Tag Archives: Restaurant

LOST BOYS PIZZA – MIXING MODERN DAY FOOD WITH AN 80s CULTURE

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Where can you pay homage to some of the greatest movie moments from the 80s whilst feasting on the latest foodie trends AND enjoying a full on Absinthe bar? Camden, of course!

Lost Boys Pizza recently opened its second branch in this tourist hotspot and serves up charcoal based pizzas in a down and dirty setting.

There’s so much to chat about with this place but we’re going to focus on three things – the food, the drink and the vibe…

The Food

So, charcoal pizza. Don’t get us wrong, we were a little apprehensive at first but it turns out that the taste barely differs to your standard crust (it’s just a bit smokier) but it does feel much lighter on the gut – meaning less guilt all round… hurrah! Lost Boys take a twist to their pizzas so there’s no traditional margerita or Hawaiian pizza here. What you will be treated to though, is an array of really reasonably priced dishes (avg. £8.50) with funky names (Santa Carla, Ready Pizza One and Fangs For The Memories) and even funkier tastes (in a good way).

The Drinks

One of the things that really makes this place stand out is its Absinthe packed lair. The first Absinthe bar in London town, here you can try variants of the strong stuff whilst getting a full education on its history and the best way to take the liquor. And no, it’s not straight from the bottle on a Greek street corner.

The Vibe

No matter where you look, there’s a nod to a retro movie. Black and white posters, actual costumes from top film sets (we won’t give away the surprises) and a playlist that will have you wanting to don your Doc Martins, you’ll leave wondering what this modern day madness is outside.

STOP EVERYTHING: A cheese wheel extravaganza is coming to London

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That’s right, London locals can reap the benefits of their postcodes to indulge in a pasta, cheese wheeling night of Italian luxury.

Pasta Remoli, a firm favourite of Frost mag, recently opened its Ealing Broadway spot and is celebrating by hosting three, yes three, exclusive evenings for locals.

It’s no ordinary evening though, each night, chef and founder Simone Remoli will present guests with deliciously moreish Maccheroncini Carbonara served hot straight out of a, wait for it, GIANT PARMESAN WHEEL. Just give us a moment to compose ourselves.

For £25, guests will enjoy a welcome drink, Italian starters including Italian salumi and cheese, crispy and velvety arancini, creamy burrata cheese, mixed bruschetta, bread and focaccia before the main event… the giant Parmesan wheel packed with Maccheroncini Carbonara.

 

If that’s not enough for your Italian food – appreciating selves, dessert is also included in the price. Swoon.

 

To make a booking, email ealingbroadway@pastaremoli.co.uk

FROST’S FOODIE FAVOURITE – BIG EASY

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A taste of the Deep South and a damn good night!

Big Easy is a favourite across the London foodie scene. Good, honest grub and a relaxed atmosphere to match, these Bar B.Q houses and Crabshacks don’t disappoint and with three spots throughout London, you’re never too far away from a Big Easy style, belly busting feast.

Last month, we were invited to try out the renovated Kings Road hut – the home of the original Big Easy restaurant – and it didn’t disappoint.

Authentic, southern décor and melt in the mouth meats, there’s nothing not to love. We opted for the Bar B.Q Blowout for Two which basically means we got to try a bit of everything! All of the meats are cooked the traditional way – low and slow –  over wood. Included on this plate of perfection was Baby Back Ribs, Bar.B.Q Chicken, Chips, Pulled Pork, Cornbread Muffin, Coleslaw & Bar.B.Q Beans and Texas Hot Links Sausage. All for just £22.50 per person!

If you fancy having a food focus as opposed to a little bit of everything, ribs are an absolute highlight at Big Easy and the team take their rib rubs and sauces seriously. “Wet“ ribs are dry rubbed and sauced throughout their entire cook and the “dry ribs” are rubbed and cooked and are just sans sauce. On these, the rub and smoke work their magic to create a “bark” ensuring a crispy exterior with a succulent interior.

Happy hours and live bands make an appearance on the daily, as do fantastic foodie specials from bottomless fajitas (£20pp every Wednesday) to the Monday classic of the ‘Big Pig Gig’, offering diners unlimited Bar B.Q and a 2 pint stein of Big Easy Brew (£20pp).

