London Appetizer

Putting the Art back into London Cooking - Dinner at Artisan Restaurant, London

Some of the most popular London restaurants can be found within top London hotels and one of the finest London hotels, The Westbury in Mayfair, has a rather good restaurant hidden behind the lobby.  Artisan Restaurant has not made it on to the trendy London hotel restaurant list and probably never will, but that is not a bad thing.  It is peaceful, professional and welcoming, and on the Thursday night I dined there, had a good sprinkling of young and old and families and friends, creating an atmosphere that was most definitely smart but not stuffy.

The staff are all smiley and friendly without crossing the line.  They know their menu inside out.  Running front of house is Ricardo Mimoso, the restaurant manager.  He told me that the restaurant had been refurbished 18 months ago and that business was still good, despite the economic downturn.  Judging by the hotel guests floating in and out of the reception area, there was no shortage of cash in this establishment.

Artisan restaurant is certainly not cheap, but I felt that it was fairly priced given the quality of the food and the surroundings.  Head Chef Andrew Jones prepares a regularly changing menu that takes advantage of the freshest local produce and creates dishes that tease the eye and water the palate.  Expect to pay around £15 for a starter and between £20 and £30 for a main course.  Amuse bouches and palate cleansers between courses add value to the experience and help justify the prices.

 

Prior to our starters arriving we were treated to petite foie gras burgers and a tomato and bazil milkshake - innovative, tasty and delicious with a champagne chaser.

Having just returned from a trip to South West France, I was keen to see how the Foie Gras starter stacked up against the excellent local French version and so I went for the Terrine of Vendee Foie Gras garnished with 70% Guanaja chocolate crisps and marinated anchovies (£14.50).  The Foie itself was very good but the dish was a little disappointing.  I just didn't feel that the chocolate and anchovies went together well.  I probably should have gone with the Seared Foie Gras starter instead. 

 

My friend tried the enticing Ham, Egg & Chips starter, which was actually 5J Jambugo ham served with a poached duck egg and parsnip chips.

Main courses were better received.  My friend's Aberdeen Angus (£22.50), ordered rare, was cooked to perfection, creamy and succulent.  My Devonshire Lamb was excellent.

Louise Gordon, the Sommelier, recommended some fantastic wines to accompany our choices including a Marlborough Riesling 2007 that went very well with my Foie Gras starter. The wine list is huge, regularly changing, with something for everyone.  There are around 10 wines of each colour by the glas and hundreds of bottles of wine. Expect to pay around £40 or more for something decent.

We finished with cheeses, all British, from the huge cheese trolley.  I wasn't tempted by the puddings (all priced at £7.50) although I will try the Roasted fig and blackberry Pávlova with Crème de Mûre sorbet next time I come to visit.

I really enjoyed dining at Artisan.  The service was so slick and the food presentation and quality so good that it felt like a real treat to be eating here.  I would probably book again on a Friday or Saturday night, when it is bound to be a little busier.

Highly recommended for a smart meal.

Book Online Now

Artisan
The Westbury
Bond Street
Mayfair, London
W1S 2YF
Direct Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8382 5450
E-mail: artisan@westburymayfair.com
www.westburymayfair.com

Interview with Joel Henderson, Owner of Daddy Donkey

I met with Joel Henderson today, the owner of Daddy Donkey, a Mexican Grill that is taking the Holborn/Chancery Lane area of London by storm.

Joel is very likeable and down to earth, with a clear vision of what he wants to do and when he wants to do it.  He wants to bring healthy Mexican Food to London and he wants to do it step by step - starting small, gauging customer feedback, improving, building a loyal fan base and eventually TAKING OVER THE WORLD! OK, the last bit are my words, not his, but Joel's passion for Mexican food knows no bounds and for someone still in his twenties, it is refreshing to hear a vision that makes sense, even in these tough market conditions.

Joel got into Mexican food in a big way when he was studying Spanish over there as part of his Spanish degree at Leeds University.  I guess being a student meant that he was used to looking out for cheap eats and hours spent hanging around street corners in Mexico, chomping on great tasting burritos, tacos and nachos, ignited his enthusiasm for this cuisine.

Back in blighty, Joel decided that there was a gap in the market for healthy, tasty Mexican food, so quit his day job and set up a small stand in Leather Lane Market, just off High Holborn.

Four years on, and Joel has now upgraded to a fancy silver looking 'Burro-Van' capable of churning out hundreds of Burritos an hour to the office workers around High Holborn.  All the ingredients are prepped fresh every day at a site opposite the market and the Columbian & Mexican chefs and servers work their hats off to keep the punters happy.

