REVIEW: Bodean's, Old Street

Last week I had the single best take out EVER from Bodean's Old Street. Throwing open its doors earlier this year, the sixth Bodean’s hog hotspot serves up to 120 hungry guests with irresistible barbecued pork, beef, chicken and seafood, cooked low and slow in its smoke house, and luckily for an exhausted me they serve all this is take-out form too!

The Bodean’s concept is the result of a culinary pilgrimage that Boss Hog Andre Blais and Executive Chef Richard Coates embarked upon in 2002 to the spiritual home of BBQ; Kansas City. The duo embarked on a 50 restaurant taste tour learning the skills and techniques of scores of authentic barbecue chefs. Thirteen years later Bodean’s has six restaurants across London and continues to serve-up the most succulent smoked meats around.  

When it comes to portion sizes and flavour, Bodean's definitely follows the idea that more is more... and more, and more, and more. Punchy flavours and explosive portion sizes were definitely the order of the day for today's review and we were eating BBQ food for a good part of the rest of the week. Hey, I'm not complaining. 

The meats throughout were pretty outstanding. We opted for the Boss Hog platter sharing over five types of meat, coleslaw, fries, sauces and a beer each. It was, frankly, epic.

For ribs we most enjoyed the succulent sweet and incredibly juicy Jacob's Ladder, which was followed in a close second by the baby back ribs which were smothered in the most delicious BBQ sauce ever. I also really enjoyed the pulled pork, however this was even better in my lunch the next day. The burnt ends were not quite to my taste and really rather dry, but I guess they are supposed to be that way?

The spicy-sweet chicken thighs were also really good. The skin of the chicken thigh was epically crisp offering a contrast to the silky soft flesh. The smoked sausages were also not quite to my taste but Alex loved them.  

The fries were sprinkled with a dry BBQ mix to bring even more flavour to the table, and the coleslaw was really refreshing after all that meat! My absolute favourite piece from the sharing set, however, was the mac 'n' cheese. There was enough cheese to sink a ship and the flavour was indescribably good. Just think of the best mac 'n' cheese you've ever had and times it by 10. Honestly I could have eaten boat loads of this stuff! 

Overall Bodean's is the place you visit if you want to eat yourself into a coma - happily - and if you have a perchance for excellently done BBQ food. Although this review was complimentary, I would absolutely pay the expected prices as the meat quality and cooking standards were both brilliant. Here's a very messy thumbs up!

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REVIEW: Lotus, Charing Cross Road

For this week's review, I headed to Lotus, an authentic fine Indian dining restaurant located on Charing Cross Road.  Named for the national flower of India, Lotusmarries tradition with innovation to present a truly gourmet experience, so it was a great place to take my boss and intern for a lovely night out. 

For Lotus Chef-Patron Bhaskar Banerjee has created a collection of signature dishes which combine traditional cooking techniques with imported Indian spices and fresh locally-sourced meat, fish and game including British roe deer, duck and the famous Queenie scallops from the Isle of Man. Sounds tasty right? But that's not the best bit! There is also a unique cocktail menu which was designed to not only be delicious but also have medicinal qualities, aiding digestion and promoting wellbeing. Seriously, a healthful cocktail menu! Who could say no?

Where

Lotus, Charing Cross Road

When

From 7:30pm

What we ate

• Starters:
• Golgappa
• Assortment of Poppadums with Chutneys
• Fried Chicken Wing Tulips, Tomato Chutney
• Potato Chaat With Chickpea, Sev and Yogurt
• Aubergine and Courgette flowers
• Mains:
• Duck Seekh
• Lobster tails and Queenie - Ginger, Curry leaf and Coconut Curry
• 23 Karat Gold Lamb Shanks Khorma - With Roast Potato Mash, Papaya pickle, Spices, Green Cardamom and Cashew

