London Restaurant Reviews - Public House

Public House

Just off the popular Upper Street on quieter Islington Park Road, Public House is one of those places that could easily be walked past unnoticed. This is a pity because unlike many of the boozers in this busy neighbourhood, Public House is distinctly idiosyncratic.

Despite the unassuming entrance, the décor is rather stylish in a shabby chic sort of way - I loved the mismatched furniture and the soft lighting, the large and comfy sofas and the relaxing atmosphere that these create.

Aimed at a more sophisticated, 30-something crowd, the furnishing, food and drinks menus (and prices) reflect this. The name is also a misnomer – Public House is not a pub, but a stylish bar and restaurant.

Accompanying me for the evening was one of my dearest friends, Gary, owner of Start Space, a delightful gallery on 150 Columbia Road, where they sell one of the best cups of coffee in London (as well as some amazing contemporary art).

We were welcomed by the friendly owner Simon Sheena who mixed us a stunning semi-frozen gin-based cocktail with much care and skill. In my opinion, this was a perfect cocktail – extra dry, with no mixers and hence strong and with a real kick.

As we made our choices, we were served an amuse-bouche of mini blinis topped with fish roe, sea salt and chives. I am a real fan of any type of caviar and I enjoyed these despite the blinis being a tad dry.

For starters, we ordered “Scallops with haggis and champagne rhubarb” @ £8.50 and “Duck terrine with roast beetroot and beetroot leaf pesto” @ £7.50. I thought the combination of seafood, lamb and rhubarb an intriguing one and so I just had to try it. The scallops were perfectly cooked and had their coral still on which I thoroughly approved of. Despite the odd combination of flavours, I felt the dish was well executed and beautifully presented and that the rhubarb added a welcome acidity to the rich meats.

The duck however was not nearly as successful. The terrine was under-seasoned, with an even blander beetroot leaf pesto.

For the main course, and keeping up with the “odd food combinations” theme of the evening, I ordered the “Halibut with venison stew and wild mushrooms” @ £17.95. My heart sank as I cut through the halibut, one of my favourite fish, to find it overcooked and sitting on a bed of dry and tough venison chunks. As regards taste, I struggle to find any redeeming features about this dish – it was dry, under-seasoned and the textures did not combine well. What transpired was an ambitious concept marred by a worrying lack of cooking skills.

In contrast, the “Braised lamb shoulder with turnip gratin” @ £14.50 was a rather generous and well cooked piece of meat served with a deliciously concentrated and flavoursome jus. I felt the presentation was uncomplicated and pleasing.

To accompany our main dishes, we ordered “Colcannon” @ £3. This was a tasteless combination of potato and cabbage, lacking both seasoning and flavour.

For dessert, we had “Chocolate mousse with coffee sponge fingers” @ £5 and “Prune and frangipane tart with calvados cream” @ £5.

Both were sadly disappointing, tasting uninspired, and sub-Tesco Finest in flavour and execution.

Cost: this was a complimentary meal but I have quoted prices of all the dishes I tried. I estimate that a three-course meal would cost in the region of £30 excluding drinks. Public House is also on the TasteLondon scheme which entitles members to 50% off the food bill.

Likes: stylish decor, and great cocktails in a relaxing atmosphere.

Dislikes: the food and an expensive wine list with only two bottles under £20.

Verdict: when I am invited to review restaurants, I hope in return to find good things to say about the food and overall experience. On this occasion however, despite the ambitious menu, I felt the food was mostly ill-conceived, and a real let-down, and sadly I cannot recommend it. I loved the decor, the excellent service and the wonderful cocktails, and as a venue for a sophisticated drink, I think that Public House is a real find.

London Restaurant Reviews - Pho Café

London Restaurant Reviews – Pho Café

After my recent visit to Vietnam, where I consumed copious amounts of Pho and other delicious local dishes, I was thrilled to be invited by the gorgeous Rachelle of Qype to visit Pho Café in London’s Great Titchfield Street.

I was also intrigued by this invitation as, in London, I admit never venturing outside Kingsland Road for my regular fix of Vietnam’s national dish.

Pho Café is one of those restaurants I was ready to dislike. Owned by an English couple and with three branches in London (Clerkenwell, Oxford Circus and Westfield), the cafes have a trendy decor and cater for a mostly Western clientele – I feared it would lack authenticity.

Having dreamt about opening my own restaurant for the last 20 years, I feel inspired whenever I meet people like Stephen and Juliette Wall. They were clearly passionate about Vietnamese cooking and the quality of the food served at their restaurants. They gave a touching account of their trials and tribulations starting Pho 5 years ago (and getting married in the process).

We were then shown how to prepare “goi cuon tom” (fresh rice paper rolls filled with vermicelli noodles, prawns, salad and herbs) by one of their chefs (all their kitchen staff are Vietnamese).

