http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternewsBringing you the best Eats from London, every other thursday. Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:29:32 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/qoYB/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol2.htm LondonEater Newsletter Vol2, Ish6 : Top 10 London Restaurant Highlights in 2010. I think 2010 will be remembered as the year of fabulous openings. It wasn't just the sheer volume, or the startling frequency (at one point, there was a new opening to try every week); rather it was about the sheer quality of the debutants inducted into the class of 2010. Some brought innovation (flaming sushi at Yashin, nitro-blasted ice cream at Chin Chin labs, brew coffee bar at short-lived Penny University) , others boasted kitchen pedigree and the refinement of a tried and true philosophy (Koffman, Boulud, Loubet, Antunes), and a few imported foreign staples (slurpy soba at Koya, lobster rolls at Hawksmoor). Mostly, new openings were underscored by an overall theme of being sensible with prices. I think 2010 will also be remembered as the year that UK based food blogs gained 'mainstream' recognition; Especially with so many hyped up openings, the synchronized effect of simultaneous reviews being released, was fully realised with places such as Bar Boulud. All downhill from here, then? I certainly enjoyed dining out this year... as my belly can attest to it. There is much more diversity amongst restaurants, than at year-end in 2009. Newer places seem to be more accessible than ever, in terms of price points, ambiance and concept. It will be interesting to see how many manage to catch the Bib's eye, but in a way, I feel like perhaps they don't need to. Not to say the Michelin Guide is waning in influence (far from it) , I think it is simply a result of the democratization of food culture in London. Enough musing. It's time to focus on the real plate heroes, here are my highlights from two thousand and ten, and in no particular order... 1. Trullo, Zucca and the affordable Italian Model Links to reviews: Trullo, Zucca, Dock Kitchen. AKA, the baby River Cafes. While London has also experienced a splurge of French bistros in 2010, I think the phenomenon pales in comparison to the stunning debuts ofTrullo, Zucca, Tinello and to a certain extent, the reboot of the (now) permanent Dock Kitchen. What I love about these Italian inspired restaurants are that they go back to the essence of what 'good food' means. Invariably it is great ingredients, emphasis on provenance, fresh high quality produce, cooked well, straightforward recipes, no messing about, just wholesome, delicious stuff to put in one's mouth. It's the kind of restaurant, you can keep returning to. But you already know that, grabbing a table at one of these places is difficult, to say the least. I think that evidence shows how much you - Londoners - enjoy this type of restaurant. Will we see more veal chop purveyors coming to town in 2011? I sure hope so. 2. Shiori and Yashin : The coming of age of London sushi. Links to reviews: Sushi of Shiori, Yashin. Cast you mind back to 2009 and ask yourself where you would likely get your sushi fix. You might say, Sushi Hiro, or you might have said Kikuchi, but you might also think about the creativity of competitively priced and unashamedly modern sushi bars across Asia, and wonder why Izakaya-style restaurants - something that is dated in comparison - is still king in London. Well not anymore. Enter Sushi of Shiori. A relative unknown opening in 2009, it was praised by Time Out, but largely went unnoticed by the rest of the zeitgeist, until about summer this year, when it was 'rediscovered'. Since, it has dazzled many, sending blogs, forums and some critics into overdrive. Shiori has certainly become my favourite sushi restaurant this year. So much so I did my birthday meal there. First of all, the idea of the place is pure romance. It is run by a husband and wife team, with the occasional waitress, and the sushi bar is so tiny, it can only accomodate nine at any one time. All sushi passes through the hands of chef Takashi Takagi, loving husband and Umu alumni. His work is about as close to edible art as one can get. Best of all, you witness him construct his masterpiece omakase (chef's menu) piece by piece before it is served, and the whole experience is simply spellbinding. You would think that such a fantastic sushi bar would remain peerless, at least for a couple of years, but then as recent as September, a new sushi bar has the talent, the concept and the sheer quality to rival and possible better Takagi-san's labour of love. Enter Yashin. The main men are Yasuhiro Mineno (Ex-Executive Chef at Ubon (of Nobu Group) in Canary Wharf) and Shinya Ikeda (5 years as a senior Chef at Yumi) and their motto Without Soya Sauce. Without because, they flame, they garnish and they pre-marinate their sushi so you don't have to dunk and dip. Like Takagi-san, sushi at Yashin passes through one hand, Ikeda-san's, before hitting the cold porcelain. It is equally dazzling to watch and it is equally orgasmic to eat. Do yourself a favour and dump your next wallet busting, woefully dated, butt-clenching, sleb watching reservation at sNobu, Roka and Zuma, and get yourself a front row seat at the two of the tastiest shows in town. 3. Londoners are now steak-aware. Links to reviews: Hawksmoor and Goodman. Thanks in part to Hawksmoor and Goodman, we are blessed with great steakhouses that cook steaks the American - the proper - way which result in proper charring, from an expertly handled charcoal-filled Josper. You know I love steaks, and I'm glad we have two amazing restaurants which promote some of the best breeds, from fantastic butchers, in the British Isles. Namely, English Longhorns and Irish Angus. Since, they have gone on to open their 2nd branches, extending West and East, respectively, with their 2nd efforts being bigger and better. But good steak extends beyond the Hawksmoor/Goodman bubble, there's also the JW Marriot steakhouse, Chapters in Blackheath, even Jamie Oliver has jumped on the meatwagon with Barbacoa (albeit to mixed reactions) and let's not forget Maze and their Prime USDA Creekstones. Restaurants continue to embrace provenance and some are pushing once ignore gems, such as the onglet, to make them as affordable main stays on menus. There's even good news on the budget end of steak news, such as the L'Entrecote franchise. And speaking of provenance, personally I think (Jack or Darragh) O'Sheas Angus are tops. But we can't ignore the Donald Russells Scotch, or Ginger Pig Longhorns... and something tells me I should explore the East London Steak Co in 2011. 4. Cambio De Tercio : Still the Best Spanish in London. Link to review: Cambio De Tercio If there is one restaurant that I have visited more than any in London, it's Cambio De Tercio. My first visit was almost 7 years ago, there was a time when I used to go every month, and so I'd like to think I know the menu inside out. While the concept remains largely unchanged at heart, it has slowly evolved over the 7 years, maturing gracefully like fine wine, to a menu that shows flair, a light touch and a mastery of balancing flavours. I don't want to turn into a bad AA Gill impersonator (whose writing, I continue to admire, and idolise, regardless of his critics) but Cambio De Tercio are seriously good. I still believe they are the best Spanish restaurant in London. Monumental cooking. If I had to choose my last meal, this is it. It remains my long time favourite. 5. Alexis Gauthier, and Bjorn van der Horst : The Dream Restaurants Links to review: Gauthier and Eastside Inn. Wow. Just seriously... wow. Two meals at Alexis's shrine, Gauthier, and I was floored by how amazing the food was. Technically astonishing. While many claim French cuisine is abit like Cartier-Bresson; brilliant memories of 'yore, but linked to the life of a time gone by nonetheless, it is not dead. Instead, I think it's being rejuvenated, and I think Gauthier is an excellent ambassador of his national cuisine. Gauthier is like Lorca-DiCorcia; A modern interpretation, rooted in history, but conceptually, the ideas have been translated for the 21st century. Many of his Roussilon classic have transferred beatuifully to his new outing, the Louise XV and the truffle risotto... so good. He even came out to greet us during my 2nd visit - I was tweeting, and so was he - and he is such a nice guy. A bundle of energy. The better half asked where he sourced his cutlery and china from. A vintage shop in Islington he says, they all look a matching set, when in actuality, each are made by a different company. So each piece of china is therefore unique and thus irreplaceable. He said It is his dream restaurant. We nodded, and to which I replied I can see why. Two meals at Gauthier made me reminisce about my meals at the recently shut Eastside Inn. In many ways, Alexis's enthusiasm reminded me of Bjorn van der Horst, whose ambitious double restaurant/bistro was also his dream. I was sad to see ESI close, but we all know how brilliant Bjorn is in the kitchen. This door may have shut, but I'm sure many more are waiting for him to open. I think we will see him emerge in the near future with another fab project very soon, so I'll be keeping my antenna tuned in to Bjorn's developments. 