Pickled Fork Pop Up Restaurant Review

Posted on August 15, 2014 by James Yardley

Salt Beef ‘Sandwhich’, Grilled Corn Bread, Home Smoked Streaky Bacon, TPF’s Grain Mustard, Kohirabi & Cucumber Slaw

We recently went to a pop up restaurant in the Barmouth Kitchen hosted by the Pickled Fork chef Alex Motture. If you haven’t been to a pop up restaurant you should try it, it’s great fun.

You bring your own alcohol and the focus is entirely on food. Alex grew up in Australia and he has cooked in kitchens all around the world.

The first course were these delicious meat balls you can see below, all washed down with a glass of ale from the local brewery. A great combination and it got our taste buds tingling for the next course.

Next was a Salt Beef ‘Sandwhich’ with grilled corn, smoked bacon, mustard and a kohirabi (turnip cabbage) & cucumber slaw. The beef was delicious and Alex’s combination of flavours and textures was exceptional. Passion and attention for detail were immediately apparent. He had clearly gone to great lengths to source the right ingredients.

Next up is a dish I will remember for a very long time. A beautiful piece of Hake, not a fish I eat regularly but this was something particularly special. The Hake was salty firm and incredibly succulent. Combined with the tomatoes, tomato liquor, Dill Granois and Dill Mayonnaise it was a beautifully balanced combination full of incredible flavour. A total triumph and a dish which really showed off the chef’s incredible skill.

The third course was pork belly with cherries, crushed courgette & watercress relish. Alex had cooked his pork belly perfectly a difficult feat many chefs often get it wrong. It was crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle. It went beautifully with the sweetness of the cherry.

For pudding we had Beetroot & Carob parfait, redcurrant smoothie and beetroot crunch. It was another unique experience and unlike anything I had ever tasted before. The beetroot parfait was earthy yet sweet and very tasty.

It was a wonderful experience of fantastic food. This was very high end cooking by a very talented young chef. We liked the food so much we hired Alex as the caterer for our wedding. If that’s not an endorsement I don’t know what is.

Alex’s food was exceptional but he’s incredibly easy going and friendly. He spent a lot of time out of the kitchen talking with all the guests. His passion for food was clear. I highly recommend you make a booking for his next event or even hire him out if you are having a party. He can cook just about anything at very reasonable prices. http://www.thepickledfork.com/

The pop up event we went to was held at the Barmouth Kitchen, a meeting place set up by local families. Below is what they say about themselves

2 Years ago, 10 local families opened Barmouth Kitchen to provide our community with a local coffee shop and meeting place. When we opened Barmouth Kitchen the aim was not to make a profit, but enough to keep us open…. And we’re still here! We DO need your continued support to ensure our little hub stays open for many a year yet.

2 Barmouth Road
Wandsworth
London
SW18 2DN

Tel: 020 8704 4413

info@barmouthkitchen.co.uk

The Pickled Fork – https://twitter.com/thepickledfork

http://www.thepickledfork.com/

Heritage Tomato Cured Hake, Tomato Liquor, Young Tomato Leaves, Dill Granois & Dill Mayonnaise

Cherry Roasted Pork Belly, Pickled Cherries, Crushed Courgette, Courgette Flowers, Runner Bean & Watercress Relish

Beetroot & Carob Parfait, Beetroot Crunch, Redcurrant Smoothie, Fresh Redcurrant & Basil Salad

Alex – The Chef

HKK Restaurant Review

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Paloma Kubiak

“Intricate nests of deliciousness”

On the eve of Monday, coincidentally when the moon was at its biggest and brightest this year, we were welcomed into the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant HKK to sample its two moon cakes as part of the 15 course tasting menu.

Centred within the crux of bustling Shoreditch, Liverpool Street and Old Street, HKK presents itself modestly on Worship Street, but its contemporary décor invites business types and couples.

One thing to emphasise before I get on to the culinary journey – this isn’t just a dining experience, it’s an experience in itself.

You’ll be immersed in Chinese culture as you sip on room-temperature Sake and partake in a tea ceremony, yet the beautifully presented intricate nests of deliciousness are perfectly aligned with modern day cuisine.

