Jak's cafe

Any men out there who have ever wondered where all the women are? I have discovered the answer - having lunch at Jak's cafe in South Kensington. The owner of Jak's (who is actually called Val, it's a long story) invited me there to have lunch last week. The place was absolutely packed and it was full of women. I could only count two or three men in the whole restaurant.

Female friendly salads

I can see why a place like Jak's appeals to women. All the food is appetisingly displayed behind big counters so you know exactly what you are getting. Most of what is on offer is organic and pretty good for you as well with salads and juices both being best sellers. The salad selection is fantastic. I tried a mixture of tabbouleh, Greek salad, quinoa salad and a spelt pasta pesto salad which was served with a splodge of creamy hommus and some warm bread (£9 for a selection of five salads). They were all light and bright and exactly the sort of thing you would want for lunch.

There are also more substantial mains on offer including lasagnas, soufflés, pies, fish and chicken. The vegetarian lasagna (£8.50) is served as a huge slab and stuffed with roasted carrot, peppers, zucchini and aubergine with a gooey cheese topping. This was a better choice than the fish pie which was a slightly stodgy mixture of salmon and potato flecked with parsley. I think I prefer fish pies when they have a more creamy base with the potato left as a topping rather than mixed throughout the pie. Jak's is licensed but at lunchtime at least most people seem to stick to the juices which are all £3. A combination of oranges, strawberries, melons and apples is a winner every time.

Jak's cheesecake

If you don't want lunch or dinner then there is always the coffee and cake option. The coffee is on the weak side but "Jak's cheesecake" (£4) is unmissable. It has a really creamy almost silky texture. Jak told me that American customers always compliment him on the cheesecake and everyone knows that Americans know their cheesecakes.

If you are in the area (say after a spot of shopping down the road at Harrods) then Jak's is a great option for home style cooking and if you are wondering where all the women are, now you know.

Essentials

Details: 77 Walton Street, South Kensington SW3 2HT (Ph 0207584 3441) Tube: South Kensington

Damage: Reasonable

7/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in some other good lunch options around town. I love Ottolenghi in Islington and Notting Hill or try Manicomio in the city.

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Jak's and received complimentary food and drink on her visit.

Chez Bruce

Have you ever been complained about by fellow patrons at a restaurant? That's what happened to me last night at dinner at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth. Two fabulous friends, Alice and Liv, had taken MTV boyfriend and I there. We ate in the smaller upstairs dining room which holds about ten tables. At the end of the night it was just us and one couple left. I overheard them telling the waiter: "we came here for a romantic dinner but we couldn't because of the table of four behind us". I looked around the room for the offensive table and realised suddenly that they must be talking about us. "This is an expensive restaurant", said the couple, "some people just don't know how to behave". The waiter told them that he was sorry they were not happy and hoped that they would come back another time and then they left clutching complimentary gifts from Chez Bruce. I asked the waiter if I had heard correctly and the couple had been complaining about us. He laughed and said: "Dont' worry it is just because you are Australian!".

Mackerel with squid

The four of us are Australian and I am self aware enough to know that Australians have a reputation for speaking loudly, still in no way were we particularly rowdy or raucous. I could not help but feel that the couples complaint was in some way almost racist and I wonder if the waiter would have reacted in the same way if we were Indian, Vietnamese or Nigerian. The whole situation was also quite ironic given that in quite a few reviews of Chez Bruce the only complaint made is that it lacks in atmosphere. None of this of course is Chez Bruce's fault, although our waiter could have done a better job of reassuring us that our behaviour (and nationality!) was not at fault.

I don't think the chef Bruce Poole would want his restaurant to be a place of reverence and silent worship. The tounge in cheek name of the restaurant itself suggests someone with a sense of humour is in charge here. The food is honest and unfussy while the award winning wine list is epic in proportions. When you are confronted with a document that is 450 bottles strong it is best to put yourself in the hands of an expert. The knowledgeable sommelier guided us towards a peppery medium bodied Portugese red wine, the Quinta Lagoalva de Sima (2005) which was at the cheaper end of the list at £40 a bottle.

Magret of duck

Although Chez Bruce is a Michelin star restaurant, there are no amuses and there is really no need for them because each of the courses we tried was quite large and filling. At dinner time the menu is a set price of £45 for three courses and there are six or seven options listed for each course. The menu is probably best described as modern British although there is quite a heavy French influence. It simply lists the ingredients used in each dish which sometimes leaves you a little in the dark about what you are ordering, however the waiting staff are always available to answer questions. For example "mackerel fillet with baby squid, crushed potatoes, chorizo, grape and tarragon" is actually a light seafood salad arriving on the plate in a jumble of colour and texture. The ingredients used are far ranging but they all compliment each other. Similarly, a crisp almost sunburnt looking fishcake arrives in a bowl of creamy leak sauce which is the perfect antidote to the dense fishcake. A soft boiled egg sits on top jauntily like a little hat. It is a really lovely dish that is both brilliant and comforting.

Equally praiseworthy is the duck magret which features thick slices of duck breast scattered with lentils and doused in a light red wine sauce. The magret is served with a very clever terrine that contains layers of crisp potatoes alternated with stuffed cabbage. I loved the comfort factor of the glazed game pie which is filled with chunks of wood pigeon, lardons and onions. However the unpretentious pie is slightly overwhelmed by the accompanying game, watercress and orange salad which is rather too busy and fussy.

