My first experience of anything "Lawn" was when one of the staff brought a load of scones (pronounced to rhyme with stone by the way) down from its sister "Lawn bakery" a few weeks back. They were fantastic, just as good as my nan used to make and we had them with real butter and that jam with the checkered lid and the French name. I gave some out to the punters in the pub and they were all over em like a coat of paint.
Clearly something was happening to the green buildings in Wimbledon village. Not only had Lydons been bought out and revamped (no more specials on a tray "we serve the fish on the bone, off the bone, grilled, fried or in a butter sauce") but the old bright green bakery which was awful to be fair, had been made over too. By all accounts the people involved had big reputations and something to prove, so it was with some anticipation that we booked up a table of three at "The Lawn Bistro".
We went during the Wimbledon fortnight, on the second Thursday and the place was predictably busy when we arrived. They recognised the booking which is always a good start (it always amazes me how many places don't) and we were seated in a nice comfy little spot down the middle. We didn't mess about as I was starving, and I ordered up some butter bean houmous with carrot sticks and some mini chorizos while the girls (@NZSezGB & @Chaymondo) dug into the wine list. The little nibbler/starter things arrived straight away, and were fantastic. The carrot sticks weren't poncily cut into the same size and shape, they were big chunks of veg while the dip was really top notch. The little chorizo thingies were lovely too, but stick the whole thing in your mouth at once or you'll do as I did and get it all over your shirt, little @14TheFrog tip there. For the wine we had this English one which @Chaymondo had visited the winery of recently. It was bloody lovely, smelled like Wimbledon Common when it's just finished raining and the nettles are wet.
For starters my wife Sarah had this goats curd salad dish which she loved, Angie had melon and ham (it was a posh version but essentially that's what it was) while I had garlic prawns. Mine came with a kind of tomatoey coriandery sauce and it was really tasty. I'd have whacked a bit of chilli in myself but maybe that's just me. After the starters we got a little taster of the chicken liver parfait which was an unexpected treat. I cannot praise this enough, it was absolutely sensational. @Chaymondo commented at the time that it was like an "orgasm on toast", and although I had to kind of take her word for it I must confess it was stupendously good.
On the mains, Sarah had Sea Bream fillet which was truly a wonderful piece of fish. Angie had a stuffed chicken dish with peas which I instantly wished I'd ordered in truth. I had a Lamb rump dish with couscous which was very good, it's just that I love that French chicken and peas in broth number. I must learn to read the menu properly. In truth I rarely do, merely flicking through it and invariably having little idea what I want when the waiter gives it the old "are we ready to order" and the eyebrows.
We had desserts, the best in my view was my chocolate and caramel tart thingy with creme fraiche ice cream. This was another orgasm by all accounts, this time on a board though and even I couldn't argue. Everyone else's desserts were lovely too although I must confess I can't remember what they were, by now we had had two bottles of the fabulous nettle smelling wine and were onto "pinot des charentes," which whatever it is was most agreeable.
All the servers were smashing, especially a Hungarian lad who looked and sounded as French as Jaques Cousteau and we had a great night all round. Service charge WAS included at 12.5% which is a bit of a gripe, but that said you could hardly grumble given the quality of it and the food. It's not very often these days (or indeed ever) that I've been near someone who has had multi orgasms, and any place which facilitates that has got to be a "must visit".There are now three new places in Wimbledon to be excited about. The Lawn is deservedly receiving rave reviews in the national press and is massively worth some visits. We love Sticks n Sushi too for the family, and the new Australian chef at The Fire Stables in the village is creating a bit of a splash with his traditional food too.
Once an oasis, Wimbledon is finally getting some places to be proud of. The Lawn Bistro 100% deserves it's place at the forefront of those, we absolutely loved it. It's great, go, then go again.
Monday, 9 July 2012
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
A book review-Last exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby jr.
I actually bought this book kind of by mistake. I was on one of those book bundle websites where you can buy 27 Alistair McClean books for £9.26, and I tapped "Irvine Welsh" into the search bit. Needless to say nothing happened ( I can never get the magnifying glass thing to do anything, must be me) so I highlighted it and pressed "enter" which is my usual method. Up came the usual suspects (not literally he didn't write that) but stuff like "Trainspotting", "Porno", "Glue" and the like, all of which I've read. There were also some lesser know works which I'd read too, and "Last Exit to Brooklyn" was at the bottom. I'd long since got bored of actually concentrating on what I was doing, so I clicked on "pay" and shelled out the £2.17 or whatever it was.
Anyway it turns out Irvine Welsh didn't write it at all, but a slightly strange bloke called Hubert Selby Jr did. Irvine Welsh is a bit of a fan by all accounts, and wrote an introduction about how the book was a modern masterpiece, had changed his life when he read it, how it will still be read in 100 years time and all that old bollocks. Not only that, but back when it was published in the late 60's the book was banned and was the subject of a court case, so controversial were its contents. Furry muff I thought, I like a bit of controversy so I gave it a bash to see what all the fuss was about.
