eat and drink – The Cultural Exposé

Doing Veganuary? Here’s why you should visit Farmacy in Notting Hill

Matilda — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 07:30:27 +0000

It would take a lot for me to become a vegan. Like the global eradication of fried chicken. Pepperoni. SCRAMBLED EGGS AND BACON. That’s not to say I wouldn’t dabble in #plantlife, especially if I can chow down on the sort of dishes that are simply too good to be true. Cue Farmacy – the new super hip vegetarian and vegan spot from hottie heiress and fashionista Camilla Al-Fayed. This slick place offers a creative menu that takes healthy, plant-based nosh to a whole other level of clean eating and fine dining, without the premium pricing. And the food tastes HA-mazing. I was recently invited to a blogger’s dinner to try out the menu and not only did I leave completely stuffed, but I promised myself I’d be back for another round of the black bean and mushroom burger (SO GOOD) and the lemon cheesecake bowl (a gorgeous serving of vegan lemon sorbet, raspberry mousse and maple meringue). Check out some snaps from the dinner below:

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What we’ve been up to… The Pedler

Matilda — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:00:13 +0000

Peckham in 2015 is a far cry from the ends I reluctantly called home during my uni days in the late 90s. It’s younger, hipper and more culturally diverse than ever, attracting entrepreneurs who are setting up restaurants and hotspots perfectly aimed at the district’s influx of creative and city types. At least that’s the vibe I get from The Pedler. This newbie to SE15 is jam-packed on Wednesday night with the kind of folk who like quirky surroundings, outstanding cocktails and food with plenty of heart and pizazz. The latter is all about quality, seasonal ingredients, used in the tapas-style plates and mains my companion and I happily worked our way through. Our starter platers for the evening were the jerusalem artichoke arancini with a deliciously moreish parsley mayo; the smoked paprika squid, served with lemon oil and another helping of artichoke (I love me some artichoke so not complaining); and the jalepeno cornbread that deserved a round of applause.

The mains passed the taste test too. A frizzle chicken with polenta and parmesan came with “attitude sauce”; I failed to catch what it was made of but whatever it was, it was pretty wonderful accompaniment. My friend went for the Atlantic cod with beetroot ragu and capers, and while it wasn’t as showstopping as the chicken, it was a good pick, with its subtle but delicious flavours. Our evening finally came to a lovely conclusion with the valhrona chocolate fondant served with a passion fruit sorbet and the hearty pink grapefruit bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream. The added citrus in both desserts did raise our eyebrows but it worked surprisingly well.

The Pedler opened last Christmas, but already it seems to have earned its stripes in a neighbourhood that’s becoming a real contender on the food scene. For more details visit www.pedlerpeckhamrye.com – and check more pics from our visit below!

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Something you should serve… East London Liquor Company Gin Cured Salmon

Matilda — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 10:21:15 +0000

This recipe comes from Natalie Coleman, the former credit controller and techno DJ from Hackney who won Masterchef in 2013. She teamed up with East Village London earlier this month to create a menu which used locally sourced ingredients from the East End.

East London Liquor Company Gin Cured Salmon

Serves 12 people

Ingredients

1 side of Salmon Fillet – skin on and pin boned (1kg)
300g Rock Salt
100ml of dry gin (preferable East London Liquor Company)
250g Caster Sugar
1 Tbsp Juniper Berries
1 Teasp Black Peppercorns
35g Dill – Roughly Chopped
Zest of 2 Lemons
Zest of 2 Limes

To serve

Crusty Sour Dough
250ml Crème Fraiche
Cornichons – small jar
1 Tbsp Fresh Dill – finely chopped

Method

Toast the peppercorns and juniper berries in a dry pan for 1-2mins.
Once toasted then crush them in a pestle and mortar. You don’t want to grind then to a powder, only lightly crush them.
Then in a large mixing bowl place all of the ingredients (except the salmon) and mix so everything is incorporated well.
On a clean work surface, then lay cling film for the salmon to sit on. It’s best to use two lengths and overlap so they make one sheet. I like to let the cling film overhang the work surface to its easy to roll up, and you want to roll around 50cm in length.
Place the salmon fillet onto the cling film and pat dry using kitchen paper, and then spread the curing mixture over the fillet evenly.
Then carefully wrap the fillet up. Once wrapped, re-wrap in 3 more layers.
Place this into a roasting tin or something of similar size, and then place another roasting tin on top of the salmon to weigh this down. You can use tins/jars for added weight.
Then put this into the fridge and leave for 2-3 days. After this time remove from fridge and unwrap, and then discard cling film and rinse under a cold tap to remove the rest of the cure. Pat dry using kitchen paper.
To serve, slice the salmon into thin slices and serve with toasted sour dough and crème fraiche.

