eating out – Page 12 – Scandelights

Tasting menu at Harwood Arms, Fulham

Published on March 9, 2015March 6, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

I celebrated Valentine’s day with my fellow foodie friend Caroline at Harwood Arms, amongst a few couples but we enjoyed the food too much to notice it much. I’ve only had their a ‘la carte before and was a little worried that the tasting menu portions would be huge as the portions here are very generous, but it was just the right amount.

Shortly after having received water, bread and wine at the table the first course arrived; beetroot poached salmon with yellow beets and smoked sourcream. It was a very fresh dis and the smoked sourcream was a fun twist.

Next we had a rabbit terrine with almond praline, turnip, endive and yoghurt. Also really nice!

Thereafter turbot with smoked bone marrow and parsley root. Another nice dish with a fun twist. It was the first time I’ve had bone marrow paired with fish!

The best dish was without a doubt the last savoury one; perfectly cooked fillet of veal with velvety garlic potato purée with jus and toasted garlic. A-ma-zing!

After that high, the puddings were quite a blur. I prefer savoury over sweet any day and was really content after the first four courses. It was nice to have something sweet to finish off the meal but I’m afraid, to me, the puddings weren’t that memorable.

But they were just the right size to round off the meal nicely, and especially the mousse-topped shortbread with ice cream was really nice, even though it didn’t top the veal.

Harwood Arms, Walham Grove, London SW6 1QP

Dinner at Eelbrook, Fulham

Published on March 3, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

Even though I don’t live in central London I am more than pleased with the restaurants near where I live. Boma have nice burgers, just like Joe’s Brasserie and the best pub ever is just around the corner (all three places are actually within a 4 minute radius!).

There’s also a lovely one starred pub with amazing food a 10 minute walk north, and if you walk the same distance in another direction you have lovely Claude’s. And now there’s another addition; Eelbrook.

Caroline and I had dinner here on a Saturday night at in January and had a lovely meal! We started with pig’s head croquetas that were utterly delicious! As was the little crab tartlettes with beurre blanc and chives which I loved.

We also shared a portion of smoked eel, with beetroot, apple, mustard and horseradish.

Then it was time for our mains. I had bavette with broccoli rabe, trompettes and wild garlic butter. Very simple but absolutely perfect.

Caroline’s pork chop with lentils, leek and romesco sauce was equally amazing!

What a great addition to the already mentioned restaurants! This is definitely a little more up-scale than some of the others but the cooking is consistently very good and quite homely so it really works for a neighbourhood restaurant.

Eelbrook, Eel Brook Common, New King’s Road, Fulham, London SW6 4SE

Dinner at Matbaren, Stockholm

Published on February 19, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

I chose the dinner restaurant for the Stockholm trip carefully; I wanted it to have amazing food (of course), have food my non-foodie friends would enjoy and a nice atmosphere and I think I did very well choosing Matbaren from those parameters. The restaurant is a contemporary bistro with one star, and more casual than chef Mathias Dahlgren’s two-starred Matsalen.

When we were showed to our table (starving after having danced around Carina’s flat to 80s tunes) the menu as well as a paper bag with three types of crispbread and butter was already on the table.

We then ordered a bottle of wine and after having finished the crispbread we were served nice sourdough slices. The concept here is small plates and the staff recommend you order one at the time, which worked really well; the kitchen was utterly efficient (it’s the Swedish way!). My first dish was amazing. Smooth potato purée, 53 degree egg (which means it’s super creamy), crispy potato sticks and shaved black truffle.

Carina and Emma both chose the aubergine purée with delicious beetroots and sesame seeds. They both really enjoyed the dish, but the pricing was a bit off as quite expensive but not containing any fancy ingredients.

Our first courses were quite filling and Carina was full already, but Emma and I needed (and wanted) more food, so we decided to share two dishes. The first one was the above chicken kebab in a Chinese steamed bun with yoghurt sauce. Fun fusion and so very delicious!

We also shared this plate of Swedish sashimi. It was pretty as a picture and absolutely amazing. The oyster crème in the middle was to die for and the fish just melted in the mouth.

We were very content after these dishes and asked for the bill, skipping pudding. And I am glad we did as this big bowl of sweets were put in front of us. The madeleines with almonds, lemon and poppy seed were fantastic and the peanut fudge was lovely as well. Such a nice way to end the meal!

I really enjoyed Matbaren, just as I thought I would. The menu was nice and varied, the dishes interesting and modern (and of course very well executed), the ambiance nice and the service friendly and efficient. The only thing I can’t seem to get to when eating out in Sweden is the wine prices, but that’s not the restaurant’s fault.

Matbaren, Grand Hotel, Södra Blasieholmshamnen 6, 111 48 Stockholm, Sweden

Cava and pinxtos at Boqueria, Stockholm

Published on February 18, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

It was snowing in Stockholm two weekends ago so after walking around for a bit on the Saturday after a very late breakfast we were happy to escape the cold and look around a shopping centre. We got bored fairly quickly though and went to a pinxtos bar in the shopping centre and had a glass of cava. And then another. And then had some pinxtos.