First thing is, don't let your Mum or your kids stumble upon this one and start reading it. Don't leave it in the loo (or at least if you do put it somewhere high up). This really is an odd and at times disturbing piece of work from a man who clearly has a very vivid imagination and that's being charitable. There's a few stories kind of woven loosly together, all concerning a run down area of Brooklyn in the 50's. There's wife beating, prostitution, transexual relationships, a man who commits an unspeakably indecent act and lots more besides.
So is it any good, that's the question? Well, they say that it's art, that it was a snapshot of its time and Irvine Welsh says it influenced the way he writes. I can see the last point, because it has that same phonetic thumbprint that much of his stuff has, equally you don't get words in "speechmarks" when people are in conversation, there's more of a rhythm to the spoken word, a natural pace to it all. As for whether it's any good or not, and whether it's art or not, do me a favour. I personally read it and hoped there's be a point to it all somewhere before the end, somewhere beneath all the depravity and depression. I was disappointed though, there wasn't and it is bollocks. Disturbing bollocks, but bollocks all the same.
Anyway it turns out Irvine Welsh didn't write it at all, but a slightly strange bloke called Hubert Selby Jr did. Irvine Welsh is a bit of a fan by all accounts, and wrote an introduction about how the book was a modern masterpiece, had changed his life when he read it, how it will still be read in 100 years time and all that old bollocks. Not only that, but back when it was published in the late 60's the book was banned and was the subject of a court case, so controversial were its contents. Furry muff I thought, I like a bit of controversy so I gave it a bash to see what all the fuss was about.
First thing is, don't let your Mum or your kids stumble upon this one and start reading it. Don't leave it in the loo (or at least if you do put it somewhere high up). This really is an odd and at times disturbing piece of work from a man who clearly has a very vivid imagination and that's being charitable. There's a few stories kind of woven loosly together, all concerning a run down area of Brooklyn in the 50's. There's wife beating, prostitution, transexual relationships, a man who commits an unspeakably indecent act and lots more besides.
So is it any good, that's the question? Well, they say that it's art, that it was a snapshot of its time and Irvine Welsh says it influenced the way he writes. I can see the last point, because it has that same phonetic thumbprint that much of his stuff has, equally you don't get words in "speechmarks" when people are in conversation, there's more of a rhythm to the spoken word, a natural pace to it all. As for whether it's any good or not, and whether it's art or not, do me a favour. I personally read it and hoped there's be a point to it all somewhere before the end, somewhere beneath all the depravity and depression. I was disappointed though, there wasn't and it is bollocks. Disturbing bollocks, but bollocks all the same.
"Sticks n Sushi" the @14TheFrog review.
May as well get a confession out of the way here, I'm not a big fan of sushi. Never have been to tell the truth, I just think it's an awful lot of fuss over something not that remarkable. Still, when an overseas restaurant chain (in this case from Copenhagen) decides to open it's first UK outlet in Wimbledon, the least you can do is give it a go.
It's location is at the bottom of Wimbledon Hill Road which potentially ain't a bad spot (as I should know), but it IS hidden behind a busy little bus stop which means you've got to kind of know where you're going. You do get the odd disgruntled bus punter sitting on the window ledge outside while they wait for the promised but never arriving 93, and presumeably to counteract the distraction they keep the restaurant lights quite low. Also and I don't know if this is deliberate or not, the signage is very understated and as a result of all this you could quite easily miss it if you don't know where you're going. Anyway, it's just up from Wagamamas if you're looking for directions.
When you get in the door, they'll all shout something at you in unision. DON'T think they've mistaken you for a character from The Usual Suspects or that they think you are dealing drugs, it just sounds like "KaiserSose" or "Sensimillion" but in fact is neither. What it actually is, is comething completely unintelligable which means "welcome to my house" in Japanese (I know because I asked, which is what I suspect the whole thing is all about). It's good natured and harmless enough, but as neither you nor they are Japanese it does seem a tad odd, but maybe that's just me.
The restaurant itself is beautifully fitted out, spacious but warm with clean lines and an interesting "brick" curtain which mirrors the real brick wall opposite. The menu has helpful photos of lots of different types of sushi, and lots of "sticks" which are little Teryaki thingies. You can buy them in made up platters, or you can make your own up. Drinks wise you can have a selection of beers and wines, plus soft drinks and "Yellow juice" which one of the kids had. This has got carrots in it and no doubt other healthy stuff, and is flippin lovely. They also do other coloured juice, probably green and red but don't quote me on it. I'd go for yellow anyway, the others simply can't be nicer than that. Also they have a kids section of the menu which is ideal. If you order a kids meal it comes in a little box with sections, and my kids thought it was utterly brilliant. One of my kids said "I think this is the best restaurant in the World Daddy", and while I think she might be over-stating it a fraction it certainly is very good.
