Le Bremner

Crown Salts restaurants are a big deal in Montreal.  TV chef Chuck Hughes is co-owner and he was at Le Bremner last week when Sar and I visited for dinner.  It's been on my list for ages but it's one of those restaurants that you need to be reasonably organised to visit, as in you can't book for next week but you can probably book a month in advance.  Previously I'd tried a number of times at short notice and it was full.  I was hoping this was a good sign, it's generally not difficult in Montreal to get a reservation, Joe Beef being the exception. 

I really liked the meal.   We started with the burrata with tomatoes and white anchovies ($23).  Disappointing lack of bread again, bread sticks are NOT the same.  No oil, no dip, I just don't get it.  Anyway, the cheese was good, the seeded crackers that came with it were great, so we especially didn't need the bread sticks.  You can see them in the glass in the BG above, their one redeeming feature being that they were heavily salted.  Otherwise, meh, 

Excuse the washed out pics, I've had to brighten them, the place is candlelit to the extreme and my photos are virtually unviewable.  This is the tuna and tahini starter ($19).  Wasn't sure what to expect from it, we were curious about the combo.  It's nice, the contrasting textures were great, little crispy shards of what I believe were fried shallots, and micro leaves.  So far, so good, but nothing wowed.  

We were urged by diners on either side of us to order certain dishes.  Thank you lady to my right who recommended the lobster BLT ($32).  It was one of the stand out dishes of the night.  A slice of brioche topped with seriously crispy bacon, crunchy lettuce and a generous amount of lobster.   Lovely.  Sorry chaps to the left who suggested we get the quail, we ignored you, it did look good though, next time.

Dark and out of focus this one, excellent work.  It was my favourite dish on the night so it's a shame the photo does it no justice at all.  Lamb neck cavatelli ($26), perfectly al dente pasta with chunks of tender lamb and a rich meaty sauce.  Seriously good but I was getting full and becoming increasingly unable to breathe.  There was a great Canadian sparkling Riesling on the menu which we were knocking back, but evidently I'm allergic to it.  Unfortunate.  

Our other main was the whole sea bream with red cabbage and carrots ($31).  Nice but very boney, I'd attacked it with my knife and fork ahead of the waitress coming to the rescue and filleting the thing for us.  I'd dislodged a lot of the blighters so it wasn't the easiest dish to eat.  The accompanying gremolata was amazing.

Our dessert was shared, the chocolate, coffee and salted caramel pot with honeycomb ($10).  This reminded me of the best dessert I've ever eaten served in the same way and everything.  There was no Italian meringue in sight but there was honeycomb lurking in there.  Amazing.  Still couldn't breathe though. 

They didn't have any amaretto (urgh, seriously restaurants, sort it out) so they rustled us up a cointreau based aperitif, not the same.  That and the Riesling aside, I loved everything, even loved the Riesling, it just didn't like me much.  Open Monday to Saturday, dinner only.  I'll definitely be back, soon I hope.  It's a solid Old Montreal choice, they have daily changing seafood specials and this is what they're most known for but the mains are also worth checking out.  Must do Chuck's other restaurant, Garde Manger, first.

Le Bremner

361 St Paul East

Old Montreal 

H2Y

8/10

 

Bouillon Bilk

I'm eating so much this month it's quite scary.  Em's arriving tonight and we have a full on week of eating planned.  Excited.  I'm justifying this by signing up for a 5k run at the end of the month, it'll be fine, heh.

A spontaneous dinner last week happened at Bouillon Bilk, I've tried to eat here before, but they were closed for refurb.  The décor is nice, larger communal tables at the front and the bulk of the tables arranged around a central raised bar area.  For a Monday night, the place was really busy and the atmosphere was great, relaxed but it immediately felt like they have their shit together.  

We began with a bottle of fizz, the Sebastien Brunet Vouvray, I'd not heard of it before, it was great!  Very creamy.  Bread arrived next, it was the best bread I've had here so far, would love to know where they get it or if they make it in house.  You can basically eat as much of it as you want too, which I obviously love.  Held back and had just 2 bits each. 