The cheese board

When it came time for dessert the choice was easy. Chez Bruce is known for both its créme brulée (guess what MTV boyfriend ordered) and its cheese board. The créme brulée had a lightly burnished caramel topping and a lovely silky smooth texture however somewhat disappointingly it was served completley cold. I like créme brulée when the sugar topping has just been caramalised so that it is still hot and some of the heat of the grill or blow torch warms the base slightly as well. There was no such let down with the cheese board (£5 supplement) which was truly a sight to behold. We knew we were in for a treat when tables had to be moved to accomodate the size of the board. The waitress was very knowledgable about every piece of cheese on the board and guided us towards some fantastic cheeses including an amazing creamy roquefort and a rich Lancashire blue. The homemade quince paste was also a highlight.

You should really go to Chez Bruce for the cheese board alone. The good news is that the restaurant has abandoned its previous complicated booking system and now to get a booking all you have to do is call them (miraculous). We had a great time at Chez Bruce even if the spoil sports at the table near us didn't. Enjoy yourself, but not too much or people may complain.

Essentials

Details: 2 Bellevue road, Wandsworth Common, SW17 7EG (Ph: 0208 672 0114) Tube: Balham

Damage: Budget breaking

8/10

Links

Bruce Poole has worked with Phillip Howard at The Square, you may want to read my review of The Square here.

The ultimate créme brulée

MTV boyfriend is a man of fairly simple tastes. Naturally he likes his meat and three veg. He loves a great piece of medium rare steak, scones with jam and cream, the Carte Dor brand of vanilla ice cream (after extensive testing he has pronounced it superior to all the gourmet brands) and... créme brulée. I am not sure where he developed his fancy tastes for créme brulée but he is certainly hooked and orders it in every restaurant he can. Being the good girlfriend I am I decided to learn to make créme brulée so that MTV boyfriend could indulge at home as well.

Blow torch in action

The first step in the process was to buy a blow torch. The Kitchen Craft Cook's Blowtorch
on Amazon is pretty cheap. You can caramelise the top of a créme brulée under a very hot grill but our grill is not that good and let's face it your own blow torch is so much more fun. Then I set about testing recipes. I had a few flops along the way where the créme brulée came out bearing more than a passing resemblance to custard, but finally (thanks in part to a cooking course in Paris) I nailed it. Let me present to you the ultimate créme brulée recipe.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks (save the whites and use for meringues)

500ml cream

180g caster sugar

1 vanilla bean

The finished product, slightly overdid it on the blow torching on this one but still delicious

1. Preheat the oven to 110C.

2. Add cream and vanilla bean (split in half) to a pan and bring to the boil.

3. Whisk the egg yolks with 120g of the sugar.

4. Pour the boiling cream over the egg and sugar mixture gradually so that you temper the eggs and mix well.

5. Divide the mixture between six small ramekins or créme brulée moulds. Place these ramekins in an oven tray and fill it with water until the water reaches the halfway up the ramekins.

6. Cook for 50 mins or until the mixture is set but still quivers almost like jelly.

7. Cool outside for one hour then chill in the fridge for at least three hours.

8. Before serving sprinkle the top of the mixture with the remaining sugar so that it is evenly spread. Then pop under the grill to caramelise or whip out your blow torch.

Serves 6.

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my post on the cooking course in Paris or a recipe for the perfect meal to have pre créme brulée, moules mariniere.

Gourmet Giveaway and Gourmet Chick Sponsors

I have two gourmet giveaways for you this time.

First up, a trip to Amsterdam.... Gourmet Chick sponsors, Douwe Egbert are offering a trip to Amsterdam which includes three nights of four star accomodation, transport, £100 spending money and a whole host of activities to the lucky winner. All you have to do is click here to post a story about coffee. Douwe Egberts will select the funniest and most original comments as the winner. The competition closes on 31 December 2009.

Secondly, a hamper of Douwe Egberts products. The hamper is valued at £45 and includes mugs, coffee and all sorts of goodies. This prize is for Gourmet Chick readers and to win this you have to watch the three videos about Douwe Egberts and answer a question which will be revealed next week. You can access the first video here, and the second video which features Etienne the coffee tasting master is below. Third video coming next week. For more news about competitions and coffee you can also follow Douwe Egberts on twitter.

Betty Blythe

What do you do when you have a collection of over 200 vintage china tea cups? Lulu Gwynne decided the best thing to do was to open Betty Blythe a "fine food pantry" and tearooms in Brook Green. Lulu invited me to come in for lunch one day and have a chat to her about Betty Blythe. Over a pot (vintage of course) of Slurpee tea this is what we talked about...

Stylish and charming Betty Blythe owner, Lulu Gwynne

Who is Betty Blythe?

We called the tearooms Betty Blythe as we are on Blythe road in Brooks Green and Betty Blythe was the name of a silent movie star in the 1920's.

What's on offer at Betty Blythe?

I try to keep the really popular products in all the time but I do love to flirt with different products. We have a strong focus on English products. In the morning we have lovely croissants, then at lunch time we move onto sandwiches and in the afternoon the kids come in for their treats. Groceries are available all day such as organic eggs, bread and milk

How did you become a tea room owner?

I have a background in marketing and events. It took me about four years to establish Betty Blythe and we have now been open for a year and a half. Betty Blythe is a great platform for events and we have a lot going on. We do afternoon teas (£15.50) with finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and unlimited tea. We also do hens parties and jewlerry making and afternoon tea parties for children.

