A festive round-up

First up, mid-December on our way to a drinking reunion, we call in at Wahaca in Chandos Place (Charing Cross/Covent Garden).  I’d fancied the idea of going there for a while, and B had been to one down in Westfield Stratford, so as we’re up in the area, we decide to call in.  It’s a rather soulless entrance and a typical communal table with bench seats. There is quite a large group down the end, and a few other people around, but not what you’d call character.

We get a “quick” bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£19), and set about choosing options from the limited permutations on the list. The bean soup and prawns that B had enjoyed in Westfield are nowhere to be seen. So we work through the options and choose a Barbacoa (beef) taco and a pork taco, a black bean tostada and chicken quesadilla – all stuff in a pancake of slightly different kinds.  To be fair the black bean is interesting and the pork nicely spicy.  We’re not full, so we try a main steak taco as well off the specials list – pretty good but £10.  That comes to a pretty modest £46 without service – cheap for Covent Garden – but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back.

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Nearer Christmas, we’re out with our young friends and ex-house-sharers. We meet at the Crown and Two Chairmen, a nice pub on Dean Street.  Trouble is, of course, that at this time of year the place is heaving, and we can hardly hear ourselves think.  So it’s a relief when the time is right for us to move on to our dinner venue – Floridita in Wardour Street. 

This is a grand multi-venue place, with the Cuban bar and restaurant downstairs. So we order some wine and mojitos (managing to navigate a tricky policy about running a tab), and head for our table. There are seven of us, and we get what seems a good horseshoe-shaped banquette centrally in front of the stage. But when the band starts up (good Cuban jazz) and the dancing warms up, conversation becomes a bit tricky again!

I have Chilean beef empanadas followed by lamb tenderloin skewer. The empanadas have a good bite to them, but the pastry is not as dry as that in our local Argentinian. The lamb skewer is a fair portion of nicely charred meat, with a good deal of flavour to it.  B has the shrimp and grouper ceviche and is impressed. Followed by lamb skewer too (there’s not a huge choice apart from steaks), and then a knickerbocker glory!  This is not served in the traditional tall glass with long spoon, but in a dish, but nonetheless scores top marks.  J has lobster and a baked cheesecake but I can’t recall what the others had. There were no doubt copious quantities of wine and cocktails consumed, so I was pretty surprised to see the total bill below £500 for seven. Excellent provided you don’t need to chat!

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We managed two visits to the Spice Market in Hotel W at Leicester Square.  First between Christmas and New Year with S & A late afternoon before a session at Ronnie Scott’s.  Then early in January with T&K and H.  There is a smooth bar with “cool” ambient music and dim lighting on the ground floor, serving a range of cocktails – which can get pretty pricey.   But if you’re meeting people, you need to be specific, because there is also a first floor bar of Hotel W – rather brighter and busier, but also expensive.

On the first visit we were a bit disappointed to see that the menu was not as extensive as that we’d seen online – because it was the holidays we were told; but it was the same menu the second time too.

On our first visit, I had the salmon sashimi with warm crunchy rice to start –very good.  B had the pepper shrimp, while S&A had the salt and pepper squid and the Vietnamese spring roll.  All perfectly fine.  S&A decided just to share a Vietnamese chicken curry with fried rice – and it was ample. B & I had the duck curry (huge, really tasy), sea bass fillet (good, but out of context) and ginger rice (again a full size portion).  Wine also not cheap at £27 a bottle, so the total was £170 – acceptable for Leicester Square.

On our second visit, for some reason quoting our friend T’s name seemed to guarantee special attention.  We were shown immediately to a good seat, and after an initial bottle, were treated to a bottle of house wine free!  Not sure what’s going on there!   Overall we managed three (four) bottles of the white and one red, so that did rack things up a little. 

T&K both chose the sharing plate of starters – the chicken samosas (surprisingly) came very recommended.  H had the crab dumplings, which were light with plenty of crab, B the shaved tuna (plenty of ginger) and I had the beef skewer (after my first choice was unavailable) – average meat with a tangy yoghurt sauce.

