2010 in review

Forgive me for feeling a little retrospective at this time of year and looking back, misty eyed over what has been before knocking back a few glasses of champagne and heading into 2011.

Glass of champagne looking out over London at Vertigo 42, in Tower 42

1. Best meal in London in 2010. Buffalo milk curd with a broth of grilled onions served with truffle toast at The Ledbury. It takes longer to list the ingredients in its name than it took me to eat this spectacular but still super tasty dish. The highlight of a meal at The Ledbury which was full of highlights.

2. Best meal outside London in 2010. Eggs scrambled with truffles and served with jamon and toast. This was our lunch after a morning of truffle hunting thanks to Hotel Crillon le Brave in Provence. Despite the simplicity of the supporting ingredients this was truly a meal where the prized truffles shone and the whole experience combined made the meal incredibly memorable.

Truffled scrambled eggs and jamon in Provence

3. Worst meal in London in 2010. Shish taouk as a pre theatre dinner at Noura. The problem here wasn't the food which was fine, instead it was the incredibly poor service which nearly made us miss the play we had booked to see. One of the few times I have refused to pay London's "optional" service charge.

4. Worst meal outside London in 2010. There were a few contenders for this from my trip to Norway. Norway has to be one of the most breathtakingly beautiful countries I have ever been to. However food has a tendency to be mediocre and over priced. There were a few notable exceptions such as Sott og Salt in Bergen, but my reheated lasagna at Vangen cafe was really beyond redemption.

Roasted vegetable tart made using a recipe from Yottam Ottolenghi's Plenty

5. Cookbook of the year. I have come to love so many great new cookbooks this year. Special mention must go to the brilliant David Thompson's Thai Street Food which is part book part coffee table, Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion which is inspiring me both indoors and outdoors and Mark Hix's Hix Oyster & Chop House for the great recipes and helpful sections on cuts of meat and types of oysters. There can only be one winner though and this year the best of the bunch was Yottam Ottolenghi's Plenty which is both inspiring and practical. It has also helped in my aim to eat more vegetables and have more meat free meals.

6. Total number of posts this year: 159. A little less than the year before but hopefully it is all about quality and not necessarily quantity.

7. Most far-flung reader: hello to Hanoi, Vietnam.

8. Weirdest search term used to get to Gourmet Chick: naked chick cooking pancakes. This is a bizarrely popular search term. Sorry but this is just not that sort of blog!

Since it is that time of year, here are a few aims for the next year.

Wish list for 2011 in London

• Dinner - Heston Blumenthal's new restaurant which opens in February. I have a booking for the first week so it looks like this is one wish that is going to get fulfilled.

• Viajante - This restaurant seems to divide people into a love or hate camp. American in London seemed to like it which is enough to make me want to try it. Anyway, I would like to go and make up my own mind while enjoying Nuno Mendes innovative cooking.

• Fernandez and Leluu - 2010 has been the year in which supper clubs really took off and so I would love to attend Fernandez and Leluu's supper club which the guru of supper clubs, The London Foodie, routinely raves about.

• Vinoteca Marylebone - I love the original Vinoteca in Farringdon so am delighted the lovely people behind it have decided to open a second outpost much closer to my house. I just wish they took bookings in the evening.

• 101 Thai - I have had this on my wish list every year. Surely it should not be so hard for me to get to Hammersmith?

• Phoenix Palace - Mr Noodles has flagged this up as his favourite place in London for dim sum. Mr Noodles knows his dim sum so I am going to make my way there pronto.

• The Fat Duck - This has been on my wish list for three years now. Hopefully I will get my act together and actually make it there soon. Just realised I have two Heston Blumenthal restaurants on this list, not very creative of me is it?

Looking out over Bologna's old town, Italy

Travel wish list for 2011

I was lucky enough to visit some amazing places in 2010 including Lebanon, Norway, Umbria in Italy, Provence and Bordeaux in France, the crazy little island of Ibiza, two trips to Berlin, trips to Ireland and Australia to see family and friends, adventures in the UK itself and of course a brilliant honeymoon in Sri Lanka.

Anyone for reindeer steak? In Flam, Norway.

This is my wish list for 2011:

• Brazil: For some beach time, caipirinhas and churrascarias.

• Puglia, Italy: I haven't made it down to the heel of Italy before and it is about time I did.

