Bob Bob Ricard - London, UK

Back in May, I discovered that a friend's housemate was an avid foodie. I was scouring London restaurant sources and emailed her asking if she's dined at Bob Bob Ricard. She replied "No! Zomg! I want to go!". It took 6 months and 3 London visits to make this happen.

This photo summarizes what I knew about Bob Bob Ricard. They pride themselves on their champagne price points, blatantly bragging price differences on their wine and champagne menu. We quickly pressed the button and instantly the waiter was there. Actually, my friends were so eager they didn't realize he was already present. Cheers to prompt, friendly service.

Here was our exquisite bottle, the Pol Roger 2000, featuring an unbeatable price point. Whetting our taste buds, we fell upon the menu, arguing over mains and starters. We were in a sharing mood and did not want duplicate orders.

This was the Truffled Potato and Porcini Vareniki. It pleasantly surprised my friend, not being what she expected. Vareniki is a type of Ukrainian Filled Dumpling. It was thickly filled with potato, the woody mushroom flavor present, truffle lightly landing last. 

Beetroot is a current obsession, so I ordered the Smokey Borsch with Beetroot, Cucumber, Boiled Quail Egg, and Smoked Orkney Beef | Cooked With Smokey Bacon. The bowl came with a delicately chopped selection of those listed ingredients resting at the bottom. The server poured the thin blood red soup from a tureen. It was marvelously smokey, the bacon flavor running to the back of my throat.

Here we have the Jerusalem Artichoke Dip with Caramelized Walnuts and Brioche Croutons. The soup was rich and medium thick. The nuts added a crunchy sweetness.

Visually feast on the Wafer Thin Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad with Broadbeans and Mint.

I knew that ordering a second starter was probably overkill, but I couldn't resist these Russian dishes. From the top right proceeding clockwise, we have Russian Salad & Truffle (pungent), Russian Herring (salty with thick jelly-like texture), Foie Gras Parfait & Truffle (slightly rich, foie miniscule grainy texture with crunch finish), and Jellied Ox Tongue (beefy taste, thin gelatinous layer with horseradish finish). I particular enjoyed the thin truffle slices. They were sublime contrasted with my previous overdone truffle experiences.

Here is the Pièce de Résistance, the Beef Wellington (for two) featuring 28 Day Aged Aberdeenshire Scotch Beef served with Béarnaise sauce. I didn't know what Beef Wellington was until my friend explained it to me. I was here to celebrate friends and food, so it was perfect. The smoke rising from its gorgeous pastry shell. The light sheen intimating what lay beneath.

Our server sliced it into perfect proportions. Pink beef wrapped with porcini, encased in a pastry shell. With my knife in my right, fork in my left, I dove in and savored every morsel. And then I had more. 

The Fillet Medallions Rossini, 28 Day Aged Scotch Beef. It is made with Seared Foie Gras and a Foie Gras Crouton served with Truffle Gravy. Decadent, rich with foie, it was love.

Meet the Old Bay Crispy Quail. It was a Two Spiced, Deboned Whole Quail served with Beetroot, Apple and Sultana Coleslaw. Fortunately, it came with a lemon scented dipping bowl. It was quite the hands on experience.

Ready for dessert? A friend couldn't decide between the souffle or the Eton Mess. This is the Eton Mess en Perle made with Lime Meringue, Berries, Strawberry Sorbet, Raspberry Marshmellows and Cream. This was an extraordinary dessert. Layers of flavor, slightly herbaceous, a hidden treat.

No self-respecting British restaurant could not have a cheese board. This was too much for one, so we helped her finish.

Why pick one when you can have three? Here is the Trio of Creme Brulees - Valrhona Chocolate, Passionfruit, Earl Grey Tea. Each had great flavors and made a unique statement.

My dessert was the Pineapple & Lemongrass Pannacotta served with Malibu Ice Cream. The pannacotta was so astounding I promptly forced it upon everyone to try. They did not complain. Simply amazing. 

Amongst the silver Christmas trees, lightly pink decor, and friendly waitstaff, we had a wonderful time. Waistbands stretched, we slowly exited.