For mains B&I again had the duck curry (I said there was a limited menu), and the grilled chicken (simple but good). Others had the monkfish with cabbage and water chestnut, cod with Malaysian chili sauce and Vietnamese chicken curry – plus we had fried rice and a  chicken pad thai. Again the portions were generous and there was plenty left over.  I was impressed, but T less so, scoring it 6 to 7 out of 10.  It was only £300 including service for 5 of us, very close to Leicester Square, so for hungry eaters, I’d certainly recommend it.
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With P&M due to return to South Africa the following week, we met up again at Il Ponte Nuovo under the flyover in Croydon, where we’d been back in October . It being a Monday early in January, the place is pretty quiet, but we end up in a banquette down in the corner.

To start P&M share the calamari, which seems to go down well. B & I share the gamberoni diavola, which although appearing to be covered in tomato sauce, are actually full of flavour with a good chilli kick.

For mains I have the pork chops off the special menu, served with small roast potatoes and rosemary.  B has the “Spigola in crosta”  - oven baked fillets of sea bass “topped with a potato crust”. I’d assumed the potato would be  grilled mash, but in fact it is fine slices of lightly grilled potato. Overall this was a lovely delicate dish.  P has the two medallions of fillet steak -  one cooked with brandy & peppercorns, the other cooked with brandy & wholegrain mustard, served with roast potatoes.  Since he practically wipes the plate clean, I assume these were good too!  M’s choice of risotto with 4 cheeses off the special lunch menu was a very modest £6  - it seemed pretty filling though.   We also shared a cheese plate – four or five interestingly different choices.

With the inevitable 5 bottles of wine, this came to a pretty modest £195 including service.
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On B’s birthday, we’re up on Regent Street, having been “cultural” at the RA (Constable, Gainsborough and Turner and Landscape – something of a con, as there’s only one or two of each and a lot of other prints).   We’ve been to the Living Room in Heddon Street a few times before for drinks and always thought it looked nice, so that’s where we settle on for lunch.

It’s a nice big space with large windows out to Heddon Street. Further in are the more intimate bar areas.  It’s not that busy but the we’re shown to a table for 2 which is not that well positioned.  But on retrospect, it does have proper seats so maybe it’s a good choice. The waiter is very solicitous and helpful and buzzing around, so gets us our pre-prandial glasses of Prosecco pretty quickly.

He’s also very sharp at suggesting “specials”. And though we’d both been looking eyeing things up off the interesting menu, in the end we do both decide to for them. As we mull things over we order the edamame beans with ginger and chilli, in soy sauce to keep us going. This is very good, with long strips of ginger to go with the kick of the chilli on the beans.

For a starter we decide to share the crispy duck and pancakes.  This is unusual, different from the Chinese version in that the duck is in larger pieces, lightly cooked so that it still tastes of duck, and in a crispy coating, a bit like KFC (but in a good way!).

B’s “special” is crab on avocado puree. Technically a “light bite”, this is not a large portion, but OK for what she wanted.  She is very impressed at the freshness of the crab, and the sharp flavours that accompany it.  Mine is venison steak, left over from New Year’s Eve when they charged £35 for it, but to you sir it’s just £17.50 (actually, I’m impressed by the fact that the waiter meticulously spells out the price of the specials – something that’s often not done). The steak comes with broccoli spears, sugar snap peas, and roast potatoes.  I’ve asked for it medium-rare, and it comes looking beautiful, with parts of it red, glistening with blood.  The consistency of the steak can’t be faulted, just a smooth regular texture, and the venison tang excellent. As near as perfect a piece of meat as I’ve eaten.

The standard menu looks pretty good too, so this is clearly a place to come back to.  The bill (2 bottles of Viognier?) comes to a creditable £110.  Try it yourself.

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Up on Regent Street again, this time north of Oxford Circus, for a late lunch we call in at Ozer, a Turkish restaurant I’d read reviews about a few years’ back.  It’s quite a cavernous place, with little natural light. There’s quite a few people in for a workday at 2.30pm – some maybe ex-BBC having a reunion lunch, some Turkish, some singletons doing odd shifts perhaps. They claim an “Ottoman” style – but it just seems large to me.

Apparently Ozer is under the same ownership as the Sofra chain, but the menu reads rather more up-market. There’s a big selection of starters, hot and cold, and of mains, though some are a little repetitive. But you can’t fault the precision, when they tell you exactly how many king prawns you get in the  starter or main (6 or 12).