• Israel: For the history and the hommus.

• Andalucia, Spain: To go horse-riding, reacquaint myself with the sun and to eat tapas.

Links

You might like to compare notes against my hopes, memories and ambitions at the end of 2009 and 2008. It seems some things (like the length of my wish lists) have not changed much! A girl can only hope.

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

If I have friends in town I often like to take them to Hyde Park. In summer you can chill out on the iconic stripey deck chairs by the Serpentine and in winter there is still lots to see. My favourite spots include the statue of Peter Pan donated by JM Barrey, the bowls club tucked away in the back corner and checking the ever changing scenes in the Anish Kapoor sculptures which are scattered around at the moment. Every walk in the park, particularly in the current icy conditions, deserves a reward and just for that purpose is The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen which sits smack, bang in the middle of the park.

Muffins and slice on display

Once a fairly uninspiring cafeteria, Benugo's took over last year and revamped the modernist building. Things have been made more homely with a gin truck parked outside (mental note to return in summer for that), trays of overflowing muffins next to the coffee bar and shelves laden with tins of Italian tomatoes. Just to complete the scene the staff even wear wellies. It looks a little like you are in a scene from Country Life magazine right in the middle of London.

The lido at the frozen Serpentine

Unfortunately the move from cafeteria to restaurant and bar has not translated beyond the aesthetics. Ordering food and drinks is only possible through an endless queuing process. Given I visited with my friends Clare and Jono on a quiet winter day, I hate to think how long it would take to get served in the height of summer.

Fish finger butty

The menu choices were written up on a blackboard above the counter and included some good wintery options like a salt beef sandwich, duck leg with red cabbage and a lengthy list of pizzas taking advantage of the wood fired oven in the kitchen. The pumpkin and spinach bake (£8.50) had a lovely sweet flavour from the slow roasted pumpkin and was enlivened with a scattering of sage and parmesan which added a crisp topping. However the serving size was a little measly. The fish finger butty (£6.50) was a better option. Crunchy fish fingers were wedged between brown bread and topped with a creamy mayonnaise. Perfect for adults who still wish they were kids.

Pumpkin and spinach bake

The coffee was not so great, watery and served in takeaway cups even though we were eating in. There was no joy from the blueberry muffin either which was dense rather than light and fluffy. It seems the move from cafeteria to restaurant was not quite as smooth as it first appeared.

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen from the lake

Essentials

Details: The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen, Serpentine Road, Hyde Park W2 2UH (Ph 020 7706 8114) Tube: Knightsbridge

Damage: Reasonable

5/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my reviews of other lunchtime options - The Table and Jak's Cafe in Kensington.

How to make sticky toffee pudding

The wintery weather outside is beautiful but I hope it doesn't scupper my plans for Christmas in Ireland. While I wait to see if the snow melts enough I have been tucking in to comfort food. The sort of dishes that warm your belly and brighten up dark winter days. The perfect winter wonder for me is sticky toffee pudding. I have tried many different versions of sticky toffee pudding and settled on what I believe is the perfect combination of dense, moist pudding and sticky sauce. I stud the pudding with dates and also flavour it with Earl Grey tea to add a subtle, fragrant back note.

Whatever your plans are, best wishes for a merry Christmas!

Drizzling the sticky toffee sauce

Ingredients

200g dates, pitted and chopped

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of Earl Grey tea freshly boiled

75g butter

150g castor sugar

2 eggs

180g self-raising flour, sifted

Toffee sauce

150g soft brown sugar

1 cup thick cream

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Soaking the dates in the Earl Grey tea

1. Heat oven to 180c.

2. Mix dates and bicarbonate of soda in a heatproof container. Pour the just boiled cup of Earl Grey tea over the top and leave to stand.

3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then fold in the sifted flour.

The pudding ready to go in the oven

4. Add the liquid from the date mixture, reserving the dates. Stir well and pour the batter into a lightly buttered cake tin. I used a ring tin but that was just because I had it to hand, any shape is fine.

5. Press the dates firmly into the batter and bake for 45 mins until the pudding shrinks away from the sides and feels springy and firm to touch.

6. To make the sauce combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to the boil then stir and simmer for 5 mins.

7. Cut the pudding into pieces and drizzle the toffee sauce over the top to serve.

Serves 8.

