Bee's Knees Barnyard...

Barnyard in a nutshell is small but perfectly formed, when I come to think of it a lot like Mini Mouse! Serving up oh-so-delicious grub with a first come, first serve policy so no ridonkulous two-month waiting lists to sit out.

Chef, Ollie Dabbous’ second venture, his first being the notoriously hard to get into but utterly impressive, Dabbous. Myself, Mini Mouse and two fabulous friends, were lucky enough to bag ourselves a table at Dabbous when it first opened and were blown away by the tasting menu – I knew I was in for something a little more low-key with Barnyard but none the less I was pretty excited to taste-test Dabbous’ latest foodie creation!

Located on bustling Charlotte Street, I headed there on a Thursday night with a few work pals for a much needed team night out! Apparently the queues have been pretty out of control but we were lucky enough to be seated immediately on the upper mezzanine level, ideal spot for people watching!

So décor - we’re talking industrial chic meets rustic barn vibes – peeling wallpaper, bricks, corrugated iron walls, low hanging metal lights and chunky distressed wooden worktops. Basically my dream kind of interior. 

The restaurant does show its softer side too with jugs of beautiful flowers scattered around the barn... 

First up and most importantly … a strong drink! We were instantly drawn to the fun sounding shandies, from the ‘Barnyard’ made up of homemade lemonade, gin and abro larger to ‘Hedgerow shandy’ which was a pink grapefruit, tonic, sloe gin and wyld wood cider concoction! We all opted for the shandy of our dreams and merrily kept them coming! 

Their also offering a seriously impressive array of boozy milkshakes - strawberry and elderflower, popcorn, malt and blueberry pancake to name a few, all of which come spiked with a good dose of alcohol from bourbon to tequila – my kinda shake!

The menu is made up of lots of small plates to share, all grouped under food type e.g. cow, beef, eggs etc. – always a winner if the portions are big enough as it means that you get to taste a little bit of everything, escaping the dreaded food envy feeling! Thankfully the portions were on the manly scale so no rationing necessary! Our dishes all pretty much arrived at the same time – a big fan of that – and were beautifully presented in blue and white enamel dishes adding to the casual dining experience Dabbous is shooting for.

We ordered up just about everything on the menu. Starting with warm cornbread that came presented in a brown paper bag stamped with the date – heavenly buttery bread that had us all oohing and ahhing. A good sign of what lay ahead…

Then the food just kept on coming and coming from seriously moreish homemade sausage rolls with piccalilli…

…to grilled spring lamb with mint sauce, peas and radishes… 

Green asparagus with soft boiled egg, chervil & sunflower seeds… 

We also devoured crispy chicken wings with smoked paprika, garlic & lemon which were, in true KFC-style, finger lickin’ good, corn on the cob with gorgeously salty butter and of course good old fashioned French fries!

After all of that we were about ready to pop but we couldn’t leave without trying some of the puds on offer so we waved our waiter over and ordered up a few potions of the naughty but nice popcorn ice cream with smoked fudge sauce and then Eton Mess which is always delish! 

One word – epic. Add this gem to the little black book pronto – go, immediately!

Barnyard 

18 Charlotte Street

Fitzrovia

London 

W1T 2LY

020 7580 3842

Trade-Made for Life...

Last weekend I celebrated my birthday - no divulging my magic number fellow mice!!! To mark the occasion myself, Mini and four other pals headed to Trade-Made on Commercial Street in Shoreditch for a slap up brekkie! We had spied this hidden gem on Emerald Street a while back and had kept it earmarked to taste test and report back to you all. 

Dressed up in my laid back birthday outfit, I trotted off ready to eat for England - why not, calorie's don't count on your birthday...



Passing through Brick Lane as we went, I took a snap of some astronaut, knife, butterfly graffiti / craft work of art - random but beaut...



10 minutes later, with rumbling tummies, we arrived...



First impressions ... surprisingly spacious - from the outside Trade-Made doesn't look much but when you step inside, the space magically expands spilling out onto an pretty little outdoor terrace. A table of weekend papers entices and warehouse inspired lighting hangs from the ceiling...



The contrast between the sparse white walls and wooden panelling works beautifully...

