Tuesday 30 April 2013

Travel Nibbles: 'The Bobbin'

Hey Everyone,
         It's Tuesday!

This week, I'm still reviewing in London, England but my travel photos are telling me I may just be heading to the land of spaghetti next week.

'The Bobbin'
Where: 1-3 Lillieshall Rd, Clapham Common, London SW4 0LN Website: http://www.thebobbinclapham.com/

       This week I embark on another must when in the United Kingdom. Yes, that's right, it's Sunday Roast. 
        By this stage, we've had one busy week doing the usual tourist-y thing so Sunday was relaxing day. We had reservations for 3pm so I was quite the hungry hippo by this stage.
        When I lay my eyes on 'The Bobbin' it really hit that I was in England. It's just like I've always imagined an English pub to be. When you walk in, the staff immediately greet you and the ambience is just so heart-warming and home-like. Every table has a cute pot of flowers and the mix between their plaid chairs and blue wall/ chairs just makes it so cosy.
       'The Bobbin' also offers scotch eggs on their menu but unfortunately, we were too late and they had sold out. 
       I ordered the 'roast pork with apple sauce, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding'. While my poor photography skills does not do the dish justice, this roast was amazing. The pork was sweet and tender, the crackling was crisp, the Yorkshire pudding soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, vegetables cooked to perfection and top that off with a gravy that wasn't salty and just complimented all the aspects of the dish? Best roast I have ever had. 

Roast pork with apple sauce, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding.
My cousin, Kelly on the other hand ordered the 'roast beef with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding'. I didn't taste much of hers but from what I could see, the beef was the perfect medium-rare. I have a picture below but, I was probably so hungry I had the shakes and thus, another terrible picture. I might also add that Kelly isn't a massive fan of sauces and she gobbled that gravy up like it was water. So well done, 'The Bobbin.'


Hunger = shakes = poor picture of 'Roast Beef' dish.
        Both roasts I believe were around the 13-15 GBP mark (approx. 18-21 AUD) so not too bad at all for good quality and generous portion. If I was in the area, I would gladly visit 'The Bobbin' again and perhaps try their other dishes. 
        We also tried their 'Chocolate lava cake with ice cream' which was quite good. The chocolate centre melted smoothly as soon as we dug in and the richness of the chocolate was balanced by the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, we ate most of it before I remembered to take a picture but, you just have to trust me on this one. 
         All in all, it was a wonderful first pub experience and I would totally recommend 'The Bobbin.'

Hope you're all having a lovely week and speak to you all soon.

Jo x.

Saturday 27 April 2013

How to: Banana Bread

Hey Everyone,

          I have a foodfession to make. I am obsessed with bananas. Bananas for breakfast, lunch and dinner all day, everyday. Which is why I want to share with you all my 'Banana bread' recipe full of mushy goodness.

What you will need:
This is the full recipe. I used only half of the recipe because I ran out of bananas. oops. No idea how that happened...
- 1/4 cup brown sugar 
- 4 bananas 
- 3 eggs 
- 1 Tbs. of bi-carb soda 
- 1 Tbs. of cinnamon 
- 120g butter (melted) 
- 1 and 1/2 cups self- raising flour
- 1 Tbs. of milk
    optional: handful of nuts of your choice (85g). I used crushed up peanuts for this recipe.
          I used a 25cm x 12.5cm x 6cm rectangular tin but, for the full recipe, you can use two of these tins or any larger tin of your choice.

How to:
1. Preheat oven 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced if possible)
2. Line your tin with baking paper
3. Mash those bananas in a medium to large mixing bowl (I used a potato masher but, a fork should do since the best bananas are the super ripe)
From this
to mush


4. Whisk together melted butter and eggs in a separate bowl. It should look like orange juice
5. Add the egg/ butter mixture and milk with the mushy bananas and mix until well combined
6. Sieve in the rest of the ingredients; sugar, cinnamon, bi-card soda and flour.
              Note: I only use a small amount of sugar as the bananas are a natural sweetener for this recipe when ripe. But, feel free to add more if you prefer to.
Sifting in the dry ingredients, I put the peanuts in there too so, just ignore that and pop them in after sifting.
7. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture ensuring that everything is combined well