What we drank

• Cava, Garnacha Joven (red), Domaine Saint Hilaire (white), Graciano (red),

Highlights

• Beautiful presentation throughout, from the enticing golgappa to beautiful lamb with 23 Karat gold leaf
• The starters were exemplary examples of Indian cooking. The chicken wing tulips were particularly impressive
• The duck sheek had a very odd appearance but tasted brilliant with loads of spice and flavour.
• The coconut sauce for the lobster was excellent - well spiced without overwhelming the delicate scallops and lobster
• The dahl was not too heavy
• Service throughout was incredibly with perfect wine pairings

Lowlights

• The prices and location really don't match. The tourist trade of Charing Cross/ Trafalgar Square demands lower prices. However the quality of each dish was incredible thus worthy of the price. I feel this restaurant would be better suited in Fitzrovia, Belgravia or South West London.
• The lobster was a tiny bit chewy. Aside from that the food was absolutely beautiful.
• The potato mash which came with the lamb was about the size of a teaspoon. It was actually hilarious.

Overall
It greatly saddened me that Lotus was empty during my visit. I find it particularly sad as I was visiting as press, not a paying customer. The food and wine throughout was absolutely amazing and we had a really lovely time. As I said above, Lotus would be much better suited in a different location where customers are willing to pay a premium for the quality. Would I go back? Yes but if it was somewhere else!

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REVIEW: The Crocker's Folly, St John's Wood

For any restaurant reviewer (or lowly blogger like me), visiting The Crocker's Folly is beyond special. this ancient foodie palace was originally founded in 1898 and was recently refurbished for the 21st Century. Located in the north-west London borough of St John's Wood, Crocker’s Folly is one of the most old-worldly restaurants I have ever visited. Celebrated chef Damian Wawrzyniak has been appointed as Chef Consultant, advising on everything from work flow and kitchen equipment to menu specifics and ingredients sourcing. When Damian invited me to come in for a review, I almost fell off my chair and couldn't wait to visit. 

Where:
The Crocker's Folly, St John's Wood
When:
8pm-11:30pm, Saturday night
What we ate:

• Smoked salmon with beetroot and fennel cream
• Scallops with tomato, mango, bacon and avocado
• Rump steak with chips, peppercorn sauce, bone marrow and spinach
• Roasted pork with apple, potatoes and a pork jus

What we drank:

• Cocktails: Mint Julep, Cherry Martini
• Wines: Italian Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes du Rhône, Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine.

Highlights:

• The cocktails were knock your socks off strong! Although this was a bit of a shock it created a fun atmosphere before our meal. The strength however did not negatively affect the flavour of each cocktail which was quite unique. 
• Absolutely stunning presentation throughout the meal with and interesting yet minimalist crockery
• The salmon flavour in my start was absolutely incredible, rich with beetroot with a wonderful smoked finish. There was too much fennel cream however. 
• The scallops were beyond perfectly cooked ,working well with the accompanying ingredients of mango, tomato and bacon. The avocado cream was a touch over powering. 
• For my steak, the side of spinach was iron rich and went well with the steak. The peppercorn sauce was also knocks your socks off good, packing a real flavour punch. 
• The apple and roasted pork was very nice with a bit of crunch avoiding a soggy plate. The jus was also excellent, shiny and thick with a very meaty umami flavour.
• Pudding was outstanding! The crumble had plenty of crunch and the fruit just sang with freshness. The chocolate fondant had plenty of oozy chocolate, whilst the ice cream was rich with the scent of popcorn and was incredibly moorish.
• Good wine pairings throughout started with a Sauvignon Blanc (Apple fresh, floral) and an Italian Chenin (peachy). We then moved onto Côtes du Rhône (excellent with the meat, lovely velvet finish) and finished with a vanilla sweet Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine.

Lowlights:

• Though very welcoming and respectful throughout our visit, the service was unfortunately notably slow when having cocktails. It was much better at the table, with the waitress allowing enough time between courses to complete our wine.
• We were offered four types of bread served with butter and salt. Sadly the two white breads featured walnuts which is obviously a no-no for me. I found it quite surprising that two out of the four had walnuts in and I would have preferred at least one white without nuts.
• The steak was a little tough which was disappointing, though definitely cooked rare as per my request. The chips were also not quite cooked enough but we're tasty none the less. I also wanted way more bone marrow as it was amazing! 
• The pork was well cooked but the edges were a tiny bit dry. This could have been avoided with more of that stunning jus.

