Choccywoccydoodah and Terre a Terre - 08/09/2012

After a typical student afternoon of lying on the sofa watching back to back episodes of Choccywoccydoodah Tegan and I decided that we HAD to go to the shop itself.  So that was it, we booked train tickets to Brighton so we could go and taste a Choccywoccydoodah milkshake and a piece of their much talked about cake.  

We couldn’t have picked a better day for our visit as the sun well and truly had its hat on. I managed to go for a quick paddle in the sea but unfortunately we didn’t have time to take full advantage of the sunshine by the seafront as we were only in Brighton for a few hours. We’d specifically come to visit Choccywoccydoodah. That was our mission! My parents thought we were mad going all the way to Brighton just to eat some cake but I had a feeling it would be worth it. How wrong I was!

We found the shop and our excitement soon vanished and turned into disappointment as the cakes on display were nowhere near as impressive as they looked on the television. Nothing in the shop really took my fancy other than a huge white chocolate popcorn bar which was too big to carry and probably would have melted. I decided to buy some truffles which included; gin, white rum, mocha, champagne and strawberry, cherry and marzipan and hazelnut praline. I was expecting them to be put into one of their nice red boxes displayed in the cabinet but instead got given them in a poxy little plastic bag. Tegan and I played the truffle guessing game on the train on the way home. None of the flavours were particularly definite. I have had a lot nicer truffles. Yet another disappointment!

We were hoping to be more impressed by the café which is just down the road from the shop. There’s lots to choose from; milkshakes, hot chocolate, chocolate dipping pots, sundaes and of course cake. I went for a Belgian chocolate truffle milkshake and Tegan opted for a peanut butter milkshake. They were okay but again not the best. Tegan couldn’t have any cake as none of it was gluten free. I decided to go all out on the chocolate front so chose the white chocolate truffle cake. A huge slice of cake appeared in front of me served with ice-cream, chocolate sauce and raspberry coulis. The cake was dry and sickly and the ice-cream and sauce was just unnecessary. I ended up leaving half of it.

After having visited Choccywoccydoodah I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about.

We decided to shake off our discontent by finding somewhere nice to have lunch. We stumbled upon Terre a Terre. You could easily walk straight past this wonderful little place which is exactly what I did. However, luckily Tegan spotted it. It’s a short walk from the seafront near The Lanes. It’s a vegetarian restaurant and the majority of their dishes are also gluten free which was perfect for Tegan. I’m not opposed to vegetarian food and I was intrigued to put myself in Tegan’s shoes and see what it was like to experience a completely gluten free meal. We managed to get a table in their tiny but lovely outside area.  They had an interesting  cocktail list from which I ordered a rhubarb gin and tonic and an 'elderbubble'. 

Reading the menu was a little like reading a shopping list. I felt out of breath by the time I’d finished reading. I didn’t understand what half the ingredients were but everything sounded fantastic and I was left feeling intrigued and excited about the food we were about to eat.

What appeared in front of us was fresh, creative and delicious vegetarian and gluten free food!

For starters we ordered ‘Delicious Double Dunkers’ - kalamata krush (smashed kalamata olives blended with capers and basil and extra virgin olive oil) hummus, zhuganoush (smoked aubergine) and smoked tomatoes with hibiscus, amchur, nori salt dusted puffed rice seaweed crackers. The smoked tomatoes were delicious and the crackers were really tasty. They made a nice change to bread and were just as nice if not nicer.

For mains Tegan went for ‘Terra a Tiffin’ - cauliflower and ginger bhaji with fresh coconut green chilli curry leaf chutney, tamarind relish with channa rasam, deep fried chick peas served with nimbu bhat cardamom brown onion lemon saffron baked basmati rice, confit brinjal pickle, chilli slivers, tangy lime and Mumbai mix spice dust dressing.