I ordered an appetizer from the daily specials, the bone marrow with mushrooms, diced green apple, whelks topped with crisps and prettily served inside a massive bone ($18).  It looked so lovely and tasted great, the almost sour fruit really helping to cut through the fatty richness of the marrow.

 

The 'thing' here is that each dish contains a protein matched with a fruit, here marrow and apple, other examples on the menu were Hamachi (a Japanese fish served raw) with raspberries (which I tried, it was great), foie gras with rhubarb and lobster with nectarine.

For main, we both opted for the scallops with pear, fried courgette flower, yellow courgettes, mushrooms, pepper sauce and beurre noisette ($29).  This was really very very good, I was worried that the portions might prove to be a tad small but this was deceptively filling.  The sauces were incredible.

We had a bit of a break before moving on to cheese, we chose a couple of glasses of rioja to accompany.  All local Quebecois cheese, none of which were familiar to me, a selection of 5 for $20 came with some candied nuts, toast and some apricot jam.  The blue was the highlight.

 

We paid around $120 each which I think is fine value for the quality of cooking on display here by chef Francois Nadon.  Loved the flavours, the service, the vibe and the room.  Will definitely be back because we foolishly overlooked the sloe gin fizz on the cocktail menu.  Need those in my life. 

Bouillon Bilk 
1595 Saint Laurent

Latin Quarter
H2X
9/10

LA Eats

I was away in LA for work last week and whilst I was mostly busy with meetings and clients, I did manage to sneak to a couple of places on my hit list during my 4 day stay.

Now, everybody knows you absolutely must have a car to see the best of LA, I didn't have one, but I was staying and working in Santa Monica, so did my best to explore the area local to The Huntley Hotel and hitch a ride with colleagues as and when I could.

In-N-Out
I'm pretty sure nobody will care that I ate an In-N-Out burger, given that we are now so spoiled here in London but it was top of my list of must visit places and I wasn't disappointed.

Following the advise of literally everybody I spoke to, I ordered my cheeseburger animal style, which is not an advertised option that comes pimped with caramelized onions and special sauce.

Chips were nice, I wasn't aware these could be 'animaled' so missed out on that treat.  The chocolate milkshake was excellent.  Two things struck me, firstly how cheap it was and secondly, how most other diners seemed to be eating 2 burgers at a time.  I was saving room for more food later but at about $4 each for the meal, it's easy to see how things soon get out of hand in the US.  Also available on the 'secret' menu is a 3x3 or 4x4 option.  Heh.

Intelligentsia
Thanks to Daniel Young for tipping me off about Intelligentsia.   We went one morning for breakfast and there was a huge queue before 9am.  They really take their time making each cup, it is a chain, but it doesn't feel at all like it, the place has a laboratory feel to it with all kinds of filters and machines contributing to the production of each cup.  The choice of coffee bean alone is staggering.  I played it safe and went for a black cat classic latte which was sweet and rather mild.  I was in a jetlagged haze so could really have done with something a little stronger.

That beast is a cheese and bacon croissant which was pretty special.  Representing the USA, my colleague had a doughnut.  For breakfast.  When we left the queue was even longer.  Loved the place.

Blue Plate Oysterette
I snuck in some solo snackage right before I had to leave for the airport.  I propped up the bar at Blue Plate Oysterette a seafood bar on Ocean Avenue, overlooking the beach.  There is a chalk board where the daily catch is advertised, there is a huge selection of oysters, I had never heard of any of them so asked for recommendations and got these, 2 Laguna Bay, 2 Malpeque and 2 Chincoteaque.

The 2 closest to camera were the Malpeque and they were my favourite.  All were quite meaty and briney, I ate one of each by themselves then loaded the second ones with the shallot vinegarette and lemon juice.  I saw no use for the tomato sauce, but each to their own I suppose.  These were about $3 each.

