Martin Wishart Restaurant, Shore, Leith | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Frostie

By Mary Cooper

One of the most prominent eateries in Edinburgh is the Michelin starred Martin Wishart Restaurant, Shore, Leith.

Leith, once a vibrant port and a stopping off point for royalty en route to Holyrood, was famous for glassmaking; exporting bottles to Bordeaux for their excellent wines, and shipbuilding.

In the 13th Century, the port of Leith welcomed ships from all over the world. They would deposit their wares to be distributed throughout Scotland and beyond.
Over the years these industries faded and Leith became a rundown area of Edinburgh.

In recent years, however, it has enjoyed a rebirth and has become ‘the’ place to be. Upmarket delicatessen stores and top class restaurants sit comfortably alongside local pubs and student accommodation to create a unique blend of vibrant shabby-chic.

Chef Martin Wishart, learnt from the best – Chef Marco Pierre White among them – and has developed his own voice in the unique world of super-chefs.

The Shore, where MW is situated, is a cobbled street with cafes and restaurants dotted along its length, all of them overlooking the sparkling Waters of Leith. On warm days, crowds of people sit at tables under gaily-coloured parasols, enjoying the sun in this windless, sheltered sun trap. The ambiance of this street sets the tone for the treat to come at MW.

From the moment you step through the door you know that MW is a special place; full length windows stretch along one wall, overlooking the sparkling Waters of Leith.

The service is discretely attentive and the food delicately delicious, from the pink frothy beetroot meringues, served alongside other tiny mouthfuls of Amuse Bouche, to the sharp sorbets and each perfectly proportioned dish to follow, then, just when you think can’t eat another bite, along comes the dessert menu.

The attentive, well informed sommelier will help you chose wines for each course, from champagne on arrival – refreshing with pink meringue – to digestif which you can sip and savour at your leisure.

The quiet but not subdued atmosphere of MW Michelin starred restaurant, offering a three course lunch at an amazing £28,50 Tuesday to Friday and wines from £26 a bottle, is an affordable luxury we all deserve once in a while.
MW is proof that there is more to fine dining than, simply, dining.

For more information, email: info@martin-wishart.co.uk or call on 0131 553 3557.

Lunch
Tuesday to Friday — 12:00–14:00
Saturday — 12:00–13:30

On Saturday only the a la carte and tasting menus are available.

Dinner
Tuesday to Saturday — 19:00–22:00
The restaurant is closed on Sundays & Mondays.  

The Rise of The Fat Supermodel: Is The Fashion Industry Embracing Plus Size Models?

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Aidan

When it comes to the fashion industries obsession with waif like models, times they are a changing…well maybe just a dress size or two. In recent months the industry has seen a sidestep in to the usually unmentionable world of FAT! Several leading modelling agencies now have dedicated plus size divisions, recognising the huge surge in popularity of plus-sized fashion bloggers and Instagrammers. According to Public Health England, two thirds of people in the UK are overweight and are in need of taking better care of their health.

Candice Huffine became the first plus size model to feature in this years’ Pirelli calendar, has graced the front page of Italian Vogue, and has appeared in i-D and Harper’s Bazaar

Tess Holliday’s huge social media following, helped get her signed to modelling agency MILK Model Management who now have a separate division, Curve, which is dedicated to plus size models.

Advertisers using slim models for their ‘health’ campaigns have been heavily criticised by the public and media alike. Protein World’s infamous Are You Beach Body Ready? poster campaign backlash is a prime example of this shift in attitudes towards the ideal female body.

We asked Dr Marilyn Glenville, Nutritionist, women’s health expert and author of Fat Around the Middle: How to Lose That Bulge – For Good for her thoughts…

How difficult is it to maintain a super skinny body shape and still be healthy?

It is very difficult if not impossible to maintain a super skinny body shape and still be healthy. And for women it is important not to lose too much fat, because then periods will stop and it can affect not only fertility but also increase the risk of problems like osteoporosis because the woman has lost the protection of the female hormones.

Do you see women who struggle to lose weight more regularly now?

Yes. In my clinics in Harley Street and Tunbridge Wells, I frequently see women who struggle to lose weight. Most of them just want to be a healthy weight and to have a way of eating that becomes a way of life rather than being on a constant diet or having to do fad diets.

Many women I see also want to change their body shape as well as lose weight as they know they are carrying too much fat around their middles which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer (especially breast cancer), heart disease, Alzheimer’s and high blood pressure.

