THEGAYUK

Category: Restaurants

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham

    Last night, I went on a palatable trip to Spain with Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham, restaurant of which was started by the passionate and Spanish food enthusiast Omar Allibhoy.

    Tapas Revolution has been around since 2010, with three existing restaurants in London, and now Tapas Revolution Birmingham has made a grand opening in the second city, and boy – what a gem it is!

    Specialising in Spanish food, in particular Tapas – food that is prevalent in most regions of Spain where various dishes are displayed to share and sample at leisure, this restaurant combines tradition and modernity within a contemporary setting, with an oval-shaped bar where you can grab a sneaky dish, to a spacious dining area with view to the whole of Grand Central, adorned with quirky wooden features, that made you feel at Spanish home. In this space, we had a table to fit all of our Tapas choices.

    I went along with my Spanish friend, who was slightly dubious about authentic Spanish food situated in Birmingham, but with a warm welcome from the service team, and a later introduction from Omar himself, we succumbed to the pleasant atmosphere. My partner’s face lit up as soon as he saw La Socarrada on the menu which is a beer renowned for its rosemary and honey tones, but it was a close match between that beer or the ‘er Boquerón’ famous for using sea water during the brewing process, so after all this, I knew he had been won over.

    We ordered few Tapas, all of which were priced below the £6.00 mark, and in fact all Tapas come under this price, which makes it flexible to have fun and be unashamedly creative when choosing different combinations. We went for: Torreznos con mojo dulce (crispy belly pork, with spicy sauce), Croquetas de Bacalao (béchamel croquettes with deep-fried cod), Pulpo a la Gallega (steamed octopus with paprika potatoes) and Patatas Bravas (deep-fried potatoes with spicy tomato and alioli). All dishes were sublime and tickled the taste buds: the winner for me was the crispy belly pork in spicy sauce which was perfectly cooked and seasoned to the point of being able to order five dishes of Torreznos.

    When our Tapas arrived, we were greeted by the friendly and bubbly Omar who took pride in asking us about our thoughts and took time to share his story of how Tapas Revolution came about. The most surprising fact learned was that Tapas Revolution is the only restaurant in Grand Central to have cooks start at 6am to have the finest food prepared and made for the opening time.

    I was so impressed with the whole experience, from the atmosphere, the service, and was extremely inspired by the Omar’s hard-work and dedication to his restaurant, as he told me that he comes up and down on a weekly basis to cook, manage and serve Tapas to the highest standard and at a very modest price.

    I am already forcing my colleagues to go and visit, and picking dates on my diary to go back!

     

    Reviewed by: Alex Da Silva | @AlexMDaSilva

    Address: Tapas Revolution –Grand Central, 68A East Mews, Birmingham, B2 4XJ

    Website: http://www.tapasrevolution.com

    Star Rating: *****

    Cost Rating: ££

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Wringer & Mangle

    The Gay UK team are a clean and fastidious bunch, so it seemed perfectly apt we were invited to the opening of a former industrial laundry in the Big Smoke’s hipster hang-out, London Fields.

    We didn’t take our dirty smalls, or our scented-passion-flower-and-ylang-ylang Comfort, or indeed pack our Fairy non-bio washing powder. Twists were for martinis, the only things sodden were the guests’ esophaguses from the plentiful cocktails, and only a few lightweight journos were mangled.

    Award-winning mixologist and restaurateur Gerry Calabrese has eighteen years experience, and a few distinguished names hanging from his washing-line of achievements. Calabrese is the founder of the Hoxton Pony and his new venture Wringer & Mangle (W&M). Gerry launched Hoxton Gin, and has worked with The British Fashion Council, Mulberry, and Bentley – there are no stains on him.

    To enter W&M you walk through a terrace, and past a Moroccan-style den, where lattice fencing, riddled with ivy, sections off an outdoor seating area surrounding a fire pit. Ideal for an aperitif – so we did. Cushions, candles and outdoor heaters will keep you snug as a duvet in a tumble dryer.
    First bevvy of the night, The Bramble Collins: Finlandia Vodka with fresh blackberries, sugar syrup, fresh sage, topped with ginger root and honey soda. Earthy, sweet and bitter, with a twinge of woody-ness from the sage. We washed it down.

    Walking into the main building, you could be fooled into thinking you’d just entered a high-flying artisan New Yorker’s oversized loft apartment. Concrete ceiling, exposed brick, mismatched tables, a few animal skulls and abstract art cakes the walls. All lit by naked Victorian bulbs and copper lighting – there’s something for the fastwashers, you delicates out there, and for those who just wanna rinse, spin and pump-out – W&M will appeal to the bulk of East London dwellers.

