The Hackney Wizzle Munch Tour

Hackney Wick is one of those areas people who live in London don't go to unless they actually live there. I mean, seriously, all there is there are warehouses and canals filled with shopping trolleys, surely there can be no reason to visit? At least that was my opinion until Nicola (she of Shedlikesfood fame) decided to organise a tour to prove that there was more to Hackney Wick than rats and pigeons. As the token South Londoner and a habitual hater of East London, she was taking a real chance inviting me along, but she was confident that the wares of Hackney Wick would be enough to convince me that there be good things amongst all these warehouses.

So, early start and the first stop was breakfast at The Counter Cafe

Who knew such a great little cafe existed in the middle of pretty much nowhere? Surrounded by those ever present warehouses, The Counter is an oasis amongst the urban wilderness. Upon arrival, we ordered a few coffees to perk us up from the early morning start. My order of a flat white was velvety smooth and had that slight natural sweetness synonymous with the Antipodean coffee I drank out in Melbourne. Great start.

We were then served mini portions of a few of the Counter Cafes classics. The first were masala scrambled eggs which were delicately spiced and just made me wish I had a bigger portion (that was until my brain kicked in and the realisation that eating a little at a time on a food tour was probably a sensible thing). For "dessert" we were served their signature french toast served with a sweet but slightly tart compote of berries and banana. I love french toast and I love berries and bananas. I loved this dish.

With all these complex carbs, I really needed to work off a few before we headed off towards our next destination. Luckily enough, there is a table tennis table out back to do just that and after a few rounds with Lex, we were ready to move onto our next destination, the Hackney Pearl.

Lunch at the Hackney Pearl

The short stroll along the canal to the Hackney Pearl was quite welcome, helping us further digest some more of the food we had just eaten, steeling us for the feast that the Hackney Pearl had prepared for us. It was pretty empty when we first arrived but slowly filled up throughout the time we were there until bursting point when we left a few hours later.

First drink of the day in hand (it was just about 12 at this stage), we started with a selection of starters including a veggie mezze (with some really good mushed up carrots, creamy slaw and a tzatziki of sorts) and a ball of chicken liver pate which was far too “livery” for my tastes, but seemed to go down well with the rest of the table.

The mains were the real star with a whole slow roast lamb shoulder and salsa verde. The lamb was unctuous and so tender that strands of meat were just dripping off. When presented with this grand lump of meat, we questioned how long it had been cooking, receiving the response “ A long time, I had to constantly wake up during the night to keep it moist”. A real labour of love, it was certainly appreciated.

The behemoth of an Eton Mess we had for dessert was perfectly nice, if a little heavy on the cream, not a qualm you often hear from me. A better balance of meringue and fruit would have been ideal, but even then, we all tucked in heartily. By the time we were done, it hardly looked like we had made a dent into the beast.

Upon completion, it was time for another meander. Doubling back on ourselves, we headed back over the bridge, down past the canal, straight past the Counter and onwards deep into warehouse territory. Before we knew it, we were standing outside Formans, a massive grey and salmon pink building belying it’s true nature. Famous for its smoked salmon and smoker (as well as holding the record for the worlds fastest pin-boned and carved side of smoked salmon), it also contains a restaurant and a pretty bewildering art gallery.

We made our way to the balcony which with its Astroturf and stunning view of the Olympic stadium would have been the perfect setting for the conclusion of our tour. Unfortunately, it started to spit which consequently turned into an almighty downpour and we were restricted to remaining indoors.

The selection of Formans cheeses and dessert wine were a wonderful finale, and it was an absolute miracle that I managed to get through so much cheese. I had another engagement to head to (yet more food!), but I left “The Wick” enlightened and realising that it was more than just warehouses, rats and smelly canals. It had been a brilliant day and I have only Swift to thank for sorting out. I'm sure I will be back to Wick soon!

The Counter Cafe - 4a Roach Rd, Hackney Wick, London E3 2PA

The Hackney Pearl - 11 Prince Edward Road, Hackney Wick E9 5LX

Forman and Fields - Stour Rd, Fish Island, London E3 2NT

Lupita: Mexico City in London town, Charing Cross

Following London's obsession with Mexican imports (yes burritos, i'm looking at you) I approached the opening of Lupita with trepidation. It claimed to be London's first truly authentic Mexican restaurant, quite a claim with so many other protaganists claiming authenticity within the capital. The difference lies in its provenance. Brought to London by the same team who run El Farolita in Mexico city, a well regarded taqueria, they use as many authentic Mexican ingredients as they can lay their hands on to produce food as good as you can get back in Latin America. So in order to test out such grand claims, I turned to my fountain of Latin American food knowledge and probably the harshest judge of anyone I know, and headed on down to Villiers street to see what it was all about.