I went for their 'Hilbeh Hash Rosti' – crispy fried potato, onion and garlic rosti topped with Sussex Slipcote sheep’s cheese, Moroccan mince of almonds, sultanas, green olives, parsley, dill and mint. Finished with butter bean, wine, thyme arthichoke liquor sauce, pomegranate sumac spice oil and fenugreek hilbeh hash. It was such an unusual dish. I don't think I've ever had anything quite like it. It was just over-flowing with so many incredible flavours.

We also ordered a portion of their 'Truffle Chips' which were seasoned chunky chips tossed in grated Grana Padano, truffle oil and leaf parsley with lemon garlic herby mayonnaise. They were incredible chips! We couldn’t finish them all so they kindly boxed them up for us and we took them home and ate them cold later. They were just as good!

I wish I hadn’t bothered filling myself up with the piece of Choccywoccydoodah cake and had instead left room for pudding at Terre a Terre. They all sounded yummy and a little bit different. I especially liked the sound of their 'Frangipane Sizzle Dates' with mint tea granita and lemon and mint pomegranate gazpacho as well as their 'Salt Caramel Chocolate Churros'.

I’m not vegetarian and I’m not gluten free but I really want to go back to Terre a Terre. If you’re a vegetarian you simply must go.

Lunch at Gilgamesh - 09/09/2012

I'd never been to Camden but now I have I can understand why so many people love the place. It oozes cool. You almost don't feel like you're in London. No one was in a rush. It was a hot day and everyone was happy perusing the endless market stalls, tucking into every type of street food you could imagine and lapping up the sunshine in bars by the lock. There is something for everyone in Camden hence why it brings together such a diversity of people.

In amongst the hustle and bustle of Stables Market in Camden you find Gilgamesh, a trendy Pan-Asian restaurant. An escalator ascends you away from the buzz of Camden's markets to an impressive restaurant consisting of 15,000 square feet. It is full of hand carved chairs and tables. Two Gilgamesh statues watch over you as you eat and you can't help but gaze at the sheer magnitude of Gilgamesh. It really is quite a vision.

Tegan's Mum and I decided to share some sashimi, small dishes and dim sum. The salmon sashimi was just beautiful and I loved how it arrived. I particularly liked the Pomello Banh Trang and the Gilgamesh fried rice. I definitely want to go back and try more.   

Salmon sashimi and Chef's selection of sashimi (served over dry ice)

Edamame beans with salt

Gilgamesh fried rice - prawns, crab, roast pork, peas and spring onion 

Crispy squid with garlic chips, fresh chilli, shallots and served with adjud sauce on the side

Pomello Banh Trang - fresh pomello, caramel peanut sauce, coriander, basil and toasted                                                             coconut  wrapped in rice paper rolls

Son-in-Law Eggs - crispy eggs topped with chilli jam, fresh chillies and coriander

Steamed Chilean seabass, king prawn and crab open top dumpling

We also had Prawn Har Gau - a steamed prawn dumpling with garlic chives but I must have forgotten to photograph it, oops! We wanted to try Chicken Foie Gras Gyoza - a Japanese dumpling pan fried until crispy with black vinegar dressing but unfortunately they didn't have it.

Dinner at The Hand and Flowers - 07/09/2012

To have sampled Tom Kerridge’s food once should be considered a privilege. But to have sampled it three times … well I feel utterly honoured.

I think this third visit to The Hand and Flowers in Marlow may  have been my favourite and what I’d call ‘a tasting of Tom’s classics’; glazed omelette of smoked haddock and parmesan, slow cooked duck breast with peas, duck fat chips and gravy and vanilla crème brulee.

I’ve tasted his parfait of duck and foie gras, his salmon tartare, his crispy pig’s head and his scallops. However, I’d been reliably informed that his omelette was something to write home about. It is Tom’s take on a classic omelette Arnold Bennett. It came served in a miniature frying pan and consisted of chunky flakes of succulent smoked haddock wrapped in a light egg blanket balanced in flavour by the parmesan which shone through but didn’t over-power. It was light in texture but very rich. An absolute delight!