Of course, today was probably the hottest day in London this year, with temperatures approaching 35 degrees centigrade, so I was very surprised to turn up at the van at lunchtime and see a long queue of mainly suits waiting for their Mexican fix!

It's a simple concept: Choose a burrito, choose a filling (chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian), choose a salsa (mild, medium, hot or extra hot), pay (about £5.50) and enjoy.

My 'Big Ass' flour tortilla was stuffed full of coriander rice, chicken, lettuce, guacamole, peppers and onions.  It was 10 out of 10 delicious and whilst enormous, did not feel fattening or unhealthy. I even had a side of black beans which were perfectly soft and mushy.

Joel's mission is to educate London, to make people understand that Mexican food need not be stodgy or unhealthy.

He strongly believes that London is under-served for Mexican restaurants, that there is a gap in the market for freshly prepared, good value Mexican food and he aims to fill it!

With hundreds of people already following Daddy Donkey on Twitter (you can follow him here), and with loads of community events planned, I reckon Joel has an excellent chance of success and I wish him every success.

Daddy Donkey can be found at pitches 100-101 Leather Lane market, EC1N 7TE

Open for lunch from Mondays to Fridays.

Visit www.daddydonkey.co.uk for more details.

Breakfast at The Cinnamon Club

I met a friend for a very civilised breakfast at the very civilised Cinnamon Club, a rather nice Indian restaurant situated within The Old Westminster Library, close to Westminster Abbey.

By night, this is a very smart Indian restaurant, with prices to match.  By day, you would never know it did breakfast and apart from us, there was only one other table - politicians  breakfasting at the taxpayers expense no doubt.

Atmosphere aside (it's deathly quiet), The Cinnamon Club is actually a good breakfast venue if you want good service and reasonable prices.

There is a choice of traditional English breakfast options and traditional Indian breakfast options.  I went for the ham omlette, cooked with three eggs to perfection and a side of whole tomato and flat mushrooms.  It was delicious and only £6.

With zesty frehsly squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee, a filling breakfast (toast is free) in a lovely setting can be had for sub £15 per head.

Recommended!

The Cinnamon Club
The Old Westminster Library
30-32 Great Smith St
SW1P 3BU

t: 020 7 222 2555
e: info@cinnamonclub.com
w: www.cinnamonclub.com

Trinity Restaurant, Clapham - Restaurant Review

Award winning Trinity Restaurant in Clapham got a visit from the wife and I last Thursday.  I had been about a year ago and was not that impressed.  The food was average and the service sloppy.  I'm pleased to say that this time everything was spot on (and they had no idea I was coming).

Situated near Clapham Common within 'The Polygon', Trinity is a little hard to find and doesn't look much from the outside. The big glass windows at the front guarantee diners a good view of passers-by but equally, on the downside, you can also see the less salubrious side of Clapham walking by whilst you enjoy what is a lovely meal in a lovely restaurant.

I really think that Trinity has come into its own.  Once we were inside, everything went like clockwork.  We were greeted by a nice lady as we entered, our coats taken and shown to a table for two at the front.  Water was duly proffered - still or sparkling is offered 'for free' although there is a cover charge of £2 per person, which also covered homemade bread and olives.  All this arrived within minutes of being seated.

The menu is English all the way and changes daily.  An Apricot Bellini (£8) was a great way to start the evening and help get the gastric juices flowing.

Starters included New Season English Asparagus with Duck Egg and Truffle Mayonnaise (£8), Pig Trotter on Sourdough (£7) and my choice, a Terrine of Duck Confit with Prune and Fois Grois (£10).  It was chunky, rustic and very tasty.

Main courses included Organic Salmon, Wild Rabbit, Pot Roast Pigeon and Organic Pork Belly.  I tried the pigeon which was cooked to perfection and perfect with the side of Wild Mushroom Ravioli.  All the mains were priced at around £18 although Venison was on offer at £28.  All the dishes are quite rich so prepare to suck up calories if you come here.

The desserts don't help the calorie count either - Chocolate Hot Pot with Cacao Ice Cream is a hot favourite apparently.  English Strawberry Pavlova will go down well this summer.  We shared a Baked Alaska, which you hardly ever see on a menu nowadays - it was divine.  All the puddings are priced at £7 or £8.

Service was excellent - not too rushed or fussy - just right.  The loos are clean but a bit dark.

They do wine by the 500cl carafe, which I like because a bottle is too much for us nowadays (lightweights!)

Trinity does a 3 course Sunday lunch for £25 and I will definitely be back sometime soon to try it out.

I took some pictures of our food - see below.