    While schmoozing with the trendy-Wendys, happening-hacks and look-at-me-Larrys, canapés were wafted around like incense at a pilgrims’ gathering. Beetroot, goat curd and fig tarts – bland. Mackerel tartar and pickled cucumber – an assertive fishy punch, toned down beautifully by the drunk cucumber – exquisite. Pig’s head terrine and mustard vinaigrette – not too coarse, quality meat, elevated by garlic notes and a grainy sense – yummy.

    Our next tipple, The Pre-Wash Collins: Bombay Sapphire, gin-infused cucumber, topped with cucumber and cardamom foam. Its botanical garden aroma teases you first, followed by the texture of a gingery, bubbly lather – then something sweet and spicy happens – the Hotpoint of the night.
    Once we’d caught a glimpse of Professor Green and could practically smell the Rizzle Kicks, the mains were being dished out by dishy staff.

    Braised lamb shoulder with pearl barley and rosemary – the grain was tender, salty and packed undertones of parsley and onion, complementing the fragrant meat – damn tasty.

    Autumnal vegetable stew – root vegetables were brought to life in this bowl of warmth and goodness – a superb veg stew.

    Smoked haddock chowder – we were just missing a couple of sporrans and some droning highland melodies – almost as good as Glasgow’s finest.
    We’ll definitely be Whirlpool-ing our way back to try their ‘Traditional Roast Sirloin of Beef with all the trimmings’ one Sunday – they’ll be no Wringer-ing out ya purse at only £15 a pop. But they can scrub the phallic communal hand soap in the lavs – we’re not asking for an automatic-washer, just quality washroom hand soap worthy of an old washhouse. We left dry-clean, colour-safe and folded back home nicely – care symbol: regular visits a must.
    Wringer & Mangle

    REVIEWED BY: Thabian Sutherland

    ADDRESS: The Laundry Building, 2-18 Warburton Road, London E8 3FN

    RATING: ★★★★ (explained)

    COST: £££ (explained)
    http://www.wringerandmangle.com

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Nam Long Le Shaker

    Nam Long Le Shaker has earned a reputation in three decades for late night imbibing amongst the trust fund Ralph-Lauren-shirt brigade, the wannabe Sloane-ranger Fulhamites, and on occasions blue blood and various big-screen prancers wipe the impurities from Old Brompton Road on their doormat. ★★★★

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  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Shikumen (Shepherds Bush)

    Dim Sum are an absolute pleasure, they fill me with joy (and best of all, variety satiety).

    I regard them as little presents, neatly wrapped with contents of treasure. Having a quick lunch at the Shikumen with good company and lots of these little presents, make good for an hour of paradise.

    The restaurant itself has a moody feel with lots of dark woods and patterned trellising providing privacy. Lots of pretty traditional ceramics are on display on the tables, ready to receive some wonderful tea the Shikumen have on the menu. We tried the Dragon’s well (Zhejian, £2.80) and Yunnan Pu-Erh (£2.50), which were both lovely, aromatic and topped up swiftly by the staff.

    Even though both myself and guest had decided on dim sum all the way, I did have a glance at the a la carte menu and was pleased to see a range of interesting dishes; black cod, squirrel fish (Seabass), Pork with bitter melon etc. Their alcohol / drinks menu was also extremely extensive, and I spotted a green tea creme brûlée on the dessert menu, making Shikumen very tempting for a re-visit over dinner sometime.

    Our dim sum began to flow to the table very quickly, just what you need on a lunch break! All the dishes we had came in three or four pieces, and we had probably over ordered (curse of the tidbits tummy!).

    Pumpkin Seafood Dumpling (£3.80) – Beautiful little balls of sunshine, brightly coloured from the pumpkin, encasing a sweet whole prawn cocooned inside. My friend remarked on how these looked like the little Indian saffron sweets you can get. These worked really well in a little dip of the chilli condiments that are brought to the table to offset the natural sweetness of the dish.

    Chicken Taro Croquettes (£3.50) – Now these really did look fantastic. Chicken and mushroom in a deep, rich savoury gravy, deep fried in a crispy pastry web- little grenades of textures and flavour. These were probably my favourite, and there was definitely an air of nostalgia to the dish as it almost had a chicken and mushroom pie feeling to it.

