was undoubtedly packed with French influences and techniques, although there were typical external European influences included too, all the hallmarks of a modern "French" English restaurant.

The menu itself covered all the main food groups, ranging from scallops and trout to venison and pork. Between my family and I, we managed to consume most of these. My starter consisted of a pastry topping over a broth of smoked fish, seafood and a creamy white wine reduction, absolute bliss. Other starters of scallops and pheasant were perfectly cooked and paired with foreign influences. The scallops came packed with Japanese influences of black radish, ginger and yuzu whilst the pheasant was more "Franglais", being served with flavours of chestnut and celeriac.

I opted for the special of the day for my main, beef with chanterelles served with a deeply flavoured red wine jus and mash, comfort food to the max. I mopped up every dreg of sauce. Mains of rack of lamb and hake were more classic, although the venison was probably the most adventurous, paired with a parsnip canneloni and wrapped in bayonne ham.

As always, once you've made your way through so much rich food, desserts are often an afterthought, but in my family, never forgotten. Much of the menu circles around tarts and gateaus, all far too rich for me, so I went for the rather more interesting option of a marshwallow mousse, cacao tuile and raspberry sorbet. What is marshmallow mousse you say? Good question, I am still not too sure, but what I got was sticky and sweet. Although the tuile was slightly over done, it added a nice nutty contrast in texture and the raspberry sorbet was sweet yet tart, clearing the palate ready for the next bite.

Spending time with my family can be taxing at the best of times, but one thing we all appreciate is good food. I can thankfully report that there were no disagreements and we even managed to distribute bites of each others dishes to each other without so much as a hiss or a look of disdain. The French Table does an excellent job uniting the flavours of Europe on the edge of London using French techniques, and although seemingly confused, they somehow pull it off. It's definitely not cheap, but affordable enough and based in the heart of the commuter belt, I guess that's no surprise. Surbiton is a mere 20 minutes by train from Waterloo and comes highly recommended.

The French Table - 85 Maple Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 4AW

Mini Bites: It's not a whole New World, Chinatown

When I was younger, my family and I would follow a very familiar weekly/fortnightly routine. With me and my three sisters in tow, we would make sure we would all be ready to leave the house bright and early, to arrive in Chinatown around 11am. We would head straight for New World and if we had arrived on time, we would head straight to one of the tables on one of the three floors. Any time after 12 and queues would form and you would be handed a little brightly coloured raffle ticket. My father would pass me the ticket and I would be the one to get us our table when our number was called.

After we had eaten, we would stroll down Gerrard street, to either Loon Fung or New Moon supermarket to stock up on provisions for the week ahead. If we had behaved, we would be bought white rabbit sweets and haw flakes for the long journey home. As you can expect, I look back fondly at those trips and reminisce what it was like to be that kid. Really happy times.

Sadly New World hasn't really stood the test of time. We stopped making those trips into Chinatown, a consequence of the birds flying the nest, and any family meetups are at the more south friendly Dragon Castle. I went back once a few years ago and the food was poor. The fried goods were extremely greasy and left a slick down your throat, whilst the dumplings were devoid of flavour and were basically balls of stodge.



It was pretty disappointing on that occasion, but I wasn't willing to just give up on it. I recently returned for what I hoped wasn't the last time with a friend, and thankfully it wasn't terrible. The trolleys were still out in force. It enables you to check out the goods before you try, and you get served as soon as you sit down, great stuff. The food isn't great, but it was far from bad. The dumplings were heavy but actually tasted of more than just MSG. Old favourites of roast pork went down well, and they are one of the few places I know that sells affordable and decent plates of suckling pig.



The best thing for me was the fact that it still sold almond beancurd with fruit cocktail, a dessert which seems to have faded out of existence across other dim sum restaurants, and one I frankly cannot get enough of. Nothing like ending a trip down memory lane on a rather enjoyable high. New World is one of those places which will always hold a fond place in my heart, even if it isn't my number one dim sum destination. It's not terrible, just rather average which is about the best endorsement I can give it. For nostalgia, I'll probably just grab a bag of haw flakes next time.

