Elliot’s – Hackney, E8

5th Jun 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

2 friends and I have been making a real effort to try a lot of local Hackney restaurants to make the most of our area and, most importantly, to avoid getting on a tube. Next on our list was Elliot’s – another one that I’ve heard great things about through the grape vine but never got round to going. They have 2 locations, one in Hackney right by London Fields, and one in Borough. I’ve only visited the former, but I image the Borough counterpart is just as good. The restaurant feels very laid back and cool with a huge list of natural wines to choose from. Very Hackney in the best way!

Before choosing anything we spent a good 10 mins asking questions trying to work out which dishes we needed to try and what other dishes those went with. Our waitress was really helpful and helped us to pick out a really amazing meal. But first off, wine! We were feeling fancy so went for a sparkling – we asked for a recommendation of a dry wine that wasn’t too expensive (this left us with a lot to choose from!). Sadly I really cannot remember the wine but I know the words ‘tinc’ and ‘sec’ were in the name somewhere… Very unhelpful, I’m sorry.

Elliots Cheese Croquettes — L: Cheese croquettes, R: Calabrian anchovy toast

L: Cheese croquettes, R: Calabrian anchovy toast

The food menu is split into 4 sections: snacks, small plates, pizzas and wood fired oven (plus sides). We asked for a recommendation of numbers of plates from each section. We decided to skip the wood oven entirely as we found the other sections a bit more exciting. Snacks first! We went for the cheese puffs and Calabrian anchovy toast and these were both genuinely some of the top dishes of the nights. The cheese puffs are indescribable, like a croquette-ish type thing – a thin crust on the outside with a warm, gooey cheesy middle. I could eat these forever. No exaggeration! And the anchovy toast – high quality bread, some sweet fried onions, a big curl of quality butter and a salty, oily anchovy. The perfect bite. Both of these dishes are an absolute must.

Elliots Seabass Crudo — L: Seabass crudo, R: Potato flatbread with trout roe in the background

L: Seabass crudo, R: Potato flatbread with trout roe in the background

From the small plates we chose the sea bass crudo; king oyster mushrooms with wild garlic and an egg yolk; smoked ox tongue with beans, capers and horseradish; and trout roe with a potato flatbread. We were also recommended to get some focaccia to soak up the sauce from the mushrooms and ox tongue. These were all exceptional! I think my top 2 were the super fresh and buttery sea bass, and the trout roe. The roe dish came with a little potato pizza type thing, with a separate bowl of roe and sour cream to spoon on top. The mushrooms were also very delicious – really rich and creamy owing to that egg. I loved the ox tongue too, but this was a bit more polarising in the group (I think the context of it being a tongue). We were really glad we got the focaccia so as not to waste all the yummy sauces.

Elliots king oyster mushrooms with wild garlic and an egg yolk — L: King oyster mushrooms, R: Smoked ox tongue

L: King oyster mushrooms, R: Smoked ox tongue

Next up we got 2 pizzas: the brown butter, taleggio & sage, and the beef ragu with parmesan. We also got a size of fried maris pipers (aka the crispiest, fluffiest chips in the world) with a HUGE serving of alioli – great for those pizza crusts. Both pizzas were absolutely incredible. I was glad to have one white and one red as they balanced well. The taleggio pizza was very rich and nutty from the brown butter. The beef had a bit more tang from the tomato and that beef was absolutely perfectly cooked.

Elliots brown butter, taleggio & sage pizza — L: Taleggio and brown butter pizza, R: Beef rag and parmesan pizza

Elliots beef ragu with parmesan pizza — L: Taleggio and brown butter pizza, R: Beef rag and parmesan pizza

We were told they had great desserts, but sadly by this point we were just waaaay too full. Instead we headed across to Netil 360 for another bottle of sparkling wine… All in all we had an absolutely incredible meal, every dish was seriously impressive and delicious. I think my faves were the snacks, the roe, that beef pizza and the fries. I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Elliot’s for some really high quality and exciting food. Next on my list is to visit the Borough location!

Find them at 121-123 Mare Street, Hackney, London E8 3RH

Or their borough location 12 Stoney Street, Borough Market, London SE1 9AD

Bistrot Walluc – Shoreditch, E2

4th May 20224th May 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

In this instalment of the foodie adventures of Ros & Meg we took a trip to this Shoreditch fondue house. Neither of us can remember exactly how it started but we’ve both been chatting to Bistrot Walluc on insta for quite a while and we’ve been so keen to go since. We decided it would be the perfect setting for our reunion after our 3 week separation (Ros is never allowed on holiday again). Bistrot Walluc is right by Shoreditch Highstreet, on the same road as some other incredible restaurants including the BAO noodle bar (click to read my review) and Smoking Goat. We were greeted by the amazing Luca – he does both front of house & the kitchen – and taken to our table. The restaurant itself is so much fun and so eccentric. There were kitschy trinkets everywhere and the music was coming from an old record player in the corner.

