Barrafina Drury Lane, London

Isn't it funny, how life can suddenly take a wrong turn? All the plans became a blow of dusts and you are left bewildering what to do or what is ahead. Then there are some people that wants to ruin your life for some unknown selfish reasons. Along the way, you lose some friends as well, that used to be your so called "best friends". When life hits your hard, it may not be easy to keep your head above the water. The storm is rough, but it does not last forever. After a storm comes a rainbow, one would say one would become stronger afterward. But what I would say is fake being strong till you make it. It's the only way not to drown.

At the meantime, even if you are weak you still have to eat to survive. Why have crappy food when you can have Barrafina? It took me awhile before making it to the restaurant, I always wanted to go but the queue is always insane. I finally had a reason to go without queuing, and it was for a post theatre meal. Surely there would not be a queue at 10pm? So one evening after "The Book of Mormon", me and the not so nobleman totted to Drury Lane which was the third branch of Barrafina (they've a Michelin starred one in Soho and another one in Adelaide Street in Covent Garden). Guess what, there was no queue.

Diver Caught Scallop Ceviche

Stuffed Courgette Flower

It always excites me when there are counter seats and watching the chef sereniting the kitchen, that's the simple set up of Barrafina. No frill and no fuss. Another point is that watching the chef plating up a dish that looks good makes you want to order more food or going "I'll have one of those too".

First arrived was the scallop ceviche, the dressing that came with it was unlike the ceviche dressing from a Peruvian catering. The balance of zing and sweet with the melt in the mouth texture of scallop, a moment in life where you want it to carry on in your mouth. Then there was the stuffed courgette flower, stuffed with goats cheese and drizzled with honey. That strong cheese flavour was so on point, a marriage for a cheese lover. We also had the roast peppers, anchovies & pan de coca which I unfortunately demolished half before realising the photography. It's a classic tapas dish of a piece of toast topped with roast peppers and anchovies. I was too hungry and it was heavenly with the sweetness of the pepper and the saltines of anchovies and a added crunch from the toast.

Crab Bun

Baby Artichokes

Brill, Potato, Garlic

Perhaps, the crab bun is undoubtedly the signature dish here. That poppy seed topped soft bun and that creamy abundance crabby concoctions (mixed with some asparagus I think for more texture), I think my heart just skipped a beat. If only I was not allergic to crab, we could have munched on another easily. From the special board, we had the baby artichokes which was deep fried I believed. Artichokes are not about the appearance, but the flavour. And with an aiöli sauce on the side. I never understood the people that does not like artichokes, seriously I don't and I think it is an underrated vegetable. Last was the brill, potato, garlic dish. The delicate flesh of the brill was cooked to perfection, the potato was soft and mopping up the sauce. All topped with huge amount of crispy garlic and parsley. I may have turned into a pescatarian for the night, I would happily do it for anytime when in Barrafina again.

It was late at night where we could not stop the laughter, a wise choice of not cracking a bottle since we probably could not finish it in an hour or secretly maybe we can. We happily went with my suggestion of a glass each of Rioja, Hacienda del Ternero Blanco 2013. Nose of yellow fruits with some flowers. The palate is very balanced, good acidity and sweet stride.

I strongly believe with good company and good food, it equates to a good time, I could not ask for more. The food at Barrafina was faultless and certainly did not disappoint, every bites you have the taste gets better. More butterflies goes dancing in your mouth, it's full of explosions. You know you are in for a good meal when you go to Barrafina.

Score Rating: 5/5.




http://www.barrafina.co.uk/restaurants/drury-lane

Superstar BBQ, London

Sitted by the floor to ceiling windows, bronze lampshades and baubles hanging above at irregular lengths, tapping away on my phone whilst waiting for my friend. The failed moment when your friend stood outside by the window trying to grab my attention by making silly faces, but the fact is I never took a notice of it. Lifting my head, I turned and saw my friend Burcu standing outside. With the most confusing expression on my face, wondering what the hell is this girl doing not coming inside and would rather be out in the cold. I have a lot of silly friends that always trying to play their humour side when being with me. Be warned, I am a joke killer. Do not expect to me to laugh, because I will just kill it unexpectedly.

Korean BBQ has always been an on and off trend. In fact this is my second Korean BBQ in London throughout living here so long. Burcu never had Korean cuisine before so this was a surprisingly interesting introduction to her. Located in St Giles Piazza, Superstar BBQ is a new Korean joint from the mini chain of Bimbimbap. The stretch of St Giles Street and Tottenham Court Road is fast becoming the second Korean Town (after New Malden in South London) with many new establishments opening up.

Fallen Angel in Busan

Super Star Queen's Peach

Both cocktails used soju (Korean distilled beverage) as the base of its alcohol. It tasted very nice, just a touch of overly sweet for mez

Banchan (namool & kimchi)

The menu is just as what you would expect for a Korean BBQ, full of different marinated meats. With our indecisiveness, we opted for the set menu no.3, for £35 each. When one hear the word BBQ, it will linger to the taste of smoke over hot coals, the dimension of charred on food. Due to the strict UK health and safety, it will be a rarity to play with fire. In place is an electrical grill fitted in every table. 