I couldn't resist the lure of the lobster truffle mac and cheese for $20.  Maine lobster mixed through the mini conchiglie with an obscenely decadent cheese sauce, complete with stringy bits when you got a forkful.  It was so good.  I ate all this accompanied by 2 glasses of oyster bay and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Service was mostly lovely, American priding itself on hospitality.

From here, I waddled off, content and slightly tipsy, to the airport.  My bill came to about $60, so not cheap but it was an off peak time and the place was heaving, who doesn't love a bit of seafood on the seafront?

Other places I ate while I was there included Wabi Sabi (great sushi), Urth Cafe (good coffee and eggs) and Canal Club (don't do it).  Special mention to the crunchy rice spicy tuna at Wabi Sabi, I need to find them in London, any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.  Check them out.

I also loved Abbot Kinney.  It's a street with lots of independent shops and cafes, it's where Intelligentsia is and on Friday, they had tonnes of food trucks lining the street.  It's like Kerb or We Feast but supersized. Crap photos, taken from inside cab, but you get the idea, there was literally everything you could ever want, every type of cuisine represented, I was in awe.

Hope I'll be back soon, and next time I'll get my own wheels so I can explore further afield.  

In-N-Out
Culver City
13425 Washington Blvd
CA 90034
7/10



Intelligentsia

1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Venice, California 90291
 9/10



Blue Plate Oysterette
1355 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401 
 9/10



Wabi Sabi
1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
 8/10

Whitecross Street Market

I think I've mentioned that I miss working in Soho.  It's upsetting really.  That said, there are some perks to working near Old Street, like being able to walk to work and having Whitecross Street Market on my doorstep come lunchtime.

On my first day, a colleague took me there and I was really impressed with the choice available, even on a Monday.  Things do tend to liven up towards the end of the week but there's a multitude of choice all week long.  Many of the stalls have mega queues, but they move quickly, and if taken as a sign of the quality, they're probably a good thing.

Here are some of the things I've tried.

Green Goat
I've loved both lunches I've grabbed from the Green Goat van, it's the dark green one (the light green van, a little further South down the street belongs to Luardos).

The double sardine fish-o-fillet burger (£5), 2 sardines served in a granary bap served with slaw and beetroot ketchup was delicious.  It's served in some parchment paper, and is a bit messy to handle (think sardine hands all afternoon, I had to go and buy some wet wipes) but the important thing is that it's delicious.  The beetroot ketchup is a lovely idea, nice purple hue to it. 

These guys get their fish in daily from Cornwall and it really shines through, the quality and freshness of the fish is what makes these dishes. 

I would have to say I preferred the Cornish pollack which came on a bed of roasted broccoli and cherry tomatoes with rocket.  Again, the freshness of the piece of fish really made the dish, Green Goat are offering a really healthy but filling alternative to the norm come lunchtime. £6, but you get what you pay for.

I clocked that they're doing a fish curry at the moment, think that's a must have.

Hoxton Beach
I tend to find falafel a bit dull to be perfectly honest but I'd read good things about Hoxton Beach's balls.  I went for a small (3 falafs) wrap with hummus and aubergine, frankly I can't see why anyone would turn down those optional extras.  There's a large available with 5 falafals and these are such excellent value.  I've really craved more since I sampled this, a nice selection of crunchy salad gets added, then some ripe sliced tomatoes and chilli and tahini sauces.  Also jalapenos, if you're so inclined, I was.  It started raining as soon as I walked away from the stall, but I couldn't resist ripping it open and tucking in under the safely of my brolly.  It was so good.  Mmmm.

 

Bratwürst
Some delectable German sausages are up for grabs on Thursday and Friday at the Southern end of the street.  For only £3.50 you can get a traditional German sausage, in a bun topped with sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup and crispy onions.  They're also selling a load of traditional German sauces and snacking sausages like Landjäger which make me happy because they remind me of hiking up mountains in Bavaria, good times.

