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Awaba Cafe, Balmoral Beach

I won’t often get up before 9am on a weekend except in exceptional circumstances. My friend M is one of them. She has two spirited sons that won’t wait for a brunch and so I found myself setting the alarm for the ungodly hour of 7.30am one Saturday morning. I had all of the best intentions, to walk to Awaba Cafe. However I was confronted by two things: a bitterly cold 11degree weather and what I refer to without any affection, the “Hill of Death”: i.e. Awaba Street.

If you’ve ever tried walking all the way up Awaba Street from Balmoral Beach you’ll know what I mean. And if you haven’t and have simply driven up and down it, I have no doubt that you’re having a chuckle at me because it doesn’t seem very steep-but don’t laugh until you’ve walked it. They even have an annual run called “The Balmoral Burn” which is simply running up Awaba Street. I’ve walked it myself, once and once only and that was enough for me. I knew it would be hard so I ditched the heels and wore ballet flats and even then I found myself going slowly and rather gingerly down the hill. I passed puffing, red faced and sweaty people all looking like they’d trade in their first born for a taxi ride up the hill. When I was nearing the bottom, there was a man, red and sweaty shirt off pushing a baby stroller up a hill. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it got worse.

I reach my destination and M and her kids are there waiting already. Awaba Cafe is a sleek all white building with open windows to make the most of the spectacular beach view. It hasn’t aged a bit since I last came here years ago. It’s about three quarters full, mostly full of families and young couples. The kids are of the well behaved variety and there’s no tantrums to be had here today.

Cappucino $3.30

Although the staff are busy and bustling, the coffees take a while to arrive (mine isn’t quite hot enough) and the boys are getting very hungry. Thankfully the food arrives after about 25 minutes.

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, chives & toast $16.50

My eggs are a generous serve, although mysteriously cold-but given how long it took to arrive I am reluctant to send it back. I wonder how long they had been sitting on the countertop. The salmon rose is also generous but with a few too many grey bits tucked in under the bottom.

9 comments | October 11, 2008 - 7:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

The Ivy, London

Posted in Eating, Outside of Sydney

There’s a reason why there are only two photos of my visit to the Ivy. The celeb count at the Ivy is apparently so high, that they do not allow photographs to be taken inside the restaurant. So all I have to offer you is a picture of the bread basket and the napkin. The Ivy is in an odd location, in the theatre district but down what looks like a back alley, right near L’atelier de Joel Robuchon. Outside of opening hours, the outer belies the mystery about this restaurant and why exactly it is so sought after as a place for celebrities to congregate. Getting a booking is not easy, one has to book weeks ahead to secure a table.

The doorman is a very genial fellow, designed to make your entrance way smooth and welcoming. The staff too are friendly and polite, with perhaps the exception of one waiter who although isn’t rude, is just in the wrong business. The predominant colour is of course green in various shades and there are stained glass accents and the seating is mostly one sided banquettes. We are seated at one, both of us seated at the banquette side with the table pulled out for us to slide in so that maximum “gawking” is achieved as neither of us has our back to the restaurant.

We’re handed the enormous 1 sheet menus. My sister, whilst not a regular, has been here several times and has never liked the food. However some that she has been with have so perhaps it’s extremely bad luck with food choices. And you may be surprised to learn that prices are very reasonable with some very English foods like Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie £16.50 and Bangers & Mash £13.75 to more Asian fare. Having been told by my sister that the Shepherd’s Pie, the item that the waiter tells us is their signature, is in fact not great, we opt for two dishes, the Slow roasted Blythburgh Pork belly with black pudding hash £16.75 and the Salmon fishcake with sauteed spinach and sorrel sauce £15.75.

While we wait for our meals, the bread arrives with butter and it’s pretty good, the butter at the right temperature for spreading. And it’s not long after doing a subtle check around of the restaurant patrons (mixed: some “chav-like” but not quite Vicki Pollard, mostly middle class) that our mains arrive.

You’ll have to trust me about the descriptions but it seems we are in luck. Both of our meals are very good, particularly the Slow cooked Blytheburgh pork belly which is in 4 rectangles and has a delectable crackling on it. The black pudding hash complements it wonderfully.

Salmon fishcake £15.75

Similarly, the salmon fishcake is substantial for a single but thick fishcake, full of salmon and not filler. The spinach layer underneath is also substantial and the sorrel sauce delicious. The photo above is from The Ivy’s own website which is a fairly accurate representation of the dish, although I think I could’ve taken a better one

We’re not tempted by the desserts, indeed the “star” item is the Scandinavian iced berries with white chocolate sauce looks like frozen berries with chocolate sauce poured onto it at the table. And being a good food blogger, if I can’t photograph it, I’m not as interested.

And as for celebrities? I am not familiar with English celebs but I may have seen a soccer player. Well you know the kind, someone fairly good looking with a fairly good looking girlfriend that looks like they might be famous. Speaking to the staff there, they have also been briefed to be discreet although one does reveal that they are surprised at how different they look in real life - without the hair and makeup.

