Day 37 - Tree Time

Once again I failed to cook anything this evening and I'm worried it's becoming a little bit of a habit due to this working marlarky. I shall need to get back on things next week!

Instead, Gerry and I opted to eat out and after a tour around our local restaurants we hit an old faithful in Banana Tree. It always has a great buzzy atmosphere because it's so busy but this did mean we ended up sharing a table with another couple. I was slightly annoyed by this fact but once I'd had my first sip of white wine such thoughts ebbed away and we looked at the menu that I should probably know by heart by now. 

We ordered a starter to share of chicken satay with peanut sauce which is always a good shout. They give you a good plentiful portion, with chunks of cucumber and whole peanuts and the chicken is crispy and succulent. We polished this off quickly!

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

For our main courses, I went for something a little different to normal and chose a Thai salad with tilapia fish. They mistakenly served me a starter version of the salad,  which I obviously questioned and I ended up with the main course version for the price of  the starter - result! After the starter, I was starting to regret ordering something so healthy, fearing it would not be filling enough, especially since everyone around me had delicious looking stir fries and curries but I needn't have worried. The salad was actually really nice, plenty of fresh herbs, vegetables and chilli's with a light lemony dressing. The tilapia was lightly dusted in flour and spices and then fried and complemented the salad perfectly. I think I shall order it again! Gerry chose a noodle soup with chicken, which she said had a pretty tidy kick to it!

Thai Salad with Tilapia 

We had a good meal, I can't fault the food and my only gripe about tonight was again a slightly poor service. I understand it was busy but the lady serving us didn't even check that our food was ok and we had to flag down another waiter to change my salad for the correct size. Also, we weren't offered drink refills and honestly they could have got at least 2 more glasses of wine out of me, so their loss I suppose but my wallet's gain. It was a shame because now twice in a week I've had a meal out that was slightly marred by sloppy service. Can anyone recommend somewhere with the best service they ever received in London? I'm open to all suggestions!

Day 36 - That Friday Feeling

We went to see Hesta Prynn perform tonight and therefore decided to grab some dinner on the way. My first thought, since the gig was at Koko near Mornington Crescent tube, was to try out the highly recommended Japanese, Asakusa. However, it being a Friday night at peak time the chances of a table were slim to none so we settled on a back-up plan of El Parador, a well regarded tapas restaurant nearby just in case.

We got to Mornington Crescent around 8pm and our suspicions were confirmed at Asakusa so we headed along the small parade of shops to El Parador. We were just in time and managed to nab the last unreserved table. Although the inside of the restaurant is fairly sparse with a few Spanish paintings on the wall, the atmosphere was lovely and lively. We were promptly given a fairly vast and varied menu and ordered ourselves a beer and cider while we perused the many offerings. The menu was split into three main sections - Meat, Fish, and Vegetarian. To be honest, there was so much on the menu that I would have loved to have tried but we settled on the following after our waitress suggested we share 5 dishes between us:

Panceta con Cidre - Rolled Pork Belly marinated with garlic, black pepper and dill and braised in Asturian Cider. This was delicious and moist, if a little heavy on the old black pepper.

Calamares a la Romana - Squid marinated with lemon and coriander, lightly dusted with flour and then deep fried. This was crispy, light and a good size helping.

Pollo a la Plancha al Morroquin - Grilled chicken thighs marinated with harissa, lime, garlic and ginger. The portion was pretty damn big and heavily spiced.  I felt it was slightly dry to be honest but Gerry tucked in merrily.

Patatas Harra - Ratte potatoes pan-fried with rosemary, Harrisa, caramelized leeks and roasted red cherry tomatoes. These were nice if a little oily and I think I would have preferred simpler potato dish such as Patatas Bravas, as there was almost too much going on in this one.

Finally, Brecol del Parador - Brocolli florets pan-fried with roasted green peppers, roasted silver skin onions and smoked Idiazabal cheese shavings. This was perhaps the most disappointing of the dishes because we felt there was far too much oil for something that should have been clean and fresh.

