Le Secret des Rôtisseurs Restaurant Review

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Frostie

The family-run Le Secret des Rôtisseurs has a lot of things going for it. First of all, it has introduced the art of rotisserie-roasted chicken to London’s Canary Wharf. You can watch as the chicken is slowly flame-roasted (This method of roasting also ensures the meat is cooked without retaining fats and oils, resulting in a chicken that is healthier and juicier than any other). The restaurant smells amazing.

This newly opened riverside French restaurant comes with a stunning view of the Thames and is beautifully designed, everyone is knowledgeable and friendly. The furniture includes unique pieces that originally furnished Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower. Designed by the highly esteemed Vassilew Slavik, the furniture graced the national landmark until 2007, when Alain Ducasse took over the license for the restaurant. It all feels very authentically French.

For our entrée we had snails on toast with mushrooms in butter and garlic. This was the first time I had ever eaten snails and they were actually very tasty. They were cooked well and came with a lovely garlicky sauce with a hint of lemon. The salad on the side was also good and came with a delicious dressing. A very good entrée.

We also had a salad francaise classique. Baby leaves, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and Parmesan. It had nice flavors and the Parmesan was delicious. I did find it a bit leafy and too large for my taste. I would like to have seen a larger range of starters to choose from, there were only three available, although the focus is on the rotisserie roasted chicken.

For a main course. I had the roast chicken with “secret” sauce and fries. When the waiter brings it over I say that looks amazing. ‘That’s because it is’, he replies. He’s not lying. It is amazing, the best chicken roast I can remember eating and the secret sauces is great, I am later told it is based around tarragon with sixteen different ingredients. The free-range birds are from carefully selected English farms to ensure the quality of the poultry. The roast is the best I have ever had in a restaurant.

Master Roaster Maistre Benoit, who has worked with France’s most elusive rotisserie oven craftsman, ensures all meat is cooked to his exact, secret standard, making it the best chicken in town. The technique dates back to 1248, when King Louis IX ordered the establishment of guilds, which included ‘Les Oyeurs’ or ‘goose roasters’.

If you are in the mood for something other than chicken, on weekends (Fri-Sun) meat changes weekly, with carnivorous delights such as the rolled shoulder of pork and succulent veal shank served with Le Secret des Rôtisseurs’ special sauce.

We also tried a beautiful piece of pork. The pork was succulent and moist but had a tasty crispy skin giving a beautiful different texture. It was cooked perfectly, something tough to do well with pork.

It came with a rhubarb ketchup. It was a great accompaniment and worked very well with the pork. Our sides of chips and broad beans were well seasoned and well cooked.

Throughout our meal we were treated to some superb wine. We started out meal with a glass of delicious Chablis from Burgundy. One of the very few wines at Le Secret des Rôtisseurs which is not from Bordeaux. The restaurant is justifiably proud of its wine list.They have an amazing cellar of Bordeaux wines that you can see if dining upstairs, or going to the bathroom. The restaurant goes to great lengths to bring the best wines direct from the vineyards and cuts out any middle man. Some of the wine they get is exclusive too only a few restaurants.

The chateaux Clauzet is a rich indulgent opulent classic red Bordeaux wine. It was particularly warm and comforting on a cold day.

For dessert I have the special, which is a chocolate mousse. It was beautifully presented and not only delicious but had a texture that was more like a cake. Yum.

We also had a great plate of different French cheeses.

37 Westferry Circus, Canary Riverside, Canary Wharf. E14 8RR

Le Menu Parfait, £18.95
Half roasted chicken with any entrée and any accompagnement, £18.95.

www.eatlesecret.co.uk

Diciannove Restaurant Review

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

The life of a restaurant reviewer has its ups and downs. Some restaurants are merely okay and then some restaurants just blow you away, which is what Diciannove did. A new Italian restaurant in the city. Situated in Crown Plaza and with a great ambiance, this restaurant has wonderful little decor highlights, with some nods to Fleet Street (it is just up the road) in the artwork and a great bar. The banquet we sit at was comfortable and the table was huge. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. There is also another section of the restaurant situated to the left which is closed off for privacy.

