Shortly before a trip to Edinburgh, I saw on twitter that 21212 had just received its fourth Rosette. I phoned them up to see if they had any spare tables. The very polite lady on the end of the phone informed me that they’d just had a cancellation, and that they would be able to accommodate me at 9:30pm, if that was suiting. I jumped at at the table, and had a thoroughly enjoyable meal, accompanied by some great service.

21212 is a restaurant with an interesting concept. 5 courses, a choice of 2 to being with, then 1 fixed, then a choice of 2 – and so on. 5 courses costs £68 per person. The wine list is pretty big and varied, however the wines are slightly more expensive than I would normally expect to pay. We had a bottle of 2006 Australian d’arenberg Shiraz.

I knew beforehand, that this Michelin Star chef, Paul Kitching, was known for having a lot of components to his dishes – sometimes as many as 13. This can lead to some very interesting flavours in dishes – with every mouthful tasting different.

I’ve read a couple of mixed reviews of 21212, with people saying that the dished are too complicated, but I found the dishes really well executed and totally charming. The fact that every mouthful was slightly different, with too many ingredients to last the whole dish was nice. Really well executed, and cooked to perfection.

Cheeeeeeeeese!

Shots of porridge infused milk!

One thing I would say stood out as particularly nice with 21212 was the exceptional service. Almost informal, yet very well informed staff & very efficient at all times. Also it always nice to see enthusiasm in the staff about the food they’re serving.

I would definitely eat here again, and would recommend it to others – it’s not even that expensive!

Our culinary vision for this Christmas is as follows:

We want this Christmas to be truly memorable and delicious, show off our cooking skills to our families, surprise them with a few inventive dishes yet still please and fatten up everyone (incl. the traditionalists amongst our guests).  For bonus points we would quite like to remain sane and enjoy the festive season.

Christmas Eve Dinner (for 6, after a hectic day of being touristy around London)

Charcutrie platter

Monkfish wrapped in Parma ham, new potatoes, minted peas.

Mandarin Cheesecake

Lunchtime – Christmas Day (for 6)

Organic, Norfolk Lamb Two ways: Herb-crusted rack and balsamic slow cooked shoulder,
on a bed mustard mash and savoy cabbage.

Side of carrots.  Real Gravy.

Black Forest Bouche

Lunchtime – Boxing Day (for 8)

Organic fed, free range, bronze turkey from Gill Wing’s organic Farm, Eridge, Sussex (with
chestnut stuffing)

Slice of Honey Roast Ham.

Roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, chantenay carrots, brussel sprouts with pancetta. Mustard cauliflower cheese.  Cranberry sauce.  Real Gravy.

Christmas Pudding and mince pies.

Some explanations for our choices:

We decided on a no starter policy in order to concentrate on creating great mains. Starters mean extra crockery,  washing up and worrying about timings.  We will have a fridge full of extras such as salads, cold meats, salmon ect which can be served ad hoc as and where necessary.

Monk fish for Christmas Eve, because this meal had to be sufficiently different from the meals coming the days after so a chicken just wouldn’t have cut this as too similar to the turkey.  Monkfish is an expensive and luxurious ingredient, very meaty and tender if cooked right, so we decided this was festive enough for Christmas Eve, yet light enough so that everyone can handle a huge Christmas meal the next day.

Lamb for Christmas day because we all love lamb and because there isn’t much lamb available in Gran Canaria so my parents hardly ever have it.  We decided to cook it two ways because a rack of lamb is simply not enough meat to fill  a grown man, and we wanted to avoid the “tiny” servings scenario.  The herb crusted rack of lamb recipe we shall be following here is the classic Gordon Ramsay one which we have practised lots of times before – its not hard to do, but timing is everything.  The slow cooked lamb shoulder will go into the slow cooker with tons of herbs, and balsamic vinegar and veg.  Its a relatively inexpensive cut of lamb but still divine when cooked like this and it will ensure nobody at the table goes hungry. Also timing is not imperative for this dish, as long as you leave it in there long enough to cook (8-16 hours), its ready when you are.  The juices in the slow cooker and the veg, will be blended into a scrumptious natural gravy.