Patara - London, England

Two weeks before visiting Patara, I was lamenting over uninspiring Pad Thai. Apparently, my friend took note because she said we were going to visit a Thai restaurant in Soho for my last London meal. I was nervously excited. I don't normally pursue Pad Thai, but I crave it after eating at Denver's Linger. I crave curry, inspiring flavor combinations, and palate challenging meals. Would Patara be it?

My friend reminisced about Patara as we walked there. Patara used to be a weekly destination when she was kicking ass at a high paying job. She still kicks ass, whipping creative ideas into fruition, organizing unorganized swing dancers, et cetera for London Swing Patrol, but misses her former frequent visits here.

Can you judge a restaurant solely by its silverware and tableware? Mmmmmm, yes. Muted colors, dense silverware, wonderfully weaved napkins. And compliments to the descriptively thorough memo.

I started with the Tuna Tartare, thin slices of raw tuna in spicy lemongrass and mint vinaigrette. I delicately picked up these tiny morsels and savored their piquant flavor. The broth was tasty too. I may have cleaned everything off that plate.

While I was admiring the Tuna Tartare, my friend ordered the Srangwah Hoy Shell, poached king scallops in spicy lime and chilli vinaigrette with lemongrass, mint and shallot. She reluctantly allowed me to try one. I can understand her reluctance after savoring the spicy tart scallop.

Appetizers eventually made way for the main courses. My friend ordered her favorite item, the Nua Tom Kati, which was slow braised beef in aromatic coconut reduction with fresh lime, lemongrass and chilli accompanied with coconut rice. The beef fell apart underneath my fork, having soaked, no bathed in the coconut reduction. The beef truly embodied the coconut. Simply savory.

My main course was the Gae Pad Grachai featuring wok-fried slices of lamb fillet in wild ginger and green peppercorn red curry sauce accompanied with brown rice. The brown rice was an extra charge, but well worth it. It was an amazingly savory dish. From the lamb fillet to the green peppercorns, I enjoyed every moment.

We still had room, miraculously, for dessert. Too many desserts tempted my eyes, so we ordered two. Here is the Tart Sangkaya, a lemongrass infused coconut tart served with homemade stem ginger ice cream. This is where factual knowledge trumps assumptions. I never thought about what lemongrass really was until I ate this dish. This tart lacks any standout flavor. After such tart dishes, I was expecting the same. It was a good balance, but not what I expected thanks to erroneous assumptions. Lemongrass, look it up. It was a good stem ginger ice cream and mixed well with the tart.

The finishing touches came thanks to the Gati Sod Sundae, a homemade coconut ice cream with exotic fruit. Instead of your typical exotic fruits, we enjoyed chewy sweet coconut, chinese plum, and chinese plum seed. Well delivered, Patara.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Patara experience. They did deny my request to live there, though. Their loss. It might be my new favorite Thai Restaurant. Sorry, TAC Quick. I'll be seeing you in December again, Patara. And maybe one day, I'll be visiting your Bangkok location.

Dabbous - London, England

Meet London's newest highly acclaimed restaurant, Dabbous. Foodies crush on them, reviewers adore them, in-flight magazines feature them. This media hype makes Dabbous superbly sought after. When I last checked, they were booked for dinner until March, 2013. Lunch is more accessible, the bar even more so.

When we walked in, I asked if there were any walk-in tables available. The main restaurant only has 14 tables, so spots are at a premium. However, sometimes people cancel last minute or don't arrive, and others eat faster than expected. Keep that in mind for the future. The upstairs was full, so we headed downstairs. As you can see, the bar was pretty quiet. Given our choice of varied seating (benches, low chairs, and bar), we chose the bar. My friend encouraged this since I'm given to asking questions and enjoy watching cocktails prepared.

Charlie, our main bartender, handed us our menus. The bar menu is cocktail focused, so if you're hungry, look at the very last page. Otherwise, enjoy perusing their selection of martini cocktails, long drinks, short drinks, beer cocktails, spirits, wine, and more. I began the evening with two inquiries - what can you tell me about your cigar syrup and what is Greengage liqueur? Without prompting, I was immediately sampled on both. Then I learned the chefs make the cigar syrup process easy, though it sounds involved. And that Greengage liqueur is a slightly bitter green plum liqueur.