Where do you stand on the pressing issue of when the milk should go in for a cup of tea?

The traditional way is to put the milk in first. I think this started when people used to drink tea from very fine china so putting the milk in first meant that there was less risk of cracking the china with boiling water.

Goodies on offer at Betty Blythe including sandwiches and gingerbread men

I tried one of Betty Blythe's sandwiches, which Lulu describes as "the type of sandwich you would like to make for yourself at home". It was filled with lovely thick ham carved off the bone and lettuce and tomato (£4.50). To be truthful I think it was a little bit nicer than the sort of sandwiches I make for myself at home.

Betty Blythe is a really charming little store, the only problem is that seating upstairs is very limited (there are only two tables) so if those seats are full you will be relegated to the seating in the basement seating which is a little dark and musty. It's probably a better option for a takeaway sandwich or a quick cup of tea from some of the lovely vintage crockery.

Essentials

Details: 73 Blythe road, Brook Green W14 OHP (Ph 0207 602 1177) Tube: Shepherds Bush

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in reading about afternoon tea at Sketch in Soho. If you want to make your own afternoon tea this recipe for berry tartlets would fit the bill perfectly.

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Betty Blythe.

Coq d'Argent

You know those people who never win competitions. I'm one of them. When I buy a raffle ticket I am basically making a donation to whoever I'm buying it off. So I was more than a little shocked when I got an email from Qype to say that I had won a competition for vouchers to spend at D&D Restaurants. D&D is the restaurant group that has taken over the old Terence Conran restaurants in London. Rob Hinchcliffe from Qype asked me whether I was planning on eking the prize out over the course of a year or blowing it in one go, I decided on a compromise between the two - I would blow half on a big dinner with a group of friends.

Yellow fin tuna

That's how we found ourselves at Coq d'Argent for dinner clutching a handful of vouchers. The restaurant is right in the middle of the city proper and on nice days you can sit out on the terrace with drinks. Given that there were gale force winds and rain on the night we were there we didn't really get to take advantage of the terrace. The restaurant itself is modern and neutral featuring various shades of beige. It's a recognition that the views and the terrace are the focus at Coq d'Argent.

Head Chef Mickael Weiss' menu is as French as you would expect in a place with a name like Coq d'Argent but with a contemporary twist. There is the option of a set menu of three course for £35 which offers good value. Glazed pork cheeks are presented in a shallow bowl cocked on top of a mound of braised peas and a leek broth. The cheeks are shiny and unctuous and make a satisfying starter. However a big miss on the menu is the lobster bisque. The soup is so rich that it is impossible to have more than a few spoonfuls and it had an unpleasant grainy texture. Perhaps it could work as an amusé but a whole bowl of the bisque is too much.

Passionfruit tart

Of the mains the roasted confit of duck is teamed with gingerbread, savoy cabbage and roasted plum. It is a busy dish but it never seems crowded as all the ingredients are happy sharing a plate. The grilled yellow fin tuna is similarly complex, served blood red in the middle alongside a sweet and sour aubergine compote. However the pick of the mains sampled is the poulet au vin rouge. The chicken is slowly braised in red wine with onions, mushrooms and bacon until the flavour is intense and the chicken itself falls apart on the fork.

After all this comes dessert of passionfruit tart which is essentially in the style of a lemon tart. It is enjoyable enough but lacks flair and impact. MTV boyfriend fared better by ordering the créme brulée off menu. He rates this the second best créme brulée he has had in London (he orders it everywhere) with a great vanilla bean flavour and a smooth and luxurious texture.

Between us we managed to drink quite an assortment of excellent wines from Coq d'Argents extensive wine list. However be careful as the list leans to the more expensive side and so despite the food being only £35 a head by the time you included sides, service and drinks the final price was closer to £100 per head. I felt that this was quite a lot for a meal that was inconsistent in it's standard.

Essentials

Details: 1 Poultry, City EC2R 8EJ (Ph 020 7395 5000) Tube: Bank

Damage: Pricey

7/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in reading my review of Smiths of Smithfields which is another good option in the city. If this post has left you wanting more French food you can read about Michelin starred restaurant Le Chateaubriand in Paris.

Roasted fennel and garlic pork

It's that time of year. The time of year when the only thing that will do on a Sunday is a roast dinner with all the trimmings. This recipe for roast pork fits the bill perfectly. The pork is incredibly moist and flavoursome thanks to the rub of parsley, garlic and fennel seeds. Serve it with a simple apple sauce and plenty of roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Making the rub

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves chopped

2 tbs fennel seeds

3 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tsps salt

Olive oil

2-3kg pork loin

Cracked black pepper

Juice of one lemon

1. In a pestle and mortar grind together the garlic, fennel seeds, parsley, salt and some freshly cracked black pepper and then mix in enough olive oil to make a paste.

2. Rub all over pork meat, but avoid the skin.

3. Rub the skin with lemon juice and salt (but no oil) and score at finger width intervals for the best crackling.

4. Leave to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or over night if possible.

5. Roast uncovered in an oven at 240C for half an hour this will "shock" the pork to crisp up the crackling. Then turn the oven down to 180C for one hour. Finally return the oven to a high heat and continue roasting for a further half hour.

6. Leave the meat to rest for 20 minutes and then cut into thick slices.

This recipe is adapted from The Eagle Cookbook, I have also included the tips for crackling that I picked up from Lawrence Keogh, the head chef at Roast.

