LONDON IN THE SKY 2014

With another stroke of luck, I was fortunate to win a pair of tickets to London In The Sky. Operated exclusively over a 10-day period, the event saw five of London's best Michelin starred restaurants transfer their signature menus and dining experiences to a unique sky table, suspended 100 feet in the air. 
Held at Canary Wharf, London In The Sky consists of a 22-seat table, with a space in the middle where the chef and the team prepare and serve food to diners.
I had seen plenty of posts about it on my Twitter timeline, and as usual I tried my luck in a couple of competitions, hoping to win tickets for the event. As the days drew nearer to the end of the event, I had given up hope and forgotten about it - and then I got a surprise notification whilst working a late shift!

Thanks to Great British Chefs, I was able to attend the final dinner flight with Chef Alyn Williams at The Westbury.

We were instructed to arrive half an hour before our dinner flight, and we made our way there just in time to take some photos before sunset. 

As much as I was excited about this, I also forgot to mention that I have a sliiiggghhhtt fear of heights... 

The last bad experience that I had was going on the Skywalk in Canada - where I had to grasped my best friend, Harpreet's, arm and scamper across to the other side with my head towards the sky, before I eventually teared up at the end. Yeah, not a very memorable experience...

But then again, at least I am not as bad as a guy that I used to date who was petrified of escalators...

I do feel bad now about joking about it last time, honest.

Despite my anxiety, I was determined to overcome my fears. Coincidentally on the same day I walked past a window with the words 'Do one thing a day that scares you' - it must have been a sign. 

In most cases, people would often bring a husband/partner/boyfriend/date etc along as their +1, a privilege that single people like me do not have...

But if I was going to go through this, I knew that needed someone that I could trust and rely on. And without a doubt, this person just happens to be my best friend, Wai Kit. 

And now into the waiting lounge, where we registered ourselves and were each served a glass of  Taittinger champagne. Alcohol was definitely one thing that I needed to help calm my nerves...

It was pretty dark outside by the time the first group of diners descended, and it was then finally time for us to get buckled into our seats. We were each given numbers, and me and WK were lucky number 1 and 2. We were fastened down with three safety belts, and our seats were adjusted accordingly.
Too late to turn back now... 

 

After a brief speech from Chef Alyn Williams,  it was time for 'take-off'! Our table swiftly ascending into the sky as the ground below disappeared into the darkness - not that I was looking, as you can clearly see me still clutching the table with my shivery hands...

These chairs are safe right...? Oh crap, it swivels!

  

We were sat at the far end, and conveniently within close reach of this lovely young man who did a good job in making sure that our wine glasses were regularly topped up! 

Wai Kit did help in comforting me on our way up and told me not to look down...logically.

 

 I was initially quite cold when we reached the top which was quite windy. The vain side of me had refused to bring a jacket, but thankfully I had a scarf to wrapped around me...

 Thankfully I started to warm up with each (huge) gulp of wine, and my nerves also began to calm down.

I am NOT cold...

And eventually I was brave enough to take selfies!

And the surrounding views...

Now moving on to our five course Michelin starred dinner... 
All perfectly executed by the chefs and efficiently prepared before us.

| Belota iberica, cauliflower, soused beach vegetables, cobnuts |  

| Mersea island crab, watermelon, wild herb coleslaw, gazpacho, cucumber | 

Chef totally working it!

| Confit cod, coco bean casserole, Alsace bacon, autumn truffles | 

| Cumbrian rosé veal, braised brisket, sweetbread crumbs, brassicas |

| Cornish cows curd cheesecake, spiced figs, gingerbread crisp | 

Photos before food...ALWAYS! #eatingishardwork

My 'apprentice' has learnt well from eating out with me...

The lovely sisters, Tina & Trudi - nice to meet you!

Did I also mention that WK abandoned me before the last course...?!

The call of nature, as they say...

*deducts best friend brownie points*

The whole thing only lasted for an hour, but it was an absolute fun-filled hour.
Thank you to the amazing chefs and the team for making this experience so memorable and fun, and to Great British Chefs for giving us the opportunity for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

And of course, to Wai Kit for being my ever-reliable companion for the evening - 6 years of friendship and still going strong.

The Cheekster, signing out x

MANHATTAN GRILL, CANARY WHARF

 Weekends are made for indulging, so, last weekend we made a visit to Manhattan Grill, a modern steakhouse overlooking West India Quay.