With charming details everywhere drawing you further into the nook...

But onto the star attraction - the food is kind of a big deal! A killer menu which will leave you undecided as to where to lay your hat - yes everything just sounds so darn tasty! The meats come from an artisan supplier in Devon, the eggs are flown in from Italy, the bread from a range of local bakers and the fruit and veg is delivered every morning from New Spitalfields Market. They even have a small smokery in the back yard where they produce their Trade-Made Pastrami and a variety of other deli meats - nice touch! 

I opted for a piggy portion of scrambled eggs (oh-so-yellow-and-yummy yolks) piled on sourdough with a side of smoked salmon and smashed avo, which was a concoction of avocado, feta, mint, chilli and lemon - DELISH...

Post-brekkie we were all smiles and suitably stuffed...

But we couldn't stop there! We pushed ourselves over the edge by indulging in orgasmic chocolate and salted caramel brownies - one word - heavenly...

Trade-Made please accept a BIG thumbs up - we heart you and we'll be back in a flash!

Trade-Made

47 Commercial Street

Spitalfields

London 

E1 6BD

+44 (0)20 3490 1880

The Quickfire Skinny on Hong Kong's Phattest Fast Food

What's the best and worst thing about food writing?

The requirement to try all the places that you write about...

While this is (generally) a very delicious perk of the job, my thighs are never thankful. Nor's my muffin top, my bingo wings or my double chin... the sacrifices I make for the blog.

And this particular piece for awesome HK website, Dim Sum & Then Some, has had me stepping up the stair sprints big time but was more than worth it. Who doesn't love an excuse to eat chips, chips and a few more chips. Without further ado, I bring you HK's phattest fast food...

Last year you decided to join the crash diet crowd and give the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet a whirl. After all how hard could two days of existing on 500 calories be if the rest of the time you could eat what you liked? But after two whole days of surviving on three leaves of lettuce and a bowl of miso soup, you realized it’s pretty damn hard. So this year you’ve pledged that the only way that ‘fast’ is going to find its way into your eating vocabulary is when placed next to the word ‘food’. Which is sort of lucky given the myriad of hip new fast food kids on the block.

 

The only issue? With fresh openings popping-up quicker than you can say ‘we’re loving it’, it’s hard to know your hamburger from your hot dog. Fear not, we’re here with your rapid round-up (each in less than 140 characters) of all that’s new and notable on the fast food scene in the city…

 

Little Buro

The Twitter: Are you too Mexy for your sandwich? So Mexy it hurts? How's about a burrito baby? Grab your Sombrero and maracas and roll with it.

Must-Munch: The pork carnitas burrito with extra guac as well as a side of guac and tortilla chips. Did we mention that the guac’s good?

 

Caliburger

The Twitter: Hamburger homage to In-N-Out. That is all.

Must-Munch: It has to be the Cali-burger for a hit of Cali’s special sauce and a side of the artery-busting wild-style fries (translation for In-N-Outers – a Double Double and a side of animal-style fries…)

 

Yonge Piggies

The Twitter: Pig out on the HAWTest dogs in town. Chargilled Canadian sausages in buns that’ll have you wagging your tail and oinking simultaneously.

Must-Munch: The Hickory Smoked “Got Wood” (not at all because the name makes us snigger) and a sea salt caramel shake. Diet? What diet?

 

 

Hooked

The Twitter: The Kiwis have brought HK the closest thing to authentic Brit Fish & Chips in the city - just add liberal salt & vinegar and a newspaper wrapper! 

Must-Munch: The battered Blue Nose, a scoop of chips (yes proper chunky chip shop chips – not a French fry in sight) and a dollop of mushy peas. Throw in a couple of bottles of Great White beer for good measure.

 

 

Little Bao

The Twitter: American diner serving up baby bites of brilliant bao - Nice Buns.

Must-Munch: Pork Belly Bun and LB Ice-Cream Sandwich (green tea ice-cream and condensed milk sandwiched between deep-fried Bao – can we get a “yum”!)

Image via: www.scmp.com

Seasalt

The Twitter: Oh my cod! Fish & chips Aussie-style. Preserving your sixpack? Healthy options abound. Fat boy? Fear not beer-battered’s still on the menu!