To book a table at Big Easy Kings Road, visit the Big Easy website.

No Rhyme Or Reason: Searcy’s At The Gherkin Plays Host To New Opus Art-Curated Exhibition…

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No Rhyme Or Reason: At Searcys, The Gherkin

11 September – 10 November 2017

An exhibition curated by Opus Art in collaboration with G X Gallery

Featuring works by Martin Foot, Eddie Hara, Claudia Meyer, Wu Mingzhong, Sheng Qi and Mitchell Schorr

At Searcys | The Gherkin

Visits by appointment only.

Imagery: Shane Finn at VOUZ! Photography

EDDIE HARA

THE THIRD PERSON

2005 Acrylic on Canvas

50 x 40 cm 19 3/4 x 15 3/4 in

WU MINGZHONG

HEY! SLOW DOWN, 2014

Silkscreen Print, Ed of 99

96.5 x 76.2 cm 38 x 30 in

Edition of 99

CLAUDIA MEYER

ACCORDANCE IV, 2015

Mixed Media on Acrylglas, LED

80 x 80 cm 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 in

CLAUDIA MEYER

CURSIVE, 2017

Stainless Steel, Acrylglas

180 x 180 cm 70 7/8 x 70 7/8 in

SHENG QI

WOMAN ON THE TREE, 2013

Watercolour on Paper

29.7 x 42 cm 11 3/4 x 16 1/2 in

SHENG QI

MOVE ALONG, 2014

Acrylic on Canvas

60 x 90 cm 23 5/8 x 35 3/8 in

SHENG QI

YELLOW UMBRELLA, 2014

Acrylic on Canvas

70 x 60 cm 27 1/2 x 23 5/8 in

MITCHELL SCHORR

VIRTUE, 2004

Oil on Canvas

51 x 61 cm 20 1/8 x 24 1/8 in

MITCHELL SCHORR

VICE, 2004

Oil on Canvas

41 x 61 cm 16 1/8 x 24 1/8 in

MARTIN FOOT

SOGNO DI PACE

Travertine Marble

47.7 x 16.5 cm (inc. base) 18 3/4 x 6 1/2 in (inc. base)

Private view – 12 September 2017

About Opus Art…

Nicole Barbezat is a professional art dealer and an avid art collector with a long life passion for art, based in London, offering private solutions to individual collectors and institutions seeking to build and manage their art portfolios.As an artist she has been drawing and painting since an early age, and has attended the Venice International Summer Academy for Fine Arts amongst other. Nicole was also actively involved with Sotheby’s Institute of Art.Over the years, Nicole has supported emerging artists, art foundations and charities that promote the arts.Nicole has also a strong background in Private Banking and Wealth Management having been active in this field for over 15 years. Today, she is fortunate to combine this invaluable financial experience and her passion for art enabling her to better serve and understand her clients, and find the subtle synergies between the beauty of art and the investment aspects of this alternative asset.

www.opusart.co.com

About G X Gallery…

GX Gallery (established 2001) is a leading contemporary art gallery in London. representing emerging and established artists. They have a regular programme of solo and group exhibitions and exhibit at art fairs throughout the year.

The gallery offers a wide range of services including advice on building your art collection, framing, installing artwork and delivery and shipment worldwide.

www.gxgallery.com

About Searcy’s at The Gherkin…

Based on the 39th and 40th floors of The Gherkin are the elegant cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant with panoramic views of London. Whether you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion, a restaurant with a view in London or a cocktail bar in the city, their restaurant and bar is the perfect place to enjoy fantastic food and drink.

Events

The top three floors of this iconic venue are available for private hire. Their events team can host stunning seated dinners for up to 140 or elegant standing receptions for up to 260. If you are organising a conference, a special family occasion, a private party or a corporate event, the two floors are a truly special space with an amazing view of London.

Weddings

This world renowned building is one of the most impressive wedding venues in London! The beautiful event space is located on the top two floors of the building, both of which are licenced to hold ceremonies, dinners for up to 140 people or 260 guests for cocktail receptions. The Searcy’s experienced events team will be on hand to tailor-make your special day. With breath-taking 360 degree views over London, this is a truly unique venue to say “I do”!

