Klein Constantia: Vin de Constance

When people use the term "new world", it can deceptively make you think of a recent comer to the table, somewhere with comparatively youthful experience of viticulture.  Certainly that was the misconception in my mind before visiting South Africa. Bear in mind that Klein Constantia was first planted in the late 1600s. Vin de Constance was revered throughout the 18th and 19th centuries by many of Europe's top leaders and politicians being reputedly the favourite wine, ironically, of both Napolean and Nelson, the former allegedly requesting it on his deathbed. Even Jane Austen gave it a name check in Sense and Sensibility and Dickens in one of his unfinished novels. Not many vineyards can make that sort of claim to fame. 

In the late 1800s an attack of phylloxera left the vineyard in ruins and little production took place until 1980 when the vineyard was purchased by Dougie Jooste and by 1986 the new Vin de Constance was being bottled.

Although its popularity quickly peaked again, its literary associations are perhaps now slightly less salubrious, recently namechecked in the infamous "Fifty Shades of Grey" (so I'm told...... )

I first visited the vineyard in 2010 not having really heard of Vin de Constance other than on the occasional restaurant wine list. My knowledge of South African wine in general was pretty shoddy and limited to the dreaded Kumala or similar in the supermarket. Located in the wealthy neighbourhood of Constantia a half hour drive outside of Cape Town, the vineyard is home to 82 hectares of vines as well as a tasting room for visitors and close by to Groot Constantia and Constantia Uitsig (both also worth a visit whilst you're in the area). Its a beautiful and peaceful place to visit will rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see and when we arrived a gentle mist was being burnt off the valley by the morning sun.

The range of wines available includes a premium range of white and red (predominantly sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon) as well as the standard estate wines and even a sparkling MCC totalling 10 offerings in all. 

Those that I tasted were all pleasant, although my slightly hazy recollection is perhaps due to the fact they were living in the shadow of the great Vin de Constance. In fact two other KC wines in addition to VdeC were awarded a maximum 5 star rating by SA Wine guru John Platter the year I visited; the Perdeblokke Sauvignon Blanc and the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon so are most likely excellent as in my experience Platter knows his grapes.

The sheer number of vineyards visited over three weeks in South Africa meant that many of the wines and tasting rooms tried and visited blurred into one. Whilst the majority of wines were of good quality, only a handful of wines stood out as things I needed in my life. Meerlust Rubicon being one, Toren Fusion V another and then Vin de Constance. As I stood in the tasting room with a series of glasses balanced on an upturned oak barrel hearing about the muscat de Frontignan grapes that go into it, how the wine is made leaving the already shrivelled grapes to macerate a few more days after picking from the vine and the make up of the terroir, I took my first sip of what remains one of my favourite sweet wines. Rich, intensely golden amber colour, honey and apricot on the nose, marmalade with a little caramel on the palate, slight oiliness slicking your teeth but enough acidity to keep it balanced. Its just crying out for a slice of apple pie!

So that was then. Over the following two years I had bought the occasional bottle as a treat or for a special occasion but hadn't laid any down. Towards the end of November 2012 Robert Parker's team retasted the 2007 and upped its score to 97 points - the highest score ever awarded to a South African wine. Love him or hate him, just the name Parker tends to send demand for wines rocketing and this time was no exception. 

Although until the middle of last year most vintages were retailing at the circa £25 mark, the revised Parker score focused attention on the vineyard and the 2007 and it is now not only hard to come by but when you can get it its closer to the £35 a bottle mark. With excellent prospects for cellaring- I've been told by more than one person that 40 years + would be perfectly reasonable- I've added a case to my cellar.

I have heard that the vineyard is planning the imminent release of a new drink "the Spirit of Constance" which may be venturing into the territory of a grappa style spirit. Whilst the new ownership and the more recent merger with Anwilka in Stellenbosch clearly spell exciting times ahead for the vineyard, I hope that it doesn't lose its focus on the beautiful wine that is Vin de Constance.

From my perspective Baudelaire was closest to the mark with his analogy of Vin de Constance when, in "Les Fleurs du Mal" he said .“Je préfère au Constance, à l'opium, au nuits,L'élixir de ta bouche où l'amour se pavane; Quand vers toi mes désirs partent en caravane,Tes yeux sont la citerne où boivent mes ennuis.”