The finished pudding

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in other winter warming recipes for speedy macaroni and cheese and boeuf bourguignon.

Gourmet Chick Sponsors - After Eight

When I was a child After Eight mints were the pinnacle of sophistication. After all each chocolate comes in its own individual sleeve. You can't get more sophisticated than that. Waking up in the morning after my parents had hosted a dinner party there was bound to be a box of After Eight mints on the table and my sister and I would check to see if there were any left over chocolates still undiscovered in the plastic sleeves. I still have happy memories of such occasions and eating my way through half a box some time around 8am in the morning.

Mint chocolate chip and ginger meringue ice-cream: photo thanks to After Eight

Recently I have rediscovered After Eight mints and have found they are ridiculously popular after a dinner party, mainly because most of my friends have similar memories of illicit early morning After Eight consumption. For those who want to take their love of After Eight further the lovely people behind After Eight have sent me through this recipe for an easy ice-cream featuring After Eights. I can't say I have made it myself, my After Eight mints never last that long in the house.

Mint chocolate chip and ginger meringue ice-cream

500g good quality vanilla ice-cream

12 After Eight mints, roughly chopped

55g crystallised stem ginger, chopped

100g meringue shells, slightly broken

50g dark grated chocolate

1. Line a 23cm x 12cm loaf tin with a double layer of cling film.

2. Put the ice-cream into a bowl and break it up slightly with a fork. Add the mint chocolate chips, ginger and meringues and fold together, gently until marbeled through.

3. Press into the prepared tin, level and cover with film. Freeze until firm or over-night.

4. To serve invert onto a plate, peel away the film and cut into slices. Grate dark chocolate over the top.

Serves 6 -8

This is a sponsored post.

Koffmann's

People eat at Koffmann's to pay homage. They pay homage to the man, Pierre Koffmann a previous three star Michelin chef, and they pay homage to the dish, Koffman's stuffed pig's trotter. Famously Koffmann retired but was tempted back to the stoves in a basement restaurant at the Berkley hotel bearing his name. The room feels understated if somewhat unadventurous. Carefully arranged black and white photographs hang on the walls, the tables are linen clad and well spaced and the colour scheme is predominantly beige. The atmosphere is hushed and almost luxurious in its anonymity.

The trotter

Cocktails at the bar seemed a good way to kick things off and the bar tender was knowledgeable recommending a rose martini for me and a gin sling for my friend Tim. Then we headed down to our table nestled in a carmel leather banquette against the wall for an amuse bouche of tartare of veal tongue. I liked the way Koffmann went straight for the offal from the start and was brave enough to eschew a more prosaic but crowd pleasing offering as an amuse.

Tongue

The sense that our meal was going to be like a reunion tour of greatest hits from a once legendary band is heightened when our waiter points out Koffmann's signature dishes on the menu. He said we had to try the scallop starter (£16) so we did, after all I always hope that bands play their old stuff and not their new stuff. Thinly sliced with a faint backpacker tan from the pan the scallops were gussied up with a smear of pureed potatoes and midnight black pools of squid ink. Perhaps it is an old dish but it still felt interesting and contemporary. However, a starter of ham and pears (£10) which does exactly what it says on the tin was a little austere for my tastes.

Ham and pear

There were no such austerity issues with the dish Koffmann is most famous for, the stuffed pigs trotter (£28). It must be once of the most over the top main courses I have ever encountered. The huge gelatinous trotter was stuffed with morels and sweetbreads and teamed with rich, creamy mash. While I appreciated the sheer beauty and the brilliant expertise behind the trotter, for me the texture of each of the elements of the dish was too similar and the whole dish too rich and overpowering. The beef cheeks (£24) also went straight for the jugular with more of the same big flavours. The cheeks were braised to a point of melting, almost sticky tenderness and were paired with smooth pureed mash and a rich sauce. There was room here too for slightly lighter dishes such as the rabbit roulade (£24) which was drizzled with a delicately flavoured sauce and scattered with fresh peas.

Rabbit

Despite the opportunity to try more of Koffmann's classics from the dessert menu we went straight for that all time classic the cheese trolley. The trolley was one of the best I have seen in London with a well kept and interesting array of cheeses (£13 a plate) which were all helpfully labelled, saving the waiter from having to explain each cheese to the whole table. In what seems to be a new and welcome trend in London our post meal coffees wee served with a plate of madelines served piping hot from the oven. Oh so French and oh so good.