Searcy’s Private Members Club

Searcy’s Club at The Gherkin one of the most unique and exclusive Private Members Clubs in London. Membership allows you access to a club lounge, fine dining restaurant and elegant bar situated under the world renowned dome.  We pride ourselves in handpicking our members; to apply please get in touch where your application will be reviewed by our committee board.

Private Dining

The Gherkin private dining experience is both refined and secluded, offering a privileged perspective to impress your guests. From a special birthday, a business lunch or even an intimate wedding reception, enjoy their private dining rooms with a view of London.

www.searcysatthegherkin.co.uk

The best place for us to eat in Oxford – the Old Parsonage

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old parsonage oxford restaurant hotel

A good place for posh grub

We wanted to go to Oxford to see my daughter, who has just started a course there. And my mother wanted to come with us and buy us a nice lunch. So I started to look for somewhere nice to eat.

I did look online, but the internet was pretty useless: it provided us with a huge number of recommendations among which were a branch of Subway the sandwich bar and some suburban Indian restaurants with names like ‘Star of India’.

So I emailed my friend Andrew. Andrew is a professor who has worked at the university and still lives in the town. He emailed me back. ‘I’d suggest the Old Parsonage – I haven’t been for years but it’s always been good, traditional, on the pricey side and the sort of restaurant you’d imagine from all those films they set in early 20th century Oxford’. So I booked.

Anyway, we went along for a meal. The restaurant itself is about two minutes walk from my daughter’s college, which is very handy.

Old Parsonage Oxford restaurant

My children after a good meal

It is a lovely building, and is part of a hotel. It is made of old stone, and looks very rustic and historic. The dining room is hung with oil paintings – most of which appear to be from the first half of the twentieth century.

Now the menu isn’t cheap. Most of the starters are seven or eight pounds, while the mains range from £15 to £50. For starters my son and I had a wonderful French fish soup with aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and croutons. This was done really well done, very authentic – lots of great flavours of fish. My wife and daughter each had beautifully fresh smoked salmon.

The main courses were similarly good. My wife had some very good fish cakes, which were a relative bargain at £15. My mum and son had fillet steak – £32. I went absolutely mad and had a veal chop and kidney cooked in garlic and rosemary for £49.50. My chop was extremely expensive, but immensely tasty. It was cooked beautifully – and it was a big chunk of meat. OK, it wasn’t cheap, but it was a real treat. Oh, and because it was lunchtime, we didn’t drink very much. My daughter and I each had a very acceptable glass of Languedoc rose.

The portions were big, so we weren’t really in the mood for pudding. My son had a very nice pear and apple crumble. Anyone can knock out a reasonable crumble, but what was particularly nice was the delicious custard, which was made of real eggs and was flavoured with fresh vanilla. Add a couple of coffee and the bill for the five of us came to £250.

It was a lovely meal. Not just because of the food – which was very good. It was just a nice place to sit, the staff was helpful and it was pleasantly busy – but not packed.

And in the front there is a sort of bar, which had a stone floor. As we were leaving we got talking to a very nice academic, who had brought his dog and was having a drink with a friend. We were just remarking what a lovely dog he had, when the animal produced a great spray of yellow diarrhoea. My daughter and I fell about laughing. I’m not sure that this is a regular part of the entertainment offered at the Old Parsonage, but it meant that we left with a smile.

 

see also Silk – a posh Indian food in a remarkable venue

Silk – great Asian food in a courtroom

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Silk, London,Courthouse,restaurant,Asian

Silk – an Asian restaurant in an old courthouse

Silk Restaurant at the Courthouse Hotel, Marlborough Street, London

Just across the road from Liberty’s – just a few yards from Oxford Circus – is a rather squat stone building. Until 10 years ago it was Marlborough Street Magistrates Court, where a large number of ne’er do wells, including Johnny Rotten, Oscar Wilde and Mick Jagger faced the might of British justice.

These days it has become one of the trendiest boutique hotels in central London. And in the heart of the building – in what used to be the main courtroom, is Silk restaurant – a pan-asian eatery that brings together flavours from India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. So, keen to try something novel, I took my wife, Carol, there for dinner.

