THE APE & BIRD PUBLIC HOUSE, 142 SHAFTESBURY AVENUE

It has been another one of those impromptu meet up days with Stacey, and whilst thinking about a place to have lunch over coffee, I remembered that I've been wanting to try out this gastropub in a while.

We were sat upstairs, just minutes before more people started streaming in and filling up the neighbouring tables...

 

 

Initially planning to have a light lunch, after an already indulgent Saturday, the menu was just too tempting and we ordered a few different dishes to try.

| Pig trotter scotch egg, celeriac fries |

I do love a good scotch egg - nice bright yellow egg yolk and tasty meat, if maybe just a tad bit on the salty side.

I did enjoy picking on the crunchy celeriac fries.

 

| Penny buns, squash, salsify & roasted garlic |

Not the bread, but the mushroom species Boletus edulis (edible mushroom) - quite a meaty texture and nice fragrance, and went well with the deliciously smooth squash.

| Roast cod, Jerusalem artichoke, January king |

Nice subtle flavours and flaky texture.
And my first taste of 'January king', which I later found out is a cultivar of cabbage - sounds more interesting than what is really is (!)
Never eaten Jerusalem artichoke before until a week ago, and this is the third time it's been present in dishes that I've ordered within a week...it's like a crash tasting course.

 

| Winter chowder, Scottish mussels, pancetta & black cabbage | 

I love any sort of chowder - simple, warm and comforting food for cold winter days.
As the name describes, this was a hearty plate of creamy winter root vegetables, topped with mussels. Much chunkier than I was expecting and not quite as creamy as I would have liked it to be - quite tasty, but the sweetness became a bit too overwhelming for me halfway through...

| Cauliflower cheese |

Not quite a necessity, but the thought of ordering cauliflower cheese sounded appealing anyway, although £5.00 was a bit much for such a small portion...

 

 And now on to dessert...

 

| Sticky date pudding, ice cream |

Already quite full from the starter and mains, we ordered one dessert to share - so unlike me, I know (!)
Sticky toffee pudding is one of my favourite desserts, or in this case sticky date pudding - homey and deliciously sweet (and naughty, just a bit...)

 

A restaurant and pub spread over three floors, with a great location on Shaftesbury Avenue.
A bit hit and miss with the food, but I did like the look and ambience of the place, and I'll probably be back again. The Sunday roast did look appealing, and I'm curious to try out what they have to offer at the bar next time.

The Cheekster, (feeling chubbier than usual) signing out x 

LONDON HOUSE, 7-9 BATTERSEA SQUARE, LONDON SW11 3RA

Part of the Gordon Ramsay Group, this latest opening in Battersea Square serves seasonal modern European Dishes developed by Head Chef Anna Haugh-Kelly.

 

It was a bit too early for us to have cocktails, knowing our low tolerance of alcohol...so we requested for some fruity mocktails instead.

The waiter that served us the mocktails was really friendly and smiley, but he swooshed off a bit too soon before we could actually ask what was in it (!)

Very sweet and refreshing nonetheless.

| Braised pig's head croquette, quail eggs, pickled carrot and caper mayonnaise |

The croquettes were absolutely delicious, moist and full of flavour with a nice crunch.

I used to be quite hesitant in eating pigs head, but after trying the delectable starter from Arbutus, and now this one at London House, I think I've been converted...

 

| Crab tortellini, black radish and shellfish broth |

I haven't eaten much tortellini in the past, but I do love anything with pasta. It also kind of reminded me of wantons...oh me and my love for Asian food...

Tasty filling and a lovely light, warm broth, except we did find the outer skin at the edges a bit hard. Unless that was how it was meant to be served, I'm always open to opinions...

| Cartmel Valley venison haunch, creamed cauliflower and braised Puy lentils | 

This dish was probably the highlight of my meal - cooked to perfection with a lovely pink centre. The sauce was really good, flavoursome without being too heavy and rich.

| Cumbrian beef fillet, spiced parsnip, braised cheek stuffed potato gnocchi |

Another perfectly cooked meat, and the gnocchi stuffed with the braised cheek was absolutely divine. I would be happy enough eating a whole plate of that gnocchi as a main.

| Passion fruit posset with cardamom and ginger oat cakes |

We were a bit hesitant to order this when we read 'oat cakes', but we ordered it anyway, and thankfully we loved it. I don't think I've ever had posset until that day, which is a British hot drink of milk curdled with wine or ale, and often spiced. Apparently used in medieval times as remedies for minor illnesses or a bedtime drink, which has now made a comeback as a modern dessert. Traditional medicine, or sweet pudding, I definitely felt good after eating it!

Sweet, creamy and addictive.

| Chocolate tart, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream and salted caramel |

So rich and sinfully good, lucky there was two of us to share!

I love all chocolatey desserts, and this one ticked all the right boxes. Interesting ice cream flavour as well, coincidentally I had Jeruselam artichoke as a main at Pied Nus just a week ago...

Also spotted Clare Smyth, the Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay being seated at the opposite table, just as we were about to leave.

The location was a bit out of the way for me, but it was definitely worth the 1 hour and 15 minute track.