The new restaurant concept has been around for about four months. Great pains have been taken to ensure that everything is authentically Italian. All the ingredients are from Italy even the water is imported and it all shows. Even all the staff were Italian except for our enthusiastic waiter Kevin who was excellent throughout our meal.

Scallops

These scallops were amazing, the butternut squash sauce with pancetta crumbs sprinkled on top was divine. This is one of the best starters I have ever had. Just perfect.

Fillet of Beef with soft polenta and seasonal mushrooms.

This was a perfect piece of filleted beef with a generous helping of polenta and seasonal mushrooms. Great sauce too.
While I feel I made an error ordering more polenta on the side, I did it without thinking, the polenta chips were also amazing.

Very filling too. When I made my order the waiter smiled and said, “Good choice”. How right he was. The food was amazing and tasted both sophisticated and wholesome; a hard combination.

Burrata Crustini – Grilled aubergine, tomato, chilli and basil

The Burrata was beautifully presented and had a lovely milky texture. The portion was generous for a starter but it could have done with more flavor.

Grilled Swordfish

The grilled swordfish was recommended to me by one of the waiters and I immediately saw why. It was the best swordfish I have ever had. The fish had an incredible meaty texture and yet was still soft and juicy. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The lemon sauce was a perfect accompaniment. The acidic lemon contrasted beautifully with the fish. The portion was generous and the chef allowed the swordfish to be the star of the show and it was.

Dessert

For dessert we were treated to three fantastic puddings. Zabaoni, chocolate mousse with chocolate salami and Tiramisu.

Zabaoni

The Zabaoni had the usual creamy soft and fluffy texture but the top had been burnt slightly to caramelise the sugar a great touch. The Zabaoni was a sugary delight but I loved the addition of the lemon curd and raspberries below the main Zaboni. The acidity of the lemon curd and raspberries was a perfect contrast to the sugar. In my experience a Zabaoni can often end up being too sweet. Not in this case, the balance was perfect this was a really great pud.

Chocolate Mouse

This was a tasty, creamy and chocolatey mousse. It was generous but not too rich. Once again the the chef had added something extra. In this case the beautifully made chocolate salami which you can see sticking out of the top of the mousse. It was a great addition which added another texture.

Tiramisu

I love a good Tiramisu. This was a great one. It was creamy, light and airy. Often a Tiramisu can be too heavy after you’ve had a large meal but this one was just right. This Tiramisu was more creamy than most I have had in the past and it was much better for it.

Kevin, our waiter, asked us which of three puddings was our favourite and we had a really tough time deciding. All three were first class and we couldn’t split them. If you had to really push me I’d probably go for the Zabaoni, just.

After our puddings we were lucky enough to try a Negroni with chocolate and orange bitters. This classic cocktail came with a twist: chocolate and orange bitters. Heaven in cocktail form. Chocloate and Orange is just such a wonderful combination.

We finished our meal with a glass of excellent Limoncello

Diciannove was everything you want from a restaurant. The atmosphere was relaxed. The staff were extremely friendly, helpful and attentive. Most importantly the food was fantastic. A great restaurant we highly recommend. And don’t forget to order the Swordfish!

Diciannove

Crowne Plaza London – The City

19 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6DB

Telephone: 020 7438 8052

http://www.diciannove19.com/ @DiciannoveNo19

Tibits Restaurant Review

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

You think of many things when you think of a vegetarian restaurant but Tibits won’t fit into them. It is a gorgeous, trendy, classy and buzzing restaurant in Heddon Street, off Regent Street. Established 2 years ago, Tibits offers over 40 different delicious, nutritious and healthy yet affordable vegetarian dishes. Tibits is closely associated with Hitl in the Zurich, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world.

The stylish restaurant is also affordable, you pay by the pound. You go to the food boat and choose what you want from over 40 different foods from a food boat buffet and then they weigh your plate at the end. The simple labeling system makes it easy to avoid allergies and things you can’t eat.

