ITSU, SOUTH KENSINGTON

I find it so funny how kids eating habits have changed in the past few decades. 25 years ago the only beans I knew were baked or stringy green ones whereas my daughter tells me she absolutely adores edamame beans....as well as salmon sashimi & teriyaki. I think it's a good thing though as it means when you go out to eat with your kids it doesn't always have to be McDonald's or pizza express & they can have a healthy meal which is a treat as well.

Last night we had another Christmas tradition - visiting Santa at Harrods. This is something we do every year & I have many photos to prove this!! In all honesty I think the whole experience at Selfridges is better but the downside there is your child doesn't spend time with Father Christmas on their own and you do not get the all important photo!!

Unfortunately Pascal had to work so it was just Arabella & I, although to be honest it was probably for the best as we did spend a LOT of time in the toy department - especially the doll & barbie area.

Anyway after seeing the great man, it was time to get a bite to eat. Last year we treated Arabella to her first McDonald's after seeing Santa (my brother had said he'd report me to the NSPCC if I didn't let her at least try one)! Needless to say she absolutely loved it but it's not my idea of a nice supper so we decided to go to Itsu this time instead.

I love Itsu & come here regularly, I try to have a new dish every time although I do have plenty of old favourites. As soon as I arrive I always order the hot food - the vegetable gyoza (my favourite), chicken teriyaki (Pascal's favourite - we had it in honour of him) and then the crispy chilli squid, (all our favourites especially Arabella) and some rice.

While we waited for that, Arabella & I chose off the conveyor belt - the best invention ever - I wish they did this at Shake Shack!! Unfortunately I actually forgot to take photos but luckily I managed to find plenty on the Internet so here you go.

Anyway Arabella chose edamame beans first of all which we shared and dipped into soy sauce. They were very good and I love the way Arabella is so excited about greens!

I love the tuna and salmon nigiri, Arabella tried one but there was too much wasabi for her however I enjoyed them....but to be honest I would prefer a little less wasabi too! I always make such a mess of eating these as I drown them in soy sauce and then they fall apart. The salmon and tuna are always really fresh.

Another plate I always have is the one with California rolls - I think they were the first sushi I ever tried and I have loved them ever since. The Itsu ones are great but also tricky to eat as they are too big for one mouthful and then full apart if you do it in two....I normally just pig it and do it in one.

The hot food is fantastic here - as I said before we always have the same the chicken teriyaki, the gyoza and the squid. Arabella finds the gyoza too spicy, for once I didn't even suggest she tries one so I could eat the whole lot!! The chicken is delicious, really tender, it comes with the great sauce on the side so you can choose how little or how much you want and the squid is so yum, we actually ordered it twice (Arabella's request)!!

We couldn't fit in anymore in after the second portion of squid but one of the other things I love about this place is the fresh fruit they have on offer for pudding - pineapple, berries etc - still on another level to most kid friendly restaurants!!

Itsu is a fantastic place to come for sushi - so much fresher, healthier and tastier than yo sushi but still reasonably priced (the conveyor belt dishes range from £2.99-£4.99). One of my only complaints is they regularly change the menu and I miss lots of the old dishes such as the seared beef - please bring it back!!! The other dishes we had here which I couldn't find a picture of were the broccoli with sesame sauce (chosen by Arabella) and a chilli prawn crystal roll which is like a Vietnamese roll and full of healthiness and deliciousness - there is plenty to choose from. 

Itsu was the first place I ever tried sushi and I have been coming back for years - it's quick, easy and delicious and I feel healthy when I leave which NEVER happens!! Plus this one is the perfect location, just a hop, skip and a jump from Harrods and the King's road and a lot more reasonable than most of the surrounding restaurants.

There are several itsu restaurants/shops around London but not all of them do the conveyor belt - only South Kensington and Notting Hill - I wish they all did. Their sushi boxes that they sell in the other locations are still excellent as are the "potsu' dishes so try one if you pass by but I would really recommend my favourite, this one at South Ken.

