FERA AT CLARIDGES

I have often walked past but have never stepped into Claridges before, so it was nice to finally see what laid within the legendary walls of this Mayfair hotel.

As we walked through the revolving doors, I instinctively walked straight up to the reception at The Foyer, but was then approached by Restaurant Director, Ben Hofer, who led us down the other side of the hall to the entrance to Fera.

 The latest venture from Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, the name Fera comes from the Latin word 'wild', which reflects the use of seasonal ingredients and the influence of nature in his style of British cooking.

Warmly greeted by the reception staff, we were seated along the sofas with a nice view of the glamorous room. I really liked the centrepiece, with the lighting giving it a dramatic setting.

| Pea wafer, fennel and flowers |

Or first little snack was served to us by chef Simon Rogan himself - so pretty and colourful, I was reluctant to eat it. Delightfully smooth and creamy and really light and crunchy wafer.

| Stewed rabbit with lovage |

Crispy on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside.

| Mackerel, caviar, seawater cream |

| Winslade, potato, duck heart |

I don't think I've ever eaten duck heart, and only just realized what I had eaten after having a glance at the menu. I was probably too distracted by the food that I must have missed out some bits of the explanations by the waiter - typical me.

I swiftly cleaned up my bowl and found it very appetizing - sometimes it's best not to know what you're eating and just enjoy the moment. I suppose I won't feel as queasy now about eating hearts, now that I have actually tasted it and surprisingly liked it.

 

The bread was served with bone marrow butter and a warm cup of mushroom broth.

 | Raw beef, smoked broccoli cream, scallop roe, acidic apple juice |

Having a great love for tartare and raw dishes, this was naturally up my street. Unfortunately I hadn't realized that my dining partner was not a fan of raw beef. 

Hence, being a good friend, I willingly volunteered to eat his share as well - can't let good food go to waste!

| Prawns from Gairloch, prime pork fat, borage and chicory |

Amazingly fresh and juicy prawns, and again very pleasing to the eye.

 

| Brill cooked in whey flavoured with hogweed, Jerseys, blewits and beach herbs |

The brill was cooked perfectly, as well as the little Jersey potatoes. 

Sauce was nice without overpowering the flavours of the fish.

Absolutely brill-iant.

Pardon the pun, I just couldn't help myself...

 

| Middle white pork, caramelised leek broad bean and mead reduction |

Another faultless dish, and that mead reduction had me wanting more...

 

| Baked yoghurt, pear poached in perry, mint and muscovado |

I have a real weakness for good desserts, and this has got to be my favourite dish of the meal. Sweet and refreshingly cooling. I was tempted to do an Oliver Twist impersonation - 'Please sir, I want some more...'

| Iced beech leaf, nitro sweet cheese, apple and sorrel |

Another deliciously refreshing dessert. One of my five-a-day, sorted.

 

| Chamomile milkshake, chocolate malt |

 

Chocolate malt hidden underneath...sneaky!

 

And to finish off our meal, more little snacks to nibble on.

 

 

 

 

Overall a very pleasant experience - impressively good food and very hospitable staff.

An elegant room with a touch of vintage and contemporary chic.

Did I also mention that they have a really beautifully designed back wall - something to keep in mind for my future dream house!

Unfortunately I forgot to bring my scrapbook diary with me today, but I did take the menu to add to my little book of memories... - I promise I will bring it in next time, Ben :)

Address: 49 Brook St., London W1K 4HR

Tel. No.: 0207 7107 8888

Opening hours: 12:00-14:30 (lunch) ; 18:30-22:00 (dinner)

The Cheekster, signing out x

GRANGER & CO. CLERKENWELL, 50 SEKFORDE STREET

A casual all-day restaurant, Granger & Co. in Clerkenwell is the second London branch opened by Australian restaurateur, Bill Granger, following in the footsteps of the Notting Hill branch which was first opened in 2011.