Brasserie Zédel

Brasserie Zédel is a very welcome newcomer to the Piccadilly Circus area. Brought to London by the Corbin/King team behind the much pricier but quite lovely Wolseley and Delaunay, I knew to expect good quality grub set in European Belle Epoque style surroundings.

Walking in past the 'authentic'  "Ouvert" sign (but not so authentic that the opening days are in French- us Londoners and tourists alike cannot be trusted to know that lundi means Monday) I was greeted by what seemed to be a pretty small café with suitably art nouveau posters on the walls and newspapers hung on reading sticks. Nice, but not what I expected.

Catching the lift downstairs past the old fashioned cloakroom and heavily mosaic decorated floor I was really rather shocked when I walked through the curtains into the main restaurant to be greeted by hustle and bustle and a wall of noise. It is huge, HUGE I tell you. The general first impression is rather an assault on the senses. In a good way though. Waiters fly by, trays held aloft, sporting black waistcoats and long white aprons. You have the option of taking a pre or post prandial drink at the highly mirrored and polished brass bar or taking a banquette and digging straight into the menu. 

Taking all this in, the cynic in me did wonder whether this was just a highly skilled pastiche on what the creators would like us to think that a nostalgic French bistro should be like. It felt almost a bit too polished to rival the big old Parisian bistros- waiters with pencil behind the ear ready to write your bill on the paper tablecloth- but not chic enough to be another Wolseley. But it turned out that I was being just too cynical - bad habit of mine.  Sat next to us were an ex-pat French couple who told us that they come to Brasserie Zédel every weekend because it is the only restaurant in London they have found that really reminds them of home in Paris. They originate from the Grands Boulevards/ 2eme area of Paris where Chartier has been renowned for the last couple of centuries.  

Chartier has been getting a bad rap recently on t'internet and Twitter mainly due to how touristy it has become in recent years and the generally caustic & insouciant nature of the waiting staff but it will always hold fond memories for me. Aged 18 and on a school trip to Paris consisting of 15 girls (pity the one poor male teacher) in the middle of the Algerian freedom fighters bombing campaign of the mid 1990's, and Chartier was the first proper French bistro I had eaten at. In those days it was possible to get a 3 course bavette steak dinner with a small pichet of wine for less than a tenner and although prices have increased a little over the years (eeh gads, I'm getting old...) it is still at the cheaper end of the spectrum at around 11 Euros for a steak.

Granted, Zédel is of the slightly more chic restaurant model and the service much less surly than that of the vieux serveurs of Chartier, however the principle is the same: good value traditional french cooking in a bustling, turn of the century, canteen style atmosphere.

Brasserie Zédel was clearly a very nostalgic journey for me above and beyond the Chartier link as I ordered a red Pineau des Charentes as my aperitif. Many childhood holidays were spent on the Cote Atlantique and throughout the Vendée where Pineau des Charentes is both plentiful and delicious, served chilled before a barbecue following a day playing in the surf.  Usually a combination of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot, it is fortified using eau de vie and aged for over a year. That said it is comparatively light and fruity but with port-like sweetness, at £3.50 a glass it is worth a try.

The menu is familiar territory, you know what you are getting with a cassoulet, ham hock terrine or a bourgignon so no one is reinventing the wheel here, it does what it says on the tin. For that reason alone I can foresee that Zedel will become a very welcome shopping or pre-theatre pitstop. I ordered a boeuf bourgignon which at £9.50 was not a massive portion but still very good value.  Meat was suitably slow cooked and fall-aparty (yes that is a word). Silky, slick  baby onions gave a burst of caramelised sweetness as they melted into the mouth. The mash is also excellent. Smooth with no lumps in sight and fluffy as a cloud. Mashed potato is always a strong indicator for me as to the quality of a restaurant. If you put “crushed potatoes” on your menu then I am going to assume that your chef was just too lazy to peel or rice the potatoes. No such lackadaisical preparation here!

The onglet grille with confit d’echalotte is a bargain at £12.00. I have to admit to not having ordered it purely out of suspicion as to how good a twelve quid steak could be but regretted the decision when I saw H’s pre sliced beautiful red meat (and the chips weren’t bad either).

