Sake no hana

There was an unintentionally hilarious article in The Times on the weekend about how various movers and shakers were planning to survive the credit crunch. It offered invaluable advice such as sacrificing your weekly manicure, aromatherapy massage and reflexology. Clearly, the end of the world as we know it. However, there was also talk of foregoing eating out. While I am all for tightening the waist-belt, this is a step too far. The weekly reflexology session may need to get the chop, but there is no need for The Times darlings to abandon London's restaurants just yet.

For example, for the past two months Top Table has been running an offer where you can dine at Alan Yau's shrine to Japanese cuisine, Sake no hana, for 50% off. Winner of Best Design at Time Out's 2008 Eating and Drinking Awards, Sake no hana, is the sort of place where London's It girls are queuing up to kick off their Jimmy Choos and curl up at the tatami seating. Of course, Joyce, Meredith and our token male Swinno had to join them even if we were doing it on the cheap.

You enter Sake no hana by ascending a glossy black elevator that deposits you in a large room lined with cleverly designed tatami seating which gives you room to stretch out your legs. The place is a cross between some sort of Shinto Shrine and a giant Ikea assembly, the highlight is the roof that is covered in geometric patterns of blond cedar.

Feeling a bit unwell I bypassed the frankly rather intimidating looking sake list and opted for genmaicha tea instead (true credit crunching to save cash on alcohol). We ordered a grand total of 13 dishes to share although people with average sized appetites could probably get away with a lot less. The dishes were generally fairly small in size but exquisitely presented. Tamago tofu topped with snow crab was wonderfully silken. Tiny tempura baby courgettes were deftly prepared. Chopsticks flew as we all tried to devour the glorious grilled marinated sake chicken which was served topped with delicate snowflake like slices of crisp lotus root. The grilled seabass with wild mushroom in wasabi sauce was also popular because of the delicate and incredibly subtle flavours.

I loved the braised black leg chicken with soya bean and yuzu pepper which arrived in a huge cast iron pot and was ladled into individual bowls. The broth was dark and fragrant and filled with chunks of succulent chicken and vegetables. It was comfort food Japanese style. The only misfire was really the warm soft shell crab salad with wasabi sauce. The crab sadly erred more on the charred side than the crispy. We finished (as you should) with sushi rolls of eel, otoro nigri and amazing salmon roe sushi nigri which set off little explosions in your mouth as you bit into the roe.

I don't think Sake no hana was quite as good as Zuma which I recently visited, however at £25 a head once the 50% off was applied it was a fine dining credit crunch bargain. Do not fear, the world is not finished just yet.

Details: 32 St James' Street, Mayfair SW1A 1LPT (Ph 020 7925 8955)
Damage: Budget Breaking (but actually reasonable with a discount)
7/10

Tips for a perfect Saturday in London

A few weeks ago, Krista from Londonelicious asked: what's your idea of a perfect Saturday in London? The American girl who likes food and London but not cooking (which I still cannot understand) wined and dined her way around town in her inimitable style and wrote about it here in the post that kicked it all off.

I did a post in September on my perfect 12 hours in London (although not necessarily on a Saturday) which I thought fit the bill. Others quickly followed Krista's lead, posting their idea of a perfect Saturday in London. The ideas are fairly varied, although a trip to Borough Market does seem to be a common theme (so what if it is a tourist trap, it's also food heaven).

• ML at SPAstic, Tales from a London Spa takes you around South Kensington and Notting Hill for a culture-filled day that ends in Holland Park.
  
• Su-Lin at Tamarind & Thyme gets some culture AND shopping in as she trolls central London, with the riches she imagines.
  
• Two entries from Mini-et-moi, a great site for modern mums in London. Sarah takes in Marylebone and The London Transport Museum while Michelle explores the South Bank, tots in tow.
  
• Danielle at Bloody Brilliant starts with a full English and then heads east to explore Brick Lane and Spitalfields.
  
• Over at Gourmet Larder, Gregory begins his day in Borough and then works his way south through Clapham and Vauxhall.
  
• Leah from Curiosity and The Cupcake arrives at Broadway Market bright and early and then enjoys a leisurely stroll through Victoria Park and east London.
  
• Christine over at If Music Be The Food of Love has a musical slant to her day as she explores Hampstead and hits the town with her idol.
  
• Blogger Priyanka begins at Cafe au Lait in Brixton and ends her day at Meson De Felipe and The Beehive in Borough.
  
• Another blogger choosing to start around Borough Market. Helen at Food Stories kicks off her Saturday with a visit to Tower Bridge, wanders over to Borough and then ends her day with a visit to Shunt and by checking out Dinner in The Sky.
  
• Lizzie of Hollow Legs is very busy geographically and takes us through Blackheath, North Greenwich, Trafalgar Square, Belgravia, Shoreditch, Whitechapel, and then back to Shoreditch.
  
