Review: The Real Food Festival 2011, London

But sometimes, I need some real food.

Readers of our blog may have noticed that we enjoy attending food and drink events. There are several reasons why.  Firstly, there are extraordinary foods which are struggling to attract attention, which you will not find in your local supermarket. Secondly, we are firm believers in buying local produce to support local businesses and economies. Thirdly, we love how these events can stimulate your mind as well as your taste buds.  To add to all of that, there are obvious perks of meeting new people, trying new foods and learning a fact or three through cooking demonstrations.

The main downside tends to be the crowds or if the event falls into the commercial trap. The Real Food Festival was all of the pros with none of the cons.

We began our afternoon at 12:30pm by visiting “My Daddy Cooks” father and son duo Nick and Archie Coffer, who were demonstrating their Mexican lasagne and salmon and cream cheese pasta dish. Endearing Archie charmed the audience with his own take on the recipes; ripped tortilla with chocolate and salmon and cream cheese, also with chocolate.

After the demonstration, we ambulated through the aisles grazing and nibbling our way around. We stoped at various workshops one of which was a talk on parmesan and wine from the Douro region in Portugal. Christina Pickard resident wine-expert on the Good Food channel’s “Market Kitchen” was the presenter. Her engaging style and interesting subject matter had the audience enthralled. There was a light hearted competition at the end to win cheese and a recipe book.  It was probably unfair of us to have entered given we are wine and food bloggers, but all is fair in food and freebies! We stopped answering the questions eventually and allowed others to have a go.

We have to say there were some amazing independent Food producers.  Favourites, which caught are eyes were as follows:

The Cornish Crisp Company for crunchy, non-greasy crisps packed with authentic flavours. The spicy chili would be perfect laden with humus. We were also pleased that the company donate to local charities with every packet bought. Yet another reason why it was an obvious winner. 

Naturally, we visited the Bordeaux wine stall and tasted a charming Pomerol 2007 and fruity Merlot 2009. There was no pressure to buy, but an opportunity to enjoy and learn.

Not only do Original Beans produce high quality, premium chocolate, but the founder Philip Kauffman is dedicated and passionate about conservation. We can not wait to get cooking with our chocolate or indulge in a cheeky intensely rich slab or two. A 70g bar is about £4.50, so it is not cheap, but the quality more than compensates.

Street food is en vogue at the moment, and we felt Zayti is on to a winning formula with their middle east meets west sweet and savoury delights. We tried a melt in the mouth Turkish chocolate brownie, which was exquisite. Rich dark chocolate melted into the fruity Turkish delight. We wish them every success, as we will need to have a second helping of the brownie in the future.

Arancini Brothers brought fabulous, crispy coated risotto balls of fun to the festival. They were just about the best “snacks” we have tasted for a while. Move over falafel and enter stage right risotto balls served in a wrap and lathered with home made chili salsa and garlic mayonnaise.

Other than gin, which is a favourite in the Wennie household, St Germain (elderflower liqueur) is hugely popular. If you do not have a bottle for your summer barbecue Champagne aperitif cocktails, you must get one. Delicious. Refreshing. Inspiring.

Out of all the food events we have attended, this was rather good fun and we returned home with sore shoulders from carrying our spoils. We would have probably appreciated the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine from an independent English wine company; perhaps from a sparkling wine bar. Most of the wine stalls were standing only and it would have been good to take a load off for half an hour to soak in the atmosphere.  We want to say not to go next year in order to protect one of the downsides we mention above, but then we just won’t be fulfilling our blog’s aim. If you did not make it this year, pencil in this weather-proof food event for next year. Fantastic fun!

Review: The Champagne Bar at One New Change

The pink Champagne on ice

When Keith I heard there was a Champagne Bar opening at One New Change, adjaent to St Paul’s Cathedral, we were restless until we locked down a date to partake in trying the establishment.  Searcy’s, the company behind the bar, are continuing to expand their ever growing empire. Their formula is genius. They appeal to people who now and again desire to feel special, especially when celebrating. Searcy’s are also credited with owning the largest Champagne bar in Europe (situated at St Pancras Station). When we stopped by last Friday, with a friend, we were surprised to find that there were no hoards of thirsty punters also clambering for honey coloured liquid sustenance. Instead, there were pockets of people who were relaxing into the weekend.

