The Normanby

There are a lot of things I look at when choosing a place to eat but whether or not it is baby friendly is not usually an issue I have to grapple with. In fact, to make a horrible confession, at times I am quite happy when a place is not baby friendly at all as that means that there won't be any crying children interrupting my meal. Clearly this is the voice of a selfish, young childless person speaking and as a general rule I do love children. Really I do. However, a baby friendly place to eat became a priority when searching for a place to have dinner last night as a group of us were having dinner with our friends Rob and Michelle along with their baby Ally. My last experience of eating with children resulted in ingesting flaccid pasta in a rainforest themed basement complete with waterfalls and a life size electronic elephant (thanks Rainforest cafe). Luckily rather than be subjected to such torture again someone recommended The Normanby a bustling but family friendly pub in Putney.

The Normanby burger with bacon and cheese

The pub is modern and spacious with dark wooden floorboards, a few weathered chesterfields for lounging on and lots of tables for eating and drinking. It is a very big and open space but still feels cheery enough. Most importantly for current purposes though The Normanby quite a good job of the whole baby thing. Yes they did have a high chair. Yes we could be seated in a quieter corner of the pub out of the hustle and bustle. No, it really was not a problem to serve the Cumberland sausages and mash early for baby Ally while the grown ups (I love when in comparison I am a grown up) grazed on olives and bread. No, it still was not a problem when Ally painstakingly plucked all the petals off the gerberas adorning our table and no one batted an eyelid when a glass of water landed all over the table.

Fish and Chips

As for our meal, it was really your standard pub fare. Not great but not too bad either. The menu lists all the pub grub classics such as a pint of prawns, burgers and fishcakes. The "Normanby beef burger" is decent enough served in a warm English muffin with bacon or cheese added for an extra 50p. The burger is served with skinny but crisp fries, a salad of mixed leaves and cherry tomatoes along with a small pot of paprika aioli. Another pub staple, the fish and chips with mushy peas also fulfils its brief adequately. The cod is coated in a crispy beer batter which has puffed up around it to create an envelope which has steamed the cod gently. It is served with hand cut chips which seem to have been cooked in the same matter and the promised mushy peas.

It's not the sort of food you would travel across town for but it does the job and if you have a baby in tow The Normanby is certainly a better option that eating at a miserable child themed restaurant.

Details: 231 Putney Bridge Road, Putney Sw15 2PU (Ph 020 8874 1555)

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

If you liked this you might be interested in reading about my favourite pub meal in London at the Bull and Last in Kentish town or you could try my old local, The Prince Bonaparte in Bayswater.

The Clerkenwell Kitchen

Perched at a counter in The Clerkenwell Kitchen and tucking into a ploughman's lunch my experience was admittedly a far cry from the origins of the dish. Traditionally a ploughman's lunch contained cheese, bread and pickles and was prepared in winter time by a ploughman's wife or mother. My ploughman's did contain the same basic ingredients as the traditional version and it was suitably rustic in serving size and appearance however I think any comparisons can end there. I doubt the poor ploughman ever saw tomatoes as ripe as the ruby red beauties perched on my plate and surely there ham was nothing like The Clerkenwell Kitchen's ham which came in thick slabs cut off the bone of the quality that you only usually see at Christmas time. This was a ploughman's lunch fit for a princess.

The ploughman's

The top quality ingredients of my ploughman's lunch presented in a down to earth fashion are emblematic of the approach taken at The Clerkenwell Kitchen. It may be housed in a trendy warehouse space with polished concrete floors, exposed brickwork and designer furniture but the food is decidedly unfussy. After all, The Clerkenwell Kitchen was awarded Time Out's award for best Sustainable Restaurant in 2008. The head chef is Emma Miles who previously worked with Hugh Fearnely- Whittingstall at River Cottage and appears to be putting some of his principles into practice in the big smoke. It has an admirable commitment to fair and sustainable trade with a focus on local, seasonal, organic and free range cooking. This extends to using biodegradable packaging and recycling all waste glass, paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles.

The Clerkenwell Kitchen is open for breakfast and lunch during the week and for some reason that I do not quite understand only open for evening meals on Thursdays. The menu is chalked up on a blackboard and changes daily. It always includes six lunch dishes and two puddings along with a selection of sandwiches and other goodies that can be taken away for around £3.50 a pop. On the day of my visit the menu ranged from pea and mint soup to mackerel served with beetroot and horseradish.