These were fresh and delicious and similar to the ones I’d just eaten in Vietnam. At £3.75, I felt that they were also well priced.

This was followed by two other delicious starters/sides – “Cha Gio” – fried pork spring rolls @ £3.95 and “Nem nuong” – grilled pork and lemongrass meatballs @ £4.50.

These are the simplest of starters, but good quality versions are very hard to find, hence I never order them in Vietnamese restaurants in London. Pho’s versions were delicious, fresh and obviously made on the premises.

We were also served “Goi du du” – a salad of shredded green papaya with prawns and herbs topped with peanuts @ £5.95. Again the most popular of Vietnamese salads, this was a perfect example of Goi Du Du - very aromatic and ultra fresh.

The “Goi ga” – chicken salad with peppers, mixed herbs with chilli and ginger dressing @ £5.45 was also excellent. I loved the combination of shredded chicken, peppers and finely sliced shallots, with the chilli and ginger dressing giving it a zingy lift.

Juliette took us to visit the kitchen where we saw their large vat of pho stock simmering away. It looked fantastic, and the kitchen was filled with the most delicious aromas of beef, star anise, cinnamon and other spices.

I had a lot of trouble deciding which of their 11 different types of Pho I would have, but opted for “Pho bo dac biet” – rice noodle soup with steak, brisket and meatballs served with fresh herbs @ £7.95. This was much anticipated, and I have to admit it was extremely good. The stock was concentrated but still with a sophisticated flavour – the meats were also delicious, as were the noodles which had been cooked perfectly.

For dessert, I had a “Chuoi Chien” – banana fritters with honey and ginger ice cream @ £4. I loved the flavours of this dessert – the deep fried bananas were covered with a deliciously crispy batter and went very well with the honey and ginger ice cream.

In Vietnam, beer is traditionally drunk with food at restaurants and on special occasions. Pho serves all major Vietnamese beers like Halida, Hue and Saigon for £3.25 as well as Beer Laos at £3.45.

I was also impressed by how well priced their wine list is. Bottles start at £13.95 for a delicious French Viognier (which I tasted) and go up to £16.25 for an Australian Riesling or £17.95 for a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc. I find that for Oriental food in general, Gewürztraminer, Viognier and Riesling are nearly always the best matches.

Stephen and Juliette have made Vietnamese food accessible to Londoners – there are no plastic lobsters hanging on the walls, the menus are well explained, and the serving staff are friendly and articulate. In May, they will be opening a branch in Brighton, and another in Soho is also scheduled to open later in 2010.

Cost: this was a complementary meal, but I have quoted the prices of all the dishes I tried. I estimate that a meal for one would cost in the region of £15 including a starter, pho and dessert but excluding drinks.

Likes: probably the most delicious bowl of pho outside the ‘pho mile’ (Kingsland Road or thereabouts), excellent value for money and fantastic banana fritter with honey and ginger ice cream. The wine list is also well priced and includes some attractive choices.

Dislikes: despite the simple but well thought out menu (40 items only), I missed some old favourites like “chargrilled beef and lemongrass wrapped in betel leaves” and “fried soft shell crab”.

Verdict: Simple but well executed menu just off Oxford Street at very affordable prices. An excellent choice for Vietnamese food outside Kingsland Road. Recommended.

London Restaurant Reviews - Bob Bob Ricard

Bob Bob Ricard (Updated on 14th March 2011)

If like me you are a lover of small eats like cicchetti, meze, dim sum or tapas, the idea of Russian “Zakuski” will interest you, and there is no better place to have these intriguing dishes in London than Bob Bob Ricard (BBR).

The menu at BBR is eclectic, listing some British classics like Cornish crab cakes, Beef Wellington and Afternoon Tea alongside cheeseburgers, macaroni cheese and Grilled lobster and chips. I was pleased however to have found “Zakuski” in the same menu - the Russian version of small eats traditionally taken with Russian vodka.

Designed by architect David Collins, who also designed The Wolseley, the restaurant is simply resplendent. No one can be indifferent to Bob Bob Ricard’s decor - some might find it slightly over the top, but I loved its lavish, quirky and nostalgic feel.

I was lucky to be invited by Kavey alongside Rejina, Rachel, Mimi and Neil to a Sunday Roast and Vintage Vodka Tasting. It was hosted by the owner Leonid, who showed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the vodkas and accompanying dishes we were to try.

We started proceedings with “Kauffman Special Selected Vintage 2006” vodka (£7.50 for 25ml) served with “Jellied ox tongue with creamed horseradish” @ £7.50. The vodka was light and smooth, and went down well with the aspic and ox tongue. This was a beautifully presented dish, packed with interesting flavours, and the first time I ever got to try ox tongue!