Itsu

118 Draycott Avenue,

London

SW3 3AE

Tel: 020 7584 5522

PATTY & BUN, CENTRAL LONDON

Whilst I absolutely love Christmas, I absolutely hate the Christmas shopping crowds and so avoid Oxford Street like the plague. Unfortunately Pascal's battery pack for his phone stopped charging so we had to go to Selfridges to exchange it. The tube was slow and busy, there were so many people on the streets it was hard to move and then to top it off the battery pack started miraculously working again so the entire journey was a waste!!

As Pascal felt guilty about dragging me over there, I was allowed to choose the restaurant for lunch....I knew I wanted a burger and exactly where I wanted to go. I have read about Patty and Bun on other food blogger sites and some describe it as one of the best burgers in London. I needed something stodgy as we had Arabella's class Christmas party that evening and I more than anyone know the dangers of drinking on an empty stomach (cue super embarrassing moments)!!

Patty & Bun is a couple of minutes walk from Selfridges and as we walked in I realised it is Pascal's idea of hell - loud music, tables joined together and absolutely packed (they only do 30 covers). We took the last two seats on a table with another guy and I could tell Pascal was super unimpressed!! Anyway I wasn't going to let this ruin our meal and I ordered for the both of us - service was very good and quick.

There is a choice of 6 different burgers and 3 sides. We both went for the Ari Gold burger which is a beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, ketchup, P&B smokey mayo & brioche. You can add bacon but for some very stupid reason we forgot!! I had mine medium and Pascal had his rare and they are served to you on a tray (I think they copied this from McDonald's)!

The burger was good - cooked perfectly, extremely juicy, plenty of cheese and a soft sweet bun. I took out my tomato and but enjoyed the onions and lettuce. I did however add some more mayo and mustard. Our only complaints were that it was hard to get in your mouth as it's so big (it's a proper piece of meat), it was very very messy - I used about 10 napkins - and it felt and tasted a bit greasy (it left an after taste).

We had it with fries with rosemary salt and coleslaw.

The fries were incredible - just the way I like them, crispy and salty, I could have had a portion just to me. The coleslaw was also good, flavoured with herbs but could have done with a little bit more mayonnaise.

The meal was over and done with within 30 minutes and the music was so loud that we were pleased to leave. 

I am happy we went and I finally tried an Ari Gold burger as I have coveted one for a long long time (foodspotting is full of amazing pictures). Although I have to say I would prefer a Shake Shack burger while watching Ari Gold on Entourage any day...while the burger was good it was not my best and I would not rush back. I prefer Shake Shack or Five Guys - a much better "no frills" burger experience - better burgers and a better ambiance.

Patty & Bun

54 James Street

London 

W1U 1HE

Tel: 020 7487 3188

 

THE DELAUNAY, LONDON

Tuesday was one of the best days of the year for me - ice-skating at Somerset House and then supper at the Delaunay with my two favourite people Pascal & Arabella. Last year we took Arabella ice-skating for the first time at the Natural History Museum, she was so cocky and confident....until she stepped on the ice and then it was Bambi all over again. This year she did not fare much better, she was literally trying to run on the ice....I nearly fell over about a hundred times as I was laughing so hard. 

Next stop was an early supper at The Delaunay which is somewhere I have wanted to go since it opened as it has several German dishes on the menu of which I am a huge fan. My father lived in Germany for a year after he finished school and regularly went back there to visit friends and would bring me home German sausages (such a piglet from such a young age). Nowadays the only time I have a bratwurst is once a year at Winter Wonderland and eating standing up in the cold is certainly not the same as a restaurant owned by Corbin and King. My biggest problem was going to be choosing what to eat.

The restaurant is a large open room with marble floors, dark wood panelled walls, white table cloths and smart brass fittings. I had booked a table at 6.15pm and was amazed how busy the restaurant was, however as it is near several theatres and has such a great atmosphere, it is not really surprising.

