Dinner at Elena’s L’Etoile

So when a friend suggested dinner at French restaurant, I wasn’t so sure I’d get a good choice of veg food – the French are not fond of vegetarians! I do however know that if you know where to look you can get some very tasty options experiencing haute cuisine. Luckily my sister lived in Paris so gave us some fantastic suggestions when we were there…

This review isn’t about Paris but Elena’s L’Etoile, one of London’s oldest restaurants situated on Charlotte Street – a glamorous French style bistro with high quality food and warm hospitality. With its rich red velvet banquette seating and starched white table clothes this great institution has a self confident, classic feel. The restaurant is adorned with a vast array of signed photographs along the walls testifies. Swish looking with service that is second to none, offering fresh bread several times, water when asked, topping up wine glasses and bringing out the food promptly.

My chosen dishes were simple yet elegant consisting of a spinach and goats cheese souffle with ratatouille, pesto and toasted pine nuts as a starter and main was a tasty pithiviere of wild mushrooms and artichokes, roast vegetables, polenta, baby spinach and mushroom purée. Both dishes were very different to anything I’ve had before – slightly small portions but well cooked and expertly presented – well the French do style best!

My friends had the steak and hand-cut chips and belly of lamb – all enjoyed their meals. We finished with a kaffir lime and coconut panna cotta and cheese board. The panna cotta was delicious - perfect to share as a whole slice would have been too much. Unfortunately there was 2 slices of bread only on the cheese board – crackers and grapes would have been more apt.

A really lovely meal catching up – would say it’s a pricey restaurant however with the 50% taste card it was worth it. I’m not sure paying full price would be worth it unless it’s a romantic date.

Starter

Main

Dessert and cheese

Family tea at Barn Hotel, Ruislip

Towards the end of the Ruislip High Street is a hidden hotel called The Barn – it’s a cute little find not far from where I live. The lounge area is plush with sofas and as we were a group of 7 plus a baby we were given a cosy area to relax in.

The afternoon tea menu of £12.95 each is reasonable when compared to London prices and you get a plate of sandwiches, home-made scones – some with raisins and others without thankfully and an array of cakes, macaroons and eclairs. The sandwich selection was minimal – egg mayo, cheese and roasted pepper/tomato on normal bread and I felt that they could have been more experimental. 

The sweet treats were delicious – the scones heaped with jam and clotted cream were tasty and the bite-sized cakes – carrot, coconut and madeira were melt in the mouth. The macaroons weren’t so great but nothing really compares to Laduree!!

Although there were enough sandwiches to go around – it would have been nice to have been offered a replenishment as they do in most afternoon tea places but for the price I wouldn’t expect this. Though more tea would have been good…

 

Afternoon tea – Pret a Portea at The Berkeley

If you’re looking for the girliest afternoon tea you can find, this is it with cakes in the shape of handbags, cookies in the shape of boots…and it’s all based on this season’s catwalk.  Not that I qualify in any way for the description of fashionista, but there were lots in the room! All the major hotels in London offer afternoon tea but The Berkeley have combined  fashion and cake with their Fashionista’s Prêt-à-Portea, which puts an interesting twist on the traditional English afternoon tea! This is not a traditional style though so if that’s what you want then this isn’t the place to go to!

So out with the scones, jam and fresh clotted cream, which I did miss and in with cakes and biscuits that resemble catwalk designs from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Prada, Burberry Prorsum, Diane Von Furstenberg and Manolo Blahnik. The menu read like a fashion show and the style was definitely that.

The table was fashionably set, with individual menus and a personalised card in hot pink!  We had some concerns when only one cake stand was set on the table for three people and there was only two handbags!  The waiter quickly reassured us the plates would be replenished as and when we finished them not that we needed this.

There we lots of interesting tea infusions such as mint chocolate tea, funky fruit, caramel as well as the traditional Earl Grey and Lapsong all served in the classic Paul Smith teapots and cups. The sandwiches (we had two rounds and were offered more!) were unique using different types of bread each filling from cream cheese and cucumber to brie, red pepper and cranberry.

Then came the classic tiered tray that featured a plate of unique taster spoons with a ratatouille , a layer of beautiful cakes, and a small dish with two cookies and glasses filled with brightly coloured concoctions. Our server set down the tray and pulled out pictures of the season’s catwalk shows to point out which cake went with which designer.

The maître explained each delicate and creative dessert with the help of a catalogue, which resembled the latest catwalk designs of the season.  Desserts ranged from tasty types of mousse, biscuits, cookies, macaroons and cakes.

The desserts were a little different – cool but not overly the best tasting I’ve had however it’s a fun afternoon out especially when catching up with friends.

Dishoom

Dishoom – paneer frankie and keema frankie

I’ve been wanting to try Dishoom the vintage vintage Mumbai cafe in London and had heard some great things. As we were in Shoreditch, we decided to eat at Dishoom which is around the corner from Boundary Hotel (cool rooftop bar here!). I always wondered what the word Dishoom meant – apparently the hindi word used in Bollywood films to represent the sound made when the hero’s fist hits his opponent.

Dishoom is modelled on Mumbai cafes when Persian immigrants who moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) started a trend for all-day cafés based on elegant European coffee houses at the turn of the 20th century. Many thrive to this day in Colaba in their original form and location and are the inspiration for this London eatery.