Chocolate brownie

Even though the weather was stultifying warm the lamb chops were flying out of the kitchen. Two large chops were served in all their glory with a thick roll of fat hanging off them on top of a plate of white beans doused with salse verde and two slow roasted tomato halves. The chops were tender and blush pink inside yielding their juices to mix with beans.

Since it was just a light lunch I was after I thought I could get away without a pudding but was unable to resist the temptation of a pyramid of chocolate brownies stacked on top of the counter to the open plan kitchen. The brownie did not disappoint in a so good it must be so bad for you type of way with a fudgy interior and slightly crisp top.

While I sipped on an (organic) lemonade The Clerkenwell Kitchen also offers a choice of wines and beers. Service is very friendly to the extent that a lot of the customers were on first name terms with the staff and must work nearby and use The Clerkenwell Kitchen as a ritzy and ethically sound work cafeteria. However, I am tipping they are mainly architects and Clerkenwell media types rather than ploughmen.


Details: 27-31 Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell EC1R OAT (Ph 0207 101 9959)
Damage: Reasonable
8/10

If you liked reading about eating lunch with a touch of ethics and local produce thrown in you might be intersted in the Farm Collective in nearby Smithfield. Or if that photo of a brownie has made you hungry try this recipe for chocolate brownies with walnuts.

Cauliflower Cheese (Shopping with Abel and Cole)

The past week may just have been the healthiest that MTV boyfriend and I have had in a while. You see, Abel and Cole, the organic box delivery company kindly offered to provide us with a box to test out. It was not the delivery concept in itself that was unfamiliar. I am a delivery girl all the way from Net a Porter to Asos I love a good delivery. Given that I live in inner city London without a car I rely on Ocado delivery for all my supermarket basics then stock up with fresh fruit, vegetables and meats at markets. That's the rub. I've never got fruit and vegetables delivered before so Abel and Cole was a new experience for me.

8am in the morning and the doorbell rang. It was Abel and Cole with an organic fruit and vegetable box for me to try. Opening the box was a little like opening a lucky dip. What was going to be in there? I even had trouble recognising some of the vegetables (in my defence you don't usually come across spring greens in Australia). There were bananas, apples, spring onions, potatoes, broad beans, spring greens, cauliflower, lettuce, a pepper and a melon. There was so much food that it was immediately clear to me that MTV boyfriend and I would struggle to make it through it all. I had to plan as many meals as possible incorporating as many of the vegetables as possible in order to use them up before they started to take a turn for the worse. It was quite an interesting challenge but perhaps not one that I would relish every week.

Abel and Cole helpfully have recipes on their website so I was able to work out exactly what I was supposed to do with those mysterious spring greens. I scoured recipe books for innovative dishes with broad beans and for some vegetables immediately turned to old favourites such as my Mum's simple recipe below for Cauliflower Cheese using the Abel and Cole cauliflower.

I did enjoy my experience of Abel and Cole. I liked the fact that the fruit and vegetables supplied were organic and seasonal and I thought the produce was good quality. However I think that the sheer volume of fruit and vegetables is just too much for a couple rather than a family especially a couple that eats out quite a bit. I hate to waste food and right now there is half a lettuce head slowly rotting in the crisper drawer of the fridge.

Cauliflower Cheese
1 Cauliflower head
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head and cut into small florets. Place in an ovenproof dish.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a smooth paste and cook for 1 minute until bubbling.

4. Whisk in 2 cups of milk and stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour over the cauliflower.

5. Sprinkle with the cheese and nutmeg and bake in the oven for 15 mins or until the cauliflower is tender and the cheese is slightly brown and bubbling.

Serves 4 as a side dish. Goes very well with a Sunday roast.

If you liked reading this you might be interested in another side dish that goes brilliantly with a roast: Ottolenghi style fennel crumble.

Gourmet Chick was invited to try the Abel & Cole fruit and vegetables free of charge.

Market Thai

I am on a mission and my holy grail is a brilliant Thai restaurant. I am obsessed with Thai food. I love the subtle, delicate flavours and every now and again I crave the chilli kick. So far London has not been a happy hunting ground for me so it was with some trepidation that I decided to try Market Thai in Notting Hill a Thai restaurant that came with high recommendations.