Can't wait to try these guys out, and I thought leaving Soho might be good for my waistline.....
Luardos
Eat my Pies
The Roast of Sherwood
The Wild Game Company
Wholefood Heaven

Burger & Lobster

Burger & Lobster opened in Soho a couple of weeks ago, meaning I was finally able to get my hands on one of their lobster rolls.  I've since spent 2 afternoons seated at the bar working my way through the cocktail menu (the gin fizz was the highlight) and foresee many more visits in my future. 

The lobster roll was every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be.  A generous portion of the rich meat comes sandwiched between a wickedly buttery brioche roll with a boat of melted lemon garlic butter to dunk the roll into.  Decadent and delicious, I have subsequently found myself craving this dish daily. 

Accompanying the roll is a side salad and a portion of fries, all served on a metal tray.  The burger is good too but with each dish priced at £20, it makes much more sense to order the lobster, which also comes whole, grilled and split in 2 for you to pick the meat out.

Desserts are limited to chocolate mousse or cheesecake mousse.  They sounded odd to me but the cheesecake offering was incredible.  Light and fluffy and topped with a layer of strawberry puree and finished off with a scattering of biscuit crumbs, it was the perfect end to the meal.  It doesn't look much but at £4 a pop who am I to whinge about a paper pot?

 

Burger & Lobster has been massively hyped and I have to say that the service was a little off on my second visit, the girl manning the bar was barely able to hide her disdain when she was required to communicate with us. 

Still, it's definitely worth a visit because the food is really rather good.  Ooh, the cocktails too, try some of those.  At £10 each, they're certainly not cheap, but they are wonderful. 

The Soho restaurant is on the site formerly occupied by Bistro du Vin, and the 3rd outpost is due to open shortly on the other BdV site in Clerkenwell.  Both this and the Dean St branch take bookings, so you won't have to queue for it anymore either.  I can't wait to go back. 

Burger & Lobster
36 Dean Street
Soho
W1
8/10

The Sportsman, Seasalter

 For my (eek) 30th birthday meal last week I lunched at The Sportsman near Whitstable, Kent.  Their twitter bio modestly describes the place as a "grotty rundown pub by the sea" and gives a hint as to the relaxed and non pretentious atmosphere you're likely to encounter should you visit this Michelin starred 'gastropub'. 

As we visited during the week we requested, in advance, to have the tasting menu (not available at weekends or for tables larger than 6) and this was to be one of the loveliest meals I've had in a long, long time.  I absolutely cannot wait to return, and it's a mere 30 minute car journey from my sister's house!  Kid, I'm coming to stay more often.

We arrived just before midday on a rare sunny June 2012 day,  though rain had been predicted, obviously.  We started with a bottle of Colli trevigiani prosecco at £21.95.  Later on I enjoyed a Pol Roger, as it was a special occasion, wonderful to see it served by the glass, and for only £9.

I won't bang on about the food, as I'll be here all day, we totted up a total of 15 or so courses, of which so many were highlights, the treats just kept coming, and we were there until 5pm - a 5 hour lunch, that's my kinda meal!  Here are the pics:-

Cheese and tomato biscuits - think cheese straws and melt - in - the - mouth doesn't even come close!

Pork scratchings with wholegrain mustard and home cured herring on rye bread.

 

First of oysters 2 ways - baked and served with poached rhubarb and dried seaweed

And again a baked oyster, served with beurre blanc, pickled cucumber and caviar.  A favourite of the day.

 

Next the breads, made here of course, with home churned sweet cream and Seasalter salt butter.  From left to right, soda bread, focaccia and sourdough.   I don't stand a hope in hell of learning my don't fill up on the bread lesson when they're this good.

Chilled asparagus soup with milk foam and asparagus and cream cheese tartlets.

I was so happy to see this dish, a simple but refreshing salad of rocket, burrata and tomatoes.  

Signature dish of slip sole with seaweed butter.  (New plates, I overheard the chef telling a neighbouring table).

Braised turbot with asparagus and smoked roe sauce.  Another of my standout dishes, that sauce was amazing.