New World - 1 Gerrard Place, London W1D 5PA

Strolling Maltby Street and 40 Maltby Street

(This one's from @grobelaar)

Personally, I've always tried to avoid Borough market. Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that it is packed full of many great things, but you only need to glance at the queue flowing down the street at Monmouth to see everything that is wrong about Borough market. Yes the coffee is good there, but is it worth waiting waiting over thirty minutes to satisfy your caffeine kick. Is it worth fighting past the throngs of people to just get to the end of the queue. Are you actually satisfied with your cup of coffee once you have have got it in your hands? To summarise, I hate queues, I hate large crowds and I hate working hard to get something I can get more easily elsewhere.

Maltby street market is a short hop away from Borough and is everything that Borough isn't. There are fewer stalls, less people, and is far more sparse, but for me, is a much better Saturday option. You still get the same spread of stalls and you can buy a huge amount great produce too. With Monmouth and Neals Yard based in the Maltby Street arches, you're not going to be deprived of your cheese or coffee needs, and the queues here are far more amenable.

Alongside these two London food goliaths are a few other well known names. St John bakery is actually also based out of these arches, and you can get their full range of loaves and cakes, and if you get there a little earlier, you can get your lips around a famous St John custard donut. Get there before 12 if you don't want to be disappointed as these unsurprisingly sell like hot cakes (as opposed to the actual hotcakes, which are also just as good).

Next door you have Beas of Bloomsbury and her wonderful cakes, as well as Rachel of Catalan Cooking making her cod doughnuts and a variety of Austrian delights, from goulash to cured meats. Dotted around, you will find an arch stacked to the brim with vegetables, the guys behind Kernel brewery (who are also based somewhere in the arches), as well as an expert butcher supplying top quality meats (check out @naththebutcher). Round this off with a few more cheese and meat stalls and what you have is an hour or so of enjoyable perusing, where you will more often than not return home with an excellent haul.

Once you're done getting you're weekly shop out of the way, head on down to 40 Maltby street for a glass of wine. Based in the vaults of a natural wine cellar, every week they rotate their wines (one red and one white by the glass) to serve alongside a small menu. The space is small and comfortable with plenty of space to perch or eat. When I ambled along towards the end of the market (all stalls shut at 2pm), most of the dishes had sold out, but all we were looking for were a few bites to tidy us over.

A chicken broth was packed with herbs, lacing the broth with tarragon and chervil, as well as mint and parsley. Chunks of croutons added a nice texture and the whole dish was light and refreshing.

Alongside, we opted for a simple dish of boiled ham and mustard which was as delicious as it was straightforward. Heap loads of excellent butter on equally excellent bread and we had exactly what we needed to hit the spot.

Maltby Street is everything which Borough Market isn't. Small and personable, without the crowds (yet) and great produce. One part of Borough I do love is the array of food stalls where you can grab handfuls of food you can walk on the go, although I am sure it is only a matter of time before Maltby St spreads and more people start to move in. I for one appreciate what it is for now, and you will be far more likely to find me ambling the arches of Maltby Street than ploughing through the crowds of Borough.

Maltby Street market and 40 Maltby Street - 40 Maltby Street, London SE1 3PA

Mini Bites: The Ship, Wandsworth

In an effort to catch up and generally seem less lazy, I will be bombarding you with a whole load of mini bites over the next few weeks, and maybe some proper blog posts too.

First up is the notorious Ship in Wandsworth. Stuck round the back of a massive roundabout in Wandsworth (containing a rather strange and rather large spherical structure), in between a bus garage and a McDonalds you walk down Jews Row to be confronted with a frankly odd looking but fabulous pub. With three different bar areas (including the one outside), it's perennial jovial atmosphere make this place an ideal drinking establishment. Drinking by the river has always been one of London's favourite pastimes, and roll up over any weekend with a hint of sun and you will normally be faced with hordes of people ready to party.

Not only is this a great pub for drinking, but it's also a great pub for eating. Spending some time looking through the menu, you can see that a lot of thought has gone into the menu here and I guess it's no surprise that the Ship has become a blogger favourite, hosting events and feeding us to the gills.

I love the Ship and even though it doesn't need my endorsement, I give it a big thumbs up. Under Osh, Phil and the rest of the crew, you couldn't get a nicer bunch of people manning one of the busiest pubs in London. And if you are fed up of drinking in a pub with a roaring fire when it's cold, or enjoying an ice cold beer on the riverside terrace when the sun is out, feast your eyes on some of the quality food they roll out of the kitchen.

