RESTAURANT FILE – Page 20

Brunch at Roka, Canary Wharf

Published on December 17, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Five months after her actual birthday, my friend Gaby invited a few of us to a birthday brunch at Roka in Canary Wharf. It was definitely one of the best brunches I’ve seen; plenty of Japanese food (it just kept on coming), yummy bellini on arrival and as much wine (it was perfectly drinkable) you wanted.

The birthday girl was also quite happy with her choice!

It was definitely a decent buffet with sushi, seafood, vegetables, sashimi, meats and lots of it. And the chefs really worked hard at refilling it at the same pace we kept filling our plates (not an easy task!).

Apart from the buffet we also got some nibbles at the table, delicious dumplings and crispy calamari.

And a main course each was included as well. We were a group of eight and decided on four different dishes to share between all of us. The barbecued rib-eye was absolutely delicious and so was the dipping sauce.

The poussin with miso dressing was also utterly delicious!

The ribs were thickly glazed and nice too. We also had some terikayi salmon but I didn’t try it.

As it that wasn’t enough food we also got some puddings to share. Beautifully presented on platters we had fresh fruit, a chocolate mousse type thing with sorbet (very good) and a very fluffy vanilla mousse in the little pots.

It was a great brunch with a good selection and wonderful food. The buffet selection was very tidy and everything on there was really fresh. So good!

After the brunch we went outside and had another drink my the ice rink where it was this Christmassy and cosy. What a wonderful day!

Roka, 1st Floor, 4 Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square, Canary Wharf Group, London E14 5FW

Dinner at Asia de Cuba, Covent Garden

Published on December 10, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

A few weeks ago Karin, Niklas and their friend Ania and I had dinner at Asia de Cuba, a fusion restaurant serving Asian Cuban food served on plates to share.

The starters appealed to us more than the main courses so we shared a bunch of those, starting with some ceviche. The one with kingfish, curry and passion fruit (above) was nice but my favourite was the prawn, snapper and confit watermelon ceviche. Both were served with enormous prawn crackers and plantain crisps.

We also shared a crispy spring onion pancake topped with smoked salmon which was delicious! One of my favourite dishes that evening.

The Asian noodle box with Cuban vegetables and mushrooms was alright, but nothing special. A dish I actually could have done without.

The tuna tartar on crispy wontons was, on the contrary, another favourite!

Spiny lobster served with palm cajou hearts (whatever that is, Google couldn’t help me) and a spicy sauce. It was nice but not wow.

Confit duck leg on lettuce with hoisin sauce was a take on crispy aromatic duck that was really nice.

So far, we were happy guests (despite the draft from the air con) and we were looking forward to the desserts that were carried in on large platters to share but we were utterly disappointed. Our giant banana split looked quite impressive, but the brownie was really floury, the vanilla ice cream all icy and the biscuits not very nice. The bananas, chocolate ice cream and store-bought mini marshmallows were all fine, but I expect more from a restaurant cooking savoury food this well – like them having a decent pastry chef.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the cream. It was really sweet and probably from a can. Poor.

Asia de Cuba, 45 St. Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4HX

Bocca di Lupo, Soho – revisited

Published on December 8, 2014December 8, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

A few weeks ago we had a leaving dinner for Phuong – another American friend of mine to return to the US of A. While I don’t blame her for choosing sunny California over dreary England, she’ll still be missed!

The venue Phuong chose for her leaving dinner is one of my favourite restaurants in town; understated and cosy Italian Bocca di Lupo in Soho.

We started with some bubbly and the Bocca Prosecco was very good! We also got some bread, grassy olive oil to dip the bread in and some olives while we had a look at the menu.

We then shared quite a lot of starters. First calamari with baby squid which was really good!

Our waiter recommended the crescentine; deep-fried flatbreads, with cream cheese and salmon roe. He wasn’t wrong, they were delicious!

The fried sweetbreads with crispy artichoke I’ve had before and it was just as nice this time. The sweetbreads were nice and soft but with a crispy exterior.

We also had a plate of crudo consiting of tuna tartar with pine nuts, wonderfully sweet marinated prawns and delicious scallops. Especially the prawns were absolutely wonderful!

We then continued with primi and pasta. Again we shared a few dishes. First up was gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and mozzarella. Really nice and the gnocchi were amazing!

The tortelloni with prosciutto and cheesy sauce was also really nice.

But the orecchiette with n’duja, red onions and tomato was the winner – amazing! A nice combination of spicy, creamy and a little acidity.