The cheese platter

The wine list was also quite interesting and deserves a mention as again, flying the flag for Koffmann's homeland it was an entirely French list. The list itself did not give much guidance but the sommelier pointed us in the direction of the Ventoux Fayard from Domaine de Fondréche 2009 (£32). This medium bodied red with berry notes worked well with the food we ordered but lacked a bit of complexity and depth of flavour.

I'm glad I went to Koffmann's to pay homage to both the man and the dish. The cooking was exquisite and the service friendly and solicitous. The only down side was the lack of atmosphere. It may have been Koffmann's reputation preceding him but I did feel a little like we were eating in a hushed gastro-shrine

Essentials

Details: Koffmann's, The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge SW1X 7RL (Ph 020 7235 1010) Tube: Knightsbridge

Damage: Budget breaking. Our bill for three people came to £203.

7/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of Bar Boulud just across the road from Koffmann's or Zuma which is around the corner.

48 hours in Berlin (Gourmet Chick in Germany)

When you spend a weekend in Berlin exploring the Christmas markets you also end up exploring quite a few pubs and restaurants in a vain attempt to warm up. These were some of our favourites:

Breakfast at Luchs

1. Luchs

We stayed at Lux 11 so while it is not particularly adventurous of me to recommend its restaurant, Luchs as an eating destination, the breakfast was good enough for us to pay to eat it (breakfast wasn't included in the room rate). Soft folds of salty scrambled egg flecked with ham and tomato were perfect early morning fodder. Special mention has to go to the amazing accompanying bread rolls which were served piping hot and filled with clouds of fluffy dough.

Details: Rosa Luxembourg strass 11, 10178 Berlin, Germany (Ph +49 30 9632 800)

Damage: Breakfast was reasonable

6/10

Jewelled cous cous at Travels With My Fork Supper club

2. Travels With My Fork Supper club

Surely the perfect way to get to know a city and its inhabitants is to get yourself along to a supper club? Kelsie and Mel who run Travels With My Fork Supper club recently relocated to Berlin and are now opening their home on a semi regular basis for themed supper club evenings. We visited for the "1001 nights" dinner, a theme which extended beyond the menu to thoughtful touchs such as extracts from 1001 nights by each guests plate and a private santur performance. This supper club was the smallest I have ever attended, with only nine guests it felt more like an intimate dinner party. We started with a pomengranate champagne cocktail and big bowls of fantastic creamy babaganoush. There were also trays of roasted harissa spiced chicken wings and bowls of beetroot salad and tabbouleh. That was before we moved on to the main course, jewelled cous cous studded with berries, sultanas and herbs and platters of lamb. A palate cleanser of sorbet prepared us for Mel's truly amazing Persian Love Cake.

Lamb at Travels With My Fork Supper Club

I am desperate for this recipe as the cake had a crisp crust with a moist inside and had the most delectable hit of ginger. Mel has trained as a professional chef which really shows in the calibre of the cooking. The only miss on the night was probably the lamb which was a little overcooked and dry. In particular we enjoyed the sheer quantityof food served (second and third helpings of everything for those who wanted it) and the generosity of spirit of the hosts Mel and Kelsie who went so far as to prepare a whole baked seabass for my friend Clare who is pescatarian and sent my other friend Julia home with a takeaway container of the babaganoush after her lavish compliments for it.

Musical performance at Travels With My Fork Supper Club

Details: The supperclub is held at a secret location in the suburb of Spandau which is in outer Berlin, Germany. It is held on Saturday nights and details of upcoming nights are on Mel and Kelsie's blog.

Damage: Reasonable. €35 and BYO drinks with no corkage fee.

8/10

3. Amici

Located right opposite the Gendarmenmarkt where one of Berlin's most well known Christmas markets is held, Amici was the perfect escape from the frenzy of wurst and hand carved decorations. The restaurant itself looks like something out of a Dynasty set, all glitz and glamour but ignore the over the top surroundings and focus on the straightforward Italian menu. Despite the chintzy decor prices for a steaming hot bowl of pasta and a glass of wine were very reasonable. Service was a lesson in Italian charm school and we particularly enjoyed our waiters recommendation of the penne arrabiata (€8) which was delicious in its simplicity and the hearty bolognese ragu (€9).

