by Cedric | Apr 25, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
After a peculiar Mass, I went out for lunch with my dear friend Emily. She chose the locale this time. I’ll admit a deep skepticism of opinions which are not mine. However, Kitchen at 149 was a delightful and impactful lunch. Not least for the high quality of the food to be had there.
In front of Emily’s terrific jumper are pictured two excellent mugs of coffee. This isn’t particularly pertinent to the review, I just wanted to write that first sentence and pay homage to a fine vestment.
This was an excellent burger. The patty was not a uniform shape which tells me it was fresh. This may seem trivial but it is very important. The sauce was delightful and the vegetables fresh. Of course it goes without saying that the brioche bun was masterfully made. I’ve never managed to achieve such depth of colour in my buns. For me the fries were a particular highlight. Beautifully crisp and flavoursome, perfectly salted, mushy in the middle and plentiful. Take notes.
Emily’s omelette was fine and deceptively light. I like omelettes where the structure is thin, so as to be filling but not make you feel overburdened. Though it is tempting to put oneself in a food coma on Sunday afternoons, this is to be avoided. The mushrooms inside were particularly well done. And the cream was not too disturbing. Overall two winning dishes.
If you’re in Finsbury Park, do saunter over to Kitchen at 149, they provide an affordable meal, great prices and lovely locale.
by Cedric | Apr 22, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
Our final stop of the day had to be the legendary Art Kavana. This house of cake is renown throughout Croatia as one of the best places to eat cake in the whole country.
We each had one slice, the first one was mine. It is pictured below. The beautiful raspberry cheesecake. I cannot form full sentences worthy of the softness of the mascarpone. The delight of the raspberry coulis, the light biscuit base. All together astonishing.
St Nick, in his in(de)finite wisdom, decided to opt for the most chocolaty of all chocolate cakes. The pistachio cake is well known in Art Kavana. So well known in fact that it was recommended to me by two different waitresses. The chocolate was dark and deeply affecting. It married perfectly with the pistachio. I wish I’d have chosen it.
Finally, Louise opted for the pear cake. Louise tells me that it was sweet and tasty. I shall go one further and say that I was impressed by the crumbly biscuit base and the chunks of pear in the filling. The pine nuts worked beautifully with the fruity filling to create an amalgam of flavour which almost saw me fall off of my chair.
On top of all of this, the coffee was beautiful. Honestly I cannot fault this exquisite cake shop. Please go there if ever you are in Zadar.
by Cedric | Apr 19, 2019 | General
Were you aware that I’m in Croatia? Well it came as a surprise to me too. A tip to travellers, if you book a car rental, make sure you have a credit card. My lowly debit card was not enough to save us from a minor setback and a major headache.
Now, onto Proto. The restaurant I picked was closed inexplicably, but this more than made up for it. The first good sign came when I saw one of the waiters carving from a leg of prosciutto in the middle of the foyer and cover it again before scuttling off. With fevered anticipation, I whispered of what I had witnessed to Louise and Nick. Now the air bristled with a palpable excitement. This was fully merited, for the cheese and ham board we ordered completely blew us out of the water. 
Particular highlights were the smoked pancetta and stuffed peppers. Though every single item was astonishing. We ordered the stuffed peppers again mid chomp, conclude from that what you will. Combining the Dalmatian cheeses and the Karst plate was the best idea we had.
Above is pictured Louise’s dish, Plujukanci pasta with prawns and truffles, was magnificent. I had only a little taste, but when the great lady whispers ‘it’s beautiful’ for seven or more minutes, you know you’re onto a winner. I went for the same type of pasta but with chicken, mushroom and truffles. The portion was enormous and absolutely the height of great flavour. I was shaking too much to take a good photograph. My deepest and least profound apologies.
Nick went for the traditional black ink risotto. By his wide black smile, I could tell he had a great dish. For fear of petrifying the man in the mirror, I did not try this blackening tooth dish. However, Nick tells me it is highly delicious.
Overall, Proto was an astonishing experience. From the level of service to the quality of the food, all of which is homemade, it is understandable why they are called ‘…And more’. There is so much more than a restaurant here. It would be a criminal waste not to dine there when in Zadar.
by Cedric | Apr 16, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
After a phenomenal meal at Jen’s, what more could one want than a delightful dessert. So ample and varied was the potential fare at the Chinatown Bakery that one is almost at a loss for what to order. Personally, the standout choice for me was the coconut pandan, which is pictured below. The dough was soft and easy to tear apart. While the pandan was green, it did not leave me feeling unwell. I was only ill when I thought about the 23 years I had to wait to sample it.
