The Grumpy Cook

A new future

You may have noticed that things have been a bit quiet here over the past few weeks.  I started this blog a few months ago and didn’t realise just how much  I was going to enjoy working on it.  The problem is that The Grumpy Cook name was just plucked out of the air and now that I want to put a lot of effort in to this I want to choose a name and image that is a bit more positive.  I am in the progress of putting the new blog togethere and it will hopefully be launched in the next few weeks.

The new blog will have a co-writer, regular columns and much more, I am very excited about it and can’t wait to get it online.  I am still eating and have some reviews lined up, but I am holding them so I have some content for the new blog.  I will provide links and more updates here soon.

Update: Well it would seem that it is taking longer than expected to get the new blog up and running, so I will be continuing to blog here for now.  A review of Terroir coming very soon!

Scoop - the review that never was

I was going to do a review of Scoop in Covent Garden.  Unintentionally I went on the hottest day of the year and it was after a boozy lunch at Terroirs (review to follow shortly).  When I got there I saw a very long queue (pic below) and didn’t have to patience to wait, maybe I will go back some rainy day but maybe the amount of people in the queue speaks for itself.

Picnic in the Park

Here in Blighty we have just had a bank holiday weekend and for once we got real bank holiday weather not typical British rainy bank holiday weather.  It had been discussed over the last few weeks of having a picnic in a park, but the forecast was changing every day and as a result it wasn’t until Thursday evening that we decided to go ahead with it.  I had hoped to do a real foodie picnic, making a large variety of dips, salads and finger food.  However my Saturday was taken up by more important matters so I gave in and decided to buy ready made snacks.  While initially I felt I had sold my soul to the devil, I quickly became excited with the lack of work I would have to do.  In the end it turned out to be a great day and lots of people brought food.  As as well as the usual picnic food we had Swedish meatballs, an amazing chilli cheese from Islington farmers market, and some great salamis.  One trend I noticed, everyone brings hummus!

One thing I did focus on was Pimms.  Now traditionally I have been a lemonade mixer only type of guy.  The main reason for this has been ignorance to other mixer options.  I did a bit of research and it seems that various combinations of tonic, ginger ale, and lemonade are favoured.  Ratio of mixing is best at about 1 part Pimms to 3 parts mixers.  Obviously this is accompanied by cucumber, mint, and a variety of citrus fruits.  After much experimentation I came to the conclusion that my favourite mix was 1 part Pimms, 1 part lemonade, 1 1/2 parts ginger ale and 1/2 part tonic to off set the sweetness.

Hawksmoor

I was given the task of choosing a restaurant to take my colleagues out for a celebratory meal. I work with a diverse group of people and all my exotic suggestions were shot down. Then we got talking about steak so we had a bit of google for the best steak in London and Hawksmoor kept coming up. It seemed a bit pricey but since the company was paying we decided to give it a try.

From the outside Hawksmoor doesn’t look that special, it’s on a busy road and when we were there major construction work was taking place next door. However inside it is nice, clean, although not as big as I expected, in a good way. The decor is simple and has the classic Shoreditch look of exposed brick walls with a semi-industrial feel.

photo from cowfish on flickr

There is a bar along one wall where apparently they do amazing cocktails. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try any but reading reviews on their site and online it seems like it may be worth a visit just for the drinks. I’m not 100% sure but I think you can just go to the bar with out eating at the restaurant.

Hawksmoor is all about the steak. There are a couple of other options for any steak haters on the menu but that would be like going to Dublin and not having a pint of Guinness. Hawksmoor state they have travelled the world looking for the best steak and decided that it comes from cows reared in England. Personally I am not sure about that, however I do agree that where possibly local produce should be used and there is no reason why English steak cannot taste great.

