John Salt - A bit of blogger navel gazing - Feb 2013

I held this one back as a special treat. I'd only gone and scored a table at John Salt. Only the most talked about, blogged and dissected restaurant this week! Proud as punch I was, presenting my booking like a child proffering a favourite toy. The boy done well.

"Brilliant..." sniffs the Vole haughtily. "There's hardly anything on that menu that I understand, much less like the look of. Oh, there's pig skin… I know why you want to bloody go.." After a more intense perusal, she begrudgingly points out a starter of burnt leeks with parmesan, egg yolk and truffle vinaigrette as being vaguely of interest. Of the rest; the bacon panna cotta (oh yes), the grilled salad, the multiple hashes and the cheeks and the bellies, the Vole was left distinctly cold. "Really? If we must…" Oh, we must...

It's a food-spotters and bloggers menu if ever there was one. Devised dishes described in a mash-up two-word list of current food trends. Raw this and that, 'Kimchi' here, 'chicken skin' there, 'pulled pork' everywhere... Check, check and mate, mate. That there's a pervading whiff of BBQ will come as little surprise to anyone who knows that chef Neil Rankin has hotfooted it over here from iconic meat Mecca Pitt Que, following a unfortunate turn of events between the owners and original kitchen prodigy Ben 'Roganic' Spalding. But of course if you're just a humble punter, you will neither know, nor care about this back story.

For the rest of you, the civilians still radiating bafflement at the one-word menu and the breathy introduction? Banish the gloom and forget about the 'nu-restaurant' wankery, you're in for a treat.

There's a seemingly more comfortable dining space upstairs, though we're relegated to slightly cramped and uncomfortable rough-hewn communal tables at the front, slotted in next to a mixed bag of trendy locals and slathering food spotters. Not ideal for a quiet date, and not something that they make a recommendation on when you book which feels odd. I'm also surprised that it's not as busy as the Twitterati would have you imagine. There's definitely room for walk ups, certainly in the loud downstairs bar space which serves a limited version of the same innovative menu.

And the food? Thankfully it's superb. Absolutely superb.

We go for (scratch that, I go for) a selection of the starter plates, topped off with a 'Red Flannel Hash'. Only on discussion with the serving dude do we realise that's a type of beetroot, roasted to perfection with floury roast potatoes and delicate peas and corn, topped with a panko-coated soft-boiled egg. Perfect comfort food, if irritatingly undecipherable from the menu alone.

Those burnt leeks were a smokey revelation, the flavour of the BBQ subtle but pervasive, mellowed out by creamy rich yolk. Tiny and delicately tempura'ed oysters were gone in a heartbeat, much like a large fresh dose of buttery crab with a wallop of fresh sea served on a slice of deep fried puffed-up pig skin more akin to a prawn cracker. Simple flavours combined well and packing a real punch. Genuine food that puts a smile on your face.

The best for me was a simple salad of raw beef and apple, with a hit of chilli oil and a nutty sweetness from scattered sesame. A perfect small plate and bargainous at a fiver. For the same price we also enjoyed a riff on Canadian monstrosity poutine, here made with hunks of fleshy pork belly and softly warming kimchi. The couple packed in next to us were overheard contemplating a second portion of this, I wholeheartedly agreed with their ambition and would have done likewise if I hadn't known the reaction my suggestion would get from my guest.

And that Bacon Panna Cotta to finish with was designed to fulfil almost all of my fantasies. Every bit as wrong (and as right) as you can imagine. Soft creamy panna cotta with just a hint of smokey bacon, topped with crushed nuts and maple syrup. Absolutely heavenly.

I'm also delighted to say that it's very well priced for this quality of innovative cooking. Even with a (frankly poor and astringent) bottle of house white and (much better) service, the tab only came to £67. It certainly lived up to the hype, though I'm glad to say that it's not as crowded as expected (and as it deserves to be, but these are early days). Next time however I'll be going for a seat upstairs. Don't be put off by the cooler than thou menu, you can ask questions. Come and join the food spotters…

Birthing pains? Naamyaa Cafe - Jan 2013

You can almost hear David Attenborough's hushed and breathy tones describing the place as he peers unobtrusively through the window..."Carefully created.. And lovingly placed next to a recently spawned Jamie's Italian for shelter and contrast.. Small and comparatively week now, but within years this will be a force to reckon with. Under an anonymous new build office block here in the Islington foothills, we are present at the birth of a chain..." It'll go great at the start of the next series of Human Planet.