    Pan-Fried Turnip Cake (£3.20) – My other favourite of the dishes served, this sweet, garlicky, soft (almost fish-like) fleshy textured savoury cake had me going back for more and more. Everything about the dish i found enchanting, in as much as in appearance looks very simple almost bland but its texture and flavour are actually quite complex, wonderful.
    Roasted Duck Pumpkin Puff (£3.80) – More balls of sunshine, golden and crisp exterior with a spongy, duck filled gravy inside that had strong peppery notes and a nice little appearance from pine nuts for an added texture and buttery-ness. Crabmeat & Prawn Dumpling (£3.80) – Stunning and almost floral in its presentation, topped with caviar. A lovely, mellow and aromatic flavour with silky seafood, complimented by a hit of sharp spring onion. Baked Venison Puff (£4.20) – Presented on a triangle shaped piece of puff pastry, glazed and topped with sesame seeds. This was very sweet initially but moments later came forth a bit of heat and spiciness, which was welcomed. Another appearance from pine nuts worked with the soft texture of the venison. Char Siew Bun (£3.20) – The staple dish of any dim sum menu. It came to the table in a familiar bun presentation. Sweet red onion made for a crunchy experience, and it was refreshing to receive the bun itself not overly sticky (which can be the case more than often in some places). I would say Shikumen’s pricing with their dim sum menu is spot on, I would definitely come back to a Shikumen restaurant, if not only to get my teeth into that green tea creme brûlée!
    Shikumen are adding a single red dumpling to every order of Xiao Long Bao throughout October to honour President Xi Jinping’s State visit to London. STARS: ★★★★

    PRICE: £££

    Venue Address:

    (Check their website for other locations)

    Shikumen Shepherd’s Bush

    Dorsett Hotel

    58 Shepherd’s Bush Green

    London

    W12 8QE
    Venue phone: 020 8749 9978
    Tipping policy: http://www.shikumen.co.uk/shepherds-bush/contact/

    Reviewed by Jordan Lohan | @lohanjordan

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Zaika of Kensington Restaurant Review

    Who loves a good ruby? Indian cuisine isn’t something i have regularly, and perhaps it’s my childhood memories of my Granny’s (who grew up in Vizag, India) infamous egg curry. Apparently it was delicious but not to the palette of a 7 year old. ★★★★

    Dining with me at Zaika of Kensington, my best friend, who grew up in Nepal and we immediately connect and get chatting to our waiter, Mustaq. Throughout, his service was perfection and in response to our enquiry on his favourites the restaurant had to offer, he demonstrated great knowledge of the menu and even some of the dishes backgrounds, and i love hearing interesting legacies of food and its history.
    It’s history that you’re immediately hit with as soon you enter Zaika, in terms of the building’s architectural aspect. Grand high ceiling with dramatic mouldings, austere window frames, a perfect marriage of classical and contemporary. It is clear they want to give you the impression that this is not your usual curry house, and that continues into the food served too.
    We dined at an odd eating time, so the restaurant seemed grandly desolate. We were happy with the echoes of our cackles for company but both agreed that Zaika would have a great vibe during a busy evening.
    To start, Aloo Palak Tikki (£8.50), essentially little potato and spinach cakes that were cooked handsomely, crispy exterior and fluffy on the inside- plain in flavour but intentional as they come served on a bed of cold and creamy, spicy chickpeas. The whole dish was drizzled in a sweet yoghurt and adorned in pomegranate jewels. So very pretty and a clever configuration of flavours and textures.
    Jhinga Dakshini (£9.50) – nugget-like and light gram flour battered tiger prawns, not the most impressive sized prawns which was a little disappointing, as like my men, i enjoy them a bit beefier. Again this appetiser’s flavour was on point, the paprika-y prawns served with a sweet, turmeric, pale yoghurt. The flavours in both appetisers were really well balanced and full of flavour without being overly seasoned or spiced as to dominate the palette before the main courses.

    Nihari Gosht (£23), lamb that is slow cooked over night, and upon offer was then deboned at our table and served to us. Lightly aromatic, lovely and creamy; the lamb was silky soft, and still retained all its wonderful natural flavours. Lamb is the meat of choice in Northern India’s Awadhi cuisine, which Zaika’s menu focuses on. Although there is plenty of choice in terms of meat, poultry and vegetarian.
    I couldn’t not order a tikka masala for a main, it being one of Britain’s favourite dishes, so we tried the Paneer version (£14.50). Constantly impressed by Zaika’s flavour balance, this was more spicy for a tikka masala but a scattering of desiccated coconut subtly slurs underneath all that spice and cools the palette. The paneer was firm and almost sweet which worked really well.
    No matter how well you feel you cook your rice at home, it always surprises me when you have rice from an Authentic Indian restaurant, and it’s always ridiculously superior, and Zaika’s Zaffrani Pulao (£3.75) was no exception.
    A treat via Truffle Naan (£3.75) which was everything a naan should be; crispy and chewy. Delicate truffle notes and light. A winner for sponging up remaining sauce on your plate to the point my plate looked untouched.This was plenty of food for us both, but still wanting to explore their dessert menu and akin to the magnetism of a tikka masala, a good traditional Indian kulfi is always welcomed at the end of a big meal. Zaika’s Classic Kulfi; Mango & Pistachios (£6) is one not to be missed. Beautifully crafted and presented a top a strip of khaki coloured pistachio nut smudge, which I really wanted to just lick off the plate, it was so divine. The kulfi themselves were surprising in as much as they were not overly cold and even those with the most sensitive of teeth could even bite straight into. Wonderfully rich and creamy, a light mango morsel paired with a deep almost marzipan flavour in the pistachio pebble of kulfi. We asked for a small version of the dish and upon touchdown on the tastebuds, that decision was immediately regretted.
    Suitably stuffed and smiles on our faces we waddled back to the tube (5 minute walk from the restaurant) and agreed that Zaika of Kensington went above and beyond the usual expectations of Indian cuisine and we would both happily come back. I feel the pricing of the dishes are on point for the quality and execution. The whole experience felt grand and glam, with office Christmas party season approaching, if you have a team of curry fans, Zaika of Kensington is the place for you.