Both times I've been now I've had some edamame beans to start. They do a kind of plain salted version and one that has this dressing on. Naturally I'd advocate getting both as they are excellent, but the "with dressing" ones are absolutely out of this world. Quick tip-they give you a hot towel at the START of the meal, keep it because you'll need it as you go along. Both times I've been I've had a vegetable salad with tofu (and I never thought I'd say that) and that's fantastic too. I don't go a bundle on sushi as I've said, so I generally get three or four sticks and hoover up any leftovers on the sticky rice and fish department. The sticks are great, all of them (to be truthful I can't remember any particular ones, they're all good) and the sushi is nice too as sushi goes. They do these little things which look like prawns wrapped in rice crispies (I think they're called Ebby bites or something) which are brill, and shedloads of other stuff which I haven't tried yet. I cannot speak highly enough of the food, it really is absolutely superb.
The service is great (we've been twice now and it's been top notch both times). Despite the fact that they roar Japanese greetings at anyone within earshot, the servers really are extremely nice and lovely people. They know the menu and are very helpful when you're ordering, plus they're smashing with the kids and are generally smiley and bubblicious.
My kids loved the toilets (there's a slight twist which I won't spoil for you here) and insisted on dragging me in there to have a look. They also loved the kitchen, as one of the lovely waitresses (the one with the scarf on) offered to take them in and show them around. The waitress with the scarf was one of the one or two Danish staff which they have wisely sprinkled around in order presumeably to instill the culture of the place into the new staff. These people are stand out fantastic, and it'll be a challenge to replicate what they bring to the table should they head off back in the land of the vikings. Another challenge is going to be how well the restaurant will cope with the crowds which I have absolutely no doubts will flock to the place. How quickly they can spin tables, satisfy bookings etc is going to be pivotal.
Through no fault of theirs there's also going to be the issue of kids too. Here, I'm going to come away from the review for a second and give the people of South West London a message....Take your kids to restaurants and pubs by all means, BUT IT'S NOT OK TO HAVE THEM RUNNING AROUND LIKE LUNATICS!!. There, someone had to say it but for heavens sake, lets let people do their jobs properly and let people eat their meals properly. Few things are more distacting than being asked "what are you doing?" while you've got a mouthful of food by someone else's six year old. We all think our kids are cool (and they are) but lets keep them sitting at OUR table (and these people do give you the obligatory colouring sheets and pencils to keep the ankle biters occupied). Anyway I've said it now, but come on public get it sorted.
We had some desserts. The kids had a bowl of ice cream (beautiful ice cream too) wish a chocolate fish in it, we had a cappucino cup with some souffle thing which was divine also. There is a 12.5% service charge (grrrrr) but I did ask the servers and they assure me that they DO get it. They are worth every penny, and I for one would have left a bit more.
All in all, I couldn't recommend this restaurant highly enough, it is utterly fantastic. The food is tip top and the service is superb. Go, today.
It's location is at the bottom of Wimbledon Hill Road which potentially ain't a bad spot (as I should know), but it IS hidden behind a busy little bus stop which means you've got to kind of know where you're going. You do get the odd disgruntled bus punter sitting on the window ledge outside while they wait for the promised but never arriving 93, and presumeably to counteract the distraction they keep the restaurant lights quite low. Also and I don't know if this is deliberate or not, the signage is very understated and as a result of all this you could quite easily miss it if you don't know where you're going. Anyway, it's just up from Wagamamas if you're looking for directions.
When you get in the door, they'll all shout something at you in unision. DON'T think they've mistaken you for a character from The Usual Suspects or that they think you are dealing drugs, it just sounds like "KaiserSose" or "Sensimillion" but in fact is neither. What it actually is, is comething completely unintelligable which means "welcome to my house" in Japanese (I know because I asked, which is what I suspect the whole thing is all about). It's good natured and harmless enough, but as neither you nor they are Japanese it does seem a tad odd, but maybe that's just me.
The restaurant itself is beautifully fitted out, spacious but warm with clean lines and an interesting "brick" curtain which mirrors the real brick wall opposite. The menu has helpful photos of lots of different types of sushi, and lots of "sticks" which are little Teryaki thingies. You can buy them in made up platters, or you can make your own up. Drinks wise you can have a selection of beers and wines, plus soft drinks and "Yellow juice" which one of the kids had. This has got carrots in it and no doubt other healthy stuff, and is flippin lovely. They also do other coloured juice, probably green and red but don't quote me on it. I'd go for yellow anyway, the others simply can't be nicer than that. Also they have a kids section of the menu which is ideal. If you order a kids meal it comes in a little box with sections, and my kids thought it was utterly brilliant. One of my kids said "I think this is the best restaurant in the World Daddy", and while I think she might be over-stating it a fraction it certainly is very good.