I gave my dear old friend Emily free choice on whichever delicacy she wanted. Being a woman of impeccable taste, both in friends and pastries, she went for the Deli Taiyaki with Nutella. I had a little bite of this delicious sweet fish and must saw I was deeply impressed. The texture was almost like that of a crispy pancake. Nutella is Nutella, of course, can cannot be more, but it worked well here.
Below is pictured more options one might elect for in this wonderful bakery. The one in the bottom right is the sausage bun. I can assure you, it is everything you hope it will be. Try it if you dare, utter delights ensue.
The last two things I opted for were the peanut mochi and the custard bun, both of which were oozing with flavour. I would say the mochi just tipped it for me. They are both pictured below. The peanut butter in the middle of the mochi was a little dry for my taste, but overall proved a superb treat.
The above picture is merely there to illustrate the level of artistry contained in this delightful bakery. I am so happy to be able to recommend it to you.
by Cedric | Apr 13, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
Hellfire what a glorious find. Ms Charlotte, a dear old friend of mine from Warwick suggested Jen’s to me. I was due in London for a Todd Rundgren concert (which was excellent, thanks for asking). My friends and I met outside Leicester Square tube station and walked the short 300ft to Jen’s. The first thing which astonished me was that we could see one of the chefs making dumplings in the window. She had her own table for all to admire her dumpling making skills. I was very impressed by this.
We had to wait a little while to get a table but once we did, it was worth the wait. The wooden seats (not the stools) were quite low and one is tempted to bear down on them at full speed. I advise you not to do so, as they are rather very hard.
Half of us ordered the roast duck. It is pictured below. Beautifully cooked and arrived with alarming speed. the flavours are difficult to describe. Suffice to say this was a jaw dropping dish. It is ever so rare to find duck well done. Tesco’s hoisin duck sandwich will never be the same.
The other half opted for the BBQ pork with rice. I had this myself and must say it was the better of the two dishes, though I am biased. Stunning dish all round. Very much recommend.
But but but, what really stole the show were the array of aforementioned dumplings, half of which were fried. The other half were good, but nothing compared or ever shall compare to the fried dumplings. These were an exercise in pure joy. Though I would advise you to wait some minutes after they arrive to avoid burning yourself.
And of course… the fried dumplings!
St Nick would you to be informed that at Jens, one is served Chinese tea in mugs with handles. This is a particular affront to his dainty and antiquated ways, with which I have no issue. Nonetheless he is taller than me and capable of inflicting grievous bodily harm so it’s best not to cross him. Otherwise, top marks for Jen’s!
by Cedric | Apr 10, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
It is about time I wrote about this place. When I lived in Newcastle briefly, I would spend at least three nights a week at Colonel Porter’s Emporium. The location is fabulous, their array of gins puts Wetherspoons to shame and the decor is quite unique.
First World War England doesn’t provide for the most politically correct decorating style. However, if one can overlook the disturbing implication of Empire celebration, this is a really sterling pub. One of my favourite ciders in England, Orchard Thieves, is served here. While I take strong objection to paying £4 for a pint of any description, I submitted myself to this astonishing charge for the quality of the cider.
Colonel Porters is most well known for their selection of gins. My personal favourite is the saffron gin, which I first tried in Blue Lips Bar in Naples, which I also suggest. My sister often opts for the Edinburgh gin, but my all time favourite is Lymington gin. I’m unsure whether they have the latter in stock.
Back in the day, Master Brewer Colonel porter teamed up with Chief Chemist Archie Jones to create Newcastle Brown Ale (ala Dog, Journey into Space, Lunatic’s Broth). In this Emporium we celebrate this fine feat. Colonel Porter’s
I haven’t ever sampled the food here, aside from the array of popcorn – which is grand. So it would be remiss of me to give you any kind of advice. However, I can tell you this is a warm pub where you shall feel welcome and drink in comfort. The location is superbly central and the staff are deeply knowledgeable. I highly recommend Colonel Porter’s.
