Malaysia Kitchen Banquet at Delima

Malaysia Kitchen holds a day of free meals at Delima in Paddington, introducing four classic dishes to sample.

Free food? Yes please!

Booking turned out quite difficult as the phone line was either engaged or ringing without an answer. Fortunately I had a friend who managed to get through as she called up straight after receiving my email and booked us a table for dinner.

Arriving at Delima thinking it’ll be packed with people wanting their free food, I was surprised to see it was empty. It was a typical looking local, pleasant, modern decor interiors.

We were lead downstairs to where the free banquet was being held, there were a few more people eating but not the numbers like I imagined for a free banquet.

On the table was a scorecard in which we would rate the dishes we were to sample and a booklet of Malaysian restaurants and a Malaysia Kitchen dining card.

After drinks were ordered and paid for, the dishes were brought out in coloured bowls that corresponded with the scorecard. They were a bit stingy on portions, maybe it was due to us eating early and they were being careful on portion sizes. I did notice later that the portions being brought out later looked bigger, as the place wasn’t filling up with people.

Malaysia Kitchen Banquet Scorecard

What I Ate

Beef Rendang from Rasa Sayang – This was my favourite dish. Beef was juicy, gravy was rich and tasty with refreshing Lemongrass shining through. Rasa Sayang has never been a favourite place for me to eat, but it is not because of the food of which I like most of it very much, it was more the service and that I always got placed under the air con everytime I ate there.

Tofu & Vegetable Laksa from Bintang – It looked ok, lots of vibrant colours, but it tasted disgusting. Not just ‘bad, but I would still eat it because I hate wasting food’ and I never leave food on a plate, but with this dish it had to be done. It was just so bland and the soup was just so watery, not the creamy, spicy, coconutty, gritty texture you should expect. I love Laksa, but this I did not. I have always seen Bintang through a bus window when travelling through Kentish Town and wondered if it was worth checking out, it looks cute from the outside and has been around for quite a while. Enough for me to think that this can’t be their best offering, but if you are being rated on one dish why would you choose such a bad dish?

Char Kway Teow from Delima – As the hosts for the banquet, Delima were called in to include a dish as a restaurant had pulled out at the last minute. I was quite glad as their dish was yummy. The soft, hot Ho Fun was perfectly comforting for the cold weather. The hot chillies coming through tingling the tongue. Seasoning was a good balance.

Nasi Goreng from Gourmet Garden – A pleasant dish, but nothing special about it. And with the other dishes being very good and very bad, this dish didn’t stand out.

Good bits

It was free!!!! 

Get to try dishes from different restaurants.

Not so good bits

Small portions.

Didn’t get a choice on what you ate.

Would I go again and what would I want on my next visit

Definitely! This was my second free banquet with Malaysia Kitchen.

Delima  do a Sunday buffet which I am tempted by.

I am tempted to go to Bintang now, just to prove that they can’t be that bad.

Street Kitchen at Covent Garden

For The London Restaurant Festival, Jun Tanaka and Mark Jankel have joined forces to create Street Kitchen.

They have created a British Seasonal Menu using produce sourced directly from sustainable and organic UK farms and producers.

Street Kitchen at Covent Garden Piazza 4th-14th October 2010, at Spitalfields Market 15th – 18th October 2010.

Street Kitchen Trailer

Street Kitchen Menu

What I Ate

Roasted Carrot and Rosemary Soup & Brioche – A very pleasant soup, it was very rich and creamy. The Carrot brought out a tender sweetness. The Brioche was nice, but I would have much preferred a crusty Sourdough.

Hot Smoked Salmon, Beetroot & Horseradish – Refreshing dish, my Salmon was full of smokey flavour. One piece was cooked perfect, the other more like seared, but it was still good and juicy. I heard on another table their Salmon was a bit dry. The Crushed Potatoes was excellent, very waxy and nutty with just enough firmness. I was annoyed not to have asked what Potatoes they were. Beetroot on the other hand were a bit watery and lacked flavour, but you could still taste they were fresh. The sauce was great, really hit me in a good way.

Braised Beef, Carrots & Celeriac – This was definitely the highlight dish. It was definitely the dish you wanted to eat, especially as the second week the weather turned much colder. The Beef was melt in your mouth and there was so much depth of flavour in that piece of meat. Yummy! I got a bit of fat on one of my pieces, yes please! On another none, felt the taste was more flat and meat drier. Carrots were roasted to just caramelized on the outside and still had some bite on the inside. Celeriac was like a hot thick milkshake, tasted full of creaminess with the Celeriac accenting through. The mild Mustard Sauce just lifted the dish to near perfection.

