Category Archives: Food

Vinothec Compass: A Stroke of Food and Wine Genius in North Greenwich

Realising that one of the better meals served to me this year and the best wine list I’ve come across in London in quite a long while both happened to be on offer at a new golf range in North Greenwich really threw me for a loop. But hey, I’m apt to take a swing at virtually any possibility if there’s the promise of great food and drink. Accepting an invitation to what seemed like a long shot – an evening of “Terroir and Turf” at Vinotech Compass at Peninsular Golf Range – turned out to be an ace culinary experience that’s easy to recommend and one that I hope to repeat soon. Continue reading

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A Happy Pig is a Good Pig: What Free Range Really Means

While it’s tempting to rush off and start a cooking marathon as soon as possible, it’s important to consider where your meat comes from first. Of course, discerning shoppers always try to source the best quality possible to be sure of welfare standards and good flavour. However there are so many labels to decipher and even the savviest foodie is likely to be confused by the terms “outdoor bred”, “outdoor reared” and “free range.” Based on her recent visit to Blythburgh Farm in Suffolk, Leila Dukes clarifies. Continue reading

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16 of the Best Bars in Bali (OneTravel)

Welcome to paradise! Here have a drink and enjoy perusing this list of the best bars on the beautiful island of Bali. Cheers! Read my complete post at OneTravel.

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Limited Edition Mast Brothers Chocolate Beer Float at Shake Shack Covent Garden

This week only Shake Shack and Mast Brothers are teaming up to present a limited edition Chocolate Beer Float. Available at the Covent Garden Shake Shack location through Sunday 23 August, the float costs £5 and combines the Shack’s vanilla frozen custard with Mast Brother’s non-alcoholic chocolate beer served together in a Govino wine glass. Continue reading

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Tapas Revolution, Shoreditch

Opened back in the spring, Chef Omar Allibhoy’s Tapas Revolution in Shoreditch seems to have settled in nicely to its Bethnal Green Road digs. I had a lovely time recently, sampling a range of tapas over a couple of drinks at the restaurant’s gorgeous centrepiece copper-topped bar. Continue reading

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Recipe: Ricotta Buttermilk Ice Cream

This recipe for ricotta buttermilk ice cream is easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and yields some much more flavour and creamy texture than typical ice creams tend to have. The ricotta and the buttermilk came from Bermondsey’s Kappacasein dairy. I the ricotta is definitely good enough to eat on its own, and I reckon would be great in any number of dishes. Maybe next time I’ll make some cassata. Continue reading

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Recipe: Mustard Greens

When making this dish for yourself, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Food Assembly ingredients I used were especially yummy and – I reckon – made the greens that much better than they might have been otherwise. Continue reading

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Wine and Spice at The Cinnamon Club

Led by affable and knowledgeable Laurant Chaniac, wine consultant to The Cinnamon Club and Kitchen, the intimate event was held in the restaurant’s intimate library, where guests were invited to sample a range of greek wines paired with exceptional dishes such as pistachio and spice crusted saddle of lamb and tandoori cod with fenugreek seeds. I loved all the wines and pairings of the night, but without doubt my favourite was the one at the end served with dessert: an especially deep flavoured Assyetiko Vin Santo 2004 (of which only 1,000 bottles had been produced). Continue reading

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Good Stuff #44

Good stuff? Great stuff! And so much of it I’m having trouble keeping track and sharing the best of it in a timely manner. But don’t let my inadequate ability to blog efficiently get in the way you having a wonderful time. Have a look a this list of fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading

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Preview: International Street Food Challenge 2015 | Thursday 13 August | Shoreditch

This Thursday (13 August) TravelSupermarket will host a free street food festival in Shoreditch. The International Street Food Challenge 2015 will give guests the chance to sample a variety of authentic and delicious dishes cooked by a variety of vendors from around the world and to vote on which they think serves up the tastiest dish. Continue reading

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The Fire Station Hots up Waterloo Once Again

After a year long refurb, The Fire Station near Waterloo Station has reopened with a new look and menu. I tagged along to the relaunch last month and liked what I saw and what I tasted. Continue reading

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Ask for Janice

This casual bar and restaurant is a welcome addition to the cluster of food and drink options around Smithfield Market. I loved sipping my Beast of Bourbon cocktail (Woodford Reserve, sweet vermouth, crème de mure, £9). The stout salt squid (£8) was pretty yummy too as was most everything else I nibbled. I wasn’t too sure about my grenadine-y seasonal pickles (£3) though. Continue reading

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You Might be a Coffee Snob If … (espressoCrazy)