 Aware of the no-reservation policy, we arrived about 11am on a Sunday, and managed to be seated almost immediately along the comfortable cream sofas on the side.
There were also some papers and magazines laid out on the bar which customers may choose to read at their leisure.

 

| flat white |

 

| sweetcorn fritters, roast tomato, spinach & bacon |

Vivienne went for the sweetcorn fritters, and we both really liked it. Simple yet packed with plenty of flavour.

 

Viv was clearly very pleased with her selection...

| crab, chorizo & house kim chee fried brown rice |

I had originally wanted to order the courgette fritters, but was informed that the fryer wasn't ready (?), which was a shame. Nonetheless, I did enjoy my fried rice - delicious sour and spicy flavours. I don't usually have rice for breakfast, but I had a sudden craving for some Asian flavours, and this was a nice fix.

 

And me being me, I obviously had to try out some of their delicious baked offerings on display... 
I followed the waiter to the bakery display and selected the mango cake and a fruit scone to nibble on.

 

 Service was good, with just some minor issues e.g. forgetting to place a drink order and forgetting to send cutlery to the table. However, all staff were very polite and courteous thorughout.

Overall, a very pleasant experience and a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Address: 50 Sekforde Street, London EC1R 0HA

Tel. No.: 020 7251 9032

Opening hours: 8:00-23:00 (Mon - Fri) ; 9:00-23:00 (Sat) ; 10:00-18:00 (Sun)

The Cheekster, signing out x

PACATA, 4 NEW ROW, COVENT GARDEN

Opened by Singha Beer brewer, Pacata aims to bring the Asian street food concept to London, involving the fusion of Asian and Western flavours. 
Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines, so I was curious to see what Pacata had to offer, and hopefully, excite my taste buds.

We stopped by for a late lunch - although part of the menu was labeled as 'Dinner', this was thankfully also being served at that time.

 

| D.I.Y. Papaya Salad |

We were served a bowl of chopped up papaya and vegetables, a jug of sauce, and a mortar and pestle. Not quite the easiest dish to put together especially if you have limited table space (!) - a little tricky trying not to splatter each other with vegetable and juices, but actually tasted alright when mixed together.

Something different, although I think I still prefer leaving my food to be prepared and put together in the kitchen before being served to me...

 

| Popcorn Chicken |

- with deep-fried Pandan leaves and a hint of Larb powder or Tom Yum powder -

Although a tad bit salty, I did like the crunchiness of them. A nice hint of spiciness, and we also requested some wasabi mayonnaise dips to accompany them.

| Seared Sea Bass |

- with a choice of Green curry, Massaman curry or Japanese curry. Sauteed French bean, mushroom, tomato, and Jasmine rice or fries. -

Someone had recommended this dish, which we ordered with the Massaman curry. I had high hopes for this, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me - the curry was too watery, and everything including the fish, which was supposed to be the highlight of the dish, was under-seasoned. 

We did mention it in our feedback to the waiter at the end of our meal, so hopefully it will turn out better on in future.

| Pacata Pasta |

- Pad-Thai with a twist. Squid ink Tagliatelle with spring onion, egg, bean sprout, Chinese tofu and king prawn -

This was my favourite dish of our meal. I do love a good traditional Pad-Thai, and this fusion dish still delivered the delicious flavours, topped off with some succulent juicy prawns.

Although I feel that maybe some chopped roasted peanuts and chilli pepper would have ticked all the right boxes for me. 

But overall, still a really tasty dish.

 

| Green Tea Brownie and Ice Cream |

Sweet and moist brownie (or as I prefer to call it, 'greenie') and lovely ball of green tea ice cream.

Despite it being described as a fusion restaurant, personally I felt that it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It is however a nice little hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the tourist-packed part of Covent Garden, and I wouldn't say no to a second visit to try out some of the other dishes - hopefully a better and improved visit from the first one.

Address: 4 New Row, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LH

Tel. No.: 020 724 01602

Opening hours: 7:00-late (Mon - Sat) ; 10:00-22:00 (Sun)

The Cheekster, signing out x