 

It was much quieter than we were expecting for a Saturday evening - usually not a very good sign, but at least that meant that we didn't have to wait long for our food to be served...
We perused through the menu and ordered a few starters to share. I also ordered a cocktail - Londinium 75, made with Hayman's Sloe and Dry, lime champagne and passion fruit syrup. I do love anything sweet and bubbly.

 

 

We ordered three different starters to share, which was served in a large sharing plate.
We both really liked the seared black pearl scallops, which had a nice, springy texture, and was served with pea puree and crispy chorizo. The baked blue swimmer crab cake was good as well - thick, juicy and moist on the inside. 
No euphemism intended.
The king prawns were cooked in garlic butter and served with a mixed salad - although the flavour was nice, they were unfortunately a bit overcooked and had quite a rubbery texture.

 

 

For mains, we ordered the Greekstone Kansas USDA Black Angus Fillet (6oz) - cooked Medium, because WK gets a bit queasy about the sight of blood in his food...
Yes, he is 'one of those' diners...who also happens to be my best friend, so I do let him off...occasionally.
The roasted black cod was really tasty, cooked in a mirin-miso sauce. A lovely thick fillet which was very moist and succulent. This was served ginger bok-choy and rice.
We also ordered a side of creamed spinach, which again was not great - spinach was basically drowned in cream and very limp and overcooked. Was not a pleasant feeling in the mouth...

I was advised to save room for dessert prior to my visit, and so we did, and ordered three different desserts to share. 
I love pies, so the pecan pie was definitely on my list - it didn't look too bad, although I felt that it was a bit too dry, and I think that it would have been better if the clotted cream was substituted with ice cream. Crumble is another of my favourite dessert choices - but sad to say, this one was another let down... it was just all a bit too mushy, and the crumble at the top was not crisp enough.
Despite my disappointment with the two desserts, I did however like the Quay Lime Pie. Creamy, zesty and sweet, with a nice crumbly biscuit base. 
One out of three... the dessert-lover in me let out a little sigh.









Service overall was prompt and courteous, and our waiter was very attentive throughout the evening.
In terms of food, it was a bit inconsistent and considering the prices, one would have expected better.
Overall however, still a pretty pleasant experience, although I'm not sure that I'll be rushing back anytime soon...
  
  The Cheekster, signing out x

[object Object]

LYLE'S THE GUEST SERIES x LEANDRO CARREIRA

Lyle's has been on my list for a while, and I was excited to be able to attend the first of The Guest Series that kicked off on 15th September - a one-off dinner collaboration between Head Chef James Lowe and Chef Leandro Carreiraa (formerly of Viajante and Mugaritz).

The menu consisted of a fixed six-course meal, showcasing some of the best British seasonal produce.

We were served a basket of sourdough bread and some small snacks to start with. I particularly liked the blood cake, damson and potato crisps.

 

| Mackerel Broth |

Mackerel is best from autumn through winter. Two clean cut pieces of mackerel in a lovely broth. A very clean dish, and it didn't taste too fishy.

 

| Spiced Cabbage | 

The rolls of cabbage were filled with a shrimp paste and some cobnuts on the side. Not quite one of my favourite dishes, and there were a few mixed opinions around the table...

 

| Squid, Potato & Nasturtium |

Now THIS, I really liked - nicely presented with lovely vibrant colours, and of course it tasted really good as well. Nice peppery taste from the nasturtium which is apparently one of the tastiest edible flowers - great for dressing up plates, and also high in vitamin A, C and D. Healthy eating, sorted.

 

| Hebridean Lamb, Beetroot & Plum | 

Lamb was tender and a nice shade of pink, with a thin, juicy layer of fat, accompanied well by subtle sweet flavours of the beetroot and plum.

| Cardo, Pear & Honey |

I love cheese, so naturally I liked this dish. I can't really remember what the bits at the top were made from, but it tasted like Weetabix to me... well, the texture at least. Another dish with some mixed views around the table, and I offered to help eat up Prowler's portion - just doing my good deed for the day...

 

| Fig & Lemon | 

Dessert was very cooling and refreshing - simple yet tasty.

And some more snacks to finish off the meal - those brown butter cakes were REALLY good, I wished that I could have taken home an entire box...

