CAU - Carne Unica Argentina (An Argentinian Steakhouse)

Name: Cau (Carne Argentina Unica)

Where: St Katharine's Dock, 1 Commodity Quay, London, E1W 1AZ, www.caurestaurants.com

Cost: Small eats are priced from £3.75 to £7.95, burgers from £10.95 to £11.95. Steaks range from £14.50 for a 220g cut of rump, to £38.50 for a 600g cut of top rump, while the Cau feasting plate, with 1.2kg of meat for sharing between two, weighs in at £84.95. Aside from steaks, there are fish, pork and vegetarian mains ranging from £9.95 to £15.25. Sides are £2.95 to £3.95. 

Cocktails are all priced at a reasonable £6.25, and the wine list is mostly Argentinian, but with entry level options including a Yecla Macabeo white and a Finca Valero Carinena red, both from Spain, and priced at £17.50 each.    

About: The sister restaurant to the Gaucho group, this chain of restaurants is a less ostentatious version (no calf skins on the walls or chairs here), but serving a similar quality of Argentinian beef. It has branches across the UK.

The restaurant overlooks the lovely St Katherine’s Dock by the Tower of London, making for a beautiful setting. Inside, the decor is simple, with charcoal grey floor tiles, white chairs and black wooden tables, and walls clad in corrugated sheets of shiny white plastic.

On the evening we were there, the restaurant was busy with a mixed clientele ranging from City types to 20-something diners.

What We Ate: From the small plates menu, we started with the salt and pepper squid (£5.95), served with chilli and spring onion, and chipotle mayo. This was very good, crispy but with deliciously tender squid.

Also good was the belly of pork tempura (£7.95) -  meltingly tender pork belly in a thin crispy batter. Delicious as it was, it had little resemblance to tempura, being made with a standard fish-and-chip style batter rather than a superfine crispy tempura batter. It was served with 'CAUchup' - a spiced tomato ketchup with a dominant, perhaps excessive, flavour of cloves.

Moving onto mains, tempting though the other options were, we plumped for the 1.2 kilo Cau feasting plate (£84.95), and what a feast it was! With 400g each of lomito, asado de chorizo and tira de ancho cuts, it was easily enough for 3 or even 4 people. The lomito is a fillet of rump, said to combine the flavour of the rump and tenderness of the fillet, and was served at Cau with a delicious blue cheese sauce. The asado de chorizo was a sirloin steak in a churrasco marinade of smoked paprika, aji molido (crushed chillies), garlic and parsley. This was a good cut of beef, although I thought it was a little overpowered by paprika. The tira de ancho was a spiral cut of rib-eye, marinated in chimichurri and grilled slowly. Perfectly cooked, medium rare, this was excellent, and my favourite of the three.

To accompany, we had some very good, triple-cooked thick cut chips. The truffle mac'n'cheese had a delicious truffle aroma, but the macaroni was sadly lacking in both cheese and salt. For dessert, we had the churros (£4.95) - Argentinian-style doughnuts, dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with dulce de leche.

Dr G opted for the alfajores ice cream sandwich (£5.95). This was a dulce de leche ice cream sandwich made with Argentinian cookies and desiccated coconut. The dessert was intensely sweet but authentically Argentinian, and reminded me of desserts I had a few years ago in Buenos Aires.

What We Drank: We shared a bottle of Andeluna 1300 Malbec 2014, Mendoza, Argentina. £29.50. This was a full-flavoured, straightforward wine with plenty of blackberry fruit, soft tannins and an easy-drinking finish.

With dessert, we had a glass of Susana Balbo late harvest Torrontes 2010 from Argentina (£5.50 for 50ml). With honey and jasmine on the nose, this sweet white wine had luscious sweet fruit but I thought it lacked balancing acidity. The Zuccardi Malamado Port-style Malbec from Argentina (£4.50 for 50ml), had a lovely weight of intense, sweet blackberry fruit. 

Likes: The quality of the beef served at Cau is very good, the pork belly tempura and salt and pepper squid too. Service was friendly, well- informed and entertaining. There is a lovely view over St Katherine's dock. 

Dislikes: The only snag we had during this meal was the mac’n’cheese.  I love this dish when it is well made, but Cau’s lacked flavour and needs looking at I think. 

Verdict: Cau is a casual restaurant serving good quality, well-cooked beef at reasonable prices.  Cocktails are also commendably affordable. Great service and location. Recommended. 

