BARRAFINA, SOHO

Cicheti for lunch at Polpo, and now tapas for dinner at Barrafina - a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar located on Frith Street in Soho.
One of those places on my list that I just never got around to do, until now.

My entire day's schedule had gone as planned, and we made it in just in time to grab ourselves some seats at the end of the L-shaped marble tapas bar before the massive queue formed behind us along the wall.

 

The Flower & the Bee 2011 Cote de Gomariz - tasted just as good as it sounds!

Whilst waiting for our food to arrive, I greedily eyed the other customer's food...everything looked and smelt so good - definitely a good sign.

 

We ordered a Cold Meat Platter to start off. Ham is always a must for me in Spanish places... I could eat this stuff all day!

 

Razor clams from the Specials menu - succulent and delicious.

The Tuna Tartar wasn't available (Nooo...!), but thankfully its replacement, the Salmon Tartar, tasted amazing. Marinated with deliciously fragrant sesame oil and served with a dollop of creamy avocado puree, it was one of my favourite dishes of the evening.

The Jamon and Spinach Tortilla was probably the tastiest tortilla that I've had so far - served hot and fresh from the pan, it was cooked through with the centre still moist, and slightly runny.

 

Salt cod a la Romana - desalinated salt cod that is floured and dipped in egg batter and deep-fried until golden...yummy.

Last but not least, you just CAN'T not have croquettes, or rather croquetas - scrumptious deep-fried breaded balls of goodness with super creamy centres...

 

It's a really fast-moving and lively environment; the chefs working their magic on the stoves whilst the waiters dart around to make sure orders are taken and food gets served promptly.
Great food and prompt service - just remember to get in early if you want to avoid the long queues.

POLPO, COVENT GARDEN

I've previously been to the Soho branch, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I had no doubt that the Covent Garden branch would be just as good - it was also conveniently located to St Paul's Church which was our next stop for Alice in Wonderland!

 

 

We ordered a few dishes to share, including this cute little Cicheti plate which we could sample a little bit of everything.
I've had a love for cicheti ever since my first visit to Venice - exploring the quiet streets and doing a little 'tour' around the Osterie/Bacari.

 

My hungry eyes are always on the look-out for TARTARE...so there was no doubt that I would order the Mackerel tartare. There was a nice touch of heat from the horseradish, and loved the crispiness of the carta di musica (thin sheets of unleavened bread).

We ordered the garlic prawns from the Specials menu board. 
Very tasty - garlic prawns are always a must if they are available on the menu.

 

Veal and porcini meatballs - great flavour and texture, served with a generous portion of tomato-based sauce.

Our final dish was the warm calamari, parsley and radish salad - a nice change from the deep-fried calamari that I usually order.

Another very satisfying lunch at Polpo - one of my favourite places on my foodie list.
If you're looking for a little Venetian-style bacaro in London that serves humble and simple yet good-tasting food, this is the place to be. 

SUNDAY, 169 HEMINGFORD ROAD

Is it Sunday already?!
Perfect day to post this then...

This little neighbourhood cafe and restaurant is indeed called 'Sunday', located on a Hemingford Road in Islington.

It was a Friday evening, and we hadn't made a reservation beforehand, but thankfully the weather was fine and we were seated in the cosy garden at the back.

 

Neither of us were experts at wine, so we ordered a bottle of white wine that was recommended to us - Insolia 2012, Case Ibidini.

 

 

Our first starter was the Chilli crab, spring onion salad with grapefruit. 
First impressions: a nice, generous portion, and lovely vibrant colours. The freshness of the crab, the sweet-citrus-y flavours of the grapefruit, the creamy slices of avocado, drizzled with light dressing - a great start to a meal.

The second starter we ordered was the Feta beignets, fig salad, beetroot and watercress. 
For those of you, who like me, didn't know what a 'beignet' was, it is basically the French term for a pastry made from deep-fried choux paste - equivalent to the English 'fritter'.
They are traditionally prepared just before being served to be eaten whilst they are fresh and hot - lovely and crisp on the outside and delicious melted feta cheese on the inside.
Loved the combination of the sweet and luscious tastes of the figs and beetroot, and the slight peppery taste of the watercress.

