Slider Decider at The Gun, Docklands

We went to The Gun in Docklands to eagerly watch the 25 finalists, chefs from various well known restaurants, competing for the best slider spot.

The Gun team keeping event ticket holder well fed with Cheeseburger sliders …

…and Pulled Pork & Jalapeno relish slider

Pulled Pork slider (on left) and Cheeseburger slider (on right)

During the heats, The Gun team ensured we were feed and watered with beers and ales available, and cheeseburger and pulled pork sliders.

Chef finalists competing in Heat 1 – including in foreground Jon Ingram from Blue Boar Smokehouse

It was fun watching the chefs battle it out in the kitchen during the first heat.

However, it got packed in the marquee very quickly. One downside of being further back in the marquee was that we could not see everything that was going on during the heats. Sean, it may be an idea next time to have a large screen up so people can watch what is going on in the kitchen and the deliberations of the judges. Also, there was very few tables, chairs and high tables/ bar tables for the numbers of people who attended the event. Please would you look into this for future events.

Thank you to Sean, Jessica, and Vanessa of the ETM Group Social Media team for an interesting evening and for making us feel welcome. We will be returning when the warmer summer weather arrives, as they have a fab riverside location & we will want to check out the new gin garden.

http://www.etmgroup.co.uk/sliderdecider/

Anise Cocktail Masterclass

Anise – in far corner of Devonshire Square

Beautiful Anise bar

We went to Anise for a cocktail masterclass (£25). Anise is the bar attached to Cinnamon Kitchen tucked away in hidden Devonshire Square. As you would expect then the Indian bar snacks are great, we tried the fiery chicken wings (£5.00) and the stir fried pork belly (£5.00). The spices perfectly cut through the fatty richness of the pork.

Stir-fried pork belly (on left) and Fiery Chicken Wings (on right)

Ben is the new manager and has totally revamped the cocktail menu at Anise using premium high quality spirits. He said that he didn’t want this class to just demonstrate recipes which we could read for ourselves but to teach us more about the spirits themselves so if we wanted to create our own cocktails we would feel confident to do that. I found this approach refreshingly different to other cocktail classes I’ve been too. First Ben talked us through rum. White rum has grassy, fresh notes whereas aged rum has a deeper more complex flavour reminiscent of Christmas cake. Rum is aged in wooden casks in hot countries and as the rum gets warms it flows into the wood in the day and then back out during the night. Every time this process is repeated it leaves behind some of the impurities making for a smoother drink and the rum takes on some of the characteristics of the wood such as vanilla notes. We tried the Polo Club Daiquiri (£7.50), a white rum based drink with fresh lime, peppermint tea and celery. I normally can’t stand celery but in this drink it perfectly complemented the grassy notes of the rum.

Polo Club Diaquiri

Then we moved onto tequila. If you’ve had a bad experience with tequila, please give it another chance. Tequila called and it wants to make it up to you! Much like rum tequila benefits from the ageing process and aged tequila is a very sippable drink, no slamming or shooting here! We made an espresso based cocktail with Sauza resposado tequila (£8.50) and although there is no dairy in this as you can see there was a perfect “crema” on top. Resposado mean rested and indicates aged for a minimum of 2 months but less than a year.

Ben (bar manager) making espresso based cocktail

The last spirit we looked at was gin. The Gee and Tea cocktail (£7.50) was probably my favourite one of the night using Broker’s gin, fresh lemon and earl grey tea (actual tea not an infusion). The perfect summery drink, I can just see myself drinking this on Anise’s terrace when summer finally deigns to return.

http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/Anise

Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, 9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YL  |  info@cinnamon-kitchen.com  Tel  +44 (0) 20 7626 5000

McQueen – new dinner set menu

We went to experience the new spring dinner set menu at McQueen. The restaurant is airy but has a darker elegance with photographs adorning the walls paying homage to Steve McQueen.

Glasses of champagne were a pleasant start whilst we perused the menu.

The fig salad had a lovely sweetness of the grilled figs complemented by the toasted goat’s cheese, though the crispy parma ham was slightly tough to cut through. Also, the roasted hazelnuts added a wonderful dimension to the salad. It has given me a few new ideas of ways to use hazelnuts.

Fig, toasted goat’s cheese, crispy parma ham and roasted hazelnuts salad

Grilled rib chop of pork was succulent with a punchy peppercorn sauce.

Grilled rib chop of pork, crushed sweet potatoes, wilted bok choy and peppercorn sauce

Mixed pepper and leek rice was moist and very flavourful, however the roasted breast of chicken has been overcooked and was dry inside. But a plus point was that the chicken breast skin was beautifully crisp.

Mixed pepper and leek rice, roasted breast of chicken, salsa verde

The dessert was a nice mix of berries and sweet cream, but unfortunately the vanilla sponge was slightly dry. But overall a lovely way to end the meal – a very summery dessert!

