Franco Manca - review

I eat a lot of pizza (an awful lot in fact!) but it occurred to me that I rarely talk it about it here.  I think there's some really great pizza places in London - not necessarily hidden gems but I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.

First up, Franco Manca in Chiswick.  The original restaurant is in Brixton Market but, mainly due to limited opening hours, I've never made it over there.  The new-ish branch in Chiswick is bigger, takes bookings and is open every day until 11pm.

The restaurant has a casual, rustic feel to it, with wooden tables and benches, a tiled floor and hanging ham legs.  The menu is short, apparently showcasing seasonal ingredients, although I was a little surprised to see they were still offering the summer menu in mid-November...

But no matter, the food we had was excellent.  We started with beautiful, rich burrata (Italian cheese made with mozarella and cream) and panouzzi (flame grilled bread) topped with ricotta, roasted cherry tomato and truffle oil.  Both starters were delicious and just served to whet our appetites for the main event.

Oft cited as London's best pizza, I have to say it really does live up to the hype.  The pizza base is made from slow rising sourdough and cooked in a wood burning oven.  The result is a base slightly charred and crispy on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle.  I'm sure it would be delicious with just a drizzle of olive oil but of course, it's even better with additional toppings.  I went for the veg special: caramelised red onion, gorgonzola and spinach.  Marc went for a similar pizza with the addition of Serrano ham.

Full and happy, the bill was a pleasant end to the meal.  At just over £40, including three glasses of wine and three beers, this is extremely good value - particularly when you take into account the quality of the ingredients.

I will most definitely be going back.  As often as possible!

Burrata

The Bingham - restaurant review

As I've been working so hard at Uni (trust me, my brain aches), Marc took me to The Bingham, in Richmond, for lunch.  Sooo much better than a gold star!

The Bingham is a boutique hotel, in a Georgian townhouse, overlooking the river.  It's also home to Shay Cooper's restaurant.  Sadly, the restaurant has lost it's Michelin star in the 2012 guide.  All I can say is the inspector must've visited on a bad day, as the meal and service we had were absolutely top notch.

Like many other fine-dining establishments, The Bingham offers a very good value lunch menu.  This is also available on a Saturday, which is extremely accommodating!  The set menu is £22.50 for two courses or £26.00 for three.  Remarkably, there is no surcharge for cheese - and a mighty fine cheese selection it is too.

The dining room itself is bedecked in gold hues; luxurious but modern.  The full length windows offer views over the river.  Perfect on a sunny day, when you can watch boats passing by.

Cute lightbulb vase

We started with an absolutely delicious amuse bouche: rich, earthy cep mousse beautifully complemented by a cauliflower truffle foam.  I could've eaten buckets of it.  Truly delicious.

The freshly baked bread selection was almost too tempting.  I really wanted to ask for one of each (potato and rosemary, foccacia, seed and white baguette).  I settled on the potato and rosemary.  With lashings of salted butter.

Amuse bouche

The menu is a cacophony of seasonal goodies and the starter was a perfect example: truffle spatzle (a sort of German pasta), with mushroom puree, girolles, confit egg yolk and shaved chestnuts.  This was exceptional.  In fact the lady on the table next to us actually came over when she saw it arrive on our table to tell us it was the best starter she'd ever had.  It really was that good; beautifully cooked and with the flavours and textures in perfect harmony.

Truffle spatzle

My main was sea bream fillet, with glazed chicory, sauteed squid and bitter orange vinaigrette.  This was  picture perfect and I particularly liked the effect shredded squid.

Sea bream with glazed chicory

Marc's poussin was served with honey glazed root vegetables, crisp bacon and smoked pearl barley.  The poussin had been de-boned and Marc said he enjoyed it all the more for being 'unfiddly'.

Poussin with honey glazed root vegetables

The cheese selection is impressive, all the more so for being included on the set lunch menu.  Our waitress was happy to explain what each of the cheeses was (and put up with our indecisiveness in choosing!).

The cheese selection

The chocolate tart was the best I've had.  Served warm with a chocolate biscuit crust and a filling like a chocolate fondant.  It was rich, satisfying and did exactly what a chocolate pud should.

Bitter chocolate tart

Raisin bread, crackers and fig chutney

This was our final cheese selection.  Unfortunately I didn't note down what they were (could've been the wine!) but we both agreed we'd chosen well!

Our cheese selection

A fancy meal is never complete without a plate of petits fours and The Bingham didn't disappoint.