The menu is very much focused around Mexican street food, tacos, quesadillas and other hand held bites, with each plate designed for sharing. Whilst we pondered the choices, margaritas aided our decision making as well a as plate of tortilla chips and salsa (good salsa, chips unfortunately out of a bag). I gave up on the menu shortly after and left Carla to it.

Tacos arrived first, corn and not flour (apparently flour tacos are for heathens). The taco pastor were sweet and juicy, with a delicious mix of slow cooked pork and bacon marinated in a huge variety of ingredients, ending up in a fruity concoction. These did not last long. The taco nopales (or cactus to the uninitiated) had the taste and texture of okra, not something I am particularly fond of, so didn't really rock my world.

We went for an interesting mix of quesadillas, with one choice of chorizo erring on the normal, whilst the other of huitlacoche being downright odd. As with all the greatest delicacies in the world, the Mexicans saw their corn being destroyed by fungus and curiosity (as well as hunger) drove them to eat it. The chorizo was perfectly pleasant (if not cheesy enough), but the huitlacoche (also known as "corn smut") was quite an experience. An unpleasant looking black sludge, it had a herbal taste with a muted nuttiness. Not all that unpleasant, but I found it quite rich after a few mouthfuls.

The alambre was described by my dining partner as close to fajitas as you would get in a Mexican restaurant, and mighty fine they were too. We were flagging at this stage and we began to chat with one of the managers Rafael as there were a few unanswered questions. I say we, the conversation was very much led in Spanish, but at the end of it, I think he passed the inquisition. One stickling point was regarding the rather expensive guacamole, which seems to be following the trend of having it freshly made at your table and then charging you £7 for the privelege. Rafael agreed that it wasn't a decision they took fondly, and that he would much rather his staff were taking orders and serving, than wasting time at each persons table. He then told us that this was going to be removed in the next menu and replaced by a cheaper, not-made-at-your-table version. A good move. He also proceeded to send some over for us to try, and we managed to shovel a few mouthfuls of excellent creamy guac into our pieholes.

This brought an end to our food binge, and coming to just over £15 a head for the food, it was thoroughly excellent value. I looked over to the harshest judge of them all. She had been quite muted for most of the meal and I was unaware of her verdict, but she smiled and said that she would quite happily come back again. I need no further proof, Lupita is excellent value and definitely bucking the trend. A Mexican restaurant actually run by Mexicans.

Lupita - 13-15 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6ND

A good reason to go North: Pig Feast at the Red Lion and Sun, Highgate

August has been one hell of a month. Who knew that starting a new job would have such a massive impact on my blogging output. I am happy to report that I have come out unscathed and am very much looking forward to my second week back in full employment, but unfortunately, it has left me with an abject fear of turning my computer on when I eventually get home. Not particularly conducive for writing a blog.

I have though been keeping myself rather busy outside of work and have had the opportunity to attend some pretty amazing things arranged by the good people off twitter. First up was a pig feast. Organised by the lovely Hollowlegs, it involved getting together some of my favourite people and roasting a 75kg Gloucester Old Spot in a beautiful pub up in leafy Highgate.

The Red Lion and Sun is owned by Heath, a boisterous Kiwi I first bumped into at Bar Boulud, but more frequently in the pubs run by his good friend Scott. Having bought the pub a few years back, he told me stories of how many of the locals had initially disapproved (including one involving spitting) but eventually got them to warm to him over the years. I guess the regular pig and lamb roasts that he holds helps sway them in his favour (even if it has meant that Heath is sick of the stuff!).

So I guess that helps to explain how about 30 of us found ourselves in the pub garden gorging ourselves on some of the sweetest and most succulent pork I had ever eaten. To accompany it, we were given bowls of BBQ and homemade apple sauce, as well as a variety of salads including coleslaw, tomatoes and some of the best potato salad I have eaten in a while. And I really shouldn't forget the ever flowing pieces of crackling, probably as close to heaven as I can get.

Drinks on the night were kindly provided by Four Roses Bourbon and D'Arenberg wines. The bourbon was spun into cocktails by the able staff and the wine flowed deep into the night. With names like "The Stump Jump" and "The Love Grass", the wine kept us amused before we even had a taste, and well, we all know what happens once you actually drink it...

The Red Lion and Sun is about as far away from my home as I am willing to travel in an evening, which is a shame as if it were closer, I would spend a whole lot more time there. The pub itself is beautiful and homely with large outside spaces out the front and back, and if the pig is anything to go by, Heath and his team have the food covered. And you never know, it may even have been good enough to draw this South East Londoner back to North London.

