Street Feast @ Hawker House

For those of you who don't know, Street Feast is a 'nomadic street food circus' that curates vibrant experiences for food lovers. 

Myself and a few mates headed to Hawker House on Friday to see what it was all about, and what a treat it was...

When presented with a queue the size of what it was on Friday night, in any other situation I'm pretty sure that I'd be kicking and screaming my way to the front door, preparing to mutter at least one or two expletives under my breath at the door man. 

Nothing of the sort. On this occasion there was an overriding sense of contentment throughout the punters in the queue. I'd say calmness, but maintaining this state of being was an impossible task. I'm pretty sure that this was down to the unassuming showmanship of the Mama's Jerk Station chef, who casually flipped and basted the mountains of chicken thighs. Every flip would send out a puff of smoke into the queue. Breathe in through the nose... and exhale: 'aahhhhhhhhhhh!'

The drool trail guided us to the next stage of the queue - Smokestak with their 4.5 tonne custom built smoker. Uh oh. The chef opened up the smoker to reveal the bubbly glaze of the BBQ ribs, which was then followed by an eruption of smoke onto the onlookers. This was too much. Get me inside. NOW!

When we finally made it through the door for the more than reasonable price of £3, the sense-assault then began. The sights, sounds and smells were unreal. The combination of the food, the music, the dim lighting and the warmth, created an atmosphere and vibrancy that can only be described as exceptional. 

Moving through the venue to meet our friends who were 'holding down positions at the Whiskey Bar', we managed to get our bearings and scope out what were going to eat. The conclusion was pretty simple - we'd have the lot.

For the majority of the evening we stood propped-up at the Whiskey Bar, re-fuelling ourselves with cocktails whilst one recon man at a time would move out to collect some nourishment.

First on the list was Yum Bun's Pork in a steamed bun. Now for those of you who read my last post will appreciate that these aren't for me. But rest assured that everyone else was blown away. 

Next were the Slider Bar's mini burgers in the form of a cheeseburger and a 5 chilli cheeseburger. For me it's really hard to get the feel for a burger when there is only two bites-worth of goodness, but in the spirit of tasting everything on offer these were more than enough, and DAMN good. 

Back to the bar and a few more 'Barman's Choice' whiskeys down, we then moved onto the Rola Wala's special, which for the average punter can only be described as an Indian pizzas. We ordered two (Organic Pulled Pork and Channa Dal) and passed them round one-another until they were gone, 'hhmmming' and 'aahhhhing' with every breath, trying to savour every last crispy bite of the spicy pizzas. They didn't last long and there were absolutely delicious. 

Without a break we then moved onto the Rib Tips by Smokestak. Presented in a paper bag these sticky little dudes were unbelievable, the kind of rich smokiness that makes you cough every time you swallow. For me this is how it should be. To be reminded with every bite that these weren't just cooked, they were barbecued in a 4.5 tonne custom-built smoker with all the TLC that ribs deserve.

The following couple of hours involved many other treats from the likes of Breddos Tacos, Bob's Lobster and Mama's Jerk Station. If I wrote about all of them we would be here for hours, but all in all I was blown away. The whole atmosphere of the place put smiles on the faces of everyone around us. People with one common interest in one perfectly curated experience. 

I can still smell the smoke on my clothes now. It reminds me of the scene in The Simpsons when Bart refuses to wash his hand for fear of losing the scent of the girl he had a crush on...

..I can't stop thinking about you Street Feast. 

Flesh & Buns

Filament light bulbs, queues and communal seating seems to be the theme de rigueur running through the restaurant scene at the moment. 

Strangely enough though, one never actually ends up conversing with the person who has been placed next to them. We merely use each other as guinea pigs so that we can build a rating of each dish in our minds. Most people just glance over and lamely point out: 'That's supposed to be really good here'. Until another plate comes out and they realise that the dish they were thinking of wasn't actually the first one they pointed out. Confusion erupts across the table. Back to square one. Some brave souls actually manage to break-down the social barrier and ask the people next to them what they have had and whether or not it was worth trying. A useless exercise if you ask me. 

You know what? Next time I'm in a restaurant I'm going to skip the first two steps and move straight onto asking if I can have a bite. Let's see how that goes down.

Anyway where were we? Ah yes, Flesh & Buns...