Roast Butternut Squash & Watercress Salad – Oh man this was good! The Street Kitchen guys were so nice and gave me a taster portion because it was too cold and I wanted the Beef but hadn’t tried the Salad yet. The sauce was just wicked and yet again I was too shy to ask what was in it. I wanted to order a full portion because I really did enjoy it and even though it was cold the Salad had a warming feeling to it, but I had already got too much food. Butternut Squash was perfectly roasted, Crouton slices added a crunchy punch and that zingy sauce was awakening!

Cheesecake, Shortbread & Rhubarb – Do not be fooled, you read Cheesecake, but it sorta ain’t. Googey creamy cheesy bottom layer, crumbled crunchy Shortbread and tart Rhubarb Compote topping. It is very indulgently great and inspired me to make a Cheesecake with a Shortbread base.

Good bits

Mostly everything. Top notch restaurant food in takeaway form and at reasonable prices. Every one is so friendly, and seeing people that would not have considered going to smarter restaurants to eat food like this enjoying it was great. Responsibly sourced produce is always a plus.

Not so good bits

Just that it was cold eating outside due to the time of year. Looking forward to it in the summer.

Would I go again and what would I want on the next visit?

Definitely! Thinking about heading to Spitalfields before it ends to have the salad. Oh and maybe the Cheesecake.

Food Highlights at the Art Car Boot Fair 2010

There are those that rise early and queue up for the Art Car Boot Fair every year to get their hands on a bargain Peter Blake piece.

Me? I’m an early riser, so I head down early to watch the craziness. What I really look forward to is the St John stall and their Ox Heart Buns. Oh? Have I mentioned them before? I think it is turning into an obsession and a worthy one. Juicy grilled Ox Heart in a good bun with Horseradish Cream and Pickled Walnut Sauce. It’s Heavenly. Just one thing, the Ox Hearts were more thinly sliced than last year. But that’s not gonna stop me from having another one. Ok, my mouth is dribbling now.

St John at the Art Car Boot Fair 2010

John at the Art Car Boot Fair 2010 - make me one Ox Heart Bun oh great St John Chef

St John at the Art Car Boot Fair 2010 - Ox Heart Bun

Another favourite returning stall of mine is La Grotta Ice Creams run by Kitty Travers. This year the flavours had some Latin American theme. Chocolate with Ancho Chile & Cashew Nuts was by far the best Chilli Chocolate ice cream I have had. The Ancho Chile gave me a real good kicking but not too much that I couldn’t savour the rich Chocolate. I find some Chilli Chocolate ice creams are a bit too safe with their Chilli, if you say there is Chilli in there make me feel it. The Cashew Nuts which were toasted and sprinkled on top of the tub kept their crunchiness when it was scooped up and mixed into the ice cream to be eaten. I miss it.

La Grotta at the Art Car Boot Fair 2010 - Chocolate, Ancho Chile & Cashew Nuts

The Agua de Horchata was rich creamy with a strong burst of Cinnamon, I didn’t go for that because I’m not a great Cinnamon fan, but it was still a great challenging flavour. I found the Pineapple Soda Granita too sweet, I guess food is all about personal taste and I am more of a tart fruit person than a sweet fruit person. Yes, there was a good Strawberry & Vanilla flavour for the less adventurous.

I remember last year’s Milk & Cornflake flavour which I found too weird, like eating soggy Cornflakes, but the sweet pea flavour was truly refreshing. Really looking forward to more flavours to try next time La Grotta is around!

Suckling Pig Feast at St John

St John is one of my favourite restaurants. It is a Michelin starred restaurant and in the top 50 best restaurants in the world, yet it has none of the stuffiness associated with one. They serve food just as I like, no fancy smancey plating, just dished up simply and looking delicious. You can eat at the bar if you are not too hungry and get a fantastic dish for under a tenner.

Then there is the feasting menu, aimed at groups sharing a few select dishes. Using the excuse of a birthday dinner (not that the dinner was held on the month of any of our birthdays), a few greedy friends and I decided to get a load of us for the Suckling Pig feast. It’s a great way to have a great meal with friends, passing along massive plates of food, almost barbaric, rather that a sit down elegant civilized meal. I had so much fun.

Right, lets get down to the food.

