Eat17

I've wanted to try Eat 17 forever...well ever since reading Grace Dent's gushing review about how delicious the broccoli is! It's rare to find one of her write-ups without a some slight sub-standard reference and the fact that this spot is just around the corner in Hackney is an added bonus!

I had dinner booked in a few weeks ago, however an hour before the reservation I discovered it's not all that easy to get to and with relentless rain pouring down we rearranged to meet at trusty 8 Hoxton Square. So the second time that I booked in, I was hell bent on getting down there to try this magical broccoli!

The site says Hackney but it's actually Hommerton station E9 that you need to get to, not too far by taxi but if you're getting the tube, you have to jump on the East London overground (four stops from Highbury and Islington). Once there, it's a  five minute walk from the station, not the easiest, but believe me it's well worth the slight effort in getting there! 

The restaurant's located above a Eat17 Spa, however this isn't your bog standard bread, milk and eggs Spa...think delectable pastries, a burger bar, freshly roasted coffee, a refillable wine station from Borough Wines and shelves jam-packed with gourmet high quality produce. I have serious envy for anybody who can just nip out to grab some teabags and get a legendary Eat17 cheeseburger while they're at it!!

Fear not if an evening gourmet grocery shopping wasn't what you had in mind, just follow the neon sign....

...and up and around the stairs you'll find the fabulous Eat17. The decor is cosy yet chic with oversized, Chesterfield-style leather seats, night lights glowing on each table, vintage lamp shades and walls covered with mismatched frames of art and photography - the perfect backdrop for a laid back delicious meal.

I obviously ordered a stiff Hendricks and got to grips with the menu...

Now, I already knew that the broccoli was a must, I just had to shortlist everything else...which I found near impossible as it's a dreamboat of a menu!

After much deliberation I finally decided on the crab and avocado with dirty rye...that avocado deliciousness, meaty crab all piled on top of the crunchy rye was simply plate lickingly good!!

My partner in crime opted for the hot wings, lemon cabbage & blue cheese - a fabulously big portion ideal for wing stealing! Not something I would usually order but after sampling the big bold smokey flavours offset perfectly by zingy cabbage I was a convert! 

Next up mains... now this is where I really struggled. With four options shortlisted, I decided to pick last minute on the spot when the waitress arrived! Chargrilled lamb rump, cumin spinach, yogurt and fried aubergine = absolutely amazing!!! I've dreamt about this dish ever since. The lamb was cooked perfectly pink, bursting full of spices and the spinach was a complete knockout - vegetables aren't seen as a side addition here! YUM YUM YUM! 

Equally as impressive was the jerk duck breast, sweet potato, apple mash and pineapple... 

All topped off by a portion of the famous tempura broccoli with pomegranate and soy! You need to get this in your life right NOW!

Ooops,  how could I have forgotten that delicious bottle of Argentinian Malbec at a ridiculous £16...I told you it was worth the effort of getting there! 

I was left one happy little camper!

I urge everyone to get down there and try Eat17 for themselves, simply great food, expertly cooked that leaves you wanting to come back night after night! After a super indulgent evening consisting of pre-dinner Hendricks, starters, mains, 1 side and a bottle of wine, we were shocked to have only racked up a bill of £80 including tip from the both of us! 

Take me backkkk!!

Eat17

64-66 Brooksbys Walk

London

E9 6DA

+44 (0)20 8986 6242

Boozy Brunch with Mr B...

I've wanted to try Mr Buckley's for some time, however it's one of those places that, unless you live out East, is just not that convenient. The perfect opportunity arose for a girlie weekend lunch with all parties living in the Hagerston and Bethnal Green area! 

Located at 255 Hackney Road, you'll see why it's tricky for a post work meet-up for anyone outside East London, with the closest tube being Bethnal Green and that being a bus journey away, your next best bet is the overground to Cambridge Heath and then a further brisk trot. However, despite these complications, you'd be a fool to miss out on this one! Plus not having a tube station next door means you avoid the crowds and can actually enjoy this little gem! 

 

Having just celebrated his 2nd birthday, Mr Buckley is still relatively young, but fear not, he knows exactly what he's doing!

The ambiance is super laid back, it doesn't try too hard, which creates the perfect cocoon to while away many hours...which is exactly what we did! The decor is simple yet cool - exposed brick walls with peeling paint, mismatched school chairs, Mr Buckley's stencilled across one side of the room, quotes scrawled in neon lights and all dimly lit by shabby outdoor lamps. Urban meets chic at it's best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our visit, the downstairs bar was booked out for a private party, so unfortunately we have no pictures to show, however this didn't stop us from sampling the amazing cocktails! My favourite had to be the 277 - Sloe Gin, lemon juice, cucumber and prosecco...so fresh and incredibly moreish! Having said that the Raspberry and Basil smash slipped down just as easily, as did a bottle of ice cold Savignon Blanc! There's no doubt that we'll back to check out the bar and the rest of the cocktail list!   

