CAFE ROUGE SUMMER MENU

Summer has arrived! 
This time I ventured further south to try out the newly launched Summer Menu at the Parisian-style bistro, Cafe Rouge in Dulwich.
The popular Park Hall Road location boasts a quaint garden area which is perfect for some relaxing al fresco summer dining - it's also shaded so you can still dine outside if the weather happens to take a turn. You just can never tell with the temperamental British weather ...

We started with a couple of Gin Blooms, which comes in a variety of floral and fruity flavours: Elderflower, Grapefruit and Orange, Cucumber and Watermelon, and Green Tea and Lemongrass. For those looking for something a bit more innocent (a.k.a. alcohol-free), they also have arrange of refreshing mocktails.

For starters, I ordered the Panier de Champignons which was sautéed chestnut mushrooms in a cèpe & garlic sauce, served in delicious light and flaky vol-au-vent - a really enjoyable dish if you love mushrooms as much as I do. The Camembert has always been one of my favourites from the main menu, a crunchy breaded outer coating with a warm and ooze-y centre - a cheese lover's dream.

For our mains, we opted for more hearty, meatier options. I do love a schnitzel, and really enjoyed the Pork Schnitzel that was coated in crispy, golden breadcrumbs, served with a refreshing celeriac and cabbage slaw, baby watercress and frites.
  We requested for the 5oz 'Minute' Rump (35 day aged British rump steak) to be cooked medium rare so it was still pink in the middle, which you can choose to have with fries or house salad. You can request for some garlic butter on the side, or add on other sauces such as beef dripping Merlot gravy and Béarnaise.

And finally for dessert, we shared the Raspberry Parfait with sweet white chocolate sauce and salted caramel pistachios, that was highly recommended by the lovely manager - a lovely cooling dessert, that was not too sweet, and ideal for warm summer days.

Alongside their extensive main a la carte menu, Cafe Rouge also currently offer a Summer Set Menu everyday from 12noon onwards, where you can enjoy two courses for a bargain price of £12.95 (with and additional £3.00 to include dessert). 

There are plenty of other tasty seasonal dishes on the menu which you can browse here. 
Or even better - find your closest cafe Rouge by clicking on this link to enjoy some good value, wholesome French food.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

RISTORANTE FRESCOBALDI X AURORA CAPRI

After a much enjoyable Winemaker's Dinner at Frescobaldi a few months back, I was very much excited to return for a special lunch by Guest Chef Franco Aversa, the A-list Head Chef from Aurora, Capri's most exclusive restaurant.

Aurora, the critically-acclaimed restaurant on the island of Capri in Italy's bay of Naples, is a family business owned by Mia D'Alessio; the kitchen led by her husband, Head Chef Franco. Known as one of Capri's oldest restaurants, it specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and traditional Neapolitan and Caprese cuisine, with Head Chef Franco's personal twist. 

Hungry with anticipation after browsing through the menu, we left our choices in the safe hands of the lovely Mia, who brought us a delightful selection of tasting dishes.

 We started with some tasty, crisp arancini balls and moreish courgette fries, followed by some seafood dishes such as the octopus salad with green beans, and grilled squid with a creamy potato velouté. The fish fillet was cooked beautifully, topped with a golden, crunchy potato crust.

I was really craving for some pasta that day, and my favourite dish was undoubtedly the Pappardelle with cheese, pepper and black truffle - sometimes the simple things in life can bring great joy and comfort.

I had a mouthful of the Cannelloncino of Magro with ragu Napoletana sauce, which was also very good. 

La Tradizione: Mozzarella in Carrozza, Involtino di Melanzane, Arancino, Zucchini Scapece

Insalata di Polpo Croccante con Patate e Fagiolini

Calamaretti Grigliati su crema di patate

Pappardelle con Cacio, Pepe e Tartufo Nero

Filetto di Pesce in crosta di Patate con verdura

Cannelloncino di Magro con Ragout alla Napoletana

There was a surprise chocolatey dessert for all of us at the end, each topped with a candle just for that special touch - I'm sure that it must be someone's birthday in the world somewhere ...

Ristorante  Frescobaldi hosts regular Guest Chefs from around the world throughout the year, for a period of upto two weeks at a time.

This current Guest Chef event runs for just over a week, until Saturday 26th November 2016, so book yourself in whilst you still can for an exclusive taste of Capri.

And whilst you're there, don't forget to pair your meal with their extensive and exclusive range of Italian wines.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

BENIHANA 30TH ANNIVERSARY, LONDON

I love Teppan-yaki and all things Japanese, and recently had the pleasure of dining at Benihana in Chelsea, in celebration of the restaurant's 30th anniversary in London, hosted by Benihana CEO Keiko Ono Aoki.
 The first Benihana restaurant was opened in 1964 in New York City, by Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki, the pioneer of “Teppan-yaki” dining, who was the first to commercialise the homestyle Japanese method of cooking on a hot plate. In each restaurant, a private chef is provided to every table, where the meals are served in several courses.

Since opening in Swiss Cottage 30 years ago in 1986 (closed in 2011), Benihana has firmly established their retro appeal, unchanged menus and flamboyant performances for diners in Piccadilly and Chelsea. Both prime locations locations are known to frequently host royalty and celebrities; Princess Diana was known to make regular visits for supper with the young princes to the original Swiss Cottage branch, and Michael Jackson and his entourage once took over the entire King’s Road restaurant on a visit to the Capital (!)

After being given a brief history of the restaurant, followed by the Kagami-wari sake barrel-breaking ceremony, we were seated for dinner in Rocky's Room. 

There were some pretty impressive performances from the World Teppan Champions, and I made sure that I kept my hair a safe distance away from the fire ...
 That evening, we were treated to Rocky’s Choice which is taken from the "Speciality Dinners” section of the menu:
Benihana Onion Soup, Salad with Ginger Dressing, Hibachi Vegetables, Prawn Appetiser & Steamed Rice, Hibachi Steak and Hibachi Chicken.
Plenty of theatrics were thrown in in between to keep us entertained, such as the 'Onion Volcano', 'Dancing Shrimp' and 'I Love You Rice'. 
We finished off with an indulgent chocolate cake - because what's a birthday celebration without cake? 

 

Rocky's Choice £30 offer is available for 30 days from September 1st until 30th - just remember to mention "Benihana 30" to claim this offer.
And if you have kids under 10 who love a bit of art and creativity, why not let them have a go at the Kids Colouring Competition which is running throughout the month of September - the winner can invite up to 20 kids to have a party at Benihana (!)
Now only if I was _ _ years younger ...

Check out their website for more information.  

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.