Finally we shared some roasted pumpkin with parmesan…

… and this absolutely wonderful saltimbocca (the picture does not do it justice) and creamy polenta. We were too full to even consider pudding – but what a feast! Writing about it I’m already longing to go back.

Literally the last night with the gang… 😦

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

Dinner at Tredwell’s, Covent Garden

Published on December 1, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

The Masterchef: The Professionals judge and famous chef Marcus Wareing, known for fine dining, opened the doors to a more casual restaurant in Covent Garden in September that I have been very curious to try since.

Two floors, the interior a flirt with art deco and trendy well-cooked food is certainly a good combination. Especially when located bang in the middle of Central London.

We had a lovely chorizo jam with charred bread as a snack while looking over the menu.

My friend Tom started with slowcooked salmon with spirulina and cauliflower which was really nice and interesting.

I went for a classic dish with a twist; incredibly fluffy chicken liver mousse served in a jam jar over bacon jam (yep, it’s all about meat jam at the moment), with toasted bread. The flavour of the mousse was amazing but it was incredibly rich.

The main courses followed the same rustic no-fuss theme and the confit duck leg with charred cabbage was a show of simplicity. Incredibly tender meat!

I had a gratin with smoked haddock, crab and courgette. It was fresh and although the smoked fish flavour was strong the other flavours came through well too. We both had mash as sides which was nice but nothing special.

The portions were generous and we were pretty full after all that. But then we saw the pudding menu offering soft serve salted caramel ice cream and couldn’t resist. It was quite a milky ice cream (I prefer a creamier texture) but the flavour was nice and the honeycomb a nice touch.

Tredwell’s certainly feels like a restaurant from a team who knows what they’re doing. The decoration is nice and feels luxe although it is a casual restaurant, the food is very on trend (chorizo jam!) and what people want to eat right now as well as perfectly cooked. The waiting staff are all young people in casual uniforms and although the service was good when paid attention to, there was a lot of joking around with the colleagues instead of keeping track of the tables.

With the waiting staff being a bit more on the ball this restaurant is my new favourite casual restaurant in the area. With the close proximity to the West End theatres this is an area overpopulated with boring chain restaurants and Tredwell’s is a most welcome addition.

Tredwell’s, 4a Upper St Martin’s Ln, London WC2H 9NY

Dinner at Yauatcha, Soho

Published on November 26, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Sometimes when I meet my friends in groups of four, especially in a bustling restaurant or bar it feels like I’m part of Sex and the City. Partly probably because we talk a lot about men, but also because the surroundings fit. One Michelin-starred Yauatcha could have been in New York, it’s that type of vibe. And sitting there with four Americans, it’s easy to pretend. It was high pace, lots of chatter, cocktails and dim sum.

We ordered quite a few dim sum dishes to share, here some steamed dumplings with pork and prawn and Chinese chives and prawn. I absolutely adore steamed dumplings and these were amazing!

The crispy spring rolls with mushrooms and black truffle was another favourite. The cheung fun to the right was also really good, I think they were filled with pork (char siu).

These pan-fried dumplings with chicken were also really nice. Although my favourites are the steamed dumplings but I like to change it up texture wise too.

The crispy duck rolls were basically Peking duck as dim sum; stuffed with crispy aromatic duck and spring onions and dipped in hoisin sauce. Delicious!

My absolute favourite of the evening was the steamed dumplings with lobster, tobiko caviar, ginger and shallots. So good!

I always order turnip cake when in a Chinese restaurant and this was definitely the best one I’ve ever had. It was soft and almost fluffy and sprinkled with chives.

The others were almost fighting over the squid with chilli, oats and curry leaves but I wasn’t a huge fan. I love squid and it was well-cooked (crispy topping, soft fish) but I think it was the addition of the oats that didn’t appeal to me.

We only had (although quite a lot of it) dim sum, but there are plenty of main courses and puddings to chose from too. The restaurant feels very cosmopolitan and lively and the kitchen definitely deserves its star. The lower ground floor is a bit quieter if one’s not in the mood for the hustle and bustle.

Yauatcha, 15-17 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DL

Dinner at Fera at Claridge’s, Mayfair

Published on November 21, 2014 by Hanna2 Comments

One of my favourite British cooking programs on television is definitely The Great British Menu and after seeing Simon Rogan cook one amazing dish after another I really wanted to try his food. Unfortunately it took until now as Roganic closed, but I am thrilled that he’s opened Fera instead.

Having been to the same restaurant when it was Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s it was wonderful to see the transformation. The ambiance is a lot more modern now with an open kitchen and sleeker design but it’s still a stunning room that works well with the interior of the rest of the hotel.