Natalie’s cookbook Winning Recipes: For Every Day comes out on 2nd October. For more info, visit: www.nataliecolemanchef.co.uk/book.

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What we’ve been up to… Hoi Polloi

Lucy Palmer — Tue, 27 May 2014 10:00:14 +0000

Hotel restaurants rarely get much recognition, as so often they’re not at the front of your mind when you’re looking for a restaurant to go to. But with great food and a relaxed atmosphere, Hoi Polloi, which describes itself as a modernist brasserie should be viewed on its own merits. Part of the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, I visited on a weekend for brunch. With an American heritage (Ace Hotels are renown stateside) I had high expectations for a good breakfast. We started with Bloody Marys which could have been better; I like mine with a kick but the amount of kick in ours was far too much. They made up for it with the coffee though and my poached eggs were cooked well.

The menu is refreshingly affordable and varied with something for everyone – and there’s a Nordic slant to dishes that matches the décor of the restaurant; all very clean and simple. At the weekend, you’ll also get to enjoy a string quartet which also adds to the soothing mood. The menu offers more than merely just breakfast though, with afternoon tea, lunch and dinner all on offer making it a welcome addition to the Shoreditch restaurant scene. (Words: Lucy Palmer)

For more info, visit: www.hoi-polloi.co.uk

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What we’ve been up to… Eat Your Way Around Brixton

Matilda — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:00:35 +0000

Hate it or love it, but the gentrification (or regeneration?) of Brixton has meant that the area in recent years has seen a splatter of high street fashion chains, coffee shops and a wave of “have-you-been-to” hit list restaurants awkwardly exist within the “old Brixton”, attracting the sort of yuppies who might have been too reluctant to eat in SW2 a few years ago. But big business aside, scratch the surface and you’ll discover that what’s going down in Brixton a’int all doom and gloom – and this enjoyable foodie jaunt with cultural guided walks company Fox and Squirrel was our opportunity to discover that and more.

Led by Lindsay Faller, an American expat who writes about food for the Brixton Blog and Bugle and who’s lived in Brixton for 12 years, the walk included a potted history of the area and visits to a range of vendors, all introducing a unique cultural aspect of Brixton. First stop was an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony on Brixton Station Road performed in a small tent filled thick with the aroma frankincense and coffee beans which were roasted right in front of us by Elsa – the co-owner of our next stop the Shawl café, where we tucked into a tear-and-share platter of Ethiopian dishes served on the tart and spongy injera bread. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Ethiopian food, but this platter of lentils and stews was tasty and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s curious about this cuisine.

The next stop – and my personal highlight of the day – was a visit to Las Cafeteria around the corner on Pope’s Road, a bustling Columbia canteen, butchers and money-changing shop, rolled into the one. We managed to grab a few seats in the back before trying the mouth-watering Lechona – a popular dish of a roast pig stuffed with rice, peas, onions and spices and cooked for roughly 10 hours. And you could tell – it was so flavoursome, made even better with the homemade salsa that was placed on the table.

Our third stop on the walk was Brixton Brewery (Arch 547, Brixton Station Road), a creative company that is definitely one of trendier additions to the area. I’m more of a wine drinker myself, but it was fascinating to hear about the beer-making process (even if I didn’t take too well to the sample of pale ale I tried!). This stop was followed up by a sit-down at Fish, Wings and Tings in the revitalised Brixton Village, a Caribbean hotspot which was heaving with customers when we arrived. And it’s no wonder – the salt fish fritters and goat roti we sampled were simply delicious (especially with a bit of the signature house sauce).

As time was fast spent, we had a quick walk through one of the local shops serving all types of exotic ingredients before the walk was wrapped up with a final visit to Kaff bar on Atlantic Road, an eclectic, laidback café where artwork from local artists adorn the wall. Homemade ginger beers were eagerly washed down a platter of US Southern-inspired dishes – like the delectable soft shell crab – and it was definitely a perfect conclusion to a day of culinary, cultural delights.

