Food: Hoi Polloi (Rooftop) Brunch Club, Ace Hotel, Shoreditch

The clever folk at Hoi Polloi have been holding rooftop brunch clubs at the Ace Hotel over the summer, collaborating each time with a different fitness concept.  It is held on the 7th floor rooftop of the hotel, with sweeping views over the city. 

On the menu:

Stone fruits, goats curd, elderflower, nuts and seeds

Crispy duck egg, girolles, asparagus

Hot smoked salmon hash, peas, spiced creme fraiche

Strawberries, creme fraiche ice cream, almond crumb

All of the food was excellent, combining fresh ingredients and impeccable presentation. The goats curd and plum dish in particular was delicious. 

Perfectly ripe plums with a light, light goat's curd

I've been twice to this gig already. The first class, led by 1 Rebel, a high-intensity RESHAPE class, made us work hard for our brunch, which, being lazy as hell, left me hugely resentful and furious every time the lovely, lithe and (obviously) super-fit instructor cheerily yelled out the command for more burpees.  This is not an indictment against 1 Rebel, as the rest of the group seemed to thoroughly enjoy the hour of pain.  

Crispy duck egg, girolles, asparagus

More to my style, yesterday's brunch was hosted by the Stretch Dynamic Yoga studio, and it was brilliant. Oliver took us through a gentle Sunday morning paced yoga session, with wit and clarity. 

Hot smoked salmon hash, peas, spiced creme fraiche

The brunch is held in the Britannia room, on long communal tables, inviting conversation amongst new friends. Our group tumbled into the room noisily, crying out for immediate refills of Bloody Mary's after our work-out. Convivial laughter, fresh flowers, endless slices of buttery toast and bottomless filter coffee. The perfect Sunday afternoon.

Strawberries, creme fraiche ice cream, almond crumb

Details:

Hoi Polloi Rooftop brunch, contact them directly for details but they do the brunches about once a fortnight. Sign up to their mailing list for updates here.

Ace Hotel: 100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ

Travel: Food and Shopping in Paris - walking from the 10th to the 3rd arrondissements.

In my imagination, I am a chic Parisienne popping to my favourite bakery on a Saturday morning, Du Pain et Des Idees, treating myself to a tarte aux pommes, brushing the buttery, flaky pastry from my perfected painted and insouciant red lips, before strolling down to my favourite shops.

Du Pain et des Idees - Tarte aux pommes. Quite possibly may make it onto the menu on my last supper list.
Fresh, thinly sliced apples encased in buttery puff pastry, with chewy, caramelised bit where the sugar granules and butter have melded together to add that extra bit of oh my gosh deliciousness.

In reality, I've just had a few French lessons and have managed to make myself barely comprehensible at ordering a "une baguette, s'il vous plait". Nonetheless, I proceed with my fantasy and skip down Boulevard Magenta, past the Place de la Republique, and onwards to the Merci store at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais. The remaining photos in this post will be in black and white, to reflect the Marion Cotillard-like state that has suddenly overcome me.

John Lewis on Oxford Street doesn't have a cute vintage car parked in a cobblestone courtyard to greet its customers, but I (I mean, Marion), breeze through the glass fronted doors in search of notebooks from Khadi and Co, and then into the kitchen department to pick up some wine glasses for the dinner party I am hosting with my BFF, Vanessa Paradis.

Wine glasses purchased, I place them safely into the adorable straw pannier that is attached to the vintage bicycle that I have all of the sudden decided forms part of this fantasy.  I adjust the jaunty silk scarf around my neck and head into La Maison Plisson.

La Maison Plisson is a deluxe, all-in-one, grocery, butcher, fromagerie, boulangerie, and bistro for discerning, tasteful Parisiennes like myself.

I pick up a few special treats for the dinner party, including a variety of cheese and fruit to round off the menu (with Vanessa Paradis, remember?). I almost forget to buy a bottle of Madagascan vanilla extract, made by the Thiercelin, a 7th generation French company.