The Ivy

1-5 West Street
London
WC2H 9NQ
Tel: 020 7836 4751
Fax: 020 7240 9333
Dinner: 5.30pm till 12 midnight Monday to Saturday
5.30pm till 11pm on Sunday
http://www.the-ivy.co.uk
Vegetarian options: extensive, both vegetarian and vegan (see separate menu on website)

12 comments | September 26, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Le Pont de la Tour, Shad Thames, London

Posted in Eating, Outside of Sydney

The Conran family are the original multitalented family. Sir Terence, the restauranteur owns a large chunk of London and its restaurants, his son Jasper (designer of gorgeous China pieces for Wedgwood)and his wife Shirley, the writer and author of “Superwoman” and “Lace” (anyone remember the Lace mini series?), Sebastian (who helped Nigella design her Living Kitchen range) and Sophie (designer) and Tom (restaurateur).

Their restaurant, at Shad Thames near the London Bridge is a riverside venue with a lovely view of the bridge. We’re here at the Bar & grill section (read: the affordable section) which looks and feels exactly the same as the full restaurant just a few metres down. The bread comes with a cute pot of butter, and some marinated olives. The white loaf is excellent, the sourdough less so. We’re ordering from the set menu where have either Two courses for £13.50 or three courses for £17.50

Honey roast ham served with cheddar, apple & walnut

The Honey roast ham served with cheddar, apple & walnut is simple, a slice of deli thin honey roast ham is sprinkled with walnuts and dressing with a sliced apple and a cube of cheddar on the side. It’s decent if not particularly exciting, perhaps quite boring in fact.

Egg mayonnaise with anchovies & baby gem

11 comments | September 14, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road restaurant, London

Posted in Cheap Thrills, Eating, NQN's most memorable moments and meals, Outside of Sydney

Gordon Ramsay once said that his Royal Hospital Road is his pride and joy, if all goes bottoms up then he always has that baby. Only open Monday to Friday it’s also the hardest place to get a table, and at up to £120 a meal for just lunch, the costliest of his restaurants. To secure a coveted table one needs to ring exactly one month in advance, and to secure the table give them your credit card details and should you not show, they can at their discretion, deduct £100 per person for the meal missed. It’s all phrased very courteously but you get the feeling that they wouldn’t hesitate in doing so.

Dear sister of NQN,

Firstly let me thank you for your interest in Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

I am pleased to confirm your table reservation at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, located at 68 Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HP as follows:

Where guests wish to make a reservation, it is the restaurant’s policy to secure the booking with their credit card details. In the event that the booking is cancelled in whole or in part by you with less than 24 hours notice or results in a no-show it will be at the discretion of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to charge £100 per person to your credit card.
We are sorry that this has become a requirement but, regrettably, our experience dictates this precaution. We would be grateful if you could indicate your acceptance by completing and returning this form in order to confirm your booking by fax on 020 7592 1213
Email us at: royalhospitalroad@gordonramsay.com. Unfortunately, we will have to release the table if we have not received the completed form within 48 hours.As we will call you a day before to reconfirm, may I ask you for a contact number where we will be able to reach you on the working day prior to your reservation. Cancellations must be made in writing and sent by fax to 020 7592 1213 or by e-mail to royalhospitalroad@gordonramsay.com

Verbal cancellations cannot be accepted.
We very much look forward to welcoming you at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
On Behalf of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Picture in menu

The night before, we were left a rather firm sounding voicemail that we were expected at a certain time. The outside of the restaurant is understated elegance, with a simple plaque outside the door and a simple white building as befits the upmarket Chelsea area it resides in. Walking through the corridor there is a small area for guests to wait which also has many copies of his 3 Star chef book for those to read. There is no waiting though as service is brisk, they know who we are and lead us to our table. As it’s earlyish (12.30pm) the dining room room is about half full but within half an hour, all tables are full of diners.

The menu (excuse the fingerprints!)

The manager Jean-Claude Breton is a smoothie, reminiscent a little of Jerry Orbach. He asks us who is “hosting” the table to which we reply “Umm no-one”. Ahh ok not a problem, he smiles and hands us all menus. My sister and I don’t have prices on our menu but my husband has prices in his which is a first. It’s a nice touch if someone is hosting the table so that other guests feel more comfortable ordering without keeping watch of the price.

On the first pages are the a la carte menu featuring ravioli or lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque with a lemongrass and chervil veloute as well as slow braised pied de cochon pressed then pan fried with ham knuckle, poached quail’s egg and hollandaise sauce as well as other fantastic sounding dishes. These can be had for £120. There is also following a menu Prestige or a tasting menu made up of 7 smaller dishes for £90. Then there is the Menu of the day, with 3 courses for £45.

