Cabana

Brazili-average BBQ

Brixton - September 2015

Recently a new Latin American chain restaurant opened in Brixton, albeit without quite the same amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth that accompanied Wahaca's arrival last year. One thing that might have helped there is not opening on the site of a once-legendary local nightspot.

The Bon Marche building has its own interesting history, but tucked away behind TK Maxx in a terrible location for any random passing trade, it doesn't scream “great place to open a large restaurant” to me. But then I'm not the multi-millionaire owner of a “family” business with branches in the O2 & Westfield centres, so what do I know? I'm just here to eat the food and give my opinion on if it’s any good.

Which it occasionally is. Kind of.

The restaurant itself is bright and buzzy – the music is samba-tastic, the colours are bright, the furniture is beach-bar shabby chic. The overall effect comes off like a kind of Wahaca de Janerio. The service was friendly, if a touch slapdash (food delivered to wrong tables, requested extras taking an age to arrive). It was the soft launch, and the staff seemed a bit green (and yellow, natch) – I’ll assume they've dramatically improved since the opening proper…

Previously, to me, the terms ‘Brazilian’ and ‘barbeque’ have meant all-you-can-eat meat carved off skewers to the point of near bursting. Here the menu is a single, average-sized serving of meat, delivered to your table on a skewer. The marinated lamb is tender and packs a real punch. Our neighbouring table were delivered a solid lump of steak that looked immense – all dark and glistening on the outside, red and bloody on the inside. Not quite the medium they had ordered, but I thought it looked boss.

On the starter menu, the pulled pork sliders are highly recommended – the meat maybe a bit on the mushy side, but rammed with spicy goodness. The chicken croquettes fall apart a little easily, but the chilli mayo dip is banging.

We also ordered a full rack of ribs: a massive slab that falls off the bone easily, but appears to have been nowhere near a proper grill – there’s no crunchy caramelisation, or nary a hint of a smoke ring. And they’re a bit fatty. But the bbq sauce marinade is thick, sticky, sweet and piquant, so it’s an overall positive experience. However, you can get better ribs in at least three other Brixton restaurants. As the menu proudly states, these ribs featured at Ribstock 2012. They didn't win. Go figure.

While the meats are good, the sides are weak: bland, boring and under-seasoned.

Finally, our dessert of Nutella donuts was an unappetising, overly hot, greasy waste of calories. If  Mrs Eatings is leaving Nutella, then something is seriously up.

To sum up, there’s some decent stuff going on at Cabana (mainly grilled meat), but it’s really not an unqualified success. Less ‘Tudo Bem’, more ‘às vezes bom’.

Cabana
http://www.cabana-brasil.com
201 – 207 Ferndale Road
Brixton
London 
SW9 8BE

Bo & Bun

Proper Bo, I tell thee.

Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia - July 2015

Without wanting to brag (too much) we recently went to Bali. The 3kg weight gain suggests we ate pretty well, so it’s time for – an international post!

We stayed in Seminyak, where there is no shortage of great restaurants I could write about. More upmarket than neighbouring Kuta, it’s all designer boutiques, sunset cocktail bars and beautifully presented places to eat. Understandably, it was mostly of an Asian persuasion, with highlights including Conde Nast Traveller’s ‘hottest new global restaurant 2009’ Sarong (no longer new, but with stunning location, presentation and flavours), the colonial stylings of Café Bali, seafood restaurants as far as the eye could see on Jimbaran beach, and anything the brilliant staff at out villa churned out.

But the one place that deserves a write up, was the right on point ‘Asian Eatery’ Bo & Bun. A place so good we went four days in a row…

And the main reason we kept coming back was the life-affirming bulgogi fries. A flawless dish; like a high class Asian chilli fries, combining perfect fries, sour kimchi, crispy fried beef and what may be the greatest condiment in the history of the world: sriracha aioli. Every taste-note hit, and always gone in about 60 seconds, they’d be worth the trip back to Bali alone. Best fries we've ever eaten, hands down.

Elsewhere, the food was nearly as banging.

A bahn mi filled with the naughtiest 18-hour pork belly that was tender fatty delight, and which was apparently better than anything one of our party had eaten in Vietnam. And presented with a mini frier basket of crispy wonton skins that were like a quaver’s badass cousin.

While the buns of the bao gao weren’t the lightest ever, the pork was so packed full of flavour – you could taste that it had just come off the grill. Less sauce and marinade than your standard London bao – here the meat was the star.

I would also recommend trying “The 12 Hour” Pho – cooking a broth that long is only going to load it with flavour, and it’s as clear as day. Piled high with fresh salad for crunch, it’s a real delight.

