Bonnie Gull - the pocket-sized seafood shack

The Eatery: Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack, 21A Foley Street, London, W1W 6DS
The Site: http://www.bonniegullseafoodshack.com
The Companion: Intimate date or cosy catch up with a friend
The Dolla: A meal for two with drinks costs around £130

If you want first-class fresh seafood, cocktails and a relaxed atmosphere look no further than the Bonnie Gull; the self-proclaimed 'seaside restaurant in the city'. You can find a taste of the seaside hiding on cute and quiet Foley Street near Goodge Street Station. It's nice to find a fish restaurant which isn't stuffy or horribly overpriced! When you first arrive and have to figure out how to manoeuvre around this tiny restaurant you do realise it is a very small space, so if intimacy (with all the clientele) isn't what you're looking for give it a miss, personally, I think it's cute as a button.

I'd start off with a seaside cocktail, go for the Bonnie Mary - House Made 'Clamato' Juice, Chase Smoked Vodka and Topped with an Oyster if you're a real seafood lover or a Bonnie Lass - Element 29 Vodka, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur and Peach Bitters if you want something sweeter.

If you're sharing with a friend you could tuck into some 'Pre-Starters' like the Dorset Clams ‘Bulhão Pato’ garnished with coriander and garlic or the Cornish Grade ‘A’ Moules Marinière with Tortano Bread which are plates designed to share. The menu changes daily so you might not spot all of this if you go, we went straight for the Smoked Salmon Blini starter and the trout which was tasty and delicately dressed.

Next, onto the main - scanning the menu I spotted a whole range of well thought-out dishes with a wide variety of ingredients and some really exciting flavours and textures. Our fish was beautifully cooked, take a look at the hake topped with clams and lentils.

If this looks a little TOO fishy for you there's always the Beer Battered North Sea Haddock with Beef Dripping Chunky Chip, Shack Ketchup and Mushy Peas. If your dish doesn't come with a side, definitely consider the Skinny Fries with Rosemary Salt - light and crispy.

To top it all off we went for an English classic; Strawberry Eton Mess. Although this looked pretty impressive, the deconstruction didn't really work for me and there wasn't enough crunchy meringue for my sweet tooth. The basil jelly was an interesting touch though!

All in all though, I loved my experience at the Bonnie Gull,  it was pretty affordable, staff were friendly and the short daily menu was varied and well thought-out; I WAS AS HAPPY AS A CLAM.

Tasty tip of the week 23.06.2014

What: Dub Jam Jerk BBQ + Rum Shack, http://www.dubjam.co.uk/
Where: 20 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9HP
When: Lunch or a light, quick dinner with a cocktail
Why?: because the food is tasty, the rum is punchy and the warm welcome and reggae tunes in this tiny restaurant takes you straight to the Caribbean
The Grub:Jamaican Jerk Skewers and Beach Burgers

Tasty Tip of the Week 16.06.2014

What: B.O.B's Lobster http://bobslobster.com/
Where: in a sexy red van under Hungerford Bridge on the Southbank
When: Wed. - Sun.(12-9PM)
Why?: because I can't resist lobster and prosecco. The deck chairs and hammocks with a view of the river are pretty sweet too...
The Grub: Lobster Rolls, Ahi Tuna Tacos, Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese, Crab Rolls

The House Of Ho - Bringing Sexy Back To SoHo

The Eatery: The House of Ho, 57-59 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 6HP
The Site: http://www.houseofho.co.uk/
The Companion: Late night dinner with a date or small group of friends
The Dolla: A meal for two with drinks costs around £70

The deviously named 'House of Ho' is located in the heart of Soho on Old Compton Street. It's sleek, fun, sexy and the food isn't bad either! This is definitely a night-time venue, perfect for having a few sharing plates with friends along with some sake and a few too many delectable cocktails. I went for the cocktail of the month; the Ho'rny Devil of course; chilli vodka, lemongrass vodka, coconut water, a dangerously large Vietnamese Devil chilli floating on the top and coconut flakes frosting the rim of the glass.

The menu at House of Ho is split into Light & Raw dishes, Hot & Grilled dishes, Ho’s Dishes, Sides and Dessert. All the plates here are designed to share which adds to the fun and games.