The atmosphere was fantastic, very warm and friendly. The staff could not have been more welcoming. We went on a Monday night (the day after the big storm) and yet the place was packed. I got the impression Tibit gets a lot of regular customers. To start with I had a drink of fresh orange and carrot juice. I can really recommend this combination. The sweetness of the orange juice goes really well against the earthiness of the carrot. We also had some alcoholic cocktails; a Tequila Sunrise and a Mojhito. I also had a fantastic pint of dark organic lager which I recommend for those who like beer.

For our food we greedily piled on as many different things as we could onto our plates.

The food was all very vibrant and fresh. Everything I ate felt healthy. One of Tibits principles is that they use seasonal produce. The food certainly captured Tibits slogan – ‘Food that loves you back’.

There were a lot of big different flavors across the options, I can promise you your pallet will not be bored. In fact I’m not sure I’ve experienced so many different flavors and textures in a single meal before, it was a real treat.

I have a little bit of everything. I had guacamole, frittata, olives, potatoes wedges, tofu, falafel, cottage cheese and lots of different salads.

I really loved the dal and spinach dish. It was very subtle and had a beautiful creamy texture. Another highlight was the pumpkin salad which tasted nothing like the pumpkins I’ve had in the past. It was full of flavour and delicious.The onion rings were great and a million miles away from the oily mess I have experienced before from fast food restaurants. I was actually quite shocked at the difference after I ate one. The sauces such as the hummus and guacamole were very well made and a delight.

For dessert I have Panna cotta, sticky toffee pudding and mango mousse. Once again we piled our plates as you can see.

The mango mouse was light fluffy and creamy. It was very light and fresh and the mango was subtle.

The Pana cotta was excellent. I’m not usually a fan of Panna cotta but the texture and flavor of this one was different and in my opinion much better than what I am used to. Again it was smooth light, creamy and delicious. The stick toffee pudding was warm sticky and sweet.

It is all high quality and the prices are very reasonable. The staff are friendly and even though we reviewed Tibits on a Monday it was busy. Don’t think you need to be a vegetarian or a health nut to enjoy the food. You don’t. We will be returning.

12-14 Heddon Street, London.

http://www.tibits.co.uk/

Texas Joe Pop Up Restaurant At Brewdog Shoreditch Review

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

We traveled to Shoreditch for a taste of the US: The Texas Joe food is proper American food from the heart of Texas. Well, almost. Quite a lot of it is spicy, there is a lot of meat, and it all tastes and looks authentic.

I had the sampler; beef brisket- cooked perfectly and very tender, smoked chicken-very tasty and well-smoked, Brewdog Shoreditch had to remove two doors to get the smoking machine in, hot link sausages- proper meaty sausages, taste great and slightly spicy, beef rib-the rib was huge and very well done. The sampler also comes with beans, chilli and sauce.

On the side we had chilli cheese fries and jalapenos stuffed with brisket and cheese and then wrapped in bacon. Rather stupidly, I underestimated how hot the jalapenos would be. The chilli is also hot (I know, obviously). My colleague had the hot link sausages, he pointed left to right to the food (chilli cheese fries, hot link sausages and stuffed jalapenos) hot, hot and hotter he said.

If you love meat and you love spice you will love the Texas Joe pop up restaurant. There are things that are not spicy though. Like the smoked chicken. The food is good and authentic. It is hearty, filling and very American. Very different.

On the side we had beer from Brewdog. I don’t like beer but I had a raspberry fruit beer which was actually nice. My colleague loved the beer he had, which can be seen below. Brewdogs ‘punk’ beer is anti the big brand generic lagers. Brewdog refuses to compromise on ingredients for its beer to save on costs just to boost profits. It shows in the taste as well. The beer is excellent and noticeably better.

Dragon’s Den star Joe Walters has today announced the launch of his pop-up Texan BBQ at BrewDog Shoreditch. The maverick cowboy will be cooking up a storm in the East London venue, following his standout pitch for his beef jerky company on the BBC 2 entrepreneurial show in August. Texas Joe’s BBQ will serve a full range of smokin’ Southern delights including slow-cooked brisket, beef ribs, chili-dogs and fresh cornbread.