When it opened Fera only offered a tasting menu, and although it now has an a’la carte as well we preferred the tasting menu consisting of seven courses.

First, we had an lovely amuse bouche with an incredibly light and airy goat’s cheese mousse and pea shoots.

The first course consisted of three bite sized dishes, the first being rabbit with lovage. The rabbit was incredibly tender but the coating crispy and although I’m not a fan of lovage in general but I must say it worked perfectly in this dish!

Next up was mackerel, oyster and seaweed in a wonderful combination which tasted like the sea. Loved the presentation too.

Smoked roe and red cabbage was next (although I had requested mine without cabbage). It was a lovely foam, both thick and light at the same time. Wonderful flavours!

Moving on to larger plates we got to enjoy scallops with parsnip puré and hazelnits which was nice and autumnal.

Raw veal with oyster, Wiltshire truffle, kohlrabi and apple was motley dish. The applepuré, although lovely, was very acidic and didn’t harmonise with the more subtle flavours but I loved the combination of veal, oyster and truffle.

Lobster, kale, lobster cream and crispy pork was delicious. The lobster was perfectly cooked the mild cream lovely in flavour and the pork and kale made it feel very seasonal.

Next up was sea bass, grilled leeks and razor clams. The charred leeks were lovely just like the razor clams but I thought the fish a little bland.

The suckling pig with celeriac, watercress, sprout tops and mead was interesting. One of the pieces of meat was crisp and lovely whereas for the the other one had a bit too much of the soft fat. I love crackling but find soft fat has a strange texture that doesn’t appeal to me. The watercress reduction was amazing though. ‘Very one dimensional, but in a good way’, as Caroline put it.

The first pudding was chocolate malt nitro wuth prune and dandelion. I had mine without prunes and it was utterly delicious, but Caroline thought the prune jam married well with the malty flavour.

The finale was a wonderful creation of baked figs, gingerbread cream, crispy gingerbread and fig leaf yoghurt. Just delicious!

We had coffee and tea after our meal and also received some petit fours. I think we were to full to properly appreciate them though. My favourite was the elderberry meringue but the others (liquorice, hazelnut jelly and ginger) were lovely too.

Our sommelier was very helpful and recommended beautiful wines and when he saw our longing looks to the kitchen when another table got to go in, he offered to show us around. Needless to say we were over the moon! Thank you.

We had a wonderful evening at Fera. We were well looked after, the food was terrific and the atmosphere really nice. I definitely thought some dishes were stronger than others but overall everything was well cooked and utterly delicious.

Fera at Claridge’s, 49 Brook St, London W1K 4HR

Lunch at Goodman, Mayfair

Published on November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

There’s steak and then there’s STEAK. Goodman serves the one in capitals; the type of steak that is full of flavour and melts like butter in your mouth.

As you can see, this is proper steak. Perfection.

Good steak is one thing, but the sides are almost as important. Almost. It is so disappointing when you have a nice proper steak cooked to perfection but with average side dishes like slightly soggy chips and an awful sauce. But Goodman has got it; the chunky chips are utterly crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy within. The truffle chips I ordered also had a nice truffle taste, from oil, but still.

The spinach was also nice and the portion generous and the mash was velvety and delicious.

And the sauce past the test too. The bernaise sauce was thick and a nice acidity. Det ultimata testet är ändå alltid bearnaisesåsen.

Goodman, 24-26 Maddox St, London W1S 1QH

For more steak, have a look at my Hawksmoor review.

London’s best burger! – lunch at Soho Diner, Soho

Published on November 6, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

I had my suspicions after my last visit, and after being back once more I can conclude that Soho Diner in my opinion has the best burgers in London. There I said it! It’s quite a big statement but they are so so good. When I dream about a burger it is this once that appears on my retina.

I haven’t tried every single burger in London, but out of the (quite a few) ones I have sampled Soho Diner is the clear winner.

On my last visit I came here with a colleague. We were both starving and went all out ordered quite a lot of (actually a bit too much) food. First a plate of nachos to share which was just as you want them; nice guacemole, delicious salsa, good tortilla chips and nice cheese.

Then it was time for the burgers (my mouth is watering just seeing this picture)!. We both chose a double which illogically has three patties (a single has two) and it was almost too big for me. The last bites I ate out of pure will because it was so so good!

The patties have a nice flavour, are nicely packed and pink in the middle. Extremely juicy. The cheese is just perfectly melted and gooey, the dressing a nice addition that doesn’t overpower the other flavours and the brioche bun sturdy enough not to fall apart and soaks up the juices. This, my friends, is perfection.