The dishes were brought out with a speed that would make Superman jealous and it felt a little too much all in one go, I like a meal to be more of an occasion. I think they were keen to retrieve the table quickly and we did feel a little rushed. The service was good but there were no offers of drink refills which I always find frustrating. Restaurants would do so much better our of me if they only offered!

Overall, we did enjoy the meal, despite the hectic speed at which it was delivered but felt that a couple of the dishes were a little too heavy on the oil and after a while it marred the taste of the others we had ordered. I also felt, given the size of them all, that 4 dishes would have sufficed.

I will probably try this one again because I feel it has promise, if only we are given the time to appreciate it a little more!

Day 33 - Not Feeling It

Maybe it was second day blues but I didn't feel on form today. Work seemed to go on forever and I didn't quite feel myself. I think perhaps it's because everyone else has been working together for quite some time and I'm the new girl. Working on fitting in is actually tiring work. I know in this industry when you enter a new job you have to go in all personality guns blazing but I'm getting older now and my drive for this sort of thing has waned slightly. Don't get me wrong I love meeting new people but as always it takes me a little while to get into my groove, knowing who to trust. There are people in TV who gush from the outset and treat you are though you are simply the best thing since sliced bread, their new best friend. It's nice to be welcomed but this type of friendship is short-lived as they soon move on to someone newer and seemingly more interesting. My friends have always said that mostly, at the beginning, I am a little more reserved, I scope people out before committing. I know this can sometimes comes across as a little serious and unfriendly and it's something I've worked on hard over the years to overcome. I think I've achieved it mostly but it still takes me a little time before I let people in. Take this new job, I've a feeling I'm going to really like the people I work with, two or three in particular, but I've not given much away up until now. At some point I will mention Gerry, but not right now. It doesn't feel like the right time. It's not because I fear their reaction or judgement but because I'm not sure I want to trust people with that level of knowledge into my life just yet. We'll see, I'm there with them for a while so it might happen at some point.

Anyway, that's the introspective moment over. To this end by the time I came home I didn't feel like cooking at all. Gerry had her friend T over and they were merrily playing Mario Kart on Xbox. She had suggested we go out and I was in no mood to resist so we all went up to Strada brandishing a 2 for 1 voucher. As it happened we didn't end up using the voucher and I plumped for 2 courses for £12.50.

Once seated we were attended too almost immediately and given no real time for decisions. With the pressure of the waitress hovering above me I made some hurried choices. First off I went for the Insalata di Spinaci which comprised of baby spinach leaves, sliced avocado and pancetta with parmesan shavings in a mustard dressing.  This which was actually pretty good. The avocado was lovely and ripe, not too many leaves and the mustard dressing not too overpowering.

I had problems deciding what to choose for main course and opted for a Spaghetti al Ragu. This is not normally one of my preferred dishes, so much so that I don't even really cook it at home but today it seemed like the best option. The braised minced beef ragu was rich but fairly sparse compared to the mountain of spaghetti that it adorned. I also could have done with a slightly chunkier consistency, however, there were pleasant herby flavours in the tomato sauce.

We opted to forgo dessert because the service was patchy at best and we had quite a wait between courses. I thought this a little poor considering the restaurant was only half full. We left sated but slightly dissatisfied because poor service will always leave a slightly bad taste in my mouth. Strada I probably won't be back for a little while.

Day 32 - Eating in the Med

Today I started my new job, I was nervous I'll admit it. It's always a little strange going into a new office, especially when everyone there has been working together for some time. Still I got on with things and it seemed to go ok. I have lovely views from my window of the Oxo Tower and if I crane my neck, then St Pauls.  Hopefully I'll be happy here.