Petits fours

And, the piece de resistance: a cocktail enjoyed on the terrace in the afternoon sun.  Perfect end to an extremely good lunch.  Star or no star, I'd highly recommend the restaurant at The Bingham.

Rose fantasia

Tea for two and two for tea: Espelette at The Connaught review

I have been pondering what makes afternoon tea so blimmin fantastic.  Is it because it's so quintessentially British?  Is it because it's reminiscent of a bygone era?  Perhaps because it feels so civilised to sip tea whilst nibbling on dainty sandwiches?

And then it struck me: afternoon tea adds a whole extra meal to the day's proceedings.  Amazing.
None of this messing around with squashing two meals together (you know who you are, brunch).  Just an extra, cake filled, meal.  What's not to love?

I'd be quite happy to reinstate afternoon tea as a daily affair but sadly it is but an occasional treat.  Most recently enjoyed at Espelette at The Connaught

This is a very 'proper' afternoon tea, with the usual selection of finger sandwiches, scones and delicate cakes all done to an extremely high standard, all graciously replenished if you wish (we did!).  The service is top class and you're well looked after from the moment you enter the door to the moment you're rolled out.

I particularly enjoyed the jam menu.

Yes, you heard me right, a menu.  For jam.  You're able to pick two jams for the table from a selection of 16.  After much deliberation, we plumped for raspberry & violet and rhubarb & vanilla.   The rhubarb jam was exceptional and, somewhat surprisingly to me, went perfectly with the scones and clotted cream.  And those scones - yum, yum, yum.  Plain and ginger scones are served straight from the oven and they were perfect specimens.

The cakes tasted as good as they looked.  The maple syrup and blackcurrant jelly 'religieuse' and the strawberry jelly cheesecake were particularly good.

By the time the final cakes, a raspberry and rose and chocolate loaf cake, were served we were can't-eat-another-mouthful stuffed.  After the beautiful delicacies from the cake stand, these seemed rather plain and probably a little bit superfluous but just a minor quibble.

All this food is washed down with an excellent selection of loose-leaf teas.  Silver needles was my favourite and we were given a complimentary sachet to take home, which was a very nice touch.

All in all, this is a fabulous afternoon tea.  As you might expect, it's not cheap (£35 a head without champagne) but it is an experience.  And one I'd definitely like to repeat in the not too distant future.

Afternoon tea: my favourite of all the meals.

Before we got stuck in

The maple syrup religieuse on the left.  Strawberry cheesecake in the middle.

The first plate of sandwiches.

Perfect scones

Rhubarb jam on the left

Which one will you choose?

The cake that defeated us.

Tea to take away

Maki - restaurant review

I think I eat Japanese food more than any other cuisine.  I just can't get enough of it.  I tend to get my Japanese fix at lunchtime, often buying sushi take-out for lunch. Incidentally, did you know the reason sushi from a sandwich chain or a supermarket doesn't tend to be very good? It's because the fridges are set too cold: sushi rice reacts under super-cold temperatures and becomes very dry.  Japanese places tend not to have their fridges as cold, so the sushi rice stays a better texture for longer.

But I digress.  I was just about to tell you that, despite it being a firm favourite, we rarely go out for Japanese in the evening but that looks set to change.  We've been living in leafy Richmond for a few months now and have just happened upon a rather good neighbourhood Japanese restaurant: Maki

The restaurant is decorated in typical Japanese style, in reds and blacks, with a sunken seating area. The service is friendly and attentive, the menu extensive (in a good way) and the prices reasonable.  I won't go into all of the dishes but highlights include the sashimi, which was incredibly fresh, black miso cod (less than half the price of Nobu) and ebi (prawn) tempura rolls.  The only slight disappointment was the gyoza, which had been deep fried.

If you're in the area I highly recommend it for a reasonably priced taste of Japan.

Edamame with plenty of salt, as I like them best

Sashimi bento box

Ebi tempura roll

Salmon sashimi (a little complimentary gift from the chef)

Soft shell crab roll

Texture - restaurant review

Chef Agnar Sverrisson, joined forces with Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Head Sommelier, Xavier Rousset, to launch Texture in September 2007.  The restaurant won a Michelin star in 2010, with Agnar being the first Icelandic chef ever to be awarded one.

I have to admit, I hadn't really heard much about Texture before we went.  Little B, my fine dining chum, found a lunchtime special offer (and we all know how much I like a special offer!) and a quick bit of research showed that people actually thought rather highly of it, so we duly booked.

Maybe the lack of buzz is just down to the fact that it's been knocking around for a little while?  I guess the blogosphere tends to favour the shiny and new.

