The Old Dairy

Sunday lunch with John and Sue, we strolled to Crouch End in the almost rain, not a long walk from N19 but not a particularly pleasant one.

The building is, as it says on the tin, an old dairy and it's quite a sight to behold from the exterior, a lot of brick, large oval windows, in all a very attractive looking venue. It's a gastropub at heart with wooden tables aplenty but a more formal dining area to the rear with dark leather booths.

The roasts at The Old Dairy looked impressive as we saw them being ferried around the place by the young, friendly and rather trendy waiting staff and they are reasonably priced at £13. When we were settled and ready to order the kitchen had temporarily closed due to an excess of orders. The waiter came over to our table about 10 minutes later and took our order, not too much of a problem but then the same thing happened when we went to order dessert. I think they would do better to take the orders anyway and explain that there might be a bit of a wait. The food arrived very quickly and announcing that the kitchen is overwhelmed is not the best way to approach a busy service imho.


Anyhow, when the food arrived it was fine hearty pub grub. I went for the roast lamb, Thomas for chicken with chorizo and John and Sue both had the beef. I was asked whether I'd like the lamb pink or well cooked. I asked for pink and it wasn't which was disappointing. I thought the roast potatoes could certainly have done with a bit longer in the oven. The veg was nice, savoy cabbage and green beans retained their crunch and there was a carrot and suede mash, a welcome addition. The Yorkshire pudding, which can be such a treat, was dry and hollow and there wasn't enough gravy.

The others did slightly better, the beef was cooked as requested and Thomas liked the chorizo. He did note that there was a lack of seasoning and I agree that the taste was a little bland. Better was my cheeseboard, a selection of Cornish yarg, Cashel blue and Somerset brie with quince jelly, red grapes and oat cakes. I happily munched my way through this (with a lot of assistance from Thomas) for a good half an hour. A very generous portion with a good choice of cheeses. Not cheap at £9.50 but worth it. Other desserts sampled were sticky toffee pudding and the apple crumble, both were consumed swiftly with no complaints.

I will note that I was very ill following this meal, not immediately following but in the middle of the night and all of Monday. It could have been a bug but this seems to happen to me after pub roast dinners, see this post. Is it possible I am allergic? They are very rarely any good so I shall stick to home cooking from now on I think and possibly visit the Old Dairy for drinks.

The Old Dairy
1-3 Crouch Hill
N4

5/10

Mooli's

One night last week following a few after work pints, Thomas and I found ourselves in Soho in want of some eats. Something quick, something filling, not too pricey and obviously yummy, Mooli's fit the bill perfectly.

I've been wanting to visit for some time now to try my very first Indian wrap and have read nothing but praise. I saw why when we were received by the very friendly and helpful folk working there, I asked what was recommended and got the special, goat mooli and a soup as it was a bitterly cold evening and this was to be dinner. Thomas ordered the soup too and a chicken mooli.


Apparently I look like a goat kind of a girl, I took this to be a good thing because I found the wrap quite delicious. An ample amount of juicy and tender goat meat with a generous and fresh salad of lettuce, tomato, red onion and coriander. The wrap itself is a roti and made with wholemeal flour, I really liked the taste and it held up well, supporting the filling without any breakages. There was also potato adding bulk and the heat of the thing was just what the doctor ordered on a nasty February evening.

The soup too was great, lightly spiced, with lentils. We had poppadoms with this and wolfed it down hungrily in silence. The decor of the place is invitingly vibrant and the Soho location is ideal for me, the lunch deal is very tempting and with so much of the healthy stuff in each wrap they are pretty good for you too.


Thomas's chicken wrap was served with a mint and coriander chutney, mixed leaf salad and sliced apple. Each wrap also comes with two Mooli's chutneys, we got green chili and tomato.


All this and a chocolate brownie came to less than £15, a bargain. I found this to be sufficient for dinner, Thomas didn't unfortunately, and popped in for a slice of pizza at Addagio on the way home. I also had a nibble and found it to be very good, a super crispy base and great tangy topping of cherry tomatoes. I must return and sample other varieties. And I shall definitely be returning to Mooli's. I'm also loving their tweets!

50 Frith Street
Soho, W1

7/10

J Sheeky Oyster Bar

I've had champagne and oysters at The J Sheekey Oyster Bar before and last week couldn't resist returning to celebrate some good news at work.

This time Thomas and I opted for Plateau de Fruits de Mer for 2 which was an incredibly gluttonous amount of food. I ate my way through most of it, out eating Thomas by a good 15 minutes. I just could not see such fresh and delicious shellfish going to waste.

The top layer of the platter had half a lobster, a whole devon cock crab and a dozen oysters. I loved the extravagance, the envious glances from fellow diners and the accompanying prosecco.