A warm and welcoming venue serving great quality food, which no doubt will be a popular hit with the locals.

REVOLUTION BAR, CLAPHAM JUNCTION

An unexpected win on Twitter, courtesy of Revolution Bars.

My win entitled us to a mini masterclass, in conjunction with their new drinks menu, and a £100 bar tab.

Not quite the best weekend to gather up friends as:

a) most were busy with Chinese New Year festivities

b) the closest to Central was Clapham, which isn't the most convenient for most...

Nonetheless, Dora and I decided to make the best of our evening!

 

We were started off with our mini masterclass with Jamie, the barman. He first gave us a demonstration, shaking up a Strawberry Woo Woo.

| Strawberry Woo Woo |

 - A disco ball of a cocktail: Stoli and Absolut Raspberri vodkas, Teichenne Peach liqueur, strawberries and cranberry juice -

And then it was time for us to have our turns behind the bar...

I chose to make a Honeyberry Sour, as I have a love for Chambord...

Had to stand on my tippy toes, as the bar was a teeny bit high for me (!)

 

Giving it a good WHAM to make sure it stays in place...and it did, as tested by Jamie!

 

Shake, shake, shake it up...

 

And the end results...taa daa...

| Honeyberry Sour |

- Krupnik honey vodka, Chambord and egg white shaken over ice with a dash of lemon -

Okay, not quite as pretty and frothy as I was hoping for, but then again it was my very first time.

Also, there didn't seem to be any raspberries for me to top it with (?)

Dora chose to make the the Bramble, I could see the fear on Jamie's face as Dora was slamming the shaker onto the glass!

| Bramble |

- Tanqueray gin and lemon juice drizzled with Creme de Mure, served over crushed ice -

 

And to end our session, some vodka shots, of course.

We both aren't exactly heavy drinkers, but we ordered a few, or as many as we could handle.

| G and Tea |

- Tanqueray gin with a hint of elderflower, tea and tonic -

 

| Pornstar Martini |

- SKYY Passion Fruit and Stoli Vanil vodkas, mixed with passion fruit, stirred with sugar, topped with orange juice and garnished with more passion fruit-

| Tennessee Mudshake |

- Stoli Vanli vodka and Jack Daniel's Honey shaken with chocolate liqueur, milk and cream, topped off with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and broken Oreos -

 

| Rum Bongo |

- Bacardi Superior rum with Teichenne Coconut, Grenadine and passion fruit, shaken over ice and topped with pineapple juice - 

(where was my pineapple leaf garnish?)

| Jolli Stoli |

- Stoli Citros vodka with basil, lime juice, pineapple & passion fruit -

We obviously didn't spend the entire £100 bar tab.

It would have been great if I could have used it on another occasion with a larger group, but I wasn't able to get in touch with the team to query about this. 
We both had a good evening catching up with some fun drinks anyway - oh, if only I had a higher tolerance of alcohol, my Asian genes...ha.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and drank responsibly (!)

The Cheekster, signing out x

PIED NUS, 19 BLANDFORD STREET

Pieds [Pieds]
Foot. In culinary terms it means fine,
quality and divine.

Nus [Nus]
Bare. In culinary terms it means simple,
fresh and natural.

A London pop-up restaurant bringing a simple approach to dining - using the 'less is more' concept of David Moore, restaurateur and owner of Michelin starred restaurants
Pied à Terre and L’Autre Pied.

The menu consisted of a selection of small dishes, designed to be shared.
We were recommended to order about 3 dishes per person from the menu, from which we selected two from each of the vegetable, fish and meat sections.

 

| Slow Cooked Duck Egg, Potato, Belper Knolle |

A bright yellow duck egg yolk peeking from beneath the potato and finely shaved cheese - runny and oozy, and best eaten when mixed together.

 

| Salt Baked Jeruselam Artichoke, Wild Mushrooms, Sea Purslane |

Nicely cooked, with a tasty slight sweetness - and especially loved the delicate pieces of wild mushrooms.
Neither an artichoke, nor with any connection to Jeruselam...

 

| Scallop Ceviche, Fennel, Cucumber |

Recommended by the waiter as the chefs signature dish - fresh and clean flavours.

| Charred and Tartare of Cornish Mackerel, Beetroot, Apple |

Loved the crispy skin and the soft white flesh of the mackerel, accompanied by the sweetness of the apple.
A very bright and pretty dish as well.

 

| 98° 12 hour Slow Cooked Pig Belly, Potato, Carrot |

Pork belly, how could I say no... - Soft, tender meat with crispy skin.

| 82.2° Spiced Lamb Neck, Aubergine, Cous Cous |

Another tenderly cooked meat, with lovely infusion of spices.

 

| Banana Financier, Maple Syrup, Banana Ice Cream |

And finally for dessert, we shared this...
I seem to have a huge love for financiers and madeleines lately...and anything sweet (and naughty) in general!.

Beautifully designed simple and fresh dishes, with exquisite flavours.
 Pied Nus will be closing soon on March 11th 2014, so don't miss out.

The Cheekster, signing out x