London Supper Club Review - Parkholme Supper Club

The supper club that keeps on giving

Words and Photography by Simeen Kadi

Alicia Weston has been running her supper club for the last 2 years. In that time she has prepared and served feasts from Georgian cold platters to Syrian banquets at her lovely home in Hackney. Each time, fourteen guests sit around her dining table to enjoy a few hours of good company and great food while Alicia produces dish after dish from her kitchen, helped by up to three committed volunteers.



Anyone who has been to a few supper clubs will know that this fairly new and personal dining style is run by people who do it for their love of cooking and entertaining. Alicia has this is spades, but she goes one step further. Since she began her supper club, she has collected more than £25,000 for Medecins sans Frontiers, the Nobel Peace Prize winning charity which delivers humanitarian and medical aid around the world. Having pioneered the concept, the Parkholme Supper Club is still the only supper club in London (please shout if I have got this wrong) which is built around charity donation. Of the £40 the guests pay to attend one of Alicia's supper clubs, £35 goes directly to Medecins Sans Frontiers, meaning that Alicia makes the remaining £5 go a very long way.



Parkholme Supper Clubs are pretty lavish affairs with multiple courses and quality ingredients. Perhaps her background in finance has proved helpful in eking out the most from £5 per head. In any case, Alicia has served up some great food at her supper clubs and continues to surprise and delight with her wide culinary range and her commitment to testing every dish until she has really nailed it. Thus, I found myself eating an elaborate dish from the Imperial court of the Qing dynasty. Titled 'Ah, sweet as honey' it is an unctuous dish of meltingly soft lamb and thirteen (secret?) ingredients, all cooked twice and with two different sauces that come together when served to deliver tangy and honey-sweet flavours which are intense, rich and very moreish. Alicia acquired the recipe from one of Beijing's renowned chefs and then practised until she had perfected it.



Half Malay and half English, Alicia grew up as a true world-citizen, having lived in eight different countries as her parents' work took them from one international posting to the next. Her own career has also meant that she has been able to immerse herself in the culture and cuisine of diverse regions of the world from Korea to the Middle East. This is what makes the Parkholme Supper Clubs really interesting as they feature home-style food, cooked from scratch from a different part of the world each time. Every recipe will have been taught first hand or handed down to Alicia by a native cook and will have been faithfully recreated until it is just as it is meant to be. Alicia and her team of volunteers make everything fresh, from the soft, pliable dough for noodle dishes to the mayonnaise for sauces - while Alicia may be working to a tight budget she can draw on committed volunteers and a local market which provides most of her fresh ingredients.

Everything else she mostly drags back in her suitcase from trips to all corners of the world. Such as the Blue Rice for Nasi Ayam Kerabu which features rice dyed with the bright blue sweetpeas.

The plan is to raise £40,000 for Medecins Sans Frontiers, after which Alicia will zero the clock and start collecting for another deserving charity. The food at the Parkholme Supper Club does not need the helping hand of worthiness, it is well worth the £40 charge on its own. But, knowing that you are giving generously to charity while still enjoying exceptional food and great company does make your heart feel good.

http://www.parkholmesupperclub.co.uk

Supper clubs are held in Hackney every two weeks. To join the mailing list, email  info@parkholmesupperclub.co.uk 

Prices are £40 per head (of which £35 goes to MSF)

Medecins Sans Frontiers www.msf.org.uk

London Restaurant Reviews - The Square

Phillip Howard opened his restaurant The Square (just off Berkeley Square) 21 years ago. I can think of few restaurants that have traded for so long, particularly in such a volatile industry (and times), and can think of even fewer that have held 2 Michelin stars for 15 consecutive years. He is also the co-owner of the hugely popular Notting Hill restaurant The Ledbury, Kitchen W8 in Kensington, and Sonny's Kitchen in Barnes.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Phillip Howard concentrated his energies on retaining the quality standards in his restaurants rather than becoming a celebrity chef or serial book writer, which is very good news for us diners. His cooking style marries seasonal produce with modern French techniques to create his award winning cuisine.

He started his cooking career with the Roux family followed by some time with Marco Pierre White at Harvey's (now the site of Chez Bruce in Wandsworth, one of my favourite London restaurants) before opening The Square.

The year 2012 was a great one for Phillip Howard - not only did he publish his first book, The Square - The Cookbook, Volume One: Savoury, he was also named the Chef's Chef of Year at The National Restaurant Awards 2012.