The Red Lion and Sun - 25 North Road, London N6 4BE

Chipotle: A bad import

Part of the excitement of starting a new job is the discovery and research of nearby lunching options. Three weeks in and I have already established a good noodle place, somewhere that makes a half decent bacon sandwich, where I can get my morning coffee and probably more importantly, considering London’s obsession with "Mexican" food, somewhere I can rely on for a decent burrito.

Therefore it was more with curiosity than actual need that I thought I would give Chipotle a go. A popular chain out in the US, its arrival in London  got people excited. American friends told me about how Chipotle would thrash the competition in London if it was anything like it was "back home". If only. You see, that was the bottom line, was it going to be a successful import? Early indications were not great and it wasn't really enticing me to try it out, but now my office was so close, I really couldn't resist.

A mere six minute stroll from my office, I strode into a restaurant in full swing. A queue had formed nearly to the door, packed with workers from the nearby area, all probably as eager as I was to try one of these famed American import burritos. I checked out the menu and my first observation was that it was slightly dearer than most of its competitors, weighing in at £6.95 for a steak burrito. Add the additional and frankly staggering sum of £1.40 for a smear of guacamole, chuck in a soft drink, and you will have forked out nearly a tenner for lunch.

The cost may be on the high side, but the chunks of meat looked the business. Nice char on the outside with a ruby pink centre, I knew it was too good to be true. I trudged back to the office, took it back to my desk and took my first bite. A wave of disappointment immediately came over me. If you want a blow by blow account, the first taste to hit you is the intense sourness. Odd and unpleasant, a heavy handed squeeze of lime assaulted my taste buds. The intense smokiness from the chipotle chilli sauce wasn't too bad but could have done with a bit more heat. You may be wondering why there has been no mention of the beef so far, mainly because it was totally tasteless and chewy. What promised so much had turned out to be chewy and bland chunks of meat. Very, very disappointed, I discarded the last few mouthfuls in disgust.

Chipotle is bad value for money. Not only is it an expensive burrito in comparison to its local rivals, but it comes nowhere near to the others in terms of flavour. It's a shame as I have heard from multiple sources that Chipotle in the US is the "dog’s danglers". I’m afraid to say, using yet another animal analogy, that London’s Chipotle is pony.

Chipotle - 114-116 Charing Cross Rd, London, UK WC2H 0JR

The London Restaurant Festival and win tickets to the Big Quiz!

Last year saw the inaugral departure for the London Restaurant Festival, an event designed to promote London Restaurants, where we saw over 450 restaurants taking part. It involved these restaurants creating a specific "festival" menu as well as special events including ones which saw Gordon Ramsay cooking on the London Eye and the return of Pierre Koffmann, who ran a "pop up" restaurant on the roof of Selfridges (which I wrote about here).

This year is no different and the London Restaurant Festival is hoping to be bigger and better. I was contacted by the PR and in full disclosure fashion, they have asked me to cover a few of the events and run a few competitions where you guys can win some stuff.

Running from the 4th to the 18th of October, and with hopefully around 800 restaurants taking part this year, this event should be bigger and better than last year. You are still going to be able to get the individual "Festival Menus", but there will also be an abundance of events such as the Gourmet Odyssey a culinary pub crawl aboard an old routemaster, and the Big Debate which will involve some of the UK's most recognised food figures shouting at each other across the table.

So first up on the give away front, I have been given two pairs of tickets (worth £100 each) for the Big Quiz on the 11th of October. This will be hosted by Rowley Leigh at his restaurant Cafe Anglais in Bayswater, and will involve the full Festival menu, as well as a night of food based quizzing.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, mentioning your favourite restaurant in London, and why we should go there. I will randomly draw the winners on the 1st October, so please keep an eye out then. Good luck!

OFFICIAL STUFF:


From confit to crème brulee, manuka honey to miso, grouse to gravalax, London’s
restaurants offer a delectably diverse range of flavours to tempt all tastes. The London
Restaurant Festival (4th-18th October 2010), proudly supported by American Express, is a
citywide celebration of eating out designed to encourage Londoners to make more of our
rich array of restaurants.

To celebrate, American Express has teamed up with moi to offer 2
pairs of tickets to The Big Quiz and a bottle of G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne, the
official champagne of the London Restaurant Festival and the perfect partner to pair with
food.

The Big Quiz will be one of London Restaurant Festival's more intellectual contributions to
the capital's culinary scene! The event is hosted by Rowley Leigh, London's most cerebral
chef, at his restaurant Le Café Anglais on Monday 11th October. The Big Quiz will be an
evening of great fun and food with one of the country’s most well-known question masters
leading proceedings.