Anyway, what made the day less daunting was the fact I was due to meet up with some former fellow colleagues; H, T and J, later that evening at The Med Kitchen near Leicester Square. I'd managed to book a Toptable deal where we got 3 courses and a glass of vino for £15. I arrived promptly after striding quickly across from the other side of the river, while the others were slightly more tardy. However, we were on time for our table and as we were led to your seats, the ambience did seem lovely. Muted lights and candles were lovely and very welcoming after a busy first day. We perused the menu while animatedly catching up, sometimes I think if I were a waitress I would go spare at the time some people take to decide but on this occasion we were quite good, only asking for a couple more minutes. There was a good choice for all three courses, although they did ask us to decide dessert from the ouset, something which I find highly irritating. How do I know what I will feel like after the first two courses, it could be totally different from the start. However, the restaurant was actually quite busy, especially for a Monday night, so I chose to not let it spoil things.

I love meeting up with these particular friends because we always have great fun and lots of laugher. I've always enjoyed working with them too and I find it refreshing that even after all this time we still find time to get together over good food and wine for a gossip. We always had brilliant lunches when we worked together and in all my time working freelance last year, it was certainly one of the things I missed the most.

Anyway, back to the food. For started I ordered a goats cheese and caramelized onion bruschetta. It was served very promptly and despite a fairly unappetising appearance was actually rather lovely. So lovely in fact that I was more than half-way through before I remembered to take a photo.  Apologies for low light on all these pictures, my phone could really do with a flash! The T and J went for the duck parfait, which was good but didn't deliver glowing results. Finally H opted for a poached egg's Benedict style dish, I can't quite remember exactly but I think she said it was nice.

Caramelized Onion & Feta Bruschetta

For main I opted for steak hache with fries and salad, so essentially burger and chips. I asked for my meat to be done medium rare and they delivered a good result. The shoestring fries weren't on a par with the meat but moreish as fries always tend to be. I felt they were the end of a batch and could have been crisper and hotter. Three of us had gone for the steak hache but T being slightly adventurous went with the option I'd toyed with, a salmon fishcake and fries. It did look delicious and T said it cut the mustard.

Steak Hache & Fries

Finally, for dessert I had chosen a berry coulis with crème fraiche, while the others went for a crème caramel. The third option was a chocolate cheesecake and had I been able to chose after the main was served I would have quite possibly opted for this instead because the coulis was not especially great. It was over-sweet and with a blob of creme fraiche just dabbed on the top, it felt a little like I was just a load of jam.

Red Berry Coulis & Creme Fraiche

The whole meal was paired with our included glass of wine and another bottle of house rose. Nice but not memorable. We rounded off the dinner with teas and coffees and realised the hours had passed quickly. It was a lovely meal but if I had one criticism, it was that the courses came out very close together and there was no real time to catch our breath. We were served all three courses within an hour I think and this resulted in all of us feeling rather overful. It was also a little fruitless since we sat and talked for much longer anyway and courses could have been spread out more. I know they are under pressure to turn tables but on a Monday night when, although busy, not filled to capacity they could have slowed the pace a little.

We bid each other adeiu until next time, we are already planning one for March, and I'm looking forward to it already.

Day 27 - Seafood Delight

Today I went out for dinner with my two sisters T and A.  It was partly because we've not been out together in quite a while and partly a gift to my older sister, T, for her birthday.  We are all big fish fans, T in particular and since it was her treat I chose to go to the landmark seafood restaurant, Randall & Aubin in Soho.  It operates a no reservations policy and can fill up fast.  We met at 6pm outside the restaurant but it was still pretty empty and I always like to eat amongst people as it really adds to the ambience.  We decided to chance our luck and headed for a quick drink at a nearby pub, hoping that in half an hour or so it would be a little busier. Boy were we lucky with our timing!  The place was now packed with well-heeled workers navigating their way through the extensive menu. We snagged the last available seats and settled in. Seating is on high stools at marble counters running around the edge of the room as well as jutting out into the room, breakfast bar style. The place itself used to be a butcher's shop and this is evident in the original fixtures and fittings, that have been lovingly restored. I know people have complained about the style and volume of music in previous visits but from my experience on this particular occasion it was at an acceptable level and the choice was not intrusive by any means. We were able to chat quite easily without having to shout.

