Back to School for Brunch - The Schoolhouse

The Eatery: The Schoolhouse, 139 St John's Hill, London SW11 1TD
The Site: http://www.theschoolhouse.london/
The Companion: a group of pals for hung over Sunday brunch
The Dolla: Around £15 for a main dish and a drink
MCM Rating: 4/5

I fell in love with The Schoolhouse as soon as I spotted they had pancakes on the menu - AS A SIDE. Respect. The Schoolhouse, is a great Clapham gem, easy to walk past but difficult to resist once you've tried it.

The 'schoolhouse' theme is carried through to the decor with comic books, old style school photographs and iconic toys dotted around - personally, I love dining next to Furby.

Mrs Brunch

 

The menu is reminiscent of an old school report with a great selection of dishes, there are twists on classics like 'Mr Benedict - English muffin, soft poached eggs and hollandaise sauce with a choice of Cola Ham, Pulled Pork or Smoked Salmon to go with it  or Schoolhouse specials like the Mrs Brunch - Grilled halloumi, avo, peppers, tomato concasse and mushrooms on poppy & rye with poached egg, rocket and baby spinach - I have these with their Hash Bravas which are delicious.



Santa Fe

My favourite dish is the Sante Fe this is my Saturday morning heaven; ridiculously good Cheddar & Jalapeno cornbread with spicy ratatouille, smashed avocado, poached egg, lime crème fraiche and spicy ketchup.

Schoolhouse serve food throughout the day and even have a Tuck Shop for lighter bites...but their best menu by far is brunch; good size portions and there's a Bottomless option too.  Try it if you feel like something a little different - and DON'T forget the cornbread!



  

Mad City Wanders - Tuscan Travels

Five days in Tuscany and I'm considerably heavier, happier and have reached a new level of foodie enlightenment. I visited the Chianti wine region, Florence, Siena and Lucca. This part of Italy has  Michelin star gems tucked away in the stunning hillsides and equally good small family-run restaurants next door giving them a good run for their money. One evening you'll sample small, delicate dishes that are so incredibly refined, the next, you'll find yourself in a traditional Tuscan osteria eating a large, hearty meal packed with flavour - and usually a lot of meat!

The secret is definitely the pride they have for their creations and the quality of the ingredients - vegetables from their own gardens, olive oil bottled an olive stone's throw away, handmade pasta topped with truffle and delectable desserts.

All of this is accompanied by the local wines which means you always have a smile on your face!

Time to go to Tuscany!

 

Recommended restaurants:

 

Osteria di Passignano, Chianti : http://www.osteriadipassignano.com/en

 

La Torre, Chianti: http://www.castellodelnero.com/dineandwine/torregourmetrestaurant-en.html

 

La Toppa, San Donato: http://www.anticatrattorialatoppa.com/

 

Buca di Sant'Antonio. Lucca: http://www.bucadisantantonio.com/

 

 

The Dairy - The Cream of the Clapham Crop

The Eatery: The Dairy, 15 The Pavement, Clapham Old Town, London SW4 0HY
The Site: http://the-dairy.co.uk/
The Companion: A perfect date night
The Dolla: £45 per person for a delicious tasting menu - great value
MCM Rating: 4.8/5

As a Clapham local, I'd been hearing the buzz around The Dairy for a few months. Michel Roux has famously hailed it as his favourite restaurant in South London and quite rightly. What's not to love about a small, unassuming local restaurant that totally surprises you with sophisticated food and a mean drinks menu?

The seven course tasting menu; an affordable £45 per person, is definitely the way to go if you want to experience The Dairy in all it's glory. Different dishes depending on the day. Served on a mix of heavy stoneware and contrasting pretty china bowls; the food is delicate and refined.

Snacks
The meal kick starts with a flurry of small, delectable dishes, the highlights on our menu were the Homemade sourdough bread with a bone marrow smoked butter, chicken liver mousse, cellar salami  served in a woven bag with the delicious smoky butter smeared over a smooth stone- very Game of Thrones! Followed by Chicken oyster; crispy skin, cellar kimichi, cimi de rapa - my favourite out of the snacks; great creamy flavour and texture added by the crispy chicken skin (every chefs favourite addition as of late).

Sea
Snacks were followed by lovely statement plate of Applewood smoked eel with heritage tomatoes topped with rooftop herbs (they grow their own herbs on their rooftop)! The other seaside plate was The Dairy's smoked trout served with Jersey royal potatoes, sorrel and radish - which I must admit, fell a little flat for me after the eel.

Land
There was a choice of  two meats on offer: 63 day aged White Park beef with comte, artichoke and onion treacle or Blackface lamb rump, smoked aubergine and pressed shoulder topped with miso. The beef was probably the winner here; tender and delicious - loved the artichoke and onion treacle.

Cheese
You pay a little extra to add cheese to your tasting menu, but when they bring over the Truffle Brie de Meaux, fig and walnut toast with rooftop honey, you definitely don't regret the decision so splurge!. A rich little plate with a combination of complimentary and delicious flavours.

Sweet
Finally, there was a unique selection of puddings to choose from including,; Lemon Leaf curd and Salted Carmel and malted barley ice cream!

 To top it all off and to thank you for your custom, they bring over a worn, old biscuit tin filled with warm, mini homemade doughnuts and dollops of sharp, sour apple jelly. A nice touch.

The Dairy definitely knows how to leave a sweet taste in your mouth at the end of the night; a feeling that you've found a little gem on your doorstep. A well thought out, delightful tasting menu, maybe not quite to Michelin standard yet but not a long way off.