Naamyaa (or N-U-M-indecipherable squiggle as the sign would have you believe) is, or certainly what feels like, a new concept being rolled out by Alan Yau. Many of his creations have become chains over the years; Wagamammas, Busabi Eathai, Yauacha, the mighty Hakkasan and ChaCha Moon (actually, scratch that last one... It's the black sheep of the family in so many ways) and while Wagamammas may have blossomed into mediocre provincial ubiquity, it's a damn site better than most high streets could have offered even 15 years ago.

The menu at Naamyaa Cafe, created in partnership with Michelin starred Thai specialist David Thompson (he of Michelin starred Nahm fame), is an odd one if you're in search of a new, or specifically Thai, experience. They cover a broad gamut of South East Asian dishes, many offered as shared or small plates, alongside a handful of international offerings such as burgers and European salads (it's styled as an all day Bangkok cafe, this appears to be a 'thing that those establishments offer, much like the culturally curious Indian railway cafes that inspired Dishoom).

So bring it on... 

Walking in to a bright airy space of light pines, gorgeous orange pictoral tiling and cool pistachio green banquettes, one of the first things you notice is that Naamyaa smells of food. In a good way. Food that makes me hungry. Food I want to eat. 

Pulling up a pew at the large bar overlooking the open kitchen (that'd explain the smell then) I skimmed through the menu before succumbing to menu Tourettes and ordering the smell that had turned me on as I walked in. I get the purpose of open kitchens in showier restaurants, where there's genuinely a sense of wonder about what the white clad magicians are doing with their exotic ingredients, less so when you're simply watching a bored guy repeatedly prep clingfilm clad tray after clingfilm clad tray of veggies.

Despite that smell, it didn't start well. Vegetable stuffed spring rolls or Po Pia Jay were as under-filled and generic as those you'd get from a local Chinese supermarket, Thai spiced chicken wings were a generous portion and easily suitable for sharing, but slightly greasy, under-flavoured and just too scrawny. I wasn't wishing I'd nipped into Jamie's next door, but I was starting to bemoan the fact I hadn't gone a little further down the road to Exmouth Market for my scran.

Thankfully, it was saved by the laksa, a deeply intense and flavoursome bowl of hearty spice. £8.50 is a pretty reasonable price for a dish of this quality, one so overfilled with yielding strings of braised chicken, silken noodles, crunchy beansprout and fried garlic that I struggled to finish it. I know that laksa isn't specifically a Thai soup, though versions are served throughout the region and this one is a triumph.

Expectations finally met if not exceeded, I'll certainly pop back in to sample a couple of the other rice and noodle mains if I'm in the area. On the second half of this showing, I won't have a problem recommending Naamyaa, though you might want to wait until one pops up closer to you. It won't be long.

    

Sabor - the Argentinian at the end of the (Essex) Road - Aug 2011

Where: Sabor, Islington
With who: Team Dogface
How much: Starters were £6ish each, mains hover between £13 and £16
Come here if: you're called by ceviche, or have an urge for an empanada

"She'll bite you... If I tell her." being slightly intimidated by a toothless man wielding a lhasa apso wasn't how I'd planned to spend my Saturday evening, and I was lucky at this point that we shared a common language, 'slightly pissed', enabling me to smile and gurn my way out of trouble. Granted, he was slightly more fluent than I, elevated only slightly from the level of street drinker by dint of the pub bench he sat at. Sat outside the New Rose, next door to Sabor and a glimpse of the other Islington. Only a mile from but a million miles removed from the gentrified surroundings of Islington Green and Upper Street.

Essex Road has sidestepped most of the ill effects of recent gentrification, with the odd outriding bar or restaurant gradually spreading the money down from Upper Street and Islington Green. As you head further down, these become fewer and further between, replaced instead with a scattering of old style cafes, blacked out pub windows, bottle shops and the more colourful side of street life. I like it, but then I live in Camberwell.

We weren't here for the salty locale though, we were here on recommendation, punctuating an evening's drinking with a bite to eat at the relatively upmarket 'Nuevo Latino' cantina Sabor. It's a thin, bright space with white walls, primary coloured tables and an eclectic selection of South American objects scattered across the wall, somewhere across between a child's playgroup and gap year returnee's bedroom.

The food was well meaningly authentic but fairly scattergun, starting with a warm but too dry cornbread. I went for a seemingly Peruvian style of potato known as Papas Rellenas, essentially a thickened mash with a spiced minced meat filling, served with a tomato 'foam' on the side. It wasn't disastrous, but watching others plough into hot flakey empanadas and surprisingly solid vegetarian quesadillas I did have a little pang. There were some great dishes among the starters in the group, sadly mine wasn't one of them.

