Dinner at Kricket

03-02-2018 Local Black BookIndian, Kricket, London, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates, Soho1 Comment

I hate restaurants that don’t take reservations for less than 4 people.

I hate restaurants where the host, when I pop in and ask if they have a table for 2 at 7:15pm, answers they do… at 10:30pm.

And I HATE restaurants that insist on running separate lunch and dinner services so that I can’t have a meal at strange mid-afternoon hours on the weekend.

All of the above are the reasons why I hate loving Kricket so much.

It’s going to make my life so very difficult every time I crave Indian food.

But well, I’ll just have to deal with it all (and take friends down with me so we can book at table!) because the food, the drinks and the atmosphere are all fantastic.

The cocktail list is short but perfect formed, making the on-duty bartender a very busy man (or woman) indeed.

Which you could feel bad about or just embrace with a couple of the truly excellent whisky + orange marmalade cocktails…

Also excellent were the Jerusalem artichokes and pea samosas.

Light, crispy pastry triangles, filled with the most delicious, subtly spiced vegetable filling.

Needless to say, those didn’t last long.

My favourite dish – Pumpkin, makhani sauce, fresh paneer, hazelnut crumble, puffed wild rice.

Served with masala kulcha bread straight from the tandoor.

Charred pumpkin, the best (really, even my Indian boyfriend says so, and he’s had A LOT of butter chicken) butter-tomato sauce, begin to be scooped over some bread…

It was the sort of dish I wish I knew how to make so I could have it every day.

One that hangs around the top of my list of London’s best dishes, too.

Kricket’s signature Keralan fried chicken, served with curry leaf mayonnaise and pickled mouli.

Venison keema.

Warming and gently spiced, and the perfect reminder of why I must add keema to my winter meal rota.

Beautifully cooked duck breast, served with fiery vindaloo sauce and refreshing Brussel sprout and coconut thoran.

Polishing it all off on a sweet note in the form of carrot halwa with chestnut ice cream (delicious but veeeeeeery rich) and gorgeous, posset-like misti doi.

All in all, not a dal plate in sight at Kricket… So, no matter how difficult/irritating getting a table is, it’s worth the patience and hard work.

You know what they they… Keep calm and curry on!

Kricket Soho (the original venue’s in Brixton), 12 Denman St, Soho, London W1D 7HH

More things to eat in Soho

EVERYTHING at Temper

Cake for dinner at Cutter & Squidge

Ramen at Kanada Ya

Chinatown’s best hot pot

Madame D

18-09-2017 Local Black BookAsian, Indian, London, madame d, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small platesLeave a comment

My boyfriend has been wishing for Indo-Chinese food to make its way to London for as long as I’ve known him.

And, I don’t know if he finally found the magic lamp or something, but it looks like his wish has finally come true.

Hidden away behind the Old Spitafields market, you’ll find Gunpowder‘s new baby sister – Madame D – serving up a modern interpretation of the food prepared by Chinese-Tibetan immigrants in India.

To be honest, Madame D is a bit of a hipster child wonder.

Brick, plants, candles, creative cocktails, short but sweet menu of small plates designed to share, it has it all.

And it’s all very, very good indeed!

Starting with the naga chilli beef puffs.

Crispy on the outside & steamy on the inside, delightful spiced and utterly addictive beef morsels.

So addictive I easily could have eaten a buffet-sized plate of those all by myself. Sadly, that wasn’t on the menu.

Hakka chilli paneer – an irresistible take on the BF’s usual order at his favourite Delhi restaurant.

Sweet, sour, spicy and all in all spectacular, we fought over the last pieces and vowed to order it again on our next visit.

Ginger-scented stuffed aubergine with mushrooms.

Thanksfully not as spicy as the deep-red sauce would have you believe, but every inch as delicious!

Light and fragrant Kathmandu curry with bamboo shoots and sweet potato served over mountains of steamed rice.