As a side note, I love any shop that has its own manifesto:

Food shopping done, I scoot back up to Maison Kitsune, to pick up a crisp white shirt.  I'm not sure whether Maison Kitsune is actually a French label, but their little fox logo makes for a modern twist on classic tailoring. I really love Maison Kitsune's playful and colourful attitude to design and it comes as no surprise to find that one of the founders is Japanese. The t-shirt and sportswear collections are especially 'kawaii', especially when matched with their gabardine, school-girl pleated skirts.

Finally, I head downstairs for a well-deserved coffee break in Cafe Kitsune, as I am meeting  my Director to discuss the next art-house film that I shall star in, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Et Voila!

Food:"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" at Cooke's Pie and Mash, Broadway Market, E8

A little bird flew into the apartment today. It was probably trying to escape the noisy din from three days of music in Victoria Park, bringing festival-going interlopers into the neighbourhood.

We walked to Broadway market late in the afternoon, following the path along Regent's canal, joining the strollers and cyclists lolling about. Sundays at Broadway markets are much nicer than the market day on Saturdays. This is when the cafes are free to breathe and spill tables onto the footpath.

The pie and mash shop has been taken over by a Japanese chef, but only on Sundays when the pie shop is closed. I cannot think of two things more incongruous and therefore more interesting.

"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" at Cooke's Pie and Mash.

Handpainted watercolours adorn the exteriors

It runs every Sunday from 12pm to 9pm, serving either a set menu for £13, or takeaway bento boxes for £5.

Today's set menu: Tekkadon -- fresh tuna with rice, salad with rocket, cress, vine tomato, Hijiki with carrot and beans, Miso with clam, Pickles, Iced barley tea, or soba tea.

Isn't this the loveliest menu? 

Temple of the Golden Pavilion - set menu £13

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion specialises in Japanese home cooking. Every dish was fresh and crisp, presented beautifully. The clam miso soup was exceptionally tasty, the stock clear and sweet from the clams and not overly salty. A large bowl of soy-seasoned rice with large meaty slices of tuna sashimi. Cucumber pickles to round everything off beautifully.

Japanese wooden bowls.

It was quite a novelty for us to be having Japanese food in a pie and mash shop but the gentle, nonchalant ambiance inside the shop seemed to suggest that it was the most natural thing in the world.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion also does catering and events. Contact details on their website.

Food: Bistrotheque, Bethnal Green E2

Last week, I decided to revisit Bistrotheque in Bethnal Green to try their 'one night only' menu based on produce that the chefs had personally hiked all the way to North Yorkshire for.  They brought back lamb from Swaledale Foods, a brilliant concept developed to connect chefs and farmers.

Bistrotheque has been around long enough and reviewed often enough that I need not repeat what others have said. In the constantly evolving dining landscape that is London, it is comforting to know that if I want a good roast chicken, I can get it at Bistrotheque and not worry about what sort of new Korean friend chicken coating (don't get me wrong, I do love the stuff) awaits me. It's been the scene for meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, Christmas carols, and memorable performances in the downstairs cabaret area.  I digress but years ago there was an amazing drag performer who did a Britney Spears/Judy Garland mash up that was intensely beautiful.

Anyway. Even though it is great at the classics, Bistrotheque recognises that it needs to adapt to changing times and of late have introduced a few new tricks. The Swaledale menu is one foray into perhaps redeveloping their menu.  The kitchen presented five new dishes, which could be ordered separately, or as a tasting menu for £35. We of course opted to try the latter, and here is the low-down on what we had:

St James, broad bean, broccoli puff

Two bite-sized puff pastry parcels to whet one's appetite, with new season broad beans, broccoli and shavings of St James cheese.  It was light and fresh, but to be fair, this was probably the least successful of the dishes and could do with some tinkering as the pastry to vegetable filling proportion was unfavourably leaning towards the pastry side.