The first Texas Joe’s BBQ will be hosted at BrewDog Shoreditch, and the company plans to open a series of standalone restaurants in the coming months.

The opening of his first pop-up BBQ joint completes a rollercoaster period for the cowboy, which saw him officially launch his jerky company and secure a nationwide deal with Sainsbury’s to stock his product.

Millions of viewers watched Joe pitch his beef jerky company in a rhinestone suit and Stetson this summer on the Den– a pitch that included a performance of the song ‘Put that jerky in your mouth’ by Sunday Best’s recording artists Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.

Joe secured a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones of immediate edge, although the Texan is now operating without the assistance of the ‘Dragon’.
However, BrewDog co-founder James Watt saw the potential in the Texas Joe’s brand and invested.

Watt was recently named Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year and BrewDog beers have previously been used in Texas Joe’s jerky recipes.

Texas Joe’s founder Joe Walters commented:

“Since appearing on the show, the response to our Texan jerky has been so phenomenal that we knew we had to expand our offering and bring a little South hospitality to London. With our first pop-up BBQ joint we’re giving people a taste of authentic Texan BBQ and we know they are going to love it.”

Lima Becomes Europe’s First Michelin Starred Peruvian Restaurant

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Frostie

It was announced this morning in the 2014 Michelin Guide for UK & Ireland that LIMA restaurant in London’s Fitzrovia has achieved the distinction of becoming the first ever Peruvian restaurant in the UK and Europe to be awarded a coveted Michelin star.

The announcement was made at 7.00am this morning by Michelin which is arguably the most revered of all restaurant guides. Having opened in August 2012 to critical acclaim, LIMA is the creation of executive chef Virgilio Martinez and the Gonzalez brothers. The menu, overseen by Martinez and head chef Robert Ortiz, integrates both traditional and contemporary Peruvian cuisine, representing the gastronomic expansion that has taken place in Peru in recent years.

Gabriel Gonzalez, co-owner of LIMA, said, “A Michelin star is an incredible accomplishment. I am so proud of Robert Ortiz and the team at LIMA who work to exceptional standards at every service, and feel this really is a testament to all of our hard work over the past year. To be the first Peruvian restaurant to achieve a star in UK and Europe is a huge accolade.”

Having opened only 13 months ago, Lima has undoubtedly played a huge part in the growing recognition and popularity of Peruvian food in the UK.

LIMA

31 Rathbone Place

London

W1T 1JH

www.limalondon.com

@Lima_London

Fattoria La Vialla Review: Organic Italian Food Fresh From The Farm

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Frostie

I was first introduced to Fattoria La Vialla by my grandmother. Fattoria La Vialla is a family run organic Italian farm located in Tuscany. It produces food and wine strictly for itself in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. Fattoria La Vialla sell directly to their customers like ‘a farmer who brings the fruits of his land right to your home’. No middlemen. It almost sounds too good to be true!

We got sent one of their large hampers to review. To say we were happy is too much of an understatement. You can see from the picture below just how impressive it is. Here is our review. Are their products as good as they look? Let’s find out…

Fattoria = farm and wine estate

We were immediately blown away by the Fattoria La Vialla catalogue (or service card as they call it), which is the most beautiful and charming book I have ever seen. It’s packed with wonderful facts about the food and the amazing history of the farm. It’s filled with genuine love and passion, something you would never experience with a mega brand, and it leaves you feeling totally invested. I highly recommend asking for one.

Our hamper is generously packed, bottles and sauces of different sorts hide under straw. In total we have 4 bottles of wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, four different types of pasta, three different sauces, olives and a huge box of biscotti.

Wine The four bottles of wine consisted of:

Barriccato, a strong, intense red. Fruity and wonderful. This is my favourite red wine now. Superb Riserva, fruity, woody and amazing.

Le Chiassaie is a sparkling white wine. La Vialla call this their ‘most classic’ and says it takes you to the very ‘soul’ of their farm. In that case, I would quite like to stay there, drinking this every day.