The restaurant is unusual. You certainly don’t feel that you are just around the corner to Topshop. The entire dining area is still lined with the court’s original oak panelling. Part of the joy of eating here is to work out exactly where the various participants of the old courtroom would have sat. The magistrates’ bench is now a sort of servery area. The dock – for the accused – has been left intact. We were positioned just below the bench in an area that would once have been occupied by a stenographer and the clerk of the court and the food emerges from what would once have been the magistrates’ changing room.

Once we’d dealt with the legal niceties, we perused the menu. One of the problems of Asian food in Britain is that it all tastes the same. Restaurants cook the same dishes – the kormas, the bhunas, the tandoori masalas – with the same spices – probably bought at the same wholesalers. I suppose this is in response to popular demand, but it doesn’t make for an exciting culinary experience.

Char grilled prawns,Silk,Courthouse, Hotel

Char grilled prawns with yoghurt and mint and all the trimmings

Silk is quite different. The menu, I’m glad to say is refreshingly small. This means that the food is stunningly fresh. Starters are unusual. Carol had the Neua Prik Kiew Wan Sod Vollappa (yes, that really is the name of the dish!), which turns out to be strips of beef marinated in green curry. It is strong, it is spicy, it is soft and tastes of fish and soy and basil. We loved it.

I had a Silk Starter platter with scallops and honey glazed chicken and lamb sheekh kebab. The scallops were delightful – soft and firm with a hint of sweetness – and kebabs had a real tang. For main meal we went for the fish. Carol had masala fried cod loin with tomato coconut chilli curry and steamed rice. I went for the tiger prawns with quinoa, mango and cherry tomato salsa. Now, I’m a bit of an expert on tiger prawns and these were stunners. Firm, not overcooked –straight off the griddle and onto the plate.

The side dishes were brilliant. The sugar snap peas were seriously snappy. And the nan bread was incredibly fresh. I’d come back again just for the bread.

The food was simple and the sauces were divine. Yoghurt and mint with the lamb, mango and cherry with the prawns: there was nothing very clever or fancy, but lovely bright flavours. And the portions were reasonably sized – not tiny but not too excessive. This is not the place for a blow out meal but when we left we were pleasantly full.

With a bottle of pinot grigio and a delightful mango creme brûlée for dessert, the bill came to around £100 for two, which seemed reasonable. On the way out we stopped for a drink in the bar. The bar is based in the area that formerly housed the cells. The cell doors are still there and the cells still have the original toilets – although they are not in use – except as seats. It’s one of the most interesting and venues in central London and if you want to give a companion an unusual dining experience it’s almost unbeatable.

It’s Time for Tea

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Tea is magic elixir we have sworn by since the beginning of time. Who knew that boiling various leaves could create such a groundbreaking staple of society. It is a drink which is enjoyed in many different forms globally and there is no denying tea has a very special place in the heart of British Culture. Brit’s on average drink enough tea to fill two bathtubs each year and as a nation of Tea-Lover’s, Frost were interested to see how tea is enjoyed today. We wanted to create a special feature which steered away from the traditional, and focused on the unique and innovative uses of tea, so we’ve handpicked a selection of treasures which pay homage to the humble cuppa.

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A Unique Tea and Kombucha Paired Tasting Menu at The Frog E1

Overseen by inventive young chef Adam Handling, his team have once again put their creative nature to the test and this time they have paired up with Newby Teas to create a tasting menu paired with tea and kombucha. Kombucha, is a slightly fermented tea which has been hailed as the latest ‘super-drink’ believed to aid digestion and general wellbeing. With that in mind, Adam and his development Chef decided to create a menu paired with a selection of teas and kombucha which left you feeling good. Expect dishes such as Adam’s intricate Crab and Apple served alongside a fragrant jasmine kombucha, a flowering tea served with Hake and Limestone and an Assam Tea consommé to accompany Roast Lamb and Black Garlic. Expect attention to detail, quality and a menu designed to make you feel good from the inside out.

The Kombucha and Tea Paired Tasting Menu will be available until July 30th at The Frog E1. Lunch and dinner inclusive and is priced at £45pp

http://www.thefrogrestaurant.com

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Bluebird Tea Co.