Smoked Swaledale lamb belly, peas, Wensleydale and pickled red onions.

Aside from looking a treat, the smokey, crisp lamb belly was perfectly cooked. Clever use of pickled red onions to cut through the rich belly fat, and accompanied by fresh as can be peas. This one can go straight to the main menu.

Slow and pink Swaledale lamb, fried marsh samphire, heritage carrots in Settle Brewery No. 4 ale, land cress

The main course relied heavily on the freshness of the Swaledale lamb, which was cooked beautifully. The chefs have turned away from traditional lamb flavourings and opting to add some Asian spice to the dish by introducing a chilli sambal type paste, which worked well for my palate, although my friends reported it to be a bit to spicy for their liking, but, they're wrong. Ha. I thought the spice and heat kicked it up a notch on the interest ratings.

Brown butter scone, berry jerry, elderflower cream

This was the pre-dessert, a tiny and delicate scone filled with fresh cream and jam. Great for afternoon tea but I'm not sure how this fits in on a dinner menu. Although, it was very pretty to look at and if Bistrotheque decide to open up for afternoon tea service I'll be there, first in line.

Gooseberry summer pudding, apricot brandy and milk ice-cream.

Initially I wasn't going to order the set menu because I have an irrational aversion to soggy bread, which means I have a tendency to steer clear of bread-based puddings. A difficult phobia given I now live in England.  The ridiculousness of this came into full view as my darling friend attempted to explain my so-called 'food allergy' to the waitress, and the shame of this public airing forced me to give the summer pudding a try.  I came away from the experience unscathed, still not loving soggy bread, but with a new love and respect for fresh gooseberries.

Bistrotheque: 23–27 Wadeson Street, London E2 9DR. 020 8983 7900

Food: Fika, 414 Roman Road, E3

Trundling home on the 8 bus last night, an oasis appeared in the midst of shuttered shops and takeaway on Roman Road. Perching sprightly on the corner of Roman and Lyal Roads, Fika, a Swedish cafe and stalwart on Brick Lane, has now opened a new branch.

Being a Swedish cafe, the decor is unabashedly and predictably all light wood and industrial fittings, but the adorable motifs on plates featured by UK designer Donna Wilson match perfectly with the Scandinavian aesthetic.

Cinnamon buns on Donna Wilson plates

I cannot explain how happy the sight of fresh cinnamon buns makes me, especially when they are available for purchase on the way to work. Fika's cinnamon bun is a bundle of light brioche folds with the perfect amount of spicing and sugar.

Stuart the barista hard at work

 It is almost de rigueur nowadays to have an Antipodean barista and hooray(!) Stuart is our man.

Granola and yoghurt bar

As the Swedes are hearty, outdoorsy types, Fika provides a DIY granola bar, complete with jaunty flags perched in jars like hiking markers.

Want to Fika at home?

Fika: 414 Roman Road, E3. Open for breakfast and lunch. See also their Facebook page for more information on their crayfish festival coming up soon!

Food: Efendi Restaurant, Bethnal Green, E2

Efendi is a seriously delicious Turkish restaurant in a neighbourhood that holds stiff competition with the likes of Tas Firin, a local institution and my usual go-to place for Turkish food.  Whilst I am no expert on Turkish cuisine, I feel pretty comfortable in adopting the views of several Turkish friends who have given Efendi the seal of authenticity.  Memorable meals are those where food comes in fresh abundance, and served with simplicity and an easy grace.  Efendi manages to do all of this well. The chef has apparently been headhunted from a top Turkish restaurant in Upper Street, and on the evening in question we nodded with approval as we saw him sternly direct his staff in the finer aspects of his trade.

Cacik, Patlican Soslu, Hellim

A creamy yoghurt and cucumber cacik, with just enough garlic to hit you (but not too hard), golden pieces of grilled halloumi cheese, and a rich aubergine and pepper dish.  Generous servings, all of which insanely good value at about £3.50 each. Served with turkish bread, Efendi puts in the extra bit of effort by brushing the top of the bread with a light coating of olive oil and powdered paprika to give it more of a kick.