 

The portions are generally quite small, so those with larger appetites might still leave feeling a bit hungry. I left feeling rather satisfied, taking into account that I had already indulged at The BackBench at Koya just a few hours prior to coming here. Eating is hard work, I know.
Overall, a pleasant dining experience, and somewhere that I would gladly visit again.

The Cheekster, signing out x

Address: The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ

Tel. No.: 020 3011 5911

THE BACKBENCH #6, KOYA

Here I am again at my favourite monthly spot at The BackBench - this time for the lunch seating. 

For those of you that have been following my past posts, you will know how much I love coming here.

Held once a month, The BackBench menu is especially created by the talented Chef Junya, utilizing the freshest ingredients in season. Limited to only five seats per seating, it enables him to present diners with exciting dishes that go beyond the Specials board. 

As much as I love sake, I didn't go for the sake flights this time - probably a bit too early in the day for me to be drinking, and I must say that I've been pretty good at abstaining from alcohol these days.

Instead I stuck to the healthy green tea option...

| Quince, Hojicha and Ginger |

Autumn season is supposed to be the best time to enjoy quince - British quinces are usually in season from October through to December.

Subtle sweet taste, and soaked in hojicha, which is a Japanese green tea, with a slight hint of ginger.

 

| Aubergine and Myoga |

Small baby aubergines packed with delicious smokey flavours, topped with myoga, which is Japanese ginger. I also really liked the sauce that was served with it - a mix of sake, kombu, soya and bonito. 

| Eel Nanbanzuke with Shimonita and Manganji |

Usually consumed in August, the eel makes a surprise appearance on the menu - lucky Chef Junya managed to obtain the eel that was accidentally caught in a prawn fishing net. 

Lucky for us, although maybe not so much for the eel...

Cooked perfectly as always, with that nice crispy bit of bone, it came served with Shimonita, a type of spring onion, and manganji (red pepper).

| Karami Daikon and Mallow Zaru Udon |

The udon dish is always one of my favourites from the menu - basically I love anything that has noodles in it. This time we were served cold udon noodles with dashi dipping sauce. The karami daikon is a hot radish which is much more pungent compared to ordinary daikon. It had a bit of a wasabi-like heat, and went really well with the dashi and udon noodles.

The leaf was so thin and crispy, it easily cracked with a slight nudge of the chopsticks - such a beautiful translucent green colour  as well!

| Crab Apple Tempura |

The tempura dish is always very different each time I visit. This time we had little crab apple tempura - the flesh was nice and soft and had a slight sour taste to it.

| Maple Leaf Roasted Wild Mushrooms and 2nd Cycle Herbs |

Delicious wild mushrooms in a sweet paste and light smokey flavours - I greedily tried to scrape up every last bit from the leaf. Served on the side were some stream herbs that were foraged from the wild. Herbs tend to die as the weather gets colder towards the autumn/winter months, but sometimes a sudden surge in temperature gives life to new herbs - hence the term '2nd cycle'.

| Monkfish, Turnip, Edamame, Shungiku Flower |

The monkfish had a firm succulent texture and was served with a lovely warming broth - the kind of dish that I would happily eat throughout the cold winter months. 

| Mallard, Hawthorn Berry and Sichito |

Mallard, the most common of the wild ducks, and less fatty meat as compared to their farmed counterparts. A stunning deep red colour and full of flavour, perfectly accompanied by that sweet hawthorn berry sauce.

| Mallard Broth |

And after that rich dish of meat, we washed it down with this sweet mallard broth. 

| Kabocha, Honey Cured Egg Yolk and Wild Fennel Seeds |

The kabocha, an Asian variety of winter squash, has a sweet and pleasant texture. And topped with that delicious yellow honey cured egg yolk - firm on the outside, but still oozing with liquid egg goodness when broken into.

Very bright and vibrant colours that appealed to the eye as well.

| Sake-Kasu Ice Cream and Sake Steamed Fig |

And finally for dessert, the much loved sake-kasu ice cream which has become a regular dish on the menu since the second BackBench. Made from the lees left over from the sake production, it has a nice boozy punch to it - this time served with a tasty sake steamed fig. 

My sixth BackBench experience, and still very much loving it.

Thank you to once again to Chef Junya and the Koya team - looking forward to the next one in October.

For my previous BackBench posts, click on the links below:

The BackBench #1

The BackBench #2

The BackBench #3

The BackBench #4

The BackBench #5

The Cheekster, signing out x