Trinity Restaurant
4 The Polygon
Clapham, SW4 0JG
Tel: 020 7 622 1199
e: dine@trinityrestaurant.co.uk
www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk

Terrine of Duck Confit (above)

Carpaccio of Tuna Consomme (above)

Pigeon with Mushroom Ravioli (above)

Organic Salmon (above)

Baked Alaska for two to share (above)

Asadal - Korean Restaurant Review

Another lunch trip to Asadal, the Korean restaurant next to Holborn tube station on Kingsway.  At lunch time you don't need to book but there is always a nice, quiet buzz about the place, with mainly Korean diners - often local Korean office workers drawn to the restaurant for the authentic food, calming ambiance and efficient service.

My favourite dish is Yuk Hei Bibimbab, a big bowl of rice and raw mince.  The bowl is sizzling hot when it arrives and you use your chopsticks to mix up the meat and rice in the bowl, allowing the bowl to cook the meat for you.  With a side or two of Kimchi and a Korean green tea or coke, it is a filling and tasty lunch.

Take a look at the pics below (taken on my phone so apologies for the quality).

Asadal Restaurant can be found at:
227 High Holborn
London WC1V 7DA
Tel: 020 7 430 9006

Open Monday to Saturday
www.asadal.co.uk

Christini Restaurant Review

Tucked away down a little dead end street, only 5 mins walk from Paddington station is Christini Italian Restaurant.  Not much to look at from the outside and tiny on the inside.  It's verrrry Italian, with friendly staff, rickety tables and a nice buzz.

The menu is limited to about 6 choices of main course, but I have tried most of them and they are all good.  They do an excellent 2005 Amarone to wash the food down with and it is reasonably priced at about £50 a bottle - a lot for a little restaurant I know, but it is nectar.

So if you live in the area, or like visiting the Victoria pub opposite, give Christini a try - it's nothing super special, but is a great local, dependable option.

Christini Ristorane Italiano

28 Sussex Place

Lancaster Gate

W2 2TH

Nearest tube: Paddington or Lancaster Gate

Tel: 020 7706 7900

www.christini.co.uk

Uoshin Restaurant, Tokyo

A traditional Isakaiya offering a superb selection of fresh fish dishes.  It doesn't look much from the outside but the weather in Tokyo at the moment is nice and warm and this place offers outside seating, albeit on uncomfortable crates.

Because they are always packed, they don't want you to hang around, so chairs are crates, tables are tiny, you are squashed up to your neighbours but despite all this it's still great!  Service is super swift and the atmosphere electric, a bit like the eels.

I tried all sorts of strange dishes, but notable was the tuna sushi, the freshest I've ever had and the fried Fugu, or blowfish, which can only be prepared by qualified chefs.  It looked and tasted of fried chicken.

Overall a fun place to start the night and close to the hustle and bustle of Roppongi.

9-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Roppongi

Molton House - South Molton Street, London - Review

Looking for escapism?  Something a little bit different?  A bit upmarket? A bit snazzy? Molton House might just be your place.  It is all of these and more. 

Quite frankly this is one of the most interesting venues I've visited for quite some time.

Situated on South Molton Street, the home of shoe shopping in London, is Molton House, a newish (it opened last November) members club, bar and restaurant  that is far from 'soul-less'.  This building used to be another members only club which I was invited to a few times and never really liked.  The new owner is Nick Valentine and he has a track record of creating upscale venues that you actually want to spend time in.

Despite the credit crunch, I am told that Molton House has over 500 members, all paying £500 a year for the privilege of being a member here.  For us Londoners that like to try something different, but don't want to pay hundreds in subscriptions, the good news is that anyone can book a table in the bar or restaurant, so long as you give them a bit of warning and the bouncers don't decide to take offence to you at the door.  Members do get priority over non members of course,  but pick a quieter night like a Wednesday and you'll be almost guaranteed a table.

The beautiful Georgian house at number 43 South Molton Street hides 4 floors of decadence. Reception at ground floor level makes you feel like you've entered an opium den for the very rich. It is warm, sexy, mesmerising and the girls welcoming you with a smile aren't bad either.  Downstairs is a small club.  We were too early for anything to be happening but it looked very nice.  Up the sweeping staircase and you'll find a small bar to the left, stocked well with spirits and barmen.  They'll make you anything you desire and are good with suggestions.  Across the hallway you'll find the cosy dining room.  We sat down about 8pm and were the first table, but it soon filled up.

The menu consists of a selection of dishes that are ideal for sharing.  All dishes are priced around the £10 mark with 5 or 6 choices of vegetarian, fish and meat.  Every dish is recognisable but with an interesting twist and everything we had was absolutely delicious.  Wine is reasonably priced from about £25 upwards.