2015-02-07 13.23.07

It was a really nice setting (especially for being in a shopping centre!) with high ceilings, natural light and lots of tables scattered around the atrium with the bar in the middle. Close by was the proper restaurant but we preferred the bar.

The pinxtos were not nearly as good as the real deal in Spain’s Basque Region, but for being served in Sweden they were nice. We had some with serrano ham and Manchego and I also tried a seafood one and one with chicken and tarragon. The olives and Spanish almonds were great!

Boqueria, Jakobsbergsgatan 17, 111 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Dinner at Magdalen, London Bridge

Published on January 31, 2015January 29, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

There are definitely holes in my London knowledge of restaurants and I really appreciate when friends introduce me to new places. I had never heard of Magdalen near London before a friend took me there, as it’s not an area I usually frequent but Magdalen was a good find; a really cosy neighbourhood bistro.

We started with potted crab with toasted sourdough. Simple and very nice!

For my mains I chose the pan-fried cod with leek, little beans and clams in a creamy delicious sauce. Very satisfying with subtle flavours.

The pork belly with seriously crispy crackling, lentils and green beans was equally nice. I can honestly say that London Bridge is not one of my favourite areas in London, but having this restaurant in your neighbourhood is a little bit tempting.

Magdalen, 152 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TU

Dinner at Bistrot Bruno Loubet, Clerkenwell

Published on January 22, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

It’s not often I go out to eat on Sundays, but when you’re friend works in the restaurant herself, there isn’t much choice, but looking for a place to go I realised most restaurants are closed for dinner on Sundays. Not surprisingly as Sunday lunches are a big deal in Britain, but still disappointing.

Luckily there are nice restaurants open, and we went to Bistrot Bruno Loubet in Clerkenwell. As the name suggests the food served here is French bistro cuisine, which we very much enjoyed. There aren’t any twists or much innovation here – but in a good way. Instead the food is traditional and very well executed. It is not easy cooking simple food well!

Helen started the meal with the rillette which was quite plain, i.e. no twists, but still very good.

I chose the pig’s head and got this wonderful big croquette and a sauce with eggs, capers, mayonnaise and herbs. Very good!

We both had the bavette with chips, salad and bearnaise sauce for our mains and it was very good. In fact one of the better bearnaise sauces I’ve had in a restaurant! It was thick, not too acidic and lovely!

Bistrot Bruno Loubet, 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ

Dinner at B.A.R., Malmö, Sweden – one year later

Published on January 13, 2015 by HannaLeave a comment

My first evening in Sweden before Christmas I spent with dear friends. First lunch with my bestie and then we gathered a bunch of friends in her and her husbands’ flat for some bubbly and snacks before going out for dinner at B.A.R.

Almost the same group of people went to this restaurant the year before as well, so it was fun to go back and compare. We were even seated in the same area and had another lovely evening with fantastic food, great wines and lots of laughter. Thanks guys for lovely get together!

The food so, was just as nice as the previous year. For some it was a bit strange to eat lamb’s heart but I think everyone enjoyed it in the end and I thought the dish was splendid.

But we started with their nice sourdough and beautifully whipped butter.

The first course was cured pollock with celeriac. It was nice and a fun take on different textures.

Next up was the lamb’s heart which was incredibly tender and thinly sliced. Mine was served with beetroots, capers, Jerusalem artichoke crisps and fresh horseradish.

The others had their hearts with red cabbage and crispy kale and that was a lovely dish too.

The pork with baked heritage carrot, red onions and lingonberries was very tasty and quite filling.

The wines we got recommended with our meal were as nice as the food, and this peppery red (La Stoppa Trebbolio Rosso 2012) we were served with the pork was especially good.

The pudding was similar to last year’s but I liked this one better; the salted caramel sauce with thyme was amazing! When photographing the dish my friend Tobias suggested I should be in the picture too, so I made him take a selfie of us! My friends thought I should continue to be in the pictures, but I prefer to showcase the food on its own, but occasionally I can post a picture of myself too.

B.A.R. Malmö, Erik Dahlbergsgatan 3, 211 48 Malmö, Sweden

Dinner at Brasserie Kungliga Posten, Malmö, Sweden

Published on October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

This is a delayed review since my Sweden visit in August when I visited the newish restaurant Brasserie Kungliga Posten in Malmö with a bunch of friends.

The restaurant is situated in what used to the an old post office but is now a swish brasserie instead. The interior is cosy with sofas as well as chairs to break up the large space, which works well.

When we visited in the height of summer, albeit on a Wednesday evening, the restaurant was fairly quiet, which actually surprised me as Swedes tent to eat out more when they have time off. The menu was very summery and simpler than the regular menu. The salmon tartar (above) was perfect summer food with cool and fresh flavours.

Also the mozzarella with tomato salad and toast was nice and fresh.

And the charkuterie board nice with pickled small onions, cornichons and four types of charkuterie.

The menu offered some smaller and some larger plate, without being divided into starters and mains, so some in the group had two starters or shared a starter and had a maincourse and the hungry ones had a starter and main, which worked really well.

Also the maincourses were nice; the cod (above) was perfectly cooked, the pork with Asian flavours really nice and the flank steak with bearnaise sauce and fries also really good.