Placed just off the Seven Dials in Covent Garden - a place starved of some decent grub - the arrival of the new restaurant is a welcome sight. Birth-child of Soho's Bone Daddies, it came with great expectations, so when I rolled in there one Wednesday lunchtime I arrived with high hopes.

After entering through the rather over-sized barn door, you can be forgiven for thinking that you have just walked into anything but a restaurant. But when you make yourself down the stairs and into the restaurant itself, you are immediately comforted by the smell of oriental cuisine and a friendly waitress itching to sit you down and show-off the restaurant's delights. 

I must add also that this place is enormous, more filament than you can shake a stick at and dominated by one huge table that runs the full length of the restaurant. There must be space for at least 30 people on there, which more than advocates the idea of surrounding yourself with like-minded people to elevate the vibe.

After we sat down in one of the booths we ordered a couple of beers, some crackers and a bowl of edamame beans whilst we mulled over the menu. The highlight of this for me was the tomato salsa that was presented with the starters. So fresh and vibrant that we managed to get through two boxes of crackers and 4 pots of salsa. We couldn't help ourselves. 

The vibrancy of the food continued throughout the starter, the edamame beans were covered in huge chunks of rock salt, invigorating the taste buds and preparing them for what lay ahead. 

Something that we have got very used to with this new brand of restaurants is the simplicity of the menus, here it is quite large in comparison. It ranges from delicate sushi fish, to grilled meat and chocolate fondants. You almost want it to be just Flesh & Buns, no messing about, after all this is the reason why people come here isn't it? 

After much deliberation we decided to choose one meat each (to share), which was to be accompanied by a number of buns (or so we thought). It transpired that for each plate of meat we would only get 2 buns. This meant that there would be vacant, lonely and redundant pieces of meat left on the plate with no bun for it rest upon. This left us confused, annoyed and irritated. It meant that we would have to order more portions of buns at the rather steep price of £2.50 for 2 buns. 

Anyway rant over... What we were presented with was some truly sensational meat - one BBQ Sirloin Steak and 4 Kimchi Lamb Chops. WOW. 

The only bit of feedback I got from my eating buddy was: 'The only problem with lamb chops is that there is never enough meat on them'. Never has a truer word been said! These were the real deal. 

I'd go as far to say that they were the best lamb chops I have ever eaten. Great quality meat matched with flawless cooking meant that there was wonderfully tender meat underneath a charcoal glaze. I couldn't recommend them higher.

Now some people aren't going to like me for saying this, but the only flaw to this dish was the bun. I mean they have a nice appearance and I love the idea, but after spending the best part of 5 minutes trying to fine-tune the masterpiece above, upon placing it in my mouth I ended up having a chewing fight with myself. After every mouthful I had to use my chopstick to dig out remnants of the bun from my teeth. The contrast in emotions from before and after the first bite was vast: Excitement and anticipation was soon replaced by a warm sticky mess. Some people may see that as a good time. But not me. Not during lunch at least. 

  
Following the chops we were presented with the sirloin steak. Again - brilliant, the picture speaks for itself. Not much more could be said about this apart from the fact that the sauce it was presented with was much needed and welcomed with open arms. 

Unfortunately we had to skip dessert, but apparently the S'mores are great fun. D.I.Y. melt your own marshmallows in a wafer biscuit with chocolate sauce. A good excuse to come back again.

All in all however I left Flesh & Buns with mixed emotions - happy I came due to the sheer quality of the food, but also quite confused. Mainly because I only liked half of the reason I decided to come. But we live and learn don't we?

Next time it's just 'Flesh' for me...

Sharing Recipe #1 - The Boy's Burrito Mix

This particular recipe of mine - well, I shouldn't say 'mine' for fear of being booted out onto the street by my housemates - [OUR'S] is an all time great. 

Having lived together for almost 3 years now, we have had plenty of practice in perfecting our recipe. The flavour has always been there or there abouts, but it's the consistency which has always been the hardest nut to crack. Question: How do you roll wet burrito mix in a wrap? Answer: You can't. 

Benito's Hat will beg to differ, but they are Mexican and have tortillas the size of sombreros.

For the mere mortals among us I have a solution. Enjoy...