Despite the restaurant being nearly full, the service was faultless. They served us with drinks and the most gorgeous bread and salty butter almost immediately, much to Arabella's delight. Pascal has been to The Delaunay several times before so he took control and ordered a Tarte Flambee (from Alsace in Eastern France) with smoked bacon and shallots for us to eat while we looked at the menu (at this point I was wishing I had worn looser jeans)!

I was expecting the tarte to be some kind of quiche but instead it had a very thin base and was covered with a creamy white cheese (fromage blanc mixed with creme fraiche) and the bacon and shallots - it reminded me of a very delicious, very thin crispy pizza. I could have eaten one all to myself!!

I was tempted to order another one for my starter but thought I should try something different so I went for the crab cocktail which was great although the lettuce was a little cold (if that doesn't sound too weird?)!

The crab was extremely tasty and there was plenty of it. I ended up eating the bread here as well as it was smothered in butter and I could not resist!

Pascal went for the oysters which he raved about. I even had one, and while they are not something I would ever order, I did enjoy it with some shallot vinegar.

Even though there was not a children's menu, (in fact Arabella was the only child in the restaurant), there was plenty on the menu for her to chose from. She was torn between a hot dog, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or chicken noodle soup. I think she would have been over the moon with just the bread basket and butter to be honest!! Anyway she chose a smoked salmon and creamed cheese bagel which she devoured and thoroughly enjoyed. The presentation was much better than when I do it at home plus there was enough cream cheese for us to share!

I obviously went for the German sausages - it wasn't an easy choice though as they had several to choose from and to be honest I didn't have a clue which was what and the waiter's description wasn't that helpful. I chose the Nurnberger which was flavoured with marjoram and is from Nuremberg (where my dad lived) and then the Berner Wurstel which was filled with cheese and bacon which sounded like Heaven. They were served with caramelised onions, potato salad and sauerkraut. It was all absolutely delicious, I obviously loved the sausages but was most pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the caramelised onions and garlicky potato salad too. I was not keen on the sauerkraut though!!

I ordered chips on the side which were extremely good but I certainly didn't need them....luckily I had Arabella to help me out!

Pascal ordered Choucroute as it is a dish he often has in France and I had never seen or heard of it before. Choucroute is another dish from Alsace and consists of potatoes, sauerkraut, sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie. Pascal said it was excellent, I tried some and the meats were superb however as I can't stand sauerkraut it wasn't my cup of tea.

Despite the wonderful puddings and cakes we were too full to eat anything else, even Arabella. It was a fantastic meal and we will definitely be back - next time I will definitely be having the tarte flambee but I will try the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel for mains...although the lobster roll and burger also looked good!! 

The Delaunay

55 Aldwych,

London WC2B 4BB

Tel: 020 7499 8558

Email: info@thedelaunay.com 

 

TENDIDO CUATRO, NEW KING'S ROAD

The other day Pascal and I went over to the Christmas market at South Bank and to Covent Garden (both lovely and Christmassy) and I had all these plans to eat at either Mishkins (http://mishkins.co.uk) or The Chop Shop (http://www.chopshopuk.com) as they have both been on my restaurant list for ages. 

Unfortunately Pascal's phone battery died and we had to come home & get his spare one (he had to be on call for work & although he had thought ahead and put the spare one in my handbag that morning, I had used a different bag)!! We couldn't be bothered to venture back out of Fulham to eat so decided to go to Tendido Cuatro on the New King's Road (we were going to Gola the following night so needed a change)! 

I love Spanish food and despite going to Spain every year of my life some of the best tapas I have every had are from this restaurant group. They have 3 restaurants on the Old Brompton road and then this one. I have to say we do go regularly - the food is fantastic and so is the service. They remember little details such as what is your favourite tipple and they always spoil us with the best tables in the restaurant and then a drink on the house at the end of the meal (they obviously know the way to my heart)!

