All posts by Fork & Talk

Two girls eat their way through London in the hopes to find the best eats in town. We have made a lot of mistakes in love but we will be damned if we make a mistake with our ultimate love, food.

Jerusalem

Palomar

March 19, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

In 2015 it can’t get trendier than Jerusalem cuisine. Jerusalem? you ask… Yes, is not Israel cuisine but a modern day Jerusalem. As Palomar’s website states their menu has been inspired by southern Spain, North Africa and Levan.

The layout of Palomar is rather fun with all the seating available running along the bar, depending which end you find yourself, you could either be looking at skillful chefs preparing your dishes or you would be doing shots with the barman. In any case these barstools are not for the long-legged or big- -elbowed.

Background music for the night was spectacular. It took me back to my parents house with all the classics like Madonna, Survivor and Bonnie Tyler. Kanye West was randomly shuffled into the mix, which made all the chef’s hats bobble to the beat.

It would be unfair for me to write a comprehensive review of this restaurant as turns out I am not a big fan of Jerusalem cuisine. As I was eating my way through a million dishes we ordered (waiter recommended 3 plates per person) I recognised elements of Lebanon such as the bread, the hummus and thinly shaven meats, which I enjoyed. But you see my boring European palate is used to these flavours. Then I would come across chunky pine nuts, which I don’t enjoy as much, and trust me they were everywhere! All the colours and textures were a little overwhelming, so I let my dinner partner devour most of the dishes by himself.

Selection of cold starters were a little too odd for my taste and the bread wasn’t amazing as I expect from Middle eastern establishment. However that was the day that I found out that there are oysters in Morocco and they were great! Served with a little coriander, lemon zest and arisa oil they were scrumptious and paired rather well with my glass of sherry!

My favorite dish was octo-hummus which is made of generous sized octopus “steak” chickpea msabacha & cherry tomato confit.

Nevertheless all dishes were extremely pretty to look at and service was fantastic. Our waiter was looking after us as if we were his family.

I wish really badly that I enjoyed the food as much as my dinner partner. But oh well, you gotta try everything once!

Palomar

34 Rupert Street, London W1D 6DN
thepalomar.co.uk

Thai

Rosa’s Thai Cafe

March 16, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

We have been wanting to try Rosa’s for years and we finally found no excuse when one opened up on our door step on Upper street.

The overall look of Rosa’s is very modern and you would never associate it with thai food and even when you look at the menu it is a question mark. Rosa’s menu is so exciting to look at as it isn’t your average thai. It’s full of fusion dishes such as: spaghetti green curry and stir fried prawns with pad thai sauce (what we had :). So all the combinations we think about, well Rosa actually does them.

Our friend Mark joined us for this event and we were sceptical about what he would be able to eat as he is currently on this wheat and sugar free diet but Rosa catered for that wonderfully.

To start with we have chicken satay and summer rolls. Now satay is Elena’s most hated thing as she thinks they have zero flavour however, her opinion of satay at Rosa’s has made her love them. I have to admit these were well seasoned with an array of spices and cook wonderfully. The summer rolls were lovely and full of fresh ingredients. I appreciated that extra bit of coriander in them which made them even more moorish.

The barman was lovely, as we weren’t really feeling the drinks on the menu we just told him what flavours we like and away he went to create up delicious personalised drinks. Thumbs up.

Our mains smelled amazing and looked so sweet on the tinned plates. The portion sizes were a lot smaller than we were expecting when you looked at what you were paying for each dish.

The pad thai infused stir fry was lovely with huge juicy prawns. Elena’s spaghetti just messed with your head as it looked Italian yet tasted like a subtle Thai dish. Mark had a minute seared tuna steak which he loved, his only development point was that it should have been a 30 sec searing, but he is difficult like that.

Rosa’s is a quick eat and go kind of dine which puts it perfectly into our ‘snacks in between shopping category’.

Rosa’s Thai Cafe
6 Theberton Street, London N1 0QX
rosasthaicafe.com

Burger

MEATmission

March 14, 2015 Fork & Talk 2 Comments

MEATmission isn’t just a burger joint in Shoreditch, it’s the word I and many of my friends use when the meat craving sets in at weekend. I know many of you may be able to relate to this. I happen to be a vegetarian during the week due to a hectic lifestyle and my minimal efforts to cook anything that takes longer than 5 mins (you would never know how much I love to cook when I’m at work). Come weekend time I turn into a savage meat loving beast and I love it.

