RECIPE # 7: Sweet Potato, Chilli and Feta Muffins

A few years ago I lost quite a lot of weight with a well known slimming club. I bought almost all of their recipe books at the time and subscribed to the magazine and it really inspired me to get creative in the kitchen. I realised that you don’t need a ton of butter or cream to make food taste good!  These muffins are a great little snack and you could really play around with different flavour combinations.

Makes 12 muffins
 

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 175g sweet potato, grated
• 2 finely chopped spring onions
• 1 finely chopped red chilli
• 50g feta cheese
• 1 medium egg
• 50g melted butter
• 125ml milk
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the grated sweet potato, spring onions, chilli and feta cheese
3. Add the milk, egg and melted butter
4. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Spoon into muffin cases and bake on 200 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes.
7. Stick a toothpick through the middle of the muffin, if it comes out clean, then it’s cooked!  

RECIPE #6: Chocolate Mousse

As a young child I remember being just tall enough to peer over the kitchen counter; and when making this dessert, my mom would hand me pieces of very bitter dark chocolate to eat. I loved it and that must be where my love of dark chocolate came from.

I'm not a massive dessert fan, but this is one of my favourites. It is rich and decadent, but most importantly not too sickly sweet AND it is really easy to make!

 

Serves 6 - 8
 

 

Ingredients

• 200g x 70% or more dark chocolate
• 6 x medium eggs
• 100g x unsalted butter
• 6 x level tablespoons icing sugar

Method

1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
2. Over a Bain-Marie (water bath), melt the chocolate and butter.
3. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites, adding 1 tablespoon of icing sugar at a time until the egg whites are stiff.
4. Take the melted chocolate and butter off the heat and add the egg yolks. Stir well. This will thicken the chocolate mixture, so don't panic!
5. Slowly add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture, stirring in a figure of 8 until the egg whites and chocolate are combined. Be careful not to overwork. You want the mousse to be light and full of air bubbles.
6. Pour the mixture into glasses and leave in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. 

This is nice served with some fresh strawberries

 

 

The Delaunay

The Delaunay is a restaurant from Corbin and King, the brains behind The Wolseley and the newer Brasserie Zedel and Colbert. None of which I have had the pleasure to go to....yet. It styles itself on a Central European grand café and the moment you walk through the door you feel like you could be walking through a Victorian train station. Time seems to have stood still. There is a smart doorman, large antique mirrors lining the walls, dark wood everywhere, white table linen and silver tableware. It certainly looks grand.   

 

As well as a fantastic looking breakfast menu, the all day dining menu (last orders at midnight!) features a lot of Austrian and German favourites and those are the dishes I went for. Although there were several other dishes that caught my eye. 

 

To start I chose the white asparagus  'Rhein-Pfalz' (£10.50). I didn't have a clue what 'Rhein-Pfalz' was, but according to the online dictionary, it is a region in the former West Germany. White asparagus always reminds me of this appetiser my mom used to make, using tinned white asparagus, mayonnaise and baguettes! As awful as it sounds and probably one of only a few recipes I truly disliked of hers. With such poor memories, I have no idea why I chose this starter but in actual fact it was right up my street. 'Rhein-Pfalz' is a tart caper, lemon and breadcrumb sauce packed with fresh parsley and lots of good olive oil drizzled over the top. The asparagus had been blanched just so and they retained their crunch. It was a very refreshing and light dish.

 

 

TBH chose Pea and mint soup (£6.75). Appearances wise, although vibrant in colour, it looked kinda boring and could have been presented better. However it tasted really nice and the smell of mint wafted over to my side of the table when he blew on it to cool it down. 

 

 

There are three different schnitzels on the menu and again I had to google the one I went for. Holstein Schnitzel (£21.50) is a schnitzel topped with a fried egg, capers and anchovies. All things I really love, so that is why I ordered it. The size of the schnitzel when it arrived was absolutely mammoth! I wasn't sure I would be able to eat the whole lot (I did!) and the plate was very simply dressed with a lemon wrapped in muslin. The schnitzel was still moist and not oily at all. I can say with absolute conviction that I love schnitzel and I love fried eggs, but I do not like fried eggs on top of schnitzels! Texturally it just felt all wrong to me, so I ate them separately and enjoyed the dish much more once I'd done that. I ordered some tenderstem broccoli with paprika butter (£4.50) to go with my schnitzel. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. We also ordered some French fries (£4.25) to share and these were crunchy and well seasoned.