Efendi Feast Platter (for two £24.50)

We were introduced to Efendi by a friend who happily lives around the corner and claims the title of being Efendi's best customer. He is also Turkish so I believe him when he says that the doner meat is the business.  The mixed grill includes doner, lamb chops, lamb ribs, adana shish, chicken skewers and chicken wings.  The healthy portions of fresh salads and fluffy rice, on their own were terrific but the call of charcoal-grilled meats was too much for us.  After wiping the meat juice from my chin, and flicking the lamp chop bone back onto the table, we heaved a hearty sigh of satisfaction, reclining on our chairs and watching the drunks sidle by and the ambulances careening past on a hot summer's night.

Efendi Restaurant: 270 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9DA.

Eat: Taberna do Mercado - Spitalfields, London

We really wanted to love the new restaurant, "Taberna do Mercado" by Nuno Mendes (former head chef of the beloved Viajante at Bethnal Green Town Hall where he first made his name).  Nuno, riding high on his new-found celebrity chef status, left to set up camp at the Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, thus making it out of reach for us simple Eastenders, given that it quickly established itself as the celebrity haunt for the likes of I dunno, Harry Styles, Lindsay Lohan et al.

So when Taverna Do Mercado opened a few weeks ago in Spitalfields, we whooped for joy at welcoming Nuno back to what I feel he must call his spiritual home in East London. Things were promising when my friend announced via text that "OMG Keira Knightley is here and sitting on the next table!". Sadly, we were wrong. Look, I've read Fay Faschler's review in the Evening Standard. I suppose this blog doesn't quite get the same circulation figures, so I guess it will be safe to say without pissing off anyone that we thought it was all a bit crap.  Between us, our group of four ordered nine dishes to share and were still famished by the end. If it were the case that the food was delicious we would have happily ordered more but instead we decided to cut our losses and head over to Ottolenghi (also new in the Spitalfields area) for a reliable portion of salads and cakes.

Interiors at Taberna Do Mercado. OK so the photo is a little fuzzy but it is definitely Keira Knightley.

Espadarta and picadio Algavio £14

Whilst the food was served on a series of delicately mismatching blue china plates, it didn't quite compensate for the inadequate portion sizes, even taking into account the small-plates eating style that we are well accustomed to. The above is a dish of swordfish with a light tomato and cucumber salsa which frankly wasn't quite spicy or piquant enough to generate any lasting memories or merit commendation.

Wild Garlic, asparagus and fennel migos £8

For £8 I dare you to try a mouthful of what transpired to be soggy breadcrumbs infused with a meaty garlic aroma, skilfully hidden under a mass of shaved fennel. Sorry, when the menu says 'asparagus' I take that to mean more than just the one sliver of asparagus hiding under the dill sprig.  Again, Fay Maschler exhorts the values of soggy bread  ("wet bread achieves iconic status"?!) but it really did not add up for us.  The soggy bread did not hold as a base for any interesting flavours and the shaved fennel on top seemed to exist solely to look pretty and/or apologise for what horrors were lurking underneath.

Peas, broad beans and egg yolk £8

It wasn't until I re-read the menu did I realise that this dish is supposed to contain egg yolk. In fact it was a dish of broad beans, peas, and some crunchy bread crumbs on top.

Tinned fish: Monkfish £7

Portugal is famous for the quality of their tinned fish and as a result the restaurant does its own take on it, with options including tinned mackerel, cod, and scallops.  We went with the monkfish, and as shown above it was served in what is clearly a green sauce but aside from that, lacked any distinct flavour.