The turkey is to please J’s traditional parents and my little sister.  In terms of combinations we have not ventured too far from the norm, but decided instead to focus on amazing ingredients and get the best money could buy.  All meat is from Farm Direct people.

We decided not to make any desserts from scratch and order pre-made Ocado ones, because they are nice and we have too much to do with the main meals and looking after visitors.  Decent desserts are complicated and require time, patience and skill as well as sobriety during the process….

The Story….

So this year Christmas is big, I mean BIG.  Jelly has moved into a new home and we are expecting visitors – my immediate family will stay with us in our two-bedroom flat for a week, and J’s parents will visit on Boxing day.  This will also be the first time my parents will see our new place as they currently live in Gran Canaria.  Oh, also this will be the first time that J’s parents will meet my parents and  as if that wasn’t enough pressure to manage, this will be the first time in our lives that J and I are hosting Christmas ourselves (how very grown up).  A lot of firsts here.

As a result, we have been living and breathing Christmas for the past 3 months.  We have booked out 3 Ocado food delivery slots for strategic dates (that’s the max allowed during the Christmas period by the way), have ordered a Farm Direct (more on these guys in a forthcoming post) delivery for Christmas eve, made and remade meal menu plans for most of that week and have spent over £500 on food ingredients alone.

Fingers crossed this all goes well!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody!

This was lunch on a whim in cold wet November.  We spotted the place on our way to the Design Museum – you walk past their kitchen windows to get there – the bakery kitchen window, the wine shop window and so forth – it all does seem terribly intriguing.  Besides, its  always a  promising sign when a restaurant isnt scared to to have their kitchens on display.  Being huge fan of French cuisine, and having seen this restaurant in various top lists for years, my expectations were  high.

Le Pont de la Tour does not have a Michelin star, but it is in the Michelin guide, where as The Good Food guide in fact does not feature it at all.  While I can see why this restaurant may appeal to traditionalists at Michelin – the pristine tablecloths, impressive location, a river view, ambitious  French menue and prim service, I can also see why the Good Food Guide did not include it at all – the quality of cooking and presentation  do not match Le Pont de la Tour’s prestigious image.

In Jelly’s humble opinion both starters were poorly presented.
Particularly mine  - a fish and scallop mouse, basically shaped to
look like white turd swimming in some brown liquid. The sauce was
actually delicious.  As for the mains, we opted for salmon and the
presentation failed again – the grey parts on the fillet were
off-putting, even if the fish itself was actually cooked well and
had excellent texture.

We opted for a lunch menu which at £25 for 2 courses was not obscene, but throw in a bottle of Sancerre, water and service and we were looking at a lunch bill of £117 for both of us .    I couldn’t help but think that we would have had a more enjoyable and much cheaper experience snacking around the Borough market just round the corner instead.

Jelly Good Food Bottom Line:

Le Pont de la Tour needs to review and improve its presentation and
potentially consider some modernisation of its menue if it wants to
compete with London’s imaginative top end restaurants like Pollen
Street Social.  Cooking French classics isn’t easy but the standard
here appears to be below par and fails to leave a memorable experience
or even a positive one. I’m glad we came here on a whim, as if this
was a planned, special occasion meal I would have been really
disappointed.

The meat itself transpired to be the epitome of  “melt-in-the-mouth” – so good that it makes me salivate just remembering, as for the béarnaise sause, it was so rich and flavourful that I had to order an extra portion and stop myself from eating it with a spoon.  The chips  – so fresh and so golden with a serious spice kick that rebalanced the palate and the delectable greens topped with a sprinkling of nuts – there wasn’t a dish on the table that wasn’t just perfect.  The seemingly traditional  steakhouse dishes which we chose suddenly felt fresh and new.

Service too was excellent:  the lovely Danish waitress understood we were on schedule and was prompt, polite and friendly, even whilst  also looking after nearby table of 8 which were in fact her own family visiting!