Do you consider yourself to be a coffee snob? Do you judge others on how much they know (or don’t) about your favourite caffeinated drink? Have you ever done anything out of the ordinary to achieve a dream coffee situation? Do you even have a ‘dream coffee situation’ in mind? Continue reading

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Whaam! Win Free Banh Mi for a Week | Get a Free Americano with Purchase of Sandwich

About two months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Vietnamese style sandwich shop, Whaam Banh Mi, near Piccadilly Circus. Now, I’m teeming up with this friendly little Soho eatery to offer one reader a week’s worth of banh mi for free and the opportunity for everybody to get a free cup of coffee over the next week. Continue reading

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Get Ready to Crave the New Druid Street Market

Okay folks, I’ve got a couple of phrases I’d like you to repeat after me. The first one is “kimchi and Stilton grilled cheese sandwich” as this is the future of what you shall crave. The other is “Druid Street Market,” which is an important phrase to remember because that’s were you’re gonna head on Saturday to take a bite out of this ultra-umami toastie. Continue reading

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Häagen-Dazs Master Ice Cream Academy: Free Ice Cream Fun at Bloomsbury Square Today!

I dropped by Bloomsbury Square yesterday and had a great time. Already a fan of Dan’s doings at Duck & Waffle, I loved getting to sample his peach melba Champagne float. The event was my second encounter with Professor Smith and I was just as amazed and inspired as I was the first time. Rose’s blog, The Londoner, had been completely off my radar until the event. But to have teamed up with Dan, I reckon her site’s worth taking a look-see at. Maybe I’ll do that now while you make plans to get over to Bloomsbury Square, WC1A 2NS today between 11am and 6pm. Continue reading

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Afternoon Tea with a Difference with Bird of Smithfield and Veuve Clicquot

In celebration of Afternoon Tea Week – Monday the 10th to Saturday the 15th of August – Bird will be offering guests sandwiches with a twist, classic scones and yummy cakes – all served alongside “The Earl of Veuve” cocktails (Veuve Clicquot Rich infused with delicate Earl Grey leaves). Continue reading

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My Food Assembled! Falling in Love with Food Assembly

Have you heard about Food Assembly? It’s a convenient new way to shop locally and seasonally that I’ve just come across – and have fallen in love with. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share my personal Food Assembly experience across a series of My Food Assembled! posts to whet your appetite (and maybe even run a fun competition to give one lucky reader the chance to shop Food Assembly for free). Continue reading

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Celebrate Mozzarella Season with Rossopomodoro

Rossopomodoro is celebrating Mozzarella Season by transporting fresh mozzarella di buffalo twice weekly direct from Campania to its London restaurants – from production to plate with 24 hours – to offer guests two mega-milky options for festive get togethers: a 1kg Mozzarellona and a massive 3kg Trecciona. Continue reading

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Potbelly Brings Chicago-Style Made-to-Order Sandwiches to Westfield Stratford City

Truly impressed and way more excited than I expected to be, I’m dying to go back – on an empty stomach – to devour more. Continue reading

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Cold-Press Rapeseed Oil: Oil for One and One for Oil

One type of oil which is increasingly likely to be found in kitchens across the country is rapeseed, with sales rocketing in the last year. The golden elixir attracting discerning shoppers is not the refined, processed stuff often labeled as “vegetable” oil you may associate with rapeseed. British farmers are now producing premium cold-pressed, extra virgin oils from rapeseed crops which are comparable in quality to the best olive oils. Continue reading

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Pensacola, FL Is the Foodie Paradise You Never Knew About (Miles Away)

Sunny days, sandy beaches and sensational food – Pensacola is one of America’s tastiest seaside destinations. From farmers’ markets and “flip-flop fine dining” to innovative regional and international haute cuisine, if you’re hankering for something good to eat, this friendly Gulf Coast town has plenty to go round. Continue reading

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Brighton Bound? Bincho Yakitori for Japanese Grilled Greatness Near the Beach

Yep, the same Bincho that used to grace London’s foodie havens of Soho and Clerkenwell with its simple menu of mostly grilled meats made all the more moreish by a Japanese approach to flavour, style and service is now pleasing palates in cozy little Brighton nook only a few blocks up from the beach. Too bad so sad London, Brighton’s got ya beat this time around. I paid an early evening weekday visit a week or so ago, and had a delightful time sampling my way through the menu – at a fraction of the cost such a exploratory dabble of a meal would set me back here in London. A flight of sake to start things off (the list of Japanese drinks was impressive), followed by a pint of Super Dry Asahi and I was ready for a parade of izakaya hits. Continue reading

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Food Yard Friday at The Artworks Elephant, Elephant & Castle

I had a blast and a lot of amazing street food (and drink!) during last week’s inaugural Food Yard Friday at The Artworks Elephant (a studio and retail hub comprised of shipping containers situated near Elephant & Castle Station). And now that it’s Friday again, here’s your chance to partake in this delicious new series “of food, drink, art and music shebangs.” Whether you’re passing through or making Elephant & Castle your base for the evening, I highly recommend paying a visit. Just make sure to bring a hearty appetite! Continue reading

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This Voucher Code Makes Jealous Sweets 20% Sweeter!