We were shown to a table and the staff were immediately attentive. We selected a Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée Grand Cru NV (£85). Bruno Paillard founded in the early 1980s are a relatively new Champagne house.  Although comparatively small alongside the Bollingers, Taittingers and Lansons of the world, they have managed to elevate themselves to a prestigious and reputable status. The Champagne was served in elegant, elongated lily shaped stemmed glasses.  We were not expecting for the Champagne to be as tart as it was, but that first sip was heaven. Whether it was the brightness on the nose which instantly alighted us, or the green apple crispness, citrus and peach, we could hear the weekdays’ shackles click and unlock. 

Worthy of note were the impressive list of Champagnes by the glass, as well as by the bottle.  Finding a decent selection of Champagnes (and wines for that matter) by the glass is an ongoing challenge for most oenophiles. However, Searcy’s lists include Bruts, rosés, vintage, blanc de blancs, demi sec, prestige cuvée as well as decantable Champagnes.  Impressive.  It sounds oxymoronic to say there are Champagnes to suit all budgets.  Do not worry if Champagne is not number one on your drink list; Searcy’s also offer a limited range of beers, wines and cocktails.

Having polished off the first bottle amidst animated chatter, we then selected a Philipponnat Rosé (NV) (£75). We were feeling peckish, so ordered a large mixed seafood plate (£12), large charcuterie plate (£12) and foie gras marinated in green peppercorns (£6.50).  You may think that everything we have listed sounds plenty for three, but we were not wowed by the nibbles verus the price.  The seafood platter was the best of the three.  In particular the prawns were meaty, chunky and fresh.  The crab (served in the jar), was an endearing idea but tasted bland and unseasoned.  You would have expected a lemon segment, but there was nothing.  The Charcuterie plate only had two slices of each type of cured meat, so not much of a sharing plate– none of which were outstanding.  The foie gras, should have been the highlight.  It had a beautiful glistening tanned sheen. However, it too had no discernible taste. Conversely, the Philipponnat Champagne was fantastically effervescent and sprightly.  It was perfectly balanced, which made it a pleasure to drink.

Our biggest let down came towards the end of our visit.  At eleven o’clock on the dot we were presented with our bill without having asked for it.  After spending over two hundred pounds we found this rude and unnecessary. The service up until that point had been impeccable, some may have argued, even over the top.  Having a bill presented to us without having asked for it is wholly unacceptable.

It did feel strange to be staring across at a North face clothing store and Wasabi noodle and sushi bar, whilst sipping Champagne.  We would have preferred to be slightly more cocooned from the shopping mall. The food is not worth returning for at all, but the appeal of Searcy’s Champagne Bar at One New Change, is the instant availably to a decent range of Champagnes by the glass as well as en vogue restaurants at close range.  Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa and Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen (soon to open) will make this bar an ideal setting for budding Romeos attempting to woo their Juliet or groups celebrating a special occasion.

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Review: Breakfast at St. John Hotel

John St. John be cool

Anticipation. That is what we felt for the ultra-long awaited opening of St John’s Hotel in Leicester Square.  They were due to swing their doors open in November to the public, but yesterday St John’s finally put an end to the waiting.  As we crossed Leicester Square this morning, we witnessed the clean up operation from the night before.  I remarked to Keith that we had never been here so early in the morning and he chuckled “no, only when we have been still been out from the night before”.  Leicester Square used to feel exciting and glamorous when we were teenagers, but today, weaving through shards of broken glass, pigeons feeding on vomit and suspect pools of water (did it rain last night?), we did not feel the sophistication of movie / theatre land. Nonetheless, Leicester Square remains a popular iconic part of London and tourists appear to love it. Thus, it is prime real estate for a hotel. 