You’ll need to leave all allergies and intolerances at the door as the 15 course menu tempts your taste buds with fresh vegetables (and flowers), sea food, fish, chicken, duck, lamb, beef and even flakes of gold.

Each plate presented a prefect mouthful and each was introduced by our server, Marco, with a flair of expertise and personal experience.

If you can’t remember the name of each dish (you will remember the flavour), don’t worry as towards the end of the meal, you’ll be handed a personal menu, including drinks, by the Manager, Mehmet, and Head Chef, Tong Chee Hwee.

The whelk salad and Shaoxing wine jelly started off our evening. The soft sweet jelly against the crunch of the cucumber and bitter flower infused effortlessly on the palette.

The roasted Poulet de Bresse, foie gras and mandarin confit presented an assortment of textures and tastes. The sharp citrus crunch of the mandarin flakes contrasted against the gamey foie gras. The tender chicken slithered on the tongue.

The Cherry wood roasted Peking duck was a far cry from the imitations in other restaurants. For this course, we were asked to come to the serving table in the middle of the restaurant where the chef cut the plump skin and moist cuts of duck from the bone. The skin was unlike anything I’d seen before. It reflected hues of red, orange and bronze under the lights. This was a real highlight as the meat was juicy, the hoi sin sauce delicate and the brown sugar added a creative twist to the traditional dish.

The Dim sum trilogy will leave your mouth dancing with flavours. The squidgy dumpling with fishy freshness and speckles of caviar contrasted with the spice of the chicken dumpling, soothed with a dash of soy sauce.

The Sugar snaps, lotus root and water chestnut cleansed the palette and acted as a reprieve from the previous fish and meat dishes. It was immaculately presented and the crunch of the sugar snaps contrasted with the milky texture of the smoky chestnut.

At this point, our Sommelier – Almudena – selected a 2013 bottle of Rosa dei Frati, Ca dei Frati, from Veneto, Italy and its fruity smell and taste accompanied the dish perfectly.

The moon cake itself – a watermelon cake and green tea sesame ball served with Da Hong Pau tea was sweet and succulent while the full bodied and smoky flavour of the tea soothed the richness of the cakes.

One of the highlights was the Seared Wagyu beef with Enoki mushrooms. Perfectly rare but oozing with meaty flavours, it was served on a crispy and salty pancake- like bowl. It was simply divine.

With three desserts coming up, I was excited. The raspberry and dark chocolate delice with cocoa nibs was thick, gooey and rich and the popping candy and flakes of gold were a unique taste experience.

We had a wonderful evening, the quality of the food and the presentation far exceeded our expectations, though we were not surprised to learn the Michelin star was awarded within the first year of the restaurant opening.

You’ll leave satiated, relaxed and cultured from the HKK experience.

See the website for more information: http://hkklondon.com/

Winteringham Fields Review

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Jane Cable

When you live in the south of England it’s a long way to Winteringham Fields; indeed most of us would struggle to place the chic Lincolnshire village of Winteringham on a map. Think just south of the Humber, right at the end of Ermine Street where the Romans stopped and pondered for a while before crossing that great river. In modern terms, think Sheffield then right a bit.

Don’t let the journey put you off. In fact, their rooms are so gorgeous it would be a shame to miss out on that part of the experience. Or on walking along dykes with the huge Lincolnshire skies above you – perfect country for thinking enormous (if not a little pretentious) thoughts.

You do need to splash the cash but it’s worth it. My canny husband won us the room, breakfast and a very generous glass of champagne and canapés in a Facebook competition after Winteringham’s chef patron, Colin McGurran, reached the final of The Great British Menu. And (whisper it quietly) they have also been known to do Groupons.

But enough of this waffle – on to the main event – the food. Now we like our food and we do sometimes treat ourselves to lunch of dinner at Michelin starred restaurants. But the tasting menu at Winteringham Fields was quite probably the best meal we have ever eaten. Which is why, dear reader, I thought you ought to know about it.

