London - Shake Shack

With post-graduation blues finally subsiding and indefinite unemployment looming, seeking solace in meeting up with university friends in town and going out to eat has become a commonality for me.

Someone suggested we head to a new eatery that had just opened in Covent Garden, serving burgers and milkshakes.
Fantastic central London location: check.
Unashamedly unhealthy American food: check.
Ridiculous London prices: check.

For such a superb location, it was no surprise we had to queue for half an hour to be served; but we were a little taken aback by the limited choices on the menu. Offering a few choices of burgers and hot dogs, the majority of the menu is occupied by what they call 'frozen custards' or 'concretes'. Essentially a glorified McFlurry except thicker and with more ingredients.

Whether you choose to sit outside ogling at the street performers or inside under the awnings of the famous Covent Garden market, upon ordering you are presented with an alarm-type device that emits a horrendous buzzing sound and seizure-inducing flashes when your food is ready.

Whilst tasty, albeit a little too greasy, the burgers are nothing special and you'd get more for your money at a cheaper fast food restaurant, which is essentially what this is. One highlight though is the chips; crinkled and springy and lightly dusted with spices, I haven't had chips these tasty in a while.

In this blistering heat, there was only one choice for me. The 'concretes' are orgasmic and exactly what I was expecting. The one I chose contained vanilla ice cream, peanut butter sauce, marshmallow sauce, and bits of actual banana. A perfect combination. Also worthy of a mention is the fact you can create your own, which is a nice touch.

Randomly, but quite a clever idea given their outside dog-friendly location, is the portion of the menu catering for dogs, because after all, dogs need to cool down too.

To conclude, it's nice and tasty, but not great value for money and better burgers can be found elsewhere. Although the frozen custard/concretes are worth trying if you're prepared to queue.

Keep it cool (especially in this weather),

A

Pickled Radishes

As well as writing reviews, I am also going to include the odd thing that I make at home, now that the summer brings with it an expanse of free time...

I love love love the pickles that come with the miso soup in Wagamamas, and found out yesterday that they are, in fact, radishes. Having always wanted to grab a bunch of proper Benjamin Bunny veg, I finally had the chance, and decided to pickle some this morning. This is a very easy, and pretty, way of approaching the little red veg.

For a small jar:

1 bunch of radishes (around 12 of them)
150ml rice wine vinegar
50ml water
2/3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 deseeded chilli
1 crushed clove of garlic

Method:

- Cut the stalks of the radishes and chop into thin slices (about 5mm).
- Pop them in an airtight glass jar
- Combine the water and vinegar in a pan with the sugar and salt.
- Bring to the boil, and wait until all the sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and add the chilli and garlic (I even added some ginger).
- Pour over the radishes, and put the jar in the fridge once it has cooled.
- I suppose the optimum time before you taste them is 24 hours, but I sure didn't wait.

Et voila.

- J


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Update:
A word to the wise - although pretty and very tasty, these unassuming pink things stink to absolute high heaven. (I blame the vinegar). When your mum opens the fridge door, she aint gonna be happy... You have been warned...

Bristol - Grillstock Smokehouse

Once again, I apologise for leaving it so long between posts, but there's been a lot going on! One massive change is the fact that we are both now graduands (Huzzah!); that blissful state of limbo between end of exams and the impending sense of responsibility signalled by graduation.

I was walking along the Triangle with a friend when we both spotted a new restaurant that had popped up; my compadre, another foodie-enthusiast suggested we go visit the next day for lunch. However, that evening I had plans to see a friend's band at the Coronation Tap... for all those aware of the Cori Tap, as it's affectionately known, can probably see where this is going. For those not in the know - the pub serves 10-12% cider tasting like apple juice. Lethal.

In hindsight, organising work experience in a GP's surgery for the following day was probably not the greatest idea... Thankfully I made it to the surgery on time looking surprisingly suave, albeit swaying slightly and undoubtedly smelling of alcohol. Now further sleep-deprived, I stumbled back up to the Triangle, encouraged only by the overwhelming excitement of a hearty meat-filled lunch.

Waiting outside for my friend to arrive, I was greeted by a charming lady with a tray full of pots of miscellaneous meats to taste - pulled pork, beef brisket, burnt ends, spicy sausages and more. It felt a bit strange tasting the food before I was due to go in and buy it, but at least then I could select what I wanted more easily.

Originally a festival, Grillstock has decided to set up a base in Bristol and I'm so glad they did because this place is incredible. Based heavily on America's deep south, with a single seated bar for diners, with a central trough of assorted sauces and condiments running along it and chefs resembling truckers, with peaked caps, all beardy and tattooed, the menu is one massive smorgasbord of delicious, slow-roasted, barbequed meats. As our orders arrived on trays pilled high with food, my hangover almost vanished in an instant. Vegetarians look away now.

Mmmmm.... meaty meaty goodness.

My order, a mountain of mixed meats, topped with cheese and sauces all fitted into a bun almost defeated me, although I'll admit my stomach was not in the best of states. My friend ordered a pulled pork plate and an additional hotdog topped with jalapenos. Both were delicious, although maybe a touch on the pricey side.

Definitely one of the best new places in Bristol to eat at the moment - go visit. Plus, you get to drink out of those epic Jeremiah Weed glasses, making you feel even more awesome, and for the toughest amongst you, they even have a man vs. food-esque challenge dubbed 'The Grand Champion' which grants you a free t-shirt and bottle of BBQ sauce should you choose to take on the meat feast and successfully complete it.