Himalayan fried chicken, served Chinese-style with sliced spring onion, chilli and vinegar dipping sauce.

Much like the rest of the food at Madame D – absolutely faultless and just ridiculously tasty – all paired with super cosy atmosphere (the flip side of that one smallish-room, no reservation situation) and swift yet attentive service.

Unsurprisingly, getting a table is already near-impossible. But when the food’s that good, you’ll forget about the inconvenience the second the food hits the table and start making plans to go back to before you’ve even left.

Madame D, 76 Commercial Street, E1 6LY

Kiln, Soho

16-05-2017 Local Black BookAsian, Kiln, London, recommendation, Restaurant, small plates, Soho, Thai2 Comments

With so many new restaurants popping up in London every ~~month~~ week, coming across something that’s not already been de- and re-constructed 25 times over is a rare thing.

And yet it’s just what super-popular, Thai-inspired Kiln does.

With a succession of 5* reviews under their belt, as well original Thai-inspired small plates cooked with first-class British ingredients and very keen pricing to top it all, scoring one of the few bar stools overlooking the open kitchen is no easy thing.

Which is why when you finally do, you better make the most of it and order up a storm!

Starting with a couple of drinks…

A green peppercorn daiquiri for him…

And a tall glass of super-refreshing lemongrass iced tea for me!

Aged lamb & cumin skewers.

Crispy, intense, fatty in the best sort of way.

Was I not so curious and set on trying as many dishes as could possible handle, I could happily have eaten a plateful of those and left a very happy customer!

Smoked sausage with turmeric.

Spicy, complex and not unlike top-quality BBQ-ed merguez sausages…

Beautifully plump, sweet langoustines, kaffir lime and sweet mint.

Summer supper perfection.

Clay pot baked glass noodles with five spice ducks and offal with aged soy.

Warming, comforting and interesting all at once!

Last but not least – Wild ginger and short rib curry from Burma.

A beautiful, delicate curry, with melt-in-the-mouth beef rib slices, lifted by the fresh flavour of anise-sweet Thai basil.

With stir fried Cornish greens & soybrown and brown jasmine rice on the side, because wasting any of that curry sauce would be a crime.

Much like not serving dessert is usually one in my book. But with Crosstown and Gelupo nearby and open ’til late(ish), I suppose in Kiln’s case, it’s not that much of a big deal!

Soooo, get there early and get queuing!

(or if you can get a few people together, they also take bookings for 6+ people… #just saying)

Kiln Soho, 58 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9TL

The Palomar revisited

25-04-2017 Local Black BookLondon, recommendation, Restaurant, small plates, Soho, The Palomar2 Comments

I love Easter Monday.

All the tourists that flooded to the capital are on their way home, the Londoners that were clever enough to escape the egg-hunting crowds aren’t back yet and unlike Christmas week, all every store and restaurant worth their while are open for business.

Which means it’s one of those few magic days (together with tube-strike days) where you can get a table pretty much anywhere you fancy.

The perfect opportunity to -finally- (re)visit the infamous, impossible-to-get-into-unless-you-book-a-table-2-months-ahead Palomar.

Grab a couple of seats at the bar and forget all you thought you knew about Jewish food.

Serving up what they describe as “the food of modern day Jerusalem”, The Palomar is all about twists on the classics and loads of fresh, punchy flavours.

Point made right from the start with the restaurant’s signature Kubaneh, coming to the table in its own tin and served pipping hot with tahini & velvet tomatoes.

Dense, buttery and fluffy, this Eastern Mediterannean brioche is made to be dipped so make sure you order the burnt courgette tzatkiki too!

Add a couple of perfectly mixed cocktails and you’re all set to peruse the rest of the rather unortodox menu…

Beef Tataki Damaskus gate style with crispy Jerusalem bagel, tahini & spicy tomatoes

Must-order Shakshukit (deconstructed kebab with minced beef & lamb, yoghurt, tahini, cured lemon & harissa)

Quite simply life changing – No matter how good/needed they are, you’ll never look at kebabs quite the same way after that!