The wine list is interesting in that it is, of course, unashamedly French but also quite limited in its content. I’m a massive Gigondas fan, considering it a still underrated Rhone neighbour to the more ubiquitous Chateauneuf-du-Pape but at £46 a bottle for a wine just listed as “Gigondas” with no producer information that seems a little steep. I’ve had decent Gigondas in Michelin star establishments for less. Don’t get me wrong, if it’s a terribly good example of a Gigondas warranting the price tag then tell me about it to justify the price and I will gladly order it. This lack of chateau/ producer labelling extends to all the wines other than their “Reserve du Patron” section. I don’t this so much for a £24 Picpoul de Pinet or Corbieres but once you pass the £30/35 a bottle mark and I’d like to know a little more about what my hard earned cash is being spent on. This pricing and listing strategy does mean that some of the “Reserve” wines do come out looking comparatively bargainous, £78 for a 2007 Langoa-Barton – ok its not the best year going- but at least you have a good idea of what you’re getting.

I didn’t mean to have dessert but then my Gallic neighbours ordered the profiteroles……. Perfect little choux puffs and a jug of warm chocolate sauce poured over the top, glistening and dripping onto the plate below. It was all I could not to reach across and wipe a chocolate smear from their plate but that sort of thing tends you get you kicked out of restaurants so I restrained and ordered my own. As you can see from the rather yellowy picture on the right, I didn’t manage to restrain from dragging my finger across my own plate.

The only real disappointment of the meal was the crème brulee. Large in portion size but far too sweet and cloying with a slightly perfumed aroma to it. It also had a rather gloopy consistency rather than a firm cream/custard texture. If I was being uncharitable I might guess that it had come from a packet mix but I’m sure they wouldn’t do that to us, would they? At £4.50 a dessert when the London average seems to be around £8, I guess there may be an element of “you get what you pay for” but I wouldn’t be ordering it again.

I also just adore the idea of the adjoining evening cabaret venue, suggestively named the "Crazy Coqs", the gorgeous art nouveau decor is just crying out for Marlene Dietrich or Edith Piaf to pop up and break into song.
In summary, its not going to blow your mind or your taste buds but its utterly reliable and excellent classic French brasserie sustenance. To top it all off they take reservations, an anomaly amongst the West End openers of 2012.

On a cold winter's day or night a warm, bustling subterranean cavern serving lovely little dishes of comfort food is utterly inviting, that said, I'm not sure I see myself visiting on a balmy summer's evening. Nonetheless I expect that as those shiny, new decorations age Zédel will settle down to become a London institution for many years to come.

Brasserie Zedel
20 Sherwood St, London W1F 7ED
020 7734 4888

Yes, yes, yes! Katz's Deli New York

Katz's Deli must be one of the most famous diners in New York. Granted the first thing that springs to mind for most people is probably Meg Ryan's virtuoso fake climax in When Harry Met Sally, or perhaps even the less well known appearance with Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco but Katz's is about so much more than that. Just as well known for the sheer size of its sandwiches and its fierce traditions, little has changed in the last century. Founded in 1888 (although the sign to the left seemed a little unsure about that) by the Iceland Brothers, Willy Katz came on board in 1903 changing the name to Iceland & Katz. Willy's cousin, Benny, joined in 1910 helping Willy to buy out the Iceland family resulting in the name that endures today.

Katz's began a campaign during the second world war to "Send a salami to your boy in the Army", a tradition which continues today and is promoted heavily in the store.

The original family link with Katz's died out in the mid 1980's when a local restaurateur, Martin Dell took over (his grandson Jake is the incumbent Pastrami King).   Despite the majority of the carvers now seeming to be more of Latin American descent, Katz's has maintained firm links to its Jewish immigrant history. Matzo balls, knishes, bagels, chopped liver & onions and bialys are all still on the menu but the bulk of the visitors are there for the sandwiches, as was I. 

So that's enough of a history lesson, what's it like now? We grabbed a yellow cab down to the Lower East Side fairly early on a Sunday morning in the hope that queues wouldn't have backed up too much. A massive, dripping meaticilous  sandwich isn't my usual breakfast but needs must, when in Rome etc etc. Turned out to be a good move as no queue greeted us, unlike half an hour later.  I would estimate the split of diners to be about 60% tourist to 40% local but for me that's still enough to suggest this place isn't only about its image but still heavily relies on quality and reputation. The locals are of every colour, creed and culture and between them and Katz's itself,  this place is classic New York distilled. Oozing nostalgia, it really doesn't feel like this place has changed in the last half century. It's best to know how things work at Katz's before you arrive. Noone explains things and there is a distinct protocol to follow.