Details: Jagerstrasse 56, 10117 Berlin, Germany (Ph +49 30208 799800)

Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve

6/10

Baked eggs and prosciutto at Oliv

4. Oliv

In the heart of Berlin's hip Mitte district Oliv is so slick you feel like you are eating in an art gallery. A huge vase of flowers stands on the counter alongside a sculpture of a rabbit and an array of pastries creating some sort of surreal still life. Communal tables are the order of the day so pull up a perch and order the flaky, soft croissants (€1.80) squares of baked eggs with curls of prosciutto and slices of dense sourdough. Teamed with a glass of steaming hot fresh ginger and mint tea Oliv is the perfect spot to rest your feet and warm up from the freezing temperatures.

Details: Munzstrase 8, Mitte, Berlin 10178, Germany (Ph +49 3089 206540)

Damage: Reasonable

8/10

Mint and ginger tea at Oliv

Gourmet Travel Tips

The boutique hotel Lux 11 is housed in an old Stasi building in the heart of the trendy Mitte district of Berlin. The location is so central that you can gaze out over the Alexanderplatz TV tower from your room. Lux 11 is not strictly a hotel, rather apartments which means there is no room service and each apartment has a kitchenette which would be a good money saver if you were staying a while. Quirky and thoughtful touches include cans of gherkins in each room, complimentary hot dogs and iced tea for late night snacking and a bottle of red wine as a welcome present.

The drawbacks were the strange sponsorship deal which the hotel has with adidas which meant all the staff wear adidas tracksuits (not really appropriate in a boutique hotel), the open plan bathrooms which would be good for a romantic weekend but not so good when it is a group of friends sharing a room like us and the €10 a day charge for wifi. Nevertheless I though Lux 11 was a chic hotel with a sense of humour and far superior to the Art'otel I stayed in on my last visit to Berlin.

Details: Details: Rosa Luxembourg strass 11, 10178 Berlin, Germany (Ph +49 30 9632 800)

Rooms from €150 a night

Lux 11

• Other things to do in Berlin include a walking tour of Berlin or the Fat Tire bike tour. On my last trip I enjoyed visiting the Reichstag, DDR museum and Jewish museum. On this visit I enjoyed shopping in Mitte and going out at the Berhain/Panorama bar.

• We flew to Berlin with Easyjet from London and our tickets were about £250 return. You can get much cheaper tickets if you are more organised and book further in advance.

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my round up of the best curry-wurst in Berlin or my post on Berlin's Christmas markets.

The Blind Tiger

When is a "secret hideaway" not a secret? Perhaps when there is a large chalkboard sign outside pointing to it. Let's just say it is not that hard to find out where The Blind Tiger is and 1920's prohibition officers would be unlikely to be fooled but once tucked away inside it is easy to pretend you are in the type of place to indulge in "illicit dining and forbidden beverages". If you can ignore the sign and swallow your feelings of idiocy ask at the gate in Clapham to see the blind tiger. A little hatch opens, a pair of eyes peer out and suddenly you are whisked inside to a restaurant lit with candles, slung with drapes and exuding a Moulin Rouge feel.

Fish stew

I visited for my book club christmas party (always a boozy affair) and we plumped for the Christmas menu of three courses matched with cocktails for £37.50. We were not the only ones celebrating and the place was full with people toasting the festive season. By reason of demand alone Christmas menus are often a complete rip-off forcing you to pay through the nose, however Marek Novak, the chef at The Blind Tiger admirably resists the temptation. To start Christmas fish stew was not particularly Christmassy but all the better for it. Thick and luscious and with incredible depth of flavour this soup was a marvel which had everyone who had not ordered it in fits of jealousy. I also enjoyed the venison which was presented as lightly seared medallions, perfectly cooked to a blush pink state and teamed with foccacia and watercress.

Turbot steak

Traditional turkey was on offer of course but a better option was the crisp skinned turbot steak which sat atop a pool of almost soup like parsnip and sundried tomato puree and chanterelle mushrooms. The book club nearly came to blows over the duck leg served as a roulade with chestnut stuffing and lashings of red cabbage and potato dumplings.