There are a lot of cuts to choose from and most of the prices are in the menu as per kilogram. When they come to take your order they tell you what weights they have available that day. The first few went for rib eyes and sirloins, I went for a Porterhouse and a big one at 800g, the other option was 850g. At £12 per 100g that’s a £96 steak (although I thought it was £6 per 100g at the time). As recommended by the waitress I had it cooked medium rare. One of the things that drives me crazy about Gauchos is that they don’t give you steak knives because there steaks “are so tender you don’t need them”, absolute rubbish and I was very happy when the waitress placed so nice sharp steak knives on the table.

When my plate came out I was glad we decided not to go for starters, it was massive! With my boss and others looking on there was no way I was going to leave a scrap of meat on the plate. The porterhouse is a T-Bone steak cut from the rear end of the short loin and contain a much larger section of the tenderloin than a typical T-Bone and the other side of the ‘T’ is strip loin. I started out on the tenderloin side of the ‘T’ and it was so tender, melted like butter in my mouth. I munched my way through the whole steak leaving little behind. Even though it was such a massive piece of meat I enjoyed every bite and even had some room for some triple cooked chips at the end.

My 800g Porterhouse steak (iphone pic, sorry)

Others at the table went for the surf ‘n turf that consisted of a 300g Fillet and half a lobster. That looked really good and next time I go there I may have to go for that. All other meats went down very well with the table and the general consensus was that these were some of the finest steaks we had ever eaten.

The wine list while impressive isn’t cheap, on other tables where the more expensive bottles were being ordered I could see the staff decanting the wine. On ours however we went for the Cotes du Rhone Villages 2004 at £27 a bottle. I have to say it was a very nice wine however I think next time I would like to push the boat out and go for something a bit fancier.

Amazingly people had room for desert at the end of the meal. It was one of those classic moments where I couldn’t have eaten another piece of meat but had plenty of room for something sweet to close the meal. I ended up sharing a chocolate fudge sundae, it would have been too much for one but was perfect between about three of us although I think everyone got there spoon in there at some stage.

Overall it was a great evening out. We were looking for somewhere that provided a bit more occasion than just another restaurant without been too formal and pretentious and Hawksmoor delivered. It’s not cheap and people may argue that you can get comparable steaks elsewhere for half the price. But if you fancy a good night out with great food and a comfortable atmosphere I highly recommend Hawksmoor. I will definitely be back, and next time I will have a few cocktails at the bar before.

Sabor - South American goodness

The early May bank holiday weekend ended up being a bit of a gastronomic feast.  First there was the best pizza ever followed by a fine home cooked breakfast then dinner on Sunday night at Sabor.  This was not a planned visit, indeed it was a last minute decision.  A quick search on Top Table for special offers in the Islington area identified a 25% discount on food at Sabor so we booked online and headed to the pub for a pre dinner G&T.

I didn’t know what to expect from Sabor but when we walked in I was pleasantly surprised.   The restaurant is long and filled with colourful tables.  It was quiet with only about 4 tables occupied and we were seated by the front window where all the other customers were grouped.  This was a good thing as it gave the impression of a busy buzzy restaurant.  We were offered cocktails from an extensive list but as we had a few G&Ts in use we decided to go straight on to wine, but the cocktails did look nice and I may have to revisit for these alone.  The wine list was small while interesting and reasonably priced and I went for a Sloeus Organic Merlot at £18.50.  The waiters were very attentive and helpful.  When filling our glasses with tap water the waiter brought two jugs, one to fill our glasses and left a full one on the table, top marks from me for that!

For starters I went for the Sweetcorn Fritters that came with shredded chicken, guacamole, and a beetroot salsa.  I was a little disappointed by the fritter but I put that down to me not fully understanding what I was ordering.  All the components were nice but as a complete dish it didn’t quite come together.  D went for the Scallops with passion fruit and definitely won the starter selection.  They were perfectly cooked, big and juicy.