On arrival you are presented with two tickets. You hold onto these come what may, penalty for loss being a hefty fine.  The left hand strip of tables have the benefit of a plethora of celebrity photos to browse as you munch. You will get waitress service but will lose out on the experience of interacting with the meat men and getting the tasty samples carved off whilst you wait for your sandwich. If you want to opt for a table on the right join one of the multi strand queues to get to the sandwich carving bay. There is very much a no nonsense approach to ordering, make sure you've decided what you want before it's your turn as if you snooze you lose (or at any rate get expressed to you in no uncertain terms quite how irritating your dallying is). Whichever option you go for, your server or carver will scribble on your ticket to indicate what you owe. Once you've finally reconciled yourself to the fact that you can't manage another mouthful, queue up to take your ticket to the till. No cards allowed so make sure you've got enough cash.

Enough scene setting. Let's get to what we're really here for. The Meat. It doesn't seem to be offered on the menu but I overhead a distinctive New Yoik local accent order a "half and half" just in front of me so decided to follow suit. This resulted in one slab of brisket and one of pastrami meaning my initial prevarication (see above re how to annoy the servers) resulted in getting the best of both worlds. I ordered a dose of American cheese on my brisket just because it would have seemed wrong not to (picture left).

Its entirely up to you whether you have mustard and how much but I'd recommend it, especially a little on the pastrami. The meat itself has a fabulous smoky, peppered flavour but the mustard just seems to enhance that beefy flavour a little bit more. The pastrami is incredible, a blackened outer crust (without any burnt taste) opens out to reveal a fantastic pink colour, if you didn't know better you'd question how something could naturally be that colour but this stuff is the best. Tender as can be, and really does flake apart. Each bite through the chewy bread, soaking up the oozing meant juice to the burn of mustard and peppering of your taste buds leaves you wanting to come back for more.

Each sandwich is accompanied by a plate of pickled vegetables that, whilst not the most attractive dish you'll ever see, do serve to cleanse the palate & add a texture of crunchy bite to proceedings. 

Katz's often cure their meat for up to 30 days resulting in a much more deep rooted, authentic flavour and succulent texture. It is surprising quite how moist the meat is considering that they pride themselves on not injecting brine as part of the curing process (as other delis are reputed to do). This does make me think that heavy basting takes place during the cooking process but this is no bad thing.

A opted for a Reuben. From the way she tucked in, I reckon she enjoyed it.... In hindsight, and having stolen a bite,  I rather wish I had done the same since, although mine was lovely, the addition of sauerkraut to the sandwich was a good one the vinegared veg cutting through the richness of the swiss cheese.

Drinks are served at a separate counter further down the store. Although you can go for the regular 7up and cola options, there are also some more unusual choices (well at least if you're not American) My meal was all washed down with a Dr Brown's cherry soda (slightly frightening synthetic cherry flavour and enough added colours to send a toddler into a hyperactive frenzy for days)

At around $16 a sandwich, these aren't the cheapest meat and bread combos that you're ever likely to encounter but considering the content of nearly a pound of meat each they do offer good value for money. Despite the online menu joking that their 3 meat platter feeds "3 tourists or 1 local" you won't get laughed out of the joint for ordering a sandwich to share. That said you will become overly possessive over your sandwich and reluctant to let anyone else near all that juicy meat.

Bearing in mind it's Lower East Side venue, Katz's isn't the most easily accessible location compared to all the tourist jaunts that your average New York visitor will be headed for. That said, its not a million miles from the quirky shops and cafes of Greenwich Village and god knows you'll need to walk off all that meat afterwards to even make a dent in the bodily damage done by that sandwich!

Although we didn't get to sit on the "Harry Met Sally" table, its probably for the best, I know that I wouldn't have been able to help myself recreating the notorious scene and that's good for nobody at breakfast time.

Now I really am going to make a long overdue visit to see what Mishkins can offer in Covent Garden. It might not be strictly kosher but hopefully it will bring back happy Big Apple memories!