    Make a booking here

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Rugby Burgers @ West 12 Bar & Grill

    Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at West 12 Bar & Grill, at Birmingham Marriott Hotel, just in time for the opening of the Rugby World Cup. For the duration of the Rugby season, the Marriott Hotels are hosting #BurgersandBubbles, motto of which is: ‘designed by champions, served with champers.’ Celebrating Rugby events in style, Marriott and International Rugby Players have collaborated into creating the bravest, beefiest and bulgiest burgers I have ever held in my two hands.

    My dinner partner and I decided to go head-to-head with the two available Rugby Burger options. So, representing Australia, my guest went for The Burke burger, designed by the Australian fullback Matt Burke himself, who must have been a huge fan of sweet and sour, for the concoction of beef burger, grilled red onion, beetroot and pineapple behaved rather saucily in my partner’s mouth. At home, I represented New Zealand with the Hardman burger, created by Brad Thorn, the lock of the team, and I have to say, if I had even attempted man-handling the burger, it would have given me a locked jaw. Thankfully, we were both given steak knives to tackle the scrummy masterpieces. The Hardman was smoky and earthy with the venison, crispy streaky bacon, fried egg and tomato chutney combination. It was a draw, for both burgers equally delighted the taste buds of the burger captains.
    Our evening was made extra special by the restaurant team, who did nothing more but care for us. It was very kind of the Hotel General Manager, Gordon Tyler, to personally welcome us, joke about the world cup and assuring us that we were very welcome at West 12 Bar & Grill. He told us, ‘it is a very exciting time of year for rugby fans,’ and though we are not dedicated Rugby fans, we were soon in the mood for celebrating. Our waiter Sam led the team with care, dedication and a pleasant smile that went with every course. He was very passionate about the wines that he let us sample, and was very good listener while we shared our views about each one. It was not quite around the world in eighty glasses, but as we gargled the tasters, it felt we were being transported to the climates of the hot countries of Chile, Italy, Spain, France, where the wines were made. Our favourite was a red wine which accompanied the red meats deliciously, and though the name has escaped my mind, it was a combination of a Shiraz and Cabernet, and boy did it dance around our heads.

    I take my hat off to the chefs, who talentedly infused the finest ingredients by presenting both the starter and the main with formidable style and elegance, and the meaty burgers that made us fall-back and made us feel slightly self-conscious that our hands were not qualified to master the handling of the meat in between the two gigantic sesame-seeded buns.

    England beat Fiji 35-11, last night. So, it was an all-around successful night.

    Reviewed by: Alex DaSilva

    Address:

    Telephone: +44 121 452 1144

    Website: Click here

    Star rating: ★★★★★ (explained)

    Cost rating: £££ (explained)

    Tipping policy: Discrectionary 12.5% added to you bill
    by Alex Da Silva

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Gaylord, London

    In the Oxford Circus area lies a rather well renowned traditional Indian cuisine restaurant, Gaylord. A typical Indian restaurant vibe via both decor and ambience, which soon filled to maximum capacity on a Tuesday eve, and after 48 years of trading, it’s evident the restaurant has built up many fans. A bottle of Prosecco to match the bubbly atmos. (and a good one at £25 you’ll be tempted to have two).

    True to tradition arrive the airy light and crisp poppadum and an array of pickles and pastes- their slightly sour lime pickle was my favourite closely followed by a minty herby paste which tasted garden fresh zingy. The fresh theme was followed throughout the entire meal from the usually overlooked side salads through to the meat and accompanying sauces etc.

    We ordered from the menu, but as we had been invited to dine at the restaurant, the on duty manager advised he would bring some extras to the table.

    Golgappa Shots (£6.50) were brought to the table; a rather off-putting savoury murky green liquid in six shot glasses, each with a puffed cracker atop. I think the idea is to pour the liquid from the shot glass into the cracker, and then eat. I found the whole thing awkward and unnecessary. There is an option to add a shot of Grey Goose vodka (£5), which could hold the secret to making the tamarind tangy ‘spiced aromatic water’ a little less odd. But I doubt it.