To find out more, go to londonrestaurantfestival.com

Benitos Hat: It's all about the tequila

One of the perks as a food blogger is that on occasion, you get a letter drop into your virtual inbox asking you to try a new restaurant or sample a few drinks. Many of these can be dull and no more than a simple PR exercise, but the odd one flies in and get your taste buds buzzing. When I was asked along to the new Benito’s Hat in Covent Garden to learn about tequila, make tequila cocktails and eat tacos, how could I say no?

Upon arrival, I immediately had one of their house cocktails thrust into my hand. The Paloma is slightly less "edgy" version of their standard margherita and was perfectly light and refreshing. After mingling and catching up with a few other people I recognised, we all soon settled down to an education in tequila from Alex, their consultant mixologist and teacher for the evening.

(taken by Tikichris)

A thoroughly fascinating 45 minutes followed. A potted history of tequila followed by a lowdown of all the house cocktails, with the enraptured crowd hoovering up the remains. If you ever pop in, I highly recommend the Juarez Summer Cup, a light summery drink akin to a Pimms, really delicious. After all that was said and done, we got down to the business end of this event, designing a tequila cocktail that will be on the Benito’s Hat menu for the next few months.

We settled into teams and worked away, testing our creations. As you can imagine, copious amounts of tequila require copious amounts of food, and Ben certainly did not disappoint as an unlimited flow of tacos descended. Soft tortilla and a fantastic array of meaty fillings, they were delicious but merely a distraction as my team of Tikichris, Anniemole and Cowfish feverishly developed our cocktail....the TikiLa!

The TiKiLa:

2 parts tequila

1 part triple sec

1 part horchata

3 parts crushed watermelon

Agave syrup for extra sweetness (if needed)

Shake all the ingredients together with ice (adding agave syrup to sweeten if necessary) and strain into a tumbler over fresh ice. Edge and garnish the glass with a bruised mint leaf.

This was yet another competition I was never destined to win, but I did have great fun making sure the tequila balance in our cocktail was just right, as well as stuffing my face with tacos. I would definitely try out our cocktail; we were all big fans and will definitely be making it again in a less competitive environment.

I have been quite an advocate of Benito’s Hat for quite some time. With the huge influx of restaurants peddling burritos and other food items of Mexican origin, you are going to get your fair share of "bad heuvos". Alongside Chilango, I don't really think that there are any better, and since I work a mere two minutes away, you will often see me in the queue sampling one of their excellent chicken tacos. Thanks Ben and keep up the good work!

Benitos Hat - 19 New Row, Covent Garden WC2N

(for a more booze focused account of this event, please check out Billys Booze Blog)

A taste of Tuscany: Tinello, Pimlico

It's not often I am made aware of a new place to eat by my sister. She's normally more interested in jewellery and bags (it's her job and hobby) but was pleasantly surprised when she suggested an outing to a new Italian restaurant in Pimlico. A joint venture between the founders of Locanda Locatelli and two of their former employees, it focuses on Tuscan flavours and is located a short stroll from Sloane Square.

The restaurant itself is exactly how you would expect a restaurant on the Pimlico Road to be, full of middle aged people who look like they have plenty of money. My sisters fashion radar went into overdrive, spotting Louboutins left right and centre (these are shoes, right?), and a sure-fire sign that the clientele are members of the well to do. The space itself is relatively compact and has the appearance of being rather dark, but most tables have their own lamps hanging overhead, shining enough light on the table to be able to determine what you are eating.

The menu appears to be relatively standard for an Italian restaurant, indicating anti pasti, pasta and secondi, with the addition of a selection of small plates. Between the three of us, we ordered all the small plates and sat back waiting for the feast to begin. It didn’t take long before all the plates came out and what landed on the table really was quite a diverse selection of food. From the creamy and rich chicken livers on crostini, to the fishy and crisp cuttlefish deep fried with a little of its own ink. Every small plate had merits in its own right but I think my favourite was the panzanella, a simple salad made with stale bread, rich with that sharp vinegary tang. Oh, and look out for the burrata, an incredibly soft and creamy mozzarella, and well worth a try.

After the rapid demise of the contents of the small plates, and after a short wait, our mains touched down on our table. My sister had opted for the paccheri with nduja (a smoky Italian sausage) and burrata, whilst our other dining companion had opted for the chicken. However, all eyes were instantly on my main, a tender filet of beef served with girolles on a bed of Swiss chard. The piece of beef was probably the most tender and buttery piece of meat ever to have graced my lips. The outside was perfectly seared with the meat inside a glorious ruby pink. Every bite was silky smooth and combined with the slightly bitter chard and the earthy girolles, I happily munched away quietly, a certified sign of a happy diner.