Cocktails and Empanadas at Moo Grill

Words and Photography by Simeen Kadi

Moo Grill first became popular a few years ago as the best place in London for a lomito; big, delicious Argentinian sandwiches usually stuffed with meat and cheese (see earlier review here). A few years on and it is still in the lomito lead. But while the original Moo Grill continues to satisfy the lunchtime cravings of legions of City workers, the owners have recently opened a larger, more stylish restaurant just around the corner for more after work drinking and dining, Argentine-style.



Now there are quite a few Argentinian grill restaurants in town. Some sadly, like A la Cruz, have been charred to extinction while others, like Gaucho, have become a black and white spotted rash across the posher postcodes of the city. The Argentinian beef is the main attraction, offered in a variety of cuts and cooked on the parilla while accompaniments such as chimichurri (a sublime sauce of peppers, garlic, parsley and chilli) and humitas (sweetcorn steamed in its husk) give an exotic twist.

And Moo Grill does all the above commendably, sourcing its grass fed beef from Argentina and neighbouring Uruguay. However, it was their cocktails and bar food that we were here to try. With more space in the new restaurant and a well-stocked bar, Moo Grill is as good an option for after work drinks as a meat feast. Cata, the cocktail maestro has created a cocktail list that celebrates the flavours and drinking culture of Argentina as well as giving the classic British G&T an Argie makeover, with variations involving rosemary, ginger and even grapes, all to good effect.

To give us a taste of cocktail hour in the hottest bars of Buenos Aires, despite the claggy London drizzle outside, Cata’s list draws on national staples such as Yerba maté and dulce de leche. Maté is a social tradition in Argentina with a ceremony not unlike tea ceremonies of the East; the leaves of this bitter herb are dried and crushed before being infused, sometimes with the addition of honey or sugar. Moo Maté was a long and refreshing cocktail, blending cognac with orange juice and fresh mint leaves to balance out the bitter, herby flavour of the maté infusion. Another Argentine obsession, dulce de leche is a thick, milk toffee with a name that sounds so much better than boiled condensed milk. At Moo Grill it was married with vanilla vodka and rum with a crumble of ground coffee on the top to add depth. Skip dessert and go for one of these instead.

One of the highlights of the evening was the Bloody Moo, an Argie riff on the brunch sharpener featuring what is possibly the country’s greatest culinary triumph, chimichurri sauce. This is one of those combinations which just makes so much sense you wonder how you will ever make do with boring old Worcestershire sauce and celery salt again.

To accompany the cocktail tasting session we were served some of the best empanadas I have ever eaten (I am no empanada aficionado but I have had a few in my time). Crunchy, crusty pockets with deeply satisfying, meaty, cheesy fillings, enlivened with some zippy chimichurri. They are the perfect accompaniment to a stylish cocktail evening and, if things get a little out of hand, you’ll be glad you had the good sense to line your stomach with this scrumptious alcohol soaker.




Other notable cocktails we tried included the Argentinian hipster’s drink of choice, Fernet Branca and Coke. Fernet is a European import, and its bitter, herby flavour gave a grown-up edge to the Coke. Cata also mixes a well-balanced rose martini, named Sandro after the country’s most famous ‘60’s popstar. Rose tinted and delicately flavoured, the rose works well to bring out the flavours of some very fine gin.

Try at home - here’s a recipe for Chimichurri sauce to go with meat, grilled vegetables, even a toasted cheese sandwich:

4 tablespoons lemon juice
60ml red wine vinegar
60ml red wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
50g chopped fresh oregano (or dried will do)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, wine, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes in a bowl, stirring until ingredients have combined.  Mix well as you drizzle in the oil.

Likes: an unpretentious bar and restaurant run by genuinely nice people who create a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Go for cocktails and moreish empanadas, a glass of some excellent Argentinian wine, a hunk of grilled cow or even a lunchtime lomito – it is open from 11am during the week.

Dislikes: The beef may be out of this world but it has travelled extensively around it to get to our plates. Another example of the constant tension we face of loving the multi-cultured culinary scene of London but hating the environmental impact.

Info: Moo Grill 40-42 Middlesex Street, E1 7EX 
Tel.: 020 7650 7948 
http://www.moogrill.co.uk

Where to Eat Latin American Food in London - My Top Recommendations

Earlier in the year, I was asked to recommend my top South American restaurants in London for Vamos Guide, an offshoot of the Brazilian website Jungle Drums for which I occasionally write for.

While Latin America is celebrated for its hedonistic music & dance scenes, more recently its cuisines have been in the spotlight on the London restaurant scene. Over the 20 years I have lived in the capital, as The London Foodie, I have witnessed the emergence of a number of excellent Latin American eateries, some of which I share with you here. Londoners have acquired a seemingly insatiable appetite for Angentinian steak houses, Mexican burritos & Brazilian rodízios, & with the imminent launch of the much anticipated Ceviche, the future looks bright for Latin American gastronomy in the capital.