• Charles of London guide Tipped.co.uk and his own blog, Grumblemouse, spends his perfect day in Islington, The City, Borough Market, Greenwich, and Shoreditch.
  
• And finally, new-to-the-scene Liz (of Liz Does London, not to be confused with Lizzie above) hits Chelsea, Hyde Park, Notting Hill, and Parson's Green.

Plenty of inspiration in all of that for London residents and visitors alike.

Pumpkin risotto with chicken and fetta

England has its own version of Halloween in the form of Guy Fawkes Night. I can still remember bonfires for Guy Fawkes when I was little and writing my name in the air with a sparkler. Sadly it seems that this home grown celebration is being overshadowed by Halloween. There are Halloween products in the stores and people are talking of buying sweets for trick or treating. However, I must admit that all those Jack-o-Lanterns and the freezing cold weather (snow last night!) made me crave some comfort food in the form of pumpkin risotto. This risotto is so lovely and creamy because some of the pumpkin melts into the mixture giving the whole dish a golden hue.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

2 shallots diced

2 cloves of garlic finely diced

1/2 cup white wine

3 cups of chicken stock

1/2 pumpkin cubed.

2 cups aborio rice

1/2 cup fetta cheese

1 knob butter

Handful of Parmesan cheese

Handful of flat leaf parsley

(Serves 4)

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil and poach the chicken breasts. Once cooked set aside until cool and then shred.

2. Meanwhile lightly brown the shallots and garlic with some butter then add the rice and stir until it starts to become translucent.

3. Add the wine and once the alcohol burns off add the pumpkin and start adding the stock 1/2 a cup at a time while constantly stirring. The stock will absorb more easily if it is also warm so keep it simmering on the stove while adding. This will take at least 15 - 20 minutes.

4. Keep on adding the stock until the risotto starts to look and taste creamy and soft. Add the shredded chicken and half the fetta, take the risotto off the heat. Add butter and Parmesan, stir together then put a lid on the risotto and allow to sit for 2 minutes so that all the flavours are absorbed into the rice. This is the most important part!

5. Season and sprinkle with the remaining fetta and flat leaf parsley to serve.

This is an entry for the fabulous Waiter There's Something in My...

Cantino (Gourmet Chick in Austria)

In Vienna the home of classical music, opera and of course the Viennese waltz, it seemed almost compulsory to make a visit to the Haus der Musik. Well, to be honest I only visited the restaurant in the Haus der Musik, Cantino. Set on the top two floors of the Haus der Musik, Cantino has one level with a bar where you can smoke (they are truly wild and rebellious in Vienna with indoor smoking still) and an upstairs that is the restaurant proper. It is all fairly modern with dark parquetry floors, black leather seats and good quality table cloths.

We began with a glass of the 2007 Gruner Veltliner which is an Austrian wine. It must have been pretty good as I seem to remember having quite a few glasses over the course of the evening. Entree was a sort of antipasto platter offering peppers stuffed with herb mousse and dried tomatoes, smoked breast of duck with Waldorf salad and dog fish with cauliflower panna cotta. It was all quite nice although I must admit that I had suspicions about the dog fish and cauliflower panna cotta. I had never had dog fish before, however it turned out to be quite tasty although my suspicions about the cauliflower panna cotta were well founded. It was quite a bizarre taste sensation.

A main of butter fish with black olive crust, zucchini and potatoes was fantastic. The fish was silky and luxurious. The lamb knuckle in thyme sauce was also popular at our table and looked suitably dense and rich. However dessert was another strange flavour combination. I had the chestnut mousse which was served with pumpkin compote and dark chocolate. I know that most Americans will disagree with me, but in my view pumpkin just does not belong in dessert: it's a vegetable. I was truly bewildered as to its appearance in my perfectly good chestnut mousse. Perhaps it was a Halloween trick or treat.

Good quality food and beautifully executed however just that little bit strange at times. Maybe not so strange for the Viennese.

Details: 1010 Vienna, Seilersatte 30, Austria (Ph 01 512 54 46)

Damage: Reasonable

7/10

Other tips for Vienna

Zum Scharzen Kamel (The Black Camel) - a Viennese institution that has been around since 1618. Pour into the bar for a glass of wine and some Viennese style tapas. (Bognergasse 5, Vienna, Ph +43 (1) 538125)

Hotel Sacher - the home of the Sacher torte - unmissable for a slice of cake and cup of tea or coffee (Philharmonikerstrade 4, A-101o Vienna, Ph +43 (0) 1 51 456 0)

Sky restaurant (Gourmet Chick in Austria)

It is all about the view at Sky restaurant in Vienna. From its eyrie on the seventh floor there is a stop you dead in your tracks and forget your conversation view of the mosaic roof of St Stephen's cathedral.