Bistrot Walluc do a set menu which consists of cheese & charcuterie to start, followed by a fondue or gnocchi for main, and then a limoncello shot to round it all off. As the cheese lovers we are, we went for the fondue of course. But before all that, we both got a shot of amaretto which is something I would never normally drink straight, but I definitely will be again!

Now for our starter. We got a lovely selection of meats (including some salami, mortadella and a cured ham), cheeses (manchego, and a floral honey goats cheese), a salad with the most delicious sundried tomatoes I’ve ever had on, cornichon and some bread. This is already one of my favourite things – I love tearing up the meat and trying different combinations with the cheese on bread. But if that wasn’t enough the wonderful Luca also brought us over some extra bits to try, including a delicious n’duja that we just spread on bread and a salami coated in red wine. I hadn’t tried the wine salami before – the red wine formed these sweet, dark flakes. It was all amazing. Nothing beats some very high quality charcuterie & cheese.

N'Duja and bread (Bistrot Walluc) — L: N’duja, R: red wine salami (with more n’duja)

Red wine salami, n'duja and bread (Bistrot Walluc) — L: N’duja, R: red wine salami (with more n’duja)

Next up was our fondue. But before this, we spent a bit of time chatting to Luca about his life and how he came to own a fondue restaurant in Shoreditch. Luca is from Italy, but has also lived in France – where he mastered the fondue. When he came to open his restaurant he initially thought Italian food, but shifted to fondue. His fondue isn’t a typical french or Swiss fondue – he’s made his own version. He uses gruyere & comte which makes for such a delicious fondue. Both cheeses add quite a strong flavour, and you can taste both. You can definitely tell this isn’t your standard fondue, it has a much greater depth of flavour. We dipped both bread and potatoes into our fondue and polished off the whole thing.

L: Our fondue setup with bread & potatoes, R: The cheese pull from heaven

We rounded off the meal with some limoncello and some brilliant magic tricks from Luca (there is nothing he can’t do). I cannot recommend this place strongly enough, from the delicious food, the super fun interior to the brilliant Luca – everything about Bistrot Walluc is fantastic. We both had so much fun and left very satisfied. I have not stopped raving about it since! They also host live music & comedy nights which I will definitely be returning for, give them a follow on insta to keep up with the schedule. You absolutely have to give Bistrot Walluc a go. Whether with friends, family, a date, even solo you will not find a more fun or authentic place than here. To book head to their insta, click on the link in the bio and drop Luca a Whatsapp!

Find them at 40 Redchurch St, London E2 7DP

Eataly Fresh Pasta Cooking Class Review

18th Apr 202218th Apr 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

Anyone who knows me knows I am in love with Eataly and spend a good chunk of my pay-cheque in the store on anything from guanciale to their insane tiramisu. So it only felt right that I had to do a cooking class there. My best foodie friend Ros (check out her foodie insta @rosontour) & I decided that, as our Christmas present to each other, we’d go on a cooking class together, because can you think of a better activity for 2 foodie besties?! Just a quick warning – it is not easy to book an Eataly cooking class! They sell out so quickly (for good reason, but we’ll get onto that later). We tried every month after Christmas but only managed to get tickets in March. We were looking for anything pasta, and the one we were able to book was the fresh pasta one – but there are a whole lot of other classes too. I only later found out there was a mailing list that lets you know when tickets are released… Before I get into the details, I want to say that this was one of the best and most fun evenings I’ve had in a long time, which was only made better by spending it with Ros!

First off lets look at the prices – the class was £65, with that we got 2 glasses of wine and 2 pasta dishes. I think this was such good value especially considering how attentive the chef and assistant were. Both were on hand to help through every stage, and each step was explained to us. We got the recipes to take away too. The cooking class room is in the back corner of the wine area. It’s a small room with space for ~8 students, a teacher and assistant making it a really intimate lesson. Having such a small class was great as we got so much help.

Now for the session itself. To start the class or chef talked us through the structure of the class and what we would be making. In our case this was:

Eggless semolina pasta that we would shape into:
Trofie al pesto pomodoro – trofie with red pesto (sundried tomatoes)
Pici all’aglione – pici with a simple tomato, garlic & chilli sauce

To our surprise, the chef told us that everything that we make in the fresh pasta class is vegan! Neither of us are vegan, so we were a bit hesitant at first at the prospect of cheese-less pasta but we were both so impressed with the dishes.

We started off making the pasta dough, which was very simple – just semolina, water & salt. The chef then showed us how to form both pasta shapes by hand (no pasta rollers needed). This took up a majority of the class but was really informative. I felt like I understood how to make and handle the dough, and how to form the pasta shapes (even if the trofie took me a few tries to get right). We didn’t have time to shape all of our dough – which sent Ros into a pici frenzy trying to make sure she didn’t waste any dough.