My friend started with the Giddy Up. It features Tapatio Blanco Tequi;a, elderflower cordial, bramley & Gage Slider, lemon juice and camomile-infused acacia honey and was topped with Sierra Nevada IPA. We were both impressed with the silver stein.

After sampling the cigar syrup, I wanted to try a cocktail featuring it. This is the Mellow Yellow with Tapatio Blanco Tequila, cigar syrup and lime juice mellowed by yellow pepper and served in an Ardberg whisky rinsed Martini glass. The yellow pepper smell was the most prominent feature as you lifted the glass to sip. Then a bit of sourness came through, followed by a slight smoky finish and gritty finish (tobacco leaves from cigar syrup process). The bell pepper taste lingers. My favorite tastes were when I rolled in around and let it settle in the back.

We decided upon a three course approach to dinner this evening. The bar menu has a limited selection from the main restaurant's starters, mains, and dessert menus. We ordered 5 of the 8 selections available. This is the Coddled free range hen egg with woodland mushrooms and smoked butter. It is coddled and then is returned into the shell where it sits in a lovely nest. This dish invoked some memories of my grandparents's farm, working during a sunny day throwing hay bales onto the trailer. It was a delightful savory warmth.

Afterward, we split the Barbecued Iberico pork, savory acorn praline, turnip tops, homemade apple vinegar. The pork was so rich. The nutty meal tempered with some sweetness was the perfect accompaniment. The turnip tops in vinegar were a great snack to reset our palate between bites.

We finished our meal with Artisanal cheese from the British Isles, baked apple and toasted sourdough. They ranged in texture and flavor. 3 out of the 4 were from the UK, one from Ireland. The baked apple tasted like toffee and the toasted sourdough featured figs. I also appreciated the slate board presentation.

And I did have one more drink. I asked about a bottle behind the bar I hadn't seen before and sampled it. It was Kamm & Sons ginseng spirit, a bitter herbaceous spirit similar to bonal gentine, but much stronger. The Roots Manuka is pictured above. It features Kammerlings Ginseng Spirit, Qi Orange Tea Liqueur, manuka honey, rhubarb bitters, lemon and guava. The sweetness from the guava hits you first and lingers there. The bitterness comes in the middle and barely wins in the end. I would have preferred a more bitter forward drink and less guava.

The 4th and 5th items we had were the Nocellara del Belice green olives (wonderfully meaty) and the Roast cashew nuts with smoked salt (no distinguishing characteristics). These were enjoyed before, throughout, and after the meal.

Overall, we had a great time downstairs. The bar staff was very friendly and helpful. They must have been bored because they were running through a list of Robin Williams' films including Mork & Mindy, Jumanji, Flubber (I suggested she sees the original), and Good Will Hunting. As we were leaving, I even got some tips from the restaurant manager on how to get a table in the next two weeks. Are you interested as I am?


Dabbous
39 Whitfield Street,
W1T 2SF

The Hawksmoor - London, England

It's another brilliantly gray day in London. Saturday's scorcher started with the Sunday gray which turned into pounding rain. Fortunately, the Hawksmoor - Spitalfield was nearby.

Oftentimes, my food adventures begin with a mission. This was no different. Poutine has been on my mind recently. A certain New Yorker is obsessed with it and I had some in Rochester. Could I get poutine in London? Yelp returned with many hits, but most proved fruitless (fix your search engine). Timeout London gave me nothing. After searching through the Hawksmoor multiple locations' menus for confirmation, I finally messaged them via Facebook. The poutine was confirmed, but only at the Spitalfield downstairs bar.

We placed our drink and food orders. I ordered the oxtail poutine and the Hong Kong Phooey Reloaded (above). I'm a sucker for peer pressure. Why else would I have a cocktail that blends 7 different spirits and tastes like vitamin water. That list: vodka, gin, tequila, rum, chartreuse, midori, lemon and champagne.

My friend enjoyed her Marmalade Cocktail. It first caught her attention online and features: Gin, Lemon, Campari and Marmalade.