I fold instead of vigorously mixing to allow as air bubbles to form to ensure the mixture rises
8. Pour mixture into tin and smooth out using your spatula

Mixture should look like over-watered oatmeal

Mixture hits about half-way up the tin



















9. Pop your mixture into the oven for approx. 35 minutes. Check to see if the cake is cooked by poking a skewer into the loaf, coming out clean.
       Note: For full recipe, it should take about 1 hr. Check with a skewer at 45 minutes.
10. Leave on a rake to cool down for 15 minutes before serving.

Yum yum in my tum tum,. Makes approx. 8-10 servings. It's quite small height wise but, with a full recipe it should be double this
Nibble away!
         Hope you try this recipe and comment below if you do! It is honestly so simple and comes out moist every time. Perfect for breakky or some afternoon tea.
         Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Nibble away,
Jo x.


Tuesday 23 April 2013

Travel Nibbles: 'The Fish Club' Review

Hey Everyone!
What's a visit to England without having some good ol' Fish and Chips?


'The Fish Club' Review
Where: 57 Clapham High Street, SW4 7TG    Website: http://www.thefishclub.com/index.html

           Fish and chips was one of the things I had to eat while in England and I'm glad I chose 'The Fish Club' to lose the experience with. 'The Fish Club' takes pride in their earning as one of the top '50 restaurants in London on Timeout's website 2011' and the constant flow of customers certainly shows. 
           From the outside, 'The Fish Club' looks quite dimly lit from the outside however, as soon as you walk in the restaurant's backdrop immediately makes you feel like you're somewhere by the sea. From their wooden tables, white and blue painted ship's wheel and beach themed props you can pretty much smell the ocean. The staff are also very attentive and quickly show us to our table and explained the specials for the night.
           For my drink, I ordered the Traditional Lemonade (2.75 GBP) which was not my cup of tea. I was expecting a freshly made glass of lemonade but instead it came from a bottle. It was slightly fizzy and had a very sharp, sour lemon taste that did not compliment the meal well. But, if those sour Warhead lollies are you're thing this drink is for you.

Cute Tomato sauce dispenser! 
'Traditional Lemonade' (Approx. $4 AUD)
                                                                                                             


            For a shared entree, we ordered the 'FishClub calamari' (6.95 GBP.) It had a lovely crispy batter but apart from the crunch there was no wow factor in terms of taste. It says that the calamari was coated in spanish flour and smoke paprika but none of those ingredients shown through so I would give this a miss next time I'm there.

'FishClub calamari' (Approx. $10 AUD)

        The other entree was the 'FishClub soup'. I believe this can be found on their 'Specials' menu for the day and not on their usual menu. Silly me, I did not document the price so another lost dish. But dont fret, you're not missing out on much here as I can't even recall any details about this dish so, nothing special here.

'FishClub Soup' Another blunder.
        Now, up to the main meal. I ordered the battered Haddock (7.70 GBP) with a side of chips (2.25 GBP). This was delectable. Amazing crispy batter that wasn't too oily and the fish tasted so fresh. The batter is thicker than what the Aussie fish and chips are like but, I think the thick crust added more texture to the dish. It was made to order so steaming hot and I after two slightly disappointing starts to the night, this was definitely a winner. While the chips did not have the same crunch, the potato inside was so soft and creamy, I pretty much demolished this in a heart beat.
             I do also have to mention the 'Sweet potato chips' that my cousin ordered as a side with her battered fish. This was certainly one of the champions of the night. I have had several awful experience with sweet potato chips. They were always so soggy and tasted stale. These 'Fish Club' ones were amazing. They were as creamy and soft as their white potato fries and even had a better crunch. The sweet ones always come first.