For the main course I was going to have a steak but then remembered I was off to Hawksmoor later in the week so decided to go for the Ropa Veija (shredded beef brisket) but unfortunately they were all out so I went for the Conejo en Salsa de Chocolate, rabbit cook in a rich and spicy chocolate sauce served with wild rice, corn & quinoa salad.  It was very nice and a lot more meat than I was expecting.  The sauce was rich and went very well with the rabbit meat.

D went for the Ají de Gallina a classic Peruvian dish of pan-fried marinated breast of chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, red onion, garlic and coriander, served with Mayan Gold saffron potato mash and ají amarillo sauce.  Again another great tasty dish with a nice touch of South American flare.

To finish up we shared a Dulce de Leche Cheesecake which is made with mora the andean blackberry and top up with caramelised milk, served with a mora compote.  It had a distinctively cheesy flavour and was refreshingly different and a nice end to the meal.

Vedict: A nice local restaurant, friendly staff and good food.  The limited menu is the only thing that would stop me returning on a regular basis, but I will still go back.  And with the 25% off the food bill it made it all the more attractive.

Rating: 7/10

Golden Gate Cake Shop

I love Chinese food, and every time I walk through China Town in London I have a desire to go into one of the restaurants and stuff my face.  Yet I always seem to have already arranged a meal for later on in the day, or more usually I have stuffed myself elsewhere.  Well now I have found something that is not too filling but satisfies my desire for Chinese food.  The answer to my problems was in the Golden Gate Cake Shop, but the answer is not a cake but a bun.

The shop is tiny inside and can only fit about 7 people.  When you walk in you grab a tongs and paper bag or try, then pick your own buns.  Luckily the buns are identified in both English and Chinese. I have to admit as I was lucky enough to have mine bought for me I didn’t get to venture deep into the shop to see what the full range entailed.  I went for a Chinese roast pork bun (Char Siu) and D chose a Chicken Curry one.  Both were gorgeous and about £1 each, so if you are a bit more than peckish I would get two.

Now my problem is going through Chinatown without going into the Golden Gate Cake Shop, maybe next time I will get to venture further into the store and discover even more delights.  I will keep you posted.

Franco Manca - Londons Best Pizza

If I was to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of my life and had to choose 3 food types to survive on for all eternity I would have to put pizza on the list.  So it was with much excitement that I read about Franco Manca “London’s best pizza”.  Last Saturday I was off to see a concert at the Brixton Academy, or as it now calls itself O2 Academy Brixton, so I grabbed to opportunity to visit Franco for a pre-show dinner.

The restaurant is located in Brixton Market and not ideally beside a fishmonger although where we were sitting I didn’t get any fish smells.  Due to it’s location in a market it’s opening hours are aligned with the markets so the place closes at 5pm and isn’t open Sundays.  We got there and it was busy enough so when we saw a couple get up to leave we grabbed the first waiter we saw and asked if we could sit there, he said yes and so we did.  This turned out to be against Marco’s rules, he likes to take orders first and then seat you.  Luckily he was very pleasant and just gave us a “warning”.

The menu is very simple with only six types of pizza to choose from although you can get extra toppings.  I went for number 4 a pizza napoletana, D went for a the simple tomato, mozzarella, and basil and we got a bottle of organic Dolcetto (red) wine.  From where we were seated you could watch the pizza being prepared including the traditional tossing in the air, i am sure there is a technical word for that.  There was a great buzz in the place and they appeared to be doing a brisk trade in takeaways.