L: Pici all’aglione, R: Trofie al pesto pomodor

Once we had sufficient pasta, we moved onto the sauce. Both sauces were made in the time we cooked our pasta, and both were absolutely delicious! I’m not gonna give away any recipes here as you need to go and experience the class yourself. But the sauces were so insanely simply, but so tasty. I would even go as far to say we didn’t miss cheese. It just shows what you can do with high quality ingredients at your disposal. We have a little hint for you to make your dishes even more delicious – we drizzled over some of the olive oil when eating our dishes and it make them even better. The oil was amazing, we were so close to stealing it but we restrained ourselves.

Ros & I looking cute at our pasta station

All in all we had such a fun evening – delicious wine, delicious food, delicious oil AND we left with a pasta certificate, AND we got to keep our aprons! We rounded off the evening with a quick gelato downstairs – the perfect end to the perfect evening.

I absolutely cannot recommend the Eataly classes enough. It’s such a fun way to spend an evening, that feels slightly more productive than just going for dinner (although there is absolutely nothing wrong with just going for dinner). We both learnt things we can take away and use in our own cooking – in fact my recent chilli, garlic & tomato pappardelle was slightly inspired by the pici all’aglione! So get yourself signed up to that mailing list, and take you foodie friends for a lovely, wholesome evening. Let me know what you think in the comments!

You can find Eataly at 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD

Burger & Beyond – Shoreditch, E1

3rd Apr 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

I like to think of myself as a bit of a burger of London connoisseur. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers, and I’m working on my top 5 list but it still needs a bit more research (aka eating more burgers). In the meantime, I thought I’d write about one of my favourite burger places – Burger & Beyond. It’s in close contention for the coveted top spot with another burger place that I won’t mention just yet (don’t want to give away my secrets that easily). B&B serve proper dirty, delicious food – I’m talking burgers that leak gravy when you pick them up, the kind of food my mum would be disgusted by, which is the very food I want to eat. I’ve been here quite a few times (& ordered delivery from them many many more times), but this most recent trip I went with my cousin Bryony (a name you may recognise from some other posts). I love going here with Bryony because we’re both on the same page about sharing sides & massively over-ordering (yet still finishing it). That’s the kind of friend you want to go to B&B with. The vibe in the restaurant is really fun and relaxed, which matches the food and drink perfectly.

We arrived during happy hour which means £6 cocktail of the day. We got the B&B punch which is one of my favourite B&B cocktails – delicious and surprisingly alcoholic. Now for food, I always make sure to get a plate of the fried chicken bites, special sauce and pickles as I think it’s some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Super crispy, tender and perfectly seasoned. The sauce and pickles is the thing that makes it – the sauce is like a burger sauce but 1000x better. For the perfect bite get the chicken, dip it in the sauce and put a pickle on top – you get the richness from the chicken, balanced with the creaminess of the sauce and tang from the pickles. Perfect!!

Burger and Beyond fried chicken bites with secret sauce and pickles — Fried chicken bites with secret sauce and pickles

Now onto the main event – the burger. We both got a single bacon butter burger. I tend to go for a single here to leave room for the amazing sides. This burger is my favourite one, its made of a dry aged beef patty, double American cheese, crispy pancetta, burnt butter mayo and onion. This is like your classic bacon cheeseburger but huuuugely elevated due to the amazing meat quality, the rich burnt butter mayo and the freshness from the onions. You really have to try this to see what I’m talking about. I’ve also tried their bougie burger which is also pretty special (beef patty, American cheese, steak sauce, marrownaise, and beef fat onions). As you can probably imagine from that ingredient list, this one is a lot richer than the bacon butter burger. I don’t really think you can go wrong with burger choice here!

Burger and Beyond bacon butter burger — Bacon butter burger

The thing that makes B&B extra special is their amazing side selection, including my favourite: the dirty tots. These are crispy yet fluffy tots, covered with ranch, hot sauce, bacon bits and parm – need I say more? These are completely amazing – the perfect, crunch, creaminess, saltiness and kick. They also do truffle tots (tots, truffle mayo, parm and crispy sage) which are also good, but I prefer the dirty tots as they aren’t as rich and have a bit more going on. On top of the dirty tots, we also got the fries, bone marrow gravy and cheese curds. The fries are amazing, the bone marrow gravy was super rich & meaty and the cheese curds were light and springy. It really worked perfectly – like an elevated poutine.

Burger and Beyond dirty tots — L: Dirty Tots, R: dirty tots and bone marrow gravy fries

Burger and Beyond dirty tots and gravy fries — L: Dirty Tots, R: dirty tots and bone marrow gravy fries

Everything B&B do that I’ve tried is so amazingly well done, from drinks to starters to mains to sides. I’ve actually never been able to have a dessert there before as I always leave so full, but I imagine they’re pretty good too. Like I said, this place is playing for the top spot on my burger list, and that really is a huge compliment as I’ve eaten a lot of burgers. I really recommend you give this place a visit, and bring your best foodie friend that will help you eat as much of the menu as you can. Let me know in the comments what you think!

