Review of Maison Bertaux, Soho - Feb 2010

Where: Maison Bertaux, Soho With whom: Me, Vole and our Guest Lecturer How much?: £16... for 2 cups of tea, a coffee, two macaroons and a vanilla slice... seriously...

OK. It's not cheap, but this is one of the nicest little treats in Soho. A rickety three room coffee shop on Lower Greek St, just across the road from Soho House and next to the (sadly slipping into tourist hell) Coach & Horses. They used to take the left over cakes into the pub for the regulars at the end of the night, not sure if that still happens, but it's one of those nice 'old Soho' stories that people still bandy around...


Anyway, onto the cake. It's excellent. Homemade, always. And you can smell it... the place just exudes sugar, and fruit, and coffee or course... You chose from the window as you come in before taking a seat, new lines coming out of the kitchen in the back continually, with the baked goods left to cool on a rack next to the tiny staircase up to the (only) loo and the second floor. We took our 50's black leatherette seats and waited for our order. I'd never dream of ordering something as pedestrian as a macaroon somewhere like this, and the Vole and Guest Lecturer compounded their sins by ordering the same damn thing! 


Still, the macaroon I tried was perfect. warm from the oven, chewy centre with a crisp buttery crust, elements of almond and coconut combined perfectly. My fruit topped vanilla slice was an excellent choice (though I say so myself) with fresh black fruit sitting atop a textbook slice. Decent ingredients, proper coffee and tea (though the coffee wasn't outstanding it passed muster and my tea for one was hot, good and enough for 3) and good company. Everything you need for a rainy afternoon in Soho!

Anthony's Restaurant - Feb 2010

Where: Anthony's Restaurant - Leeds
With whom: Me and Northern Mum (Vole absent without leave)
How much?: 3 course set lunch was a reasonable £24 but wine and coffees took it to nearer £35 per head


Not known as a gourmet city, Leeds. Its one contribution to my culinary upbringing had been the potato scallops I'd craved as a young boy (a layer of flaked white fish sandwiched between two layers of potatoes, battered and fried.. the stuff of schoolboy legend) and so I'd followed the progress of local chef Anthony Flinn with interest. I'd been wanting to eat at Anthony's Restaurant in Boar Lane for years, having had a most interesting culinary experience at his brasserie above Flannels, a high end and amusingly snooty designer boutique round the corner. 


The city feels on the slide currently. Shockingly so, with entire streets turned over to pound style shops, half the Headrow closed and fewer people than I'd seen for some time (even taking into account the fact it was early February and that particular Yorkshire cold that I really appreciate). It also probably explains why, when the two of us walked into Anthony's at 12.30 on a Saturday, we doubled their number of paying customers. 


"Always best to book sir, we do get busy" I'd been told by the optimistic man on the phone, the expansive (and expensive) beige basement felt slightly chilled and echoing as we were oddly seated right next to the other guests. I shrugged an apology at them, feeling a little like a wierdo on the bus...


Following a slightly unnecessary "trio of butters" to go with our Hix style mini loaf of bread, an amuse of  duck, scallop and walnut ravioli in a duck consomme arrived. They'd gone to the effort of checking allergies and then totally ignored Northern Mum when she told them poultry was a no no. She refused to make a fuss (don't you love the Northern mother mentality) and so I hoovered up two little parcels. Great flavour in the consomme, though the ravioli didn't really give much. Another pair of diners arrived, and were seated next to us. We must have looked cold...


We moved on, and after a wait, I had an oddly paired beef carpaccio with a smoked feta mousse. Flavoursome, though the mousse edged out the more subtle beef and was a little more 'solid' than a mousse ought to be. Northern Mum's Smoked Mackerel Salad did exactly what it said on the menu, but was very attractively displayed (as were all of the dishes, in true Michelin fashion, with different styles, shapes and sized plates and bowls for each specific dish) .


We both plumped for the roast lamb rump from the succinct and slightly disappointing lunch menu (only three dishes offered for starter and main and a choice of two desserts). A rather pedestrian choice but the menu gave no real sight of Chef Flinn's past experience at El Bulli. I wasn't expecting a Heston experience, but could have gone for something more than the choice of Poached Baby Chicken or Steamed Plaice. Both, as the lamb, no doubt superbly executed, but nothing that stood out as the hallmark of  an adventurous kitchen.  By the time the lamb arrived (with another glass of an excellent Pitchfork Shiraz) the diners were up to double figures, and there was now a definite buzz in (one half) of the room.


The lamb was great. Perfectly cooked, with a lovely gravy, green olive mash (exactly as you'd expect) and a roast shallot. Certainly not one to complain about, but I'd been building this up for maybe too long in my head and was certainly expecting more from Anthony's. His fault or mine? Probably a little of both to be honest. 