Fancy something decadent, a little foie gras perhaps?

Maybe partial to an excellent Sunday roast.

Probably a bit much, let's just settle for a frankly mindblowing burger.

Or maybe some seafood, will scallops do?

Yup, maybe just some old fashioned booze. Dark and Stormy coming up.

The Ship - 41 Jews Row  London SW18 1TB

Union Jacks - "We're not in Italy any more..."

Jamie Oliver, love him or hate him the little scamp. Personally, I am stuck right in the middle of this rather complicated equation. I love rustic Italian food with strong clean flavours, and much of the food that Mr Oliver serves at Fifteen (his first solo venture) falls firmly into this category. Jamies Italian, his subsequent chain of Italian restaurants, still hits the spot if all I am craving is a well put together bowl of pasta (ignore the other stuff like the “worlds best olives”. They’re not bad, but definitely not the best and the rest of the menu is lacking). Now we have Union Jacks, which, at the insistence of our server, does NOT serve pizzas but very British flats.

This emphasis amused me a lot, but I kind of understand why. The amount of times where I have declared that a pizza was good, only to be castigated by an Italian friend telling me that these pizzas could never be good, as they aren’t real Italian pizzas. Too much sauce, the wrong dough, bad mozzarella, the list goes on. Best to play it safe. Jamies rendition of an English "flat" is definitely not that far removed from the Italian pizza, but tasted pretty good in my eyes.

Taking along a few of my colleagues, we managed to give most of the flats a run out. My personal favourite was the Woodman which was essentially a mixture of mushroom, cheddar and herbs. The chervil and tarragon were a nice touch, with hints of licorice cutting through the rich mushrooms and the pickled red onion adding a little pep to the rich earthy flavours.

Out of the other flats, the Red Ox (ox tail, brisket, red Leicester) was the surprise hit for colleagues who were a little wary of oxtail (but grew to enjoy the deep beefy flavour), where the Chilli Freak and the Old Spot weren't too bad either. The only real disappointment was the slightly wet ham hock terrine, even though it arrived looking the part.

Geographical origin aside, I enjoyed the flats, and although the space is rather large and oddly shaped, there was a nice hum around lunchtime, even if the staff seemed to be rather haphazardly running around and chatting to each other as opposed to tending to their tables. I guess I would be the same if I knew I had to spew the same "these are not pizzas" spiel every time somebody sat down. Even so, embrace the flats and swing by for some tasty treats on dough.

Union Jacks - 4 Central St. Giles Piazza, LONDON WC2H 8AB

Food trends, BBQ and Burgers (and Lobster)

Every year at about this time, there is always a little talk about what the newest food trends are going to be. Of what everyone will be eating and what to expect in the restaurants. I was pretty confident about my prediction of American based food last year, and I was mostly not let down. What we really wanted was some good old American BBQ and we certainly got that from the little silver bullet under Hungerford bridge in Pitt Cue. Barbecoa was less sucessful, but mainly for trying to cater en masse and the intention was there. Letting pre prepared mounds of meat to stew do not lend well to BBQ.



Burgers were also a huge part of 2011, with Meat Liquor opening and a dozen other places rising to prominence in the burger game such as Lucky Chip, Honest burgers and the Admiral Codrington. Burgers have always been a popular comfort food, so I guess it's rise once and for all was not too much of a shock.

What did surprise me was how well the street food scene has taken off this year. It's always been there in drips and drabs, but really just needed someone to grab it by the balls and get pitches. Petra Barran and her eat.st movement have been fundamental in making this happen, and we now have a burgeoning street food scene growing in London.



Personally, I don't envisage much of a slow down in the street food scene in 2012. In fact, I definitely see a significant growth in the New Year. With the success and growth of markets such as Brixton Village, Netil Market and the Long Table this year, I would be extremely surprised to see independents in decline. Even with some of the bigger boys entering the fray soon (rumours abound for a Jamie Oliver van, or even one from Pizza express), I don't think they will be able to cope. What these places have in their favour is that they specialise, and what they do they do well. I really think this specialisation is not only going places in the street food scene, but in the bricks and mortar scene too.