Find them at 147 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE, or on Deliveroo

12:51 – Highbury & Islington, N1

23rd Mar 202223rd Mar 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

12:51 is a place I’ve been to a few times for both the tasting menu and the Sunday roast and I am a big big fan. The chef is James Cochran, who you may know from such shows as Great British Menu – a show I watched avidly for years and I was always a fan of James’ food. I remember the first time I went to 12:51 really excitedly texting my parents that I was going to a celebrity chef’s restaurant, and then again when I actually saw him in the kitchen (I’m such a loser). The restaurant is a long narrow space on Upper Street with super fun decor that really matches the menu. This trip was my second time having the tasting menu – the first time was just over a year ago and it was definitely easier to get a reservation back then! This shows you just how good the food is though, especially for what you’re paying – £40 for 5 courses, +£35 wine pairing if you want it!

So, the meal – how was it! We got a bottle of the prosecco to drink, I prefer my prosecco a little drier but my friend Lucy liked it. I got the 5 course taster and Lucy got the 5 course veggie taster. For the most part Lucy’s and my dishes were very similar but with meaty components swapped out for veggie versions. First off we got some soda bread with a yeast butter – this was delicious. The bread was warm and the butter was very savoury and delicious. Off to a great start!

Spiced lamb kromeski with herby mayo (12:51) — Spiced lamb kromeski with herby mayo

Spiced lamb kromeski, cut open, with herby mayo (12:51) — Spiced lamb kromeski with herby mayo

On the meaty menu, they offer 3 options for snacks: buttermilk jerk chicken, spiced lamb kromeski, and feuille de brick with venison tare tare. I’ve had the chicken before and that was absolutely fantastic. Quick side note but James’ chicken is excellent, I remember over lockdown he opened a delivery chicken restaurant called Around the Cluck that I ordered from a lot. Up there with some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Side note over. I ordered the lamb to try something different. This was a square croquette filled with spiced slow cooked lamb and gravy with a dollop of herby mayonnaise. This was gorgeous – so richly flavoured, with a little kick. The crunchy outside and soft inside balanced perfectly.

Crispy beef croquette (12:51) — Crispy beef croquette

Crispy beef croquette, cut open (12:51) — Crispy beef croquette

The first course was a crispy beef croquette, oyster cream and nasturtium. This was also delicious – a very crisp croquette filled with rich, tender beef and pickles. Next up was roast celeriac, remoulade, Douglas fir bacon pieces, pork crackling and egg yolk. This dish balanced so well – the very salty bacon and crackling paired with the earthy celeriac.

Roast celeriac with remoulade, bacon, crackling and egg yolk (12:51) — L: Roast celeriac, remoulade, bacon pieces, pork crackling and egg yolk. R: Smoked bone broth with mussels

Smoked bone broth with mussels (12:51) — L: Roast celeriac, remoulade, bacon pieces, pork crackling and egg yolk. R: Smoked bone broth with mussels

Next we had a broth course – mine was smoked bone broth with mussels, artichoke and dulse. This course was very light, but rich on the flavour owing to the bone broth. Next we had the main which was the same for both of us – polenta, leek, kholrabi and roasted hazelnuts. This dish was sooo delicious and sooo rich. The polenta felt so buttery and luxurious, the leeks were buttery, the raw kholrabi really helped to cut through the richness and finally the hazelnuts really rounded the whole dish. I think this was my top dish of the meal – the rich, butteriness and the combinations of very soft and very crisp textures made this a fantastic dish.

L: Polenta, leek, kholrabi and roasted hazelnuts. R: Caramel custard, rhubarb and shortbread.

Lastly we had our pudding which was caramel custard, rhubarb and shortbread. Flavour-wise this dish was great – sharp rhubarb, creamy almost bitter caramel custard and super buttery shortbread. But, for me, the textures let this dish down a little. The custard was very thin – I was hoping for something a little more luxurious, like a set custard. That would’ve given this dish more substance. I also felt the shortbread was a little hard and not short enough. That being said, it still tasted delicious!

All in all I was very impressed again with 12:51. The menu was really interesting and well thought out, with great flavour and texture combinations in all dishes. It’s even better when you remember all that only costs £40! That being said, Lucy and I did get a little hungry later on and grabbed a roasted camembert from Humble Grape after (but also remember we had dinner at 5:30 and had been drinking wine from 5:30 until 9:30 when we got our camembert – this might explain the hunger…). I really recommend 12:51 – you can get the fine dining experience, really interesting food and great service for a really reasonable price. Their Sunday roast is also absolutely fantastic too – I’ve not had one from 12:51 for well over a year but I remember it being pretty special.

Find them at 107 Upper St, N1 1QN.

