LONDON-guide – Page 14

Dinner at Sushisamba, The City

Published on July 30, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Sushisamba (featured in Sex and the City as you may remember?) opened up their London branch about a year ago but it took me a while to visit. In fact, it was trying their delicious sasa roll at Taste of London earlier this year that really made me want to go.

The restaurant is located on the 38th floor of Heron Tower in The City and as you can imagine, the view is quite something. The interior is too, with two outdoor spaces and lots of glass walls.

I went here with my Caroline (who also has a food blog), my usual restaurant buddy, and we had a few dishes to share. Although it doesn’t look like that much I was almost too full to move afterwards.

The yellowtail sashimi with yuzu and black truffle oil was delicious and amazing in texture. One of my favourites.

Also the calamari with crisp plantain, pico de gallo and tamarind was lovely and the squid was both crisp and melt-in-the-mouth soft at the same time.

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The maki roll with soy marinated salmon, asparagus, onion, chives, tempura and wasabi mayo was OK but nothing special. It was crispy and fresh but it was difficult to make out the flavours.

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The sasa rolls, however, were just as amazing as I remembered them. Shrimp tempura, coriander, red onion, shishito and spicy mayonnaise in a delicious combination. I can highly recommend it!

Caroline introduced me to Peruvian corn which is whiter and has bigger kernels than regular sweet corn. It is also chewier and less sweet. So nice!

The barbecued flank steak with aji panca chilli was pretty full-on flavour wise and parts of the meat was stringy so I wasn’t that impressed with it. I guess I had high expectations when walking past the lovely smelling barbecue on the way to our table.

Although quite unimpressed with two of the dishes I really like Sushisamba. The three dishes I enjoyed were absolutely delicious and although the other two didn’t impress me there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.

The staff was also friendly and very much on the ball, the interior feels very New Yorky and the outdoor space as well as the view is spectacular. This place is well worth a visit!

Sushisamba, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

Dinner at Barrica, Fitzrovia

Published on July 28, 2013July 28, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Last Saturday I joined Laura and her visiting cousin, Julia, for a tapas dinner at Barrica on Goodge Street, a place neither of us had visited before. We got there for 9pm and the place was positively buzzing. A good sign.

With bread and olives on the table after only a few minutes we decided on quite a wide spread of tapas. First up was some nice cured ham; Jamon Cebo, which was delicious.

I can never resist pimientos de padron, either in the supermarket or in restaurants, so we had a plate. I like the bitterness and the salt and to have them in between other plates.

Patatas bravas with aioli is another classis and these were very nice. Delightfully crisp on the outside, flavourful bravas sauce and strong garlic flavour in the aioli.

These little bechamel croquettes with lightly smoked cheese and summer truffle were absolutely wonderful and one of my favourites.

The morcilla was also delicious with plenty of umami flavour and depth. I’m not fond of black pudding and similar but love both the flavour and texture of morcilla.

This little neat duck breast toast was really scrumptious with a sweet little layer of onions (?) underneath the duck.

The clams with fennel and artichokes were bursting with flavour and very juice and nice. Also a nice contrast to the meats.

Laura and Julia also shared this lovely piece of salmon with lettuce and beans which I passed on. I am quite tired of salmon in general (after having grown up in Sweden) and prefer it cured or smoked rather than cooked. And I was also to full. But it still looks great and the girls enjoyed it.

I really liked this place. It feels authentic in proper and the food is great. The atmosphere is lovely too and the only thing I wasn’t fond of was the uncomfortable stools, so book a table with proper chairs if you can.

Other than that I loved it. And you’ll love the prices too. Seriously good value for money.

Barrica Tapas Bar, 62 Goodge Street, London W1T 4NE, 020 7436 9448

Lunch at Shake Shack, Covent Garden

Published on July 27, 2013July 26, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

It seems the fast food trend is far from over. Just this past month two more burger restaurants have opened in Covent Garden; Five Guys and Shake Shack.

