I'm really enjoying this new doughnut craze happening in London. Doughnut-only vendors are popping up all over the place, and also restaurants and bakeries are bringing them into their repertoire.
So far, my favourites have been Rinkoff with their version of the cronut and Glazed and Confused's ring doughnuts, where I explain that a ring doughnut is my personal preference. But I'm open to any good 'nut and as we found ourselves on the Southbank last Saturday, I thought a stroll up to Borough Market to try the wares of Bread Ahead was an eminently sensible thing to do.
It took a little while to find them among the throbbing crowd so thick it was sometimes impenetrable, but with some persistence, there they were. Bread Ahead is the partnering of the founder of Flour Power Bakery (pretty much ubiquitous at every market for a while) and an ex-baker from St John's Bakery, already famed for their doughnuts, which are pretty good.
When we got there, there was but one of their renowned salted caramel and honeycombs, plus a few rhubarbs and some vanilla (I think). We had one rhubarb and snapped up the last salted caramel one, actually managing to wait until we'd got all the way home before tucking in.
I think, for both of us, the rhubarb was the surprise winner. It was the perfect blend of tartness and sweetness and a hint of orange gave it a nice citrus freshness. I also loved the salted caramel custard with chewy bit of honeycomb protruding but Stephen didn't like that it wasn't quite custard, wasn't quite salted caramel, whereas I appreciated the airy lightness of the filling and that it wasn't too sweet. These could almost persuade me that filled doughnuts are the way to go.
Weirdly enough, my only complaint is that they are too stuffed with filling. I'd actually like a little more doughnut with my jam or custard - there was so much they were tricky to eat; you almost had to spoon some out before getting a hold of the doughnut and eating the rest.
What kind of complaint is that? Well, a pretty weak one by all accounts. Will overfilling stop me from going back? Hells no. I can't wait to have another one!
Firstly, I've got to commend the soundtrack in Dirty Bones - a mixture of soulful old school funk, and sultry modern R n B. Everyone I was with thought the music was excellent and completely matched the 70s retro lounge feel of the place.
So, good impressions from the start and happily the food also lived up to these.
I'd actually already had a Dirty Bones hot dog from when they launched and were giving away dogs for free, so I knew, in essence, that I already liked their hot dogs. But those were just the classic yankees - some ketchup, mustard and spring onion. I wanted to try some of the speciality hot dogs, and found it very hard to choose between the Mexican (topped with pulled pork, cactus salsa, lime sour cream and guacamole) and the Asian (topped with wasabi mayo, seaweed, sesame seeds and kimchi). As much as I love Mexican flavours, I thought the Asian one sounded unlike any other hot dog I'd tried so I wanted to see if it would work. A couple of people had the Brit Dog (treacle bacon, mature beer cheddar and curried gherkins) while one person did have the Mexican, and someone had the Frenchie (chives, celeriac remoulade, crispy shallots and roast garlic puree) but on a veggie dog.
We enquired about the 'Dirty fries' and found out they were their regular triple cooked fries but topped with cheese and jalapenos and onions. They sounded amazing but with my Asian dog I though it might be a bit much. As it happens, these dirty fries are done in quite an understated way and I wouldn't have felt like a right pig if I'd ordered them as well. I satisfied myself with regular fries as well.
While we waited for the food, we all had a cocktail each. I couldn't resist having something whiskey-based and had the Big Apple - JD, lillet rouge, peychaud bitters, and it came with a warm slice of toffee apple on the top which was absolutely delicious! Quite a lot of people took a risk and ordered the highly alcoholic sounding Deputy Dog (a lot of the cocktails are dog-themed) which had tequila in it, plus solerno and fresh mint, making it quite similar to a mojito. But it was also topped up with Ting and was a long drink, rather than a short one so wasn't quite as potent as everyone thought it might be.
Our hot dogs shortly arrived and I liked the look of mine straight away. Eating it was even better. My hot dog had a good girth to it, even if it was a little 'short'. I would say it still stings a little to be paying £8.50 for a hot dog, but the price is comparable to other places, and if I were to directly compare it to, say Bubbledogs, I would say I liked this place a lot better. The hot dogs available are more interesting, bigger, and, well, better!
I loved my Asian dog - all the flavours added up to a delicious bite every time, and still retained the hot dog taste underneath, not overpowering it. The crunchy seaweed on top was worth ordering this one alone, and the wasabi was at a perfect level for me - like English mustard, I can't handle too much.
Everyone else was full of praise for their hot dogs, and the girl who ordered the veggie version was loudest among them. I think she was genuinely surprised to find herself liking a hot dog so much, not having been much of a fan of them before, and she said more than once how impressed she was.
The fries were great, nice and crunchy. I must say though, that even though I'm sure they were triple fried, does it really need to be mentioned on the menu? They're really good fries but by highlighting that they're triple fried it almost gives me expectations way beyond what I'm actually getting.
We left after we ate because, even though we liked the place, there's no denying it's pricey. Cans of beer (yes, cans' not bottles) were £5.00 and although wine looked priced normally, I suspect that was for small measures (they didn't specify on the menu). Even then we might have stayed but it was the day before pay day.