Vin Santo; even after all of that praise for the previous bottles of wine, this was probably my favourite. A wonderful sweet wine which is perfect to have in the (late) afternoon with biscotti. In Tuscany they call this ‘death’ because it is a match made in heaven. Made with the most high-quality grapes and then ‘forgotten’ for three years, the time and effort shows; I love it.

Biscotti – The box is a lot bigger than it looks

A wonderful box packed with three different Biscotti was included. These Tuscan biscuits were; Cantucci,; faithfully follows the traditional recipe, flour, almonds, sugar, almonds and organic eggs; amazing, Viallini,; invented by Piera, one of La Vialla’s cooks who is now retired, they taste like goodness and happiness, Brutti ma Buoni; classic and yummy. I can honestly say that all three biscotti were by far and away better than any biscotti I have ever had before. They’re in another league. When we finished the box we actually felt sad.

Olio, Olive Oil; I love the cute bottle, though not as much as I love the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. So high quality that you will never be able to eat supermarket bought olive oil ever again.

The Pecorino Stagionato cheese is matured for at least 3 months. It’s a delicious hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. It has great flavor and texture. A classic Tuscan food staple.

Aceto Balsamico di Modena No kitchen is complete without Balsamic Vinegar and La Vialla’s has a complex fragrance of cooked fruit and wild berries. Delicious and can be added to almost any meal, even some dessert.

Olive Piccanti al Finocchio; I loved the olives. They make the ones we eat in Britain look completely sub-standard. They are big and juicy and full of flavour. I was not as keen on the spicy sauce. I am not a fan of hot things or spice in general. If you like spice this shouldn’t bother you though, and you can also use the leftover sauce for pasta, etc.

Pasta; A good selection of organic pasta came in the hamper. Calamari; which has a great, fun shape, the ever popular Spaghetti and the very traditionally Tuscan Pappardelle all’uovo. The pasta is as tasty and healthy as you would expect.

The Sauces were also amazing. Sugo Bombolino (what a name); Bombolino tomatoes, extra virgin oil, salt, garlic, basil and chilli pepper make up this great sauce. It was delicious. It tasted so real and was packed with so much flavor that I will definitely be ordering some more.

My effort at cooking – Papperdelle pasta with lardons and Bombolino sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pasta all from Fattoria La Vialla

Sugo di carne alla toscana la vialla (Ragu), I must be honest, we have not tried this one yet. It has chicken liver in it which I have never eaten. Will give to another writer and report back. La Rosmarina; Rosemary Tomato sauce. Yum and yum. Like homemade sauce your grandmother would make. If your grandmother was Italian and a professional cook. Another incredible sauce.

Another effort this time with the La Rosmarina sauce and Pecorino cheese

During my research of La Vialla I realised they also have a restaurant. I want to go. Every day. My only criticism of La Vialla is the lack of information on pricing. Apart from that, I am hook, line and sinker in love with their food, their social responsibility and environmentally-friendliness. If every food producer copied them the world would be a better place. There food is amazing, organic and the farm is family-run. I don’t know what else you could possibly want.

http://www.lavialla.it/uk/home_uk.php

In fact we were so inspired by La Vialla’s food that we have filmed are first cookery program using some of their ingredients. Sign up to our youtube channel to watch it and other cookery films in the near future.

Snog South Kensington | Food Review

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

I was late to the snog party. They have been around for a while and I always wanted to get one. I shouldn’t have left it so long as they are delicious. They are also organic, made with British ingredients, have no fat, no artificial ingredients and they are low in calories. They taste amazing and the only low points is how long it takes to choose which one you want and the price. They are also low GI as they are sweetened with agave nectar.

You pick a frozen yogurt flavour; strawberry, chocolate or natural. You then choose a topping and there is a lot to choose from; oreo cookies, blueberry and marshmallows are what we had on our chocolate and strawberry yogurts, but you could also have almond, raspberry, (white and milk) chocolate, banana, mango, granola….

They are healthy and delcious, I loved Snog and will be going back.

snog, yogurt, frozer, south kensington, review,

Price: Over £10 for two yogurts? High. To be fair, prices vary, you could get a small one or a large one with only one topping. The above is a medium with two toppings, and a large with one. Prices start at £2.85 and depend on how many toppings you go for and whether you think someone might want to share your Snog.