We also had the runner beans, which were oily, and one of the cheese plates which although was perfectly serviceable one couldn't really classify it as requiring any culinary skill given it was just melted cheese and bread.  At some stage, the waiter came over to our table, holding yet another side plate with what I thought would be our next dish. It turned out that he had cleared the table next to us and was holding a plate bearing half a lemon.  The situation had clearly become so bad that I had come to expect our dining experience to include a dish comprising of a lemon garnish.  Nuno, we are simply bereft. We loved you for such a long time. Tell me I'm wrong, tell my three friends that we have misunderstood your genius.

Food - Kebab hunting in Istanbul - search for the city's tastiest kebabs.

For the food-obsessed it is practically an impossible task within the confines of a 3 day city break, to figure out where/when/and how much to eat. Having said that, we made it our mission not to waste precious calories on tourist-trap kebabs but to seek out the best and finest of what Istanbul could offer. After scrupulous research of all the Istanbul foodie blogs, we settled on two very different, but equally terrific establishments.

Karadeniz Pide ve Döner Salonu

The Karadeniz Pide ve Döner Salonu is located within the hustle and bustle of the Beşiktaş shopping district. Without really trying we managed to stumble upon the restaurant as our attention was drawn to the customers sitting at the tables spilling onto the street, the GINORMOUS beef and lamb kebab rotating around the spit, the delicious smells wafting into the air, and a small army of waiters making sure that a constant stream of food was dispatched to the hungry lunchtime crowd. As we approached the restaurant we were warmly greeted by its owner, and given a table upstairs. A Turkish-only menu listed about half a dozen items (none of which we could read except for the eponymous 'kebap'), but on inspection of what everyone else had on their plates clearly the most popular items were the kebab in pide bread and kebab meat on a plate with salad. After an initial negotiation between us on whether to order kebab on a fresh crusty bread roll, or in a pide, I was overruled and we went with a pide filled with kebab meat. It’s difficult to describe the elegant simplicity arrived on our plate a few minutes later - a fluffy pide, better than anything I’ve ever had in London, which served as a means to contain slivers of fresh kebab meat, tomato slices, cucumber pickle, and green chilli. There is no secret to it other than fresh ingredients, presented simply.

The Karadeniz restaurant is located in the Besiktas district which is within walking distance from Taksim Square, with the added bonus of having the Dolmabahçe Palace en route. Alternatively, there are numerous buses from Taksim square and taxis are cheap (except in our case when we were taken on an extended scenic route version). We had a great time absorbing the frenetic activity of the Saturday shopping trade, which gave us a little insight of what real life is like in Istanbul outside of the main tourist areas.

Address: Sinanpasa Mah. Mumcu bakkal Sokak No 6, Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey

Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi

"When you eat once, you have to come back to it. It's addictive." - owner of Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi.

Later in the day, we continued our quest for meat on sticks, by visiting Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi is located in the Old Town area of Sirkeci. The restaurant specialises in cağ kebab, which means that the lamb is roasted on a horizontal rather than vertical spit. From our table we had a great vantage point of the kebab master at work. In one hand, he wielded a large carving knife, which was deftly used to cut slivers of lamb, which in turn were transferred onto smaller wooden skewers. The smaller skewers handed to his sous chef, who gives the individual skewers a final sear over the charcoal grill. These skewers are served directly on a piece of thin, crepe-like flatbread called 'lavash bread'. After the fluffy pide I had in the morning at Karadeniz, I was initially skeptical as to whether the lavash bread would equal my expectations. In fact, it was a nice accompaniment in that it was fresh, soaked up all of the lamb juices.

Address: Hocapaşa Sokak 3/A, Sirkeci

Thanks to Istanbul Food blog for the recommendations!

Places - Netil360, Netil House Hackney

So the rooftop space at Netil House has re-opened this weekend as Netil360 and it's looking pretty good! Given the last time I'd been up to Neil House it was for a Prince themed silent-disco in the middle of winter, I was slightly disorientated, squinting in the midday sun, confused by the shiny new astroturf and deckchairs.