    A nice bit of fusion coming in from Mexico with Gaylord’s taco selection, we shared the Pulled Chicken (£8.50) version which came out from the kitchen presented in the backseat of a metal wire car. Kinda felt like a kids meal was taking a joyride on the wrong table, but the flavour was lovely, being rich, piquant and herby. Amongst the silky pulled chicken I, unfortunately, found a small bone which was a shame.

    Hitching a lift onto the table was the Mix Vegetable Pakoras (£9.50), which were dry and lacked any flavour. The fun is taken out of having a mixture platter when you are unable to identify the different ingredients.

    From the moment the Prawn Puri (£10) arrived to the table, the nightmares of the murky green liquid and garish metal wire cars started to leave us. These prawns looked HENCH. The kind of prawns that eat seahorse for breakfast. Perfect plump juicy king prawns in a very light jalfrezi coating, like a very thin batter almost. When flavour, texture, and the cooking of a humble prawn is so on point- the chemistry is celestial.

    With the table slowly losing any available space, my personally selected starters from the ‘Tribute to royalty; Maharaja Feast’ (£29.50/3 course) arrived in the form of “the best of Gaylord kebabs”. The Lamb Seekh Kebab being minced and sausage-shaped, was well seasoned and abundant in herbs. The chicken kebab being a typical tandoori was my least favourite being a little dry all round. The lamb chop, however, was beautiful, simply spiced and with a plain creamy yoghurt- lamb is so delicious, I can’t bear when its limelight is stolen via a kitchen being overly spice-happy.

    I can’t believe we are only just approaching the main course! The portions are very generous we no way needed the extras brought to the table. The Lamb Rogan Josh as part of my Maharaja Feast which had a citrus gravy with strong cardamom and cinnamon notes, extremely aromatic and came with a cloud of pilau.

    Murg Korma (£15) for my friend with a mushroom pilau. The korma was creamy as you like, with hints of cashews and a suspicion of sweet. The mushroom pilau was really well-cooked rice that had an intense mushroom/umami flavour with a spritz of lemon juice run through there too. Perfect with the korma.

    Lamb Shank (£18- and another off-piste bestowal by the restaurant). The menu dictates a special Gaylord spice mix, however, the flavour was lacking altogether other than the dominant tomato- even with the flesh of the lamb, which subsequently was not falling off the bone.

    You cannot possibly dine in an Indian restaurant without getting your Bombay Aloo on (£8.50). The flavours were tart and chutney-like which always gets thumbs up from me. A kind of candied ginger meets spicy smoky chilli gravy flavour to it- cleverly constructed. I would recommend you order this as a side.

    Dessert was a sharing platter (£8.50) and at this point, I’m not sure what is what in terms of items we ordered. An icy almond-y kulfi stole the show on the platter. Homemade carrot pudding (or Halwa) was served warm and abandoned after sampling as it just was not nice. Rasmalai, cottage cheese patties were spongy and strange- a dish you continue to graze on and wonder about. I enjoy dishes that make you think, and the pistachios alongside were a good call.

    Phew! Food over and done with! I cannot help but feel a little sorry for Gaylord. This review may well have panned out a little better for them if they hadn’t of been so generous and loaded the table up with dishes like the murky Golgappa shots, the taco that had the bone in, that we did not order, and other nothing to sing about dishes I haven’t even typed up (naan/raita).

    We didn’t have much luck with the majority of the starters, other than those perfect prawns. The mains were very good as were the Bombay potatoes. And next time, I would have the kulfi on its own. And yes, I would dine again at Gaylord.

    Reviewed by @LohanJordan

    ADDRESS: 79-81 Mortimer Street, London W1W 7SJ, UK

    PHONE: 020 7580 3615

    PRICE: ££££

    STAR RATING: ***

    TIPPING POLICY: http://gaylordlondon.com/contact.php

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Rocket Holborn

    Were there fireworks at Rocket Holborn?

    Holborn is the home to the British Museum, the ancient Guild Church and was once a haunt for Charles Dickens. Back in the early 20s Kingsway’s neoclassical and neo-Baroque streets would have shared the smoggy air with the likes of Virginia Woolf and John Maynard Keynes. Nowadays, the smart architecture of Kingsway is riddled with chain eateries, coffee shops and boozers – there’s no Great Expectations that a current-day Bloomsbury Group aren’t hangin in Holborn, or would even want A Room of One’s Own is this borough. A clear case of Macroeconomics.

