5 Things You Need to Eat in London This WeekBy Alicia Grimshaw
There’s so many foodie treats on offer this time of year in London; autumnal menus, new places to eat and special collaborations. Hungry? Here’s 5 things you must try in London this week. Let’s get stuck in:
1. For a New Collaboration: LEON x Gizzi Erksine
Photo Credit: Clerkenwell Boy EC1
What: LEON has just unveiled an exclusive new dish, made in collaboration with professional chef, food writer and TV presenter, Gizzi Erskine. Rooted in their shared passion for satisfying nutritious recipes, and keen to create a fun new menu item together, the LEON X Gizzi Chicken Satay Salad takes inspiration from Gizzi’s cookbook Gizzi’s Healthy Appetite and proves that it is possible for fast food to be good food.
Why: The dish features sweet potato, carrot and daikon spiralised salad, topped with LEON’s chargrilled chicken and finished with a punchy pot of satay sauce. A generous sprinkling of LEON’s toasted seeds is added last for extra crunch. In addition to the new salad, LEON has also created new vegan options including the coconut yoghurt bircher made with overnight-oats, and topped with apples, dates, pomegranates and pistachios. For lunch, try the black bean and avocado pot, or the sweet potato falafel salad served with a mixture of cos, cucumber, baby plum tomatoes and LEON’s own-made chilli sauce.
Where: Locations here
2. For a New Opening: Comptoir Libanais
What: Comptoir Libanais have brought their Lebanese canteen food to the streets of Soho. Open for early morning eats, to late night snacks – pop into Comptoir Libanais’ latest restaurant to explore wholesome and healthy Lebanese food in a souk-like setting.
Why: Start the day with some Middle Eastern sunshine, choosing from the variety of pastries, granola and yoghurt, hearty egg dishes like shakshuka with feta, or the signature Comptoir full breakfast with spicy Armenian lamb sausage, fool moudamas, zaatar roasted mushrooms, sumac fried egg, chargrilled tomato and Lebanese potatoes, served with flatbread. At lunchtime or after work dive into a beautiful kaleidoscope of sharing hot and cold mezze with traditional dips like hommus and baba ghanuj, pickles, falafel, grilled halloumi or lamb kibbeh; tender meats hot off the grill such as chicken kofta and the Comptoir lamb burger, or a selection of hearty tagines and chef’s specials. Drinks range from refreshing homemade lemonades served straight or frozen, blended with fresh mint, lemon, lime and orange blossom and freshly squeezed juices to a tempting selection of cocktails, Lebanese wines and beers.
Where: 52 Poland Street, Soho, London, W1F 7NQ
3. For a New Afternoon Tea: Dandelyan
What: Dandelyan, the swanky bar that bang out quirky cocktails at Mondrian London, is launching their own afternoon tea on Thursday (29th). This unique afternoon tea (the first at Mondrian London), will feature a 70s- inspired food menu served on Portmeirion china and paired with specially created botanical cocktails from Ryan ‘Mr. Lyan’ Chetiyawardana.
Why: The Wyld Tea will emulate the botanical influences, stylish design and experimental nature for which the bar is known. In a nod to the original Platner designed Sea Containers building, there will be retro inspired cakes and savouries enthused by the 70’s. Think lemon marshmallows with pistachio powder, and blackcurrant and verbena battenberg cake. Savoury bites consists of elderflower compressed cucumber and burnt herb cream sandwiches, and rocket, ham hock and piccalilli vegetable butter sandwiches. Dandelyan’s exclusive new cocktails will be served alongside hand blended, loose-leaf tea from Camelia’s Tea House and include: Fluff and Fold Royale – a medley of lime, fresh basil, cacao liqueur, orange bitters and Prosecco, and the Napoleon House Cup, a combination of Dandelyan Rosé Fruit Cup, muddled with Absinthe, apple and tea.
Where: Mondrian London at Sea Containers, 20 Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PD
Photo Credit: Steven Joyce
4. For a New Menu: Rivea London
What: Kicking off this Saturday (1st), Alain Ducasse’s Rivea London will once again celebrate the versatility of the unassuming chestnut – devoting its kitchen to the earthy ingredient’s autumnal flavours. A tribute to the Riviera’s annual ‘Fête de la Châtaigne’ (chestnut festivals), the special menu will also signal the start of the French, Italian and British chestnut season.
Why: Featuring innovative new dishes for 2016, the four-course menu – available for the second year running – will offer a delicate chestnut velouté with ricotta ravioli and a gravelax of Scottish salmon, tangy cream and chestnut blinis to start. The main course will feature a choice of roasted sea scallops with pumpkin, chestnut and watercress or slow-cooked boar shoulder with chestnut and seasonal vegetables, followed by a pear and chestnut vacherin for dessert. Paired with a glass of specially selected Chateau Unang Ventoux Blanc 2015 or bottle of Corsican chestnut beer Pietra, the menu will be available at Rivea London until the 13th of November.
Where: Rivea London, Bulgari Hotel, 171 Knightsbridge SW7 1DW
What: If you’re not familiar with Cookoo, here’s the lowdown: they’ve roped in a team of chefs that cook knock your socks off food everyday, and deliver to your office or house. It’s pretty simple, just pick your dish (the menu changes regularly), and your chosen delivery time and day. Job done.
Why: They’ve expanded their menu, with three new dishes now available. Stelios Vasilopoulos, Alex Yallouros and George Bouzakos make up Mama’s food, who rustle up a poached salmon with caper, olive and potato salad. These guys are big fans of home-made Mediterranean recipes, influenced by the simplicity and healthy character of the Greek cuisine and way of cooking. Like Asian Flavours? Order Hilly’s spicy miso aubergine with spring onion noodles, flavoured with ginger oil. Lastly, there’s Carla’s gado-gado salad – an Indonesian vegetable salad with a mildly spicy peanut sauce.
Where: Order here