6. The Dogs: British. Link to review: The Dogs An exception to this list, technically, this eccentrically named restaurant belonging to David Ramsden is not in London, but in Edinburgh. It's great. It's an interpretation of the 'gastropub' culture down here and it shits on all the British wannabes in this town. It has it all. The effective, stripped down interior, the loyal fandom, the cool factor, the patriotic dishes served in white bowls, and it is mind bogglingly affordable. One of the most memorable meals I had this year, and I wonder if David would be tempted to open in London, after he is done expanding his empire in Scotland. 7. Viajante: The Travelling Chef has landed. Link to review: Viajante Yes. It is a little pretentious, but don't over look the talent behind it, because I think there is something special about Nuno Mendes's traveler cuisine. On the surface, many dishes look great, but seem a little short on actual cooking, but when it does hit the spot, it's phenomenal. A taster menu at Viajante feels like a journey, you are discovering how textures and flavour combinations work together (or don't), and strangely, you become aware of what your palate is capable of savouring. One of the best dishes I've had all year was his lemon sole, yeast and gnocchi dish, with a complimenting glass of champagne that surprisingly brings out the flavours of the fish. This is a restaurant I am planning to revisit purely because I think Nuno is constantly evolving and bettering his recipes, and I think he has enormous potential, far from his peak. I think Viajante is the wave of the future. 8. Nordic highlights: Texture / 28-50 Links to reviews: Texture, 28-50 Minted by the Bib this year, the Nordic-themed restaurant was an intriguing experience and a wonderful departure from Central European cuisines. Opened by Icelandic born Chef Agnar Sverrisson and French born sommolier Xavier Rousset, dishes (in a rather clichéd sense) put an emphasis on the interplay of textures, so meat are sous-vide-ed to perfection, and there are edible 'ice' and 'soil' and the avoidance of butter and cream is unique in its own right. In a year when Noma is regarded as the Mecca of culinary zenith, I think Texture deserves the attention of you gluttons. The food is brilliant work. And Texture must be doing well, as Rousset and Sverrisson followed with the opening of a fabulous wine bar called 28-50. Food is prepared by ex-GRH man at Royal Hosptial road, Paul Walsh and definitely share similarities with the style at Texture. The major draw is the extensive wine menu, that allows for quarter glasses of wine measuring 75ml. That means you get to try alot of stuff in one night. Destined to be a sleeper hit, don't ignore this place, I think it's wonderful, it is so under the radar. I think Rousset and Sverrisson are building restaurant brands to watch out for in the coming years. 9. Odette's: Hidden, Genius Link to review: Odette's This storied restaurant has changed hands many times over the years, but I think its current chef-owner, Bryn Williams might be here to stay for the long run. Another restaurant that has stayed relatively hidden, which made for an even more enjoyable visit. If the name is familiar, it is probably because you remember his winning Great British Menu dish that was served to the Queen, representing Wales: Turbot, oxtail, samphire and cockles. The dish remains on the Odette's menu, I had it and it was indeed, fit for a Queen. Strong food that is near the one michelin star (if not already there), beautiful decor, cosy and romantic, just abit hidden in a lovely neighbourhood on the cusp of Regent's Park. If you can call it the British entry, then this is my favourite British restaurant this year. You must try it. 10. Black Coffee is Gold. We started the year drooling over the excellent flat whites at Antipodean mainstays from Flat White to Lantana, but we end the year, refining our taste for the black stuff with brewed coffee. For those fortunate amongst you who had tried the short-lived pop-up by Square Mile Roasters: Penny University , which was a brew bar, You would have really enjoyed the concept of slowing down to sniff your coffee, and got an 'education' in the various techniques of brewing coffee. It's quite a wonder at how utterly simple the process is, with fresh ground coffee, a filter and abit of pressure to force hot water through the ground beans, and to simply wait for the coffee to eek itself out. You have to to check out this excellent photo essay by Brian Ferry regarding Penny U. I hope someone will open a permanent Penny University next year. Brew bars can be an exceptional sensory experience. But while we wait, I urge you to try Tapped and Packed. You can have your milky coffees and hot chocolates (which is FAB), but its true USP are the brews, made from an ever changing selection of beans from around the world (most probably sourced by Square Mile Roasters). You could your method (Filter, Aeropress, Siphon....but I'm sure they also have other kits like the woodnecks, harios and the traditional French press) and watch the friendly baristas time your brew with his stopwatch. Brewed coffee is awesome, once you've tried the experience properly (aka wait for it to cool down) , you'll never drink coffee quite the same way again. Footnotes I still have a Byron burger on a monthly basis, I almost wish Tom would consider opening a 'Premium Byron' that rotates special burgers with other patties (And bring back the Big D), better buns, different cheese, almost like an experimental kitchen you know. I'd go there...Tom are you reading this? I also think the Hawksmoor lobster roll deserves a mention and so to Rochelle Canteen, the hidden cafe in a former school turned artist collective. And finally and personally, it was an 'achievement' of sorts that I visited Fat Duck, that was a memorable meal, theatrical. Into the Ether and Beyond.. London is a great culinary destination. It might not have the best of everything, but we do have decent representatives of many world cuisines. I've never been fatter, entering my third year of restaurant collecting and blogging. As ever, I look forward to the year ahead, there are many more exciting openings in the first quarter, chiefly Dinner by Heston at Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, and you can be sure that you will read a review about it here, shortly after its opening. Well there you have it. That's all I wrote in 2010. I hope you had as much fun reading, and I hope you had some wonderful meals this year. It's been a pleasure writing for you lovely folks, who continue to reward me with pageviews. You are 1000 RSS subscribers and 500 newsletter subscribers and an accumulated 850,000 hits since inception, not long before the millionth mark, and all I can say is thank you, thank you and thank you. As ever, I look forward to presenting you with many more restaurants in 2011, but till, have a good Christmas, pop your most precious bottles on New Year's eve, and see you again in 2011. Best Wishes, Kang. Did you enjoy reading this? This is a Monthly (but realistically Quarterly) Newsletter, you can subscribe to here. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the RSS feed.Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:29:32 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/1TU.K/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol2.htm LondonEater Newsletter Vol2 Issue 5: Catch the London Sushi Train Sushi bingeing. The final frontier. The unquestionably orgasmic delight of popping dollop after dollop of a food of an unrelentingly elegant design; low in fat, high in umami, arguably, an invention born of perfection. Some say the combination of raw fish and rice is an acquired taste, but for the converted, sushi is nothing but the zenith of simple, unadulterated pleasure. The unmistakable taste of vinegar, the glutinous rice, the texture of silken sliced fish, one could crave sushi, as easily as a hamburger. The history of sushi reaches as far back as 8th century Japan. The name - literally for 'its sour' - references its early iteration of preserving fish using fermented rice called Nare-zushi. It was not until the 19th century that the modern form of Nigirizushi - sliced fish on a parcel of rice - was popularised in Tokyo, as a form of fast food sold from mobile food stalls. The method of preservation differs from today, where traditional methods equated to fermenting fish with soya sauce, salt or vinegar. It would quickly change with the invention of the mighty refrigerator. These days, I refrain from using the word 'fresh' to define well-prepared and well-selected sashimi grade fish because we know that sashimi grade fish implies that it is pre-frozen (mainly to kill nasties) to -20C either at source or in-house by the restaurant. Although freezing is merely a small step in a long chain of activities from boat to plate, to ensure 'the highest grade' of sashimi for the end customer. To make purely uneducated guesses, I would suppose location, method (eg: long-lining) and the experience of a successful fisherman all count toward ensuring the best catch. Let's take tuna as an example being that otoro or tuna belly is most prized in the sushi world. There are a plethora of strategies to consider. For example, there is the issue of preserving the carcass once fish is caught and killed, such as bleeding it rapidly to storing just above freezing (to slow the decaying process). And then there is also the skill of the middlemen, be it a sushi chef or a fish monger to cherry pick from the daily catch. There is also a key element in the sushi equation, and that is the all-important rice. You can identify good sushi rice almost straight away: its creamy, its soft, its