Katz's Delicatessen
Lower East Side
205 E Houston St
New York, NY 1002

MEATmarket, Covent Garden

Other people get homesick when they are abroad and seek out places and food that remind them of home, perhaps explaining the ubiquity of the 'all day breakfast' on the Costa Del Sol or the incessant Brit tourist quest for a "nice cup of tea- with 'proper' milk".I, on the other hand, mainly seem to get cravings for the food of the place I have just visited almost as soon as the wheels of the plane have touched down on the runway at Terminal 5. This explains why I'm beating a path to MEATmarket only 2 days after returning from a work trip to Philadelphia and North Carolina (separate posts on that coming soon). After a week of Philly cheesesteaks, cheese whizz fries, ribs and sliders I want greasy, salty, American food and I want it NOW.MEATmarket is the new little sibling of much adulated MEATliquor and is located in the Jubilee Market on Tavistock Street just off Covent Garden. Initially a bit tricky to find and SO not what you're expecting when you climb up the windy staircase above the shabby old market below. Essentially its a funny old location on a balcony overlooking the market space below shielded only very slightly from the outside world by the nets and spikes designed to keep the pigeons from taking up residence. I have no idea what the stall holders selling victorian policemen's whistles and tarnished old military medals must think of the upstart burger bar blaring out hardcore dance music above their heads. Or what they think of the innuendo ridden neon signs with provocative Twitter accounts (here's hoping that @watchbeatmymeat starts sending out tweets soon..). As for what Pete of "Petes Cafe" on the ground floor (£2.95 for a hotdog and a drink) thinks of the pricing policy, who knows since at £7.50 for a burger we're on a whole different fast food level. Clever though as I can't think of a better way of getting a West End restaurant location for what must have been a comparatively cheap rent whilst also maintaining the quirky, industrial decor that fits with the food.Upon ordering at the bar from one of the impossibly young, cool and enthusiastic staff, you leave your name and are called when food is ready. A fine dining experience it is not but, by god, is it good!
Popperz are a just-hot-enough-not-to-blow-your-head-off-but-hot-enough-to-make-your-mouth-sing concoction of jalapeno pepper and cheese moshed up (yes that's a technical term) then deep fried. Yum. But make sure you have a cold drink standing by to take off the burn.Fries are cut thin(and, if I dare use the name in the same post as MEATMarket) McDonalds style and are super salty.
So onto the main event. The burger. As an advance warning whatever you do don't wear dry clean only. You will end up with sauce, cheese and pure oozing burger grease everywhere and you will love every minute. This is a down and dirty burger joint in the truest sense and sometimes dirty just feels good.

I went for a dead hippy with no lettuce (green stuff with some potential of nutritious value in it, in MY burger? You're having a laugh....)Two big, fat, moist patties of beef with cheese, dead hippy sauce (a yellowy, tangy sauce with unknown but delicious ingredients.
The pickles were really beautifully sweet and crunchy, none of the lip puckering, eye-narrowing sourness that you sometimes get from a burger pickle.The Black Palace was, for me, the winner. On the board menu it differed only in onion content from the other burgers. The BP's onions were sweet, mulchy, caramelised onions rather than the lesser cooked minced onion siblings found in the other burgers. Traditional ketchup and mustard sealed the deal and resulted in much running of filling down my chin.
I'm not usually a milkshake kind of a gal but when the shake in question is served 'hard' its one temptation too far. 'Hard' in this case was lashings of bourbon and maple syrup although almost as tempting was the chocolate and chocolate liqueur option (and there was something involving vanilla but in all honesty I switched off straight after hearing maple bourbon). At a fiver it was worth every penny.
I'm going back for the Philly cheesesteak and next time I'm taking a bib. If I were a pigeon I would sod the spikes and netting and be onto that balcony faster than you can say "Dead hippy and fries".

MEATmarketThe Deck, Jubliee Market Hall  Tavistock St, London WC2E 8BE
020 7240 4852

Sticks N Sushi, Wimbledon

Wimbledon isn't know for its wealth of culinary creativity. Wimbledon town is home to a plethora of eateries many of which sadly are more of the Walkabout/Nandos variety. There is even an establishment called Jimmy Spice's "World Buffet" which boasts of its prowess in the fields of Chinese, Indian, Italian and Thai cuisine. (£9.99 for unlimited Tikka masala with your lasagne with your spring rolls anyone?) An impressive breadth of purported skill for any chef.

 If you venture up the hill to swanky Wimbledon Village, the inhabitants may be somewhat wealthier but the food on offer to them is still not as high quality and varied as you might hope. There are, of course, exceptions to this rather bold statement; the Lighthouse does a decent supper and I'm dying to pay a visit to the comparatively new Lawn Bistro whose menu sounds lip smackingly enticing but in general I wouldn't race across London at the prospect of eating in SW19. I'm quite sure there may be many delightful establishments in both the Village and Town that I just haven't been fortunate enough to visit yet but from experience so far, that has not been the case. Wimbledon's attitude to food was summed up for me by the manager of Claude Bosi's Fox & Grapes last summer during one of the most apalling meals that I have ever had the misfortune to encounter (and the only time that I have ever walked out of a restaurant without paying for some of my food) when, upon paying £25 for a lobster and being unable to scrape more than a forkful of lobster out of its dried out carapace I was essentially informed "well what do you expect for £25, this is Wimbledon?". I don't care if I'm in a 4 Michelin Star restaurant on the moon, if its billed as lobster then there had better be lobster in it, end of. I hope that said manager has since experienced what £20 will buy you lobster wise in Mayfair...