My loving Elena and I are very active in our lives and are always out somewhere and doing something. However, when we choose to be lazy, well I think our photos would be used to communicate the word. So this weekend was one of those weekends. We watched Marigold Hotel part 2 and then decided we should chill indoors. But then hunger set in and we wanted a patty but couldn’t be asked to leave the house so started to search for a burger delivery place that was to our standards. YES, you heard that right, we wanted the burgers to come to us!

To our surprise MEATmission a place which has been on our list of places to try did deliveries!!! Whoop whoop!! Not only that, the burgers had brioche buns, wait for it, they even had Bingo Wings or for the common folk, buffalo wings.

Now, truly being at the borderline of eating our own body parts through hunger we went a tad overboard with ordering. We ordered: The dead hippie burger, red chilli burger, fries, bingo wings and fried mac and cheese. Naturally we shared everything to avoid disappointment.

Now, meat lovers out there, the pattie in both burgers was packed tight with meat. The patties in both burgers were soft and tender and just crumbled in the mouth and melted away. Elena really appreciated the fact that the burgers were medium rare. If she could have her way she would have all the meat in the world so rare that it’s still talking to you but even she was gushing at how perfectly cooked it was.

The dead hippie came with a double pattie and was reeling in mustard which made the meat taste amazing. It was subtle in flavours.

The red chilli burger is one juicy burger with a single pattie and beef chilli smothered on top. Yes, you heard that right beef chilli in a burger, soaking the brioche bun and giving a spicy yet tangy flavour. A tad messy so knife and fork this one.

The bingo wings had a lovely crispy skin and the meat just flaked off the bone. The buffalo sauce was finger licking good and packed with that sweet and sour combination. The portion of wings was very generous I must say. There must have been 10-12 wings, it’s hard to recall as we had that disease of wing amnesia when you just stop counting and hope it won’t finish.

Now, our wild card choice of deep fried Mac’n’Cheese ended up being our favourite item. These strange looking things were shaped like rectangles and were coated in golden bread crumbs. You would never think that what is inside was inside. As you bite into these golden bars you crunch through the bread crumbs and enter a gooey and chewy heaven of béchamel and pasta. My brain couldn’t handle what I was eating, it wouldn’t believe I was eating pasta so I had to look at it and there it was, big chunks of pasta in white sauce. So tasty and so bad for you but we loved it.

We can not believe the treat we had delivered to our door nor can we believe it was a burger! We can not wait to now actually visit MEATmission in the flesh and see what else we can eat from their burger list. They have an extensive drinks menu and we wished we could order a hard shake or two but all the more reason not to be lazy and to go in and visit.

We will be ordering from this bad boys again. Number saved!

MEATmission
15 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HG
http://www.meatmission.com/

Japanese

Nobu

March 11, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

Everyone who’s into Japanese cuisine heard of Nobu. It has been leading a long list of London’s prestigious eateries for many years. A week ago when my father was in town, we finally decided to book a table and see what’s the fuss is all about.

We booked a late Sunday lunch time slot at Nobu at Metropolitan hotel. We wondered how we got so lucky as the restaurant was packed! Service was friendly and to the point. Instead of choosing a selection of dishes, which would have taken a while considering menu was quite long, we were recommended ‘chefs choice’ lunch feast. For £70 per head Omakase is a multi-dish course which lets you experience Chef Matsuhisa’s cooking in full glory. So we have put our trust in his hands and tucked in.

Both of us LOVE sushi and we can definitely appreciate a bit of yellow tail, so the starter was a hit. Raw fish was supreme quality – delicious! Plus who can resist a bit of caviar!

Both me and dad ordered a taster tray of sake to go with our lunch. A great way to sample all different types of sake without the commitment. My favourite one was naturally with gold leaf on the bottom. Real smooth!

Our second course was black cod with miso. Wrapped in a banana leaf it was steamed to perfection. Lemon slice was on the side in case you found miso marinade too sweet, which I did, but lemon juice added a little edge. It was a great portion size as dishes kept coming!