For my main I went for a rib-eye. Well cooked and a great bit of meat to boot. Unfortunately the balsamic glazed plantain that it came with was a little eye-watering for me though. It's an interesting idea, but the al dente discs of banana's bigger brother just didn't take enough of the marinade on, leaving it darkly slick across the plate. It clashed with the over-garlicky chimichurri like two rival gangs on my palate.The lettuce accompanying was just pointless. A classic piece of menu Tourettes. I regretted my choice watching across the tiny toy tables as Pickleodeon ploughed into a Cuban shredded beef brisket and rice dish with a wonderful piquancy to it. There were similar positive murmurs about the red snapper. It certainly smelt good, though the sample I tried got mugged on the way to my tastebuds by that chimichurri.

Desserts followed the theme. My chocolate tres leches was a classic three milk brownie, dense and sticky, a perfect balance of texture, sweet and bitter. Two of the party went for what seemed like a sweetened, poached tomato, served disingenuously with a spoon of highly alcoholic rum and raisin. 

It's a fun, friendly and fairly good value night out. I don't see myself back here at any point in the near future, but that's more the area than the restaurant. It's worth popping in if you're nearby.

   

Short review of the Banana Tree Canteen chain - Feb 2011

Where: Banana Tree Canteen, this review follows visits to Islington and Clapham over the course of a month or so. 

How much: starters £4 to £5 and mains around £7 to £9

Looks wise, it's a Wagamamas on a budget. Shared tables, light woods and smiling bustling servers. There's nothing particularly authentic about the way it looks, but it's become a fairly regular go-to spot when visiting Angel, and having recently visited the Clapham branch, I thought I'd proffer comment on the pair of them.

The menu is relatively extensive, covering a range of Thai and Viet dishes. As well as the standard noodle dishes (both pho and pad Thai make an appearance) they've a range of char grilled meats, some really interesting curries and stews - I can particularly recommend the Tamarind Spiced Aubergine curry - and some less interesting sounding regional specialities, I've never been fussed enough to try their sweet and sour chicken. All of these categories come as a Banana Tree main course, served almost as an Inochine thali with a small portion of glass noodles, jasmine rice, prawn crackers and a side of spicy corn cakes - a great option for a swift and inexpensive lunch. 

Sa Sa Sushi review - Apr 2010

Where: Sa Sa Sushi, Angel
With whom: The Vole and I - in full pre-opera mode...
How much?: £20 a head including a couple of beers

Since I started this blog, the Vole has got used to my incessant demands to obsessively plan our social life around food, go to new restaurants constantly, bitch about them and photograph everything I (and she) eats (actually, it's only the last one that's changed...)


In a poor attempt at a compromise, I try and bow to her preferences whenever possible (ie if there isn't somewhere I desperately want to go).


So prior to a trip to the new Rufus Wainwright ballet at Sadler's Wells - well performed but cliched and with some real issues - Vole really wanted sushi. I tried to talk her into Mexican (Chilango to be precise), Moro or steak, but sushi it was.


Didn't have the best of vibes as we walked in. The long, light wood panelled room was harmless enough, and the sushi counter to the right gave the hope of fresh preparation, but it was empty bar the chef, a brace of middle aged couples and the waiter I'd seen outside having a fag a minute previously. Still, it was only 6.30pm so not entirely surprised. People need to work harder if we're going to spend our way out of this recession...

We started with a fried combo, after all, raw fish and rice is healthy, so I needed a little fried to start with. The Harumaki, hot, greaseless and crispy rolls with a minced chicken filling worked well with a good, homemade dipping sauce and the veggie tempura tasted much better than they photographed. 


A nice mix of veg too, firm but well cooked sweet potato, carrot and sweet shallot along with a particularly tasty aubergine that the pair of us fought over. Fresh and clean tasting batter and a good quantity, it made a sizeable dent in both of our appetites.

We shared the Sa Sa Deluxe Sushi set, and it arrived as soon as our starter cleared (though without fresh plates slightly annoyingly). We started well, with a perfectly prepared soft shell crab roll, so freshly cooked that the shards of crunchy crab gave a slight heat to the surrounding rice, balancing with a tiny, sharp roe.


After that, the nigiri was a bit of a let down for me, the rice came apart too easily and the sea bream was undistinguished and a little chewy. It didn't sit well next to several strips of bright coloured sashimi. I'd normally baulk at the idea of over coloured fish, but both the salmon and the tuna were meltingly correct, lovely fresh lozenges of sweet raw fish. 


When food is this simple, it's easy to get it wrong by not focussing on the basics and I got the feeling from the dining room (and a few other reviews) that this wasn't the most consistent of joints. That being said, it served its purpose and we walked out satisfied. I'll be back, but next time we're in the neighbourhood and it's my choice, we're going to Chilangos...