 

 

 

There are daily specials and the Saturday special is a Chicken Kiev (£18.75), which TBH ordered. The only experience he has had of a chicken Kiev is the one from a very well known supermarket chain that you just bang in the oven! Needless to say, The Delaunay version was light years ahead. It came served with a potato salad and a small side salad. The breast was packed full of garlic and parsley but the butter didn't ooze out as he had expected it to.  The potato salad was made using new potatoes,with lots of chives running through and the mayonnaise was light and creamy.  

 

 

 

There were some fantastic sounding desserts but in the end we decided to share the very retro Banana Split (£7.75) The banana had a wonderful crunch to the outside where it had been caramelised. Topped with whipped cream, toasted almonds a raspberry sauce and a hot chocolate sauce on the side.  It was a dish of much joy! 

 

 

 

Service was efficient and professional, but felt a little impersonal to me. There seems to be over 100 covers in the restaurant and it is busy, but I just didn't feel that I was able to engage with any of the waiting staff. I don't doubt that they would go to any length to make sure you've had an enjoyable time though.  

 

The total bill for two which included a glass of white wine, a carafe of red wine, a beer and service was a very reasonable £134.94. There was a £2.00 cover charge per person, which I think is a little cheeky but I suppose they have to cover the cost of the delicious bread!

 

All in all it was a very enjoyable lunch and a restaurant I will definitely return to. The menu is unfussy with lots of familiar classics and I liked that there was a huge selection of wine available by the glass and carafe. Its the kind of place that you would take your parents to and know that they would be impressed and that the food would be good. The portion sizes are absolutely ginormous though, so make sure you go hungry!  

 

Next up I'll be going to Ceviche with one of my besties, a Peruvian restaurant that took the London restaurant scene by storm last year. I'm looking forward to my first proper tasting of ceviche!

 

 

Until we eat again!

 

 

The Delaunay

http://www.thedelaunay.com/

55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB 

 

The Social Eating House

 

It would seem that Jason Atherton is taking over the restaurant world! This week saw him open his third restaurant, Social Eating House, headed up by his long term partner, Paul Hood. 

The restaurant is located in the heart of Soho over three storeys. There is a 15 seater chef’s table in the basement, the restaurant on the ground floor and then a very funky bar, with its own entrance on Poland Street on the top floor. As with his other two restaurants, this one is a looker! Quirky portraits on the walls (I wonder who they are?), panelled ceiling and exposed brick work. It felt like a place I could easily get comfortable in. 

We had a Poland 58 cocktail to kick proceedings off. I am not sure exactly what was in it but it came in a neat little copper cup and the mixer was in a brown glass medicine bottle. I loved the presentation and I loved the drink. If that is the standard of cocktails being served in the upstairs bar, I may become a regular! 

 

 

While we decided what to have we looked over the “Jars to share” section all priced at £4.50. The waiter recommended that we have two, but I didn’t want to spoil my appetite, so we ordered Confit pork rillettes, grain mustard, cider vinegar. In hindsight, I wish we’d ordered more because it was delicious.  

To start, I had Duck smoked “Ham, egg and chips” (£10.50).  As you may know, I have a major thing for eggs with runny yolks and this one was divine. Bread crumbed and deep fried and tasting slightly of truffle, the chips serving as perfect little soldiers. The ham was beautifully rich and when, as recommended by our waiter, I let the yolk run all over the ham, it was pure heaven. 

 

TBH ordered the Ravioli of wild boar bolognaise, Berkwell, peppered hearts and kidneys. (£8.50). I liked the sound of the dish but was a little frightened by the offal. I’m only just getting to grips with chicken livers! TBH is a much braver soul than I am. He loved it. Like he has said before “Nothing is as it seems in these types of restaurants”. So even though you read offal on the menu, it isn’t a big chunk of it on the plate. Maybe I’ll try it next time.*Note to self* Must. Be. More. Adventurous! 

 

There are a lot of fish dishes in the mains section, much to my delight. I ordered South Coast turbot, brown shrimp, cucumber, charlotte potato and mousseline sauce (£16.50). I was blown away at the price of this dish, turbot is notoriously expensive pound for pound. The fish was buttery and cooked to perfection. I’d never had a mousseline sauce, but mixed in with the cucumber and charlotte potatoes it was light and creamy; a lovely accompaniment to my fish. The crispy potato skins added a nice bit of texture and really reminded me of my mom, it was something she would often do.