His cookbook, published by Absolute Press, is a 528 page homage to his 21 years at The Square. As the name suggests, it concentrates on savoury dishes only (Volume Two: Sweet is due out in June 2013). This is a fine-dining cookbook which requires skill, attention to detail and careful planning before any of its recipes are attempted. Having spent a year at Le Cordon Bleu, I find his recipes call on all the skills I learnt during my course and a few more beyond. This is certainly not a cookbook to be dipped into mid-week when looking for inspiration for the left-overs in your fridge, but rather a book to inspire you to excel in the kitchen. This is a book for those who are interested in haute cuisine and are not put off by unusual ingredients like soya lecithin (foam stabilizer) or Sosa gelespessa (thickening agent). A supplier's list of these hard to track down ingredients is given on page 516.

Each recipe starts with a photograph of the completed dish and is spread over 3 pages broken down into sections headed "overview", "focus on", "key components", "timing", "ingredients" and "method". I am impressed by the level of detail in each recipe, enough for anyone to attempt them with a reasonable likelihood of success. The book is priced at £40 and is one of the most sophisticated cookbooks I have come across. Finally, a fine-dining cookbook whose recipes are genuinely achievable.

His recipe for "Roulade of Octopus with a Citrus Vinaigrette, Mussel and Salt Cod Beignets and Whitebait" on page 121 sounds absolutely fantastic and is the one I will be attempting. Phillip gives two different cooking methods for the octopus, one being sous-viding it at 82C for 10 hours, which I am keen to try since acquiring my Sous Vide Supreme (reviewed here). 

While I get my act together to attempt my first Phillip Howard recipe, I was lucky enough to visit his restaurant for a spot of lunch. Given The Square is a two-Michelin starred restaurant, the lunch menu is excellent value at £30 or £35 for two or three courses respectively. Commendably, the lunch menu read just as excitingly as the current a la carte or tasting options. I am often disappointed by restaurants which offer inferior options for their "good value" set lunch menus.

Dr G and I went for the 3 course option, and since there were 2 choices for each course, we ordered the entire menu:

Squid Ink Linguini with Langoustine Claws, Spring Onion, Lemon and Chilli

Veloute of Celeriac and Pear with a Game Terrine and Sherry

Fillet of Stone Bass with Pumpkin Gnocchi, Jerusalem Artichokes, Salsify, Cockles and Parmesan

Glazed Shin and Roast Rump of White Park Beef with Smoked Creamed Potato and Red Wine

Roasted Pear with Date Cake and Sherry and Raisin Ice Cream

Cardamom and Vanilla Yoghurt with Passion Fruit Jelly, Mango and Mint

There was also an option for an additional cheese course for £15 or £10 supplement as a dessert choice, but by that time, we were so full, we decided to skip cheese sadly. The a la carte menu is priced at £65 and £80 for two or three courses respectively and the 9-course tasting menu costs a reasonable £105 per person (or £175 including wine).

It is not often that I come out of a restaurant having enjoyed every single dish and wine matching, but The Square is definitely one of these rare finds - all the dishes were beautifully made and presented. Surprisingly, my favourite was the one I thought was the least appealing on the menu - the passion fruit jelly, mango and mint dessert - I loved the zingy and refreshing combination of flavours of this dessert and having now tried it, cannot wait to get hold of his second book "Sweet" to be published in June 2013.

The sommelier Mohammed was spot on with all his wine matching, below are some of the amazing wines that he served us through the meal, ending with a 12-year old Calvados to accompany the selection of petit-fours and coffee.

I had the opportunity to interview Phillip Howard but unfortunately due to my Cordon Bleu commitments at the time, I was unable to do so. Very kindly, he recorded the answers to the questions I submitted regarding filleting fish which you can see in the video here.

Or if you would like to learn how to make Phillip Howard's squid ink pasta dough (as in the starter we tried at The Square), you can watch the video below.



Cost: £35 for a 3-course lunch menu (excl. wines)

Likes: best lunch menu in London for both value and quality of food, the passion fruit jelly, mango and mint dessert was a winner, fantastic wine matching by sommelier Mohammed, friendly service 

Dislikes: none

Verdict: my new favourite set-lunch menu spot in London, at £35 for a 3-course lunch this is great value for the outstanding food on offer, an elegant restaurant with impeccable service in a very central London location. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

The London Foodie Goes to Malaysia - Cameron Highlands

The biggest and most famous of Malaysia's hill stations, Cameron Highlands is situated 200km north of KL, at 1500m above sea level on a high plateau, with a British-style climate.  First recorded by British surveyor William Cameron on a mapping expedition in 1885, in colonial times it was a welcome retreat for merchants and administrators from the sultry tropical heat.  They were followed by tea planters and vegetable farmers, and before long the forested hillsides were cleared to make way for tea bushes, vegetable crops, English-style cottages and a golf course.