Both times I've been now I've had some edamame beans to start. They do a kind of plain salted version and one that has this dressing on. Naturally I'd advocate getting both as they are excellent, but the "with dressing" ones are absolutely out of this world. Quick tip-they give you a hot towel at the START of the meal, keep it because you'll need it as you go along. Both times I've been I've had a vegetable salad with tofu (and I never thought I'd say that) and that's fantastic too. I don't go a bundle on sushi as I've said, so I generally get three or four sticks and hoover up any leftovers on the sticky rice and fish department. The sticks are great, all of them (to be truthful I can't remember any particular ones, they're all good) and the sushi is nice too as sushi goes. They do these little things which look like prawns wrapped in rice crispies (I think they're called Ebby bites or something) which are brill, and shedloads of other stuff which I haven't tried yet. I cannot speak highly enough of the food, it really is absolutely superb.
The service is great (we've been twice now and it's been top notch both times). Despite the fact that they roar Japanese greetings at anyone within earshot, the servers really are extremely nice and lovely people. They know the menu and are very helpful when you're ordering, plus they're smashing with the kids and are generally smiley and bubblicious.
My kids loved the toilets (there's a slight twist which I won't spoil for you here) and insisted on dragging me in there to have a look. They also loved the kitchen, as one of the lovely waitresses (the one with the scarf on) offered to take them in and show them around. The waitress with the scarf was one of the one or two Danish staff which they have wisely sprinkled around in order presumeably to instill the culture of the place into the new staff. These people are stand out fantastic, and it'll be a challenge to replicate what they bring to the table should they head off back in the land of the vikings. Another challenge is going to be how well the restaurant will cope with the crowds which I have absolutely no doubts will flock to the place. How quickly they can spin tables, satisfy bookings etc is going to be pivotal.
Through no fault of theirs there's also going to be the issue of kids too. Here, I'm going to come away from the review for a second and give the people of South West London a message....Take your kids to restaurants and pubs by all means, BUT IT'S NOT OK TO HAVE THEM RUNNING AROUND LIKE LUNATICS!!. There, someone had to say it but for heavens sake, lets let people do their jobs properly and let people eat their meals properly. Few things are more distacting than being asked "what are you doing?" while you've got a mouthful of food by someone else's six year old. We all think our kids are cool (and they are) but lets keep them sitting at OUR table (and these people do give you the obligatory colouring sheets and pencils to keep the ankle biters occupied). Anyway I've said it now, but come on public get it sorted.
We had some desserts. The kids had a bowl of ice cream (beautiful ice cream too) wish a chocolate fish in it, we had a cappucino cup with some souffle thing which was divine also. There is a 12.5% service charge (grrrrr) but I did ask the servers and they assure me that they DO get it. They are worth every penny, and I for one would have left a bit more.
All in all, I couldn't recommend this restaurant highly enough, it is utterly fantastic. The food is tip top and the service is superb. Go, today.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Pizzaro The @14TheFrog review.
We actually intended going to "Jose", which is the sister tapas and sherry bar to this Bermondsey St favourite, but they were jammed in like sardines when we got there so we gave it the swerve. "Pizzaro" is only 100 yards back up the road and although we hadn't booked (not even sure you can) you could at least get in the door without taking a run up, so in we went.
First impressions were good in that it was very buzzy, lots of dark wood everywhere and a nice young girl with a clipboard managing the queue. After leaving our names, we were told we'd be able to get a table for two in 45 minutes, so we headed for the throng at the bar. We must have looked a bit nonplussed by the wine-barrish look (we were to be honest) because the manager gave us the old "you're safe with me" look and flipped us a drinks menu in between a few heads infront of us. He was good this guy, having his finger well and truly on the pulse and he was matched the barman, who despite a dodgy haircut was extremely professional and buzzing around like a wasp in a jam jar.
We ordered a bottle of Alberino, declining said barmans offer of trying one which was twice as expensive (just in case we liked it), and it was superb. He offered us some olives or almonds, and needless to say we went for "all of the above" cheers. At this point a couple in front of us who were perched on two of the few barstools bang in front of the bar were called to their table, so I was in like a butchers dog and we had a prime spot.
From this observation post it was comfortable and easy to guage the buzz and the mechanics of the restaurant. The waiters were all professional, all Spanish and all out of the top drawer. The kitchen is open, so despite the fact that the chefs all look like blokes who used to man the waltzers down at the local fairground with their tats and earrings, they do make the effort to look cool, and they do.
The olives and almond were very tasty, especially the almonds, and the girl with the clipboard came over bang on the 45 minutes to steer us to a seat. I say seat rather than table because it was at a kind of window bench thingy, but as the vista is like a scene from "Notting Hill" (except with the occasional black person) we didn't mind one bit.