Bumpkin - Banging Ribs and Burnt Burgers

The Eatery:Bumpkin South Kensington, 102 Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RD
The Site: http://bumpkinuk.com
The Companion: Great for lunch with a group of pals or the family
The Dolla: Around £35 per head
MCM Rating: 3.8/5

Today I went for a BIG Sunday lunch with the family at Bumpkin . Always good to end a weekend having eaten so much you're no longer able to move. There's a lovely atmosphere at Bumpkin, it has a sort of smart/casual feel that makes you feel instantly relaxed.

Everyone felt like an afternoon full of comfort food so we started off with a plate of ribs to share. This was a pretty generous portion, plenty of meat on the bone and the sauce was tangy, tasty and full of flavour (I kept the little pot of extra sauce for chip-dipping)! Delicious!

For the main course I went for a a burger and that's where it fell a little bit flat; the chips were under-done! More importantly, they wouldn't serve the burger medium-rare but said they would cook it pink, when it arrived  it was far too overcooked for my liking. The good thing was; it came with a fluffy brioche bun, a drizzle of delicious sauce some salad and a gherkin...I love a gherkin.

To finish off this naughty Sunday meal we went for a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. They gave us another generous portion and this was pretty delicous, only complaint; I would have liked a little bit more of the sauce -I'm greedy like that.

The Verdict: I love the atmosphere here, the service was good and staff were lovely. A good choice for a Sunday lunch. Would be great to try some of their more refined dishes next time and see what they can do with a nice piece of fish or a pork belly. In the meantime Bumpkin, STOP BURNING YOUR BURGERS!

MURAKAMI - Sushi, Sake and Skewers

The Eatery: 63-66 Saint Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4JS
The Site: http://www.murakami-london.co.uk
The Companion: A dinner date
The Dolla: A little on the pricey side..around £100 for a meal for two with a bottle of wine
MCM Rating: 3.5/5

Murakami is a modern Japanese restaurant on St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden. If you peer through the window the buzzing atmosphere and the playful decor makes you want a piece of the action.

A good list of cocktails and good fun picking out your plates with your pals. They also have pre-selected menus for groups if you don't fancy arguing over salmon vs tuna.

The menu's made up of sushi, sashimi, grilled skewers and tempura. Loved the presentation but the food was probably a little more impressive on the eye than it was on the palate. 

Everything was beautifully made and perfectly good sushi but the menu and flavours were lacking a little bit of inventiveness and oomph in comparison to the price.

Bottom line; their logo probably sums it up ' live, life, love...oh and there's some sushi too'! Not the new Nobu but you could try it out if you're looking for somewhere with some good atmosphere and satisfactory sushi!

On the Bab!

The Eatery: 305 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LA
The Site: http://onthebab.com/
The Companion: cheeky date before a few drinks on Old Street!
The Dolla: £15-£20 a head
MCM Rating: 4/5

It's a rare occurrence for me to venture to the depths of East London from nappy valley but when I do I remember why everybody else does! On the Bab serves up tasty Korean street food - it's casual, unassuming and the babs weren't too bad either.

First things first, the drinks menu definitely met the needs of my sad dry Jan! Great selection of teas and non-alcoholic cocktails - the OMG (preserved ginger, honey and lemonade) was awesome. There were also some great Soju (rice liquor) based cocktails that I'll definitely be going back for.

Sweet and Spicy YangYum Chicken with crushed peanuts

Start off with the sweet and spicy YangYum Chicken (the reputation of these wings with crushed peanuts preceded them); genuinely some of the best wings I've had in London. I'd also get a few of the Kun Mandu (pan-fried dumplings) the shrimp filled dumplings were crispy and succulent.

Kimchi Bokeum Bab- Korean style kimchi bacon paella with a fried egg on top

There's a pretty extensive selection of mains to choose from; either bulgogi beef, spicy chicken, spicy pork or vegetable fritters - 'on the rice', 'on the soup noodle' or 'on the bun'.  Each dish we had was full of flavour and had a pretty spicy kick- maybe not the best choice of restaurant if you're not good with spice. I was loving the addition of the perfectly fried egg on top that you eventually mix into your food.

Bibimbab: spicy pork on rice with a fried egg, vegetables mixed with gochujang

It can feel like a bit of a gamble picking from this menu if you don't know a huge amount about Korean food...I felt like a bit of a winner when I got my Traditional Bibimbab with spicy pork, fried egg, vegetables and rice - add some Kimchi if you're hungry and haven't tried it before!

The bottom line: tasty food, staff a little busy and distracted but a good little buzzy gem worth trying.

Bibendum Oyster Bar: Fruits de Mer with the Michelin Man

The Eatery: Bibendum Oyster Bar, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London,SW3 6RD
The Site: http://www.bibendum.co.uk
The Companion: a pal for a lazy leisurely lunch
The Dolla: £15-£20 a head

Bibendum (aka the Michelin Man) has to be the one of London's most iconic places to 'do lunch' or sip on a glass of champagne. The Oyster Bar is my go-to destination for my annual Christmas lunch with my Dad. Timeless, classic yet casual. I love the atmosphere.

If you're looking for 'fishy things'; especially oysters then you need to stop in your tracks at Bibendum.

The Plateau de Fruits de Mer is a good choice if you want to sample lots of different things, I do have my favourites on the menu though; oysters (of course) served with all the appropriate trimmings, tasty garlic prawns and finally Roll Mop Herrings with onion salad and creme fraiche; a special dish I don't allow myself to order anywhere else.

You're surrounded by beautiful ceramic tiles depicting great Michelin races of the past, the staff are lovely and the food and drinks are first class. The epitome of 'an oldie but a goodie' - the Michelin Man always delivers.