Welcome cocktail

Desserts do not reach such heights. The sugar rimmed cocktail to accompany our dessert was actually rimmed with salt instead. Our waiter apologised and rectified the situation however it is hard to recover from sucking on a salty glass. Dessert of pear tartin with a caramalised almond crumble read better on the menu than it looked in real life due to the teeny-tiny size of the tartin. The cheese plate was also on the dull side and erred on fridge cold.

Duck leg roulade

The somewhat mediocre end to the meal was only really obvious in light of the high standards throughout. Luckily the location of The Blind Tiger is not too hard to find as you don't want to miss out on cooking of this calibre and the fun speakeasy atmosphere which included a live jazz singer crooning in the background during part of our meal. If you are wondering where the blind tiger comes into all of this apparently when people originally visited real speakeasy type places back in 1920's America they used to lie and say they were going to see a blind tiger or something equally ridiculous.

Cheese plate

Details

Essentials: The Blind Tiger, Secret address, Clapham SW8 (Ph 0207 498 0974) Tube: Clapham Common

Damage: Pricey

7/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in visiting an actual secret supper club- try the Old Hat Club or The Underground Restaurant.

Laurent-Perrier champagne and etiquette at the Mandarin Oriental bar

Finally after several years writing a blog which blatantly says in the contact details section "If you want to email me or buy me champagne" someone has taken me up on the offer. Not just someone, the lovely people behind Laurent-Perrier Grand Siécle which is only one of the latest and greatest champagnes from the prestigious Laurent-Perrier house of champagne. This is a champagne made from three vintages only from grand-cru vinyards and sells for £35 a glass at the Mandarin Oriental. Let's just say that when I was invited to go and drink copious glasses of the stuff while feasting on matched canapés and listening to Lucia Van der Post talk about etiquette I did not need much convincing.

Grand Siécle

Clutching a glass of the precious Grand Siécle I met David Hesketh, master of wine and UK managing director of Laurent-Perrier. He talked briefly about the origins of the Laurent-Perrier house (which took me back to happy memories of my travels in the Champagne region) and told us champagne was the hardest of all wines to taste. He said: "The Grand Siécle is a champagne for epicureans, it works very well with food." Sounds like my type of drink then.

To prove the point the Mandarin Oriental matched the champagne with canapés of smoked salmon, discs of foie gras and spoons topped with creamy mushroom risotto. On the sweeter side there were tiny serves of pear compoté topped with cream and bowls of chocolate sticks. The smoked salmon and the pear was probably the best match for the vibrant, honeyed taste of the champagne.

The canapés on offer

Then it was on to Lucia van der Post, the woman behind The Financial Times' How to Spend It magazine and author of the etiquette guide Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me. Lucia said etiquette was nothing to do with whether you say toilet or loo (a particularly English dilemma I think,we have other words for it in Australia) or use the right glasses. In her definition, well mannered people are those who never do anything to hurt others.

David Hesketh demonstrates how to open a bottle of champagne - with an angel's kiss

Lucia's top tips are:

• be punctual: "being late assumes other peoples manners are worse than your own";
• dress well: "it is a form of politeness";
• send thank you letters for dinners or the opera (if you go to the opera that is);
• send presents when you stay over night; and
• if you host a dinner use seating plans which are, in Lucia's view, "an act of generosity".

A few final words from the etiquette guru herself: "The core of the matter is thinking of other people. Etiquette smooths the wheels of social conduct and civilises the uncivilised."

And here was I thinking that was what champagne did!

Sweet canapés including pear with cream and chocolate sticks

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Laurent-Perrier.

Essentials

Details: The Mandarin Oriental Bar, 66 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge SW1X 7LA (Ph 020 7235 2000) Tube: Knightsbridge

Damage: Budget breaking but I wasn't paying.

7/10

Links

If you liked this you might be interested in my review of the Mandarin Oriental's Bar Boulud or if you want to find out more about champagne you can read my posts about France's champagne region.

Brawn

Brand new Shoreditch restaurant Brawn's reputation precedes it. Brawn is the latest restaurant from the people behind Terroirs in Soho and so my expectations were high for this natural wine bar and bistro. Arriving at night, the restaurant glowed like a beacon on Columbia road. Behind the barred windows (which felt like a little overkill) bright lights blazed against the white tiled walls. It was great light for food bloggers but not if you were seeking a romantic atmosphere. The restaurant has an industrial feel about it which fits in well with the area, there's an electric clock hung low on the wall, abstract black and white prints and a huge wooden pig on a shelf above the bar.