As for the food, well I opened the batting with the croquettes, while Sarah went for a big prawn on black rice. The croquettes were sensational and definately the high point of the whole meal. Little fried balls of fish and silky smooth potato, about the size of a Ferrero Rochet but infinately more satisfying. Sarahs prawn thing was also good, the rice (which she said had squid ink in it and who am I to argue?) was good too.
For mains I had braised pigs cheek in sherry with almonds, while Sarah had salt cod. The pigs cheek dish was very good, tasty chunks of meat which were meltingly tender. You got a lump of bread with it and I'm probably showing my philistine Britishness when I say I'd have liked a scoop of buttery mash to melt into the sauce (which was quite thin without it).
Sarah's salt cod was very tasty, the brining of the fish rendering it almost meat like in texture. To be totally honest I can't remember what it came with, which probably says more about me than it does about the food.
At this point (and having had two bottles of wine) I had to break the seal and toddled off to find the loo (there's only one cubicle, if you go yourself DON'T wait until you're as desperate as I was). Sarah said she was going to order some sherry, and when I came back I pronounced it the most devine glass of sherry I'd ever tasted. Fortunately I didn't say it too loudly, so when I was informed it was actually dessert wine I wasn't too embarrassed by the whole faux pas. Whatever it was though it was sensational, as was the catalan brulee we had for dessert. This was kind of like its French cousin, but a bit looser and slightly more creamy it seemed to me. Superb anyway.
The service at our table was excellent, and the waiter was a smashing fella too. There was no service charge so full marks for that, and the bill came to £126 which considering we had over half that worth of wine, represented good value in my book.
We had a really good night at Pizzaro, and I'd definately go again. It's not easy to feel romantic to a couple who've been married for 15 years, but long before the end of the meal we were holding hands and feeling pretty lucky to be together (although having definately got the better end of the deal, I normally feel like that).
It's an easy place to get to, train into Waterloo then about a tenner in a cab. It's got a lovely atmos' for a night out with your wife and I'd recommend it to anyone. That said, judging by the queues at the two restaurants most people don't need a recommendation, they go anyway.
First impressions were good in that it was very buzzy, lots of dark wood everywhere and a nice young girl with a clipboard managing the queue. After leaving our names, we were told we'd be able to get a table for two in 45 minutes, so we headed for the throng at the bar. We must have looked a bit nonplussed by the wine-barrish look (we were to be honest) because the manager gave us the old "you're safe with me" look and flipped us a drinks menu in between a few heads infront of us. He was good this guy, having his finger well and truly on the pulse and he was matched the barman, who despite a dodgy haircut was extremely professional and buzzing around like a wasp in a jam jar.
We ordered a bottle of Alberino, declining said barmans offer of trying one which was twice as expensive (just in case we liked it), and it was superb. He offered us some olives or almonds, and needless to say we went for "all of the above" cheers. At this point a couple in front of us who were perched on two of the few barstools bang in front of the bar were called to their table, so I was in like a butchers dog and we had a prime spot.
From this observation post it was comfortable and easy to guage the buzz and the mechanics of the restaurant. The waiters were all professional, all Spanish and all out of the top drawer. The kitchen is open, so despite the fact that the chefs all look like blokes who used to man the waltzers down at the local fairground with their tats and earrings, they do make the effort to look cool, and they do.
The olives and almond were very tasty, especially the almonds, and the girl with the clipboard came over bang on the 45 minutes to steer us to a seat. I say seat rather than table because it was at a kind of window bench thingy, but as the vista is like a scene from "Notting Hill" (except with the occasional black person) we didn't mind one bit.
As for the food, well I opened the batting with the croquettes, while Sarah went for a big prawn on black rice. The croquettes were sensational and definately the high point of the whole meal. Little fried balls of fish and silky smooth potato, about the size of a Ferrero Rochet but infinately more satisfying. Sarahs prawn thing was also good, the rice (which she said had squid ink in it and who am I to argue?) was good too.
For mains I had braised pigs cheek in sherry with almonds, while Sarah had salt cod. The pigs cheek dish was very good, tasty chunks of meat which were meltingly tender. You got a lump of bread with it and I'm probably showing my philistine Britishness when I say I'd have liked a scoop of buttery mash to melt into the sauce (which was quite thin without it).
Sarah's salt cod was very tasty, the brining of the fish rendering it almost meat like in texture. To be totally honest I can't remember what it came with, which probably says more about me than it does about the food.
At this point (and having had two bottles of wine) I had to break the seal and toddled off to find the loo (there's only one cubicle, if you go yourself DON'T wait until you're as desperate as I was). Sarah said she was going to order some sherry, and when I came back I pronounced it the most devine glass of sherry I'd ever tasted. Fortunately I didn't say it too loudly, so when I was informed it was actually dessert wine I wasn't too embarrassed by the whole faux pas. Whatever it was though it was sensational, as was the catalan brulee we had for dessert. This was kind of like its French cousin, but a bit looser and slightly more creamy it seemed to me. Superb anyway.