The pleasure here is expensive however – even with the 50% discount (opening week offer) we paid  circa £67 in total, including the two glasses of wine, considering at normal rate this would mean circa £130 for two diners having only one course and glass of wine each,  MASH prices itself the non-casual dining category.

Jelly Good Food bottom line:

MASH is a welcome entry to the London stake scene and Jelly is confident that this restaurant will give tired places like the Gaucho  chain a run for their money.

Jelly solemnly believes this is the best steak either of us has ever eaten.  Highly recommended but come with a fat wallet.

I should start by saying that Indian food is my absolute favourite cuisine; from the blend of spices to the varying types of food that you can get. A rich, creamy, mild, saucy curry to a fiery, dry, dish of Indian cheese cooked in the tandoor with fresh vegetables – the flavours are vast and the ingredients stand out on the palate to be tasted individually and altogether. The best Indian food doesn’t blow you away with killer spice, but lets you taste all the flavours first, with the spice building up. I’m hungry just writing about it!

Bukhara in New Delhi, is a very well respected restaurant. My friend from India was amazed that they were coming to London, and advised to book a table without a shadow of a doubt. I will say that he was absolutely right, and they didn’t disappoint in any way.

The “mother restaurant: is “Situated at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, a Luxury Collection Hotel, BUKHARA is recognised as one of the world’s best Indian restaurants and a beacon of epicurean excellence that continues to attract dignitaries, celebrities and culinary savants from all corners of the globe.”

“For thirty four years, my passion has been bringing to life the unique tastes of the North West Frontier and the techniques of tandoor cuisine, inspired by the camaraderie of the campfire,” says Chef Manjit Gill. “This pop-up is an amazing opportunity to transport the tastes of BUKHARA from New Delhi to London, taking a new generation of diners on an epicurean adventure that we hope will inspire guests to visit or re-visit India soon.”

When walking in, the scene is set from the very start – from the huge Indian elephant at the entrance (a lifesize model!) to the superbly dressed staff.

Bukhara London Interior

You start with water, served in copper tumblers. It’s believed (and proven to a degree) that water in copper tumblers, after time, is cleaner than water in other types of container. I’m not sure what they’re trying to say about London water, but I kinda liked the attention to detail!

Bukhara London Water Cups

Bukhara Cocktail

I don’t have many photos of the food – in fact this is pretty much the only one. The menu consisted of chicken, prawn and lamb. The best thing – it’s all eaten with your hands. Not a single knife or fork in sight. I’ve seen some describe this as gimmeky for London, but for me it just added authenticity, and that’s exactly what I want from this kind of restaurant. I don’t want anything to be dumbed down, I want it exactly as it is in India.

Saying that, I’m quite sure that the dishes were less spicy than in India. I  would describe all the food as mild – some more spice would have been great. That’s not to say the food was bland – FAR from it – layers of flavour are distinct between the meats, and easily the best prawns I’ve ever eaten, cooked to perfection.

Bukhara London

The Daal is one of the signature dished for Bukhara. Cooked for nearly 20 hours this is a dish that is absolutely bursting with flavour and smoothness topped with melted Ghee – heavenly. It was so apparent how much I liked it, that they offered me a second serving – there was no way I could turn that down.

Bukhara London Daal

Naan

The desert was my least favourite dish, but I’m generally not a fan of them. Given the choice, its starter & main for me! Also, byt this point I was completely stuffed – but I took one for the team, and ate the lot…

The dish on the left was hot, and the one on right cold. The waitress gave us plenty of information about the dish, and explaining that it would probably be best to eat the hot one first!

Bukhara Dessert

If I was forced to have any criticism, it would be on the choice of wines – not only was it a very small selection, but they all about £30 each. I think a much wider variety would have enabled them to compliment the food better.

In summary, a totally fantastic experience that I’ll remember for a long time – something that all other Indian meals out will be judged against.

Jelly Good Food Rating: 10/10 & “Jelly Hall of Fame” 

Le Review

Dinner with friends during a weekend trip to Paris.