 

 

 

And finally...the food! WOW! You're in for a serious treat! We arrived towards the end of the Saturday brunch service, but being four hungover girls with impressive appetites, they kindly served us an edited version of the dinner menu and thank God they did! 

Firstly there's no messing about with small portions, even the jars are big enough for sharing - which was a great way to explore the menu options! We went for:

 

Shredded wild rabbit with chilli & tarragon...

 

Spice roasted peanuts, macadamias & almonds with vanilla salt...

Butterbean hummus with aubergine & pepperade...

Everything is presented beautifully and the flavours they pack in are incredible - who would have thought a jar of nuts could be so delicious...the perfect mix of salt, sweet, spice and delicate vanilla! Jars devoured, we decided to move onto mains...

 

Fillet of sea bass with lemon crushed potatoes & spinach purée...

8oz Onglet steak with bone marrow, blue cheese butter & skinny fries...

Some serious silence went down around a table that had previously been filled with constant chatter, squealing and laughter! There wasn't even time for food envy...both dishes were so lip smackingly good Middle Mouse and I forgot to do the obligatory spoon swap taster! 

 

By this point our tummies were so swollen with our amazing feast and 3 too many cocktails, we decided pudding would have to be bypassed! Well not completely...we ordered a couple of portions of Mr B's salted chocolate fudge and replaced the accompanying coffee with an espresso martini of course!!!! 

Divine is the only word to describe these little diamonds of heaven...wow wow wow...you need to get yourself down there if only to sample these bad boys!!! 

Our new favourite haunt and with a brunch menu and Sunday dinner menu still to sample, one we will need to frequent manyyyyy more times! 

See you soon Mr B.... 

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

There's only one way to start this post, and that's...

 

So another week of being cooped up in the office whilst the sun shines on proudly...punishment yes, but at least it held out so we got to enjoy a few early evening rays! (HK Mouse: ahem - at least you have sun over there, we're currently being battered by a Typhoon...).

 

In not so great news, the weekend doesn't look so cheery - boo hiss - but let's look on the bright side, whatever the weather, you have two luxurious sleep-ins ahead with 48 hours of pure YOU time! 

 

When we haven't been itching to wriggle into a bikini rather than work wear, this week the Mice have mostly been...

 

Springing out of bed and into our early morning makeup routine just so we can use our new Naked Urban Decay eye palette! There's nothing quite like opening a brand new piece of make up especially when it's a beautiful array of bronze hues. 

 

 

I've been on the hunt for the perfect eye palette for a while now, one that I can use for everyday and jazz up a little more from office to cocktails. Well this bad boy is your answer - with 12 shades to pick from it ranges from a milky cream base to gentle golden tones, almond essentials and deep chocolates with a sprinkle of pizazz. A mix of matte and metallic shades gives you the option of day to evening and it comes with a double ended brush to make application a smooth operation. 

 

At £37, the palette's a little bit more than your Rimmel trios (remember those?!) but with 12 shadows in one neat box it works out at a mere £3.08 a colour - bargain!! Pretty perfect I'd say! 

 

Ummm'ing and Ahhh'ing with every lip smacking mouthful on our recent trip to Raw Duck. 

 

I often stroll past the bustling Duck Soup in Soho and always make a mental note to get it in the diary ASAP. However, whenever I've tried, the booking policy always seems to be my barrier, requiring a minimum number of diners for bookings (which my table for two never meets). As a result, the walk-in tables are my only option...a tasty restaurant in the heart of Soho = constantly packed...so it's still firmly on my to-do list! 

 

However the sister restaurant, Raw Duck, is a different story all together. You can make a booking for any party size easy peasy, so on that basis this is now my favourite sibling! Having said that, it's not the easiest location to get to. The nearest station is Hackney overground however, located just a trot from London Fields, it's a great brunch / lunch option to pair with a day nosing around Broadway market. 

 

Once you spot the neon raw duck sign, you've reached your destination and there are only good things ahead! 

 

 

Decor is simple yet quirky with blackboard walls for wine lists, bookcases crammed full of knick- knacks and long sharing tables divided by a line of pot plants to give you a little more privacy! 

 

 

 

Recommendation number 1 - order cocktails they are immense! We opted for the Sparking Shrub (A fizzy fresh rhubarb and vanilla party in your mouth) and a Provence 75 (a light citrus lavender gin delight). So far so good...