I had never heard of Five Guys before and when they were decorating the space I had no idea it was becoming a burger place. But I had heard of Shake Shack and was a bit sad I didn’t get to try it when I was in New York and therefore quite excited to try it now that it has opened in London.

I went here for lunch with two colleagues and knowing it is a popular place we got there just after noon, but even then the queue was quite long. It moved quickly however and we even got a sample of ice cream each.

The burger restaurant is placed in the actual market buildings on the Covent Garden piazza and although modern meets old style wise it looks pretty good.

I chose the Smoke Shack burger with cheese, bacon and cherry peppers. The patty was nice and moist, the bun of perfect brioche type; not crumbly and not spongy either. The trimmings were nice too, the dressing didn’t over power, the cheese nice and gooey and the bacon crisp – as should be.

Since I just love melted cheese I had to try their cheese fries and I was actually quite impressed. The fries are crimped and therefore extra crunchy and the cheese sauce was delicious. I was worried it would taste very artificial, and OK, it does taste a bit like the Dairy Lea plastic cheese, but that’s the type of cheese I like with a burger (yes, actually).

Shake Shack is definitely worth a visit when you’re in the mood for an American style burger. Just get in the queue.

Shake Shack, Covent Garden, 24 Market Building, The Piazza, London WC2E 8RD

El Bulli exhibition at Somerset House

Published on July 25, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Regardless of if you’re a foodie or not, most people recognise the name El Bulli. The world famous Spanish restaurant closed last summer but at the moment you can learn all about the concept at London’s Somerset House.

The exhibition tells the tale about how the restaurant became the huge success it was. How it all started in the 1960s and carried on through the decades. It is a modern exhibition with plenty of interactive screens and moving pictures but it also features old photographs and memorabilia.

It teaches us about nouvelle cuisine and how El Bulli implemented it into its cooking, how chef Ferran Adrià and his team planned and researched their dishes and what techniques they used. Why the restaurant is named after a dog and about future plans.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole exhibition but the short clip about the restaurant’s last ever service in July 2012 stayed with me the longest.

El Bulli: Ferran Adrià and the Art of Food is on until 29 September 2013. Admission £10. More infomation here.

Footnote: This is not a sponsored post; I paid for my own ticket but I thought the exhibition was so interesting I wanted to share it with you.

Gelupo Gelato, Soho

Published on July 23, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Across the road from Bocca di Lupo is Gelupo Gelato, a gelateria from the team behind the restaurant.

The interior is cosy and feels a bit Mediterranean with white wooden floors and simple decor.

And the ice cream?! Absolutely wonderful! I tried the pistachio ice cream which was divine tasting and a luscious green in colour. But the salt caramel ice cream with pecans was even better – just extraordinarily tasty! I could see myself trying every flavour and loving them all (well, maybe except for my nemesis the coconut).

Gelupo Gelato, 7 Archer Street, London W1D 7AU

Lunch at Bocca di Lupo, Soho

Published on July 22, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

My colleague Caroline and I can talk about restaurants for hours and during once such conversation we realised that a) neither of us had been to Bocca di Lupo and b) that we were both dying to go. So we pencilled in a lunch and went last week.

Bocca di Lupo is a well known Italian restaurant in Soho with its own gelato place across the road. The chef patron Jacob Kenedy is also the author of my pasta bible; The Geometry of Pasta. It is a mystery why I haven’t been here before. And after this fabulous lunch I realised how much I have been missing out by not going, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I start going all the time now to make up for not going in the past…

The menu is quite extensive and I could literally eat everything on it, but in the end we managed to settle for a great spread. As well as a short description of each dish the menu also features the region of origin for the dish, which I thought very interesting.

We started off with some bread of course, and lovely buttery olives. The foccacia with caramelised onions was my favourite.

The raw Sicilian red prawns were lovely and sweet and flavoured lightly with orange zest. Absolutely gorgeous! And the portion was very generous too.

I can never resist stuffed courgette flowers and these with mozzarella and anchovies was an utter delight. Crisp on the outside and not too gooey on the inside with lovely robust flavours.