The service at our table was excellent, and the waiter was a smashing fella too. There was no service charge so full marks for that, and the bill came to £126 which considering we had over half that worth of wine, represented good value in my book.
We had a really good night at Pizzaro, and I'd definately go again. It's not easy to feel romantic to a couple who've been married for 15 years, but long before the end of the meal we were holding hands and feeling pretty lucky to be together (although having definately got the better end of the deal, I normally feel like that).
It's an easy place to get to, train into Waterloo then about a tenner in a cab. It's got a lovely atmos' for a night out with your wife and I'd recommend it to anyone. That said, judging by the queues at the two restaurants most people don't need a recommendation, they go anyway.
Friday, 10 February 2012
The Bayee Village-The@14TheFrog review.
We've been to the Bayee Village about 93 times, no really we have. When we used to run the Dog and Fox next door, we were on first names terms with all the blokes in the kitchen, or at least we would have been if any of them had the faintest idea what we were on about. Only a bloke called Chow could really speak English, but anyway we once invited them all to Christmas dinner with us and they came too. Lovely people they were (and no doubt still are). Even the little fella who set fire to his room once (they used to have a couple of rooms upstairs) can rest easy, I've forgiven him now. Many years ago I caught our pub dog at the time (Effie) running around with a live lobster in her mouth which she'd purloined from their as yet unpacked seafood delievery (I bunged it back in and said no more about it, OK I'm not proud of it but it was still alive for Gawds sake don't make me feel bad). I've got loads of stories, and it's fair to say our affinity with Marco and Peter is long standing, as it is with the restaurant which now sits on the old "Finch's" site.
Over the years little has changed with the Bayee. Yes these days there's a beardy man tinkling away on a Grand piano, you may even run into a dodgy Elvis impersonator from time to time (don't ask me why I've no idea), but as far as the food and the service is concerned, very little alters. Even the menu doesn't change much, and none of this is a criticism because nor should it. In short, the food is bloody good and you don't survive as long as these guys have if that isn't the case.
Last night we were a party of six which included Sarah's brother, the much vaunted (but completely anonymous in the UK) volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, as well as Kenny, one of the US team managers for the upcoming Olympics. These guys travel the World and eat in some pretty good places, but we were pretty confident that the Bayee wouldn't shame us or make us look clueless in the old nosebag department, so off we went.
For starters, we had all sorts of stuff. There was soft shell crab (which is flippin brilliant from here), some "short" ribs which my Dad claims to this day is the nicest thing he's ever eaten in his life, some pork dumplings, salt and pepper squid and all sorts of other stuff which I can't remember right now.
Then we had a "middle" course of the old duck with the pancakes and hoi sin sauce, the shredded cucumber and all that malarkey. To be honest, if I could only ever eat one thing from now on and this was it, naturally I'd be a bit gutted but for a couple of weeks I'd be well happy. You know the drill here, your supposed to nibble away but everyone dives in like loonies so that when the mains come you can barely eat any.
For mains we were doing that "here try some of this" routine which everyone seems to do in Chinese resataurants, and a combination of the many different flavours and probably one too many Chinese beers (chin sow, or something like that) means that I can't remember too much about it. It was great though, and I managed to spill a bit down the front of my best jumper I noticed this morning (always a good sign).
The service is always excellent, my only gripe being the "top the wine up" routine which does wind me up a fraction but never mind. They gave us a glass of bubbly on the old Mickey Mouse when we got there, as well as those bafflingly pointless fortune cookie things when we were leaving.
I'll be honest, we flippin loved it but then we always do. The Bayee may not be the coolest or the trendiest Chinese restaurant in London, but the food is as good as you're going to get. Pete who runs it is a great guy, and Marco who owns it is a lovely fella too. Go, I absolutely guarantee you'll enjoy it.
Over the years little has changed with the Bayee. Yes these days there's a beardy man tinkling away on a Grand piano, you may even run into a dodgy Elvis impersonator from time to time (don't ask me why I've no idea), but as far as the food and the service is concerned, very little alters. Even the menu doesn't change much, and none of this is a criticism because nor should it. In short, the food is bloody good and you don't survive as long as these guys have if that isn't the case.
Last night we were a party of six which included Sarah's brother, the much vaunted (but completely anonymous in the UK) volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, as well as Kenny, one of the US team managers for the upcoming Olympics. These guys travel the World and eat in some pretty good places, but we were pretty confident that the Bayee wouldn't shame us or make us look clueless in the old nosebag department, so off we went.