    The Gay UK were invited to try the wares of Rocket’s 5th sibling and newest venture on Kingsway, Holborn, to see if their Food, is Glorious Food, with the view that we’d be asking “please sir, can we have some more”.

    We sidled up at 7pm on Friday: it was like a Bleak House that had fallen on Hard Times – empty. Kingsway’s pavements are well trampled during daylight, but it’s like the City at the weekend after dusk. A warm welcome nevertheless. We perched in the bar area and were offered pre-supper cocktails.

    On recommendation, a Summer Tonic: Martin Miller’s Cointreau, elderflower, fresh lime, grapefruit and orange juice topped with tonic. Apparently, this orangy little tinker has a trophy cabinet. The elderflower gave a good measure of tartness and a floral bouquet – it was blooming good.

    Negtroni: Beefeater, Martini Rosso, Campari, orange zest and a dash of angostura bitter. A powerful glass of resonant mouthwash, a high-end one at that – delish.

    A bowl of home-made salty popcorn was constantly replenished while we were serenaded by Boney M and the Bee Gees.

    Rocket’s décor: Eero Aarnio Abstract luminous Dogs, dark wooden walls, tables and chairs, mixed with pink and orange cushions – struggling to find an identity? The lighting was bright enough for makeup reapplication and to notice the imperfections in some of the tired furniture.

    One pre-dinner sharpener is never enough: next up, a Spiced Pear Mojito: Rebellion spiced rum, Xante pear cognac, fresh mint, lime and sugar topped with apple juice. Potent, and rampant with ripe pears – it was like Christmas compressed in a tumbler. The best Mojito ever.

    Tropical Wave: Koko Kanu, Passoâ, fresh watermelon and lemon juice, topped with pressed apple. We had a sudden desire to be horizontal and surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Fresh, and slipped down like a still bottle of San Pellegrino.

    It was as though we were dining on a well-manned ship – the timings were impeccable between courses and we needed for diddly. By now a few other diners had come aboard.

    For the starters we opted for: Panko Crumb and coconut King Prawns with warm green and yellow zucchini ribbons, red chilli and mango dressing. They looked like they’d arrived straight from Thailand, but tasted as though they were bought from Iceland. The coconut seemed to have jumped ship – bland.

    Seared beef fillet “Carpaccio” rolled in cracked black pepper and topped with dressed rocket, shaved parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. The snappy leaves and pungent cheese elevated the tender, amply-sized cuts of moreish meat.

    To encourage metabolism we lubricated with a bottle of Campo Nuevo Tempranillo 2014. Full-bodied, sturdy structure with a raspberry perfume and a truffle tease.

    For our mains: Rocket’s famous rare beef and chip salad with rocket, green beans, red onion, radishes, crispy garlic, fried chilli, black bean dressing and ginger-mustard mayonnaise. This reads beautifully – if we’d guzzled black Sambuccas until 5am, this dish would be great to soak up the aftermath. The black bean dressing is genius, but the dish as a whole, cumbersome – slight overkill.

    For our mains: Rocket’s famous rare beef and chip salad with rocket, green beans, red onion, radishes, crispy garlic, fried chilli, black bean dressing and ginger-mustard mayonnaise. This reads beautifully – if we’d guzzled black Sambuccas until 5am, this dish would be great to soak up the aftermath. The black bean dressing is genius, but the dish as a whole, cumbersome – slight overkill.

    The Rocket Calzone, filled with chorizo, king prawns, roasted tomato, olives, red onion, jalapeños and mozzarella. A fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican and Italian cooking. Not for the faint-tongued – spicy, porky, hints of paprika – garlicky and smoky. Reminiscent of a stone bake oven.

    While we pondered over the pudding menu it was as though we’d been momentarily transported to Monaco during a sluggish Grand Prix, minus the glamour: three wheelie bins were inexplicably wheeled past our table, and we were still nowhere near the finish line.

    Puds: Affogato, Amaretto, espresso & vanilla ice cream with amaretti biscuit. The ice cream was nondescript – pleasant.

    Sticky Toffee Pudding with salted caramel ice cream: much like Channing Tatum in Magic Mike XXL – tacky, but with the right amount of sweet.

    Our digestifs: Espresso Martini’s: Thunder toffee vodka, Khalua, sugar and shot of espresso. Syrupy-coffee with an alcoholic implication – superb. Rocket’s mixologist would fit nicely at the Savoy.

    Should you risk The Voyage Out to Holborn to experience their culinary fare, you can be reassured that they’re not Scrooge when it comes to portion sizes and the service is Oom-Pah-Pah perfect. A meal for two won’t blow the purse strings, even on a Bob Cratchit wage.