Sabor

Favourite, stylish restaurant dishing up Latin American cuisine in Islington. Classic dishes with a modern take include deliciously authentic Peruvian Ceviche, Moqueca de Peixe (Brazilian fish stew) & Conejo en Salsa de Chocolate (Slow Cooked Rabbit in Chocolate Sauce). Very reasonably priced cocktail and wine lists, and great service.

Buen Ayre

Authentic & very popular Argentinian restaurant on Broadway Market serving the best Parrillada in town - choose from four different selections of meats, provolone cheese and mushroom served at your table on a smoldering hot grill. Great Papas Fritas (chips), and respectable Argentinian wine list at wallet-friendly prices.

El Rincon Latino

Spanish-Colombian Tapas in Clapham, tiny space but big on service! Good range of Spanish dishes with some unusual Colombian choices like fried cassava served with Ají (chillies) and guacamole, and veal Empanadas (patties). Spanish brunch also served at weekends. Buzzing atmosphere attracting a vibrant local crowd.

Empório São Paulo

Upmarket Brazilian Empório (delicatessen) & café in Parsons Green with an impressive range of top quality produce from Brazil & other countries - Brazilian Guaraná, Pão de Queijo (small, light cheese breads served hot from the oven), artisan Cachaças, & Feijoada, all served with a warm smile by owner Carminha.

Wahaca

Mexican restaurant chain started by Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers. Colourful, casually fashionable décor. Pork Pibil tacos (slow cooked pork in special Yucatecan marinade) followed by Churros y Chococate were sensational on my last visit and warrant a return visit. Good selection of Mexican beers and tequilas.

Moo Grill

The home of the Lomito, Moo Grill is one of the City's most coveted lunch spots. The signature dish (Lomito) is their delicious Argentinian sandwich of beef, chicken or aubergine served with ham and cheese, salad and fried egg. The best beef Empanadas I have ever tried were cooked by Adri, the owner's mum.

Gaucho

Top notch beef from rib-eye to fillet or sirloin and now picanha are cooked to perfection at this upmarket Argentinian steak house. The Morcilla (Argentinian black pudding) is excellent too as is the Dulce de Leche cheesecake. Great cheese platters well matched with a chilled glass of Torrontes licoroso (sweet).

London Restaurant Reviews – A La Cruz (Argentinian Asador in Farringdon)

**THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED DOWN**

Opened in 2009, A La Cruz is John Rattagan's latest venture, a more upmarket version of its sister restaurant Buen Ayre, one of my top meat havens in London (reviewed here). Only recently I had the chance to visit and experience A La Cruz's asador grill, reputedly the first in the UK – an Argentine barbecue for slow roasting whole lambs and sides of beef supported on metal crosses “a la cruz”.

Image Courtesy of Paul Winch-Furness

Tucked away behind Exmouth Market, A La Cruz is set on a quiet residential street in Farringdon at the premises of a former Victorian pub.  Beautifully restored by John and his business partner Marcelo Porcu, a former City financier, A La Cruz is an elegant and spacious restaurant with plenty of dark wooden panelling and original Victorian features, but the centrepiece is its glass-encased asador. Sitting in the main room next to the kitchen, it makes for some dramatic entertainment as the chefs spit roast entire lambs and other meats in full view.

Image Courtesy of Paul Winch-Furness

The menu reads well and is surprisingly affordable – starters are priced around £6 while the mains (primarily meats with the token haloumi wrap as the vegetarian option) vary from £16 for a 250g rib-eye steak to £25.50 for a 300g of Argentinian fillet. As in Buen Ayre, Parrilladas (Tradicional, Cambalache and A La Cruz) are also available and cost between £21 and £28 per person. In my opinion, Parrilladas offer the best value and also the option of trying different cuts of meat all at once.

On my visit, I was invited with a group of other food writers, to sample some of A La Cruz’s offerings. I met John Rattagan for the first time and was impressed by his South American warmth and hospitality. Before immigrating to the UK in 1990, John lived in Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese with a Bahian accent!

We kicked off with a Plato Degustación @ £6 – a traditional tasting platter containing a small empanada (Argentinian beef pasty), provoleta (grilled, melting provolone cheese) and mojellas (beef sweetbreads). I enjoyed the empanada and provoleta (two of my favourite Argentine foods) but the mojellas were the real show stopper.