Spring rolls

Located above a pub (the Market bar) on Portobello road the restaurant is filled with ornate wooden carved arches in a bid to create a Thai atmosphere. MTV boyfriend and I visited on a Friday night and Market Thai is fairly quiet which is not a great sign. Undeterred we order a serve of spring rolls and a couple of Singha beers to start. The spring rolls are small and crunchy, filled with tangy vermicelli noodles and vegetables.

The menu contains all the Thai classics such as Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai noodles and Massamun curry. Ignore these though the dish to order is the Pla Lad Prik which comprises crispy deep fried pieces of sea bass served with carrots, beans, mushrooms and broccoli and slathered in a spicy chilli and tamarind sauce. The texture of the sea bass provides a welcome foil to the stir fried vegetables. The Gratiem Prik Tai is just as good. This beef stir fry with garlic and pepper is served sizzling hot on an iron dish. The beef is tender and has just a hint of garlic and pepper with a mild heat.

The servings of Jasmine steamed rice are generous in size and light and fluffy. The only disappointment is the Pud Puk stir fried bean shoots and mushrooms in an oyster sauce as the vegetables have been overcooked and are a little flaccid. Service is friendly and exudes the famous Thai hospitality.

Pla Lad Prik

So is my quest over? Is Market Thai the holy grail? My verdict is good, perhaps great but not amazing Thai. The food is generally of a high standard but lacks the wow factor and the restaurant itself is slightly tired and needs a little more hustle, bustle and atmosphere in general. That said, I think I will return just for the Pla Lad Prik alone.

Details: 240 Portobello Road, Notting Hill W11 1LL (Ph 020 7460 6538)
Damage: Reasonable
7/10

If you liked this you might be interested in reading about the Thai food on offer at The Pineapple in Kentish town or you could spot a celebrity while you feast on Pad Thai at E&O.

Taste of London

Police barricades and bomb squads were probably not the introduction to the Taste of London festival that the organisers had in mind but this was what were greeted with on the first day of the Festival. Scheduled to start at 5.30pm the gates did not end up opening until almost 7pm. Apparently the problem was that someone had sent a letter threatening a bombing. To me, Taste of London seemed a strange event for a terrorist event. What do the terrorists have against middle class food lovers?

Freshly made chocolate sponges with orange sauce from the Vienna tourist board and Cafe Demel

Eventually we made it past the barricades and into the Taste of London. Set in beautiful Regent's Park in the heart of London despite the queuing crowds once you were inside there was plenty of room. White tents dot the arena each one housing a different restaurant or producer. We head straight for the wine section to chat to some of the friendly vignerons and pick a cheeky glass of white to begin our journey. Everywhere you turn there are free samples; cheese, sausage and pies galore.

Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche

First stop is Chapel Down English Wines where we try a glass of English bubbly with three freshly shucked oysters for £6. The bubbly is a light pink colour and tastes very young but still light and refreshing. Oysters are served with a simple wedge of lemon and shallot and red wine vinegar which enhances their natural flavour rather than masking it. After much debate we end up at the stand for Le Gavroche and opt for the braised beef in red wine with creamed potatoes. Michel Roux Jr himself is at the stand signing books and helping serve up the food. The creamed potatoes are a little starchy for my liking but the braised beef is phenomenal. When you can cut through a chunk of beef using a plastic knife and fork on a paper plate you know that you are eating a seriously tender piece of meat. Dessert involves several courses in itself. We sample a few macaroons, a scoop of ice cream and then finally a trip to the Boxwood Cafe stand for their chocolate fondue which is served with marshmallows, biscotti and strawberries.

The Taste of London festival is an expensive day out when you factor in the ticket price (£21 for a standard ticket) and then the fact that you have to buy "Crowns" at the equivalent of 1 crown for 50 pence to order any substantial portions of food. However, the relaxed and friendly atmosphere combined with the chance to experience so many restaurants in a short space of time means that I think it was money well spent. Clearly the rest of the crowd agreed since even a bomb threat did not deter them.

