BYOC SOHO FT. JAMES COCHRAN

I have always wanted to visit BYOC, and what better opportunity than at the launch party of BYOC ft. James Cochrane at their latest branch in Soho.
BYOC (aka 'Bring Your Own Cocktail') is a speakasy where you are welcome to bring your own bottle(s) of poison (alcohol/spirits!), where expert mixologists with their array of syrups and bitters will be at hand to shake up concoctions to your hearts desire.
The Soho branch has taken it to the next level by teaming up with young and exciting chef James Cochran (formerly at Harwood Arms and Ledbury) to deliver mouth-watering dishes, specially crafted using local and seasonal produce.
 
We were first shown upstairs to the bar, a rather dim and intimate setting, where we were served champagne, cocktails and oysters - not a bad start to a Thursday evening. The Whitstable rock oysters were topped with bone marrow and black radish, and was a delicious mouthful, I only wished that I could have grabbed one more (or an armful) before we proceeded downstairs to the ground floor restaurant.

We were each suggested to order four dishes from the menu, so we ordered eight different dishes between the two of us - we do like variety. 

The first of the fish dishes that we ordered was the treacle cured smoked salmon with smoked cods roe, radish, rye, mustard cress, and a small cube of whiskey and apple jelly on the side.

The next fish dish was the Cornish mackerel, served with charcoal mayonnaise, pickled wild cherries and (dehydrated) seaweed. I do love mackerel dishes, both raw and cooked, and this one was seared nicely. Some may find this too fishy, but it was perfect for my tastes.  
The third and also my favourite dish of the evening was the Cornish ray wing topped with samphire and a thin slice of cured pork collar which enhanced the flavour. I do love the smoothness of ray wing flesh, I would have happily had seconds (and thirds) ...

Moving to the meatier dishes, starting with the braised short rib of red ruby beef which was tender and juicy, served with a flavoursome girolle marmalade. This was followed by a thick cut of crisp pork belly with yogurt, purple sprouting broccoli and pinenuts which added an extra crunch. To balance it out, we had the Wye valley asparagus topped with a light egg and garlic mousse - one of our 5-a-day ...

Unable to decide between the desserts, we eventually settled for a sweet and savoury dessert to share between us. For the sweet dessert, we went for the English raspberries with lemon verbena buttermilk and feuille de brick, which consisted of thinly crisp slices of pastry. And you just can't go wrong with cheese ...

I didn't have much time to check out the bar upstairs, but I'd definitely be interested to pop back in again to try out more of their bespoke cocktails, and the famous Buttermilk Jerk Chicken that I've been hearing about ...

Check out their website for more details.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.  

SAMBAL SHIOK @ THE SUN & 13 CANTONS

For those of you who missed out on Sambal Shiok's past, sell-out residencies at Newman Arms and Salvation in Noodles, cheer up, as they have just recently started their new residency at The Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho - for a whole THREE MONTHS (!)

So there's definitely plenty of time to seize this opportunity to sample Sambal Shiok's delicious take on modern Malaysian food.

Like the past residency, the menu showcases a selection of Spicy Laksa Soup Noodles that are sure to get your tastebuds tingling. The spicy coconut chicken and prawn broths have a great kick to them and are greatly comforting especially when the weather is chilly. But not to worry, for those of you who can't handle that much spice, you may order an extra portion of coconut milk to tone it down - nobody will judge you (!)

I'm sure most of you would be familiar with the ever popular signature Malaysian dish, Nasi Lemak - a dish consisting of fragrant coconut pandan rice, spicy sambal chilli, cucumber, sweet pickled red onions, peanuts, deep fried anchovies and egg, that you can also choose to have it plain, with ayam goreng (fried chicken), beef rendang, or the vegetarian dahl version.

Furthermore, you can order some small dishes/bar snacks on the side to share, such as the Hainan Dumplings ('pot-sticker' dumplings with Hainanese ginger chilli sauce, that I would highly recommend!), Ayam Goreng (Malaysian fried chicken) or Vadai Kerepek (lentil fritters). For those with larger appetites, there are plenty of extras to add on if you wish to do so.

For those with a sweet-tooth like myself, there are some Malaysian-inspired desserts available to order, such as the Malaysian peanut pancake and bubur cha cha.
To quench your thirst, there is hot teh tarik which is one of my favourite Malaysian drinks, as well as cincau and limau ais.

And if all that mentioned above hasn't gotten you salivating and craving for some Maaysian food already, then I'm sure that the photos below will...

Centrally located in a renowned Soho institution, the residency runs from 29th March 2016 until 1st July 2016 - Lunch is available from Tuesday to Saturday (12pm - 3pm), and dinner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays (5.30pm - 9.30pm).

Walk-ins and takeaways are also available at all times.

If you fancy a taste of Sambal Shiok's hearty burgers and mouth-watering rice-boxes with a Malaysian twist, you can also find them trading at Street Food Union (Fridays) and Southbank Centre Market (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) - check out the website for full details on trading hours. 