Battered 'Haddock' with Chips (Approx. $15 AUD together)
        So, it wouldn't be dinner without dessert. It also didn't help that their homemade ice cream had a 3 scoops for 5 GBP deal. We picked the 'Very Vanilla,' 'Chunky Chocolate,' and 'Salted Caramel.' The 'Very Vanilla' was your standard vanilla ice cream something I could buy at the supermarket. The 'Chunky Chocolate' was indeed chunky with blocks of chocolate throughout. I liked that it wasn't so sweetly rich that I could have become diabetic so, good on you 'Fish Club!' The 'Salted Caramel' on the other hand was definitely my favourite. The caramel flavour is quite potent but having the salty hit while the ice cream is mulling through my pallet was pure joy in my mouth.

'Very Vanilla, Chunky Chocolate and Salted Caramel.' (Approx. $7.30 AUD)
           Hope you all have a lovely week! Planning on posting some more sweet treats this week so if you haven't already, feel free to subscribe.

            Jo x.

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Travel Nibbles: 'Fortnum & Mason: The Gallery' Review

Hey Everyone,
       How about some tea?

Fortnum & Mason: 'The Gallery' Review
Where: Fortnum & Mason plc, 181 Piccadilly, London. W1A1ER.       Website: http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-
                                                                                                                                         159-the-gallery-fortnum-and-mason.aspx

             Fortnum & Mason is like the Laduree of Paris. Even at 4pm in the afternoon it was bustling with people, mostly tourists. Though, I do believe Her Majesty the Queen always has her afternoon tea here whenever she's in London so perhaps they're hoping to bump into her? 
          The building from the outside was already eye-catching. From the window display full of freshly baked scones and quirky props to when you first enter into the building is an experience in itself. If you love tea, chocolate, antique looking packaging for your keepsakes, this is the place to go.

Window Display
Window Displays 
          
          My cousin had managed to book us at reservation at 'The Gallery' for some afternoon tea. 'The Gallery' is just one in five restaurants where you can eat while inside of the Fortnum & Mason building. We ordered the 'Duo of scones' which consisted of one fruit scone, one plain scone, a serving of strawberry jam and dollop of Somerset clotted cream. I also ordered the 'Queen Anne Blend' Tea to go with my scones.
          To be quite honest, I had never thought much about scones. To me, they weren't anything special and I felt I could have easily baked a batch at home. Boy, was I wrong. These scones were amazing. They were soft, slightly warm and mix that with some jam and clotted cream, wow. The fruit scone was just the same. I savoured every single bite. You could see actual strawberry pieces in the jam so it felt very home-made and the spotted cream was so delicious! It was creamy, a hint of sweetness but it just melted in your mouth and I want more!

'Duo of Scones' 6.75GBP (Approx. $9.75 AUD)
         
Our Tea Party set-up.
          I also loved the fact that the tea came in a large silver teapot with a small strainer for the tea leaves as well. I felt like such a lady sitting there sipping on my tea. We were all sitting next to the window as well so perfect view of the other surrounding buildings. As for taste, I'm not an expert on tea so I can't comment much on the taste but it was definitely something I've never had before. It was quite strong, somewhere between a black and jasmine taste. If being adventurous is not your thing, 'The Gallery' also has a whole range of teas to choose from that include your typical black, earl grey etc.

'Queen Anne Blend' 5.75GBP (Approx. $8.40 AUD)
           Even after reading this and you think tea and scones is still not your thing, Fortnum & Mason does have five other levels not including 'The Gallery' level to explore. There are hand-made chocolates, an array of tea, biscuits and quirky souvenirs to take home.

Gearing up for Valentine's Day when we were there 
Hope you all have an spectacular day!
I think I'm going to go put the kettle on.
Jo x.

Saturday 13 April 2013

'Felix Bistro and Bar' Review.

"Felix Bistro and Bar" Review
Where: 2 Ash Street, Sydney, 2000.  Website: http://merivale.com.au/felix/


 Bonjour Mademoiselles and Miser!