Thinly sliced courgette with chilli, garlic and parsley was a fresh addition. Hotter than expected but full of flavour.

Barbecued lamb sweetbreads and artichoke with olive oil and lemon was also amazing. The sweetbreads were tender and melt-in-the-mouth delicious and the artichokes made a great contrast with its charred flavours.

Another lovely dish was the linguine with dark crab meat and tomato. It was creamy yet light and absolutely divine.

I was really impressed with Bocca di Lupo; the food was excellent, the staff friendly and efficient and the atmosphere great and bustling.

Bocca di Lupo, 12 Archer Street, London W1D 7BB

Lunch at Bone Daddies Ramen Bar, Soho

Published on July 17, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Last week I dragged my colleague Max through Soho to try Bone Daddies Ramen Bar. We try to go out for lunch at least once a month and try different places within walking distance to the office as there is so many nice places all around us. The benefit of working in Central London.

On a small Soho side street, not far from the gay bars, you find this little Japanese ramen bar. Max immediately commented on the vibe of the place, and it is a bit hipster with a cool wall painting, loud music, tables with stools and a young crowd, but you still don’t feel out of place if you’re not hipster (like us).

The menu is quite sparse with just a few snacks to share and different types of ramen, but I like when a place does that; focus on perfecting a few dishes instead of having a sprawling menu.

We shared two of the snacks. Amazing soft shell crab with a lovely tangy dip and fried chicken that was even better. The chicken was crisp on the outside without a hint of grease and utterly succulent and tender in the middle. Divine!

I had the tonkotsu ramen as my main and received a huge bowl of pork broth with noodles, bamboo, pork meat, tea stained eggs with amazing creamy yolk and peanuts. One part of the bowl had the nuts and the other side the fried pork mince so you got two very different flavours in the same bowl – loved that. And the eggs were stunning with the utterly creamy yolk. It was incredibly rich though, and I could barely finish half the bowl.

Max’s tantanmen, also with pork was a lot milder in flavour and not as filling, so I have to try that next time. It was also served with the amazing eggs, spring onion and fried onion.

With homemade soft serve icecream there is no need for any other puds. This one with yuzu was delicious after the warm (and in my case; spicy) noodles.

Bone Daddies Ramen Bar, 31 Peter Street, London W1F 0AR

Taste of London 2013

Published on June 25, 2013June 25, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

I didn’t enjoy this year’s edition of Taste of London as much as I did last year’s as I rushed to Regents Park on Thursday after work. It was my only chance to attend because I was away at the weekend.

Because I was slightly rushed, and tired, I decided to only divide my attention between the restaurants and the Electrolux Taste Theatre and give the other vendors a miss. I really enjoyed some of the food and was rather unimpressed with others.

My first treat was a delicious Bar Boulud hot dog made from pork and Somerset cheddar with a cumberland glaze and Savoy cabbage.

Next up was steak from Argentinian Zoilo. I had the asado; skirt steak with celeriac and parsley salad and bone marrow sauce. The steak was delicious and perfectly cooked, but the salad was really disappointing. The bone marrow sauce was more like jus than a sauce and added umami but wasn’t as strong in flavour as I had hoped.

Gourmet marshmallows.

Serious BBQs at Gordon Ramsay.

Just before I headed to the Taste Theatre I grabbed this Barbecoa burger. And I was so disappointed. It tasted like any homemade beef patty and the bun and condiments (cheddar, heritage tomato and charred red onion) weren’t amazing either.

Cooking on stage this evening was Magnus Nilsson (from Swedish restaurant Fäviken). He was very charismatic and cooked two dishes for us while chatting to a journalist. And in the end the journalist got to try homemade Swedish snus – which was quite fun to watch.

At Alyn Williams at the Westbury I had the fennel cured salmon with nettle vichyssoise and taleggio. Both the salmon and the soup were lovely, but it didn’t seem like a finished dish.