     

    REVIEWED BY: Thabian Sutherland

    Rocket Holborn

    36-38 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6EY

    Tel: 0207 242 8070

    Email: holbornbookings@rocketrestaurants.co.uk

    Nearest tube: Holborn

    Star rating; ★★★ (explained)

    Price Rating: ££ (explained)

     

     

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Metropolitan, Moreish Morsels At M Restaurant

    Hanging out with Hugos, Alistairs and Tarquins in the confines of the trader’s square mile doesn’t grab one immediately when choosing a venue for supper.

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  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Q-Grill, Camden

    Around five minutes stroll from either Chalk Farm or Camden tube is the Q-Grill, and no introduction necessary with the main method of cooking here. Plenty of smoky dishes on the menu using their house smoker, in fact they have a special smoked beer ‘Rib Tickler’ designed to be paired with one of the rib dishes on the menu. I had a small sip of the beer just to try, and could have easily had a pint of the stuff.

    The vibe is very Camden, the décor channelling a beach bbq shack, and has an open kitchen on view. Our waiter, Armand, had impeccable customer service and clearly knew the menu well, he suggested his favourites for the starters – to which we had all 3 between us both.
    Baked Butternut Hummus (£6.00), not the usual hummus as not a chickpea in sight! A vivid orange pool of spicy thick butternut puree, adorned with fat feta chunks lightly charred, and some cubed butternut too. Homemade flatbreads charred & chewy make good for mopping up all that nutrition in neon.

    The Seabass Ceviche (£9.75) was so lovely, it couldn’t have been any fresher. A healthily herbed dish spiked with flecks of chilli. So many ceviche can be spoiled by being overly acidic, but the proportions here were spot on. This dish also came served with golden boat-like shaped strips of fried plantain which provided some texture contrast against the silky sea bass.
    Our final starter was rather odd, but totally moreish. The Spiced Cornbread Waffle (£3.50) which was screaming out “WHERE DO I BELONG”, being served with an absolutely heavenly scoop of maple syrup whipped butter, but then all of a sudden the chilli kicks in and the whole dish makes perfect sense. I will be dreaming about that naughty dirty maple butter for the foreseeable future.
    For our mains we decided to maintain sharing (there is a separate menu for sharing platters but we wanted to make our own up!). Chargrilled Tiger Prawns (£19.75) came in a generous portion, although the unnecessary inclusion of the heads on the plate gave the impression there were more. Lovely lime and chilli notes, and prawns perfectly plump and cooked beautifully. For me this was the star of the meal. This really did make me feel like I was on a beach, and then wish that I was.

    What should have been the star of the meal, was the Rare Breed Pork Baby Back Ribs (£15.00) off the specials menu. Even though the flesh was as you’d like ribs to be, flaky, falling and soft- its spice rubbed exterior had been burnt leaving a bitter taste on your palette. Even the chipotle sauce served alongside the ribs could not act as flavour saviour, unfortunately being watery and tasteless. Again, like the sauce, the pot of ‘slaw tasted tired and far from the freshness we had experienced from everything else on the table. Such a shame!
    Parmesan Truffled Fries (£4.00), served beautifully crisp, smoky, and with a heavy shaving of parmesan- I don’t normally have fries so to have a touch of truffle in there too was a total treat. Green Beans (£3.75) – sadly these were extremely greasy, I’m not entirely confident how these were cooked, as the smoked aioli they were smothered in made it all overly oily. I think it would be received better if the aioli was in a pot on the side.

    After the waffle as a starter and the fries, we were struggling for room for dessert. Our waiter suggested the peanut butter cookie stack but a stack at that point felt like our Everest. But there is always room for ice cream, right? Homemade delights, (£1.50 per scoop) we chose firstly the peanut butter, which was really well balanced with just the right amount of peanuts. Overdoing the PB can make dishes claggy. Lastly, a G&T sorbet which would have been a crime not to have picked. Refreshing, icy and strong in citrus, you could definitely detect the gin! An odd combination peanut butter and gin, but we didn’t even care.

    It’s such a shame that our ribs were ruined by being overcooked on the outside, and the ribs dish as a whole being a little underwhelming with flavour (other than burnt). The starters were fantastic and the homemade ice cream were both winners, and I wish we did have room for the peanut butter cookie stack as I’m sure it would have been cookie monster heaven.

    The food was delivered to the table at a good speed and with stupendous service. I would definitely eat here again, especially as you are also presented with a £20 gift card off your next visit (you must register the card online initially). Q-Grill also has another restaurant opening this Summer, check their website for details. Home delivery is also available through Deliveroo.

    Reviewed by @LohanJordan
    ADDRESS: 29 – 33 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AJ
    PHONE: 020 7267 2678
    PRICE: ££££ (explained)
    STAR RATING: *** (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: http://q-grill.co.uk/camden

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Darwin Brasserie, The Sky Garden

    Dining up at the Sky Garden sounds exciting doesn’t it? A little novel? Darwin’s menu boasts being “inspired by the very best of British”, but in reality means they have no imagination, catering for tourists that expect British food to be bad, and will charge what they like (extortionately).