The dessert went someway to making up for it though. An absolutely cracking dish of pineapple served as raw moorish slivers and also as a perfectly roasted, slightly charred but sweet hunk. This came with a coconut ice-cream and a comely tarragon sauce that set the two off perfectly and made the perfect finishing touch to the meal.


Coffee and a selection of chocs from a local artisan store to finish. Enjoyable - yes, undoubtably... the company was wonderful and the food was perfectly done, but it wasn't the Anthony's Restaurant of my excited dreams... I'd go back, but I certainly won't be making it a pilgrimage.

Dean Street Townhouse - Feb 2010

A mashup review of the last few visits...

Where: Dean Street Townhouse, Soho
With whom: Most recently, me and the Insider, a couple of times before Christmas with various clients and colleagues and a very enjoyable night with Vole and the Travellers
How much?: The Insider had a couple of pricy glasses of Crozes Hermitage that brought it to £35 a head for one course, drinks and coffees, but between £11 and £16 for a main course generally with starters and deserts around the £5 to £8 mark. 

I'm not normally the pretentious sort, or the kind to show off, but when the Insider called me up on Wednesday with "are you free for lunch, I need to tell you something.. you book it, I trust you", there really wasn't anywhere else I was going to take him. 

The lovely Gina, formerly of the Ivy, is running the Front of House and it's certainly got the relaxed but with it vibe you'd expect from one of the Caprice Holdings operations. Restaurants where you're made to feel welcome... not everyone's cup of tea, but it's a perfectly executed 'how to' guide to a modern British restaurant appealing to the widest range of people and while it won't get in the way of some of my exploring, I'll certainly be a regular there for a good time to come.


It's got a grown up feel to it, despite the slightly yawnsome 'risque' Victorian pictures balancing the Gavin Turk prints. I like how the team are on the ball and so polite but not deferential, there's a certain balance to be gained with waiting teams and the guys here certainly have it. A niggle on the timings but nothing massive, and it was a very busy serving.. we rolled out after 3pm and it was still full of the great and good of Soho's media scene.


And the food? What can I say, it's very good... basic, and I do mean that in a good way, 10 or so starters including a beautifully dense and salty potted ham served with a punchy piccalilli and a homemade Scotch Egg (that seemed to have vanished from the menu this visit...)


Waiting for the Insider to turn up gave me chance to sit back and people watch, I haven't sat at their long bar yet, but that's got to be the biggest disadvantage... you want to be somewhere you can see what's going on and not hear it happening behind you. He turned up with whispered tales of the theatrical world that I've (semi) left behind, and I love catching up on the gossip so I don't begrudge his trip to the most expensive glass on the wine list, my Argentinian Malbec is perfectly acceptable.


The mains are exactly what you'd expect to see on a great British menu... if I were presented this little list at the final supper I certainly wouldn't have any complaints. The meat is sure of its provenance but not intent on telling you everything. We get that the (large portion of) panfried monkfish with fennel is from Cornwall, but we don't need to know the name of the boat, or what the fisherman got for Christmas.


Previously I've gone meaty, trying the Mixed Grill - a wonderful sausage and a bubble and squeak cake won me over the kidneys, the perfectly cooked, marbled Rib-Steak and the Salt Beef - slightly disappointing with most of that layer of lovely moist fat removed, but an almost New York sized portion for a pre-Christmas lunch. This time I went for the Fish & Chips. Light batter (importantly not too much of it) served on a slick of minted mushy marrow-fat peas with a feisty tartare sauce on the side. Chips were forgettable. The Insider went for some very good looking pork cheeks which came in a shining gravy.

Rolling out after a nice coffee and a good few hours out of the office, we reflected that this was what our Soho kind had been doing for many years. It's how business round here seems to happen, and the Dean Street Townhouse looks and feels like it's been part of that scene for considerably longer than the 6 months they've been trading for.

Silk Road - Feb 2010

We'd gone early to try out Angels and Gypsies however they'd changed their booking policy and were being adorably snooty about the need for reservations (at 6pm... in Camberwell.. they'll learn..)

Where: Silk Road, Camberwell Church Street
With whom:  The Ginger Prince and I
How much?: £15 for some spice and a couple of bottles of Tsingtao

I was frothing somewhat after the hallowed doors of Angels & Gypsies failed to open again and so we decided to head to Silk Road for a bite to eat prior to Nice Guy Eddie's birthday drinks. They had been prodded by the fickle finger of fame (well Jay Rayner) last year and having had a few meals there since, I wanted to see how it was holding up.

Thankfully very well was the answer. Busy, (well it was a Saturday night) a blast of 'pop' musak, a hit of sweet spice and a predominantly Chinese crowd. We slotted into a seat and scanned the menu, laid out in a mix of English and Chinese, half handwritten and presented in the sort of poly pocket holder beloved of teachers and the criminally over organised.