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of The Eagle cookbook. If you don't want to cook your own Sunday roast my top tip in London is The Pantechnicon.

Gourmet Chick sponsors - Douwe Egberts Coffee

Watch this clip for a word from Gourmet Chick sponsors Douwe Egberts Coffee. Douwe Egberts have been making coffee since 1753. When you think you have over dosed on coffee spare a thought for master blender, Etienne Moernaut. He works from the Douwe Egberts factory in Belgium tasting over 250 cups of coffee per day to perfect the blend.

Blaggers Banquet - The view from the kitchen and MTV boyfriend's review

The view from the kitchen...

Very small. That's the only way you could describe the kitchen at Hawksmoor restaurant. I spent the day in there on Sunday for the Blaggers Banquet elbow to elbow with War on Cookbooks and Eat My Nels. I really can't believe that the chefs at Hawksmoor manage to produce food for 60 covers at a time from such a tiny space. Food Urchin shrugged his shoulders and told me that he had seen smaller professional kitchens. I think I am going to have to reform and stop complaining about the size of the kitchen in my flat.

The idea behind the Blaggers Banquet was that London food bloggers would cook and serve a meal made with entirely donated/"blagged" produce to raise money for Action Against Hunger. So it was all in a good cause but also a fascinating peek behind the scenes for a lot of people who spend a lot of time eating in restaurants. The day started at 11am on Sunday when everyone got to Hawskmoor and got to work sorting and organising the produce that had been donated. War on Cookbooks, Eat my Nels and Food Urchin all work or have worked at some stage as chefs so they headed straight to the kitchen. Next thing I knew Ben, Smell my Kitchen and I were in there as well doing our best to assist. My role was crucial obviously, I was dicing carrots. Then I was on the equally high powered job of peeling potatoes.

Eat my Nels and Smell My Kitchen at work in the kitchen

It was quite physically exhausting but fascinating. It was interesting to see how quickly the chefs all worked from the second we got in there in order to get everything perfect for the evening. War on Cookbooks was straight into it getting his stock going with lovely free range organic chicken and of course some of those all important carrots for the Lancashire hot pot style stew he was making. Meanwhile Eat My Nels was busy finely dicing the fabulous sustainable monkfish from Fish For Thought for the entree. The rest of us struggled to keep up. The pace was hectic, there wasn't even time to stop for lunch. Almost disappointingly there was no yelling or "yes cheffing" it was just heads down and to work.

Then Scandilicious came into the kitchen and I bowed out to waitress duty leaving the professionals to do their thing. I decided that I wasn't a very good waitress. I had a tendency to interrupt peoples conversations to try and refill their wine glasses. I wasn't really unobtrusive yet attentive in the style of sommeliers The Wine Sleuth and Intoxicating Prose. A few times I even tried to clear away plates when people weren't finished which is really a pet hate of mine in restaurants. Perhaps I will now be a little more sympathetic, it really is quite hard to tell. Londonlicious had the waitress thing down to a fine art. She confessed that she used to work as a hostess in a restaurant once so she knew what she was doing.

The view from the guests...

Now I want to turn this post over to MTV boyfriend who attended the Blaggers Banquet to see how he would review it from the point of view of a paying customer:

Upon arrival we were served Chapel Down sparkling wine which was excellent. We were served various canapes. The goats cheese with pomengranate was a bit too cheese heavy but the gougéres were tasty.

Monkfish tartare

Meals were served family style so that each table shared plates. Rounds of monkfish tartare were served on discs of beetroot and sprinkled with capers and a tomato salsa. This was very well presented and had a refreshing summer taste. But it was the lamb and beef stews topped with triple cooked chips which were the dish of the night. They were hearty and satisfying and the meat easily fell apart in your mouth. The third (!) main meal of the night was Laverstoke Park Farm Buffalo steak with béarnaise sauce which tasted less gamey than I expected. It was a well cooked thin steak.

Dessert of chocolate tart topped with creme fraiche and gold leaf was a bit too rich for my liking but everyone else seemed to like it. The giant cheese boards were excellent and my favourite was the simplest, the cheddar. It was a fun night with an enthusiastic crowd, lots of drinks and a good atmosphere.

Huge thanks to all the fantastic producers who donated food and drinks. Also to Eat Like a Girl whose idea it all was and to Hawksmoor for their incredible generosity in giving up their kitchen for the day.

Roast

English fizz. To some people those to words sound like an anachronism, but there I was sitting at Roast restaurant drinking a glass of Chapel Down's Pinot Reserve 2004. It was rather lovely as well. I was at a lunch at Roast organised by English winemakers Chapel Down along with Intoxicating Prose, Eat Like a Girl, the Wine Sleuth and Gastronomy Domine. Roast is really the perfect place to drink English wine since it's whole menu is based on British seasonal food. Chef, Lawrence Keogh, said that when Roast first opened people thought the idea of serving British seasonal food was crazy. However, over the years the philosophy behind Roast has become much more widespread. Perhaps in a few years time the idea of drinking English fizz will not seem quite so crazy either.

Lock Etive trout

The restaurant itself is a bit of a tourist mecca as it is perched above Borough Market. It is great fun to sit in the white linen finery of Roast and look on at all the traders and shoppers going about their business below. What is even better to know is that lots of the food that you are tucking into is sourced from the market itself. We started our meal with a rectangular plate covered with a thin layer of vibrantly coloured smoked Lock Etive trout. This was served with crispy Dorset crab cakes, a scattering of shallots, black pepper and lemon. Lawrence described the trout to us as having a "four mile flavour", in that you can still taste the trout from four miles away. It was certainly an intense flavour and it was a hard job for Chapel Down's winemaker Owen Elias to match the trout with wine but he managed with an aromatic glass of Chapel Down's English Rose 2008.