Add in a great drinks menu with the freshest of fresh mint cooler & Vietnamese iced coffees, and this place would be a smash hit in any city Mr.Eatings can think of. Loved it.

Bravo, Bo & Bun. Bravo. Shame it's so bloody far away.

Bo & Bun
http://www.eatcompany.co/boandbun/
Jl. Raya Basangkasa No.26, 
Kuta, 
Kabupaten Badung, 
Bali 80361, 

Indonesia

The Manor

Mind Yo' Manors

Clapham - March 2015

Almost* a year ago, we headed to The Dairy in Clapham for a meal that would become our first restaurant post. The general consensus of that trip could be summed up thusly; that was banging, yo.

Towards the end of 2014, at the other end of Clapham High Street, the team behind The Dairy opened up The Manor and it exploded like a 90s action movie… So clearly we needed to go see how it compared to one of my favourite London restaurants.

There’s a lot similar to The Dairy here; relaxed yet professional service, interesting stoneware plates, and a modern British menu focused on small(ish) plates of seasonal produce.

And the high standard of the food is similar too. There are magic moments of tastiness here.

A tangy fermented potato flatbread compliments the smooth freshness of a smoked aubergine & mint dip that is like a missing link between baba ganoush and tzatziki, and something I didn't know I'd been missing all my life.

Thick, fatty, chicken skins, more like pork scratchings, come accompanied by a snappy bbq sauce, and some fizzy kimchi.

The ox cheek (above hidden under veg) is a treat of tender, sticky, fatty meat that falls apart more easily than England’s batting order**, in a rich gravy that demands to be cleaned off the plate. So we do. With extra bread the gf has acquired to mop it all. Served with crunchy pickled squashes, to even out the richness.

Our dessert above is also strong. Dark chocolate and chilli mousse, brown butter ice cream to temper the heat, an orange sharp hit then more chocolate in a silky, rich ganache. It’s not Terry's, it's mine, and it's quickly gone.

But this is the thing I can’t get away from, it’s not as good as the meal we had at The Dairy. Perhaps unfair but each mouthful is judged by those elevated standards. Everything we had that evening was incredible, whereas here a lot of it is just good. Which totally qualifies for First World Problems. But it does take the shine off.

A bouche-amusing smear of butter on a rock with still-warm sourdough is a good way to kick things off,  but it’s not as satisfying as the bone-marrow offering from down the road.

The kale and cavolo nero dish is all a little one-note and looks as if someone had sneezed on the plate before handing it to us. The hay smoked pigeon is mixed bag, dry breast but tasty leg.

To seafood, and as light and delicious as the crab is, nothing sings in this dish. The charred celeraic is cold and limp, whilst the buttermilk foam is too sweet for my tastes.

And one more thing – they're nuts about nuts. Scattered. From a height. On every dish. Nut allergies beware. I understand a desire to add texture to dishes but not in everything. Hazelnuts don't add anything to the crab and I’d have enjoyed the dishes as much, if not more, without them.

If that sounds overly negative, it shouldn't take away from the fact we enjoyed the Manor. The quality of cooking, the blood orange cocktail, all a sound addition to the Cl'am area. I’d recommend it. But I'd only go back if I couldn't get a table at The Dairy first…

Oh and one final thing: beetroot chantilly cream petit fours? No.

The Manor
http://www.themanorclapham.co.uk/
148 Clapham Manor St
London
SW4 6BX

*give or take a few months...
**written before the 2015 Ashes

I Should Be Souvlaki

Greece is the word

Nunhead - May 2015

I Should Be Souvlaki might have the best street food name in the northern hemisphere (no-one is ever going to top Perth's Toastface Grillah). As a frequent visitor to Greece on family holidays as a much smaller (ea)Tings, a greek street food seller rocking up in my favourite South East London boozer for a pub residence meant investigation was required.

For those that don’t know, souvlaki is essentially the Greek version of a shish kebab; meat grilled on a skewer (souvla) and then served up in a pitta, usually with tomatoes, onions and my favourite Greek offering ever, tzatziki. Seriously, I bloody love it – what’s not to like about creamy yoghurt packed with fresh mint and cucumber and a big garlicky hit? When I was a kid with those usual childish suspicions of any food that wasn't sausages, I used to live off tzatziki and pitta bread when on holiday. To this day I can eat tzatziki by the pot-full, and have been known (somewhat heretically perhaps) to put it in bacon sandwiches. Allow democracy & medicine, this is Greece’s greatest gift to the world.

Back on point – souvlaki. Hugely popular in Greece, it’s somewhat overshadowed here by the Turks and their kebabs. I've had amazing souvlaki in Athens (Thanasis in Monastiraki being the prime example), that isn't readily available over here. But with branding as on point as I Should Be Souvlaki, perhaps this can change.