The interior of Sky restaurant is fairly plain and modern with the focus firmly on the bank of windows that showcase that amazing view. In such a setting, punters will pack the place out even if there is nothing special about the food. An entree of kasnudeln which was described as home made cheese noodles stuffed with cream cheese, potatoes and mint turned out to be similar to large ravioli. The serving of three was slightly bland and could have done with some sauce to lift it.

As a main course I tried the Coq a vin with spinach spatzle. Spatzle is a traditional German and Austrian dish which tasted similar to pasta. While the spatzle was not bad it was a strange pairing to the chicken with its rich wine sauce. So far so blah. Sky restaurant did redeem itself somewhat with dessert. I could not go past the apple strudel which was packed with tasty chunks of apple with a hint of cinnamon. We washed it all down with a bottle of Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Heiligenstein, which if you hadn't guessed with a name like that, was a local Austrian wine.

While the view was fabulous, the food at Sky restaurant was mediocre so a better option would be to head to the adjoining bar for a drink instead. That way you could still enjoy the view with a glass of wine but head elsewhere for your meal.

Details: Karntnerstrasse 19, A1010 Vienna, Austria (Ph 0043 1513 1712)

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

Pham Sushi

As Miso Cod is to Nobu and Snail Porridge is to The Fat Duck so Crunchy Tuna Rolls are to Pham Sushi. You simply cannot come to Pham Sushi without eating the Crunchy Tuna Rolls (pictured). I eat here all the time and I find it physically impossible to leave them off my order. The secret is that the tuna that tops the rolls is lightly seared so that it has a slight crunch to it. It is a fabulous counterpoint to the sticky sushi rice and whoever thought of it was clearly a genius.
Pham Sushi is an unassuming little restaurant tucked away on Whitecross street. The restaurant space is tiny so it is best to book and the decor is fairly non-descript. The atmosphere could be described as peaceful or just lacking. Don't worry though the sushi is good - perfect in it's simplicity and vibrantly coloured. It is also hard to resist Pham Sushi's Nasudengaku with the silken eggplant smothered in sweet miso. Hot dishes such as the Tori Yaki Udon which comprises Udon noodles with chicken and vegetables and the Beef bento box are decent enough but not in the same league as the sushi.

Nevertheless, Pham Sushi is a real gem of a place and those Crunchy Tuna Rolls will keep me coming back.

Details: 159 Whitecross street, Barbican, EC1Y8JL (Ph 0207 336 7620)
Damage: Reasonable
8/10

Individual apple and blackberry pies

It is truly going to be a case of who ate all the pies as I cannot get enough of these individual apple and blackberry pies. They are good steaming hot with a scoop of ice-cream or just on their own as an afternoon snack. There is something quite special about biting into the burnished pastry and a jewel like mix of apple and blackberries tumbles forth.

Ingredients
Pastry
330g plain flour
100g icing sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
180g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 free range egg yolk
2 tbsp cold water
Filling
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 dessert apples such as Russet, Braeburn or Cox
2 cooking apples such as Bramley or Granny Smith
100g caster sugar
250g blackberries

1. Brush a muffin tin with a thin layer of melted butter and leave to set in the fridge.

2. Peel, core and cut the apples into 2.5cm chunks. Melt a knob of butter in the pan and once bubbling add the cooking apples. Cook over a medium heat for 3 mins. Add the dessert apples, sugar and cinnamon for 2 mins while stirring well. Tip in the blackberries and allow to soften for 1-2 mins. The aim is for the blackberries and dessert apples to hold their shape while the cooking apples break down into a pulp and the whole mixture becomes a rich blackberry colour. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool completely.

3. To make the pastry put the flour, icing sugar, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and add the butter. Rub it in with your hands to get a coarse breadcrumb consistency with no large lumps of butter.

4. Add the egg yolk and water and mix just until the dough comes together, being careful not to mix any longer than necessary. I usually need to add a bit more water than the recipe calls for.

5. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead very lightly for a few seconds only, just to shape it into a smooth disc, 5-6cm thick. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins in the fridge

6. Lightly dust your work surface, remove the pastry from the fridge and cling film, place in the middle and roll out with a rolling pin until it is no more than 2-3mm thick. Work quickly so that the pastry does not get warm.

7. Cut out 8 circles using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass as I do. Line the muffin tin by placing the circles inside and gently pressing them into the corners and sides. Then cut out a further 8 circles which will form the pie "lids".

8. Spoon in the fruit mixture and place the pie lids on top, pinching the edges together to seal them. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins to firm up the pastry.

9. Preheat the oven to 220c. Remove the pies from the fridge and brush with a little milk. Sprinkle with sugar then pierce a little steam hole on each lid. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the pastry is golden.