To start B has the marinated Malaysian prawns, which aren’t on the online menu. The four prawns were large, fresh and tasting of prawns, in a spicy sauce which overcame the tomato base.  My starter is the spicy crisp lamb liver – a large portion of well-cooked pieces of liver, with onions, but not that spicy.

Main courses are lamb on skewer for B: good lamb shish kebab, not actually served on the skewer, with a crisp salad. I go for the spicy fish pot, which is spicier than the starter but not excessive and with nice pieces of ginger. Lots of different fish in the broth, vegetables too, a healthy portion served with basmati rice.

Turkish coffee and a bottle of Viognier at £20 take the bill up to £76. More a steady meal than an excellent one perhaps, but certainly somewhere to consider if you’re in the area.

 

A couple of days in Brussels

A COUPLE OF DAYS IN BRUSSELS

We’re combining business with pleasure and staying a couple of nights in Brussels at the end of November.  It’s too early for the Christmas market, but there is a buzz to the place as preparations are under way in the Grand Place and all around.

We’ve arrived mid-afternoon and grabbed a taxi from the station.  Our hotel is clearly not one of the most-renowned however, as the driver clearly has little idea of where he’s going, and ends up dropping us near the Bourse, when we need to be right the other side of the centre. So we’re not in the best of moods on arriving at Hotel Mozart.  Close to the Grand Place, in the street of the giros”, this is a surreal place – all Moroccan tiles, and windy corridors, and a bedroom complete with a pole in the middle of it!  Somewhat regretting the “value” option!

We go out for a wander around – a vin chaude by the Manneken Pis,  free chocolates and a good value coupe of champagne in the Galleries Royales, and a beer in the Espagne de Roy in the Grand Place.

For dinner we have booked into Restaurant Vincent in Rue des Dominicains (just off the tourist strip) for 9pm – recommended in several guides and reviews.  The place is packed, buzzy, lively, with a couple of separate rooms, but our booking is recognised and we’re shown straight to our table. Tables are basic and very close together, so it’s not what you’d call grand – but perfectly fine.  The striking feature though is the decorative tiling on the walls. At one end there is a depiction of a small fishing boat struggling in the waves, with an old pecheur in a blue smock struggling with the sails.  On other walls are ducks and rural scenes – all very splendid.

Vincent has a reputation for its flambéed steak, though there’s an extensive range of seafood starters and fish dishes too.  So we decide to go large and order the double angus fillet, preceded by shrimp croquettes. A bottle of Brouilly at €32 seems a reasonable accompaniment.

The croquettes are excellent. We’re sharing, one each, but there is plenty of flavour here and not too heavy a potato base.  All around people are having a good time, with large plates of food appearing all over.  Service is very friendly and jolly.  Our meat is duly served up to the team at the flambé dish in the centre (we had thought it might be done at the table, but it isn’t that far away), and arrives with a tidy portion of frites. Full of flavour and texture, and cooked just bloody, it’s a beautifully executed piece of meat.

We look at desserts for interest, but are then tempted in by the Crepe Vincent.  This is fruity and sharp, crisp and juicy – a revelation.  So we’re happy bunnies when we set off back to our weird hotel, having just €122 on such a splendid meal.
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Breakfast at the Hotel Mozart is also an experience.  After following a maze of signs around the first floor, one emerges back on the ground floor, apparently next door to the hotel entrance.  There’s a bizarre copper dome over the bar area – which only comes to make sense when later in the day I see the breakfast room has been converted back into a Lebanese restaurant!  Breakfast itself, to be fair, is a simple but fresh combination of baguette and croissant, with strong coffee and fresh juice.

We meet later for a beer in the Galleries, and then do a little shopping. We call in Cirio, a splendidly old-style bar near the Bourse for a glass and some charcuterie, before deciding to stop for a light lunch. We’re trying the Danish Tavern – an unimpressive bar near the church, but it’s handy.  I have try the local speciality, Waterzooi Poularde, a sort of chicken soup with substantial portions of meat and root vegetables.  It’s an ideal warmer for a cold day. B just has the bacon and mushroom omelette (rather than mussels, which had been the point of choosing this place!!).  It’s all fine, full of shoppers, and with a loopy waiter who revels in teasing his colleagues. €42 with one bottle of rose.