The lower layer of the platter was brimming with Dublin Bay and Atlantic prawns, mussels, clams, cockles and whelks.

I adore the old school feel of the Oyster Bar, deep red velvet curtains and comfortable booths providing the backdrop, tables topped with super shiny silver and very attentive and suave waiters tending to your every need. We sat at the bar where one can observe the skilled seafood chefs doing their thing.

For dessert we shared a rhubarb crumble which was very good indeed, just the right amount of tartness to the fruit and the most wonderful vanilla custard I have ever tasted.


I think they mostly cater here for pre and post theatregoers, the St Martin's Court location ideal for many of the West End shows. The neighbouring restaurant, established in 1986 is a better venue for a longer stay, read my thoughts on the main room here

31 St Martin's Court
Covent Garden
9/10

The Wet Fish Cafe

I was invited by Andre, Owner of The Wet Fish Cafe, to attend one of his supperclub nights. Come Monday the restaurant closes and once a month caters for locals, friends and guests (and anyone else who might care to come along) on 2 long communal tables.

I rolled up on a chilly night to the beautiful Hampstead setting, slightly early but welcomed by the waiting team, given a drink and told I could sit anywhere. It was slightly daunting at first, I seemed to be the only solo diner but Andre appeared for a chat and I soon sat down and must say I met some great and friendly folk with whom it was a pleasure to spend the evening.

Seated just to my left was Victoria Curatolo and her sister, from Villa Tonino, a family estate in the Marsala region of Sicily, who provided the wine matches for the meal as well as an introduction to each.

To start things off we had a chilled starter of crab with avocado and a red pepper sauce. This was very delicate, I love crab and the mellow smoothness of the avocado paired with the slight chilli kick to the sauce. All combined together very well and the heat didn't over power the crab meat. (Excuse the dark photos, lighting was very ambient!)


The wine match was the Grillo, 2008, white, with a fairly dry and crisp finish, great alongside the starter. Victoria explained that their estate was primarily producing marsala up until 30 or so years ago when they branched into table wines. The Grillo, one of Sicily's most popular grapes is a perfect match for a fish dish, Andre explained that this time around the supperclub dishes were selected specifically to complement the wine, previous events focused on the food first.

The main course was quite brilliant and everyone was in agreement that it was the best dish on the night. The wine, "Baglio Curatolo," a Nero d'Avola, 2006, was a full bodied red with a smoky note and a hint of spice. It was served alongside beef fillet with pink peppercorn sauce and aligot. The beef was incredibly tender and the accompanying peppercorns were almost sweet in flavour. I loved the aligot, a creamy mashed potato with garlic and cheese.


This was an indulgent dish, full of flavour and soft on the palate, very comforting and once again the wine enhanced the flavours of the dish perfectly. During the evening the atmosphere was relaxed and buzzing, everybody seemed to be enjoying the event and the company of the good people of West Hampstead.

For dessert we were each served a slice of almond tart with raspberries and mascarpone which was warm and creamy with a delicate pastry. Yet again, great with the wine from Victoria, at last we could sample the speciality of Villa Tonino, their Marsala Superiore Riserva.


In the past I have not been a huge fan of Marsala wine(though I am an advocate for its use in cooking) but I was completely blown away by the sweet nutty flavours, the caramel and dried fruit notes mixing dreamily with the pudding. I now love marsala and was glad to receive a much welcome top up! Victoria also brought with her some sesame seed biscuits which it is customary to drink with Marsala in Sicily, they were also a fine coupling and can be dunked like biscotti.

The evening had flown by and my cab arrived at 10:30 sharp, I was sad to be one of the first to leave but not before snapping up a bottle of that Nero d'Avola, one of the nicest reds I've had in a long while.

If a regular evening at The Wet Fish Cafe is anything like this, I'd be more than happy to return very soon.

Check out a video of the evening here!

The Wet Fish Cafe
242 West End Lane
West Hampstead

I dined as a guest of The Wet Fish Cafe and received a complimentary meal with tasting glasses of wine from Villa Tonino

Viet Grill

I love the little strip of Vietnamese restaurants along Kingsland Road in Shoreditch and came to the realisation that I hadn't visited any of them for yonks when an email regarding the relaunch of Viet Grill popped up in my inbox.

Along I went with Thomas on a dull Thursday evening, there's nothing quite like a Vietnamese feast to inject some zing into your day. It being a healthier and fresher version of Chinese cuisine. Perfect for trying to beat the January bulge.

I asked for the recommended chef special dishes, eliminating the difficulty of choosing from the extensive new menu. The wine list too has had a revamp with the help of wine aficionado and 'champion of the ordinary wine-drinker' (I guess that would be me?) Malcolm Gluck. We went for the Hunawihr Gewurztraminer Reserve d’Alsace 2007 which I cannot get enough of since first sampling some before Christmas.

