The Fish People Cafe

Fish Fish Fish Fish Fish. Fish Fish Fish Fish.

Glasgow - September 2017

On a recent trip north of the wall, to the only Euro-country where the most popular drink is not made by Coca-Cola (which is to be respected, even if said drink is Irn Bru), we discovered something of a hidden gem.

Nestled away in a remote beauty spot between a subway station and a multi-storey car-park, next to a dual carriageway in an industrial part of Glasgow, The Fish People Café is somewhat unassuming.

However the stark façade belies a much more welcoming interior, with the modern dining space dominated by a marble oyster bar. It’s nice. It’s classy.

As for the food, the décor is thankfully more representative of the quality than the location. It’s a short menu, clearly focused on doing a few things well. Our starters and mains were all beautifully cooked, the highlight being a chunky slab of sea bass swimming in a spiced ginger cream. Crispy skin, firm flesh and a real punch from the sauce. It reminds me of a dish we ate recently at Outlaws, but without the subtlety of the Michelin kitchen. This had the same constituent parts as at Outlaws, but with everything dialled up to 11. Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football vs. Arsene Wenger’s orchestra made fishy flesh. Not technically perfect, but a lot of fun.

The lack of technical perfection is evident elsewhere, with a crab masala starter (again, full of curry warmth) served on a brick of watermelon that unbalances the dish, and a chocolate dessert where the orange meringue lacks enough citrus zing to stop it being anything other than rich.

Minor failures in finesse aside, the meal was really enjoyable. All the ingredients seem fresh off the boat (or at least the counter of their fishmonger opposite), and the service was nice and friendly. If you find yourself in Glasgow and would like some delicious seafood, I know just the people to see.

The Fish People Cafe

http://www.thefishpeoplecafe.co.uk/

Shields Road Subway Station, 

350 Scotland Street, 

Glasgow, 

G5 8QF

Portland

Dedicated to the winners and the losers (dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers)

Fitzrovia - February 2017

The world in 2017 is a complex and confusing place. Brexit. Trump. Climate Change. The enduring popularity of The Big Bang Theory. There’s a lot of strange stuff going on.

So in these times of tumult, finding somewhere as simply brilliant as Portland is refreshing.

Set up in a pared-back but appealing wood-panelled dining room halfway up Great Portland Street (hardly the middle of nowhere, but also not a noted culinary hotspot), Portland offers fine dining without the frippery. There is no reliance on excessive technique and theatre, just well cooked dishes delivering huge flavour.

Both our snacks were incredible; a light-as-a-feather chicken skin crisp that melted on your tongue, and an earthy, nutty, fluffy cep muffin – served with truffled butter for that added touch of decadence.

The beef tartare was also a thing of rare (if you’ll pardon the pun) beauty. In an unusual twist, the silky meat appeared lightly seared and there was no runny yolk; a dusting of egg shavings replaced it. An exceptional onion ketchup that added a real tang, brought the whole dish together.

Next up the ewe main. The fillet was cooked a deep pink medium that allowed the intense flavour of the meat to outweigh any toughness from the age of the sheep. It was accompanied by a croquette of shoulder, two days in the making, and a salsa verde that packed a tasty garlic kick that could take out half the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

If there was one off-note, it was the chocolate and crème anglaise dessert that didn’t add up to the sum of its parts, with the custard being little unsatisfying. But that wasn't going to distract from the rest of the meal.

With confident service, classic flavours, reasonable prices (including an extensive wine list with a number of sub-£30 options), little fuss and no pretention, Portland's massive success isn't at all strange.

Portland

http://portlandrestaurant.co.uk/

113 Great Portland Street,  

London,

W1W 6QQ

The Frog

Back once again with the ill behaviour

Brick Lane - January 2017

Hello? 

Hello?

Is this thing on?

After a year off blogging duties, I needed a more positive past-time than scrolling through the ‘fresh-horrors device’ that is current events-twitter these days, and so Big Eatings is back for 2017! Kicking things off with one of London’s hottest 2016 openings - The Frog - are we back with a banger?

In finishing as the runner up in Masterchef: The Professionals in 2013, Adam Handling came across like a fine-dining automaton. Efficiently turning out precision plates, but lacking warmth, that had you gunning for the eventual victor. Emotion aside, no-one gets to the final of Masterchef without great skill and his first independent restaurant has been picking up a load of plaudits (in fact the day we went it was announced he was opening site number 2 in Covent Garden). So we were excited to check it out.

There’s a lot that makes me want to like The Frog. A great graffiti logo, a laid-back dining room that’s full of reclaimed table & chairs with cool art on the walls, and music that may as well be my Spotify discover list. 

It feels very familiar, however. The kraft-paper menu of “British tapas” - split into garden, land & sea - is identical in style to that of The Dairy, as is the quirky stoneware the dishes come on. 

The most raved-about dish is also startlingly similar to Clapham’s finest – warmed sourdough served in a hessian sack, with a quenelle of chicken butter. The Dairy’s version is better. Both are delightful, savoury treats, but the chicken liver mousse is lighter and richer with meaty flavours, than the Frog’s butter. I’d happily eat either with any meal, though.

Elsewhere on the snack menu, the cheese donuts are served buried in a delightful parmesan. It’s lick-the-plate-clean good. 

The cod rolls are well made but an overpriced, and ultimately uninspiring, half-mouthful. 

Two of our mains are labelled as BBQ, but have an interesting contrast. We have a soft silky veal tartare (the steak replacement after running out). Sweet and delicately smoky, with sharpness from the capers. But a gelatinous slow-cooked yolk denied us a joyous puncture and oozing egg moment. 

This was followed by a beautiful-looking plate of octopus tentacle. The sauce and seasonings were balanced to perfection. The garlic puree was absolutely banging. A crying shame then, my half of the octopus was tough and actually lacked the smokiness of the (raw) veal. 30 seconds less cooking time from being an incredible dish.

Now, a word on the house’s signature mac & cheese. In many ways, the nicest I’ve ever eaten... 

The presentation is original – a honeycomb effect of vertically arranged, al dente macaroni, covered in a light creamy cheese sauce that’s almost foam. All topped with an umami mound of parmesan. It lacks a crunchy crumb, but it’s decadent and delicious. 

Then throw in the optional truffle topping, and it’s luxurious to the max... But that comes at a price, for a dish that is already the most expensive on the menu. 

Those truffles shavings (not offered as an optional upgrade on the menu, but by the chef bringing it to the table, with the truffles staring you in the face when you’re waaaaay less likely to say no…) are a £10 supplement to a SIXTEEN pound mac & cheese. Total £26. For a mac & cheese. Delicious it may be, but that is just too rich for what you get. 

Desserts were great. The chocolate caramel & cherries is a classic combination given a theatrical twist with a liquid nitrogen cherry ice-cream smashed over the rich chocolate. And the burnt toffee and malt ice cream is a comforting mix of sweet, crunchy & tart; with shards of lemon that refreshed and delighted at the end of the meal. Neither dish lasted long.

The Frog is good. Decent. But hardly ground-breaking. Hell, some wheels don’t need reinventing when the food is tasty and looks great. It will doubtless be a success in Covent Garden. And if they have a 50% soft launch, I will be back to order the mac & cheese.

The Frog

http://www.thefrogrestaurant.com/

2 Ely's Yard, 

Old Truman Brewery, 

Hanbury Street, 

London,

E1 6QR