So, everyone liked the place. Which was a relief. I've got myself a bit of a reputation for knowing the 'cool' places to go and keeping on top of the Zeitgeist and this was the first place we had all been on my recommendation. So thanks Dirty Bones, for keeping my rep' intact!
When I was invited to Secret Cinema with fellow Nuffnang bloggers The Prosecco Diaries and Hectophilia, I was told I could write about anything I wanted, as long as I didn't reveal the location, film, or even what time the film starts. Should be a cinch!
I'd actually been to Secret Cinema once before so I kind of knew what to expect, but they still managed to surprise me. Prices have steadily gone up through the years, but you can see where it goes. They're getting close to rivalling Punch Drunk in terms of creating a whole new world, with amazing attention to detail. And there was a lot more interaction this time, making you feel part of the wider story, with characters you could follow, as well as a few set pieces to give you a clue to the movie you were living within (once again it was a movie I'd seen but I still didn't guess it!).
But first, to gain entry to this illicit world, we had a certain person with whom to rendez-vous. In this era when you have to have your wits about you, I thought I'd best go under an assumed name. I was Maria Smith (try and trace that!) and I was about to enter a world where you didn't know quite who to trust but one thing was clear - money talked and law and order wasn't much more than a notion.
We wandered all over the joint, stopping for a drink or two before mingling with what I would say were some of the more unsavoury characters in town. They tried to get us to to help out with one of their schemes, and being of a curious nature, I went along with it, but before long we were being whisked into the kind of company I'm more accustomed to. Or, well, I thought I was speaking with a fine, upstanding politican. Sure, he was sweet-talking us because he wanted our vote but all politicians do that. Then things got kinda nasty - he started roughing up his secretary and I began to have my suspicions he was no better than a crook! As luck would have it, it was election night and I was able to immediately take a stand against him by voting for the other guy. At least, I hope I did... the polling station was right by the bank and just as I was enquiring as to what sort of loan would be available to me (I'm starting to expand my extremely well regarded beauty shop chain), we were rudely interrupted by some hoodlums! They took everything so who knows what they did to the votes. I was left with barely enough to ensure entry (if you know what I mean - like I say, money talks) for me and my gals, to the swankiest bar in town.
There may have been a little gambling going on the side, I'm sure I don't know. What I can tell you is that this place was jumping and the cats in the band were swinging.
Time in this shady world flew by, before we knew it the movie was about to start. And all I will say is... keep your eyes open even then.
Back in the cold light of day, Ieaving my alter-ego behind, I have to say I was hugely impressed with this 'edition' of Secret Cinema and it has stoked in me a desire to go to more, whereas with the first one I wasn't convinced it was worth the now almost-60 quid asking price.
So leave yourself behind and become a part of this fictional world. You'll have an amazing experience. But Tell No One.
It wasn't my intention to go to Troy Bar, but as we stumbled round the corner from the Dead Dolls House, in our cocktail fug, realising it was 11 pm and places were shutting, there it was shining like a beacon, beckoning to us. A light of recognition went off in my mind - I had this place on my List!
And so we entered and had a wicked end to our evening. So good, that we implored our friend who had a transatlantic flight at 10 am the next morning to stay out just for one more, and one more after that - and he did!
I think they have different gigs going on every night of the week, but Fridays is jazz jam sessions and we were probably a little too boisterous for the serious stuff going on in the main room. We were aware of this though and kept our hijinks to the bar area where we wouldn't disturb anyone but the fabulous bar staff whom I'd like to think we befriended.
The place is low key and, as I said, has a live-music focus though there's plenty of room by the bar for socialising away from the performers. They call themselves 'London's Best Secret' and it's not too preposterous a claim. I've been out in Shoreditch countless times and had only heard about the place through a friend. It's not hard to find at all - it's in the middle of Old Street, just sitting there, waiting to be discovered, on Hoxton Street. But it's not the kind of place to attract the Essex hoards, it makes no claims to be a hipster haven and won't be serving Korean anju any time soon. That's probably what keeps it under the radar. It's a perfect late night venue in Shoreditch for a more discerning clientele.
So, if you read this, keep it under your hat - we want to keep it that way.
P.S. I was having too much fun to take any pictures!
My first visit to the Joker was on a balmy Thursday before heading to Smokehouse and we just had one quick drink sitting outside, which meant I wasn't really able to assess the place.
I had the chance to come back three days later with some friends for some early evening drinking on a Saturday. We got there at about six and were practically the only people in the place. It's not on the 'strip' of Upper Street's bars and restaurants so if you don't know it's there, you wouldn't know it's there. Luckily, I do.
It's a cool pub with a modern style. Definitely a pub not a bar, but light and airy with a few quirky decorations thrown in. I loved the huge wooden comedy/tragedy masks and the 'Be Here Now' clock.