Chef Lawrence Keogh

As tasty as the trout was, the dish was more about clever shopping by Roast than kitchen skill. So I was more impressed by the ramsey of Carlkuke haggis which was served with celeraic and a braised oxtail sauce. Here's a confession, I had never eaten haggis before (I am Australian after all). Here's another confession, I loved it. While some of the haggis aficionados (if there is such a thing) at the table said that the flavour of the haggis was somewhat overpowered by the oxtail sauce, I loved the peppery kick that I got from the haggis and the rich depth of flavours. The haggis was matched with a lovely mellow glass of Chapel Down Rondo Regent Pinot Noir NV. However, the best match was the Chapel Down Vintage Reserve Brut which we made "English Chestnut Velvet's" with by topping up the fizz with some English porter so that you got all the fun of fizz with tang of porter.

Pork belly

While the haggis was a revelation to me, the highlight of the meal was a more familiar dish, Roast's slow roasted Wicks Manor pork belly. This was a super crispy serve of pork belly with piped mashed potatoes and a Bramley apple sauce. The crackling put any crackling I have ever created to shame. Lawrence told us that the secret was to score the pork the width of a finger and then rub it with lemon and salt before roasting at 230c to "shock" the pork then down to 165c for three hours. We drank Roast Baccus Reserve 2007 and Chapel Down's 2006 Pinot Blanc with the pork belly and as you can imagine everyone was feeling rather merry by this stage.

Warm chestnut and conference pear cake

Finally onto desserts. The spiced clementine custard with anise biscuits was like a grown up trifle. The custard tasted almost like a pannacotta and while I liked the nostalgia of the dessert (just like Grandma used to make) I didn't think it was quite as exciting as the mains. We also sampled the warm chestnut and Conference pear cake which was served with a hot chocolate sauce and some very melted vanilla bean icecream. The cake was great comfort food, but again did not blow me away. The custard was matched with Chapel Down's 2007 Nectar which was a little too saccharine sweet for me and the cake was served with Chapel Down's Cinque Ports Classic 2006 and the Tenterden Estate Pinot Noir 2008 which had a lovely almost chocolate taste to it.

What a meal. We were very spoilt. Especially getting to chat with Lawrence and Owain about the food and wine. Service was amazingly attentive, although we were there for a special lunch and I have had friends who have had a hard time with service at Roast on other occasions, particularly for one of their busy weekend breakfasts. I really liked Roast's philosophy of serving traditional English, seasonal food (although Lawrence admits that this can be hard work in certain Winter months when the only vegetables you have to work with are lots of swedes and turnips). I think the food is not as adventurous or as exciting as places like St John or Launceston Place, however sometimes that is exactly the sort of food that you want.

Essentials

Details: The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, Borough SE1 1TL (Ph 0845 034 7300) Tube: Borough/London Bridge

Damage: Pricey but free for us

8/10

Links

If you liked reading this you may be interested to read about other London restaurants leading the way in serving British food, St John's in Clerkenwell and Launceston Place in Chelsea.

Gourmet Chick was a guest at lunch of Chapel Down Wines and Roast Restaurant. They are offering a special deal to readers of Gourmet Chick on the evening of November 24th which includes three courses with matched Chapel Down wines, tea and coffee for £44.50. To book this deal quote Chapel Down Wines Blogger's Dinner.

Norfolk Arms

Moving on from the all too common pub serving Thai food I present to you the tapas pub. Tucked away in a little back street in Kings Cross, the Norfolk Arms looks like any old pub until you clock the legs of jamon hanging in the window. Rather than burgers and pies on the menu, the Norfolk Arms offers a variety of tapas along and some Spanish influenced main meals as well.

I am at the Norfolk Arms with my friends Sully, Charlotte and Johanna. Since we are in a Spanish pub we order a jug of sangria to start (£13.50) and then select from the tapas on offer to share. These are the joys of dining in a group, shared food. However disappointingly, all the tapas we order with the exception of one dish, is served cold. While I understand that jamon and olives are served cold, I would expect grilled octopus to actually be cooked.

Putting that aside, if you head to the Norfolk Arms - here is what I would order and what I would skip. To start, you have to have the charcuterie platter (£8.50) which is a board bearing jamon and chorizo served with a small saucer of finely diced parsley, egg and garlic. You should also order the salty and delicious boqerones (£2.50) which were so good that we had to order two plates of them. Finally, try the chickpea and tomato stew (the only dish that was served hot) which comes in a little terracotta dish and is flavoursome and moreish.

Skip the babaganoush which has a flavour which is more burnt than smoked and left us all puckering our mouths (£3.50). I also wouldn't bother with the grilled octopus which is cold (as I said earlier) and on the rubbery side (£6.00). The grilled mushrooms (£4.50) are not offensive but neither are they memorable.

The Spanish influence is abandoned for the desserts which are all tried and tested British puddings. Apple crumble (£4.50) is on the menu and is suitably crispy and packed with golden apples. The toffee ice-cream served with biscotti is nice enough but it is probably unnecessary to pay £5.50 for two scoops of forgettable ice-cream.

A pub serving tapas sounded like it may be a welcome change, however on second thoughts it is probably best to stick to those Thai pubs.