The pizzas arrived quickly and were rustic looking, in a very good way.  The were nice, very nice but at first I was a little disappointed.  I was expecting the most amazing pizza ever yet all I got was a very nice pizza.  It wasn’t until I was half way through my pizza that I realised what was so special, it was the base.  Normally pizza bases are just carriers for the sauce and toppings and are often pushed to one side.  However here I was munching my way through every last crust, the sourdough base makes all the difference.  So what is so special about the base, well I will let Marco explain:

The pizza is made from slow-rising sourdough (minimum 20 hours) and is baked in a wood burning ‘Tufac’ brick oven made in Naples by a specialist artisan. This oven produces a heat of about 500 degrees c (930 degrees f).  The lsow levitation and blast-cooking process lock in the flours natural aroma and moisture giving it a soft and easily digestible crust.  As a result, the edge (cornicione) is excellent and shouldn’t be discarded.  This system was originally developed by the greek settlers who, in the 5th century BC. founded Neapolis (new town). They adapted a pre-existing baking tradition to develop this new ‘pita’, which though experimentation, luck and linguistic distortions, became pizza.

This was a great meal and fantastic value, the pizzas were about £5-£6 each and the wine a bargain at £7.50.  I will definitely be going back to Brixton Market for a bit of shopping followed by what is so far for me London’s Best Pizza.

Snacks at Damascu Bite

I was looking for a quick snack to recover from an afternoon strolling around Brick Lane and the surrounding area when I came across Damascu Bite.  I wasn’t looking for a large meal just something to get me through the evening.  A few snack at this establishment seemed just the trick.

Neither of us were particularly hungry so we decided to get four starters to share instead of the larger mains.  We ordered Kebbeh, Baba Ganoush (mashed smokey aubergine), Grilled Halloumi (grilled cheese) and Hummus.  All were nice but not amazing and D did say that my Hummus was better!

All the above were washed down with Arabic tea which appeared to be a normal tea bag with a couple of mint leaves and a cardamon pod.  I enjoyed the tea and it is something I may recreate at home.

All in all an ok meal although next time I will probably go for a salt beef bagel from one of the bakery’s just up the street.

The Kebbeh - Sorry about the pic quality, it was with my iphone.

Easter at The Albion

I lived in Angel for a year (almost a year ago) and it was only a few months before I moved out of my flat that I discovered The Albion.  As my family live abroad I went there for Easter dinner last year with some friends who also were not able to get a good home roast, we were all extremely impressed.  I then went back a few months later and had an amazing leg of lamb, so when I was reading the Observer Food Awards and saw that it won the Best Sunday Lunch category I decided I had to go back for another Easter feast.

The last week has been very busy for me and had involved lots of eating out so I had not being hungry in a while and was almost dreading the thought of having to have another large meal, eating Chorizo Hash Browns at The Breakfast Club that morning probably didn’t help!  But I marched down there for my 2.30pm booking.  Now I would like to state that I did not make the booking but one way or another a mistake was made and the table was actually booked for 2pm so we were thirty minutes late.  But being the best Sunday lunch pub in the world (well UK at least) they just smiled and asked us to wait a couple of minutes while a table was prepared for us.

G&T’s ordered and the third and final attendee seated it was time to scan the menu.  While I was tempted to repeat my previous great meals guest R was eyeing the Pork so myself and D went for the beef.  The meal was served very quickly especially considering the Beef had ‘30 mins wait’ on the menu.  Both meats were perfectly cooked, the Beef was served with Yorkshire pudding, roast potato, carrots and cabbage in lots of butter, oh and of course gravy and horseradish sauce (not as hot as I would have liked)

One thing I love about roasts at the Albion is that you get to carve the meat yourself, while no expert at carving it does add that extra bit of excitment to the meal.  Even though I had eaten a large breakfast I managed to eat everything and possibly more than my fair share of the cabbage.  R’s belly of pork, that to be honest looked a lot more like a loin, was full of flavour and melted in your mouth.

Liek all good meals I didn’t want it to end, and the best way to delay this is order pudding!  We decided to share three deserts and another set of plates were liked clean (not literally, tempting though it was).

The Albion is not cheap, but neither is it over priced, it’s a large step up from your average pub roast and worked out about £35 each including a nice bottle of Cahors, G&T’s and dessert.  Anytime I have out of town friends in London on a Sunday I will be dragging them to the Albion for a roast, and you should do the same.