An array of banchan proceeded, side dishes of fermented and seasoned vegetables. The kimchi was well made, enough spiciness for those that can not tolerate spicy and still had a crunch to it. 

Pa Jeon (seafood pancake) and Traditional Mandoo (dumplings)

Yuk Hwae (beef tartare)

The pa jeon, a thin batter pacake studded with seafood lost its crispness. The traditional mandoo, fried dumplings are just what you'd expected. What stood out was the yuk hwae, the Korean version of beef tartare. It is usually made up of julienned strip of the most tender part of the beef, seasoning and egg yolk, mixed with julienned Korean pear and pine nuts for freshness and crunch. Another first for Burcu for tasting raw beef, thumbs up for the brave girl.

Korean BBQ 

Squid

Rib Galbi

Wine Pork Belly

Sesame & Garlic Sirloin

Grilled Vegetables

The parade of meat and seafood for the BBQ was set up after the starters. I had to swap the tiger prawns for squid due to my allergy. We were presented with squid, rib galbi (de boned short rib), wine pork belly, sesame & garlic sirloin and vegetables. According to the instruction, it would take around 3 minutes for the grill to heat up which was misleading. We could not get any caramelisation on our squid, the grill was simply not hot enough to cook yet. For rest, it did not go into incineration. On hands with the BBQ was some cabbage leaves, spring onion salad, gochujang (hot pepper sauce) and salt & sesame oil dipping sauce. How do you eat it? Simply use the cabbage leaves like a wrap. Add some cooked meat, salad and sauce to it, then dunk it into your mouth. If you're feeling lazy, skip all those steps and just eat the meat/seafood/vegetables.

Considering it is food for two, more came along with a small bibimbap and miso soup. Honestly we were too cluttered up by now, I still tested the bibimbap out and sipped on the soup. 

Seasonal Fruits

Honey Quince

Dessert was a platter of season fruits acting as a palate cleanser and also a chilled honey quince drink which had a very intriguing taste.

Superstar BBQ is a fun interaction food venue for a Tinder date or a group of friends. Food is met with novelty of self cooking, but once the fun is worn off it is lacklustre. Service was friendly and all staffs spoke fluent English.

Score: 2.5/5



http://superstarbbq.co.uk

I was invited to review, as always opinions are my own.

Adam Handling at Caxton, London

One day, I will enter Masterchef when my cooking skills are just maybe on par with the professional level. I love cooking, at the same time I love trying new restaurants and sampling and learning different cuisines. I don't have talent like Adam Handling, he was a contestant on Masterchef: the Professionals. A show for the up and coming professionals showcasing their skills and pushing boundaries and flairs. Unlike me, I am just an amateur and love eating foremost.

I never really got into watching the Masterchef: the Professionals, I am a sucker for the amateur version (and it is a better show). It was not until another blogger mentioned that we should try out Adam Handling at Caxton that with my slow train thought, to realised who he was. Handling was a runner up in Masterchef 2013, but have also won numerous other awards since. With his name hanging on the restaurant of St Ermin's Hotel in St James, one may thought this was a popular restaurant not. Location wise is not a bustling area, just across the road from New Scotland Yard so definitely in a safe hand.

Menu

What Adam showcased on the show was his own distinctive flairs and technical skills which reflects on the European menu with a touch of Japanese essence. We went for the barginous set meal of 3 course plus a glass of wine each that was booked through "bookatable".

Bread with Olive Oil and Chicken Butter

Bread came in a very small loaf, unsliced. We had to saw through the crust, I tried and struggled. I felt like needing a chainsaw for the job, so I left that job to my company Tom, from Food and Drinks Noob blog. Beside the hard crust, it was decently soft inside with a chicken butter. It tasted like chicken, chicken skin to be more precise and the thought of it is heart attacking but too precious to go to waste. Also on displayed was a Spanish olive oil for dipping, which apparently Handling produced. All I can say is I had better.

Nitro Salmon, Snow Peas, Wasabi, Blossom

Smoked Pork, Pineapple, Lovage, Parmesan

The nitro salmon was a theatrical show, spiking it with nitro smoke. The presentation was spot on, crafting a colourful mosaic. I can see the Japanese influence in this dish with the use of wasabi but I did not really get that hit of wasabi in the form of an oil with the fresh salmon and the greeness of peas. Tom's starter was interestingly covered with Parmesan snow, balanced by the smoky aroma of the pork and offseted by the sour note of the pineapple. I preferred my salmon dish. We had a glass of house wine each with it and frankly it was gone before the main course arrived.

Lamb, Artichokes, Garlic, Sour Cream

For main, we both chosen the lamb. The lamb looked tender but my first cut of it was tough, so much hard work of sawing through it that it lacked excitement. The dish was playing too safe, all classic well complimented flavour. Not much I can fault beside the meat being on the tough side.

Pre Dessert

Apple, Tonka, Elderflower, Coconut

Mandarin, Yuzu, Lime, Choux

The pre dessert was a mini wafer cone with a custard ice cream. I was left out of words with the lack of imagination. Tom had the apple dessert, which was clean and fresh. Whilst I had a giant choux filled with mandarin creme patissiere, it had a looked of a pineapple bun (bo lo baau) and a crunchy texture. It was more crunchier than a normal choux pastry. There was a lot of element to this dessert and I have to give an applaud to the sugar work, what a skillful job.

