London – Page 15 – Scandelights

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

Sushi Samba, The City – revisited

Published on October 13, 2014October 13, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

One of my dear American friends, Erin, moved back to her beloved US or A at the end of August. I was away most of that month and I missed her leaving do so to be able to say goodbye properly we squeezed in one last dinner with two more friends, before she left. Since we wanted to give Erin a proper send-off we booked a nice restaurant I have only been to once before, and the other girls not at all; Sushi Samba.

Last time I came here I had a great time and really enjoyed the evening although the level of the food was a bit inconsistent.

We started our meal with a nice bottle of Sancerre and some plantain crisps and dip what we all enjoyed.

The sashimi was lovely too. I had the same as last time; yellowtail sashimi with yuzu and black truffle oil, and it was just as nice this time.

Amy is not a fan of sushi so had some nice beef incredibly crispy calamari – both very good.

We also had some Peruvian corn as a side to share. The kernels are bigger, lighter in colour and a bit chewier than regular corn. The taste also differs; it’s slightly less sweet but still very nice.

I couldn’t help but order the Sasa rolls, a real favourite of mine. They come two per portion so you don’t have to be greedy like me and have one portion to yourself. They are delicious but one per person is totally enough as they are quite filling! But absolutely lovely! Erin loved them too.

The sushi came out last as it takes a while to make but it was definitely worth the wait. Last time here it was actually the sushi that was a bit disappointing but I clearly ordered the wrong thing or the chef was having a bad day, because the sushi we had this time was marvellous! My favourite was the Sushi Samba roll (left) but the Sao Paulo and Yoyogi rolls (all on the platter) were great too!

It literally was our last evening together (sob) so we asked our kind waiter to take a photo of us to remember it by. And then we couldn’t help ourselves and took some silly selfies in front of the amazing lit-up tree on the terrace.

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

Lunch at Bar Boulud, Knightsbridge

Published on August 17, 2014August 18, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Quite a while ago Sinead and I had a lovely long lunch at Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge. It was raining so we thought we spend the day very appropriately with two courses each and some nice wine.

Sinead started with a couscous salad with herb sauce and vegetarian filo pastry parcels that was delicious, although big as a main course.

I chose the crab and had both crab mayonnaise on lettuce as well as fried soft shell crab with remoulade on my plate. Very tasty!

Sinead usuallu has the chicken dish on the menu wherever we go and this was a stellar classic with chicken breast, roast potatoes, green beans and tarragon jus.

I went for the burger that I had heard so much about. It was rumoured to be the best burger in London which I think is a bit ambitious but it was definitely a good burger. But nothing beat the truffled mashed potatoes I had on the side. Oh my, this was amazing! The mash was a proper buttery and fluffy puré and served with generous shavings of black truffle. Trust me when I say I will probably order it every time I go here.

Bar Boulud, Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park 66, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Dinner at The House of Ho, Soho

Published on May 20, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

About a month ago my friend Malin and I had a farewell dinner at The House of Ho, a fairly newly opened Vietnamese restaurant in London, as Malin was moving away. Not far, but I still miss her.

The restaurant is lively and along the back wall there is a long bar and small tables are scattered around the cosy area. My first thought was that it’s a great place to go on a date, as it was buzzing and fun but still a bit intimate.

The menu consisting of both small dishes and proper main courses was interesting and we decided to share a few dishes to get to try as many things as possible.

The salmon tartar, above, with onions, seaweed and flavoured salt was nice, but I prefer already mixed tartars to these where you mix yourself on the plate.

The smoky aubergine with spring onion vinaigrette and fried onions that Malin’s colleague recommended to us was absolutely lovely and probably my favourite for the evening.

The pomolo and crab salad with noodles, mint and prawn crackers was nice but not amazing. The monk fish with lemongrass and caramel sauce (no picture) was lovely though.

I found the food to be a bit hit or miss, although everything was well cooked some dishes lacked a bit of oomph. It’s stiff competition having a restaurant in London and The House of Ho definitely has potential but needs to figure out what they’re good at and stick to that.