Siske Pork Belly with Ras el Hanout, dried apricot, glazed carrot & celeriac cream.

The Palomar ● London restaurant review ● Cake + Whisky

Sweet, sticky, indulgent, absolutely not kosher-friendly but well worth every transgression!

And then there’s this cute little pan, filled with the best dish in the house, no less!

Super creamy Josperised Aubergine under a blanket of creay feta emulsion, crispy shallots & pine nuts.

Aubergenius.

All polished off with your pick from the sweetest of desserts menus…

As long as your pick includes the Malabi, that is.

A rose-scented milk pudding, raspberry coulis, coconut meringue pistachio crunch, fresh raspberries & kataifi, it is perfectly balanced and my Mr. simply won’t leave The Palomar without having it.

That said, the Jerusalem Mess (labneh mousse, almond crumble, strawberries, lemon cream…) isn’t too shabby either. And the fondue-style chocolate crémeux is every bit as good as it sounds too, so you can’t really go wrong.

Just make sure you go early (or book a table), go hungry and leave plenty of room for pudding…

Which I know is difficult when the whole menu looks So-ho good!

The Palomar, 34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN

No tables available at The Palomar? Try one of those nearby restaurants!

Jen Café, Chinatown

Chick ‘n’ Sours, Seven Dials

The Barbary, Neal’s Yard

Berber & Q’s Shawarma Bar

26-02-2017 Local Black Bookbarbecue, Exmouth Market, grill, hummus, London, Middle Eastern, Restaurant, review, shawarma, shawarma bar, small plates2 Comments

God, looking for a new flat in London is an exausting task!

So after a loooooong morning of (rather unsuccessful) viewings, when we found ourselves right around the corner of my favourite little pocket of London, we decided to take a break from it all and treat ourself to a nice lunch.

Our spot of choice? Berber & Q’s super-instagramable Shawarma Bar.

A tiny but perfectly formed, new-wave shawarma bar, brought to central London by Haggerston’s Middle Eastern barbecue superstar.

No mystery meat to be seen here.

Instead, the menu’s on the shorter side and full of vegetarian-oriented small plates, shawarma-stuffed pitas dishes and plates and creative sides.

Needless to say, it’s a ‘let’s get one of each and share’-type dinner’s dream, be it for a relaxed weekday lunch, a casual dinner or not-your-usual weekend brunch.

Start with a cock/mocktail…

Followed by a smogasboard of small plates to share!

Za’atar-roasted tomatoes with labneh.

Ezme with pine nuts and red chilli.

Joojeh chicken pita with blackened green chilli sauce & garlic yoghurt.

(which was quite enjoyable as it came, but even better once turned upside down onto a plate, teared up and mixed!)

Signature cauliflower shawarma with sultanas, rose, pine nuts & pomegranate.

And some of the best hummus I’ve had in my life.

A tableful of goodies ready for you to scoop and dip into to your heart’s content!

All topped up with a beautiful, panna cotta-like cardamom malabi.

Delicate and wobbly and all, what a way to wrap it up!

Shawarma Bar by Berber & Q, 46 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QE

Chick ‘n’ Sours Seven Dials

14-11-2016 Local Black Bookcentral London, Chick 'n' Sours, chicken, Covent Garden, fried chicken, London, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Seven Dials, small platesLeave a comment

Another day, another brunch!

Now, this one’s nowhere near as traditional as the last one but it’s just as crackin‘!

Unlike many of my faves, Chick ‘n’ Sours is not all about the eggs.

In this achingly cool restaurant, it’s the chicken that comes first!

Well, after the cocktails at least!

All of which are delightfully mixed and of the sour variety (hence the restaurant being called Chick ‘n’ Sours!).

My favourite was the signature The Chick ‘n’ Club (gin, blackberry, apple, vermouth, vinegar, sour).