This recipe is adapted from one by Gordon Ramsay in The Times earlier this month.

Zuma

Eating at Zuma is somewhat like eating at a nightclub. This is not a criticism, in fact when you want a fun dinner and maybe to head out on the town afterwards it is perfect. MTV boyfriend and I headed there on Friday night as a present from our fabulous friend Alice who says it is her favourite restaurant in London. Alice is a party girl at heart so the frivolous but fantastic atmosphere should have come as no surprise.

Located down a small laneway in Knightsbridge, Zuma is achingly hip. The decor is a swanky combination of interlocked wooden walls and granite benchtops. There is an incredibly popular bar in the middle of the room and towards the back a huge robata grill with a team of chefs at work. The women hovering at the bar are poured into their dresses - this is one of the few places in town where it seems people still get dressed up to come here. Loud music and an amazing cocktail selection completed the party atmosphere. The food is Japanese fusion and was all delicious and brilliantly executed.


These are my top tips for eating at Zuma:

1. Book in advance. To get a table on a Friday night will take at least a months booking. If there are just two of you, ask to be seated at the robata grill - it is amazing theatre.

2. Come with a fun group of people or in a party mood. The music is too loud and the atmosphere too bustling for a romantic tete a tete or in depth conversations.

3. Ditch the wine list and order the cocktails instead - they are fantastic. We tried out a few and the Pink Mojito was a highlight.

4. Don't try and order entrees and mains. Just order a selection of dishes to share and leave it to your waiter to sort out the order they are served in. Highlights from the selection that we tried were the sushi which was super fresh and the tempura soft shell crab which was crunchy but still delicate and wonderfully addictive (we had two servings). MTV boyfriend and I were similarly enamoured with the spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chilli and sweet soy (pictured) which impressed us with the high quality meat perfectly cooked.

5. Skip the desserts. Lets face it, desserts aren't really the strong point of Japanese food. The desserts at Zuma are mainly Japanese twists on traditional puddings. For example, I had the green tea and banana cake with coconut ice-cream and a peanut toffee sauce. This was similar to a sticky toffee pudding. While it was beautifully presented, I couldn't help but think that a traditional sticky toffee pudding would have been superior. Try the tea menu instead to finish off your meal, the tea made with fresh peppermint was particularly good.

Details: 5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge SW7 1DL (Ph: 0871 971 6497)

Damage: Budget breaking

8/10

The Larder

A big group of us (that was our mistake I suppose) tried to go to Vinoteca last night but there was a two hour wait for a table. We waited a while in hope but even with all that lovely wine to pass the time, two hours is just too long. So we headed down the road to The Larder which had plenty of room. Really, a bit too much room it has a sort of industrial chic, warehouse feel to the place and it is so cavernous that even though it was fairly full it sort of felt empty at the same time. There was much competition in ordering. The people with the salad of seared baby squid with chorizo triumphed. I should have known, it's a hard combination to beat really: tender calamari and scorched, fiery chorizo with a ginger dressing. I had the picked Devon crab which was served with apple and rocket (pictured). It was served as a little cake of white crab meat on top of pink crab meat. The white crab meat was lovely and delicate, but there was something wrong with the pink crab meat. It just didn't taste right. We all thought so so we told the waiter who said he would give us some free coffees. He didn't in the end, but we didn't mind it was the offer that counted.

My main of fish pie was an absolute treat. It had a fluffy potato topping and inside there were generous servings of fish, mussels and vegetables in a rich creamy sauce. A lot of people ordered the sirloin steak which was served with "heritage potato chips". I was intrigued as to what a heritage potato chip would be. It turns out that they were absolutely huge, crunchy chips. Very good indeed. The only problem was that the chef had overcooked everyones steak. The medium people were all well done and the rare to medium were medium.

The Larder redeemed itself somewhat with MTV boyfriend's dessert. He said the creme brulee was excellent. Importantly there was a nice thick coating of caramel on top that gave a satisfying thwack when you hit it with the spoon. The Larder was a bit of a mixed bag really, while some dishes were really well executed there were a few problems with our food. Friendly service didn't really compensate for the lack of atmosphere in the huge room. I couldn't help thinking as I left that even with a two hour wait we would have been better off at Vinoteca.

Details: 91-93 St John Street, Clerkenwell EC1M 4NU (Ph 020 7608 1558)
Damage: Pricey
6/10

Benito's Hat

Benito's Hat is a new Mexican restaurant on Goodge street. I went there last night courtesy of the lovely Emily and Rob of Qype. The first thing to note is that despite the fact that I was having dinner with people I met on the internet (my mother will be horrified if she reads this) no one tried to kill me or spike my margarita. The second thing to note was that it was free.

Some people who write blogs have long disclaimers about how they never accept things for free, you may notice that there is nothing like that here. I love free stuff. Don't worry I do have some ethics. I will still express my honest opinion, even if something was free, except for the fact that food always tastes just a tiny bit better when you haven't paid for it.