I can see the potential of Adam Handling, a very young chef with a contemporary and elegant style that has Michelin aspirations. The meal showed techniques and thoughtful combination of flavours but it just lacked excitement, and can be a bit dull within a hotel environment unless you're a businessman or a visitor in the saturated hotels area of St James Park.

Score: 3/5.

http://www.caxtongrill.co.uk/caxton/adam-handling

Spring Feast with Lisa Faulkner #CurrysOnHotpoint

Ever since I started blogging, I get invited to all sort of different food related events. My most recent invite was with Currys and Hotpoint to an exclusive Spring Feast dinner where I would be cooking with the Celebrity Masterchef 2010 winner Lisa Faulkner. 

Spring is coming soon, a new seasonality of food is appearing on the menu. We should be following the seasonal food and supporting the local produces. The lovely Lisa rustled up scrumptious two course meal where the bloggers had to replicate afterward at the Hotpoint Design Centre. This was a chance to try out all the latest Hotpoint kitchen gadgets. The centre was a serious kitchen porn, being an amateur cook I dreamt of having a kitchen like this.

It was not about an evening of just getting fed, we had to get dirty on hands to prepare for our own supper. We were divided to cook up either the main dish or dessert. I am always a savoury person, in no decision I volunteered for the main. 

After a lot of confusion and some careful choppings, the main was put into the Hotpoint Openspace oven to bake away. This new design oven has a special feature of double oven flexibility in a single oven space with the intelligence and innovation of Luce Openspace. A simple divider creates two individual cooking zones with independent timers, controls and lightings. A dream oven if you have a small kitchen.

Menu of the night:

• Lemon Sole En Papillote - so simple and tasty, the fennel added some strong aniseed flavour to fish. A brilliant balance to such a delicate fish. With sides of potatoes and greens, too much food to digest.


• Upside Down Pineapple Pudding - an old school retro dessert, it may even drew back up school dinner memories. Another very simple recipe with the all in one method of just blending everything together. It was served with custard, prefect ending to such a wonderful evening.

Thank you Lisa Faulkner!

Noble Rot, London

Once upon a time, the Princess and the Prince Charming lived happily forever after. That did not happen to me, ended rather tragically but one thing that it lead me into is the world of wine or some may called it alcoholism. So much so, when I asked the mighty world of Twitter for the best wine bar in London, Noble Rot was one that got mentioned the most along with couple of other names. I remembered talking to someone at Handford Wines before Christmas, they were saying how good the wine lists was. Anywhere with a good wine list will most definitely attracts me.

Lamb's Conduit Street is a fascinating street, a historic street with all different quirky shops. Sitting on this street is a new wine bar from the chaps of the wine magazine Noble Rot. It feels like it's been there forever, which it has since 1973 before a change of ownership in the late 2015.

Lopez de Heredia, "Tondonia" Tinto Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2003

The menu reads simplicity, at the helm of the kitchen is Paul Weaver who previously worked at the Michelin starred The Sportsman and St John Bread & Wine. With consultant assistance from the man himself, Stephen Harris of The Sportsman. The wine list is even more impressive and is organised by a mix of geography and grapes variety. If you know your wine well, you can spot few bargain bottles below the retail price.

A start with a sip of Lopez de Heredia Rioja 2003, full of juicy ripe fruit flavour. Along with the wine was a cheese plate (Reblochon, Sant Andrea, Beauvale), I got too excited looking at the cheese that I forgot about the photo. Before I know it, the cheese was already demolished.

Duck Ham

I do realised that I started with a dessert first, well cheese for me is more of an appetitser. There's no right or wrong order for food, eat what you love and drink what you appreciate. The duck ham has no relation to the animal piggy, it is thinly sliced smoked duck breast. The oiliness cut through the second bottle of wine, a Shiraz that is very different palate to the initial bottle of Rioja. (I cannot seem to find the Shiraz on the wine list afterward, forgive me again no photo).

Comté Tart, Pink Chicory & Pickled Walnuts

Confit Duck Leg, Puy Lentils & Aioli

Tonight, I found a new love in the form of a Comté tart. Comté is one of my favourite cheese. This is like a savoury custard tart. That intensive cheese flavour and slight gooey melt in the mouth texture, no amount of words can describe it to the point that I have ignored the duck. The salad that went with duck had a slight bitterness but a tang with the dressing making it refreshing to eat. Whilst the duck was good, meat falling off the bone paired with a hearty puy lentils. The dish was simply over shadowed by the brilliant Comté tart. 

Noble Rot is indeed very good, fantastic food and exceptional selected wine list. It met up all the hyped that I heard and excelled in my expectation. Quality food with a bistro fare and quality wine with price tag that does not break the bank. What is not to love about it? With delicious food comes great wine, more importantly is the company that you attended with. With an amazing company, it made this meal even more brilliantly. A word of advice: drink on caution! 

Score: 4/5

http://noblerot.co.uk/wine-bar