Toms Pasta – Hackney Downs, E8

20th Mar 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

I took a trip to this restaurant on the recommendation of a friend who works there. She had absolutely rave reviews for the place and after a quick scroll of their insta I was hooked. Tom’s Pasta is unsurprisingly headed up by a chef named Tom, who mans the kitchen on his own churning out starters, mains and desserts for a packed restaurant. I was so impressed he kept up with all the orders on his own and that he never skimped on the quality. Again unsurprisingly, Tom’s Pasta at heart is a pasta restaurant, specialising in lasagne! In my experience you very rarely see a lasagne on a menu, so I was really excited to try these out. Tom started the business as a lasagne delivery service by bike (absolutely genius), and has moved into a restaurant space in Hackney Downs Studios, right next to Hackney Downs park. This is a really great space, part of the larger creative studios complex. Tom’s Pasta is in the downmarket building, which also houses All Good Beer who have a really great selection of beers & wines to have with your meal. There is also a cafe/bakery in this space open during the day, Brunswick East, which I haven’t tried. Anyway, back to Tom’s Pasta – and let’s talk food.

The menu changes almost daily, although there are some seemingly staple dishes including the pork & beef lasagne, n’duja lasagne and the genovese lasagne. To start, we ordered the whole starter menu – 2x burrata with sourdough, the bruschetta and the meat & cheese plate. All of this was fantastic. The burrata came very simply drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and good quality sourdough. The meat & cheese plate came with more burrata, mortadella and some cured ham. The bruschetta was crisp, fresh and garlicky. What’s not to love?!

L: Burrata & sourdough, M: meat & cheese plate, R: bruschetta

For main I got the pork & beef lasagne and no word of a lie this was probably the best lasagne I’ve ever had. Maybe better than the one I make and that’s saying something because I really back myself. Firstly, it comes hidden under a mountain of cheese which is a great start. Secondly, the lasagne itself uses the most delicious, rich and deeply flavoured ragu – you can really tell the time and effort gone into it and it absolutely pays off. Thirdly, the bechamel is soooo thick and so creamy. Fourthly, pasta. Again an absolutely winning combination. My friends all got the n’duja which is very similar to the pork & beef but with added n’duja. They were kind enough to let me try a bite and that, too, was wonderful. No surprise really that combining one beautiful thing (that lasagne) with another (n’duja) makes another beautiful thing. We also got a 3 sides of the buttery garlic bread which was a new addition to the menu that day. Think a beautiful, thick slice of sourdough drenched in garlic butter and topped with cheese – as you can imagine, it was a great great thing.

L: Pork & beef lasagne, R: n’duja lasagne

We rounded off the meal with the lasagne of the dessert world – tiramisu. Yet again, Tom is giving me a run for my money as I think his tiramisu might be better than my own which, again, is saying something because I back myself hard. We got a huge slab in a bowl. First thing that struck me was how yellow the cream was, I assume owing to the use of some really good eggs. It was rich from the cream but light from the sponge, with the perfect amount of coffee flavour that wasn’t too overpowering. Another triumph.

If you can’t tell already, I’m such a huge fan of Tom’s Pasta. All the food was incredible, really up my street – Italian food done super well. I was also so impressed that Tom could do all this by himself in the kitchen, including serving a table of 18 plus the rest of the restaurant. The vibe in the place is great too, very relaxed and everyone who works there is super fun (I’m definitely biased as my mate works there, but she’s a lot of fun I promise). I really recommend a trip to this place, I’ll definitely be returning to try the other lasagnes, the aubergine parm and I’ve seen some tagliatelle knocking about on their insta too. Let me know in the comments how you find it if you take a trip!

Find them at 17 Amhurst Terrace, London E8 2BT

Sardines with focaccion (Angelina, Dalston)

Angelina – Dalston, E8

27th Feb 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

Angelina is very often talked about as one of the best restaurants in Hackney, and I’m ashamed to say I spent over a year of my life living just down the road from Angelina and never went. But, over a year on from that flat and I finally took the trip to Angelina, and here I am giving you a review. I went with 2 foodies who you’ve all be introduced to before – my friend Ros and my cousin Bryony – check out their foodie instas linked. We opted for the 10 course tasting menu (made possible by a discount provided by my cousin) on a day we’re now trying, and not succeeding, to rename 10 course Tuesdays. Spoiler alert: it was delicious. Angelina is an Italian-Japanese fusion, which at first scared me a little as I’ve had so many sloppily done fusions, but this was nothing like the others. They blended these two very distinct cuisines absolutely perfectly, which made for such an exciting and sophisticated meal.