The second vodka we tried was “Stolichanaya Elit” (£4.75 for 25ml) served with “Russian salt-cured Herring, raw onion rings and new potatoes” @ £3.50. Interesting to note was the unusual combination of flavours, and how the salt-cured herring tasted rather sweet after the Stoli.

Our next vodka “Imperia by Russian Standard” (£4.75 for 25ml) was served with “Salmon roe on hard-boiled quail eggs” @ £4.50. Decreed by Czar Alexander III in 1894 as “The Standard of Vodka” for the royal court of Russia, “Imperia by Russian Standard” also got my seal of approval (!) and was the perfect accompaniment to the “egg on egg” canapé it was served with.

Some of the other “Zakuski” dishes that we tried included:

“Chicory, pear and cured ham salad, with olive oil jelly cubes, almonds and olive oil dressing” (a weekly special, price not listed in menu) – beautifully presented, I loved the idea of olive oil jelly cubes.

“Wafer-thin cured Orkney beef with a crunchy celeriac salad, fresh blueberries and roasted hazelnuts” @ £10.50 – similar to the Italian “Bresaola”, this dish had some lovely flavours and textures, and looked great too.

“Wafer thin pickled beetroot and goat’s cheese salad with fresh mint” @ £7.25 – in my opinion this was the most beautifully presented dish, the pickled wafer thin beets tasted fresh and zesty and was counter-balanced by the saltiness/creaminess of the cheese.

“Potted shrimp” @ £8.50 – I am a real fan of potted shrimp, and make it at home sometimes. It can be made a day in advance, and in my experience everyone loves this quintessentially British dish. Again I loved the presentation, and the delicious hints of cayenne pepper and nutmeg.

The next vodka was the “Beluga Noble Vodka” served with “Quail eggs mayonnaise with anchovies” (not listed in the menu). I loved the pairing of this vodka with the anchovies, as with the salt-cured herring and Stoli, the combination of flavours was superb, leaving a deliciously sweet flavour in the mouth.

“Meat Pelmeni” @ £12.50 was served with “Beluga Gold Line Vodka” – I enjoyed these meat dumplings, traditionally served with white vinegar and sour cream, and felt they went well with the chosen vodka.

The “Stolichnaya Gold Vodka” was served next with “Salo on Rye bread” @ £3.50 – I had tried cured-fat before as the Italian version named “lardo”. I love eating these ultra-thin slivers of cured-fat on bread, never tiring of its unctuousness. It was however the first time I had eaten it with vodka, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well they went together.

The “Sipsmith Vodka”, the last we tasted, was in my opinion the most interesting of them all. Copper-distilled artisan barley vodka created in Hammersmith, it was incredibly smooth and with a light spiceness to the palate. To my surprise, it tasted of juniper, giving a strong resemblance to dry gin. It was served with “Malosol cucumbers” @ £2.50 which had been pickled for 24 hours on the premises. Another perfect combination.

Our tasting was followed by a sensational Sunday roast rib of 28-day aged Aberdeenshire Scotch beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, caramelised carrots and parsnips. The meat was, as expected, incredibly flavoursome and the accompaniments were cooked to perfection.

We ordered various desserts and shared these among us. All were excellent and included:

“Grand Marnier soufflé with chopped fresh orange in a Grand Marnier sauce” @ £9.50.

“Bramley and Cox apple jelly with cream, corrugated apple and shortbread” @ £6.50.

“Warm chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream” @ £7.50.

“Raspberry sherry trifle” @ £7.50.

“Plate of BBR cakes (Battenberg, Victoria Sandwich, Rum Baba, Cream Horn Chocolate Baleron, Raspberry and custard tart) @ £8.50.

BBR has a theatrical feel to it, which means an evening there is about much more than just the food. There is a sense of glamour, which makes it in my opinion a great venue for a special or romantic occasion, with a sense of “Brief Encounter” about it. If you happen to visit, I would strongly recommend their signature cocktail “Rhubarb Gin & Tonic” @ £7.50 as an aperitif.

Cost: this was a complementary tasting. However, I have quoted the prices of the dishes whenever they were available. For a tasting of 6 zakuski dishes with accompanying vodkas, I would estimate it to cost in the region of £50 per head including service.

Likes: delicious, sophisticated food (particularly the zakuski dishes), lavish but quirky decor, some stunning vodkas, Soho location.

Dislikes: Despite the excellent wine list, I could find only one option under £20.

Verdict: Excellent cooking at higher than average prices in one of the most beautiful restaurants in Central London. I would highly recommend a tasting of various zakuski dishes and accompanying vodka shots. An experience not to be missed.



...What Others Are Saying...

Katrina Coulson on 14th March 2011: Thank you! BBR were fantastic...the service and food was exceptional ...everybody who came along keeps raving about the place and have booked to go back. " We loved the experience", Thank you, Katrina.