Next up was stunning Wagyu beef with Japanese mushrooms on the side. This is my first time trying Wagyu and it was very good, but portion was small so I didn’t quite taste all of that stunning marbling of fat that Wagyu is famous for. I did however love the Japanese mushrooms for their slightly pickled taste and crunch.

Lunch was rounded off by chocolate fondant and green tea ice cream. As much of a chocolate lover as I am, I felt as though dessert have let the meal down. The fondant is a weird dessert to have after spectacular sushi, there was nothing special about it. Green tea ice cream however was perfectly refreshing.

Now you don’t go to Nobu for the location or the decor, both of these didn’t exactly swipe me off my feet. The food however deserves all the praise! I now get what all the Nobu fuss is about.

Nobu
Metropolitan Hotel London, 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB
http://www.noburestaurants.com

Event

The Cocoa Box

March 8, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Cupcake cake decoration at its best. Who could have thought there was a place you could sip on Cosmopolitans and be taught how to decorate cupcakes like a professional and well have lots of fun doing it. The Cocoa Box are making these dreams come true.

I bought tickets for one of their London workshops for Elena’s birthday and I was skeptical at how they would pull it off in a hotel but boy was I about to eat my words.

The Cocoa Box is you didn’t know already are a company that make amazing cakes and chocolates that make your eyes and mouth water. Stunning is the only way to describe them.

During our 2.5 hours course we were show how to make fondant bows and flowers, we learnt how to ice using icing paste and cream cheese frosting and we were even taught how to pipe. The best thing about it was that we were all able to do it without any difficulty, our teacher Nathan was so clear and helpful and made the learning experience fun. I had thought that it could be quiet stressful as I’m not your natural baker but once Elena stopped throwing fondant balls at me I got stuck in. It was all rather therapeutic.

The Cocoa Box have done wonders with this workshop I must say. I left feeling very proud of myself with a cake box full of cakes that I had decorated myself. I also left high on sugar sampling the icing and a little tipsy from the endless supply of cocktails.

The Cocoa Box workshops a are great for spending time with friends, the start of a hen party, birthday party or you could even go alone as many people did during our session.

The Cocoa Box workshop costs £35 per person. Totally worth the money. We will defiantly be going to their chocolate workshops in the near future.

Star Rating: *****

http://www.thecocoabox.co.uk/

American, Burger

Urban Diner

March 6, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

We love Richmond, it’s so relaxed and has a large platter to offer in terms of cuisine. One evening as we took a stroll along the high street we came across Urban Diner. With it’s black and red decor and halogen lighting, it definitely screams coooooool. We also fancied a milkshake so anything that wasn’t a McDonalds milkshake was a bonus.

We were pleasantly surprised with our find.

We chose to sit outside, a rarity I know. We were served popcorn to nibble on as we scrolled through the menu. Yes, complimentary popcorn, WE LOVE FREE STUFF.

We decided to go for a hardshake with bourbon called Caramel Corn. Absolutely delicious. The shake was so creamy and had enough kick of alcohol to take the edge off a long day. It was like drinking a dessert.

The shake was so filling that we decided to grab a few (million) dishes to nibble on.

We started off with Voodoo Wings or buffalo wings to you and I, I love it when they are saucy and I was content with these, crispy on the out side and tender on the inside with the meat just coming away from the bone without a fuss. The sauce had the sour and tangy buffalo taste but also had a hint of spice with this recipe. I couldn’t stop licking my fingers, the sauce was that good. I was literally wiping the sauce off the tray with anything I could find.

We then tucked into Diner mac and cheese which had a crisp top and the most creamiest béchamel we have tasted. Not overly seasoned but still good. It was a side portion but I could have eaten 5 as a main easily. Obviously, Elena would have then had to have 999 on stand by to unclog my arteries after but it would have been worth it.

We decided to continue with our strange combination of foods and order corn on the cob which I naturally smothered in butter and we also order BBQ Beans. The corn was lovely and sweet and the kernels popped off the cob with minimal effort, how do they do that?
The BBQ Beans were out of intrigue really, never have I seen Elena so excited about baked beans in my life. But I have to admit they were rich and soft in a creamy sauce, not being the biggest beans fan they were pretty nice.