Details: 18-21 June 2009, Regents Park, London

Farm Collective

The Farm Collective is such a worthy cafe that you almost want to hate it. The vision of the "founders" is that of a cafe focused on UK produce which is sourced by Farm Collective and is all traceable. If the use of the term "founders" rather than "owners" or even "managers" makes you want to gag on your soy skinny latte there is more trouble in store for you as you will learn that the food is preservative free, made fresh in-house each day and 10% of profits are donated to charity. Selecting a bite for breakfast or lunch is a labour intensive task as each label painstakingly lists the provenance of almost every ingredient so that a ham and cheese croissant is described as a "Flourish Croissant loaded with Dorset Ham and Keens Cheddar".

Salmon Fishcakes

The problem is that as much as I do want to sneer at the earnestness of the whole enterprise I do like knowing where my food comes from. What's more the food at the Farm Collective is actually flavoursome and offers a welcome respite from the standard sandwich bars. The Farm Collective is more of a takeaway than an eat in sort of place with only a small selection of wooden benches at the front and back of the tiny store. Still, they do provide generous jugs of tap water and even copies of the paper to make your dine in experience a little more enjoyable.

Display fridges contain pre-made salads and sandwiches or you can queue at the counter to order a limited selection of hot food. From the salad selection the Chunky Dorset and Westcombe Farm Ploughmans comes in a cardboard container filled with a few rolled slices of free range ham, slices of cheddar, a dollop of coleslaw, grapes, lettuce and slices of apple. The Ploughmans is served with some crusty bread and at £4 is a welcome change from standard salads.

The Chunky Dorset and Westcombe Farm Ploughmans

Salmon fishcakes at £4.50 for two are plucked from the pie warmer and served in another cardboard container together with a handful of fresh lettuce leaves which the friendly staff select from a large bowl in the middle of the counter. The fishcakes themselves are a bit of a disappointment as despite looking the business with a lovely golden bread crumbed exterior they err on the side of too dry. I suspect the time they have spent in the pie warmer may be to blame.

All this emphasis on provenance and rustic flavours comes at the higher end of the scale for the typical office lunch crowd. Ordering the pie and mash will set you back £6 before you even think about a drink or afternoon snack. That said, who can put a price on the smug feeling that you will enjoy as you munch on your freshly made, preservative free, charity friendly and proudly British lunch.

Details: 91 Cowcross Street, Smithfield EC1M 6BH (Ph 0207 253 2142)
Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve
6/10

Vanilla cupcakes

I think I have previously mentioned my slight obsession with the Hummingbird Bakery. You see, the Portobello road store is just around the corner from my flat and so if I ever feel like a pick me up I love nothing better than to pop in and snaffle a cupcake to take away. The Hummingbird bakery cupcakes are the real American deal, similar in style to the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York the cupcakes are over the top, super sweet and fabulous. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the Hummingbird Bakery had brought out a cookbook so it was possible to feed my addiction on a slightly more economical basis. Even better the recipe for the standard vanilla cupcakes is actually pretty simple. Sure my cupcakes didn't turn out looking quite as perfect as Hummingbird's but they were close and most importantly they tasted just as good.


The secret which I have discovered through trial and error is that for Hummingbird style cupcakes you need to bake the cupcakes in a muffin tin and use muffin cases (available from Waitrose) rather than cupcake cases. Cupcake cases are too small and if you put them in a muffin tin the cupcakes will spread and turn out looking squashed.



Ingredients
240g plain flour
280g caster sugar
3 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
80g unsalted butter at room temperature
240ml milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
250g icing sugar sifted
80g unsalted butter at room temperature
25ml milk
A couple of drops of vanilla extract
A couple of drops of food colouring (I used red for pink frosting)


1. Line muffin tray with paper cases and preheat oven to 180C.

2. Cream the sugar and butter then mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until combined.

3. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

4. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl and then pour into the flour mixture and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth.

5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases but only fill them two thirds full. Bake in the oven for 25 mins or until slightly golden and then cool on a wire rack.

6. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed.

7. In a separate bowl combine the milk, vanilla extract and food colouring then add to the butter mixture gradually. Continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

8. Decorate the cupcakes with the frosting once cool.


Makes 12. Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I have doubled the quantities used in the book to ensure that the cupcakes are of a generous size.


If you liked reading this you might enjoy reading about the Hummingbird Bakery or if you are in the mood for sweet treats try this recipe for sticky caramel slice.