The Boy's Burrito Mix (serves 4):

Ingredients
1,000g lean mince beef
1 x pack of large tortillas / 4 x sweet potatoes
2 x red onions
4 x garlic cloves
1 x can of red beans
1 x can of baked beans
1 x can of chopped tomatoes
1 x green pepper
1 x table spoons of cumin
1 x sachet of 'Old El Paso' Fajita/Taco/Burrito mix 
1 x beef stock cube
1 x large squirt of sticky BBQ sauce
1 x splash of red wine (if you have it to hand)
Chilies - however much you can handle
1 x pot of sour cream 

1. If you have chosen sweet potatoes, clean and bung in a 180° preheated oven for 1 and a half hours. In the meantime: 
2. Finely slice onions, garlic and green pepper.
3. Get a large high-sided pan on the hob with a good lot of oil (medium heat - patience is a virtue). 
4. When hot, chuck in the onions and red pepper - season with salt and pepper.
5. Whilst onions and peppers are going for it, open the meat pack, turn over the meat, throw away the 'nappy' and run a knife through the meat (this breaks it up so that it is easier to cook when thrown in).
6. When onions and peppers have softened slightly, chuck the meat in. Break up and cook until it just turns from pink to brown. Whilst cooking, pour in a dash of red as well as adding the the garlic and chilies. Keep stirring.
7. Season with salt and pepper. 
8. Boil the kettle. Once boiled fill up 3/4 of a cup with the water followed by a beef stock cube. Stir.
9. Once beef has just turned brown, pour stock into mixture along with the baked beans, red beans, Old El Paso sachet, cumin, chopped tomatoes and a squirt of sticky BBQ sauce (don't be shy).
10. Give it a good stir. If too heavy, pour a bit more boiled water in there. 
11. Leave to cook on a low heat for the rest of the time it takes to cook the potatoes, giving it a good stir very now and again. 
12. Once potatoes are ready, take them out, put them on a plate, slice down the middle, add a knob of butter, some grated cheese, a big spoonful of the burrito mix and bit of sour cream on top. Done.
13. Shout for everyone that the food is ready.
14. Check out the smiles on their faces. 

I hope you enjoy...

The Ups & Downs Of Homemade Pies

Unlike most blogs you may read, the author is now going to confess that he is by no means qualified to write this post. This based on the simple fact that I have never successfully cooked a homemade pie from scratch.

This is gutting for me because I love pies. Pukka Pies, Pieminister, Melton Mowbray, you name it, I've tried it. But trust me when I tell you this: Mary Berry would corpse if she saw me bake. 

The monstrosity that you have been exposed to above is the result of my last baking-related expedition. The dark brown one was supposed to be steak and Guinness pie, and the light brown / beige mixture in the foreground should have been a spiced chorizo and chicken pie. Talk about when the all time plan backfires on you...

It all started in the pub - where most bad ideas are born - on a cold early-autumn Saturday. My mate and I decided that we would comfort ourselves by freestyling two pies from scratch. Now with the wisdom of hindsight; the mixture of copious amounts of ale and two renegades in the kitchen did not set up the ideal platform for a culinary masterclass!

From the pub we moved onto Tesco to collect the food and to be honest it all went downhill from there. Too much meat, not enough cooking equipment, and most critically - not enough puff pastry. We ended up making two pies with one roll of pastry, which turned out to be a terrible idea.

With the contents of the two pies in their respective vessels, we then tore the pastry in half, rolled them to size and then stretched them over and down the sides of the dishes. At this point we were brimming with confidence, still unaware that what we were doing was destined for disaster. 

So to cut a long story short, the pies were not that great. Certainly not something to write about... The lack of pastry was a real deal-breaker, which reminded me of the very old and very hard water biscuits that only come out at Christmas.

Having said all of this, great times were had in the process and this far out-weighed the gutting feeling we both had when we opened the oven to reveal the victims inside. 

The next day I was kindly invited to lunch at another friend's house. Take a guess what was on menu... 

Chicken and mushroom pie. Now at this point I had a minor feeling of terror, but then I realised that it was a Sunday, they would be sober, and more importantly they were girls. Scientific research and my personal experiences combined suggests that sober girls are much better at making pies than pissed blokes. Look...

The thing is that they prepared the mixture well before the application of the pastry. There is no room for greed in this kitchen, they also had patience in abundance. They even had a ceramic bird in the middle. 