It is a casual and quirky restaurant with elegant painted brickwork, old photographs and signs on the walls, dark wood tables with white marble tops, tall dark shutters and low lit lighting.  It was great to be see the cooks in the open-plan kitchen – the chefs making fresh naans and chargrilling kebabs. 

We are quickly seated up at the bar where the chef was making keema pau and pau bhaji and told a little about the restaurant by our waiter who explained that the food is served when it’s ready. Neil ordered: bhang lassi: fresh ginger, mint and hints of Bombay spice with rum which he was a little disappointed with as it was tasteless whilst I had the traditional nimbu pani.

Food wise – we had a look at the small plates and opted for the bhel which was tasty – a little more chutney would have been great. As we were in a rush we went for the frankies - open-ended naan parcels, baked and filled with chicken, lamb, chickpeas curry or paneer – best eaten with the hands. I went for the paneer one which was really tasty – had enough spice and crunch to it. I’ve heard the portions are small but for what we ordered it was fine.

Food done, we were pretty full so didn’t have any desserts. I did however opt for the masala chai – one of the nicest I’ve had and close to the one you would have in India. We loved the small glasses in which the hot drinks are served.

I loved Dishoom – the decor, the atmosphere and the food! I’d like to go back to try other dishes like the pau bhaji and the famous golas! Dishoom is great for a quick snack,breakfast or a longer dinner. I’ll be back.

Crispy pitta chips with aubergine, pomegranate, feta & mint

Last year’s family Christmas was hosted by my cousin and her hubby – she made a lovely starter dish of crispy pitta chips topped with aubergine, pomegranate, feta and mint! We’ve made this plenty of times as it’s quick, easy and perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:

• 2 large aubergines
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp finely chopped mint
• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 125g feta, crumbled
• 4 good-sized pitta breads
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tsp ground cumin

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Wash the aubergines and place under a hot grill, turning them frequently for around 15 minutes, until blackened and charred on either side.

2. Once cool, cut the aubergines lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, chopping it finely. Mixl with the garlic, chilli, lemon juice, olive oil and mint (keep some mint aside for garnish). Season with sea salt and set aside, while preparing the pitta chips.

3. Split each pitta in half widthways and cut into wedges. Place flat on a baking tray and drizzle with enough oil to coat each chip. Sprinkle with salt and cumin and place in the oven for eight minutes until golden and crisp.

4. To serve, spoon a little of the aubergine mix on to each pitta and top with a few pomegranate seeds, some crumble pieces of feta and little bit of mint.

Serve immediately!

Brunch – french toast

Hello Breakfast! A lovely breakfast dish, easy but filling. Ordinary French toast can be changed easily to become fancy french bread with a few exciting additions.

First up is fluffy french toast made with desiccated coconut giving it a lovely texture and coastal flavour. Then it’s cooked until golden and drenched with an irresistible, deliciously sweet syrup and to finish it’s sprinkled with shredded coconut. Recipe from Anjum’s Indian Vegetarian Feast which is definitely worth buying.

• Eggs – 1 per person
• Bread – 2 per person
• 200 ml of milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 6 tbsp dessicated coconut
• Butter
• Vegetable oil

Whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar. Spread the coconut on a small plate. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan, dip one slice of bread in the batter for about 30 seconds and transfer to the plate of coconut pressing gently, turning to coat both sides. Place into the hot pan and repeat with the other slices. Cook over a flame till golden brown on both sides. Add maple syrup for extra sweetness and some raspberries.

Another tasty addition to the french toast mixture is mixing in Indian spices – chilli powder, salt and a pinch of haldal giving it a kick.

Anyone else have any tasty combinations to their breakfast french toast to share?

Breakfast – poached eggs and creamy mushrooms on sourdough bread

As it was my husband’s birthday and too cold to go out with the little baby, making breakfast at home was called for to celebrate…

The main ingredient is the bread and you have to get this right to make sure it tastes good. Sourdough bread is a firm favourite in the house we and always have it to hand – great tasting simply toasted with some butter or with cheese and chutneys.  Gail’s Bakery have several different types as does good old Morrisons.

For this meal, we made creamed mushrooms  which could be also be small snack or a little starter. Cook some mushrooms (wild is better but any will do) in a pan with butter, olive oil, garlic, shallots, sea salt and grounded pepper until the onions have softened and the mushrooms are starting to caramelise and take on colour. The best thing about this dish is that the juices naturally cook out of the mushrooms and mix with the butter and once cooked you need to add a touch of cream to get a sauce that’s creamy when it’s not.  Add some parsley to finish and a dash of lemon juice to give it some flavour.

A perfectly cooked poached egg is tasty and healthy! Fill a pan with boiling water from the kettle and add a pinch of sea salt bringing to a simmer over a medium heat. Crack each of your eggs individually into a cup lined with cling film, add salt, pepper oregano and twist the cling film pocket at the top to create a pouch. Gently pour it into the water and cook - a really soft poached egg takes 3-4 minutes and a soft to firm one will need 6-7 minutes (dependent on egg size).

When they’re ready, remove them to some kitchen paper to dry off and serve with buttered toast, creamed mushrooms and a cup of tea! Nom Nom.