 

TBH had the special of Onglet steak served with duck fat fried chips, peppercorn sauce and a side salad. Some béarnaise sauce arrived with it and I was expecting not to like it as I usually don’t, but it had a nice citrus kick to it and wasn’t overpowered by tarragon. TBH enjoyed his meal and the tastes I had, were very good too. Only the side salad was a little over seasoned but that is easily fixed. 

 

 

For dessert I ordered Szechuan and sea salt baked pineapple, lime and coconut (£6.50). When this arrived, it looked as pretty as a picture. Not being a dessert lover, I was intrigued by the savoury notes in this dish. The pineapple was wafer thin and the Szechuan pepper and sea salt didn’t come through that much. However, the mousse (or at least I think it was a mousse) was a perfect balance between sharp lime, sweet pineapple and desiccated coconut. I really enjoyed it. 

 

For his dessert, TBH ordered Milk chocolate mousse, praline, chocolate éclair, salted caramel ice cream (£6.50). The presentation on this one we thought a little strange. Why would you put an éclair on a napkin? Never the less, the dessert was well executed and TBH was happy with his choice. 

 

 

Service at times was a little slow, but considering this is just the soft launch, that can be forgiven. The staff were all well informed and were able to make some excellent recommendations. Michael West, Jason’s business partner, was constantly walking around the restaurant to check that everything was in order and it seemed to be from our perspective. We even saw Jason himself chatting to staff and guests.  

I think it’s quite obvious that I really love anything Jason Atherton does. I think he’s gotten the balance just right between outstanding cooking and a relaxed atmosphere. I loved Pollen Street and Little Social, but I love Social Eating House even more and I am sure this visit won’t be my last. 

TBH and I have a lunch at The Delaunay coming soon, which I am really looking forward to.

 

Until we eat again!

 

The Social Eating House

www.socialeatinghouse.com

58 Poland Street, W1F 7NR

 

 

*Disclaimer* We were invited to dinner as guests of Social Eating House during the soft launch of the restaurant. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

Donostia

 

Donostia is the Basque word for San Sebastián. Anyone who is passionate about food will know that San Sebastián in the Basque region of Spain has the most Michelin starred restaurants per capita. Donostia is also a tapas restaurant situated just behind Marble Arch. I love sharing food because that way I can get a taste of lots of different things. I'm also greedy and often have plate envy, so tapas is a win/win situation for me.  

Donostia has been on my radar for a while and I was even more excited to be eating there when I saw the pictures that Nigel Slater posted on Twitter earlier this week of the food he was eating there. I was looking forward to great food and a fantastic catch up with one of my besties.  

Bestie left me in charge of ordering and since she's not mad keen on meat, I ordered a lot of fish dishes. The fish part of the menu read beautifully though, so I probably would've ordered a lot of fish anyway! So here we go... 

'Crispy creamy croquettas with jamon' (3.50) from the Pintxo section - this was my favourite dish of all. As the name suggests, the croquettas were indeed crispy and oh so creamy with chunks of jamon running through.

From the cold plates section I ordered 'Olagarroa: octopus with Basque marinade' (£8.20). This was one of the pics that Nigel Slater had posted and it looked beautiful, so I had to order it. The octopus was tender and the olive oil drizzled over the top was delicious, really good quality clearly. But the dish was overpowered by too much smoked paprika.

 

I ordered 'Tortilla Bacalhao: Classic egg tortilla with cod and spinach' (£6.50) from the Tapas section. As tortillas go, this had to be one of the best ones I've had. I've never had one that was still soft in the middle, but it was delicious. Really well seasoned, lovely texture from the cod and the spinach adding colour and a lovely iron richness to the dish.

 

'Txipirones: Crisp fried baby squid with lemon' (£6.90) I love squid/calamari/octopus. Especially when it's battered and deep fried. These little bad boys were delicious and the lemon added a nice zing, but just not enough zing. We also thought that an aioli would've been really nice with it.

 

From the meat section I ordered 'Arkumea: Lamb steak with caramelised baby onion and a red wine sauce' (£7.80). I really liked this dish. The sauce was really rich and the meat was tender. I loved the sweetness that the baby onions brought to the dish. If I'd had more bread, I would've mopped up the sauce and squashed the onions onto it. Mmmmm.