Jealous Sweets makes craft gourmet confectionery for grownups who want a little elegance from their sweet treats. I’m a fan – especially of the intensely fruity Wild Cherries – and reckon the entire range of Wild Cherries, Yummy Bears, Grizzly Bears, Fizzy Friends, Tangy Worms and Sour Beans are packed with way more flavour than any of the typical sweets on the market. Something about the experience seems amplified compared to eating most other candies. Continue reading

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It’s Dawg Days for Byron Burgers with the New Freddar Cheese

The Freddar Dawg is a cheeseburger stacked with a 6oz beef patty cut into (think: conjoined slider twins) and served in a brioche-y hot dog roll with streaky bacon, onion, pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce, American mustard, Byron sauce and (drumroll please) the newly debuted Freddar cheese. Continue reading

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Fizz & Fish! WineTrust at Hook Camden Town

Online wine retailer WineTrust recently teamed up with sustainable fish restaurant Hook Camden Town for a “Fizz & Fish” pairing of Champagnes and sparkling wines with a variety of fish and chip dishes. Coolest thing about this match made in foodie heaven (or at least from my greedy perspective) was that they kindly invited me along to enjoy the savoury slurp fest! Continue reading

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Win a Pot of Hotel Chocolat Fruit Bombes to Chill

Hotel Chocolat’s Fruit Bombes to Chill come in five fantastic flavours: blackcurrant, lime, lemon, cherry and passion fruit. With the perfect contrast of fruit tang and smooth chocolate, they’re best served after being chilled for at least 30 minutes. Pop in the fridge then pop in your mouth. Continue reading

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Yelp London’s Big Night In: Free Treats and Services Delivered to Your Doorstep

Have you heard about Yelp’s Big Night In? With mega-loads of free treats and services being offered to 30 lucky Yelpers, a quiet Friday night at home never looked so good! Continue reading

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Living Lech: A Taste of Austria’s Gourmand Side

Austria, like any culture-rich nation, has a consummate tradition of food: timeless recipes, fresh ingredients, and local preferences. That’s given. What I didn’t expect from my four-day trip to Lech, a traditional valley town nestled into the sprightly Alps, was for my farm-fresh experience to cross-over with world-renown couture gastronomy. And here’s the thing about couture: it always fits. (Not sure if I could say the same for my jeans afterwards.) Continue reading

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Camino Tapas Bar Carves a Path to a New Bankside Location

Furthering restaurateur Richard Bigg’s vision of casual Spanish dining in Britain, Camino Bankside offers Londoners more opportunity to enjoy Executive Chef Nacho Del Campo’s smart menu of tapas, sharing platters and more in a stylish setting with plenty of outdoor seating. Continue reading

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Sunlight Gleams on My Strategically Placed Coffee Machine (espressoCrazy)

Lousy photo? Maybe. But it illustrates well what I’m most pleased to blog about at this moment. Just look at all that streaming sunlight coming into the shot from my back garden! And what’s it gleaming on? My Francis Francis … Continue reading

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Nothing Jarring about a Relaxing Dinner at Drury Lane’s Jar Kitchen

A member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Jar Kitchen’s menu features plenty of British fare (all meat sourced from Walter Rose & Son butchers in Wiltshire) with a contemporary European twist along with tasty items presumably picked up just round the restaurant’s Seven Dials corner (chiefly Monmouth Coffee and Neal’s Yard Dairy). And – from what I could ascertain at a recent tasting event – I it’s all in good hands with Chef Dominik Moldenhauer (ex-Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner). Continue reading

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Pizza Union, Pentonville Road, King’s Cross

I’m not sure which I love more: a great pizza or a great bargain. But if I can get ‘em both in one go at a convenient and actually rather stylish setting then I reckon that’s a big tasty win that warrants a shout out! Already a fan of the original restaurant in Spitalfields, I am so pleased to share the good news that Pizza Union has opened a second location on Pentonville Road near King’s Cross St Pancras station. Continue reading

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