Must-Munch: The fish tacos may not be the obvious choice but they’re dazzlingly good. Alternatively, the beer-battered cod and fries with wasabi mayo for treat days and the grilled barramundi and brown rice for when you’re channeling Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

 

Bao Wow

The Twitter: Yet more bun fun – get them while they’re hot, Wanchai style.

Must-Munch: Go hard or go home – order up the Bao Platter for an out and out bao bonanza. This smorgasbord of baos let’s you sample everything from the granddaddy of baos, the gua bao (pork belly) to it’s fiery younger brother, the kimchi bulgogi bao (beef and kimchi).

 

 

K-Roll

The Twitter: Grub on the go Gangnam Style. Psy, Kimchi & Roll…

Must-Munch: The Chicken Korritto – yup, that’s a Korean Burrito – think spicy chicken in a sushi rice and seaweed wrap. We say - go K-Rollin’ with your Homies.

 

 

85 South

The Twitter: (BBQ) Rib-ticklingly good. Carolina–style home cooking & beers for gettin' ribby with. As the strap line goes: get so’ South in your mouth.

Must-Munch: The Big Boi Plate – pulled pork (cooked in a smoker for 24 hours until it’s butter-soft), a slab of ribs, red slaw and fries. Top tip: wear elasticated-waisted, uber-roomy trousers and bring a friend to roll you home.

There's No Smokehouse Without Fire...

Last year us Mice were left raving to anyone and everyone about the amazing Neil Rankin delights we had sampled at the then newly opened John Salt restaurant in Islington. After a gushing blog post had been published, we immediately got on the phone to get another reservation to introduce HK Mouse to our new favourite chef on her Christmas trip home. Much to our disappointment, we received a call the night before informing us that Mr Rankin had resigned and they were forced to close the kitchen whilst they devised their new menu. Rumour had it that he was being asked to create more mainstream dishes, like burgers, which just aren't his style, so the brains behind the menu walked! 

As compensation for our cancelled booking, we were invited back when the kitchen had reopened for a discounted meal, we of course took them up on the offer eager to sample the replacement offering. Sadly we were really disappointed and left not even half as wowed with the bogstandard dishes filling the menu showing a distinct lack of imagination. Not a chicken skin sandwich or BBQ truffle baguette in sight I'm afraid.

Now the scene has been set, you can imagine our excitement to hear that star of the John Salt show, Neil, was setting up shop all on his lonesome and just a stone's throw from his previous stomping group!

The Smokehouse is a gastropub set in Canonbury, the Highbury end of Upper Street. It's just a 5 minute walk from Highbury and Islington tube station, however when we visited, as it was such a beautiful morning, we decided to walk from London Towers along Regents Canal all wrapped up in scarfs and cashmere! Ninety minutes later we had arrived, starving hungry for what we hoped was to be a jolly good feast!

From the outside and even as you walk in, it appears to be a normal local pub - a smart one but nothing too scary as the name Smokehouse may suggest! The interior is spot on and beautifully done - lots of natural light streaming in, crisp white walls adorned with antlers and blackboards, chunky wooden tables and mismatched chairs - a great mix of chic, comfy and open. It welcomes everyone and by the looks of it they all know it...surrounding us we had a big family lunching, young couples with their babies, a group of boys meeting for some pub grub and the download of the night before, a couple on a date and then us three mice huddled in the corner!

On our visit the service was laid back, if I was to be critical I can imagine some may find it slightly slow, however for a chilled Sunday afternoon, we felt relaxed and as if the experience was completely at our pace. The staff were lovely, very friendly and happy to help when asked but not overbearing or pushy.

If I had learnt anything from our John Salt tasting menu, it was that no dish should be missed so we decided to pick four different starters and all share so we could get a taste of everything we fancied!

We opted for...

Foie gras, apple pie & duck egg - safely the star of the show - the flavours were incredible! Definitely one we all wished we didn't have to share!

Burnt leeks with duck egg, girolles & parmesan... 