Sardines with focaccia and shiso koso (Angelina, Dalston) — Sardines with focaccia and shiso koso

I have to admit I’m still struggling to work out how these dishes formed 10 courses, as we got a lot more than 10 plates. I’m not complaining though! First up we got 3 dishes, which definitely included some of the top dishes of the night: focaccia, sardines & shiso kosho; Hokkaido milk bread, sweet potato & sesame; taleggio, tobiko & moromi. The sardines were one of our favourite of the night, you can’t go wrong with focaccia and a salty fish. The sweet potato dish was like a little katsu sando – really delicious. The taleggio was probably the first taste I got of how flawlessly they had combined Japanese and Italian flavours. It was a little wonton cracker covered in taleggio with fish roe and moromi – I was so impressed with how they balanced the strong cheesy flavour with a much lighter, Japanese flavour. It was perfectly balanced.

Taleggio, tobiko & moromi (Angelina, Dalston) — L: Taleggio, tobiko & moromi (photo credit @rosontour), R: Hokkaido milk bread, sweet potato & sesame

Hokkaido milk bread, sweet potato & sesame (Angelina, Dalston) — L: Taleggio, tobiko & moromi (photo credit @rosontour), R: Hokkaido milk bread, sweet potato & sesame

Next up was the chawanmushi, clam & bresaola. This was a polarising dish on our table. It is a steamed, set egg custard topped with clams and little bresaola chunks. I really enjoyed how silky it was and the bresaola added a lovely saltiness.

Chawanmushi with clams and bresaola (Angelina, Dalston) — Chawanmushi, clam & bresaola

After this we had our raw course, consisting of 4 dishes. My favourite of this set was the sea bream ceviche with ponzu and sea purslane. The fish was buttery soft. In this course we also got a radicchio salad with smoked burrata and pistachio – this was really amazing. I’d never had a smoked burrata before but it was such an interesting flavour – it was strong and smokey but really light and creamy at the same time. We also had oyster with pomegranate and shiso. I’m a huge oyster fan so loved this, it was very fresh tasting. Lastly we go the sea trout with crispy spinach crackers and caviar. This took the form of almost a tare tare that we spooned onto the crackers. Again delicious, although I found the crackers a little oily.

Sea bream ceviche with ponzu (Angelina, Dalston) — L: sea bream ceviche with ponzu and sea purslane, R: Radicchio salad with smoked burrata and pistachio

Radicchio and smoked burrata salad (Angelina, Dalston) — L: sea bream ceviche with ponzu and sea purslane, R: Radicchio salad with smoked burrata and pistachio

Next we had our fried courses consisting of monkfish skewers with pickles, and kalettes with tentsuyu. The monkfish was great – super meaty fish, perfectly cooked and crispy on the outside with some sharp pickles to cut through the rich fish. Kalette is a relative of the sprout, which I am known to hate, however I loved the kalettes (or at least I love kalettes cooked like this). They were tempura served with the tentsuyu which is a kind of salty sharp dipping sauce.

Monkfish skewers with pickles (Angelina, Dalston) — L: Monkfish skewers with pickles, R: Kalettes with tentsuyu

Kalettes with tentsuyu (Angelina, Dalston) — L: Monkfish skewers with pickles, R: Kalettes with tentsuyu

We moved onto our pasta course of fazzoletti, wild garlic and walnut which was absolutely incredible. I didn’t feel too much of the Japanese fusion here, but it was a really fantastic plate of pasta. So buttery and garlicky, with the crunch from the walnuts.

Fazoletti with wild garlic and walnut (Angelina, Dalston) — Fazoletti with wild garlic and walnut

For main we had short rib with celeriac and gremolata. The short rib was rich and meaty, which paired perfectly with the buttery celeriac puree and fresh gremolata. We found the short rib a little tough, but we went on the first night of the new menu so I imagine they were still ironing out a few kinks

Short rib with celeriac and gremolata (Angelina, Dalston) — w

Lastly dessert, which I always think is the great test of a restaurant. Lots of restaurants put out amazing savoury dishes but really fall down at the dessert – I’m happy to confirm Angelina is not one of those restaurants. The dessert was listed on the menu as rhubarb, blood orange and nori. A very simple name but the dish was a little more complex: vanilla creme anglais, poached rhubarb, blood orange sorbet, caramelised nori and this delicious crumble type thing. The nori was the really striking thing about this dish – you can tell it’s nori, but it has a sweetness to it which went so well with the sharp fruit flavours. A perfectly balanced dish, yet again.

Creme anglais rhubarb blood orange and nori (Angelina, Dalston) — Creme anglais rhubarb blood orange and nori (photo credit @rosontour)

This meal was such an amazing experience for all of us. We had dishes and flavour combinations we’d never tried before but all of it worked so well. As dubious as I was about a successful Japanese/Italian fusion, I’ve really been converted. The dishes all worked so well, I’m so impressed by the inventiveness of the chefs. I really recommend this restaurant as a great special occasion place (or just to anyone looking to recreate 10 course Tuesday). The 10 course menu costs £59 at full price. They also offer a 5 course tasting menu too for £39!

Find them at 56 Dalston Ln, London E8 3AH.