viscous, it threatens to melt, but it holds firm with you seize it with the chopsticks, it carries the warmth of a human touch, it stings ever so slightly with a touch of rice vinegar, it smells like a fragrant sakura. Even so, rice differs depending on what style of sushi it is. For nigiri, the hand-formed stuff is noticeably softer, warmer and organic, whereas temarizushi, or ball sushi, is densely packed, prepared by compressing the ball of rice under cling film lending to a more impenetrable texture. The gold standard is Koshihikari which means the 'Light of Koshi', and it is a type of rice originally grown in Nigatta Japan, but has American variants which also carry the premium reputation. The rolls-royce of sushi rice as far as I am concerned, and unmistakable in its taste and texture - it bounces, sticks, is milky, and naturally a lot pricier than lesser grains. I have been frequenting Japanese restaurants for the past few months in order to put this newsletter together, some places are just my old haunts, others are new discoveries for me, but generally speaking, the list consists of the more rationally priced Japanese restaurants in town. I have not considered the glitterati such as Nobu, Zuma, Umu and Sake no Hana in this issue. However, my self-imposed time limit had run out, even though there are a few more on my little hit list which I hope to visit in the coming weeks. I wish to follow-up this issue with more findings whenever I get there. Maybe Issue No.8. Without further ado, here are my London sushi finds... Sushi of Shiori If you go to one sushi restaurant this year, or are a sushi virgin, then please, please pay a visit to this modest little shop in Warren Street. It is manned, operated and maintained by Husband Takashi Takagi, Wife Hitomi and occassionally a third helping hand, but that's about it. The restaurant lots like half a takeaway shop, can only accomodate nine people at most, but the experience is one of the most dazzling, accomplished and ever inspiring in the London sushi scene. Takagi doesn't just cook for his diners, he puts on a show for his audience. Watching him create his meticulous inventions, layer upon layer, slice upon slice, is like watching an artist at work on his masterpiece. He has brought the best of his time in Umu with him to his labour of love. Fish is supplied from Atari-ya so quality is ensured, and you have to pre-book your menu before hand. I recommend the £50 Omakase (which is the chef's menu) which goes on for about six to seven courses encompassing his entire repertoire. The omakase starts at £30, but the differences are in quality of ingredients (better as you spend more) rather than in quantity. Also, the temarizushi or canape sushi as it is called is also worth a try at £25. Shiori stands for bookmark and this is sushi deserved of it. After 3 visits, it is solidly my favourite sushi restaurant in the city. Read visit 1 and visit 2. Atari-Ya Atari-Ya is important, if not instrumental to the sushi trade in London. The name is synonymous with quality sushi fish. Their primary business is as fishmongers, they import sashimi grade (read: frozen) fish, and they supply the likes of Nobu, Umu and probably half the restaurants on this list. They also run a sleuth of sushi bars dotted across London, and they serve their prized premium stock at said locations. Needless to say, if you are not fussed about preparation and finesse, and want affordable, quick, take-away sushi of the higest available quality, you need to hit Atari-ya, however, be mindful of the price differentials. The Bond Street one is the most expensive, followed by the Swiss Cottage and finally the Golders Green branch. Using the price of full fat tuna belly (otoro) as a guide, it varies from £3.00 per nigiri to £2.30. If you want sheer value, the Golders Green branch is it, however it a pretty tiny sushi bar inside their retail outlet, hence the cheapness. It's perfect for takeaway really, I once bought 158g of Otoro for about a tenner, that's £6.50/100g. They also sell Japanese grown Koshihikari (5kg / £37.50) and American ones (significantly cheaper) for those interested. If you need something with a more atmosphere and resembling a restaurant, the Swiss Cottage one is the best bet.... and also the site where Sushi Hiro is located in Ealing Common... Read more here. Kikuchi Beautiful work here, ebbs toward the traditional stuff with the atmosphere of something old, woody and Seventies. Deftly cut and neatly presented sushi, great fluffiness in the rice, and the quality of the seafood is generally excellent. It is a tad pricy for my liking, but they do offer £5 vouchers when you spend more than £50, but don't order the 'market price' otoro nigiri. They charged me a ball-ripping £8 for one piece, and it didn't taste any better than Atari-ya. It's raw afterall. Do order the unagi, the exterior has a thinly crispy layer that tastes of flames, perhaps from the Itamae's blowtorch. Accomplished stuff altogether. Read more Dinings Chef Chiba, formerly of Nobu, owns this lovely little outfit in Edgware Road. Adored by many for its baby-Nobu style of cooking encompassing a range of 'Japanese inspired tapas' dishes along with Western-infused sushi recipes. Honestly, I found contention with some of his Nobu-esque creations, some are simply bad copies of the original, done at half the price with seemingly half the effort. However, the good news is that Chiba's signature dishes are brilliantly conceived, especially the Wagyu Sushi with Truffle Salsa and Ponzu Jelly. The zesty, truffle flavoured, buttery beefiness is the perfect marriage in many more ways than one. Costs about £4 each, I would order ten of these, it is seriously good enough to warrant such a binge. No I haven't yet, but yes I do plan to. Booking is essential for it has a cult-like following. Read more. Asakusa and Sakura Asakusa is in Camden, Sakura is off Regent Street. Both - in my opinion - fall into the same category of everyman, well-cooked, comfortable Japanese food. Both feature the Izakaya style atmosphere and menu, albeit Asukasa is a little well-worn, and Sakura has ruder waiters, but both are nearly as good at delivering affordable, classic Japanese fare. I really enjoyed the Tori Karaage and the Umaki Tamago (Omelette with unagi folded in) in Asakusa, and the Oyako-don (£6.50) at Sakura is perhaps one of the best in terms of size and price in the city. Sushi-wise, both are good enough, if you do not stray from salmon or tamago, you'll like both. Also, if you arrive for dinner at Sakura, do go for the spicy sashimi salad (£5) , consisting of seafood not useable in sashimi or sushi, they are usually very generous with the raw fish and represents fabulous value. Read Asakusa review and Sakura review. Kappa Ahem, Kappa is my local, a nice little hideaway in this corner of West London. The chef (Korean) is ex-Zuma, and like many of his contemporaries who exited famous Japanese kitchens, serves his own signature sushi at his restaurant. In this case, the Kappa 'house special' roll (£8.90) is an oversized maki roll stuffed with avocado, cucumber, raw beef and their secret spicy creamy sauce. On the outside of the roll are slices of blow-torched beef (I think fillet) smothered with more of the superb zesty creamy spicy sauce and spring onion. Like the Wagyu roll in Dinings, this I could order five rolls of, and binge on. Tastebud-blow. I've done it before, as I use Kappa as a 'motivator' to go running after work. The quality of sushi is generally excellent at Kappa, the rice is notable, and the otoro exhibits the buttery melt-in-your-mouth intensity. Read more. Roka and Bincho We are veering off the track with Roka and Bincho now, the former features a robata grill and the latter is a yakitori. Roka is the litter sister to Zuma, so you can imagine the imaginatively creative sushi rolls are of the highest order of umami at Roka, but being that it is so upmarket, expect to fork out the shillings for the pleasure. Butterfish sashimi with ponzu-infused drizzle, chopped tuna roll with battered nori and chopped otoro with caviar - all very slick and very accomplished. The robata grilled meat and veges are generally spectacular, especially the spiced lamb cutlets. Ommph...and it had better be at the asking price. On the other hand, if you are feeling skint, lonely and want a quiet meal, all the while watching the chefs turn meat on skewers in front of you, I highly recommend Bincho. Skewers start at £1.50 each and you can have all parts of the bird to be cooked. Chicken oysters, chicken skin, unagi are the ones I recommend. Sake is served in masu, a square cedar box which is meant to subtly impart abit of its woody elegance into the drink as it sits on your table. No sushi at Bincho however. Read Roka review and Bincho review. Mitsukoshi and Matsuri The former is the namesake restaurant belonging to a premier name in the Japanese department store business and is located in the basement of the operations in Piccadilly Circus. Matsuri on the other hand, is a premier brand in the world of Japanese dining and is known for its Teppanyaki. Both represent - in my view - the old guard of premier Japanese restaurant in London and because of that, it means your bill is likely to balloon if you want a complete experience at either restaurant. Stil worth a mention, I believe, but it's way, way down the list of priorities. Read more Koya Finally, London's preeminent sanuki udon specialist, freshly made (by foot) daily on premises with super dashi made from imported katsuo-arabushi (Fermented and dried Japanese skipjack tuna), souda-bushi (another type of smoked and dried fish) and iriko (dried anchovy). No sushi here either, but worth the mention. We need more of these specialist noodle shops in London. Slurp your noodles with Echigo beer (£8.50 for a large bottle) made with using Koshihikari. Read more. Anything Else Unfortunately, I couldn't visit all the places I wanted to make a more complete list, but as I said, I'll follow up with another edition in the coming months. For the time being, this gives me the opportunity to link out to sushi-otaku brethren on the interwebs. Bellaphon on Chisou Meemalee on Sakana Tei Gourmet Traveller on Sushi tour in London Time Out London's best Sushi Bars ..... but what about to Sushi Hiro ...? Well, don't tell anyone you read it here, but the word is Sushi Hiro's chef/owner retired, returned to his homeland and sold the business to Atari-Ya. End of an era I feel, but all the more reason to revisit Shiori. Further resources Just a quick selection of articles, blogposts which I've used to help me write this post. Worth a quick flick if you want to delve further into the wonderful world of sushi. Sushi Glossary Tsukiji Fish Market Sushi FAQ : What is sushi grade fish? SPC guidelines for preparing tuna on-board for to be sashimi-grade NY Times article on freezing fish in sushi restaurants Koshihikari Rice - The ultimate sushi rice Issue no.6. It's a tricky one, I'm planning to plunge into an Italian theme for the next issue, as the capital's Italian restaurants emerge from their summer slumber, but it depends on how deep my pockets go, and at the moment, my arms are a little too long for my appetite. I will try in any case ... see you here again in (roughly) 30 days. This is a monthly email newsletter, you can subscribe here.Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:31:44 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/20qZW/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol2.htmLondonEater Newsletter Vol2 Issue 4: New Kids on the Block We are at the half way mark of 2010 and we have enjoyed a number of new restaurant openings in London that has brought a sleuth of choice to the discerning diner. Yet there are still many more anticipated to open as we hurl toward the second half of the year. I went to some of them, and I thought it was fitting to compile a list about what's coming and what's already here. Fellow London Eaters, For what it's worth, I think Capello should stay on, he is one of the World's best afterall, if he can't get the job done, then who else? So there are more convincing choices in the London dining scene this year, than ever before now. Even though new restaurants open all the time, the last few months has felt abit like an extended blockbuster extravaganza. Week after week, wave after wave of gushing reviews. I'm not sure if it is a step up in frequency or that the talent pool has been upped, or merely that media (both new and old) are simply covering more ground. Regardless, amongst the new comers are certain gems that have dazzled customers. So I hope you find this list useful, where I've visited, I've linked it to my write-up, otherwise, I've linked out to a representative review, and if you're looking to ride the trendwaves, I'm sure one of these restaurants will fit the bill. regards, Kang. Now Open Zucca Italian, £35pp People generally love it, the Italian-inspired menu is reminiscent of a 'River Cafe Lite' , cheaper but just as good. The grilled veal chop in particular is fantastic. It's been around for three months or so, and still going strong I reckon. I've been back four times, and each time, it's been excellent. If you like this, they also say that Maltings[1. Su-Lin reviews Maltings] - the older cousin - is great as well. Might be one of the best restaurants to open this year. Bar Boulud French £40pp Opened by Daniel Boulud, the three michelin starred French chef from NY, has enjoyed massive publicity. Everybody loves it. Boulud has brought in a superstar in-house charcutier in Gilles Verot, he has brought his famed gourmet burgers to BB (though I don't rate them) , and generally speaking the rest of the menu (largely bistro fare) is widely praised. I liked my boudin blanc on my visit. It's worth a look I think, though the dining room is starkly devoid of ambiance. Viajante Portuguese £70pp The name means 'Traveller' in Portuguese. It is the nickname for Nuno Mendes and represents the style of food to expect at his new outpost in Bethnal Green, the concept being that he has absorbed various world cuisines into his style and presented his food as a kind of journey around the globe. I think there are shades of glory in his food, I didn't get everything, but the dishes that worked were definitely memorable. Koya Japanese £15pp This is superhot right now, Koya serves nothing but slippery hand-made (actually foot-kneaded) fresh Udon in accurate dashi-spiked soups, combined with the reasonable pricing, it has become an addiction for many, who hail it as a favourite haunt. I like it too. There is a choice of hot or cold noodles with a choice of hot or cold soups, pork, duck, chicken, beef, mushrooms, tempura being a selection of choices. Ask for an Onsen Tamago (super slow cooked egg) and the cod tempura (really fantastic). I also recomend Echigo Beer that is brewed with Koshihikari rice (the gold standard of sushi rice) amongst other things, it's got an effervescence about it which I feel marries well with the soup stock and noodles. Dean Street Townhouse British £45pp It is a hotel, with a restaurant, or vice-versa. Critics seem to generally like this place, bloggers not so much. They say the food is a remixed version of school dinners, while it evoked childhood fantasies, it is (fortunately) not a faithful reproduction of British staple, rather this is the product of an utterly slicker design. Expect no less from the first Richard Caring and Nick Jones joint-venture I suppose. So there's lots of cash behind the operation. I've never been, but I am curious... Petrus French £60pp Gordon Ramsay wrestled back the name from Marcus Wareing, opened in a new location (very close to MW in Hyde Park Corner) and installed JP Susilovic as front of house with exec chef Mark Askew directing the kitchen in the initial stages. Well. It's not bad, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table, it feels like a carbon-copy of Gordo other's French outposts. Startlingly, it feels like a franchise restaurant, albeit a very high-end one. Still if you like classy (read, stoic) French restaurants, the £25 set lunch option is a good place to start. Bistro Bruno Loubet French £40pp This is another crowd favourite, Bruno has returned from a seven year endeavor down under and now he's back cooking at The Zetter in Farringdon. I'm at two minds, the dishes feel hit and miss, the good stuff is spectacular, while the rest is downright ordinary. Service is a little wonky too, and I can't shake the feeling that Bruno is a mercurial dude. I've never met him, but his food certainly comes across as such. Gelupo Italian £10pp Opened by the good people behind Bocca di Lupo (to be found across the street) , and is pitched as a gelateria and a take-away deli. It's like the retail arm of the BDL larder selling their pasta, sauces and other ingredients. It's only been up and running for a week or two, I tried their melon sorbet, which was really nice and their watermelon granita, excellent as well. I'd like to try their gelato-stuffed cannolis on a return visit, and maybe do a fuller write-up on it too, so watch this space. Penny University Brew coffee bar, £3pp This place is amazing, it doubles as a retail space for Square Mile Roasters, but it is also London's first 'brew bar'. No milk (well there is, hidden away) and the concept is that of the barista taking time to make a fresh brew (with nothing but hot water, a preferred brewing apparatus and a timer) and basically to appreciate coffee in its original splendour. It's a great concept, currently just a pop-up but if we keep going, it might become permanent. So keep going. Seriously this place is awesome, it is a different sort of coffee appreciation which is rarely found in London, though brew coffee is on the rise[2. See Tapped and Packed ]. Speaking of which, the name is a homage to the hundreds (if not thousands) of coffee shops in 18th century London (particularly the Square Mile). The idea was of strangers sipping coffee and striking up cerebrally random conversations about the heavens, politics and anything in between, all part of the experience of a 'penny university' which was all the rage in those days. Intrigued? Read this excellent photo essay by Brian Ferry as well as Daniel Young's thoughtfully informative piece for two takes on this concept. Opening Soon Restaurants expected to open in the 2nd half of 2010, include big names such as Pierre Koffman (formerly of La Tante Claire and 3 star holder) opening Koffman's at the Berkeley cooking food from his home town; Heston Blumenthal with 'Dinner' at Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, also the premier steakhouses Hawksmoor (I'm looking forward to their new lobster rolls..) and Goodman expanding into Covent Garden and the City respectively. Personally, I am excited about Bistro du Midi, to be opened by Marlon Abela who owns Umu and the Greenhouse. There is already a branch of the same name in Boston which recently launched and has received good reviews thus far, and the menu does look excellent. And in no.5 And in Issue 5... I really enjoy putting out 'themed' newsletters, and will continue this trend in future issues. I am currently exploring Italian restaurants, and after hearing rumours of Sushi Hiro's decline (being sold off I hear), am also casting my net to other sushi bars around town. The Kappa roll at Kappa is good by the by, and Atari-ya, oh yeah to the otoro. Zap you in 30 days. This is a monthly email newsletter, you can subscribe here.Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:36:24 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/1UoDz/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol2.htmLondonEater Newsletter Vol2 Issue 3: The Steak Issue The hanger steak with baked bone marrow at Hix Oyster and Chop House Dear fellow London Eater, In the last few weeks, I embarked on a hugely carnivorous adventure to sample some of London's serious purveyors of the bovine to bring you this mini-guide to London's most well-hung. By far my favourite newsletter to put out yet. LondonEater presents The Steak Issue. Steak is both functional and glamourous. Nothing compliments a whizzy jammy new-world red like a beautifully charred steak with a juicy red centre, the beef well-hung before, and well-rested after. Yes, beef is on the rise in London, chefs are modeling their output after New York's famed steakhouses, Peter Luger, Robert's to name a couple. To emulate Big Apple steak, restaurants are not only importing Prime USDA meat, they are also importing the vaunted charcoal grill (made in Spain) known as the Josper which is primarily capable of infusing a signature charcoal smokiness. 'Sealing the meat' is the art steak-houses engage, that is to sear the steak to produce a dry, crusty caramalised outer layer whilst ensuring the centre is still juicy. The greater the contrast, the greater the effect of amplifiying the spewing juices inside the steak. Sealing the juices is a myth, and largely an illusion. Finish off with a whippy béarnaise, or for purists, rock salt and you have the perfect meal. I have prepared a short guide below with links to more detailed articles and reviews which I have been adding to my website over the last few weeks. Here I have concatenated what I hope will be useful links to help you find the best steaks in London. Enjoy... best, Kangpad.... yeah I got an iPad, and it's great, run out and get one. The Basics Lets talk about Beef We start with a holistic view of the wonderful world of beef, with a walk-through the major cuts, done-ness and types of breeds around the world, including a mystically super-marbled type of beef known as Matsusaka. An Illustrated Guide to steak cuts Have you always wondered about the differences between a sirloin and a ribeye? The significance of dry aging, what makes a Josper Grill so special, and what is the main difference between grain and grass fed beef, USA versus Britain. Lots of photographs. My Recommendations Butchers Ginger Pig Their East Moor farm boasts the largest herd of Longhorns in the UK. Longhorns are Britain's oldest pure breed, the beef has great marbling characteristics and GP also dry-aged their own. Probably the best of England has to offer, fans include Heston Blumenthal. O'Shea's Butchers Dermot and Darragh O'Shea are 7th and 8th generation Irish butchers respectively. Their family business was established in Tippery in 1789. Darragh O'Shea runs the Knightbridge shop. I believe their family farms Angus breeds. They dry-age in-shop at Knightsbridge. I bought a 40-day hung cote de boeuf which I thought was absolutely fantastic. Unbelievable marbling, plenty of juicy beefiness. And ever so so fragrant. I am beginning to be believe the best of Britain are O'Sheas. Jack O'Shea Jack is Darragh's brother, technically speaking Jack and Darragh's produce are similar. JOS is located inside the Selfridges food hall, with dry-aging rooms there. I tried a t-bone and a ribeye which were fabulous. The cote de boeuf from Darragh's was juicier though. I usually gaze deeply into the meat counter whenever I am at Selfridges to marvel at the marbling... the marbling indeed. They also import Prime USDAs. Wholefoods Scotch beef is hard to come by in London these days, but you can get good Angus beef at Wholefoods in Kensington. You can see the impressive dry aging cabinets behind the meat counter. The beef carries wonderful grassy flavour. A firm tenderness, if that makes sense. Restaurants Premium £35++ per steak Goodman O'Sheas, Nebraska Prime, NZ Wagyu are all on their menu. They also have their own dry aging rooms. Grain fed proponents and they dry age their own steaks downstairs, this is why I love them. The sheer choice of top quality beef is unbelievable. They have perfected their Josper grilling methods managing to create a super crispy caramalised exterior, maintaining the juicy bloody centre and infusing a sizzling taste of charcoal that marries beautifully with the natural fragrance of well-hung beef. Their starters are ably amazing as well, featuring Frank Hederman Irish smoked salmon, a cracking lobster bisque and a creamy seafood risotto made with lobster butter. This is my favourite steakhouse in London, if you want to spend money on the best cuts of beef, Goodman is the answer. I recommend Prime USDA bone-in ribeye (700g to share) or the O'Shea's Porterhouse (700g to share as well) when available, with truffled chips, the stilton and bearnaise sauce. Hawksmoor They use the excellent 35 day aged longhorn stuff from Ginger Pig. Their steaks are beautifully cooked in the josper, juicy steaks. Bloggers love this place, but I prefer Goodman. Maze Grill Turn right for the Grill at Jason Atherton (or I should say James Durrant's) well received Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Personally I have not been to this restaurant at time of writing, but rest assured it is on my list. Reviews are rare, but the general sentiment is that Maze Grill know their meat. Their specialities are Creekstone prime USDA, corn fed, aged for approximately 35 days and Australian Wagyu '9th grade' Gold style. Creekstones are also used in Peter Luger in New York. A Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Mid-range £25-£35 per steak Chapters All Day Dining This is the sister restaurant to Andrew MacLeish's Michelin starred Chapter One. All day dining is headed by Chef Trevor Tobin and located in Blackheath. He had done a tour of famous New York steak restaurants including Peter Luger and Balthazar to see how the Yanks did it, prior to opening shop at Chapters, additionally, he had helped the Goodman team headed by John Cadieux to get their operations running. John trained on the Josper at Chapters before heading Goodman. Their restaurant manager informed me that Chapters are one of only nine restaurants to own a Josper (Hosper) grill in the UK too. As it is based in Blackheath, steaks are alot more affordable than the Central London haunts, range of meat is limited. Hanger steak only £11.50. Hix Oyster and Chop House This was Mark Hix's first restaurant in London, opened in 2008 to critical acclaim, two years on, the rather elegant philosophy of oyster and steak is still going strong. Hanger steaks are served with a cross-sectioned whole bone marrow stuffed with garlic and breadcrumbs and then baked. The béarnaise is excellent at Hix, subtle creamy rather than buttery. Budget up to £25 Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecote This is based on the famous steakfrites restaurant that began life in Paris, now an international sensation, think of it as a kind of fast food steak, aside from puddings, that's all they serve. There are two in London, Marleybone and the City. For £22, you start with a lettuce and walnut salad and then tuck into two servings of entrecote, the second serving kept warm as you eat the first. Served with frites that would make any Parisian proud and smothered in the famous butter sauce. Eastside Inn Just the onglet and frites, £18. This is not a specialist steak restaurant, rather it is an exceptionally great French restaurant owned by Bjorn van der Horst, formerly of La Noisette. Their version of steak frites uses the Onglet (Hanger steak which is cut from the diaphragm of the steer, close to kidneys) and their definitive homage to the Parisian bistro classic give the essential dish a breath of fresh air. Exemplary production values. This is the best onglet steak I've ever had in London and I highly recommend it. My favourites right now 1. Zucca 2. Koya 3. Eastside Inn 4. Hind's Head 5. The Fat Duck What I am up to online elsewhere... Redvisitor I now occasionally write restaurant reviews for Redvisitor which is an amazingly awesome Travel website which has only just launched a few weeks earlier. I am preparing a feature on London restaurants right now which should go online soon. Do give Redvisitor a quick look see. The Address Magazine I also wrote an 8 page 'Insider's Guide to London' for The Address Magazine recently. You can view a digital version of the magazine here. Flip to page 93. The Lastminute.com blog Look out for my quirkier blog posts and additional restaurant reviews which do not appear on LE at Lastminute.com's blog where I am a one of their many bloggers. My review of JW Steakhouse is due to go online sometime in the middle of next week over there. In the next issue Fantastic new openings by crazily talented chefs are opening left, right and centre, in about two weeks from now, I will aim to showcase the latest and greatest and provide just a snapshot of the exciting openings to come in the months ahead, including Heston's London debut. Stay tuned. Did you enjoy reading this? You can subscribe to the Newsletter. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the RSS feed. Free, free free.Sun, 30 May 2010 05:14:04 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/1gEwP/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol2.htm LondonEater Newsletter Vol2 Ish 2 : The Third Duck was Fat. Did you watch the election last night? Six days to the polls. Be sure to vote. In other news, A Danish restaurant was named the best in the world, and LondonEater finally made the pilgrimage to Bray. On Monday, the list of the best fifty restaurants in the world was revised for 2010. Shock and awe pulsated throughout across the foodie community, as a reshuffling of the top rankings gripped the twitterati. There were whispers that El Bulli was going to be toppled after a four year reign and it finally happened. The best restaurant in the world is now ...drumroll... Noma . A two Michelin starred restaurant based in Copenhagen, headed by 32 year old René Redzepi and whose menu is completely centred around Nordic produce. El Bulli drops to second place and the Fat Duck in third. The votes were decided by an international cast comprised of 800 of the most important critics and chefs, organised into 26 regions around the world. Anyway, the UK only had three entrants in the top 50 list: The Fat Duck (3), St John (29) and Hibiscus (49). Gordon Ramsay is no longer in the running and I am so very glad to see both SNobu and Hakkasan disappear from this year's rankings, especially the latter. So is this a list of chefs at the very apogee of their gifts or is it merely a subset of what has already been published in the several country Michelin guides? Either way, a thought provoking compilation. For the full list, follow this link. I'm a nut for good design and I've been admiring Tapped and Packed website, quite literally a work of art. And so are the coffees. Tapped and Packed are gaining a reputation amongst the London coffee movement, definitely worth a try. In addition to their brews I highly recommend trying a cup of their buttery hot chocolate, so smooth, rich but not overly so. You might also spot resident creative gastronut foodbymark while you are there. If you bump into him, do wave, ask for an impromptu portrait and tell him I said hello. There are a number of high profile openings in London this year. When May begins proper, Londoners will be able to book into Nuno Mendes' Viajante and Daniel Boulud's Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental. Daniel is a three michelin starred restaurant in NYC. And come summertime, two heavyweights, Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Koffman (both three starred men, latter retired) will be opening restaurants in Hyde Park. All restaurants I'm sure to eventually visit before the year closes. Going to be a poor man but what the hey. Ahem... I don't mean to blow my own trumpet but... I sent the newspaper clipping to my mum, thanks Nick and thanks to the Times. Finally, The Observer Food Monthly are running awards for a whole raft of categories including 'Best Blog'. If you cast your vote for a greedy bastard (ahem), I will ensure there will be no more boom and bust. Take a look here. Reviews due next week are Zucca and Pearl Liang, and possibly a few more photo slide shows. Have a rapacious bank holiday weekend folks. last week, I ate... The Fat Duck Coincidentally, I went to The Fat Duck - now officially the world's third best restaurant. I had a pleasant enough meal indulging in a five hour interactively edible theatre, not cheap but it was a total sensory experience. As usual, I prepared a blog post but this time also a photo essay slideshow. The Wolseley Rarely do I remember meals more than three months old, but I find it difficult to forget my first meal at the Wolseley. Back in 2008, it had established itself as the ultimate destination for breakfast. I was impressed with the weightiness of the silverware which looked like it could double as jewellery... Read More. Fernandez and Wells You know, a good sandwich need not be brandished with long sentences of gushing adjectives, it simply needs to be eaten again, and so I ordered another, with extra crackling. Look at the densely packed meat - you know you want some of that. Read More. My favourites right now 1. Pearl Liang 2. J Sheekey 3. Golden Hind 4. Roka 5. Eastside Inn Staying connected. CNN's wonkily titled round up of 40 Tokyo foods we can't live without. An epicly exhaustive analysis of the World Best Restaurant Noma by FoodSnob. TimeOut presents London's Best Pizzas Map. Guy and his team are dependable as always. I am very happy to see the shooter's sandwich recipe being replicated on Stephen and Kerry's blog. It looks fantastic, really wish someone could make this for me...yes...Bar Boulud opening next month at Mandarin Oriental to be the new fortress of fooditude? The Retro Corner The talk of the town today is Nuno Mendes' latest labour of love, Viajante. But he had been previously applied his wushu techniques at Bacchus, and here is AA Gill's take on a younger Mendes' effort in 2006. Did you enjoy reading this? You can subscribe to the Newsletter. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the RSS feed. Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:24:03 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/cwF5/h/LondonEater_Newsletter_Vol.htmVol 2.0 Issue 1.0 Reloading LondonEater I have been toying with the idea of a redesign for the last few months, rather than making superficial changes, my intention was to rethink the blog format particularly how to handle my archives of reviews so that it can be more usefully deployed. The previous theme while flashy, was cluttered and slow to load at times. Plus, it isn't really designed for iPads or iPhones. I'm a fan of digital white space, uncluttered and efficient designs. I wanted even clearer navigation, concentrate on cleaner typography and the ability to streamline the reading experience. After all, the reviews here are all in excess of 1000 words. I've been following iA's concepts recently, and it just made sense to use their template as a framework. The template is very basic, but at the same time this meant high flexibility in adapting to small design quirks. Also, the modularity meant that I could more easily merge my photography portfolio with LondonEater. Technobabble... As a reintroduction, LondonEater is a restaurant review blog. The three reviews a week format is unchanged, so if you are a subscriber, you won't see many changes, if any to your chosen method of delivery. But there are tangible additions to content elsewhere. I have introduced a new set of blog posts to help steer readers in the right direction. 1. Weekly Newsletter, Every Sunday What you are reading now is the new newsletter. It has two functions. Firstly, it will act as a lead article linking to and anchoring all the past week's changes - like an index. Secondly, it doubles as a weekly newsletter that will go out to my subscribers. It is an evolution of my old sunday 'eatandread' round up posts I used to do a million years ago. It is a summary of what's new, what's hot, what people are talking about out there.... you get the picture. 2. Homepage structure I wanted the homepage have more structure to it, in my mind I was thinking of a magazine index. Yeah, so navigation should be clear (as it has always been). The weekly newsletter will be the feature article - like an introduction I suppose - and then all the latest updates will be immediately posted as it goes live, just under the feature article. 3. New Living Guides When Im reading a new blog, I'm mentally searching for the blogger's personal favourites page. Like say, if I wanted to go to Istanbul, and wanted abit of hand-holding of where to start my research. So to that end, I went about creating an easier jumping in point for new readers, and the result is my living restaurant guide. It is 'alive' because I wanted it to be ever-changing, as I discover new places, and also it's just a place to keep a list of my personal favourites. The other living guide is the reader's favourite page. Basically, it is a list of categorised restaurants, whereby readers can vote on. I have pre-selected a list of restaurants for a limited range of categories as a start, and will see how this works over the next few months. This will really only work if you vote on restaurants, and if you tell me what I am missing out so I can update it periodically. And in time, it should become a document created by readers for readers. For the time being, check it out. Yeah so I hope you will like the new format, and that it will give you a smoother reading experience, and if there's something bugging you, or something you want changed just let me know, I appreciate all feedback and will try to incorporate the comments. Reviews due this week are The Wolseley and Fernandez and Wells. Have a good day folks. last week, I ate... Le P'tit Normand : Modestly flamboyant I liked Le P'tit Normand, the retro if quirky menu with its equally eighties pricing is ironically a breath of fresh air. if you don't mind Wong Kei style never-to-be-redecorated surroundings, and if you so happen to be in the area, you might be delightfully surprised with what this petite French restaurant has to offer. Read more. Golden Hind : Fresh from Grimsby I'd love to try the Anstruther Fish Bar which was famously crowned the best fish and chip shop in the country last year. I am attending a wedding in Glasgow during the August Bank Holiday and maybe a detour is warranted. Until then, Golden Hind will have to make do. Read More. Petrus : Redeeming Gordon Ramsay Has Gordon Ramsay still got it? If you like the traditional idea of wining and dining, then yes of course he does, Mark Askew does have three michelin stars after all. Here's the kicker: I would happily spend £25 for the prudent elegance, but I would not be compelled to spend another £55 at Pétrus. Prix Fixe anyone? Read More My favourites right now 1. Petrus 2. J Sheekey 3. Bistro Bruno Loubet 4. Le Relais de Venise 5. Eastside Inn Staying connected. Observer Food Monthly launched their new 2010 awards yesterday. You can watch a video preview with Jay Rayner. Gill and Coren check out Harwood arms, separately I gather. I really enjoyed Bellaphon's sighburger post and I spent a good part of my weekend oogling at Mowie's excellent food photography. The Retro Corner This time last year, I went to Franco Manca for the first time and I said Spongy. Tear resistant, and... And? That was it. Forget blogging, I was too busy eating. Visit LondonEater today.Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:24:07 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/_1I2/h/LondonEater_Newsletter.htm t i The Newsletter December 2009, Issue #6 Changing seasons. As 2009 draws to a close, I thought it best to sit down and finally write a long delayed edition of the LondonEater newsletter. Reflecting on the past year, it has certainly been one of the busiest periods for myself, having started out with just an online diary of sorts to chart my restaurant outings, to now becoming abit of a full blown obsession. In the course of the year, I have been fortunate enough to try many things which I once only read about, and have met many new faces, whom I only read about as well. As 2010 dawns , I fully expect the new year to bring even bigger surprises , I will continue to produce the two restaurants write-ups every week and continue to be on the cutting edge of table-side food photography, if only to whet your appetite while you read this. Before the year ends, I'd like to also officially announce my services as a freelance photographer, with a special interest in food, of course. I am available to take up a variety of assignments, so if you'd to use me for a coming project, go have a look at my new portfolio website at http://kangphoto.com. I've been slaving away at this labour of love, its the culmination of two years of intense shooting and eating, so yeah, I do hope you like my work folks. Finally, thank you for reading my work, and thank you for continuing to subscribe to me, keep visiting LondonEater and Noir and do give my new portfolio site a spin. There's still so much more to eat out there, no? See you in the new year, folks. Kang. LondonEater : Best 9 meals of 2009 I prepared a list of the most memorable meals I had this year, you can also read the full write-up with all the links and descriptions here. St John Goodman Sushi Hiro Ledbury Eastside Inn Franco Manca La Trompette Sheen Suppers Uncle Lim's Kitchen To read the full write-up on the best 9 meals of 2009, click here. Copyright LondonEater 2008-2009 All rights reserved. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:47:03 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/Oy9s/h/LondonEater_Newsletter.htm t i The Newsletter 10th September 2009, Issue #5 Eat your September You would think that writing a fortnightly newsletter is easy to do... as it turns out, not so much. In addition to maintaining a day job, a photoblog, eating, shooting, more eating, blogging, even more eating, something just had to give. So from now on, this newsletter is going out once a month, instead of every other week. Alright, first on the eating agenda: how many would like to try the BEST Hainanese chicken rice in London? If so then you need to get yourself to the Whitgift Centre in Croydon.. I know I know, not quite London, but it really is the BEST. Worth the £5 train ticket, believe me. The place is called Uncle Lim's Kitchen, a plate of chicken rice is £6 and the full review can be seen here. Now if you're like me and you love red meat, you should check out Goodman in Oxford Circus. This Russian owned American style steakhouse features some of the best cuts of meat, namely Jack O'Shea beef and they are one of the few in town that serve Prime USDA beef. It's a big hit for city workers at the moment, Thursdays are almost always packed out, but you'll love it. Do bear in mind that they are a bit pricy and if they overcook your steak, don't be afraid to send it back. The full review here , and photographs from my 2nd visit here. Ok guys, more recommendations below, and I pwomise to keep to a more consistent schedule from now on. See you same time next month! kind regards, and a pot belly, Kang. The latest reviews. La Trompette £30 for Lunch; £45 for dinner 5 Devonshire Rd Chiswick W4 2EU Official Site Tel: (020) 8747 1836 Nearest Tube: Turnam Green La Trompette performed a graceful waltz and dazzled the senses. The cooking erred toward classical robustness, and the results were huge servings of mouth watering wonders. I still cannot believe that this lunch sneaked in under thirty quid. One of the slickest meals I've had, highly commended and highly recommended. Full Review Yalla Yalla £25 per person 1 Green Court Soho W1F 0HA Official Site Tel: 0207 287 7663 Nearest Tube: Picadilly Circus Yalla Yalla is the new kid on the block,featuring lebanese street food, a mix of grilled meats and fish, hummus and one of my favourites from the meal was lamb tartare. Great for something different from a trendy tapas bar. Full Review Giaconda £35 per person 9 Denmark Street WC2 H8LS official site Tel: 0207 240 3334. Nearest Tube: Leicester Square Affordable, classique, chic and great tasting food... surrounded by great guitar shops too. Giaconda strikes a chord if you are looking for a cosy French style bistro in London. Full Review .... and then from Paris. La Fontaine du Mars 129, Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 PARIS 7ème official site Tel: 01 47 05 46 44 Metro: Ecole Militaire 50 euros per person for three courses plus a verre The Obamas dined here when they visited Paris and it wasn't hard to see why; it's a classical Parisian Bistro, down to the red and white checkered table cloths, ok sure its a little touristy, but my god, food sure is excellent. I've never had better confit de canard (duck) than at La Fontaine du Mars, and one of their signature dishes - eggs in red wine - divine, absolutely divine. Make no mistake, the French can really cook. If you are in Paris, I implore you EAT HERE. Full Review Pierre Herme Pierre Herme Official Site When they told me Pierre Herme macarons were good, they didn't say how good, and boy, these were ungodly. We have nothing like this on this side of the Channel, and not even the vaunted Laduree can match up, believe the hype, it really is THAT GOOD. Full Review Ultimate Wine Wisdom with Paula Sindberg To order these wines, check out http://ultimatewines.co.uk ; make sure you mention 'londoneater newsletter' when you place your order and you receive 5% off the price. An Hungarian Red Takler 2007 Kekfrankos Kekfrankos means ³blue French² in Hungarian and is the same grape variety known as Blaufrankisch (blue French!) in Austria. Though this is Takler¹s entry level Kekfrankos, its a lovely wine with aromas reminiscent of pinot noir sour cherries and undergrowth plus a zingy cinnamon spicy note. On the palate there¹s lots of rich, spicy juicy cherry fruit and crispy racy acidity. This wine can easily be chilled a bit for enjoyment on a hot summer¹s day (will they ever come back?). Theres just a hint of chocolate on the finish that I really like. Cost - £11.75 including VAT. Lovely food-friendly white Jozsef Bock 2007 Harslevelu No one would be surprised if you said Gesundheit if I said Harslevelu. It doesn¹t help sell Hungarian wines when you can¹t pronounce the names. But, ignoring all the umlauts and accents, it is pronounced pretty much as it¹s spelled that is, HARS-le-ve-lu. The most important thing is that it is a lovely aromatic white wine. My tasting notes say ³the nose is fresh and limey with an undertone of bitter almonds and white flowers (since Harslevelu means Linden leaf in Hungarian, my guess is that the aroma is linden flowers); on the palate it is zippy, spicy apples and limes with again that bitter almond undertone. - a bit like some of the Fianos and Grecos from Campagna. Not a super complex wine but refreshing and delicious. Cost - £11.75 including VAT. While visiting Jozsef Bock, I had the pleasure (and it was a real pleasure and a privilege) of drinking some of his 1994 and 1996 Harslevelu. Lovely stuff so this can age well, too. Issue #6. I'm collabing with a restaurant in Battersea to do a 'behind the stove' article/photo essay to find out what it feels like to cook in a ktichen, should be fun, and also I'm going to a pop-up restaurant in Selfridges, so look out for those next month folks. ( Like this Newsletter? Subscribe here. ) Visit the Blog Restaurant Reviews Advertising Contact SubscribeThu, 10 Sep 2009 03:34:12 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/1PTbA/h/LondonEater_Newsletter.htm t i The Newsletter 23rd July 2009, Issue #4 July, July, July. Welcome to Issue #4 of the Newsletter completely dedicated to the obsessive LondonEater in you. How are you enjoying the weather, happily frolicking in the sun(rain) yet? I do apologise for missing an issue two weeks ago; I was slightly distracted