The Urban Diner is a great place to get your fix of American cuisine and upon reflection it is the best American joint Surrey/Richmond has to offer. We will definitely be returning during the warmer months to try more hardshakes and more of that finger licking buffalo sauce. I might just ask for the bottle.

Urban Diner
20 Hill St, Richmond, London TW9 1TN
www.urbandiner.co.uk

Korean

Bibigo Bar & Dining

March 3, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

Bibigo Bar & Grill is the latest addition to restaurant scene in Islington. Offering healthy and fresh Korean cuisine Bibigo gone somewhere no one’s been before. But perhaps not without calculated risk.

How many of you had ‘Health’ on your new year resolution lists?
I bet quite a few, me including! But you have to admit that it’s so hard to keep up, especially if you hang out in a buzzing place like Angel. So with that in mind Bibigo’s new branch launch in mid January was very clever indeed.

I have a few Korean friends who have taken me to many great Korean restaurants and Korean supermarkets. We sampled delicious traditional bbq and Korean home cooking. And with all that experience I have always thought of Korean food as healthy, so when Bibigo claimed to serve just that i didn’t think much of it.

We walked into a stunning room with tall ceilings and timber slate walls. I was pleasantly surprised to find this restaurant packed on a Tuesday night. But having made a booking earlier that day we were quickly seated in a darkly lit corner.

Menu is quite large with four pages per course. As tacky as it is, that’s when I appreciate having a photo next to the names of dishes.

We stared with Korean style pancake with courgette, sweet potato and butternut squash served with rocket salad. Having picked it from ‘small dishes’ menu i was surprised by how massive it was. It was crispy and soft with delicate steamed chuncks of sweet potato on top. Although it was very delicious, between two of us we couldn’t finish it.

Pancake was followed by Green Taco. Perhaps this is the dish that takes ‘healthy’ too far. These ‘tacos’ are lettuce wraps with pickled mooli and jalapeno, and fresh tomato salsa and tofu topping. I would have preferred this dish served as a side salad and not as a starter.

Soondae – Korean black pudding with glass noodles and pork. This dish was presented beautifully but lacked true deep gritty flavour of black pudding.

Bibigo skewers of char-grilled beef, oyster mushrooms and spring onions were also fun to look at, but i found their ginger sauce a little too salty.

Four starters down and still hungry we ordered Bossam (pork belly) and Galbi Jjim (braised short rib). Both these dishes in their meaty glory have finally satisfied us.

It is very clear to me that this restaurant doesn’t call them selves healthy for the sake of it. It is the perfect hangout for conceous eaters and people on a diet. For meat lovers like me and dad it didnt hit the spot but i wouldnt write it off just yet. I look forward to coming back but this time ordering with help of Bibigo’s waiters.

Bibigo Bar & Grill
407 St. John Street Angel, Islington London EC1V 4AB
http://bibigouk.com

Asian, Indian

Spice Society

February 27, 2015 Fork & Talk 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love a good Indian on a Saturday night?

If you ever find yourself in Elmers End, Beckenham then head straight to Spice Society. It’s one of the best asian restaurants in the area. Quite large establishment with ambient decor and extremely polite staff. I have been there a number of times and have never have been disappointed.

Now my partner in crime would probably give you a lecture how ‘Indian’ restaurants in England are all actually Bangladeshi owned and what you are eating is not Indian at all. But since I am no expert on originality of these dishes I go by taste alone.

They have a very extensive menu, whether you feel like prawn or lamb there is something for every craving. All dishes are so fresh, you get overwhelmed by fragrance when they serve them on your table.

Some of the dishes we ordered were lamb biriani served with vegetarian curry, chicken masala and paneer. What a feast! All plates were heaped, which meant my lunch next day was sorted. Sweet!

Spice Society
139 Croydon Road, Beckenham BR3 3RB

Burger, Grill

Hotbox

February 24, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

Hotbox, meat lovers heaven. We are in love with this place.

The interior is what I will now coin as the Shoreditch look; bare brick, dimmed lighting, reclaimed timber furniture and lots of candles. The seating is similar to a school canteen, Wagamama style so you get to meet lots of people or if you are Elena pretend they don’t exist and focus on who is in front of you which luckily for her was me. The restaurant is so hot right now that it’s packed to the brim. We were also dining next to some famous models on our visit but we won’t name drop.