Walking through a discreet archway off rue des Gravillers, you are stepping inside a portal transporting you into a micro universe that is restaurant Derriere.  You will then find yourself in a convivial courtyard, cosy and relaxed, perfect for enjoying hot Paris whether (when you can get it) and just beyond, there is what looks like someone’s living-room – a ping pong table, shelves of books and records, kitsch art and knick-knacks.  The furniture is lovingly mismatched and it all feels a bit like Shoreditch hipsters had a interior-decorate-off with a retro aficionados.  While it is all of course, deliberately contrived to appeal to a trendy crowd by experienced restaurateur Mourad Mazouz of Momo and Sketch fame, I buy into it.

The food itself, scored rather less well than the Derriere’s  interior, in fact, in this writer’s opinion it was just “ok”.   Let’s start with the positives – many of the dishes on Derriere’s menu are innovative or at least interesting.  There are “black” carrots for example served with coriander  maple syrup and sesame oil and a starter of artichokes  - served cooked, halved, with a mustard dressing  - the former I have not seen before and the latter was  surprisingly simple yet delicious. The negatives were that our main courses (we mostly ordered fish) were presented somewhat carelessly and were all a quite oily.  The desserts were hit and miss –floating island was tasty but this orange/biscuit combination was unbalanced  and the giant macaroon was just dry.

In terms of service, expect surly, trendy, charming yet arrogant young men – they fit the mood here rather perfectly, so I’m not complaining.

Should you decide to visit Derriere, I insist that after dinner, you explore upstairs.  The ladies bathroom contains a huge bathtub  – I suggest you climb inside with your friends and take photos (as my friend M is demonstrating above).  Next, there is a closet at the end of the corridor: open it and you have found an entry to a secret lounge room, complete with a foosball table, antlers and a  curious bric-a-brac items.

Jelly Good Food bottom line:

Despite its misérable Zagat rating, and only “ok” food (though still interesting options), I still recommend a trip to Derriere if you are on mission to have a good time.  Its just designed for fun.

Le Review:

Fast food week!  9pm Friday night we made it to Bubbledogs, their third night after opening, together with a large group of friends (they only take bookings if you are 6 or more, and we didn’t fancy queuing). The concept is simply gourmet hot dogs + champagne.  The chef in charge here  is James Knappett, formerly head chef of  Berkley who has also worked at Per Se and Noma.  Michelin stars and hotdogs - oh how to contain our curiosity?  There is also a chef’s table here called the “Kitchen Table” which serves up a different menu apparently, featuring non-hotdoggy dishes, but we didn’t have a chance to investigate that on this occasion and in any case we came here for dogs and we were going to get just that.

The menu at Bubbledogs is fairly extensive  and starts with NAKED DOG - just the dog in between the buns for your pleasure.  The cheapest hotdog is just £6 and they come in pork and beef varieties.   Sides consist of sweet potato chips, potato ”Tots” + dipping cheese and Coleslaw.  There are some excellently priced champagne options too.

Jelly shared the following dogs:

SLOPPY JOE - bubbledogs chilli, onions, and cheese

TRISHNA DOG  - with mint, mango chutney, and coriander

BLT - bacon wrapped with caramelized lettuce and truffle mayo

We also had a friend take a photo of his BUFFALO DOG - deep fried hot dog with spicy buffalo sauce, blue cheese, pickled celery and celery seeds

The best one by miles was surprisingly the Trishna hotdog.  A lot of flavour and freshness of coriander and mint breakign throuh the saltiness of sausage meat – yum.  The bun was  of course brioche.

In Jelly’s humble opinion the hotdogs were all enjoyable and the creative dressings/condiments made them a fun and different meal.  However, at the end of the day, they were just hotdogs.  There is only so much you can do with a hotdog.  There is only  so much a chef can do when he is charging between £6 and £9 for a dish.  Jelly suggests that you should not  expect a re-invention of the humble hotdog here but instead embrace the simplicity of it and drink lots of champagne while revelling in how this unexpected combination tastes delicious together.

JellyGoodFood Bottom line

Highly recommended for a quirky meal at any time.  Its a fun and different concept that works  but don’t expect “gourmet-gourmet” you are still just getting a hotdog.