I had a few nibbles from everyone's plates and the general consensus was very good overall. I ended with some ice cream and sorbet which was made in house but was sadly a little disappointed. The "Malaga" or rum and raisin flavour ice cream was pleasant enough but was way too sweet, and the yoghurt ice cream just wasn't my cup of tea. Raspberry sorbet was again nice enough, but lacked a deep raspberry flavour.

I had read a few comments on Twitter about Tinello before I went which had started to paint a rather lacklustre picture, but I am happy to report that my experience there was rather good. I really enjoyed the variety of "small plates" and at a couple of pounds each, they are extremely good value. My main was one of the best I have tasted all year and it was only the disappointing ice cream that let down my meal. And the best thing about the meal? The cost. For all that we ate, albeit with only one beer under the drinks column, the total came to £75, a mere £25 a head. For the amount of food we ate, I thought this was excellent value. I shall be returning soon.

Tinello - 87 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8PH

The London Particular, New Cross

One of my favourite things in the world is to find a nice cafe, settle in with a coffee and a bite to eat, and while away a gentle afternoon without a care in the world. I seem to have an abundance of these little cafes around where I live, maybe a subconscious reason why I refuse to move away! The last few months has seen an influx of new independently run places, with No 67 on Peckham road my current favourite.

The London Particular is a welcome addition to the relatively bare stretch between New Cross and New Cross Gate stations. Selling "healthy" food in bowls seems like a bit of an odd selling point for a cafe but seems to work as the little place was crammed when I visited. With one big table, and 2 smaller tables (one outside), it reaches capacity pretty quickly but feels cosy and welcoming.

The food itself is pretty simple with sandwiches and salads dominating the menu, with their own blend of "Particular" coffee on the menu. I know that my fellow diners were slightly disappointed that they had run out of their brioche pizza (probably my fault as I was late), but we all opted for the bacon and sausage sandwiches.

This is where it all falls apart a little. For a small place, the service was painfully slow. Once we had finally managed to order, we had another excruciating wait before our sandwiches decided to reveal themselves. Although the "Banger Sanger" arrived with a salad comprising of squash, chickpeas and cauliflower, the bacon sandwiches didn't. We had requested that this also came with a side salad, but instead arrived on its own and we were charged an extra £3 for the privilege.

"Jon's BAD vegetarian" sandwich was a halloumi and bacon sandwich. This was a most excellent bacon sandwich between two slices of soft, bouncy and flavourful white bread. Alongside a well made cappuccino, I took a few moments to myself as I slowly savoured each bite, and just for a little while, all this little cafes shortcomings were forgotten.

The London Particular is exactly what the area needs, a nice little place that people can chill out in, eat nice food, drink good coffee. The surrounding area is a bit of a wasteland and other than the Venue (never go there), has no discernible landmarks or real points of interest. It's still early days so hopefully the issues I encountered will be ironed out but I wish it well and is definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself in New Cross.

The London Particular - 399 New Cross Road, London SE14 6LA

A Bombay cafe in London: Dishoom abridged

I go to lots of places to eat, all in the name of research *ahem*, but finding the time and energy to write them all up can be quite draining. I know, I am just making excuses, and I like to waffle on with the best of them. After all I spent three years at university doing a Geography degree perfecting the art of writing 3000 words on nothing much at all. However, I realise that not everyone wants to read an essay (and hell, I don't want to write one) so I will make an effort to post more regularly, but write less.

Dishoom is a Bombay cafe located in the heartland that is Upper St Martins lane, very handily located in between Covent Garden and Leicester Square. After a fair outporing of love on twitter, I felt a visit was required and popped in for a quick dinner. Ordering way too much seems to be my modus operandi and between me and my friend, probably ordered enough for three.

A variety of dishes landed in front of us at an alarming rate. Within 5 minutes of ordering, our entire order of breads, meats, sides and dal appeared on our table. I now understood the little metal stand brought to our table, used to stack dishes on top of each other. Our table simply wouldn't have coped. Highlight for me was a delicious chicken tikka, nicely spiced with a nice char, although all the food was competent and enjoyable.

I find it very hard to gush about Dishoom but I did enjoy my ultra quick meal. A handy place for a quick tasty dinner and a darn sight better than nearly every other place in the immediate vicinity. At just under £50 for enough food for about two and a half people plus 3 cocktails, it's pretty decent value and well worth a visit.

Dishoom - 12 Upper St Martins Lane, WC2H 9FB