Sparking off its own hype, St John’s have described their breakfast as “no afterthought” on their website, which is why we found ourselves in the center of London at eight thirty on a Sunday morning.  The hotel cast the bait with their audacious self-proclamation and we took it. The facade of St John’s has always been pristine, white decor and today’s setting was no different. The rectangular dining hall was lined at one end with an open kitchen.  Pools of light flooded into the room.  Unfortunately, what comes in, must go out.  Visible through the windows were unsightly bins, orange traffic cones, broken beer bottles and pavement works.  Might we suggest frosted glass, just up to the eye line?  It would be a preferable canvas for the restaurant’s clientele.  I shudder to think what “entertainment” supper diners may have inflicted on them in the evenings.  White washed walls can be considered sterile and cold. I wore my coat for the first half an hour until the warmth of the kitchen seeped over the counter. 

At the time of booking, we were told that our turnaround time would be one hour fifteen minutes, so we felt under pressure to keep the food flowing. It took a while for someone to take our latte orders, but when they arrived, the coffee was of excellent quality.  It was a shame that the cups were so small.  We usually have the grande size in the morning, but the serving was probably less than you might expect from an after dinner cappuccino. Incidentally, we ended up ordering two each.  The most talked about aspect of the breakfast are the buns. The warmed buns could be described as English style circular croissants. Our selection consisted of three mouth-watering flavours; Plain, fruit and spiced.  They were simply delicious.  The outer shell was firm with a light crunch, whilst the inside consisted of layers of buttery pastry. I fear I will have nightmares tonight that I may never be able to eat them again.  In particular, the spiced bun with seville jam was very reminiscent of Christmas.  I almost wished it had been Yuletide.

We followed the buns with a hot course.  Keith chose the ham, eggs and fried bread, whilst I picked the Arbroath smokie.  The ham, from Tamworth, was very simply cooked.  It was exceptional quality and it did not taste as if had been interfered with. The fried bread was crisp but not saturated in oil. The fried eggs were also of a high standard.  The yolks were rich and creamy. I thoroughly enjoyed my Arbroath smokie, which was haddock, mashed potatoes and egg, smothered in a creamy sauce infused with fish liquor.  As the dish was served in a bowl, a half slice of bread would have been great to mop up all of the scrumptious sauce. I would also heed the food staff to remove all fish bones. A few caught me out.  I found it to be a wonderfully warming and comforting dish. It too, had an underlining wintry feel to it.  Yes, we were more than satisfied by our dishes, but there were aspects which felt incongruous compared to the spring cerulean blue skies.  We could not imagine many customers choosing this dish at the height of summer.

St John’s was not cheap.  Our meal cost us £52.00 including tips. Unfortunately, the service was patchy.  There were members of staff who appeared experienced and savvy, whilst there were a few who seemed to be merely wandering around.  I found what appeared to be an acrylic hair in my food.  Later the staff identified the foreign item as a pastry brush bristle. The incident was dealt with professionally and quickly.  The quality of the food was excellent and the buns were heavenly (£7.50 for 3 buns), but you are paying for the privilege of being in the milieu of London.  The least you can do is enjoy the buns and ask for a double latte.

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Review: Ideal Home Show (March 11th - 27th 2011)

Oh won't you please take me home

We have been to the Ideal Homes fifteen times, which is quite a number of visits for two thirty something year olds. We started going to the Exhibition as teenagers who knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together and share a home. The exhibition follows a similar format to recent years, that is splitting the event into several aspects of your home life from food, to decorating, gardening, home improvement to name a few.  In recent years, we have noticed the show shrinking in terms of stalls, but there is still plenty there to keep you and your family busy.  Despite the fact that we are in the middle of a major renovation project ourselves, we mainly concentrated on the food aspects, although we did a complete lap of the venue.

We began our journey in the food gadget section.  The wide display of titanium pans, hot plates, electric blenders were impressive.  It never fails to surprise us that people purchase such gadgets and then proceed to cart them around for the whole day. I guess if I were mugged on the way home I would prefer to be armed with a ten inch steel pan than a mop with innovative micro fibre technology.  Nonetheless there were still the usual hoards of people brandishing mops and in charge of knives sets, which would otherwise make ordinary citizens nervous.