          I have heard many rave reviews of "Felix" before finally experiencing the French brasserie for myself. "Felix Bistro and Bar" is one of Merivale's most highly-rated restaurants serving modern European cuisine with a one chef's hat rating added to it's name.
           I had been quite unorganised on my food endeavour but managed to secure a 9:30PM reservation on a bustling Friday night. Upon arrival, the detail in the surrounding back drop of "Felix Bistro and Bar" immediately caught my eye. To the dim light, the chairs to the ceiling and tiling felt so authentic as if we had teleported ourselves across the globe. To add to the Parisian atmosphere, the waiter that greeted my partner and I had a French-accent as well. I do love a good European accent, definitely added to the experience.
          To start off our feasting, I ordered the 'St. Daisy' cocktail ($18) which was a tad pricey but the balance between the mint, ginger, apple juice and Elderflower Liquer was delicious. I also liked the fact it came in a skinny jug and was at least three servings. My partner ordered the 'Homemade Ginger Ale' ($8) which was just right, not too sweet and complimented our dishes well.
       
Homemade Ginger Ale ($8)


St Daisy's ($18)












         






For the entree, I ordered the 'Chicken liver pate, current relish and cornicorns' ($16). This was by far the star of the night. The pate was creamy and melts in your mouth. Combined with the cranberries and pickled gherkins this dish is definitely a must.
           As for the second entree, my partner ordered the fish of the day. We asked the waiter for the name of the fish but, "Felix" was so loud, his answer was lost in the crowd. The fish was cooked to perfection with the skin as crispy as can be. The dish was fresh and the mussles, prawn and mushroom white sauce was flavoursome which really added an edge to the dish.

Chicken pate, current relish and cornicorns. ($16)
The fish of the day ($28)
              For mains, we went a bit food crazy. We ordered the 'Steak frites Rangers Valley sirloin and herb butter,' ($38 the 'Lamb pie, sauteed mushrooms and tarragon jus,' ($32) fries ($8) and a 'spinach and rocket salad with spanish onion, feta, croutons.' ($8)
              The Steak was cooked perfectly at medium rare. The meat was soft and seasoned well. I found the gravy too salty to accompany the steak and similar mistake with the fries which was smothered in salt. While the chips were cripsy, we were unable to finish the fries on my plate and also as our side. Overall, the steak was amazing, the accompanying aspects on the dish were a let down.
               The Lamb pie on the other hand was very different to anything I had ever tasted. The lamb was encased in a ball of pastry which sat on a bed of mushy peas and tarragon jus. The pastry casing was amazing. It had an great crust to it and combined with the tenderness of the lamb, it was delicious. On it's own, the lamb was again quite salty however, by mixing all the components together everything balances out.
                The Spinach and rocket salad was supposed to be our 'healthier' option. The amount of feta and dressing on this salad was generous to say to least. With that said, it was delicious and would gladly clog my arteries away. I felt quite sick after demolishing the majority of the dish but it was just scrumptious. If you like feta, you'll love this!
               We were so full by the end with our food babies, we couldn't fit in dessert. So silly of us. I do blame the late reservation for our fast chow down.
Steak frites Rangers Valley sirloin and herb butter ($38)
Lamb pie with sauteed mushrooms and tarragon jus ($32)
Mains are served

       Overall, it was a great experience with the chicken pate definitely reigning supreme. While it was a great atmosphere and experience it did leave quite the hole in our pockets. If you want the same experience but have a budget, they do offer a Prix Fixe menu that has set course prices from between 5:30PM- 6:30PM everyday.
     
Hope you all have an amazing weekend.
Au revoir!
Jo x.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Travel Nibbles: "Borough Market"

Hey everyone!

A week has flown by and it's Tuesday again already! I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and enjoyed feasting on some delicious food. Speaking of a feast, I certainly had my own little food festival at "Borough Market." This week, I want to give you a few reviews of some of the dishes I tried there.


  

"Borough Market" Review:
Where: 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL                  Website: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

   My cousin had suggested we make a trip to "Borough Market" on a Saturday as all the stalls would be open. Lucky we did! There was quite the crowd when we arrived but, it just added to the atmosphere. There were fresh veggies and fruit on sale, vintage cheese, home-made dips, pestos, cakes, etc, every food lovers dream! Which is why, we did not stop at just one food stall.