Do you think the fashion industry should embrace models who better represent today’s average British woman?

I definitely think the fashion industry should embrace models who look like the average British woman. It makes it easier for the average woman to relate to the clothes that the model is wearing and more likely to want to purchase them. If the model is super thin, then the average woman will think they can’t possibly attain that without starving themselves and knows that it is just not realistic for them.

Can you be healthy and bigger?

This is really dependent on body fat percentage rather than weight. A person’s weight cannot differentiate between fat and muscle and an athlete and a couch potato can have the same Body Mass Index (BMI – a ratio of height to weight) and yet have a completely different percentage of fat and muscle.

A woman can be bigger and healthy if she has the correct percentage of body fat (25-31%). Too low, it risks her periods stopping, infertility and osteoporosis, too high then it risks heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

Want to shift some pounds naturally?

Dr Marilyn Glenville (www.marilynglenville.com) has joined forces with luxury health spa Champneys.com, to deliver a series of very special women’s wellbeing weekends this year. These very special one and two day retreats are led by Dr Glenville herself and offer natural solutions and insight into four significant female health issues; Fat Around The Middle, Digestion & IBS, Menopause & Osteoporosis and Fertility.

Sake no Hana, St James’ Street Restaurant Review

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Paloma Kubiak

Cherries are one of my favourite fruits. As a child I loved picking the ripe, deep-red pearls from my grandparents’ garden as I continued to practice handstands on the same patch of fading green grass.

So when hearing of the new menu at Sake no Hana (part of the Hakkasan group) to celebrate the Japanese cherry blossom season, I was very much looking forward to the experience.

The evening promised a meal under sweet-smelling cherry blossom trees and behind the somewhat ordinary exterior, we were seated in the bar area, which was alight with blossoming pink flowers.

We would be dining from the new Sakura Gozen menu (£32) and to get our evening started, we sipped on the violet risshun two-part cocktail, with its fruity and sour blend that got the juices ready for the main.

It consisted of a carafe with jinzu gin, green chartreuse, grapefruit juice, shiso, burlesque bitters and in a miniature jug which accompanied the gin, there was belsazar rose vermouth, maraschino cherry, cranberry and lemon juice.

Oliver, the charismatic bar manager advised us to start with the jinzu gin before adding the vermouth and the combination stirred both a sweet and sour taste on the palette.

The white miso soup was steaming hot with slithers of spongy tofu and specks of spring onion. It was wholesome, with a hint of garlic and it was a pleasant starter to the evening.

Next, our waitress, Manon bought over the sesame spinach with cassava chips. The spinach was wonderfully slimy and the nutty sprinkle of sesame seeds contrasted with the texture of the wood flavours of the crispy cassava chips.

As it made its way to our table, I couldn’t help but wait in anticipation. The Sakura crystal box was simply beautiful. It consisted of kuro kampachi, salmon, seabream sashimi otoro, chu toro, akami nigiri, spicy tuna, salmon avocado and California maki.

The translation – succulent strips of prime, fresh fish encasing mouth-size nodules of rice, accompanied with strips of ginger and a green ball of hot wasabi.

The raw salmon and sea bream slithered on the tongue and both mine, and my fiancé’s favourite was the spicy tuna slice.

We thought the evening was over, until our waitress bought over the baked Sakura cotton cheesecake with fresh cherries, cream cheese and cherry sorbet (£8).

Just like the crystal box, the cheesecake was alluring with specks of sweet cherries, slices of crunchy pavlova and it was accompanied by the tangy cold taste of the cherry sorbet.

It cleansed the palette while the cherry blossom and vanilla macarons, with cherry blossom tea ganache, (£1.80 each or 5 for £8) was the perfect ending to a fine dining experience in the heart of Mayfair as each bite oozed a rich chocolate flavour in the mouth.

At the end of our meal, Oliver showed us around the Grade II listed restaurant just upstairs which boasts a £6 million renovation project.

Diners enter via a single escalator and as it’s considered bad luck to go back on yourself, the exit is via an escalator which loops around the other end of the restaurant.

I was impressed by the sheer number of customers on a Friday night and by the authentic Japanese decoration that included walls lined with bamboos.

The bar area where we dined was quieter and more intimate than the restaurant and we enjoyed a very fine meal in Mayfair (it’s also very reasonably priced), just around the corner from The Ritz.

