About Time: February Food News in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
London has welcomed a bunch of new openings, food concepts and offers. If you’re seeking a new fried chicken spot or hankering for NYC ramen, read on to discover what’s new in the capital this month:
1. For a New Lunch Offering: Benares
What: Business lunches are back at Michelin-starred Benares Mayfair with its new Bottomless Thali Feast, available now until 28th February – alongside the option of bottomless drinks.
Eat: There’s everything from flavoursome bowls of curry, signature dal tadka and saag aloo to tandoori spiced fish, chicken or lamb, aromatic rice, poppadom with chutneys and warm chapati bread, for £44 per person or £39 per person for a vegetarian thali option. Plus there’s the option to go bottomless with drinks which include 90 minutes of free-flowing red or white wine, beer and soft drinks for an additional £15.
Where: 12a Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS
2. For a Tasting Club: Trivet
What: Michelin-starred restaurant Trivet has launched the Trivet Tasting Club, a new membership programme and events series which will offer access to extraordinary exclusive tasting experiences guided by Chef Jonny Lake and Master Sommelier Isa Bal.
Eat: Expect a series of unique tasting events around taste, discovery and enjoyment, in which the Trivet team will guide food and drink enthusiasts through fun explorations of flavour. The first event will take place on 11th March 2023, and will be open exclusively to members. The evening will focus on wines from the world’s earliest wine-producing regions, one of Isa Bal’s most celebrated areas of expertise.
Where: 36 Snowsfields, London SE1 3SU
3. For a New Partnership: Seed Library x Ruben’s Reubens
What: East London’s go-to watering hole Seed Library has partnered with Ruben Dawnay, aka Ruben’s Reubens for a two-month kitchen residency.
Eat: Ruben’s menu showcases his signature smoking and curing techniques, incorporating punchy flavours to create impressive and unique dishes. Favourites of his include the Pastrami sausage and Reuben spring roll which is served alongside a new variation on a Seed Library classic, Chicken nuggets, paired with Ruben’s staple Brixton BBQ sauce.
Where: One Hundred Shoreditch, 100 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JQ
Photo credit:Caitlin Isola
4. For a Reopening: Fair Shot Cafe
What: Fair Shot Café – a not-for-profit cafe which aims to transform the lives of young people with learning disabilities by giving them hospitality training – has relocated from Mayfair to a bigger premise at The Yards, Covent Garden.
Eat: Fair Shot Café offers seasonal all-day dining options, with a particular focus on fresh brunch dishes focusing on inclusive eating for all dietary requirements including low FODMAP, vegan and gluten-free. Dishes include Overnight oats served with caramelised air-fried pear, sultanas and honey; Portobello mushrooms toast with creamed spinach; and Roasted beetroot salad with feta, radish and walnuts dressed in an orange mustard sauce.
Where: 3 Slingsby Pl, London WC2E 9AB
5. For a Birthday Offer: Beasy Bar
What: Beasy Bar, located on Soho’s Greek Street is celebrating its first birthday this month, and to celebrate the bar is offering a 50% discount on the lunch menu (12-4pm).
Eat: Born out of a love for house parties, Beasy is dedicated to serving delicious hotdogs, tater tots and excellent cocktails, alongside flavour-packed, vegan-friendly NY-inspired food. The new lunch menu includes a whole host of hot dogs, and snacks plus a big variety of fresh handmade juices. Where: 58 Greek St, London W1D 3DY
6. For a UK Debut: Ivan Ramen
What: Chef’s Table star Ivan Orkin has launched his new Ivan Mazemen menus at Neighbourhood (formerly Sessions Market) in Islington at Shelter Hall in Brighton, in an exclusive partnership with food hall operator Sessions.
Eat: Mazemen is a broth-less ramen which has been a staple on Ivan Ramen’s Tokyo and NYC menus. The menu will include dishes such as Triple Chicken Triple Garlic Mazemen (fresh garlic, roasted garlic, garlic oil, paitan broth, chicken), Katsu Curry Mazemen (panko breaded chicken breast, Japanese curry, thick rye noodles, assorted fukujinzuki), Cold Sesame Noodles (chilled Szechuan chicken, roasted peppers, preserved chilli, coriander).
Where: Neighbourhood, 77 Upper St, London N1 0NU
7. For a New Street Food Concept: 20ft Fried Chicken
What: Black Bear Burger have launched a new fried chicken concept, 20ft Fried Chicken. Combining their knowledge and experience from the past five years, 20ft Fried Chicken sits in the premium end of the fried chicken market. Expect the best of British produce, quality ingredients and a chef-led approach that focuses on flavour rather than gimmicks.
Eat: Offering a take on ‘classic’ fried chicken dishes, the 20ft Fried Chicken focuses on buttermilk fried chicken burgers, wings and sides, as well as new dishes such as ‘Fried Chicken Spring Rolls’. Hero dishes include: The 20 FT Burger (Buttermilk fried chicken, Habanero & honey mayo, B&B pickles & slaw); The Big Chill Burger (Buttermilk fried chicken, fermented chilli hot sauce, pickled celery, ranch dressing, shredded iceberg & pickles); and Chicken Spring Roll (Fried chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a deep fried wonton).
Where: Market Halls Oxford Street, 9 Holles St, London W1G 0BD