Bao Noodle Shop – Shoreditch, E2

23rd Jan 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

Bao has been a long-time firm favourite of mine. I have fond Lockdown 2 memories of sitting on London Fields Park with my friend Corey, absolutely frozen eating a classic bao from Netil market. So obviously the noodle bar has been on my must-visit list since it opened, and I finally took the trip last week – naturally with my bao-buddy Corey. I always love Bao, and this was no exception. The food is always so exciting and really well executed, and the decor is like being on the set of a Wes Anderson film, with ’emergency noodles’ lining the wall (my kind of emergency supply stash).

bao noodle shop cocktails — L: Umesgu Negroni, R: Sweet Potato Sour

We started off with cocktails. I had the sweet potato sour (gin, chestnut & sweet potato) which was an incredible drink. It had the rich smooth feel of a whiskey sour (which is quickly being exposed as my favourite drink), but it was sweeter and rounder owing to the chesnut, and without the whiskey burn. Corey had the Umeshu Negroni (plum sake, gin, campari & vermouth) which tasted like a very good negroni – neither of us picked up the plum sake.

Bao Noodle Shop cull yaw dumplings — L: Cull yaw dumplings, R: Crispy Ogleshield Cheese Rolls

Bao Noodle Shop ogleshield cheese rolls — L: Cull yaw dumplings, R: Crispy Ogleshield Cheese Rolls

We were recommended 3-4 starters to share, and a noodle dish and a bao each. For starters we chose the cull yaw dumplings, the Ogleshield cheese rolls and the crispy tripe with spring onion dip. All three were delicious. The dumplings were unanimously the best dish of the evening. The lamb filling was so savoury & deep in flavour. Completely different to any dumpling I’d had before. The cheese rolls, while delicious, were slightly less exciting than the other dishes. They were very cheesy, crispy fried rolls – what’s not to love. The tripe was a real revelation though. As someone with mild trypophobia I’ve always been put off by the look of tripe. But this being a dish of breadcrumbed strips of tripe, I didn’t encounter any appearance issues. The tripe was melt in the mouth, which was a texture I was really not expecting, but the spiced breaded coating is was made it so special. For any tripe newbies – this is your entry tripe. I am a convert!

Bao Noodle Shop crispy tripe — Crispy tripe with spring onion dip

Now onto the namesake – the bao. We got a bao each: I got the Iberico and Corey got the prawn croquette. Both delicious. The iberico felt really special – the meat was so tender and juicy. I think this may even take the top spot as my favourite Bao bao. The prawn croquette was also delicious – I compared it to really high quality prawn toast.

Bao Noodle Shop iberico and prawn bao — Iberico bao at the front, prawn croquette at the back

For main there were 2 beef noodle options: the slow-cooked beef cheek and short-rib noodles, and the rare beef rump noodles (served with a soy egg yolk). We both went for the latter, swayed mainly by the egg yolk. This dish was also incredible. Slightly chewy noodles, a DEEP rich beefy broth, super tender beef rump strips and the salty egg yolk for beef dipping. Absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to go back and try the short-rib and the dan dan tofu noodles. And of course, I rounded off the meal with a purchase of a one of their iconic tote bags.

Bao Noodle Shop rare beef rump noodles — Rare beef rump noodles with the soy egg yolk for dipping

Bao Noodle Shop soy egg yolk — Rare beef rump noodles with the soy egg yolk for dipping

Meg & Corey Ratings

This is another meal where absolutely everything was delicious – there were no duds. So remember in this ranking, even the things at the bottom are fantastic, they just have tough competition

Meg

Cull yaw dumplings
Iberico bao
Crispy tripe
Rare beef rump noodles
Ogleshield cheese rolls

Corey

Cull yaw dumplings
Praw croquette bao
Rare beef rump noodles
Crispy tripe
Ogleshield cheese rolls

Let me know who you agree with in the comments!

This was another incredible meal by bao – they never seem to miss. Every part of the menu is so different & well thought out – and then perfectly executed. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Bao Noodle bar, we highly highly recommend you do. Let me know what think of it in the comments if you’ve already been, and let me know if you go from this recommendation!

Find them at 1 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DJ

F.K.A.B.A.M (Formerly Know As Black Axe Mangal) – Highbury & Islington, N1

16th Jan 2022 bakesbymegukLeave a comment

After being recommended this restaurant countless times I finally went & brought one of foodie-est friends with me (Ros) – and I’m annoyed at myself for not doing it sooner. For those of you who don’t know, F.K.A.B.A.M is a Turkish inspired restaurant right opposite Highbury & Islington station with absolutely (and completely deserved) rave reviews. The moment you walk in the door you get hit with the smell of food & the smoke coming from the wood-fired oven. Everything about this place is in-your-face: the food, the decor, the soundtrack & we loved every second of it. Lee Tiernan (chef & co-owner of B.A.M) says that if you don’t like loud dining, BAM is not for you – and he’s not wrong. Luckily we love it!