They also currently have Tongue 'n' Cheeks in residence serving up their famous heartbreaker burgers (so-called because beef heart is mixed in) but they've got a few other things to choose from as well if you don't like burgers, offal, or the idea of them both combined. I would fall into this camp so I had the picchiapo fries - chips topped with some fantastic, juicy pulled brisket that had been cooked with peppers and onions in a tomatoey sauce, a take on a traditional Roman dish apparently. And the chips this was heaped on weren't bad neither. They also do a philly cheesesteak which one of my friends had. This was a pretty hearty serving of meat and cheese overflowing from a hoagie-type roll.
Two of my friends did order the burger and loved them (I don't think they actually realised any heart was involved and I didn't want to tell them!). We then settled back and had more than a few pints and bottles of wine between us, before leaving at around 9.
It was a really chilled out place, perfect for a bunch of friends to catch up, and actually be able to hear each other - no din of music or crowds. In that respect it shares elements in common with an 'old man's pub' but this is definitely for the younger pub-goer. They also have gigs and quiz nights on in the week if you want to do more than just sit and drink. An excellent haven from the hustle and bustle of 'Supper Street'.
The Craft Beer Co is also just around the corner and doesn't get too rowdy, so we went there for a couple, before making our way to Dalston for Scared to Dance, which I'm pleased to say was much livelier and rocking than the first one I went to!
Le Mercury makes its name by being cheap and cheerful. Well, not exactly cheerful, more romantic. You see, the whole place is lighted by candles rather than artificial light which makes it a perfect place for a date. In my case, a girl date with my best friend.
Everyone who knows Le Mercury knows it has a reputation for doing decent food at really cheap prices. I mean, really cheap. ALL main courses are a mere £9.95, and ALL starters are just shy of £5. That's right. Want rib-eye steak? £10. Want fillet of sea bass? £10. It's quite ridiculous.
At these prices of course it is silly not to get a starter and a main (and you should probably get dessert too, as they're only £3.45, although we didn't). For our starters I had the Terrine de Jambonneau - ham hock terrine with piccalilli and toast and my friend had Ravioli de la Mer - crayfish and lobster with spinach and a shellfish sauce.
Ok, my terrine was not amazing, and terrines are something I have much experience of. It came out resembling a patty and wasn't as course and chunky, or well, meaty, as I'd like. And the piccalilli was pretty lacklustre compared to other homemade versions I've been served. This was watery and I suspect came out of a jar. But I didn't really mind - it was only a fiver!
Alison's ravioli was actually a raviolo - one big pocket of seafood. It certainly looked good, and my friend said she really liked it but I didn't try it myself as I didn't want to deprive her of her sole piece.
The mains, however, totally won me over. They were of a much higher quality than I was expecting for the price. I had the roast saddle of lamb with grilled courgettes and rosemary jus (how good does that sound? Rosemary jus!) and Alison had the rib-eye. Well, someone had to at that price. We got some chips to share but it turned out my lamb came with pomme puree anyway.
And the meat was great. I'm not pretending it was organic, hung for however-many-days, grass fed and massaged with beer, but it was juicy, tender and flavoursome and cooked to our preference.
I can see why this place has the reputation it does and why it rapidly filled as we ate. What a great place to eat without breaking the bank.
Bloggers often lament that it is much easier to write a post about somewhere you loved, or somwhere you hated, but somewhere that's just middling is much more of a challenge.
And so it is with Caboose, a little shack in Dray Walk off Brick Lane serving up smoked meats either in buns or boxes.
They were already a little in my bad books; I've tried several times to get down there only to discover they're not open, and they aren't always great about keeping you informed on Twitter. Finally, I got there and the hatch was open. I took several minutes eyeing the short menu before deciding that, what the heck, I'd go for the Derailer - a combination of 10 hour pulled pork and 12 hour rib of beef, and gosh darn it, I'd have cheese on it as well.
The guy before me had a similar idea but was told they were all out of beef because they'd had an event earlier that day. I almost flounced off in a fit of pique, annoyed at being deprived even when they were finally there for once, but Mother Clucker had too long a queue and I didn't fancy Orange Buffalo again so I just settled for The Fat Controller – pork on its own. Actually, I did add the smoked cheese. I'm not normally a pork and cheese proponent but seeing them melt it with a blow torch decided me.
The sun was out and I hadn't yet eaten anything that day so I sat on the curb and had my breakfast. And yeah, I liked it. It was a touch too sweet for me – probably as a result of the pork being smoked over fruit wood chips, and being served in a sweet brioche bun, with quite a sweet BBQ sauce. It came with pickle but that was marooned in the very middle of the bun – I would have liked the vinegar tang with every bite. I craved some hot sauce on it. The cheese on it, however, was pretty good – I hadn't been sure I would like cheese with pork but I was converted.
It wasn't incredibly filling either, but then, it was only a fiver.
So yeah, I enjoyed it but it's not one of the big-hitters in the pulled meat and bun arena. Maybe the Derailer or the 3:10 to Yuma (beef on its own) would have set it apart from the crowd but I can only judge it on what I had. Pleasant enough. I'd go back if in the area (and if the Rib Man wasn't around), but I wouldn't make a trip for it all on its own.