Address: 32 Thurloe Pl, London, Greater London SW7 2HQ

Phone:020 7584 4926

Bar Chocolat Launch

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Exclusive Supper Club from NOMA trained Blanch and Shock

The one-off bar is running during London fashion week – it is an immersive, multi-sensory experience inspired by the pleasure of chocolate, all brought to you by the brand new Baileys Chocolat Luxe: www.barchocolatlondon.com

Food design trio Blanch and Shock have created an amazing supper club menu offering that was served directly onto tables on Wednesday afternoon (11th of September)

With 24 carat gold on our lips as part of the dessert experience.

Capturing exciting flavour varieties and taste notes that combined are rarely seen, Wednesday’s supper club will comprise a wild pescatarian starter, garnished with flowers, samphire and pea shoots, and a meaty main. To finish the plate-less feast, a selection of cakes that perfectly accompany Baileys Chocolat Luxe will tantalize tastebuds.

The main meal is served directly on the plate. It was amazing.

Finished meal.

Dessert. Yummy. We put 24 carat gold on our lips to start. Then we had a Baileys Chocolat Luxe and helped ourselves.

The Bar Chocolat experience celebrates the beauty of food and culinary delights. It sees creatives including Bompas & Parr, Tabitha Denholm, Amelia Rope, Petra Storrs and Lou Hayter coming together to create a part immersive, part exhibition journey into the multi-sensory experience of chocolate.

We had an amazing three course meal and the exhibition was amazing too. Opening the door to smell chocolate. Tabitha’s film, the chocolate dessert, the food and experience. The starter was served on a platter of ice and the main was served directly onto the table. Dessert involved putting real 24 carat gold onto our lips. . Amazing, just amazing. We had a brilliant time.

The temporary immersive exhibition and supper club space in Covent Garden saw Pixie Geldof, Henry Holland, Lou Hayter, Gizzi Erskine, Arlissa, Charli XCX, Camilla Rutherford, Tabitha Denholm and Bompas & Parr party into the night to celebrate the nationwide release of Baileys Chocolat Luxe.

Erskine, Denholm, Hayter and Pixie and Ashley Williams took to the decks as guests took in the immersive multi-sensory experience space dedicated to the pleasure of chocolate.

Pixie Geldof used last night’s launch of Baileys Chocolat Luxe to announce that she will following the in the footsteps of friend Alexa Chung in launching her new venture with fashion designer Ashley William called Funky Offish launching soon.

Pixie said:

“Funky Offish is short for funky official – it is our take on smart casual – half funky and half official. We are so excited to announce at tonight’s Baileys Chocolat Luxe night that it will be coming very soon, I think all the chocolate might have made me too euphoric.

“At the moment we are only planning to do womenswear, but who knows what the future holds. the main thing with Funky Offish is that it is not just a label, it is a way of life and I can’t keep it in anymore.”

Other names attending the event last night included: songstress Gabriella Cilmi, PPQ’s Amy Moyneaux and Percy Parker, Game of Thrones’ Gethin Anthony, models Morwenna Lytton-Cobbald, Olivia Inge and Lilah Parsons and comedian Tom Davis.

Baileys Chocolat Luxe Launches Bar Chocolat

The highlight of the night was the Baileys Chocolat Luxe drink that saw the crowd get into a chocolate-fuelled frenzy. The Bompas & Parr Cabinet Luxe installation proved a big high with the young female singers especially, the beautiful trio of Arlissa, Gabriella Cilmi and Charli XCX spent most of their time inhaling the enhanced chocolate vapour form the experimental jellymongers.

Bar Chocolate is a an experience that you must go to. One of the best things you could do during London Fashion Week. Bar Chocolate is open from 11-16 September, entry if free. Over 18’s only. Meals; Lunch £17.50 and Dinner £25. Three courses. Book via http://www.baileysbarchocolat.com

Bar Chocolate, Mercer Street Studios, 16 Mercer Street, London, WC2H 9QE

Nearest tube: Covent Garden.

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