But how good is the food? 

Well, I'll get the one disappointment out of the way – I can't rate the tzatziki. Not enough garlic for my tastes: it needs more oomph. There is a decent twist of pepper adding some warmth. But more garlic, please.

Everything else is pretty damn decent. Best are the courgette fries; seasoned with a crunchy, semolina-like coating. They're slightly flaccid, but then a courgette is watery, so unless you're putting on more batter than vegetable (a la MEATliquor's deep fried pickles), it’s going to be a tricky ask to make them properly crispy. They’re so moreish we packed in a second portion.

The bifteki instantly tasted like holidays. The meat is well seasoned, with a hit of oregano through the meat that evokes every Greek grill ever. It's cooked well done in an age of pink patties, so is dry in places. But this is eased by the feta stuffing as well as the accompanying ‘Greek slaw’; sharp with vinegar, fragrant with mint and oregano. Fresh, light and crisp. Even the gf, who is usually pretty underwhelmed by sides of slaw, rated it.

So to the main attraction; we opt for the chicken Souvlaki.  The pitta is excellent – souvlaki pitta is closer to the classic flat-bread concept; thicker, fluffier and spongier than standard pitta pockets. They hold together much better and do a bang up job of soaking up meat juices. The meat itself is tender and moist, marinated in lemon and seasoned. And they’ve thrown in chips for added carby goodness. All the constituent ingredients are great, but I've been corrupted by the Turkish and feel it lacks something. Maybe extra heat from the missing garlic, perhaps a pickled chilli? It’s tasty, it's well made, but it could do with a little to lift it. It's still the best souvlaki I've had outside of Athens. OK, I've not had much souvlaki outside Athens, but the fact it bears comparison means they're doing good work.

And that name is genius.

I Should Be Souvlaki

https://twitter.com/isbsouvlaki

Thursday & Friday @ The Old Nun's Head

15 Nunhead Green

SE15 3QQ

Southern Joes

Where did you come from, where did you go?

Kentish Town - April 2015

Hot on the heels of Foxlow's awesome test drive, we found ourselves on another culinary march, this time to Kentish Town to run the rule over Southern Joe’s new northern outpost.

Having not visited the Covent Garden branch, which generated serious social media & food blog heat for the quality of its fried chicken, we were excited to give this a go.

It’s a mixed bag. There are some good things happening here, some disappointing.

The starters are a prime example of this. Jalapeno poppers come covered in the lightest crispy batter, with peppers soft and juicy inside. If I had my way, there’d be heavier with cream cheese, but that’s nit-picking. They’re up there with the best I've tried.  But then the popcorn shrimp... Anemic. Soggy. Bland.  It's rescued slightly by a dipping salsa that appears to be solely made up of blended jalapenos, that at least provides some fiery fun.

The mains: the shortrib is cooked to tender perfection, the meat falling apart like a cheap watch; clean off the bone without resistance. But it’s a little dull and a little bland, their rub seemingly rubbed off. No smokiness, no bbq-ness, no char, just a hunk of slow-cooked meat on a wooden board. Which isn't a bad thing, but isn't all that interesting either. Especially when coupled with the blandest slaw ever tasted. Not a hint of any flavour beyond thick mayo.

But smother the shit out of it all in their sticky, smokey, homemade BBQ sauce and suddenly you have an interesting plate (board) of food. We welcomed the addition at both starters and mains. A shame then, that eager staff kept clearing the jars away, only to bring it back at our insistence.

The much vaunted fried chicken is decent. We opt for two pieces with waffles. Chicken has a crispy coating, well cooked and not at all greasy. The 24 hour tea-brining preparation does not deliver any additional flavour, but has kept the bird perfectly moist (that’s what she said). I like the strength of the bourbon in the maple syrup. Covering savoury in sweet is something I have mixed feelings about; but mix in a ton of booze and it's all gravy. Well, syrup. Let’s just try and forget anyone ever put pieces of watermelon near this main course. A wholly unnecessary slice of Americana they can keep.

Other areas for improvement would be more crunchy topping on the mac & cheese. It says a biscuit crumb on the menu, which turns out to be the meanest crumb of a crumb. 

And the chocolate peanut pie is slightly dry, baked just that touch too long so that the topping edges into bitter. The salted caramel drizzle is delicious though.

It can be unfair to judge soft launch service so I won’t, other than to say if the waiters match skill with their enthusiasm and friendliness, then they’ll do very well. Nothing was bad, it all just needs some polish and no doubt that will come with practice.

All in all; a bit above average, Joes.

300 Kentish Town Road
Kentish Town
London
NW5 2TG
http://joessouthernkitchen.co.uk/