A brilliant combination of all things autumnal in liquid form. Win.

Though if you’re already into your festive phase, The Rye ‘n’ Black (rye whiskey, red wine syrup, sour) is absolutely the one!

Note to self: red wine syrup. Get on it!

Best enjoyed with a side of Mexi-nese Nachos.

If you think nachos are not really your thing, think again.

Those come drenched Chengdu chicken ‘n’ bacon, green chilli, kimchi and cheese sauce and are THE BOMB!

So good in fact you better get your insta-perfect shots in quickly, or there’ll be nothing left for you but the plate to lick (if you’re lucky)!

Same rule applies for the Szechuan aubergine.

Coated in a light, crispy batter and swimming in a spicy, sour sauce, it goes right up there with Ottolenghi’s for the title of the best aubergine dish I’ve ever eaten.

Super moist + crispy chicken tenders with seaweed crack with sriracha sour cream.

Just as good as you’d expect from a top notch chicken joint.

When it comes to quality, these guys are definitely not yolking around!

And then, there’s the K Pop Bun aka the chicken burger to end all chicken burgers.

Korean fried thigh, gochujang mayo, chilli vinegar, crunchy slaw, all stuffed into a brioche bun.

A true beast but one that’s well worth dislocating your jaw for!

With a side of Pickled watermelon, coriander, mint & peanut salad to keep things fresh!

If you’re still hungry after that, there’s also some (apparently excellent) soft-serves to be had, but I’m afraid we chickened out!

So if you’re after the best fried chicken in London, chick‘ out Chick ‘n’ Sours.

It’s just the spot to make every day fry-day!

Chick ‘n’ Sours, 1a Earlham Street, Seven Dials, WC2H 9LL (they also have a restaurant in Dalston)

Brunch at Oldroyd

03-10-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, brunch, carbonara, croquetas, European, Islington, italian, London, Oldroyd, pasta, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

I don’t believe Oldroyd needs any introduction.

I have already written about it several times, and yet here I am again, writing about it once more.

You might want to call this a bad blogger syndrom, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But then again, what’s a girl to do when one of her absolute favourite locals starts doing brunch eh?

With about 30 seats and simple yet tasteful decoration, Oldroyd is a dream no matter when you visit.

But if you asked, I’d say Sunday is probably the best day.

Because it’s Oldroyd’s brunch day and they serve up their signature fettucine carbonara.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so first things first.

And by that I mean Bloody Mary, obviously.

As a matter of fact, the very best one I’ve ever had in London (and trust me when I say beating The Smokehouse‘s Chicken Salt delight was no easy task)!

Spicy and very pickle-y, it’s not one for the faint-hearted but still the very best way to get the brunch party started.

Though a tall, icy glass of Earl Grey iced tea does rather nicely as well!

Croquetas have been a feature on Oldroyd’s menu since the restaurant opened and they’re an absolute must-order.

This time, they were filled with mushroom, served with a generous dollop of truffle mayonnaise and as delightful as ever.

Zucchini fries are always a good idea too.

Feather-light, thin & crispy, they’re utterly irresistible.

But if you’re there for brunch, you might as well make the most of it.

The Bacon & egg fettucine, with confit garlic & berkswell, is out-of-this-world good.

It has eggs and bacon and carbs, it’s rich and creamy and comforting and basically all of your brunch dreams come true.

And if you want more, the Braised ox cheek with polenta & gremolata is an excellent choice.

Melt-in-the-mouth meat never goes out of fashion as far as I’m concerned. Warming, comforting and satisfying, it’s winter food at it’s finest.

The only issue is that it might well rule dessert out. Don’t worry chocolate mousse with raspberries & salted pistachio praline, I’ll be back for you!