The thick fries are incredibly crisp and absolutely delicious too!

Although we were extremely full after that big burger and fries we couldn’t resist the puddings. Max had a chocolate brownie which came out plain, I like the no nonsense approach here, and it was to die for.

I should have known better than ordering a chocolate milkshake but in a weak moment I did. It was perfect too and I was sad I couldn’t finish it.

Soho Diner (Soho Kitchen & Bar),19-21 Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JJ

Lunch at La Bodeguilla, Palma de Mallorca

Published on October 23, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Although I loved going back to two favourites, I also wanted to make sure to try a new (for me) restaurant in Palma. La Bodeguilla was high on my list and open on Sundays (result!), so I booked a table online for lunch.

I instantly took a liking to the place. Impossible not to when you’re greeted by a huge jamon ready for carving! The interior is cosy and semi-formal. It has white table runners and napkins but still feels relaxed. And walking into the restaurant you can sneak a peek into the kitchen behind the bar, which further adds to the relaxed ambiance.

Seated we had a look at the menu and ordered some tapas to share and received an amuse bouche almost immediately after ordering the food. I actually don’t know what it was, but the creamy concoction was very nice!

We had some classic tapas that were very well executed. The croquetas with jamon and ceps were full of flavour, but not as perfectly delicate as at Puro Chef. Still very nice though!

The jamon bellota, was of course melt in the mouth delicious. I wish we had ham like this more readily available in the UK.

The calamari was really nice too, the batter was light and very crispy and the fish very tender.

The pan con tomate on granary bread was nice but I must say that I prefer it on white bread, that way the tomato make more of an impression, and doesn’t have to compete with the bread.

The patatas bravas were also well executed, full of flavour and both sauces were spot on.

We also had one proper cooked tapas; pig’s cheeks that were extraordinarily tender. They came with a jus and root vegetable puré which worked really well with the cheeks.

I will definitely come back to La Bodeguilla. The menu was a good mix of traditional tapas and more exciting ones and everything we had was cooked really well. It’s not as easy at it seems to cook simple food perfectly.

La Bodeguilla, Carrer de Sant Jaume, 3, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Two favourites in Palma revisited

Published on October 21, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

During the last few years I have come to love Spanish cuisine. In London there are plenty of authentic and nice tapas around, at Barrafina, Barrica and the Saltyard group for example.

Palma has plenty of nice restaurants and it was especially two I couldn’t wait to go back to; Tast and Puro Chef.

On Saturday we had lunch at Tast in the middle of the town centre. There are cold pinxtos at the bar to pick yourself and warm pinxtos and tapas on the menu to order. Further in there is a proper restaurant serving more filling maincourses but I prefer the all day bar menu. We ordered some pan con tomato because the neighbouring table had some and it looked amazing. And it was. Of the cold pinxtos we had crab mayonnaise with smoked salmon, white fish with pickled pepper and fried quail’s egg and beef with tomato and mayonnaise. The marinated camembert (looks like a fish tartar) was the only one we didn’t like – the others were amazing! From the menu we ordered a crab and gulas (mini eels) gratin each (so so good!), a kebab with monkfish, king prawn and peppers and a mini toastie with the local sombrassada sausage and cheese. All great!

I like the fact that Tast is unpretentious, nice but not fancy and that the food is consistently good. Everything is well-cooked but simple and you can pop in for a proper dinner or just a glass of wine and nibbles. The wines, by the way, are very good and very reasonably priced!

Tast, C/ Unión, 2, 07001 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Another afvourite is Puro Chef in Santa Catalina. Here they take pinxtos to gourmet level, serve nice tapas, proper maincourses and puddings. I never seem to be able to order anything other than the amazing gourmet pinxtos and a few tapas to share.

The jamon iberico croquetas were the best I have ever had (and I have sampled my fair share). They came out piping hot, were incredibly delicate and creamy and of course the flavour was spot on. How they were able to deep-fry anything so soft is a mystery to me! The amuse bouche was a creamy concoction with tuna and eggs served on sourdough. Of the gourmet pinxtos we both had the scallops with paprika purée which was delicious. Laura had the anchovies and lime toast full of salty goodness that she really liked and I couldn’t help but order the crispy suckling pig with Spanish sauce that I fell in love with last time. And it was just as delicious as I remembered. But the star of the evening was a brand new pinxtos the waitress recommended to us. Octopus with potato foam. It was utterly amazing. The foam was rich and light at the same time and had the most amazing flavour and hidden underneath were pieces of wonderful octopus.

Puro Chef, c/ Sant Magí 66, Palma De Mallorca, Spain