But I wasn’t bawled over. Probably because I didn’t expect a summer menu. Everything our group sampled was cooked very well and the flavours were there, so we had a great evening, but as a foodie it was too close to what I cook myself at home.

So I look forward to visiting again and trying the regular menu and see what the kitchen can do. The summer menu definitely showed potential!

The staff was friendly and helpful and the wine list very suitable for the type of restaurant it is!

Brasserie Kungliga Posten, Posthusplatsen 4, 211 20 Malmö

Dinner at Tapa Negra, Palma de Mallorca

Published on April 30, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

The first thing I do before going away is to research restaurants. Because for me, nothing ruins a good holiday like bad food. And usually the bad tourist trap food is quite pricey too, which makes it even worse. I resent paying for food I can cook better myself but will happily pay quite a lot for good food. Anyway, that’s me and that’s why I spend time reading travel guides and restaurant recommendations online.

Tapa Negra was mentioned in several British articles (but in no Swedish ones) and as it was close to our hotel and open on a Sunday I decided we’d go here the day we arrived to celebrate daddy’s birthday.

It wasn’t fancy but not too casual either and the food was very good! The menu offered a mixture of cold and warm tapas, small plates (much like at Opera Tavern in London) and a few main courses to keep everyone happy.

My dad loves prawns, so the gambas with garlic and chilli were a given. Really good!

We of course had some pata negra (jamón ibérico) too, ham from black Iberia pigs bred on acorns. I think you can convey from the picture how delicious it was!

We also had a chicken scewer with incredibly moist chicken that came with grated fried potatoes. Simple and delicious!

We also had patatas bravas (you can spot some on the plate to the left) and they were really nice, olives bread and a mini burger that was totally yummy.

We also ended up with some pan con tomato that we actually didn’t order but were happy to eat and pay for (it’s the Spanish version of bruschetta with tomato pulp on garlicky crostini) and also had a crostini topped with coldsmoked cod. Daddy passed on it but mummy and I really enjoyed it. In fact we enjoyed everything! It was high quality on both the produce and the cooking.

Since it was daddy’s birthday we shared a bottle of nice cava with the food (Juvé y Camps 2009) and after all that food we could only muster two puddings to share. We had the grandad’s pudding, which was like a more set version of a crème caramel with a thicker caramel sauce, and some vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was very good and the pudding alright, but maybe not as nice as all the savoury food we had.

Highly recommended but requires an advance booking, easily done on their website.

Tapa Negra, Ingeniero Gabriel Roca 29, Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Spain

Tsunami, Clapham

Published on April 6, 2011 by Hanna5 Comments

I have to post twice today, because I can not keep this to myself any longer: yesterday I had the best sushi in my life!

My friend Carina is staying with me while working in London this week, and last night we had a fab girl’s night out. First shopping in Covent Garden after work, then sushi and a glass of wine for supper.

And that is all thanks to my friend Gaby who I emailed yesterday asking for sushi recommendations, because I know she is great at that. After all, this is the girl who introduced me to Trinity. And I think you all know how I feel about Trinity. Pure foodie love. 😉

And now I have found another place to love – Tsunami. Gaby just told me that the chef is ex Nobu, so no wonder it was so good!

We arrived around 8pm and the place was nearly full, so I was glad I had booked before hand. The restaurant feels nice and cosy with an Asian touch, a perfect date venue by the way, and it was dimly lit and felt intimite.

Our lovely waiter for the evening was all charm and even sensed when we were about to pay, so we didn’t had to ask for the bill, he beat us to it by putting it on the table. Little things like that means a lot to me, and shows that the staff is on the ball and alert.

It actually took a good while until we got the food we had ordered on the table, but it was of course freshly prepared and worth waiting for. We were blown away by the first bite. And half way into the meal we realised that we had to order more – that’s how good it was. So we did. A girls gotta eat, right?

Above you can (barely) see what we had, but I hope you can make out that it is nice sushi on the plate. The dim lighting and an iPhone camera was not the best combination… Anyway, for each maki roll we got six pieces so we started off ordering three maki rolls (salmon, spicy tuna and avocado and tempura shrimp) and two nigiri with scallops for me. The salmon rolls were really nice, and probably the best salmon rolls I have ever had, and yet they were not up for the competition from the other two rolls. The spicy tuna and avocado roll was excellent, served with a sauce on top and full in flavour, and even better (yes, it is possible!) was the tempura shrimp rolls. OMG, they were the best! They also had a sauce on top (a little similar to Rhode Island, but better) and absolutely lovely, Carina and I agreed. And the scallop nigiri was generous with the scallop and melted in your mouth. Lovely that one too.

Even though I am all nice adjectives, I am still struggling to explain just how nice it was, but I can say this at least: for every bite we were surprised by how good it was. By every bite. A nice experience I can tell you.

It was very good value as well, for our massive portions (we had five rolls and two nigiri in the end), two glasses of wine, a bottle of water and service charge the bill landed on around £50 for two. Not bad at all.

If you’re dying to go (and you should be) but don’t want to venture to south-west London, you can visit their branch on Charlotte Street.