 

'Pluma: succulent pork shoulder with romesco sauce' (£12.50) There was no denying the quality of the Iberico pork used in this dish. It was absolutely beautiful. Cooked crispy on the outside but still very pink in the middle. The meat really was delicious. The romesco sauce on the other hand let this dish down in a big way. The best way to describe it is bland. No single flavour stood out, I couldn't really taste any red pepper or almonds or garlic. It had the look of a really good romesco, but just didn't taste like one.

 

Lastly, I ordered 'Patatas bravas' (£3.50) or chips and dip! The bravas sauce was very good, punchy with just the right amount of heat. But it was served on the side of a pile of chips. Kinda disappointing.

 

For dessert we shared a cheese board with 12 month aged Manchego, Idiazabal, Picos, Epoisses and smoked chilli jam (£8.50) which were all very nice, although we did have to ask for more bread. A slice each was never going to be enough.

Service was attentive and it was great to watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen. I liked that the chefs came out and presented some of the dishes. Overall though, I thought the food a bit hit and miss. Some fabulous dishes, but it just didn't blow me away. I've had better tapas elsewhere.

The bill for two including service a bottle of wine, 2 more glasses of wine, a bottle of water and 2 glasses of sherry came to £131.71.

This week I will be going to the soft opening of the new Jason Atherton restaurant 'Social Eating House'. I have loved both his other restaurants, so I am looking forward to another great meal!

 

Until we eat again!

 

Donostia

http://www.donostia.co.uk/

10 Seymour Place, London W1H 7ND

 

Patty & Bun

 

We've just returned from a 3 week holiday where we ate out two or three times every  day. Instead of coming back to London and getting straight back on with the health kick, we decided to tick another restaurant off my bucket list. After a long flight and many boozy nights in South Africa, only a burger would suffice. 

Patty& Bun is nestled on a side street just behind Selfridges, in a neighbourhood that is bursting at the seems with 'Dirty Burger' joints. Competition is tough, but arriving 10 minutes after opening and with a queue already out the door, this had to be good. And it was.  The restaurant is cramped, seating only 30 covers, but quirky. I liked the artwork drawn on cardboard boxes, the school desk type tables and the dance hall soundtrack.

The menu is succinct, with only 6 different burger options and 4 different side dishes. But what more do you need?  I'd heard great things about the 'Ari Gold' cheeseburger (£7.50) so that is what I chose. TBH went for the 'Smokey Robinson' (£8.50) which had added smoked bacon, we also ordered a side of rosemary salt chips (£2.50) and the 'Winger Winger chicken dinner' (£5.00) Great names, aren't they? The food all arrived pretty quickly and we got stuck into the BBQ smoked chicken wings first. The meat was so soft that you could just pull the bone straight out. Slow cooked to perfection. But I have decided that BBQ wings are just not for me. They're too sweet for my palate and I much prefer the buffalo style wing. My cheeseburger was cooked medium rare - take that, Westminster Council! The meat was well seasoned, but the brioche bun became a little soggy and didn't hold together very well. Putting the burger down would've been a fatal and very messy mistake, so I scoffed! Or maybe it was just that good? I had a little taste of the bacon in TBH's burger and thought it was delicious. I don't usually like adding bacon to a burger because I feel that it messes with the flavour, but tasting that had me contemplating ordering the Smokey Robinson next time. The chips were delicious, I much prefer them to fries and was happy to see thicker cut chips. Crunchy and well-seasoned with salt and rosemary. I could've eaten another portion. 

 

The Ari Gold Burger

 

The Ari Gold cooked medium rare

 

Winger Winger Chicken Dinner

 

Rosemary Salted Chips

 

The staff managed our expectations well while queuing and once inside were smiley and really accommodating. I couldn't help overhear my neighbour's many demands for a skinny burger and a gluten free salad dressing and this and that and yadda yadda (I told you it was cramped!) I was impressed when her burger came out wrapped in lettuce leaves and when the salad dressing wasn't right, the chef brought out a different dressing. Who goes to a burger bar and expects a healthy meal? Surely that defeats the object. Anyway, the staff handled her extremely well and all the while still smiling!  

Our meal came to £35 including service for 2 burgers, chicken wings, a beer and 2 soft drinks. All in all great value for a really good burger, but be prepared to queue. 

 

 

Over the coming weeks I have some fabulous meals planned. The next one is a post-holiday catch up with a dear friend at Donostia. Keep a look out for the review...