    A prime example of somewhere relying on what and where it is, rather than what it does. The setting of the Sky Garden is also spoiled by this familiar airport lounge look with an underlying sense that they don’t want you hanging around for too long. Having to put on sunglasses as the sun sets in your eyes is also where the novelty of dining in a glorified conservatory began to wear off.

    Darwin’s décor comprises of creams, pastels, greys (perhaps symbolising shades of clouds), and cute little succulent plants on each table. I liked the way the cocktail menu was set out, in that it would describe each one’s composition and then break it down into two/three of its dominant flavours, enabling (and potentially persuading) swift decisions.

    Their wines start at around £24 for a bottle of white. With so many lovely and popular roses around it was a little disappointing to only find one on the menu and priced at £39 (2014). Our waitress was on the ball and everything seemed okay at this point. That was until our food came- at a concerning speed consistently through courses (again feeling like another “please leave” nudge).

    To start I had the Ham Hock & Parsley Terrine (£9.50). There wasn’t much to the actual terrine, and the amount of parsley was depressing with only a few flecks. The sourdough bread served was over oily and felt more like fried bread than grilled. However, the sharp and fresh veg piccalilli that came with the dish was really lovely and packed flavour where the ham lacked. Altogether the plate needs more oomph and cannot solely rely on the pickle as its star.

    Also to start, English Aparagus (£14.50)- not entirely sure where the price for this dish was plucked from (literally from the Sky it would seem, sorryboutit). Bearing in mind asparagus is in season, and the pot of sauce that came with it is basically made from cream, egg, and lemon- all relatively minimal costing. The dish was served a little too cold and verging on undercooked.

    For my main, Cornish Lamb Rump (£26), and I’m baffled as to how the classically strong lamby flavours of the flesh had been utterly eradicated. The “aromatic” couscous was screaming with colossal amounts of cumin and the “ras el hanout jus” tasted more like just jus, which actually suited me after taste bud apocalypse via the couscous. On the plus side, the lamb was not stringy fatty.

    Roast Chicken Breast (£17.50) – A dish laden with errors for me. Its fricassee of cocoa beans, peas, broad beans & rosemary- lacked even the most subtle of cocoa notes and its gravy tasted a little akin to my “ras el hanout jus”. Cold tomatoes were laced through the dish, and came served in a bowl. Confusing as it resembled a warm salad, but we didn’t want a salad- otherwise, we would have ordered off the separate salad menu. Whatever it was- this dish was limp.

    A sad affair for the sides of Tenderstem Broccoli (with chilli & preserved lemon), and Steamed Spinach (both priced at £5 each). They both tasted rather odd and almost metallic. I did bring this up and was advised that one of the dishes was cooked in a steamer so possibly that is where the metallic-y thing is coming from. Oh.

    Choosing from a dessert menu comprising of tediously boring dishes, we went for the Chocolate Pudding with hazelnut praline, and the Champagne Strawberry Jelly with pannacotta and lime (Both @ £7.50) To detract from the dishes plain titles (all I read was ‘cake & jelly’), it would only take a bit of re-jigging to sound a little more exciting. i.e. Hazelnut Praline Pudding / Lime & Panna Cotta with Champagne Jelly. Perhaps its over simplicity again is a reach out to the tourists.

    The chocolate pudding was singed and there’s nothing worse than bitter, burnt, dry cake. The jelly dish was served in a martini glass, yes really. Jelly, fruit, pannacotta and a meringue which was literally egg froth with a blow torched top. It would have been nice to have a crumbly meringue to give texture amongst the different wet consistencies of the dish.

    Darwin also has a cheeseboard (£9) on the menu with cheese from Neal’s Yard. This was probably the best part of the meal. Climaxes came from the Brie, the blue and goats. So if you do visit the Sky Garden and find yourself dining at the Darwin, I’d recommend you have the cheeseboard.

    I must firstly say as I conclude, that the service we received from our waitress was consistently caring- she was wonderful. I can totally understand when venues and menus are designed with tourists in mind, so I never would expect five-star dining from the Darwin. But with high prices and low levelled execution you really feel like they just don’t care, reinforcing that going to the Sky Garden is probably something you would only ever do once in your life- tourist or not. Perhaps being on level 36, they have spent too much time with their head in the clouds.

    REVIEWED BY: Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: Darwin Brasserie- Floor 36
    Sky Garden
    20 Fenchurch Street
    London
    EC3M 3BY
    PHONE: 0333 772 0020
    PRICE: £££££ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: http://skygarden.london/darwin