Since we started going to this restaurant 4 years ago, we have always just had tapas however some friends Nick and Kirstie recently introduced us to their delicious paella and so now we have both!!

There is so much to choose from on the menu however Pascal and I, being creatures of habit, always have the same (Menu). We begin with an Anis Del Mono which is a Spanish version of Ricard / Pastis and I eat all the olives and Pascal is "allowed" about one (I am an olive piglet).

Then Pascal's favourite is always the ham and we have that with their incredible tomato bread. 

The tomato bread is so good that we have been known to finish the plate and order it again - there is olive oil, garlic, tomato and herbs and it tastes delicious, especially with the ham.

Next come the Serrano ham and bechamel croquettes with a tomato and thyme sauce. These are another of my favourites and while Pascal says he does not like bechamel, he still manages to eat a few!

These croquettes melt in your mouth!

The same friends also recently introduced us to the patatas bravas which I adore even though I don't really like potatoes and they are called spicy on the menu which I am also not keen on. They are misrepresented though as they are creamy, soft and flavoursome with no kick whatsoever!

You won't be surprised to hear that Pascal insists on having some proper meat on the table - such as the lamb chops. These come with pimentos de padron which I just adore. Pascal says the chops are brilliant - I tend not to have one as I am generally already starting to fill up from eating most of the olives and croquettes!

I prefer fish to meat so I always order the squid. You can have it fried or grilled, I prefer it grilled and it comes with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt - it is so fresh and delicious - the portion is just not big enough!

The last tapas we have is chorizo, this once again is described as spicy on the menu but really isn't. It tastes great but my only complaint is that they bring it to you at the end. I would like to eat it with either the patatas bravas or the croquettes - I am sure the restaurant could easily do this but I forget to ask!

I have to admit by this point we were fit to burst but as we ordered the paella we had to push on through!

The restaurant offers 6 different types of paella from the usual seafood paella to a cuttlefish ink one to a quail and chorizo paella. This was what we had and WOW! I would never think to order this before as quail is not my favourite but how narrow minded I sometimes am!! This paella is incredible.

It is obviously filled with quail, chorizo and rice but it is also packed with plenty of vegetables such as courgettes, mushrooms and peppers. We couldn't finish the paella, although we gave it a very good go. In hindsight we shouldn't have had all those tapas but our eyes are bigger than our tummies and everything is just too damn good! Plus as the paella takes about 25 minutes to prepare so you need something while you wait.

To drink we had a bottle of Muga which is a very good Rioja.

If you fancy some Spanish cuisine, I would really recommend Tendido Cuatro or the sister restaurants. The others are in South Kensington on the Old Brompton road and there is Tendido Cero which is tapas and a bar, Capote y Toros which is a ham and sherry bar and Cambio de Tercio which is a formal restaurant. They have also recently opened a gin and tonic bar called C.Tonic which I must try. 

All in all the food here is fantastic and the service excellent - my only complaint is that the loos are down a steep staircase and I worry I might fall down and break my neck! Plus it is a bit pricey but then it is cheaper than flying to Spain and better, especially on those rare days in London when the sun is out and you can sit either on the pavement or by the french windows and watch the world go by.

Tendido Cuatro

108-110 New King's Road

London

SW6 4LY

Tel: 020 7371 5147

 

THE RIVER CAFE, HAMMERSMITH

For once I did not have my usual Monday morning dramas of "I'm so fat", "I need to try and lose a stone this week", "my diet starts today". Instead I was off for a lovely lunch at the River Cafe for my gorgeous friend Joanna's birthday.

I run past the River Cafe regularly and always dream of being there having a fabulous meal so I was very pleased about it all. I have eaten there a couple of times in the past and really enjoyed it although I have to say Pascal did not rate it (as a HUGE pasta fan he was disappointed that there was not more pasta on the menu) and he did not think the food was worth the extortionate prices (main courses are around £37.00).