Lobster Frittata…

Pig's cheek, pecorino & pear…

Each dish left us scraping the plate to get every last morsel - there was no polite 'oh you finish it' or 'you've left a bit' - we were in to win anything we could get…there were definite moments of food war! After polishing off and thoroughly enjoying every last morsel and sipping our way through a carafe of delicious red, we all felt suitably refuelled for more Mice adventures!

Husbands and boyfriends will love this place, they not only serve up a mean plate of meat but they also boast thirty different craft beers on tap and many more by the bottle. Whilst you gossip away and get high from the dessert menu, they can work their way through the LONG beer menu...

At around £6 to £12 a starter and £12 to £25 for mains, you really can't go wrong. I have to add that as we walked out, the family next to us had the most scrumptious looking roast dinner, definitely on my list of Sunday Must Dos'! Having said that the main courses all sounded like a party on a plate, as did the desserts…I sense several wine soaked evenings at the Smokehouse are about to make their way into my diary pretty sharpish and I CAN'T wait!

The Smokehouse
63-69 Canonbury Road,
Islington,
London,
N1 2DG
+44(0) 207 354 1144

Catalunya Hong Kong - Hell Yeah, I'd Tapas That...

Yeah, I'm not sure about the pun in the title either. It made me snigger when I first came up with it though, so I'm sticking with it....

But, one thing I am sure about is the subject of the pun - new(ish) Hong Kong restaurant, Catalunya. So certain in fact, that as I left after my first visit, I attempted (without success) to book straight back in again for a week later... This was love at first bite (my word play is definitely veering dangerously into bad-Dad-joke territory today, I apologise).

Opening in a blaze of mega-hype backed up by brilliant reviews back in May, I've heard countless great things about the food at this modern tapas hot spot and have tried and failed to book a few times. When you consider that Catalunya is spread over a colossal 8,000 square feet space and is still perenially packed you have to figure that they're doing something right...

So a few Saturdays ago, having made sure that I'd reserved a table a few weeks in advance, I headed out to deepest, darkest Morrison Hill with two of my best girls to see what all the fuss was about...

We started off with a round of cocktails. I opted for the Stairway to Heaven - bacardi, vanilla syrup, pineapple puree, celery, a slug of lime juice and a dash of egg white all topped off with coriander leaves. Unlike any cocktail I've ever sipped before, this was sweet and savoury with a very delicate flavour - absolutely delicious!  You've also got to love a cocktail that comes with its very own dry ice supply...

Which also helped to make everyone else's cocktails look pretty darn awesome...

While we gossiped over our cocktails our first nibble of the night arrived - the spherical olives. Catalunya's executive chef, Alain Devahive Tolosa, spent a decade honing his molecular wizardry in the kitchens of El Bulli, but this is the only molecular dish on Catalunya's menu. What may look like any old regular olive, turns out to be a little bubble of olive juice which bursts on your tongue - fun, innovative and not to be missed.

We followed our faux olives up with a delicious spread of dishes to share. The tomato tartar...

...the avocado and lobster roll...

...the Tortilla de Trampo - to quote from the menu: 'also called the "Sin Tortilla", this is the perfect example of lust in gastronomy'... all at once creamy, spicy and familiar yet decadent...

...the calamares with lemon mayonnaise...

... the gambas al ajillo...

...and last but not least - the ham, cheese and truffle bikini. 

Nope, we're not talking an itsie bitsie swimsuit, this is the grilled cheese sandwich to end all grilled cheese sandwiches. It may not look like anything particularly mindblowing but seriously, this is the sort of dish that changes your life. After one bite this went straight onto my last supper menu.

In fact it was so good that as we fought over the crumbs we decided that there was nothing for it but to order a second round of truffly, cheesy deliciousness... Total piglet behaviour but we were three VERY happy little piglets!

A jug of sangria later and before we knew it, the lights had gone up and the waiters were sweeping around us. Nothing for it but to bid a sleepy adios and head off back to Lang Kwai Fong for a nightcap.

For delicious cocktails, fingerlicking great tapas or actually, even just for one mouthful of ham, cheese and truffle bikini, Catalunya is a total smash!

Catalunya

G/F Guardian House Morrison Hill,

Oi Kwan Road,

Wan Chai,

Hong Kong.

+852 2866 7900