The end result was DELICIOUS. The pastry was a perfect golden brown, so light and crispy that it literally fell apart with the slightest touch. If you can imagine what it tastes like through the pictures, double it and then it will be there or there abouts. 

The girls have kindly let me share the recipe with the readers. Even if only one person gives it a go, then this would have been more than worth it.

So two pretty contrasting experiences! But that's what it's all about right? To cook, to share, to laugh at misfortunes and to revel in success? You're goddam right it is. Thanks to all involved...

Bubble & Hana's 'Just Roll with it Mother Clucker':

Ingredients

450ml chicken stock

3 chicken breasts, skinned or chopped chicken fillets

75g butter

2 leeks, trimmed and cut

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50g plain flour

200ml milk

2-3 tbsp white wine

150ml double cream

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Heat chicky stock in lidded saucepan
3. Add chicken and simmer – cover and cook for 10 minutes
4. Set chicken aside on a plate and keep the chicken stock
5. Melt 25g of the butter in saucepan over low heat
6. Stir in leeks and fry until soft (stirring occasionally)
7. Add garlic – cook for 1 minute
8. Add remaining butter and stir in flour when the butter has melted
9. Cook for 30 seconds – keep stirring
10. Add milk, little by little, whilst you keep stirring
11. Then add 250ml of the chicken stock you kept from before, and the wine – keep stirring until smooth – then bring to a gentle simmer – and cook for 3 minutes.
12. Season to taste
13. Remove from heat and stir in cream – set aside in your pie dish and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming (gross!) – let it cool. (If you want to add peas it’s a nice addition)
14. Roll out your Just Roll, easy peasy.
15. Put on top of your cooled pie mixture (you may need help with this)
16. If you don’t have a ‘Pie-Bird’ make a small hole in the centre of the pie with a knife
17. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is lovely and golden on the top and the filling is piping hot
18. Enjoy your Pie – best served with mash

The Joint

A shout must go out to my fellow housemates on this one. Not only because they shared this experience with me for the first time, but also because they are advocates of London's Brixton Village and all the taste sensations that it has to offer. 

Our only problem is that when we are there, we see a menu, then look up to one another and instantly proclaim that to taste just one starter and main course each is simply not enough. Nothing changed on this particular occasion...

                         

The Joint is set in the at the heart of Brixton Village, squashed in-between a cafe and a seafood restaurant. This is the nature of Brixton Village; a universal maze of food education and temptation. It's impossible to walk through it with the aim of going somewhere specific without someone stopping and asking, 'Shall we go here?' or, 'guys, seriously, apparently this place is the tits'. 

When we finally made it through to The Joint, the waiter cleared a space for us and invited us to sit down at one of the tables which consisted of a blackened plank of wood suspended on some up-ended food crates, surrounded by a scatter of wooden stools. It was all we needed. What lay ahead of us would put to shame any establishment that boasted white table clothes and gold gilded seats. There is no other option but to sit and eat outside with the rest of them. After all, the whole restaurant is the kitchen. 

Whilst we read through the menu and performed our usual routine of dribbling all over the menu, we decided that the only remedy would be to pair off. It was the only responsible thing to do at the time - all things considered! 

Now there is only about 5 things on the whole menu, ALL of which are well worth a try, so myself and my partner for the session decided to have all of it. 

The time between ordering and service was exceptionally quick considering the amount of people they were serving, and when it arrived we were blown away. 

The waiter dumped three paper bags - each tied up with a string - on the table for us to ponder over until one of us went in for the kill. The three bags were torn open to reveal onion rings in one, spicy chicken wings in another, and finally 'Riblets' in the other. The onions rings - as expected - were deep fried, light, crispy and absolutely enormous. The chicken wings were covered in red goodness and chopped chilies, seriously spicy but not so serious that you couldn't suck each one right off the bone. The 'Riblets' were my personal favorite - unbelievably tender mini BBQ ribs smothered in a rich sticky sauce which predictably ended up all over hands, face and drinking vessel. A perfect way to start.  

Then came the main event... One BBQ pulled-pork bun and one Asian pulled pork bun... (to share)

The amount of bread was initially daunting based on previous experiences of under-loaded wraps and burgers, but the bread itself was as light as candy floss. The coleslaw was crunchy and refreshing, which was a perfect coolant for the spicy Asian sauce. And the pulled pork was clearly cooked with a lot of love and patience. 