Overall:
Would I visit the Crocker's Folly again? Absolutely, 100%, done deal. This iconic restaurant really took my breath away from the incredibly cocktails and wines, through to the stunning architecture and delicious food. I cannot wait to visit again and urge you all to book a table. 

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EVENT: #QbicSlumberParty at Qbic Hotel, Whitechapel

When your close friend invites you to a slumber party you think 'Great!'. When that slumber party is being hosted at the Qbic hotel with a dinner for 12, brunch, movie night and manicures you literally explode with excitement. And that's exactly what happened this Sunday when May of Red Velvet London hosted her first blogger meet up. We indulged in warming hot cocoa in front of Mean Girls, chilled in our jammies whilst getting a mani-pedi, and spent the best night's sleep in the best rooms the Qbic can offer.

Here's my photo diary from the night - I'm certainly not a very good travel blogger or hotel blogger, so excuse the rather sparse review! Thank you to May for inviting me and to the Qbic hotel for hosting us. We had an amazing time and I cannot wait to be back!

We started the evening with a beautiful communal dinner. The chef created a special menu just for our visit that featured some of his best dishes alongside some of our favourite flavours. I loved the five bean salad with guacamole, the potted rainbow trout with horseradish ice cream and the hummus with pitta was really delicious. The raw Asian slaw was also pretty oustanding but we needed much much more! 

This was clearly a typical bloggers dinner where the photography was flowing and the foodie chat inspiring. I loved talking with Em at Catch 52, April from April Loves and of course lovely May from Red Velvet London. 

And next onto bed! We all changed into our best pyjamas and a bunch of the girls were gifted the most hilarious onesies! May and Em both became owls whilst poor April drowned in her hamster onesie! We all met in the lounge and watched White Girls in the Parts and Labour lounge. 

After the film we headed to bed for a cosy night's sleep. I would definitely recommend statyng at the Qbic hotel - the space is so unique, well placed and the food is delicious! 

Thank you May for inviting me and it was amazing to meet all you girls! Thank you also to the Qbic hotel for hosting us and to Parts & Labour for feeding us throughout the stay. 

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Around London in 50 Breakfasts: The Jam Tree, Clapham

The Jam Tree is A cute little venue in the heart of Clapham Common- I can't seem to escape Clapham right now! Serving food throughout the day from big brunches and Bellinis, to home made BBQ pork ribs, The Jam Tree is the perfect local haunt. We chose to sit in the secret garden to enjoy our brunch and were certainly the smallest table there. One group of friends was so large they had to split over several tables! Not split themselves literally but sit in separate mini groups.

After a 10k run to actually arrive at The Jam Tree (this was NOT my idea),  I was craving a huge breakfast. Luckily this is where The Jam Tree does not disappoint. Portions are on the large side and service (generally) came with a smile. I chose the shakshuka (spelled wrong on the menu), which arrived steaming hot and enticingly aromatic. Upon diving in I found that the eggs were sadly over done so no yolky yumminess for me. The sauce was well spiced however with strong notes of paprika and chilli. Along with the bread I could have eaten a bowl of the sauce with roasted peppers and tomatoes alone.

Alex's dish of black pudding, apple and chutney (variety of which is still to be determined) on toast was very interesting. As I have been doing brunch reviews for a while I get excited when I see something really different on the menu. Although the dish had a nice flavour blending the sweet apple with the spicy black pudding, it had a very singular texture. The black pudding had no crisp which was such a shame; luckily we had ordered potato rostis on the side which definitely helped.

Would I head back to The Jam Tree? If I was in the Clapham area then yes but I think there are plenty of North London places I would chose first.
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