Free or not, Benito's Hat is pretty good for quick and easy Mexican food. The restaurant itself is fairly utilitarian, however it has a fun atmosphere with a constant stream of people in the door for takeaway or to snare a spot at one of the handful of tables.

When you are ordering it is hard to go past the burritos which are huge servings. Ben, the owner who has thrown in life as a tax lawyer to start up Benito's Hat (clearly a hero for all frustrated wage slaves) recommends the pork. You can design your own burrito at the counter so I got my soft floury burrito packed with shreds of pork, pungent black beans, cheese, sour cream, tangy salsa, rice and creamy guacamole. The girl serving me asked if I wanted sour cream or cheese. I had not realised this was an "or" question. Clearly both are mandatory.

It wasn't a pretty sight so no picture of the burrito for you, but it was tasty. Perhaps not quite the standard of my favourite burritos at Luardo's, but still very good. It's the little details that make Benito's Hat though. Along with burritos and tacos they serve Margaritas that will put hair on your back and fantastic bunelos a Mexican dessert of sugared wafers much like a biscuit version of Spanish churros served with good quality vanilla ice cream.

Benito's Hat is a slick operation and I can imagine it being rolled out across the country, although that does seem a shame as the thing I like most about Benito's hat is that it is a small business with the owner behind the counter smiling as he fills your burrito.

Details: 56 Goodge street, Fitzrovia, London W1T4NB (Ph: 020 7637 3732)
Damage: such a bargain my mother would approve
7/10

Gourmet Chick was invited to review Benito's Hat and received a complimentary meal and drinks.  All restaurant reviews except where stated are conducted anonymously and paid for personally.  

Moro

MTV boyfriend is not the ballet type. To be honest, not many boys are. It didn't matter though as I had ballet aficionados Amanda and Chloe to accompany me to Sadlers Wells. By the time the last pirouette had been performed it was almost 10pm and we were starving. We headed down the road to Exmouth Market where Moro said they could squeeze us in as long as we promised to order the full menu and not just tapas. We assured them this was not a problem at all. We were so famished that tapas would not be enough.

Mind you, we could not resist the tapas entirely, so we had some to begin. Hummus was good, olives were better and the Boquerones (anchovies in deliciously salty but sweet vinegar) were the best. Bread and tap water were also provided which are both important things in my books.

The large light room was packed (when they said squeeze us in they meant it) and there is nowhere to hide, whether for the couples canoodling at the bar or the chefs in the open kitchen. Nevertheless, service was friendly and efficient.


Moving onto mains, wood roasted Old Spot pork with slow-cooked fennel and chickpeas with jamon was a generous serving with succulent slices of pork splayed on the plate. My wood roasted partridge with morcilla (a Spanish black pudding), mushrooms and Oloroso sherry was actually a whole small partridge which was quite spectacular although fiddly.

The desserts were sublime. Chocolate and apricot tart was incredibly moist and decadent with just a hint of apricot running through it. Cardamon ice cream was rich and creamy which provided a delightful contrast to the crunchy rosewater petals it contained.

There were a few things I'd change. The pork was quite fatty and the partridge had the opposite problem and was dry. The wine list is extortionately priced. Putting these minor niggles aside, Moro has a lot going for it. It is friendly and unpretentious while serving food that is interesting and flavoursome.

Details: 34-36 Exmouth Market, East London, EC1R 4QE (Ph 020 7833 8336)
Damage: Pricey
8/10

Miller of Mansfield (Gourmet Chick in Oxfordshire)

The Miller of Mansfield in the picturesque village of Goring on Thames was voted by Red magazine as one of the "Ten sexiest places to stay in the UK", what's more the restaurant is reported to serve excellent British fare. It seemed the perfect place for a weekend away with MTV boyfriend. In the sexiness stakes the rooms were furnished with plasma televisions, Molton Brown toiletries and luxurious bath tubs. So far, so good. We eagerly awaited our reservation for dinner at 8pm.

Although the Miller of Mansfield is a quaint old pub the decor in the dining room is modern and white with banquette seating and contemporary art. Amuse bouches of shot glasses filled with pea and mint soup and topped with a mint foam were provided to begin. Our waitress warned us that they were hot, and choosing of course to ignore her I discovered they were served at scalding temperature. This was a clever tactic by the Miller of Mansfield as for the rest of the night I took everything our waitress said as gospel. Entrees of vine roasted tomato soup and salad of beetroot, goats cheese and walnut were both flavoursome and satisfying. The presentation of the salad was somewhat hilarious or disturbing (depending which way you want to look at it) as it was artistically scattered over the plate to resemble an edible version of a Jackson Pollock painting however I could not fault it on taste.