I’ve ordered and enjoyed mains of chicken and plaice and I’ve tasted a bit of the Essex lamb bun but never have I ordered a red meat dish so I thought it was about time I did so. It had to be the slow cooked duck breast or the fillet of Lancashire beef. The duck was the winner of the Great British Menu 2010 so I just had to find out why it won. Slow cooked duck with duck fat chips, peas and gravy. Sounds fairly standard doesn’t it? Anything but! 

Beautifully tender honey roast duck breast, cooked pink and served on a wooden board. Alongside it, a little cream cassoulet dish full of peas, but not peas as we think of them. Peas cooked in chicken stock with flakes of duck legs poached in duck fat with star anise and various other spices, little gem lettuce and mint. Served separately, a copper pan of triple-cooked duck fat chips and a jug of rich gravy flavoured with honey and cloves. I would happily eat that dish for dinner for the rest of my life. People often say ‘that’s the best I’ve ever tasted’ but this genuinely was. I have eaten a lot of duck and I can honestly say that Tom Kerridge’s is, hands down, the best I have ever tasted. I literally can’t explain how unbelievable it was. You just simply need to go there and try it for yourself. It is the best twenty five pounds I think I have ever spent. I literally wanted to weep when it came to the last mouthful. I doubt I will ever eat another piece of duck quite like it. 

The duck itself is extraordinary but when combined with Tom’s peas, triple-cooked chips and gravy it makes the most phenomenal dish and I can now see why it won the Great British Menu 2010. Hugely deserved!

I’ve tasted Tom’s soufflé, his warm pistachio sponge cake, his chocolate cake with salted caramel and a selection of his cheese. I wanted to try a classic, hence vanilla crème brulee. Tom’s food is shockingly good but I haven’t ever experienced it to be wackily shocking, not like 21212 in Edinburgh. However, pudding did shock me a little. I was served my very classic vanilla crème brulee with a miniature pint of beer! Beer? Sorry what? I was told by the waitress that ‘it brought out the flavours of the crème brulee’. Really? I was sceptical, especially as I’m not a beer lover. I didn’t want it to ruin the flavour of what I knew would be a beautiful crème brulee. I did as I was told though and my oh my how damn clever that Mr Kerridge is. A repeat process of a small swig of beer followed by a mouthful of creamy crème brulee. It definitely enhanced the flavours. Who would have thought it, brulee and beer. It was the perfect round off to an outstanding meal.

I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of eating at The Hand and Flowers.It may have two Michelin stars but what it doesn’t have is any faffing. At Martin Wishart in Edinburgh I wasn’t allowed to place my own napkin on my lap or open the toilet door myself. The Hand and Flowers is a sophisticated pub with a relaxed atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable and that is why I like it so much.

My one criticism would be that on my first visit I had my dishes explained to me, this hasn’t been the case on my last two visits. When you’re given little added extras I like to know exactly what they are. For example with my duck there was a little meatball type thing. Also, Tegan had a slight moment of panic when she thought a whole ox tongue was sitting on her plate. However, we soon realised it was more likely to be the berigoule mushroom, something neither of us had heard of before, than a whole ox tongue which I would imagine to be somewhat larger.

However, credit where credit is due the front of house staff were fantastic. They are always welcoming and efficient. However, due to Tegan now being gluten free, not through choice but for medical reasons, eating out can be somewhat of a pain for her. The Hand and Flowers were exceptional at accommodating her needs. It is amazing how many things contain gluten that you wouldn’t expect to. However, it was clear that both front of house and the kitchen were clued up. She was advised on what she could and couldn’t have. However, the majority of dishes were able to be changed to gluten free. Therefore, she wasn’t limited on choice. Instead of home-made breads and whitebait she was given a different complimentary canapé which was a pickled vegetable salad. She hadn’t had very good experiences with restaurants up until this point so, for her, the effort The Hand and Flowers team went to was really appreciated.

Looking forward to visit number four already!