Fort St George (Gourmet Chick in Cambridge)

The Fort St George pub in Cambridge has everything going for it. The charming historic pub is situated in a prime location on the banks of the river Cam. It has a large beer garden which was the perfect spot to soak up the sunny weather on the weekend. The pub serves a selection of real ales and a range of other drinks including large jugs of Pimm's. What a disappointment then that the food served is so grim.

The menu lists a range of pub standards and on a Sunday there is also a carvery option. The bacon and cheese burger is a generous serving however the size of the dish is really the only positive. The burger has a pallor like a greying corpse and is so overcooked that it is tough and rubbery. It is served with a side of greasy coleslaw and mediocre chips which are obviously commercially prepared rather than hand cut. The chips served with the fish and chips suffered from the same problem while the accompanying peas were soggy and the fish itself was watery with a cloying batter. The scampi received a similarly tepid reaction from our table due to the total absence of any taste at all inside the crispy crumbed exterior.

Scampi served with chips and peas

Prices are not bad by pub standards hovering around the £8 mark but I would prefer to pay more to eat food that had been prepared with a modicum of passion and care. If you are Cambridge pop in for a drink in the Fort St George's beer garden but move onwards if you want something to eat.

Details: Midsummer Common, Cambridge, CB4 1HA (Ph 01223 305523)

Damage: Reasonable

3/10

If you liked reading this you might be interested in a review of a pub with sensationally flavoursome food, the Queen's Head in the Lake District or in London try my local The Prince Bonaparte.

Chocolate Brownies

Before the dawn of the age of the cup cake brownies were the indulgence of choice. They were at every food festival and served at every dinner party. I admit that I have developed quite an addiction to cup cakes but there is always a soft spot in my heart for a decadent chocolate brownie. Brownie connoisseurs will tell you that the best brownies are slightly crisp on the outside but fudgy on the inside. To achieve this perfect texture it is important not to overcook brownies. Take them out of the oven while they are still slightly uncooked in the centre and glossy on top.

This recipe is perfect if you are after brownies with a minimum of effort and mess. The brownies can be cooked using one saucepan and a slice tray. The secret to the gooey texture is the use of cocoa powder in this recipe rather than actual chocolate. Make sure you buy the best quality cocoa powder you can afford as you will be able to taste the difference.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup cocoa

2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1 cup plain flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla essence

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Melt butter gently. Remove from the heat and stir in cocoa and then sugar.

3. Break eggs into mixture one at a time, then add flour, walnuts, vanilla and salt and stir to combine.

4. Pour into a greased slice tin.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked but still soft in the centre.

6. Leave in the tin to cool completely before cutting into slices.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe for "Stan's Famous Brownies" featured in Epicure several years ago. I have made it many times since and it is always a winner.

If you liked this you might be interested in reading my recipe for chocolate spiked raspberry brownies or read about the best commercially produced brownies I have tasted at the Real Food Festival.

Hotel Budir (Gourmet Chick in Iceland)

MTV boyfriend popped the question on the remote Snaefellsnes peninsula in Iceland which must surely be one of the more unusual places to propose. I still can't pronounce Snaefellsnes properly but I can say that the landscape is bleak but beautiful with rocky outcrops formed from ancient lava fields and shadowed by the snow covered Snæfelljökull glacier. Even in such an isolated location MTV boyfriend made sure we were staying somewhere with decent champagne to celebrate. Hotel Budir is on the edge of a lava field one side of the hotel faces out to the sea where you can see otters heads bobbing on the water as they head out to fish and from the back of the hotel the glacier looms in the distance. Despite its location Hotel Budir is known for innovative food produced in the restaurant with it's strong emphasis on the use of local produce.

Slow cooked trout

It was always going to be hard for a meal to live up to such an occasion but Hotel Budir rose to the challenge with the Chef's selection menu. Sipping on champagne we started with a basket of home baked dense white bread served with a sun dried tomato pesto. It would be hard to get produce more local than the slow cooked trout which we were told by the waiter came from a lake about seven miles away. Thick cut slices of velvety trout were served on slate drizzled with sauce made from seaweed and skyr a yoghurt like Icelandic specialty.


Next up came paper thin slices of duck breast layered over chunks of roasted apple. The flavour combination was inspired as the sweet apple complemented the peppery duck. This was followed by another satisfying starter of two chubby scallops quivering on a smear of parsnip puree.