A couple of months ago we had the pleasure of attending a workshop with the UK based expert Tea Mixologists. Indeed, blending tea is a complete art form and a science mastered by very few and the innovation and creativity can certainly be seen  at Bluebird Tea Co. They really love their tea and wanted to create something for tea lovers alike. Bluebird has the largest range of creative tea blends in the UK and create them from pretty much anything. They in turn allow you to enjoy their blends or in fact create your very own with their mixology expertise. They now have shops in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells and also pop-up in various festivals, events and run a thriving Notonthehighstreet.com franchise. Their website features a host of tea-related paraphernalia as well as tea itself and enables you to learn about their various workshops taking place around the country, at festivals and in their stores. They were kind enough to allow us to publish one of their tantalising drink recipes with a touch of tea for you to try at home.

Sangria

Sangria Punch Bowl

Makes: 1 Sangria Punch Bowl, Serves: 12

What you will need:

1 sample pouch (20g) Sangria Tea concentrate
1 1/3 bottles of red wine
10 cinnamon sticks
Honey – we use our locally sourced Brighton RAW Honey
1.5l of hot water
Fruit for decoration – 1 lemon & 1 orange
1 punch bowl
What to do:

1. Start by brewing 20g of Sangria Tea (our sample pouches are perfect sizes), in 1.5l with hot water or alternatively, you can cold brew the sangria for a few hours in your punch bowl.

2. Whilst the tea is still warm, add your cinnamon sticks and leave to cool. If you’re cold brewing add the cinnamon sticks at the beginning of the process.

3. Once your Sangria tea is cool, strain your tea and then add the red wine to the bowl and mix.

4. Taste the Sangria and if desired add honey to sweeten, we normally add 4 teaspoons and then stir until the honey has dissolved.

5. Once you have found your perfect tasting Sangria, it is now time to get decorative. Cut up your orange and lemons and add to the punch. Now it’s time to enjoy your Sangria punch!

http://bluebirdteaco.com/uk_en/

Earl Grey Gin + Glass

T.E.A Tea Enriched Alcohol

Because no tea feature would be complete without Tea Enriched Alcohol. Handcrafted in the UK, this multi-award winning brand distill Vodka and Gin using the best tea leaves to create T.E.A – Tea Enriched Alcohol. Made with the finest tea and botanicals sourced from around the globe, T.E.A produces premium, 100% natural, gluten free Earl Grey Gin, Jasmine Gin, Earl Grey Vodka and Jasmine Vodka. T.E.A recommend you try the The Earl Grey Gin with an orange twist, while lemon zest suits the Jasmine infused spirits. The spirits are distilled just once and remove the ‘heads and tails’ of the batch ensuring you are enjoying the smoothest part of the spirit. You can find T.E.A exclusively at Fortnum and Masons and served in Soho’s Urban Tea Rooms – which is owned by the founders of T.E.A. So we think you should take quintessentially British to the next level this summer by combining Gin and Tea. Chin Chin.

T.E.A is available directly from here and from selected stockists

Chef Adam Handling Launches new Tasting Menu; Adam Handling at Caxton

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Photo By; 'G & G Goodfellows' & 'Duncan Davis'

   Adam Handling Photo By; ‘G & G Goodfellows’ & ‘Duncan Davis’

 

At only 27, young chef Adam Handling is proof that passion, creativity and skill really does come at any age. With a series of accolades and awards under his belt, Handling’s career is one that some chefs can only dream of. Pursuing his passion of cooking from the age of 10 and eventually finding himself a finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals, Handling now shares with us his imaginative and awe-inspiring creations using themes from his own life in his new menu now launching at restaurant Adam Handling at Caxton. With two tasting menus to choose from, a seven course and an eleven course, I can only scratch the surface when describing the utterly show-stopping dishes which follow each other harmoniously and it’s very clear that Handling has perfected the art of Gastronomy and channeled this with great creativity.