with a little cooking competition called NomNomNom organised by the good people of Qype. Mah team name was Cowfish+Eater, and you can read all about what I helped to cook here. Consequently, there is a viewers choice award so you can VOTE for me..... Cowfish+Eater, thanking you in advance so please please please do vote for me, link here . Alright, enough hotair, let's dive straight into the food. The best new eats... Hawsmoor 157 Commercial St 020 7247 7392 £22 for 400g of STEAK Critically acclaimed, the universally loved steakhouse in the Old City of London cooks very tasteful steaks. Flawless grilling that magically seals the juices in; my gripe is with their choice of English Longhorn, its no wagyu, but still very good. Don't expect the best cut of meat, but expect really good steak.. more.. Cafe Strudel 429 Upper Richmond Rd SW14 7 (020) 8487 9800 £25 to £30 for three courses This loving Austrian Cafe is true to its home, abit out of the way in Richmond, but for £30, you eat very hearty Austrian inspired classics. The chicken terrine I tried was a most full flavoured and richly textured mouthfull; it was certainly the best I've had n London so far..more.. [ Macaron 22 The Pavement SW4 0HY (020) 7498 2636 £3 per macaron South London has a hidden gem of a great Parisian style cafe. Excellent macarons and even better mochas, if you've been wanting to settle down in a quite little cafe, this is one you should check out. more.. .... and here are a few more. Sketch: Lecture Room and Library 9 Conduit Street W1S 2XG 020 7659 4500 £35 three courses set lunch Crazy. Sexy. Cool. The venue alone is a rousing spectacle and the high cuisine matches the high style at Sketch. It ain't cheap, but its worth it.... make sure you book for the Lecture Room and Library, that's the flagship michelin restaurant, with their best chefs in the kitchen; the other rooms are not of the same quality. more.. Donna Margherita 183 Lavender Hill SW11 5 (020) 7228 2660 £20pp I can safely say that Donna Margherita is good. Its not going to win any big awards, and in a way, that's a good thing. The classical style is rustic and its just straightforward good Italian food. In particular, the pizzas are wonderful, almost as good as Franco Manca and the pastas as well as the seafood stand out. Its unbeatable when it comes to price, primis at £6 ; pastas at £11; pizza £8 ; meat/fish £13-£15 ; Dolce £4. My only problem is that 35 minute bus ride. Otherwise, it's Napoli in London...more.. [ Ultimate Wine Wisdom with Paula Sindberg To order these wines, check out http://ultimatewines.co.uk ; make sure you mention 'londoneater newsletter' when you place your order and you receive 5% off the price. Pretty in Pink - Perfect for Hot Summer Weather Kellerei Kurtatsch 2007 Lagrein Rosé £9.00/bottle including VAT As I was sweltering at my desk today thinking about the wines to feature in the current issue of the LondonEater newsletter, I realized that something cooling and exciting was just the ticket. Well, that's the Kurtatsch Lagrein Rosé, for sure. Made in the Trentino in Italy, not far from Bolzano and near the border with Austria, Lagrein is one of the few native Red grapes grown in the area. Normally made into a quite rustic and full-bodied red, Lagrein makes a rosé with real character and style. It's a pretty, deep salmon pink colour with a nose of strawberries, raspberries and red currants with just a hint of spice. Bone dry, on the palate the red currants predominate with lovely juicy fruitiness supported by intriguing minerality and soft tannins. This is truly the perfect wine for a warm (or hot) summer's day. Great for the BBQ. Peaches and Cream in a Glass Otmar Mair Besserhof 2007 Weissburgunder £10.00/bottle including VAT Don't let the unfamiliar German names used on the label of this wine put you off. This is pure Pinot Blanc and a great example, too. This is a BIG wine with alcohol of 14% but it's well integrated into this beauty. In fact, given the massive creamy peachiness on the nose and in the mouth, the wine probably needs that much alcohol to hold all the parts together. This is luscious with zippy acidity on the palate to give the wine crispness and to contrast with the lovely creaminess of the fruit. A long, long finish that lingers long after the wine is gone. Great value, too. Give these deals a try Some deals which I think represent great value: One o One restaurant 50% off Bel Canto 50% off Sake no hana 40% off Coq d'Argent £25 for 3 courses Issue #5. I'm expecting to visit Tom Aikens and Eastside Inn as well as La Trompette in the next few weeks, and expecting something special..... but I'll reserve judgement until I actually eat there. Till then, happy eating folks. Also, please do VOTE for me at the NomNomNom Cooking competition!! ( Like this Newsletter? Subscribe here. ) Visit the Blog Restaurant Reviews Advertising Contact SubscribeThu, 23 Jul 2009 03:54:04 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/londoneaternews/1ChYV/h/LondonEater_Newsletter.htm t i The Newsletter 18th June 2009, Issue #3 An Eventful June. Welcome to Issue #3 of the Newsletter completely dedicated to the obsessive LondonEater in you. Annoucement folks! I have teamed up with the organisers of TOAST - a Newzealand/SouthAfrican/Australian themed food/music/wine festival - to offer 50 pairs of tickets (worth £25 each) to all of you... for FREE. TOAST is taking place at Clapham common on the weekend of 26-28 June 2009 and all you need to do is send email to rsvp@goaheadevents.com , stating your full name and which day you want to attend (South Africa - Friday, New Zealand - Saturday, Australia - Sunday) and they will email you back with an e-ticket. So if you're interested, then send that email now. For more details, see here. Next wednesday I'm going to the secret restaurant organised by Rachel Khoo at the Loft, not sure if she's still taking orders, but if you're interested, you can join in too, details here. And on the very next day, I'm headed to a charity dinner at cafe strudel, so if you're up for that - then you can see all the details here. Ok enough blabbering, on to the fooooood. The best new eats. Morgan M 489 Liverpool Rd N7 8 (020) 7609 3560 £39pp for three courses Elegant French food, the fillet steak was juicy and soft. Aggresively priced, you won't find a better French restaurant at these prices, we need more value gourmands like this. Superb. more.. St John 6 St John Street EC1M 4AY 020 7251 0848 £40pp for three courses A loving restaurant, completely devoid of pretension and serving honestly superlative British cuisine, at affordable prices. A true London institution. [more..] Monmouth 27 Monmouth Street WC2H 9EU 020 7379 3516 £3 per cup Mmmm ... such smooth consistency in the froth, with a milky sweetness and very mild bitterness, it also felt strangely innocent and pure. The coffee itself had a silky mouthfeel, with a rich and bitter hit, and went down like a good vintage year. Indeed, very good. more.. Ultimate Wine Wisdom with Paula Sindberg To order these wines, check out http://ultimatewines.co.uk ; make sure you mention 'londoneater newsletter' when you place your order and you receive 5% off the price. Bargain Red Something Red for the Summer BBQ Australian College of Wine (AWC) 2002 Pinot Noir £9.50 including VAT per bottle This wine is made from Yarra Valley grapes by students at the Australian College of Wine (actually the Melbourne Technical College) under the supervision of Béatrice Dubois, a young flying winemaker based at Domaine Dubois in Prémeaux-Prissey, France. It's definitely more Burgundian and restrained than the normal Aussie red, yet the fruit is lovely and ripe with a slight herbal undertone and hints of tobacco leaf. Perfect for grilled meats, especially lamb. It was selected as one of Jancis Robinson's wines of the week shortly after its release. Bargain White A Cooling and Refreshing German White REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT 2005 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese £15.00 including VAT per bottle Ok, this isn't exactly your bargain basement wine but if this wine doesn't turn you on to the pure beauty of German Riesling, then there's no hope for you. Delicate scents of tangerine, nectarine and lime with a steely mineral backbone to support it all. Light and racy in the mouth with all those fruits and a vanilla creaminess to wrap it up. Not only is this beauty perfect for sipping in the warm summer weather, it is also gorgeous as an accompaniment for all sorts of spicy foods - Thai, Indian, Chinese. And it's also wonderful with cheeses after dinner. Give this a try! And if my word isn't good enough for you - Wine Spectator gave it 93 points. Give these deals a try Some deals which I think represent great value: Sake no Hana, 40% off ala carte, most days Brouge Bistro, 2 Courses for £7.95 Foliage, 4 courses lunch £29 Zilli Fish £14.95 2 Courses Cafe Strudel, 50% off If you happen to be in southwest London, head to the river at Richmond and be sure to grab a bite at Brouge; its a belgian restaurant/bar and they do bat tasters, which are 8 shots of different types of Belgian brew, very nice. Oh and the lobster spaghetti at Zilli Fish - to die for. Issue #4. Reservations at Sketch, Cafe Strudel, Brouge, Leong's Legends, Don Margherita, and I will be reporting back to you in two weeks, on whether any of them are worth your while. Till July, happy eating folks. ( Like this Newsletter? Subscribe here. ) Visit the Blog Restaurant Reviews Advertising Contact SubscribeThu, 18 Jun 2009 05:43:13 -0400