It was a pretty chilled-out afternoon with reggae backing track included. From their website it seems as though Netil360 will be open every day, serving coffee, snacks and drinks well into the evening. I did chuckle though at the 'Make your own Terrarium' workshop that was being set-up out back, and made a quick escape for fear of actualising all the hipster cliches in East London. So I left, on my Japanese step-through bike, but shall return when the weather heats up some more, fully intending to park myself on a deckchair on the first sunny day.

Food - Crust Conductor, Peckham Rye

Sadly, yesterday's 'Crust Conductor Closing Party' (CCCP) called to an end the symbiotic union between the Pizza Bus and the Brick Brewery where it has been parked for the last few months.  We traipsed along to snare a table on the top deck and sampled four of their finest slices. It's fun, it's easy, it makes us think that being a Pizza Bus Conductor is a seriously viable career option.  The Crust Conductor is making most of the summer: he will be seen dishing out pizza and music at a bunch of music festivals (including Glastonbury), I've been told.

Somehow pizza tastes better when you're eating it on a double decker bus. My friend chose his namesake, the Peckham Princess, as it matched his super spicy, reggae-rollin' attitude. Jerk sauce, jerk chicken, green mango and jalapeños.

In the absence of its current parking spot next to the brewery, you should be pleased to find that The Crust Conductor comes the Gowlett Arms in Peckham, the original home of their pizzas. 

Food - Japanese Supper Club, Brazilian Nikkei Cuisine with the London Foodie, Islington

Brazilian Nikkei cuisine represents the influence of Japanese diaspora adding to the delicious melting pot of Brazilian cuisine.  I don't know why Luiz Hara hasn't been approached to open a restaurant, because the slick operation he runs in his beautifully furnished home in North London far surpassed to many other supper clubs I've been to previously. Luis produced 7 beautiful courses which demonstrated an instinctive feel bringing together different types of ingredients.

Starter 1: Salmon Tiradito - Peruvian Sashimi of Salmon, Passion Fruit Leche de Tigre, Crispy Kabocha & Espelette Pepper. Hidden underneath crispy bits of Kabocha (like sweet potato) were several slices of sashimi grade salmon. Luiz's passion-fruit marinade was sharp and smooth at the same time. Perfection.

 Starter 2: Deconstructed Sushi - Grilled Scallops on Rice, Wasabi Flavoured Tobiko Eggs, Nori and a Spicy Creamy Sauce. The outstanding dish of the evening for its interest factor. The fake cheese like exterior is simply a mask for what is actually a gorgeous lemon and light cream sauce, enrobing little nuggets of grilled scallop on a bed of sushi-rice.

Starter 3 - Nasu Dengaku - Grilled Aubergine with Miso, Mirin and Sugar Dressing, Topped with Mozzarella Cheese. The addition of cheese on top of miso grilled aubergine sounds wrong but tastes, oh, so very right.

Starter 4 - Nimono - Daikon Fondant, Soboro Chicken and Blow-Torched Foie Gras. The daikon acts as a sponge, soaking in the rich flavours of the chicken. The foie gras was a little indulgent addition.

Starter 5 - Tempura - Courgette Flowers Filled with Scallop, Tofu and Lemon Mousse, Oyster Mushrooms and Petters. You'll just have to take my word that the courgette flowers were incredibly fresh, and the scallop mousse worthy of the fine ingredients.

Main Course - Yakiniku - Brazilian Beef Picanha in Rock Salt, Crispy Onions, Soy Sauce and Lime Dressing, served with Japanese Stir Fried Garlic Rice and Japanese Mushroom in Truffle Ponzu Butter.

Dessert - Banana and Nutella Gyoza, with Black Sesame Caramel Ice Cream.

You can check out Luiz's blog at The London Foodie which lists his forthcoming supper club dates. At £45 a person, the price is genuinely worth every penny. Luiz's passion for cooking really stands out in the design of his menu.  I have been slavishly following his food and travel blog for years and clearly the influences of his travels to Brazil is reflected in what he shares with his guests at his supper club. Bravo.