Entitled Menu Surprise, and available in seven or nine courses and with or without a flight of complementary wines, our culinary journey started in the restaurant’s pretty courtyard. Almost before we had finished our canapés a deep red watermelon shot arrived, which rather surprisingly didn’t ruin the remains of our champagne, and set us on our way nicely. Inside the dining room a second amuse bouche awaited us in the form of a luxurious fois gras and cherry cup where the fresh and preserved fruit cut through the richness of the pate to perfection.

The first of two starters was as clean and fresh as it was ingenious. I have seen TV chefs prepare edible facsimile tomatoes, but having watched the process of making something which isn’t actually a tomato resemble one in minute detail, I was always left wondering if they actually tasted of anything. This one certainly did; a gorgeous garlicky gazpacho which packed an enormous punch of flavour, brilliantly accompanied by humble basil and feta and matched with a Spanish sauvignon blanc. Almost impossible to match a tomato with a wine successfully. As an afterthought, perhaps a salty Manzanilla might have stood up better. But that is splitting hairs – especially as the Argentinian chardonnay offered with the pork and smoked salmon ravioli which came next was a match made in heaven.

I freely admit to watching far too much food on TV. And I’m glad I do, because we would never have discovered Colin McGurran otherwise. But I am a little cynical about the worst excesses of praise – how can a plate of food make you want to weep? Get a grip, people. Or try the langoustine terrine at Winteringham Fields. Perfectly cooked fish surrounded by melting leeks. So simple. And quite the best thing I have ever eaten. My husband disagreed. Or at least he did once he’d tasted the Cornish red mullet and mango salsa which followed. Me? I was still savouring my Muscadet (which thankfully accompanied both fish courses) and dreaming of lobsters.

The main course was duck. Exquisitely cooked, in that it was hardly cooked at all. It was accompanied by more melting vegetables from the restaurant’s own polytunnels and more foie gras (not really necessary) as well as an excellent Cotes de Brouilly.

Just as I was running out of superlatives a small white chocolate ball sitting in a bed of desiccated coconut arrived. It was a warm night and we were counselled to eat it quickly by the extremely attentive front of house manager. Having taken a cautious sniff and encouraged by my other half’s look of ecstasy I dived in. I discovered afterwards it was a called a pineapple and basil bomb. Wow. Suited it perfectly.

Sadly it was too hard an act for the dessert to follow. I love apricots and there was nothing wrong with their ‘textures’, or the pistachio ice cream which accompanied them, but in such a brilliant meal it somehow got lost. Perhaps I’m being unfair and the wine was beginning to get to me.

It was the port which threatened to finish me off, but it was worth travelling hundreds of miles to see my husband’s face as the cheese trolley was wheeled in. The young lady who accompanied it was more curator than waitress and offered her wares in sensible selections; blue, hard, soft, goat – and in each category mild, medium and strong. I was past counting, but there had to be about fifty cheeses on show and the ones we tried were different and interesting.

As our peppermint tea was brewing the lovely front of house manager asked if we would like a kitchen tour as Colin was in that night and loved showing people around. Knowing how much I’d had to drink, my husband was extremely dubious, but I don’t think I was too embarrassing; McGurran is a real enthusiast for his food, both the growing of it and the cooking of it. He seemed a reluctant celebrity chef, happier in the kitchen or a polytunnel than in front of a TV camera, and I have to say I liked him all the more for it.

One final word. I’ve spouted on a great deal about the food, but in many ways it was the atmosphere and style of service which made our stay. When we watched the promotional video on their website we did wonder if Winteringham Fields was really for us; perhaps we’re not young enough or glamorous enough, perhaps we don’t drive the right car. But we needn’t have worried because we were welcomed with informality and genuine warmth. And when I told Mr McGurran I’d feared we’d have to park our Peugeot 308 around the corner, his laugh said it all.

Roberto Cavalli Opens The Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Frostie

Roberto Cavalli is pleased to announce the opening of the Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge. Situated in the most exclusive area of the Mediterranean island, the new Cavalli experience presents his entertainment & nightlife concept in the heart of the promenade that welcomes yachts into the harbour of Ibiza Marina. The Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge will be the go-to destination for celebrities and socialites.

Recreating an astounding tropical garden of 2.000 square metres with a beautiful view, the property symbolises the three main worldwide renowned beacons of ‘made in Italy’ excellence: Fashion, Food, Design.