As a main MTV boyfriend had the "Pork three ways" this comprised servings of pork belly, pork boudin noir and ham hock lined up on a slim rectangular platter. The presentation was overly fussy in the vein of my Pollockesque salad and it seemed like the chef was trying a bit too hard at times. I had the roasted cod (pictured) which was served with a pea risotto, pea puree and quail eggs (clearly there were a surfeit on peas in Goring on Thames). Nevertheless, the cod was excellent. It was succulent but still light and perfectly complemented by the creamy risotto.

Desserts were very good. White chocolate mousse was served in three small scoops nestled on top of squares of crunchy praline and fresh stawberries. The chocolate mousse was feathery light and it was difficult to bring myself to part with even a taste for MTV boyfriend. Baked vanilla cheesecake was smooth and creamy however it was let down somewhat by its accompaniment of frozen berries (in fairness the menu did warn of "iced summer fruits").

We enjoyed our meal, however it must be said that the best part about it was being able to head upstairs once we were finished.

Details: High Street, Goring on Thames, Reading, RG89AW (Ph 01491 872 829)

Damage: Pricey

7/10

Shampers

Last night was a girls night out at Shampers a restaurant and wine bar in Soho. There we were seven girls all glammed up for a night out for our friend Adina's birthday.

I was more conscious of the fact that we were such a gaggle of girls as I had just read a recent article by Frank Bruni the famed New York Times critic called "Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner". In the article he discusses how some gender roles still persist, such as the expectation that women should be served first at a table and that a group of women will sometimes not get as good service as a group of men as it is expected that will not tip as much. I have to admit I do find it amusing in restaurants when waiters always give the wine list to MTV boyfriend and even when I then order the wine they will still give it to MTV boyfriend to taste. One of the funniest things I have ever seen is a restaurant we ate at in Positano, Italy where the only prices on the menu were on the version given to MTV boyfriend, my menu was price free as obviously you did not want to worry the little lady about such a thing as cost!

There was no MTV boyfriend or boy of any sort last night, however that did not bother our waiter at all. The service was the best service I have had in London outside of a high end restaurant and whether it was because we were all girls or in spite of it I suppose I will never know. Our waiter was incredibly charming and looked after us as if we were the only patrons of the busy restaurant. Clearly we were not, the place was packed. Shampers is a small and intimate bistro. The atmosphere is cozy with original art works for sale on the walls and a bar at the rear surrounded by racks of wine. Wine is a specialty here (the list runs to 150 bottles including 40 by the glass) and our waiter was very helpful with recommendations for both wine and food.

On the basis of one of these recommendations I had the warm goats cheese salad to start. A generous round of rich, creamy goats cheese was served on a bed of tangy lettuce in a magical equilibrium. Grilled squid was fresh and crisp although perhaps slightly overcooked.

My main was a chicken roulade with dauphinois potatoes and broccoli. The chicken was free-range and still moist and succulent. It was wrapped in prosciutto and served with generous lashings of decadent dauphinois potatoes. I am pretty sure there was half a tub of cream on that plate but it was delicious. Char grilled venison with mash and mushrooms was a generous serving and had an earthy richness.

We had no room for dessert and as our waiter cleared our plates he asked if there was occasion. We said that we were celebrating Adina's birthday and he promptly returned with a lovely South Australian Riesling in a gift bag. He instantly won himself and Shampers a place in all our affections forever. Contrary to those women cited in Frank Bruni's article we left a generous tip.
Details: 4 Kingly Street, Soho W1B 5PE (Ph 0207437 1692)

Damage: reasonable

8/10

The George

The George, located slap bang on the Strand in the centre of London, is primarily a pub not a gastro pub. And the key to ordering food in pubs is to stick to pub type meals. Don't be tempted by that risotto or Thai chicken curry it will undoubtedly disappoint. Order the bangers and mash instead. Sadly for me, when I headed to The George with MTV boyfriend and Tanner I forgot to follow my own rules.

The George is a lovely old timber fronted pub that is suitably old enough that Samuel Johnson the creator of the first dictionary used to spend time there. Inside it is fairly plain with lots of dark wood panelling and fairly utilitarian furniture.

We were in the mood for some beers and food that we could share so we ordered a large nachos and the "Asian platter". The nachos were not bad. They were slathered in plenty of melted cheese and guacamole and the salsa had a little bit of a kick. However the Asian platter was truly insipid. It comprised a jumble of deep fried prawns and spring rolls that had clearly been purchased from the freezer section of somewhere like Iceland. Heated up they gave off a lunar yellow glow as they nestled on limp pieces of lettuce leaves. Once they were in your mouth it was hard to distinguish the bland taste of the spring rolls from that of the prawns.

It was clear that when it comes to pubs, the rules were not made to be broken.