You are allowed to choose a maximum of two starters and two desserts with the Suckling Pig as the main. For the starters we opted for the Grilled Ox Heart, Beetroot & Pickled Walnut and also one of their signature dishes Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad. The Roast Bone Marrow is one of my favourite dishes, I love sitting in the bar on my own and digging into bones, sucking and licking not caring who’s looking but just enjoying. We were aware some of our friends were not offal eaters, but if you come to St John you have to try some out as that’s what they are famous for. Everyone gave it a go. It was good to see everyone tucking into bones. I was wary about whether the Bone Marrow would be a little too fatty as a starter for such a heavy feast, but once the huge plates of bone came that thought flew out of my mind. Poking into a section of bone and digging out bone marrow, spreading onto good toasted Sourdough, bit of Parsley Salad, pinch of the Herb Salt. Delicious.

St John - Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad

St John - Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad

The Grilled Ox Heart, I know would be enjoyed by the non-offal eaters once they got over the fact that it was heart they were eating. The sliced Ox Heart was like a succulent, juicy steak but with a fuller flavour. This is a great starter. The Ox Heart rich and meaty, but with the Beetroot and Pickled Walnut’s slight sharpness making this a flavoursome yet refreshing starter. I loved it and not amazed when my non-offal eating friend admitted that he really enjoyed it.

St John - Grilled Ox Heart, Beetroot & Pickled Walnut

For a table of eighteen, each particular starter was served in two huge plates to be passed around, which worked out very well for the greedy like me where I can sneak in seconds. Yes, the portions are very generous and there was enough for everyone.

The arrival of the Suckling Pig was a very raucious moment. The whole pig brought over so momento photos could be taken with the poor dead piglet, before it was carved up. I must say, this little piglet was not a very good looking one.

St John - Suckling Pig

After pictures were taken, our lovely waitress got to work , decapitating and deboning the piglet, skillfully separating the meat to be served on huge plates. She told us that the pig had been slow roasting in the oven since the morning, simply cooked with a stuffing of  bread, onions and herbs.

St John - Decapitating Suckling Pig

St John - Deboning of Suckling Pig

St John - Suckling Pig Cavity filled with Stuffing

They Suckling Pig meat is so juicy. I commented to a friend that the meat this time tasted more grassy and earthy than one I had in the winter. She suggested that this may be because of the diet the piglet had depending on the time of year. The previous Suckling Pig I had at St John tasted more sweet and milky. It was very good none the less, they always get the meat right. Unfortunately because of the way it was roasted the skin was not crispy as we had hope, it was tough and chewy which is a shame, otherwise it would have been perfect. And yes, there was tons of meat left over so I even got a doggy back including the bones which I used to make a delicious soup with (although it was funny trying to fish out some stray stuffing, whoops).

St John - Suckling Pig, Stuffing, Greens & Potatoes

The good thing about ordering the whole pig is that you get to eat the bits that otherwise would not have been served if you went for your ordinary three course meal. So I got to have the smallest trotter I have ever eaten, unfortunately some one got to the cheek before me I love Pig’s Trotters, again it’s the thing like Chicken’s Claws with all the textures and the plus of bone knawing. The piglet trotter was so different to an ordinary pig trotter, meat was less tough, gelatinous and cartilage bits were softer than the full grown version. Nice!

St John - Suckling Pig Trotter

Again we ordered two desserts choices, me insisting on the Rhubarb, Meringue & Cream. I think St John do the best Meringues! Sometimes when I walk pass either Restaurant or Bread & Wine, I will head to the Bakery to see if they have any meringues for takeaway, sometimes I am lucky, most times I go away with a really bad Meringue craving. This dish was amazing!!!!!! It’s the perfect way to end a rich, heavy meal. Light on the outside, but chewy googey on the inside Meringue, the sharpness of the Rhubarb compote and just enough cream to make it special. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water uncontrollably, I wish I could of eaten a whole one on my own. You guessed it, there were no leftovers here.

St John - Rhubarb, Meringue & Cream

St John - Rhubarb, Meringue & Cream

The other dessert we ordered was the Eccles Cake & Lancashire Cheese, this I will speak less enthusiastically about and was ordered because my other fellow dinner organisers insisted on it. Just because I hate raisins and therefore am not keen on them in the Eccles Cake. But I still had to try it. If you like Eccles Cake, the St John one is the one to eat, the pastry is brilliant. With the Lancashire Cheese, the combination of light flaky pastry of the Eccles Cake (I am not going to mention the filling as I tried to pick off every bit that I could) and the creamy savoury cheese was smoothly melting in the mouth. This dessert was less popular than the Meringue, even though we ordered less portions of it, there was still some left over. I imagine that as we had already had a very rich filling meal, the light tart Rhubarb & Meringue was definitely more preferable to the heavier Eccles Cake & Cheese.