The original itinerary featured gelato-making (which was unfortunately missed out), but that was only a minor blip for a day I’d highly recommend. Admittedly, it is on the pricier side for an urban adventure (£70 for 3 hours), but if you’re new to the capital, it’s also a fantastic way to get to know this evolving area a whole lot better. For more information, visit: www.foxandsquirrel.com/product/food-walk-london

To see more of our pics, visit: www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/galleries/eat-your-way-around-brixton-food-walk

Thank you to Fox and Squirrel for accommodating us!

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Somewhere you should eat… Clutch

The Cultural Exposé — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:10:57 +0000

Chicken in all its glorious varieties started becoming a big deal a couple of years ago with the opening of a spate of restaurants (Wishbone, Chicken Shop, Chook, Roost, et. al) taking on the cheap and cheerful Morleys of the London with a posher, free-range alternative. The latest contender to open late last year was Clutch, a hip little restaurant just off the Columbia Road (in the Hoxton area) that not only serves all sorts of chicken, but has ensured the sides and cocktails are equally as creative to stand out from the crowd. Clutch has no shame in playing up to the chicken theme and the menu screams with gags galore – “clutch it real good” chicken chowder anyone? – but gimmicks aside, the food is quite remarkable. Last Friday night was a chance for a friend and I to try a bit of everything from the menu, aided by the lovely co-owner Anthony Ussher. After downing a Cackling Goose Cosmo “clutchtail” (a fruity concoction made with vodka, apricot jam, sugar syrup, cranberry juice, lime and triple sec) we went in on:

Two delicious half buckets of peppery buttermilk and sweet soy and garlic chicken (with dippety dips of roasted garlic and creme fraiche for the latter and chicken gravy for the former)
Peanut and chilli crust “love me tenders” – simply tasty
Homemade cream coleslaw – fresh and crunchy, the way mom used to make it
Sesame and honey wings – a great pairing with the crispy fabulous fries
Baby beets with parsley, pistachio, pesto with torn mozzarella – an unusual salad but it works
Mother hen stuffing – buttery and moreish! A pleasant change from the kind served at Christmas..

…And to say we were stuffed was an understatement. Clutch is a great place to visit if you’re looking for a spot off the beaten track that’s clearly put alot of TLC in their food – and price wise, dinner might set you back around £20, but the portions are generous enough to ensure you get your money’s worth. Check out our pics below, but for more info, visit: www.clutchchicken.com What’s your favourite chicken spot in London? Tell us in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… Princess Victoria’s Burns Night

Matilda — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 11:00:11 +0000

Trust the Scots to find a way to make you look forward to the end of the month. Every 25th January, the whole of the UK celebrates the life of famous Scottish poet Robert Burns—often in the most Scottish of ways, with a wee (or slightly larger) dram of whisky and a bit of haggis. If you fancy starting the celebrations early, head over to the Princess Victoria pub in Shepherd’s Bush tomorrow. They will feature a three-course early Burns Night supper club menu cooked up by Head Chef Matt Reuther (formerly of No 1 Lombard St and Marco Pierre White’s three Michelin-starred Oak Room).

Reuther will be playing up the smoky flavours of Scotland’s famed peated whiskys with a menu that starts with a cassoulet made of whisky-barrel-smoked langoustine and home-cured bacon. The next course is a Scottish mutton haggis served along with ash wood-roasted shoulder and a serving of neeps and tatties (swedes), a popular accompaniment to haggis. Finally, dessert will be Applewood-roasted quince and the traditional Scottish dessert of cranachan, made of cream, whisky, raspberries and toasted oatmeal. And no smoky meal would be complete with a nip of Laphroaig whisky! The three-course supper is £30 and will offer the chance to buy wines and whiskeys while enjoying the beautiful historic pub. For more info, visit: www.facebook.com/events/602210763168004

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Somewhere you should go… The Blues Kitchen Rib Festival

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:00:05 +0000

You might think that BBQs aren’t something to book into the diary for the next few months – but you couldn’t be more wrong. Camden’s Blues Kitchen is giving reason enough to block out the next four Mondays, as some of London’s greatest BBQ chefs arrive for the first-ever Rib Festival. The guest chefs will fire up the many in-house smokers to cook up their own unique takes on the iconic BBQ dish. The front of house will feature live music from the London Bluesmen and Sam Hare & Oliver to accompany your meaty meal.