A store at "Borough Market" selling exotic meats
Food Stop #1.

   Our first stop was a chorizo burger place. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down the name of the stall and have been browsing on their website for the name but have had no luck. However, I do know that it's on Stoney Street towards Rochester Walk. Anyway, this burger consisted of chorizo, grilled 
patties, rocket and a splash of olive oil. It was made to order and at 4GBP (approx. $5.80 AUD) I have to say I was a tad disappointed. While the chorizo was home made and was flavoursome, most of my bites were of crispy bread and rocket. They do offer to add an extra chorizo to your burger for 2GBP but, I wanted to try other foods so I didn't go for that option. To me, this burger was mediocre, standard priced and imbalanced in terms of the components inside so, not a must.

Chorizo burger: too much bread compared to chorizo


Food Stop #2: "Roast."
Where: Located in Middle Road of the markets.                 Website: http://www.roast-restaurant.com/


     I definitely remember the name of this bad boy. Wow. This is seriously the best roast pork roll I have ever eaten. That's actually saying something because I don't usually like eating a lot pork but "Roast." changed my mind for sure. The line was about a 15 minute wait and after the first Chorizo burger round, this had to be amazing. At 6.50 GBP (approx. $9.40 AUD) I thought it was a tad expensive for a roll but, it certainly delivered. The bread was soft like a burger bun. The pork was succulent, juicy and the meat portion was just right. The large crackling in the roll added a crunch and great texture. Combine the saltiness of it all, the apple sauce spread added another dimension to the taste making it sweet but also balancing out the salt. It just melted in my mouth and I wish I came back to grab another roll. :( It was that good!
    They have a restaurant next to their stall where you could sit for a meal but, I wasn't able to try as they were fully booked when I wanted to go.

Bad angle shot. Doesn't do it much justice but, MUST try!

 Food Stop #3: "Pieminister."
Where: Green Market of the market towards the Southwalk Cathedral.   Website: http://www.pieminister.co.uk/

        Apart from fish and chips I had to try a pie in England. I walked past quite a few gourmet pie places but the line for those were not as big compared to the crowd around "Pieminster." I do have to say I was quite amazed at the sizes of pies in England compared to Australia. I never thought that pies in England would actually look like the pies in the 'Sweeney Todd!' They're huge and had so much more pastry. I ordered the 'Moo' pie that consisted of British beef steak, cracked pepper and real ale with mash and gravy. If you bought the pie by itself I believe it was 4GBP ($5.80) or 6.50 GBP ($9.40) with the gravy and mash. The pie was steaming hot and they served the it in a nice little cardboard box which is nice if you wanted to eat on the go or take home. The filling had chunky steak inside and you could really taste the tang of the ale. The pastry was thick, flakey and crisp just the way you want it to be. I was quite full by this stage so if you do want to try more foods I suggest just getting the pie. The flavours are all in the pie and the gravy/mash seemed more of a novelty.


Steaming hot pie, mash and gravy at "Pieminister."

Food Stop #4: "Kappacesein"
Where: Green Market on the Southwalk Chapel side next to "Pieminister." Website: http://www.kappacasein.com/

      I had never heard of 'Raclette' before so when my cousin brought this over I didn't think much of it. 'Raclette' is a name of a cheese but also a Swiss dish where the cheese is heated and then the melted cheese is scrapped  off. The melted Raclette was poured on a bed of potatoes with a side serving of baby gherkins. It may not sound that appetising but, the simplicity of this dish was certainly one of the winners. The sharp, mature taste of raclette was balanced out by the tang of the baby gherkins so you have a mix of salty, sour, sweet all in one mouthful. The taste is quite strong so if you love cheese and potatoes, I say this is a must. My cousin purchased this so I don't remember the exact price but by judging by the rest of the market food, I would say it was no more than 6GBP. 

Raclette. New food experience!

Hope you enjoyed these little reviews from "Borough Market" and be sure to check it out if you're ever there. Would love to read your thoughts!

Hope you have an amazing week.
Eat away!
Jo x.


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