Cameron Highlands' most famous visitor was the US-born Thai silk merchant, art collector and military secret agent Jim Thompson, who went for a walk in the jungle in 1967, and was never seen again.  His fate remains a mystery until today.   Happily this seems to have been a one-off event, and for today's visitor, there are a number of attractive forest walks in the area, and sturdy boots are an advantage.

Cameron Highlands represents a different aspect of Malaysia to the popular sea-side towns and islands, and is a great destination for the traveller looking to experience the variety that makes up today's Malaysia.  Cooler, it is a good place for walking, the remaining jungle is thick and lush, and it's an ideal spot to relax and take stock.

The villages are small, and visitors tend to do outdoor activities during the day, and relax in the spas, and eat in their hotels in the evening.

Where to Stay

Cameron Highlands Resort

The YTL Group's five-star Cameron Highlands Resort is one of the most elegant hotels in the region, and it was here that I spent a couple of nights.  A 56 room boutique hotel, it was rebuilt in 1976 in the style of an English colonial home, and recreates life when the empire was at the height of its pomp. Named among the "Five Best Tea Plantation Hotels in the World" by The Independent (UK) in 2007, it has dark wood panelling, plain white walls, green-coloured lighting, and impressive log fireplaces along with a games room, cocktail bar and afternoon tearooms. It is situated in front of a massive golf course which is open to residents, and has two restaurants and a spa village.

I enjoyed the restrained elegance and refinement of my room.  It was decorated in white, cream and dark brown tones, with a wood latticed ceiling, a rotating ceiling fan, and furnished with a king-size four poster bed. It was a tastefully simple evocation of a bygone age and place, and for me as interesting an experience as some of the most luxurious hotels I have visited.

The main foyer, where the tea room was also located, had a grand piano, oriental rugs on polished wood floors, rattan chairs, pot plants and antiques like a wind-up gramophone befitting the hotel's colonial style.

This is a fitting place to soak up the hotel's atmosphere, and for the afternoon tea we enjoyed after a long jungle walk, or the wagyu beef burger I had with chunky fries on my last day there (see where to eat below).

The library has free Wifi for guests, extensive dark wood panelling and crackling log fires as the evening chill sets in.

Breakfast is served in The Dining Room, the hotel's main restaurant, and was in my opinion one of the best meals we had at the resort. On our first day, I went for a large portion of fried noodles, while Dr G opted for the house waffles - filled with banana butterscotch, topped with strawberry compote and cream and a cinnamon battered, deep-fried mango, it was delicious.

It is hard to think of a more European setting in Malaysia than this, and judging by the number of Malaysian visitors, it is clear that it has become a favourite place for those seeking a refuge from the heat and humidity of the rest of the country.

Where to Eat

Since there is little else to do when the sun goes down in Cameron Highlands, eating is the order of the day and most restaurants come to life at night with visitors and locals. Most restaurants are located on Tanah Rata and Brinchang, there are however some good options on Tringkap and Kampung Raja where the locals usually dine.

There is no food which is unique to Cameron Highlands however steam boat seems to be what many restaurants offer, and  given the cool climate I can see why this is such a popular choice.

The Dining Room

The Cameron Highlands Resort's main restaurant, Jim Thompson's Tea Room, serves primarily French dishes with one or two Malaysian options. There is also a Japanese style and steamboat restaurant on the first floor - Gonbei.

Unsurprisingly in such a European corner of south east Asia, the French restaurant was by far the more popular option and this was where I had dinner as I arrived late in the evening at the hotel on my first night.

The décor of the restaurant followed the elegant style of the rest of the hotel, with waiters decked out in crisp white Nehru-style jackets, the tables with white linen, fine crockery and crystal glasses giving a real sense of occasion. 

I never thought I would be eating seafood pithivier in Malaysia, but was pleasantly surprised to tuck into a perfectly baked puff pastry pie filled with tiger prawns, scallops and sea bass in a fine crayfish butter bisque. The pastry was crisp, the fish well cooked, but in my opinion it was the intense seafood bisque which was the winning element of the dish (£10).

Our second starter, braised beef cheeks, was slow-cooked, soft and flavoursome, and served on risotto scented with truffles and a chanterelle mushroom ragout (£10).

Dr G was so taken by my beef cheek starter that he opted for the wagyu beef cheeks and lamb rump for his main course. It was served on braised Savoy cabbage, roasted red onions and a rich red wine sauce (£24). Although I enjoyed sampling this dish, I must admit I could not tell the difference between wagyu and any other good beef cheek.

Talking of repetition, it was now my turn to order the second pastry-encased dish of the meal, and I was glad I did. The lamb loin en croute was baked in a pastry crust with a mushroom stuffing rather like a beef Wellington, and served with braised lentils and a piquant mustard sauce. The meat was nicely medium rare, tender and well flavoured (£27).