The new Cavalli Ibiza features an open-air restaurant where luxury and innovation are merged in the décor and in the details to create a unique ambience, allowing the clients to live a ‘total experience’ in pure Cavalli style. In this context the clients will be able to enjoy the same welcoming reception that the designer would reserve for his friends.

The menu offers an incredible selection of traditional Italian recipes infused with Tuscan influences, as well as innovative new style dishes. It will also be possible to taste and appreciate, among others, the Tenuta Degli Dei red wine produced in the Tuscan winery owned by the Cavalli family.

The club & lounge embody the glamorous soul of the designer, hosting exclusive and fashionable parties and events where guests can sip on Roberto Cavalli Vodka-based cocktails. Furthermore, a refined musical selection is ensured by the best artists in the business. The music and lighting culminate in an experience that begins in the magnificent garden with 500 plants perfuming the Ibiza night: think jasmine, honeysuckle and magnolia…

Selected materials have been chosen to convey luxury and creativity: each and every area of the space was completed with precious and exciting shapes, geometries and elements. The chairs are covered in zebra and jaguar animal-print fabrics and the tables are enveloped in tablecloths featuring 8 different floral-themed Cavalli prints. The mise en place, the pillows, the wallpapers and the floors are part of the Roberto Cavalli Home collection.

«The pleasure of listening to enjoyable music, accompanied by great food and good company in an elegant and sophisticated setting … This is the philosophy of the Cavalli Restaurant & Lounge. I wanted to communicate all my passion for beauty and sensuality combining them in a hospitality project in Ibiza», Roberto Cavalli.

Roberto Cavalli already owns Cavalli Caffè in Florence and Saint Tropez, while the others managed through licences are located in Kuwait City, Beirut, Dubai and New Delhi. The next openings will be Riyadh, Bahrain and Doha. Furthermore, the Roberto Cavalli Group has also opened with licences, the Cavalli Club in Milan, Dubai and the Cavalli Miami Restaurant & Lounge.

Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge
Paseo Marítimo Juan Carlos I 07800 Ibiza (Spain)

For reservation +34 971 192 197
www.cavallibiza.com

Ziggy’s Restaurant Review St Andrews

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Melissa Volpi

Ziggy’s restaurant is surrounded by B & B’s and is situated just off North Street in St Andrews – a street that’s as famous for its old-fashioned picture house, as it is for the university buildings. Ziggy’s is also an easy establishment to spot – as it has a large guitar hanging above the entrance door.

The inside is a throw back to the American diners of the 1960’s and pays homage to the greats of rock and roll by displaying original records and signed gifts around the dining room, open kitchen and toilet areas.

We are greeted at the door by a pleasant waitress in a Hard Rock Café style tee shirt and are seated by the window on a new range of wooden tables and chairs that this family owned establishment (Ziggy’s has been owned and run by the same family since 1983) have just bought in.

It’s 6 pm on a Tuesday night and the place is just starting to fill up. There are a mixture of diners, from locals to golfing tourists. But we are the only table of two – the rest are in groups of four to ten.

Starters

Ziggy’s starters vary from garlic bread and house mixed salad to loaded skins and a bucket of devilled chicken wings. The prices are very reasonable, starting at £3.15 for a regular portion of garlic bread and rising to £11.95 for ‘The Ziggy’s BIG DISH Sharer’ – a combination of onion rings, breaded mushrooms, ribatisers, potato skins and chicken strips with sour cream, blue cheese and hickory sauce.

After having a quick glance over the main courses and desserts, I opt for something light and order the homemade potato and leek soup served with fresh crusty bread. My father orders the garlic prawns. And after scanning the wine list we decide to order two of the individual, 20cl, bottles of Prosecco as a treat. I think this is a wonderful idea. Unless you are in a wine bar, it is very hard to buy Prosecco or Champagne by the glass.

Homemade Potato & Leek Soup

The presentation is very simple. My white bowl of soup rests on a white plate with a white napkin. Colour is introduced from the soup itself and the two chunks of French baguette on the side.

My father’s dish is livelier looking. The garlic prawns arrive spitting and popping in a black cauldron.