We had caught Paul Rankin at the Ideal Celebrity Chef Theatre. We love that man's potato cakes. They could possibly be the best invention ever brought to the breakfast table. He expertly chopped and stirred his way through a wholesome pasta dish plus starter and dessert. What a legend. A show pleaser was Master Chef 2010 Champion Dhruv Baker's session on Sunday roast. The audience love this man! He prepared an eclectic Sunday spicy rack of lamb roast with beetroot. If he had offered to feed the audience, he would have had no problems sharing his wears as they were eating out of his hands! In fact a slightly inebriated lady to the left of me (with plastic pint of lager to match) was being restrained by her husband, so that she did not rush the stage. Luckily, she was too intoxicated to notice.  

There are so many food stalls in the ideal homes. It is worth taking the opportunity to navigate yourself through the mire and seek out the best food, not just scoffing an ordinary burger and chips.  A stall which caught our eye was Aromas Catering, based in Park Royale, who have been running their catering business for two years. We tried a spicy chicken, onion, capsicum dish of medium heat served with naan bread–  Lovely authentic food, and not run of the mill.

We love good healthy foods and Munchy Seeds had quite a selection of guilt free crunchy snacks (available in Waitrose, Tesco and Lakelands).  A couple of teaspoons and you can at least pretend you made an attempt at healthy living before you turn to the macaroon stall.   

http://www.munchyseeds.co.uk/ 

There are several options to try wines, spirits and beers, so if you are a oenophile, you can have a time out from the crowds and treat yourself. 

When it is snack time, we would also recommend Med Food Ltd, who displayed a mouthwatering selection of authentic foods, including cashew chili and sea salt, an impressive array of olives, sun dried tomatoes, baklava and more.

An interesting lunch option if you favour buying British as we do often is The Bath Pig, who specialise in free trade cured meats.  Their chorizo, made from british pork, are gluten free.  Flavours range from original, spicy paprika, garlic & herb and were seriously good. Ciabatta sandwiches with chorizo, peppers, rocket were available throughout the day.  Perfect if you were nursing a hang-over. 

http://www.thebathpig.com/

Chocolate and Love were probably the friendliest of all the chocolatiers. As we nibbled on a taster, the lady demonstrating the product advised us to suck not chew (he said). We are fans of dark fair trade, organic chocolate.  Chocolate and Love also run chocolate tasting classes and have a great piece on their website on how to extract the most from your chocolate. 

http://www.chocolateandlove.com/

Lastly, no Ideal Home Show visit is complete without a pie.  Flavour of the day were the Crusty Pie based in Halifax, who were established over twenty years ago.  Their pies keep for 5 days refrigerated and are freezable. We picked a Gloucestershire Old Spock pie to go and warmed it in our oven that evening for dinner.

http://www.crustypie.co.uk/shop/

Our one moment of food unhappiness was the afternoon tea with Champagne.  We are afternoon tea enthusiasts, so we have high standards. The staging of the tea was set in the centre of the show and looked impressive from the first floor mezzanine.  I enquired with the waitress what was on offer (incidentally she looked exhausted) and she muttered something about cakes, scones and Moet.  We persevered and were advised that we had to go to a counter to order.  Yes, it was all rather bizarre.  The final straw was the dirty, plastic table cloths.  Aghast, we walked out. 

The Ideal Homes Show has so many unusual food lovers opportunities.  The aforementioned places were stalls that caught our eye, but we could not try everything. If you want to settle for a simple burger and chips that is fine, but one can also indulge in Ostrich burgers, authentic spicy curries, and flavours from around the globe.  You can bring another dimension to your home and in years gone by, we have been sourced amazing tantilising, finds; Canadian maple syrup, herbs galore and spicy nuts to name a few.  Be bold with your choices and enjoy the event.

Opening Times
10am-6pm daily
Late Night Thursdays open until 9pm

Ticket Prices
	Door	Advance
Weekday Adult	£16	£11
Weekend Adult	£18	£13
Weekday Concession (Over 60's)	£12	£10
Weekend Concession (Over 60's)	£14	£12
Children Under 15	Free	Free
Late Night Thursday Open until 9pm	£5 after 5pm	£5 after 5pm

Giveaway: Two tickets to the Ideal Home Show 2011 up for grabs!