Bread with salted and unsalted butter

We order a bit of everything from the Menu of the Day so that everyone can taste all of the dishes. Whilst we are waiting we receive salted and unsalted butter and are asked if we would like olive, white or brown sourdough bread. The olive is my husband’s favourite whilst the white sourdough thickly slathered with salted butter is my sister’s and mine. The service from the staff is wonderful, quiet and unobtrusive but anticipatory of your needs.

Amuse Bouche: vine riped tomato consomme

An amuse bouche arrives, a tomato consomme flavoured with coriander. It’s poured at the table and is intensively sweet with ripe tomatoes.

Quail and wild mushroom pithivier with confit leg and celeriac remoulade

25 comments | September 8, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Tapas Brindisa at Borough Markets, London

Posted in Eating, NQN's most memorable moments and meals, Outside of Sydney

Tapas Brindisa can be intimidating. Intimidating in that it is ALWAYS crowded, no matter what time you go past and that unless you flag down the manager, you’ll stand virtually ignored, a persona non grata. Brindisa doesn’t take reservations and given the roaring trade, it doesn’t need to. Reservations would simply hold up the process. I adore Spanish food and my gut instinct tells that it is taking over the world (or at least my little part of it). And the thing that has my tastebuds drooling is the idea of eating Jamón ibérico de Bellota, the Wagyu of pork where in Spain or Portugal Black Iberian pigs are raised on a diet of acorns and allowed to roam free in oak forests. The ham is then cured for up to 36 months in the fresh mountain air.

We’re back at Tapas Brindisa at dinner time after being the ignored subjects mentioned above at lunch time when people and plates were whizzing past at a furious speed and our presence caused not a single soul to look our way. We didn’t realise that we needed to get the attention of the manager so we stood there for 10 minutes before leaving as we realised that a table would not be forthcoming, not just because of the huge queue of people already waiting.

Tonight, fortified by false courage, I steel myself and approach the manager thinking that I’ll be dismissed but he gives a broad smile and apologises that there aren’t any table available but that one should be in about 45 minutes so we can come back in 30 minutes. We go for a walk around and take a peek at Neal’s Yard (who have a huge shower running in their store, presumably for moisture to aid in the cheesemaking process) and a Paul Smith store nearby before we return 30 minutes later. There isn’t a table yet although the manager tries to get another table outside set up for us. We wait outside as inside is chaos with bodies standing, sitting and waiting while waiters weave through them with plates of delicious Spanish Jamón and tapas.

While waiting, we ask the manager what time is good to come by and he says “5.30pm but once it is 6 o’clock, all of the tables are gone. At lunch, maybe 12noon?”. A friend who has been here previously has said that even 12 o’clock is too late, it’s 11.50am or nothing. Once the clock strikes 12, it’s musical chairs. He offers us all drinks on the house (wine or soft) for the wait which is a welcome and charming gesture. A table magically frees itself a few minutes later and we are sitting with our complimentary drinks (a gigantic bottle of sparkling mineral water, a Coke and a Rosé wine).

The prize, a food porn worthy shot of the Jamón ibérico de Bellota (Pata Negra)

We’ve already perused the menu having done so while waiting and we ask the waiter if any of the Jamón ibérico de Bellota (Pata Negra) is available and he smiles broadly as if we’ve said the magic words and says “Pata Negra?” and we nod enthusiastically. He points us to the “Gran reserva Joselito Ham-hand carved” for £20 which we immediately order. We also order the Regional charcuterie selection: Teruel Serrano ham, loin, chorizo and salchichon with bread and olive oil £10; potato, chorizo and pepper omelette with aioli £4.65; Deep fried Monte Enebro goat’s cheese with orange blossom honey £6.65 and for good measure, some spicy toasted broad beans £1.

Spicy toasted broad beans £1

The first to arrive is the small plate of spicy toasted broad beans, the beans dried and crispy with a liberal sprinkling of spice powder. They’re like good quality chips.

Gran reserva Joselito Ham-hand carved £20

Our prize, the Jamón ibérico de Bellota arrives next, hand carved and arranged on a plate. I’m surprised at how much we get, from what I’ve seen you get 3-4 slices of it in Australia for about $30 but this looks like more. Tasting it, it’s smooth and intensely flavoursome, a bit like a meat jerky but please don’t let that description put you off, it’s much, much better of course. I mean more as a testament to the intensity of the flavour.

Regional charcuterie selection: Teruel Serrano ham, loin, chorizo and salchichon with bread and olive oil £10

Our regional selection plate is certainly impressive and causes passing pedestrians to almost bump into each other and drool over our table. There is loin (the pale slices), chorizo (thinly sliced rounds), salchichon (another speckled sausage) and Serrano ham, the paler version of the Jamón ibérico de Bellota.

7 comments | August 29, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Awaba Cafe, Balmoral Beach

The Ivy, London

The Ivy

Le Pont de la Tour, Shad Thames, London

Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road restaurant, London

Tapas Brindisa at Borough Markets, London

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