But Sushisamba delivered! This gorgeous sasa roll (shrimp tempura, shishito, coriander, spicy mayo and red onions) was delicious. Also the yellow wrap was edible and tasted surprisingly nice.

To finish I went back to where I started – at Bar Boulud – and had the macaron sandwich with strawberry yoghurt icecream. Sweet and refreshing at the same time!

Claude’s Kitchen, Parsons Green

Published on June 24, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Last weekend I met up with my fellow Scandi friend Malin in Parson’s Green. I was rather tired this Sunday and it wasn’t until we walked past the restaurant in question that I remembered I really wanted to try this newly opened eatery. Claude’s Kitchen is situated on top of the champagne bar Amuse Bouche and has the same relaxed ambiance as the floor below. The decor matched the atmosphere with its mismatched wooden tables, stripped wooden floors and thick red and white napkins.

Both Malin and I decided to have two starters each. It was a warm day and the main courses was a little bit on the heavy side.

But first came the delicious bread and soft whipped butter. I like restaurants that take the bread serious. First impressions and all that.

We had the same starter to start; the variation of asparagus. It consisted of both fried and raw shavings of green asparagus, saffron mayonnaise, goat’s curd and sorrel and was utterly delicious.

Malin’s second dish was fried mackerel with pickled vegetables and grapes. Pretty as a picture and very tasty too.

My rabbit and chorizo with beetroot and hazelnuts was lovely too. The chorizo was of the meaty variety, packed with flavour. The rabbit was well-cooked but unfortunately on the bone, which proved tricky to eat when it was coloured dark purple from the beetroot. Otherwise I really liked the beetroot soup in this dish.

We really enjoyed the food and the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The only thing I found a bit strange with our service was that all the dishes arrived almost at once. At first I thought it was because we came in late (after 3pm) and the kitchen was about to close, but when we got the pudding menu the kitchen seemed to have all the time in the world so that didn’t make sense. Probably just a communication error.

I will definitely come back and don’t be surprised if I become a regular; Claude’s Kitchen is after all only 10 minutes walking distance from the flat.

Amuse bouche | 51 Parsons Green Lane SW6 4JA | 02073 718 517

Dinner at Great Queen Street

Published on June 13, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

One great thing with having a blog is all the people you get in contact with. Sometimes you get freebies or invitations (yes, please!), sometimes a really nice comment, a recommendation for a restaurant or a very nice follower.

That’s the reason why I had dinner with one of my readers the other day. She is Swedish too, has lived in London for longer than I have and loves food. We have discussed restaurants in the comments’ section and on email for quite some time so it was about time to actually meet up!

The chosen venue was Great Queen Street, a restaurant both of us have been meaning to try for ages.

To be honest, I wasn’t bawled over when entering the restaurant, as the first thing I saw were the pine chairs and tables. Hello 80’s. But then you look around and notice the homely pictures and light fixtures on the walls, and as the restaurant fills up you decide you like it. Despite the pine.

The food here is simple and rustic, and although it is food I could easily cook at home, it still has that little extra you want in a restaurant experience. The seasoning is spot on, and although simply prepared the ingredients are of great quality and the pairings are great.

Sandra’s first dish of smoked mackerel with soft rhubarb and strong horseradish is a great example of their cooking. It looks simple, almost plain, but the flavours are there and they stay with you.

My first dish of snails, bacon and nettles was just right. Enough smokiness from the crispy bacon, soft melt-in-the-mouth snails and earthiness from the nettles. All the flavours came through and the crusty bread made a nice contrast.

Both of us decided baked eggs with tomatoes and peppers were a good idea in the grey quite cool evening, and it really hit the spot. Although I have made a similar thing myself, you could just tell that the best ingredients were used in this, and a lot of time allowed to further sweeten the vegetables.

It is a busy place though, so we only had our table for an hour and a half, but we could move to the bar and finish our wine and conversation there, so we were very happy. And a plus to the very attentive yet super-friendly staff.

32 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AA Tel: 020 7242 0622