We were a little underwhelmed by the venue itself, which is (strangely) attached to the Best Western Hotel, on Bryanston Street.  The decor in the high-ceilinged restaurant is pretty unremarkable and seems to be lacking a consistent theme.  It could really do with an injection of Scandi-style.

But anything lacking in the decor is quickly made up for by the food, which is super stylish.  From the presentation to the crisp, clean flavours and interesting (um) textures, this was a memorable meal.

We started with a plate of paper-thin wafers, served with a yoghurt and barley dip.  The cod skin was the most interesting, feather light with a delicate tang of fishiness. 

Bread was served alongside a faux pas.  When I asked the (head) waiter what the bread was, he informed us that it was 'just plain bread'.  Maybe something was lost in translation there.  Nonetheless, it was very tasty and the accompanying butter, flecked with Icelandic seaweed, was delicious.

An amuse bouche of tomato gazpacho with tomato 'snow' was flavoursome and refreshing.

We both had the Icelandic prawns to start.  Served with sorrel, cucumber and crisps of rye bread, this was a beautifully fresh and light starter.  The constituent flavours and textures worked perfectly together, ensuring that, although the dish was complex, it wasn't overly complicated.  I also loved the bold crockery used throughout, a welcome change from a plain white plate.

For the main course we had pollock with leeks, 'soil' and girolles.  The fish was perfectly cooked, although it isn't one of my favourites.  We weren't able to identify what the 'soil' actually was.  I really should've asked but I was far too busy eating.  The highlight of this dish was the leek, which was smoked and really added another dimension flavour-wise.

Our pudding was divine.  It had us oohing and aahing like kids at a fireworks display.  The cool, crisp cucumber cut through the rich Valrhona white chocolate mousse and ice cream perfectly and the sparks of dill added another layer of flavour.   

The food at Texture is inventive and exciting.  And £24 for three courses at lunchtime is an absolute steal.  Because the chef doesn't use cream or butter in his savoury dishes, the food is light enough to scoff 3 courses at lunchtime and not need to lie down for the rest of the afternoon.  I'm keen to go back of an evening and have a proper look at the extensive wine and champagne lists!

Grand Imperial - restaurant review

The Grand Imperial Cantonese restaurant opened earlier this year in The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria.

There isn't a wealth of good eateries in the area, so I was keen to try it out, particularly when I heard they had a dim sum set lunch.

Entering the restaurant from the hustle and bustle of Victoria station, you find yourself in an altogether more serene environment.  The room itself is, fittingly, grand.  High ceilings, marble pillars, dark wood furniture and crisp white table cloths are the order of the day. It's the sort of place where you almost feel the need to whisper - although this may have been because the restaurant was almost empty on a Friday lunchtime.

The express dim sum lunch is £20 for two people and allows you to choose five dishes to share, from a fairly standard selection.  We enjoyed all the dishes we ordered but only one was particularly memorable; the deep fried whisker black cod, which was served with a delicious creamy, fruity dipping sauce.

Unfortunately, although the deal is reasonably priced, it really isn't enough food for two and we left slightly hungry.  If we were to go again, I'd definitely order a bowl of noodles on the side.

Zucca - restaurant review

Taking an Italian to an Italian restaurant is always a risky business.  Particularly when the Italian in question isn't shy about expressing his opinions.  Nonetheless, we'd heard great things about Zucca, so thought we'd be on safe ground.

Zucca opened last year on Bermondsey Street, London Bridge (also home to Jose, Village East and a number of other good pubs, bars and cafes).  It's had rave reviews from critics and bloggers alike, praised for reasonable prices, use of seasonal ingredients and consistently good food.

After a delicious cocktail in Village East, (some of the best in London in my opinion, well worth stopping off here for an aperitif), we headed across the road to Zucca.

The restaurant is a Daz-doorstep-challenge-white, contemporary space largely reminiscent of an art gallery.  Flashes of orange are a reference to the name - zucca means pumpkin in Italian. 

The complimentary bread selection went down a treat, served with grassy olive oil.  My favourite was the salty focaccia.  We were also treated to a small plate of a sort of potato and chilli omelette/tortilla.

The food at Zucca is extremely reasonable, a refreshing change in London.  Starters ranged from £3.95 to £4.75.

First on the list was a generous chunk of creamy mozzarella, with a sort of courgette stew, spiked with capers and liberally dressed with olive oil.  Delicious with the bread and could be shared between two.