Sweetbread is the culinary name for the thymus (throat, gullet or neck sweetbread) or the pancreas (heart, stomach or belly sweetbread) glands of the calf and lamb. Mojellas are the thymus glands; they are at their largest in neonatal calves, atrophying as the animals reach maturity. Unsurprisingly, it is an expensive meat and a delicacy in Argentina where it is found only in some of the best restaurants.  In terms of deliciousness, I would say they taste as good as well-marbled wagyu beef or foie gras. I loved my introduction to Mojellas, and look forward to returning to A La Cruz for another helping. Mojellas are available as a starter @ £6.50 or as a main @ £19.

Next, we had a selection of different cuts "parrillada style" including a large piece of Vacío @ £17, this was a tender piece of boneless beef flank, one of the most characteristic Argentine barbecue meats, it was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious served with A La Cruz’s own Chimichurri sauce.

The pièce de resistance was however the Cordero Entero that came next – a whole lamb barbecued on the asador, that looked and tasted magnificent. An impressive course for any celebratory dinner, it can be ordered for groups of 8 to 15 diners on request.

The Argentinian wine list was impressive and the wines that we tried, particularly selected by John to match the dishes we had, were spot on.

I was impressed by the quality of the meat, and the elegant but lively atmosphere that Marcelo and John have created at A la Cruz, and will definitely return for more mojellas and to try their parrilladas. Judging by my evening there, these will be as good as the ones I had at Buen Ayre.

Cost: The London Foodie was a guest of A la Cruz. I estimate that a 3-course dinner will cost around £40 per person (excl. drinks) which in my opinion is good value for money.

Likes: mojellas (sweetbreads) were sensational, as were all the meats I had that evening. Beautifully decorated restaurant. Well priced menu.

Dislikes: None.

Verdict: If you are a meat lover, A la Cruz is as good as it gets. Great quality meats and value, elegant decor in the heart of Farringdon. Highly recommended.

London Restaurant Reviews – Moo Grill

Those who like me have worked in the City for a few years know how exciting it is to find a decent lunch spot, especially where every other food shop seems to be part of a sandwich or pizza restaurant chain. I am lucky to work close to some great independent places like the Vietnamese City Càphê (my number 1 favourite) or Bar Battu, but just around the corner I have now found another gem – Moo Grill.

I first came across Moo Grill via my friend Rachel McCormack of Catalan Cooking. More recently, having been asked to write my top 7 South American restaurant recommendations for the Vamos Guide (JungleDrumsOnline), I decided to pay Moo Grill another well deserved visit.

Moo Grill specialises in Lomitos – the king of steak sandwiches in its native Argentina, - is certainly not intended for the faint-hearted. Even the basic ones will have a slab of lomo steak, tomato, lettuce, onion, chimichurri sauce, mayonnaise and a fried egg (!). Oh, and some ham too, and melted cheese, loads of melted cheese.

The main challenge of eating a lomito is to hold all these delicious ingredients together between two pieces of bread without having them drip down your elbow within 30 seconds

At Moo Grill, in addition to beef, lomitos also come with chicken, chorizo or aubergine.  They are served “simple” (with tomato and lettuce around £5), “completo” (plus ham, cheese and egg at about £6.50) and “al plato” (all of these ingredients served breadless on a plate with chips for about £6).

On my visit I tried the “Milanesa Completo”, a deliciously tender piece of steak, breadcrumbed and fried, served with ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, egg and chimichurri sauce @ £6.60. As if that wasn’t enough, I also had some chips on the side. Truth be told, I did not manage to finish it!

I also got to try what I can only describe as one of the best beef empanadas I have ever had – now that is a big statement to make but it is no exaggeration – it was totally scrumptious. The owner’s mum, the lucky Jose Luiz de Alzaa, makes them from a well guarded family recipe. Empanadas are also filled with humita (creamy sweetcorn) or ham and cheese and are all priced at £1.80.

There are other items on the short food menu including Prime Argentine Ribeye steak with chips and egg for £14.50, and omelettes (plain, ham & cheese or mushroom & tomatoes) at £3.

The wine list is predominantly Argentinian with a few Spanish, Chilean and Australian options. It is not an extensive menu, and there are only one or two options below £20. The two times I visited, I had the Argentinian Torrontes by Tapiz, priced at £19.70 per bottle. Commendably, all wines are served by the glass, and small or large glasses can be ordered.

Cost: Lomito Completo £6.60, Chips £1.50, Beef Empanada £1.80, Glass of Torrontes £3.60 = total £13.50. Excellent VFM.

Likes: Lomito and beef empanada are a must on any visit. Small, intimate restaurant with friendly service. City location.

Dislikes: the paucity of affordable wine choices.

Verdict: one of the most interesting lunch spots in the City, Moo Grill serves excellent Argentinian Lomito and empanadas at reasonable prices. Friendly service. Highly recommended.