29 September 2014

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings

If you haven't heard of them already, the Bourne and Hollingsworth Group own cocktail bars and run themed events in London. B & H Buildings is the first culinary venture by the B & H Group. This lovely little spot is tucked away in Clerkenwell. The bar and restaurant are absolutely lovely; you are transported into a concrete conservatory with big comfy arm chairs and plants galore. 


There are unusual little touches like a daily menu complete with a weather update...


My friend and I picked the same cocktail - one with alcohol and one without. The Eton Fizz is made with gin, strawberries, lemon juice, honey, Greek yoghurt and soda. It had a light smoothie-esque taste and it was delicious. 

The food however...

The problem was that my expectations were too high. The maitre d was kind enough to send me the menu beforehand. It looked carefully thought out with fuss free options to suit all. My mind was set on the slow cooked feather steak with red wine sauce, baby carrots and sweet onions. On arrival, we were told that the steak was not available. So I went for the curried grilled chicken breast, honey pineapple, red bell pepper coulis and crunchy rice. Unfortunately it was bland, and overly creamy. Having said that, the crunchy rice was an unusual but nice compliment and the chicken was well cooked. 


My friend ordered the tempura cod fillet, potato rosti, mushy peas and tartare sauce. She loved the lemony mushy peas but described the meal as overly priced fish and chips. 



The food went from average to bad when it came to dessert. The caramel fondant was burnt and therefore extremely bitter. The saving grace was the chocolate ice cream (which there wasn't enough of). Our waitress very kindly removed the fondant from the bill. 


Following on from that, I should say that the service was excellent throughout the meal and we loved the ambience and general feel of the place. It's perfect for a quiet catch up with a friend or a relaxed romantic evening out.



I'll definitely be returning for drinks at the bar but the food wasn't up to par. There are some excellent brassieres in London and B&H Buildings will really have to focus on the food in order to keep up.  

Regretfully giving this one 3 forks. It may be teething problems - the restaurant only opened last week; but I had such high hopes! On a more positive note, I can't wait to try out the Group's bars, Bourne and Hollingsworth and Reverend J.W. Simpson for more cocktail fun! 

Rating: 


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13 September 2014

Hakkasan

Keeping this one short and sweet guys. 

My family and I are regular diners at Hakkasan in Mayfair. The food is consistently good, the cocktails are lush and the atmosphere - dark and sensous. 




  
Our most recent visit was to celebrate my sister's recent qualification as an Optometrist (or Optician, for those of you who are wondering what an Optometrist is). We decided on an early dinner which meant we were just in time for the 3 course menu for £35; not bad for a restaurant in Mayfair with an excellent reputation and a Michelin star.   

First up, the Dim Sum Selection. We ordered the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options for maximum variety. It was a decent sized starter and all of the dishes were as expected. My favourite was the venison puff, which is peaking out on the bottom right hand corner of the photo below. 


Next, the mains. They were all lovely but the Chicken and Cod were very similar in flavour with sweet undertones.

Stir Fry Silver Cod in Sweet and Sour Sauce...



Sanpei Chicken Claypot with Sweet Basil, Chilli and Spring Onion...




Stir Fry Black Pepper Rib-Eye Beef (our favourite main course)...


All of the mains were also served with yummy Pak Choi and Jasmine Rice.

We ended the evening with two orders of macaroons (to take home) and the following, which need no introduction...




If set menus aren't your thing and you're ordering off of the a la carte menu, definitely check out the following:
  • Crispy Duck Salad
  • Black Truffle Roast Duck
  • Hakka (an amazingly refreshing cocktail with vodka, sake, lychee juice, lime, coconut and passion fruit).
A quick and light meal at a fabulous Michelin Star Cantonese Restaurant at £35 per head. I highly recommend it!

Rating:  


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4 September 2014

Bobo Social

I love Charlotte Street. It's lined with all sorts of eateries ranging from the oh so fancy to the regular comforts. Charlotte Street's latest addition is a "shabby chic" burger joint called Bobo Social. I just love saying "Bobo Social".  






We started off with some small plates. The Salt & Pepper Crispy Squid and the Sea Bass Ceviche. They were small...and good. 




For my main (and as usual) I opted for the most boring burger on the menu; the Bobo Burger. Our waitress even prompted me to pick a side or a condiment. But nope, just as it comes please :)



Their trademark "B" is embossed onto every delightfully light brioche burger bun and the burgers are cooked in a charcoal oven which sears the meat at a temperature of 300C. The beef and the wood in the oven is changed regularly so that the flavour of the meat differs on every visit. We had Dexter beef and Silver Birch.

To me, it's all a bit of a gimmick, but it works, and every new burger joint needs a stand out feature as the competitors in Central London are plentiful! 

One for the veggies; the Mushroom and Truffle Burger with Guacamole...


And the one that stood out to all of us as soon as we laid eyes on the menu...the Peanut Butter Burger with Monterey Jack and Maple Drizzled Bacon...


My friend described her Peanut Butter Burger as the most inventively successful burger she had ever tasted.

We washed it all down with some cocktails, wine and a good ol' catch up before my friend jets off to Australia and the Far East for three months. Jealous much? 




Cool quirky bits:
  • Cucumber and lemon flavoured complimentary water. (I am easily pleased). 
  • Chilli Chocolate Lattice Bacon
  • The Experimental Burger Society; burger making classes at £25pp with a range of exotic meats such as kangaroo and alligator.


The only downside was the noise level in the restaurant. The group of diners beside us were having too good a time and expressing it loudly. But leaving that aside, there was a very nice little touch at the end of the meal; a guestbook. And yes, we got a little silly...




Rating:  


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