Hotbox has a very stream lined menu and we have come to the conclusion the restaurants that cut it back in terms of content usually have every dish spot on or as the kids say ‘on point’.

We started off our visit with a trip downstairs to their bar called 46 and Mercy. Very small and cosy with a combination of the bench seating and some sofas. Now, my favourite bars are the ones that have table service and well 46 had table service, whoop whoop. The bar staff are tentative and very friendly and clearly people that love their job. They really help to create that fun atmosphere that the bar has, added with upbeat music, it is a great place to just chill and hang out with your friends. We had some interesting cocktails which were high in alcohol content so it didn’t take me long to get tipsy. The complimentary pretzels kept us entertained as we attempted to resemble phallic objects. They also tasted great, well you know how we love our free stuff.

Once we got to the restaurant we decided straight away we could cover more ground if we shared stuff and boy was that a good decision. We ordered beef rib tacos and a pattie with rib, all the dishes are served with house pickles. When we saw smokey mac and cheese on the menu we had to order them as a side and well we added a portion of sweet potato fries just incase we didn’t have enough to eat 😀

All the food is presented on a chopping board which I love the rustic look of. The first thing we devoured was the soft shell tacos. We had to get in there with our hands and there was juice dripping everywhere. However, I got so lost in the flavours I couldn’t careless that I looked like a wild animal. The tacos were filled with juicy rib beef, rocket, chipotle mayo and crispy fried shallots. Each bite was like a party in the mouth with one flavour break dancing after another. The meat was just that, MEAT! Tender with a few crispy bits here and there, with seasoning all over.

The 4oz pattie was topped off with cheese, onions and more rib beef. The pattie was cooked medium rare and all that goodness was encased in a brioche bun. Now we didn’t come here in search of the best burger in town but we have to put it in our top 10. What a burger! The meat just melts in the mouth. The burger had a spicy kick to it which was much appreciated and just enhanced all the other flavours in it.

The smokey Mac and cheese is the best we have tasted and I mean ever. Creamy béchamel sauce with perfectly cooked pasta and a crispy breadcrumb top. So moorish. I could have eaten two portions of those as a main! It had a smokey taste throughout and I really need to find out how they do it so that I can copy. The sweet potato fries were on another level. I often fear how these will be at different restaurants as often enough they end up being soggy. However, Hotbox received another tick with the fries which were seasoned and triple coated so uber crispy on the outside and smooshy soft on the inside.

I am the one that has to tell sweet Elena that there is no room for dessert but after having amazing drinks, followed by an amazing meal I just had to see what dessert would be like which of course made my partner in crimes day. We had to go for the strangest sounding thing on the menu and order deep fried Oreo cookies. Omg. Each Oreo had been coating in doughnut batter and fried, looked hideous but boy did it taste good. It was served with vanilla ice cream and a pot of chocolate sauce. When you bite into these treats you expect a crunch however, it’s so soft all the way through. You get the taste of a sugar doughnut but you also get the cakey version of an Oreo cookies. It was seriously delicious and so worth the sick feeling of being stuffed. We were in food coma. Result.

The surprising part was the bill as we managed to spend under £25 each which was a bargain for the quality of food we had eaten. As we paid our bill we sat and planned when we could come back and taste their breakfast menu so keep tuned for that review.

Hotbox
46-48 Commersial Street, London E1 6LT
hotboxlondon.com

Event

Real Food Market

February 21, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love a good food market? An opportunity to nibble on every type of sausage ever made, taste 100 different cheeses and perhaps even sip on finest home made ciders!

If you are serious about your markets you might even bring a carrier bag and stash away these saucisson for months ahead. Unfortunately I am not those people, even though I often dream about foods I tried for days after. I like to spend my afternoons at food markets, have a laugh with friends, eat as much as I can and go home happy.

I find Southbank’s Real Food Market perfect for that. Just a short walk from Waterloo station is all it takes to find yourself in the middle of fresh farm produce. They have a neat sitting area where you can diminish your findings. Everyone there has great passion for food and fun chatter. It can be a really positive atmosphere and trust me time would fly as you make your way through the stalls.