Having perused the menu quite a bit before we arrived I was pretty sure that we should order the Plat de Fruit de Mer.  On a quick side not, I seriously love looking at menus, be it for expensive dream restaurants or even the bog standard takeaway menus that come through the letterbox, for me it really is food porn!

The platter itself was a sumptuous array of  rock oysters, a whole crab, Atlantic shrimps, sliced diver picked scallops, whelks, Cherrystone clams, langoustine & green-lipped mussels. All served with horseradish sauce, tabasco and what seemed to be a red white vinaigrette. We ordered this for two, after deciding it would stretch to the three of us but to be on the safe side and to try out the meat offerings, we also ordered the Roast Pork Belly & Apple sauce which came with pomme frites. The food was simply delicious, the oysters were fresh and creamy, the mussels were enormous, the prawns juicy and the amount was wonderful and I really felt that we got our money's worth. The pork was tender and felt apart easily and the pomme frites were also wonderfully crispy, so delicious in fact we had to get another bowl!
 
In regards to the wine here, bearing in mind that my little sister works in the wine industry so is pretty well-informed of such things, it was a good selection but vastly overpriced. The house white starts at £16.95 which is pretty steep for what it was. We did, however, enjoy a couple of different bottles from Portugal and Spain.  Lovely but at the upper end of our price range.

Despite the fact that the main was very filling we couldn't resist dessert and opted for a lemon and raspberry tart and a cheese board.  The tart was nice and the cheese ok if a little hard.  It probably could have done with a little relish or something to go with it.  However, to sum up the food was delicious and the service attentive without being pushy.  We did have to wait a little while for our platter but I put that down to how busy it was.  We were also there quite a while and despite the queue we never felt like they were trying to hurry us to leave. It's certainly very popular and I can see why, I will certainly be frequenting this lovely little find soon. All in all, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and one we hope to repeat again in the not too distant future.

Plat de Fruit de Mer

Day 19 - Adventure Day

Gerry and I were off to the coast today. I'd decided that it would do us good to get out of the city and spend some time together, just the two of us.  The plan had been to go ice skating first but with a slightly later than planned start it was straight down to Brighton instead. We got there in good time, with the sun desperately trying to peak through the clouds, and headed straight for The Lanes and lunch. I'd booked at Terre a Terre.  It's a vegetarian restaurant and with Gerry having a penchant for this sort of thing and the fact I'd heard very good things about it, I couldn't wait to try it out. It also has a good deal on at the moment where a selection of tapas, chunky chips and a carafe of organic wine for 2 all weighed in at only £35.  I wish I'd remember to take a picture of the tapas when it came because it looked amazing. All of the tapas were beautifully presented with amazing colours and brimming with flavour. I can imagine that quite a few people might dismiss it as an option because it serves no meat or fish but I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a try if you are ever in Brighton! I'm an avid meat eater but the adventurousness of the food meant I didn't miss it at all. Apparently many of the chefs who have worked here also go on to work at Heston Blumenthal's restaurant The Fat Duck.  I would list down what we had for our tapas platter but I think that the 'not knowing what's coming' was half of the delight. I will tell you though that we indulged in one of their puddings - The Big Lemon and Icy Mother's Ruin. A fantastic lemon tart with the crispest glaze, served with a gin and tonic infused sorbet and fresh raspberries. All washed down with a 500ml carafe of organic Chardonnay. Pure heaven!

We rolled out of there a couple of hours later and went to check in at Hotel Una. It is a total gem and consistently voted the number one hotel in Brighton on Trip Advisor. We went for the Gaula room, despite being offered an upgrade, because we preferred the colours and light in the room. The staff are wonderful here, helpful without being intrusive. We collapsed in our room and relaxed letting lunch settle. Note to self here though, don't feed Gerry wine at lunchtime, her hangover kicked in a little more than 20 minutes after we'd left the restaurant!