Icelandic lamb fillet

The main course on the menu was a fillet of Icelandic lamb served with flakes of slow cooked lamb shank, roasted onions and a scattering of local wild flowers. You hear a lot about Icelandic lamb and it does have a distinctive almost gamey taste which is a result of the country's geographical isolation and the diet of the lambs reared in Iceland's unspoilt highland pastures. The serving side was generous although I would have preferred my lamb more on the rare side so that I could appreciate more of the unique flavour.


The only let down to the meal was dessert which was a "chocolate plate" which primarily comprised a fudgy chocolate brownie served with some skyr with blueberries. It was decent enough but it was evident that there was no pastry chef at Hotel Budir and the dessert did not quite meet the high standards of the rest of the meal. Still can a girl really complain when her boyfriend has just asked her to marry him and the waiters are bringing over some complementary dessert wine to assist in the celebrations.


Details: Budir, Iceland (Ph +354 435 6700)
Damage: Pricey
8/10


If you liked this you might be interested in reading about the fabulous Sjavarkjallarin in Reykjavik or try the Icelandic lamb in a hot dog!

Sjávarbarinn (Gourmet Chick in Iceland)

Thanks to the global financial crisis you can eat at some great restaurants in Iceland without suffering from your own personal financial crisis when the bill arrives. At these sort of restaurants the food will be exquisite but it will also be pretty fancy and sometimes you are more in the mood for the simpler things in life. Perhaps one of the simplest pleasures in life is the taste of fish and chips served by the sea.

In Reykjavik one of the best options for fish and chips is Sjávarbarinn which is located in a row of warehouses right on Reykjavik's harbour. The interior looks like a typical English fish and chip shop with slick and span plastic chairs and table and a long counter running along the wall. It is basic but I appreciate the lack of pretension. The only sign that you are in Iceland are the pictures of various whales on the walls and of course the food. Sjávarbarinn features an all you can eat buffet filled with a variety of hot and cold fish dishes and salads. Traditional Icelandic dishes are a feature such as an Icelandic fish stew and fermented shark. If you felt like it you could really be adventurous here although I was a little scared I might accidentally eat some whale meat and anyway as I said I was in the mood for some simple fish and chips.

For 1,200 ISK (around £6) you get a huge piece of battered haddock, thick cut chips and salad. The haddock is a winner. The golden batter crunches satisfyingly as you bite into it to reveal the fish's pearly white flesh. I am not so sure about the chips which are more potato wedges than traditional chips. Perhaps this is the Icelandic way.

Even in a country where the local currency has been decimated Sjávarbarinn is very reasonably priced for a no frills fish and chip feast.

Details: Grandagardur 9, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland (Ph 517 3131)

Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve

6/10

If you liked reading this you might be interested in the cheapest meal in Reykjavik - a hot dog from Baejarins Bestu. If you are a bit more flash with cash try the sensational Sjvarkjallarin (Seafood Cellar).

Capital salad

The advent of summer means that it is time to start looking to lighter meals such as salads. That doesn't mean eating rabbit food though. Even MTV boyfriend was impressed with this Capital Salad which I whipped up for dinner last night. Perhaps it was the fact that there is still crispy fried bacon and soft boiled eggs in the salad (for MTV boyfriend does not cope that well with meals which fail to include some sort of protein). The Capital Salad is a Parisian bistro special and so fits in well with the theme of this month's Waiter There's Something in My... Bistro Food.

Ingredients:
12 new potatoes
4 eggs
6 rashers of bacon
1 escarole or frissee lettuce
2 globe artichokes
Salt and pepper to season
Dressing
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs red wine vinegar
4tbs olive oil

1. Wash the artichokes, cut off the base and steam for around 20 mins or 10 minutes in the microwave until tender.

2. Boil or microwave the potatoes until tender which will take around 10 minutes and then cut in half.

3. Bring a saucepan of water almost to the boil and just before add the eggs. Leave on the heat for 1 minute, place a lid on top and then remove from the heat and leave to sit for six minutes. Rinse the eggs in cold water and once cool enough shell them.

4. Slice the bacon and fry until golden.

5. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. Add in the lettuce leaves then add the potatoes and bacon and toss.

6. Tear the soft boiled eggs in half and place on top of the salad with the artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe serves four and is adapted from Fran Warde's New Bistro.