Mozarella with courgette and sorrel

Buttery seabass carpaccio came with flecks of mild red chilli and more of that olive oil.  At £4.75, this was extremely good value and is a regular on the menu.

Seabass carpaccio

The two pasta dishes on the menu: papardelle with veal ragu and ricotto and taglierini with chanterelles and parmesan were a resounding success and got a big thumbs up from the Italian (who knows his pasta!).

On to the mains.  There are six choices, priced from £14.25 to £14.95, with no real need to pay for extra sides (which, by the way, is a pet peeve of mine, as it often pushes prices up to ridiculous levels)

I went for the grilled sea bream with cannellini, potato and romanesco.  This was a flavoursome, substantial, rustic dish.  The fish was perfectly cooked, with a lovely crispy skin.



Sea bream

Zucca's signature dish is the veal chop, served with spinach and lemon.  This is an almost obscenely large portion - guaranteed to make the day of any carnivore.  Perfectly chargrilled on the outside, pink in the middle.  And apparently 'bouncy' in texture (no, I'm not sure what that means either.  You'd have to ask my dining companion himself).  Funnily enough, I didn't hear much about the accompanying spinach...

The star of the show: veal chop

Although we were already full, the food had been so good that we couldn't resist trying the puddings.  The panna cotta with poached plum was the lightest option and a perfect example of its kind.

The pistachio tart, although lighter than it appeared, was still something of a heavyweight choice.  Lovely flavour with a delicious short, buttery crust.  Definitely best shared.

Pistachio tart

The food was fantastic from start to finish and I just had two little niggles.  Firstly, the open kitchen isn't ventilated well enough; although we sat right by the window, when we left all our clothes had taken on the smell of cooking meat fat.  Secondly, whilst the food is very well priced, the wine is less of a bargain.  There's just one bottle at £18 with the rest priced at £23 plus.  It would be nice to see a small selection of house wines for under £20 a bottle.

All in all, Zucca is a fantastic restaurant and I'm highly jealous of anyone who can call this their local.  And it was a resounding success with the Italian, which is high praise indeed.

**Sorry the photos are a bit rubbish.  Camera phone, dim lighting blah.

Mien Tay, Battersea - restaurant review

A lot of good stuff has been written about Mien Tay (restaurants on Lavender Hill, Battersea, and Kingsland Road, Shoreditch). The resulting popularity means it can be quite difficult to get a table, even on a weekday.  We finally got round to making a booking in advance (thanks Sara!) and arrived with quite a sense of anticipation...

The restaurant decor could be politely described as kitsch, or less kindly as garish (and the less said about the outfits the waiting staff are forced to endure the better!). Nonetheless, this adds to the atmosphere of the place, which was predictably heaving even on a Wednesday night.

To get the bad bits out of the way upfront, I have to tell you the service was awful.  It was hard to get anyone's attention, our waiter was grumpy as hell, glasses of water never materialised and we waited half an hour for one of the starters to arrive.  Maybe they were having a bad day

Now, let's move on. 

The bring your own booze policy took the edge off and happily they don't charge corkage.  That said, I would've happily paid a couple of quid for a cooler or ice bucket.

The menu is extensive, somewhat overwhelmingly so.  For someone as indecisive as I am, it was a challenge.  We ordered a starter and a main course each.  The portions are pretty big though, so for the less greedy, sharing would most definitely be an option.

Mien Tay spring rolls were crisp and crunchy, served with a nice little side of pickled vegetables and a delicious sweet and spicy dip. 

The crispy pancake with chicken and beansprouts was particularly impressive - Findus this was not!  A huge portion with tender chicken and thin, light pancakes.

Summer rolls with shrimp were fresh and light, served with a gloopy satay sauce (check out my summer rolls recipe if you fancy trying them at home)

  

Salt and pepper squid was well cooked and not at all greasy.  It could've done with a little more seasoning though.

Two of us went for the whole crispy fried sea bream with mango and fish sauce.  This is one of the house specialties and probably the best dish we had.  The skin was perfectly crispy and the mango and fish sauce worked in perfect harmony.

Sea bream with lemon grass and chilli was good but was overshadowed by the mango dish.  

We also had the chargrilled chicken with honey and spices.  This needed a little more spice but was a generous portion for just £5.80.  Unfortunately my iPhone picture really didn't do it justice, so I haven't included it.

The bill was extremely reasonable, largely due to the lack of booze on it!  Starters range from £3.50 to £8.00 and mains from £5.80 to £12.50, with most at the lower end of the price bracket.

I think the food was good enough to chance the bad service a second time, I'll let you know when I do.