For starters, we had all sorts of stuff. There was soft shell crab (which is flippin brilliant from here), some "short" ribs which my Dad claims to this day is the nicest thing he's ever eaten in his life, some pork dumplings, salt and pepper squid and all sorts of other stuff which I can't remember right now.
Then we had a "middle" course of the old duck with the pancakes and hoi sin sauce, the shredded cucumber and all that malarkey. To be honest, if I could only ever eat one thing from now on and this was it, naturally I'd be a bit gutted but for a couple of weeks I'd be well happy. You know the drill here, your supposed to nibble away but everyone dives in like loonies so that when the mains come you can barely eat any.
For mains we were doing that "here try some of this" routine which everyone seems to do in Chinese resataurants, and a combination of the many different flavours and probably one too many Chinese beers (chin sow, or something like that) means that I can't remember too much about it. It was great though, and I managed to spill a bit down the front of my best jumper I noticed this morning (always a good sign).
The service is always excellent, my only gripe being the "top the wine up" routine which does wind me up a fraction but never mind. They gave us a glass of bubbly on the old Mickey Mouse when we got there, as well as those bafflingly pointless fortune cookie things when we were leaving.
I'll be honest, we flippin loved it but then we always do. The Bayee may not be the coolest or the trendiest Chinese restaurant in London, but the food is as good as you're going to get. Pete who runs it is a great guy, and Marco who owns it is a lovely fella too. Go, I absolutely guarantee you'll enjoy it.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Amed Curry House, Wimbledon. The @14TheFrog review.
Amed is old school. No open kitchens, neatly stacked food or dishes which contain tamarind or galangal or any of that old nonsense. If Amed was a comedian it'd be Bernard Manning, it'd tell jokes about your mother in law and be mildly offensive to people who work in local government and/or have all the Levellers albums. You know what to expect the minute you walk in, and there's something quite reassuring about carpet with gaffa tape over the holes, the purple woodwork and the piped music which sounds a bit like the stuff off "It ain't half hot mum".
We arrived about 9ish on a Thursday night and it was about 2/3 full. I had two lady companions, not because I've gone or gangsa or pimpish in my old age, it was my wife and a good friend of ours. The two girls must have got swept up in the retro nostalgia because as I was busy ordering popadums and a bottle of Kingfisher, they ordered a bottle of Matteus Rose (I didn't even realise they still made it).
On the question of popadums Ajmed is in the "how many would you like?" bracket, whereas some places these days just give you one each. I was a bit stumped and order four between three of us without really knowing why, and when they came they were good. It's all about the chutneys and pickles really though, and the lime pickle was searingly hot and excellent. There were a couple of others which were a bit out there, one of which looked and tasted so much like tomato ketchup that I'd have to say that using the duck theory, probably was tomato ketchup. Indian people quite possibly eat lots of the stuff for all I know, but it was a bit out there all the same.
For proper starter I had a mixed grill thing, (for 2). It had chicken tickka on it, some lamb kebab things and something else which I can't for the life of me remember right now. It was probably actually about enough for one and a half, but I can see their dilemma in that it would read a bit strange on the menu if described too literally. It also had that sweet yellow minty sauce which you get in all Indian restaurants of this ilk, and it was good. Needless to say I wolfed the lot, save for a couple of "ooh lets have a bit of that" from the two girls.
Main was a chicken madras, boiled rice and naan bread. I got exactly what I expected, even down to the waiter bloke polishing the plate before he put it on the table which they always seem to do in places like this. He brought the food over on a little trolley, and he put all the dishes on these little steel table stand things. You always imagine they'll be searingly hot which would give the whole ritual a point, but of course they never are. Still, he seemed to be pretty happy to go through the whole rigmarole, so fair play to him and no harm done.
Anyway it was bloody good, I was full as a gun long before I'd actually stopped eating, and left there very happy with life (and dying to fart as well to tell the truth, but this is more a comment on my gastric situation than in any way reflective of the food). They didn't bother offering us desserts which is just as well (Kulfi is something everyone should experience but only once), and all in all the service had that weary professionalism of fellas who knew they were giving you what you wanted without poncing around where it wasn't needed. If these blokes were barbers, they wouldn't waste their time asking you where you were going on holiday, they'd just give you a good haircut.
The bill was about 70 quid, which considering the two girls had two bottles of the wine with the rope round the neck is very reasonable. Amed is a good old fashioned curry house, go and wollow in it. You won't be disappointed.
We arrived about 9ish on a Thursday night and it was about 2/3 full. I had two lady companions, not because I've gone or gangsa or pimpish in my old age, it was my wife and a good friend of ours. The two girls must have got swept up in the retro nostalgia because as I was busy ordering popadums and a bottle of Kingfisher, they ordered a bottle of Matteus Rose (I didn't even realise they still made it).