First up came the mango salad, which is far more interesting than it sounds and comes from the recommended chef's special section of the menu.


The flavours were vibrant and fresh, a nice chili kick, julienned vegetables and fried crispy bits of squid made for a lovely amalgamation of flavours and textures. Very enjoyable and a great start to the meal.

The second starter was the beef vinh. A charcoal grilled skewer of rolled beef served with a fermented soy dressing and a side salad. The meat was perfectly cooked and wonderfully charred with a fabulous flavour. I would not have ordered either of these dishes had I chosen for myself but both were great.

Main courses again whilst perhaps not what I might have selected myself wowed us and I am now a catfish convert. Slow cooked catfish with a caramelised fish sauce served prettily in a clay pot which was set ablaze once it was placed down on the table, you can just about make out the blue flame to the bottom left of the bowl.


The fish itself was very meaty in texture, I've never had catfish before and am now a firm fan. The sauce was sticky and rich, perfect poured liberally over the sticky rice side dishes.

The second main course was the quail curry with aubergine and okra. The curry sauce was rather fruity and sweet, something well suited to my palate but I think perhaps a bit too sweet for some. I loved it though and again the sauce was excellent with the rice.


We also sampled the wokked bo xoi greens with garlic and rice wine which were quite excellent. Crunchy and packed full of flavour with so much garlic.


We were pretty full but decided to sample a dessert between us, the banana fritters which were better than the usual, this place is not about pudding though. We both also had Vietnamese coffee which again is very sweet due to the condensed milk. Thomas reminisced about his days in Australia where he often ate Vietnamese and I dreamed about when I will visit far afield places and experience the real deal for myself.

The menu is varied and remarkable value for money, they serve excellent Ph ò and Bò cu n bánh tráng, beef which is cooked at the table before you. Service throughout was very attentive and food was delivered swiftly. The same guys also run Cafe Tre and I will definitely return when that oh so familiar craving for Vietnamese hits, Viet Grill is head and shoulders above it's competitors on the same strip and I highly recommend it.

I dined as a guest of Viet Grill and received a complimentary meal with a bottle of wine

Viet Grill
58 Kingsland Road, E2

Firezza

I really am not in the position to talk about pizza restaurants in London owing to the fact that I have not visited either the inimitable Franco Manca, long reigning champ of the best pizza in London competition, or the new pretender Pizza East. This is something I hope to rectify following payday, damn you January.

Take out or home delivery pizza on the other hand, is something I feel more confident about, I once had to order an emergency Dominos following a couple of no carb days at the height of the Atkins phenomenon, nothing else would do.

Thankfully I follow no such silly fad diets these days and shall be eternally grateful to Firezza for opening a branch in Crouch End which delivers to N19, my hood! Cue 2 pizza orders in as many days, Ive sampled several of their offerings, a couple of sides and found all to be excellent. Sadly Tufnell Park seems to be lacking good takeaways, with the exception of the great Tiffin Tin 2 doors down the road (hurrah!).

The best so far has to be the chorizo and sweet pepper pizza, they serve them by the half metre and the boxes are quite enormous. It's clear that the standard of ingredients is high and the choice is extensive. The one gripe I would have is that the first order was on the wrong side of warm when it arrived but I forgave them as it was one of the coldest snow days of the year.

In short, I will without doubt be ordering these on a perhaps slightly too regular basis and with locations all over London they trounce the competition hands down provide the best home delivery pizzas I have ever sampled.

Apologies for the crap picture but it was a mere afterthought so enraptured was I when eating the thing.



Firezza
10 Ferme Park Road
Crouch End
N4 4ED
020 83 41 00 99

9/10

Boo in Germany - Schuhbeck's

I spent New Year and the run up to it in Germany and Austria this year and one of the highlights of the visit was experiencing fine dining Bavarian style at Schuhbecks in den Südtiroler Stuben.

This was a Christmas meal courtesy of Ewald and I was delighted to get the chance to compare and contrast Alfons Schuhbeck's one Michelin starred food to that I've sampled in the UK. I found it to be quite different.

This was a fairly lengthy meal, we left almost 4 full hours later, following the 5 course Klassikmenü, not even counting the amuse and pre starter. It being the season for celebration we began with a kir royale and were served some bread, a sliced oblong rye loaf which was far more special than it looked. It was accompanied by butter and 2 dishes of creamed potato with herbs which made an interesting and welcome, if somewhat heavy, alternative to the standard bread and butter offered in most establishments.