No time for the exceptional, though bluntly named, Medium Plate Chicken (a steaming Sichuan chilli broth of chicken and potato followed up with a belt of homemade buckwheat noodle to soak up the remaining spice) so we dove straight into a plate of the lamb skewers. Stick to your mouth hot and with a deep level of spice they settled our hunger pangs down prior to a plate of pork and celery dumplings. Undoubtably authentic, they were being prepared by an elderly relative in eyeshot towards the back of the restaurant, rolling, filling and crimping the little fellows with the sort of vacant stare that comes with a lot of practice. For me they were a touch too watery, more so with the necessary addition of the vinegar, and verging on the bland. The pork didn't really come through and the casing was a little thick.

We followed with the Homestyle Pork, a fried mince and carrot mix in a fragrant, almost citrus sauce, and a lovely aubergine, cooked with green aubergines braised in a fresh and light stock. 

It's a rare menu and worth a look in for that reason if you're a local. The Medium Plate Chicken may be worth a special trip, though well meaning and a nautical mile beyond the standard crap in a tray merchants that dot Zone 2, I honestly don't know whether the rest gets more than a curiosity vote.  

Angels & Gypsies - Feb 2010

A long overdue opening in Camberwell. We've been waiting for the promised 'Cafe, Ceverzeria & Tapas' of Camberwell's newest restaurant, ever since the sign went up nearly three years ago..


Where: Angels & Gypsies, Camberwell Church Street
With whom: Three of us, proper middle class mix, Teacher Boy and The Ginger Prince. We brayed outside over a cig and talked far too loudly...
How much?: a very reasonable £30 per head for 10 dishes and a couple of bottles of wine


With this, the Grand Union and the forthcoming Tiger pub, there seems to be a definite move to drag us up, steadily up in the world... "my, at this rate, we'll be in Dulwich soon!" *leaves*...


Without sounding like a complete nob, I have to admit to nearly boycotting this place after the first couple of attempts to book / turn up resulted in failure and total mixed messages from the rather too smug Front of House lady but gave it a chance on Monday night. It definitely needs to be booked... the reviews in Time Out and The Standard were positive (though the Standard was v patronising about the 'warzone' we live in, F' off back to Kensington please) and it's still packed, even on a Monday night.


Initial impressions were positive, nice fino by the glass and a very good value wine list (the house is a very acceptable Tempranillo at £13... well worth it). The Ginger Prince and I felt almost civilised until Teacher Boy turned up to lower the tone...


The selection covers all bases with some surprisingly inventive vegetarian options to balance out the meat. We started with the Iberico Ham, the Jamon Croquetas and an unusual tortilla with piquillo peppers and chorizo... oddly the Serrano was off, leading us to think that the 8 or 10 legs hanging from the walls must have been fakes... the Iberico was good, fatty and unctuous and the tortilla worked well with the additional ingredients, though the croquetas were a little too pureed for my liking. Great breadcrumb, light and fresh, but without those little shards of ham that just make a good croqueta. The bread deserves an honourable mention, good sourdough and The Ginger Prince particularly enjoyed the slightly old school oil and (sherry) balsamic combination


We then went on to a slightly less successful fish course. We all loved the Salt Cod bolinhos, the mashed fish coated in a light batter vanished in seconds but I was less impressed by the Romana style Calamari... The Ginger Prince and Teacher Boy professed more enjoyment, but they didn't exactly vanish. The batter was patchy and they were a little overcooked, but the kitchen was getting busy by now so maybe not surprising... they came with an orange alioli, this was maybe a little too subtle for me so didn't get the effect.. The pulpo was 'meh', nothing special, but not bad (bulked out with a base of slightly tasteless potato... odd move). Had it before, know what you're getting, move on...


Moved back to the meat for the final round, with the best dish we had coming first. The lamb cutlets, rubbed with rosemary and lavender, are stunning. Charred bone and beautifully moist and pink inside. only a couple of mouthfuls, but I will come back to A&G for these alone... Wonderful quality meat cooked perfectly. No two ways about it.


To finish we had a chorizo in cider with some gorgeous pickled peppers (lifted it from acceptable to good) and the pork belly. Served with a clever cox apple salad (nearer a 'slaw to be honest) and a plum jam, it looked good... a huge portion. Unfortunately the amount of meat we had was meagre, and good as the fat and crackling were, I was just a little bit disappointed...


We retired, to the Hermits and a remembrance of 'olde Camberwell'

Starting at the beginning

This has been a long time coming...

And though that doesn't make it worthwhile necessarily, though I'd like to hope that I can churn something readable out about a few of my favourite things. Mainly food, often wine, sometimes theatre and occasionally design.

Inspired by a few interesting, funny and erudite writers on and offline (particular credits go to AA Gill, Krista at londonelicious.com, Jay Rayner and the boys at Dos Hermanos) and fed up with my friends telling me that I need to get on with it, I've decided to get something going...

Enjoy!

G.G.