Going to food markets is a great way to support your local producers. Now I am not saying that everything sold at Sainsburys is crap but here everything you see has been made with love and passion. Cattle fed on grass and veg grown without pesticides…. can’t get much better than that!

Real Food Market is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They have a stream of regular shoppers, it can get a little bit busy but it’s all for good cause.

Real Food Market
http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/market

Thai

iYara

February 19, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

As you open the doors of iYara in South Wimbledon you are hit with the most amazing fragrance of lilies. Your mind immediately thinks about the fact you too need to purchase a lily glade plug in but then you realise where the scent of lilies is actually coming from. The restaurant is literally covered in fresh lilies and for a flower loving romantic like myself you really appreciate the luxurious touch that it brings.

iYara maybe small in size but it is not to be dismissed. When I first read that it had the name tag of being the best Thai in South London I knew I had to give it a go being a Thai food lover. One thing I do recommend is making a reservation. For such a small place there is nowhere to wait should you come on a busy evening like we did.

The menu is what you would expect from a classic Thai offering. On this visit we started off with crispy duck spring rolls and Thai fish cakes. I loved the touch of the orchid and crafty carrot work for presentation. Makes it all that much of a royal experience.

Now, I have never had crispy duck in a spring roll but this was an amazing combination of textures and flavours. The duck was so juicy. It was accompanied by a plum sauce which was sharp yet sweet at the same time. The fish cakes were subtle in taste as they always are yet these ones had an almost lemongrass flavour popping through which made them all the more moorish.

For mains we went for the classics which you can always use to compare Thai food. We had the iYara green curry with chicken and then had the Pad Thai with prawns. I can not say they tasted like all the others we have tried as they were both very different from what you would usually expect making you questions how a green curry and a pad thai should taste. However, it was definitely the best version of whatever it was meant to be. The green curry was a lot less spicy and can be more accurately described as mild. It was a lot more creamy and sweet than the others I have had yet I love every mouthful. The meat was super tender and packed full of flavour.

The pad thai was balanced with sweet and sour which is different from your usual as it is always more of one than the other. The prawns were big and juicy and bigger than the ones you would get in any other Thai restaurant. The peanuts ran all the way through the dish so there was a welcomed crunch through the course of eating.

The portions were big so we happily took home the left overs for lunch the following day.

Definitely worth another visit to try the other offering. If you go on a chilly evening like we did it is best to wrap up warm as it can get a tad drafty but this didn’t spoil our meal.

iYara
136 Merton Road, London SW19 1EH
iyara.co.uk

English

Bill’s

February 17, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

This is the second installment of Bill’s review! I have to admit this might be my favorite local eatery and I’ve felt that the first review didn’t do it full justice.

Over the last few years Bill’s branches popped up across London like mushrooms after rain. I don’t know about other locations but Angel one is my favorite place for a catch up with friends, have late night dinner, quick bite, pre-party cocktails and

morning after scrumptious breakfast… Ok ok, I’ll shut up and give you some Bill’s food porrn pics to enjoy!

English

Black & Blue

February 15, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Situated right in the heart of Borough market its a great place to go for a spot of lunch or dinner and to escape hustle and bustle of the stalls. For meat lovers they have really good steaks. As my other half says – ‘simple food prepared well’. It’s true, it’s always hard to find fault with medium rare marbled ribeye steak.

All steaks are served with chips, choice of dips, sauce and house salad thats toped with grated cheese.

I found sides to be quite simple, nothing fancy. But perhaps this is what makes the flavour of this slab of meat shine.

Black & Blue do not take table reservations for two people, so if you have to wait – have no fear, Black & Blue bar is excellent. Great choice of wines and fancy cocktails, fairly reasonable prices too. You will be seated by a marble topped bar table underneath the brick arches of the train tracks with trees decorated with fairy lights on each side of the bar.

This is not a bad steak restaurant, but nothing fancy. I would definitely recommend it if you are on a budget. Our meal of two ribeye steaks, one pecan pie, two cocktails and one baileys came up to total of £75.