I can never stay away for very long anyway (and if you want to make sure you don’t have to fight me for the last table, you better book here)!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

PIN FOR LATER:

The Barbary, Neal’s Yard

10-08-2016 Local Black BookAfrican, berber, Covent Garden, London, Neal's Yard, new, no-reservation, Palomar, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates, The Barbary2 Comments

Located at the heart of Covent Garden in iconic Neal’s Yard, The Barbary is one of London’s hottest restaurants right now.

No surprise there, if you consider the fact that it’s a no-reservation, 22-seater type of restaurant, and of course there’s the fact that it’s the sister restaurant to hyper-popular Palomar…

Though if you go for lunch on a Sunday, you might just get one of those precious 22 seats without having to queue at all, just saying!

I really have a thing for bar-eating, and the whole restaurant being built around a central kitchen, making a meal at The Barbary a really fun and interactive experience.

Because nothing makes for a better meal than debating all the menu options with the chef, right?!

Except of course for some beautiful drinks!

The restaurant takes inspiration from the Barbary Coast, the area settled by the Berbers in the Atlas Mountains (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya).

So no matter what you order, you’ll end up with a table full of beautiful, colourful dishes.

Starting with an excellent version of one of my favourite dishes in the entire world: sweet and (very) smokey Baba Ghanoush.

Zhug, Harrissa, Burnt & Pickled Chilli.

A vibrant selection of spicy & zingy dips, with hot & pickled chillis and the cutest (and most delicious) baby pickled aubergine.

With a soft, sesame-covered Jerusalem Bagel to mop it all up.

Plus some Naan e Barbari.

Because more bread is always a good idea, especially when each and every dish comes drizzled with some of delicious sauce/dressing!

The Barbary, London | Cake + Whisky

As soon as you finish a plate, a new one miraculously appear in its place.

Much like eating at Hogwarts, but with much more tahini.

That said, tahini on the side of Tabouleh? Life-changing!

Cauliflower Jaffa Style, with tomato pulp and yet more tahini…

Punchy Monkfish Chermoula with beautifully charred, meaty pieces of monkfish marinated in herbs, lemon, cumin and garlic, served with tahini (!!) yoghurt and a generous spoonful of spicy harissa.

Followed by the most delicious Chicken Msachen.

Moist and tender chunks of chicken, topped with sumac and served with sweet onions and labneh. It might not sounds like much, but it was a winner across our ~~table~~ bit of the bar.

The Daily Specials are also well worth exploring, as this really succesful Pork Adobo skewer proved on our visit.

Just make sure you save a tiny bit of room for dessert though, because the dessert menu is short, but really quite sweet!

Hashcake. No, not that kind, you naughty!

This wonderful pistachio and honey tart of sorts is the chef’s take on New York’s famous crack pies, and are just as addictive!

The Barbary, London | Cake + Whisky

Basbousa, an Egyptian semolina cake with orange blossom syrup, almond slivers and a cheeky side of crème fraîche.

Both made even better with a side of Halva (a sesame base fudge-y confectionary) ice cream.

With a menu showcasing the diversity and reflecting the rich culinary traditions of the countries from the Atlantic Coast through to the Mediterranean Sea leading to Israel, The Barbary tells a story of trade, travel and culture.

Some history, a little bit of romance and a Kitchen Bar, The Barbary is a little holiday at home.

Take a peak at the menu on the website, and go hungry!

The Barbary, 16 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP

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Señor Ceviche

08-08-2016 Local Black Bookbarbecue, carnaby, ceviche, London, Peru, Peruvian, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Senor Ceviche, small plates, SohoLeave a comment

With so many new pop-ups and restaurants opening their doors every week, return visits are a rare occurence, especially if said restaurants don’t happen to be within a 5-min walking radius from my front door.

That said, some places do make the cut for a second visit, be it because we just happen to be in the neighbourhood, or have a specific craving that simply must be satisfied.

As far as Señor Ceviche is concerned, it was a combination of both.

On a nice, sunny weekend, we found ourselves wandering near Kingly Court in great need of a cocktail and some barbecued side action.