Here is the focus of my trip, the oxtail poutine. The oxtail poutine was delicious. I was hoping for cheese curds, but at least there was some cheese. The focus clearly was on the savory and spicy oxtail soaking the chips with its delicious juices. In the end, I was using triple cooked chips to clean the iron dish spotless. Quick notes: I'm still hung up on the missing cheese curds. This can also come with an egg for an extra pound.

The chilli cheese dog delighted my friend. She especially enjoyed the cheese on this hearty dish. I can concur based on my small sampling. The chili gave such a great little kick too.

This is the Spitalfield location's bar menu cover. Please note that the upstairs and downstairs menus are different because they have two separate kitchens.

Here is the full menu. Overall, the Hawksmoor was a great experience. I hope to visit again to taste their reputable great burgers.

Hawksmoor
157 Commercial Street
London E1 6BJ
UK

The Broadway Market - East London

Welcome to the Broadway Market, a cornerstone of East London since 1888. As I rode the bus toward another food adventure at E5 Bakehouse, my friend and I passed the street above. She told me about the market's varied vendors and stalls and said I needed to visit. When she heard I was coming back to London Saturday morning, I was urged to hurry to the Broadway Market. And hurry I did! Considering I just landed from Zurich, I made remarkable time.

Let's welcome East London's unusual denizens. The vintage and used clothing racks attract the wild and free to the staid and frugal. Clothes ranges from brightly knit threads to sturdy Barbour jacket to denim Levi jackets. Further up there was even a stall selling vintage ties and mens bathing suits. I may have even spotted a vintage 40s bathing suit from Jantzen (made in England).

However, food was my mission. It's always my mission. It's true I was hunting for my friend, but why let a small thing like that sidetrack me from what matters? Here's a colorful stall from Gujarati Rasoi advertising traditional indian food. Bhujia, a fried treat consisting of gram flour, spices, and vegetables, were £1, so I grabbed a quick snack and kept hunting.

My friends were waiting for the above to happen. A band was promoting an event next Saturday using Swing Patrol London dancers. They were taking their sweet time moving to Broadway Market and I was getting antsy. There was so much to be explored here and I was waiting for some sort of parade (note: it wasn't a parade).

At the topmost point of Broadway Market, near London Fields, hang a right for more stalls. My hunger could be sated and I was close enough to the road to hear the band coming. I headed straight to Don Arancini for their risotto balls. Two flavors especially caught my eye - the chorizo, saffron, and chili and the goat's cheese, sun dried tomato and basil. However, there is a deal. If you buy three, it's £3.50 where as one is £1.50. What a great deal! I asked for a suggestion and he went with a new selection, the feta, olive, and spinach. I left happy with my three arancinis and more red onion jam.

It's easy to get sidetracked by Olympic fever and a sign boasting that Usain Bolt ate here. My hands were rather full with arancinis, but they were advertising plantain. I hadn't had those in a while, so I inquired about getting those as a side. This option isn't advertised, but I was informed it would be £2.50. Once agreed, they took a small takeout box and loaded it up with plantain. They were sticky, slightly sweet, and could be eaten with my fingers. I was very happy.

Whereas the parade was lame, the ice cream wasn't. Chateaux Gelato appeared with their bicycle toting frozen sweets. I had to have the orange zest, rosemary, and honey ice cream. A bit of citrus, but something lurking beneath, something herbaceous. Rosemary added a great balancing touch.

I was slowly filling up on savory and sweet morsels. Then this pie shop temped me with their inexpensive mini-pies. One apple and blackberry pie was inhaled.

The Northfield Farm allowed me to stand in front of the grilling hamburgers and sizzling bacon smoke. I would have loved to sample their menu, but I was too full.

Same thing here. I loved Scotch Eggs and they even had a Thai Red Curry Pork Scotch egg, but I passed. I want to consume immediately and not wait. The food was meant to be enjoyed willingly and the full stomach dost protest.

Slices of wild board, venison and blue goat's cheese hard cured meats don't count.

Roast Hog was at the market.

Musicians were playing the blues on the street corner. One of them works at Passing Clouds.

So the market comes to an end. It did wonderful work- providing me something sweet, something savory, and something to keep away drafts (Harris Tweeds, etc). If you're in London, definitely check out this market.