But honestly, I would not come here just for the food.  Tasty?  Absolutely.  Good service?  Definitely.  Reasonably priced? Yes.  But Molton House has so much more that eating is just the entree.  Just a way of fortifying yourself before turning up your mojo and getting it on with the beautiful people milling around the bar upstairs and the club downstairs.  It's like eating here gives you a pass to enjoy the darker delights that this club has to offer, without the expense of the membership.

I should also mention that one flight further up the staircase will bring you to a private dining room that can also be booked without being a member.  It seats about 10 and would make a perfect venue for a birthday celebration with close friends. Let's hope my wife reads this...

Molton House
43 South Molton Street
London
W1K 5RS
t: 020 7 493 1688
w: www.moltonhouse.com

Harrison's Restaurant, Balham, SW12

 

Harrison's opened up on the old Balham Bar and Kitchen site in Balham back in 2007 and I am pleased to say it seems to be doing rather well.

The wife and I pitched up for dinner on a Thursday evening just after 8pm and the place was more than half full, with a very welcoming buzz - not so noisy that you can't hear yourself think and not so quiet that you feel you have to whisper to your dining partner.  Because the bar and kitchen are in the centre of this largish restaurant (90 covers), there is always pace, vibrancy and something to watch if your fellow scoffers are running a bit late.

The concept is 'informal brasserie' with something on offer at pretty much any time of day.  During the summer months the doors are flung back and Harrison's turns into rather a nice place for a coffee and croissant.  Events for Mums and babies as well as bridge fiends ensure that it stays busy during the day and the evening pulls in the Balham massive. Well not quite.  The 30 somethings will be pleased to hear that this is quite a grown up restaurant - well to do Balhamites with a bit of cash to spend without the rowdiness that some of the pubs on the Balham High Rd attract.  It is somewhere between The Exhibit and Lamberts, two other Balham restaurants that regular readers know I am quite partial to.

There is a cocktail of the day, which makes a great start to your dinner, although the wife and I were very good and just ordered a 500ml carafe of Rose - a French 07 priced around £14 which was reasonable for the quality.  The wine list has something for everyone so you won't go thirsty and for people still drinking bottled water, the eco trendy Belu is on offer.

To the menu...

'Something to Start' included Cream of Mushroom Soup for a credit crunching £5, Goat's Curd on Toast (errmmm), Steamed Mussels, Charcuterie and a load more.  Average starter price £7.50.  I went for the Asparagus since it's in season, topped with a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.  It's always a good testing dish for the kitchen, because there is nothing worse can lukewarm or cold egg and hollandaise.  Fortunately the dish was piping hot, the asparagus was as fresh as anything and the sauce was creamy and not over-powering. Full marks so far.

'Something to follow' included Roast Pumpkin and Ricotta Tortellone, Grilled Salmon Fillet, Free Range Chicken and the Slow Roast Belly of Pork, which I had.  The mains are priced very reasonably at around £13.  The pork was good with excellent crackling.  The Carrot and Swede Puree that it came with was average, as was the apple sauce on the side.  My wife's Calves Liver was excellent.  Both portion sizes were generous and the dishes rich enough that we struggled to find room for dessert.

Puddings were very good.  The sorbets were very fruity and the home-made truffles were delicious.

Harrison's is also offering a 2 course set menu for £14 and 3 courses for £17 so you can't go wrong.

Service was extremely efficient and our waitress was smiley and helpful.

I will definitely be revisiting Harrison's - it's nice to go somewhere that is run efficiently, informally, without pretences or delusions or grandeur and that doesn't cost the earth.  It's only a few minutes walk from Balham tube and worth the trip.

Contact details:

15-19 Bedford Hill,
London SW12 9EX

READ MORE REVIEWS AND BOOK ONLINE HERE

t: 020 8675 6900
e: info@harrisonsbalham.co.uk
w: www.harrisonsbalham.co.uk

The Real Greek, Bankside, London - Restaurant Review

We went for lunch on bank holiday Monday and had a very nice meal with excellent service.

We ordered 5 meze and flat bread: Tzatziki, Tabouleh, Melitzanosalata, Saganaki and Lamb Kefte.

Everything comes on a tray similar to the ones you get at The Ritz for tea, only not so fancy! It's a good table space saving idea.

The restaurant is right on the river and get a table by the window so you can people watch.
The bill was £30 for two including tip.

Good value and worth a visit.

8/10

Book Online Here

The Real Greek
Units 1 and 2 Riverside House
2A Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA