The Brixton Diner Pop Up - Brilliance in a Basket

The Eatery: The Brixton Diner by the Pickled Fork Team, Secret Location, Coldharbour Lane, SW9
(sadly you've missed out on this delectable pop-up but read on to find out about this pairs' new project)
The Site: http://www.thepickledfork.com/
The Companion: A group of friends who are game to get stuck into some good grub 
The Dolla: Three course set menu at £20 and some affordable booze on offer

Believe it or not, The Brixton Diner was my very first pop-up experience. Seeing as pop-ups are all the rage at the moment in the big smoke it seemed like the time had come to get involved. It started out with a little test of patience and spontaneity (tough for a diner obsessed with planning) - the secret location was revealed at the last minute and there was no website or gallery for to me to browse expectantly in my lunch break! You arrived at the location and after a few minutes of thinking you're in the wrong place were let into what appeared to be a shut-up shop on Coldharbour Lane next to a fried chicken shop...little did the fried chicken shop know they were getting quite the run for their money.

The Pickled Fork (chefs Chris Griffett and Alex Motture) teamed up with local Brixton residents to create their own take on an American diner. The Brixton Diner used British ingredients sourced from local suppliers including food from London farmers markets, ale from Sambrook's Brewery in Battersea and wine from D Vine Cellars around the corner in Brixton.

A little rough and ready but the look and feel of an American Diner was definitely captured; checkered tablecloths, neon lights, food in little, red plastic baskets and some pretty mouth-watering food.

The menu kicked off with 'Barrier Block’ Buffalo Wings served with crunchy lettuce and four homemade british sauces; Pickled Parliament Sauce (brown sauce), Shropshire Blue (deliciously cheesy), SW9 Mayo Dressing and my favourite; South Devon Chilli Sauce (made with jalapeno peppers, tangy with a nice spicy kick). The variety of homemade sauces was a nice touch and everyone got stuck-in trying all of them and grabbing their favourite to keep nice and close. Fun and a nice conversation starter amongst the diners. The wings were tender and crispy with a light batter, good, but as a Buffalo Wing lover my mind wasn't blown.

The real deal breaker here for me was the main course; The Brixton Brisket Bap. Every element in my little red basket was carefully chosen, perfectly cooked and the combination of textures and flavours resulted in an extraordinarily tasty bap. Served in a soft, white dusted bun and topped with crunchy vegetabes and a delicious wafer-like cheddar crisp, the beef brisket itself was tender and tasty and a refreshing change to pulled pork which has been sneaking onto London menus willy nilly in the last year. As good as the beef was, I was equally impressed by the sides; crispy fries with cheddar salt, buttery corn on the cob (so underrated), light garlic slaw and finally deep fried battered pickles (my mouth is still watering). Tasty, original, heaven in a basket.

A hard act to follow, time to employ the use of the blow torch. Enter Coldharbour Lane Banana and Clotted Cream Pie; the best take on banoffee pie I've probably had to date. A crunchy Hob Nob base, light and fluffy clotted cream, banana blow-torched to perfection and served with a London Honey Cream with a generous dollop of peanut butter hiding underneath it waiting to be discovered. A delicious take on a much-loved classic.

The verdict is; boys done good. A fun evening experience with great food. I'm now converted to the pop-up cult and ready to embark on my next adventure. If you want to try out some delicious dishes from this dynamic duo, go hunt them down at Aston and Magill cafe in Wimbledon every Wednesday in May for their Grime-dining experience combining fine dining cuisine with a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Go on....click here  book through Edible Experiences and make sure to browse the rest of the pop ups too!

Lola Rojo - A Taste of Spain in Nappy Valley

The Eatery: Lola Rojo, 78 Northcote Road, Battersea, SW11 6QL
The Site: http://lolarojo.net/
The Companion: Dinner for two
The Dolla: Around £35 a head

Lola Rojo is a small and stylish restaurant and deli on Northcote Road in Battersea. As a local to Battersea I have to say I predominantly love this restaurant because it allows you to step away from the madness of the Northcote Road (otherwise known as Nappy Valley); home of the double buggy and the dog safari experience, and enjoy some serious and authentic Spanish food in a gloriously civilized setting.

Every night, this mini modern dining room is packed with people sipping on delicious wine from the extensive wine list and sampling Lola Rojo's modern twist on tapas.
 

Broken duck eggs, chorizo and piquillo peppers

Some of my favourite small dishes are the cauliflower croquetas with herby mayo and the stunning broken duck eggs on a bed of sweet piquillo peppers and topped with delicious chucks of tasty chorizo.

 There's also a great array of cold meats on offer - try the selection of Iberian cured meats or the Iberian chorizo plate - great paired with some of the Catalan bread served with tomato or aioli.

Grilled octopus, savoy cabbage and "trixat" paprika oil

Last time, I went for the grilled octopus when choosing my larger dishes and have to say despite the beautiful presentation I was slightly disappointed. The octopus was a little bit dry and overcooked and no match for the similar dish I'd had at Lola's sister restaurant; Rosita a few weeks earlier.  This may have been a one off but we found ourselves jealously eyeing-up the baby squid brochette with chimi churri sauce and rosemary potatoes the couple next to us were happily tucking into!

Comfit of suckling pig, vanilla apple puree, crispy vegetables

However, all was rectified when the comfit of suckling pig arrived; not everyone's cup of tea as the vanilla apple puree is quite sweet but this is one of my absolute favourites. Great combination of sweet and sour flavours and mix of soft and crunchy textures. 

If these dishes in the "Carne y Pescado" section of the menu don't float your boat then I'd definitely recommend going for one of their paellas for two or  one of the rice dishes; the black rice with squid and saffron aioli is something special. You're certainly spoilt for choice with this menu.

Red berries, fresh cheese 'ice creme' and alicante turron

If you've still got room for dessert then there's a strange selection of dishes on offer, we went for the red berries, fresh cheese 'ice creme' and alicante turron as we felt like something light but also due the fact that there wasn't that much else that appealed to us! The concept of pan con chocolate with olive oil and salt did intrigue me though! At this point, in all honesty, I wasn't craving originality just some good old fashioned churros!

The verdict? A great atmosphere which might be partly due to the top notch wine list. The dessert menu leaves a bit to be desired and the service can be a bit hit and miss (they brought three of our dishes to the table next to us by mistake) but the ingredients and flavours used are high quality and authentic and the menu is refreshing and inventive.

Lola's definitely a lady to get acquainted with and once you have, try her sister Rosita down the road!