House of Ho, 57-59 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 6HP

Dinner at Mele e Pere, Soho (revisited)

Published on March 5, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Mele e Pere in the midst of vibrant Soho (we saw two people getting arrested just after dinner) is a real gem. It’s very relaxed, usually crowded and they have prosecco on tap!

I had dinner with my ex-flatmate Nick here a few weeks ago and since we were both starving after a hard day at he office we started with a few things to share and then moved on to a pasta dish each. To share we had a bread basket (with lovely focaccia), sweet green olives, calamari with smoky mayo and a parmigiana with pesto and rocket. All very tasty!

Nick had a large portion of their beef ragù to finish and it was very proper. I’m sure it had been cooked for several hours.

I chose probably the richest pasta dish in the universe but it was utterly amazing. Fluffy pillows of gnocchi with a very buttery sauce and shavings of black truffle. So lush!

Mele e Pere, 46 Brewer St, London W1F 9TF

Lunch at The Delaunay, Holborn

Published on February 25, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Last Saturday Sinead and I played ‘ladies who lunches’ and went to The Delaunay for lunch after the Isabella Blow exhibition at Somerset House. The Delaunay is part of the same company that runs The Wolseley as well as Brasserie Zédel and Colbert (of which I’ve been to all the others).

Just like the other restaurants in this group The Delaunay has a grand art deco interior and a very classic European menu offering borstj, pierogi, wurts and Schnitzel as well as French classics.

I had the steak tartare (which I adore if it’s made properly) and this was a very nice version. Perfect balance of flavour, good quality meat and a quail egg yolk on top. I chose the smaller size because even though I love steak tartare I can’t eat a lot of it. The smaller portion came with sourdough toast but I ordered some frites so make it more substantial.

Sinead loves chicken and had the spatchcocked poussin with salsa verde and a green salad. She enjoyed it but wasn’t as pleased as I was with my steak tartare.

We both liked The Delaunay but prefer The Wolseley. The Wolseley just feels grander with its lighter interior while The Delaunay is darker with its wood panelling. I also found the service a little lacking here. But with that said, it is still a great restaurant and a good alternative to the real thing if you find yourself in Holborn.

The Delaunay, 55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB

Sushi lunch at Chisou, Mayfair

Published on February 11, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

When my friend Carina was in town I got the task to find a good sushi restaurant, that was open for lunch on Sundays, served good vegetarian food (not veggie sushi) and located in central London. Not super easy, especially when one in the group is Japanese, but my apparently my research skills are up to scratch because we ended up at Chisou Mayfair and we were all very pleased with our lunch.

Elena chose a sashimi lunch special served with a salad, rice and fruit for afters and Hetal, who’s vegetarian, had a delicious teriyaki tofu with rice.

Carina and I both love sushi and every time she comes to London to visit we try a new place. We decided to start with three maki rolls and loved them all. The salmon avocado was pretty standard but very good and the shrimp tempura delicious but the spicy tuna toll was a-ma-zing. The tuna was such good quality it just melted in the mouth.

Since the sushi was so good we decided on ordering an extra roll and had the spider roll with soft shell crab – also amazing.

The interior at Chisou is not typical Mayfair but neither are the prices and the short walk from Regent Street together with the excellent food makes this a perfect lunch place when out and about in central London.

Chisou Mayfair, 4 Princes Street, London W1B 2LE

Breakfast at The Chelsea Quarter Café, Chelsea

Published on November 13, 2013November 14, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

I really should start a survey comparing London’s Eggs Benedicts. It is my absolutely favourite breakfast dish both at home and out. When I’m not sampling Eggs Benedicts I usually go for a croissant on the go. And yes, my breakfast choices are super healthy.

These eggs from The Chelsea Quarter Café on Kings Road were perfect. Consisting of a slice of toasted sourdough with proper ham (not the pressed version – shudder), perfectly poached eggs and bright yellow hollandaise they were a delight to tuck into.

The worst Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had was at Bluebird Café, also on Kings Road, which I didn’t expect at all since the restaurant is really nice. Hopefully the café chef was just having a bad day but that was a terrible breakfast; cold eggs, cold hollandaise and not very nice flavours. Shudder indeed.

The Chelsea Quarter Café, 219 Kings Road, London SW3