Details: 213 The Strand, WC2 (Ph 020 7353 9638)

Damage: Reasonable

3/10

Roasted figs with proscuitto and goats cheese

It is the season for figs right now and you will see them in abundance at the markets, squat, plump little things. The real treasure is when you slice them open to reveal the jewel like ruby interior flecked with seeds. This simple recipe makes an impressive dinner party starter that is light but still satisfying.

Ingredients
4 fresh figs
4 slices of prosciutto
100g goats cheese
Handful of wild rocket
Red wine vinaigrette

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

2. Slice a cross at the top of each fig, being careful not to cut all the way down.

3. Stuff a spoonful of goats cheese into the top of each fig and then wrap a slice of prosciutto around the outside of each fig.

4. Place the figs on a tray lined with baking paper and place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the prosciutto is slightly crisp.

5. Serve on scattered rocket dressed with vinaigrette.

Serves 4. Inspired by an old Epicure recipe.

The Rapscallion

Multi-tasking. We females specialise in it. We LOVE doing two things at once. However, restaurants are generally not so successful at multi-tasking. Particularly when a restaurant tries to be both a restaurant and a bar.

This was the problem with The Rapscallion. It would be a perfectly good bar with its loud music, bustling atmosphere and slightly tired decor. However, it should have just stuck to serving bar snacks rather than trying to churn out rather forgettable food.

MTV boyfriend and I were in Clapham for a friends birthday so we popped into The Rapscallion for dinner first. It is an atmospheric little place dominated by the bar with lots of candles and somewhat worn looking blond wood furniture. We were instantly charmed by our waitress who was truly excellent. By which I mean that she was friendly and didn't neglect us. What a shock in London.

The menu sounded exciting enough with a mix of European and Asian dishes. MTV boyfriend ordered the warm roast chicken filled with prosciutto, red pepper, feta cheese and candied eggplant. What he got was a poncey looking stack of rather dry chicken balanced on eggplant and drizzled in jus. I ordered the tuna steak with steamed jasmine rice, cucumber ribbons and mango salsa. Again, the tuna steak resembled a small food version of the leaning tower of Pisa, with two pieces of tuna teetering atop a disc of jasmine rice. Even with the added zing of the mango salsa it was a fairly bland dish. Both meals were a triumph of style over substance.

Desserts were similarly uninspiring. MTV boyfriends creme brulee wasn't set so it resembled a dribbly custard mixture. My lemon tart was drowned in a sea of artistically squirted raspberry sauce.

That said, the cheeky little Chianti that we drank with dinner was not bad at all. As I said, The Rapscallion is more bar than restaurant.

Details: 75 Venn Street, Clapham Sw4OBD (Ph 0207 787 6555)
Damage: Reasonable
5/10

Cheats chocolate mousse

For times when you have a chocolate craving this chocolate mousse is one of the best ways to satisfy it. Incredibly rich and silken it is also very simple to make thanks to the "cheat" ingredient of marshmallows. I like to serve the chocolate mousse in a jumbled assortment of old bone china teacups for a slightly quirky presentation, however ramekins or any small dish would be fine.

Ingredients

150g marshmallows

50g butter

250g chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

60ml hot water

284ml double cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a saucepan.

2. Put the saucepan on low heat and melt contents stirring occasionally. Remove from heat once melted.

3. Meanwhile, whip the cream with vanilla extract until thick and then fold into the chocolate mixture until combined fully.

4. Pour into 4 teacups and chill until ready to eat.

Tayyabs

Tayyabs is so hot right now. The queue is longer than the queue that you will face to get into even the fussiest bar or nightclub in town.

Maybe it is because Tayyabs beat all the expensive places to Indian restaurant of the year (although technically it is Punjabi), maybe it is because Tayyabs has just reopened after closing for a month for Ramadan or maybe it is just all that fabulous word of mouth. (Exhibit A: Dos Hermanos, Exhibit B: Londonelicious, Exhibit C: American in London). Whatever, we have to queue for an hour. Given that with the legendary Tayyabs speedy service we are only actually at our table for just over an hour you have to question whether it is worth it.

Tayyabs is a great barn of a place and it is packed to the rafters. The atmosphere is bustling and service is minimal while still efficient. But then the food arrives and it is really good and really, really cheap. Particularly when you have alcoholic tendencies and can bring your own wine or beer with no corkage. After all that queuing Mez, Kara and I are starving so we have ordered a lot of food. Really I am sure people are giving us strange looks and wondering how three girls can eat so much. But we do.

To begin we devoured toasty fresh Naan bread, smoky seek kebabs which arrived sizzling on a iron hot plate and the slightly fiery (thanks to that delicious Garam Masala rub) lamb chops. Next come steaming bowls of Karahi chicken, vegetables and another hot plate of Karahi prawns. The food is all flavoursome and incredibly moreish. We stuff ourselves but we still manage to find room for some Kulfi, the super rich and creamy Punjabi ice-cream.