Anyway, having set the scene for the general gastronomic malaise in SW19, back to the matter in hand, Sticks n Sushi.

Ordinarily I would have a rant about the use of the rather irritating "n" in the middle of the name. It could be interpreted as an uneccessary attempt to be trendy, albeit in a rather 90's way. One might ask why the more sedate ampersand couldn't have been deployed ? - 'Sticks & Sushi' looks much more classy. However, on the basis that S&S (I'm going to use the ampersand even if they don't) already has nine outlets in its native Denmark I will let it drop. Yes, you did read that right. Nine outlets in Denmark then one in Wimbledon, unusual business expansion plan maybe but one that I very, very much hope will work for them- there is certainly the gap in the market.

Located on Wimbledon Hill in the bit that straddles the area between super posh and well, not so posh, its easily accessible and is going to be a big hit. It's only been open a month and local Wombles L&S already seem to have eaten there multiple times per week (enough to ask for a loyalty card and no, there isn't one. Yet.) I joined them on a rainy Wednesday to sate my Japanese food habit recently acquired in the land of the rising sun.

Their picture, not mine!

First impressions of the decor are that this is a pretty huge floorspace (maybe explaining why they opened in lower price per sq ft Wimbledon & not Soho). Decorated in the kind of luxe/industrial that Scandinavians seem to do so well; big silver pipes and ducts overhead, a giant brick print curtain across one whole wall but with low lighting, touches of leather and ergonomic wooden seating to keep it classy.

The cocktail list is not massively extensive but uses more unusual Japanese ingredients and had enough choice that I struggled to make my mind up opting first for a yuzu and whisky creation then later for a yuzu martini. I love yuzu and find it unlike any other fruit flavour despite the fact that it is often described as a Japanese lime. They are, however, virtually impossible to find in the UK. Indeed S&S confirmed that theirs are shipped in monthly from Africa. So my yuzu quest continues, if anyone finds any let me know!

Yasaisticks (posh name for raw vegetable bits) with miso dip were tasty with the tip offering a rich and powerful umame flavour. The ubiquitous edamame beans served alongside crackers were also fine.

S&S offer a variety different fixed platters of different size and shape some majoring more on the fish side of things others of the cooked chicken variety. Quirky names like "bankrupt", "green keeper", "man food" and "four meal drive" give you a clue as to their content. You can also go down the a la carte route but platters are the most cost effective way to get a taste of lots of things.

A wealth of yakitori options are on offer. From the traditional terikayi chicken type options to the less Japanese sounding goats cheese & ham or beef and herb butter they all sounded divine and (unusually for fussy old me) I could have merrily eaten all of them. There are so many bad examples of how not to do fusion cooking out there so it was a pleasant surprise to find one that really works. Although Japan and Denmark are geographically distant, gastronomically there are certain parallels; clean, simple flavours and presentation and a fondness for fish being just a couple! 

We opted for a Sticks n Sushi platter with additional choice for three. Here is what a two person portion looks like on their website and, unlike many establishments, the picture was near as dammit true to life. Yum.

Salmon, hamachi, prawn & tuna nigiri all consisted of good quality, fresh fish and well seasoned rice. Hard to say anything beyond that, very nice but nigiri is nirigi really.

Large Futimaki rolls were equally tasty: ebi tempura being a favourite.

The yakitori was where S&S really shone. The tsukune chicken was a stick of seasoned minced chicken meatballs, asparagus with bacon gave a salty crunch but the best by far was the chicken teriyaki with spring onion yakitori. The sauce went beyond the usual teriyaki and was thick, gelatinous and very moreish whilst the chicken was juicy and grilled to perfection.

Highlights of the Uramaki inside out rolls were the  'Tuna sparkling roll' - the sparkle taking the form of some orange shiny roe and the 'Cut the ... roll' consisting of surimi, sugar snap and sesame.