Whiskey Sour F.K.A.B.A.M — The legendary whiskey sour

We went for the tasting menu (£45 each) & added on one of the extras – the lamb offal flatbread (£12). But before we get onto the food I need to talk about their whiskey sour (£9.5). Now I love whiskey sours, & I’ve had one in about every bar I’ve been to but this was by far the best and most exciting whiskey sour I’ve ever had. First of all, it’s pink. Second of all, it just tasted like no other. I had to ask what made it so amazing – it’s hibiscus & their sour mix, & raspberry powder on top. This drink was one of the highlights of the night which is really saying something because the food was spectacular.

Flame Grilled Short Rib F.K.A.B.A.M — Flame grilled short rib (photo credit to @rosontour)

So, onto the food, the bit you’re all waiting for. They release their tasting menu for the coming days in a post on their Instagram – it changes quite regularly. The first dish we got was flam grilled short ribs. That was the whole description on the menu, which really didn’t prepare us for just how exciting the dish was. The sauce was like nothing else. When the waitress took this dish away I told her how amazing it was & she asked if we drank the sauce (we did) which I think shows you how amazing it is. Not the most exciting to look at, but easily one of the most exciting to eat. I think I spent that entire rest of the meal thinking ‘if this dish came with a jug of the short rib sauce it would be perfect’…

Crispy Potatoes Lamb Flatbread F.K.A.B.A.M — Crispy potatoes & lamb offal flatbread (photo credit @rosontour)

Next up we had the fried potatoes, creme fraiche & trout roe, and the lamb offal flat bread. The potatoes were crispy, the creme fraiche sharp & creamy, and the trout were like little salty popping boba. Everything complemented everything perfectly. The flatbread was also delicious – soft, chewy bread topped with deeply flavoured lamb offal – what’s not to love. This had a bit of a kick so we were happy to have the potatoes at the same time to spoon some of the creme fraiche on top.

Crispy Potatoes F.K.A.B.A.M — Crispy potatoes & lamb offal flatbread have a closeup

Lamb Offal Flatbread F.K.A.B.A.M — Crispy potatoes & lamb offal flatbread have a closeup

Once those plates were cleared, it was time to move onto their iconic & most famous dish – the squid ink flatbread with smoked cods roe & an egg yolk. I can confirm there is a reason this is famous. Again, this dish was absolutely perfectly balanced & so well thought out. First things first, we obviously popped the gooey egg yolk for some instagram worthy egg porn, then smeared that & the cods roe all over the flatbread for the perfect bite. We were shocked by how creamy that cods roe was – I still dream about it. AND they’ve released this recipe if you want to try it at home for yourself! Ros & I definitely are (she’s already researching how to source the smoked cod’s roe)

The last of our savoury dishes was the crispy pork, fuji apple, bitter leaves & the XO sauce. While we weren’t huge fans of the salad (found it a little too bitter, as the name suggested) the pork was cooked to perfection. Crispy skin, but melt in the mouth tender in the middle.

Crispy Pork F.K.A.B.A.M — Crispy Pork with bitter leaves (photo credit @rosontour)

Last up was the dessert – chocolate mousse & amarena cherry. Now I’m not a huge chocolate dessert fan (I usually find it too rich) but this changed me. Although it used dark chocolate, the mousse was still so light. We both couldn’t stop raving about the crunchy almondy topping. The cherry flavour in this comes in the form of a jelly at the bottom – it was very strong, almost lollipop flavoured. As the mousse & cherry we’re separate layers, we managed to work out the perfect ratio of chocolate mousse, crunch & cherry per spoonful. Another triumph.

Chocolate Mousse F.K.A.B.A.M — Chocolate mousse with amarena cherries

Meg & Ros Ratings

This is the first (but definitely not the last) time Ros has made a feature on bakes by meg. She is one of my closest friends who is equally as obsessed with food as me – if you need any extra proof take a look at her instagram @rosontour. As 2 highly qualified food people, we want to share our verdicts of the best dishes of the evening. Every dish was so delicious we really struggled with this ranking – so remember even the bottom ranking was still incredible.

Meg

Flame grilled short rib (someone get me a bucket of the sauce)
Squid ink flatbread
Crispy potatoes
Crispy pork
Chocolate mousse
Lamb offal flat bread

Ros

Squid ink flatbread
Flame grilled short rib
Crispy potatoes
Crispy pork
Lamb offal flatbread
Chocolate mousse

So, are you more of a Meg or Ros? Let me know in the comments!

We had such an amazing evening at F.K.A.B.A.M – the food, the drink, the environment all made for a really fun experience. And the tasting menu made us try things we maybe wouldn’t usually order. We give F.K.A.B.A.M a huge stamp of approval. Let me know if the comments what you think if you’ve already been, or if you go based on this recommendation! Would love to hear what you think.

Find them at 156 Canonbury Road, London, N1 2UP