Putting appearances aside, I take a spoonful of soup and am pleasantly surprised by how nice it is. The vegetables are chunky – just the way I like them – and the flavour is strong. This is a proper bowl of hearty soup that could not be anything other than homemade. When the owner/chef walks over to our table to ask if everything is ok, she tells me that her son – who also works in the kitchen – made the soup.

My father, who is not shy when it comes to giving his opinion, says that the prawns are tasty, but that they are submerged in too much oily sauce – the prawns are baked in garlic and red onion butter. He finds it hard to eat them because of this.

Main courses

It’s not only the look and vibe of Ziggy’s that reminds me of The Hard Rock Café, it’s the food too. The main courses are American inspired, with the house specialities being the steaks, ribs and burgers. It’s a menu that would delight the meat lover. The list of 18 handmade burgers are all under £10, with the extra special ones rising to between £10 and £15.00.

Both my father and I choose the gourmet 12oz burger (£12.95 with a choice of three cheesy toppings). I order the cheddar, bacon and pineapple topping and my father the bacon and Stilton.

All Ziggy’s burgers are 100% pure steak burgers and are handmade and supplied by the local award winning butcher, J.B Penman of Crail.

The Gourmet 12oz Burger

Again, the burgers are very simply presented on white plates. The burger is served on a toasted white flour bun. The top of the bun rests at an angle to show off the toppings – I see two rings of pineapple with melted cheddar resting on top of my massive burger. Underneath the burger is a bed of salad leaves, with a slice of beef tomato and some red onion and dill pickle. The house fries that accompany my burger are presented in a white mug next to the homemade coleslaw.

It really is a feast for the senses and we can’t wait to dig in…

Although the burger is tasty – and the combination a good one – I personally find it too greasy for my palate and would choose a different main course on my next visit. My father, on the other hand, enjoyed his burger.

Dessert

The list of desserts is excellent. There really is something for everyone here. You’ve got knickerbocker glory, cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and a wide selection of Sundae’s. There are even ice cream floats (Pepsi, Irn Bru or Lemonade with a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream); something that I love but have not had since I was a teenager.

We decide to share a dessert and choose the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

We can smell the sticky toffee pudding before we see our waitress walk across the dining room with it. It looks like a traditional, gooey pudding and after taking the first bite, I find that it tastes like it too. It’s yummy.

The one thing that does disappoint me though, is the fact that the ice cream has not been bought from one of the town’s two famous ice cream parlours – Jannetta’s or Luvians. It is cheap, yellow coloured ice cream. From my point of view, it would have been nice to utilise local artisan ice cream makers in much the same way as Ziggy’s have done by buying their burgers in from an award winning local butcher.

None of this would deter us from visiting Ziggy’s in St Andrews again though. The waitresses are friendly and helpful. The individual bottles of Prosecco are a welcome addition to any wine list. The homemade potato and leek soup was one of the best I have ever tasted. And the ambience of this family owned restaurant is unusual – even in a town where every second premises is an eatery. If you’re a meat lover that enjoys American inspired food and is looking for somewhere a little more rock n roll… then head to Ziggy’s.

Our meal:

2 x 20cl bottles of Prosecco at £5.95 each

1 x Soup £3.95

1 x Garlic Prawns £5.95

2 x gourmet 12 oz burger at £12.95 each

1 x sticky toffee pudding at £5.25

Total: £53.65 for two people

http://www.ziggysrestaurant.co.uk/

Cinnamon Soho Restaurant Review

Posted on June 23, 2014 by James Yardley

Cinnamon Soho is a stylish and contemporary restaurant which has just recently opened, following on from the extremely successful Cinnamon Kitchen and Cinnamon Club. First impressions of the restaurant were excellent. The interior looked great and clearly no expense had been spared.

The bottle of house wine we started with was excellent. It was a very good white wine. Very refreshing and drinkable. For a starter we tried the steamed chickpea cake with coconut chutney and the grilled asparagus, sesame and garlic yoghurt.

The chickpea cake was astonishing. It’s soft spongy delicate texture was indeed cake like but it did not feel out of place as a starter. The flavours were brilliant, the coconut chutney combined brilliantly with the chikpea and the raw red onion and cucumber brought freshness to the dish. The dash of spice was beautifully balanced. A truly original and exciting dish.