Dessert was one of the real highlights of the meal. Usually in Japanese restaurants (and indeed in Japan itself) there are not a huge variety of desserts designed for the western palate. Mochi and red bean paste take some getting used to. S&S however, has chosen to take the route of offering desserts with a Japanese twist, for example. The desserts on offer are much more varied and interesting than those listed on their website.

Espresso chocolate fondant was topped with crispy caramelised hazelnut pieces and served with a creamy hazelnut ice cream. The fondant was just molten in the middle- a minute more in the oven and we'd have been in trouble- and the flavour of espresso was prominent without being overpowering. All in all, a seriously good dessert. Creamy green tea parfait held a vivid and deep matcha flavour with the red of strawberry nougat made a colourful contrast on the plate. Cubes of financier added a more solid texture to the dish.

Service was extremely attentive and really accommodating. I'm allergic to avocado which can make sushi a minefield but the chef prepared a special platter for me, not something many places would do on a fixed group menu. Both the yakitori and the sushi were both equal in quality to anything that I tried in Japan last month and, in some cases, much better. High up my list for next time will be the scallop kataifi yakitori where scallops are wrapped in a crispy birds nesty thing and also the ebi bites, looks like a type of prawn popcorn - sounds delicious. I will be back again very soon!

Ben's Canteen, Battersea

A glorious Sunday morning dawned and following a promise I was looking forward to a saunter around London watching some maniac marathon runners do their stuff from the sidelines. Couple of drinks maybe and a pub lunch? No sireeee. This marathon runner stalking thingummyjig is almost as exhausting as the marathon itself*. Several hours later with an unhealthy dose of blisters- yes I managed to get blisters as a spectator, don't ask- and very soggy from a torrential downpour I found myself heading back through Battersea feeling both starving hungry and just a little bit grumpy. 
(*massive exaggeration alert)

I had been tempted by the sound of Ben's Canteen for a very long time having been mutual followers on Twitter and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to refuel. My end of marathon day sentiments seemed to be echoed by the sandwich board outside Ben's; not a Bloody Mary maybe and a bit late for brunch but a gin and burger would have exactly the same effect.

The decor of the restaurant is quite rustic with stripped wooden floors, chunky tables and mismatching chairs. The toilets are unusual but follow quite a cool idea of letting a local artist loose in each cubicle to put their own stamp on it.

The giant wordsearch on the wall had me fixated and resulting in my blurting out random words throughout dinner much to the annoyance of A & E whose conversation was punctuated by my shouts of "gazelle", "hippo" etc as words popped out at me.

Having been called by the sirens of the Ben's twitter account towards the mythical and much praised Scotch egg (an all day breakfast one don't you know!) I was devastated to discover I was too late, other devotees had guzzled them all, the selfish buggers. No matter, the absence of Scotch egg just means I will have to return (as does the absence of the rolo chocolate tart with peppermint icecream but more of that later). Straight onto the main event then....

Although it was a Sunday and the roasts sounded amazing, I wanted to check out the rumour that Ben's offer one of the Best 10 Burgers in London.

The burger sauce is really good. I'm not going to try and hazard a guess as to what goes in it other than to say that its both tangy and creamy at the same time and, whilst I'm overusing words ending in "y", its also bloody yummy.

A&E did both order the roast and the beef, in particular, was beautiful. Note that I don't say it looked beautiful. I know is was beautiful because E had so much beef on her plate that it was almost a whole cow so I obliged with some plate clearing assistance. Both rare and tender, call me selfish but I can't wait to go back and have a whole plateful to myself. 

Dessert was probably my only slight dip in the evening. I had been eyeing up a rolo tart with peppermint ice cream since the menu arrived however it was all gone and, despite appearing again on the newly printed evening menu (albeit this time with spearmint icecream) none was to be forthcoming. There had also been a white chocolate tart on the first menu we were given but this too had disappeared from the menu we were handed at dessert time. I wasn't feeling terribly inspired by the remaining non chocolate desserts (including rhubarb eton mess, lemon three ways, Dark Star Cheesecake and rum jelly with coke ice cream) but really wanted a taste of something sweet so went for lemon three ways.

The three ways in question were an ice lolly, lemon curd and a lemon sponge pudding. The ice lolly was more style than substance, it looked great in the tower on the plate but tastewise lacked in flavour a little. This essentially meant that the dessert was lemon sponge pudding with lemon sauce. It was an excellent sponge, all light and fluffy and suitably sweet and zesty and the curd sauce was equally delightful

The staff are absolutely lovely and very knowledgable about the food that they are serving and dealt brilliantly with my minor childish tantrum over the rolo tart (I thought the whole point of the Rolo is that you save the last one for someone hmm? hmmm?)