Lamb belly with mustard breadcrumbs served with a mint sauce.  This was brilliant.  The dipping sauce was quite sweet but there was a real kick from the English mustard hiding under the crispy coating on the lamb.  I was beginning to struggle at this point, but got 2nds as my Mum is not a fan of lamb.  Happy to help where I can!

Roast Monkshill Farm lamb saddle and fillet with greens and aubergine puree.  More extras for me!

Matured Winchester cheddar served with white cherries. 

These rhubarb ice lollies in cake milk were OMG.

Cream cheese ice cream with scone crumbs, meringue and strawberries.  A take on eton mess.

Perhaps the biggest treat of all were the petit fours.  Clockwise rom the left, elderflower posset, chocolate mousse with salted caramel, raspberry tarts, bitter chocolate truffle and gooseberry fool.

I really cannot heap enough praise upon The Sportsman, plenty of blogger love is out there already (see their Urbanspoon page) but, like the good Kentish girl that I am, I feel it's only right that I become a regular.  £65 per person, for all this food, seemed like an absolute steal versus comparative prices for meals in London, and they even sang me happy birthday!

Come here for fantastic food in a relatively casual environment, don't expect tablecloths and fancy decor but you'll feel most welcome and I'm certain will want to make a return visit.  I saw some pretty special looking non taster dishes coming out of the kitchen and there's a large menu to pick from.  Booking, or at least calling ahead is a must and it's drinks only on Mondays.

The Sportsman
Favesham Road
Seasalter
Kent
CT5 4BP
10/10

Rocksalt, Folkestone

Mark Sargeant's new venture, Rocksalt, in Kent, sees him championing local produce with a nod in particular to fish, after all, it's located right on Folkestone harbour. There have been few positive reports since the opening in June but I found much of the food I tried to be well worth the trip out of London.

The setting is picturesque, if a little industrial, Folkestone is hardly the prettiest of backdrops but the glass walled room is flooded with light and there's a sprawling deck from which to observe the creeping tide. I very much enjoyed a pre lunch Rocksalt mary with samphire vodka.


Black olive bread served with olive oil was presented shortly after the menu, which is fish heavy but offers plenty of meaty dishes too. I started with the crab dressed with harissa, sprinkled with baby coriander with toasted bread. I order crab at any given opportunity and this was a fine dish. Other starters of goatscheese with heritage tomato salad and pork pate were perhaps less successful but my Mum's order of whelks were outstanding.


Onto mains, I couldn't resist the special of lobster with aioli and beef dripping chips. The finest example of the crustacean I have ever had, beautifully tender served simply with a wedge of lemon and tomato salad. Portions are generous here, always a bonus!


Other mains enjoyed included breaded plaice and chips with mushy peas, salt marsh lamb, mackerel with green sauce and another fishy special, monkfish with peas and smoked ham. The sides are fantastic, minted peas and potato gratin deserving special mention.


Desserts were the highlight of the meal for me. My mum's favourite, Kentish gyspy tart, was a no brainer of an order and was the finest pud I've tried all year, up there with the rice pudding at Pollen Street Social. I find I so rarely rave about a sweet dish but this really is special.


Also good were rhubarb fool and elderflower jelly with creme fraiche ice cream.

Whilst the food was really very enjoyable I was slightly irritated by the service on a couple of occasions. We were asked to order desserts and later coffees with half the table in the toilet, surely they didn't think we would readily order for our fellow diners? Twice. Also, plates were cleared as my Mum was still eating, very absentminded waiting staff. They were polite however, even when a member of our party lit a cigarette on the terrace, which is non smoking.

It's early days still so some tweaks need to be made but in all the experience was an enjoyable one. 3 courses each and a few glasses of wine came to around £50 a head. Were Rocksalt closer, I would happily return. Though South Eastern high speed trains from St Pancras can have you there in under an hour.

Rocksalt
4-5 Fishmarket
Folkestone
Kent
CT19 6AA
7.5/10