Photo by; 'G & G Goodfellows' & 'Duncan Davis'

Photo by; ‘G & G Goodfellows’ & ‘Duncan Davis’

Each dish is nothing short of an experience, a menu for real foodies, it’s clear that this menu was created by someone who loves food and the food here is clearly derivative of memories, experiences and places. Don’t let the thought of eleven courses send you into food coma dread, everything here is well thought out, balanced and finely tuned.The first few courses are smaller appetizers ‘Pork & lovage’ and ‘Beetroot, beetroot and more beetroot’. Both of them transport you to a garden with beautifully fresh and seasonal flavours which compliment each other in succession, yin and yang at it’s best.

'Beetroot, beetroot and more beetroot'

‘Beetroot, beetroot and more beetroot’

We then start to embark on complete indulgence and sensory overload, ‘Liquid gold’ is every bit as decadent as it sounds, two golden cubes of olive oil butter wrapped in white Chocolate and 24 carat gold which are presented filled with Caviar finished with a truffle on top. Now this was the one I was most hesitant to try, fish, chocolate, truffles and gold? This is certainly a brave and ambitious dish to execute but Handling miraculously balances some of the most distinct and powerful flavours with ease, flooding our tastebuds with a flavour of the ocean and leading us nicely on to our next course.

'Liquid Gold'

‘Liquid Gold’

‘Crab, apple and Sea Herbs’ is presented on a bed or seaweed and immersed in liquid nitrogen, for once, theatrics in this case is most welcome with the liquid nitrogen flooding the table with a delicate perfume of the sea, it’s incredibly welcome to enjoy the taste of the sea whilst flooding your nose with scents of the ocean.

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Key to ‘Mother’

'Mother'

‘Mother’

The theatrics then continues as we are presented with a box which you must open with a little tiny key, in it is our next course; ‘Mother’. The showpiece of the menu, Mother is another dish which demonstrates the skill and fine balancing of quality flavours and ingredients. Slow cooked egg yolk is encased in shavings of apple and combined with celeriac puree, truffle cream and dusted with seaweed powder and truffle crisps. This dish is a delicate dance on the tastebuds and is incredibly satisfying. The texture, taste and temperature get your senses firing on all cylinders. Presented in a bespoke wooden box, this dish really is spectacular in every sense and something which is clearly very special to the chef himself.

Stunning Turbot Dish

Stunning Turbot Dish

‘Beer, beef, chilli, yolk’ is a smaller dish but a welcome interlude presented on a cracker this is probably one of the more relaxed courses but certainly demonstrating just as much skill and flavour. The next dish of ‘Turbot, Limestone and Radish’ was perhaps the more simpler of the dishes in terms of how it is served but definitely the best. This dish needs no introductions, Turbot served on a bed of perfect creamy mash potatoes and radish is a winning combination in my book. ‘Burnt Beef’ really is something to marvel at, and a lesson to anyone who wants to know how to plate a dish in an impressive way.

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The final two desert courses almost seem to merge into one as they were devoured with much pleasure, ‘Nitro Tiramisu’ and ‘Chocolate, caramel and blackcurrant’ are every bit as appetising as they sound and my resounding thought was that I could have eaten it all over again even after the nine previous courses. Every course really does take you on a journey and transports you somewhere. To the sea or a garden or in the case of ‘Mother’, to Heaven itself. The work that has gone into such a thing can only be the brainchild of a culinary genius and the acute balancing of every flavour really is the most remarkable feature.
Not only has Handling nailed every flavour combination which you’re faced with when digging into his well-versed 11 courses but every course is presented with creativity, flair and adventure.

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When it comes to the restaurant itself, the best thing about The Caxton was that it was so easy-going and how un-pretentious it was. The service was second to none and every member of staff was well informed and a pleasure to talk to. It says something about a place when the other diners are all genuinely having a good time and completely relaxed and this is somewhere which has no airs or graces about it. Just the promise of excellent service, sublime food and ultimate satisfaction. If you love food and you love flavour, this is really an experience like no other, full of wonder and inspiring cookery. Something to share with company you enjoy and somewhere to be adventurous this is certainly one of the best value tasting menus in London priced at only £50 for seven courses or £66 for the eleven course (without wines). Bravo Adam Handling, thank you for my amazing dinner, P.S, how do we create Liquid Gold at home?

For further information or for bookings, please visit: Caxton Grill