St John - Eccles Cake & Lancashire Cheese

Everyone came out very satisfied and merry, the feast is such a great idea. Service can be slow as you are cut off in your own private room, but most of the time you don’t notice as conversation and drinks are flowing and with the very generous portions you are not left wanting the next course very soon. But I do want more please and so will be finding another excuse for another feast.

St John - Private Dining Room

Dim Sum at Phoenix Palace

Where’s good dim sum? That’s always a question people ask each other. It can depend on what type of experience you want really. Do you want the high class luxurious service of Hakkasan, or a rowdy kitsch decorated one in Chinatown like New Worl with their trolley dollies? Phoenix Palace situated on Glentworth Street near Baker Street Underground Station has a bit of both. The place is decorated with ornate Oriental interiors bordering on the kitsch side, but because of it spaciousness it isn’t too overbearing, and I quite like that. Some Chinese restaurants now tend to opt for a more modern look or are a cheap Hakkasan/Yauatcha copy, sometimes I want that old school Chinese look. Phoenix Palace has competition from it’s more famous Baker Street neighbours Royal China and Royal China Club (modern look ones!!!), but for value for money/food tastyness ratio I think Phoenix Palace wins.

I’ll just get on with what I ate now.

First up, one of my favourite dishes and done very well here is Chicken Claws in Rice Wine Marinade. They are the best I have tasted, because you can actually taste the subtle fragant aroma of the wine whereas usually you just get a hint of alcohol. This is a cold dish for those that love textures in their food, I love biting off joint by joint and nibbling off the skin, tendon and cartilage, savouring the crunchy, springy, hard jelly textures which you don’t get from a slab of meat. These come with some Chinese sweet pickles which are so mouthwatering and wets your appetite for the food to come.

Phoenix Palace - Chicken Claws in Rice Wine Marinade

Vietnamese Spring Rolls were good, just what I expect them to be. Minced Prawn and Pork wrapped in rice paper and deep fried, served with a sweet chilli fish sauce. I usually prefer these than normal spring rolls, just because I like the dipping sauce more and you need spring rolls when you go Dim Sum.

Phoenix Palace - Crispy Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Cheung Fun is like the Chinese Cannelloni. Common fillings are Prawn, Minced Beef, Barbeque Pork, Monks Vegetable mix and Fried Dough Stick. I tend to go for the Scallop or Fried Dough Stick as Prawn is used in most Dim Sum dishes and I don’t fancy the rest. The Scallop Cheung Fun was a let down. Scallops were tasteless and there wasn’t enough Coriander in it. It was altogether very bland (it looks it even in the picture), with the sauce served on the side so the Cheung Fun couldn’t even have a little soak in that.

Phoenix Palace - Scallop Cheung Fun

The Prawn and Chive Dumplings were a better effort. Prawn and Chive Dumplings are my favourite dumplings, sweet Prawn and pungent Chinese Chive so flavoursome. The dumplings here could have done with more Chives as the filling was on the stodgy side due to meat/Chive ratio being too heavy on the meat side, but on the whole it was good. The skin was light and translucent which made the meat heavy filling stand out more, it just needed to have a slightly looser lighter filling.

Phoenix Palace - Prawn & Chive Dumpling

Shanghai Dumplings, hmmm, ok. You expect them to be soup squirting juicyness. I did eat them as soon as they came to our table so they didn’t dry up. There was some soup in the dumpling and the taste was nice.

Phoenix Palace - Shanghai Dumplings

Besides your classic Dim Sum, Phoenix Palace do offer some more creative dishes. Wasabi Prawn Dumplings are in the Specials section. They certainly stand out with their green skins, didn’t think the curly Parsley was needed here, but there it was. This is like a hot Har Kau (Prawn Dumpling). Wasn’t sure about it. The skin was thicker and tougher, probably due to the green herb/veg used. Biting into the dumpling you suddenly get a Wasabi hit piercing up your nose. This is something that shouldn’t happen when you eat sushi, so why have they decided it was a good idea to put it in a dumpling? Also the Prawn’s sweet flavour was totally lost because of it.