The Cheekster, signing out x

HO MODERN VIETNAMESE, SOHO

My very first visit was back in 2013, when it was opened by TV celebrity Bobby Chinn and known as House of Ho. This Pan-Asian joint in Soho has now been rebranded as Ho Modern Vietnamese, with the menu now being overseen by Chef Ian Pengelley.

We popped in on a Monday for a quick lunch when it was not too busy. The restaurant interior is quite dark so I usually prefer the seats by the windows at the front. For drinks, I opted for the Rum Yum Dragon which was sweet, fruity, and not too full-on for a cheeky afternoon tipple, whilst Ge went for the Swordless Samurai, an innocent fruity mocktail which was topped with a pretty floral garnish.

The menu consists of some nibbles to start with, a selection of Pho, Salads, Small Sharing Plates, Rolls, Ho's Signature Sharing Plates and some sides.
We shared three dishes between the two of us. The first was the shredded chicken pomelo salad which was served in a bowl with vegetable 'noodles', mint leaves, sesame seeds, toasted peanuts, crispy shallots and some prawn crackers. A light and refreshing salad which was vibrant and had nice textures - I liked the flavours but it could potentially be a bit salty for some as was for my friend. I particularly liked the juicy pomelo bits that added sweetness to it.

The second dish was the pan fried smoked duck with black sticky rice, orange miso and young vegetables. The duck was slightly overcooked and could have been a bit more tender. There was a nice sweet and salty flavour balance of flavours to it and I liked the black sticky rice which was wrapped in a thin cabbage leaf parcel. The spring onion was however under-cooked and too close to being raw to be enjoyed.

 

Our third dish was the crispy whole sea bream with lemongrass, ginger and coriander, which was my favourite dish. The fish was crispy and golden and came with a tasty sweet dipping sauce on the side. Delicious crunchy textures and definitely one to order if you enjoy fish.

For dessert, we shared the warm green tea chocolate pudding with passion fruit and vanilla ice cream. The pudding was served nice and warm and the liquid centre immediately oozed out when cut through - a bit runnier than what I have had with other puddings, but nonetheless sweet and indulgent, and the flavours of the green tea definitely came through. 

Overall, apart from the minor points that I mentioned, it was a pretty satisfying meal and our waiter was really lovely throughout. I can only comment on the dishes that we had, but the menu is quite extensive which you can view online here.  

They also have a sister restaurant, House of Ho, in Fitzrovia, which I have not been, which is set in a four storey townhouse, and also offers contemporary Vietnamese food.

The Cheekster, signing out x

 
The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own. 

BRUNCH AT JACKSON & RYE, SOHO

Weekends are made for relaxation and doing things that I love in life, and what better way to spend it than enjoying brunch with family. It sure has been a while since my last visit to Jackson and Rye, and I remember my first visit with Wilkes when they first opened where we were both rather fascinated with the slab bacon (!)

The place was packed as you would expect on a weekend, and our cosy corner table was thankfully ready shortly after we arrived. The brunch menu is quite extensive, and as is the norm with our family, we ordered dishes to share, which is always the best way to go.

We started with some appetizer dishes to share, including the Truffled Mac & Cheese with creamy Parmesan sauce with crispy kale topping, and Crunchy Chorizo Prawns served with mango chilli mayo. The Salt & Pepper Squid was light and crisp, served with crispy rice vermicelli noodles and tangy house sesame & lime sauce.

The Entrees and Steaks & Grills all sounded very enticing, but we eventually managed to narrow it down to three dishes. The Whole Nova Scotia Lobster was a no-brainer - juicy chargrilled lobster, served with smoked garlic and herb butter, watercress and fries.

We also ordered the Blue Swimmer Crab Cakes which I enjoyed on my last visit, coated in golden brown breadcrumbs, with chilli, radish slaw & chipotle sauce on the side. 

And of course we didn't miss out on the Smoky Rye-glazed Pork Ribs with spicy slaw and fries. A delicious and tender rack of ribs that is definitely one for the meat-lovers out there.

To finish off, we ordered a trio of desserts - because good things some in threes (!)

 We ordered a portion of the Buttermilk Pancakes with blueberry compote & house whipped cream, which were thick and fluffy, although we found it slightly dry and could have done with a bit of syrup. The Pecan Pie had a nice buttery pastry with sweet crunchy pecans, served with rye whiskey ice cream.

My favourite was the Melting Chocolate Sundae - topped with a chocolate dome which melted as the warm butterscotch sauce was poured on top of it, revealing creamy milk ice cream and indulgent chunks of chocolate brownie pieces underneath it.

Naughty chocolate desserts like this are always a winner.

Tummies filled and smiles all round the table, which is usually a good sign of a satisfying brunch. Thank you Jackson & Rye for a pleasant meal, I look forward to returning soon.

 The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.