So after over a year, we made our way to Señor’s casa, eager to quench our thirst with a glass of house pisco and sink our teeth into some Peruvian small plates.

The restaurant itself was as packed, fun and vibrant as ever (as you can absolutely not guess from the above press pics ??), with loads of groups celebrating the weekend and foodies delighting in the Casa’s specialities, including some truly stunning cocktails!

Obligatory Pisco Sour (Machu Pisco, lime juice, egg white, Chuncho bitters).

Another Casa Clasico: the Pisco Punch (Machu Pisco, lemon juice, pineapple syrup, rosemary)

All served up by the friendliest & funniest of teams!

And quickly followed by a tableful of colourful small plates to share, tapas style.

Starting with an old favourite, Chifa Chicharrones.

Slow cooked, crispy pork belly with sweet soy sauce, it’s as indulgent as you’d imagine and an absolute must-order in my book.

Mr Miyagi tiradito

A Salmon tiradito and the perfect mix of South American and Asian cuisines, it was a brilliant example of Nikkei cooking, as well as very light and fresh. Perfect for super hot days!

Though The Spaniard still remains my absolute favourite.

With sea bream and king prawn in a perfectly balanced sweet-and-spicy tomato & aji rocotto tiger’s milk and crispy chorizo, it’s basically summer on a plate and the sort of dish you can’t refrain from ordering a second order of the second you finish it.

Nikkei Pulpo (Kombu grilled octopus with nikkei chimichurri & sweet potato causa)

Perfectly grilled octopus and a citrusy green salsa, it was always going to be a winner!

An a cheeky side of Patatas Fritas with fiery aji rocotto mayonnaise.

Peru’s answer to French fries (and I’m quite tempted to put them in charge of the Fries Comity to be honest…), and one of the many dishes worth peru-sing!

Señor Ceviche, Kingly Court, Kingly St, London W1B 5PW

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Polpo at The Ape and Bird

03-08-2016 Local Black Bookcicchetti, italian, London, pasta, pizza, Polpo, Polpo at The Ape and Bird, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates, SohoLeave a comment

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta” – Federico Fellini

And food at Polpo, the cornerstone of Russel Norman’s restaurant empire, is the perfect combination of both.

Unfortunately, that’s not a very well kept secret, and if you combine this with the fact that Polpo is a strictly-no-booking sort of place, getting a table can be a bit of a nightmare.

Located right on Cambridge Circus (aka THE spot for any pre-/post-theatre dinner), Polpo at The Ape & Bird is no exception, but the restaurant itself being quite big, it is still the least stupidly busy of the lot.

With shabby walls and worn-just-the-right-way furniture, the place itself is the perfect hybrid of a gastropub and a hipster den, and consequently an absolute Instagram dream.

But the food, the food is what everybody comes back for.

The menu focuses on Italian-influenced sharing plates, with a wide selection of both signature and seasonal dishes.

From the Cicheti section, we couldn’t resist the Arancini (and neither should you!)

Breaded, golden-fried balls of risotto goodness, those are simply too good not to get!

Followed by Polpo’s signature dish: Pork & fennel meatballs in tomato sauce.

A homely take on the humble meatball, with heaps of fennel seeds and a super silky, slightly spicy tomato sauce.

Italian comfort food at its very best!

If you’re as much of a carb lover as I am, the Pizzetta, cooked on site in a wood-fire oven, will definitely catch your eyes.

There are a few option to choose from, including this Spinach, parmesan & soft egg one.

Which obviously, I couldn’t pass off.

Just look at that ‘runny egg yolk’ excited face of mine!

Polpo at The Ape and Bird | Cake + Whisky

If I’m being honest though, this is nowhere near the best pizza in London (which is to be found either here or there).

The dough wasn’t quite ‘dough-y’ enough for Polpo to have any claim on that trophy, but the topping combination was really tasty, if only a bit un-seasoned.