Our asparagus was also very good. It was beautifully cooked and very well seasoned with coriander and cumin. The sauces it came with were all beautifully balanced with excellent flavours.

Expectations were very high for our mains after the superb starters and they didn’t disappoint. I had the Orissa style chicken curry. My chicken was gorgeous, it was succulent, moist and perfectly cooked. The tomato lentil based sauce was a delight. Everything was beautifully spiced and seasoned without being overpowering. This was high class Indian cooking of a type I am not usually used to. It was very clear the chef had an excellent palate. As a side we had some superb peshwari naan. I love Peshwari naan but this was particularly good and had clearly been freshly made.

The other main we had was seared plaice with tomato lemon sauce and a lentil salad. Again, a beautifully cooked piece of fish with a delicate and exciting sauce with subtle spice and flavors. The portion sizes were perfect.

Our puddings did not disappoint either. The sticky ginger toffee pudding with banana ice cream was delicious. The banana ice cream was a delight and the pudding was light and tasty. The second dish of yoghurt and lime cheese cake with tamarind glazed strawberries was even better. An original dish with a wonderful creamy texture and refreshing taste. Perfect for a pudding at the end of a meal.

Overall Cinnamon Soho was a delight. The food was exquisite and the service which I have forgotten to mention until now was also excellent. Even more astonishing was the price. Our meal which came from the lunch menu was just £11.75 each for three courses! (excluding wine) or £9.75 for two courses. Frankly it was incredible value for food of this quality. Definitely the best value restaurant Frost has been to this year. We will certainly be going back soon and I highly recommend you give it a visit in the near future.

5 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PF

Tel: 020 7437 1664, www.cinnamonsoho.com

facebook.com/cinnamonsoho

@cinnamonsoho

The Noodle House London Restaurant Review

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I love Asian food so was absolutely delighted when we were invited to review the newly opened Southeast Asian restaurant The Noodle House on Shaftesbury Avenue. The decor looks great and it is busy. It may be newly opened but it already has found plenty of customers. It is not a tourist trap however, it has enough calm to be an enjoyable experience. We start off with some cocktails. We have the Moonshadow: vodka, lillet blanc, chrysanthemum, jasmine tea syrup and a Hit The Rojak: tequila, kamm & sons, star fruit juice, apple juice, Rojak syrup and lime. Both cocktails are great. Delicious and unique.

For starters I have the Crispy Calamari: Crispy fried calamari seasoned with sea salt and Szechuan pepper served with chilli dipping sauce and my colleague had the Si Racha Prawns: Tempura style prawns served with our signature spicy mayo. The crispy calamari is delicious and comes with a great sauce. The prawns are amazing, very generous in size and the sauce is great. It has a bit of a kick to it. Both starters are great and the portion size is generous. The waiter is good at recommending food and really knows his stuff. Although he didn’t realise what a wimp I am when it comes to spice!

For our mains we have the Javanese Nasi Goreng: Wok-fried rice with prawns, chilli, spring onions and Sambal Belachan, topped with a fried egg, served with two chicken satay skewers and prawn crackers and the Bakmi Goreng: Udon noodles with chicken, prawns, bean sprouts, cabbage, pak choi, eggs and a sweet chilli ginger sauce, garnished with spring onions and fried banana shallots. For our sides we have the Broccoli: Tenderstem broccoli with oyster sauce and Fried Jasmine Rice: Wok-fried jasmine rice with chicken, prawns, bean sprouts, eggs, chilli and Thai basil.

The Javanese Nasi Goreng is something to behold. It has absolutely everything in it and a fried egg on top. The chicken satay skewers are tasty, as are the prawn crackers, the fried egg, the whole shebang. This is also spicy although there are plenty of things you can order at the Noodle House which are not spicy. The Bakmi Goreng is a great noodle dish which also has a generous amount of ingredients. It is amazing. Really great.

I also loved the Fried Jasmine Rice we have for our side and the broccoli is also good. If we thought the starters were a decent size, the mains and the sides were even more generous. We could just have had those and nothing else. We end up taking what we don’t eat away in a doggy bag.