The joy of the BBQ pulled pork bun came as no surprise as it contained the same sauce as the 'Riblets', however the Asian sauce was like something I have never tried before. Tangy, spicy  sweet and BLOODY HOT. I honestly couldn't have picked a winner. They were both a home-run. 

The great thing about this place - as with many other restaurants in Brixton Village - is the sheer passion for food that is clearly illustrated in every dish that is laid out in front of you. Perfectly demonstrated here with the home-baked vanilla and sourdough buns. DELICIOUS and NOT FOR SALE. 

After we ate, we asked if we could buy the buns independently, he answered rather abruptly with, 'No, sorry, only for the restaurant I'm afraid'. 

Fair enough, good on you. I'll be back. 

The Ginger Pig

If I may, I'd like to split this post into two parts: The first depicts a tale of fine wine and slow-cooked spring lamb around a butchers block; the second speaks of pure and unadulterated butchery...

So... For those of you who don't know, The Ginger Pig is regarded as one of the most reputable butchers in London, providing meat for one of the capital's best burger chains - Honest Burgers. So I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that I jumped at the opportunity to attend a class at the Marylebone branch. 

The schedule for the evening consisted of a two-hour long class on how to butcher a lamb, followed by a meal with our fellow 'trainees' around the butchers block. 

When the class finished we were presented with a large glass of red wine, which was less than sufficient to drown the guilt of the previous two hours. Fortunately however there was wine in abundance, fantastic stuff too.

Whist we were discussing the preceding events, we were then presented with a starter of spiced lamb sausages. Now, I'm one of the many self acclaimed 'sausage connoisseurs' in this country, and I can assure you that these are the real deal. Priced at over £7/kilo they aren't cheap, but in terms of bangers for your buck, you're onto a winner if you find yourself in the area. Perfectly spiced with 90% lamb. Oh yeah!

Now on to the main course. Our meat-related chatter was interrupted by the butcher and his assistant to inform us to gather round the block for service. We obliged and waited for the two of them to present two enormous baking trays, each with two of the most succulent and tender shoulders of lamb I have ever tasted. Cooked for 4 hours prior to our arrival with nothing more than a couple of garlic cloves and sprig of rosemary gave testament to the sheer quality of meat. 

This alongside some homemade Rosemary Jelly and another bottle of the good stuff made me a very happy man. Follow this with a chocolate bread and butter pudding, and you've got me hook line and sinker...

The slow-cooked shoulder of lamb was a dream

...Before the class none of us were too sure what to expect. But when we arrived and were presented with a butcher's cloak, an 8" knife, a 50kg lamb and a chain maille glove, my feelings quickly turned from pure excitement to something that only Gareth Southgate and David Batty could really relate to. 

Jokes aside, the craftsmanship that we were witness to was quite exceptional. The gentleman who took us through the processes of slicing, dicing and de-boning a whole lamb was a man at the very top of his game in his profession. Not only his knife-work but also his knowledge of each section of the lamb and the best cooking methods involved for each cut. This on top of the trade-secrets for why certain methods of butchery result in higher retail prices made it unbelievably insightful and provided us all with tips and tricks to take home to our family and friends. 

A legalised massacre 

Following his butchery we were all told to see how well we had observed him and were asked to de-bone and roll our own shoulders of lamb. This is when I appreciated the extent of his skills... I did a woeful job. 

We did all however get to take the shoulder home, which tied in very nicely with Father's Day. Like in The Ginger Pig a couple of days before, our Sunday roast was a sensation, enjoyed by all of the family. Even the dogs had a great time! 

It was all in all a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in the source of their meat. 

P.S. Try their sausage rolls. BIG. 

Sharing Experiences...

'Happiness is only real when shared'. This is what I feel about food. It makes me happy when someone appreciates what is laid out on the table as much as I do. Whether it be a Tapas restaurant in London or something made at home, if our taste buds are tickled simultaneously, then I am a happy man. I'm here to share some of my experiences, general reviews, recipes and all-round gluttony. Enjoy...

Spit-roasted prime rib of beef that I enjoyed with family and friends