We were rather full of pastry and beef cheek by this stage, and so opted to share a rice pudding brûlée for dessert. This was thankfully small, creamy and refreshing, and served with raspberries and vanilla cream (£7).

The wine list was limited and not very good value for money with basic supermarket level wines from £40 upwards - we had water. Despite having a good meal at the restaurant, I thought the prices were a tad steep even by London standards, and it would have been good to have more than one Malaysian option on the menu.

At Gonbei Restaurant, the hotel's more casual restaurant option, we tried the local steamboat - an impressive selection of different greens, vegetables and meats including fish and seafood, noodles and fish cakes were laid out for diners to take their pick. These were cooked at the table in a well flavoured chicken broth.

Jim Thompson Tea Room 

Another legacy of the British in Cameron Highlands is the tradition of afternoon tea. I can think of few more appropriate spots for this in Malaysia, given the enormous tea plantations in the area.

Following a visit to Boh's tea plantation (see 'What to Do' section below), we headed back to the resort for our 5pm afternoon tea, which included a selection of yummy finger sandwiches and delicate cakes, with local teas.

Having trekked high and low in the nearby forest, we were looking forward to lunch. Cameron Highlands Resorts' cocktail bar serves a selection of European bar snacks, including some British favourites like fish and chips, and club sandwiches.

Wagyu beef was too much of a temptation so I ordered a classic American burger with a 250g patty of wagyu beef in a double decker stack served with cheesy fries, homemade coleslaw, pineapple fritters and highland chutney (£12), which I enjoyed.

What to Do

Jungle trails

There are many jungle trails around Cameron Highlands. You can hire a guide, join a group tour or get a map from the tourist office or the hotel and do it yourself. We did the "Jim Thompson Mystery Trail" (organised by Cameron Highlands Resort and headed by Madi, the resident naturalist) which took about 2 hours, and was a fascinating hike through the forest seeing waterfalls, various exotic birds, and lush tropical vegetation.

Returning to the town, we could see that in some areas, deforestation has had an unfortunate effect on the visual appearance of the Highlands particularly where the forest has been cleared to make way for strawberry and rose plantations which require extensive plastic sheeting to protect them from the rain.

Visit the Boh Tea Plantation

Visiting the local tea plantations is one of the most interesting activities when in Cameron Highlands. In 1929, John A. Russell, the son of a British administrative officer, started the BOH Tea Plantation and it is still run by members of his family today. The estate is beautifully manicured and visitors are welcome to view the factory, learn about the production processes and enjoy some tea at the shop, part of a new visitors' centre which provides spectacular views of the plantation.

Cafe at Boh Tea Plantation

Tea-Pickers Village

Spa Village

The Cameron Highlands Resort's Spa Village offers a range of different treatments which make use of a variety of local products, primarily tea, but also including flowers and herbs. There are indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, tea bath rooms and a fully-equipped gymnasium.

Spa Village at Cameron Highlands Resort

I had the three hour Jungle Secrets experience, which started with a soak in a warm tea bath with lemon grass and lemon, followed by a relaxing Malay massage, and a tea-based exfoliating scrub. It was an utterly relaxing experience, and a great thing to do after a day of jungle trekking.

Night Market

'Pasar Malam' or the Night Market takes place in Brinchang and Tanah Rata every Friday and Saturday. Vendors gather at 4.00 p.m. to set up their stalls and sell a variety of souvenirs, vegetables and fruits, plants, cactus, indigenous people's handicrafts and weapons, food and bric-a-brac.

Play Golf

In front of Cameron Highlands Resort, there is an 18-hole golf course located between Tanah Rata and Brinchang. The course is opened to the general public, more details in Travel Essentials below.

Travel Essentials

Direct flights from London to Kuala Lumpur are available with British Airways and Malaysian Airlines.  Middle Eastern airlines provide indirect flights at lower cost, with a 60-120 minute stopover.  For example Etihad (changing at Abu Dhabi), or Qatar Airlines (changing at Doha).

Cameron Highlands can be reached from Kuala Lumpur by taking an express bus from KL's Puduraya Terminal (takes 5 hours). We came by bus from Penang, the journey took around 6 hours.

Cameron Highlands Resort
By the Golf Course Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang Darul Makmur , 39000
Reservations: +60 3 2783 1000
www.cameronhighlandsresort.com

Cameron Highland Resort's rates start from around £110 per night.

Sultan Ahmad Shah Golf Course (SAS)
Jalan Tanah Rata - Brinchang
39000 Tanah Rata,
Cameron Highlands

BOH Tea Garden
39200 Ringlet
Cameron Highlands
Tel: +605 493 1324
http://boh.com.my/