On the question of popadums Ajmed is in the "how many would you like?" bracket, whereas some places these days just give you one each. I was a bit stumped and order four between three of us without really knowing why, and when they came they were good. It's all about the chutneys and pickles really though, and the lime pickle was searingly hot and excellent. There were a couple of others which were a bit out there, one of which looked and tasted so much like tomato ketchup that I'd have to say that using the duck theory, probably was tomato ketchup. Indian people quite possibly eat lots of the stuff for all I know, but it was a bit out there all the same.
For proper starter I had a mixed grill thing, (for 2). It had chicken tickka on it, some lamb kebab things and something else which I can't for the life of me remember right now. It was probably actually about enough for one and a half, but I can see their dilemma in that it would read a bit strange on the menu if described too literally. It also had that sweet yellow minty sauce which you get in all Indian restaurants of this ilk, and it was good. Needless to say I wolfed the lot, save for a couple of "ooh lets have a bit of that" from the two girls.
Main was a chicken madras, boiled rice and naan bread. I got exactly what I expected, even down to the waiter bloke polishing the plate before he put it on the table which they always seem to do in places like this. He brought the food over on a little trolley, and he put all the dishes on these little steel table stand things. You always imagine they'll be searingly hot which would give the whole ritual a point, but of course they never are. Still, he seemed to be pretty happy to go through the whole rigmarole, so fair play to him and no harm done.
Anyway it was bloody good, I was full as a gun long before I'd actually stopped eating, and left there very happy with life (and dying to fart as well to tell the truth, but this is more a comment on my gastric situation than in any way reflective of the food). They didn't bother offering us desserts which is just as well (Kulfi is something everyone should experience but only once), and all in all the service had that weary professionalism of fellas who knew they were giving you what you wanted without poncing around where it wasn't needed. If these blokes were barbers, they wouldn't waste their time asking you where you were going on holiday, they'd just give you a good haircut.
The bill was about 70 quid, which considering the two girls had two bottles of the wine with the rope round the neck is very reasonable. Amed is a good old fashioned curry house, go and wollow in it. You won't be disappointed.
Monday, 2 January 2012
The @14thefrog 5 minute noodle recipe.
I eat this a fair bit when I'm in rehab from a big night on the Tom Cruise the night before and it does the trick. It's not fancy, but if you feel that way inclined you can make it look quite flash.
You will need:
A wok.
Some veggies.
Some prawns (if you are posh, but they're not essential).
Some noodles (fresh if you are posh, but "super noodles" or something similar work perfectly well).
Some soy sauce.
Some lemon juice (optional)
Some sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Some chilli and coriander.
Method:
Depending whether you want "soup noodles" or want "noodles with sauce", bung some water in the wok and bring it to the boil. If you discover you haven't got enough water half way through, put some more in (very technical isn't it).
While the water is boiling, chop your veggies (asparagus/broccoli/mushrooms/French beans/caulifower or whatever else you've got) into little pieces. Obviously stuff like cauliflower needs to be quite small or it won't cook.
Once the water is just about boiling, chuck your noodles in along with either a stock cube or the little sachet you get in the packet. throw all the veggies on top and kind of let them sit in the steam. Bung your prawns on top of that, a glug or two of sweet chilli sauce and a squeeze of lemon if you've got any. Stir it all up, glug in some soy sauce to taste, and lob in a good handful of coriander. It's all be steaming hot at this point, so stick a cupful of frozen peas in for 30 seconds or so. Stir it all up and ladle it into bowls. I always bung some chopped up chillis on the top, but you don't have to if you don't want.
It tastes really good and takes about 5 minutes. It's probably quite healthy too, give it a bash.
You will need:
A wok.
Some veggies.
Some prawns (if you are posh, but they're not essential).
Some noodles (fresh if you are posh, but "super noodles" or something similar work perfectly well).
Some soy sauce.
Some lemon juice (optional)
Some sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Some chilli and coriander.
Method:
Depending whether you want "soup noodles" or want "noodles with sauce", bung some water in the wok and bring it to the boil. If you discover you haven't got enough water half way through, put some more in (very technical isn't it).
While the water is boiling, chop your veggies (asparagus/broccoli/mushrooms/French beans/caulifower or whatever else you've got) into little pieces. Obviously stuff like cauliflower needs to be quite small or it won't cook.
Once the water is just about boiling, chuck your noodles in along with either a stock cube or the little sachet you get in the packet. throw all the veggies on top and kind of let them sit in the steam. Bung your prawns on top of that, a glug or two of sweet chilli sauce and a squeeze of lemon if you've got any. Stir it all up, glug in some soy sauce to taste, and lob in a good handful of coriander. It's all be steaming hot at this point, so stick a cupful of frozen peas in for 30 seconds or so. Stir it all up and ladle it into bowls. I always bung some chopped up chillis on the top, but you don't have to if you don't want.
It tastes really good and takes about 5 minutes. It's probably quite healthy too, give it a bash.
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