Phoenix Palace - Steamed Wasabi Prawn Dumpling, see that layer of Wasabi at the bottom

The Cold Tossed Baby Octopus in Chilli, Lemon & Garlic Sauce on the other hand worked so well. It was mouthwatering and hit all the right notes. The Sauce was like a Salsa, so refreshing but at the same time that Chilli giving you a good kicking. The Octopus was delicately cooked, so it was tender, and when you bit into it, it’s juices merged with the sauce. There was so much depth to this dish. I want some more now!

Phoenix Palace - Cold Tossed Baby Octopus in Chilli Lemon & Garlic Sauce

Back to the classics, Glutinous Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf. I wish restaurants would bring back the original big size. These new “jewel” size ones may look cuter and easier to distribute and probably save on costs, but you don’t get that excitement anymore when you dig in to one. With them being small, there tends to be less filling and the rice layer is less thick which equals less tasty. Here the rice was too mushy and ended up tasting like a paste. Filling was decent in taste, but because of the size you don’t get much in it, I expect good lumps of meat, Chinese Mushroom, Chinese Sausage wrapped in a sticky pillow of rice.

Phoenix Palace - Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf Wrap

Big Bun stuck by it size and it was magnificent. The bun big enough to hold all the ingredients in it’s filling, Chicken, Prawn, Chinese Mushroom, Egg and Chives. The combination worked very well, everything complementing each other. The bread itself, hot, light and fluffy. It was such a joy to eat.

Phoenix Palace - Big Bun

The Suckling Pig with Jellyfish was the piece de resistance. Only available at the weekend, we were so lucky. Hand turned spit roasted, it was a delight to eat! The skin was so crisp and light, it crumbled and melted on the tongue. Meat was juicy and tender with good rich flavour. The Jellyfish made from fresh was a unexpected joy, most restaurants serve factory produced ones. You could really tell the difference, it was so less rubbery and had a sweeter tang. Thinking about it make my mouth water!

Phoenix Palace - Suckling Pig with Jellyfish

I would have preferred to end with the Suckling Pig because it was so good, but then it would be weird talking about the dessert first (although I have eaten dessert before main meals before and it wasn’t bad). Anyway, we ordered the Black Sesame in Gluten Balls as it was a favourite of my friend’s when she Dim Sum’s in San Francisco. It was slightly different from her San Francisco version. We felt it could have done with more filling, there was only a sliver of it. Usually you expect the Black Sesame to be oozing out when you bite into the rice ball. It was nice, the crunchy chopped peanuts and coconut worked well with the googeyness.

Phoenix Palace - Black Sesame in Gluten Balls

If some one asks me where’s a place for good Dim Sum, I would say Phoenix Palace. I always enjoy going there because it has that quality of an old school restaurant, but without the cramp busyness. I like that they have a very broad menu, all the classic dishes and newer inventive ones. Dim Sum dishes start from £2.60 making it much better priced than it competitors without losing on tastiness. You do have to choose right, there are some hits and misses, but the friendly staff will offer suggestions of their specialties. What’s more, they have very clean spacious washrooms.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka

I went fine dining for dinner. Oooooooo.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka was somewhere where I have wanted to go to, but with my budget eating ideals it was a bit over the budget. My excuse this time? Meeting an old friend I hadn’t seen for ages and Toptable’s deal, at three courses plus a cocktail for £39, it still wasn’t cheap, but more affordable. The place itself is nicely done up, just what you’d expect, do I need to go into detail? Nah, I can’t be bothered. Although I did spend some time wondering how they shone a spotlight onto the middle of the table with no visible lights above until my friend arrived and mentioned she’d seen it at another restaurant and that it was a light under the table. Duh! Let’s get on with the food.

Amuse bouche were four tiny portions of Mackerel, Meat Pie, Tomato & Goats Cheese and a Deep Fried Ball of Mushroom Risotto. They were all delicious, but there was only one of each and so my friend and I had to split these minuscule pieces of food. Surely they could have spared another portion.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Amuse Bouche - Mackerel

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Amuse Bouche - Meat Pie,Tomato & Goats Cheese, Fried Mushroom Risotto

Then came the pre-starter starter of Celeriac Foam with Apple Compote, Apple and Walnut Paste. This was particularly good, the sweet Apple working so well with the Celeriac, the bitter with the sweet, the Walnut Paste on the side bringing a lovely nutty burst and it was so light.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Pre Starter Starter - Celeriac Foam with Apple Compote, Apple & Walnut Paste