If you liked this you might be interested in reading about some classic Bistro food at hip Mama Shelter in Paris or if you are looking for salad recipes try this one for Roast Potato and Chorizo Salad.

Belgo

Lobster to many people signifies a special occasion or something that you order at a fancy restaurant. Belgo is trying to change that perception during "Lobster Fest" where the restaurant offers a special menu during the month of June with lobster from £5. Belgo is not the sort of place I would usually order lobster. It is more well known for mussels from Brussels (which it does very well) and specialty Trappist beers and is the sort of place where you can have a filling meal for a cheap price.

Red Thai Lobster

So you can imagine that I was intrigued to hear about the LobsterFest and jumped at an invitation to review the LobsterFest menu. I do want to emphasise that this was an inviatation to review the restaurant so I (along with Food Stories, Cheese and Biscuits, Eat Like a Girl and Hollow Legs) did not have to pay a penny which does always make the food taste a little bit nicer but I will try to be as objective as possible. The lobster tasting was held at Belgo Centraal which is a cavernous basement restaurant deep in the bowels of Covent Garden. There are three other Belgo restaurants in London. I do generally try to avoid reviewing chain restaurants but I suppose I have reviewed Ottolenghi which has three cafes in London now so perhaps I can bend the rules slightly and tell you about Belgo. Don't worry though you are not about to see reviews of McDonald's or Carluccio's posted up here.

Belgo Centraal is big and noisy. It is the mother ship of Belgian restaurants in London. Long wooden tables line the space and you are served by waiters wearing what is supposed to look like a Trappist monk outfit. I do always feel sorry for waiters wearing novelty outfits however our waiter toed the Belgo line admirably and insisted that he quite enjoyed wearing his flowing robes. We started with the entrees which were priced from £5 to £8.50 (which is actually half a lobster). This is ridiculously cheap for Lobster. The only problem was that I was not so impressed with what Belgo had actually done with the lobster. The Red Thai Lobster which was half a lobster baked and topped with thick curry sauce did not taste to me either of Thai flavours or lobster. The curry sauce totally drowned out the delicate lobster meat and the curry itself was bland and totally lacked any of the subtleties of Thai cooking. Lobster Thermidor suffered from the same problems. The lobster was baked and topped with a gooey cheese, mustard and beer sauce. I know this is what a thermidor is supposed to be like and this was perfectly good example of lobster thermidor but once again you couldn't taste the lobster at all.

Surf and Turf

The pick of the entrees on offer was the lobster bisque. The deep red soup had a pungent aroma and the taste was silky and rich. It was so rich that I think I would struggle to finish a whole bowl. I could not resist trying the Surf and Turf. I just love the name. Half a lobster was grilled and served with garlic butter a 6 ounce rib eye steak, frites and salad (£16.95). This is as cheap as you will get anywhere for this type of meal and the lobster was delicious, the garlic sauce did not overpower the fresh from the sea shell filled with feathery light lobster meat. The rib eye steak was not the best quality cut of meat and a little bland but at these prices it was a good value meal. If you are looking for something slightly lighter try the lobster salad which is a whole lobster rearing above a salad proper of spring onions, green beans and carrots doused with a light port and lemon dressing.

From the dessert menu the best choice was the white chocolate mousse which was a little round of moussed ringed with a thin layer of dark chocolate. The pistachio ice cream with dark chocolate sauce was more show than substance arriving in a huge sundae glass but only delivering a watery approximation of pistachio flavour.

If you are after cheap lobster I think you would be hard pushed to find better value than Belgo's LobsterFest menu. Go for the plain grilled Lobsters to really appreciate the lobster flavour. If you are a beer connoisseur you will enjoy the fact that Belgo has paired the lobster dishes to different Trappist beers. Personally though I am going to leave Lobster as the sort of thing I eat on a special occasion or when I am by the sea.

Details: 50 Earlham Street, Covent Garden WC2H 9LJ (Ph 020 7813 2233)
Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve (although free for me)
5/10

If you liked this and you are in the mood for seafood check out London's renowned seafood restaurant J Sheekey (although be warned prices are a lot steeper). If you are in the Covent Garden area why not check out the brilliant but tiny Giaconda Dining Room.

Gourmet Chick was invited to review Belgo and received a complimentary meal and drinks.  All restaurant reviews except where stated are conducted anonymously and paid for personally.