Essentials

Details: 28 Leigh Street, Kings Cross WC1H9EP (Ph 020 7388 3937) Tube: Kings Cross

Damage: Reasonable

5/10

Links

Forget a Spanish pub, go to an actual Spanish restaurant like Barrafina. If you are actually looking for a Thai pub after I banged on about them for the whole post, try The Pineapple in Kentish Town.

Kokoon (Gourmet Chick in Belgium)

During our Little Break to Belgium we headed to Leuven to dinner, a university town which is half an hour by train from Brussels. I lived there for six months a few years ago and was keen to revisit the town. First things first, we went for some drinks on the Oude Market which is lined wall to walls with bars selling Belgium's fabulous beers. Then, onto dinner at Kokoon which is a cosy little restaurant where chef Guy Vantoortelboom promises to serve up traditional Belgian cuisine. The menu doesn't stop there though and includes some rather bizarre dishes such as bison served with vodka and also a kangaroo dish. I am fairly confident that neither bison or kangaroo could be characterised as Belgian produce.

The town hall in Leuven

The look is modern with sturdy square tables and chairs which are dotted with flickering tea light candles. Complimentary appetisers of olives and salami are served at each table and we choose from the wine list which spans Europe and the new world. A bottle of Sangiovese at €26 is a well priced option with a mild but peppery taste.

There is a set menu available, including wine for €55, however we opt to order a la carte. To begin, pumpkin and carrot soup served topped with a splash of cream provides a perfect blanket for your insides. After that, a huge pot of mussels (€22) provides the quintessential Belgian meal. The mussels are cooked in a simple tomato and onion sauce which doesn't overwhelm their briny flavour. Another good option is the leg of lamb which is served with a dark tarragon flavoured sauce. Its a nicely judged sauce and the indulgence factor is increased by the accompanying small casserole of potato gratin. It's all hearty, comforting food of the sort you crave when it is cold outside.

Leg of lamb with tarragon sauce

From the dessert menu the simplest dish is probably the best: a plate of fresh figs, halved and served with good quality vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Which just goes to show that if you can avoid the more eccentric menu options you can dine well at Kokoon. Besides the mussels, the menu was not as identifiably Belgian as promised. However if you think of Belgian cuisine as rich and sustaining, then Kokoon probably fits the bill.

Essentials

Details: 1 Meierrstraat, Leuven, Belgium 3000 (Ph +32 (0)16 230 726)

Damage: Pricey

7/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my post on eating in Brussels. If you feel like mussels, you can try my recipe for moules marinere here.

Tips for Gourmet Travellers

We stayed at Gasthous de Pastorij in Leuven. This was a little B&B which was clean and comfortable although with an overly chintzy theme (there were gold angels everywhere). It won't win style awards anytime soon but was right in the heart of things. Rooms were €95 for a double.

In Leuven stroll around the old town and university buildings, check out the town hall and try doing a pub crawl in the Oude Market which is lined with bars.

Gourmet Chick travelled to Belgium on the Eurostar as a guest of the Little Break campaign, all food, drink and accommodation was paid for personally. A Eurostar ticket to Brussels includes free train travel within Belgium and return fares begin at £59.

Blaggers Banquet - Tickets on Sale

On November 15^th, Londons’ Food & Drink Bloggers will be taking over Hawksmoor, the revered steakhouse in Liverpool St, for the Blaggers’ Banquet.A first for Londoners – the Blaggers’ Banquet will be an exciting five course dinner with matched drinks, created entirely by food and drink bloggers, and using only food and drink that they have blagged. All proceeds will go to Action Against Hunger.

Bloggers will be the cooks and the sommeliers, front of house and the prep folk, the kitchen porters and the cleaner uppers. We’ll staff the bar, make the cocktails and make the coffee, and best of all diners can review us when we are done (I'll be on Canape making duty).

The menu will feature Chapel Down sparkling wine on arrival, Wagyu Beef and sustainable yellow kingfish among other produce. There will be music and canapés. Vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions will be catered for.

There will also be a blaggers’ auction, where we will be auctioning exciting items we’ve blagged. This auction will be two fold, a portion of it on the night, and the rest in the weeks following. Thanks to lots of generous support the prizes are amazing and include Michelin star dinners, a Kitchenaid mixer and a cooking lesson at Konstam. Tickets for the Blaggers Banquet are on sale now in pairs for £150 and one table of 5 for £375. 5 pairs of tickets will be auctioned starting from £75. Tickets are available on ebay.

For any further information, please contact me or Niamh Shields at niamheen@gmail.com or visit Eat Like A Girl.

Aphrodite

Plaster of Paris statues, faded black and white photos along with a random assortment of urns, Aphrodite in Bayswater has perfected the Greek taverna shtick. It may not be very cool, but it does feel homely and immediately whets your appetite for plates of mezze and fresh seafood.

As soon as you sit down a plate of juicy, fat green olives is brought over along with a small plate of chick pea salad and some toasty hot pita bread. A £1 cover charge per person is imposed for these snacks but it is money well spent in my view. I am at Aphrodite with my friend Lucy for a girly catch up dinner so of course we order a bottle of the house white wine and begin putting the world right.