Still the question remains, is any place, no matter how good (and cheap), worth queuing for an hour. Maybe next time I will try to be cleverer and arrive at less of a peak time and bring some refreshment for the line. Yes, there will be a next time, the lure of those lamb chops will just be too great.

Details: 83-89 Fieldgate Strret, E1 (Ph: 020772479543)
Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve
8/10

The Kitchen (and Veal Escalope Saltimbocca)

The Kitchen calls itself "an innovative new food space". What it actually is a place where you can cook a meal (or several) while sipping on a glass of wine and living out your fantasies (or is that just me) of being a Michelin star chef.

The fantasy about being a Michelin star chef comes about because you select a recipe and then a team of people have already washed, peeled, chopped and measured your ingredients. It is like what I would imagine having a team of sous chefs would be like. They even do the washing up. Best of all there is a real authentic Michelin star chef (Thierry Laborde) on hand to give you tips.

So all you do is artfully create the meals (while sipping on your glass of wine of course) and then they vacuum pack them for you (pictured). You take the meals home, perform a few finishing touches and voila, gourmet dinners.

Given that The Kitchen has only been open six weeks, my friend Joyce is somewhat of a regular having already been twice. Because she lives by herself she thinks it is a great way of having gourmet meals to eat at home, however I am not so sure if it is such good value if you are cooking for more than one. So while I wouldn't want to go every week, it is a fun experience.

I chose to make the Veal Escalope Saltimbocca (finished product pictured), Stuffed Mediterranean Round Courgettes with Nicoise Vegetables and Stuffed Squid in a seafood broth. My only disappointment with The Kitchen is that they don't let you keep the recipe for what you are cooking as otherwise it would be a great way to learn new recipes. However, using my powers of deduction, the following is how to make Veal Escalope Saltimbocca in The Kitchen style:

Veal Escalope Saltimbocca with green beans and Sicilian lemons

Ingredients (for two)

2 veal escalopes

1 ball of mozzarella cut into four slices

2 slices of parma ham

1 sprig of sage

2 cups green beans

4 shallots diced

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp butter

salt and black pepper

1. Place each escalope on top of a slice of parma ham.

2. Place two slices of mozzarella and a couple of sage leaves on the right hand side of each veal escalope then fold the escalope in half and secure with a skewer.

3. Cook the beans in a small pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins then drain the beans.

4. At the same time heat a non stick frying pan over medium heat and add a little olive oil.

5. Fry the Saltimbocca 2 mins per side on a medium heat. Place the butter in the pan, melt and baste the meat with melted butter.

6. Squeeze in the lemon juice and baste the meat again. Remove the Saltimbocca and leave to rest.

7. Empty the excess oil from the pan, return to the heat and add the shallots, stir and add the beans to heat through.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste then serve with the Saltimbocca.

Fresh berry tartlets

This is one of the prettiest sweet treats you will ever see and they taste absolutely sensational. If you want to cheat, just buy the pastry cases ready made and fill them, however this pastry recipe is fairly painless.

Pastry
330g plain flour
100g icing sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
180g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 free range egg yolk
2 tbsp cold water

Topping
110g mascarpone cheese
110ml creme fraiche
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
25g icing sugar
50g strawberries
50g raspberries
50g blueberries

1. Brush a muffin tin with a thin layer of melted butter and leave to set in the fridge.

2. To make the pastry put the flour, icing sugar, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and add the butter. Rub it in with your hands to get a coarse breadcrumb consistency with no large lumps of butter.

3. Add the egg yolk and water and mix just until the dough comes together, being careful not to mix any longer than necessary. I usually need to add a bit more water than the recipe calls for.

4. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead very lightly for a few seconds only, just to shape it into a smooth disc, 5-6cm thick. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins in the fridge

5. Lightly dust your work surface, remove the pastry from the fridge and cling film, place in the middle and roll out with a rolling pin until it is no more than 2-3mm thick. Work quickly so that the pastry does not get warm.

6. Cut out 6 circles using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass as I do. Line the muffin tin by placing the circles inside and gently pressing them into the corners and sides. Leave in the fridge for 30 mins.

7. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Line each pastry case with a circle of baking paper which should come 1cm above the edge of the pastry and fill with rice or dried beans. Place in the oven and blind bake for 30 mins or until golden brown (which will probably take another 10 mins).

8. Remove the pastry cases from the tin when they are still slightly warm.

9. Put the mascarpone cream, creme fraiche, vanilla essence and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until the cream thickens up and can hold its shape when lifted with a spoon.

10. Spoon the mixture into the pastry cases and top with the berries.

Recipe inspired by the fabulous Ottolenghi cookbook.