Starting with the Light & Raw dishes the Crab Pomelo Salad is definitely a good option, it's light and fresh and is made up of a variety of different textures.

Crab Pomelo Salad, Vegetable Noodles, Mint, Lemon Oil & Crispy Vietnamese crackers

I also enjoyed the Spicy Salmon Tartar. Beautifully presented and again featuring a good range of different textures on the plate. However, I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the depth of flavours, for me Vietnamese is all about strong fresh flavours and fiery chilli - I found these dishes falling slightly short in this arena.

Spicy Salmon Tartar - Chopped Pistachio, Shiso, Jicama with Asian Vinagrette

If you're feeling like satisfying your guilty pleasures then go for the Spicy Chicken Wings and BBQ Baby Back ribs from the Hot and Spicy section of the menu! Probably give the Hanoi 5 Spice Quail a miss as it was fairly dry and bland!

Now onto the star of the show, mixed reviews on how delicious it might be based on this photograph, but I have to rave about the Shaking Beef one of the 'Ho's Dishes'. Tender, tasty and one of my favourite dishes of recent months - definitely worth giving it a go!

'Shaking Beef', grass-fed, 21 day-aged fillet

PLEASE give it a try with some Morning Glory, in my opinion one of the most delicious Asian vegetables you can find -I'm addicted.

Morning Glory

If you're feeling extra naughty, go for the Molten Marou Chocolate Cake (basically a chocolate fondant) - I couldn't resist.

The verdict - although head chef Bobby Chin owns restaurants in both Saigon and Hanoi, I have to agree with many of the other critics when I say that this is not the most authentic of Vietnamese restaurants, not necessarily always a bad thing, for example the elements of fusion such as ceviche are delicious and give the menu a good range, but for me it lacked the explosions of flavour you tend to expect from Vietnamese cuisine. However, I have to say that I did enjoy the food overall especially the different components that feature on the plates and the sharing element. The drinks have certainly kept me coming back for more and I can confirm that with it's sleek style House of Ho has brought a little bit of sexy back to Soho.


Food photographed by my gurl Amandine Powell

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!

Marvelous Mountain Morsels

The Resort: Zermatt, Switzerland
The Eateries: Restaurant Zum See (Zermatt), Chez Vrony (Zermatt) and Chalet Etoile (Cervinia)
The Sites: http://www.zumsee.ch and www.chaletetoile.it and http://www.chezvrony.ch
The Companions: Fellow ski buddies looking for some top notch food in the mountains
The Dolla: About £60 for three courses and some wine

I've been skiing in Zermatt numerous times, originally with my parents for many years and recently with friends. Ten years ago, this resort was regarded as one of the best places you could go if you wanted to eat at some seriously good mountain restaurants, going back this year I discovered that clearly nothing has changed.

Zum See is my absolute favourite place to eat in Zermatt. Max and Greti Henning have taken an old 17th century chalet next to a tiny chapel and turned it into one of the best mountain restaurants in the world. The food is fresh, traditional and tasty. For me, the standout starter is the homemade Mediterranean Fish Soup, if you get the 1/2 portion then you have plenty for room for a few more courses.

When you get to the main course, someone on your table needs to try the traditional rosti (thin potato pancake) which comes with either; the incredible lamb speciality, bacon and eggs, ham and eggs or my favourite, fresh smoked salmon and sour cream. Absolutely delicious and enough to convince you that when you get home you're going to eat rosti every day.

The other two mains you need to try when you go to Zum See are their sweetbreads (sauteed and served in a morel cream sauce with noodles) and their homemade noodles served with meaty giant prawns, shaved vegetables slices and a delicious and light curry sauce.

If you still have enough room for dessert before you roll yourself down the rest of the mountain, you need to try their Napoleon (mille-feuille); thin layers of puff pastery filled with cream - incredible.

Thinking of going to Zermatt and like what you see? Also look into the amazing Chez Vrony (website link above), the food is equally good and the restaurant has awesome views of the Matterhorn. And, if you happen to find yourself skiing to Cervinia, Italy for the day,  definitely book a table at Chalet Etoile; fun, good value and serves an incredible lobster pasta.

I hope you take a trip  out to Zermatt at some point to experience the incredible village, mountains and food, for now though, back to London - The House of Ho is coming up next...