Mi Casa Su Casa - Casa Negra

Casa Negra (@CasaNegraLDN)

54-56 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3QR

Bodega Negra was one of our most memorable recent meals in Central London. I don't think that it was really down to the food. Don't get me wrong, we had some great dishes that night - the soft shell crab tacos stood out particularly - but it was more the combination of ambience, decor, service and music which made that evening special. If I had the money to (it is staggeringly expensive), it would probably be a regular choice in Soho, which probably explains why it's one of the biggest celebrity draws in London.

Pescado Tacos

Courgette flower power

It's been a while since I've wrote up any of my recent culinary conquests, it's quite time consuming writing a thesis.. such an inconvenience! That's not to say I haven't been in the kitchen slicing my fingers with a peeler and getting burnt from splashing oil. 

One of my latest purchases has been quite a revelation, the Salt Yard book. It's now one of my most used, the mackerel escabeche a particular delight. Something I wanted to try out was the courgette flowers that I have every time I go back to Opera Tavern, however trying to source them is a absolute pain. Until I randomly came across them at a farmers market opposite UCL. Check Wildco out HERE if you want to know where they are, got some nice cavolo nero from them as well.

The recipe is fairly simple as long as you are delicate with the flowers, if buying make sure you check the integrity, and few packets had flowers that were pretty much decimated. Not ideal, especially at £2.50 for 4.

Fantastic Feasts: Dinner by Heston

Dinner by Heston

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

This was the second of our visits to Heston Blumenthal's London outpost (the first was 2 years ago).  In the time since our last visit it has rapidly picked up a Michelin Star as well as places on some pretty impressive lists. Rather than take full control over the venture himself, Heston has delegated a significant amount of control to Dinner executive chef is Ashley Palmer Watts, a Fat Duck alumnus who is beginning to gain a name for himself in the food festival circuit (he did a demonstration at the Taste Lab, for example).

Brown Bread Ice Cream

Gogi Korean Grill

Gogi

451 Edgware Road, Little Venice,W2 1TH

While many trendy places seem to be taking up Korean style influences (gochujang anyone?) actual Korean restaurants, still don't seem to be that well received with the gen-pop other than ex-pats. This might be due to the fact that their menus are always a mine field to negotiate, I normally go with someone who knows exactly what to order, their English translations often not enticing as the actual dish. 

Gogi is a new Korean Grill restaurant in leafy Little Venice. A little out of the way for most people but it's nice there are areas like this in London, everyone seems a lot less stressed walking along the canal, albeit predominately middle class.

Let me tell you a Story

Restaurant Story (@Rest_Story)
201 Tooley Street, SE1 2UE

I wasn't even meant to go. It was a scheduling conflict on Owen's part (would you turn down conference networking on the top deck of Tower Bridge? Thought not!), that prevented him from going. Not wanting to miss out on such a hot London ticket (memories of Dabbous abounded), me and Nathalie fulfilled the reservation on his behalf.