In an ideal home

We're very pleased to be doing our very first official giveaway. Thanks to DULUX, we are giving away a pair of tickets to the show in Earls Court that will get you in for absolutely nothing!

We love the Ideal Homes Show and go almost every year to get some inspiration for our home. Its a great opportunity (end excuse) to grab some fun gizmos for the kitchen too.

How to Win:

To be in with a chance to grab the pair of tickets, all you need to do is one of the following

• Leave a comment on this post or 
• Send us a tweet to @WenniesAffairs with the words "Ideal Homes Tickets Please!" 

Entries must be in before midnight (GMT) on Sunday 13th March 2011. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email (if you comment) or direct message via Twitter (so that means you will need to follow us).

Please don't leave your email address in the comment itself! Use the email field which we will have access to but will be hidden from view.

For further information on who is at the show, ticket prices, floor plans and directions then you can visit the official web site

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Review: Brightwell Vineyard Tasting Evening at Artisan & Vine

Blue moon, keep shining bright-well Blue moon, keep on shining bright

For a number of years we have kept a keen eye on English wines. We had first encountered an English sparkling wine three years ago at Aubergine in Kensington, as it was served as their House Champagne, and we fell in love with the light refreshing flavour.

In recent months we have been eager to learn more and researched English wine tastings.  Artisan and Vine in Clapham happened to be hosting and promoting a series of English vineyard nights over the coming months. As North Londoners with full time jobs, a mid-week trek to Clapham in South London was daunting, but we can confirm it was well worth the schlep.  The evening that we chose was dedicated to Brightwell Vineyards in Oxford, who own fourteen acres of land and produce thirty thousand bottles per year.

We began the evening with a sparkling Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs).  We were immediately surprised by the unexpected light, but acidic flavour. Very quickly we realised we had to adjust our expectations. The sparking wine had a hint of green apples and vanilla, but very dry.  There were nibbles of focaccia and green olives laid out on the table, but in the home we would have paired this with shellfish, perhaps oysters.  

I have to say we were on an excellent table of wine lovers; a couple who own a pub and another who were in year two of owning a vineyard.  We were set for a great night.

The starter consisted of golden beetroot and goat's curd, sprinkled with pine-nuts, served with a perfectly chilled glass of the Crispin.  In our opinion, this was probably the best of all the courses as every aspect clicked.  The Crispin is similar to an easy drinking Pinot Grigio.  It is made partly from Reichensteiner (no, it's not a heavy metal band) which is a hybrid of a number of grapes developed form Reisling.  Despite its acidity there was a softness to this wine with the salad.  Golden beetroot is having a revival at the moment and it brought an appealing sweet freshness to the dish, whilst the curd and pine nuts cut through the acid to balance the entire course.

The fish course was squid served with fregola and blood orange, paired with a 2009 Oxford Flint.  The Oxford Flint is a hybrid of Huxelrebe and Chardonnay grapes and is described by Brightwell as being in the style of a Loire Valley wine. It has also won the International Wine & Spirit Competition Bronze Medal 2010 and the Decanter Bronze 2007.  The marinated squid and sweet, but tangy blood orange were excellent with the crisp dry Oxford Flint.  The meatiness of the squid was perfect with the Chardonnay elements of the wine.  We also loved the scattered bean-like fregola, which added another dimension to the dish. Our only complaints was that the squid was slightly too tough.  Overall there was a lovely melange of flavours, well matched to the Oxford Flint.

