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.

Itadaki Zen

Itadaki Zen at London’s King Cross is Europe’s first Organic and Vegan Japanese restaurant.

It’s got that cosy unique homemade feel, the tables look like they were made during a woodwork course. foam mounted photos of greenery adorn the walls.

The restaurant was very brightly lit, more informal diner restaurant than somewhere to go on a romantic date, it’s a fun place.

Service was very friendly but could be a bit slow due to only one waiter working all the tables. The waiter forgot about our tea, but sincerely apologised when we asked again. We were in no rush so just enjoyed our meal at a relaxing pace.

Itadaki Zen - Chefs at work

What I Ate

Tofu Steak with Yangeom Sauce -  Good firm tofu which my friend recognised was Clean Bean Tofu that has a great strong taste. The Yangeom sauce which I thought was going to be like the spicy Korean one, turns out to be more subtle, complementing the tofu rather than drowning out the flavour. It was a lovely dish, so often Tofu Steak will always be with a Teriyaki sauce it was a nice change.

Medium Nigiri Set – Had to try some, but was slightly dissapointed. Tended to be on the bland side, and I can imagine the toppings would work better together as a Chirashizushi dish.

Wild Garlic Sushi Roll and Koya-Tofu Sushi Roll – Yet again, quite bland. There wasn’t enough seasoning in the rice. The names sounded interesting, but I couldn’t really taste much.

Chapche – This was tasty. Stir fried Sweet Potato noodles with a scattering of mixed vegetables and fungi. It was delicately seasoned leaving you wanting more.

Senmoku – This was interesting, never had this before. This crunchy jelly is made from Acorn Starch. Not sure how to describe it, if you like weird textures then you might like this. Honestly, I can’t remember the taste.

Tempura – Man, this was really good. I was expecting the usual pieces of vegetables, instead we got tempura made of shredded mixed vegetables, so you’re biting into a crispy myriad of sweet flavours. The other Tempura consisted if various types if seaweed, all terrifically crisp and light and it was a really good sized portion!

Homemade Kimchi – This was light, fresh and the piquant sauce just clinging to the cabbage.

Okara no iri-ni – This dish comprising the unusual grainy texture of Soybean pulp was cute. The clean sweet taste was very enjoyable.

Gokoku and Sansen Rice – Both rice were tummytastic. The Gokoku-han, sweeter with the different grains. I felt very healthy eating them.

Soymilk Pudding and Sesame Pudding – Was really looking forward to these. They look quite similar, but tasted so different. The Soymilk Pudding was creamy smooth, sitting on it’s moat of sweet Soymilk , with a light Azuki Bean Paste trim. The Sesame Pudding was more intense. We’d be tasting the Soybean and then the  Sesame and exclaim “the milk in the Sesame Pudding has a Sesame hint to it too!” . The Azuki Bean Paste on the Sesame pudding was stronger, the pudding itself more grainy probably due to the ground Sesame. Both were delicious.

Itadaki Zen Tea – Hot fragrant Soymilk, you can’t go wrong.

Good bits

Most of it.

Cosy little place, friendly staff, the menu large and varied.  I felt very healthly after my meal.

Like that they aim for organic sourcing, the dishes created are aimed at your health as well as being tasty.

Usually eating Japanese I feel guilty when going with Vegetarians as there is a limited menu, this time we were able to eat so much variety was great.

Itadaki Zen - Enjoying dinner

Not so good bits

Ok for locals but not me is that they don’t open Saturday for lunch or on Sundays, as the lunch set menus look good.

Maybe a little more experimentation on the Sushi, but not that bothered as there was so much other stuff that was yummy.

Got a little thirsty as teacups are pretty small and service was slow for refills.

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

Would definitely go again, already planning who to go eat with next and try some of the other dishes I didn’t get to try this time.

Maybe a set lunch or a set dinner.

Maybe one of the workshops and events relating to food which they organise.

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.

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?