We also supplement the mezze with a bowl of creamy tzatzki (£4.20) before moving straight onto mains. The seafood at Aphrodite is quite reasonably priced and always good so we order the grilled calamari (£13.75). The shimmering white, almost translucent tubes of calamari are ever so lightly grilled so that they still taste fresh from the sea. The moussaka (£10.50) looks the goods with its golden cheese topping and layers of minced lamb and egg plant, but it does not have that rich strength of flavour that you get from a really good slow cooked moussaka. All mains are served with vegetables which means that sides are not really necessary, but we also order a generous serving of Greek salad (£5.00). Aphrodite's Greek salad is served with actual salad leaves which of course you would never find in Greece itself but is pretty standard in London. (Of course in Greece a Greek salad is referred to generally as a "Country" salad, just as it is hard to find Brussels sprouts in Brussels!).

This is about my fourth visit to Aphrodite and for the price you pay the food is good and the atmosphere homely. Nothing will startle, and the food is predictable, but sometimes that is exactly what you want. It is a real family run restaurant which is not worth crossing town for, but which I am very glad to have in my neighbourhood.

Essentials

Details: 15 Hereford Road, Bayswater, W24AB (Ph: 020 7229 2206) Tube: Notting Hill Gate

Damage: Reasonable

7/10

Links

If you are in the area, right next to Aphrodite on Hereford Road is the brilliant "Modern British" restaurant, Hereford Road. Otherwise why not try this recipe for beef and pork moussaka which is always a winner.

Gourmet Giveaway

And... the winners of the competition for a copy of Michel Roux Jr's A Life in the Kitchen are Lex Eat (who won by random number generation by virtue of being the sixth comment) and Greedy Diva who won for funniest comment. Winners have been contacted and a copy of the book will be winging its way to them shortly thanks to voucher.codes.uk.

48 hours in Brussels (Gourmet Chick in Belgium)

It's no secret that I love to travel. So you can imagine my excitement when Eurostar offered me a Little Break to Belgium last weekend as part of its Little Break, Big Difference campaign. MTV boyfriend and I got to travel in Leisure Select on Saturday morning and return on Sunday evening to London. Those better at maths than me will realise this is less than 48 hours, but who want's to spoil a good title. It is going to be hard to go back to cattle class/economy on the Eurostar after luxuriating in the space of Leisure Select, working our way through the complimentary newspapers and magazines, a meal and best of all, free flowing champagne. Little Break, Big Difference is all about taking a break on the Eurostar for just a day trip or short trip and return fares are offered from London for as little as £59.

Belgium is known for its beer, friiten (French fries, although the Belgiums claim they were invented by the Belgiums, not the French), mussels and chocolate. I lived in Belgium for six months a number of years ago, so I was well placed for some friiten feasts but I actually managed to surprise myself with my self restraint this time. Most of my little break visit centred on pastries and chocolate.

Raspberry tart at Gaudron

Gaudron

First stop in Brussels was Gaudron to meet a friend Sophie who has lived in Brussels for the past few years. Gaudron is Sophie's favourite brunch place and as soon as I walked into the light airy space lined with shelves of goodies such as Gaudron's own jam I realised why. One wall is occupied by a large deli cabinet which is filled with an assortment of salads and meats. You can order a selection of three of the salads with one piece of "protein" for around €14. The protein on offer on our visit included slices of roast beef and tomato stuffed with minced veal. The salads were light and bright although I thought they were on the pricey side for what you got. Sophie insisted that we also try some of Gaudron's pastries which are highly regarded in Brussels. The raspberry tart was loaded with juicy berries all encased in soft, buttery pastry. As for the Belgian chocolate brownie, what can I say, there is a reason that Belgium is famous for it's chocolate after all and that reason was perfectly evident in Gaudron's dusky, decadent and very adult brownie.

Details: 3 Place G Brugmann, 1050 Brussels, Belgium (Ph +32 (0)2 343 97 90)

Damage: Pricey

6/10

The interior of Arcardi

Arcadi

Tucked away just off Brussel's famous covered shopping arcade, Arcadi is a Brussel's institution. The interior is from another time, ancient biscuit tins line the shelves and old postcards are pinned to the walls. Nab yourself a window seat on the leather banquettes with a tiny rickety table and try and flag down a waiter to order one of Arcadi's famous quiches. There are about fifteen different sorts on the menu. The quiche Lorraine (€7.50) is probably the pick of the bunch with a crisp crust of pastry and a creamy filling peppered with pieces of bacon. The tomato, basil and parmesan quiche (€7.50) is a little heavy on the tomato (to the extent that it is a brilliant red colour) but otherwise vibrant and slightly peppery. MTV boyfriend also has a vanilla milkshake (€4) which he swears is the best milkshake he has had all year.

Details: R D'Aremberg 18, Brussels 1000, Belgium (Ph 02 511 3343)

Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve.

7/10

Restauration Nouvelle - MIM

The Restauration Nouvelle occupies prime position. It teeters on the top floor of the Old England Art Noveau building Brussel's Museum of Musical Instruments. The views of Brussels are amazing so of course you have to pay for the view rather than the food. It serves to reason that the best bet is to order coffee and cakes rather than an actual meal. MTV boyfriend had a reasonably good (but not brilliant) cappuccino and I had some fresh mint tea but the real show stoppers were the cakes: tarte tartin was silky smooth and perfectly caramalised but a tepid temperature while the decadent chocolate tart suffered from the same problem.