 

The menu is a mixture of small and large plates from all over the world to share with your dining companion - they advise 3 small and 2 large which was the perfect amount for two hungry tummies! We were a little daunted by the menu so to avoid missing out we asked for recommendations. 

 

First up a simple dish but oh so delicious - basically a Greek yogurt dip with a punch of amazing flavour from Israeli spices...

 

 

We went for a few trusty favs ,super creamy mozzarella and thick authentic prosciutto - both delicious with the homemade sourdough bread...every scrap was devoured...

 

 

 

For the large plates we went for the rare hanger steak, shaved radish, salted ricotta and cicorino leaves...delicately flavoured meat cooked amazingly rare paired perfectly with the creamy ricotta and crunchy radishes...

And finally, after a rave review from our waitress we went for the buttermilk chicken...unfortunately this is where the experience fell down a little, our drinks took twenty minutes to come and arrived with our small plates - not ideal when you've had the day from hell in the office and are gasping for anything stronger than water! However, once we took our first sip all moaning was soon forgotten...that was until we noticed the chicken dish was missing. Fifteen minutes after finishing all our plates we enquired and were informed that the kitchen was very busy but it would be on it's way shortly. At this point we were already late for our next date so cancelled our order of the much hyped buttermilk chicken booo! 

Despite the slightly slack service I would venture back again in the hope that it was an off Wednesday at Raw Duck...everything we got to taste was super, bursting full of flavour evidently using the best quality ingredients. And besides, the brunch menu looks pretty tasty and I'm all for second chances...!
 

On that note I am now ridiculously hungry and must go and kick this weekend off in style...with some delicious food, a strong cocktail and of course some fun!!!

 

Rip-Roaring Rita's...

There's so many newbies opening up in London I just can't get round to trying them all! Firstly whoever comes as my dinner companion has to accept that I will be snapping away throughout and no one can dig into any course until I have my perfect picture! Secondly there aren't enough days in the week for working, sleeping, the gym as well as this level of socialising.

Those two combined make it hard to find the right date and time... however I made it happen last week with a visit to Rita's in Hackney.

After a successful run as a pop-up in 2012, Rita's have found their permanent stomping ground and opened the doors on Mare Street late last summer. 

The vibe is laid back, fun and hits the perfect mix of trendy without being try hard. You could rock up in a ball gown or pyjamas and nobody would bat an eyelid...it's basically a chic cafe minus the grease!

The menu is one made for sharing and jam packed full of a wide variety of cuisines and flavours. You get anything from Fried Chicken to Spiced Noodles with Pig Head Ham...quirky but delicious! Personally, I love a menu like this, making it a bit more exciting with an element of not really knowing what will arrive in front of you. 

On our visit the dishes were bursting full of Asian favours with coriander, chili, garlic and ginger being main contenders but then paired with goat and ox cheek. As I mentioned, interesting combinations but don't be scared - everything we opted for was very tasty and the flavours were incredible.  

The exterior doesn't give much away with a small shabby shop front with only a glowing sphere light outside emblazoned with Rita's to confirm that you have arrived. As you walk in you are hit with an impressive aroma which instantly made my stomach rumble. The decor is modern and simple but true to the Rita's ethos - unfussy...it's all about the food!

Sharing menus are always hard to gauge but I would say 2 - 3 dishes per person would be ideal. We picked a couple of mains and sides to ensure we had enough room left for dessert...I strongly recommend you do the same!

First up the steamed sea bream with ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chili - simple fish cooked perfectly but with incredible punchy flavours fighting through...a true party in your mouth!

We couldn't resist going for the green chili mac & cheese which didn't disappoint...calorie central but wickedly moreish with a bold kick from the chili...

Maybe not something I would usually order from the menu, however we'd heard rave reviews about the Miso Grilled Aubergine and Mushroom Toban, so we decided to go with it. Once again amazing depths of flavour, textures and also nice to have a lighter meat/fish free option to throw into the mix...

We also couldn't resist ordering a side of the fried potatoes - basically mini mouthfuls of the perfect crispy outers and fluffy inners - everything a potato should be! All topped off with a garlic mayo drizzle and spring onion - nothing unusual but a delish side...

Finally seeing as we'd saved ourselves (!!), we got our pudding order in quick smart...two of the legendary ice cream sandwiches! Toffee ice cream wedged between 2 of the most delicious cookies...crunchy yet soft in the middle with ribbons of chewy marshmallow throughout. Something only dreams are made of...

All the above with a cocktail and glass of red came to £25 each - superb value for such delicious food with immense flavours...we left very happy diners. 

I've heard on the grapevine that they also do a killer brunch...one for the little black book I think...I shall keep you all posted my friends!