The restaurant is located on the north bank of the River Thames in Hammersmith in the former Duckhams oil storage facility and it opened in 1987 as an employee café. Within 10 years it had earned a Michelin Star and is also famous for the amount of successful chefs that have trained in the kitchen such as Theo Randall, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and probably most popular of all Jamie Oliver. 

Despite it being a miserable day, very grey and lots of rain, the restaurant is full of light and there is a huge open kitchen. We started off by sharing a glass on prosecco at the little bar area until moving to a lovely round table by the window looking out on to the little garden and river.The restaurant changes the menu twice a day as they like to use completely fresh and seasonal ingredients so I couldn't do my research online much to my dismay. Then when the menu arrived, it needed some concentration!!

Some things on the menu I had never heard of so had to ask and I have to say the waitress was very helpful and attentive and not at all snooty like some places.

I did find it quite hard to order off this menu as nothing jumped out immediately as a favourite so in the end I went for the Mozzarella di Bufala with trevise hearts, pecorino, chickpeas and olive oil to start (the most cheesiest dish on the menu).

Now I have to say I wasn't enamoured by the choice of ingredients together, I am a simple girl who loves a mozzarella and tomato salad but I guess it is good to try new things as this was absolutely delicious. Everything came together perfectly and complemented each other and every mouthful was divine. 

The birthday girl had the same as me but everyone else had the chargrilled Scottish scallops  with fresh red chilli, parsley, braised cicoria and lemon and they all said it was incredible - there was not a clean plate in sight!

I nearly had the scallops but was very pleased with my choice in the end, as I would have been disappointed to only receive two as I am such a greedy piggy!

For mains a couple of us had pasta and the rest had fish. You could have had the pasta as a starter if you fancied - I was even tempted by pasta and then pasta! I was torn between the ravioli with fresh chestnuts, buffalo ricotta and thyme or the taglierini with cornish crab, parsley, chilli and lemon. As I had the cheese to start, I ended up going with the crab. Once again it is not something I would ever choose when having pasta but I was very very pleased I did as it was great.

And for the first time in my life ever I did not ask for cheese on it!!! There was the right amount of sauce, the pasta was cooked al dente and the crab tasted incredibly fresh and there were no crunchy bits which is a pet peeve about crab.

Joanna had the ravioli and said it was amazing.

The rest of our group were very healthy and all had fish.

Ruth had the wild sea bass chargrilled with olive, anchovy and capers with Italian spinach and rocket.

Anna and Maresa had the Cornish monkfish roasted over potatoes with fresh porcini, thyme and livio feluga sharis (I am not actually sure what that is)!

And finally Sue had the wood-roasted whole Dover sole with capers and marjoram and roast violetta artichokes. This is a signature dish for the restaurant as it is smoked in their own wood stove (I have to admit when I saw the stove I thought it was a pizza oven)!

Absolutely everyone waxed lyrical about their food and not a bite was left so I can safely say it was all very very good.

Since it was a birthday celebration we just had to have some cake and we ordered two portions of one of the River Cafe's other signature dishes - the chocolate "Nemesis" cake.

As you can see from my previous posts I am not a pudding person but this was incredible and I couldn't stop myself eating more and more - very rich but it literally melts in your mouth - it is far far superior to a regular chocolate cake.

What a fantastic meal. It is by no means cheap, I eat out regularly yet I was shocked by the prices however I have to say the food is excellent and you pay for what you get. The restaurant is beautiful and it is even more so in the summer as there is a gorgeous little garden over looking the Thames and you can even sit outside (depending on the English weather)! 

I think it is a perfect place for a special lunch, I have yet to come here for supper however I expect it can be romantic too - one of my very good university friends got engaged here over the summer and I think it must have been a perfect spot.

The River Cafe

Thames Wharf,

Rainville Road,

London

W6 9HA

Tel: 020 7386 4200

Email: info@rivercafe.co.uk