This evening, we’ve decided to go for La Marmiton, at the corner of the Galleries and Rue de Bouchers.   It’s very nearly full, but we’re lucky to get a table. It’s another cosy place, a little classier perhaps, but still relaxed.  There’s a quiet Brit couple one side of us, and a group of 4 excitable, smartly dressed young things the other – Eastern European we think.   We order a bottle of French Sauvignon (@ €22), and I have the foie gras to start.  For mains, I have the Sole Ostendaise (with asparagus) and B steak tartare. We indulge a second bottle, so this all some to €113.

Day 3 and our train is not till late, so we decide to do some shopping up on Avenue Louise this morning.  A little way, there is a small lane down to some other smart shops, and rather oddly sitting by a grassy patch, an old building called the Green House.  In summer there must be seating outside as well.  It’s just noon, so we call in, to see several shoppers in already. Plus a couple of regulars chatting to the staff.  It’s a strange, but elegant style – colonial wood and teas.  We’re not eating but the dishes that do emerge look and smell interesting, and the range of choice includes some very unusual orientally-inspired dishes too – probably worth a try another time.

We walk back into town, and then on to St Catherine’s to find somewhere for lunch.  Several places were recommended the reviews, but we struggle to choose one.  When we do, the kitchen has closed. So too the next one, though they were doing fruits de mer standing up outside. So sadly we head back to the Grand Place, and choose one of the places in the tourist drag – La Porte de Bruxelles.  It’s indistinguishable from several others along the street, and transpires to be a sister place to the one across the way. So much so in fact, that all the meals are cooked over there and brought over, and the waiters are a bit grumpy at being in the second place.  It doesn’t have a great deal of charm, but it is fairly busy, and warm.   The food however does make up for things.  B has grilled garlic gambas – six huge prawns, in a liberal and enthusiastic garlic sauce, cooked gently and lightly.  I have the tomato stuffed with crevettes – a beast of a dish, with crevettes in a sauce with a little kick to it. Main courses were mussels frites for B (at last) and monkfish with leeks for me.  Both really good.  The second bottle of Sauvignon racked the price up to €149 which seemed a bit much for somewhere with little style, but the food was pretty good.

The best dim sum in London ?

THE BEST DIM SUM IN LONDON?

I’ve always fancied trying the dim sum at The Royal China Club on Baker Street, as it has always had great reviews, but for one reason or another never seem to have made it.  But today, we’ve been to a wine tasting at Lord’s and the bus is going right past, so now seems to be the time to go for it.

It’s about 3pm on  a Saturday, and the place is pretty busy with elegant looking people.  Although described as the smaller of the two Royal China restaurants on Baker St, it’s still quite large, and there’s no problem getting a table.

There are plenty of staff buzzing around taking orders, so we order Jasmine tea and a bottle of white Burgundy (£25), before settling down to review the extensive dim sum list.  There’s quite a range of things that you wouldn’t normally see in Gerard St, so it takes us a while to decide.  We select 7 or 8 dishes, including pan-fried duck breast, lobster dumplings and spicy crab cakes, as well as more usual steamed dumplings, sui mai and har gau.  The duck and the crab cakes arrive first – both are delicious. The rest of the dishes arrive steadily over the next 10 to 15 minutes, nicely paced, but fast enough to be tempting.  The thing that hits me is that the dumplings actually taste of something!   The dumplings themselves are light rather than chewy, and the fillings have a zing and zest which is remarkably fresh.

It’s starting to thin out a bit now, but we’re ready for another round: more lobster dumpling, sea bass rolls and pork puff, with some lotus leaf rice to bulk things out.  OK, so maybe we didn’t need all the rice, but it was good to have.

The 11 dishes, rice, wine and tea come to £103, plus 15% service, making £120.  That’s very good value for such tasty food, served smoothly and without fuss, in a lively atmosphere.  It’s the first time I’ve felt that dim sum was really tasty, rather than a vehicle for chilli sauce or soy.  We’d tried Yauatcha for my birthday back in January, and though that was good, it was rather poncy, and worked out at £158, so I think it comes second best to RCC.  Glad to have tried it at last – and to have been as impressed as I’d hoped I’d be.