 

Until we eat again!

 

 

Patty & Bun

www.pattyandbun.co.uk

54 James Street, London W1U 1EU

  

 

The Test Kitchen by Luke Dale Roberts - #STFFonTour in South Africa

 

 

We're in Cape Town for a week, a holiday within our 3 week holiday. When I left South Africa 13 years ago it was very much a 'chain restaurants' sort of place - great steak and great seafood but not very much that was unique. Or maybe it was just that I wasn't into food as much as I am now and so I never sought out what was different?

A couple of very good friends of ours live in Cape Town and fortunately for me they are also mad about all things food and wine. So when we planned our trip I was very grateful for their expert guidance on some of the fabulous places to try. That coupled with a bit of research and some help from my Twitter friends, I compiled quite a nice list!

Right at the very top of my list was The Test Kitchen by Luke Dale Roberts. Voted South Africa's number 1 restaurant in 2012. Luke Dale Roberts has quite an impressive pedigree having trained at the  famed Bauer Au Lac Hotel in Zurich and having cooked with the Roux brothers protégé Kevin Hopgood.

Located in the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock Cape Town, the area is quite rough around the edges, but the industrial decor fits in perfectly with the surroundings. (On a side note, Dale Roberts has recently opened another tapas restaurant in the same complex called The Pot Luck Club). Initially The Test Kitchen was only a 30 covers restaurant, but became so popular that El Bulli style waiting lists were becoming common place according to our waiter. When the unit next door became available, Dale Roberts snapped it up, but it is still pretty difficult to get a reservation such is the quality of this restaurant!

At lunch time there is an a la carte menu and a 5 course tasting menu. There is also a 10 course menu gourmand in the evenings. As we'd travelled all this way, it would've been rude not to try the 5 course lunch menu with wine pairing! As I don't know too much about wine, other than what I do and what I don't like, I am not going to make too much of a mention of it.

For the first course we had home dried tomato, black sesame and aubergine puree, burnt aubergine jelly, smoked goats cheese and aged balsamic paired with a Sequillo White 2011. Every single flavour on this plate was intense and the home dried tomato just exploded in your mouth, it was so full of flavour. One in our group doesn't like aubergine, but it had a gorgeous smokiness to it that he mopped up every last remaining morsel with the bread that was on our table. The restaurant has a wood burning oven outside and I was told that the aubergines are roasted for 8 hours to get the intense smoky taste to them.
 

Our next course was a seared gamefish, in this case yellowfin tuna, red cabbage three ways, apple dressing with horseradish emulsion served with Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2012. In one word - sublime! For all of us, this was the best course!

Next was lightly smoked beef fillet, gorgonzola catalan, fresh pear, candied pecan nut, grated nutmeg. The wine choice was Bosman Family Vineyards Dolce Primitivo 2010, a really interesting choice as it was a fortified wine that was almost Port like in nature. Very enjoyable and a great choice as the sweetness cut through the creamy Gorgonzola and smoky flavour of the beef.

For our mains there were 3 choices and I chose the pan fried line fish, which was Kingclip, calamari, marjoram and cherry tomato ragout, polenta gnocchi with light saffron cream. Paired with Constantia Uitsig Unwooded Chardonnay 2012. The fish was cooked perfectly and the calamari beautifully tender. This wine was probably my least favourite, but I am not a great fan of Chardonnay, so it's more personal preference than anything else.

We had another choice of 3 desserts and I chose Luke’s Caprese: Baby roma tomatoes and gooseberries in basil & black pepper syrup, strachiatella, yoghurt snowballs, olive tuiles, basil granite. This sounded really interesting. Tomatoes in a dessert? I had to try it! I am so glad I did. It was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness to end off a fantastic meal. My dessert was paired with Thelema Rhine Riesling Late Harvest 2009, another great choice.

The waiting staff were all super and really passionate about their product. Our waiter, Basil, had interesting stories about all the wine we had and knew exactly why they were chosen with each dish. The sommelier, Wave (yes, that's her name!) was extremely knowledgable yet didn't make you feel inferior as some sommeliers can do. The restaurant is very laid back - there were people there in shorts - which you would not find in a restaurant of that calibre in London.  But maybe thats just Cape Town? The open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant adding to the buzz and it was amazing to see how many people it took to run an operation like that. I was truly, truly impressed!