Terrine

Both the name and pig point to Brawn's emphasis on porky products and the menu even has a whole section simply entitled "pig", the other choices were "taste ticklers", "plancha", "slow cook" and "clean" which appeared to refer to the salad selection. Most dishes were priced between £6 to £14 and were really designed for sharing so since I was eating at Brawn with eight friends we were happily able to share our way through most of one page menu.

Mussels

We started with the pig, a board of thin white strips of creamy, melt on the tongue, lardo (£8), strips of spicy salami (£6) and a chunky, meaty terrine (£7) served with toasted bread. There was a big emphasis on provenance and the producers were all name checked on the menu from the Hackney wild sourdough baked in London Fields to the Gloucestershire Middle White which was used in the terrine.

Red mullet

From the plancha section of the menu we ordered big bowls of steaming mussels (£7) and extra bread to mop up the broth of Artisian French cider. Fillets of shimmering crisp skinned red mullet (£13) were firm and fresh and teamed with earthy chanterelle mushrooms. Spatchcock'd quail (£8) was a little fiddly to eat, particularly as a dish to share, although I suppose quail always is and it was our own fault for ordering it. The best dish from this part of the menu though was the Cornish squid (£9) which came with seared hatchings on it from the grill and tender, juicy meat topped judiciously with a drizzle of tangy green gremolata.

Squid

Our choices from the "clean" part of the menu included the beetroot and pickled walnut salad with Ossau Iraty a French cheese made from sheeps milk (£6). The beetroot was a satisfyingly finger staining deep purple colour and its sweetness set off the bitterness of the pickle and the creamy, smooth slithers of cheese.

Beetroot and pickled walnut salad

The buffalo mozzarella (£9) was a little hard to approach as it was served as a huge ball of mozzarella with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of anchovies. That said, the mozzarella itself was just as rich and creamy as it should be.

Polenta with chanterelles

Moving on to the "slow cook" food, polenta (£7) so soft it was almost soup like in consistency was scattered with wild mushrooms to add to some depth of flavour. This was real wintery comfort food eating. The zander boudin (£14) came as our waiters recommendation. The huge, incredibly rich boudin sausage was served in a large bowl filled with a zesty red shellfish sauce. It was an unusual pairing but worked well as a dish to share, although if you ordered it by yourself I think the richness of both the sauce and the sausage would have been over the top.

Boudin

Despite having eaten multiple courses we pounced on the dessert menu and ordered everything on it. Lemon tart (£5) had a crisp pastry base and a sharp acidity to the tart itself. The chocolate mousse (£5) was simply divine, creamy and smooth to a fault. Pear compote (£5) was almost like a deconstructed crumble with soft chunks of pear topped with a sprinkle of crumbly topping. However it was the floating island (£5) that drew the most squeals of delight from our table featuring a huge dome of fluffy meringue floating merrily on a sea of creamy custard. In comparison to the puddings the cheese (£3.50 a piece) was a bit of a disappointment. There were only three rather limited and unadventurous choices.

Given Brawn prides itself on being a natural wine bar it would be remiss of me not to mention the extensive wine list which is helpfully arranged by varieties and tastes. Natural wine has reputation of being full of cloudy whites and murky reds but we settled on a great bottle of pinot with a subtle berry flavour for around the £30 mark and happily indulged in several bottles between the table in the hope that the natural label meant we would be hangover free the next day.

Lemon tart

Both the food and the style of eating at Brawn is very enjoyable. Our waiter was a bit of a space cadet and totally forgot some parts of our order (to the extent that we never got the half dozen Maldon oysters that we ordered) but otherwise the restaurant had a great buzz to it with everyone smugly dining in the knowledge they were some of the first to eat at one of London's hot new openings.

Essentials

Details: Brawn, 49 Columbia road, Shoreditch E2 7RG (Ph 020 7729 5692) Tube: Liverpool street

Damage: Pricey. Our bill came to about £50 a head. But we did drink a lot of wine!

8/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might like my reviews of other wine bars in London - Vinoteca and 28-50.