Finally we get to what we ordered, our starters. The menu we chose from is a more limited menu, three dishes for each course.   It is made from a combination of the lunch and dinner menus. We decided one of us would do the meat dishes and one the fish, we ain’t no vegetarians, nothing against them. The starter of  Pollock Brandade with Caramelised Squid, Crisp Quail Eggs and Parsley Vinaigrette was yummy. The creamy Pollock with the springy Squid and crispy Quail Eggs, created a mouthful of wonderful textures and flavours.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Pollock Brandade with Caramelised Squid, Crisp Quail Eggs and Parsley Vinaigrette

The other starter I tried was the Lamb Carpaccio with Mint Jelly walnuts, Apple and Olives. Nice and pretty looking, but I think the Lamb itself was overwhelmed by all the other flavours happening around it. Not saying it didn’t taste good, but tasting the meat on it’s own, the lamb was  delicate melt in your mouth yummyness.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Lamb Carpaccio with Mint Jelly walnuts, Celeriac and Olives

Mains! Yeah! Halibut with Chorizo, Caramelised Squid, Red Pepper and Onion Confit and Chick Pea Fritters. There were a lot of similarities of this fish main and the fish starter. The Halibut main is a lot heavier though, big chunk of fish with the Chorizo crust. There were a few chips poking out that were slightly soggy and oily, probably due to the sitting on the foam for a bit too long. Nice but not great.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Halibut with Chorizo, Caramelised Squid, Red Pepper and Onion Confit and Chick Pea Fritters

The Chicken on the other hand, yes more please! A long plate of different parts of chicken each part varying on texture, but all running with the same themes. You start with crispy Chicken mini drumstick, heavy on the morels and peas at this end, middle similar idea, but different cut of meat, juicy meat, crispy skin, the Macaroni so cute, like mini Cannelloni, stuffed with pea puree. You end with succulent breast, that felt like it was steamed, the meat so smooth and juicy, but with the skin crisped up, and in between the skin and meat was some sort of tasty Pesto. Ahhh it was so yummy.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Roast Spring Chicken with Macaroni, Morels, Peas and Broad Beans

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - The Macaroni looking like mini Cannelloni

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - The Tastiest Chicken Section

There was the pre-starter starter, and there’s also the pre-dessert dessert of Giant Israeli Cous Cous Pudding and Passionfruit Cream. This was absolutely delicious! I enjoyed it more than my actual dessert and it was a perfect little refresher after our mains. I think I could have eaten a whole bucket of it, the cous cous was cooked like a creamy rice pudding with the sharp Passionfruit cream, and some crunchy crumbled biscuit topping. This is my ideal type of dessert. Have I not told you of my love of tarty creamy stuff? Maybe more of that another time.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Pre dessert dessert of Giant Israeli Cous Cous & Passionfruit Cream

After that I don’t think my dessert had a chance unless it was a larger glass of more. There were two options really for dessert as the cheese board came with a £10 supplement and our tummies was getting quite full by this time. I went for the Tiramisu as my friend wasn’t a fan of it. It was nice but nothing special. The sugar cone it was encased in I found too thick and sweet, the Amaretto Ice Cream was good and if you scraped the slate it was presented on, you would get a very strong Coffee syrup hit.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Tiramisu with Mascarpone, Coffee and Amaretto Ice Cream

The other dessert, yum yum more please. So many textures and flavours. Although the Hazelnut Parfait Yoghurt Sponge is a Chocolate based dessert, there was so many levels to it. For starters the Parfait itself was creamy yet light, little Chocolate Crispies add a bit of fun to the dessert and contrasts so well with the Parfait. The Hazelnuts and Sauce adding more textures. Then there is the sponge. Here it brings sophistication where the Crispies were fun. It looks like you’re ready to take it to the bath with you, but don’t, because when you bite into it, it is so moist and the acidic taste from the Yoghurt reawakens your tastebuds so that the Chocolate and Hazelnut doesn’t become too rich after a while. You know that feeling you get when something is really good when you first eat it, but then when you eat more be it the flavours are too heavy or rich, you start to enjoy it less, but you carry on eating because you don’t want to waste food and so you finish the portion, but it’s not as enjoyable anymore. Well, I don’t think I could get it with the Cous Cous and Passionfruit Cream or the Hazelnut Parfait and Yoghurt Sponge.

Pearl by Jun Tanaka - Hazelnut Parfait Yoghurt Sponge

Pearl by Jun Tanaka is supposed to be a French Restaurant, but with the Tiramisu, Risotto, Carpaccio and Macaroni the menu at the moment is much more Italian influence.

I had a lovely time, the staff were helpful, friendly and attentive, but I forgot to check out the toilets. An excuse to go back?

Laksa!