Black & Blue
1-2 Rochester Walk, Borough Market, London
http://www.blackandbluerestaurants.com/#/borough-market

Italian

Paesan

February 12, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Exmouth Market is the hidden gem of Angel. Home to quaint restaurants and home to our new favourite Italian, Paesan.

Paesan is rather industrial looking on the inside or as some would say ‘trendy’. Upstairs we have the restaurant and downstair we have a bar with the most delicious cocktail menu. The bar is separate from the restaurant and goes by the name of Bitter and Rye but has exactly the same vibe as the restaurant.

We must highlight straight away the customer care at this devine dine. Paesan treated us like the princesses that we are. We arrived 25mins before our reservation and they were so apologetic as our table was not ready!!!!! They then gave us free drinks and starters to make up for it!!!! Omg. The staff are lovely and held our hand as we had a million questions about the menu. We felt really taken care of and were so impressed about how tentative they were.

The menu at Paesan is stripped back to just the good stuff, so simple and so authentic. We ordered Sicilian Olives (you how crazy we are about them) and burrata with warm aubergine caponata to start. What is a burrata some of you maybe asking. It looks exactly like mozzarella but my god is it a hell of a lot more tastier. Elena and I have made numerous visits to Italy devouring mozzarella thinking it’s the best cheese Italy has produced, had we known about burrata well mozzarella would have been a no go. Burrata has a hint of sweetness to it and is more seasoned so has more flavour all round. It is much more creamy and just melts in the mouth. Thank you Paesan for the introduction to this cheese. To compliment it we had some sautéed aubergine infused with herbs and we had to order some focaccia to wipe up our mess.

Three years ago on our trip to Venice a terrible ordeal took place in Elena’s life. Before I came into her life the concept of sharing food was non existent until this event happened. We went out to dinner at this family run restaurant where I ordered an amazing salmon pasta and she ordered a sardine. She wasn’t content and watched me devour my delicious dish. Since this event whenever we have Italian the thought of that incident still haunts her so she will either insist on sharing dishes or order the same as me. So at Paesan she copied me like a copy cat and ordered Vongole which is spaghetti with clams, chilli and a hint of lemon zest. Delicious. The pasta was freshly made, the clams we perfectly cooked and easy to eat, the flavour of the chilli and lemon brought the dish together. Such a simple dish yet so much joy with every mouthful. The waitress insisted we have a side dish of hand cut fries with truffles and dulcelatte, so basically cheesy chips, strange combo with the pasta you would think but omg what a combo of textures. Naturally, we insisted that we needed more cheese.

In food coma we ordered the bill and well our night couldn’t get any better, it was so cheap we felt like we were actually robbing the place. What an evening of pure indulgence, thank you Paesan, we can’t wait to come back!

Paesan
2 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4PX
www.paesanlondon.com

Burger

Burger & Shake

February 9, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Me and Rubeka have a thing about burgers. Years before we started Fork & Talk food blog, we have been on a mission to find best burger joint. I am scared to call burger the perfect meal, but on paper it ticks all of the boxes:

Meat ✔️
Cheese ✔️
Bread ✔️
Pickle ✔️
Veg ✔️
Sauce ✔️
Crunch ✔️

We never shy away from ordering specials and most scrumptious portions, and for a dish that seems simple enough, you’d be surprised how hard it is to find THE PERFECT BURGER. This year burgers have become rather popular and now London has more burger joints than ever. So we shall continue to update you guys with our finds.

I first tried Burger and Shake more than a year ago, this week I have come back with a few friends. Having been very good with our January diets we have gone all out with our order.

Buffalo Wings – these are definitely some of the best Buffalo wings I have tried, not be to missed! The sauce is on the spicy side but so deliciously tangy you keep reaching for wing after wing. A bowl of eight wings was gone in a matter of minutes between three of us.

For mains we have ordered chill beef burger, buffalo chicken burger and a house burger served with chili fries. All of the were really great. Beef patties to my delight were cooked medium rare which added extra juice to the burgers. Chill beef could have been a little spicier but sitting on top of a patty added some lovely texture.

To finish the lovely meal off we ordered vanilla, strawberry and chocolate milkshakes which were pure and simple. That lovely classic taste of childhood you can’t beat! although if you do feel like being an adult you can always add a little bourbon to yours.