Tis The Season…. For Jersey Royals

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Christian Gott

If you love your potatoes, your mash, your roasties and your chips then now is the season to celebrate. The first or early potato crops are being lifted in Cornwall and the South West, but for the real connoisseur there is only one option, the Jersey Royal. Now you lucky folk can get them in every high street in Britain, every good green grocer, every supermarket sells the most tasty potatoes you will try. Quite often at a better price than on the island of Jersey itself. So I hold my hand up here, I live on the island, I could always just go dig up a bucket load I guess, if the farmers didn’t guard them so highly.

Right now across our fertile fields you can see acres of plastic sheets covering the wonderful Jersey main season potato crop. The earliest and hardiest growers would have been planting in November for the early season potatoes. Visitors to the island are often amazed by the land that is turned over to potato growing, virtually vertical pockets of soil on rocky outcrops are planted carefully suspended by ropes. The potato harvest lasts from early April through to June depending of course on the climate conditions. The above average temperature of the island, its easy draining soil and the use of the abundant local seaweed as a fertilizer all helps to shape the flavour of this perfect potato. The islanders would swear to the fact the secret is all in the use of abundant amounts of the pungent seaweed.

We need however to go back to 1878 ( fear not this is only a minor historical digression and an essential part of our tale ) for the origin of the Jersey Royal or to be more precise the Jersey Royal Fluke and it’s unique taste. A pair of abnormally large potatoes were purchased and later cultivated by Hugh de La Haye becoming the fore runners of the modern jersey potato industry. Today at its peak 1500 tonnes a day are exported during the seasons peak and the Jersey Royal enjoys EU protected status.

So what do I suggest you do with the lovely little tubers, on the island they are consumed simply served in a bowl with golden Jersey butter. I have a taste for freshly boiled Jersey Royals with some cold smoked Jersey butter and coarse sea salt if I’m feeling a little culinary inclined. You can served them with Spring Lamb, they as you would expect excellent with simply grilled fish, but here is my favourite, a nice early summer recipe to look forward to, healthy, full of flavour and texture and very easy to make.

Roasted Jersey Royal, Chickpea and Sweet Red Pepper Salad

serves 4

The wonderful sweet flavour of the potatoes are complimented by the rosemary, the slightly smoky charred peppers, the salty olives and the crunch of the chickpeas all bound in a simple but fragrant vinaigrette.

1 lb Early season Jersey Royal potatoes, thoroughly washed 2 large sweet red peppers
4 oz ripe on the vine cherry tomatoes
a small tin ( around 4 oz ) of chickpeas, washed and drained 8 tlbsp quality olive oil

2 tlbsp sherry vinegar 1 tsp clover honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves of garlic

1 small chilli, seeds removed

a large sprig of rosemary
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, washed and picked mixed salad leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a heavy duty plastic food bag

Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C / Gas mark 5. Place your peppers on an oven proof dish and bake until the skins to blacken. ( You can achieve the same results under a salamander in a shorter period of time ). In a medium sized sauce pan place the Jersey royal potatoes and cover with cold water. Add half a teaspoon of salt place on the hob and bring to the boil, simmer gently for five minutes. Remove from the heat and drop into a bowl of ice cold water. Drain thoroughly and place in an oven tray. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, one crushed clove of garlic, the rosemary sprig broken up and plenty of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes until the skins are crispy.

In the meantime place the charred peppers in the food bag, seal and allow to cool. As the peppers cool the self generated steam will loosen the blackened skins. When cool remove from the bag and on a chopping board scrap off the skin. Do not worry if you cannot remove it all a few blackened pieces add a smoky flavour to the salad. Remove seeds and any membranes and slice. Slice tomatoes in half.

Wipe a medium sized glass bowl with the second piece of garlic that has been cut in half. In the bowl dissolve a good pinch of the salt into the sherry vinegar then add a good grind of black pepper, the honey and mustard. Whisk in the oil. Immediately before serving toss the chickpeas, tomatoes, pepper slices and parsley in the dressing. Place over 4 bowls of mixed salad leaves drizzling with any remaining dressing, top with crisp roasted potatoes and enjoy.

https://about.me/cgott

Pizza Rossa Restaurant Review

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Last month Frost paid a visit to Pizza Rossa at Leadenhall Market. A popular restaurant in the City. Business was brusque. The restaurant is casual with a number of tables that fill up quickly, if you want a seat be quick. As well as pizza, they also have fresh home made meat or vegetarian lasagne, and a parmigiana which is only 300kcal per portion.