Tarte Tartin at Restauration Nouvelle

Details: Rue Montagne de la cour 2, Brussels, Belgium (02 502 9508)

Damage: Pricey

5/10

Pierre Marcolini

Belgium is famous for it's chocolate shops but Pierre Marcolini is widely regarded as the best in Belgium. The shop looks like you are in an art gallery rather than a chocolate shop, with pieces of chocolate displayed individually amongst a background of stark white. Flavours change seasonally keeping chocolate lovers hooked. Although my friend Sophie is devastated at the demise of the Pierre Marcolini chocolate coated marshmallow, I found plenty to rejoice in upon tasting Marcolini's distinctive saffron infused dark chocolate.

Details: 1 Rue de Minimis, Place du Grand Sablon, Brussels, Belgium (00 32)2 514 02 516

Damage: Pricey

8/10

Tips for Gourmet Travellers

We stayed at Gasthous de Pastorij in Leuven which is half an hour out of Brussels by train. This was a little B&B which was clean and comfortable although with an overly chintzy theme (there were gold angels everywhere). It won't win style awards anytime soon but was right in the heart of things. Rooms were €95 for a double.

In Brussels rent some bikes from the city wide bike scheme and explore the Grand'Place and surrounding streets, track down Mannekin Pis (although be prepared to be disappointed), and then head to the Museum of Musical Instruments for a great museum experience and fantastic views over Brussels.

Gourmet Chick travelled on the Eurostar as a guest of Little Break, Big Difference. All accomodation, food and drinks were paid for personally.

Launceston Place

The phones are ringing hot at Launceston Place following chef Steve Groves' victory in Master Chef the Professionals. While I am sure Head Chef, Tristan Welch, is delighted for Groves' success it must be somewhat irritating to have patrons asking for their menu to be autographed by the junior sous chef on a night that both Welch and Groves are in the kitchen (which did happen on our visit).

Salt marsh lamb

The restaurant was booked out on Friday night when MTV boyfriend and I went there for dinner. I was called three times to confirm my reservation with the final message threatening to cancel my reservation if I did not reconfirm my 2.30pm. This seemed on the extreme side but Launceston Place enforced the threat in relation to another couple who arrived at the same time that we did. They were told that there were no seats available as their booking had not been reconfirmed despite the booking being made weeks in advance and for a birthday celebration. The couple claimed they had not received the telephone call asking for reconfirmation. It got to the stage that I was almost going to offer the couple our booking, however luckily a table was found. I couldn't help but feel that Launceston Place didn't handle the situation well and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Since when did restaurants become such sticklers for reconfirming?

Admittedly, this was the only glitch in service for the night which was otherwise faultless. When we arrived we were seated in the bar area which serves as a holding room for the restaurant where we had a glass of the house Roeder champagne (£14) and some of restaurants signature parsnip crisps tied in bundles with Launceston Place ribbon. From there we went into the restaurant proper which is quite dramatic with black walls and moody paintings.

The dinner menu is a reasonable £55 for the tasting menu or £45 for three courses. The food is decidedly modern British. There are classics listed such as fish pie and rice pudding, but you can bet that they are going to be served in a way that is different and exciting. We opted to dine a la carte and there were plenty of bonus extras which meant that we had certainly eaten our fill by the end. To start, an amuse bouche of what our waiter described as "hot and cold" leek soup. This was a shot glass of warm leek soup topped with a cold foam of leek. The sensation was strange but not unpleasant.

Fresh water fish pie

With the help of the sommelier we chose a bottle of the Bandol Suffrene (£38) to accompany our meal which lived up to our request for a less full bodied red wine perfectly. From there it was time to turn our attention to the food. Of the entrees, the West Coast scallops hogged the spotlight. Three large, juicy specimens were served still clinging to their pearly shells. They were sprinkled with "aromatic" herbs and a light dressing that highlighted rather than hid their natural briny flavour. The partridge cooked in whisky, heather and oats was an architectural triumph. It was served on a board (as were the scallops, there seems to be an obsession with boards in restaurants at the moment) and included a leg of partridge and a piece of breast arranged alongside daubs of sauce. This dish tasted as good as it looked, conveying a fantastic gamey flavour.

Onto the mains, imagine if you will, a deconstructed fish pie. The pie itself was served in a small copper saucepan topped with golden brown piped mash, while pieces of crustacean along with a smear of broad beans and peas sit on the plate. This dish was whimsical and fun while still delivering a hearty serve of creamy pie. More allocades, this time for the Salt Marsh lamb which was served in slices of blush pink fillet topped with generous pieces of fat and accompanied by some slightly bitter red cabbage. It was a simple dish but still satisfying and well executed.

A pre dessert of a lemon and strawberry sorbet was a refreshing precursor to our shared dessert of tarte tartin. This was a more traditional and conservative dish and I could not help but be slightly disappointed after the fireworks that had come before. Still, the tarte tartin was perfectly executed with the apples caramalised until they were golden and soft.

Whether it was the established talent of Welch or the rising star of Groves who was responsible for the cooking on our visit, the food at Launceston Place was sensational. Given the calibre of the food the prices were also quite reasonable. My only hesitation is the over the top attitude that the front of house staff displayed in relation to reservations. Perhaps the restaurant has had a problem in the past with no shows or cancellations however the staff's attitude did not seem to be warranted.

Essentials

Details: 1 Launceston Place, Kensington W8 5RL (Ph 020 7937 6912) Tube: High Street Kensington

Damage: Pricey

8/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in another restaurant flying the flag for British cooking in London, Hereford Road. Or you may be interested in this post about a cooking demonstration I attended given by Tristan Welch the head chef at Launceston Place.