We order more cocktails. The amazing Bayside Bellini: Kamm & sons, spiced Asian pear, orgeat & prosecco. and Spice Island Iced Tea: Gin, spiced tea gin, lemon, abbots bitters & ginger ale. The Bayside Bellini is absolutely brilliant. All you need to know is that it is a champagne cocktail with an Asian twist. Wonderful.

For dessert we have the Sweet Sharing Plate: a sample of the Lime & Ginger Cheescake, mango coconut pudding and banana spring rolls. Each one is amazing and unique. Just incredibly good and comes with a brilliant ice-cream.

We then finished with some tea. Fruity Fresh Hibiscus: an infusion made from a blend of Hibiscus, orange flowers, rosehip, sea buckthorn berries & lemon verbena. A pink brew that is sweet, fresh and hydrating. A mix of flowers and fruit. This is great tea, I could drink it everyday. Downstairs there is more seating and a bar and you can see all of the Noodle House’s amazing tea in large jars.

The Noodle House is a great restaurant. The service is amazing, the waiters are friendly and knowledgeable, the food is amazing and unique as is their cocktails and tea. Prices are reasonable, from low to high. I highly recommend The Noodle House and will be going back.

The Noodle House, 117 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8AD / 0203 725 5777

L’Orchidee Westfield London | Restaurant Review

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

L’Orchidee is situated in The Village, the luxury arm of Westfield. It is in an island, giving you a great view of the hustle and bustle of Westfields, whilst also being a place of calm and serenity. It is incredibly glamarous and I feel like I am in an episode of Gossip Girl while I sit in the luxurious, beautiful surroundings, cocktail in hand.

A band is playing, usually it is just a piano, the lovely manager tells me, this time it is much noisier and a trumpet player had joined in the fun. The entire experience is wonderful and we haven’t even ordered any food yet.

I have the Lobster Brioche. Which is brioche with lobster, salmon roe and curried mussels. It is amazing and comes with a salad on the side with a great dressing. My colleague has Confit of Duck with Caramelized Onion. I am obsessed with anything curried favourite and I love lobster so the lobster brioche was perfect for me. It really was superb and unique. It was a good portion too, the lobster was great, as was the salmon roe and the curried mussels were perfectly judged: not too overpowering. The duck confit sandwich was also superb, it came with a good salad and dressing and some amazing terra chips. It is full of flavour and the duck is delicious and goes fantastically with the onion.

We also tasted some of L’Orchidee’s amazing cocktails. Two of our favourites were the English Rose cocktail – Syrup de Rose, Creme de Cassis, Prosecco and gin, finished with rose petals and the Hazelnut Alexander – Frangelico, dark cocoa liquor brandy, hazelnut puree, and double cream. There cocktails are brilliant. I am going to work my way through their entire cocktail menu.

For dessert I have the amazing Black Magic which is Dark chocolate and passion fruit, coconut scented base, topped with dark chocolate glaze and finished with passion fruit macarons. It was all kinds of wonderful and is one of the best desserts I have ever had in my life. I still have dreams about it. The passion fruit works very well and all of the ingredients work well together. My colleague had the Zoe: Tender chocolate and almond dacquoise biscuit finished by our apricot preserved chocolate ganache and raspberries. It was also very good.

We finished off with some macaroons. A passion fruit one and a ferrero rocher one. We will definitely be going back to L’Orchidee. We loved everything about it and definitely want to sample their Champagne afternoon tea – specialty mini pastries and macaroons from their chef’s selection, with the hand-picked distinctive Mecier Brut champagne. This is a wonderful Parisian patisserie in the heart of bustling Westfield. The one in Westfield London has just opened but there is also one in Westfield Stratford.

L’Orchidee is a must go: stunning food and cocktails, wonderful, relaxing surroundings and great service. We will be regulars now.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: Restaurant

Pickled Fork Pop Up Restaurant Review

HKK Restaurant Review

Winteringham Fields Review

Roberto Cavalli Opens The Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge

Ziggy’s Restaurant Review St Andrews

Cinnamon Soho Restaurant Review

The Noodle House London Restaurant Review

L’Orchidee Westfield London | Restaurant Review

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