And now to bear the combined grunt of a hangover and a food coma.

A

London - Breakfast Club

This popular and buzzy wee café in Soho specialises in breakfasts, and is a fun place to head if you want to soothe, and indulge, your hangover. You might have to queue, but not for long, as service is the zippiest I have ever seen, and your order will fly towards you very swiftly. It’s not your typical caf, and so it’s not 'typical caf' prices. Although it may seem a bit expensive, this could be because it is aligned with the word ‘breakfast’ which is usually a fairly small meal eaten at home, and so is cheap, or even free, (depending on whether you are a student living with parents or not). I went for the pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, as I had never had it before, and a good old cuppa tea. Although they weren’t the greatest pancakes I have ever had, being quite dry, and although the bacon was so crispy I struggled to pinion it to my fork, it was still a hearty and enjoyable meal. Although I am glad that I can now say I have been, I’m not sure that I would return in a hurry. I would return to their cool new website sooner. Have a play: http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/

J

Taste #5 Umami Paste - Laura Santtini

Have you heard of this bad-boy yet? Well, if not, now you have, and it is a DELIGHT to introduce. Umami has been identified as the fifth taste sensation, existing alongside sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and it is now available in supermarkets thanks to Laura Santtini.

On the (really beautiful) packaging it is described as a 'flavour bomb', and it really is. This umami paste is comprised of tomato puree, garlic, anchovy, and a plethora of other flavours, but describing it bit by bit doesn't do justice to the product as a whole. Indulging in a metaphor, I would instead say that this paste is a cunningly disguised key, opening up a whole new world of tasty food. You can add it to anything, (and I mean anything: meat poultry, fish, sauces, soups, stir-fries, sandwiches), where it enhances and adds a real depth to the flavour. I tried it with my supper yesterday - some simple chicken marinated in honey, soy sauce and olive oil, and the difference was incredible. You can even use it in place of wasabi when eating sushi, and after attempting to make my own, I tried it with this too. Again, it blew me away. I'm really excited to have found this, and can bask in the knowledge that with this, food will never dare be bland again. The thing to do now, is to go and try some for yourself. Don't let me have all the fun.

Sushi: Fallen apart, or 'deconstructed'..?

J

London - Abokado

Abokado is my new lunchtime destination. So, with regrets, a bientot, dear Pret a Manger. Having done my fair share of work experience up in London I really relished the abundance of choice that is all held under this one, super-healthy roof. Abokado combines the Eastern persuasions found at the likes of Itsu, with its hot rice pots, noodle broths and selections of sushi; with the more substantial lunchtime goods associated with Pret: cold and hot wraps, fresh juices, and delightfully yummy, gluten-free brownies. It's the Teryaki Chicken Powch that first wowed me, (and I mean wowed me in the sense that I muttered a surprised 'Oh! Mmm!' under my breath), just before whoever was sitting next to me slowly shuffled away. Although this 'Powch' comes with the super foreboding tagline: 'LOW CAL, NO BUTTER, NO MAYO, LOW FAT', it still packed such a punch of teryaki-taste, that it was startling. I teamed this up with the carrot, apple, and ginger juice - which I repeated on subsequent visits because it was JUST so good, and reminded me of Blue Juice in Bristol - and I also had a millionare shortbread, (was flagging and in need of a treat).

As it is super healthy the portions are enough, but I think the trick is to team different components up with each other. I saw a businessman grab a sushi and then two wraps and thought to myself: 'he has it right'. What a winner. So there you go, next time you are pottering around Central and feel peckish, stave off the usual lunchtime suspects and try somewhere new. If anything, that's the secret to a good day.

J

London – Duck and Waffle

This was definitely more of an expedition than a casual meal. When my friend told me she was making a flying visit back to London from a year-abroad in Paris, getting a table at the Duck and Waffle, (which has a recommended 2-month booking time), was like a scene from Mission Impossible. (Although obviously a scene that was far too dull and so was cut). After some frantic searching we succeeded in getting a table at 10.15pm. Right…. A two-supper evening it would have to be.

We stepped out of the lift into its sister restaurant, Sushisamba, a razzmatazz of colour that was reminiscent of an Austin Powers party where everyone seemed to know each other. We swiftly scooted up the stairs by the bar into the far more sedate world of the Duck and Waffle.

When we told the waiter our order he gently tried to tell us that the Duck and Waffle was a ‘sharing’ kind of a restaurant, so perhaps we would like to share some of these dishes, as opposed to having one each…? We had just been discussing how ONLY with Chinese food is it ok to share, and possibly Indian, although that is still in contention. So at this suggestion we inwardly laughed, no, we scoffed, and politely declined. Yet we were fools.

 What arrived when the ‘spicy ox cheek doughnut’ came were two of the largest and most alarmingly sized doughnuts I had ever seen in my life. Although fun to try, the amount of dough was huge and the ox-cheek in the middle was very non-descript. So, a word to the wise, if they recommend you to share a dish, just share it, you’re not big enough to do it alone.

The absolute highlight of the meal was the signature dish, ‘Duck and Waffle’, which is a confit duck leg on a waffle with a duck egg and mustard maple syrup. Oh my, it was good. However, to be honest, I would probably only go back for that, and the views.

It’s definitely an experience, and it’s open 24 hours, so next time you feel like having a night out in two-months time, and just know that you’ll fancy a duck dish at exactly 2 in the morning, well then, give it a book! I mean, what could be easier…?

However, for me, next time it’s Sushisamba.

J