5 Things You Need to Eat in London This WeekBy Alicia Grimshaw
You know the drill, here are five things you should be tucking into this week. Go forth and always order dessert. Happy eating, London:
1. For a New Residency: Made of Dough
What: 2015 London Pizza Festival Champions, Made of Dough have taken their award-winning Neapolitan pizza to Market Yard Kitchen for a 6-week residency, which opened last week. The brand new menu is a preview of what fans can expect at their permanent South London site coming this summer, full details of which are soon to be announced – stay tuned for all the pizza plans.
Why: Making their debut will be pizzas, desserts, sides and cocktails – all reflecting the team’s Italian/ Southern Spanish roots. As well as the favourites they’ll be introducing the indulgent new dessert pizza: Conchiglia a Nutella – warm folded dough filled with oozing Nutella and hazelnuts. A new selection of homemade dips and sides will also be on offer. And to wash it all down there’s a choice of 3 refreshing summer cocktails: Amalfi Negroni, Blood Orange Sangria, Stailbano Spritz, and a concise selection of Spanish and Italian wine and beer.
Where: 88-89 Shepherd’s Bush Market, London W12 8DQ
What: Much-loved and highly-celebrated chef Jacob Kenedy who is behind Soho restaurant Bocca di Lupo and Gelupo Gelateria opened his Italian restaurant, Vico, last year with the strong focus on Italian street food. He has recently revamped the menu to showcase the finest spring ingredients. Think, fresh veggies, light pasta dishes and grilled meats.
Why: The menu is a celebration of simple Italian cooking. From the antipasti selection choose between burrata with agretti, broad beans, merinda tomato carpaccio and basil to grilled geren and white asparagus lemon burro fonduta, with a poached duck egg or the home-made suckling pig porchetta with pickled artichokes and pecorino. Mains include; grilled artichoke and asparagus served with smoked ricotta, oil and balsamic, bavette steak, grilled asparagus, butter, sage and parmesan, and spaghetti with mussels, clams, squid and tomato. There’s a small selection of pizzas available – asparagus, wild garlic, walnuts and taleggio, and sausage, porchini with buffalo mozzarella.
Where: One Cambridge Circus, London, WC2H 8HD
3. For New Food Trends: Flat Three
What: Flat Three is a stylish basement restaurant on Holland Park Avenue, serving an ever-changing menu of sharing dishes inspired by the aesthetics and flavours of traditional Japanese, Korean and Nordic cuisine. The eatery embraces British-grown produce and in-house artisan processes. They’re bang on trend with their menu – interesting non-alcoholic cocktails, weird and wonderful veg dishes and veg of the moment: cauliflower.
Why: Head chef Pavel Kanja has created a creative, daily-changing selection of dishes such as Bremnes seashore salmon, smoked lardo and Douglas fir ponzu; Diver scallops, winter black truffle, golden saxifrage and fermented butter, and 40 day aged sirloin, charred onion, miso garlic and teriyaki style jus. In addition to the meat and seafood offerings, the kitchen also specialises in a selection of “plant- based” dishes that transforms common vegetables into something extraordinary. Sample dishes include Charred cauliflower, smoked carrot and yeast caramel; BBQ cabbage, winter black truffle and curried black vinegar; and Winter pumpkin baked with natto, almond and buttermilk.
Where: 120 – 122 Holland Park Avenue London W11 4UA
Photo Credit: Jodi Hinds
4. For a New Offering: The Diner
What: Launched last week and continuing for the next 3 months, The Diner will be embarking on BEEF-ERENDUM, its own poll, to help voters decide whether or not the UK should remain in the European Union. The Diner’s asking customers to choose with their tastebuds.
Why: If you’re swaying toward the ‘In’ vote and feeling Hungary, The Diner has you sorted. Pig out with the ‘Le Dave’ Burger. A juicy French Charolais beef patty, topped with Swiss cheese and ‘Cameronised’ onions, scattered with cornichons and all sandwiched between a brioche bun. Accompany this meaty decision with garlic pommes frites. However, if independence is taking your fancy you should try The Diner’s ‘Sir Boris’. This delightful burger represents everything great about this country: a British ground chuck steak patty loaded with Smoked Applewood cheese and Middlewhite bacon squeezed into a proud floury bap. Enjoy this with a portion of British roast potatoes swimming in hot gravy.
Where: Locations here
5. For a New Makeover: Brasserie Blanc
What: Brasserie Blanc Southbank has reopened its doors to unveil a brand new look, bringing an inviting all-day restaurant to the banks of the Thames. A striking destination bar, alfresco terrace, stunning interiors and extensive private dining facilities, combined with a bold spring menu make for the perfect brasserie in the heart of London. Step into this spacious brasserie and sink into a comfy chair with a coffee, enjoy a leisurely lunch at the large weathered oak table, or indulge in a cheese plate from the dedicated cheese counter paired with a glass of wine.
Why: Serving simple, hearty French dishes, Brasserie Blanc’s menu reads like a storybook of the flavours from Raymond Blanc’s childhood. Guided by seasonality and prepared from scratch by skilled chefs, the à la carte menu is filled with the best of British Isles produce treated with delicate French finesse. There is something to suit all taste buds, whether you’re in the mood for delectable French classics or something a little more daring. The ‘Les Classiques’ range includes favourites such as cheese soufflé and boeuf bourguignon, available all year round, or tuck into dishes of chilli and ginger squid; steak tartare ‘maison’; or seared Shetland Isles salmon fillet with pickled vegetables, dill crème fraîche and French fries from the new Spring menu.
Where: 9 Belvedere Road, Southbank, London, SE1 8YP