We tried a few different pizzas and they were all delicious. They tasted fresh and light. Unlike a lot of pizza, they are much healthier some of their pizzas start at 200kcal and provide at least one of your five a day, plus the dough, proved for almost 20 hours, is very digestible, naturally low in gluten, very low in yeast and salt, with no sugar or preservative added (which is what makes the dough rise quickly for a fast turnaround) – they are an artisan pizza maker, and the pizza is served al taglio – by the square slice, like you will find in Italy where street food vendors specialise in this type of lunchtime urban staple, especially in Rome.

We were very impressed at the delicious food. As my colleague put it: “All of the yum”.

Pizza Rossa is at 4-12 Whittington Avenue, corner of Leadenhall Street at Leadenhall Market, London EC3V 1AB Tel: 020 7621 0676 Nearest Tube: Bank www.pizzarossa.com @pizzarossaUK www.facebook.com/pizzarossa

Holiday Destination: Kerala, India by Pat Heath

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Cycling in Kerala sounded fun. Yes, they mentioned mountains, but how hard could it be?

Day 1 was deceptively relaxing – a guided tour of Kochi and its history. Separated from the rest of India by mountains, Kochi was influenced mainly by foreign traders, attracted by the lucrative spice business. The apostle, Thomas, beat the Portuguese missionaries by several centuries, and Indian-style Christian churches alternate with Hindu temples and mosques, together with one beautiful old synogogue, maintained by just six Jews.

The cycling started gently, along quiet canals. The locals stopped washing their clothes in the waters to enquire just how old we were? And couldn’t we afford a car?

Then the first mountain appeared. It was beautiful (I think – I mostly stared at the road, with gritted teeth, resisting the call of the air-conditioned, leather-seated support vehicle ahead). But after hours of grunting and cursing, we arrived at a spice plantation, set on the mountain-side. After cakes, fruit juice, and a much-needed shower, the owner showed us around. Every spice we’d ever heard of – and some we hadn’t – were growing around us. Using smell and taste, we identified nutmeg and mace, ginger plants, cardamom pods, all spice, and cinnamon bark. The photograph shows Johann, an Austrian guest, testing peppercorns on the vine.

Our evening meal, naturally incorporated all these spices.

Next day – more climbing, but the rolling tea plantations were worth the shaking thighs. We paused (any excuse) to watch the tea-pickers cutting leaf tips into bags attached to their scissors.

Then we visited Tata tea factory (thankfully by car) to watch the tea process and buy fresh, high-quality tea.

On to the Periyar Rainforest. Wearing sackcloth overboots (for leech protection), we crossed the river, by standing on a narrow raft of thin branches. Incredibly we reached the forest still on board. The native guide showed us monkeys, giant squirrels, numerous medicinal plants and even fresh tiger paw marks (no sign of the owner, fortunately).

Finally, it was downhill, literally, as we whizzed to the Backwaters. Rounding a corner, we braked to avoid flying into a huge lake – cartoon-style. The guides loaded our bikes, plus us, into a large canoe and we chugged to our waterside accommodation – a traditional farmhouse with luxurious, open-roofed bathrooms – a shower with a suntan.

More delicious Keralan food followed, with a chance to sample the local coconut toddy.

The Backwaters comprise hundreds of reclaimed islands, surrounded by lakes and canals. By hiring a houseboat, you can see life on the water – families fishing for their supper, school children travelling by canoe (see photograph) and local youths practising snake-boat racing.

We were greeted with a coconut drink and banana fritters on our houseboat.

After a peaceful night, rocked by the water, we enjoyed a typical South Indian breakfast, watching cormorants and sea snakes.

After disembarking, we cycled to the Alleppey beach, for camel rides.

Would I recommend Kerala as a holiday destination? Absolutely.

Kalypso Adventures is a holiday company based in Kochi, Kerala. Their experienced and high-quality customer service works to give a wonderful holiday experience : http://www.kalypsoadventures.com

The Exhibit, Balham Restaurant Review

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Paloma Kubiak

– Location: check

– Atmosphere: check

– Great food: check.

As a born and bred Londoner, I’m embarrassed to write that I’ve never ventured to the restaurants or bars of Balham.

But yesterday evening, we stepped inside The Exhibit, a pretty venue just round the corner from the station.

On the ground floor we were impressed by the well-stocked bar and an array of colourful cocktails clasped in the hands of the trendy post-work crowd.

We headed one floor up to the dining area and were warmly welcomed by the waiting staff.

I loved the décor; white washed brickwork, glass blocks separating the two distinct dining areas and the open kitchen where you can see the chefs literally cooking up a storm.

My fiancé Marcin ordered the salmon tartare with guacamole, sesame seeds and soy dressing. The salmon, more red than pink, was smokey while the tang of the soy dressing and delicate taste of the guacamole all fused together beautifully.

I opted for the pulled pork terrine with chef’s piccalilli and the stringy pork had a char flavour which together with the spice of the piccalilli, was a pleasant starter.

For my main, I fancied trying the 24-hour honey and rosemary marinated lamb neck, with tomato bulgar wheat and aubergine croqueta. Having never tried this cut of the meat (it’s much cheaper than say a shoulder of lamb), I found it to be tender, fairly lean and with a more distinct lamb taste. The aubergine croqueta was crispy and the bulgar wheat was similar to a Mediterranean couscous.

For his main, Marcin chose from the special board – Galloway 32-day aged 8oz ribeye, café de Paris butter and chips. He said cutting into the steak was a real pleasure as the knife seamlessly sliced into the tender, juicy meat which was seared well on the outside while the inside was deliciously pink.

With a naturally sweet tooth, I plumped for the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The sponge was moist, the butterscotch sauce sugary and the vanilla ice-cream provided a refreshing coolness to the palette.

We did swap puddings half way though and I devoured the remains of Marcin’s chocolate and amaretti cake with crème fraiche. It was made of dark chocolate and was intensely rich while the little crispy puffs layered on top added a nice crunch to the bite.

The atmosphere was really chilled, the diners all had a fun vibe and our date night was accompanied by Torrontes white wine – a delicate, crisp and fruity wine which seemed to compliment each of our dishes.

We took a wander around The Exhibit – in one room speed-dating was taking place, while upstairs, it boasts an additional bar and best of all, an intimate plush cinema-come-karaoke room. On its website, The Exhibit prides itself on being “your go-to neighbourhood eating, drinking and entertainment choice for the people of Balham.” I only wish I’d left Clapham, Shoreditch and Camden behind and headed to Balham sooner – whether for post-work drinks, date night or even a sing-along, The Exhibit is a fabulously versatile venue for any event, large or small. No doubt we’ll be returning there soon.

Gillray’s Steakhouse and Bar Review

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Gillray’s Steakhouse and Bar is one of London’s gems. Not only is it the perfect place to have one of their amazing cocktails, it also has a stunning location. Right near the London Eye, the view while you eat is something to behold. Which brings us to the food.

When you sit down you will be treated to one of Gillray’s famous Yorkshire Puddings. They are huge, delicious and come with perfect horseradish sauce. They also have cheese in them. My mouth is watering just writing this.

To start I have the Pan fried scallops with brussel tops, crispy ham and cauliflower purée. My colleague has the soup of the day: Cauliflower and truffle. The scallops are perfectly cooked, the crispy ham is just that and the purée gives a very different touch. I am unsure at first but it works. My colleagues soup is also delicious. I have a great mocktail, proving that Gillray’s can still deliver without alcohol and my colleague has a glass of wine that she really enjoys.

For our mains I have the Gillray’s Steak Burger. It comes with chips and a wonderful marmalade. The tomato sauce and brown sauce is made especially for Gillray’s, it tasted great and comes in very cute jars. My colleague has the South Coast Lemon Sole with Parsley Butter. On the side she has the Cauliflower Cheese. All is superb.

For dessert my colleague has the Gillray’s classic Traditional Sherry Trifle: layered sponge fingers and red fruit soaked in sherry, covered with custard and topped with whipped cream. It is different, fun, mouth wateringly tasty and you even get the recipe to take away with you. I have the Chef’s Ice Cream. You get three scoops and I choose mint chocolate chip, valrbona dark chocolate and raspberry ripple. The ice cream is yummy. Just as I expected.

We finish with an English Breakfast tea for me and an Espresso for my colleague. They go down perfectly after our superb meal. I will definitely be returning to Gillray’s again. I think I will try their afternoon tea next.

Gillray’s Steakhouse and Bar

Gillrays’ Steakhouse & Bar,
London Marriott Hotel County Hall,
Westminster Bridge Road,
SE1 7PB

020 7902 8000, email enquiry@gillrays.com

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