For those of you that follow me on twitter, you may have heard me ramble about my Laksa craving since last October and it still hasn’t stopped. Maybe it’s the cold that is bringing on this craving. The rich, spicy, creamy, coconuty, warming soup noodle does have the great effect that English comfort foods offer.

I have never been to Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia so I can not tell what a real Laksa should taste like, but I will go on by what I like the taste of and what’s been written on and photographed about Laksa on the internet. Image searching is such a wonderful thing, where you can oogle at many pictures of yummy food.

Laksa at Young Cheng

First up is the Laksa at Young Cheng. Young Cheng is your typical Chinatown diner, but they have a massive menu some of it great, some not so (I have a rotating repertoire of a few dishes that I always order). This is one of my favourite Chinatown cheapo fast eats. The Laksa here is also my favourite so far.  As you can see it is not the most authentic, aubergine and green beans are not expected, but the vegetables are an enjoyable welcome. The soup base here is very good, getting it spicy enough to get your nose running and the sandy texture of minced shrimp and shallot much more tasty than others. They offer you a choice of vermicelli or egg noodles here, and at £6 for this massive bowl (free Chinese Broth too if you come at lunch) it is the best in value too. Mmmmmm yum!

Curry Laksa at Rasa Sayang

There have been many great reviews about the food at Rasa Sayang, and some of it is good, but I wasn’t impressed with their Laksa. Everything looked alright but the soup lacked depth. Not enough coconut milk, no rich sandy texture, the soup base was weak. All I could taste was the hot chilli oil. Also the food here always seems like it has been sitting around for ages and comes to you lukewarm. Saying this I still go back to try more food so there must be something bringing me back (the menu always seems enticing). Which just reminded me the last time I went, the person sitting on the next table had a Curry Laksa and it looked really good and made me jealous I had ordered something else (something about the grass being greener on the other side?).

Nonya Laksa at Kam Tong

Curry Mee at Kam Tong

Kam Tong looks like any other Chinatown Chinese Restaurant, but they have links with Kiasu in Queensway which is well known for their food from the Straits. Apart from the Main Chinese menu they also have a separate menu which is the same as the one at Kiasu. The Nonya Laksa and Curry Mee basically have the same soup base with different noodles and toppings. For people who don’t like things too spicy come here for your Laksa. I found it way too mild for my liking, and towards the end all I could taste was the coconut milk, which is quite sickly when you have too much. The Nonya Laksa was serve with vermicelli and the Curry Mee with yellow noodles. If I were to go for either of these it would have to be the Curry Mee, simply because the Crispy Pork here was excellent, not too fatty, juicy meat (sometimes it can get too dry) and the skin was REALLY crispy. Another reccomendation here would have to be the Roti Pratha, so so flaky and fluffy.

Curry Laksa at Hare & Tortoise

Hare & Totrtoise is where I first discovered Laska many many many years ago and if you go to a Hare & Tortoise you will see most people there eating Curry Laska. I do enjoy the Laksa here, they have the raw cucumber which gives a cooling balance to the spicy soup. Although the soup here is less thick than some other places it still has a good depth of flavour and in a good way making it less heavy. Over the years they have changed the quality of tofu and chicken, lets just say I prefer the older version. But I do still enjoy it very much here. Once in a while I will have the craving for this specific Laksa and go for a little walk and pop in for one (it’s the only thing I eat at Hare & Tortoise).

Laksa (version 2) at Young Cheng

I still have many more places to try (please add comments on where I can go) and some I haven’t even bothered to mention, but I’ll leave you with version 2 of Laksa at Young Cheng. If you image google Laksa there are so many variations, and even in the same restaurant they serve it slightly different each time. The above one has extra Fish Balls and Fish Slices (which I personally am not very fond of) and was less spicy than the first version. Still enjoyed it though. Really fancy some Laksa now.

The Terroirs

A new favourite place for me. Terroirs on William IV Street, a place I walk pass every day seeing it from the beginning of it being fitted, opened and filled with diners and it is only over a year later that I finally go inside. Why, because I never had the excuse to really. After all the rave reviews and some a bit more mediocre, I’m not one to rush some where, preferring to eye it up for a bit. If a place is good and stays good it’ll be around for a while. So by chance I suggest it to a friend for a post show drink. First visit only a drink a very crisp Prossecco, I really enjoyed it. Yes the company is important and so is the atmosphere you are in. The staff were friendly and helpful and the place although very busy had a comfy cosiness to it. Looking at the menu (a favourite passtime of mine) I really wanted to come back for more.