Brightwell's red wine is the Oxford Regatta, which was accompanying Suffolk salt-march lamb, spiny artichoke and sorrel.  I think it is best to talk about the wine first as it sets the scene for the rest of the course.  The Oxford Regatta was likened to a Pinot Noir. The aroma of the red wine on the nose was slightly mildewy and of course it had a knock on effect on our palate.  There was a bitter foxiness which lingered unpleasantly.  We were having a laugh on our table and concluded that we needed more alcohol, so after a democratic vote bought another bottle of wine.   We chose a Bajondillo which was superb (c.£20).  On the the nose was a beautiful waft of caramel and it tasted buttery, fruity and was simply delicious.  Yes, we had been naughty, but as you can imagine, like a giant magnifying glass this held up every flaw in the Oxford Regatta.  It was obvious the grapes in the Regatta had not seen enough sunshine to impart body into the wine.  The Regatta had been soaked in oak for seven months in an attempt to beef out the wine, but there is an unfortunate obvious question;  Why bother struggling through a bottle of English red wine, when there are obvious other great wines in the world. Up until now, the chef had done a great job in creating the perfect dishes with the wines.  I think he must have struggled here.  Lamb was probably the lightest meat the chef could have prepared, but probably the most ideal pairing should have been a meaty white fish.  He had also opted for light seasoning maybe in an attempt to not strangle the wine.  There were to many compromises made in the food. I am not going to comment further on this dish, as I do not blame the chef for falling down at this hurdle.  A carpenter is only as good as his tools.

For dessert we had the Oxford Rosé, served with white chocolate and fennel seed panna cotta, and poached rhubarb.   The rosé had a beautiful bubble gum colour.  It had a lively, subtle berry finish, again with the light acidic edge which was becoming a recogniseable trait of the English wines.  It immediately conjured images of strawberry desserts at summer barbecues. The rich white chocolate panna cotta dessert with its soft peak texture was very enjoyable. The liquorice fennel was very subtle.  Fennel appears to be en vogue at the moment, especially in desserts.  It worked well with the chocolate and fleshy, juicy rhubarb. 

We had an entertaining, interesting and fun-filled evening courtesy of Artisan and Vine.  We believe that the series of wine events they have undertaken is very ambitious and we commend them for their efforts.  Four courses with wine pairings and an aperitif for £29.95 was a bargain, but each glass was only half full.  I would rather have had a full glass with each course and paid £50.  Fifty millilitres was not enough to see us through the course and the wait to the next dish.  Artisan and Vine is one of those wine bars you wish was in your neighbourhood.  It is refreshingly elegant, adventurous, with an excellent wine list and fun.  If we could steal it and move it to North London, we would in a flash.

Find out more about Artisan & Vine's Best of English Meet the Winemaker Series

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Review: Nopi, Yotam Ottolenghi's Adventure into combining Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine with a European twist

No-pi in the sky

Nopi is the new buzz of Soho and the brain child of Ramael Scully, head chef, and Sarit Packer and Yotam Ottolenghi, executive chefs. The modern decor of Nopi with shiny brass fittings, marble and white washed walls and open kitchen (in the basement), befits the brasserie's eclectic feel.  The Nopi headline is that it “tyically” specialises in bringing together Middle East and Asian cuisine in a casual, but stylish brasserie ambience. The dishes are mezes style (small plates) priced between £8 and £12. The restaurant recommends three dishes per person. We chose:

• Seared scallops, pickled daikon, green apple (£12)
• Grilled sea bream, fresh coconut, mint and peanut salad (£9)
• Burrata, blood orange, coriander seeds (£7)
• Raw brussels sprouts, oyster mushrooms, quail eggs (£9)
• Ossobuco, sage and parmesan polenta (£12)
• Brasied lamb meatballs, yoghurt sauce, pomegranate seeds (£9)

The perfectly cooked cushions of scallops were considerable in size and served with a crunchy salad of bitter radish, peppery daikon, tart apple and topped with sweet chilli jam. We chose an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Laurenz V 2009 (£7.25 per glass) to accompany the seafood dishes. It was a perfect choice. The refreshing and mild hints of grass and spritz of lemon suited the light, delicate scallops and salad, but was also complimentary with the spiciness of the jam.

The succulent grilled sea bream was beautifully fluffy yet firm. It would have been amazing had it been served on its own.  The coconut in the salad was a little too subtle, but the crunch of peanuts (in a spicy brittle) and heat of the chillies saved it from blandness.  The real crowd pleaser are the mint leaves, which are a stroke of genius.  Bravo!  Again, the Grüner Veltliner in its satisfying, versatile white wine capacity, was a formidable accompaniment to the meatiness of the sea bream. 