The wine list is comprehensive and priced by the glass or bottle, we settled on a couple of bottles of Spanish tempranillo that slid down quite nicely and warmed us up on a chilly, wet spring evening.  If you're in the Clapham Junction area there is really no reason not to give Ben's a try.

UPDATE:  I have been back to Ben's again since my original visit. Lured by the Twitter sirens once more, I saw the promise of a midweek barbecue on one of the few evenings that we have been able to call "summer" so far this year. The burger was good (although a little overdone perhaps due to an unruly barbecue) but the pulled pork roll was sublime and a total bargain at 6 pounds. I think Ben's is increasingly likely to become a reliable neighbourhood staple for me.

Tokyo: Ueno Park



I hold my hands up and admit that I am a nightmare to travel with.  Half the fun is in the advance planning for me and several months can be spent researching locations, restaurants, transport, weather. You name it and there is a fair chance I have researched it. So when it came to planning a trip to Japan one of the major criterion was weather and more specifically blossom or sakura. I consulted various websites detailing the bloom dates in various towns over the preceding five years to try and ensure guaranteed blossom.  So we arrived. No blossom. Not a problem, still two and a half weeks of the trip to go and quite a journey south. Two weeks on and down in Kyoto there is still no blossom. Back to Tokyo and our last full day in Japan having left Ueno Park to the last possible moment, perhaps most famous for its blossom and the hanami parties- essentially picnics- held under the trees.  There were odd patches of blossom so I didn't go completely without...

Spot the bird.

In summary a grey, windy and rather chilly day was not how I had hoped my Ueno Park experience would pan out....

We started in the north of the park from Ueno station on the JR train line. At least nine  museums are located within close proximity including the National Museum of Science and Nature , the Ueno Royal Museum, and the National Museum of Western Art. as well as Tokyo zoo. Wading through the hordes of overexcited groups of Japanese schoolchildren we headed towards our target for the morning, Tokyo National Museum.

 

Tokyo National Museum is worth a visit if you are interested in better understanding some of the historic Japanese periods throughout the ages and seeing artefacts from each era.The building it is housed in is also quite beautiful. Just like the British Museum or the Met in New York, you could spend an entire day there and only scratch the surface but for me it was more interesting to dip in and see a few of the highlights to get some context to what I was seeing elsewhere.  The park is far from being only about museums, it also holds several shrines including the Toshogu Shrine (close to the zoo) and Bentendo Temple in the middle of Shinobazu Lake.

Bentendo Templev

Some of the lonely businessmen and my favourite of the Ema Shinto shrine plaques.

I had heard stories of how lower ranking businessmen are sent by their bosses to sit all day and guard the best sakura spots but had never quite believed it to be true until I saw it with my own eyes. Junior accountants, lawyers, management consultants all suited and booted just sat, all day, on a blue tarpaulin awaiting the arrival of their colleagues after hours.

One thing that cannot be disputed is that the Japanese truly do LOVE blossom. Gaggles of people were crowded around the few trees already in bloom taking pictures on everything and anything from top of the range Canon SLRs to the most basic of mobile phones. Much posing and peace finger signs ensue.

Wandering down along the long, straight lane of over 1000 cherry blossom trees, around a quarter were about to bloom and many early sakura hunters were out in force.  Restaurants and shops all release special sakura themed dishes or products, even international companies get on the bandwagon, I came home with a limited edition Le Creuset blossom shaped tea set and Lanvin, Celine and Dior sakura handkerchiefs all at much lower prices than the non limited edition would be at home.

Reaching the Southern end of the park I took a detour towards the lake. During sakura season numerous street food sellers line the bridge that crosses to a small islet set out into Shinobazu Pond. 

All kinds of weird and wonderful sweet and savoury finger foods are on offer and stalls are busy with passing trade.   I ordered a barbecued chicken yakitori stick. In all honesty it was a bit disappointing, too much overly sweet sauce but it was a bit early in the day for salted sardine or chilled octopus kebabs.

Baby octopus anyone?

Locals and tourists weren't the only ones eyeing up the seafood....

You can't go to Tokyo and not visit Ueno Park no matter the time of year- it is such a melting pot of Japanese culture and a relaxing spot in an otherwise non-stop city.