Prosecco di Conegliano, Casa Coste Piane, Veneto at Terroirs

One week later and I’m back again. Just for a drink again as I was meeting up with some girlfriends for our annual dinner at New Mayflower on Shaftesbury Avenue. This time I did have a taster of the food, going for the Tapenade with Crostini. Oh yes it was good, great Tapenade nothing too finely chopped so that you could see all the individual little bits of ingredients. The Crostini had the perfect crisp crunch to it, not soggy at all and not hard that you break you teeth trying to bite into it. I went firstly for the Boisson Rogue, a sparkling red. A lot sweeter in comparison to the Prosecco I had the week before, it was very nice and suited the mood that I was in. The Trebbiano secco on the other hand was totally weird. I haven’t mentioned yet that Terroirs specializes in Natural Wines and their suppliers are small artisan growers who work sustainably, organically or biodynamically in the vineyard and with minimal interventions in the winery. The Trebbiano secco had a cloudy sediment appearance, even more cloudy than cloudy apple juice. It tasted very rich, but sour and only had the slightest of fizz. Not sure if it was supposed to taste this way I asked the barman who confirmed to me that this was the taste. One of my friends really did not enjoy it. I didn’t dislike it, the taste intrigued me but I definitely did not love it and next time I go back (which is tomorrow) will not be ordering it.

Boisson Rouge Pet Nat, Domaine de Montrieux, Loire at Terroirs

Pig Headed

St John Bread and Wine in Spitalfields London, is one of those places that I like to visit once in a while ( and more frequently check out what’s on the menu at their website ). The original Smithfield restaurant known for specialising in offal and other interesting meats is voted 14th in the top 50 restaurants in the world this year (up 2 from last year), but I much prefer Bread and Wine as it has a much more relaxed atmosphere and they do more small dishes, so I get to try out more stuff that way. I had this dish of Deep Fried Pigs’ Head with Tartare Sauce recently. Just the thought of a deep fried pig’s head really intrigued me. Well what came out was a kind of pig head cake, chopped up pigs head shaped to a cake, breaded and deep fried. A very rich dish. When you bite through the crisp breadcrumbs you reach the almost creamy mixture of pigs head, getting all the different textures of all the different parts, the gelatinous, the crunchy, the chewy. It’s a very heavy cake and if it wasn’t for the Tartare Sauce I don’t think I could take more than two bites (well I could but I’d probably wouldn’t enjoy it after the fourth). The Tartare Sauce is great, the vinegary/sharpness of the gherkins/capers helps to cut through the fattiness of the dish. A dish to be enjoyed very sparingly.

Deep Fried Pigs' Head with Tartare Sauce

And this is what it is made from!

St John Pig Head

Favourites at Bar Shu

It was all good at Bar Shu, I doubt they had a bad dish there. Service wise it wasn’t bad either, staff were friendly and when we had a problem with one of the dishes (not because it was a bad dish, just a comical misunderstanding) they happily exchanged it for us. Drinks wise the Prosecco we ordered was conveniently out of stock and they tried to offer us the Champagne which was about a third more expensive. We weren’t having it, eating on a budget here, so we ordered the house white, a Sauvignon Blanc which turned out to be light and refreshing and went very well with the spiciness of the food.

Anyway here are my two favourite dishes, whenever I mention them my mouth starts to dribble and thoughts of eating them come back. Yum!

Mouthwatering Sichuan Chicken

Mouthwatering Sichuan Chicken it is! The chicken meat had such a smooth texture, I also like the skin with it’s slight rubberiness. This dish looks hot with the fiery red sauce, but it was actually very mild and even though it looks kind of oily, it wasn’t either. A throughly light and refreshing dish, it was a great starter.

Assorted Meats in Fiery Sauce

The Assorted Meats in Fiery Sauce has got to me my favourite dish here and it was a massive dish. A lover of offal, especially pig’s blood, ever since I was a child and seeing pig’s blood sold in Chinatown’s supermarkets, my dad buying and cooking it. I remember them being sold in plastic tubs (the ones you have as your washing up bowl) and then it disappeared for a while. So I am very happy that it is being served again, in this dish with ox tripe, pig’s intestines and luncheon meat. The strong flavours and textures work so well with the really hot sauce, and sometimes when you actually bite on a chilli you get that extra hit. Tasty!

Yes, do click on the links to compare the pictures of the dishes on the website to mine, they look amazingly different.

I just wish I had another friend who is into offal as much as me so that I can go and order more offal dishes.