We even found a little friend that dropped from above...

We named him 'Figgymon'

We had read about the salt-and-pepper crispy squid with papaya salad, and were looking forward to tasting it, but unfortunately it wasn't on the menu that evening. We were informed that their menu was dependent on which ingredients were available from their usual local supplier - maybe we will have better luck next time!
Hopefully the ricotta-stuffed courgette flowers will also make another appearance...

 

The Cod fillet had a a great texture - beautiful flakes of white flesh that went really well with the clams, saffron potatoes, and the slight hint of spiciness from the chorizo.

Lamb fillet, salsa verde, polenta chips and tomato salad - medium rare, with maybe a few parts cooked more well done than the others. The salsa verde added a rustic touch to it.
The polenta chips were a tasty alternative to the usual potato chips - deliciously crispy on the outside and soft and melting on the inside.

I chose the lemon meringue pie with berries - because you know how much I love my pies...
An English classic that was smooth, creamy, and fragrant with lemons, with a really nice pastry base. Although the berries were maybe a a tad bit too much on the sour side for me.



Doughnuts with salted caramel and salted caramel ice cream. 
The doughnuts had a lovely dough texture with a slight chewiness and a crispy outside - fresh, warm, and nicely complimented by the sweet and saltiness of the caramel.
I am so high on sugar these days...

I didn't get to try the Sunday Sundae, but I heard that it was excellent - please feel free to eat it on my behalf.







This little gem, which has been opened for a few weeks now, is open all week except on Mondays - serving brunch during the day all week, and dinner on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I haven't personally tried the brunch menu, but I'm certain (and have been informed by a reliable source) that the food and coffee are just as superb.
*Hint: look out for the Huevos Rancheros*

Great food and value for money - the perfect place for a lazy Sunday, or any other day of the week...just not Monday.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: STREET KITCHEN POP-UP + JUBO OPENING

For one night only, on Thursday 8th August, Street Kitchen took over Disco Bistro N1C - serving up their awesome Burgerdogs!

The combination of two favourite grilled foods: the hamburger and the hotdog - oh yes...

 

The three of us ordered one of each item from the menu to share - sharing is caring as they say...and we each got to try a bit of everything!

 

 

We lined up the Burgerdogs in the correct order as on the menu so that we figure out which we liked best - my personal favourite was the Heinz 57. 

It had a juicy slice of slow pork belly, and being Asian it's obvious how much I love pork belly... 

I'm pretty sure we must have used up the entire box of napkins whilst in the process of dividing and eating the Burgerdogs...

The skin on chips were really tasty and crispy, hard to resist munching on them continuously in between my mouthfuls of burgerdogs...

 This is why you should NEVER put sharing bowls in front of me...  

Hopefully there was enough for the others!

 

And to finish off, some ice lollies made by The Ice Kitchen!

 

 You can also sample Street Kitchen's full hot dog menu at The Miller, Bermondsey.

 Afterwards, Wilkes and I headed on to our second destination - Jubo that just opened at the Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch.

 

 

 

 

Steak 'Bulgogi' Sub & Roll

Hot & sweet Korean fried chicken strips

 

Soy garlic Korean fried chicken wings

Kimchi

Steamed buns with slow-cooked pork belly

Steamed bun with flat portobello and shiitake mushrooms

My favourite was definitely their speciality dish, which was the Korean fried chicken - so crunchy on the outside, yet so moist and juicy on the inside. A little bit more of a spicy-kick to it and I would have been in love.

If I wasn't already half-full from the first round of food I could have eaten more!

A pretty chilled and relaxed atmosphere on opening day. Diego Salazar, one of the shareholders, came over to our table and gave us a bit of an insight as to how they started off Jubo.

 And it was also nice to bump into some familiar faces - Kimchinary, GalbiBros, and the lovely duo from Bahn Mi.

Their 28% off food promotion runs until 22nd August - so get down there whilst you can!

I'm not quite sure what the number 28 symbolizes...but I'm guessing it must be some auspicious Korean number!

Off to find more food to eat! - my brain can't function properly without it...

The Cheekster, signing off x