The amuse was served on a silver spoon and I was unable to discern exactly what it was. The menu was helpfully in both German and English but, of course, the amuse was not listed. It was some kind of tartare of fish surrounded by a jelly topped with cream and a liberal sprinkling of dill. I recall it being very cold and the spoon upon which it sat was a tad too large for my mouth. It looked very pretty though, the table was immaculate and the room itself (next door to the main building, a smaller and more private wood lined room) was very comfortable.


The pre starter is Schuhbeck's take on a German classic, saure zipfel. This was served in small coffee cups, a dish designed to actually resemble a cappuccino with a layer of foam on the top. It's a sweet and sour soup containing onions and slices of sausage poached in the broth. This was a little too acidic for my palate.


Next up came the starter of beets with horseradish jelly. A very seasonal dish, the earthy winter root seems to lend itself perfectly to starter dishes, I've seen similar offerings on many menus at this time of year. It looked charming and was a delicate start to the feast, fresh flavours and vibrant colours beautifully assembled on the plate. You'll see there was yet more cappuccino like froth on the plate, Schuhbeck well and truly is a convert to the foam fad - case in point see the pasta course later.


Next up, the fail safe combination of seared scallops with pumpkin. This dish really did impress me with the crunchy addition of toasted sunflower seeds and an exhibition of multiple ways with pumpkin, including diced cubes and a creamy sauce (verging on but not quite a foam). These are possibly the best cooked scallops I've ever sampled, the perfect crisp char had been achieved on the top, a considerably accomplished plate of food.


We had been urged to try the Parmesan pasta dish and in selecting the klassikmenü we had to ask for this course to substitute the advertised dish. They were incredibly obliging about this. The truffle linguine is served with Parmesan foam (eek) and Italian vegetables. So, yes, it's another foam, but slightly more substantial than the average and extravagantly infused and scattered with truffle, more like a sauce really. This was a comforting dish with strong umami flavours, lightened by the tomato and courgette.


One of the best dishes of the night (favoured by everyone) was the beef main course. This, again was very elegantly plated up, was a fine amalgamation of colours and ingredients, root vegetables, a rich gravy and perfectly cooked beef, 2 ways. The fillet was buttery soft and underneath it lay a piece of braised beef which was deliciously tender. This was served alongside some potato croquettas and a creamed spinach, great variations of texture.


The next course was the cheese, interestingly served prior to dessert not following it as it is in England mostly. It was a miniature raclette, melted cheese served over boiled sliced potatoes, sprinkled with chives and crispy onions, a dish common in regions of Germany, France and Switzerland come winter time. There was a piece of goats cheese and some wisps of bitter lettuce to cut through the creaminess. More of the warm rye bread was generously served and this dish is a typical example of Schuhbeck's traditional and comforting style of cooking. I adore raclette.


I was beginning to feel more than a little full by this stage and for once was very pleased for the delay between courses. During other pauses the waiting times were a tad too lengthy in truth and we all felt the whole process was a shade too prolonged. When the dessert did eventually show up I was surprised to see it was a somewhat souped up version of an arctic roll! Named Kaiserschmarrn it was served alongside a spun sugar basket filled with quince sauce and chunks of the fruit. Testament to the home cooked nature of this style of cooking it was topped with squirty cream and a kumquat. I love trying this type of dish, it's one with which all Bavarians are seemingly familiar and they think fondly of it. I wanted to love it but it felt much less sophisticated and skillfully put together than the courses which had proceeded it.


I think it's the attention to detail that impresses most diners here, for example, the creamed potato served with the bread, and, as reported here one dish sees potatoes delicately fashioned into the shape of cous cous. The service was impeccable and the sommelier was a fountain of knowledge giving helpful recommendations and demonstrating a rather spectacular way of decanting and pouring the wine which had us all riveted. We chose a quite stunning Gewürztraminer to accompany the fish and pasta and were well guided as to which red would best complement the beef, the name of which I forget.

Perhaps the one thing which disappointed me was the petit fours. Given the extra lengths Schuhbeck's staff and chefs often go to in order to satisfy diners I had high hopes. They were all fairly solid and dry, I was too full by this stage anyhow.


What made up for this was the presentation of a bag containing some spice mix samples to each lady in the group as we left the restaurant. Schuhbeck also runs a spice emporium and a cookery school, Munich's answer to Rick Stein if you will.

This is perhaps not a destination of choice for those seeking cutting edge dining but it is a fine example of proving that German food is not only about sausages and beer, there is a lot more to Bavarian cuisine than you might think, though I am partial to the beer and sausages too of course!

Schuhbecks in den Südtiroler Stuben
Platzl 6
80331 München, Germany

7.5/10

Thanks again to Ewald for such a great Christmas meal and to Benj for the images!