For dinner we decided to take a rain check until later, choosing instead to hit a few bars. I had a mini lesbian pub crawl all worked out but as we walked past the first couple of pubs we chose to keep going. Brighton is obviously well-known for its gay bars and clubs but honestly from the ladies point of view it's a little disappointing. I'm sure if it wasn't a rainy Tuesday night in January it might have been a little more lively but even then I think it still leaves a little to be desired. We ended up at R Bar and kicked back with 2 very reasonable drinks. The place did start to fill up, it appeared to be Accoustic Karaoke night and a young lady was having her birthday party there too. It all seemed quite good fun, albeit it with lots of what appeared to be Skins extras, making us feel a little aged. Luckily we were reassured by a very friendly and chatty Italian girl, Lorena, who at the tender age of 23 told us that we didn't look a day over 26. Gerry still thinks we could have got away with 25.  I'd go back to the bar because as far as bars go it was pretty good. An eclectic mix of people and I hear on a Thursday night it can get quite wild...

We watched various talented and talentless individuals hit the stage for karaoke before we bid it adieu at midnight.  The plan was to go round the corner to Revenge, the club part of R Bar, but we were reliably informed by those in the know that it would be a little empty and not worth the entry fee so instead we chose to head down the road for fish and chips.  Now, they were no means the best fish and chips I've ever had but after a few drinks they tasted brilliant.  There is something so satisfying about using a little wooden fork to eat chips!  Night over we hit the sack.

It was a good evening for the most part, however, I think that our sociability precluded what Gerry and I needed to do most which was talk to *each other*.  This was kind of the reason I wanted to get away from the city in the first place. I hoped it would give us the time to focus on just us. However, even if one of you wants this it doesn't automatically track that the other will too. Maybe next time I need to be more explicit, although often other people and iphones can scupper the best made intentions. Plus, second note to self, don't let Gerry swap to cider after spirits, it can make the end of an evening come up a little short!

Day 9 - Brunch and Other Things

After too few hours sleep thanks to work last night I dragged myself from my bed and met one of my oldest friends for a civilised brunch affair.  We went to one of my favourite places, The Wet Fish Cafe, and I ordered the 'Bubble & Squeak, Poached Eggs, Crispy Pancetta, Sausage & Hollandaise Sauce'.  I thought since it's quite a feast I could do as the name suggests and combine my breakfast and lunch intake.  There was a slightly embarrassing moment when the waiter said that they were out of 'bubble' leading P and I to discuss which part of the potato and cabbage concoction the bubble would be and would I therefore just get a potato cake or pile of cabbage. I have since discovered that 'Bubble' is simply a shortened name of the entire thing.  The 'bubble' part is likely because the ingredients are first boiled - giving us the bubbles, and then it is fried producing the squeaking noise, hence the second half of the name. Oh the shame.  Anyway, in the end they had enough 'bubble' to go around so it joined the rest of the awesomeness on my plate. It was delicious and I wish I could depict it here in all its glory but I was so ravenous photos were forgotten.  Having stuffed ourselves well and truly  P and I returned to Chez Fisher for a cup of tea.  All in all a very lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.

After P had left, Gerry returned home from making TV magic and we both promptly fell asleep on the sofa.  I had intended on watching 'Did You Hear About the Morgans?', which to my credit I did start but it was so truly awful that I fast forwarded through the end and hit my snooze button.  SJP and Hugh Grant should be ashamed of themselves for that effort.
Awaking at 6pm, I put the brain into gear for dinner.  I wanted something quite light but comforting. I checked the fridge and came up trumps with half a squash, a small sweet potato and some sweetcorn.  Soup it was.

I fried up half an onion with garlic in oil until translucent and then added diced squash and sweet potato.  I sautéed this for around 8 mins just to soften it up a little and then added a pint of stock, 100ml of milk and a pinch of basil.  I simmered this for around 15mins until the veg were tender and chucked in the sweetcorn for the last 3 mins until cooked through.  Off the heat and all whizzed together.  It was actually really nice, quite fragrant from the sweet potato but Gerry said was a winner.  Once again I have created culinary magic from ingredients in my fridge. Hurrah!!

Sweetcorn, Sweet Potato & Squash Soup