Only last week, I was lucky enough to pop into the new kitchen of Pitt Cue to sample some of their delights. Working amidst a building site (they hope to be fully open in early January), they managed to knock up the most amazing smoky little pulled pork bun. Adorned with some homemade pickles, each bite was bliss and before I knew it, it was gone. Then I tried a little of their beef cheeks and pickled shiitake and I was back there again, in that little meaty happy place. Pitt Cue aren't going to be messing about, they are going to stick to what they know and do it well. Pulled pork, ribs, pickles and a few little experiments when they have a little bit of time. Nice.



Which brings me to Burger and Lobster. There is so much I can say about this place already, but I will keep it short. I love it. The only menu they have is for the bar, and you merely get the choice between a lobster or a burger. At £20 each, they both arrive with fries, salad and condiments (pickles or a butter sauce). Although the burger may be veering towards the pricy end, the whole lobster is exceedingly good value. Only other menu additions are a lobster roll (at £18 I believe) and two mousses, chocolate and lime. I see myself developing a bit of a lobster addiction in the near future.



So there you have it, a few long winded (yet brief compared to what is actually going on in my head) thoughts on the year and what we may expect from the next. As with any trends, you are never truly able to know what is going to happen, but where we have seen food heroes made out of people such as Mark (aka The Ribman) and Abiye (aka Mr Big Apple Hot Dog), expect a few more in 2012. Embrace specialisation, after all, there is nothing wrong with actually being rather good at a few things.

*Pitt Cue will be located at 1 Newburgh street and is due to open in early January. I was also a guest at a dry run for bloggers at Burger and Lobster.*

Burger and Lobster - 29 Clarges street, Mayfair London W1J 7EF

My Toptable Top 5

I've never been very good at rating stuff. I normally abstain from giving my write ups a rating and would hope that anyone who may read anything I write would use it as a guide and nothing more. When I was asked to narrow down my 5 favourite places to eat this year, I actually found it remarkably easy to choose. No ratings to refer to, just good honest enjoyable memories. Take a look below at what I thought, and here's the link to the other eleven bloggers thoughts.

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Hedone – A restaurant so good that the only bad thing I can say is that it’s in Chiswick and miles away from the center of town. Pairing simple but pure flavours, with excellent cooking and amongst the friendliest service you’ll get in London. It’s hard to beat for a night where you want to eat, relax and be happy. I haven't got round to writing it up yet (lazy), but here is a link to all the pics.

Roganic – Led by the excellent Ben Spalding, the food here is innovative, and is as beautiful to eat as it is to look at. With a few little known ingredients on each plate prompting conversation with the exceptional staff, the atmosphere is highly convivial. Add some wine matched by the lovely Sandia Chang and you have yourselves the ingredients for a top night out. My write up is here.

Hawksmoor 7D – opened at the end of last year, I find myself going back for the wonderful steaks, the devilish bar menu comprising of lobster rolls, burgers and hot dogs and of course THAT cocktail bar. Even though the license instigates no booze without food, book a spot and settle in, the knowledable bar men will happily guide you into a lively drunken buzz. I've never written about 7D, but here's a bit about the original Hawksmoor on Commercial street.

Sushi of Shiori – Responsible for my “OMG” moment of the year, this little eight seater just off Warren street introduced me to the world of sushi. After a few bites of their expertly crafted toro (or tuna belly), I fell instantly in love and haven’t looked back. Here's my write up.

Pitt Cue Co – Not really a restaurant but my nominee this year for the burgeoning street food scene. Think boxes of pulled pork and ribs, matched with slow cooked beans or a cooling coleslaw and pickles, served with a slice of the finest sour dough. A real one to look out for, especially with a planned restaurant opening at the end of this year. Here is my write up for their residency under Hungerford bridge.

Please feel free to let me know your top 5, I would be pretty interested to hear.

Mishkins and a little about burger fatigue

London has gone burger mad, and sadly, I have not. I LIKE burgers, however, I do not LOVE them. I often felt a little bit of a weirdo as all my burger hound friends around me regale at how their last burger was perfectly medium rare, how the cheese melted perfectly coating their exceptionally balanced patty like a snug yellow blanket. I wasn't always like this, I just think I have reached my fill for now. Living so close to the Meatwagon (in all it's incarnations) for such a long time has probably spoiled my immediate desire for "proper" burgers, a serious case of "too much of a good thing".