The ball of Burrata (mozzarella and cream) had a satin, soft texture and as you can image was amazingly creamy. The crisp breads were subtly spicy and the sweetness of the blood orange was just the right tone.  Too much citrus and tart and it would have overwhelmed the rich cheese.  The drizzle of olive oil and smattering of coriander seeds were the final elements which tied the dish together. Heaped on a the crisp bread with a leaf of watercress you had no idea where it would take you, but it worked.

At this point we were scratching our heads (in a metaphorical, not unhygienic kind of way).  What the hell were we eating?  Italian, Japanese, Asian. The list went on.  We were having a confused moment from the eclectic dishes. We felt we should take issue, but every plate we had tasted to far was fun and interesting.  We were enjoying the taste sensation surprises. We noticed there were no salt or pepper mills on the table.  It pleased us.  It meant that Ottolenghi had wanted the dishes to taste just as presented, seasoning and all.  In addition, when the plates were presented to us the waitress advised against trying the ingredients on their own.  Rather, she suggested that to make the dish “pop” we should try a soupcon of each element of the dish.  Her advice was well received. 

Next up were the brussel sprouts.  You may not believe that we readily chose this, but we did.  We love brussels and Heston's method of cooking them involved shredding so we thought why not?  Continuing the head scratching and gormless looks of disbeliefs, the dish consisted of meaty oyster mushrooms, rich beads of poached quail egg and shavings of nutty Spanish manchego cheese.  It has never occurred to us to eat raw brussels, but the salads composition was very smart and came together like the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra playing Metallica.  Again, it just worked, incongruous warts and all. 

We had problems choosing our wines as the range of flavours of our dishes meant that it was hard to pair accurately.  In the end we settled for an Italian Monte di Grazia, Campania 2007 (£39). This thrilling wine is made from old vines, so as you can imagine was very robust.  The aroma was astonishing; caramalised sugared cream. On the palate one could taste minerals, leather but also plums and dark berries.  We figured that even if it did not pair well with our choices, it would at least be delicious. 

Ossobuco, a braised veal dish with vegetables was the penultimate of the tapas dishes. The veal was tender and soft in a warming subtle spiced sage coating.  The polenta had a citrus zing along with the flavoursome parmesan.  Last but not least were the lamb meatballs, which were imbued with cinnamon, cumin, pinenuts and sprinkled generously with droplets of ruby pomegranate seeds.  The spiced yoghurt coating itself caused a division in the ranks.  Keith loved it, whilst I thought it tasted cheap.  For me, the spice did not infuse with the yoghurt, but sat on it, rather than in it.  It is a shame really, as this meat balls look mouth watering. I think the solution is as simple as the chefs blending the spices into the yoghurt better.

For desserts we chose churros, fennel sugar and hot chocolate.  The churros were slightly overcooked.  They should be crispy on the outside with a light fluffiness on the inside.  Nonetheless, we had great fun dunking into the pot of velvet chocolate and then dipping in the fennel. I am fussy about fennel, mainly as I do not enjoy liquorice, but the flavours themselves came together very well.  If they can perfect the doughnut cooking process, they will be on to a winner.

The other dessert we chose was chocolate, peanut brittle, mace and crème fraiche.  If menus were advertisements, then there would have been several complaints to the British Advertising Commission.  The chocolate was actually a cakey dark chocolate mousse, which was fine, but nowhere on the menu was the word “mousse” used.  We also expected chunks of peanut brittle, but instead it had been beaten within an inch of its life. The crème fraiche was unoffensive but did not add anything to the dish.  Together, it was a little disappointing after the ingenuity of the mains.

Nopi is amongst one of the most interesting restaurants we have been to in a while. We are not sure for how much longer they can continue selling it as “typically” Middle East meets Asia, as there are many other strong regional influences on each of the plates.  Each dish was an experimental delight and we love to see Chefs break the rules and succeed.  This was not a food scientist moment, rather the musings of a cupid chef who encourages foods of all genres to indulge in each other.  The service was slow to commence, but our waitress was polite, friendly and well versed in selling the dishes. By the way, enjoy the toilets, they are hauntingly strange in a Japanese horror film way, but again it is all fun, fun, fun– and it will put a smile on your face.

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