First up tonight is the Prairie Fire BBQ, cooking up traditionally slow-cooked Kansas City style BBQ (for you BBQ newbies, that means the meat is slowly smoked and then covered in a sweet, tomato-based sauce). Prairie Fire BBQ’s sauce is handmade weekly and comes from a recipe passed down through the generations.
The 27th January session will showcase London’s own The Rib Man, famous for his spicy “Holy F##k!” sauce and high-quality meats. On 3rd February, Grillstock from Bristol will bring its hickory wood-smoked meats to the Kitchen. Then on the 10th, DJ BBQ will be cooking up Carolina-style(smoked low and slow with vinegar and spices) pulled pork. For further info, visit: www.theblueskitchen.com/whats-on (Words: Barbara Cole)

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What we’ve been up to… Paesan

Laura Thornley — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 11:55:23 +0000

Peasant food may not be the first thing you fancy when you are on your way out to dinner but if you’ve been following the trend, you’ll know there are no limits to how amazing this Italian ‘poor’ cooking can be. New to the ever-growing peasant food scene is Paesan, brainchild of Anthony Brown of Pasta Brown fame in Covent Garden. Taking up the large curved spot at the bottom of Exmouth market, this place has got its work cut out for it being among a number of popular restaurants, but it has plenty of promise.
On first impressions the décor is strikingly industrial: wine was served in old tomato tins, bear steel coats the walls and furniture, the menus were on butcher’s paper and everything was sandpapered to within an inch of its life. If you didn’t know this was peasant chic, you do now. The menu is reasonably simple, featuring pasta, pizza and a few meat and fish dishes.

Nothing is above £12, which makes a p(l)easant change from the rising prices of budget dinners (aren’t we in a recession?!). The menu features a Napolese classic pizza fritta (yes, fried pizza), that isn’t often seen on these shores. It’s smothered with delicious taleggio and mushroom. We also tried the Sicilian sausage with lentils – stacked high to almost daunting proportions. What it lacked in flavour (and sadly there was little depth) it made up for in its value.
Paesan is a considerable size and the menu is accessible and relaxed enough to draw a crowd. There is also an extensive cocktail bar downstairs with cosy seating under archways: easy to imagine the Islington crowd taking to this bar on a weekend. Whilst it may not be a culinary revolution, this place isn’t bad and could make a good port of call to while away the hours finding your way through the cocktail menu or the upmarket peasant sharing food they have on offer. (Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info, visit: www.paesanlondon.com

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Somewhere you should eat… The Fat Bear

The Cultural Exposé — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:00:38 +0000

From the outside, it looked like any English pub. Inside, loud voices debated Manchester United’s season while others swigged Fuller’s beer. I couldn’t feel further from America.
The back of the pub, though, houses a small corner of the US via the Fat Bear pop-up restaurant in residency. My first stop was Louisiana via pickled sweet corn, pimento cheese biscuits and deep-fried pickles. A bite of the cheese sandwich (the American cousin to the cheddar and pickle sandwich) was an immediate postcard from childhood. The fried pickles, near-impossible to find in London, outdid anything at a chip shop.

Like a high-end pizza? The spinach and ricotta crepe that followed had a crispy with a gooey centre that made me want more. The accompanying salad was a truly southern specialty of spinach, candied pecans, cheese and hot pepper jelly dressing.
Then there was a lineup of three iconic American dishes: slow cooked beef brisket, biscuits and gravy, and macaroni and cheese. All were like care packages from home. The brisket was beyond tender; a fork was only there for manners’ sake. The mac and cheese was decadent and delicious, peppered with thick chunks of bacon, while the biscuits and gravy outdid any version currently on offer the capital.
The chef, Michael Bolous, not only worked in kitchens in Boston and New York City, but also received a degree in American History, with an emphasis on regional cuisines. His thorough understanding and love of the food shines through in dishes that are both homages and modern improvements. The food at the Fat Bear is one of the best translations of American fare for the British market and should not be missed. The residency at the Sun and 13 Cantons continues through the end of November, including special menus for Thanksgiving. (Words: Barbara Cole)

For more info, visit: www.thefatbear.co.uk

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