There have been a few recent run-ins which have worked towards semi lifting me out of this burger funk, one of which can be attributed to the diminutive 3oz steamed beef patty at newly opened Mishkin's. It may be small, but packs a deeply beefy punch, smothered in a delicate coating of cheese (Swiss) and sat atop the onions they were steamed on. Add a perfect little bun and you get a perfect little burger.

The rest of Mishkin's ain't too shabby either. Loosely based around a Jewish American diner, you can get a variety of dishes inspired by Jewish favourites (such as the matzoh ball soup and salt beef sandwiches). As with all Russell Norman led projects (he of Polpo and Spuntino fame), the focus is very much around the casual diner, a space which is alive with atmosphere, and plentiful with booze. The formula is straightforward, bar at the front, seating space out the back, good food throughout. Mishkin's definitely feels a little more spacious than any of the Polpos. Sat in a big booth on my first visit, and in the rather cute little radio box on my second, it never felt crowded or over noisy.

Other must orders for me include the Reuben and the meatloaf. The Reuben is quite a beast of a sandwich. Stuffed with mounds of pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese, with a smear of the in house Russian dressing, the whole experience is enjoyable from first bite to last.

When I think of meatloaf, I normally think of a huge hunk of ground meat in the shape of a loaf of bread, almost akin to a very dark loaf of rye. Not really the most appetising sounding meal is it? Mind you, my school canteen was certainly no Mishkin's, and the version here is a much more delicate affair. Slicing into the moist spiced meatloaf in a tiny bread tin yields the reward of a perfectly soft boiled egg. More like a meat-scotch-egg-loaf. Whatever it is, each rich mouthful is normally followed by an approving gurgle.

I guess it's no surprise that I enjoyed Mishkin's. A lot. It might even be my new favourite of the Norman empire. The big bar (serving a number of gin based drinks) lends itself more towards a comfortable casual drink, or even the solo diner (I am one), and the vibrant restaurant space past the bar where you can lounge in the comfortable banquettes whilst enjoying your meal. Round off your meal with a bowl of bananas foster (caramelised bananas with a dash of rum and vanilla ice cream) and go home happy. I know I did.

*All credit for these photos go to Paul Winch-Furness, photographer extraordinaire. It's his job, and he's rather good at it. It was quite dark, rendering my camera helpless*

Mishkin's - 25 Catherine Street. London, WC2B 5JS

Pizarro: An ode to sitting down

I'll be the first person to admit that I don't really enjoy Jose on Bermondsey Street. It's nothing personal, it's just that I don't enjoy tapas restaurants in general. The thought of being crammed into a small space with a host of other people, where the noise is deafening and I am forced to eat standing up. Sadly, the old curmudgeon in me can think of nothing worse.

Having said that, I enjoyed all the food at Jose and when I heard that Pizarro, a sit down version of Jose, was due to open, I was pretty excited. I could finally "enjoy" my food. And open it did and with a 4 day soft opening period announced (offering 50% off), this was an offer not to be missed.

I'm back! Dim Sum at Phoenix Palace

So, I have been on a mini hiatus recently as any regular readers might have been able to tell. In the past, the blog has taken over many facets of my life, but over the last few weeks, my real life has wrestled the blog away from me and I just haven’t found the time. Fear not, I have eaten at many lovely places, and I will try to add a few words to each over the next few weeks to let you know about all the delicious details.

So let’s start at the most recent, which was a dim sum trip to Pheonix Palace organised by the one and only Mr “F*cking” Noodles. Now, I hadn’t heard of Pheonix Palace before, but it is a popular haunt of Mr Noodles and I trust his judgement in the minefield that is the London Dim Sum restaurant. First impressions are strangely comforting. The place is absolutely massive and is adorned with large walls covered in Dragons and red & gold paint. Match that with marginally excessive Xmas decorations and parachuting santas and you get the picture. I love it, the absolute seeming chaos exacerbated by the frantic staff and the high chintz rating are amongst all the things that endears me most about Chinese restaurants.