The total bill for four came to R3300 (Approx. GBP235) including service for a 5 course tasting menu with wine pairing and 4 glasses of champagne and 4 licquors.

It is easy to see why this restaurant was voted number 1 in South Africa last year. Cape Town is very lucky indeed to have such a gem!

We will be leaving the homeland in a week. I've eaten at some fantastic restaurants while here, but I have a bucket list to be ticking off and next on that list is a meal at The Delaunay.


Until we eat again!


The Test Kitchen
www.thetestkitchen.co.za
 Shop 104 A, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town

Little Social

I've been a big fan of chef Jason Atherton since his days at Maze and particularly liked his first solo venture Pollen Street Social (which I wrote about here). So when I was asked along to the preview of his new restaurant Little Social, I didn't hesitate.

 

Situated directly opposite Pollen Street Social, you could easily be mistaken for thinking that you were stepping into a little bistro in France and not into a restaurant in the heart of London. The feel has been captured beautifully with deep red banquettes, dark wood tables, heavy silverware and vintage French artwork on the walls. The a la carte menu is also classic French, printed on pieces of paper to encapsulate the theme even further. There is also a daily changing prix fixe menu. Choosing what to have was tough.

 

To start I had the slow cooked egg with parmesan, squash soup, sourdough croutons and mushrooms. I ordered this because I remember having major plate envy when TBH ordered a similar dish at Pollen Street Social. I have a thing for eggs, especially ones with runny yolks and this one was very good indeed.  The squash soup was deliciously sweet, but I wish there was a little more of it. The croutons added texture and the mushrooms added a really nice woody flavour.

 

 

TBH ordered the terrine of pigs head and foie gras with a date purée. It sounds challenging, but when you look past the name on the menu, its just a terrine. A very good terrine. The meat was slow cooked and perfectly tender and the foie gras smooth. The date purée adding a gorgeous sweetness to the very rich dish. I would've gone for this if it wasn't for the egg dish!

 

 

For mains I ordered the ox cheek with bone marrow, mash potato and carrot. The ox cheek  had clearly been braised for a long time because I didn't even need a knife to cut it up. A little silver spoon was brought to scoop out the fatty bone marrow that just added more flavour to the plate. The mash was smooth and buttery, but I could've done with more. The carrot was sweet, but still retained a bit of bite. This was a perfect dish for such a dreary day. Comfort food at its best.

 

 

 

For his main dish TBH ordered a burger with bacon and cheese. With the London food scene currently inundated with burger joints, this would really have to be a good burger to compete with some of the great ones we've had recently. It was cooked medium as per his request and was juicy without becoming sloppy. It was served with a garlic mayo and some really good chips.

 

 

I couldn't really decide what to have for dessert and because I'm indifferent to sweet things, I ordered a cheese plate which came with a blue cheese, a hard cheese and the best brie I think I've ever had! They were all French and I didn't get the names, but it was seriously good. I was also given the choice of bread or biscuits with my cheese, which I thought was a really nice touch.  The saffron infused chutney was also really enjoyable and different to anything I've had before.

 

TBH ordered an apple and blueberry crumble with almond ice cream, which he wolfed down in seconds. So I'm guessing it was good!

 

 

The waitress, sensing my indecision over dessert and having asked whether I like sweets or not, brought out a pannecotta with candied pistachio and pineapple for us to share. The portion was huge and maybe after their test days they will reduce the size. For someone who doesn't like desserts that much, this was absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, the pineapple adding a sharpness and the candied pistachios adding crunch. There was also a lovely lime oil drizzled over the top.

 

 

From the moment we walked in to the time we walked out, service was friendly and relaxed. All the staff were engaging and it was nice to talk to the general manager for the group, Michael West, about their plans. Even better was meeting the man himself, Jason Atherton. He was relaxed and happy with the way the preview days had gone. I would be happy too based on the experience we had!

 

 

We were fortunate enough to have been invited to Little Social as guests and did not pay for our meal, but the menu is very reasonably priced with dishes peaking at around £30.00.  Thank you Little Social for your hospitality, we had a wonderful meal and look forward to going back soon.

 

I'm in South Africa for the next 3 weeks and have some very exciting meals planned. Don't forget to follow #STFFonTour on Twitter and SamTheFoodFan on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date.

 

 

Until we eat again!

 

 

Little Social

5 Pollen Street, London, W1S 1NE