Mixed Berry Cake -
Layers of vanilla sponge, sandwiched with mixed berries and sweet cream

Pleasant waiting staff, especially Veronica. Would recommend McQueen for lunch/ dinner when shopping around Old Street, and for a good selection of cocktails in the lounge and basement bars. We are already planning our next visit!

http://www.mcqueen-shoreditch.co.uk

McQueen
51-56 Tabernacle Street
Shoreditch
London EC2A 4AA
T:  020 7036 9229 

Find us on Google Maps

New Regency

We went for an Indian meal to New Regency near Old Street Station. (The website offered a bottle of wine for a table of four, and a discount for NHS staff. This had been prior confirmed with the restaurant.)

The food is of an excellent standard, with decent portion sizes. Particularly liked with Chicken Tikka, Aloo Chat, Chicken Buna, Lamb Buna and the Chana Masala.

The points that let the place down were that they were very reluctant to give us the bottle of wine initially accompanied by a few excuses, but eventually the bottle of wine arrived. However, the 10% NHS staff discount was never provided even though it was confirmed when booking and also with the restaurant staff at point of ordering; we were dining with guests we had not seen for 1yr, so we did not want to make a deal of this and paid the undiscounted bill. So, check your bill to ensure it is correct at the end of the meal if you are entitled to the NHS or Student discount.

Overall, a great Indian restaurant and we would recommend visiting.

http://www.newregencyindiancuisine.com/

Babble Jar, Stoke Newington

We went to this new bar and kitchen which we heard was one of the newest cool and trendy locations in Stoke Newington to check out.

New York Sour (in foreground) and Cosmopolitan (in background)

Settling down with our New York Sour and Cosmopolitan, we perused their menu.

We tucked into huge portions of lovely, crisp battered fish & fluffy, chunky chips served with a unique Babble Jar tartar sauce which complemented the fish perfectly.

Amazing Chocolate Brownie!

The dessert was an amazing brownie served with vanilla icecream; the brownie was more like a chocolate fondant. Wonderful!!!

Bands perform in the basement event space

Great bar and they have an event space in basement which showcases a great range of bands and will suit various musical tastes. Check their website for current events and bands playing.

Overall, a great experience and a cool place to eat and then pop downstairs to party the night away whilst listening to different bands.

http://www.babblejar.com/

Hari’s, Kings Road – excellent, professional mens haircuts

I went to Hari’s on the King’s Road to get my unruly hair tamed. Kirsten and Andy dealt with my difficult double crown in an efficient and professional manner. I was very happy with the result, as I have been to other hairdressers in London and given them the same request of hairstyle but they have messed up my hair.

Thank you Andy and Kirsten for doing a good job of my hair. Highly recommended, especially if you are keen to only have experienced hands dealing with your precious locks!

http://www.harissalon.com/content/14296/contact/contact__kings_road/contact__kings_road

Telephone:  020 7349 8722

Email: enquiries@harissalon.com

Hari’s Kings Road, 233 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EJ.

New location launch – The Diner, Gloucester Road

We went for a late lunch to The Diner near Gloucester Road station. It had a great American diner appearance and feel from outside and also when you walked inside, but still nice and airy.

A warm welcome was accompanied by a glass of light, citrusy white wine.

We started off with hard shakes including The Kraken (Kraken Rum, Banana icecream, Maple Syrup and Malt), the Creamy Nut (Hazelnut & Pistachio icecream with Bailey’s) and the Brandy Alexander. Love the idea of adding alcohol to milkshakes!

Brandy Alexander (on left) and The Kraken (on right)

The Brandy Alexander has a good strong hit of Brandy, and lovely chocolate pieces. However, The Kraken’s banana icecream and other sweet ingredients over-powered the Kraken rum; which was a shame. The first Creamy Nut had more icecream than Bailey’s flavour, but the second one had a stronger Bailey’s flavour and was more balanced.

Next, we tucked into a Steak & Eggs, Lumber Jill and Sweet Potato Pancakes. All accompanied by crisp, yummy sweet potato fries.

Steak & Eggs – flat iron steak with 2 over easy eggs (sunny side up)

Sweet Potato Fries

Stack of 3 sweet potato pancakes with bacon and guacamole

Lumber Jill – waffles with roasted banana and toffee sauce, accompanied by maple syrup

Friendly and attentive staff, with good, comforting food created by the kitchen. The only downside was that the airconditioning vents were pointing streams of cold air directly onto us whilst we ate.

Great pit-stop for lunch or dinner especially if you are shopping or attending an event/ show in the Gloucester Road/ South Kensington/ Earl’s Court area.

The Diner

105 Gloucester Road

London

SW7 4SS

02072447666

info@thedinerglosroad.com

http://www.goodlifediner.com/locations/gloucester-road

Twitter: @dinerglosroad

                @thedinertweets

My ideal slider: The Royal Slider

This recipe makes 15 sliders or 5 normal burgers. Ok, let’s create The Royal Slider -

For the burger/ patty:

Fry off 1 red onion in 2.5 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, cover with a lid and allow to soft and go golden brown. Allow to cool.

Mix 600g minced venison, the cooled red onion, 1 tsp mild chilli powder or chilli flakes, 80g grated strong cheddar (No 4 or 5 strength), 1 beaten medium free-range egg,  2 tsp of ground cinnamon & 70ml double cream together. Season with salt and pepper, re-mix and shape into small patties about 1.5-2cm thick.

Heat 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and cook the patties for 3-4 mins each side (vary cooking time depending if you like your patties medium-rare or medium).

Now build your sliders:

Serve in a toasted brioche bun topped with tomato relish, finely sliced avocado, watercress and a thin slice of Sicilian blood orange to decorate.

Then watch the wonderful flavours explode in your mouth!

A great drink to accompany these is a Malbec (both reasonable price points and complementary notes in either Colome Estate Malbec 2009 or Montevista Malbec 2010).

Patty & Bun

We had a craving for Patty & Bun and went to check out their Ari Gold burger, and also the Hot Chic chicken burger.

Ari Gold

‘Hot Chic’ Chicken Burger

Nice burgers in good, fluffy brioche buns. Though, the Ari Gold’s couple of slices of cheese on top was I think a step too much in relation to the fat content of the burger. Also, too much coleslaw in the Chicken burger overwhelmed the small breaded single chicken fillet and made the brioche bun become soggy quite quickly and harder to handle neatly. The chips with rosemary salt were slightly over-salted for our liking; but, they did helped cut through the fattiness of the cheese on the Ari Gold. Liked the hint of rosemary.

Overall, good pleasant service from Glen who looked after us well during the meal. Also, interesting flavour combinations in a lively restaurant. Would recommend turning up early, otherwise you can be waiting for a long time for a table.

Hawksmoor Guildhall Wedding Showcase – a great historic location for a wedding

We were invited by Alice Henderson, PR & Marketing Manager for Hawksmoor, to Hawksmoor Guildhall to hear about their wedding packages and to sample the drinks, cocktails and food available to wedding parties.

First we tucked into a lovely selection of interesting canapés including caviar and cream cheese on toast, accompanied by champagne and cocktails including Espresso Martini, Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew and the Blinker (with gin and raspberries).

Espresso Martini

Wedding Showcase cocktails, canapes and dinner menu

Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew – a wonderful combination of Gin and Ginger Beer

The only disadvantage of standing at what turned out to be the end of the waitress’ circular canapes route was that we only got to try a couple of the canapes selection. Waitresses, next time I would suggest alternating clockwise then anti-clockwise  directions with canapes trays, as then everyone in the room will get to try equal amounts of canapes.

For starters, we had Hawksmoor Smoked Salmon and a Chicory & Pear salad. Both a nice start to the meal. Fantastic Colston Basset (similar to Stilton but creamier in texture and lighter flavour) in the Chicory & Pear Salad. A light, citrusy white wine accompanied our starters.

Hawksmoor Smoked Salmon

Chicory and Pear Salad

For mains, it was a sharing selection of Porterhouse, Prime Rib and Rump steaks accompanied by Triple Cooked Chips, French Fries, Macaroni Cheese, Creamed Spinach, Roasted Field Mushrooms and Buttered Green. Unfortunately, I think I was unlucky with the pieces of steak that I got: the Porterhouse was mostly fat and hardly any meat; and the Rump had quite a lot of sinew. Also, I personally found the chips too salty – if there are salt and pepper mills on the table, people can then adjust it to their own tastes. Though, on the plus side, the Prime Rib was good, sauces included a fab Bearnaise, and the Macaroni Cheese was amazing. A wonderful full-bodied red was perfectly selected to accompany the meat selection.

Prime Rib

Rump accompanied by sides including Triple Cooked Chips, Macaroni Cheese and Bearnaise sauce.

Porterhouse

Perfectly matched red

Desserts were the highlight of the meal, with desserts including a gorgeous sticky toffee pudding, and a lemon meringue pie (a perfect balance of sweet and citrus). These were accompanied by a beautiful Moscatel dessert wine which complemented the desserts.

Sticky Toffee Pudding – to die for!!!

A perfect Lemon Meringue Pie

Now onto the wedding packages information:
The restaurant can accommodate 160 people seated/ 300 standing
• Hawksmoor Guildhall has a late licence until 2am
• The venue can be hired for a minimum spend of £ 15,000
• There are three menus available to choose from: £ 55, £ 65 and £ 85  - coffee and drinks are at additional cost.

Would recommend Hawksmoor Guildhall if you want to hold your wedding party in a historic location, with the Guildhall courtyard just round the corner for some lovely wedding photographs.

Overall, an enjoyable evening with interesting food and pleasant, attentive service. Thank you Alice and the Hawskmoor Guildhall team.